Sardou's Cleopatra — page 209: what you’re looking at

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

194 SARDOU’S CLEOPATRA. galley and, leaping on board, ordered the oarsmen to pull after the queen’s flying trireme. This decided the fight. Seeing that they were deserted by their leader, Antony’s men soon gave up the struggle, and the day was lost. Cleopatra sailed to Alexandria, and, horrified at what she had done, shut herself up in the palace of the Ptolemies. To Alexandria, also, proceeded Antony, and en- camped in a barren plain a short distance from the city, with twelve legions, all that remained of his once glorious army. For the direful news had been brought to him that Canidius, who had been in command of the land troops, had, after waiting in vain for Antony’s return, surrendered his entire force to Octavius. Never was defeat more complete nor more shameful. ‘There was not the slightest excuse forit. The land forces, in which lay Antony’s greatest strength, had been conquered without striking a blow, and even to his fleet but comparatively little harm had been done. ' Now that he realized the full effects of his folly, of the infamy of which he had been gnilty, An- tony was beside himself with rage and shame. Although he had abandoned all to fly in Cleopa- »-comicbooks.co =