erfeit desertion, upon
pretence of barbarous usage, and to seek refuge among the inhabitants
of the place. There, by artful complaints and studied lamentations,
Sextus so prevailed upon the pity of the people, as to be chosen their
governor, and, soon after, general of their army. 7. At first, in
every engagement, he appeared successful; till, at length, finding
himself entirely possessed of the confidence of the state, he sent a
trusty messenger to his father for instructions. Tarquin made no
answer; but taking the messenger to the garden, he cut down before him
the tallest poppies. Sextus readily understood the meaning of this
reply, and found means to destroy or remove, one by one, the principal
men of the city; taking care to confiscate their effects among the
people. 8. The charms of this dividend kept the giddy populace blind
to their approaching ruin, till they found themselves at last without
counsellors or head; and, in the end, fell under the power of Tarquin,
without even striking a blow.[1]

9. But, while he was engaged in wars abroad, he took care not to
suffer the people to continue in idleness at home. He undertook to
build the Capitol, the foundation of which had been laid in a former
reign; and an extraordinary event contributed to hasten the execution
of his design. A woman, in strange attire, made her appearance at
Rome, and came to the king, offering to sell nine books, which, she
said, were of her own composing. 10. Not knowing the abilities of the
seller, or that she was, in fact, one of the celebrated _Sybils_,
whose prophecies were never found to fail, Tarquin refused to buy
them. Upon this she departed, and burning three of her books, returned
again, demanding the same price for the six remaining. 11. Being once
more despised as an impostor, she again departed, and burning three
more, she returned with the remaining three, still asking the same
price as at first. Tarquin, surprised at the inconsistency of her
behaviour, consulted the augurs, to be advised what to do. These much
blamed him for not buying the nine, and commanded him to take the
three remaining, at whatsoever price they were to be had. 12. The
woman, says the historian, after thus selling and delivering the three
prophetic volumes, and advising him to have a special attention to
what they contained, vanished from before him, and was never seen
after. A trick this, invented probably by Tarquin himself, to impose
upon the people; an