or knights of St James, a military order in Spain, first instituted about the year 1170, by Ferdinand II, king of Leon and Galicia. The greatest dignity belonging to this order is grand master, which has been united to the crown of Spain. The knights are obliged to make proof of their descent from families that have been noble for four generations, on both sides; they must also make appear that their said ancestors have neither been Jews, Saracens, nor Heretics; nor have ever been called into question by the inquisition. The novices are obliged to serve six months in the galleys, and to live a month in a monastery; they observe the rules of St Austin, making no vows but of poverty, obedience, and conjugal fidelity.

St. James's Day, a festival of the Christian church, observed JAN

served on the 25th of July, in honour of St James the greater, son of Zebedee.

Epistle of St James, a canonical book of the New Testament, being the first of the catholic or general epistles; which are so called, as not being written to one, but to several Christian churches.

James-town, once the capital of Virginia in America, and of James-country, situated in a peninsula on the north side of James, or Pauhatan river, in W. lon. 76° 30', N. lat. 37° 30'.