But because Alba was thus brought to destruction, Rome increased
greatly; for the number of the citizens was increased twofold. The
Coelian hill was added to the city, in which hill, that others might the
more readily dwell there, the King himself commanded that they should
build him a palace. Also the chief houses of Alba, as the house of
Julius and of Servilius, were chosen into the Senate; and that there
might be a place of meeting for the Senate being thus multiplied, the
King built a temple and called it Hostilia, after his own name. Also
ten squadrons of horsemen were chosen out of the men of Alba. But after
certain days, when the Romans had now conquered the Sabines, and had
made treaties of peace with the Etrurians, and were in great peace and
prosperity, they and their King, there was brought tidings to Rome that
there had fallen a shower of stones on Mount Alba. Which when men could
scarce believe, they sent messengers to learn if these things were true,
who having come to Alba, found the stones lying on the ground, even as
it had been hail. Also there was heard a voice from the grove that was
on the top of the hill, saying, "Let the men of Alba do worship after
the manner of their fathers;" for they having left their country, had
left also their gods, and did worship after the manner of the Romans, or
for wrath at that which had befallen them, as is wont to be with men
in such case, had ceased from worship altogether. The Romans also, by
reason of this same voice that was heard on Mount Alba, or by warning of
the soothsayers, kept a festival of nine days. And this became a custom
for the time to come, that when there came tidings of such marvels to
Rome, there was kept a like festival. Now the end of King Tullus was
this. There came a pestilence upon the land. And when for this cause
the people were wearied of war, nevertheless the King, both because he
delighted in war, and because he believed that the young men should have
better health if they went abroad than if they tarried at home, gave
them no rest But after a while he also fell into a tedious sickness,
which so brake him both in body and mind that, whereas in time past he
thought it unworthy of a King to busy himself with matters of religion,
now he gave himself up wholly to superstition, and filled the minds of
his people also with the like thoughts, so that they regarded nothing
but this, how they should make atonement to the Gods, and so be rid of
their present distress. As for the King himself, men say that reading
the sacred book of King Numa he found therein certain sacrifices, very
secret and solemn, that should be done to Jupiter by such as would
bring him down from heaven, and that he shut himself up to do these
sacrifices; but because he set not about them rightly or did them not in
due form, there appeared to him no similitude of the immortal gods
(for such he had hoped to see); but Jupiter, having great wrath at such
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