Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1867-02-06

From the Boston Journal.
The House Of Nero and the
Coliseum. ..... Z,
THE SANTA SCALA.


LETTER FROM "oARLETo
ar. ROME Dec. 81, 1866.
To tie Editor Of the Boston Journal:
My last letter upon ancient Rome left
your readers in the Palace Of the Caesars
on the Palatine Hill. Before leaving that
spot let us take one more look at the ru-
ins. Here Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula
and Claudius lived. 1t was to Claudius
that Paul appealed when arrested and
brought before Herod in Judea, but Clau-
dius was numbered among the dead be.
fore Paul arrived at Rome. What scenes
these old arches witnessed in those years,
scenes of crime, to recall which freezes the
blood 1t was in these chambers that
Agrippiua, wife of the Emperor, plotted
the murder of her husband. Here she
mixed poison in his food, and that falling
here it was that her accomplicG in crime,
physician, run a poisoned feather down
the throat of her husband and finished
him All this that her son Nero might
come to the throne Here we behold the
boy, but seventeen years of age, assuming
the sceptre, so tender. hearted that he
wcers when called upon to sign warrant
for the execution of criminal. What
fend takes possession of him aud. trans
forms him into monster of wickedness
His first year as on emperor was unstalned
by crime But he became suddenly the
most brutal, lateful and hideous of men.
Men are put to death for the most trivial
Offenses and for no offence whatever.
Rich and poor, high and low, Pagan and
Christian, alike are dispatched as if they
were vermin. r.. .r...
From these rooms orders went forth for
the murder of the aged philosopher Sene
ca and the young poet Lucan-names IA
nlilliar to every Latin School boy in the
United States-and for the crucifxion Of
Peter and the behea2ipg Of Paul.
1t may have been however. that Nero
was then living in his golden house on
the Eseuilinc hill, which rises beyond the
Coliseum. He was dissatisfied with this
magnificent structure, and to get rid of it,
it is said, ordered the fire to be kindlcd
which destroyed large portion of the
city.
Let US walk up to the Esquiline and
take lock from that point. 1t is but q
few rods. We pass the Coliseum, ascend
the slope and find ourselves on level
with the windows Of the second story Of
that mighty ruin. The hill is under cul-
tivation, part Of it garden, whele the
pow has turned its burrows for unknown
centuries Lofty trees stand there which
have been waving in the winds these hun
dreds of years, The ground seems firm
aud solid, but 60 down the slope to the
base, enter an arched passage, and you
find, beneath the garden and underneath
the stately tree arches upon arcbes-solid
masonry--chamters, lined once with
whitest marble, walls still bearing traces
Of painting put on by artists in the time
of Paul and Peter.
These are the ruins of the Golden Hour
Here the monster rioted in cruelty. Herr
went forth the order for the assassination
of his best General, Corbule--he who led
the legions of Rome to victory against th'
parthians. Here, in fit Of rage, h
kicked bis wife to death--the Empress
Poppaca, Here, at last, brutality CAV
place to craven fear, when he heard Of tn
advance Of Sergius Galba, from Spain, t.
drive him srom his throne. It was in th
evening. as Goldsmith informs us, an'
Nero was at the supper table, So grea
his terror that he oyerthrew it, tore hi