T A R 



TAR 



bore on their left arms, meaning their bracelets. But, in- 

 ilead of bracelets, they threw their bucklers (which were 

 likewife borne on their left ;irm) upon her head, and 

 cm (Tied her to death. 



Others afcribc the delivery of the Capitol to her father, 

 Spurius Tarpcius ; and add, that he was precipitated 

 down this rock by Ronuilus's order, and tliat this hence- 

 forward became the punifliment of all criminals of the like 

 kind. 



Tarpeian Games, Ludt Tarpcii, were games inftitutcd 

 by Romulus in honour of Jupiter Feretrius ; and called 

 alfo Cnpitolini /utJi. Sec Capitoline. 



TARPORLEY, in Geography, a fmall market-town in 

 the hundred of Ediibury, and county palatine of Chefter, 

 England, is fituated on the great road from London to 

 Cheller, at the diftance of 172 miles N.W. from the former, 

 and 1 1 miles E.S.E. from the latter. In ancient records, 

 Tarporley is called a borough, and the houfes burgages : 

 it had in former times a mayor, as appears by deeds of the 

 years 1348 and 1396: it is now governed by a conftable. 

 The market, which was originally on Tuefday, was granted 

 in 1 28 1 to Hugh de Tarporley, then lord of tlie manor : it 

 had been many years difufed, but was reilored in 1 705 by fir 

 John Crew, who alfo procured a grant of three annual fairs, 

 and built a market-houfe. The parifh of Tarporley, which 

 includes the townihips of Eaton, Rufhton, and Utkinton, 

 contained in the yeai- 1 8 1 1 , according to the population 

 report, 365 houfes, and 1852 inhabitants. An annual 

 fox-hunt, of great celebrity, is held at Tarporley, on the 

 firil week in November, during which week are horfe-races, 

 at a place called Crab-tree Green, on Delamere foreft. 



About t«o miles fouthward of Tarporley rifes the great 

 infulated rock of Beefton. It is compofed of fand-ftone, 

 and is nearly perpendicular on one fide, which gives it a 

 tremendous appearance, but the other fide gradujilly flopes 

 to the level of the country. Its height is 366 feet. On 

 the creft of this rock are the ftately ruins of the far-famed 

 Beefton caftle, whofe almoil impregnable llrength was once 

 proverbial. This fortrefs was erefted in 1220 by Ranulph 

 de Blundeville, earl of Chefter. It confifted of an outer and 

 inner area. The outer was defended by a ftrong wall, for- 

 tified with round towers, which ran acrofs the flope from 

 one end of the precipice to the other. Some parts of this 

 wall, and fix of the towers, are ftill extant. The area in- 

 clofed is nearly five acres. The caftle was defended, on one 

 fide of the area, by a deep ditch cut out of the folid rock ; 

 on the other, by the abrupt precipice that overhangs the 

 vale of Chyfnire. The entrance is through a noble gateway, 

 guarded on each fide by a great round tower, with walls of 

 prodigious thicknvfs. During the civil wars of the 17th 

 century, this foreft was alternately befieged by the royal 

 and parhamentary forces; and in 1646 was difmantled by 



order of the parliament Lyfons's Magna Britannia, vol. ii. 



part 2. Chefhire. Beauties of England and Wales, vol. ii. 

 Cheftiire, by J. Britton and E. W. Brayley. 



TARPOU, a lake of Tliibet, about 60 miles in cir- 

 cumference. N. lat. 30° 32'. W. long. 81° 54'. 



TARQUINIUS PRISCUS, Targuin the ^Indent, in 

 Biography, the fifth king of Rome, was the fonofan opulent 

 merchant of Corinth, wlio, efcaping from tyranny at home, 

 fettled at Tarquinii, in Etruria, where he married a female 

 of rank, by wliom he had two fons. One of them died, and 

 the other, named Lucumo, was urged by his wife Tanaquil, 

 a lady of rank and of ambition, to remove from Etruria to 

 Rome ; where he chancred his praenomen Lucumo into 

 Lucius, and his family name Damaratus into Tarquinius, 

 borrowed from his native city. Here be ingratiated liim- 



VoL. XXXV. 



felf by his manners with Ancus M.Trtius, tiie king, and 

 alfo with the people ; and by the liberal application of his 

 wealth to public purpofes, particularly to the fupport of 

 the wars in which Rome was engaged, as well as by his 

 flcill and valour in the field, he gained a reputation whicli 

 ferved to advance him to the rank of patrician and fenator. 

 Ancus alio appointed him to the confidential office of guar- 

 dian to his two fons. Upon the death of Ancus, B. C. 

 616, the ambition of Tarquin prompted him to take meafures 

 for fecuring the fuccefiion to iiimfelf. The crown being 

 eleftive, ho contrived, by bribes and folicitations, to obtain 

 the fuffrages of the people, who proclaimed him king ; and 

 in order to ftrcngtiien his intcreft in the feiiate, he intro- 

 duced from plebeian families 200 new members into this 

 body. In his wars with the Latins, he took feveral of 

 their towns, and obhged the Sabincs and Etrurians, whofe 

 confederacy he defeated, to feek an alliance with Rome on 

 humihating terms. Tarquin, in honour of his fuccefs, was 

 granted a triumph ; and the fpoils of war were devoted to 

 the ereftion of the Circus Maximus, for the exhibition of 

 the Roman or great games. The Etrurians, having after- 

 wards rebelled, obtained peace upon condition of their 

 recognizing Tai-quin as their fovereign. During an inter- 

 val of peace, after a nine years' war, Tarquin employed 

 himfelf in improving the city, by enclofing it with walls, 

 and by conftrufting thofe fewers, which were in fubfequeiit 

 times the objefts of admiration. On occafion of a new 

 war with the Sabincs, Tarquin, whofe army was deficient 

 in cavalry, augmented the ftrength of each divifion ; and 

 having defeated the Sabines, they fubmitted, and furrendered 

 all their fortrefTes to the Romans. At this time Tarquin 

 fulfilled his vow of erefting a temple to Jupiter, Juno, and 

 Minerva, on the Tarpeian rock ; and by this aft he acquired 

 the honour of founding the principal feat of the Roman 

 worfhip. Having attained to his 80th year, the fons of 

 Ancus took occafion to make an attempt for defeating his 

 plan of continuing the crown in his own family by the 

 marriage of his daughter to Servius TuUius, by confpiring 

 againft his life. They fo far fucceeded as to procure the 

 aflaffination of the king. His queen Tanaquil, however, 

 by keeping the event fecret, adopted meafiu"es for fecuring 

 the fucceffion of her fon-in-law : and the fons of Ancus, 

 whofe plot had been dctefted, went into voluntary banilh- 

 ment. Thus ended, in the year B. C. 570, the profperous 

 and fplendid reign of Tarquin the elder, one of the moft 

 illuftrious of the Roman kings, and equally diftinguiftied by 

 his conduft in peace and in war. Univ. Hift. 



Tarquinius Superbus, or Tarquin the Proud, fuppofed 

 to have been a grandfon of the elder Tarquin, afcendcd the 

 throne in the year B. C. 534. His government was arbi- 

 trary and tyrannical, and it was fupported by a band of 

 foreign mercenaries, employed in the defence of himfelf 

 and his party, who had contributed to advance him to 

 the throne in contempt of the fuffrages of the people. 

 Many of the principal ienators dreading the fate of thofe 

 who were made the viftims of his fu^icion and avarice, 

 retired into a voluntary exile. Tlie plebeians, at firft 

 pleafed with the humiliation of the fenate, had fome reafon 

 to complain of the yoke impofed upon themfelvee. The 

 laws that had been made in their favour were abrogated ; 

 fpies and informers watched their words and aftions ; and all 

 public afiemblies for bufinefs or amufemcnt were prohibited. 

 Tarquin, confcious of the odium of the Roman citizens, 

 took meafures for ingratiating himfelf with the allies ; and 

 with this view, he eredlcd a temple near the ruins of Alba, 

 confecrated to Jupiter Latialis, at which the diets of the 

 confederate cantons were annually to aiTeinble ; the Romans, 

 Q as 



