These measures of mercy, however, came too late to retrieve his character. The people attributed the miseries of this dreadful calamity to his desperate maliciousness, and he became the object of universal execration. [Illustration: BURNING OF ROME.] CHAPTER X. PISO'S CONSPIRACY. A.D. 65 Origin and nature of Piso's conspiracy.--Lucan, the Latin poet.--His quarrel with Nero.--Lateranus.--Celebrity of his name.--The church of St. John Lateran.--Fenius Rufus.--A woman in the secret.--Plans and arrangements of the conspirators.--Bold proposals of Flavius.--The palace to be set on fire.--Epicharis impatient.--She goes to the fleet.--She communicates with Proculus at Misenum.--Proculus reveals the plot to Nero.--Nero perplexed.--Epicharis imprisoned.--A new plan.--Piso's objections.--Reasons.--Final arrangements agreed upon.--Nero to be slain in the theatre.--The several parts assigned.--Scevinus.--Excitement of Scevinus.--His knife.--He gives his knife to Milichus to be ground.--Milichus confers with his wife.--Their suspicions.--Revelations made by Milichus.--Scevinus's defense.--He denies the allegations of his accuser.--Nero perplexed.--The truth at last discovered.--Scevinus and Natalis make a full confession. Although the people of Rome were generally so overawed by the terror of Nero's power, that for a long period no one dared to make any open resistance to his will, still his excesses and cruelties excited in the minds of men a great many secret feelings of resentment and detestation. At one period in the course of his reign a very desperate conspiracy was formed by some of the leading men of the state, to dethrone and destroy the tyrant. This plot was a very extensive and a very formidable one. It was, however, accidentally discovered before it was fully mature, and thus was unsuccessful. It is known in history as Piso's Conspiracy--deriving its name from that of the principal leader of it, Caius Calpurnius Piso. It is not supposed, however, that Piso was absolutely the originator of the conspiracy, nor is it known, in fact, who the originator of it was. A great number of prominent men were involved in the plot--men who, possessing very different characters, and occupying very different stations in life, were probably induced by various motives to take part in the conspiracy. A conspiracy, however, of this kind, against so merciless a tyrant as Nero, is an enterprise of such frightful danger, and is attended, if unsuccessful, with such awful consequences to all concerned in it, that men will seldom engage in such a scheme until goaded to desperation, and almost maddened, by the wrongs which they have endured.