e;
Unearthly peals her deep-toned cry,
As, breathing nearer and more near,
The god comes rushing on his seer."

AEneas now begs a favor of the sibyl. He has heard that here the path
leads downward to the dead, and he desires to go thither to visit his
father, Anchises. There are certain conditions to fulfil before
setting forth, but when these are done the sibyl guides him on his
way, and the journey is safely made.

[Illustration: THE CUMAEAN SIBYL. _Sistine Chapel, Rome._]

Another legend of the Cumaean sibyl has to do with the Roman emperor
Tarquin. The sibyl came to him one day with nine books of oracles,
which she wished him to buy. The price was exorbitant, and the emperor
refused her demand. She then went away, burned three of the books,
and, returning with the remaining six, made the same demand. Again her
offer was refused, and again she burned three books and returned,
still requiring the original price for the three that were left.
Tarquin now consulted the soothsayers, and, acting upon their advice,
bought the books, which were found to contain directions concerning
the religion and policy of Rome.

For many years they were held sacred, and were carefully preserved in
the temple of Jupiter in the Capitol, under the care of official
guardians. At length the temple was destroyed by fire, and the
original sibylline books perished. In the following centuries they
were replaced by scattered papers, collected from time to time in
various parts of the empire, purporting to be the writings of the
sibyl. These sibylline leaves, as they were called, contained passages
supposed to be prophetic of the coming of Christ, and this is why the
Cumaean sibyl is placed by Michelangelo among the prophets.

The sibyl is reading aloud from one of her books of oracles. The two
little genii standing behind her shoulder, and listening with absorbed
attention, hold another book, not yet unclasped, ready for her. She
reads her prophecy with keen, searching eyes, and a manner that is
almost stern. We can see in the large, strong features the
determination of her character.

It is not a gentle face, and not pleasing, but it is full of meaning.
We read there the record of the centuries which have passed over her
head, bringing her the deep secrets of life. Yet the prophecies are
still unfulfilled, and there is a look of unsatisfied longing in her
wrinkled old face.

You will notice that the outlines of the Cumaean s