had the city witnessed such an awful catastrophe.

A freedman of Caesar's, Phaon by name, ran panting into Nero's presence,
shrieking: "Rome is in flames! the conflagration is great."

All Caesar's guests arose from their recumbent attitude. "Ye gods! I
shall see a burning city; now can I finish the _Troyade_," exclaimed
Nero, placing his lute aside. "If I go at once, can I view the fire?"

"My lord, the whole city is as a sea of flame; the smoke is
suffocatingly heavy and is destroying the people. The inhabitants faint
away or rashly cast themselves into the fire, maddened with terror. All
Rome perishes." And Nero raised his hands and cried, "Woe, woe to thee,
thou sacred city of Priam!"

Fires were frequent enough in Rome; during these conflagrations violence
and robbery were rampant, particularly so in those sections of the city
inhabited by needy half-barbarian peoples, a folk comprising rabble from
every part of the world. The fear of servile rebellion was like a
nightmare, which had stifled Rome for many years. It was believed that
hundreds of thousands of those people were thinking of the times of
Spartacus, and merely waiting for a favorable moment to seize arms
against their oppressors and Rome. Now the moment had come! Perhaps war
and slaughter were raging in the city together with fire.

It was possible even that the praetorians had hurled themselves on the
city and were slaughtering at command of Caesar. And that moment the hair
rose on Vinicius' head from terror. He recalled all the conversations
about burning cities which for some time had been repeated at Caesar's
court with wonderful persistence; well he recalled Caesar's complaints
that he was forced to describe a burning city without having seen an
actual fire; his contemptuous answer to Tigellinus, who offered to burn
Antium or an artificial wooden city; finally, his complaints against
Rome, and the pestilential alleys of the Subura.

Yes; truly Caesar has commanded the burning of the city! Only he could
give such a command, as Tigellinus alone could accomplish it. But if
Rome is burning at command of Caesar, who can be sure that the population
will not be slaughtered at his command? The monster is capable of just
such a deed. Conflagration, a servile revolt, and slaughter! What a
horrible chaos, what a letting loose of destructive elements and horrid,
universal frenzy!

The night had paled long since, the dawn had passed into light, and on
all