ALIj natioiu Bstna viSing to derive merit from the spiendonr of their original ; and irhere history ii uleot, they fueiuenJiy anpply the defect with fable, llie Romans were particnlaHy dcH^OB of being' thought descended finm the goda, m if to hide the meaaDess of their real anoeatry. Mueas, the Bon of Veona and AocUaei. haring escaped ftvm the deitniotioii of Ttey, after' 11MU17 adventures and dangers, atrived octet a in Italy, where he was kindly received by latinus, ' ^^'*- king of the latins, who gave him his daughter Lavinia in nuiriage. Italy was dien, as it is now, divided into a num- ber of small states, independent of enoh other, and conse- qneatly subject to frequent contentions among themselves. • Tumnf, king of the Rutnti, was the first who opposed .^^eas, he having long made pret^uions to Lavinia himself. A war ensued, in which the Trojan hero was victorious, and Tomus sfadn. In consequence of this, jSneas built a city, which was eded lAvimnm, in honour of hia wife, and some time after, - engaging in another war againat Hezentius, one of the petty Ungs of the country, he was vanquished in turn, and died in battie, after a reign of four years. AMonios, his sod, suc- oeeded to the kingdom, and to him Silvius, a second son, ^lom be had by lAvioia. It would be tedious and nnin- terealing to recite a dry catalogue of the kings that followed, nd of whom ve know little mtae than the namea ; it w91 be ...Coogk 3 HISTOEY OF ROHB. Bnfficient to say, that the sacoesnoD coatiDiied for near foor hundred years in the family, and that Nninitor, the fifteenth from ^neas, was the last king of Alba. Numitor, vho took posseBsitHi of the kingdom in conse- quence of his father's vill, had ft brpther named Amnlius, to whom were left the treasures which had been brought from Troy. As riches but too generally prev^ against right, Amo- lins made use of his wealth to supplant his brother, and aooo foDod means to possess himself of the kingdom, ^ot content with the crime of usurpation, he added that of murder also. Nnmitor's sons first fell a sacrifice to his suspicions, and to remove all apprehensions of being one day distorbed in his ill-gotten power, he caused Rhea Silvia, lus brother's only daughter, to become a vestal vii^in, w^ch office obliging her to perpetual celibacy, made him less uneasy as to the claims of posterity. His precautions, however, were all frustrated in the event ; for Rhea Silvia, going to fetch wator frqip a Qeighbopring grove, was met and ravished by a man, whom, pei^tqw to palliate her offence, she averred to be Mars, the god of war. Whoever this lover of hers mi^t have been, whether some person had deceived her by assoming so great a name, or Amnlins himself, as some writers are pleased to a£Srm, it matters not; certain it is, that in due time she was broug:lit to bed of two boys, vbo were no sooper bom than devoted by the usurper to destmction. The mother was condemned to be boried alive, the usual punishment for vestals who had violated their chasti^, and tbe twins were ordered to be flung into tbe river liber. It happened, however, at the time this rigoroos sentence was put into eieculion, that the river had more than usually overflowed its banks, so that tbe place where the children were thrown, being at a distance from thei main cnirent, the water was ' too shallow to drown them. In this ntoation, therefore, they continued withoat harm; and that no part of their preservatioD might want its wonders, we are told, that they were for some time suckled there by a wolf, until Fanstulos, the king's herdsman, finding ihem ex- posed, brought them home to Acca Laurentia, bis wife, who broi^ht them qp as her own. Some, however, will have it; tiiat tbe nurse's name was Lnpa, which gaya rise to the stoijr vt their being nouriihed by a wolf; but it is needless to vfad Do,l,,-cdtyGoOglc POUNDATtDM OF ROMS BY ROMCLUS. S oirt a iwglH MBpg«b«ba% fian 'venevntB vbtfe die vkote « omgrowB with ftUe. Boraoloa and Bemna, Ae twins thtu strangely prcwcved. Memed eariy to diacover afai)iti«i uid desiret above the me«i- noH of thor aapposed origiiuL The ahepkenl's life be^an to di^leaae them, aod fnaa tending the flocks, or hantiag wild beasts, they soon tnmed their strength agsinst the robben lonnd the eonntry, whom they efien atfipt of their [daader to share it among their feUew-shepherds. In one of these ezcmnons it was that Remns ww taken priaoner by Nvmttor's berdsmen, who brought lum before the king, and aoensed him of the very crime which he bad ao t^tea attempted to sappresa. Bomnlaa, bowerer, beii^ informed 1^ FaiiBtaliu of his real birth, was not remisa in assembling ft munber of hia fbllow-^epherds, in order to resooe bis brother from posoD, and foroe the kingdtmi from tbe bands of tbe nsnrper. Yet, being too feeble to act openly, he directed bis followers to assemUe near the place by diffisrent ways, while Beniiis with eqnal vigilaooe gm&ed npon tbe dtiuua within. AmalioB, tfans beaet on all sides, and not knowing iriiat ex-^ pedient to think of for bit seoiuity, was, daring hia amasenent and distraotion, taken and daio, while Nnmito^ who had beei» deposed forty-two years, recognised bis grandscns, and was once more restored to the throne. Nnmitor being tints in qvet posiewion of the kingdom, hot grandaou resolred to bnild a eify npoo those hills whoe they had formerly lived as aheiriierda. The king had too many oUigations to them not to approve their des^ ; he appointed tbem lands, and gave pennisnoB to .snoh of hia subjects a» thoo^ proper to settie in their new colony. Many of the neil^draariiig shejdierda also, and sncb as were fond of change, lepabed to the intended dty, and prepared to raise it. For the more speedy oarrybg on this work, the people were di- vided into two parts, each of whioh, it was sapposed, woidd indoatriondy emnlate the otfaer. Bat what was designed fi» an advantage proved nearly fatal to this infimt oolony : it gave birth to two factions, one preferring Romnlna, the other Re- mns, who themselves were not agreed npon the spot where die city shonld stand. To terminate this difierenee, they were recommended by the king to take an omen from the ffight of Inrds; and that be, whose omen should be most favoorable^ B 3 I, Google 4 -BISTORT OF ROME. afaonld in all reepeots direct die odier. In ooatflSaaoe wiOl this advice, thej both took their stations npon diffra«nt hilk ; tp Remns appeared six Tnlturea, to Roniulus, twice that num- bar, to ttwt each party thongfat itielf viotoriovi, the one tiaviog the first omen, the other the most nnmeroiu. Tbifl prodnoed a contest, whitdi ended ui a batde, wherein Bemoa was slain, and it is even said, that he was kiUed by his brother, who, fac- ing provoked at his leaping contemptnoasly over the city wbU, itrack him dead upon tbe qrat, at the same time proKssio^, that nooe shonld ever inanlt his walla with impunity. Romoltu, being now sole coHunuider, and eighteen yean of age, b^an the fonndation of a-city, that was one day to give laws to the woild. It was called Borne after the uaaie of the foonder, and bnilt npon the Paladne hiO, on which he had taken lus ancceflsfol omen. The city was at first almost square, oontaining «bont a tlwiisand houses. It was near a mile in compass, and commanded a small territory ranod it of about eight miles over. However, small as it appears, it was, ootwithstandiiy, vone inhabited; and the first method made uae of to increase its numbers vaa the opemng a sanctosry for all male&otors, slaves, aod snch as wm« desirons of novelty. These came in great multitudes, and cootribated to increase the number of our legtslatoi'B new subjects. To have a just idea ther^re of Rome in its infant stale, we have only to iwsgine a coUec- tion o( cottages, sairotinded by a feeble wall, rather built to serve as a military retreat, than for the purposes of civil >o- cie^, rather filled with a tnmoltuoas and vicious rabble, thaD with subjects bred to obedience and control ; we have only to conceive men bred to rapine, Iwing in a place that merelj seemed calculated for the security of plonder ; and yet, to our astonishment, we shall soon find this tumulbioas coocouise unit> ingin the strictest bonds of sode^; this lawless rabble putting OB the most sincere regard for religion ; end, thouf^ composed of the dr^s of mankind, setting exai^ples, to all the worid, of valour and riitne. Doiii--,-,ih,.Googlc CHAPTER II. WWLOU TBB BUILDIMG OP BOMB TO THB DBATH OP ROHULUS. SoARGB mm tbe city rnsed abore iti &niid«tioB. vhen Hs rade mhalulsBtB hegaa to tfauik of gmag some fonn to their . MoslitBtioii. Their first object was to unite lifoer^ and em- pire ; to fonn a kiod of mixed monncby, by irfaicfa all power vw to be dividad between the prince and the peopte. Bo- ■nlna, by an act of great geoeromtf, left them at liberty to dwose whom they wonld for dieir king, and tliey in gnrtitiide eoBcmred to elect their founder ; be was accordingly acknow- ledged as chief of dieir religion, sovereign magistrate of Borne, md geoeral of Ae army. Beside a guard to attend his person, it was agreed that he should be preceded wherever be went by tweW e mCT, armed with axes tied op in a bnadle of rods, who were to serve as execntioners of the law, and to impress hii new subjeots with an idea of his authority. Yet stUl tUa aKiboriQr was ondw very great restriotii»ig, as his whole power CMisisted in caQing the senate togedier, in assembling the peo< pie, io condoctmg the army, when it was decreed by the other part of the constitation that they ahonld go to war, and in k^ pointing the qnestors, w neainrers of the pnblk: money, <^-^ ficers which we may soppose at that time had but very Ktfle eni^oyment, as neither the soldiers nor magistrates recrived any pay. The senate, wluch was to act as cosnsellors to the king, was composedof an imndred of the printnpal cttisens of Bune, oODStsting of men whose age, wisdom, or valoor, gave them ■ natoral an^toiitf over titeir feUow-«ab|ect8. The king named the fint senatw, and appointed him to the government of &e atj, whenever war reqoired the geoeial's absence. In dds neqiect^e assembly was transacted all the important boainesa of the slate, the king himself presiding, ^thongh every ques- tion w'as tO'be determined by a minority of voices. Ai^ they were supposed to liave a parental affection for die people, they were called latbMS, and their descendants patricians. To the pafericiaits belonged all ttte dignified oiBees of tlie state, as well r,o,i,,-cMh,.GoOglc 6 HISTORY OF BOMB. as of tiie imesfbood. To these the; were appofaited by the senate and the people, vhile the lower ranks of citizens, wlio were thns excluded from all views of promotion for then- seUes, woe to expect advantages ou^ from their ntloiir in war, or their assidiiity in agriculture. The plebwms, who composed the third part of the legi»- la^oce, assumed to tbemselTcs the power of aathorising' those laws iHiicb were passed b; the kia^ or the setwle. All tUi^ x^ative to peace or war, to the electi<Hi of magistiatei, and even to the choosing a king, were confirmed by their sufiragea. la their namMmu aaaomblies. all mterptises against the enemy were proposed, while the senate had onij a power of rejeotiog «r approving their Aemfpit. Thus was the ststa composed of three orders, each a check np<»i the other : the people resolved whedier the proposals of the king were plea- sing to them, the senate deliberated upon the expediency of the measure, and the king gave vigour and spirit by directing the execBtion. Bat thov^ the pei^le by these regulations seemed in possession of great pow«, yet th«re was one cdr- onmstaace which c<nitiibuted greatly to its dimmntion, nara^, the rights of patronage which wece lodged in the smate. I^ king, sensible that in every state there must be a 'dependaoee of the poor upon the powerful, -gave permission to every |:4e- beian to choose one among the senators for a patron. Tke bond between them was of the strongest kind ; the patron was to give [woteotion to his client, to assist him with lus advice and fortune, to plead for him before the judge, and to rescue him from every oppression. On the other hand, the climt attached himself to the interests of his patron, assisted han, if poor, to portion his daughters, to pay his debts,, or his rmuom - in case of being, taken prisoner. He was to follow him on every service of danger; whenever he stood candidate for an office, he was obliged to give him his sufi&age, and was pro- Ubited from giving testimony in a court of justioe whenever his evidence affected the int^ests of his patron. These reci- procal dotias were held so sacred, that any who violated them were ever after held infamous, and excluded 6x»n all the pro- tection of the taws : so that from hence we see the senate in effect possessed of the snffirages of &ea clients, nnce all that was left the people was <Hily the poww of choonng what pa- Doiii--,-,ih,.Googlc IN8T1T6T10NS OP XOIIirLUS. f tron Ibery should obey. Amoaf a nRtion m> tMibstont and fierce as the first Romans, it was wise to enforce obedience ■t &6 most reqnidte dnty. lie first care of the new-created king was to attend to the interests of religion, and to endeavour to hnmantse his sub- jects, by the notion of other rewards and pnnishnients than diose of hnman law. The precise form of their worship is nn- known ; bat die greatest part of the religion of that age con- siMed in a firm relianoe upon Ae credit of their soothsi^ers, irito fvetended, from observations on the flight of birds and the entrails of beasts, to direct the present, and to dive into fntmrity. This pioos fhrad, wbich first uvse from igno- rance, soon became a most usefnl machine in the hands of government. Romnlns, by an express law, commanded, that no election should be made, no enterprise undertaken, witfa- flat first conaolting die soothsayers. With equal wisdom he •rdained, that no new divinities should be introdoced into pnhlic worship, that the priesthood should continue for fife, and that Aone shonM be elected into it before the age of fifty. ' He fort>ade them to mix fable witb the masteries of their reUgion ; And, timt they mi^t be quaKfied to teach others, he ordered Aat tiiey should be tiie iHstoriographns of tiie times; so tiia^ while instructed by priests Bk^ these, the people cordd never degenerate into total barbarity. Of his other laws we have but few fragments remmnii^. In these, however, we learn, that wives were forbid, upon any pretext whatsoever, to separate from tbeir husbands; wUle, on the contrary, the husbaod was empowered to repu- diate the wife, and even to put her to death with the consent of hef retatioQB, in case she was detected in adultery, in at- tempting to poison, in making false keys,. or even of having drank too much vine. His laws between children and their parents w«'e yet sdll more severe ; the father had entire power over his offspring, both of fortune and fife ; he conid ■ell them or imprison them at any time of their lives, or in any ttations to which they were arrived. The father might expose his clnldren, if bom witii any deformities, having previoasly eommunicated bis intentions to his five next of kindred. Our lawgiver seemed moze kind even to his enemies, for his sub- jects were prt^hited from killing them after they bad surren- dM«d, m even from sdling them: his ambition only aiaied at .,Coo<^lc HlSTOnv OP BOMB. r of luB ateaaeB i^ mak After M> many endeaToiiTs to inoraase bia BnbjeotBi aad m mmy Inra to r^nlate them, he next gave ordeis to ascertna tbeir numbers. Tbb whole amoanled bat to three tbooMnd foot, and about as many bnndred horsemen, capable of beari^ arms. These, therdbre were divided equally into three ' tribes, and to each he asiigaed a different part of the taty. . Each of these tribes were sabdivided into ten cmin or com- pames, consiBting of an hundred men each, with a oentnrioB to command it, a priest c^ed curio to perform the sacrifioes, and two of the principal inhatntants, called duumviri, to dis- tribute jnstioe. Aocordijigly to the number of ooriv he di- vided the lands into thirty parts, reserving one portion for public uses, and another for religiaus ceremonies. Tbo «m- ■phaty and fingality of tha times will be best iindeistood by observing, that dach citizen had not id>ove two ictea of ground for his owB subsistence. Of the horsemen mentioned above, dtere were chosen ten from eei^ curia ; tfaey were particularly appointed to fi^t round the person of the king; of them hU gaud was composed, and from tbeir alacrity in battle, or fhuB the >ame of their first commander, ^ey were called ceUrat, a word equivalent to our light horsemen. A goremmcot thus wisely instituted, it may be suppoaed, nduced numbers to come and live under it: each day added to its strength, maltitudes flocked in from all the adjacent towns, and it only seemed to waqt women to ascertain its du- ration. In this exiaeiatx, Romulus, by the advice of the se- nate, sent deputies among the Sabines, his neighbours, en- treating their alliance, and upon these terms- ofiering to cement the most strict confederacy with them. The Sabines, . who were then considered as the moat warlike people of Italy, r^ected the proposition with disdain, and some even added raillery to the refusal, demanding, that as he had opened a sanctuary for fugitive slaves, why he had not also opened another for prostitute women. Tbis answer quickly raised the indignation of the Rpmans ; and the king, in order to gratify their resentaient, while he at the same time should people hb ci^, resolved to obtain by force what was denied to intrea^. For this purpose he proclaimed a feast, in honour of N^tane, diron^ut all the nMghboitring villagea, and made the meet KAPB OF THK BABINBS. t mmgaiAMat pnftamtkmi for it Tbets feuta wen guan^ preceded by sacrifices, and ended in ' shows of wreeden, ^ft- diaton, and chariot-^onrses. The Salnnes, as he had ex- pected, were among the foremost who came to be spectalon^ fannging their wives and daughters with them to share t^ pkasore of the sight. The inhabitants also of maaj of tht ueig^hoariDg to^os came, who were received by the RomaM with marks of the most cordial hospitality. lo the mean time ' the games began, and while the strangers were most intent upon the spectacle, a number of the Roman yonth rushed la mnoag them wiUi drawn swords seized the yotingedt and meet beaatilid women, and earned them off by violence. , In vain the parents protested against this bre&cfa of hospitali^ ; in vain the virgins themselves at first opposed the attempts of th^ raviBfaers ; perseverance and caresses obtained those &• TOWS which timidi^ at first denied : so that the betrayera, frma being objects of aversion, soon became partners of their dearest affections. But however the afiront might have been botne by them, it was not BO easily pnt up by their parents ; a bloody war ei^ sued. The cities of Cenioa, Antemna, and Cnutuminm, wen the &at who resolved to revenge the common cause, which the Salnses seemed too dilatory in pursuing. These, by making aeparate inroads, became a more easy conquest to Romulus, who first ovothrew the Ceoinenses, slew dieir king Acron in sio^ combat, -and made an offering of the royal spoils to Ju- piter Feretrius, on the spot where the capitol was afterwards built The Antemnates and Crustuminians shared the same. fate; their armies were overthrowu, and their cities takes. The conqueror, however, made the most merciful use of las victny; for instead (rf destroying their towns, or lessemi^l tbent nnmbeis, he only placed colonies of Romana in them, to. serve as a frontier to repress more distant invasions. Tattos, king of Cures, a Sabine city, was the last, althou^ the most formidable^ who undertook to cevuige the disgrace his country had suffered. He entered the Roman territoriea at the head of twenty-five thousand men| and not content with a superiority of forces, he added stratagem also. Tarpeia, who was daughter to the commander of. the Cajutolme hill, hap- pened to &11 into his hands, as she went without 4>e walls of the city to fetch water. Upon her he prevailed, by meant of ...Google 10 HlBTOftT OP &01IB. hrga pttuSaet, to bebrajr aae of the ^^ates to his army. Tlie i«<irwd she eagdgei for was vfaat the soldiers wore on their atteB, by vfaich the meaot their bracelets. They, however, cotber miataking^ her meaning, or wiUing to panish her peifidy, ttvew tlieir bncklera upon her as they entered, and crushed ber to death beneath them. The Sabines, being thus pos- sessed of the Capitoline, had the advantage of continning the War at tbeir pleasure ; and for some time only slight enconnters passed between them. At length, however, the tedionsness of this contest began to weary out both parties, so that each wished, but neither would stoop to sue for peace. The desire of peace ofteii gives vigour to measures in war ; wherefore boUt sides resolving to terminate their doubts by a detMsive ac- tion, a general engagement ensued, which was renewed for several days, with almost equal success. They both fon^t for all that was vEduable in life, and neither could think of sub- mitting: it was in the valley between the Capitoline and Qui- rinal hills, that the last engagement was fought between the Romans and the Sabines. The eng^em«it became general, and the slaughter prod^ioua, when the attention of both sides was suddenly turned from the scene of horror before them, to (mother infinitely more striking. The Sabine women, who h^ been carried off by the Romans, were seen with their hair loose and iheir ornaments neglected, fiying in between tbe comba- tants, regardless of their own danger, and with loud outcries only solicitous for that of their parents, their husbands, and their cUIdren. " If," cped ihey, " you are resolved upon daughter, turn your atma upon us, since we only are the cause <tf your animosity. If any must die, let it be us ; since if oar parents or our husbands faU, we must be equally miserable in being the surviving cause." A spectacle so moving could not be resisted by the combatants ; both sides for a wtiile, as if by mutual impulse, let fall their weapons, and beheld the distress - in silent wnazement The tears and entreaties of thdr wives and daughters at length prevaUed ; an accommodation ensued, by which it was' agreed, that Romulus and Tatius should t«ign jointly in Rome, with equal power and prerogative; diat an bailed Sabines should be admitted into the senate ; that the city should still retain its farmer name, but that As citizens should be ctdled Qnirites, after Cures, the principal town of the Sabines ; and that both nations being thus united. 0BATII 09 X0HVLO8. 11 •aoh of the Sabtees u i^ose it shoiM be sdnAted to Bniad eDJoy all the privilegea of citizens oi Rome. llaH erery •torm, vhich seemed to threateo this growing empire, only served to increase its vigour. That army, wfaich in die mondug had resolved upon its destruction, came in the evetlin^ with j(^ to be enrolled uiDoag the number of its ctttzens. RomfoloB saw his dominions and his sul^ects increased by more then half in the space of a few hours; and, as if fortune meant every way to assist his gieatness, Tatins, his partner in the govem- ment, was killed about five years after by the Lavinians, for having protected some servants of his, who had plundered them and slain their ambassadors ; so that by this accident Romulus once more saw himself sole monarch of Borne. Rome being greatly strengthened by this new acquisition of power, began to grow formidable to her neighbours ; and it -aiay be supposed, that pretexts for war were not wanting, when prompted by jealousy on their ride, and by ambition on that of the Romans. Fidena and Cameria, two oe^hbonring cities, were stibdoed and tAken. Veii also, one of the most powerAil states of Etruria, shared neariy the same fate ; after two fierce engagements tiiey sued ftM* a peace and a league, which was granted upon giving np the seventh part of tbev dominions, their salt-pits near the river, and hostages for greater security. Snccesges like these produced an equal share of pride in the oonqneror. From being contented with those limits which had been wisely fixed to his power* he began to affect absolute sway, and to govern those laws, to which he had himself for- merly professed implicit obedience. The senate was partioH- larly displeased at his conduct, finding themselves only used as instrom^its to ratify the rigour of his commands. We are not told the precise manner which they made use of to get rid of the tyrant : some say that be was torn in pieces in the senate botise ; otiters that he disappeared while reviewing his army : eertain it is, that from the secrecy of the fact, and the conceal- ment of the body, tbey took occasion to persuade the mnlti' tade, that he was taken np into heaven ; thus him whom they oonld not bear as a king, tbey were contented t« worship as a god: Romnlns reigned tlnrty-seven yean, and after his death bad a temple built to turn under the name of Quirinus, one of the ..Coo'^Ic 18 RMTOKY or BOMB. Hwrton wilwMly vffiiniaff, that be had appeared to hm, and desired to be isTtAed by that tide. We see little more in the obaraeter of this prince, than vhat mi^t be expected in andk an a^, great temperance and great valour, wbich generally make np the catalt^e of sar^^e virtues. Howeva, the gnndenr of an empire, admired by the whole irorid, creates in u an adnuration of tiie founder, viftoat mnch raamimng' hia
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