THE PATRON SAINTS OF GARDENING 45 



The average, practical, unromantic English person 

 will say: " But the Breton peasant is, of course, 

 quite uneducated and so superstitious." These 

 hard-headed, material-minded ones would scorn 

 to have recourse to some " mythical saint who 

 lived in those unenlightened Middle Ages "! 



Still, it is a beautiful act of faith on the part 

 of these poor peasants of Brittany to hang " little 

 Father St. Benedict " over their hives, saying every 

 Tuesday (a day set apart particularly to his memory) 

 five Paters in honour of the Passion of Our Lord, 

 three Aves in honour of Our Lady, and three 

 Glorias in honour of St. Benedict. 



Then worry no more about the bees, but leave 

 them to the good saint; he will look after them 

 and see that no disease touches them. 



The bees, being very psychic, are quite aware 

 of the blessed medallion hanging over their door- 

 way, and they like to think that a great saint in 

 heaven is looking after their interests; so on this 

 score they will probably thrive all the better, 

 even supposing that St. Benedict saw fit to do 

 nothing special for them, which is not very likely. 



" A Garden is a lovesome thing, God wot: 

 Rose plot, 

 Fringed pool, 

 Ferned grot. 

 The veriest school 

 Of peace; and yet the fool 

 Contends that God is not. 

 Not God ! in gardens ! When the eve is cool ? 



Nay, but I have a sign; 

 'Tis very sure God walks in mine." 



Thomas Edward Brown. 



