continued the war at pleasure. At length the Romans and Sabines prepared for a general engagement.

In the midst of the fight, however, the Sabine women who had been carried off by the Romans, rushed in between the combatants. "If," cried they, "any must die, let it be us, who are the cause of your animosity; since, if our parents or our husbands fall, we must, in either case, be miserable in surviving them."

This moving spectacle produced an effect. An accommodation ensued. It was agreed that Tatius and Romulus should reign jointly in Rome; that 100 Sabines should be admitted into the senate; and that the privileges of Roman citizens, should be extended to such of the Sabines as chose to enjoy them.

Tatius lived but five years after this; and Romulus, taking advantage of this event, and elated by prosperity, invaded the liberty of his people. The senators opposed his encroachments, and at length, it is said, tore him to pieces in the senate house.

When the throne was offered to Numa, he wished to decline it; and it was not until his friends repeatedly urged him to accept it, that he gave up his own wishes to theirs, and for the good of his country consented to become king of Rome.

He was a wise and virtuous man, and, before his elevation to the throne, lived contentedly in privacy. He proved excellent as a monarch, and reigned 43 years in profound peace, inspiring his subjects with the love of wisdom and virtue.

He multiplied the national gods, built temples, and instituted different classes of priests, and a great variety of religious ceremonies. The Flamines officiated each in the service of a peculiar deity; the Salii guarded the sacred bucklers; the Vestals cherished the sacred fire; the Augurs and Aruspices divined future events from the flight of birds, and the entrails of victims.

4. The third king of Rome was Tullius Hostilius, who was elected, and began to reign, 672 B. C. His disposi tion was warlike. He subdued the Albans, Fidenates, and other neighbouring states. The Sabines, now disunited from the Romans, became their most powerful enemy. Tullius reigned 33 years, and, according to some accounts, he was killed by lightning. The most remarkable event during the reign of Tullius, was the combat between the Horatii and Curiatii.

In the war between the Romans and Albans, as their armies were about to engage, the Alban general proposed that the dispute should be decided by single combat, and that the side whose champion was overcome, should submit to the conqueror. To this the Roman king acceded.

It happened that there were three twin brothers in each army; those of the Romans were called Horatii, those of the Albans, Curiatii; all remarkable for their prowess. To these the combat was

assigned. The armies were drawn up in due order, and the brothers took to their arms.

The signal being given, the youths rushed forward to the encounter. They were soon engaged hand to hand, each regardless of his own safety, seeking only the destruction of his opponent. The three Albans were severely wounded, and loud shouts ran along the Ro man army. In a few seconds, two of the Romans fell and expired. The acclamations were heard amid the Albans.

The surviving Roman now saw that all depended on him; it was an awful moment. But he did not despair; he manfully roused his spirits to meet the exigence of the occasion. Knowing that force alone could not avail, he had recourse to art.

He drew back, as if flying from his enemies. Immediately were heard the hisses of the Romans. But Horatius had the felicity to witness what he wished. The wounded Curiatii, pursuing him at unequal distances, were divided. Turning upon the nearest pursuer, he laid him dead at his feet. The second brother advancing, socn shared the same fate.

Only one now remained on each side. The hisses of the Romans were turned into cheerings. But what was their exultation when they saw the last of the Curiatii stretched lifeless on the ground!

What followed, it is painful to relate. When Horatius reached Rome, he saw his sister bitterly lamenting the death of the Curiatii, one of whom she was engaged to marry. In the dreadful moment of ungoverned rage, he killed her on the spot.

Horatius was condemned to die for his crime, but making his appeal to the people, he was pardoned, though his laurels and his character were forever tarnished.

5. Rome was governed by four other kings, in succession, viz. Ancius Martius, Tarquinius Priscus, Servius Tullius, and Tarquinius Superbus.

Ancus inherited the virtues of his grandfather, Numa, and was, besides, a warrior; Tarquin enriched Rome with magniicent works; Servius ruled with political wisdom; but Tarquin the Proud pursued a course of systematic tyranny. With him ended the monarchical form of government at Rome, 509 years B. C.

§ Servius married his two daughters to the two sons of Tarquia, and then having established good government, was preparing to qu the throne and live in peace and retirement. But these intentions were frustrated.

Tullia, one of his daughters, preferred her sister's husband to her own, and he was disposed to reciprocate so vile an attachment. To answer their base purposes, they both killed their respective partners. As one wickedness too surely paves the way for another, these flagi tious wretches next plotted the death of Servius.

It will be read with horror, that not only did the cruel Tullia rejoice, when she heard that Tarquinius had murdered her father, but

that when she rode forth in her chariot, to congratulate the base murderer, she would not permit her coachman to indulge even his humanity, who seeing the bleeding body of Servius lying in the street, was about to turn down another road, thinking, very rationally, that his mistress would be shocked to behold the mangled corpse of her old father.

Tullia had expelled from her heart all natural feeling, and perceiving the hesitation of the coachman, angrily bade the man drive on; he did so, and the chariot-wheels of the daughter's car wer stained with the blood of her gray-haired father.

Tarquin, surnamed the proud, upon this event, was made king; but though at first he ingratiated himself with the lower classes of the people, yet by his oppressive and tyrannical conduct, he at length became an object of universal detestation. His son Sextus having greatly indulged in detestable vices, became the occasion of his own and the king's ruin.

This prince, and Collatinus a noble Roman, and some officers, when with the army besieging Ardea, a small town not far from Rome, in the height of a debauch, were boasting what excellent wives each possessed. Collatinus was certain that his was the best ; in their merriment, the young men mounted their horses, and set off for Rome, to discover whose wife was most properly employed in the absence of her husband.

The ladies were all found visiting and passing the time in amusement and mirth, except Lucretia, the wife of Collatinus. She was Industriously spinning wool among her maidens at home. Sextus was so taken with the good sense and right behaviour of Lucretia, that he fell in love with her, and wished her to quit her husband, indulging at the same time the most unwarrantable designs.

Lucretia, shocked at his vile proposals, and unable to survive her dishonour, killed herself for grief, which so distracted Collatinus, that with Junius Brutus, and other friends, he raised an army, and drove Sextus and his infamous father from Rome. The people had suffered so much under the tyranny of this king, that they resolved that he should never come back, and that they would have no more kings. The cause of the interest which Brutus took in the death of Lucretia, was the following. His father and eldest brother had been slain by Tarquin, and unable to avenge their death, he pretended to be insane. The artifice saved his life; he was called Brutus for his stupidity. When the infamous deed of the Tarquins was done, and the catastrophe which ensued was known, he seized the occasion of revenge.

Snatching the dagger from the wound of the bleeding Lucretia, he swore upon the reeking blade, immortal hatred to the royal family. "Be witness, ye gods," he cried, "that from this moment I proclaim myself the avenger of the chaste Lucretia's cause," &c. This energy of speech and action, in one who had been reputed a fool, astonished Rome, and every patriot's arm was nerved against Tarquin and his adherents-against Tarquin and royalty.

6. From a monarchy, Rome now became a republic, with a gradual increase of the power of the people from time to time. At first the nobles had much the largest share in the government. The supreme authority was committed to two magistratee, chosen from the patrician order every year, who were named consuls. Their power was nearly or quite equal to that of the kings, only it was temporary. Brutus and Collatinus were the first consuls, who, with several of their successors, were engaged in hostility with the banished king.

§ Tarquin, after his expulsion, took refuge in Etruria, where he enlisted two of the most powerful cities, Venii and Tarquinii, to espouse his cause. At Rome also he had adherents. A conspiracy having been formed to open the gates of the city to him, the republic was on the eve of ruin,

It was however discovered in season, and the two sons of Brutus gaving been concerned in it, he sternly ordered them to be beheaded in his presence. He put off the father, and acted only the consul-a dreadful necessity.

Some time after, in a combat between the Romans and Tarquins, Brutus engaged with Aruns, son of Tarquin, and so fierce was the attack, that they both fell dead together. Brutus was honoured as the father of the remubijc.

Tarquin now fled for aid to Porsenna, king of Clusium, who advanced with a large army to Rome, and had nearly entered it. The valour of one man save the city. Horatius Cocles, seeing the enemy approach the bridge where he stood sentinel, and observing the retreat of the Romans, besought them to assist him. He told them to burn or break down the bridge behind him, whilst he went forward to keep back the enemy.

We then remained alone fighting in the midst of his enemics, and when he heard the crash of the bridge and the shouts of the Romans, knowing that no way of entrance was left for the foe, he jumped into the river and swam over to his friends in safety.

In the war with Porsenna occurred another remarkable incident. Mutius Servels, a noble young Roman, upon leave obtained of the senate, disguised himself, and entered the tent of Porsenna. There he saw a man so richly drest that he thought he was the king, whom he contrived to kill, but it was only the king's secretary.

While endeavouring to quit the camp, Mutius was seized and carried before Porsenna, who told him he would severely torture him if he did not betray the schemes of the Romans. Mutius only answered by putting his hand into one of the fires lighted near him, and holding it steadily there.

The king, seeing the courage and fortitude of this youth, leaped from his throne, and drawing the hand of Mutius from the flame, highly praised him, and dismissed him without farther harm. Peace was soon concluded upon this incident.

7. The Latins, excited by Mamilius, Tarquin's son-inlaw, declared war against the Romans, 501 years B. C. The common people, oppressed by the patrician order, had become disaffected, and refused to enlist into the service. In this crisis, the Romans resorted to the desperate measure of having a dictator, a magistrate with unlimited authority, for the period of six months. This was an effectual resort in times of danger.

A few years after, the people, supposing their grievances not sufficiently redressed, rose in general insurrection, when the senate consented to create five new magistrates, called tribunes, who were to be annually selected by the people.

These were to be sacred; their office was to defend the oppressed, pardon oflenders, arraign the enemies of the peopie, and, if necessary, stop the whole machine of government. They were afterwards increased to ten. The popular or democratic constitution of Rome may be dated from this period, 490 years B. C.

About this time, Coriolanus, a patrician and able warrior, being banished from Rome, for proposing the abolition of the tribunate, retired to the Volsci, among whom he raised an army, and advanced to besiege Rome. Attacking the city, he would probably have conquered it, but he was turned from his purpose by the prayers and tears of his mother, wife, and children.

A few particulars respecting Coriolanus must here be related. Passing over the circumstances of his banishment, we find that upon his entrance into the territory of the Volsci, he met a most friendly reception from Tullus Aufidius, a mortal enemy to Rome.

Having advised this prince to make war against the Romans, he marched at the bead of the Volsci, as general. The approach of Coriolanus, at the head of so powerful an enemy, greatly alarmed the Romans, who sent him several embassies to reconcile him to his country, and to solicit his return. He was deaf to all proposals; and though each successive embassy was made more and more solemn and urgent, he bade them prepare for war.

At Rome, all was now confusion and consternation. The republic was nearly given up for lost. Coriolanus had pitched his camp at only a very short distance from the city. As a last resort, it was suggested, that possibly his wife or mother might effect what the senate and the ministers of religion could not.

Accordingly his mother, Veturia, and his wife, Vergilia, with his children, and the principal matrons of the city, undertook the last embassy. The meeting of Coriolanus and this train, was in the high