THE CAT OF PROVENCE.

The part acted by the CAT, in the town of Aix (in Provence), on the festival of Corpus Christi, may well vie, in profaneness, with that of the Ass of Sens, on Christmas Day. The finest tom cat of the country, wrapt in swaddling clothes, like a child, was, on this occasion, exhibited to the adoration of the gaping multitude, in a magnificent shrine. Flowers were strewed before him; every knee bent as he passed, and the adorations he received unequivocally pointed him out as the god of the day. This ceremony was not suppressed till about the year 1757!

On St. John's day, the scene was greatly altered for poor puss. A number of cats were collected, and put in a wicker basket. The bishop, at the head of his clergy, lighted a bonfire, in the middle of a square before the cathedral church; and when the flames were raging most furiously, the poor animals were thrown alive into the fire. The clergy went afterwards several times round the burning pile, singing hymns and anthems appropriated to the sacrifice.

The clergy of Bruxelles, in their famous procession of Sablon, greatly outdid their brethren of Aix. A BEAR was exhibited, clad in a surplice, and decked with ribbons, majestically sitting in a chariot and playing on an organ. The music was not produced by the air, compressed in pipes, as in common instruments. TWELVE CATS were separately confined, in narrow cells, so contrived in the organ-chest, that they could not turn

any way; their tails were drawn through twelve small holes, made at the top, and were fixed by ropes to the keys of the instrument. By this piece of machinery, whenever the bear laid his heavy paws upon the keys, the cats, strongly pulled by the tails, mewed most horribly; and this melody was powerfully reinforced by the voices of the choristers, who performed, with all their might, a well-suited accompaniment.

KISSING THE POPE'S TOE.

The custom of kissing the Pope's toe originated in a singular miracle. The fact is thus related by St. Anthony and others. A very beautiful woman being admitted, according to the custom, among other people, to kiss the hand of Pope Leo the Great, his holiness was suddenly attacked by an enemy whom he believed to be long since subdued; and felt to his cost, that although a great Pope, he was still but a man. In the holy zeal of his heart he revenged himself upon his hand, for the ceremony was no sooner ended, than he cut it off-meaning to fulfil the command in the Gospel. But being rendered by this amputation incapable of discharging his duty, he soon repented; and in this dilemma applied to the picture of the Virgin Mary, painted by St. Luke (which picture is honoured with great worship on account of this miracle to the present day, and is to be seen in the church of St. Maria Maggiore at Rome). When making his petition, the Virgin commiserated

him, and restored to him his amputated hand, and (what was a more lucky miracle) extinguished in him the very fire of love to the last spark. His successors, in St. Peter's chair, feeling their own frailty, and unwilling to trouble the Virgin to perform too many miracles, changed the custom, and gave their feet to be kissed instead of their hand; and the custom of kissing the Pope's toes has been continued to the present day.

A PILGRIM WANTED.

The following advertisement appeared, July 1827, in a French paper :"A pious person, who has made a vow to go on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, but is prevented by ill-health, offers 25,000 francs to any one who would undertake this journey with purely religious intentions. It is thought proper to make known that no person will be accepted who is under forty years of age, and who is not of a robust constitution, so as to leave no doubt upon his fulfilment of the vow. The individual, who would undertake this journey, must engage to do it on foot and barefoot, to enter no inn, tavern, or hotel, and to receive on his way his lodging and food of but pious persons alone. He will be forbidden to embark in France, and must proceed by Lyons and Chamberry ; cross the Alps; go to Rome, where he will perform some religious practices; continue by La Romagna and the March of Ancona; and embark at some port of Calabria for Joppa or St. John d'Acre, from whence

he will go to Jerusalem. His return must also be effected in the same manner. Apply, by sealed letters, to X., at the Mémorial Office, Douay.

BENEDICTION OF THE DOVE-COTE, COCK AND HEN ROOST, AND OTHER AVIARIES.

Everlasting God! before whose view are all the angels, and by whose nod all things are governed, who also, in thy excellence, doth not cease to regard the meanest objects which are necessary for human frailty, and who givest food to all flesh, and fillest every living being with blessing; as supplicants we implore thee to shed thy benediction on this pigeon-house (or poultry, or keep of geese, ducks and drakes, &c.), that redounding to us, thy servants, by the agency of thy grace, the glory of thy majesty may be exalted.

BENEDICTION OF THE SEED OF SILK-WORMS.

God, the Creator of things, who causest seeds to give fruit and increase, and who mercifully grantest them to come to our use, complacently heed our supplications, by the intercession of thy blessed Apostle James, and deign to bless and sanctify with thy benignity these seeds of the worms which produce silk, so that they may yield their works abundantly; inasmuch as they contribute to the adornment of thy church and of thy holy altars, and redound also to our uses. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

BENEDICTION OF THE SWORD.

Deign to bless, we ask, O Lord, this sword, and this thy servant, who desires, under thy inspiration, to wear it; fortify the guards of thy piety, and keep him unharmed by all his enemies. Through the Lord, &c.

(Here holy water is sprinkled, and the sword is delivered, with a genuflexion, the priest saying)-Take this sword in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, and use it for your defence.

STRATAGEM FOR THE POPEDOM.

It might be expected that the candidate for an elective sovereignty would endeavour to show himself to the best advantage, both as to mental and physical energies: not so the candidate for the successorship to the keys of St. Peter, who knows that his best recommendation is an infirm state of health, and that if any Cardinal would give a guarantee that he would not live twelve months, he would ensure his election. So convinced are the Cardinals of this, that they sometimes feign weakness or infirmity; and Montalto, Pope Sextus, is known to have done this for many years. Ricaut, in his Lives of the Popes, gives the following interesting account of the deception :—

When the scrutiny was past, and Montalto thought himself secure of the election, he immediately began to cast off his disguise of humility, with which he had for fifteen years cloaked his ambition; for no sooner were