BRITANNICUS,
the Son of the Emperor Claudius and Messalina. His Mo∣ther-in-Law Agrippina, raised Nero to the Empire, to his Prejudice, by means of Tiberius. He was poisoned at the Age of Fourteen Years by Nero's Order. The Account which Tacitus gives of him, is this.
Among other Pastimes, which the Youth used at the Feast of the Saturnalia, there was a certain Play, in which they made a King, who commanded all the Company. It fell to Nero's Lot to be chosen, who gave tri∣fling Commands, sometimes to one, and sometimes to another; but when he came to Britannicus, he ordered him to rise up, and reherse some Verses, thinking to make him laughed at; but he not seeking to ex∣cuse himself, began a Poem, wherein he complained of the Wrong done him, and described the Misfortune of a Prince, who had been deprived of his Kingdom, where by he moved the Compassion of all pre∣sent. Then Nero being nearly touched with this Affront, resolved to kill him im∣mediately by poisoning him and to that end gave a Commission to the Captain of the Praetorian Band, named Pollio, who had in his Custody, that famous Woman for poisoning, named Locusta, whom he had before made use of, to destroy the Fa∣ther of Britannicus.
It was a Custom for the Emperors, Children, to dine with the other Princes, who were of the same Age, at a Table that was not served with so much State. Wherefore to prevent that the Person who was to tast Britannicus's Meat and Drink should not be poisoned, they gave him some Drink a little too hot, which when he had tasted he gave to the young Prince, who refusing to drink it, they gave him some cooler Water, which was poisoned, and seized all his Members in such a manner, that he lost his Speech, and Life in an Instant. He was carried into Mars's Field with very little Ceremony, but in so great a Tempest, that the Peo∣ple took it for a mark of the divine An∣ger, who detested so black and infamous an Action.