, 1876-03-18
The Burning OF R ome.

As everything connected with great fres
has n peculiar interest, we reproduce the
narrative ot the historian T.ci,us concerning
the ronh'gration w!.ieh occurred a. Rome
4. u. ca:
"Ehere followed a dreadful disaster.
whether t"rlui.ously or by tue wicked cun.
sriv'nce Of the prince (Nero) Is NOT deter.
nined, for l'"th are asserted by historians :;
but Vt oil the caanities which ever befell
this city from the rage nf fire. this was the
lnnt terrible and severe. It broke out7in
that part oi the circus which Is contagi-
ous 70 Mounts PalainG and CQlus, where,
by reason "t shops in which were kept such
goods rs minister aliment to FIRE, the moment
it commenced it acquired strength, un,a
being accelerated by the wind, it spread ut
once through the whole extent Of the circus,
for neither were the houses secured by en-.
closures nor the temples environed with
wallis nor was there any other obstacle 70
intercept It's progress; but the flame, spread.
ing every way impetuousy, invaded first
the lower regions of the city, then mounted
TO the higher; then, again ravagng the
lower, it hafied every effort to extinguish it
by the rapdity Of it's destructive course and
from the liability Of the city to cunaagration
in consequence of the narrow and intricate
alleys and the lrregularity of the streets in
ancient Bomc. Add TO this the wailings Uf
terrified women, the inirm condition of the
aged, and the helplessness of childhood;
such as strove TO provide for themselves and
those that labored 10 assist others--tLosc
dragging the feeble, those waiting for them
some hurrying, Others lingering altogether,
created scene Of universal confusion md
embarrassment; and, while they looked buck
upon the thngerin the rear, they often found
themselves beset before and on their aides:
or it they had escaped into the quarters ad.
joining, these, too, were already seized by
the devouring fimcs; even the parts which
they believed remote and exempt we're found
to be in the same distress At last, not
Knowing whit TO shun or where TO seek
sanctuary, they crowded the streets and Law
along the open fields. Some, from the luss
OF their whole substance, even the means OF
their daily substensnce; Others, from attic.
tion for their relatives; whom they had not
been able to snatch from tho hames--suf.
tered themselves 10 perish in theni though
they had opportunity for escape Neither
dared any man attembt to check the fire, so
repeated were the menaces Of many who for.
babe to extinguiah it, and because Others
openly threw frebrands with loud decara.
tions that "they had one who authorized
them"-whether they did it that they nigh.
'plunder with the less restraint, or in conse-
quence of orders given.
Nero, who was at the junctuye sojourn.
ing at Antium, did not return to the city
i'll the fire approached that quarter of his
house which connected the palace with tho
gardens of Macenas nor could 1t however,
be prevented from destroying the house and
palace, and everything around. But, for the
relief of the people thus destitute and driven
from their dwellings, he opened the field of
Mars and the monumental edi6ces erected
by Aerippa, and even his own gardens. He
likewise reared temporary houses for the
reception Of the iorlorn multitude, and from
Ostia and the neighboring cities were
brought up the river household necessaries
and the price Of grain was reduced to three
sesterces the measure. Allofwhich proceed.
ings, though of popular character, were
thrown away, because rumor had become
universally current that, at tho very time
when the city was in flames, Nero, going on
the stage Of his private theatre, sang Tho
Destruction of Troy, assimilating tho pres
NJ disaster to that catastrophe Of ancient
times.
"At length, on the sixth day, the conda.
grafton was stayed, at the foot Of Esquile,
by pulling down an immense number of
buildings, so that an open space, and, as il
were void air. might check the raving Gle
ment by breaking the continuity.
| - but, ere tDe COuBLeTnhtlOn DhU buublutu,
the dire had broken out afresb, with no little
violence, hut in regions more spacious, and
therefore with less obstruction of human lite,
but more extensive havoc was made Of the
temples and porticoes dedicated to amuse.
menk.
Nero seemed to aim at the glory Of
building new city, and calling it by his
own name for, of the fourteen sections into
which Rome is divided, four were standing
entire, three were lrvelled with the ground,
and in the seven Others there remained only
here and there few remnants Of houses,
shattered and hall consumed-that dedicated
by Servius TuIius to the moon; the temple
and the great altar consecrated by Evander,
the Aroadan. to Hercules while present; the
chapel vowed by Rnmulus to Jupiter Stator;
the palaces of NuIna, with the temples Of
Vesta, and in il the tutelar gods Of Rome.
Moreover, treasures accumulated by 60
many victories, the beautiful productions Of
Greek artists, ancient writings OF authors
celebrated for genius. and ill then preserved
entire, were consumed; aud though great
was the beauty of the city in Its renovated
| form, the older inhabitants remembered many
decorations OF the ancient, which could not
be replaced in the modern ci,y.-W sicrs