made citizens? No; he contented himself with diminishing the proportion
originally destined for each, so that the same absolute sum being
distributed among a number increased by the whole amount of the new
enrolments, of necessity the relative sum for each separately was so much
less. But this was a remedy applied only to the pecuniary fraud as it
would have affected himself. The permanent mischief to the state went
unredressed.] And the consequences were suitable. Scarcely a family has
come down to our knowledge that could not in one generation enumerate a
long catalogue of divorces within its own contracted circle. Every man had
married a series of wives; every woman a series of husbands. Even in the
palace of Augustus, who wished to be viewed as an _exemplar_ or ideal
model of domestic purity, every principal member of his family was tainted
in that way; himself in a manner and a degree infamous even at that time.
[Footnote: Part of the story is well known, but not the whole. Tiberius
Nero, a promising young nobleman, had recently married a very splendid
beauty. Unfortunately for him, at the marriage of Octavia (sister to
Augustus) with Mark Anthony, he allowed his young wife, then about
eighteen, to attend upon the bride. Augustus was deeply and suddenly
fascinated by her charms, and without further scruple sent a message to
Nero--intimating that he was in love with his wife, and would thank him to
resign her. The other, thinking it vain, in those days of lawless
proscription, to contest a point of this nature with one who commanded
twelve legions, obeyed the requisition. Upon some motive, now unknown, he
was persuaded even to degrade himself farther; for he actually officiated
at the marriage in character of father, and gave away the young beauty to
his rival, although at that time six months advanced in pregnancy by
himself. These humiliating concessions were extorted from him, and yielded
(probably at the instigation of friends) in order to save his life. In the
sequel they had the very opposite result; for he died soon after, and it
is reasonably supposed of grief and mortification. At the marriage feast,