Each of the conquered gods held in its hand a bell , and if there was even a thought of treason in any of the countries its god turned its back upon the god of Rome and rang its bell furiously , and the senators came hurrying to see who was rebelling against the majesty of the empire . Then they made ready their armies , and marched against the foe . Now there was a country which had long felt bitter jealousy of Rome , and was anxious for some way of bringing about its destruction . So the people chose three men who could be trusted , and , loading them with money , sent them to Rome , bidding them to pretend that they were diviners of dreams . No sooner had the messengers reached the city than they stole out at night and buried a pot of gold far down in the earth , and let down another into the bed of the Tiber , just where a bridge spans the river . Next day they went to the senate house , where the laws were made , and , bowing low , they said , ` Oh , noble lords , last night we dreamed that beneath the foot of a hill there lies buried a pot of gold . Have we your leave to dig for it ? ' And leave having been given , the messengers took workmen and dug up the gold and made merry with it . A few days later the diviners again appeared before the senate , and said , ` Oh , noble lords , grant us leave to seek out another treasure , which has been revealed to us in a dream as lying under the bridge over the river . ' And the senators gave leave , and the messengers hired boats and men , and let down ropes with hooks , and at length drew up the pot of gold , some of which they gave as presents to the senators . A week or two passed by , and once more they appeared in the senate house . ` O , noble lords ! ' said they , ` last night in a vision we beheld twelve casks of gold lying under the foundation stone of the Capitol , on which stands the statue of the Preservation of Rome . Now , seeing that by your goodness we have been greatly enriched by our former dreams , we wish , in gratitude , to bestow this third treasure on you for your own profit ; so give us workers , and we will begin to dig without delay . ' And receiving permission they began to dig , and when the messengers had almost undermined the Capitol they stole away as secretly as they had come . And next morning the stone gave way , and the sacred statue fell on its face and was broken . And the senators knew that their greed had been their ruin . From that day things went from bad to worse , and every morning crowds presented themselves before the emperor , complaining of the robberies , murders , and other crimes that were committed nightly in the streets . The emperor , desiring nothing so much as the safety of his subjects , took counsel with Virgilius how this violence could be put down . Virgilius thought hard for a long time , and then he spoke : ` Great prince , ' said he , 'cause a copper horse and rider to be made , and stationed in front of the Capitol .
Then make a proclamation that XXXXX ten o'clock a bell will toll , and every man is to enter his house , and not leave it again . '
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