Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-01-03


causeway, 80 that It can be reached oy
the diligence at all hours independent
" Of the tide. 1t is a convenience, no
doubt, but decidedly step toward the
prosaic. In ten years more, | dare say
a good deal of the poetry OF the place
will have disappeared. Even now the
tourists outnumber the pilgrims, and
the little booths along the main street
are divided between photographs and
guide books on the one hand and statu-
cites of ST. Michel and consecraeed
rosaries and symbOhcal scalloD shells on
the other. Still, the walls and ceiling
of the little parish church are covered
with banners left by professions OF
pilgrims from various French ana BEL
gian towns within the last thirty years.
And / have a very Vivid recollection o.
a sweet-faced, white-coiffed peasant
woman in the diligence, who had come
all the way from Torrent, in Mor6ihan
the longest journey OF her life-to
Day yeW and say her prayers at the
altar OF Mt. st. Michel. The sacredness
of the mount is safe for few years,
perhaps, but ID is surely and swiftly
slipping away forever.
It has a varied history, this island
rock dedicated to est. Michael au peril
de la mer," but through it all it has
been holy place, resort for pilgrims
Perhaps because the winds and waves
and lightning have made it target Tor
their fury, one feels here with especial
strength the might and majesty OF God.
Or perhaps one feels here more than
elsewhere ones own puny inSignihcance
and the need OF superhuman protection.
The old DruidS built an altar
to Belenus. the sun god, on the
top of the rock, which was tended by
college Of priestesSeS, who had some oc-
cult influence on the weather. They
carried Qulvers OF golden arrows,
which, when shot into the air by d
youth who was still IMMERSED In the
ways of love, were warranted to allay
storms. Accordingly, no ships outht
was complete without such youth
and such an arrow. II the experiment
failed it followed that the youth was
deceiVer, and he was stfalghtway
thrown overheard. If it succeeded,
when the cruise was over he made
pilgrimage to the Rock Of Belenus and
offered presents at the shrine, and 1t
was considered etiquette for the fairest
priestess II wonder how they settled
that point Of precedence) to give the
lucky youth q golden shell and herself
60 boot. For uncOunted ages the Dru-
idesses, with disheveled locks, perform
ed their wild, weird rites on the jagged
summit Of the rock.
mi = h., n
and the Mount of Belenus became Mons
Jovis, sacred to the thunderer. we
don't hear much about ii after that till
the wear 7OS or our era, when the arch
angel Michel appeared three times to
the Bishop Of Avranches on the main
land-St. ALBERT of happy memory
and requested that chapel be erected
in his honor on the summit Of Mount
st. ALBERT, according 70 the habit OF
people favored with visions, attributed
the phenomenon at first TO indigestion
lin other words "hs heart was hard
ened, ~ and continued his peaceful life
among his flock. Next time the arch
angel came he placed his finger on the
episcopal forehead and burned hole
clear through the skull, after which
unpleasant experience the worthy saint
naturally set about building the sane
tuary with all speed. A convincing
proof of this occurrence exists IN Az
ranches, where the skull of st. Aubert,
hole included, is still preserved, 1t is
a relief TO know that St, Michel, so far
from cherishing any III will toward the
Bishop for his early skepticlSm, did
everything in his power to smooth his
path for him.
The rock, being sharply pointed,
scarcely looked promising for building,
but the archangel took advantage OF a
stormy night to break off the capstone
of the pyramid and roll 1t down to the
foot OF the mountain, where it lies TO
this day, ami on il is built the little
chapel dedicated to st. ALBERT. And
out of the place where it struck foun-
tain of pure water gushed up, which
still supplies the needs OF the island.
When the wOrkmen arrived In the
morning, they found not only level
platform on which to begin operations,
but the entire plan Of the church and
monastry traced thereon in lines OF
sparkling dew. A monastry established
under such distinguished auspices could
not fail of an uncommon history, and,
in fact, miracles and prodigies followed
thick and fact and drew pilgrims to it
In great throngs, ana with It's growing
fame came requests and largesses with
out number. Kings of France more
than ! can name from Childebert and
Charlemagne te Louis Nv, climbed the
steep rock to invoke the protection of
the warrior angel-defensuS in prelio.
With the wealth OF the monastery
came the need OF defending it; FORTH
cations were added, aud strange state
OF things grew up. The Benedictine
monks had 10 be ready at any moment
10 Quit their holy med.tations and buc-
kle 3 cOrSelet over their frocks and sally
down, sword in hand, to defend the
ramoarts. And some OF them In those
DAYS. they say, were better fighters than
friars. Many and many time the mon
astery was beSieged but never taken.
Over aud over again all the rest OF Nor
mandy was in the hands Of the English,
but stu the impregna6le fortress-mon-
astery held out against them. To make
a sure thing doUbly sure, Louis NJ. es-
tablished the order of Knights OF ST.
Michel, who were charged with the de-
Tense Of the stronghold, and took for
their motto "Immensi tremor ocean,"
And thus Two new elements were in
troduced under the abbey roof-tae no.
BILE knights clad in white NANTES en-
broldered with golden shells, and their
retaIners, an unruly, FOSTERING set OF
mercenarieS, who had to be relegated,
for the sake of peace, to the furthest
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