The cause of his execution was that indignant at the damage done by the war he had casually uttered a verse of the poet Maro, in which one of the soldiers fighting on the side of Turnus against Aeneas bewails his lot and says: "To enable Turnus to marry Lavinia we are meanwhile perishing, without heed being paid to us."

[Footnote 8: King Latinus to Turnus in Act II., sc. 10, of the opera of 'Camilla'.

Turnus ut antevolans tardum precesserat agmen, &c. Vidisti, quo Turnus equo, quibus ibat in armis Aureus ... Our English Archers bent their Bows Their Hearts were good and true; At the first Flight of Arrows sent, Full threescore Scots they slew.

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.