, 1879-04-19
The Death of Nero.

y writer IL tEcc1 " oEtsS draws tins PIC
ture of the death of Nero.
Nero wandered out into the streets of
Rome, knocked at the doors of friends;
none would answer or let him in. He
came back to his bed room, called for Spi-
eillus, the gladiator, TO kill HIM, but Spi-
cilus was gone. "What - said he 10
Epaphroditus, his secretary, who had now
joined him, ''have | neither friend or foer'
and he rushed out again 70 throw himself
into the Tiber; but his courage failing
him and his reason growing clear once
more in the face of appalling calamity, he
wished for some quiet place where he
might consider his strange and sudden po-
sition and collect his thoughts for death.
With his head muified up aud covering
his face with handkerchief, dressed only
in tunie with an old soiled cloak thrown
over his shoulder, lie trugged along bare
foot in the gloom OF the early twilight,
accompanied by Phaon, Sporus and Era
phrodtus. As these four slunk out of
the Nomentano gate together Ike common
wayTaring men, they could hear the sol.
dierS IN the fr0torian camp on their
right eurSin. Nero the beast and haillng
Galha as the father Of his country. ''They
are in pursuit OF Mere said 4 man as he
passed them. ''Any news in the city
about Nero = asked another There WAS
no time to spare They found HIM bro
ken down horse which he mounted and
they hurried On. At last they reached
the villa ot Phaon rarched with thirst
the emperor Tapped up some water With
his own hands from 4 running tank with
the bitter Jest, This is Nero's distilled
water, He crept quietly into the house
on ali fours through hole in the wall
and threw himself on the first mattress
PROSTATE with hunger, misery and fatigue.
Then he orderbd q grave To be dug before
his eyes. for he refused To iiy. He hade
them pave the pit with marble, and weep
ING theatricaliy, he prepared, surrounded
10y his only remaining friends, to play ms
last act. ''Nhat an artist is now about
to perish - he exclaimed, but ere the
words left his lips dispatch from Rome
arrived, which he snatched ont of Phann's
hands. He read it and shuddered. He
had been condemned by the Senate To be
beaten to death aud dragged by the heels
and flung into the Iiber. SeiZIng two
daggers he felt theirpoints. Greek verses
occurred To him, and lie began to recite.
He begged Sporus to set up wall for
him-to XII! him-to XII him first. At
this moment the tramping of horses and
clash of armed men were heard below.
lie broke ont iii verse from Had The
noise of swift heeled steeds assail MY ear
Ia another moment he would he taken
alive. ''Come then courage, man : he
cried and fccbly pushed the point of a
dagger into his throat But his nerve
was gone and Epaphsoditus came to his
lelp and pushed il home. The guards
rushed in and would have seized him.
''Is this your fidelity" he murmered and
expired, with staring eyes to the terror Of
all who behcld HIM 1t was his last pose,
and. rs the end of such life, it could not
have been Out,lone is this your tdel
ity!" '.He had never made better comic
lat" writes NJ. Renan. Nero uttering a
melancholy plant over the WickedueSs of
the age and the disappearance Of good
faith and virtue. Let us applaud as the
drama Is ended and the curtain falls.
Once in history, O Nature, with 4 thous-
and masks, thou hast had the Wit to find
an actor of such role