works of art, even in the _Aurea Domus_, from the sculptures which adorned
them.

He now prepared for flight; and, sending forward commissioners to prepare
the fleet at Ostia for his reception, he tampered with such officers of
the army as were at hand, to prevail upon them to accompany his retreat.
But all showed themselves indisposed to such schemes, and some flatly
refused. Upon which he turned to other counsels; sometimes meditating a
flight to the King of Parthia, or even to throw himself on the mercy of
Galba; sometimes inclining rather to the plan of venturing into the forum
in mourning apparel, begging pardon for his past offences, and, as a last
resource, entreating that he might receive the appointment of Egyptian
prefect. This plan, however, he hesitated to adopt, from some apprehension
that he should be torn to pieces in his road to the forum; and, at all
events, he concluded to postpone it to the following day. Meantime events
were now hurrying to their catastrophe, which for ever anticipated that
intention. His hours were numbered, and the closing scene was at hand.

In the middle of the night he was aroused from slumber with the
intelligence that the military guard, who did duty at the palace, had all
quited their posts. Upon this the unhappy prince leaped from his couch,
never again to taste the luxury of sleep, and dispatched messengers to his
friends. No answers were returned; and upon that he went personally with a
small retinue to their hotels. But he found their doors every where
closed; and all his importunities could not avail to extort an answer.
Sadly and slowly he returned to his own bedchamber; but there again he
found fresh instances of desertion, which had occurred during his short
absence; the pages of his bedchamber had fled, carrying with them the
coverlids of the imperial bed, which were probably inwrought with gold,
and even a golden box, in which Nero had on the preceding day deposited