pompey-第18章
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face; and neither saying nor doing anything unworthy of himself;
only groaning a little; endured the wounds they gave him; and so ended
his life; in the fifty…ninth year of his age; the very next day
after the day of his birth。
Cornelia; with her company from the galley; seeing him murdered;
gave such a cry that it was heard on the shore; and weighing anchor
with all speed; they hoisted sail; and fled。 A strong breeze from
the shore assisted their flight into the open sea; so that the
Egyptians; though desirous to overtake them; desisted from the
pursuit。 But they cut off Pompey's head; and threw the rest of his
body overboard; leaving it naked upon the shore; to be viewed by any
that had the curiosity to see so sad a spectacle。 Philip stayed by and
watched till they had glutted their eyes in viewing it; and then
washing it with sea…water; having nothing else; he wrapped it up in
a shirt of his own for a winding…sheet。 Then seeking up and down about
the sands; at last he found some rotten planks of a little
fisher…boat; not much; but yet enough to make up a funeral pile for
a naked body; and that not quite entire。 As Philip was busy in
gathering and putting these old planks together; an old Roman citizen;
who in his youth had served in the wars under Pompey; came up to him
and demanded who he was that was preparing the funeral of Pompey the
Great。 And Philip making answer that he was his freedman; 〃Nay; then;〃
said he; 〃you shall not have this honour alone; let even me; too; I
pray you; have my share in such a pious office; that I may not
altogether repent me of this pilgrimage in a strange land; but in
compensation of many misfortunes may obtain this happiness at last;
even with mine own hands to touch the body of Pompey; and do the
last duties to the greatest general among the Romans。〃 And in this
manner were the obsequies of Pompey performed。 The next day Lucius
Lentulus; not knowing what had passed; came sailing from Cyprus
along the shore of that coast; and seeing a funeral pile; and Philip
standing by; exclaimed; before he was yet seen by any one; 〃Who is
this that has found his end here?〃 adding after a short pause; with
a sigh; 〃Possibly even thou; Pompeius Magnus〃 and so going ashore;
he was presently apprehended and slain。 This was the end of Pompey。
Not long after; Caesar arrived in the country that was polluted with
this foul act; and when one of the Egyptians was sent to present him
with Pompey's head; he turned away from him with abhorrence as from
a murderer; and on receiving his seal; on which was engraved a lion
holding a sword in his paw; he burst into tears。 Achillas and Pothinus
he put to death; and King Ptolemy himself; being overthrown in
battle upon the banks of the Nile; fled away and was never heard of
afterwards。 Theodotus; the rhetorician; flying out of Egypt; escaped
the hands of Caesar's justice; but lived a vagabond in banishment;
wandering up and down; despised and hated of all men; till at last
Marcus Brutus; after he had killed Caesar; finding him in his province
of Asia; put him to death with every kind of ignominy。 The ashes of
Pompey were carried to his wife Cornelia; who deposited them at his
country…house near Alba。
THE END