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was in disorder, and approached her in order to execute some design disagreeable to himself, she was well aware for what purpose he came, and stretched out her naked throat, and that very cheerfully to him, bewailing her case like one that utterly despaired of her life, and bidding him not to boggle at finishing the tragedy they had resolved upon, relating to her. So she boldly received her death's wound at the hand of Lupus, as did the daughter after her, So Lupus made haste to inform Cherea of what he had done,

5. This was the end of Caius, after he had reigned four years within four months. He was even before he came to be emperor, ill-natured, and one that had arrived at the utmost pitch of wickedness; a slave to his pleasures, and a lover of calumny; greatly affected by every terrible accident, and on that account of a very murderous disposition, where he durst show it. He enjoyed his exorbitant power to this only purpose, to injure those, who least deserved it, with unreasonable insolence, and got his wealth by murder and injustice. He laboured to appear above regarding either what was divine, or agreeable to the laws, but was a slave to the commendations of the populace; and whatsoever the laws determined to be shameful and punished, that he esteemed more honourable than what was virtuous. He was unmindful of his friends, how intimate soever, and though they were persons of the highest character; and, if he was once angry at any of them, he would inflict punishment upon them on the smallest occasions, and esteemed every man that endeavoured to lead a virtuous life his enemy. And whatsoever he commanded, he would not admit of any contradiction to his inclinations; whence it was, that he had criminal conversation with his own sister;* from which occasion chiefly it was also, that a bitter hatred first sprang up against him among the citizens, that sort of incest not having been known of a long time; and so this provoked men to distrust him, and to hate him that was guilty of it. And for any great or royal work that he ever did, which might be for the present

* Spanheim here notes from Suetonius, that the name of Caius's sister, with whom he was guilty of incest, was Drusilla, and that Suetonius adds, he was guilty of the same crime with all his sisters also. He notes further, that Suetonius omits the mention of the haven for ships, which our author esteems the only public work, for the good of the present and future ages, which Caius left behind Kim, though in an imperfect condition.

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ception of the ships that brought corn from was indeed a work, without dispute, very gre of very great advantage to the navigation. I work brought to perfection by him, but was it left imperfect, by reason of his want of ap the cause of which was this, that he employ about useless matters, and that, by spending such pleasures as concerned no one's benefit b could not exert his liberality in things that w of great consequence. Otherwise he was an tor, and thoroughly acquainted with the Gr well as with his own country or Roman lang also able off hand and readily to give answers t made by others, of considerable length and a was also more skilful in persuading others things than any one else, and this from a natu temper, which had been improved by much pains-taking; for as he was the grandson* of Tiberius, whose seccessor he was, this was a ment to his acquiring of learning, because Ti after the highest pitch of that sort of reputatio aspired after the like glory for eloquence, thereto by the letters of his kinsman and his e was also among the first rank of his own citiz advantages he received from his learning did n the mischief he brought upon himself in the e authority; so difficult it is for those to obtain t is necessary for a wise man, who have the abso do what they please, without control. At the himself such friends as were in all respects the and was greatly beloved by them, while he in zealous application to the learning and to the glo of the best men; but, when he became insol them, they laid aside the kindness they had for gan to hate him: from which hatred came that they raised against him, and wherein he perishe

*This Caius was the son of that excellent person who was the son of D: usus, the brother of Tiberius the

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brought to the camp, and how the senate sent an emage to him.

Now Claudius, as I said above, went out of that ong which Caius was gone; and, as the family was ghty disorder upon the sad accident of the murder us, he was in great distress how to save himself, and and to have hidden himself in a certain narrow place,* - he had no other occasion for suspicion of any danbesides the dignity of his birth; for while he was a e man, he behaved himself with moderation, and was ted with his present fortune, applying himself to g, and especially to that of the Greeks, and keeping If entirely clear from every thing that might bring on isturbance. But as at this time the multitude were a consternation, and the whole palace was full of the rs madness, and the very emperor's guards seemed the like fear and disorder with private persons, the called pretorian, which was the purest part of the arwas in consultation what was to be done at this junc Now all those that were at this consultation had regard to the punishment Caius had suffered, because stly deserved such his fortune; but they were rather dering their own circumstances, how they might take best care of themselves, especially while the Germans busy in punishing the murderers of Caius; which yet rather done to gratify their own savage temper than he good of the public: all which things disturbed Clauwho was afraid of his own safety, and this particubecause he saw the heads of Asprenas and his partners ed about. His station had been on a certain elevated e, whither a few steps led him, and whither he had red in the dark, by himself. But when Gratus, who was of the soldiers that belonged to the palace, saw him, did not well know by his countenance who he was, bese it was dark, though he could well judge that it was a a who was privately there on some design, he came This first place Claudius came to was inhabited, and called Horm, as Spanheim here informs us from Suetonius, in Claud. ch. x.

nearer to him, and, when Claudius desired that he would retire, he discovered who he was, and owned him to be Claudius. * So he said to his followers, "This is a Germanicus; come on, let us choose him for our emperor." But when Claudius saw they were making preparations for taking him away by force, and was afraid they would kill him, as they had killed Caius, he besought them to spare him, putting them in mind how quietly he had demeaned himself, and that he was unacquainted with what had been done. Hereupon Gratus smiled upon him, and took him by the right hand, and said, "Leave off, Sir, these low thoughts of saving yourself while you ought to have greater thoughts, even of obtaining the empire, which the gods, out of their concern for the habitable world, by taking Caius out of the way, commit to thy virtuous conduct. Go to, therefore, and accept of the throne of thy ancestors." So they took him up, and carried him, because he was not then able to go on foot, such was his dread and his joy at what was told him.

2. Now there was already gathered together about Gratus a great number of the guards; and when they saw Claudius carried off, they looked with a sad countenance, as supposing that he was carried to execution for the mischiefs that had been lately done; while yet they thought him a man who never meddled with public affairs all his life long, and one that had met with no contemptible dangers under the reign of Caius; and some of them thought it reasonable, that the consuls should take cognizance of these matters; and as still more and more of the soldiery got together, the crowd about him ranaway, and Claudius could hardly go on, his body was then so weak; and those who carried his sedan, upon an inquiry that was made about his being carried off, ran away, and saved themselves, as despairing of their lord's preservation. But when they were come into the large court of the palace, (which, as the report goes about it, was inhabited first of all the parts of the city of Rome,) and had just reached the public treasu ry, many more soldiers came about him, as glad to see Ciau

* How Claudius, another son of Drusus, which Drusus was the father of Germanicus, could be here himself called Germanicus, Suetonius informs us, when he assures us that, by a decree of the senate the surname of Germanicus was bestowed on Drusus, and his posterity also. In Claud. ch. i.

dius's face, and thought it exceeding right to make him emperor, on account of their kindness for Germanicus, who was bis brother, and had left behind him a vast reputation among all that were acquainted with him. They reflected also on the covetous temper of the leading men of the senate, and what great errors they had been guilty of, when the senate had government formerly: they also considered the impossibility of such an undertaking, as also what dangers they should be in, if the government should come to a single person, and that such a one should possess it as they had no hand in advancing, and not to Claudius, who would take it as their grant, and as gained by their good-will to him, and would remember the favours they had done him, and would make them a sufficient recompense for the same.

3. These were the discourses the soldiers had one with another by themselves, and they communicated them to all such as came in to them. Now those that inquired about this matter, willingly embraced the invitation that was made them to join with the rest; so they carried Claudius into the camp, crowding about him as his guard, and encompassed him about, one chairman still succeeding another, that their vehement endeavours might not be hindered. But as to the populace, and the senators, they disagreed in their opinions. The latter were very desirous to recover their former dignity, and were zealous, to get clear of the slavery that had been brought on them by the injurious treatment of the tyrants, which the present opportunity afforded them; but for the people, who were envious against them, and knew that the emperors were capable of curbing their covetous temper, and were a refuge from them, they were very glad that Claudius had been seized upon, and brought to them, and thought, that, if Claudius were made emperor, he would prevent a civil war, such as there was in the days of Pompey. But when the senate knew that Claudius was brought into the camp by the soldiers, they sent to him those of their body which had the best character for their virtues, that they might inform him, "that he ought to do nothing by violence in order to gain the government: that he, who was a single person, one either already, or hereafter to be amember of their body, ought to yield to the senate, which consisted of so great a number; that he ought to let the law take place in the disposal of all that related to the public order, and to remember how greatly the for

Vol. V.

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