25 L. Tarquinius Superbus the seventh K. of Ro∣mans, ruled 25 yeeres.
IN the two hundred and twentieth yeare after the foundation of the citie, L. Tarquinius the younger having killed Servius Tullius, en∣tered upon the Romane kingdome with force of armes, not by Interregent, ne yet any right of law. Superbus hee was named for his cruell demeanour, in that hee forbad to commit to earth the dead corps of his father in law, by him murdered; giving out that Romulus like∣wise died and lay unburied. Hee was the sonne of L. Tarquinius Priscus the king; as Q. Pictor, Au. Gellius, Licinius Macer, Verrius Flaccus and Livius have written. Howbeit Dionysius out of L. Piso in his Annales, by most strong reasons disproveth their errour, and by the cer∣taine computation of the yeeres sheweth how it cannot possibly be so, but rather that hee was the sonne of Tarquinius Priscus his sonne, who died in the life of Priscus. Five & twentie yeeres he reigned according to Livie in his first book. Dionysius in his fourth, and Solinus in his Po∣lyhistor. But Cassiodorus, Eusebius, Eutropius and Bedas, ascribe unto him five and thirtie yeeres, adding unto his raigne those ten yeares which they tooke from Servius Tullius, and thereby giving occasion of errour to the later writers. Of him Dionysius, Livie, both the Pli∣nies, Gellius, Macrobius and Eutropius have written much. Collect then, into one summe the yeares of these kings raigne, and thereof will arise the number of two hundred fortie foure.