Her breath comes thick, her wild heart glows.
Dilating as the madness grows,
Her form looks larger to the eye;
Unearthly peals her deep-toned cry,
As, breathing nearer and more near,
The god comes rushing on his seer."

Æneas 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 CUMÆAN SIBYL. _Sistine Chapel, Rome._]

Another legend of the Cumæan 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