folk-tales. There is, however, a preliminary
fact of great significance to note, namely that two non-British
versions refer to London Bridge. Thus a Breton tale refers to London
Bridge, and the interest of this story is sufficiently great to quote
it here from its recorder straight from the Breton folk:--

"Long ago, when the timbers of the most ancient of the
vessels of Brest were not yet acorns, there were two
men in a farmhouse in the Cotes du Nord disputing, and
they were disputing about London Bridge. One said it
was the most beautiful sight in the world, while the
other very truly said, 'No! the grace of the good God
was more beautiful still.' And as the dispute went on,
'Let us,' said one of them, 'settle it once and for
all, and in this way: let us now this moment go out
along the high-road and let us ask the first three men
we meet as to which is the most beautiful--London
Bridge or the grace of the good God? And which ever
way they decide, he who holds the beaten opinion shall
lose to the other all his possessions, farm and cattle
and horses, everything.' So each being confident he
was right, they went out: and the first man they met
declared that though the grace of the good God was
beautiful, London Bridge was more beautiful still; and
the second the same, and the third. And the man whose
opinion was beaten, a rich farmer, gave up all he had
and was a beggar.

"'Now,' said he to himself when the other, taking his
horse by the bridle, had left him--'now let me go and
see this London Bridge which is so wonderfully
beautiful;' and, being very manful and stout, he set
out at once to walk, and walking on and on was there
by nightfall. But, good Christian that he was, he
could see in it nothing to shake his belief that the
grace of the good God was more beautiful still.

"Soon the bridge was silent, and the last to cross it
had gone home; and he, notwithstanding his losses,
tired out and sleepy, lay down and fell into a doze
there; and, while he was dozing, there came by two
men, and one of them, standing quite close by him,
said to the other, 'The night is fine, the wind
gentle, the stars clear! On such a night whoever were
to collect the dew would be able to heal the blind.'
'It