her position
made a great change in respect to the degree of consideration and
regard which was bestowed upon her by the public. The circle of her
adherents and friends was gradually diminished. Her visitors were
few. The emperor himself went sometimes to see his mother, but he
came always attended with a retinue, and after a brief and formal
interview, he retired as ceremoniously as he came,--thus giving to
his visit the character simply of a duty of state etiquette. In a
word, Agrippina found herself forsaken and friendless, and her mind
gradually sank into a condition of hopeless despondency, vexation
and chagrin.

Things continued in this state for some time until at length one
night when Nero had been drinking and carousing at a banquet in his
palace, a well-known courtier named Paris, one of the principal of
Nero's companions and favorites, came into the apartment and
informed the emperor with a countenance expressive of great concern,
that he had tidings of the most serious moment to communicate to
him. Nero withdrew from the scene of festivity to receive the
communication, and was informed by Paris, that a discovery had been
made of a deep-laid and dangerous plot, which Agrippina and certain
accomplices of hers had formed. The object of the conspirators, as
Paris alledged, was to depose Nero, and raise a certain descendant
of Augustus Caesar, named Plautus, to the supreme command, in his
stead. This revolution being effected, Agrippina was to marry the
new emperor, and thus be restored to her former power.

The statement which Paris made was very full in all its details. The
names of the chief conspirators were given, and all the plans
explained. The chief witness on whose authority the charge was made,
was a celebrated woman of the court, an intimate acquaintance and
visitor of Agrippina, named Silana. Silana and Agrippina had been
very warm friends, but a terrible quarrel had recently broken out
between them, in consequence of some interference on the part of
Agrippina, to prevent a marriage, which had been partially arranged
between Silana and a distinguished Roman citizen, from being carried
into effect. Silana had been exasperated by this ill office, and
the revelation which she had made had been the result. Whether such
a conspiracy had really been formed, and Silana had been induced to
betray the secret in consequence of the injury which Agrippina had
inflicted upon her in preventing her marriage, or