captives fued for pity, with the most abject lamentations, Charactacus ftood before the tribunal with an intrepid air, and feemed rather willing to except of pardon than meanly folicitous of fuing for it. Claudius had the generofity to pardon him, and he returned into Britain.

Men of narrow capacities and feeble minds, are only good or evil, as they happen to fall into the hands of virtuous or vicious guides; and, unhappily for him, his directors were, to the laft degree, abandoned and infamous. The chief of thefe was his wife, Meffalina, whofe name is almoft become a common appellation to women of abandoned characters. However, the was not lefs remarkable for her cruelties than her lufts, as by her intrigues fhe deftroyed many of the most illuftrious famílies of Rome.

Incited by many of the principal men of Rome, Camillus, the lieutenant-governor of Dalmatia, openly rebelled againft Claudius, and affumed the title of Emperor. The cruelty of Meffalina and her minions, upon this occafion, seemed to have no bounds. They fo wrought upon the Emperor's fears and fufpicions, that numbers were executed without trial or proof; and fearce any, even of those who were but fufpected, efcaped, unlefs by ranfoming their lives with their fortunes.

Among the number who were put to death on this occa fion, I cannot help mentioning the pathetic catastrophe of Petus, and his faithful wife Arria. Cecina Petus was one of thofe unfortunate men, who joined with Camillus against the Emperor, and who when his affociate was flain by the army, had endeavoured to efcape into Dalmatia. However, he was there apprehended, and put on board a ship, in order to be conveyed to Rome. Arria, who had been long the partner of his affections and misfortunes, entreated his keepers to be taken in the fame veflel with her husband. "It is ufual," fhe faid, "to grant a man of his quality a few flaves, to drefs, «and undrefs, and attend him; but I will perform all these "offices, and fave you the trouble of a more numerous re"tinue." Her fidelity, however, could not prevail. She therefore hired a fifherman's bark, and thus kept company with the hip in which her husband was conveyed through the voyage. They had an only fon, equally remarkable for the beauty of his perfon, and the rectitude of his difpofition. This youth died at the time his father was confined to his bed by a dangerous difeafe. The affectionate Arria, however, concealed her fon's death, and in her vifits to her husband teftified no marks of fadnefs. Being afked how her fon did, the replied, that he was at reft, and only left her husband's chamber to give a vent to her tears. When Petus was condemned to die,

2

die, and the orders were that he should put an end to his own life, Arria ufed every art to infpire him with refolution; and, at length, finding him continue timid and wavering, fhe took the poniard, and ftabbed herself in his prefence, prefented it to him, faying, " It gives no pain, my Petus."

Meffalina, upon the difcovery of her illicit amours, laid violent hands upon herfelf; when Claudius marriedAgrippina, the daughter of his brother Germanicus. Her chief aim now was to gain the fucceffion in favour of her fon Nero, and to fet afide the claims of young Britannicus, fon to the Emperorand Meffalina. For this purpose the married Nero to the Emperor's daughter, Octavia, a few days after her own marriage. Her next care was to increase her fon's popularity, by giving him Seneca for a tutor. This excellent man, by birth a Spaniard, had been banished into the island of Corfica by Claudius, upon the falfe teftimony of Meffalina, who had accused him of adultery with Julia, the Emperor's niece. The people loved and admired him for his genius, but still more for his ftrict morality; and a part of his reputation, therefore, devolved to his pupil.

Agrippina, being one day told by an aftrologer, that Nero would be Emperor, and yet the cause of her death; "Let "him kill me," anfwered fhe, "provided he reigns *." In order to make room for him, fhe refolved to poifon her husband. The poifon was given the Emperor among mushrooms, a difh he was particularly fond of. Shortly after having eaten, he dropt down infenfible; but this caufed no alarm, as it was usual with him to fit eating till he had ftupified all his faculties, and was obliged to be carried to his bed from the table. His conftitution, however, feemed to overcome the effects of the poison, when Agrippina directed an abandoned phyfician, who was her creature, to thrust a poifoned feather down his throat, under pretence of making him vomit; which foon put a period to his life.

The reign of this Emperor, feeble and impotent as it was, produced no great calamities in the ftate, fince his cruelties. were chiefly levelled at thofe about his perfon. The lift of the inhabitants of Rome, at this time, amounted to fix millions eight hundred and forty thousand fouls; a number equal, perhaps, to two thirds of all the people of England, at this day. In fuch a concourse, it is not to be doubted but every virtue and every vice muft come to their highest pitch of refinement; and, in fact, the conduct of Seneca feems an inftance of the former, and that of Meffalina of the latter. However, the general character of the times was that of cor,

ruption and luxury; for wherever there is a great fuperfluity of wealth, there will alfo be feen a thousand vicious modes of exhaufting it. The military fpirit of Rome, though much relaxed from its former feverity, ftill continued to awe mankind; and though, during this reign, the world might be justly faid to be without a head, yet the terror of the Roman name alone kept mankind in their obedience.

A. D. 55.

Nero, though but feventeen years of age, began his reign with the general approbation of mankind. While he continued to act by the counfels of Seneca, his tutor, and Burrhus his general, his government has always been confidered as a model for fucceeding princes. A famous Emperor ufed to fay, "That "for the first five years of this prince, all other governments "came fhort of his." In fact, the young monarch knew fo well how to conceal his innate depravity, that his nearest friends could fcarcely perceive his virtues to be affumed. He appeared juft, liberal, and humane. When a warrant for the execution of a criminal was brought to him to be figned, he was heard to cry out, with a feeming concern, "Would to "Heaven that I had never learned to write.”.

Afterwards, however, he acted in fo cruel and ridiculous a manner, that his name is odious to this day. He wantonly took away the lives of the best and wifeft perfons, not sparing his tutor Seneca, nor even his own mother. It is faid, that he fet fire to the city of Rome, and took delight to fee it burn. He ftood upon an high tower, during the continuance of the flames, enjoying the fight, and repeating, in a player's habit, and in a theatrical manner, fome verfes upon the deftruction. of Troy, As a proof of his guilt upon this occafion, none were permitted to lend any afliftance towards extinguishing the flames; and feveral perfons were feen fetting fire to the houfes, alledging, that they had orders for what they did, However this be, the Emperor ufed every art to throw the odium of fo deteftable an action from himself, and to fix it. upon the Chriftians, who were at that time gaining ground in Rome. Nothing could be more dreadful than the perfecution raised against them upon this falfe accufation. Some were covered with the fkins of wild beafts; and, in that figure, devoured by dogs. Some were crucified, and others burnt alive. "When the day was not fufficient for their tortures, "the flames in which they perifhed ferved to illuminate the "night" while Nero, drefied in the habit of a charioteer, regaled himself with their tortures from his gardens; and entertained the people at one time with their fuffering, at another with the circus-games. In this perfecution, St. Paul ↑ Tacitus.

* Trajan.

was

was beheaded; and St. Peter was crucified with his head downwards; which death he chofe, as being more dishonourable than that of his divine mafter. The inhuman monster, conscious of being fufpected of burning the city, in order to free himself from the scandal, took great care to rebuild it even with greater beauty than before.

Nero's fubjects having groaned under his tyranny fourteen years, and not able to endure it longer, put an end both to that and his life at once.

The rejoicings at Rome, upon his death, were as great as those upon his acceffion. All perfons came running into the ftreets to congratulate each other upon, the death of the ty

; dreffed in the manner of flaves, who had been just fet free.

Sergius Galba, who was then in Spain with

his legions, was chofen Emperor by the foldiers, A. D. 69. 、 and confirmed by the fenate. His great age and

his feverity were the causes of his ruin; the first of which rendered him contemptible, and the other odious. In order to appease the people he adopted Pifo. But Otho, who had expected that honour, and was now enraged at his difappointment, upon application to the foldiers, easily procured the murder of the old prince and his adopted fon. In this manner was he advanced to the imperial dignity.

Otho, however, did not reign long; for, Vitellius making head against him, three battles were fought between them, in which Otho was victorious; but, in the fourth, he was defeated and laid violent hands on himself, in the thirty-eighth year of his age.

Aulus Vitellius, returning victor to Rome, was

faluted Emperor by the fenate. His luxury and A. D.70. cruelty foon made him fo odious, that the people

rebelled against him; and, after treating him with the vilest indignities, threw his dead body into the Tiber, after a fhort reign of eight months and five days. An elegant biographer * compares this Emperor, and his two predeceffors," to the "kings in tragedies, who just appear upon the ftage, and "then are deftroyed."

Vitellius was the only tyrant, who entered upon his command with cruelty. Nero and Caligula gave the beginnings of their reign to mercy and juftice. But this moniter was first advanced for his vices; began his government with cruelty; continued it with univerfal deteftation; and died, to the fatisfaction of all mankind.

CHAP XLIII.

Vefpafian.-Siege of Jerufalem. Obftinacy and Diftrefs of the befieged.-The Temple taken and burnt.-The Sanctuary rifled by Titus.-Jerufalem rafed to the Ground.

TESPASIAN rofe by his merit from a mean A. D. 10. original, and at an advanced age, to the Empire. He was declared Emperor by the unanimous confent, both of the fenate and the army; and meffengers were dispatched to him in Egypt, requesting his presence at Rome, and teftifying the utmoft defire for his government. Before he fet out, he gave his fon Titus the command of the army that was to lay fiege to Jerufalem; while he went forward, and was met many miles from Rome by all the fenate, and near half the inhabitants, who gave the fincereft teftimonies of their joy, in having an Emperor of fo great and experienced virtues. Nor did he, in the leaft, difappoint their expectations; being equally affiduous in rewarding merit, in reforming the manners of the citizens; and setting them the beft example in his own.

*

In the mean time, Titus carried on the war against the Jews with vigour. This obftinate and infatuated people had long refolved to refift the Roman power, vainly hoping to find protection from Heaven, which their impieties had utterly offended. Their own hiftorian reprefents them, as arrived at the highest pitch of iniquity; while famines, earthquakes, and prodigies, all confpired to forebode their approaching ruin. Nor was it fufficient that heaven and earth feemed combined against them; they had the most bitter diffenfions among themselves; and were split into two parties, which robbed and destroyed each other with impunity; ftill pillaging, and, at the fame time, boafting their zeal for the religion of their ancestors.

At the head of one of thofe parties was an incendiary, whose name was John. This fanatic affected fovereign power, and filled the whole city of Jerufalem, and all the towns around, with tumult and pillage. In a fhort time, a new faction arofe, headed by one Simon, who gathering together multitudes of robbers and murderers, who had fled to the mountains, attacked many cities and towns, and reduced all Idumea under his power. Jerufalem, at length, became the theatre in which these two demagogues began to exercise their mutual animofity; John was poffeffed of the temple while

Jofephus.