me moaning in
anguish, and some piercing the air with loud and frantic outcries.
Nero was entertained by the scene as if it had been a great dramatic
spectacle. He went to one of the theaters, and taking his place upon
the stage he amused himself there with singing and playing a
celebrated composition on the subject of the burning of Troy. At
least it was said and generally believed in the city that he did so,
and the minds of the people were excited against the inhuman monster
to the highest pitch of indignation. In fact, Nero seems to have
thought at last that he had gone too far, and he began to make
efforts in earnest to relieve the people from some portion of their
distress. He caused great numbers of tents to be erected in the
parade-ground for temporary shelter, and brought fresh supplies of
corn into the city to save the people from famine. These measures of
mercy, however, came too late to retrieve his character. The people
attributed the miseries of this dreadful calamity to his desperate
maliciousness, and he became the object of universal execration.

[Illustration: BURNING OF ROME.]

CHAPTER X.

PISO'S CONSPIRACY.

A.D. 65

Origin and nature of Piso's conspiracy.--Lucan, the Latin poet.--His
quarrel with Nero.--Lateranus.--Celebrity of his name.--The church
of St. John Lateran.--Fenius Rufus.--A woman in the secret.--Plans
and arrangements of the conspirators.--Bold proposals of Flavius.--The
palace to be set on fire.--Epicharis impatient.--She goes to the
fleet.--She communicates with Proculus at Misenum.--Proculus reveals
the plot to Nero.--Nero perplexed.--Epicharis imprisoned.--A new
plan.--Piso's objections.--Reasons.--Final arrangements agreed
upon.--Nero to be slain in the theatre.--The several parts
assigned.--Scevinus.--Excitement of Scevinus.--His knife.--He gives
his knife to Milichus to be ground.--Milichus confers with his
wife.--Their suspicions.--Revelations made by Milichus.--Scevinus's
defense.--He denies the allegations of his accuser.--Nero
perplexed.--The truth at last discovered.--Scevinus and Natalis make
a full confession.

Although the people of Rome were generally so overawed by the terror
of Nero's power, that for a long period no one dared to make any
open resistance to his will, still his excesses and cruelties
excited in the minds of men a great many secret feelings of
resentment and detestation. At one period in the course of his reign
a very desperate conspir