54 MY SUMMER IN A GARDEN. 



near, so that it bore nothing. In 1120, 

 a bishop of Laon excommunicated the 

 caterpillars in his diocese ; and, the fol 

 lowing year, St. Bernard excommunicat 

 ed the flies in the Monastery of Foigny ; 

 and in 1510 the ecclesiastical court pro 

 nounced the dread sentence against the 

 rats of Autun, Macon, and Lyons. These 

 examples are sufficient precedents. It 

 will be well for the council, however, 

 not to publish the bull either just before 

 or just after a rain ; for nothing can kill 

 this pestilent heresy when the ground 

 is wet. 



It is the time of festivals. Polly says 

 we ought to have one, a strawberry- 

 festival. She says they are perfectly 

 delightful : it is so nice to get people 

 together ! this hot weather. They cre 

 ate such a good feeling ! I myself am 

 very fond of festivals. I always go, 

 when I can consistently. Besides the 



