Tarquin laughed still more scornfully, and refused to buy the six as he had already refused to buy the nine books.
Quietly as before the woman burned three more books before the eyes of the king. Then turning to him she offered the three books that were left for the same sum.
Then the king laughed no more. He began to wonder if perhaps the gods had sent the books to Rome. So he consulted the augurs, and by their advice he now bought the three books for the sum which would have bought the nine.
She carried in her arms nine books.
The strange woman, having done her work, disappeared and was seen no more, while the books were put in a chest and kept in the Capitol, which was now complete.
Two Greeks were appointed to guard the Sibylline books, for they were written in the Greek language. And ever when death, pestilence, or war threatened the city, the books were consulted by the augurs, if perchance Rome might be saved from destruction.
Many years after the reign of Tarquin the Capitol was burned, and the sacred books were destroyed in the fire.
To the Romans the loss of the books was a greater blow than even the destruction of the Capitol.
The Senate sent ambassadors to Greece and to Asia Minor to beseech the sibyls there to find fresh oracles, that calamity might still be averted from Rome.