The Shepherd of Hermas

Then he began to look at those which were hard and difficult, and a few of them were rejected, because they could not be hewn, for they proved to be very hard. But the rest of them were hewn, and were taken by the maidens and fitted into the middle of the building of the

Then he began to look at those which had stains, and of these a very few were turned black, and were rejected with the rest, but most of them were found to be bright and sound, and these were fitted by the maidens into the building, but they were put on the outside because of their strength.

Next he came to look at the white and round stones, and said to me: What do we do with these stones? How should I know, Sir? said I. Then do you not notice anything about them?

I, Sir, said I, have not this art, I am neither a stone-cutter, nor can I understand. Do you not see, said he, that they are very round, and if I wish to make them square, a great deal must be cut away from them? Yet some of them must of necessity be put into the building.

If then, Sir, said I, it is necessary, why do you worry yourself, and not choose for the building those which you wish and fit them into it? He chose out from them the largest and bright ones and hewed them, and the maidens took and fitted them into the outside of the building.

And the rest which remained over were taken up and put back into the plain from which they had been brought. But they were not rejected, Because, said he, there remains still a little to be