Jesu m'endort, Si je trepasse, mande mon corps, Si je trepasse, mande mon ame, Si je vis, mande mon esprit. (Je) prends les anges pour mes amis, Le bon Dieu pour mon pere, La Sainte Vierge pour ma mere, Saint Louis de Gonzague, Aux quatre coins de ma chambre, Aux quatre coins be mon lit; Preservez moi de l'ennemi, Seigneur, a l'heure de ma mort. Quenot, in his _Statistique de la Charante_ (1818), gives the subjoined: Dieu l'a faite, je la dit; J'ai trouve quatre anges couches dans mon lit; Deux a la tete, deux aux pieds, Et le bon Dieu aux milieu. De quoi puis-je avoir peur? Le bon Dieu est mon pere, La Vierge ma mere, Les saints mes freres, Les saints mes s[oe]urs; Le bon Dieu m'a dit: Leve-toi, couche-toi, Ne crains rien; le feu, l'orage, et la tempete Ne peuvent rien contre toi. Saint Jean, Saint Marc, Saint Luc, et St Matthieu, Qui mettez les ames en repos, Mettez-y la mienne si Dieu veut. In Provence many a worthy country woman repeats each night this _preiro doou soir_:-- Au liech de Diou Me couche iou, Sept anges n'en trouve iou, Tres es peds, Quatre au capet (caput--head); La Buoeno Mero es au mitan Uno roso blanco a la man. The white rose borne by the Good Mother is a pretty and characteristic interpolation peculiar to flower-loving Provence. In the conclusion of the prayer the _Boueno Mero_ tells whosoever recites it to have no fear of dog or wolf, or wandering storm or running water, or shining fire, or any evil folk. M. Damase Arbaud got together a number of other devotional fragments that may be regarded as offshoots from the parent stem. St Joseph, "Nourricier de Diou," is asked to preserve the supplicant from sudden death, "et de l'infer et de ses flammos." St Ann, "mero-grand de Jesus Christ," is prayed to teach the way to Paradise. To St Denis a very practical petition is addressed: Grand Sant Danis de Franco, Gardetz me moun bouen sens, ma boueno remembranco. Another verse points distinctly to a desire for protection against witchcraft. The Provencals, by the bye, are of opinion that the _Angelus_ was instituted to scare away any ill-conditioned spirits that might be tempted out by the approach of night. In Germany the guardian saints are dispensed with, but the angels are retained in force. I am indebted to Mr C. G. Leland for a translation of the most popular German even-song: