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1 THE PILGRIM'S GUIDE TO SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA

General Editor: Paula Gerson

The Pilgrim's Guide:


A Critical Edition
I1
THE TEXT:
ANNOTATED ENGLISH TRANSLATION
by Paula Gerson,
- Annie Shaver-Crandell
and Alison Stones
with the assistance of Jeanne Krochalis

LATIN TEXT COLLATED, EDITED & ANNOTATED


by Jeanne Krochalis & Alison Stones

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Charles L. Sonvay Memrrrial


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CHAPTER vn

CHAPTER VII. THE NAMES OF THE LANDS


AND THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE
PEOPLES ON THE ROAD TO SANTIAGO.

irona5
g0nif9
I Along the way of Saint James by the Toulouse road,' having first crossed the
Garonne River, one comes to the Gascon region and then, after crossing the pass
of Somport, to the land of Aragon, and then to the region of the Navarrese as
tbilisI7
roes2'
I far as Puente Arga2and beyond.
Takmg the road of the Port de Cize, after Toursf3one enters the land of the
mi, in I Poitevins, fertile, excellent and full of all sorts of good things. The Poitevins are
uerbis valiant heroes and fighting men, very experienced in war with bows, arrows
I
and lances, daring in the front line of battle, very fast in running, elegant in their
1 dress, distinguished of face, shrewd of speech, very generous with gifts, lavish
is bra-
i- in h~spitality.~
)35 eP6

rustici
I
I Then comes the region of Saintonge; from there, after crossing an arm of the
sea and the River Garonne: is the region of Bordeaux, which is considered to
have excellent wine and abundant fish but rustic language. The people of
?nib.
Saintonge are considered to have rustic speech, but that of the people of the
L ~et s ~ ~
Bordelais is regarded as even more r ~ s t i c . ~
: pani-
'aciem After that are the Landes of the Bordelais, a three-days' journey exhausting
s2nes62 to be sure. This is a country devoid of all good things, lacking in bread, wine,
:dem66 meat, fish, water and springs, sparse in towns, flat, sandy but abundant,
lociter however, in honey, millet, panic-grass7and pigs.8 If, however, by chance you
cross the Landes region in summer, take care to guard your face from the
enormous insects, commonly called guespe [wasps] or tauones [horsefliesIf9
~timo~~
which are most abundant there; and if you do not watch carefully where you
j sanis
put your feet, you will slip rapidly up to your knees in the quicksandIOthat
rodigi,
abounds there.
,79 sed

com- Indeed, having crossed this deserted region, one comes to the Gascon
>dunP5 country bountiful in white bread and excellent red wine, healthy on account of
*edine, its woods and meadows, rivers and pure springs. The Gascons talk much trivia,
are verbose, mocking, libidinous, drunkards, prodigious eaters, badly dressed
in rags and bereft of (f. 195) wealth; however, they are given to combat but are
remarkable for their hospitality to the poor. Their custom is to sit around the
fire and eat without a table, all drinking with one cup. They eat and drink
liberally and are poorly dressed, and they all lie down together on a bed of dirty
rotting straw-the servants with the master and mistress.
CHAPTER W

prope Upon leaving this country, the way of Saint James crosses two rivers which
leuam flow near the town of St-Jean de Sorde," one on the right and one on the left, of
mod0 which one is called gauer [a t~rrent],'~and the other pumen [a river], which can
urnina not be crossed without a barque-may their boatmen be utterly damned! For,
upe ere although the rivers are quite narrow, nevertheless, they are in the habit of
,et de getting one nummus13from every person, poor as well as rich, whom they ferry
lorum across, and for a beast four, which they undeservedly extort. And furthermore,
eris te their boat is small, made of a single tree trunk, scarcely big enough to accom-
turn modate horses; also, when you get in, be careful not to fall into the water by'
2r cum accident. You will have to draw your horse behind you by the bridle, outside
,itut+>O7 the boat, through the water. On account of this, get into the boat with only a
L12 re- few passengers because if the boat is overladen with too many people, it will
P
:an fur. soon be in peril. Many times also, after receiving the money the ferrymen take
on such a throng of pilgrims that the boat tips over, and the pilgrims are killed
in the water. Thereupon the ferrymen rejoice wickedly after seizing the spoils
urbem
from the dead.
arbara
.ahbus Then, around the Port de Cize is the Basque country, with its city Bayonne,
In lsac on the coast towards the north. This country, whose language is barbarous, is
dicitur wooded and mountainous, devoid of wine, bread and bodily nourishment of
uum127 all lunds, but is compensated for these by apples and cider14and milk. In this
country there are evil toll-keepers, that is, near the Port de Cize, at the town
secun- which is called Ostabat, and at the town of St-Jean and St-Michel-Pied-de-
m per- Port-may they be utterly damned!15For they go and stand in the way of the
femor- pilgrims with two or three big sticks, extorting an unjust toll by force. And if
someone passing through does not want to give them money in accordance
with their demand, they both beat him with the sticks and snatch away the
assessed sum from him, upbraiding him and searching him down to his
underwear.
nseun- These are ferocious people, and the land in which they dwell is considered
e, qua- harsh, both in its forest and in its savage ways; the ferocity of their faces and (f.
:. Qua- 195v) their barbaric speech arouse great fear in the hearts of those who see them.
.iquel49 Although by right they ought not to exact so great a toll except from merchants,
onsen- they also get it unjustly from pilgrims and from all who pass. When they ought
onte,l56 by custom to get on some object a toll of four nummi or six, they take eight or
xris,161 twelve-that is to say, double. That is why we enjoin and entreat that, not only
at the episcopal sees of their land but also in the basilica of Santiago in the
L
hearing of the pilgrims, a sentence of excommunication be assid~ously~~ de-
clared against these toll-collectors, as well as the King of Aragon17and the other
rich people who receive tribute monies from them, and all those conspiring with
them-that is, Raymond of Solis, Vivien of Aigremont and the Viscount of
CHAPTER VII

e sua St-Michel with all their future progeny, together with the said ferrymen and
jdem Arnauld of GuiniaI8 and all his future progeny and the other lords of the
above-named rivers who unjustly receive from the boatmen the ferry-money,
invm and also the priests who knowingly pay them off with the sacrament of
Penancelgor the Eucharist or celebrate the Divine Office for them or consent to
;non their beingz0in church-until they have become reasonable again by a long and
acobi public penance and put a limit on the tolls they exact. And if any of these
' prel- prelates, whoever they may be, may wish to spare them, for love or money, may
;ladio they be struck down by the sword of anathema. It should be known that these
lerela3 toll-collectors ought not, by any means, to levy a toll of any kind against
itibus pilgrims, and the said ferrymen ought properly to ask for the crossing only one
a6 rite obolZ1for two persons if they are rich, and, for a horse, only a nurnmus, and
nenta nothing at all from the poor. In addition, they ought to have large boats in which
beasts and men could fit easily.
nuslg3 And also in the Basque country, there is on the way of Saint James a most
betur, excellent mountain which is called the Port de C i ~ eeither
, ~ ~because the gateway
;port- to Spain is there, or because it is by this mountain that necessary thngs are
betur. transported from one country to the other. The ascent of it is eight miles,23and
the descent is similarly eight. For the height of the mountain is so great that it
seems to reach the sky. To him who ascends it, it seems that he can touch the
sky with his own hand. From its summit can be seen the Sea of Brittany and the
Western and also the territories of three regions-that is, Castile,
Aragon and France.25
In truth, at the summit of this mountain is a place which is called the Cross
cgens, of CharlemagneZ6because it is here that (f. 196) with axes and picks and spades
ndem and other implements Charlemagne, going to Spain with his armies, once made
fudit. a road, and he raised on it the sign of the cross of the Lord. And then, kneeling
2i pa- facing Galicia, he poured out h s prayer to .God and Saint James. On account of
this, the pilgrims, bending the knee towards the land of Saint James, are
3ancfi accustomed to pray, and each one plants his own standard of the cross of the
ucis&l Lord.27About a thousand crosses are to be found there. That is why that place
1ctum is considered the first station of prayer to Saint James. On the same mountain,
:e et234 before Christianity was widespread within Spanish territories, the impious
Navarrese and Basques not only robbed the pilgrims going to Santiago but also
were wont to ride them like donkeys and to slay them.
is que
; exer- Near this mountain, that is, towards the north, is a valley called Valcarl0s,2~
iam243 in which Charlemagne was encamped with his armies while the warriors were
being killed at Ronce~valles.~~
Indeed, through there pass many pilgrims travel-
ling to Santiago who do not wish to climb the mountain.30
CHAPTER VII

eccle- Finally in truth, on the way down from that same mountain, are found a
:a sua 1 hospice and the church3' which contains the rock that Roland, that most
.ueni- powerful hero, split through the middle from top to bottom with a triple blow
1111,~~~ of his sword.32Then comes Roncesvalles, the very place where the great battle
j CUm was once fought in which King Mar~ile,3~ and Roland and Oliver and other
,
warriors died, together with forty thousand Christians and S a r a ~ e n s . ~ ~
2270et After this valley is found the land of Navarre, which abounds in bread and
sZnet wine, milk and cattle. The Navarrese and Basques35are held to be exactly alike
facie I
in their food, their clothing and their language, but the Basques are held to be
ue ad of whiter complexion than the Navarrese. The Navarrese wear short black
-279
garments extending just down to the knee, like the Scots, and they wear sandals
edem wluch they call l a ~ a r c a smade
~ ~ of raw hide with the hair on and are bound
mtur. around the foot with thongs, covering only the soles of the feet and leaving the
~ ~ l e ~ ~ ~foot bare.37In truth, they wear black woollen hooded and fringed capespa
upper
.ur, et reaching to their elbows, which they call ~ a i a sThese. ~ ~ people, in truth, are
tam293 repulsively dressed, and they eat and drink repulsively. For in fact all those who
simul dwell in the household of a Navarrese, servant as well as master, maid as well
opriis as mistress, are accustomed to eat all their food mixed together from one pot,
re^,^' not with (f. 196v) spoons but with their own hands, and they drink with one
.dires, cup. If you sa+O them eat you would think them dogs or pigs. If you heard4'
aben- them speak, you would be reminded of the barking of dogs. For their speech is
puip" utterly barbarous. They call God Urcia, the Mother of God Andrea Maria, bread
linm orgui, wine ardum, meat aragui, fish araign, house echea, the master of a house
n be- iaona, the mistress andrea, church elicera, a priest belaterra, which means 'fair
bsis1322 earth', grain gari, water uric, a king ereguia, Saint James Ioana dornne I a c ~ e . ~ ~
This is a barbarous race43unlike all other races in customs and in character,
full of malice, swarthy in colour, evil of face, depraved, perverse, perfidious,
I,fide empty of faith and corrupt, libidinous, dmnken, experienced in all violence,
estris, ferocious and wild, dishonest and reprobate, impious and harsh, cruel and
bonis contentious, unversed in anything good, well-trained in all vices and iniquities,
enis342 like the Geats4 and Saracens in malice, in everything inimical to our French
o uno people.45For a mere nummus, a Navarrese or a Basque will kill, if he can, a
1.
FrenchmanP6
1 durn In certain regions of their country, that is, in Biscay and Alavap7when the
~dunt. Navarrese are warming themselves, a man will show a woman and woman a
' enim man their private ~ a r t s .The
4 ~ Navarrese even practise unchaste fornication with
: alius animals. For the Navarrese is said to hang a padlock behind his mule and his
hosa. mare, so that none may come near her but himself. He even offers libidinous
kisses to the vulva of woman and m ~ l e . That
4 ~ is why the Navarrese are to be
rebuked by all experienceds0people.
CHAPTER W

m im- However, they are considered good on the battlefield, bad at assaulting
~eti,3~~ fortresses, regular in giving tithes, accustomed to making offerings for altars.
;iam31 For, each day, when the Navarrese goes to church, he makes God an offering of
~ntie3~~ bread or wine or wheat or some other substance. Wherever the Navarrese or
)rnua9 Basque goes, he hangs a horn around his neck like a hunter, and he habitually
t,393ex holds in his hand two or three javelins which he calls a ~ c o n a sAnd
. ~ ~ when he
ore397 enters or comes back to his house, he whistles like a kite and when in secret
.citatis places or skulking alone in ambush, he wishes to call I s comrades without
O2 can- words, he either hoots like a horned owl or howls like a Those people
~disse, are commonly said to be descended from the race of the Scots53because (f. 197)
3us et they are similar to them in customs and appearance.
Julius so it is saidF5sent three peoples-namely the Nubians, the
1s4O9et Scots and the Cornish people with t a i l ~ ~ ~ - tSpain
o to conquer the Spanish
tribu- peoples who did not wish to render him tribute, directing them to slay by the
nem414 sword all of the masculine sex and to spare the lives of women only.57When
uitam these people had come by sea to that land and had broken up their boats, they
1ctis4~~ laid it waste by fire and the sword from the city of Barcelona to Zaragoza and
) urbe from the city of Bayonne to the Montes de O C ~They . ~were
~ not able to advance
ines424 beyond that boundary because the Castilians united to drive the attackers out
:es427 ii of their territory. They, however, fled to the coastal mountainss9which are
iontes between Niijera and Pamplona and Bayonne, towards the ocean, in the land of
icilicet Biscay and Alava, where they settled and built many fortresses; they klled all
multa the males, whose wives they carried off by force for themselves, by whom they
442 sibi begat sons who later came to be called Navarrese; this accounts for 'Navarrese'
auarri being interpreted as nun verus-that is, not begotten as the true offspring of a
I uera legitimate race. And also the Navarrese first took their name from a certain city
ladam called NaddaverFOwhich is in that territory from which they came originally.
in illis Indeed, the blessed Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist, in early times converted
grimis that city to the Lord by h s preaching.
After the land of these people, once past the Montes de Oca, towards Bwgos,
the land of Spain continues with Castile and C a m p ~ sThis
. ~ ~country is full of
-gas," riches, gold and silver, blessed with fodder62and very strong horses, well-pro-
1 plena vided with bread, wine, meat, fish, milk and honey; however, it is devoid of
carne, wood and full of wicked and vicious people.
;malis
Then comes Galicia, after crossing the region of Le6n and the passes of Mount
Irago and Mount Cebrero; this is wooded and has rivers and is well-provided
ibus486 with meadows and excellent orchards,63with equally good fruits and very clear
nibus- springs; there are few cities, towns or cornfields. It is short of wheaten bread
,imis492
;1 pane
1 CHAPTER VIII
i
98 pisci- and wine, bountiful in rye bread and cider,@well-stocked with cattle and horses,
milk and honey, ocean fish both gigantic and and wealthy in gold, silver,
ITU~O~O~ and furs of forest animals and other riches, as well as Saracen treas-
Gallice,
:ongrue 1i u r e ~The
.~~ Galicians, in truth, more than all the other uncultivated Spanish
peoples, are those who most closely resemble (f. 197v) our French race by their
: manners, but they are alleged to be irascible and very l i t i g i o ~ s . ~ ~

CHAPTER VIII. THE BODIES OF THE SAINTS


I
WHICH ARE AT REST ALONG THE ROAD
SIUS TO SANTIAGO WHICH PILGRIMS OUGHT
TO VISIT.]

endunt, For indeed, those who travel by the road of St-Gilles to Santiago should first
make a visit to the body of the blessed Trophimus,2 confessor, at ArlesI3whom
the blessed Paul mentions in his letter to Timothy4He was consecrated bishop
zandum by the same apostle and was the first to be sent to the said city to preach the
a Gallia Gospel of Christ. From this clearest of sources, so Pope Zozimus5 wrote, all
.r.19 Gaul6 received rivulets of the Faith. His feast day is celebrated on the fourth
day before the Kalends7of January 129 December].
eadem
Vouem- Then to be visited is the body of the blessed Caesarius: bishop and martyr,
who established a Rule for nuns in the same city. His festival falls on the Kalends
of November [I November].
lt postu-
3 uener- Then in the cemetery of the said city, the aid of the blessed Honoratus?
wit. Est bishop, should be sought. His feast day falls on the seventeenth day before the
renqua- Kalends of February [16 January]. In his most venerable and magnificent
a, super basilica reposes the body of the most holy martyr, blessed Genesius.l0There is
Beatum then a village near Arles, between the two arms of the Rhane, which is called
lseo eius Trinquetaille, in which there is a most magnificent tall marble column erected
roprium in the gound, that is, behind his church, to which, it is said," the treacherous
lsque ad populace bound the blessed Genesius before decapitating him, so that even
uero ip- today bright traces of his red blood appear on it.12He himself, in truth, as soon
n~rurn~~ as he was beheaded, taking his head in his own hands, threw it into the RhGne,
and carried his own body through the riverI3 to the basilica of the blessed
Honoratus where it lies with honour. His head, in truth, borne by the Rh8ne
and the sea, was guided by an angel as far as the city of Cartagena in Spain
CHAPTER VIII

where it now rests in glory and works many miracles.14His feast day falls on
the eighth day before the Kalends of September [25 August].
u m loco Then, one should visit, near the city of Arles, the cemetery at a place called
nos esP8 'les Alyscamps', and intercede for the dead with prayers, psalms and alms,'5
Tot ac according to custom; its length and breadth are a mile. In no other cemetery but
possunt this one can be found so many marble tombs placed on the ground nor of such
Latinis a size.16(f. 198) For they are sculpted with various works and Latin letters and
.ge per- an unintelligible ancient language.17The farther you look, the more sarcophagi
Iseptem you will see. In this same cemetery there are seven churches;18if, in any one of
I= them, a priest celebrates a mass for the dead, or a layman devotedly has some
el psal- priest celebrate, or if a cleric reads the psalms there, he is sure to find in the
:e salua- presence of God, at the Final Resurrection, helpers among those pious dead
lta enim lylng there to aid him in obtaining salvation. For many are the bodies of
n anime martyred saints and confessors which rest there, whose souls rejoice together
3ost oc- in the seat of Paradise. For indeed, their commemoration may customarily be
celebrated on the Monday after the Octave of Easter.19
lignissi- Then one must also visit with an exceedingly observant eyez0the most
namque worthy body of the blessed Giles,2I most pious confessor and abbot. For truly,
arandus, the most blessed Giles, most highly renowned throughout all the climates of
lus, om- the ~ o r l d , must
2 ~ be venerated by all, worthily honoured by all, loved by all,
- ceteros invoked by all and supplicated by all. After the prophets and the apostles, none
lor. Ipse among the other saints is more worthy than he, none more holy none more
:t0s,9~et glorious, none more speedy in giving help. For he is accustomed to come more
n97eius quickly to aid the poor and the afflicted and the anguished who call upon him
s fuerit, than all the other saints. Oh, what a beautiful and precious deed it is to visit his
1 . ~Vidi
0~ tomb! The very day, in truth, that one prays to him with all one's heart, help
I cuisus- will happily be there without a doubt. I myself have experienced what I say. I
: domus once saw someone in this same town who, on the very day on which he invoked
uidebit the saint, escaped through the protection of this blessed confessor, from the
nplius1O8 house of a certain P e y r ~ ta, shoemaker,
~~ after which the dilapidated old house
leneran- fell down and was completely demolished. Who then will see more fully his
nlr3eger dwelling place? Who will adore God in his most holy basilica? Who will
3rcussus embrace the saint's tomb still more?24Who will kiss his venerable altar? Or who
t. Theo- will tell of his most pious life? For indeed, a sick person puts on his tunic and
litudine is healed. Through h s inexhaustible virtue, someone bitten by a snake is healed;
tius erat another possessed by a devil is delivered; a storm at sea is stilled; the daughter
.icus ill0 of TheocritaZ5is restored to long-wished-for health; a sick man, his whole body
'; pecca- bereft of strength, is returned to long-desired good health; a doe who (f. 198v)
was previously wild, made tame by his command, attends him. Under that
abbot's patronage, the monastic order is increased; a man possessed by a devil
1
CHAPTER M U

uitam I is freed; a sin of C h a r l e m a ~ e ?revealed


~ to him27 by an angel, is forgiven the
hostia 1 king; a dead man is restored to life; a cripple is returned to former health. Yes,
I
Jue ad I indeed, two cypress-wood doors sculpted with images of the apostolic prelates
3otenti arrive at the mouth of the RhBne from the city of Rome,28borne by the ocean
waves without any guide but his29sovereign power alone. It would take me to
my dying day to recount all his venerable deeds because they are so many and
so great.30
39 inter
amit- I This most brilliant Greek after illuminating the people of Provence.
na, sed f with these rays, set magnificently among them. Not declining but growing
ed suis greater; not losing his lighP2but sending it forth two-fold to all; not descending
1
' cosmi to the depths but rising to the heights of Olympus; not by dying was his light
15' hoc made dim but by its hstinguished brilliance it was made brighter than the other
1 collo- holy stars throughout the four climates of the Thus, at midnight, on a
o inter Sunday the Kalends of September [I September], this star was eclipsed, which
I
mltura the choir of angels placed34in the midst of them on a throne of state;35and the
L Goths36along with the order of monks gave him honourable burial in his own
free that is, between the city of Nlmes and the river RhBne.
'neran-
imma- A great gold shrine38which is behind his altar, above his venerable body39is
! sculpted40on its left side in the first register with images of six apostles. On this
ordine same first level is a suitably sculptured image of the Blessed Mary. In the second
iagitta- register above, in truth, the twelve41signs of the Zodiac are to be found in this
it aurei 1
order: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius,
1180 im- Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces. And amongst them are gold flowers in the form
eorum I of a vine. For indeed, up above in the third and uppermost registerare images
I
of twelve of the Twenty-four Elders with these verses written above their heads:
I

Behold the glorious choir of elders, two times twelve,


who sing sweet, clear songs with their citkarae.@

On the right side, in truth, in the first register, there are, similarly, another seven
,uius(f. images of which six are apostles and the seventh some (f. 199) disciple or other
~utesl~~ I of Christ. But, above the heads of the apostles, on each side of the shrine, are
nt~r:~OO !
sculptured the virtues which were in them, in the form of women:43namely
ere. In Benevolence, Gentleness, Faith, Hope, Charity, and so forth. In the second
I

?rcio2O6 register on the right are sculptured flowers in the form of vine-scrolls. On the
I
ginti208 third and upper level, as on the left side, there are images of twelve of the
;culpte b twenty-four elders with this inscription in verse sculptured above their heads:
I CHAPTER VIII

This illustrious vessel decorated with precious stones and


gold containsMthe relics of Saint Giles. May he who breaks
it be cursed by the Lord forever as well as by Giles and by all
the holy order.

;cium The lid of the shrine is worked on its upper part and on each side in the manner
lini219 of fish scales. Along its ridge, in truth, are set thirteen rock crystals, some with
uel a chequerboard pattern, others in the form of apples or pomegranates. There is
;tee224 one enormous crystal in the shape of a large fish, that is to.say,a upright, '

instar with its tail turned upwards. Indeed, the first enormous crystal [i.e. probably
~nitur on one end] has the form of a large bowl; above it is placed a most resplendent
precious gold cross.
In the middle of the front face of the shrine-that is to say, f~rward~~-in a
I quo circle of gold, sits the Lord, blessing with His right hand and holding in His left
n eius a book on which is written 'Delight in peace and Under His footstool,
cilicet in truth, is a gold star and near His elbows are written two letters, one on the
eius, right, the other on the left, thus: AW.* And above His throne two precious stones
;eliste shine in inestimable fashion. In truth, the Four Evangelists, with wings, sur-
:dulas round His throne, each holding a little scroll with his feet, on which are written
the beginnings of each of their gospels in order. Matthew in the manner of a
m, et man, on the right above, and Luke, in the likeness of an ox, is below him, and
ile ad John in the form of an eagle on the left above, and Mark as a lion, is sculpted
iuxta below. Two angels, in truth, are sculptured in marvellous fashion next to the
super throne of the Lord-a cherub on the right with his feet above Luke and a seraph
on the left, with his feet similarly above Mark.49There are two sets of precious
cioso- stones of all knds, admirably disposed, of which one encircles the throne on
which the Lord sits, and the other similarly encircles the shrine and three stones
199v) joined as a sign of the Holy TriniV0(f. 199v)But some renowned person affixed
magi- h s own portrait in gold, for love of the most holy confessor, to the foot of the
altare, shrine on the altar side with golden nails; to the honour of God, it still appears
?m ibi there today51
In truth, on the other face of the shrine, that is, on the back, the Ascension of
b.In the Lord is sculptured. In the first row are six apostles with their gaze turned
mtem upwards, watching the Lord rising to heaven; above their heads these words
tur: are written:
..

0men of Galilee, this Jesus who is taken from you into


Heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him.52
. t ~ r ; ~ ~ ~ In truth, in the second register are sculptured the other six apostles standing in
r~io~~O the same manner.53And gold columns are set between the apostles on each side.
angeli In the third register, the Lord stands upright on a certain golden throne54and
inibus two standing angels on either side, one on the right, the other on the left beyond
uatis, the throne, each with one hand raised upwards and the other inclined
I U ~ ~ ~ downwards,
~ point out the Lord to the apostles. And above the Lord's head, that
uero is, beyond the throne, is a dove which appears to fly above Him. In the fourth
i e m row, at the very top, the Lord is sculptured on another gold throne, with the
contra Four Evangelists next to Him: Luke in the shape of an ox towards the south,
08 In309
below, and Matthew in the likeness of a man, above. On the other side, towards
rm, et the north, is Mark, in the likeness of a lion, and John, above, in the manner of
ninica an eagle. In truth, it must be known that the Lord's Majesty which is on the
lersus throne is not seated, but standing, with His back turned towards the
leuata and His head upright, looking as if towards heaven, with His right hand
qui in raisednd in His left holding a little cross; and it is thus that He rises to His Father,
Who, at the top of the shrine, receives Him.56
:orpus Such is the tomb of the blessed Giles, confessor, in which his venerable body
unt se rests with honour.57Therefore may the H ~ n g a r i a n blush,
s ~ ~ who say they have
ant se his body; may the people of Chamalikre~~~ be wholly confounded who fancy
unt se that they have his entire body; may the people of St-Seine60waste away, they
,331 qui who praise themselves for having his head. Similarly may the Normans of
issima Coutances6' stand in awe, they who boast of having h s entire body, because
I beati there is no way, as many people assert, that his most holy bones could have
*336 in
been transported away from this place. Some people, to be sure, once tried
l nullo fraudulently to carry off the venerable arm62of the blessed confessor from the
:a, que homeland of Giles (f. 200) to a distant but they were completely unable
ltur, ut to make off with it. There are four holy bodies which it has never been possible
ni Tu- to remove from their respective sarcophagi, as many people prove: those of the
ssoris. blessed James, the son of Zebedee, and the blessed Martin of Tours, and Saint
alliam Leonard of the Limousin and the blessed Giles, confessor of Christ.64It is said
;uis ea that Philip, King of the French,65once attempted to carry off these bodies to
but by no method was he able to remove them from their respective
lunt,36' sarcophagi.
nam- Therefore the body of the blessed confessor William67must be visited by
11011369 those who go to ~ a n t i a ~byo way of the Toulouse road. The most blessed
74 Ne- William, illustrious standard-bearer and count of Charlemagne the King, stood
1380im- out as not the least among men, a most courageous soldier, expert in war. He
lallem subjected the city of NAmes,so it is said, and Orange, and many others, to
=it, et Christian rule, by his capable valour and brought with him the wood of the
Cross of the Lord to the valley of G e l l ~ n ein
, ~which
~ same valley he led a
CHAPTER VIII

sacra hermit's life and where, after a blessed end, this confessor of Christ rests with
honour. His holy feast day falls on the fifth day before the Kalends of June [28
berii, i May].
!
2risti Then, on the same route, one should visit the bodies of the blessed martyrs
m,399 I Tiberius, Modestus and Florentiab9who, in the time of Diocletian, racked with
uem- various t o r l r e s for the faith of Christ, suffered martyrdom. They repose by the
River Hbrault in a most beautiful tomb; their feast day falls on the fourth day
before the Ides of November 110 November].
~rnini
:auris Then, on the same route, one should also visit the most holy body of the
le ad blessed Saturnin~s,7~ bishop and martyr, who was seized by pagans in the
! con- Capitol in the city of Toulouse and attached to savage and untamed bulls and
nam- then thrown from the top of the citadel of the Capitol to the head of a stone
lgens staircase a mile long and all the way down; with his head crushed, his brains
2ati424 scattered and his entire body torn to pieces, he rendered h s worthy soul to God.
tstan- He was buried at a beautiful place near the city of Toulouse, where an immense
basilica7' was constructed by the faithful in his honour, and the canonical rule
of the blessed Augustinen is observed and many favours are granted by the
m ad
Lord to those who ask for them. His feast day is celebrated on the third day
Beate
before the Kalends of December [29 November].
cibus
(f. 200v) Then, the Burgundians and Teutons who go to Santiago by the route
of Le Puy should visit the most holy body of St Faith," virgin and martyr, whose
Terse- most holy soul, after her body was decapitated by the executioners on the
,amM1 mountain at the city of Agen, choirs of angels bore off to heaven in the likeness
mam of a dove, and they adorned her with the laurel of immortality. When the blessed
Caprasi~s:~ bishop of the city of Agen, who was hiding in a certain cave in order
.eque to flee the fury of persecution, had seen that, encouraged to bear martyrdom,
rod48 he hastened to the place where the blessed virgin had suffered and, struggling
isque
. . bravely, earned the palm of martyrdom, even complaining about the slowness
et in- of his execution. Finally the most precious body of the blessed Faith, virgin and
martyr, was buried with honour by the Christians in a valley commonly called
Conques, above which a beautiful basilica75was built by the Christians in which,
endit, to the glory of the Lord, the rule of the blessed Benedict is observed even today
-inan- with the greatest care;76to the sound and to the infirm many favours are granted;
Jomo in front of its portals is an excellent springn whose virtues are more marvellous
than can be told. Her festivity falls on the second day before the Nones of
October [6 October].
Next, on the road that goes to Santiago through St-Lhonard, the most worthy
body of the blessed Mary Magdalene78must first be venerated by pilgrims and
rightly so. For she is that glorious Mary who, in the house of Simon the Leper,
CHAPTER VIII

moistened with her tears the feet of the Saviour, wiped them with her hair, and
3 sunt anointed them with her precious ointment while kissing them assiduously, on
'2 Ihe- account of which her many sins were forgiven her, because she greatly loved
3nsio- the Lover of all the world, that is Jesus Christ, her Redeemer.79It is she, in truth,
. aliis- who, after the Ascension of the Lord, arrived by sea from the region of Jerusalem
et per with the blessed M a ~ i m i n u sdisciple
,~ of Christ, and other disciples of the Lord,
liquot in the land of Provence, that is, through the port of Marseille, in which land she
urbis led a celibate life for several years and finally was buried in the city of Aix by
ecios- the same Maximinus, who had become bishop of the city. But, in truth, after a -
84 ui ta long time, a certain distinguished man, blessed by his monastic life, by the name
of BadiloF1translated her most precious mortal clay from this city to Vkzelay
where even today it rests in a revered tomb. (f. 201) Also, in this place, a vast
more and very beautiful basilica and an abbey of monks were established; there, for
uitur, love of this saint, transgressions of sinners are forgiven by the Lord, sight is
is im- restored to the blind, the tongue of the mute is loosed, paralytics are raised, the
possessed are delivered and ineffable benefits are granted to manya2Her holy
solemnities fall on the eleventh day before the Kalends of August [22 July].
icum
oroso Thena3one should visit the holy body of the blessed confessor L e ~ n a r dwho
,~~
oris507 was the noblest of the Frankish racea5and raised at the royal court, renouncing
scam, for the love of God most high the wicked world, led, for a long time, at a place
libus- in the Limousin commonly called Noblat, a celibate hermit's life, fasting fre-
insitu quently and keeping many vigils, enduring cold and nakedness and unspeak-
able hardships and finally came to rest on his own free land,86after a blessed
f,cum death. His blessed mortal clay is said to be im~noveable.~~ Therefore may the
queat monks of Corbignya8blush, who say they have the body of the blessed Leonard,
ads since in no way could the smallest of his bones or his ashes, as we have already
orpus said, have been moved. The people of Corbigny, in truth, and many others, have
i528ab been enriched by his benefits and miracles; but they are deprived of his bodily
n, pro presence. As they were not able to have his body, they venerate the body of a
xium certain man by the name of Leotardiusa9which, they say, was brought to them
ARDI from the region of Anjou in a silver casket as being that of St Leonard of the
Sancti Limousin; and, changing his own name after his death as if he had been
(bus"" baptized again, they imposed St Leonard's name upon him so that, because of
the fame of so great and famous a name, that of St Leonard of the Limousin, the
pilgrims might come there and enrich them with their offerings. His feast falls
on the Ides of October [15 October].
1 pro-
Iuunt. At first they made St Leonard of the Limousin the patron of their basilica;
aufert then they put another in his place, in the manner of envious servants who snatch
away their lord's rightful heritage by force and offer it unworthily to a stranger.
They are similar also to an evil father who seizes his daughter from a legitimate
CHAPTER VIII

litudi- spouse and gives her to another. Thus they changed', says the psalmist, 'their
"Non glory into the similitude of an (f. 201v) A certain wise man rebuked such
'1 illvc behaviour, saying, 'Give not your honour to others'?' For indeed, the faithful,
mtant foreigners and natives, who come there believe that they find the body of St
j aput Leonard of the Limousin whom they love, and, unbeknownst to them, it is
censis another that they find in his place. Whoever it may be at Corbigny who
t561 ibi performs miracles, nevertheless it is the blessed Leonard of the Limousin who
illum delivers captives, though he is supplanted in the patronage of their church and
iam567 though it is he who leads them there. Whence the people of Corbigny are bound
by a double fault because they do not recognize at all him who enriches them
reverently by his miracles, nor do they even celebrate his feasts but improperly
pef17'
worship another in his place.
uirtus
n uin- Therefore, divine mercy already spread through the length and breadth of
n eius the whole world the fame of the blessed confessor, Leonard of the Limousin,
-579 Those powerful virtue freed from prison countless thousands of captives,
eri~,5~l whose thousands upon thousands of iron fetters, more barbarous than can be
enim told, were hung all around his on the right and on the left, inside and
L iuga, out, bearing witness to such great miracles. It is beyond all telling to see those
sirnus wooden poles weighed down with so great and so many barbarous irons. For
forma there hang iron manacles, fetters, chains, hobbles, shackles, traps, bars, yokes,
3 589 ut helmets, scythes and divers instrument^,^^ from which the most mighty confes-
-I

,quod sor of Christ had delivered the captives by the virtue of his power. What is
remarkable about him is that he is in the habit of appearing in a visible human
form to those chained in prisons with hard labour, even across the sea, as though
witnessing to them that he will deliver them through God's might. By him is
accomplished beautifully that which once the divine prophet had foretold,
saying:

Often he delivered those who sat in darkness


and in the shadow of death and those bound in
affliction and iron. And they cried out to him
in their trouble, and he saved them out of their
distress. He brought them out of the path of
mdus, iniquity, for he has broken the gates of brass
urn,et and cut the bars of iron in sunder. He freed those
20s. Et in hobbles and many nobles in iron
I

For often the Christians were deLivered in chains into the hands of the pagans,
as was B~hemond?~ and they were ruled over by those who hated them, and
their enemies oppressed them, and they were humbled at their hands, (f. 202)
I but he [St Leonard] often freed them. And he led them out of darkness and the
! CKAPTER VIII

3s. Et shadow of death and broke their chains asunder. He says to those who are
dicit, chained, 'Go forth', and to those who are in darkness, 'Be re~ealedI.9~
His holy
Zuius solemnities fall on the eighth day before the Ides of November [6 November].
,
! Then, after St-Leonard, in the city of Pkigueux, one should visit the body of
!
sitan- I the blessed front^,^^ bishop and confessor, who was ordained in Rome into the
Beato I pontifical state98by the blessed apostle Peter, and sent with a certain priest
I
1ine6l6 1 named George99to preach in this city. Though they set out together, George died
rnul6'l t
along the way and was buried, and the blessed Fronto went back to the apostle
tolum , and announced the death of his companion. To him the blessed Peter then gave
his ~ t a f f , 'saying,
~ When you place this my staff upon the body of your
)rpUS, companion, speak thus: "For the sake of that charge which you have accepted
Cristi from the apostle, in the name of Christ, rise and complete it"'. And thus was it
3eatus done. By means of the staff of the apostle, the blessed Fronto received back his
edica- companion from death on the journey and converted the said city to Christ by
digno his preaching, and he won renown for his numerous miracles, and having died
turam there with dignity, he received burial in the basilicalo' built in his name, where,
Tradi- I
through God's bounty, numerous blessings are granted to those who ask. It is
fuisse. said by some that he was even one of the company of the disciples of Christ
ile sit, Himself. His tomb does not resemble any other sepulchres of saints; indeed, it
t,6S1 et is constructed with the greatest care, as a rotunda, like the Holy Sepulchre, and
xcellit . it surpasses in the beauty of the workmanship all the tombs of other saints.lo2
His holy feast day falls on the eighth day before the Kalends of November [25
October].
ndunt ,
urciP5 Returning to those who go on the road to Santiago by way of Tours, in the
. est.670 city of OrlC!an~,~~~the wood of the Lord [the True Cross] and the Chalice of the
blessed Evortius,lo4bishop and confessor, should be visited in the church of
jerant, Ste-Croix.lo5For, one day when the blessed Evortius was saying mass, there
appeared high above the altar, in the sight of those present, the Right Hand of
the Lord in human form, and everything that the bishop did at the altar, It did
too. While the bishop was making the sign of the cross over the bread and the
chalice, It did likewise. While he was raising the bread and the chalice, the Hand
lit, ipse of God was similarly raising the true bread and the chalice. Once the sacrifice
est qui was completed, that most blessed Saving (f. 20217)Hand disappeared. From this
o nobis we must understand that whosoever sings mass, Christ Himself sings. Hence
m boni blessed Fulgentius the doctor106says, 'It is not man who offers the body and
lix e~6~0 blood of Christ, but He Who was crucified for us, Christ'.lo7And the blessed
clesia691 Isidore speaks thus, 'Neither because of the goodness of a good priest is it done
better, nor because of the badness of a bad priest is it done worse'.108The said
chalice is customarily always prepared for communion for the faithful who
request it, whether natives or foreigners, in the church of Ste-Croix.
CHAPTER VIII

Then, in this same city, one should visit the relics of the blessed Evortius,lo9
IS uisi-
bishop and confessor.
Then, in this same city, one should visit in the church of St-Samsonuothe
knifen1which truly served at the Lord's Supper.
Then, on this same road along the L ~ i r e , "one
~ should visit the worthy body
2t con- of the blessed Martin, bishop and confe~sor."~ In truth, he is said to be the noble
I susci-
resuscitator of three dead men, and he is said to have restored to desired health
ios, lu- lepers, the possessed, those who had gone astray in their wits, madmen, and
f ertur. those possessed by devils, and other sick people.n4For truly, the tomb in which
micam rests his most sacred mortal clay near the city of Tours gleams with a profusion
crebris I of silver and gold and precious stones, and it shines forth with frequent
L miraclesn5Above it,u6an immense and venerable basilica of admirable work-
tore ad !

tur, ad manship, similar to the church of the Blessed JamesP7was built in his honour;
claudi to it the sick come and are cured, the possessed are delivered, the blind are given
;digne I sight, the lame are raised up, and all kinds of illnesses are cured and totalx8
econiis consolation is given worthily to all who ask. That is why his splendid renown
us No- is spread everywhere by just praise, to the glory of Christ. His festival is
1 celebrated on the third day before the Ides of November [I1 November].

lum in Then one should visit the most holy body of the blessed Hilary,n9bishop and
$enus, confessor, in the city of Poitiers. Among other miracles, he, filled with God-
Ira do- given strength, conquering the Aryan heresy, taught the keeping of the unity
.trinam of the Faith; but Leo, the Aryan heretic, not wishing to accept his sacred
xzilion3 teaching, left the council and, in the latrine, died a miserable solitary death from
iuarunt a rotted gut.120It was for h m [Hilary],moreover, when he desired to be seated
o apud in the council, that the earth, rising under him, offered him a seat,121he who
uit, hic broke the locks of the doors of the council with his voice alone, he who was
Pictaua banished for the Catholic faith for a four-year exile to a certain island in Frisia,lZ2
?a qua (f. 203) he who put to flight countless serpents by his command, he who, in the
jidibus- city of Poitiers, gave back to a weeping mother her child struck prematurely by
crebris a double death.123 In truth, his tomb, where his most holy and venerable bones
rest, is decorated profusely with gold, silver and precious stones, and his large
and beautiful basilica124is honoured with frequent mira~1es.I~~ His holy solem-
1aput,750 nities fall on the Ides of January [13J a n ~ a r y 1 . l ~ ~
horis
iuorum Then one should visit the venerable head of the blessed John the Baptist
2onitur, which was brought by the hands of some religious men from the region of
iie noc- Jerusalem to a place called A r t g k l ~in
l ~the
~ land of Poitou, where an immense
basilica of admirable workmanship was constructed under his patronage,128in
which the same most sacred head is venerated by a choir of a hundred monks
day and night and is distinguished by innumerable miracles. While the head
CHAPTER VIll

was transported by sea and by land, it gave innumerable signs. On the sea, it
:ert,764 warded off ocean perils, and on land, as the book of his translation tells,'29 it
1 esse restored some dead people to life. For this reason, it is believed that it is huly
the head of the venerated Precursor. Its invention took place on the sixth day
O' a@-
mon- before the Kalends of March [24 February], in the time of the Emperor Marcian130
when the same Precursor first revealed to two monks the place where his head
lay hdden.
t mar-
On the road to Santiago, at the city of Saintes, the body of the blessed
11, lit- E ~ t r o p i u sbishop
, ~ ~ ~ and martyr, should be visited respectfullyby pilgrims. The
Cristo blessed D i o n y s i u ~his
, ~ ~companion
~ and bishop of Paris, wrote down his most
ionem holy passion in Greek letters, and he sent it by the hand of the blessed Pope
pluri- Clement133to his kinsmen in Greece who already believed in Christ. This
nostri passion I once found in Constantinople, at the Greek school, in a certain book
of the passions of many holy martyrs, and, for the glory of Our Lord Jesus Christ
prout
and of his glorious martyr Eutropius, I have translated it as well as I could from
Greek to Latin.134And thus it began:
Pape
.s798ad Dionysius, bishop of the Franks,135of Greek lineage, to the most reverend
ilium, Pope Clement, greetings in Christ. We inform you that Eutropius, (f. 203v)
isse.$03 whom you sent with me into these regions to preach the name of Christ,
is eius received the crown of martyrdom at the hands of the pagans13%t the city of
.thenis Saintes, for the faith of the Lord. On account of this, I humbly beg Yow
illi ce- Paternity to send this book about his passion as soon as you can, without
n un5 delay to my relatives, acquaintancesand faithful friends, in the region of Greece
:ti fide and especially in Athens, so that they and the others who, together with me,
',jSti815 received from the blessed apostle Paul a new baptism, in order that they when
rtirii817 they hear that the glorious martyr suffered a cruel death for the faith of Christ,
irna205 may rejoice at themselves having suffered trials and tribulations for the name
2 est ut
of Christ. And if by chance the wrath of the pagans shall have inflicted any kind
r tam- of martyrdom137on them, they may learn to accept it patiently for Christ and
ntroire not to fear it in any way.138For all who wish to live piously in Christ must suffer
the insults of the impious and of those who are not like-minded, and be despised
as madmen and fools because it behooves us to enter into the kingdom of God
through many tribulations.

Far from you in body and near you in my pmyers and in spirit
I now bid you a farewell that may be forever.
CHAFERXI

)cum et cheat about this or if he should divert in some way the offerings given, as we
*
have described above, may his sin be between himself and God.

CHAPTER XI. HOW PILGRIMS OF SAINT JAMES


ARE TO BE RECEIVED?

: e ~uel
,~ Pilgrims, whether poor or rich, returning from the abode of Saint James or going
erandi. there, ought to be charitably received and honoured by all peoples. For whoever
L solum will receive them and will attend diligently to their lodging will have not only
j IPSO'~ the Blessed James, but also the true Lord Himself as guest. The Lord Himself
said in His Gospel: 'He that receives you receives me'.2
Iacobi There were many in times past who incurred the wrath of God because they
la inter did not wish to receive pilgrims of Saint James and the needy; at Nantua? which
. Iacobi is a town between Geneva and Lyon, a certain weaver who refused bread to a
Villam pilgrim of Saint James who asked him for some suddenly found his cloth rent
n29sub down the middle and fallen on the ground. At Villeneuve; a certain needy
it. Que pilgrim of Saint James asked alms, for the love of God and of the Blessed James,
quem from a woman who had bread under hot ashes. When she answered that she
longe had no bread, the pilgrim said, Would that the bread that you have might turn
suum to stone'.5 And when that pilgrim had left her house, and was far distant, that
,ilico40 worthless woman went to the ashes, thinking to take out her bread, and
discovered a round stone in its place. With a penitent heart, she went in search
an~to~~ of the pilgrim; she did not find him.
Porca- At the city of the Poitevins, in times past, two French n~blemen,~ returning
1eru.t. penniless from Santiago, sought lodging, for the love of God and Saint James,
ilicam, from the house of Jean Gautier7as far as St-Porchaire but did not find it. When,
diuina in the last house of that street, that is, next to the basilica of the blessed
de qua Porcarius? (f. 213x4 they were received by a certain poor man, behold, by the
:e66illa working of divine vengeance, a raging fire that night burned up the whole
6pitati street, from the house where they had first asked for lodging, right up to the
ac~bi~~ one in which they were received. And there were about a thousand houses. In
.genter truth, the one in which the servants of God were lodged remained unharmed
by the grace of God. Wherefore, let it be known that pilgrims of Saint James,
whether poor or rich, by right are to be received and cared for with diligence.
CHAPTER X

I
? HERE ENDS THE FIFTH? BOOK OF SAINT JAMES THE APOSTLE
I
f GLORY BE TO HIM WHO WROTE IT AND TO HIM WHO READS IT.
R86 b
THE ROMAN CHURCH FIRST EAGERLY ACCEPTED THIS CODEX;
I
I
! FOR IT WASIOWRITTEN IN SEVERAL PLACES, NAMELY IN ROME,
IN THE REGION OF JERUSALEM, IN FRANCE, IN ITALY, IN GERMANY
i AND IN FRISIA, AND CHIEFLY AT CLUNY."

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