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16 advocate, or a great lawyer. This philosophical tendency—the only excess ascribed to Agricola—"was soon corrected by reason and experience, and he retained from his learning that most difficult of lessons—moderation."

An untimely end was in store for this exemplary matron. After Nero's death, the empire was torn in pieces by civil wars. The fleet of Otho, one of the three competitors for the purple, "while cruising idly about, cruelly ravaged Vintimiglia (Intemelii), a district of Liguria, and Julia, who was living there on her own estate, was murdered, and the estate itself and a large portion of her patrimony were plundered."

Britain was to Rome in those days very nearly what Algeria is now to France,—a school of war, and a nursery of recruits. It was there that Agricola served his military apprenticeship. His first commander was Suetonius Paulinus, a diligent and judicious officer, who, probably discerning in the young man great capability for his profession, made choice of him to share his tent. This mode of initiation for an officer bears some resemblance to the practice of the feudal times, when the sons of good families were trained for warlike or civil duties at the court of the king or in the castle of some powerful baron. "Agricola," we are told by his biographer, "without the recklessness with which young men often make the profession of arms a mere pastime, and without indolence, never availed himself of his tribune's rank, or his own inexperience, to procure enjoyment or to escape from duty. He sought to make himself acquainted with the province and known to the army; he would learn from the skilful, and keep