“Celui qui me tournera

Son temps point ne perdra.”

(To him who turns me up, I say,

His labour won’t be thrown away).

This inscription roused their curiosity, and they determined on making a strong effort to raise the stone, fully persuaded that it concealed an enormous treasure. They procured crowbars and levers, and, at last, with much labour and great loss of time, succeeded in lifting it, but who can describe their disappointment when they found nought but the following words, legibly engraved on the other side:—

“Tourner je voulais

Car lassée j’étais.”

(Tired of lying on one side

To get turned over long I’ve tried).[74]

[74] A similar story is told in Scotland. See MacTaggart’s Gallavidian Encyclopædia, under the article “Lettered Craigs.”