[3] Claudius began to give up the
ghost, but couldn’t find a way out for it. Then Mercury, who had always had a
fancy for his character, led aside one of the three Fates and said: “Why, O
hard-hearted woman, do you let the wretched man be tormented? Isn’t he ever to
have a rest, after being tortured so long? It is the sixty-fourth year that he
has been afflicted with life. What grudge have you got against him and the
nation? For once let the prophets tell the truth, who have been taking him off
every year, every month even, since he was made emperor. And still it’s no
wonder if they go wrong and nobody knows his hour; for nobody ever made any
account of his being born. Do what is necessary:
‘Give him over to death: let a better man reign in his place.’”
But Clotho remarked, “I swear I intended to give him
a trifle more time, till he should make citizens out of the few that are left outside—for
he had made up his mind to see everybody, Greeks, Gauls,
Spaniards, Britons, wearing togas. However, since it is perhaps a good thing to
have a few foreigners left as a nucleus, and since you wish it, it shall be
attended to.” Then she opened a bandbox and brought out three spindles; one was
that of Augurinus, the next was Baba’s, the third
Claudius’. “I will have these three die at short intervals within a year,” she
said, “and not send him off unattended. For it isn’t right that one who has been
in the habit of seeing so many thousands of people following him about, going
ahead of him, and all around him, should all of a sudden be left alone. For a
while he will be satisfied with these boon-companions.”
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