THE COMPANIONAGE.
248
distinguishing marks
is
the pilgrim's
staff,
without which he
is
seldom represented.
Other saints
occasionally portrayed with this emblem, but not invariably, as in the case of
St James.
He was reputed to be the converter of Spain. A tale is told of a trial of strength
also
are
between
and a
this saint
and convinced the
sorcerer, the latter being aided
sorcerer,
he lent him his
was decapitated under Herod.
The vessel stranded in
ship.
and exposed on a
stone,
His
by
his demons.
staff to preserve
disciples, afraid to
him from
Having vanquished
own demons.
his
bury him, placed
his
He
remains on board
The Countess de Lupa caused his body to be taken out
which immediately closed around him and formed a sarcophagus. After
Galicia.
warnings, the Countess at length ao far relented as to grant permission to use the wild
bulls on her estate for the purposes of the funeral procession.
These became instantly tame,
and of their own accord drew the body into the courtyard of the palace of Lupa, the owner of
many
which, becoming converted, built a magnificent church, etc.^ The pilgrimages to his tomb at
Compostella began long before the tenth century.^ From frescoes in the church of St Anthony
at
Padua picturing
all
these incidents,
we
also glean that his disciples
were cast into prison
and delivered by an angel, and that their persecutors drowned themselves.^
Some
writers
transform the Countess de Lupa into Queen Louve.
In favour of St James as the prototype of Maitre Jacques, we have his pilgrimage to Spain
from the East, his staff, the misadventures of the funeral rites, the curious title of wolf applied
to the
Queen
or Countess,
and the suicide of
of Maitre Jacques as given
by
Perdiguier.
his enemies, all
The date
theory of the origin of the civic masons
be about the time of their earKest organisation.
for if
my
more
or less recalling the legend
would appear appropriate enough,
accepted, the tenth century would probably
is
also
Another question suggests itself on studying the legend of Maitre Jacques.
Is the hero
"
"
Grecus * mentioned in our English Constitutions " as having been at the
Naymus
the
building of Solomon's Temple, whence he came into France, and taught the science of masonry
"
to Charles Martel ?
"We have seen in the last chapter that the Paris masons claimed Charles
Martel as a brother, and if we concede that the English masons borrowed this idea from
France,
also
quite within the limits of possibility that the legends of the
it is
But perhaps Naymus Grecus may be M. Soubise. If Soubise is a corruption of
that at a very early date it more nearly approached the original
known.
Sabazius,
Companionage were
we may imagine
Being a familiar term to the half Eoman Gaul, it would excite no comment
but the Anglo-Saxon workman, on first hearing the name, might naturally ask for an explanaFrom " Greek name " to " Naymus
tion, and receive for reply that it was a Greek name.
pronunciation.
"
Ch'ccus" or
;
Naymus
Furthermore, in
the Grecian
English
"
is
no great
masonry the
step.
name
of
Pythagoras
has
long
been
higlily
The legend of Jacques mentions a Greek philosopher, but omits liis name, probecause it was a password or otherwise connected with the Companionage secrets. It
bably
is just possible that this name was that of Pythagoras; but of course it may have been
venerated.
the
any other prominent personage of a bygone
title of
The
legend,
as
given by Perdiguier, possesses
rather on his omissions than
1
upon
his revelations.
If
era.
many other points of interest,
we only had the text of his last
Migne, Troisieme Eucyclopedie TLeologique, Dictionnaire des Legendes,
^
Ibid., p. 1322.
<
See ante, Cliap. II. (The Buchanan 513., No. 15, ยง xxi.)
5
Larousse,
;
torn, xiv., p. 663.
Grand Dictionnaire Universel.
and Fort,
p. 118.
based
words,