MIRACLES IN FRENCH CANADA, 241 



lous dranglit in Lake Gennesaret, and the finger marks of the apos- 

 tle are on its back. Nevertheless it is not a lucky fish, possibly 

 because " their net brake " and they " filled both the ships so that 

 they began to sink." The French-Canadian fisherman and the 

 fisherman from old France work side by side on the Banks of 

 Newfoundland. There is a marked dijfference in their accent and 

 intonation as well as in their physical appearance, three hundred 

 years of existence in the New World having made the French 

 Canadian swarthier and leaner than the man from Saint Malo. 

 On the rocks of Cap h, I'Aigle at St. Pierre-Miquelon there is a 

 white statue of the Virgin, and as his vessel passes it the French 

 Canadian is careful to salute the "old mother," but the fisherman 

 from France ignores her. While the latter sings modern songs 

 from the cafes of Paris, the former sticks to the songs his ances- 

 tors brought from France Malbrough, Dans les prisons de Nantes, 

 Sur le pont d'Avignon, Par derri^r' chez ma tante. En roulant ma 

 boule, etc. Both believe that a sorcier can find the best fishing 

 ground on the Banks, that a dog on board brings good luck, that 

 it is bad luck to whistle, and so on. At home the French-Cana- 

 dian fisherman occasionally sees the Wandering Jew striding 

 along the beach in the direction of Labrador, which, by the way, 

 was the heritage of Cain. To meet him face to face brings good 

 luck if you happen to be returning from vespers, but not other- 

 wise. There is an old ballad about him in which, " near the town 

 of Bruxell's in Brabant," he accompanies two honest fellows into 

 a tavern and over a pot de Mere fraiche describes the events at 

 Jerusalem that led to his being banished " to everywhere and no- 

 where without end " : 



** Sur le mont du Calvaire 

 Jesus portait sa croix ; 

 II ine dit, debonnaire, 

 Passant devant chez moi : 

 Veux-toi bien, mon ami, 

 Que je repose ici ? '' 



But the Wandering Jew Isaac Laquedemme by name, and by 

 trade a shoemaker was in bad humor that day, and replied sans 

 raison : 



" Otes-toi, crimiuelle, 

 De devant ma maison ; 

 Avance et marche done 

 Car tu me fais affront ! " 



Then came the terrible sentence : 



" Jesus, la bonte meme, 

 Me dit en soupirant: 

 VOL. XLvm. 17 



