Sardou's Cleopatra — page 159: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

144 SARDOU’S CLEOPATPA., CHAPTER XII. IN THE ETERNAL, CITY. The news brought by the messenger was only too true. Antony, in spite of all his vows and protestations to Cleopatra, had married his rival’s sister, Octavia. On his arrival in Rome, he had beenreceived with acclamations of joy by both soldiers and populace. With Pompey threatening them by sea, Antony was the man they looked to as their leader. Oc- tavius was not a man to inspire personal devo- tion; he was essentially a statesman, cool and cautious, while Antony was a military chief, flery and impetuous. Moreover, the latter was no gen- eral of inaction; he was always to be found in the midst of the fray, inspiring and urging on his soldiers by acts of personal daring. He was not only their commander, but their companion, fight- ing by their side. It is not strange, therefore, that his captains and his soldiers adored him and | were ready to fight for him to the last gasp. comicbooks (xo.