which they had consigned to oblivion, as if their gods had been
abandoned at the same time as their country; and had either adopted
the religious rites of Rome, or, as often happens, enraged at their
evil destiny, had altogether renounced the worship of the gods. A
festival of nine days was instituted publicly by the Romans also on
account of the same prodigy, either in obedience to the heavenly voice
sent from the Alban Mount--for that, too, is reported--or by the
advice of the soothsayers. Anyhow, it continued a solemn observance,
that, whenever a similar prodigy was announced, a festival for nine
days was observed. Not long after, they were afflicted with
an epidemic; and though in consequence of this there arose an
unwillingness to serve, yet no respite from arms was given them by the
warlike king, who considered besides that the bodies of the young
men were more healthy when on service abroad than at home, until he
himself also was attacked by a lingering disease. Then that proud
spirit and body became so broken, that he, who had formerly considered
nothing less worthy of a king than to devote his mind to religious
observances, began to pass his time a slave to every form of
superstition, important and trifling, and filled the people's minds
also with religious scruples. The majority of his subjects, now
desiring the restoration of that state of things which had existed
under King Numa, thought that the only chance of relief for their
diseased bodies lay in grace and compassion being obtained from the
gods. It is said that the king himself, turning over the commentaries
of Numa, after he had found therein that certain sacrifices of a
secret and solemn nature had been performed to Jupiter Elicius, shut
himself up and set about the performance of those solemnities, but
that that rite was not duly undertaken or carried out, and that not
only was no heavenly manifestation vouchsafed to him, but he and his
house were struck by lightning and burned to ashes, through theanger