he Latins and Etruscans I
have already spoken. It only remains for me to note the fact that it was
here, in this Capitoline temple, according to unanimous tradition, that
those legendary "Sibylline books" were deposited which came from a Greek
source, and according to the story, from Cumae.[509] These mysterious
books were destined to change the whole character of the religion of the
Romans during the next two centuries; and this is why the dedication of
the great temple is a convenient halting-place on our journey. I propose
to begin the second part of my subject by examining the nature of this
change, and then to pass on to others, until we have reached the end of
the religious experience of the genuine Roman people.

NOTES TO LECTURE X.

[464] _Origin and Development of Moral Ideas_, chapters
l.-lii.: "Gods as guardians of morality."

[465] Crawley, _The Tree of Life_, in a remarkable
chapter on the function of religion (ch. ix.),
especially p. 287 foll. "Morality," says Mr. Crawley,
"is one of the results of the religious impulse." What
he means here by morality is not "that elaborated by
abstract thinkers," but the "morality of elemental human
nature." "Elemental morality" may be a somewhat obscure
term; but I think it is highly probable that Mr. Crawley
is, in part at least, right in ascribing the origin of
morality to the religious impulse.

[466] Crawley, _op. cit._, p. 265.

[467] Above, pp. 107-8.

[468] See the author's article in _Hibbert Journal_ for
July 1907, p. 894.

[469] Wissowa, _R.K._ p. 15 foll.

[470] _Ib._ p. 421: Aust, _Religion der Roemer_, p. 47.

[471] I am, of course, well aware that quite recently
attempts have been made to explain the _plebs_ as the
original inhabitants of Latium, and the Romans as
conquering invaders; _e.g._ by Prof. Ridgeway in his
paper, "Who were the Romans," read to the British
Academy, and by Binder in his recently published volume
_Die Plebs_. The theory is a natural one, and not out
of harmony with the facts as known; but it has yet to be
further developed and tested, and as those who hold it
are not as yet in agreement with each other, and as the
evidence which alone can prove it is of a very special
character, archaeological and linguistic, I have
expressed myself in terms of the older view.

[472] _The Religion of N