Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 25, 1914.djvu/445

 The Chevauchic dc St. Michel. 413

One peculiar prerogative of this feudal Court was the triennial inspection and keeping in order of the Chemin-du- Roi or King's Highway throughout the island. This cere- mony of inspection was known as the Chevauchee de St. Michel, and survived until the year 1837.

The order of it was as follows : —

Before each occasion of the Chevauchee the Court of St. Michel, at the Chief Pleas held on Easter Monday, settled such preliminaries as fixing tiiedate on which the procession was to be held, regulating the costumes to be worn by the pions- or footmen in attendance on the Court, and other matters. The earliest official record we have of the pre- scribed dress is dated May 24th 1768, when Mr. Henry Budd was seneschal. It reads as follows : —

" A black cap (calotte) with a red ribbon at the back, a ruffled shirt (une chemise a manchette), with black ribbon wristbands and a black ribbon round the neck, white breeches with red ribbons tied round the knee, white stockings, and red ribbons on their wands."

Exactly the same costume was appointed for the Chevauchee of 1786, and a very similar one for the Chevauchees of the 9th June 1813, the 8th of June 1825, and 31st May 1837, with the following alterations: — In 1813' a white handkerchief was to be worn round the neck above the white frilled shirt, and also a sort of white smock frock or " habit rond " bound with scarlet ribbon was worn outside the shirt. In 1825 the " habit rond " was transformed into a white waistcoat or " gilet blanc " bordered with red ribbon, and the same costume was ordained for 1837. This may, I think, be taken as an indication that black, white and red were the colours associated with this ceremony from time immemorial.

I will now detail the observances which took place on the 9th of June 18 1 3, as it is the oldest Chevauchee of which

- rion, from Mediaeval Latin fcdonevt, a footman ; cf. a pauun at chess. New English Dictionary, s.vv. peon, pawn.