A Summer amongst the Bocages and the Vines

Front matter

A SUMMER AMONGST THE BOCAGES AND THE VINES. VOL. I. LONDON: HUNTED BY SAMUEL BENTLEY, Bangor House, Shoe Lane. a OLD STREET at DINAN Wished "by Richard Bern e A SUMMER AMONGST THE BOCAGES AND THE VINES BY LOUISA STUART COSTELLO. AUTHOR OF • SPECIMENS OF THE EARLY POETRY'OF FRANCE." " La N.itnre *> jonc du pinceau (ten bunnnes : lorsqu'on croit qu'il a .imiiji sa plus grande bcaalu, vile sourit Cl t'tinbi'llU encore." AuuunoM. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. I. LONDON: RICHARD BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET, $ul)[idi)er in (©rttnarp to $tr ilT.ijfsti). 1840. TO THE LADY BURDETT, THIS SUMMER TOUR, IN THE DETAILS OF WHICH SHE TOOK SO MUCH KIND INTEREST, IS GRATEFULLY AND AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED BY HER LADYSHIP'S MOST OBLIGED AND OBEDIENT SERVANT, LOUISA STUART COSTELLO. London, July 1840. t> VOL. I. CONTENTS OF THE FIRST VOLUME.

Chapter I

Havre. — Caen. — French Impatience. — Canal. — Brummell. — Use and Elegance. — Races. — Abbaye aux Hommes. — Abbaye aux Dames. — The Conqueror and his Queen. — Churches.— St. Pierre. — Lady Chapel.— Castle. — St. Gilles Streets. — Costume. — Scenery near Caen. — Bretteville 1'Or gueilleuse. — Triumphal Garlands. — Bayeux. — The Tapestry. — Cathedral — The Rose Garden. — The Lion d'Or. Page 1

Chapter II

Bayeux. — Legends of Streets. — La Dame d'Aprigny. — Jean Pataye. — St. Gerbold. — Proces-verbal. — The Fairy of Argouges. — Jeanne Bacon. ... 15

Chapter III

Le Bessin. — Hidden treasure. — Le Letiche. — Loup Garou. —The Bete. — Superstitions. — Twelfth Night. — St. Lo. — Money-changers. — The Cathedral. — Stone Pulpit. — Conse crated Well. — The Capitals. — St. Croix. — French politeness. ■Livre Vert. — Coutances. — Cathedral. . . CONTENTS. VIII

Chapter IV

Granville. — Church Costume. — Avranches. — Mont St. Mi chel. — Breton Legend of Mont St. Michel.— The Avranchin. — Place Huet King Arthur's Niece The Mounts. — The Captive. — The Monk. — The Sands. — The Iron- Cage. — Oubliettes. — La jeune France. . . Page 47

Chapter X

La Bretagne. — Pontorson — Dol. — Antiquities. — Dinan. — Mont Jersual. — Du Guesclin. — Tiphaine Raguenel. — St. Sauveur. — St. Suliac. — The Asses of Rigourdennes. — Wivirn. — Du Guesclin's heart. — Ramparts. — Towers. — Fauteuil of the Duchess Anne. . . . Page 154

Chapter XI

History of Dinan. — Jean de Montfort. — Legends of Bre tagne. — Fontenelle le Ligueur. . . . 173 173

Chapter XII

Dinan. — Duclos. — Old Houses. — Towers Pall-Mail. — Town Clock. — Bells. — Ballad of the Baron de Jauioz. — The Bucheron. — Mysterious aid. — Enchanted Wood. — Disap pointment. — The Fiend. — Discovery. . . 186

Chapter XIII

Dinan. — The Well The Fairies and the Infant. — The Charge — The enchanted Fountain. — The Ladies. — The of fended Fairy. — The Quarrel. — The Rescue. — The Adventure concluded. — Lehon. — The Abbey. — English House. — Views. — Canal. — Jehan de Beaumanoir. — The Vassal. — Rosa-lys. —The Murder.— The Champ Clos. . . 204

Chapter XIV

The Chateau de la Garaye.— The Savage. — The Ruins. — The Lamb. — The Chatelain. — Country Life. — The Charge. — Poor employed. — Establishments. — St. Esprit. — Les Incur ables. — Ruined Village. — The desolate Cross. — Primitive Threshing-floors. .... X CONTENTS.

Chapter XVIII

Nantes. — Tristan and Yseult. — Heloise. — The Duchess Anne. — -Tomb of Francis II. of Brittany. — Castle. — Cardinal de Retz. — The Duchesse de Berri. — The city of Nantes. — Mary Stuart. — Madame de Sevigne. . . 295

Chapter XIX

Clisson — The young Nightingales. — Nod ust Pictures. — The Heiress of Keroulaz. . . . 319 319

Chapter XX

The Loire. — Pappolen. — Loroux. — Jean de Bretagne. Black Costume. — The Coiners. — La Cle de la Bretagne. Du Bellay. — Anetz. — Varades — Le Montglonne Ingrande. — Champtoce, and Gilles de Retz. — Prince Gilles. — Emperor Joseph. — An Imperial Godfather. . . CONTENTS. XI

Chapter XXI

Chateau de Serrant. — Shakspeare and Victor Hugo. — French Ladies in the Country. — Inn at Angers. — Angers. — The Castle. — Young Arthur. — Queen Constance. — Cathedral. —Mr. Pitt — Duke of Wellington.— Carved Houses.— The English Women. — House of Counts of Anjou. — Artists. — Travellers incog. — La Point. — Les Levees. — Habitations in Rocks. ..... Page 371

Chapter XXII

Saumur. — The Traveller from Pau. — Quays. — Place de l'Hotel de Ville. — Fine Castle. —La Butte des Moulins. — The Farmer. — Churches. — Archbishop of Tyre. — King Rene. — La Nourice. — Notre Dame des Ardilliers. — The Figure. — The Brides. — The forlorn Lady. — The warning Bride. — The restored Lover. — Notre Dame de Bon Sœurs. — Celtic Monu ments. . • . ■ • ■ ILLUSTRATIONS. Le Carrefour de l'Horloge, at Dinan Church of St. Loup Frontispiece. Page 97 Abbey of Luzern The Poet's Mill 108 131 225 Ruins of the Chateau de la Garaye ORNAMENTAL LETTERS. N. The dungeon of Cardinal Balue at Loches. W. Church of St. Quentin, near Avranches. T. Arms of Charles, Duke of Orleans. I. Capital of a column of the portal of the Church of St. Loup, near Avranches. Letter from the cartulary of the Abbey of Mont St. Michel, in the public library at Avranches.

C. Portal of the Collegiate Church at Mortain. A. From a MS. in the public library at Avranches. H. Ditto. Ditto. O. Sculptured ornament in the Collegiate Church at Loches. D. Initial of Diane de Poictiers, at Chambord. L. Device of Francois Premier, at ditto. F. Initial of ditto, at ditto. S. Doorway of the House of Tristan 1' Hermite, Rue des Trois Pucelles at Tours. THE BOCAGES AND THE VINES.

Chapter I

Havre. — Caen. — French Impatience. — Canal. — Brummell. — Use and Elegance. — Races. — Abbaye aux Hommes. — Abbaye aux Dames. — The Conqueror and his Queen. — Churches. — St. Pierre. — Lady Chapel. — Castle. — St. Gilles. — Streets. — Costume. — Scenery near Caen. — Bretteville l'Orgueilleuse. — Triumphal Garlands. — Bayeux. — The Tapestry. — Cathedral. — The Rose Garden. — The Lion d'Or. ormandy is allowed to be one of the most beautiful and most cultivated parts of France ; a fact which no one can feel any inclination to dispute, who, leaving the clean and lively port of Southampton, takes his pas sage in summer weather to Havre, and lands at that bustling town, amidst the screaming of in numerable parrots, and the noise and clamour of French commissionaires. The height of In- VOL. i. b CAEN 2 gouville, with its fine sea prospect, gives the traveller his first idea of the beauty in store for him as he advances into the country ; but he leaves the town of Francis I. impatient to be come acquainted with the interior, and proposing to himself to examine it more in detail, should he return that way.

The coast from Havre to Caen, as the steam boat sweeps along, with a light breeze and a bright sky, looks gay and fine ; and the passage to the mouth of the Orne is a pleasant one. The entrance of this river is very sinuous, and at times the vessel appears to be completely embayed ; the banks are pretty, covered with trees to the water's edge, and the stream very narrow. The approach to Caen is marked by the lofty towers of the two abbeys of the Con queror and his wife, and the majestic spires of St. Pierre in the midst. Full of curiosity and interest at the first sight of this celebrated town, we gave ourselves up to the delight of visiting scenes consecrated in history, and landed on the quay of Caen in high spirits. An air of desolation, however, which appeared to reign around, might have a little damped enthusiasm less pronounced than ours, as we followed our guide, who led us by the longest possible route to our hotel.

His object CAEN CANAL. 3 we found, was to exhibit the unfinished canal which is to connect the Ome with a part of the coast; and the blocks of stone which strew the way for more than half a mile, added to the deep dust consequent upon the works, presented anything but an agreeable prospect on our walk. This embryo canal is the lion of Caen, and every Sunday sees crowds of people promenad ing along its future banks — it being one of the characteristics of the French never to wait for the completion of anything, but to begin their enjoyment before the proper time ; thus, when a house is being built, it is not at all unusual to see the lower rooms half-furnished before any part is entirely finished ; and it is amusing enough to observe finely-ornamented pieces of furniture standing amongst planks and beams, ready to decorate an apartment still in an infant state.

Tired with our long walk, during which we had but coldly replied to the admiring observa tions of our guide, to whom the canal in pro gress, with all the litter of its planks and stones, appeared another Palmyra, we were not ill-pleased when we entered the porte-cochere of the Hotel d'Angleterre in the Rue St. Jean. The rooms which were assigned to us formerly boasted of a distinguished occupant, the celebrated Brumb2 DESCRIPTION OF THE TOWN. 4 meil, whose lot, never to be envied, is now one of peculiar misfortune. The favourite of a mon arch, and the supreme arbiter of fashion, is at present the denizen of the maison des sous at Caen, and there, most probably, his days will terminate. Caen is a very old, very picturesque, but very dirty town ; at least, in those parts where curiosity most attracts the traveller.

The houses immediately fronting our hotel, which was in a principal street, were fair specimens of the do mestic architecture of the place, and the domestic manners of its inhabitants. The buildings rose some seven or eight stories from the ground, each etage had its family, and each family seem ed bent on preparing for the following day, Sun day. This was chiefly shown in the care with which they displayed at their windows the various articles of costume susceptible of soap and water hanging there to dry. No garment seemed to come amiss, male or female, all were alike conspicuous ; and amidst the depending draperies, cages filled with very yellow canaries were hung between every window, while small orange, and other trees, contributed their share to the grace and originality of the scene.

The races of Caen are considered amongst the best in France, and some very good horses are ABBEYS. — CHURCHES. 5 really entered. The resident English have tend ed much to support the predilection for them with which we found our waiter inoculated, who was very eloquent in explaining to some of our party all the merits of the case. The chief attractions of Caen, are the two abbeys founded by William the Conqueror and his queen Matilda, about the period of the con quest, the church of St. Nicholas, St. Pierre, St. Michel de Vaucelles, the Hdtel de Ville, and the remains of the old castle. As specimens of pure Norman architecture, the Abbaye aux Hommes, or St. Etienne, and the Abbaye aux Dames, or La Sainte Trinite, may be considered as quite perfect ; and their simplicity of form and solidity of construction have probably tended to preserve them better than buildings of a later date, ornamented in a more florid style.

Yet these churches have suf fered, like most others, by religious fanaticism and the fury of irreligion : the Calvinists and the democrats of the Revolution having each out raged the sacred fanes. A stone with a modern inscription in Latin, placed in the choir by Ge neral Dugua, is the only written record of the Conqueror in the Abbaye aux Hommes, nor is there any more genuine relic of Queen Matilda in the convent founded by her : but the build- ST. PIERRE. — CASTLE. ings themselves are the best monuments of the founders. Severe in their antique simplicity, they do not please the eye like those elaborately beautiful remains of the middle ages whicli are met with in other parts of France, but they possess a charm in their stately and awful ma jesty which greater splendour sometimes fails to inspire.

The church of St. Pierre has a lady-chapel of great beauty ; the roof is formed of pendants carved with infinite delicacy, and the effect pro duced is like that of stalactites in a grotto, and is light and graceful in the extreme. Several of the other chapels are ornamented with elabo rate care, but there is not a vestige of painted glass, either here or in any church in Caen. There are but few remains of the once im portant castle, now a guard-house. We sat for some time enjoying the brilliant summer weather, under the fine old trees in what had been a court, and looked from the ruined battlements over a charming country ; but the state of neglect and dirt in which everything is allowed to con tinue, makes the exploring system in France a service of danger and disgust. The exterior of the church of St. Gilles is more modern than its interior, and is cruelly defaced: as we passed the open doors, the mo- WOMEN OF NORMANDY. notonous chaunting of a crowd of pretty young girls within, sounded pleasing from its extreme simplicity.

The beauty of the women of Nor mandy becomes sensibly felt here, for scarcely a plain or ordinary face is to be met with, and a general beauty prevails throughout this favour ed province : unfortunately, however, as is usual in a cider country, the teeth are seldom fine. Our arrival in Caen on a Saturday had pro bably introduced us to more slovenliness than usual ; for, shocked as we were at every step at first, we found that on Sunday we had less cause of offence in the streets and venelles ; nevertheless, though I have since heard Caen described by a French person as a remarkably clean town, I must still think that it surpasses all others, except Rouen, in unpleasing odours and filthy streets. Certain it is that here and there slips of pavement for foot passengers, allow intervals to the torture which English feet endure when without sabots they venture along the rugged ways of a French city.

The people of Caen are uniformly civil, cheerful, and good-humoured, constantly talking and laughing, industrious, and, to all appearance, prosperous. Their manners are less character istic of the Normans in general than in more retired parts of the country, as they mix much SCENERY NEAR CAEN. with foreigners and Parisians, and have lost all distinguishing features ; the women, however, preserve their costume more here than in many other districts, where this national distinction is fast fading away: here, only, for example, we saw caps embroidered with gold and silver, and ornamented with rich lace ; everywhere else, though the steeple form of the middle ages is still prevalent, more simple materials are used. At Rouen it is rare to see even this shape of the antique head-dress, which is nearly as much remarked there as in the streets of Paris where a bonne is occasionally seen conducting her young charges through the mazes of the Tuil eries gardens.

The country, immediately on leaving Caen, is barren and stony, a fact arising from the numerous quarries which lie close to the town. They are worked in the form of caves, each communicating with the surface by means of shafts, and the stones are raised by enormous wheels, which, scattered over the plain, produce a singular effect. About a mile from Caen is the faubourg of St. Germain de Blancherbe, called La Makdrerie, from a lazar-house founded there in 1161, by Henry II. of England. The hospital has long since disappeared, but a large steam-mill, and the Maison de Force of the district, meet the eye instead. SCENERY NEAR CAEN. 9 After half an hour's travelling, the country began to look very pretty, — thick woods appeared on each side ; orchards, cottages, villages, and the spires of numerous churches.

The farm houses are much neater than one usually sees in France ; most of them have gardens, and the roofs of the building at this season are generally covered with a luxuriant growth of pink stone-crop, called, in the language of the peasants tetons de souris. A few miles from Caen we passed through a village called Bretteville V Orgueilleuse, to distinguish it from others bear ing the same name. The scenery continued to improve, rich farms covered the country, and here and there occasional chateaux, an ancient abbaye, or a picturesque spire, added variety to the view. The orchards were numerous, but this year they ren der but a bad account of their crops ; in fact, they are all destroyed, and the cider, which ordinarily sells for from 40 to 50 francs the tonneau, has risen to 250 or 300 francs ; a serious change for a cider-drinking community.

At the village of St. Exupere we passed beneath tri umphal garlands, which had been festooned across the road in honour of the St. Martin : these decorations were singular, consisting chiefly of flowers and hard-boiled eggs, arranged in the BAYEUX TAPESTRY. shape of crowns and baskets. The votaries of the saint resemble Dryden's Jebusites ; the ob jects of their adoration may " Serve at once for worship and for food,' and after hanging the regular time, I suppose they are eaten. Two hours and a half from Caen brought us to Bayeux, where saute de mieux, we put up at the Lion d'Or. The tapestry, of course, claimed our first attention, and we proceeded direct to the Mairie, where it is kept. Its present receptacle is an old cupboard in one of the private rooms, but a building is now in the course of erection for its express reception ; it used formerly to be exposed in the cathedral for a whole fortnight at one particular season, but that custom is discontinued.

What the tapestry is everybody knows ; therefore I shall say no more of Queen Matilda's workmanship than that it is a most interesting historical docu ment. The person who showed it put into our hands little pamphlets, costing ten sous each, containing a brief account of the tapestry, with a copy of the inscriptions and descriptive letter press. She seemed to ascribe much virtue to the little books. " Depuis qu'on a vendu ces livres, beaucoup de personnes sont venues voir CATHEDRAL. 11 la tapisserie !" It is to be presumed that the old lady had never read the folios of Mont faucon. In the adjoining chamber is a curious picture representing the famous battle of Four migny. From the tapestry we went to the cathedral — beautiful both within and without, and only not perfect in its exterior, owing to the addition of a Grecian dome above the central tower, which should have been made to harmonise with the beautiful spires of the western extremity.

But the dome was added in the reign of Louis XIV, when the architecture of the middle agts was neither felt nor understood. The interior is extremely fine, and exhibits a beautiful spe cimen of the transition style of the middle of the twelfth century. The capitals, the mouldings, and string courses are of every variety of graceful form, and one may linger for hours in ad miration of the beauties which disclose them selves in every aisle, at every intersection. We descended into the crypt, which contains what is rare in the cathedrals here — some tombs with effigies ; the Revolution having swept away so many relics of that nature. Amongst them is a monument to the memory of the Bishop of Bayeux, whose death was the cause of the dis covery of the crypt after it had remained concealed CATHEDRAL. for centuries.

A brass tablet, on the south side of the screen of the choir, gives the following ac count of it in old French : — " L'an M.CCCC. et douze, Le tiers jour d' Avril que pluie arrouze Les biens de terre, la journee Que la Pasque fu celebree, Noblez horns et reverent pere Jehan de Boissait, de la mere Eglise de Baieux pasteur, Rendi l'ame a son createur, Et lors en foissant la place Devant le grant auteil de grace, Trouva len la basse chapelle, Dont il n'avoit este nouvelle, Ou il est mis en sepulture ; Dieu vieulle avoir son ame en cure. " Amen," The present Bishop of Bayeux, Monsieur Robert, is a man held in high estimation through out his diocese, and worthily sustains the character of the working clergy of France, following the great example of the late excellent Cardinal de Cheverus, Archbishop of Bordeaux.

He was formerly cure of Havre, and from his merit was appointed to his present high dignity from that comparatively humble post. The central part of the town of Bayeux is dirty, mean, and common, but there are some THE LION D'OR. 13 fine establishments with spacious gardens which give an air of cheerfulness to the whole. Of these the Hotel Dieu, founded by Bishop Robert d'Ableges in the year 1206, and the seminary of comparatively modern erection, are the most considerable. There are also some good baths built beside a mill-stream and a rose garden in the Rue de l'Echo worthy of Persia and her nightingales. The proprietor, who is an amateur florist, is as courteous to strangers as the inha bitant of a bower of roses should be, and his pretty daughter's complexion would shame those of the eastern maids who love to dwell among the fragrant groves of Iran.

Far different was the aspect of. the hotel where we were perforce obliged to put up. Not withstanding the newly emblazoned sign-board exhibiting a golden lion in all his glory, we found ourselves wofully deceived by the promise held out, for on entering the court-yard, we found it filled with immondices of every description, muddy damp straw, filthy puddles, &c. In front of a projecting building was ex hibited the yawning entrance to a kitchen, and the square yard we had to traverse was sur rounded by stables and out-houses, filled with poultry, ducks, dunghills, dogs, and dilapidated vehicles of all descriptions. In a new range EXCELLENT ACCOMMODATIONS. of buildings was our apartment for the time, — a bed room, — for saloons do not seem customary at Bayeux ; this was fitted up with taste and even elegance, and we could not enough admire the absurd contrast of above and below.

All our accommodations were excellent ; the chefcoxAH not be better, and the delicious cream and straw berries were proper rural accompaniments to the ceaseless crowing and cackling of the fowls in the basse cour. Altogether, anything so incongruous as the arrangements of the Lion d'Or, it would be difficult to meet with except at Bayeux. Though from the improvements, rather pro jected than accomplished, in this town, most of the ancient streets are cleared away, there still remain some to whicli curious legends are at tached. We were able to collect a few, which entertained us not a little.

Chapter II

Bayeux.— Legends of Streets — La Dame d'Aprigny.— Jean Pataye. — St. Gerbold. — Proces-verbal. — The Fairy of Argouges.— Jeanne Bacon. Jhen the Rue St. Quintin, lead. ing to the bridge of Isbert or Trubert, was in its original state, a legend was attached to it which the altered state of the street, now widened and repaved, has probably effaced. Formerly it was narrow, high, crooked, and dark. About midnight, whoever ventured to pass down it was met by a fairy who was called La Dame d'Aprigny. She approached the daring stranger who intruded on her dominions and presented him her hand with a courteous gesture : if he was bold enough to accept it she danced gravely along with him for some minutes without speaking, then made him a profound courtesy and dis appeared. If he was timid or imprudent enough to refuse her offered civility, the indignant fairy seized and plunged him into the neighbouring moat, where sometimes her victims perished or with the greatest difficulty scrambled out of the abyss, torn with the thorns and brambles, wet and bruised, and terrified to death.

The circumstances related in the following legend have been recounted of other personages, and the scene placed in other towns ; yet are they so circumstantially told of this locality, that there is every probability that they occurred here, if any where. JEAN PATYE ; OR, THE CANON WHO RODE THE DEVIL. From time immemorial the chapter of Bayeux was obliged, in reparation of some ancient of fence, to send one of its canons every year to Rome to assist in singing the midnight high mass, or in case of failure a very heavy fine was imposed. In the course of time it came to the turn of Jean Patye, canon of the prebendary of Cambremer, to perform this duty. Due notice was given him, according to custom, several months beforehand, but he paid so little atten tion to the subject that on the Christmas-eve of the year 1537, he was still at Bayeux.

He was reproached by his brethren for his negli gence, but answered by entreating them to give themselves no uneasiness, for that his intention was to go to Rome, that he should return, and that there should be no cause for dissatisfaction with any party. This appeared inexplicable enough to the con vent, but no questions were asked, and Jean the canon retired to his chamber, when opening his conjuring-book, he invoked the devil, with whom he had long been in habits of communication. " I require of thee," he said, " to carry me this night to Rome, and my journey there must be as quick as a woman's thought — that is to say, swifter than the wind. Wait for me beneath the portcullis, and when the clock strikes nine I shall be on your back." Accordingly, the canon attended matins as usual, and having sung the Domine labia, he slipped away, and finding his mysterious steed at the place agreed on, mounted, and in the twinkling of an eye was high in the air with the sea beneath him ; then the tempter addressed the canon artfully advising him to make the sign of the cross, these were his words : — " Signa te, signa temere, me tangis et angis, Roma tibi subito motibus, ibit amor."

C VOL. I. This infernal distich, which may be read from right to left, or from left to right, without alter ing the sense, had no effect on Jean Patye, who merely replied, " Go on, that which the devil carries is always well carried." On they went without stop or stay, and the Eternal city was soon reached. They were singing the introit of the midnight mass when the traveller arrived : he left the devil at the church gate, desiring him to wait his return. He sang the epistle, which was the portion of the service required of the Bayeux priest, and then entering the sacristy he requested to be allowed to see the original docu ment by virtue of which this service was required by the church of Rome. No objection was made to this ; he took the paper in his hand, and while appearing to be examining it he suddenly threw it into the fire, where it was instantly consumed.

The consternation of the Roman priests was excessive on witnessing the daring conduct of this bold Norman ; and before they could recover themselves, he had quitted the sacristy and the church, and leaping on the back of his charger was again en route. In the cathedral of Bayeux they were singing laudes when Jean Patye appeared amongst them ; he had himself begun matins, therefore his absence had been less than four hours ! His brethren thought he had returned from taking a nap, but he assured them that he was come from Rome, where he had sung the epistle, and more than all, had destroyed the paper which obliged them to this inconvenient service, from which they were henceforth delivered. However much rejoiced the whole chapter might be at this emancipation, the means by which it had been accomplished could scarcely be looked upon as altogether orthodox.

The canon himself was aware that considerable sin attached to his conduct, and began to consider what had best be done to clear himself. As these things are, however, not difficult to manage with proper method, the clergy consulted toge ther, and a solemn general procession was agreed upon, in which the canon should walk barefooted, having a cord about his neck, in order to entitle him to absolution. This was accordingly done, and on the earnest entreaty of Augustin de Tri vulce, bishop of Bayeux, the little peccadillo of Jean Patye was forgiven by the Pope, and the good priests were left to congratulate themselves on the happy ending of their bold brother's dan gerous ride. Another diabolic story is told as having happened at Bayeux, the features of which are prec LEGEND OF cisely the same as those of Cornelius Agrippa's " Young Man," whose studies got him into so fatal a scrape with his Satanic majesty, except that in this, the cure enters in time to save the imprudent scholar from the claws of the demon.