caesar and cleopatra-第24章
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CAESAR （puzzled）。 What do you mean by my way？
CLEOPATRA。 Without punishment。 Without revenge。 Without judgment。
CAESAR （approvingly）。 Ay： that is the right way； the great way；
the only possible way in the end。 （To Rufio） Believe it； Rufio；
if you can。
RUFIO。 Why； I believe it； Caesar。 You have convinced me of it
long ago。 But look you。 You are sailing for Numidia to…day。 Now
tell me： if you meet a hungry lion you will not punish it for
wanting to eat you？
CAESAR （wondering what he is driving at）。 No。
RUFIO。 Nor revenge upon it the blood of those it has already
eaten。
CAESAR。 No。
RUFIO。 Nor judge it for its guiltiness。
CAESAR。 No。
RUFIO。 What； then； will you do to save your life from it？
CAESAR （promptly）。 Kill it； man； without malice； just as it would
kill me。 What does this parable of the lion mean？
RUFIO。 Why； Cleopatra had a tigress that killed men at bidding。 I
thought she might bid it kill you some day。 Well； had I not been
Caesar's pupil； what pious things might I not have done to that
tigress？ I might have punished it。 I might have revenged Pothinus
on it。
CAESAR （interjects）。 Pothinus！
RUFIO （continuing）。 I might have judged it。 But I put all these
follies behind me； and； without malice； only cut its throat。 And
that is why Cleopatra comes to you in mourning。
CLEOPATRA （vehemently）。 He has shed the blood of my servant
Ftatateeta。 On your head be it as upon his； Caesar； if you hold
him free of it。
CAESAR （energetically）。 On my head be it； then； for it was well
done。 Rufio： had you set yourself in the seat of the judge； and
with hateful ceremonies and appeals to the gods handed that woman
over to some hired executioner to be slain before the people in
the name of justice； never again would I have touched your hand
without a shudder。 But this was natural slaying： I feel no horror
at it。
Rufio； satisfied； nods at Cleopatra； mutely inviting her to mark
that。
CLEOPATRA （pettish and childish in her impotence）。 No： not when a
Roman slays an Egyptian。 All the world will now see how unjust
and corrupt Caesar is。
CAESAR （taking her handy coaxingly）。 Come： do not be angry with
me。 I am sorry for that poor Totateeta。 （She laughs in spite of
herself。） Aha！ You are laughing。 Does that mean reconciliation？
CLEOPATRA （angry with herself for laughing）。 No； no； NO！！ But it
is so ridiculous to hear you call her Totateeta。
CAESAR。 What！ As much a child as ever； Cleopatra！ Have I not made
a woman of you after all？
CLEOPATRA。 Oh； it is you； who are a great baby： you make me seem
silly because you will not behave seriously。 But you have treated
me badly； and I do not forgive you。
CAESAR。 Bid me farewell。
CLEOPATRA。 I will not。
CAESAR （coaxing）。 I will send you a beautiful present from Rome。
CLEOPATRA （proudly）。 Beauty from Rome to Egypt indeed！ What can
Rome give ME that Egypt cannot give me？
APOLLODORUS。 That is true； Caesar。 If the present is to be really
beautiful； I shall have to buy it for you in Alexandria。
CAESAR。 You are forgetting the treasures for which Rome is most
famous； my friend。 You cannot buy THEM in Alexandria。
APOLLODORUS。 What are they； Caesar？
CAESAR。 Her sons。 Come； Cleopatra： forgive me and bid me
farewell； and I will send you a man； Roman from head to heel and
Roman of the noblest； not old and ripe for the knife； not lean in
the arms and cold in the heart； not hiding a bald head under his
conqueror's laurels； not stooped with the weight of the world on
his shoulders； but brisk and fresh； strong and young； hoping in
the morning； fighting in the day； and reveling in the evening。
Will you take such an one in exchange for Caesar？
CLEOPATRA （palpitating）。 His name； his name？
CAESAR。 Shall it be Mark Antony？ （She throws herself in his
arms。）
RUFIO。 You are a bad hand at a bargain； mistress； if you will
swap Caesar for Antony。
CAESAR。 So now you are satisfied。
CLEOPATRA。 You will not forget。
CAESAR。 I will not forget。 Farewell： I do not think we shall meet
again。 Farewell。 （He kisses her on the forehead。 She is much
affected and begins to sniff。 He embarks。）
THE ROMAN SOLDIERS （as he sets his foot on the gangway）。 Hail；
Caesar； and farewell！
He reaches the ship and returns Rufio's wave of the hand。
APOLLODORUS （to Cleopatra）。 No tears； dearest Queen： they stab
your servant to the heart。 He will return some day。
CLEOPATRA。 I hope not。 But I can't help crying； all the same。
（She waves her handkerchief to Caesar； and the ship begins to
move。）
THE ROMAN SOLDIERS （drawing their swords and raising them in the
air）。 Hail； Caesar！
NOTES TO CAESAR AND CLEOPATRA
CLEOPATRA'S CURE FOR BALDNESS
For the sake of conciseness in a hurried situation I have made
Cleopatra recommend rum。 This； I am afraid； is an anachronism：
the only real one in the play。 To balance it； I give a couple of
the remedies she actually believed in。 They are quoted by Galen
from Cleopatra's book on Cosmetic。
〃For bald patches； powder red sulphuret of arsenic and take it up
with oak gum； as much as it will bear。 Put on a rag and apply；
having soaped the place well first。 I have mixed the above with a
foam of nitre； and it worked well。〃
Several other receipts follow； ending with： 〃The following is the
best of all； acting for fallen hairs； when applied with oil or
pomatum； acts also for falling off of eyelashes or for people
getting bald all over。 It is wonderful。 Of domestic mice burnt；
one part； of vine rag burnt； one part； of horse's teeth burnt；
one part； of bear's grease one； of deer's marrow one； of reed
bark one。 To be pounded when dry； and mixed with plenty of honey
til it gets the consistency of honey； then the bear's grease and
marrow to be mixed （when melted）； the medicine to be put in a
brass flask； and the bald part rubbed til it sprouts。〃
Concerning these ingredients； my fellow…dramatist； Gilbert
Murray； who； as a Professor of Greek； has applied to classical
antiquity the methods of high scholarship （my own method is pure
divination）； writes to me as follows： 〃 Some of this I don't
understand； and possibly Galen did not； as he quotes your
heroine's own language。 Foam of nitre is； I think； something like
soapsuds。 Reed bark is an odd expression。 It might mean the
outside membrane of a reed： I do not know what it ought to be
called。 In the burnt mice receipt I take that you first mixed the
solid powders with honey； and then added the grease。 I expect
Cleopatra preferred it because in most of the others you have to
lacerate the skin； prick it； or rub it till it bleeds。 I do not
know what vine rag is。 I translate literally。〃
APPARENT ANACHRONISMS
The only way to write a play which shall convey to the general
public an impression of antiquity is to make the characters speak
blank verse and abstain from reference to steam； telegraphy； or
any of the material conditions of their existence。 The more
ignorant men are； the more convinced are they that their little
parish and their little chapel is an apex which civilization and
philosophy have painfully struggled up the pyramid of time from a
desert of savagery。 Savagery； they think； became barbarism；
barbarism became ancient civilization； ancient civilization
became Pauline Christianity； Pauline Christianity became Roman
Catholicism； Roman Catholicism became the Dark Ages； and the Dark
Ages were finally enlightened by the Protestant instincts of the
English race。 The whole process is summed up as Progress with a
capital P。 And any elderly gentleman of Progressive temperament
will testify that the improvement since he was a boy is enormous。
Now if we count the generations of Progressive elderly gentlemen
since； say； Plato； and add together the successive enormous
improvements to which each of them has testified； it will strike
us at once as an unaccountable fact that the world； instead of
having been improved in 67 generations out all recognition；
presents； on the whole； a rather less dignified appearance in
Ibsen's Enemy of the People than in Plato's Republic。 And in
truth； the period of time covered by history is far too short to
allow of any perceptible progress in the pop
