rippina
exceedingly,--but the more it pained her, the more Brazenbeard was
gratified and amused. The death of such a father could, of course,
be no calamity.

When Agrippina, Nero's mother, was banished from Rome by the order
of Caligula, Nero himself did not accompany her, but remained behind
under the care of his aunt Lepida, with whom he lived for a time in
comparative neglect and obscurity. Though he belonged to one of the
most aristocratic families of Rome, his mother being a descendant
and heir of the Caesars, he spent some years in a situation of
poverty and disgrace. His education was neglected, as he received
no instruction at this time except from a dancing-master and a
barber, who were his only tutors. Of course, the formation of his
moral character was wholly neglected,--nor, in fact, considering the
character of those by whom he was surrounded, would it have been
possible that any favorable influence should have been exerted upon
him, if the attempt had been made.

At length when Caligula died and Agrippina was recalled from her
banishment by Claudius, and reinstated in her former position at
Rome, Nero emerged from his obscurity, and thenceforth lived with
his mother in luxury and splendor in the capital. Nero was a
handsome boy, and he soon became an object of great popular favor
and regard. He often appeared in public at entertainments and
celebrations, and when he did so he was always specially noticed and
caressed. His companion, and in some respects his rival and
competitor, at such times, was Britannicus, the son of Claudius and
Messalina. Britannicus was two or three years younger than Nero, and
being the son of the emperor was of course a very prominent and
conspicuous object of attention whenever he appeared. But the rank
of Nero was scarcely less high, since his mother was descended
directly from the imperial family, while in age and personal
appearance and bearing he was superior to his cousin.

One instance is specially noticed by the historians of those days,
in which young Nero was honored with an extraordinary degree of
public attention and regard. It was on the occasion of celebrating
what might be called the centennial games. These games were
generally supposed to be celebrated at each recurrence of a certain
astronomical period, of about one hundred years' duration, called an
age; but in reality it was at irregular though very distant
intervals that they were observed. Claudius insti