按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
Caesar and Cleopatra
by George Bernard Shaw
ACT I
An October night on the Syrian border of Egypt towards the end of
the XXXIII Dynasty； in the year 706 by Roman computation；
afterwards reckoned by Christian computation as 48 B。C。 A great
radiance of silver fire； the dawn of a moonlit night； is rising
in the east。 The stars and the cloudless sky are our own
contemporaries； nineteen and a half centuries younger than we
know them； but you would not guess that from their appearance。
Below them are two notable drawbacks of civilization： a palace；
and soldiers。 The palace； an old； low； Syrian building of
whitened mud； is not so ugly as Buckingham Palace； and the
officers in the courtyard are more highly civilized than modern
English officers： for example； they do not dig up the corpses of
their dead enemies and mutilate them； as we dug up Cromwell and
the Mahdi。 They are in two groups： one intent on the gambling of
their captain Belzanor； a warrior of fifty； who； with his spear
on the ground beside his knee； is stooping to throw dice with a
sly…looking young Persian recruit； the other gathered about a
guardsman who has just finished telling a naughty story （still
current in English barracks） at which they are laughing
uproariously。 They are about a dozen in number； all highly
aristocratic young Egyptian guardsmen； handsomely equipped with
weapons and armor； very unEnglish in point of not being ashamed
of and uncomfortable in their professional dress； on the
contrary； rather ostentatiously and arrogantly warlike； as
valuing themselves on their military caste。
Belzanor is a typical veteran； tough and wilful； prompt； capable
and crafty where brute force will serve； helpless and boyish when
it will not： an effective sergeant； an incompetent general； a
deplorable dictator。 Would； if influentially connected； be
employed in the two last capacities by a modern European State on
the strength of his success in the first。 Is rather to be pitied
just now in view of the fact that Julius Caesar is invading his
country。 Not knowing this； is intent on his game with the
Persian； whom； as a foreigner； he considers quite capable of
cheating him。
His subalterns are mostly handsome young fellows whose interest
in the game and the story symbolizes with tolerable completeness
the main interests in life of which they are conscious。 Their
spears are leaning against the walls； or lying on the ground
ready to their hands。 The corner of the courtyard forms a
triangle of which one side is the front of the palace； with a
doorway； the other a wall with a gateway。 The storytellers are on
the palace side： the gamblers； on the gateway side。 Close to the
gateway； against the wall； is a stone block high enough to enable
a Nubian sentinel； standing on it； to look over the wall。 The
yard is lighted by a torch stuck in the wall。 As the laughter
from the group round the storyteller dies away； the kneeling
Persian； winning the throw； snatches up the stake from the
ground。
BELZANOR。 By Apis； Persian； thy gods are good to thee。
THE PERSIAN。 Try yet again； O captain。 Double or quits！
BELZANOR。 No more。 I am not in the vein。
THE SENTINEL （poising his javelin as he peers over the wall）。
Stand。 Who goes there？
They all start； listening。 A strange voice replies from without。
VOICE。 The bearer of evil tidings。
BELZANOR （calling to the sentry）。 Pass him。
THE SENTINEL。 （grounding his javelin）。 Draw near； O bearer of
evil tidings。
BELZANOR （pocketing the dice and picking up his spear）。 Let us
receive this man with honor。 He bears evil tidings。
The guardsmen seize their spears and gather about the gate；
leaving a way through for the new comer。
PERSIAN （rising from his knee）。 Are evil tidings； then；
honorable？
BELZANOR。 O barbarous Persian； hear my instruction。 In Egypt the
bearer of good tidings is sacrificed to the gods as a thank
offering but no god will accept the blood of the messenger of
evil。 When we have good tidings； we are careful to send them in
the mouth of the cheapest slave we can find。 Evil tidings are
borne by young noblemen who desire to bring themselves into
notice。 （They join the rest at the gate。）
THE SENTINEL。 Pass； O young captain； and bow the head in the
House of the Queen。
VOICE。 Go anoint thy javelin with fat of swine； O Blackamoor； for
before morning the Romans will make thee eat it to the very butt。
The owner of the voice； a fairhaired dandy； dressed in a
different fashion to that affected by the guardsmen； but no less
extravagantly； comes through the gateway laughing。 He is somewhat
battlestained； and his left forearm； bandaged； comes through a
torn sleeve。 In his right hand he carries a Roman sword in its
sheath。 He swaggers down the courtyard； the Persian on his right；
Belzanor on his left； and the guardsmen crowding down behind him。
BELZANOR。 Who art thou that laughest in the House of Cleopatra
the Queen； and in the teeth of Belzanor； the captain of her
guard？
THE NEW COMER。 I am Bel Affris； descended from the gods。
BELZANOR （ceremoniously）。 Hail； cousin！
ALL （except the Persian）。 Hail； cousin！
PERSIAN。 All the Queen's guards are descended from the gods； O
stranger； save myself。 I am Persian； and descended from many
kings。
BEL AFFRIS （to the guardsmen）。 Hail； cousins！ （To the Persian；
condescendingly） Hail； mortal！
BELZANOR。 You have been in battle； Bel Affris； and you are a
soldier among soldiers。 You will not let the Queen's women have
the first of your tidings。
BEL AFFRIS。 I have no tidings； except that we shall have our
throats cut presently； women； soldiers； and all。
PERSIAN （to Belzanor）。 I told you so。
THE SENTINEL （who has been listening）。 Woe； alas！
BEL AFFRIS （calling to him）。 Peace； peace； poor Ethiop： destiny
is with the gods who painted thee black。 （To Belzanor） What has
this mortal （indicating the Persian） told you？
BELZANOR。 He says that the Roman Julius Caesar； who has landed on
our shores with a handful of followers； will make himself master
of Egypt。 He is afraid of the Roman soldiers。 （The guardsmen
laugh with boisterous scorn。） Peasants； brought up to scare crows
and follow the plough。 Sons of smiths and millers and tanners！
And we nobles； consecrated to arms； descended from the gods！
PERSIAN。 Belzanor： the gods are not always good to their poor
relations。
BELZANOR （hotly； to the Persian）。 Man to man； are we worse than
the slaves of Caesar？
BEL AFFRIS （stepping between them）。 Listen； cousin。 Man to man；
we Egyptians are as gods above the Romans。
THE GUARDSMEN （exultingly）。 Aha！
BEL AFFRIS。 But this Caesar does not pit man against man： he
throws a legion at you where you are weakest as he throws a stone
from a catapult； and that legion is as a man with one head； a
thousand arms； and no religion。 I have fought against them； and I
know。
BELZANOR （derisively）。 Were you frightened； cousin？
The guardsmen roar with laughter； their eyes sparkling at the
wit of their captain。
BEL AFFRIS。 No； cousin； but I was beaten。 They were frightened
（perhaps）； but they scattered us like chaff。
The guardsmen； much damped； utter a growl of contemptuous
disgust。
BELZANOR。 Could you not die？
BEL AFFRIS。 No： that was too easy to be worthy of a descendant of
the gods。 Besides； there was no time： all was over in a moment。
The attack came just where we least expected it。
BELZANOR。 That shows that the Romans are cowards。
BEL AFFRIS。 They care nothing about cowardice； these Romans： they
fight to win。 The pride and honor of war are nothing to them。
PERSIAN。 Tell us the tale of the battle。 What befell？
THE GUARDSMEN （gathering eagerly round Bel Afris）。 Ay： the tale
of the battle。
BEL AFFRIS。 Know then； that I am a novice in the guard of the
temple of Ra in Memphis； serving neither Cleopatra nor her
brother Ptolemy； but only the high gods。 We went a journey to
inquire of Ptolemy why he had driven Cleopatra into Syria； and
how we of Egypt should deal with the Roman Pompey； newly come to
our shores after his defeat by Caesar at Pharsalia。 What； think
ye； did we learn？ Even that Caesar is coming also in hot pursuit
of his foe； and that Ptolemy has slain Pompey； whose severed head
he holds in readiness to present to the conqueror。 （Sensation
among the guardsmen。） Nay； more： we found that Caesar is already
come； for we had not made half a day's journey on our way back
when we came upon a city rabble flying from his legions； whose
landing they had gone out to withstand。
BELZANOR。 And ye； the temple guard！ Did you not withstand these
legions？
BEL AFFRIS。 What man could； that we did。 But there came the sound
of a trumpet whose voice was as the cursing of a black mountain。
Then saw we a moving wall of shields coming towards us。 You know
how the heart burns when you charge a fortified wall； but how if
the fortified wall were to charge YOU？
THE PERSIAN （exulting in having told them so）。 Did I not say it？
BEL AFFRIS。 When the wall came nigh； it changed into a line of
mencommon fellows enough； with helmets； leather tunics； and
breastplates。 Every man of them flung his javelin： the one that
came my way drove throu