stivals so solemnly observed. This reverence is attributed by some
to the power of superstition, by others to the Celtic temperament of
the worshippers; but from whatever cause it arises no one who has
lived among the Bretons can doubt the sincerity and childlike faith
which lies at the base of it all, a faith of which a medieval
simplicity and credence are the keynotes.

_The Pardons_

This pious punctiliousness is not confined to Church services and
ceremonies alone, for rarely are wayside crosses or shrines
unattended by some simple peasant or peasants telling beads or
unfolding griefs to a God Who, they have been taught, takes the
deepest interest in and compassionates all the troubles and trials
which may befall them. Between May and October the religious
ardour of the Breton may be witnessed at its strongest, for during
these months the five great 'Pardons' or religious pilgrimage
festivals are solemnized in the following sequence: the Pardon of the
Poor, at Saint-Yves; the Pardon of the Singers, at Rumengol; the
Pardon of the Fire, at Saint-Jean-du-Doigt; the Pardon of the
Mountain, at Tromenie-de-Saint-Renan; the Pardon of the Sea, at
Sainte-Anne-la-Palud.

The Pardon of the Poor, the Pardon of the Singers, and the Pardon of
the Sea are especially rigorous and exacting, but the less celebrated
Pardon of Notre Dame de la Clarte, in Morbihan, has an earthly as much
as a celestial object, for while the pilgrimage does homage to the
Virgin it is at the same time believed to facilitate marriage. Here,
once the sacred side of the festival has been duly observed, the young
man in search of a wife circles about the church, closely scrutinizing
all the eligible demoiselles who come within range of his vision. As
soon as he decides which maiden most appeals to him, he asks her
politely if she will accept a gift from him, and at the same time
presents a large round cake, with which he has armed himself for that
occasion. "Will mademoiselle break the cake with me?" is the customary
form of address, and in the adoption or rejection of this suggestion
lies the young peasant's yea or nay.

The Pardon of Saint-Jean-du-Doigt takes place on the 22nd of June, and
is, perhaps, the most solemn of these festivals. During its
celebration the relic of the Saint, the little finger of his right
hand, is held before the high altar of the church by an _abbe_ clad in
his surplice. The finger is wrapped in the finest of linen, and one