Charles approached the pile by an avenue edged by grassy banks, gazing with wonder, not unmixed with awe, at the gigantic circles. As he rode slowly on he came to a single upright stone, and paused to look at it.
Familiar with the legends of the spot, Careless informed the king that the stone was called "The Friar's Heel."
"The tale runs," he said, "that while the Evil One was engaged in constructing those mysterious circles, a friar passed by, and was indiscreet enough to make some disparaging remark upon the works. Having done so, he fled. The Demon, in a rage, hurled a huge stone at him, and grazed his heel, but did not check him. There stands the stone, deeply plunged in the earth, to prove the truth of the legend."
Passing through the outer circle of smaller stones, they dismounted, and fastening up their horses to an obelisk-shaped fragment, surveyed the mighty ruin, examining the trilithons and monoliths.
"There is a superstition," observed Careless, "that these stones cannot be counted alike twice."
"I have heard it," replied Charles; "and I remember what Sir Philip Sydney says on the subject:
Near Wilton sweet huge heaps of stones are found.
But so confused, that neither any eye
Can count them just, nor reason reason try
What force them brought to so unlikely ground.