THE INDUSTRY OF LUCRETIA
As the years passed, Tarquin was disturbed by terrible dreams. The evil
deeds he had done came back to his memory, and haunted him by day and
by night. Even in the temples of the gods he could find no rest from
his fears.
One day, as sacrifices were being offered, the king saw a serpent
stealing down a wooden pillar. Fascinated, he watched as it dropped
slowly on to the altar and devoured the sacrifice. His fear told him
that this was a bad omen, and, thoroughly alarmed, Tarquin determined
to consult the Greek oracle at Delphi, for this oracle was famous not
only in Greece, but throughout the world.
So he sent his two sons, Titus and Aruns, to Delphi. With them went the
king’s nephew, named Junius, but called Brutus because he was believed
to be stupid. But Brutus only pretended to be stupid so that his uncle
would not trouble to do him harm.
When the princes reached the dwelling of the priestess, the king’s sons
offered her valuable gifts, while Brutus gave to her only a simple
staff. His cousins mocked at Brutus as they were used to do, for a
priestess would not care for so poor a gift, they were sure. But Brutus
was wiser than they deemed, for the staff had been made hollow, and
then had been filled with gold.
As the king had bidden, the young princes asked the oracle the meaning
of the serpent that had devoured the sacrifice on the altar.
It was indeed an evil omen. ‘The fall of Tarquin is at hand,’ was the
sinister answer they received.
‘Which of us shall reign after him?’ demanded the king’s sons with
unseemly eagerness.
‘He who shall first kiss his mother,’ responded the oracle.
Then the two princes cast lots to determine which of them should greet
their mother first on their return.
But Brutus guessed that the words of the oracle had a deeper meaning.
As he left the Delphic temple, he pretended to slip, and falling to the
ground, he secretly kissed the Earth, knowing that she was the mother
of all men.
When the princes returned the king was at war, besieging Ardea, a town
in Latium. It seemed that he had forgotten his fears, nor does the
story tell what he thought of the answer of the oracle.
Meanwhile the siege of Ardea dragged on month after month, so bravely
did the inhabitants defend their town.
In the Roman camp, Prince Sextus and a noble named Collatinus one day
whiled away the hours by wondering what their wives were doing. Each
boasted that his wife was the more diligent and the more modest of the
two women.
At length one of their friends idly suggested that Sextus and
Collatinus should ride to their homes and find out how their wives were
employed.
So the two officers, accompanied by their friends, ordered their
horses, and rode first of all to Rome.
Here they found the wife of Sextus at a banquet, where she was dancing
gaily, the merriest of all the merry throng.
It was late when they reached Collatia, where they found Lucretia, the
wife of Collatinus, still busy with her maidens at the spinning-wheel.
The whole company agreed that of the two wives Lucretia deserved the
greater praise. Then the frolic being over, the prince and his friends
rode back to camp.