Caligula seems to
have a great fondness of the sea. The strolling-player side of his
character was by no means limited to his military performances. He was
passionately devoted to the theatre and the circus, and would
occasionally take part himself on the stage, led thereto by his
peculiar taste for striking costumes and frequent changes of clothing.
He was always endeavouring to shine in the display of eloquence; and
was fond of talking, often in public. We know that he developed a
certain talent in this direction, and was particularly successful in
the gentle art of wounding people. His favourite quotation was the
celebrated verse of Homer--
There is only one Master, only one King.
Sometimes he loved the crowd, and sometimes solitude; at other times he
would start out on a journey, from which he would return quite
unrecognisable, having allowed his hair and beard to grow."
Just as the names of Caligula and Nero are daily affixed in Germany to
the name of William II, Herr Hinzpeter is called Senecus, General von
Hahnke is known as Burrhus; there is also an Acte and a Poppea at
Berlin. Frederick III is Germanicus and Prince Bismarck is called
Macro, after the powerful prefect of the praetorium in disgrace. Like
Nero, William II has been cruel to his mother; he is cruel to his
sister, the Princess of Greece. He hates England, just as Caligula
hated Brittany. With a mind like that of Nero, William II derives the
greatest pleasure from the thought of degrading the French people by
making them receive him with acclamation.
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