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with encouraging the flames and cherifhing the incendiaries. 

 " Voices of men," fays he, " were heard, exclaiming that they 

 " a£ted by orders from the Emperor, and emiflaries from his very 

 " houfehold might have been apprehended in the ad of fpreading 

 " the flames." That the Emperor fliould have been abfurd enough 

 to furnifh incendiaries with the authority of his name is incredible ; 

 but let us remember that within three years paft the deftroyers 

 of the caftles of the nobility in France pleaded authority from 

 that King whofe throne they were on the point of overturning. 

 To thefe idle tales I oppofe the acknowledged behaviour of Nero, 

 after the extindion of the fire, when it ftands unveiled by that 

 cloud of confufion and rumour which always attends prcfent 

 calamity. He opened his gardens for the fufferers, he pitched 

 tents for them, he laboured to provide them with neceflTaries, 

 he cheapened the price of corn; fuch are the tefti monies of 

 Tacitus. On his previous abfence, on his fubfcquent condud, 

 I might perhaps then reft his innocence ; but it is confirmed by 

 feme other ftrong arguments, to which I now proceed. 



The Emperor is charged with fetting fire to the city, that he 

 might enjoy the beauty of the fight. It appears from Tacitus, 

 that fo far from coveting the fpedacle, his fault was, indolent 

 reludance to move from Antium. He iflTued from thence the 

 moft vigorous orders for extinguifliing the flames, but he refufed 

 to ftir till his own palace was on fire. It was in this fituaiion 

 that he muft be fuppofed to have run up with his harp, im- 

 mediately on his arrival, to the top of the tower of Maecenas; 

 a flation where he flood a very reafonable chance of being broiled 



for 



