AN ABRIDGEMENT OF THE ROMAN HISTORY.
CHAP. I.
Of the Origin of the ROMANS.
(Year of the World, 2800—Before Christ, 1184.)
All [1]nations [2]seem [3]willing to [4]derive [5]merit from the [6]splendor of their [7]origin, and [8]where [9]history [10]is silent, they [11]generally [12]supply the [13]defect with [14]fable. The [15]Romans were [16]particularly [17]desirous of being [18]thought [19]descended from the [20]Gods, [21]as if they would [22]hide the [23]meanness of their [24]real [25]ancestry. [26]Æneas, the [27]son of [28]Venus and [29]Anchises, having [30]escaped from the [31]destruction of [32]Troy, [33]after [34]many [35]adventures and [36]dangers [37]arrived in [38]Italy, [39]where he was [40]kindly [41]received by [42]Latinus, [43]king of the [44]Latins, who [45]gave him his [46]daughter [47]Lavinia in [48]marriage. Italy was [49]then [50]as it is [51]now, [52]divided into a [53]number of [54]small [55]states, [56]independent of [57]each other, and, [58]consequently, [59]subject to [60]frequent [61]contentions [62]among themselves. [63]Turnus, [64]king of the [65]Rutuli, was the [66]first who [67]opposed Æneas, he having [68]long [69]made pretensions to Lavinia himself. A [70]war [71]ensued, in which the [72]Trojan [73]hero was [74]victorious, and [75]Turnus [76]slain. In [77]consequence of this, Æneas [78]built a [79]city, which was [80]called [81]Lavinium, in [82]honour of his [83]wife; and [84]some time after [85]engaging in another [86]war [87]against [88]Mezentius, one of the [89]petty kings of the [90]country, he was [91]conquered in his [92]turn, and [93]died in [94]battle, after a [95]reign of four [96]years.
[97]Ascanius, his [98]son, [99]succeeded to the [100]kingdom, and to him, Silvius, a [101]second son, [102]whom he had by Lavinia. It would be [103]tedious to [104]recite a [105]dry [106]catalogue of the kings that [107]followed, and of whom we [108]know [109]little more than their [110]names; it will be [111]sufficient to [112]say, that the [113]succession [114]continued for [115]near [116]four [117]hundred [118]years in the [119]family, and that [120]Numitor was the [121]last king of Alba.
FOOTNOTES
[1] nazióne