Cleopatra
Page 49
The darkness came, and before it was midnight, having feasted with hisfriends who to-night went over his woes and to-morrow should betray him,Antony went forth to the gathering of the captains of the land-forcesand of the fleet, attended by many, among whom was I.
When all were come together, he spoke to them, standing bareheaded intheir midst, beneath the radiance of the moon. And thus he most noblyspoke:
"Friends and companions in arms! who yet cling to me, and whom many atime I have led to victory, hearken to me now, who to-morrow may lie inthe dumb dust, disempired and dishonoured. This is our design: nolonger will we hang on poised wings above the flood of war, but willstraightway plunge, perchance thence to snatch the victor's diadem, or,failing, there to drown. Be now but true to me, and to your honour'ssake, and you may still sit, the most proud of men, at my right hand inthe Capitol of Rome. Fail me now, and the cause of Antony is lost and soare ye. To-morrow's battle must be hazardous indeed, but we have stoodmany a time and faced a fiercer peril, and ere the sun had sunk, oncemore have driven armies like desert sands before our gale of valour andcounted the spoil of hostile kings. What have we to fear? Though alliesbe fled, still is our array as strong as Caesar's! And show we but ashigh a heart, why, I swear to you, upon my princely word, to-morrownight I shall deck yonder Canopic gate with the heads of Octavian andhis captains!
"Ay, cheer, and cheer again! I love that martial music which swells,not as from the indifferent lips of clarions, now 'neath the breath ofAntony and now of Caesar, but rather out of the single hearts of men wholove me. Yet--and now I will speak low, as we do speak o'er the bier ofsome beloved dead--yet, if Fortune should rise against me and if, bornedown by the weight of arms, Antony, the soldier, dies a soldier's death,leaving you to mourn him who ever was your friend, this is my will,that, after our rough fashion of the camp, I here declare to you. Youknow where all my treasure lies. Take it, most dear friends; and, in thememory of Antony, make just division. Then go to Caesar and speak thus:'Antony, the dead, to Caesar, the living, sends greeting; and, in thename of ancient fellowship and of many a peril dared, craves this boon:the safety of those who clung to him and that which he hath given them.'
"Nay, let not my tears--for I must weep--overflow your eyes! Why, it isnot manly; 'tis most womanish! All men must die, and death were welcomewere it not so lone. Should I fall, I leave my children to yourtender care--if, perchance, it may avail to save them from the fateof helplessness. Soldiers, enough! to-morrow at the dawn we spring onCaesar's throat, both by land and sea. Swear that ye will cling to me,even to the last issue!"
"We swear!" they cried. "Noble Antony, we swear!"
"It is well! Once more my star grows bright; to-morrow, set in thehighest heaven, it yet may shine the lamp of Caesar down! Till then,farewell!"
He turned to go. As he went they caught his hand and kissed it; and sodeeply were they moved that many wept like children; nor could Antonymaster his grief, for, in the moonlight, I saw tears roll down hisfurrowed cheeks and fall upon that mighty breast.
And, seeing all this, I was much troubled. For I well knew that if thesemen held firm to Antony all might yet go well for Cleopatra; and thoughI bore no ill-will against Antony, yet he must fall, and in that falldrag down the woman who, like some poisonous plant, had twined herselfabout his giant strength till it choked and mouldered in her embrace.
Therefore, when Antony went I went not, but stood back in the shadowwatching the faces of the lords and captains as they spoke together.
"Then it is agreed!" said he who should lead the fleet. "And this weswear to, one and all, that we will cling to noble Antony to the lastextremity of fortune!"
"Ay! ay!" they answered.
"Ay! ay!" I said, speaking from the shadow; "cling, and _die!_"
They turned fiercely and seized me.
"Who is he?" quoth one.
"'Tis that dark-faced dog, Olympus!" cried another. "Olympus, themagician!"
"Olympus, the traitor!" growled another; "put an end to him and hismagic!" and he drew his sword.
"Ay! slay him; he would betray the Lord Antony, whom he is paid todoctor."
"Hold a while!" I said in a slow and solemn voice, "and beware how yetry to murder the servant of the Gods. I am no traitor. For myself,I abide the event here in Alexandria, but to you I say, Flee, flee toCaesar! I serve Antony and the Queen--I serve them truly; but above allI serve the Holy Gods; and what they make known to me, that, Lords, I doknow. And I know this: that Antony is doomed, and Cleopatra is doomed,for Caesar conquers. Therefore, because I honour you, noble gentlemen,and think with pity on your wives, left widowed, and your littlefatherless children, that shall, if ye hold to Antony, be sold asslaves--therefore, I say, cling to Antony if ye will and die; or fleeto Caesar and be saved! And this I say because it is so ordained of theGods."
"The Gods!" they growled; "what Gods? Slit the traitor's throat, andstop his ill-omened talk!"
"Let him show us a sign from his Gods or let him die: I do mistrust thisman," said another.
"Stand back, ye fools!" I cried. "Stand back--free mine arms--and I willshow you a sign;" and there was that in my face which frightened them,for they freed me and stood back. Then I lifted up my hands and puttingout all my strength of soul searched the depths of space till my Spiritcommuned with the Spirit of my Mother Isis. Only the Word of Power Iuttered not, as I had been bidden. And the holy mystery of the Goddessanswered to my Spirit's cry, falling in awful silence upon the face ofthe earth. Deeper and deeper grew the terrible silence; even the dogsceased to howl, and in the city men stood still afeared. Then, from faraway, there came the ghostly music of the sistra. Faint it was at first,but ever as it came it grew more loud, till the air shivered with theunearthly sound of terror. I said naught, but pointed with my handtoward the sky. And behold! bosomed upon the air, floated a vast veiledShape that, heralded by the swelling music of the sistra, drew slowlynear, till its shadow lay upon us. It came, it passed, it went towardthe camp of Caesar, till at length the music died away, and the awfulShape was swallowed in the night.
"It is Bacchus!" cried one. "Bacchus, who leaves lost Antony!" and, ashe spoke, there rose a groan of terror from all the camp.
But I knew that it was not Bacchus, the false God, but the Divine Isiswho deserted Khem, and, passing over the edge of the world, sought herhome in space, to be no more known of men. For though her worship isstill upheld, though still she is here and in all Earths, Isis manifestsherself no more in Egypt. I hid my face and prayed, but when I lifted itfrom my robe, lo! all had fled and I was alone.