The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1839-02-19

"Ihey were put to death with exquisite cruelty and
to their suherngs Nero added mockery and de-
rision, ANNALS OF TAClrUs.
CHAPTER THE CoNspIRAToRs.
In small apartment, strongly guarded by
some of their own adherents, was small band
of those, whom detestation of the tyrant and
designs for vengeance had combined in com
mon cause. Humanity shuddered al the atroci-
ties, perpetrated in the moments OF within ana
Ievy, and the minds OF virtuous men were not
less revoted at the crimes, than The character of
on Emperor whose chief delight was the blood
of his people. Contempt formed no slight i'll
gredient in their revenge. a monarch who
compromised the dignity Of his throne for the
humble distinctions Of ga coachlnan and come.
diam and who in his own person degraded the
majesty of the empire he represented, 10y COLI
sion with the lowest classes had claim neither 10
she respect nor allegiance of his subjects. Their
rens of government were each day relaxed in
authority, when its chief magistrate degenerated
into a mere night braWler, masked for the pur-
pose of enjoying his debauchery and excess
with IMMUNITY. Yet there were many who
fattered the vices of the tyrant and digni6ed
his follies with the name of talent because they
dreaded bis frown; nor even did the Senate
hesitate to pass DEGREES Of servilc adulation,
tong for the murder of his own mother,
and procair'ing the anniversary of her birthday
unhalloWed in The calender. But in that cor
rupt body there was one left U'Rus Thrasea) in
whom the sense ofvrtue and natural feeling was
sufficiently strong 10 restrain praise on such an
occasion and whose Independence, in aban-
donng his seat, only marked him for the future
vengeance of the Emperor, and formed an i'll
gredient in his subsequent accusation.
"The conspWators," says Tacitus, "painted
forth in glowing colors all his atrocious deeds,
by which the Empire was brought to the brink
of ruin they urged the necessity of choosing
successor equal to the task of restoring dis
tressed and totering state"
The Author of the present conspiracy was
Caius Piso, whose noble birth derived additional
iustre from his talents, which were uniformly
employed in behalf of his suffering country.
At the head of the table, surrounded by sew
eral Roman knights, stood Piso and on his
right hand, Fenus Rufus, commander of the
Praetorian Guards whose integrity as public
officer had insured the respect of the army and
people A single lamp Illuminated the apart
ment whose dim light gave an air of st"rnness
70 the visages of the tgroup. Aware OF the
dangerous occasion for which they were assem-
bled, and the vengeance which awaited them III
case of discovery; each man stood with his
sword drawn Amid the various designs pro-
posed for the downfall of the tyrun each was
anxious to arrogate TO himself tie glory OF decd
which would end the suflerings and degradation
of his country.
"Whv should we not" excl aIned Subrius
Flavius, /" strike the tyrantand avenge the hon
or OF our country ut the very moment he in
suits it ? Even while i'll the garb of come
dian he courts the applause of his people-a
blow struck at such period will diclose its own
motive"
"Were it not better" said another "that he
should fall in his midnight irolics to fire the
palace and in the confusion dispatch him y
The acquescence in the last design was u
unanimous. There was only one objection to 1t:
the satety to themselves, which must accompany
it's completion. AS men sworn 10 the arduous
enterprise of rescning their country, they We're
willing to hazard their lives, and deemed the
cause consccrated by the very dangers 10 which
it exposed them.
"No :" exclaimed Piso, let the blow be
struck before the assembled people. Let them
see, though they may patiently wear the chains
q plavey has laid on them, that Rome has not
forgotten her Brutus, ard that his spirit had not
ended with his age. Flavius hath spoken right
ly-the moment of his fall should be while he
insults his country and degrades the people, let
US also regard the njesty of the throne, insult
ed by the abandoned appetites of IT'S prince,
and stained with the blood OF matrcide. We
have regarded his cruelties with too much IN
difference, and his vices with too much pardon !;
but it is time the sword should be unsheathed
against himself, and those very vices be made
the instruments Of his death. Let us not want
on with the time in medaton which should DE
devoted to action. purpose like ours may
cool by delay, and needs to be kinfled ny
pronpttude and decision. Each new day dis-
closes murder perpetrated in the moment OF
svhim, or midnight revelry. Poetry and ph'os-
ophy wither in the poisonous atmosphere OF his
throne, aud the deaths Of q Seneca and Lucan
may yet be necessary to propitiate the monster
and appease his thirst for blood. But when ne
is insensible to the ties of nature, why should
he feel the influence of those more distant =
Perhaps even now while we deliberate, the fate
of some one of us may hang in the scale, and
his name may already stand on the roll of pro-
scription."
AS Piso concluded, every hand more closely
clasped its hit, while the irown and the COM
pressed lip, denoted the sternness ofresolvc. A
general mlrmur of appreciation ran through the
conspirators, which subsidized in the sentiments
which it originated. Like men intent upon the
same end, each proposed different means for
its accomplishment. Some in whom the sense
of personal safety predomnated, advocated pr-
vate assassination while others. by the public-
ty of the act, exhibited their utter recklessness
of life in the vengeance which was sure to fol-
low. The more pusanimous proposed not on
ly that the blow should be dealt by Pisos hand