44 THE GLORY OF THE GARDEN 



they were searching. The lictors were grieved 

 and horrified at the idea of staining their hands 

 with the blood of their host; nevertheless they 

 obeyed their orders and severed his head from his 

 body, thereby procuring for the holy man the 

 martyr's crown. 



Holy Church keeps his feast day on July 3. 



St. Phocas is also the special patron of sailors on 

 the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, for he has 

 often been seen at night, when the tempest arises, 

 waking up the weary steersman at the rudder, and 

 at other times minding the cable and sails, or at the 

 prow looking ahead for the shallows. 



Therefore it became a custom with sailors to 

 have Phocas for their guest, and day by day they 

 set aside a portion of each meal for the martyr, nor 

 would they touch it till they had laid by the small 

 coin that was its equivalent. Then, at the end of 

 the voyage, they would distribute among the poor 

 the sum thus collected. 



St. Benedict and the Bees. 



In common with many other legends, that of 

 St. Benedict seems to have been tucked away so 

 tidily in a back compartment, in England, that it 

 has been entirely forgotten by most people. 



Tradition tells us that St. Benedict takes a special 

 interest in protecting people and animals against 

 disease, and the holy saint was said to be particu- 

 larly fond of bees. 



In Brittany, there is hardly a hive of bees to be 

 seen without its little blessed medallion hanging 

 over the doorway, or " bee- way." 



