to the knowledge of the Chyefe minister of
Diana hir Temple. One of the Sabin's expecting for a day mete to
be employed in that sacrifice, brought the sayde Oxe to Rome to
the Temple of Diana, placing the same before the altar. The
chiefe Minister calling to remembrance the oracle, and saw that
the greatnesse of that sacrifice should be famous, spake to the
Sabine these wordes: "What dost thou meane (thou impure
Straunger) to prepare sacrifice to Diana, before thou bee
purified and clensed in the lyuelye Riuer of Tiber? Here belowe
in this valley the sayde riuer doth runne: go get the hence and
wash the." The Sabine attached with a religious feare, goeth
downe to the Riuer, and while he is washing himselfe a Romane
doth offer the Sacrifice, which was right acceptable both to the
kyng and his country. The king althoughe that of longe tyme he
had raigned, yet vnderstoode that the elder Tarquinius which was
maried to one of his daughters, did bragg and report eftsones
that his father in law obteined the gouernment and kingdom
without the consent of the people: wherfore the king through his
lyberalyty by dyuyding the conquest atchyeued of the Ennymye
amongs the common people, conciliated theyr fauor and good wils:
in so much as he affirmed that he would raign in despite of them
all, and that there was no king at any tyme that raigned with a
more generall consent: all whych did nothing diminish the hope
and desire of Tarquinius. He had a Brother whose name was Aruns,
being of a quiet and gentle disposition. Both they married two
of the king's daughters, which were of manners and conditions
very vnlike. The yonger daughter being the wife of Aruns, the
sharper shrewe, and fiercer of nature, seeing that hir husbande
was nothing giuen or plyant to match with hir vngracious deuice
or ambicious stomack, attempted hir brother, whose condicion was
correspondent to hirs, and sayd vnto him, that he was a Man in
deede, and one worthy to be accompted to be borne and proceede
of the bloud Royall. Then she began to contemne hir sister, for
that she hauing such a man to hir husbande, would suffer him to
neglect so meete and iust occasion for recouery of the kingdom.
Their natures being of one disposition, as commonly one
myschyefe procureth an other, al things began to be disquieted
throughe the attempt of that vngracious woman. To be shorte,
they two deuysed meanes, that Aruns hys Brother, and the Elder
Tullia hir sister were slain: whi