various projects for accomplishing this purpose, in his
mind. He did not dare to employ open violence, as he had no charge
against his mother to justify a criminal sentence against her; and
he dreaded the effect upon the public mind which would be produced
by the spectacle of so unnatural a deed as the execution of a mother
by command of her son. He could not trust to poison. Agrippina was
perfectly familiar with every thing relating to the poisoning art,
and would doubtless be fully on her guard against any attempt of
that kind that he might make. Besides, he supposed, that by means of
certain antidotes which she was accustomed to use, her system was
permanently fortified against the action of every species of poison.

While Nero was revolving these things in his mind, the occasion
occurred for a great naval celebration at Baiae, a beautiful bay
south of Rome, near what is now the bay of Naples. Baiae was
celebrated in ancient times, as it is in fact now, for the beauty of
its situation, and it was a place of great resort for the Roman
nobility. There was a small, but well-built town at the head of the
bay, and the hills and valleys in the vicinity, as well as every
headland and promontory along the shore, were ornamented with villas
and country-seats, which were occupied as summer residences by the
wealthy people of the city. Baiae was also a great naval station, and
there was at this time a fleet stationed there,--or rather at the
promontory of Misenum, a few miles beyond,--under the command of one
of Nero's confidential servants, named Anicetus. The naval
celebration was to take place in connection with this fleet. It was
an annual festival, and was to continue five days.

Anicetus had been a personal attendant upon Nero in his infancy, and
had lived always in habits of great intimacy with him. For some
reason or other, too, he was a great enemy to Agrippina, having been
always accustomed, when Nero was a child, to take his part in the
little contests which had arisen, from time to time, between him and
his mother. Anicetus was of course prepared to sympathize very
readily with Nero in the hatred which he now cherished toward
Agrippina, and when he learned that Nero was desirous of devising
some means of accomplishing her death, he formed a plan which he
said would effect the purpose very safely. He proposed to invite
Agrippina to Baiae, and then, in the course of the ceremonies and
manoeuvers connected with the n