But he greatly desired to know
who it was that came to his aid; therefore he determined to watch:
and when the good Saint came for the third time, and prepared to
throw in the third portion, he was discovered, for the nobleman
seized him by the skirt of his robe, and flung himself at his feet,
saying, "O Nicholas! servant of God! why seek to hid thyself?" and
he kissed his feet and his hands. But Nicholas made him promise that
he would tell no man. And many other charitable works did Nicholas
perform in his native city.'
"These three purses of gold, or, as they are more customarily
figured, these three golden balls, disposed in exact pawnbroker
fashion, are to this day the recognised special emblem of the
charitable St. Nicholas."
And now for the more immediate object of the present Note, which is to
show--what, when once pointed out, will, I think, readily be admitted,
namely, that in the grotto formed of oyster shells, and lighted with a
votive candle, to which on old St. James's day (5th August) the passer
by is earnestly entreated to contribute by cries of, "Pray remember the
Grotto!" we have a memorial of the world-renowned shrine of St. James at
Compostella.
The popularity which St. James formerly enjoyed in England, and the zeal
with which his shrine was visited by natives of this country, have
recently been so clearly shown by Mr. J.G. Nichols, in his interesting
little volume, _Pilgrimages to St.
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