In the subsequent part of his life, being still more scandalously vicious, he
					rose to great favour at court; being upon a very intimate footing with Caius
					[Caligula], because of his fondness for chariot-driving, and with Claudius for
					his love of gaming. But he was in a still higher degree acceptable to Nero, as
					well on the same accounts, as for other services which he rendered him. When
					Nero presided in the games instituted by himself, though he was extremely
					desirous to perform amongst the harpers, yet his modesty would not permit him,
					notwithstanding the people entreated much for it. Upon his quitting the theatre,
					Vitellius fetched him back again, pretending to represent the determined wishes
					of the people, and so afforded him the opportunity of yielding to their
					entreaties. By the favour of these three princes, he was not only advanced to the great
					offices of the state, but to the highest dignities of the sacred order; after
					which he held the proconsulship of Africa , and had the superintendence of the public works, in
					which appointment his conduct, and, consequently, his reputation, were very
					different. For he governed the province with singular integrity during two
					years, in the latter of which he acted as deputy to his brother, who succeeded
					him. But in his office in the city, he was said to pillage the temples of their
					gifts and ornaments, and to have exchanged brass and tin for gold and silver.
						 Julius Casar, also, was said to have exchanged brass
						for gold in the Capitol, JULIUS , c.
						liv. The tin which we here find in use at Rome , was probably brought from the Cassiterides, now the
							 Scilly islands, whence it had
						been an article of commerce by the Phoenicians and Carthaginians from a very
						early period. He took to wife Petronia , the daughter
					of a man of consular rank, and had by her a son named Petronius, who was blind
					of an eye. The mother being willing to appoint this youth her heir, upon
					condition that he should be released from his father's authority, the latter
					discharged him accordingly; but shortly after, as was believed, murdered him,
					charging him with a design upon his life, and pretending that he had, from
					consciousness of his guilt, drank the poison he had prepared for his father.
					Soon afterwards, he married Galeria Fundana, the daughter of a man of pretorian
					rank, and had by her both sons and daughters. Among the former was one who had
					such a stammering in his speech, that he was little better than if he had been
					dumb. He was sent by Galba into Lower Germany, A.U.C. 821 
					contrary to his expectation. It is supposed that he was assisted in procuring
					this appointment by the interest of Titus Junius, a man of great influence at
					that time; whose friendship he had long before gained by favouring the same set
					of charioteers with him in the Circensian games. But Galba openly declared that
					none were less to be feared than those who only cared for their bellies, and
					that even his enormous appetite must be satisfied with the plenty of that
					province; so that it is evident he was selected for that government more out of
					contempt than kindness. It is certain, that when he was to set out, he had not
					money for the expenses of his journey; he being at that time so much straitened
					in his circumstances, that he was obliged to put his wife and children, whom he
					left at Rome , into a poor lodging which
					he hired for them, in order that he might let his own house for the remainder of
					the year; and he pawned a pearl taken from his mother's ear-ring, to defray his
					expenses on the road. A crowd of creditors who were waiting to stop him, and
					amongst them the people of Sineussa and Formia , whose taxes he had converted to his own use, he eluded,
					by alarming them with the apprehension of false accusations. He had, however,
					sued a certain freedman, who was clamorous in demanding a debt of him, under
					pretence that he had kicked him; which action he would not withdraw, until he
					had wrung from the freedman fifty thousand sesterces. Upon his arrival in the
					province, the army, which was disaffected to Galba, and ripe for insurrection,
					received him with open arms, as if he had been sent them from heaven. It was no
					small recommendation to their favour, that he was the son of a man who had been
					thrice consul, was in the prime of life, and of an easy, prodigal disposition.
					This opinion, which had been long entertained of him, Vitellius confirmed by
					some late practices; having kissed all the common soldiers whom he met with upon
					the road, and been excessively complaisant in the inns and stables to the
					muleteers and travellers; asking them in a morning, if they had got their
					breakfasts, and letting them see, by belching, that he had eaten his.