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ne or priestly kings； who transmitted their religious functions； without their civil powers； to their successors the Kings of the Sacred Rites。
But we have still to ask； What was the rule of succession to the kingdom among the old Latin tribes？ According to tradition； there were in all eight kings of Rome； and with regard to the five last of them； at all events； we can hardly doubt that they actually sat on the throne； and that the traditional history of their reigns is； in its main outlines； correct。 Now it is very remarkable that though the first king of Rome； Romulus； is said to have been descended from the royal house of Alba； in which the kingship is represented as hereditary in the male line； not one of the Roman kings was immediately succeeded by his son on the throne。 Yet several left sons or grandsons behind them。 On the other hand； one of them was descended from a former king through his mother； not through his father； and three of the kings； namely Tatius； the elder Tarquin； and Servius Tullius； were succeeded by their sons…in…law； who were all either foreigners or of foreign descent。 This suggests that the right to the kingship was transmitted in the female line； and was actually exercised by foreigners who married the royal princesses。 To put it in technical language； the succession to the kingship at Rome and probably in Latium generally would seem to have been determined by certain rules which have moulded early society in many parts of the world； namely exogamy； beena marriage； and female kinship or mother…kin。 Exogamy is the rule which obliges a man to marry a woman of a different clan from his own： beena marriage is the rule that he must leave the home of his birth and live with his wife's people； and female kinship or mother…kin is the system of tracing relationship and transmitting the family name through women instead of through men。 If these principles regulated descent of the kingship among the ancient Latins； the state of things in this respect would be somewhat as follows。 The political and religious centre of each community would be the perpetual fire on the king's hearth tended by Vestal Virgins of the royal clan。 The king would be a man of another clan； perhaps of another town or even of another race； who had married a daughter of his predecessor and received the kingdom with her。 The children whom he had by her would inherit their mother's name； not his； the daughters would remain at home； the sons； when they grew up； would go away into the world； marry； and settle in their wives' country； whether as kings or commoners。 Of the daughters who stayed at home； some or all would be dedicated as Vestal Virgins for a longer or shorter time to the service of the fire on the hearth； and one of them would in time become the consort of her father's successor。
This hypothesis has the advantage of explaining in a simple and natural way some obscure features in the traditional history of the Latin kingship。 Thus the legends which tell how Latin kings were born of virgin mothers and divine fathers become at least more intelligible。 For； stripped of their fabulous element； tales of this sort mean no more than that a woman has been gotten with child by a man unknown； and this uncertainty as to fatherhood is more easily compatible with a system of kinship which ignores paternity than with one which makes it all…important。 If at the birth of the Latin kings their fathers were really unknown； the fact points either to a general looseness of life in the royal family or to a special relaxation of moral rules on certain occasions； when men and women reverted for a season to the licence of an earlier age。 Such Saturnalias are not uncommon at some stages of social evolution。 In our own country traces of them long survived in the practices of May Day and Whitsuntide； if not of Christmas。 Children born of more or less promiscuous intercourse which characterises festivals of this kind would naturally be fathered on the god to whom the particular festival was dedicated。
In this connexion it may be significant that a festival of jollity and drunkenness was celebrated by the plebeians and slaves at Rome on Midsummer Day； and that the festival was specially associated with the fireborn King Servius Tullius； being held in honour of Fortuna； the goddess who loved Servius as Egeria loved Numa。 The popular merrymakings at this season included foot…races and boat…races； the Tiber was gay with flower…wreathed boats； in which young folk sat quaffing wine。 The festival appears to have been a sort of Midsummer Saturnalia answering to the real Saturnalia which fell at Midwinter。 In modern Europe； as we shall learn later on； the great Midsummer festival has been above all a festival of lovers and of fire； one of its principal features is the pairing of sweethearts； who leap over the bonfires hand in hand or throw flowers across the flames to each other。 And many omens of love and marriage are drawn from the flowers which bloom at this mystic season。 It is the time of the roses and of love。 Yet the innocence and beauty of such festivals in modern times ought not to blind us to the likelihood that in earlier days they were marked by coarser features； which were probably of the essence of the rites。 Indeed； among the rude Esthonian peasantry these features seem to have lingered down to our own generation； if not to the present day。 One other feature in the Roman celebration of Midsummer deserves to be specially noticed。 The custom of rowing in flower…decked boats on the river on this day proves that it was to some extent a water festival； and water has always； down to modern times； played a conspicuous part in the rites of Midsummer Day； which explains why the Church； in throwing its cloak over the old heathen festival； chose to dedicate it to St。 John the Baptist。
The hypothesis that the Latin kings may have been begotten at an annual festival of love is necessarily a mere conjecture； though the traditional birth of Numa at the festival of the Parilia； when shepherds leaped across the spring bonfires； as lovers leap across the Midsummer fires； may perhaps be thought to lend it a faint colour of probability。 But it is quite possible that the uncertainty as to their fathers may not have arisen till long after the death of the kings； when their figures began to melt away into the cloudland of fable； assuming fantastic shapes and gorgeous colouring as they passed from earth to heaven。 If they were alien immigrants； strangers and pilgrims in the land they ruled over； it would be natural enough that the people should forget their lineage； and forgetting it should provide them with another； which made up in lustre what it lacked in truth。 The final apotheosis； which represented the kings not merely as sprung from gods but as themselves deities incarnate； would be much facilitated if in their lifetime； as we have seen reason to think； they had actually laid claim to divinity。
If among the Latins the women of royal blood always stayed at home and received as their consorts men of another stock； and often of another country； who reigned as kings in virtue of their marriage with a native princess； we can understand not only why foreigners wor