have I wronged, whom
oppressed? The poor of Rome, at least, cannot complain of Aurelian. Is
it not so, sirrah?'

'Rome,' he replied, 'rejoices in the reign of Aurelian. His love of
justice and of the gods, give him a place in every heart.'

Whether Aurelian would have carried into execution the threat, which in
a moment of passion he had passionately uttered, none can tell. All that
can be said is this, that he rarely threatened but he kept his word.
This the secretary knew, and knew therefore, that another day he might
never see. His cunning and his wit now stood him in good stead. A doomed
man--he was a desperate man, and no act then seemed to him a crime, by
which his doom might be averted. Retiring to his tent to fulfil the
commands of the Emperor, he was there left alone, the tent being guarded
without; and then as his brain labored in the invention of some device,
by which he might yet escape the impending death, and save a life
which--his good name being utterly blasted and gone, could have been but
a prolonged shame--he conceived and hatched a plan, in its ingenuity,
its wickedness, and atrocious baseness, of a piece with his whole
character and life. In the handwriting of the Emperor, which he could
perfectly imitate, he drew up a list of some of the chief officers of
the army--by him condemned to death on the following day. This paper, as
he was at about the eleventh hour led guarded to his place of
imprisonment, he dropt at the tent door of one whose name was on it.

It fell into the intended hands; and soon as the friendly night had come
the bloody scroll was borne from tent to tent, stirring up to vengeance
the designated victims. No suspicion of fraud ever crossed their minds;
but amazed at a thirst of blood so insatiable, and which, without cause
assigned, could deliver over to the axe his best and most trusted
friends, Carus, Probus, Mucapor--they doubted whether in truth his
reason were not gone, and deemed it no crime, but their highest duty, to
save themselves by the sacrifice of one who was no longer to be held a
man.

After the noon of this day the army had made a short but quick march to
Heraclea. Aurelian--the tents being pitched--the watch set--the
soldiers, weary with their march, asleep--himself tired with the day's
duty--sat with folded arms, having just ungirded and thrown from him his
sword. His last attendant was then dismissed, who, passing from the tent
door, encountered the conspirat