dry other
fained instigations to brynge him self the more in credit. At
length he was chosen captain of theyr warres, and recouered
sundry victories for the Gabinians: whereby the foolishe Nation
both of the lower and chiefest sort, beleeued that their
captayne was sent vnto them by the prouidence of the Gods. He
susteined perill and payne in like sort as the common Souldier
did, liberally deuidinge his spoiles and booties amongs them. He
was so well beloued, that hys father Tarquinius at Rome was of
no greater authority than hee was among the Gabinians. When he
thought that he had recouered force enough to answer his
father's expectation, he sent a post to Rome to know his
father's pleasure, although the gods had giuen him sufficient
authority amongs the Gabinians. And bycause Tarquinius was
doubtful of the trust and fidelity of the messenger, hee would
aunswer nothing by worde of mouth, but carying the messenger
into a garden, hard adioyning his house, with a wand which he
caried in his hand, he cut of the heads of the highest Poppies
that grew in the garden, meanyng therby that he shoulde
dispatche the heads of the chiefest and principal in the City.
Whervpon the messanger without answere by mouth returned. But by
declaryng those signes and circumstances which his father vsed
in the garden Sextus conceiued his meaning. Then like a naturall
sonne, following the steppes of his father, he cut of the heads
of the Gabinian nobility, wherupon som ran away, vpon whose
departure the goods as wel of them as of other that were put to
death were deuided. The state of the Gabinians being in this
doubtful case, void of al counsell and succour, at length was
surrendred to the Romanes. Then Tarquinius concluded peace with
the Aequians, and renued a truce with the Thuscanes and wholly
bent him self to the affayres of the City. This Tarquinius was
the father of him that rauished the noble Lady Lucretia: the
lamentable history whereof, is recited in my former Tome, by the
end of which stock, remembred in that history, and begining of
the same described in this Nouell, may be gathered, what
fruyctes Ambytyon and lothsome luste bryng forth. For Tarquinius
Priscus repairing out of Hetruria, to dwell at Rome, by the
ambycyous wyll of hys wyfe aspired and atchyeued the kyngdome,
whych was by the sundry deuyce of Tullia, the daughter of
Seruius Tullius mainteyned, and by the libidinous desire of
Sextus Tarquinius, the sonne of Superbus t