The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1876-12-30
Nero and His Golden Home.

series Of stage effects, of which the leading
feature was feyerish extravaganza. His
return from the art-tour in Greece outdid
all the triumphal professions Of the past.
Thousands Of carriages were needed for
his baggage; his sumpter mules were shod
with silver; and all the towns he passed
upon his way received him through a
breach made in their walls, for such he
heard was the "sign Of honor" with which
their citizens were wont to welcome the
0lympian victors Of the olden days. The
public works which he designed were
more to feed his pride than to serve the
public. He wanted, like another Xerxes,
to cut canal through the Corinthian
Isthmus; thought Of making vast lakes to
be supplied from the hot springs Of Blaine,
and schemed great works by which the
sea might be brought almost to the walls
Of Rome, But it was only by his build
ings 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. The
flames spread fast through the narrow
streets aud crowded alleys Of the quarter,
and soon began to climb up the higher
ground to the statelier houses of the veal
thy. Almost week the fire was burning
aud Of the fourteen wards of the city only
four escaped unharmed. Nero was at An
tium when the startling news arrived, and
he reached Rome too late to save his pal
ace. He threw his gardens open to the
homeless poor, lowered at once the price
of corn, and had booths raised in haste to
shelter them. He did not lack sympathy
for the masses of the city, whose tastes be
shared and catered for. And yet the story
spread that the horrors of the blazing city
caught his excited fancy, that he saw in it
a scene 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 fancies spread
among the people; men whispered that his
servants had been seen with lighted torches
in their hands as they were hurrying to
and fro to spread the fire.
Nero had been heard to wish that the
old Rome of crooked streets and crowded
lanes might be now swept clean away, that
he might rebuild it on scale Of royal
grandeur. Certainly he claimed for him
self the lions share of the space that the
flames had cleared. The palace to which
the Palatine Hill had given a name now
took wider range and spread to the Es-
outline, including in its vast circuit long
lines Of porticoes, lakes, woods and parks,
while the buildings were SO lavishly adorn-
ed with every art as to deserve the name
of the "Golden House" which the peoples
fancy gave to them. In its vestibule stood
the colossal figure Of the emperor, one hun
dred and twenty feet in height, which
afterward gave its name to the Colosseum.
From il stretched porticoes mile in
length, supported on triple ranges of marble
pillars, leading to the lake, round which
was built mimic town opening out into
parks stocked with wild animals Of every
sort.
The hills were lined with gold and pre-
cious stones; the banqueting rooms were
fitted with revolving roofs of ivory, perfo-
rated to scatter flowers and perfumes on
the guests, while shifting tables seemed to
vanish of themselves and reappear charged
with richest viands. There were baths,
too, to suit all tastes; some supplied from
the waters Of the sea and some filled with
IL IL L I Il 4.