[130] From Mrs. Savidan and Mrs. Sarre.
According to Mr. Métivier there is also, in the neighbourhood of Lihou, a rock called “Sanbule,” a very dangerous place for ships, and sailors say that underneath this rock can be plainly heard the bellowing of a bull. It is conjectured that the “bule” in the name of this cliff is from the English “bull” or the Swedish “bulla,” and san, from the French saint, and that it points to some now-forgotten legend about a holy bull.—See Clarke’s Guernsey Magazine, September, 1880.
The Dole of Loaves at Le Laurier.
In the parish of St. Pierre-du-Bois, there is a house and estate known by the name of Le Laurier, where loaves are distributed to the poor on Christmas Eve and on Good Friday. Nothing certain is known of the origin of this dole, the title-deeds of the property merely containing the following item in the enumeration of the ground-rents due on it:—“Aux Pauvres de la ditte Paroisse de Saint Pierre-du-Bois, un quartier de froment de rente, à être distribué en pain aux dits pauvres, à deux diverses fois; savoir, deux boisseaux, partie du dit quartier à Noel, et les deux autres boisseaux à Pâques, comme d’ancienneté.”
Tradition assigns two very different reasons for the institution of this charity, one of which is highly probable. It is that, at some remote period of which all memory is now lost, the house took fire, and the proprietor made a vow that if the fire could be extinguished he would charge his estate with an annual rent, to be given to the poor in bread. His prayer was answered, the fire yielding to the efforts of those who were attempting to put it out, as if by miracle, and the dole was instituted in conformity with the vow.
The other tradition, which, as it falls into the domain of the supernatural is, of course, a greater favourite with the people, is to the following effect. In times past, long before the memory of the oldest inhabitants of the parish, the house, for some undefined reason, but connected, it is surmised, with some unknown crime of a former proprietor, was haunted from Christmas Eve to Easter by a hideous spectre in the form of a black beast like a calf, but as large as an ox. On Christmas Eve the inmates of the house were in the habit of leaving the front and back doors open, and at midnight precisely the spectre would pass through.
At last, however, the proprietor of the estate bethought himself of calling in the aid of the clergy, in hopes that by their powerful help the visits of this unwelcome guest might be put an end to. Their prayers and exorcisms soon prevailed in quieting the phantom, and, by their advice, the annual distribution of the loaves to the poor was instituted.
It is related, however, that on one occasion the owner of the house, instigated by his wife, an avaricious, grasping creature, who would sooner have seen all the poor in the parish die of hunger than bestow a crust on them, withheld the accustomed dole. He paid dear for it, for the house was once more visited by the spectre, which this time made its appearance in the form of a gigantic black sow, accompanied by a numerous litter of pigs, all grunting and clamouring for food, as if they had not eaten for a week. The master of the house was fain to purchase peace by restoring to the poor their rights, but it is said that to her dying day his wife never recovered from the impression this supernatural visit made upon her.
There is a tradition also that at one time a report having been spread abroad that the accustomed alms would no longer be distributed, the poor, who were in the habit of receiving it, assembled at night before the house, formed themselves into a procession, and marched through, entering by the front door, and passing out at the back. The mistress of the house was watching their proceedings from behind the door, and was seen by one of the poor women, who addressed her companion, walking by her side, in these words:—
“Et chette-chin, est-alle des nôtes?”