SENECA. THE STOICS. 263 



summons of his own free countrymen. Seneca, whilst affecting to the 

 world to pride himself in his compulsory seclusion, procured a remis- 

 sion of his sentence by undignified and unmanly entreaties to a tyrant. 

 Besides his own direct submissions, his return is said to have been 

 accelerated by the mediation of Agrippina, the mother of Nero. After 

 his return, Seneca was engaged first as the tutor of Nero, and after- Tutor and 

 wards as his minister ; in both capacities he seems to have deserved gjjjf er of 

 well of his pupil and of the Roman people, but in neither of. them did 

 his conduct escape obloquy. As a tutor it is said, that he sanctioned 

 the excesses of his pupil ; whilst, in fact, he probably only modified 

 irregularities which he could not restrain. As a minister, he has been 

 made responsible for several of the outrages of his sovereign ; though 

 he may, perhaps, deserve the credit of repressing, rather than the 

 imputation of instigating such perversions of power. Certain it is, 

 that that part of Nero's reign in which Seneca participated in the 

 administration of government, is not marked by atrocities so numerous 

 or so intolerable as those which disgraced the latter part of it. The 

 amplitude of Seneca's fortune, whilst minister, is another particular 

 which has been objected to him by the censurers of his character. But, 

 however inconsistent it may be with some of his Stoical eulogies upon 

 poverty, and Cynical tirades against wealth and luxury, the acquisition 

 of opulence cannot be otherwise a reproach to him ; since extortion, 

 or any dishonourable practice, is not imputed to him. Still less can 

 there be any serious charge brought against him from his mode of 

 enjoying his property. His own personal habits are admitted to have 

 been temperate, and even abstemious; and if he delighted in the ele- 

 gance of his gardens, or gratified himself by the number and extent of 

 his villas, such indulgences were suitable to his condition and circum- 

 stances, though not to his pretensions to austerity ; and were a rational 

 and creditable mode of enjoyment. Umbrage, however, was given to 

 Nero, by some particular in Seneca's conduct ; and the tyrant made 

 Piso's conspiracy a pretext for the destruction of the philosopher. The 

 particulars of Seneca's death are recorded with much minuteness by His death. 

 Tacitus. That author mentions the frivolous circumstances by which 

 Nero endeavoured to entrap him into an acknowledgment of his fami- 

 liarity with the conspirators, as well as the dignified answer of Seneca ; 

 in which, after explaining his own refusal to see Piso on one occasion, 

 as being unwell, and having no reason to prefer another man's welfare 

 to his own, " Csesar himself," he added, " knew that he was not a man 

 of compliment, having received more proofs of his freedom than of his 

 flattery." This answer of Seneca's was delivered to Nero in the pre- 

 sence of Poppaea and Tigellinus, his infamous favourites. Nero inquired 

 whether it could be collected from Seneca's manner, that he had any 

 intention of suicide. The tribune answered, that Seneca was so little 

 discomposed by his visit, that he afterwards continued a story which 

 he happened to be relating at the time. Nero sent him back, with 

 peremptory orders for Seneca to put himself to death. The tribune, 



