n6 UNIVERSAL ERUDITION. 



with regard to its power and extent, being in- 

 comparably more powerful and more extend ve 

 than any of the three former monarchies, as to 

 the great men of every kind which it produced. 

 To form a juft and clear plan of this hiftory, we 

 muft take matters from their origin, and tranf- 

 port ourfelves to the country of the Latins. This 

 country, the moft celebrated of Italy, took its 

 name from latendo, becaufe Saturn, chafed 

 from his kingdom by his fon Jupiter, came here 

 to hide himiclf. The rlrft inhabitants of this 

 country were thofe called Aborigenes, the nexc 

 were the Egueans, then the Aufonians, the Her- 

 nici, the Latins, the Rutuleans, and the Volci- 

 ans. Latium is that country which is now called 

 Campagna di .Roma. Before the foundation of 

 Rome, which became its capital, it was govern- 

 ed by kings, of whom are recorded, 



1. Picus the Ion of Saturn, the firft king of 

 thofe Latins called Aborigines, becaufe they 

 were the original people of the country. He 

 began his reign in the year of the world 2708, 

 and reigned 37 years. 



2. Faunus his fon reigned 44 years. 



3. Latinus his fon reigned 34 years. 



4. jEneas, the fon of Venus, landed in Italy 

 after the taking of Troy, and married Lavinia the 

 daughter of king Latinus. He reigned after his 

 wife's father only three ye^rs. 



^. Afcanius, and fourteen other kings his fuc- 

 cefiors, reigned in Latium till the time of Nu- 



mi tor 



