Exercises upon the Different Parts of Italian Speech, with References to Veneroni's Grammar / to which is added an abridgement of the Roman history, intended at once to make the learner acquainted with history, and the idiom of the Italian language

CHAP. II.

(Of the World, 3301—Before Christ, 753.)

The [1]twelfth [2]king of the [3]Latins after [4]Æneas, was [5]Amulius, who [6]circumvented his [7]brother [8]Numitor, to whom the [9]right of [10]succession [11]appertained, upon the [12]account of his [13]age. Numitor had an [14]only [15]daughter [16]called Sylvia, and [17]Romulus and [18]Remus, [19]twin brothers, and founders of Rome, were, as it is said in fable and history, the [20]sons of [21]Mars and Sylvia. The children being [22]exposed by the [23]king’s [24]order, were [25]privately [26]educated by one [27]Faustulus, a [28]shepherd. When they were [29]grown up, they [30]slew Amulius, [31]restored their [32]grandfather, to his [33]kingdom, and [34]built [35]Rome 753 years before [36]Christ was [37]born.

Romulus, having [38]put his [39]rival brother to [40]death, [41]was [42]proclaimed king by his [43]followers; and having [44]settled the [45]state [46]affairs, and [47]being in want of females, he [48]seized upon all the [49]young women that [50]came to [51]see the [52]public [53]games at Rome; upon which a [54]terrible and long [55]war with the [56]Sabines [57]ensued.

The [58]Cæninenses, [59]Antemnates, and [60]Crustumini were [61]conquered; and [62]at last the [63]Sabines, under the [64]conduct of [65]Tatius, [66]bearing hard upon the Romans, by the [67]interposition of the [68]Sabine women who had been [69]detained at Rome, it was [70]agreed upon [71]betwixt both [72]parties, [73]that they should [74]jointly [75]inhabit Rome, and Romulus and Tatius should [76]reign [77]together. Tatius being [78]slain six [79]years after, Romulus reigned [80]alone, and [81]completed the [82]term of 38 years, having conquered the [83]neighbouring cities. At last, [84]a great [85]tempest [86]arising as he [87]held an [88]assembly at the [89]lake of Caprea, [90]he was no where to be found, being [91]torn in pieces by the [92]senators (as it was [93]generally [94]thought) to whom he was [95]now [96]grown [97]odious on [98]account of his [99]cruelty. He [100]first [101]divided the city into [102]thirty [103]curiæ, and [104]three [105]tribes. The [106]poor he [107]put [108]under the [109]protection of the [110]great, whom he [111]named [112]patricii. He [113]triumphed [114]three times [115]over his [116]vanquished [117]enemies; [118]first, over the Cæninenses, and Antemnates, in which [119]war having [120]killed their [121]king [122]Acron [123]with his own hand, he [124]consecrated his first [125]spoils to [126]Jupiter Feretrius; [127]secondly, over the [128]Camerini; [129]thirdly, over the [130]Fidenates, and [131]Veientes.

[132]After an [133]interregnum of a [134]year’s continuance, [135]Numa Pompilius, a Sabine, [136]born at [137]Cures, was [138]chosen king by the Romans, 714 years before [139]Christ was [140]born; [141]who [142]applying himself to the [143]preservation of the public [144]quiet, [145]instituted all the [146]religious [147]rites of the Romans. He [148]made an [149]addition of two [150]months to the year, which [151]till that time had [152]consisted of [153]ten, and [154]reigned forty-three years.

[155]The third king of the Romans was [156]Tullus Hostilius, a [157]man of a [158]restless temper, and [159]fit for nothing but war. He [160]conquered the Albans, and [161]destroyed their city, after he had first [162]removed the [163]inhabitants, and all their [164]substance to Rome; and [165]torn to pieces, [166]tied [167]betwixt two [168]chariots, [169]Metius Fusetius, [170]dictator of the [171]Albans, [172]convicted of [173]treachery. He [174]triumphed [175]three times over the Albans, the [176]Fidenates, and the Sabines. He [177]reigned [178]thirty-two years, and [179]perished with his [180]wife, and [181]whole family, by [182]a thunderbolt [183]from heaven.

The [184]fourth king that reigned at Rome was [185]Ancus Martius, [186]grandson to Numa Pompilius, by whom the [187]Latins were [188]subdued, and most of them [189]taken into the city, and [190]settled in the [191]Aventine mount; [192]the Janiculum was [193]fortified by him, a [194]bridge made over the [195]Tiber, and Ostia [196]built. He reigned 24 years.

The [197]fifth king of Rome was [198]Tarquinius Priscus, the [199]son of [200]Demaratus, a [201]Corinthian. He [202]came to Rome from [203]Tarquinii, a [204]town of Etruria, [205]from whence he was [206]called [207]Lucius Tarquinius. After he [208]came to the [209]government, he [210]augmented the [211]senate, [212]subdued the [213]twelve [214]nations of Etruria, and [215]borrowed from them the [216]ensigns of [217]supreme [218]power, the [219]fasces; the [220]trabea; the [221]curule chair; the [222]prætexta; and other [223]things of that [224]kind. He was slain by the sons of [225]Ancus, after he had reigned 38 years.

His [226]son-in-law Servius Tullius, the [227]sixth in [228]order, [229]began his [230]reign in the year 577 before Christ. He was for his [231]rare [232]endowments [233]preferred before those of the royal [234]blood. He first [235]instituted the [236]census, and [237]ordered it to be [238]kept [239]every five years; [240]divided the [241]people into [242]classes, and [243]centuries, and [244]enlarged the city: and after he had [245]governed the [246]kingdom with great [247]applause 44 years, he was [248]murdered through the [249]horrid [250]wickedness of his own [251]daughter, and Tarquin his [252]son-in-law.

The [253]seventh and [254]last king that reigned at Rome was Tarquin, [255]surnamed [256]the Proud, whom [257]most of the [258]old Roman [259]authors [260]affirm to be the son of [261]Priscus; [262]but [263]Dionysius [264]will have him to be his grandson. He [265]governed the [266]kingdom he had [267]procured by his [268]wickedness [269]no better than he got it, being [270]cruel to the [271]senators, and his [272]other [273]subjects. He [274]conquered the [275]Volsci, the Sabines, and Gabii; and having [276]built the [277]Capitol with the [278]spoils of the cities he had [279]taken, he was [280]at last [281]turned out of the city, and of his kingdom, for a [282]violence [283]committed by his [284]son upon [285]Lucretia.

FOOTNOTES