en formed between Nero and a young girl of
the palace whose name was Acte. Acte was originally a slave from
Asia Minor, having been purchased there and sent to Rome, very
probably on account of her personal beauty. She had been
subsequently enfranchised, but she remained still in the palace,
forming a part of the household of Agrippina. Nero had never felt
any strong attachment for Octavia. His marriage he had always
regarded as merely one of his mother's political manoeuvers, and
he did not consider himself as really bound to his wife by any tie.
He was, besides, still but a boy, though unusually precocious and
mature; and he had always been accustomed to the most unlimited
indulgence of the propensities and passions of youth.

The young prince, as is usual in such cases, was led on and
encouraged in the vicious course of life that he was now beginning
to pursue, by certain dissolute companions whose society he fell
into about this time. There were two young men in particular whose
influence over him was of the worst character. Their names were Otho
and Senecio. Otho was descended from a very distinguished family,
and his rank and social position in Roman society were very high.
Senecio, on the other hand, was of a very humble extraction--his
father being an emancipated slave. The three young men were,
however, nearly of the same age, and being equally unprincipled and
dissolute, they banded themselves together in the pursuit and
enjoyment of vicious indulgences. Nero made Otho and Senecio his
confidants in his connection with Acte, and it was in a great
measure through their assistance and co-operation that he
accomplished his ends.

When Seneca and Burrus were informed of Nero's attachment to Acte,
and of the connection which had been established between them, they
were at first much perplexed to know what to do. They were men of
strict moral principle themselves, and as Nero had been their
pupil, and was still, while they continued his ministers, in some
sense under their charge, they thought it might be their duty to
remonstrate with him on the course which he was pursuing, and
endeavor to separate him from his vicious companions, and bring him
back, if possible, to his duty to Octavia. But then, on the other
hand, they said to each other that any attempt on their part really
to control the ungovernable and lawless propensities of such a soul
as Nero's must be utterly unavailing, and since he must necessarily,