7. But the virtues of that age were not without alloy; that very hand that in the morning was exerted to save his country, was before night imbryed in the blood of a sister: for, returning triumphant from the field, it raised his indignation to behold her bathed in tears, and lamenting the loss of her lover, one of the Curia'tii, to whom she had been betrothed. This so provoked him beyond the powers of sufferance, that in a rage he slew her: but the action displeased the senate, and drew after it the condemnation of the magistrate. He was, however, pardoned by making his appeal to the people, but obliged to pass under the yoke; an ignominious punishment, usually inflicted on prisoners of war 1.

8. Tullus having greatly increased the power and wealth of Rome by repeated victories, now thought proper to demand satisfaction of the Sab'ines, for the insults which had been formerly offered to some Roman citizens at the temple of the goddess Fero'nia, which was common to both nations. A war ensued, which lasted some years, and ended in the total overthrow of the Sab'ines.

Hostil'ius died after a reign of thirty-two years; some say by lightning; others, with more probability, by treason 2.

Questions for Examination.

1. On whom devolved the government on the death of Numa, and what is the character of his successor?

2. What opportunity first offered of indulging the new king's inclinations?

3. What proposal was offered, and accepted, for deciding the dispute ? 4-6. Relate the circumstances which attended the combat, and the result of it.

7. What act followed the victory?

8. What conquest was next achieved?

1 Livy, lib. i. cap. 25. Dion. Hal. 1. 8.

2 The death of Hostil'ius in the old legends is ascribed to a supernatural cause; they tell us that he attempted to use the divination by which Nu'ma discovered from Ju'piter Elic'ius, the means of averting evil omens; but not being, like that pious monarch, able to counteract the spells of that capricious demon, he was destroyed. Nu'ma was saved by presence of mind: when Elic'ius proposed a cruel remedy, the king by speedy interruptions rendered the command innocuous. a head," said the demon-" from an onion in my garden," quickly responded Numa-" of a man -"the topmost hairs," said the king-I demand a life"-" of a fish," was the ready interruption, and the

"Cut

CHAPTER V.

FROM THE DEATH OF TULLUS HOSTILIUS TO THE DEATH OF ANCUS MARTIUS, THE FOURTH KING OF ROME.-U. c. 115.

Where what remains

Of Alba, still her ancient rites retains,

Still worships Vesta, though an humbler way,

Nor let the hallow'd Trojan fire decay.-JUVENAL, Sat. 4.

1. Interreg'num, s. the time in which a throne is vacant between the death of one sovereign prince, and the accession of another. In England there is no interregnum, the government being hereditary. Lin'eal, a. in a direct line.

2. Ve'ii, s. the people of a once very rich and powerful city in Tuscany, about twelve miles from Rome.

3.

Fiden'ates, s. the people of Fidena, another once rich and powerful city of Italy. In this city, in the year of our Lord 27, the amphitheatre fell, when there were 50,000 people in it; and most of whom were either killed or wounded.

Vol'sci, s. once a very considerable people of Italy.

Adja'cent, a. lying near.

1. AFTER an interregnum, as in the former case, Ancus Mar'tius, the grandson of Numa, was elected king by the people, and their choice was afterwards confirmed by the senate. As this monarch was a lineal descendant from Numa, so he seemed to make him the great object of his imitation. He instituted the sacred ceremonies 1 which were to precede a declaration of war; but he took every occasion to advise his subjects to return to the arts of agriculture, and to lay aside the less useful stratagems of

war.

2. These institutions and precepts were considered by the neighbouring powers rather as marks of cowardice than of wisdom. The Latins therefore began to make incursions upon his territories, but their success was equal to their justice: An'cus conquered the Latins, destroyed their cities, removed their inhabitants to Rome, and increased his dominions by the addition of part of theirs. He

baffled deity declared that this remedy would be sufficient. (See Niebuhr, vol. i. and Keightley's Mythology.)

It has been plausibly conjectured, that the Roman priests may have been acquainted with some composition similar to gunpowder, and that the king endeavouring to discover their arts fell a victim to an incautious experiment.

At

1 First an ambassador was sent to demand satisfaction for the alleged injury; if this were not granted within 33 days, heralds were appointed to proclaim war in the name of the gods and people of Rome. the conclusion of their speech, they threw their javelins into the enemy's confines, and departed.

quelled also an insurrection of the Veii, the Fiden'ates, and the Vol'sci; and over the Sab'ines he obtained a second triumph.

3. But his victories over the enemy were by no means comparable to his works at home, in raising temples, fortifying the city, making a prison for malefactors, and building a sea-port at the mouth of the Ti'ber, called Os'tia, by which he secured his subjects the trade of that river, and that of the salt-pits adjacent. Thus having enriched his subjects, and beautified the city, he died, after a reign of twenty-four years.

Questions for Examination.

1. Who was elected by the people after the interregnum, and what measures did he pursue?

2. In what light did his enemies consider his institutions? With what success did they oppose him?

3. What were the other acts of Ancus?

How many years did he reign?

CHAPTER VI.

FROM THE DEATH OF ANCUS MARTIUS TO THE DEATH OF TARQUINIUS PRISCUS, THE FIFTH KING OF ROME.-U.C. 130.

The first of Tarquin's hapless race was he,

Who odium tried to cast on augury;

But Nævius Accius, with an augur's skill,

Preserved its fame, and raised it higher still.-ROBERTSON.

1. Tarquin'ia, s. a city of Tuscany in Italy.

2. Au'gury, s. the pretended art of foretelling future events. This art was much practised in ancient times, but is now justly exploded as inconsistent with reason and true philosophy.

Pre'sage, s. a token by which something future may be known.

3. Haran'gue, s. a set speech.

4. Intrig'ue, s. (pron. in-treeg), cunning contrivance.

9. Tar'dy, a. slow, late.

1. LUCIUS TARQUIN IUS PRIS'CUS was appointed guardian to the sons of the late king, and took the surname of Tarquin'ius, from the city of Tarquin'ia, whence he last came. father was a merchant of Corinth', who had acquired con

His

1 Corinth (now Corito) was a celebrated city of ancient Greece, situated on the isthmus of that name, about sixty stadia or furlongs m the sea. Its original name was Ephy're.

siderable wealth by trade, and had settled in Italy, upon account of some troubles at home. His son, who inherited his fortune, married a woman of family in the city of Tarquin'ia. 2. His birth, profession, and country being contemptible to the nobles of the place, he, by his wife's persuasion, came to settle at Rome, where merit also gave a title to distinction. On his way thither, say the historians, as he approached the city gate, an eagle, stooping from above, took off his hat, and flying round his chariot for some time, with much noise, put it on again. This his wife, Tan'aquil, who it seems was skilled in augury, interpreted as a presage, that he should one day wear the crown. Perhaps it was this which first fired his ambition to pursue it. 3. Ancus being dead, and the kingdom, as usual, devolving upon the senate, Tarquin used all his power and arts to set aside the children of the late king, and to get himself elected in their stead. For this purpose, upon the day appointed for election, he contrived to have them sent out of the city; and in a set speech, in which he urged his friendship for the people, the fortune he had spent among them, and his knowledge of their government, he offered himself for their king. As there was nothing in his harangue that could be contested, it had the desired effect; and the people, with one consent, elected him as their sovereign.

4. A kingdom thus obtained by intrigue, was, notwithstanding, governed with equity. In the beginning of his reign, in order to recompense his friends, he added a hundred members more to the senate, which made them in all three hundred.

5. But his peaceful endeavours were soon interrupted by the inroads of his restless neighbours, particularly the Latins, over whom he triumphed, and whom he forced to beg for peace. He then turned his arms against the Sabines, who had risen once more, and had passed the river Ti'ber; but attacking them with vigour, Tarquin routed their army; so that many who escaped the sword, were drowned in attempting to cross over, while their bodies and armour, floating down to Rome, brought news of the victory even before the messengers could arrive that were sent with the tidings. These conquests were followed by several advantages over the Latins, from whom he took many towns, though without gaining any decisive victory. 6. Tarquin, having thus forced his enemies into submis.

sion, was resolved not to let his subjects grow corrupt through indolence. He therefore undertook and perfected several public works for the convenience and embellishment of the city'.

7. In his time it was, that the augurs came into a great increase of reputation. He found it his interest to promote the superstition of the people; for this was, in fact, but to increase their obedience. Tan'aquil, his wife, was a great pretender to this art; but Ac'cius Na'vius was the most celebrated adept of the kind ever known in Rome. 8. Upon a certain occasion, Tarquin being resolved to try the augur's skill, asked him whether what he was then pondering in his mind could be effected. Na'vius having consulted his auguries, boldly affirmed that it might. Why then," cries the king, with an insulting smile, I had thought of cutting this whetstone with a razor." 'Cut boldly," replied the augur; and the king cut it through accordingly. Thenceforward nothing was undertaken in Rome without consulting the augurs, and obtaining their advice and approbation.

9. Tarquin was not content with a kingdom, without having also the ensigns of royalty 3. In imitation of the Lydian kings, he assumed a crown of gold, an ivory throne, a sceptre with an eagle on the top, and robes of purple. It was, perhaps, the splendour of these royalties that first raised the envy of the late king's sons, who had now, for above thirty-seven years, quietly submitted to his government. His design also of adopting Servius Tullius, his son-in-law, for his successor, might have contributed to inflame their resentment. 10. Whatever was the cause of

1 Preparations for building the Capitol were made in this reign. The city was likewise fortified with stone walls, and the cloace, or common sewers, constructed by the munificence of this prince. (See Introd.)

2 Tarquin, finding the number of horse appointed by Romulus too small, so that he was frequently prevented from pursuing a victory when gained, resolved to add some new bodies of knights to those of the first institution; but in this he was opposed by Na'vius, who affirmed that the original number had been fixed by auguries. To bring these auguries therefore into contempt, Tar'quin made the experiment related in the text. This event, however, though attested by all the writers of Roman history, bears evident marks of a fabulous origin. Even Cicero, himself an augur, says to his brother Quintus, "Look with contempt on the razor and flint of the famous Accius; when we reason as philosophers we must lay no stress on fables." (Cic. I. i. de Div.)

3 These ensigns of royalty were sent him by the Sabines, as tokens of submission.