he could not be put to death openly, by virtue of his authority, he
accomplished the ruin of this innocent man by bringing a false charge
against him. By means of some Aricians of the opposite party, he
bribed a servant of Turnus with gold, to allow a great number
of swords to be secretly brought into his lodging. When these
preparations had been completed in the course of a single night,
Tarquin, having summoned the chief of the Latins to him a little
before day, as if alarmed by some strange occurrence, said that
his delay of yesterday, which had been caused as it were by some
providential care of the gods, had been the means of preservation to
himself and to them; that he had been told that destruction was being
plotted by Turnus for him and the chiefs of the Latin peoples, that he
alone might obtain the government of the Latins. That he would have
attacked them yesterday at the meeting; that the attempt had been
deferred, because the person who summoned the meeting was absent, who
was the chief object of his attack? That that was the reason of the
abuse heaped upon him during his absence, because he had disappointed
his hopes by delaying. That he had no doubt that, if the truth were
told him, he would come attended by a band of conspirators, at break
of day, when the assembly met, ready prepared and armed. That it was
reported that a great number of swords had been conveyed to his house.
Whether that was true or not, could be known immediately. He requested
them to accompany him thence to the house of Turnus. Both the daring
temper of Turnus, and his harangue of the previous day, and the delay
of Tarquin, rendered the matter suspicious, because it seemed possible
that the murder might have been put off in consequence of the latter.
They started with minds inclined indeed to believe, yet determined to
consider everything else false, unless the swords were found. When
they arrived there, Turnus was aroused from sleep, and surrounded
by guards: the slaves, who, from affection to their master, were