a lyttle quieted,
one of them beginneth to discourse the tale. And as the king was
attentife to heare the plaintif, the other tooke vp a hatchet
and threw it at the kyng, and leauing thee weapon stickinge in
the wound, they conueyed theymselues out of the dores. Those
that wayted vpon the kynge, made hast to releeue him, and the
Sergeantes followed to apprehend the malefactors. Wyth that a
hurly burly rose amongs the people, euery man maruellinge what
the matter shoulde be. Tanaquil commaunded the Palace Gates to
be shut, and seeketh remedy to cure her husband, as though some
hope fayled of his recouery, she called Seruius before her
(whych maried her daughter) and shewed vnto him her dead
husband, holdinge him fast by the right hande, shee intreated
hym that he would not suffer the death of his father in the law
to be vnreuenged, to the intent he might not be ridiculous to
the traytours, saying to him further these wordes: "If thou bee
a man of thy handes (O Seruius) the kyngdome is thyne and not
theirs, which thus cruelly by the handes of other haue committed
thys abhominable fact: wherefore put forth thy self, and the
Gods be thy guide: for they did portend this noble head to be
the gouernour of this city, at such tyme as they circumfused the
same with a fire descending from aboue. Let that heauenly flame
excite thy courage: be throughly awaked: we beyng straungers
sometimes haue raigned. Thinke and consider what thou art, and
not from whence thou camest: if the strangenesse of the case do
affray the, my counsel from time to time shall relieue thee."
The cry and stirre of the people being vnmesurable, that one
could scarse heare an other, Tanaquil opened the windowes that
had their prospect to the new way (for the king dwelt at the
temple of Iupitor Stator) and then spake to them in thys wyse:
"Be of good cheere (good people) the king is but amazed with the
sodainesse of the stroke, the wound is not very deepe, for euen
nowe he is come agayne to hym selfe, and the wounde being opened
and dressed there is good hope of life: I trust within these
fewe dayes you shall see hym: in the meane time, I pray you to
shewe your obedyence to Seruius Tullius, who is appointed to
execute the lawes, and to doe all other affayres in the absence
of my husbande." Seruius occupyinge the state and authoritye of
the kyng, executed the lawes in some cases, and in other some
made the people beleue that he would consult with the king him