we have the secret of her great actions, and the motive for all her imputed crimes. Amidst all her lofty aspirations, her indomitable pride, her keen sense of injuries inflicted, her consciousness of power acquired, there was one deep and redeeming affection; this brilliant despot, the astute politician of her age, was still, above all and in all—a mother!
The marriage of her son to Octavia, the emperor's daughter, consummated the hopes and views of Agrippina, and relieving her from maternal anxiety, allowed her to give up her mind entirely to the affairs of state; and owing to her vigorous guidance of the reins of government, the last years of the reign of Claudius were years of almost unequalled prosperity in every respect—and this indolent and imbecile emperor died while the genius and vigour of his wife were giving such illustrations to his reign.
Agrippina has been accused of poisoning her husband, but on no sufficient grounds—his own gluttony was most probably the cause of his death. But that Agrippina's arts seated her son on the throne of the Cæsars, there can be no doubt. In all this great historical drama, who was the manager, and most efficient actor? woman, or man ? Whose was the superior mind? who was the intellectual agent? Was it the wily Seneca? the ductile Burrhus? the sordid army? the servile senate? the excitable people? or the consistent, concentrated Agrippina; who, actuated by one all-absorbing feeling, in the pursuit of one great object, put them all in motion? that feeling was maternal love, that object the empire of the world!
Nero was but eighteen years old when he ascended the throne ; and, grateful to her whose genius had placed him there, he resigned the ad ministration of affairs into her hands, and evinced an extraordinary tenderness and submission to his august mother. The senate vied with him in demonstrations of deference to her, and raised her to the priesthood, an assignment at once of power and respect.
The conscript fathers yielded to all her wishes; the Roman people had already been accustomed to seeing her on the imperial tribunal; and Seneca, Burrhus, and Pallas became but the agents of her will. In reference to the repose and prosperity of the empiro under her sway, Trajan, in after years, was wont to compare the first five years of Nero's reign with those of Rome's best emperors.
Agrippina must have early discovered Nero's deficiency in that physical sensibility, and those finer sympathies which raise man above the tiger and vulture. She is reported to have said, "The reign of Nero has begun as that of Augustus ended; but when I am gone, it will end as that of Augustus began:"—the awful prophecy was soon accomplished. The profound policy by which she endeavoured to prolong her own government, and her watchfulness over the young Britannicus, are sufficient evidences that the son so loved in the perversity of maternal instinct must have eventually laid bare the inherent egotism and cruelty of his nature.
When, on the occasion of a public reception given to an embassy from the East, Agrippina moved forward to take her usual place beside Nero, he, with officious courtesy and ironical respect, sprang forward and prevented the accomplishment of her intention. After this public insult, Agrippina lost all self-control, and uttered passionate and impolitic words that were soon conveyed to the emperor, and by awakening his fears, let loose his worst passions. After murdering Britannicus to frustrate her designs, imprisoning her in her own palace, and attempting to poison her, a reconciliation took place between Nero and Agrippina, of which the mother was the only dupe, for the world understood the hollowness of her son's professions of affection, and all abandoned her.
Nero was now resolved on the death of his mother, and took great pains in arranging an artful scheme to accomplish it—which was frustrated by Accronia, who voluntarily received the blow intended for her mistress. Agrippina escaped then, but was soon afterwards murdered by Anicetus, who, commissioned by her son, entered her chamber with a band of soldiers and put an end to her life, after a glorious reign of ten years; during which she was distinguished for personal and intellectual endowments, and gave peace and prosperity to the empire she governed. Her faults belonged to the bad men and the bad age in which she lived—the worst on record: her virtues and her genius were her own. She inherited them from Agrippa, the friend and counsellor of Augustus, and from Agrippina, the wife of Germanicus.
The mind of this extraordinary woman was not wholly engrossed by the arts of intrigue or the cares of government; she found time to write her own Memoirs or Commentaries on the events of her time, of which Tacitus availed himself for his historical works. Pliny also quotes from her writings.
ALCESTE,
Daughter of Pelias, and wife of Admetus, king of Thcssaly. Her husband was sick, and, according to an oracle, would die, unless some one else made a vow to meet death in his stead. This was done secretly by Alceste, who became ill as Admetus recovered. After her death, Hercules visited Admetus, and promised his friend that he would bring back his wife from the infernal regions. He compelled Pluto to restore Alceste to her husband. Euripides has made this story the subject of a tragedy.
ALCINOE,
Daughter of Polybius the Corinthian, and wife of Amphilochus, fell in love with one Xanthus of the Isle of Samos, who lodged at her house. This is not the strangest thing in the story of her life; the subject of surprise is to see that it was Minerva who inspired her with this disease of love, to punish her because she had not paid
