CHAPTER I.
OF THE ORIGIN OF THE ROMANS.
In Alba he shall fix his royal seat .-- _Dryden_.
1.

The Romans were particularly desirous of being thought descendants of the gods, as if to hide the meanness of their real ancestry.
_AEne'as_, the son of _Venus_ and _Anchi'ses_, having escaped from the destruction of Troy, after many adventures and dangers, arrived in Italy, A.M.2294, where he was kindly received by Lati'nus, king of the Latins, who promised him his daughter Lavin'ia in marriage.
2.

Turnus, king of the _Ru'tuli_, was the first who opposed AEne'as, he having long made pretensions to her himself.

A war ensued, in which the Trojan hero was victorious, and Turnus slain.

In consequence of this, Lavin'ia became the wife of AEne'as, who built a city to her honour, and called it Lavin'ium.