was too
late. Nero stared at them as they advanced to take hold of him, with
a wild and frightful expression of countenance, which shocked all
who saw him, and in the midst of this agony of terror, he sank down
and died.

The news of the tyrant's death spread with the utmost rapidity in
all directions. A courier immediately set off for the north to carry
tidings of the event to Galba. People flocked from all quarters to
the house of Phaon to gaze on the lifeless body, and to exult in the
monster's death. The people of the city gave themselves up to the
wildest and most extravagant joy. They put on caps such as were worn
by manumitted slaves when first obtaining their freedom, and roamed
about the city expressing in every possible way the exultation they
felt at their deliverance, and breaking down and destroying the
statues of Nero wherever they could find them.

In the mean time Galba was steadily advancing on the way to Rome. In
due time he made his entry into the city, and embassadors came to
him there from all parts of the Roman world to acknowledge him as
the reigning emperor. At this time he was seventy-three years old.
So that the number seventy-three of which the oracle had warned Nero
to beware, denoted the age of his rival and enemy,--not his own.

THE END.

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES

1. Minor changes have been made to correct typesetters errors, and to
ensure consistent spelling and punctuation in this etext; otherwise,
every effort has been made to remain true to the original book.

2. The chapter summaries in this text were originally published as
banners in the page headers, and have been moved to beginning of the
chapter for the reader's convenience.

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