C L E 



677 



C L E 



Clematis CLEMATIS, a genus of plants of the class Polyan- 



dria, and order Polygynia. See BOTANY, p. '238. 

 Cleopatra. CLEOME, a genus of plants of the class Tetradyna- 

 rnia, and order Siliquosse. See BOTANY, p. 263. 



CLEONIA, a genus of plants of the class Didyna- 

 mia, and order Gymnospermia. See BOTANY, p. 24-6. 



CLEOPATRA, a name given to the princesses of 

 the family of the Lagides, as Ptolemy was to the reign- 

 ing princes. Anc. Univ Hist. ix. -t34% 



Cleopatra, the daughter of Auletes, was equally cele- 

 brated for her beauty, her accomplishments, her profli- 

 gacy, and her misfortunes. She was the eldest of four 

 children, two of whom were sons, and two daughters, 

 and was left joint heir of the kingdom along with her 

 brother, with whom she was to be joined in marriage, 

 by the direction of her father's will, according to the 

 custom of her family. As young Ptolemy was a minor 

 at the time of his father's death, Pothinus an eunuch, 

 and Achillas commander of the forces, were entrusted 

 with the care of his person and education. These two 

 favourites finding Cleopatra to stand in the way ot their 

 views, deprived her most unjustly of that share in the 

 government which she inherited by her father's will, 

 and drove her from the kingdom. Cleopatra retired into 

 Syria, and having raised a considerable army, appeared at 

 the head of it to assert her right to the sovereignty. On 

 the other hand, the young king, with his advi*. rs, tovk 

 the field, and marched against his sioter. The two ar- 

 mies were encamped between Pelusium and Mount Ca- 

 sius, when Pompey, after the fatal battle of Pharsalia, 

 sought an asylum in Egypt, and determined (o entrust 

 hirriMrlf to the prince's party. The fate of this illustri. us 

 but unfortunate Roman, and the perfidy of the E^yp- 

 tiana, are well knuwi. In the meantime Caesar, ignorant 

 of (he fati- i.f his adversary, pursued him with all expe- 

 dition, and arrm d at Alexandria just at the news of 

 Pompey's death had readied the city. The people of 

 Alexandria were thrown into a great ferment by the in- 

 telligence, and Cz,ar had very near paid dearly ror his 

 temerity, in venturing himself among ttu-m with an inade- 

 quate force. As he was prevented from leaving Alex- 

 andria, by the Etesian winds which blow during the dog- 

 days, he ordered his forces in Asia Minor to join him. 

 Having Dallied, however, the affections of the Egyptians 

 by his affable behaviour, lie soon found himself ire tiom 

 danger, and attempted to adjust the quarrel between 

 Cleopatra and her brother. His interference was acqui- 

 eso d in. as Auletes had left the Roman people execu- 

 tors of hit will, and Caesar was at that time invested witli 

 the supreme power of dictator. Accordingly advoca:cs 

 were appninttd by each party to plead their cause before 

 his tribunal. 



Cleopatra, however, knowing that, in affairs of state, 

 policy generally overrules ihe claims of right, did not 

 wish to commit her cause to Caesar, though it was ac- 

 kn.<wledgi-d to be good, till he should be prepossessed 

 in her favour. In full confidence of her charms, there- 

 fore, she s ught the opportunity of a private inter- 

 view. It wan not ca-y, however, to obtain this, as the 

 city was chiefly in the possession of the opposite par- 

 ty. She therefore adopted a plan, which she knew would 

 recommend her to Caesar as a man of gallantry. Taking 

 along with her <.nly one confidential servant, she went 

 on board a amall vrssel, and arrived under the walls of 

 Alexandria in the duk of the evening. Here causing 

 hernelf tu be wrapped up m a mattress, she war carried 

 by her sf rvant, as t bale of goods, through the streets of 

 Altxandiia into Czsar'b apar.ment. She wa laid down 

 at the dictator's feet, and being unrolled, up started the 



queen of Egypt in all her chsrms. Caesar was delight- Cleopatra, 

 ed with the stratagem ; and, as delicacy formed no pnrt 

 in the character of either, they remained together all that 

 night. Next morning Caesar sent for Ptolemy, and de- 

 sired him to receive his sister on her own terms. This 

 was by no means acceptable to the prince : and when he 

 was informed that his sister was then, and had been all 

 night, with Csesar, he left the palace in a violent rage, 

 and running into the streets, he tore the diadem from his 

 head, and cast it on the ground. 



The whole city was immediately in an uproar, and the 

 young prince led on the populace to storm the quarters 

 of Caesar, who narrowly escaped being torn in pieces. 

 Ptolemy, however, was seized by some of Cssar's sol- 

 diers, and the tumult was appeased for a while. Next 

 day Czsar proposed an accommodation, which promised 

 fair to end the dispute. It was, that Ptolemy and Cle- 

 opatra should reign jointly in Egypt, and that Ptolemy the 

 younger son, and Arsmoe the younger daughter, should 

 reign in Cyprus. This proposal was agreiable to all ex- 

 cept the party who had expelled Cleopatra, and who 

 foresaw their own destruction in her restoration to power. 

 New tumults were therefore excited, and a bloody war 

 ensued, the particulars of which we slull not detail in this 

 place, as we are only concerned at present with the bio- 

 graphy of Cleopatra. The war was terminated by the 

 death of Ptolemy who was drowned in the Nile, Caesar 

 himself, on one occasion, having nearly shared the same 

 fate. 



Caesar having remained much longer at Alexandria 

 than the situation ot his affairs could justify, being fasci- 

 nated by the charms of Cleopatra, was at last obliged to 

 leave her, by the dangers which were gathering round 

 him. Before his departure, he bestowed the crown of 

 Egypt on Cleopatra, obliging her to marry Ptolemy her 

 younger brother, with a view to gratify the people. This 

 was throwing all the power into her own hands, as Pto- 

 lemy was then only eleven years of age. She allowed him 

 to live, so long as he could give her no annoyance ; but 

 when he arrived at the age of fourteen, which entitled 

 him, according to the laws of the country, to have a 

 share in the government, she caused him to be poisoned. 



Immediately on the murder of CjEsur, she declared for 

 the triumvirs Antony, Lepidus, and Octavius, who had 

 formed a combination avowedly to avenge h>s death. 

 Aft' r thebattlt of Philippi. which extinguished the hopes 

 of the p itriots of Rome, Antony went into Cilicia to set- 

 tle the affairs of that province. Here he summoned the 

 qu<-en of Egypt to appear before him, on account of 

 some charge which had been advanced against her. She 

 r.adily obeyed the summons, and setuut confident ot en- 

 skiving her judge. Never had any thing been se^n equal 

 to the apparatus of pleasure, with which she approacned 

 the devoted Antony, who miglu fairly date his ruin from 

 that interview. Having provided herself with magnifi- 

 cent presents, vast sums of money, and the mott sump- 

 tuous dresses, she embarked on board a ves ,el which was 

 gilt all over, with purple sails and oars plated with sil- 

 ver. She was seated under a canopy of cloth o; gold, 

 in the same dre. s and attitude in which Venus was usu- 

 ally represented, with a number of comely youths fan- 

 ning ner like Cupid;, and beautiful virgins representing 

 Nereids and Graces. The hills re-echoed with the sounds 

 ot v.inoiio instruments, and the oars keeping time with 

 the music, doubled the harmc/ny. Such quantities of va- 

 luable spices were burnt on the deck, that the air to a 

 great distance was filled with fragrance. 



Antony was at that time sitting in judgment ; but his 

 tribunal was uutautly deserted, and he wag left in the 



