tudi s ]iious peregrination. < hie day it is inn. nun
devotees about Wotn /'mm d< la Garde; on another 20,000 at Cambrai, 10,000 at Notn Dam <!• Liesse, at La Salette, and Lourdes,bea\des greal days ami extraor- dinary occasions. The affluence is constant, -with a sprinkling of miraculous cures from the thaumaturgic springs of the last-named places. There is hardly a di- ocese whose bishop does not exalt the merits of some local shrine for convenience of tender-footed or short- winded devotees of his flock." In Belgium also the same priestly management prevails. The chief object i-. of course. the attraction of immense flocks of pilgrims from all parts of the world to enrich from their offerings the depleted coll'ers of i he papacy, and to incite the popular mind to renewed ardor in the promotion of all the ob- jects at whicb Romanism ha- been wont to aim. See
ROW \XISM.
Peculiar usages have prevailed from time to time among the pilgrims of Christianity. Thus the English pilgrim's weeds consisted of a hood with a cape, a low- crowned hat with two strings, a staff or bourdon four or live feet long made originally of two stick- swathed together, a bottle strung at their waist-belt, and scrip. Those whose pilgrimage was self-imposed walked hare- footed, and begged their daily bread, let their beards grow, and wore no linen. The palmer was distinguished by two leaflets of palm; the pilgrim to Mount Sinai wore the St. Catharine's wheel; he who went to Rome came back with a medal, graven with the cross-keys, or vernicle; the pilgrim to Composlella brought home the scallop-shell of I ialicia : those who went to Wal-
singham were distinguished hy a badge; and from Can- terbury the pilgrim carried, as a memorial, an ampulla full of Canterbury water, which was mingled with one tinj drop of a Becket's blood. Latimer mentions •• the piping, pla\ ing, and curious singing, to solace tin' trav- ail and weariness of pilgrims." At Gloucester the pil- grims' door, with it- colossal warders, remains in the south arm of the transept In the holy wars the French Crusaders were distinguished by a red. English by a white, and Flemings by a green cross. Penitents paid Peter's pence as a composition for a pilgrimage to Rome, or commuted it bj a \ i-il to Pett Thorough. St. Alhan's. or St. David's. In 1064, persons going to visit a saint
had the protection of the Church. At Hereford, a canon mighl he absent on a pilgrimage in England tor three
weeks; and once in his life for seven weeks to \ i-it St Denis; ten weeks, Rome and Compostella; eight, Pon- tegnes; and one year, Jerusalem. In some Continental countries pilgrims and prie-ts sometimes inscribed their names on the altars which they vi-itcd. These were called in-eripta. or literal.-!, hut must not he confounded with those bearing the donor's name: the first instance
of the latter custom occurred in the case of PulcheriuB
at Constantinople, a- Sozomen relates. The pilgrim's tomb sometimes bore the print of two bare feet, as em-
PILGRIMAGES
■JO"
blematical of his safe return. The pilgrims, having been first shriven, prostrated themselves before the altar while prayers were said over them, and stood up to re- ceive the priest's benediction on their scrips and staves, which he sprinkled with holy water and delivered into their hands. If they were going to Jerusalem, a cross was marked upon their garment; the ceremonial terminated with a solemn mass. In 1322 a priest who betrayed a confession had to go on a pilgrimage as a penance. In 1200 monks were forbidden to become pilgrims. " Divers men and women," said W.Thorpe in the 15th century, <; have with them both men and women that can well sing wanton songs, some other have bagpipes, so that in every town, what with the noise of their singing and with the sound of their piping, and with the jingling of their Canterbury bells, and with the barking out of dogs after them, they make more noise than if the king came there away with all his clarions and many other minstrels." The staff had sometimes a bronze socket, inscribed with these words in Latin, " May this cross direct thy journey in safety."
Jewish Pilgrimages. — Among the Jews pilgrimages to Jerusalem are made by the most devoted only. The Polish and Russian Jews, greatly oppressed in their homes, occasionally seek relief by a journey to the city of Zion, there to pray for the speedy coming of the Mes- siah. That sect of Judaism known as the Chasidim have their yearly processions to Sandez, the nursery of the most absurd superstition. The time for this pil- grimage is generally on the first days of the month of Elul. As soon as the sound of the cornet proclaims the approach of the new year the Chasidim of Galicia and Russian Poland hasten in large numbers to Sandez, to manifest their adoration and veneration by rich presents to the rabbi working miracles, who presides at Sandez. About that time the city authorities and the rabbi as- sume a very friendly relation, and the quiet life of the place changes into activity by the increase of strangers. The streets are filled with Chasidim, who come from afar off to open their heart and confide their secret wishes to the wonder-working man.