Spurius Posthumius Albus, Aulus Manlius, and P. Sulpitius Camerinus, were sent Ambassadours to Athenes, and commaunded to wryte out the noble Lawes of Solon, and to learne the Institutions, orders, and Lawes of other Greeke cities. Vpon whose retourne, the Tribunes were verie instant that at length lawes might be enacted and confirmed. And for that purpose certaine officers were appointed, called Decemuiri: with soueraigne authoritie and power to reduce the same into wryting, whiche were thought meete and profitable for the common wealth. The principall and chiefe of which nomber was Appius Claudius, who committed no lesse filthy facte, then was done by Tarquinius, for the rape of Lucrece. The sayde Appius conceiued a libidinous desire, to rauishe a yong virgine, the doughter of one Lucius Virginius, then a captain in the warres at Algidum, a man of honest and sober life, whose wife was also of right good behauiour, and their children accordingly brought vp, and instructed. They had betrouthed their doughter, to one L. Icilius of the order of the Tribunes, a man of great stoutnesse and tried valiance in the cause of the people. This yong maide being of excellent beautie, Appius at the first began to woe by giftes and faire promises: but when he sawe that she was impregnable, he deuised by wicked and cruell pollicie, to obteine her, committing the charge of that enterprise to one of his frendes, called Marcus Claudius, who went about to proue and maintaine, that the maide was his bondwoman, and in no wise would giue libertie to her friendes to haue time to answere the processe made in that behalfe, thinking by that meanes, in the absence of her father, hee might at his pleasure enioye her. As the virgine was going to schole in the Forum, the said Claudius, the minister of mischief, layd handes vpon her, claimed her to be his bondwoman, for that she was borne of a seruile woman, and commaunded her to folow him. The mayde being afraide was amazed, and the Nursse that wayted vpon her, cried out. Whereupon the people ran out of their doores, to knowe the cause of the sturre. Claudius seing the maide like to be rescued by the multitude that was assembled, said, that there was no neede of that hurlie burlie, for that he attempted nothing by force, but that he was able to proue by lawe. Whereupon he cited the mayde to appere, her frendes promised that she should according to the Lawe, make her apperance. Being come before the consistorie, where Appius set in iudgement, Claudius began to tell a tale and processe of the cause, whereof Appius being the deuiser, vnderstode the effect. The tenor of the tale was, that the maide was borne in his house, and was the doughter of his owne bondwoman, who afterwardes being stolen awaye, was caried to the house of Virginius, and supposed to be his childe, which thing he said, he was well able to proue and would referre the iudgement of his cause to Virginius him