The sun., 1883-09-30

Wca W AotphVss . siuoi WHO. On teceivin& tho
tidinas OF the revolt OF 0aui. would not allow IL
to distract him from the spectacle which
he was witnessing. but stayed to give a
proof OF his favor to tho athlete. and
for several days would think OF nothing but his
Tyre and his voice. The most truly blame-
worthy In oil this was the Roman people which,
In its greed for pleasure. demanded. before
everything. that It's ruler should amuse It, and
also the false taste OF tho time which had in
yerted tho gradations Of greatness and as
cribed too much value TO literary and artistic
renown. The danger Of tho literary education
is that 1t may inspire an immoderate thirst for
glory. without always imparting the moral
seriousness which generates the perception OF
what istruly glorious. 1t was written that vain
and subtle nature. craving the immense and the
| infinite but totally devoid OF judgment
should suffer awful shipwreck Even Nero's
good qualities, such as his aversion to war;
became disastrous from leaving him no relish
for anything except modes OF display which
did not beseem an Emperor. Unless one is a
Marcus Aurelius. It is not well to be too supe-
ror to the prejudices OF his caste and station.
prince belongs ipso Jacto to the profession of
arms great prince may be and ought to be
protector OF literature; he should not be q
man of letters. Augustus and Louis XIV.
presiding over splendid development of the
intellect are. next to the cities OF genius like
Athens and Florence the finest spectacle in
history: Nero. Chilperic. King Louis OF Bava-
ria are but caricatures. In the case OF Nero
the enormous proportions of the imperial
power and the harshness OF Roman manners
made the caricature seem etched in streaks OF
blood.
" 1t is often repeated. to demonstrate the
irremediable immortality Of the proletariat
that Nero was in somo respects popular
ruler Tha Ia Int With a t,, I'm,
there were two opposite currents Of opinion.
Tho serious and honest element OF the Roman
world detested him; on the other hand. the
men who constituted the bulk OF the urban
popuiace loved him; some OF them artlessy
and from the vague sentiment which prompts
the poor plebelan to like his prince II he have
brilliant exterior; others because he dazzled
them with festivals. During these festivals he
was to be seen mingling with tho crowd
dining. eating at the theatre. in the midst Of
the mob. Did he not hate moreover. the
Senate. the Roman arisocracy. whose character
was SO ungracous and forbidding! Tho high
lvers who surrounded him were. at all events.
polished and amiable. Tho soldiers OF tho
guards. also preserved their affection for
him to the end. Long after his death his tomb
was decorated with fresh flowers and his i'm
ages were placed upon the Rostra by unknown
hands. Tho origin Of Othos fortune WAS that
he had been Nero's confdant and copied his
manners. Vitellius. likewise to make him
self acceptable at Rome. affected to take Nero
for his model and to follow his maxms OF gov
ernment. Thirty or forty years atterward
everybody wished he were still living and
sighed for his return.
p" This popularity at which we have not much
reason to be surprised. had ono singular con-
sequence. The report went abroad that the
object Of so much regret was not really dead
Already In Nero's lifetime men had seen ger
mlnating among the immediate attendants of
the Emperor the idea that he would DO de-
throned at Rome. but that there would begin
Tor him new period of rule. an Oriental and
almost Messianic reign. The common people
always find 1t hard to believe that the men
who have long occuniad The attention OF the
world have definitely disappeared Nero's
death at Phaon's villa. in presence only
OF small number Of witnesses, had
not had many features of publicity: everything
relating to his burial had been transacted by
three women who were devoted to him; hardly
any one but Icelus had seen the corpse: moth
ing was left of his personality that could be
recognized. There was. therefore. room for
believing that IL substitution OF persons had
been practised: some affirmed that the body
had not been found: others said that tho cash
which he had made In his own throat had been
bandaged and healed. Almost everybody
maintained that. at the instigation of the
Parthian Ambassador at Rome. he had
taken refuge with the Arsacides his
allies. but the eternal enemies OF the Romans.
or with that King OF Armenia. Tiridates. whose
journey to Rome In G6 had been signalizcd by
magnificent festivals which had deeply i'm
pressed the popular imagination. There he
was so 1t was believed plotting the ruin of the
empire. and anon ho would be seen returning
at the head OF the horsemen Of the East to tor
ture those who had betrayed him. His parti-
sans lived in this hope; they set up his
statues once more upon their pedes-
tails. and put In circulation edicts bear
ing his signature. The Christians. on the con-
trary who regarded him as a monster when
they heard such rumors in which. as them
selves belonging to the humblest classes of the
populace. they would naturally put crcdence
were parayzed with terror The imaginary
reports OF which We have been speaking were
long current and in conformity with what
almost always happens in such circumstances.
several false Neros appeared We shall soon
remark the countershock of these notions in
the Christian Church and the place they fill in
the prophetic literature of TIE time.
The strange character Of tho spectacle
which the prosecuted Christians had witnessed
left few OF the surviving spectators in their
rfSht minds. Human nature had been strained
to the limits OF the possible; there remained
in the bfain the vacuum which follows an nc
cess Of fever! everywhere men seemed to be-
hold spectres and bloody visions. 1t was re-
counted that at the moment when Nero went
forth by the Colline Gate to seek refuge in
Phaon's villa fash 81 lightning smote
him in the eyes. and that at the same
time the earth quivored rs If it had
gaped open. and the souls of all whom
he had butchered had burst forth to fling thom-
selves upon him. The whole air was pervaded
with thirst for vengeance. We shall present.
ly behold lin the apocalypse one of the scenes
in the great celestial drama where the souls of
the slain. thronging togeiher. under tho altar Of
God. cry with loud voice. How long, o Lord,
dost thou not Judge and avenge our blood on
them that dwell on the earth p And there will
be given unto them white robe that they
should rest yet for little season."
III. '
In the chapters devoted to tho Book Of Rove