sunder
this whetstone with a razor. Take it, therefore, and cut it asunder; for
thy birds will have it that thou canst." And straightway Attus took the
whetstone and cut it asunder. So they made a statue of him, standing
with his head covered, in the place where the thing was done; even in
the place of assembly, on the right hand of the steps by which a man
goes up to the senate-house. And by his side they laid the stone to be a
memorial of this miracle to them that should come after. Certainly there
came such honour to the soothsayers that nothing thereafter was done at
home or abroad except they first allowed it; and if an assembly of the
people was called or the army gathered together, it must be dispersed
again unless the birds should signify that it was according to the
pleasure of the gods. King Tarquin, therefore, changed not the number or
the name of the companies. Only he added to each as many more horsemen
as it had at the first.

After this there was yet another battle with the Sabines; and these fled
before the Romans, the horsemen especially doing good service against
them. And the King sent them that were taken captive and the booty to
Rome; but the arms of those that were slain he made into a great heap,
and burned them with fire, for he had vowed thus to Vulcan, that is the
god of fire. And the King took Collatia, that is a town of the Sabines,
from them, and afterwards he subdued the whole nation of the Latins that
it became obedient to Rome.

They tell this story also of King Tarquin. There came to him one day
a woman bearing twelve books, which she said were books of prophecies,
wherein were written all things that should come to pass thereafter
concerning the city of Rome. These books she would have sold to him. But
because he knew not who she was, nor what she brought, and also because
the price of the books seemed great out of measure, he would have none
of them. Then the woman departed, and having burned three of the books
with fire, brought back the nine that remained, and would sell them. And
the price that she had demanded for the twelve, this she asked without
abatement for the nine. And when the King would not buy, she departed
and burned three more; and so returning would sell the six; but the
price was that which she demanded for the twelve. Then the King, being
greatly astonished, asked counsel of the priests and the soothsayers,
and so bought the books. These were kept with great care an