CLEOPATRA HENRY HOUSSAYE CLEOPATRA A STUDY TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH BY A. F. D. [Illustration] AUTHORIZED EDITION [Illustration] NEW-YORK DUPRAT & CO. 1890 COPYRIGHT, 1890, BY DUPRAT & CO. THE DE VINNE PRESS. CALMANN LÉVY, Editeur, 3, rue Auber, 3. PARIS, le 21 Août, 1890. _Messieurs et Chers Confrères_: Nous venons de recevoir votre chèque, et nous vous envoyons en échange, par la présente lettre, tant en notre nom qu’au nom de l’auteur, l’autorisation exclusive de publier aux Etats-Unis, une traduction de l’étude de Mr. Henry Houssaye sur Cléopâtre. Nous saisissons avec empressement cette occasion de rendre hommage à la parfaite correction de vos procédés. Vous donnez un exemple qui vous honore fort, et dont nous vous savons d’autant plus gré, que nous aimons à croire qu’il sera suivi. Agréez, Messieurs et chers confrères, mes salutations empressées. PAUL CALMANN LÉVY. MM. DUPRAT & CO., New-York. CONTENTS I 9 II 16 III 28 IV 37 V 53 VI 68 VII 77 VIII 85 [Illustration] CLEOPATRA. I. After an existence of forty or fifty centuries, the empire of Egypt was expiring under the “evil eye” of the Romans. The Greek dynasty, which had given to the country a new strength and reviving brilliancy, had exhausted itself in debauchery, crimes, and civil wars. It was now sustained only by the good-will of Rome, whose fatal protection was bought at a high price, and who still designed to tolerate, for a time, at least, the independence of Egypt. Freed from nearly all military service by the introduction of Hellenic and Gallic mercenaries the Egyptians had lost their warlike habits. They had suffered so many invasions and submitted to so many foreign dominations that all that remained for patriotism was the religion of their ancestors. Little mattered it to them, born servile and used to despotism, whether they were governed by a Greek king or a Roman pro-consul—they would give not an ear of corn less, nor receive a blow the more.