The Secrets of singling. 35 



Prostrate they fell vpon the sacred ground, 



Kissing the stones, and shedding many a teare ; 



And lowly bent their aged bodies downe 



Vnto the earth, with sad and heauy clieare ; 



Praying the Saint with soft and dolefull sound 



That she vouchsafe their humble suite to heare. 



The Goddesse heard, and bad them goe and take, 

 Their mothers bones, & throw behind their backe. 



This Oracle obscure, and darke of sence, 

 Amazed much their mindes with feare and doubt, 

 What kind of meaning might be drawne from thence ; 

 And how to vnderstand and fmde it out, 

 How with so great a sinne they might dispense 

 Their Parents bones to cast and throw about : 



Thus when they had long time in studie spent, 

 Out of the Church with carefull thought they went. 



And now beholding better euery place, 



Each Hill and Dale, each Riuer, Rock, and Tree ; 



And muzing thereupon a little space, 



They thought the Earth their mother well might be, 



And that the stones that lay before their face, 



To be her bones did nothing disagree : 



Wherefore to proue if it were false or true, 



The scattered stones behind their backs they threw. 



Forthwith the stones (a wondrous thing to heare) 

 Began to moue as they had life conceiu'd, 

 And waxed greater than at first they were ; 

 And more and more the shape of man receiu'd, 

 Till euery part most plainely did appeare, 

 That neither eye nor sence could be deceiu'd : 



They heard, they spake, they went, and walked too, 



As other liuiiiL' men are wont to doe. 



