37 
replied that with him as father and Agrippina as mother, 
only a monster could come. And it may be put down to 
Seneca’s credit that the first five years of Nero’s rule, when 
he was still fresh from his studies and was helped in his govern- 
ment by Seneca, have been pronounced among the happiest 
years of an unhappy cetury. 
It was during the years of his political influence that Seneca 
wrote the best of his essays: “Clemency,” “Happy Life,” 
“ A Wise Man’s Constancy,” and “ Benefits.” Of the last, 
perhaps the most important of all, some account was given, 
illustrated by extracts throwing interesting light on the 
philosopher’s views. “ You may address the author of our 
world by as many different titles as you please, he may have 
as many titles as he has attributes. There can be no God 
without nature, nor any nature without God. Whether you 
speak of Nature, Fate, or Future, these are all names of the 
same God using his power in different ways. God bestows 
upon us very many and great benefits without hope of re- 
ceiving any return.” 
From the essay on a Happy Life : “A wise man is tem- 
perate in prosperity and resolute in adversity ” ; “A good 
conscience is the testimony of a good life and the reward 
of it ” ; “ Whatsoever is necessary we must bear patiently ” ; 
“We are born subjects and to obey God is perfect liberty.” 
It is not fair to say that one who could give forth such coura- 
geous sentiments and could practise what he preached, was 
not far from the Kingdom of God ? 
The last act of Seneca’s public life, however, was, so rumour 
said, the composition of the shameful letter sent by Nero to 
the Senate after his mother’s murder, containing a list of her 
crimes, real and imaginary, the narrative of her accidental 
shipwreck, and his opinion that he death was a public blessing. 
It is difficult to reconcile these and other anomalies such, 
as for instance, his theoretical contempt for riches and his 
avaritious accumulation of great wealth. 
The lecturer dealt briefly with the question of the possibility 
of a meeting having taken place between Seneca and St. Paul, 
who was for two years detained in his own house at Rome. 
There were similarities of expression to be found in the writings 
of the two men, and the Gallio before whom St. Paul appeared 
at Corinth, was Seneca’s brother. 
An attempt to poison Seneca was frustrated by his simplicity 
of life, but in A.D. 65 was formed Piso’s great conspiracy 
against Nero which resulted in the death of Seneca and many 
other noble Romans. 
