The daily gazette., 1876-07-21
ROMAN SPLENDOR.
Nero and HIS Golden House.

Nero's life.as emperor wasonelong
series Of stage effects, of which the
leading feature was n foverish ex-
trayagance. His return from the
arttour in Greece out did all
triumphal professions of the past.
Thousands of carriages were need
ed for his baggage; his sumpter
mules were shod with silver; and
all the towns he passed on his way
recciv d him though II breach
made in their walls, for such he
heard was the "sign Of honor"
with which their citizens were
wont to welcome the Olymphian
victors of olden days. The public
works which he designed were
more TO feed his pride than to
serve tho public. He wanted, like
another AcrXcs, to cat canal
through the Corinthiau isthmus;
thought of making vast lakes to
be supplied from the hot springs
Of Bai@, and schcmed great works
by which the sea might be brought
almost to the walls OF Rome. But
it was only by his buildings that
he left enduring traces, and to
this the great disaster Of his times
gave an unlooked-for impulse.
Some little shops in the low
grounds near the Circus took fire
by chance. Thc flames spread
fast thorugh the narrow streets
and crowedcd alleys Of the quar-
ter, and soon began to climb up
the higher ground to the statclier
houses of the wealthy Almost "A
week the fire was burning, and of
the fourteen wards Of the city on
~ four escaped unharmed. Nero
was at Antium when the startling
news arrive, and he reached
Rome too late to save his palace.
He threw his gardens open to the
homeless poor, lowered at once the
price OF corn, and had booths raj
scd in haste to there shelter them.
lie did not lack sympathy for the
masses OF the city, whose tastes he
shared and catered for. And yet
the story spread that the horrors
of the blazing city caught his ex-
cited fancy, that he saw in it
scone worthy of an emperor to act
in' and sung the story of the fall
OF Troy among the crashing ruins
and the fury OF the flames. Even
wilder iancies spread among the
people; men whispered that his
servants had been seen with light
cd torches in their hands as they
were hunying to and fro to spread
the fire.
Nero had been heard to wish
that the old Rome Of crooked
now st. & crowded lanes might be
swept clean away, that he might
rebuild it on scale of royal grand
eur. Certainly he claimed for him
self the lions share Of space that
the flames had cleared. The pal
ace to which the Palatine Hill had
given Il name now took Il wider
range and spread to the Esquiline,
including in its vast circuit long
lines of porticoes, lakes, woods
and parks; while the buildings
were so lavishly adorned with ev-
cry art as to deserve the name Of
the "Golden House which the
peoples fancy gave to them. In
its vcstibnlc stood the colossal fig
ure of the emperor, one hundred
and % fectin height, which after
ward gave its name to the Colesse.
um. From it stretched porticos
mile in length, supported on trip
pie ranges of marble pillars, lead
ing TO the lake, round which was
built mimic town opening ont in
to parks stocked with wild animals
of every sort.
Tho halls were lined with gold
and precious stones; the banquet
ing rooms Wore fitted with revolv-
ing roofs of ivory, perforated to
scatter flowers and perfumes on
the guests, while shifting tables
seened TO vanish of themselves
and reappoar charged with richest
viands. 'Fherc We're baths,to to
suit all tastes; some supplied from
the waters Of the sea and some fill
cd with sulphorus streams that
bad their sources miles away.
Thousands Of the choisast works
Of art Of Greece and Asia had
been destroyed, but their place
was taken by the paintings and
statues brought from every quarter
OF the empire. Nero sent special
agent to racsack cities for art trea-