Cleopatra: Chapter 8

Chapter 8

OF THE LAST SUPPER OF CLEOPATRA; OF THE SONG OF CHARMION; OF THE
DRINKING OF THE DRAUGHT OF DEATH; OF THE REVEALING OF HARMACHIS; OF THE
SUMMONING OF THE SPIRITS BY HARMACHIS; AND OF THE DEATH OF CLEOPATRA

On the morrow Cleopatra, having sought leave of C�sar, visited the tomb
of Antony, crying that the Gods of Egypt had deserted her. And when she
had kissed the coffin and covered it with lotus-flowers she came back,
bathed, anointed herself, put on her most splendid robes, and, together
with Iras, Charmion, and myself, she supped. Now as she supped her
spirit flared up wildly, even as the sky lights up at sunset; and once
more she laughed and sparkled as in bygone years, telling us tales of
feasts which she and Antony had eaten of. Never, indeed, did I see her
look more beauteous than on that last fatal night of vengeance. And thus
her mind drew on to that supper at Tarsus when she drank the pearl.

"Strange," she said; "strange that at the last the mind of Antony should
have turned back to that night among all the nights and to the saying of
Harmachis. Charmion, dost thou remember Harmachis the Egyptian?"

"Surely, O Queen," she answered slowly.

"And who, then, was Harmachis?" I asked; for I would learn if she
sorrowed o'er my memory.

"I will tell thee. It is a strange tale, and now that all is done it may
well be told. This Harmachis was of the ancient race of the Pharaohs,
and, having, indeed, been crowned in secret at Abydus, was sent hither
to Alexandria to carry out a great plot that had been formed against the
rule of us royal Lagid�. He came and gained entry to the palace as my
astrologer, for he was very learned in all magic--much as thou art,
Olympus--and a man beautiful to see. Now this was his plot--that he
should slay me and be named Pharaoh. In truth it was a strong one, for
he had many friends in Egypt, and I had few. And on that very night when
he should carry out his purpose, yea, at the very hour, came Charmion
yonder, and told the plot to me; saying that she had chanced upon its
clue. But, in after days--though I have said little thereon to thee,
Charmion--I misdoubted me much of that tale of thine; for, by the Gods!
to this hour I believe that thou didst love Harmachis, and because he
scorned thee thou didst betray him; and for that cause also hast all thy
days remained a maid, which is a thing unnatural. Come, Charmion, tell
us; for naught matters now at the end."

Charmion shivered and made answer: "It is true, O Queen; I also was of
the plot, and because Harmachis scorned me I betrayed him; and because
of my great love for him I have remained unwed." And she glanced up at
me and caught my eyes, then let the modest lashes veil her own.

"So! I thought it. Strange are the ways of women! But little cause,
methinks, had that Harmachis to thank thee for thy love. What sayest
thou, Olympus? Ah, and so thou also wast a traitor, Charmion? How
dangerous are the paths which Monarchs tread! Well, I forgive thee, for
thou hast served me faithfully since that hour.

"But to my tale. Harmachis I dared not slay, lest his great party should
rise in fury and cast me from the throne. And now mark the issue. Though
he must murder me, in secret this Harmachis loved me, and something
thereof I guessed. I had striven a little to draw him to me, for the
sake of his beauty and his wit; and for the love of man Cleopatra never
strove in vain. Therefore when, with the dagger in his robe, he came
to slay me, I matched my charms against his will, and need I tell you,
being man and woman, how I won? Oh, never can I forget the look in
the eyes of that fallen prince, that forsworn priest, that discrowned
Pharaoh, when, lost in the poppied draught, I saw him sink into
a shameful sleep whence he might no more wake with honour! And,
thereafter--till, in the end, I wearied of him, and his sad learned
mind, for his guilty soul forbade him to be gay--a little I came to care
for him, though not to love. But he--he who loved me--clung to me as a
drunkard to the cup which ruins him. Deeming that I should wed him,
he betrayed to me the secret of the hidden wealth of the pyramid of
_Her_--for at the time I much needed treasure--and together we dared the
terrors of the tomb and drew it forth, even from dead Pharaoh's breast.
See, this emerald was a part thereof!"--and she pointed to the great
scarab�us that she had drawn from the holy heart of Menkau-ra.

"And because of what was written in the tomb, and of that Thing which
we saw in the tomb--ah, pest upon it! why does its memory haunt me
now?--and also because of policy, for I would fain have won the love
of the Egyptians, I was minded to marry this Harmachis and declare his
place and lineage to the world--ay, and by his aid hold Egypt from the
Roman. For Dellius had then come to call me to Antony, and after much
thought I determined to send him back with sharp words. But on that very
morning, as I tired me for the Court, came Charmion yonder, and I told
her this, for I would see how the matter fell upon her mind. Now mark,
Olympus, the power of jealousy, that little wedge which yet has strength
to rend the tree of Empire, that secret sword which can carve the fate
of Kings! This she could in no wise bear--deny it, Charmion, if thou
canst, for now it is clear to me!--that the man she loved should be
given to me as husband--me, whom _he_ loved! And therefore, with more
skill and wit than I can tell, she reasoned with me, showing that I
should by no means do this thing, but journey to Antony; and for that,
Charmion, I thank thee, now that all is come and gone. And by a very
little, her words weighed down my scale of judgment against Harmachis,
and I went to Antony. Thus it is through the jealous spleen of yonder
fair Charmion and the passion of a man on which I played as on a lyre,
that all these things have come to pass. For this cause Octavian sits
a King in Alexandria; for this cause Antony is discrowned and dead; and
for this cause I, too, must die to-night! Ah! Charmion! Charmion! thou
hast much to answer, for thou hast changed the story of the world; and
yet, even now--I would not have it otherwise!"

She paused awhile, covering her eyes with her hand; and, looking, I saw
great tears upon the cheek of Charmion.

"And of this Harmachis," I asked; "where is he now, O Queen?"

"Where is he? In Amenti, forsooth--making his peace with Isis,
perchance. At Tarsus I saw Antony, and loved him; and from that moment I
loathed the sight of the Egyptian, and swore to make an end of him; for
a lover done with should be a lover dead. And, being jealous, he spoke
some words of evil omen, even at that Feast of the Pearl; and on the
same night I would have slain him, but before the deed was done, he was
gone."

"And whither was he gone?"

"Nay; that know not I. Brennus--he who led my guard, and last year
sailed North to join his own people--Brennus swore he saw him float to
the skies; but in this matter I misdoubted me of Brennus, for methinks
he loved the man. Nay, he sank off Cyprus, and was drowned; perchance
Charmion can tell us how?"

"I can tell thee nothing, O Queen; Harmachis is lost."

"And well lost, Charmion, for he was an evil man to play with--ay,
although I bettered him I say it! Well he served my purpose; but I loved
him not, and even now I fear him; for it seemed to me that I heard
his voice summoning me to fly, through the din of the fight at Actium.
Thanks be to the Gods, as thou sayest, he is lost, and can no more be
found."

But I, listening, put forth my strength, and, by the arts I have, cast
the shadow of my Spirit upon the Spirit of Cleopatra so that she felt
the presence of the lost Harmachis.

"Nay, what is it?" she said. "By Serapis! I grow afraid! It seems to
me that I feel Harmachis here! His memory overwhelms me like a flood of
waters, and he these ten years dead! Oh! at such a time it is unholy!"

"Nay, O Queen," I answered, "if he be dead then he is everywhere, and
well at such a time--the time of thy own death--may his Spirit draw near
to welcome thine at its going."

"Speak not thus, Olympus. I would see Harmachis no more; the count
between us is too heavy, and in another world than this more evenly,
perchance should we be matched. Ah, the terror passes! I was but
unnerved. Well the fool's story hath served to wile away the heaviest of
our hours, the hour which ends in death. Sing to me, Charmion, sing, for
thy voice is very sweet, and I would soothe my soul to sleep. The memory
of that Harmachis has wrung me strangely! Sing, then, the last song I
shall hear from those tuneful lips of thine, the last of so many songs."

"It is a sad hour for song, O Queen!" said Charmion; but, nevertheless,
she took her harp and sang. And thus she sang, very soft and low, the
dirge of the sweet-tongued Syrian Meleager:

     Tears for my lady dead,
     Heliodore!
     Salt tears and strange to shed,
     Over and o'er;
     Go tears and low lament
     Fare from her tomb,
     Wend where my lady went,
     Down through the gloom--
     Sighs for my lady dead,
     Tears do I send,
     Long love remembered,
     Mistress and friend!
     Sad are the songs we sing,
     Tears that we shed,
     Empty the gifts we bring--
     Gifts to the dead!
     Ah, for my flower, my Love,
     Hades hath taken,
     Ah, for the dust above,
     Scattered and shaken!
     Mother of blade and grass,
     Earth, in thy breast
     Lull her that gentlest was,
     Gently to rest!

The music of her voice died away, and it was so sweet and sad that Iras
began to weep and the bright tears stood in Cleopatra's stormy eyes.
Only I wept not; my tears were dry.

"'Tis a heavy song of thine, Charmion," said the Queen. "Well, as thou
saidst, it is a sad hour for song, and thy dirge is fitted to the hour.
Sing it over me once again when I lie dead, Charmion. And now farewell
to music, and on to the end. Olympus, take yonder parchment and write
what I shall say."

I took the parchment and the reed, and wrote thus in the Roman tongue:

"Cleopatra to Octavianus, greeting.

"This is the state of life. At length there comes an hour when, rather
than endure those burdens that overwhelm us, putting off the body we
would take wing into forgetfulness. C�sar, thou hast conquered: take
thou the spoils of victory. But in thy triumph Cleopatra cannot walk.
When all is lost, then we must go to seek the lost. Thus in the desert
of Despair the brave do harvest Resolution. Cleopatra hath been great
as Antony was great, nor shall her fame be minished in the manner of
her end. Slaves live to endure their wrong; but Princes, treading with a
firmer step, pass through the gates of Wrong into the royal Dwellings of
the Dead. This only doth Egypt ask of C�sar--that he suffer her to lie
in the tomb of Antony. Farewell!"

This I wrote, and having sealed the writing, Cleopatra bade me go find a
messenger, despatch it to C�sar, and then return. So I went, and at the
door of the tomb I called a soldier who was not on duty, and, giving him
money, bade him take the letter to C�sar. Then I went back, and there in
the chamber the three women stood in silence, Cleopatra clinging to the
arm of Iras, and Charmion a little apart watching the twain.

"If indeed thou art minded to make an end, O Queen," I said, "the time
is short, for presently C�sar will send his servants in answer to thy
letter," and I drew forth the phial of white and deadly bane and set it
upon the board.

She took it in her hand and gazed thereon. "How innocent it seems!" she
said; "and yet therein lies my death. 'Tis strange."

"Ay, Queen, and the death of ten other folk. No need to take so long a
draught."

"I fear," she gasped--"how know I that it will slay outright? I have
seen so many die by poison and scarce one has died outright. And
some--ah, I cannot think on them!"

"Fear not," I said, "I am a master of my craft. Or, if thou dost
fear, cast this poison forth and live. In Rome thou mayst still find
happiness; ay, in Rome, where thou shalt walk in C�sar's triumph, while
the laughter of the hard-eyed Latin women shall chime down the music of
thy golden chains."

"Nay, I will die, Olympus. Oh, if one would but show the path."

Then Iras loosed her hand and stepped forward. "Give me the draught,
Physician," she said. "I go to make ready for my Queen."

"It is well," I answered; "on thy own head be it!" and I poured from the
phial into a little golden goblet.

She raised it, curtsied low to Cleopatra, then, coming forward, kissed
her on the brow, and Charmion she also kissed. This done, tarrying not
and making no prayer, for Iras was a Greek, she drank, and, putting her
hand to her head, instantly fell down and died.

"Thou seest," I said, breaking in upon the silence, "it is swift."

"Ay, Olympus; thine is a master drug! Come now, I thirst; fill me the
bowl, lest Iras weary in waiting at the gates!"

So I poured afresh into the goblet; but this time, making pretence
to rinse the cup, I mixed a little water with the bane, for I was not
minded that she should die before she knew me.

Then did the royal Cleopatra, taking the goblet in her hand, turn her
lovely eyes to heaven and cry aloud:

"O ye Gods of Egypt! who have deserted me, to you no longer will I pray,
for your ears are shut unto my crying and your eyes blind to my griefs!
Therefore, I make entreaty of that last friend whom the Gods, departing,
leave to helpless man. Sweep hither, Death, whose winnowing wings
enshadow all the world, and give me ear! Draw nigh, thou King of Kings!
who, with an equal hand, bringest the fortunate head of one pillow with
the slave, and by thy spiritual breath dost waft the bubble of our life
far from this hell of earth! Hide me where winds blow not and waters
cease to roll; where wars are done and C�sar's legions cannot march!
Take me to a new dominion, and crown me Queen of Peace! Thou art my
Lord, O Death, and in thy kiss I have conceived. I am in labour of a
Soul: see--it stands new-born upon the edge of Time! Now--now--go, Life!
Come, Sleep! Come, Antony!"

And, with one glance to heaven, she drank, and cast the goblet to the
ground.

Then at last came the moment of my pent-up vengeance, and of the
vengeance of Egypt's outraged Gods, and of the falling of the curse of
Menkau-ra.

"What's this?" she cried; "I grow cold, but I die not! Thou dark
physician, thou hast betrayed me!"

"Peace, Cleopatra! Presently shalt thou die and know the fury of the
Gods! _The curse of Menkau-ra hath fallen!_ It is finished! Look upon
me, woman! Look upon this marred face, this twisted form, this living
mass of sorrow! _Look! look!_ Who am I?"

She stared upon me wildly.

"Oh! oh!" she shrieked, throwing up her arms; "at last I know thee! By
the Gods, thou art Harmachis!--Harmachis risen from the dead!"

"Ay, Harmachis risen from the dead to drag thee down to death and agony
eternal! See, thou Cleopatra; _I_ have ruined thee as thou didst ruin
me! I, working in the dark, and helped of the angry Gods, have been thy
secret spring of woe! I filled thy heart with fear at Actium; I held the
Egyptians from thy aid; I sapped the strength of Antony; I showed the
portent of the Gods unto thy captains! By my hand at length thou diest,
for I am the instrument of Vengeance! Ruin I pay thee back for ruin,
Treachery for treachery, Death for death! Come hither, Charmion, partner
of my plots, who betrayed me, but, repenting, art the sharer of my
triumph, come watch this fallen wanton die!"

Cleopatra heard, and sank back upon the golden bed, groaning "And thou,
too, Charmion!"

A moment so she sat, then her Imperial spirit burnt up glorious before
she died.

She staggered from the bed, and, with arms outstretched, she cursed me.

"Oh! for one hour of life!" she cried--"one short hour, that therein I
might make thee die in such fashion as thou canst not dream, thou and
that false paramour of thine, who betrayed both me and thee! And thou
didst love me! Ah, _there_ I have thee still! See, thou subtle, plotting
priest"--and with both hands she rent back the royal robes from her
bosom--"see, on this fair breast once night by night thy head was
pillowed, and thou didst sleep wrapped in these same arms. Now, put away
their memory _if thou canst!_ I read it in thine eyes--that mayst thou
not! No torture which I bear can, in its sum, draw nigh to the rage of
that deep soul of thine, rent with longings never, never to be reached!
Harmachis, thou slave of slaves, from thy triumph-depths I snatch a
deeper triumph, and conquered yet I conquer! I spit upon thee--I defy
thee--and, dying, doom thee to the torment of thy deathless love! O
Antony! I come, my Antony!--I come to thy own dear arms! Soon I shall
find thee, and, wrapped in a love undying and divine, together we will
float through all the depths of space, and, lips to lips and eyes to
eyes, drink of desires grown more sweet with every draught! Or if I find
thee not, then I shall sink in peace down the poppied ways of Sleep: and
for me the breast of Night, whereon I shall be softly cradled, will yet
seem thy bosom, Antony! Oh, I die!--come, Antony--and give me peace!"

Even in my fury I had quailed beneath her scorn, for home flew the
arrows of her winged words. Alas! and alas! it was _true_--the shaft of
my vengeance fell upon my own head; never had I loved her as I loved her
now. My soul was rent with jealous torture, and thus I swore she should
not die.

"Peace!" I cried; "what peace is there for thee? Oh! ye Holy Three,
hear now my prayer. Osiris, loosen Thou the bonds of Hell and send
forth those whom I shall summon! Come Ptolemy, poisoned of thy sister
Cleopatra; come Arsino�, murdered in the sanctuary by thy sister
Cleopatra; come Sepa, tortured to death of Cleopatra; come Divine
Menkau-ra, whose body Cleopatra tore and whose curse she braved for
greed; come one, come all who have died at the hands of Cleopatra! Rush
from the breast of Nout and greet her who murdered you! By the link of
mystic union, by the symbol of the Life, Spirits, I summon you!"

Thus I spoke the spell; while Charmion, affrighted, clung to my robe,
and the dying Cleopatra, resting on her hands, swung slowly to and fro,
gazing with vacant eyes.

Then the answer came. The casement burst asunder, and on flittering
wings that great bat entered which last I had seen hanging to the
eunuch's chin in the womb of the pyramid of _Her_. Thrice it circled
round, once it hovered o'er dead Iras, then flew to where the dying
woman stood. To her it flew, on her breast it settled, clinging to that
emerald which was dragged from the dead heart of Menkau-ra. Thrice the
grey Horror screamed aloud, thrice it beat its bony wings, and lo! it
was gone.

Then suddenly within that chamber sprang up the Shapes of Death. There
was Arsino�, the beautiful, even as she had shrunk beneath the butcher's
knife. There was young Ptolemy, his features twisted by the poisoned
cup. There was the majesty of Menkau-ra, crowned with the ur�us crown;
there was grave Sepa, his flesh all torn by the torturer's hooks;
there were those poisoned slaves; and there were others without number,
shadowy and dreadful to behold! who, thronging that narrow chamber,
stood silently fixing their glassy eyes upon the face of her who slew
them!

"Behold! Cleopatra!" I said. "_Behold thy peace, and die!_"

"Ay!" said Charmion. "Behold and die! thou who didst rob me of my
honour, and Egypt of her King!"

She looked, she saw the awful Shapes--her Spirit, hurrying from the
flesh, mayhap could hear words to which my ears were deaf. Then her face
sank in with terror, her great eyes grew pale, and, shrieking, Cleopatra
fell and died: passing, with that dread company, to her appointed place.

Thus, then, I, Harmachis, fed my soul with vengeance, fulfilling the
justice of the Gods, and yet knew myself empty of all joy therein. For
though that thing we worship doth bring us ruin, and Love being more
pitiless than Death, we in turn do pay all our sorrow back; yet we must
worship on, yet stretch out our arms towards our lost Desire, and pour
our heart's blood upon the shrine of our discrowned God.

For Love is of the Spirit, and knows not Death.

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