Whereupon the miserable father of this unfortunate daughter, suspecting
that the gods and powers of heaven did envy her estate, went to the town
called Milet to receive the Oracle of Apollo, where he made his prayers
and offered sacrifice, and desired a husband for his daughter: but
Apollo though he were a Grecian, and of the country of Ionia, because of
the foundation of Milet, yet hee gave answer in Latine verse, the sence
whereof was this:--

Let Psyches corps be clad in mourning weed,
And set on rock of yonder hill aloft:
Her husband is no wight of humane seed,
But Serpent dire and fierce as might be thought.
Who flies with wings above in starry skies,
And doth subdue each thing with firie flight.
The gods themselves, and powers that seem so wise,
With mighty Jove, be subject to his might,
The rivers blacke, and deadly flouds of paine
And darkness eke, as thrall to him remaine.

The King, sometimes happy when he heard the prophesie of Apollo,
returned home sad and sorrowful, and declared to his wife the miserable
and unhappy fate of his daughter. Then they began to lament and weep,
and passed over many dayes in great sorrow. But now the time approached
of Psyches marriage, preparation was made, blacke torches were lighted,
the pleasant songs were turned into pittifull cries, the melody of
Hymeneus was ended with deadly howling, the maid that should be married
did wipe her eyes with her vaile. All the family and people of the city
weeped likewise, and with great lamentation was ordained a remisse time
for that day, but necessity compelled that Psyches should be brought to
her appointed place, according to the divine appointment.