Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1867-02-01
From the Boston Journal
The House ofNero and the Coliseum
LETTER FROM CARLETON. "

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 ia ke one more
look at the ruins. Here Augustus,
Tlberius, Caligula and Claudius lived.
1t was to Claudius that Paul appealed
when arrested and brought before
HerOd in Judea, but Claudius was
numbered among the dead before Paul
arrived at Rome. What scenes these
old arches witnessed in those years
scenes of fcrime, to recall which freezes
the blood 1t was in these chambers
that Agrippina, wife Of the Emperor,
plotted the murder of her husband.
Here she mixed poison in his food,
and that failing, here it was that her
accomplice in crime, a physician, run
a poisoned feather down the throat
other 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
weepS when called upon to sigG war
rant for the execution of a criminal.
What malign influence comes over
him? What tiend takes possession Of
him and transforms him into a monster
OF wickedness His first year as an
Emperor was mstained by crime
But he became suddenly the most
brutal. hateful and hideous Of men.
Men are put to death for the most
trivial ofenses aud for no otfense
whatever. Rich and poor, high and
low, Pagan and Christian, alike are
dispatched as if they were vermin.
From these rooms orders went forth
for the murder Of the aged philosopher
Seneca and the young poet Lucan-
names familiar to every Latin school
boy in the United States-and for the
crucifXion of Peter and the behead-
ing OF Paul
It may have been, however, that
Nero was then living in his golden
house Oh the EsquiIine hill, which
rises beyond the Coliseum. He was
dissatisfied with hi S magnificent
structure, and to get rid OF it, it is
said, ordered the fire to be kindIed
which destroyed a large portion of
the city.
Let Us walk up to the Esquiline
and take a look from this point. 1t
is but few rods. We pass the Coli
scum. ascend the slope and find our
selves on a level with the windows of
the second story Of that mighty ruin
The hill Is under cultivation, part Of it
u garden where the pIow has turned
It's burrows for unknown centuries.
Lofty trees stand there which have
been waving in the winds these hun
dreda OF years. The ground seems
firm and solid but 90 down the slope
to the base. enter an arched passage,
and YOU find, beneath the garden and
underneath the stately tree, arches
upon arches-soIid masonry-cham-
bers. 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. Here went forth the order
for the assassination OF his best Gen.
eral, CorbuIo-he who led the legions
Of Rome to victory against the Par
Ilians Here, in a fit of rage, he
kicked his wife to death-the En-
press Popp9a. Here, at last, brutal
ity gave place to craven fear, when he
heard of the advance of Sergius Gal
ba, from Spain to drive him from the
throne. 1t was in the evening, as
Goldsmith informs US, and Nero wa,
at the supper able. So great hi,
terror that he overthrow it, tore hi.
clothes and became iusensible from
fright. Through these arches resound
ed the tumult of the people, rejoicing
that one was at hand 10 deliver then
from the rule Of such a tyrant. Thro
these passage ways fed Nero, afte
awakening from his Swoon, disguised
las n servant. out to PhaOn's honsa n,
the Campagna, followed by soldier
thirsting for his blOoG. Somewher
on the Campagna, no matter where
, his worthless life came to an end, b
, his own hand.