Nero. Translated from the German of Ernst Eckstein by Clara
Bell and Mary I. Safford. 2 vols. (W. S. Gottesberger, New York ; Trubner and Co., London.)—Herr Eckstein has not exactly attempted to " whitewash" Nero in this romance, but he has made an effort to give a philosophical account of the causes that made him what he was. Tacitus and Suetonius agree in speaking of the promise of his early years, but we are left to guess why he became the monster that the world was so glad to get rid of after some twelve years' experience. The corrupting influence of abso- lute power accounts for something, but not for all. Here we have conjectures and suggestions that seem to us to show no little insight into nature, as well as ingenuity and learning. Agrippina was certainly a power on the bad side, the effect of which it would not be easy to exaggerate. Even the virtues of Octavius may not have been exactly suited to the temperament of the young Prince. We can hardly say that Nero is an agreeable book to read. That the subject forbids. But it is a study of real historical value.
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