Britannia antiqua illustrata, or, The antiquities of ancient Britain derived from the Phœenicians, wherein the original trade of this island is discovered, the names of places, offices, dignities, as likewise the idolatry, language and customs of the p by Aylett Sammes ...

THE LIFE OF NERO.

IN the daies of this Governour died NERO, a Prince whose Vertues and Vices might equally be esteemed great, had not the former seemed to proceed * 1.1 from Constraint, the latter from the Inclination of his Nature; for five years he continued an excellent Prince, but the remainder of his daies was spent in all Riot and Debaucheries, and they who give a particular Catalogue of his Vices, seem rather to reckon up the depravities of Human Nature, than the Acti∣ons of one Man; There is little in his Life that relates to Britain, but what doth is full of Cruelty, and Extortion.

He slew Aulus Plantus, the first Lieutenant under his Father Claudius, by whose Valour Britain was subdued to the Romans, and ordered his Execution to be per∣formed so suddenly, that he had not time to take leave of his Children, or to give them his last Blessing and Farewel. There was but one hour between his Sentence and his Death, when immediately hurried out of the Esquiline Gate into a place set apart for such bloody offices, he was slain by the hand of Tacius the Tribune, and died so full of Constancy, that he upbraided not the Executioner with the ignominy of his Guilt, or the Emperour with the remembrance of his Services. The Cause of his Death was never known, but the after-Actions of this Emperour made it appear, that nothing but the exceeding Merit of Plautius was the cause of his destruction, and his Victories in Britain His death at Rome. Thus died the first Lieutenant of Britain.

With the same Cruelty Nero proceeded against Marcus Ostorius, the Son of Publicus the second Lieutenant. The Father had the happiness to end his Victories and his daies at once, but his Son, who under his Father had performed great things in Britain, and had obtained a civical Coronet in the Fight against the Iceni, going to Rome was suspected by Nero, who by his Tyranny was now grown fear∣ful, and exceeding suspicious of all Vertuous men, having of late discovered a dangerous Conspiracy. He therefore suborns one Antistius Socianus to accuse Osto∣rius, That he consulted with Parmanes an Astrologer, and enquired after the life of the Emperour, and that he was ill affected to the present Government; For these feigned Crimes, though absent at his Country-house, he is convicted and con∣demned, and a Centurion sent to dispatch him.

The Centurion found him walking in his Grounds, where having shut up all pas∣sages of escape, he delivered unto him his Message. Ostorius moved with Indig∣nation, that his Services should receive so ill a reward, and disdaining to die by the hands of so mean an Executioner, fell upon his own Sword.

These Cruelties of Nero, although inferiour to his many Parricides, I have more particularly taken notice of, in that they relate to Persons eminently concerned in the enslaving of this Island, whose fate, though undeservedly given by him who was obliged for such Services, yet may seem to be justly called for by the blood and sufferings of Innocent Britains.

The great destruction of the Romans and their Colonies in Britain, under the Conduct of Boadicia, is ascribed (by Suetonius) as the certain consequence of the * 1.2 ill Government of this Prince, and his Vices. But Nero made better use of it, he had been often foretold, That the time would come when he should be deserted and forsaken, and forced to take up with the Government of the East, or the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Yet with these hopes, That he should be afterwards restored to the Empire, when Bri∣tain was well near lost together with Armenia, he saw himself in a very fair way to∣wards the fulfilling of the Prophesie.

But these Provinces being again recovered, he thought the danger was past, and so comforted himself up with the thoughts, That the desertion spoken of Wars, the fore∣said Revolts, and that his restoring to the Empire, was the regaining of those Coun∣tries.

Confirmed in this opinion was he by one who bade him have a care of the Seventy third year, which he falsly interpreted to the daies of his own life, and not to Galba, who deposed him.

Pufft up theresore with assurances of Long life and Dominion, that little Religion he had he utterly cast off, and the Syrian Goddess, to whom he had been especially devoted (many of whose Altars are found in Britain, and who was a peculiar Deity of this Island and Gallia, as hath been formerly shewn) he so much slighted, that in contempt of her he made her a Pissing-Block, and took to a little Baby, whom he gave out, discovered all Conspiracies against him. But at last he was deposed by Galba, and after he had reigned about thirteen years and a half, he slew himself in the prime of his Age, and with him ended the Line of the Caesars.

This NERO sent the twentieth Legion, which although called back, and again sent by Vitellius, after the Civil Wars between him and Otho, yet was it recalled again by Vespatian against Vitellius, and after the settlement of the Empire under Vespatian, in all probability sent into this Island again, for Josephus writes, that in his daies four Legions were in Britain. Britain (saith he) is encompassed about with * 1.3 the Ocean, and almost as big as our World, the Romans there inhabiting have brought it under their Dominion, and four Legions do keep in subjection an Island Peopled with so great a multitude.

To preserve all their Provinces the Romans had but twenty nine Legions, out of which Britain had four, by which we may see what a great proportion this Island bore to the whole World, and how considerable a part thereof it was esteemed in those daies.

Notes

• * 1.1

  An. Dom. 70.
• * 1.2

  Suet. vit. Ner.
• * 1.3

  Josephus.