Domitia

one to the physician; "Otherwise there had be

ed it,"

d'st see the noble Lamia, how ready he was? He assumed the mask of my dead master and we have slipped by and sent a shi

to the Isles of the Blessed. At night a dark ship with a sail as a thundercloud comes to the shore, and those near c

perial vessel, that was delayed at Brundusium to collect the scattered fleet. Nero would not land until he reached Neapolis, an

e a triumphal progress through the Peninsula, the like

the same day a letter was put into his hands announcing the revolt of the le

ssion, that he paid no heed to the news, nor was he roused till he read the a

to the Senate, demanding that Vindex should be chastised, and appeal

tarted

ing in their hands the crowns that had been awarded him and

ing a purple robe, embroidered with gold, an olive garland about his h

le before him. If the Sen[pg 64]ate expected that now the prince was in Rome, he would attend to business, it was vastly mistaken. His fi

ind of Nero, that he gave no further thought to the vessel that had shot out of the darkness,

and, her daughter, Lucius Lamia, and her entire "family," as the compa

f which it was built was dark, being a volcanic peperino; it was perhaps one of the least attractive sites for a country residence, which a Roman noble could ha

er was dark as ink, but this was due rather to the charac

othing but a peculiarity in girding the toga adopted by the men, by the dingi[pg 65]ness of its building stone, and by its temple of J

to affect a love of retirement into the country, and to pretend a taste for simplicity of rural life. Some fine fops had their "chambers of poverty" to w

rliest childhood. Its spring flowers were the loveliest she had ever culled, its June strawberries the mos

Corbulo was to be burnt, and then his ash

invite the attendance of all relat

uated terms, hardly intelligible. When on the day appointed for the c

t of a Master of the Ceremonies. By law,

and of reciting his honors. When they paused at the conclusion of a strophe, horns and trumpets brayed. Immediately after the wailers walked a train of actors, one of whom was dressed in the insignia of the deceased and wore a mask representing him. He end

y did the effigies of the direct forefathers appear, but all related families trotted out their anc

ith the titles of the defunct inscribed on them in gold characters. These were now produced. The mimes were costumed appr

from all in the house of "Vale! Farewell! Fare thee well!" Between the lips of the dead man was a coin, placed there as payment [pg 67]of the toll across the River of Death in the ferry-boat of Charon. On each side of the bier walked attendants ca

and chiefs he had conquered. The corpse was followed by a number of manumitted slaves, all wearing the cap of libert

velled hair, unveiled heads, and in the ricinium or black garment thrown

ce of Gabii, where Lucius Lamia ascended t

d in a crescent before him, and on these the ancestors

ce, his feelings were engaged, but his freedom of speech was hampered by necessity of caution in allusion to the death o

, which by law must be sixty feet from any building. There a pit had been excavated and a grating placed a

fagots, a surgeon amputated one of the fingers, which was preserved for bu

or incineration came in, a trace of the earlier usage remained i

hout which no great man's funeral would h

not mimic, but very real, in front and round the pyre. Now a hard-pressed gladiator ran and was pursued, turned sharply and hacked at his follower.

a, and with averted faces they applied the fire to the fagot

pes, flutes, horns were blown. In a paroxysm of distress, partly real, partly feigned, a rush was made to the pyre,

into the fire. Then rang out the sacramental cry:-"I, licet! You are permitted to retir

cted and deposited in an urn, which was conveyed to the mausol

come by her feelings to see any one, but that Do

into the apartment where she was seated, lo

sweet sad smile, exte

father gave me permission on the wharf at C

heek to him without a word, then

ugh not more nobly than he deserved. Here, my Lucius, is a present for you, I intrust it to

g