The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-12-24
THE FEAST or ST. JAMES,
The Great Annual Religious Ceremony In the
Clty Of snntImgo do Cnmp"stclIa.

NHtluSO, anu ON tne IeBSt OF ~. james.
its great patron Hundreds OF church bells ring
forth merriy with the first peep Of dawn, while
the usually slumbrous old city seems to awaken
with tho bird. and to become oil vocal with 10y
Gus sounds. Besides. II you would judge cor
rectly Of the piety. both of the citizens them
sclvc and OF the numerous strangers present
on such feast you must go to the cathedral
in the carly morning hours. Tho late pontill-
cnl mass. with its solemn pageant. will not con-
vey true idea Of the peoples picty and depth
Of feoling.
Go as early as you please. You will ind every
confessional crowded with an expectant throng
OF pontents. and priests and worshippers at
every altar. Tho men vie in numbers with tho
women; country folk with their picturesque
costumes. Gallcgos. Asturians. Basqucs. Ara
gonese. and Castilians are oil mixed up to-
gcthcr Kneeling near tho same confessional
and waiting for their turn to approach the
priest are nobleman and q poor lame old
man. Presently n lady rises from the confess
sonal. perhaps the noblemans wife, and both
he and the soldier By his side help tho poor
lame one TO his feet and support him to tho
place Just left vacant by the lady. You cannot
mistake the sincerity the carncstness Of these
early worshippcrs stealing in hero with tho first
light to perform a duty which they evidently do
not deem hardship.
But to see this earnest fecling'a at It's best you
must go TO tho crypt, where the tomb Of st.
james WIS discovered in Sl3 Though tho July
sun has ris0n. its radiance penetrates not tho
gloom Of this Underground sanctuary; nor do
tho lamps around the shrine light UP the
place as to dispel the darkness. The place is
crowded. but not uncomfortably. To purify
the air. on such occasions as the present. they
have recourse here to the same means as in the
upper church. Tho atmosphere is laden. not
unrIn,snn.ly with tho fr,yr,,oo Of ;n.,,s,
"n''o"a"''.'. wiz" .no ii"-'anpe Vi 'ht'"e'
ana oi'hd must be tho man VINO. on entering
here at this morning hour. cannot perceive
bo,v doom and bo,v .,iu rurs ,ha ourront 30
Nv ",V' ca" ~" sym iu'' '"o wa ''n' Va
pioty through tho souls OF the crowd. In the
immediate vicinity of the ultur-tomb which
contains tho hnI, ~ tb, ,n,s,I, ,r,, =, ,,,,nLnr
~, ir $3.50, % ap''.o ''.o "1'l'o'
dition The wurshippcis behind ins;inctively
forbcnr 10 nrnss forward IN those su,fIj,nts
for health. Meanwhile a constant stream Of
oySs " nnS r rgn' ou t hs a"
air. Tn"ro is tn n mos. neroct o ,r " "rpy
person thoro being seemingly intent on prefer
ring his or her own petition to the Divine Good
moss WINE careful not 10 disturb any oil those
VINO are kneeiins around.
,,nn, ', " "p e,'I "n ,nI n.ho Th ."o
hohtc p"fEc OF Lioreuh when b'HhoP lheo-
dOmir in Sl3. and soon after him Alfonso the
i,,.atin t. - ,,, 49,, .,,.'i,''. 80 Ga
usNot'on' u became WIN ,hc sh'lhr OF SIS.
Peter and Paul in Rome and the Scpulchre of
which VIII, medmyal christend"m poured genera,
calamity ana danger. ~ we'll as i'll times OF
nenc" ana prosperity. Above the Chapel OF the
saviour. enclosing the tomb. Alfonso the Chaste
reGrod modest hui sufficiently spacious
cAGrch. me Doncdiciines erected n monas-
terry close by. wing with the secular clergy
attached to tho place in Attending to
tie wants OF the ever. increasing pilgrims,
and opcning in their monastery school
with the adjoining monasic pies. and tho
town Itself. which from the Struggling burgh OF
pan us was soon tr'tnsiormrd MIC ne popu-
lous ana thriity clty OF santiago De tompos-
tela. Then. 1u4t rs ii wns in the first stage Of
is prosperous development. came tho mighty
NpS!om hordcs OF the victorious Al-Mahsor.
ana o. the mPper church not one stone WAS let
standing. The mnnastic and other buildings
We're ,h ais? ruined: When the eonaper?r entered
the crypt ana approached the TOMB OF the saint,
ho found. seated on it or before IT.
u monk o. most Venerable aspect.
anu uev"s.a'iohs anu prophesie,u m,s spee1uy
H. H. is an nv . WIN, x VIII Iih
immunity. rnjs nnc,nrnr"d him /" y,n m,oit
elsewhere his sacrilcrious spo!iations In I0Ji
came tho doom forctOd at the shrine of Com
po.tela. After pluuderng tho most venerated
MrIinn-CcH in the midst Of his victorious
army. when all Spain seemed powercss before
him. ont his death agony tuut lie
Tho most wrctchei OF ali ths mighty host which
followed him. From Compostelia he carried
away the doors OF the upper church and the
bells. the latter bning borne all the way
t. Cordoya on the backs of the Galicinn
prisoners. They wore plated with sill
YER and served thnnccforward as lamps
in the Great Mosque Their. st Ferdinand
found them on entering thar city in 1856 He
forced the IOhamnc!nnS to carry back on
their own shoulders these same bells to Com
ppStolla. So this crypt with the glorious ca
in"Ilal overhead is IA monument of the mighty
struggle between Christianity and islam in the
spanish y,ninSula-n witness to the vigorous
nntionpl life which once was 80 prolific in true
hcroism and I'm tho best creations Of hpncn-
ccnce social wisdom science literature and
art And now rs ilDw seems 10 have stood still
or moved backward like the leo atronns of the
Aims IA problem To exercise either tho lnne-
nuity OF tn. learned or the shallow wit of tho
vulgar skcptic
Wa hope for bnttar things nswe knccl among
the crowd Of truly deyout pilgrims in this VEN
er.hln crypt before we ascend to tho great
baalica above and emerge into the bright sun
shine and the busy streets. Assur.dly the
spain of the middle ages and with Spain all
Cnristendpm, beloved that here lay buried the
oder OF the two sons OF Iobcdce James who
with his brother John and Simon Peter was
Mount and further privileged To drink the
cha!ice of mGrtyrinm whore his adored Master
hal suiIrrad-ir Jerusalem. How MANY Illus
lrious men and women, the noblrst and best OF
their a.so and country, were wont To come even
irliu fhn western isles from Great Britain and
irnihnd to ycncratn and worship Christ ut the
Tomb of him who had been HIS first wiiupS