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