No More Learning

Article VIII. —St. Aedhan, Bishop of Lismore, County of Water-
ford. [Probably in the Eighth Century. ] In high and in humble stations, religion does the best function. The noblest work of life is always the spiritual. The garden of the soul it should be our first and chiefest care to cultivate. From the holy and wise tending of it, great is the florescence of
^ See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , n. (h-), p. 349.
Academy," Irish MSS. Series, vol. i. , part i. , pp. 126, 127.
9 See Rev.
" iJiocese of
Article vi. —'In Marianus we
Anthony Cogan's
vol. Modern," iii. ,
read,
Ep. "
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
Ancient and
" Barrindus
Meath,
chap. Ixxiv. , p. —580.
'
Article V. 'See "Acta Sanctorum,"
76, 77.
^ See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus
tomus ii. , Martii xvi. mitted saints, p. 416.
the Among preter-
ii. , Martii xvi. Among the pretermitted saints,
'
the Franciscan copy, at this date, will be
Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xviii. In found, Cu|\iCAni ]"ci ejii Aguf Ab puif m
p. 416. Article vii.
bAHVint).
3 Thus is he recorded in Marianus,
ritanus Ep. et Abb. de Ros-meann. "
"
Cu-
* Edited Drs. Todd and by
76, 77.
Reeves, pp.
' Marianus Sedna. "
" de Inis enters, Denegius
5Ina Dr. Toddhere "The 3 Edited note, says, by
word ei^enn is added by the later hand. " 78, 79.
*"
See Proceedings of the Royal Irish
Drs. Todd and
Reeves, pp.
—
Kelly, p. xviii. In the Franciscan Martyr-
ology, after the entry of seventeen foreign
saints, at this date, we have the notice, 'Oe- riAch Inp -oecriAe.
'
Edited by Rev. Dr.
March i6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. Z91
beauty. So, from the first bright examples of virtue, in the consecrated places of Ireland, were found to proceed successors, anxious to cultivate the seed, which had been sown by our earliest saints. When St. Carthage^ had established his religious foundation in Lismore, numerous were the votaries that sought his guidance, in the rule of monastic observance. The old abbey sites have there disappeared, and modem fine mansions rise on their traces, looking proudly and grandly over the Blackwater River. ^ Yet, the noblest associations of Lismore are with the days of its abbots and bishops. Their
Lismore Bridge and Castle, County of Waterford.
succession is to be found in our Annals. Among these, Marianus O'Gorman
has Aidanus Ep. Lismorensis, and again, Aedhan, Bishop, of Lis-mdr, occurs, in the Martyrology of Donegal,3 on this day. The same record seems to identify him, with an Aedhan of Lis-mor, who died a. d. 761, according to
the Annals of the Four Masters,-* or, perhaps, with Aedhan, Abbot of Lismore, whose death is assigned to a. d. 763. 5 It is probable, they were not different persons, but that the error of date arises from a double entry having been made, as found in distinct authorities. A festival, in honour of Lawdan, is setdown,intheMartyrologyofTallagh,^atthei6thofMarch; however,as the BoUandists remark,7 this seems to be an error of spelling, and it must have been intended for Aedhan.
Article IX. —Feast of the Translation of the Saints, at Bobbio Monastery, Italy. From the Tablets of this monastery, as also in the
'
Article viii. — See his Life, at the
14th of May.
' The finely-situated Castle of Listnore is
a chief object of attraction here, owing to its extentandstatelyproportions. Itstandson
a high cliff, falling almost perpendicularly to the surface of the Blackwater. The view
presented, in the text, is taken from a photo- graph, by Frederick H. Mares, and drawn
on the wood by William F. Wakeman. The engraving is by Mrs. Millard.
3 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
76, 77-
* See Dr. O'Donovan's Edition, vol. i. ,
pp. 364, 365.
5 See ibid. , pp. 366, 367.
^
the Franciscan copy is also found, Iau-oaiii.
Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xviii. In
398 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March i6.
Topographical Index for the Saints of Italy, Ferarius^ notes such a festival, at the 1 6th of March. Especially is there a record of the Abbots, St. Attala,^ and St. Bertulph. 3 As some of the early saints of this church were Irishmen, and as its celebrated founder St. Columbanus* was a native of our country, we deem it right to include the present, as a commemoration, in which we have a national interest. The BoUandistss notice it, at the present date.
Article X,—Feast of a reputed St. Abben, Hermit, of Abingdon, England. In the Martyrology of Whitford,' there is the entry of S. Abbe- nus, Eremita, at this day. He is thought to have been venerated at Abing- don, in the county of Berks, England. This city is said to have been of importance, in the time of the Britons,^ and to have derived its name from St. Abban, the Irish saint, commemorated at this date. The feast of St. Abben, Hermit,isreferredbyJohnWilson,3tothe13thofMay. 4 Whilenotingthe feast, at the i6th of March, the Bollandistss determine nothing, but promise a possible reversion to the subject, at the 27th of October.
Article XI. —Supposed Feast of the Deposition of St. Patrick, Bishop and Confessor, at Auvergne, France. A festival, bearing such a designation, is recorded by Usuard, Bellinus, Galesinius, and in the Roman Martyrology,atthei6thofMarch. JoannesSauaro,alearnedhistorian,has investigatedthismatter; but,heasserts,thatamongthebishopsofAuvergne, there is no trace of the relics or cultus of a St. Patrick, Bishop. Baronius,^ not finding him among the bishops of Auvergne, supposes his name had been left out, through some error, unless perhaps he were the bishop of some othercity. However,ithasbeenwellconjectured,thatthesaintherenamed must have been St. Patrick, Apostle of Ireland ; the word Avernis or Arver- nis^ Arvernicz or AvernicB, having been substituted for Hibernis or Hibernice, and the word Depositionis having been substituted for VigiltcB, by some of the Calendarists. ^ This seems all the more probable, since Usuard, on the
*'
following day, enters in the first place,
fessorisinScotia. "3 Therefore,wemaydismiss,withoutanygreatattention, the idea, that any St. Patrick, distinct from the illustrious Irish Apostle, had
7 See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Martii xvi. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 416.
p. 418. —' Article xr.
In his notes to the
Article ix
lis Sanctorum. "
'In "
Catalogus
Genera-
Roman Martyrology, at the i6th of March,
he " inter Aruernenses non says, Episcopos
recenseatur. " And again, it is thought
^"
His feast is held, on the loth of March. errore prastermissum, nisi alterius fortassis
3 His festival occurs, on tlie 19th of civitatis Episcopus fuerit. "
August.
* His feast is assigned, to the 2 1st of No-
vember, where his Life will be found.
5 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Martii xvi. Among the pretermitted saints,
"
matter, at the present date, have remarked, that
p. 417. Article X.
—
See an account of it, in Eewis' "Topo-
'
The edition of 1526.
graphical Dictionary of England,", vol. i. , pp. 5 to 7.
3 In the edition of his Martyrology, printed A. D. 1640.
* See some notices, at this date.
s See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Martiixvi. Amongthepretermittedsaints,
Natalis S. Patricii Episcopi et Con-
'^ The whonoticethis BoUandists,
Tamaius Salazarius, in his
"
''
Martyrologium has for this Patrick substituted
Hispanicum
another denominated,
pum Malacitanum in Baetica," but without
"Acta
proper warrant. See Sanctorum,"
tomus ii. , Martii xvi. Among the preter-
mitted saints, p. 417. The BoUandists more-
over add ' ' Verum hunc Malacitani non :
agnoscunt Sanctum, ut constat ex libro Mar- tini de Roa de Malaca urbe et ejus Sanctis. " ^ Such entry is found, likewise, in many
other very ancient Martyrologies and Kalen- dars.
''
Patricium Episco-
March i;. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 399
been commemorated, on the eve of his chief festival. It is highly probable,
also, that the vigil of his principal feast had been marked by some national
religious celebration, as a suitable preparatory rite, for the more effective
solemnizing of the day, so loving remembered by the clergy and people of Ireland. It will prove a task of considerable difficulty, to indicate the many
lives, panygerics or poems written, which refer immediately or mediately to ourgreatsaint. Inmoreancienttimes,allusionshavebeenmadetohim,by
some of the best-known authors, during the earlier or middle ages of Chris-
tianity. In more recent times, biographical compilations are still more numerous, and these shall be referred to, in the succeeding article.
^ebeiiteentf) Bap of ilarrf)*
ARTICLE I. —THE LIFE OF ST. PATRICK, APOSTLE AND CHIEF PATRON OF IRELAND.
[FOURTH AND FIFTH CENTURIES. ^ CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION—THE GENUINE AND SPURIOUS WRITINGS ASCRIBED TO ST. PATRICK, AS SERVING TO ILLUSTRATE HIS BIOGRAPHY—ACTS AND LIVES OF ST. PATRICK YET EXTANT, IN VARIOUS COLLECTIONS AND MANUSCRIPTS—THE BIOGRAPHIES ALREADY PUBLISHED—OTHER SOURCES LEFT, FOR INVESTIGATING THE FACTS OF HIS HISTORY.
assumed by the biographer of so illustrious a
as the of Ireland, is one of no RESPpOerNsoSnIagBe,ILITY great Apostle
ordinary delicacy, difficulty and importance. Numerous, indeed, are the Lives of this saint, which have been written ; while, yet, the evidence that has been
hitherto gleaned and preserved is bewildering and conflicting, for the patient and studious investigator of our history. The authentic fads of his life are few, as compared with the cloud of fable, which has served to obscure them. A just estimate of those almost superhuman labours and trials, our great patron surmounted, is hardly possible, at the present time, so imperfect are some of those records, which profess to reveal past events, and so ill-digested are many of the ancient tracts, that have special reference to St. Patrick. Modern criticism and research have done much, to clear the field of vision ; still, it must be allowed, that a wide scope has been left for conjecture and speculative opinions, nor have writers been able wholly to reconcile or ex- plain many divergencies of statement, which intrude too frequently in his Acts. However, we must try to examine and—if possible—to form some fair conception of those wonderful triumphs he achieved for Religion and Civilization, by accomplishing that holy enterprise, he had so cheerfully and zealously inaugurated. Through the mysterious designs of Providence, St. Patrick had been pre-ordained, as that humble servant of Christ, by whom the Irish people were to procure a joyous revelation. The Almighty had destined him, to bear glorious tidings of the Gospel to their shores, and to obtain their redemption, from Pagan ignorance and error.
Those churches he built, those dioceses he formed, those monasteries he founded, and those places where he travelled or dwelt, have preserved liis memory, among the
400 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 17.
Irish people, from his own time to all succeeding ages. The wonderful con- version of this Irish nation, its subsequent perseverance in the holy faith he
so firmly planted, the missionary character its children assumed, their pro- gress in sanctity and learning, with such zealous propagation of these bless- ings, at home and abroad, resulting from his labours, have justly impressed all with gratitude, love and veneration, for so great an Apostle. Not alone the universal traditions of our island, but those of all Christendom, proclaim the triumphs he achieved on earth, and the glory he has acquired in heaven. Mementoes of the past have preserved his memory fresh, undying, and vigorous, to the present day. They must perpetuate, even to the most remote generations, imperishable recollections of a man, who has rendered such inestimable services, to our nation and race. We shall endeavour, therefore, to investigate the facts, relating to his biography, with a caution and diligence the subject itself requires j but, before we advance farther, it will be necessary to state, for the satisfaction of our readers, those chief sources, whence we have drawn information, and the safest guides, we have prin-
cipally followed, through
The — genuine writings
our devious and — impeded way.
of St. Patrick himself
be
provided they sufficiently
authenticated areadmittedlythemosttrustworthymaterials,astheymust be the most ancient and immediate documents available, for the compilation of his life. Various tracts have been attributed to him, as the writer \ yet, all of these have not equal claims to such a distinction, and here criticism has been exercised, to separate the most authentic from several spurious compositions. It is remarkable, that all his assumed writings have been composed, in the Latin or Irish language. Ably-edited issues of these tracts have been pub-
"
lished. ^ Among them, especially the one, intituled his Confessio, or positions, in reference to matters of historic and religious belief. Many of
"
fession," should most engage our study and attention. " It has been greatly
regarded and prized, by learned critics, holding very distinctive views and
the ancient authors of St. Patrick's Life frequently cite this
Confession," as
hisgenuinework. Themoremodernwriters,suchastheBollandists,Ware,
Ussher, Colgan, Tillemont, Mabillon, Martene, O'Conor, Butler, Lanigan,3
Todd and Reeves, seem equally to admit its genuineness,* as an important
document. ThemostpreciouscopiesofthisbiographicalTreatisesaresaid
to be contained, chiefly in five very ancient manuscripts. The first of these, found in the Book of Armagh,^ is thought to be more than one thousand
Article i. —Chapter i. —* In the year 1656, Sir James Ware first collected and
"
published at London, in i2mo,
adscripta S. Patricio. " A still more valu- able and critical edition of St. Patrick's at- tributed works is that issued, at Dublin, in 8vo, A. D. 1835, by the learned Spanish refugee Priest, Joachim Lorenzo Villaneuva,
much followed, in the present Life of St.
Patrick. To our Apostle's biography, he seems to have devoted the most unremitting
care and study. His criticisms, too, are be- yond all praise, for their originality and deep thought.
* The texts of Scripture, quoted in this Tract, are taken from the Septuagint, and not from St. Jerome's version. This is a good proof of its great antiquity.
"
Apostoli, Synodi, Canones, Opuscula, et
scholarly and critical production.
^
See, report of a Lecture, "St. Patrick: his Life and Labours," by Rev. J. Scott Porter, in the Northern Whig, of February the nth, i860.
3 Besides the Bollandists', Colgan's, Ussher's and Ware's learned investiga-
tions, Dr. Lanigan's authority has been very
and intituled,
Sancti Patricii Ibernorum
Scriptorum quae supersunt, Fragmenta
s This Tract has been
translated,
with
; Scholiis illustrata," a Joachimo Laurentio Villanueva, Presbytero. It contains valu- able Appendices, and it is altogether a most
notes, by Rev. Thomas Olden, Dublin, A. D.
1853, l2mo.
"
It is supposed, by Dr. Graves, Protes- tant Bishop of Limerick, to have been written by the Scribe Ferdomnach, in the year 807, during the reign of Tobach, Arch- bishop of Armagh, who died on the i6th of Jiily> A. D. 808, according to the Catalogue, contained in the Psalter of Cashel. This was discovered, from an inscription in the Codex, almost obliterated, until ingeniously
Opuscula
Con-
March 17. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 401
old 7 it is years ;
in the
of
Dublin. The
Library
Museum,London. Twoothercopiesarekept,intheLibraryofSalisbury,"
Trinity College,
second was formerly in St. Vedast's Monastery,^ at Noailles, near Beauvais, inFrance. 9 Thethirdispreserved,intheCottonianLibrary'"oftheBritish
preserved,
in England. In addition to these, there are two copies,'^ contained in the ""
Bodleian Library, at Oxford. 'S St. Patrick's Confession was published by
restored by Dr. Graves, who used for the 1709, mentions this book, in his " Archaeo-
purpose a weak solution of Gallic acid, in logic Britannica," as teAbh&|\ ^]^OA spirits of wine. The Book of Armagh, as triAchA. Mac Moyer had pledged it for
the Codex has been styled, commences with
a short Life of St. Patrick, taken from the
Tripartite ; then follows the " Confession ;"
then the New Testament, the Gospels being
found in the usual order, while the Acts of
the Apostles follow the Apocalypse ; the
Life of St. Martin of Tours, St. Patrick's
relative, is to be found, near the end. It
was believed, for a long time, that St.
Patrick himself had been the writer of this
volume ; and, accordingly, it obtained the
"
five pounds, when he went over to England, and it then fell into the hands of one Arthur Browniow. From 1680 to 1846, it was in possession of the Browniow family. During this latter year, Rev. Francis Browniow de- posited it, in the Museum of the Royal Irish Academy. On the 30th of November, 1846, the Rev. Charles Graves read an interesting paper, on this Manuscript. In 1853, it was purchased for ;^300, from Mr. Browniow, by the very Rev. Dean Reeves of Armagh. In 1858, the Protestant Primate Beresford purchased it from Dr. Reeves, for the sum he had previously paid ; and, then, it was
Canoin Phadraig," or "the Scrip-
name,
ture of Patrick. " Yet, in its present form,
it is discovered to be the copy of a still older
work. The Life of St. Patrick, contained deposited, in the Library of Trinity College, in the Book of Armagh, was written by
Muirchu-Maccu-Mactheni, who relates, that
he composed this tract, by command of
who died A. D. tiones Aidi," has been placed, at the end of
the Life, and closing it is the note " Hsec
:
pauca de Sancti Patricii peritia et virtutibus Muirchu Maccu Machtheni dictante Aiduo
Slebtiensis civitatis episcopo conscripsit. " A comparison of the Lives will serve to show, that the Life of St. Patrick, by Pro- bus, the Fifth in Colgan's collection, is only an amended version of that, by Machtheni, in the Book of Armagh. A folio has been lost from it, but identity of subject and com- position enables us to supply this deficiency, from the Life of Probus. In the year 937, the Canon of Patrick was encased by Uo- nough, son of Flann, King of Ireland. This case was perhaps the leathern satchel, still with and which is of
" ofthe Irish Proceedings Royal Academy,"
vol. iii. , pp. 259, 260, 316 to 324. See Dr.
"
of
A summary of contents, headed " Annota-
Aedh, Bishop
Sletty,
692.
preserved it,
antiquity. Dr. Petrie has given drawings of this, with a description of the Book itself.
In the of the eleventh beginning
century, whenBryan Boroimhe, Kingof Ireland,visited Armagh, his Secretary and Confessor, Maol- suthian. Latinized, Calvus Ferennis, made an entry in it, in Bryan's presence. The Book was often used, for the administration of solemn oaths. A keeper was appointed, and eight townlands, known as Balli Moyre, were near Armagh, and conferred on the hereditary keepers, the Mac Moyers, who held them, in 1656, when Sir James Ware wrote. Florence Mac Moyer was one of the suborned witnesses, who gave evidence against Dr. Oliver Plunket, and in a blank
very great
fol. , xi. cent. , Conf. S. Pat. , ff. 158-166.
'3 A considerable portion of the " Confes- sion," as given by the writers of the British Museum and Bodleian Library copies, is not contained in the Book of Armagh version. It seems probable, that the latter, being the oldest copy, is also the most authentic. In page is found the entry, Liber Florentini her version of this. Sister Mary Francis Muire, June 29, 1662. Edward Lhuyd, the Clare Cusack has very properly enclosed, eminent Welsh Philologist, who died in within brackets, those portions she added
Dublin. See Sister Mary Francis Clare
Cusack's " Life of St. Patrick, Apostle ot
Ireland," chap, ii. , pp. 59 to 68. See also
Ecclesiastical Architecture of Ire- land, anterior to the Anglo-Norman In- vasion," &c. , part ii. , sect, iii. , subsect. i. , pp. 332 to 338.
7 A version of it has been published, in Sir William Betham's "Antiquarian Re- searches," vol. i. , part ii. , pp. 417 to 432. A description of The Book of Armagh is to be found in his Vol. i. , pp. 243 to 442. In J. T. Gilbert's " Facsimiles of National Manu-
scriptsof Ireland," partii. , there is to be found a version of St. Patrick's "Confession," as taken from the Book of Armagh, which is in course of editorial preparation by Very Rev. Dean Reeves, with a view of its being pub- lished.
^ It was at the time of the destroyed,
French Revolution.
9 This is described, as a vel. fol. 3. 16.
'° avel. xi. It is classed, Nero E. i. , fol. ,
cent, ff. 1676-1726.
" See Rev. Dr. Charles O'Conor's
"Rerum Hibernicarum Scriptores," tomus
i. Prolegomena, pars, i. , p. cxx.
" These are classed, Fell, i, in a vel fol. ,xi. cent. Conf. S. Pat. , ff. 7-13. , and, 3, in a vel.
Petrie's
2C
4^2 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 17.
There are other different copies of this One of those editions, by Sir James
"
Besides these, English translations of St. Patrick's
pubHshed. One of these appeared,^? * in Dublin, edited by the late Ven. Archdeacon, John Hamilton ;=^° and, later still, at Kenmare, Sister Mary Francis Clare Cusack has presented one, very correctly rendered, with the Latin text, in parallel columns. ^^ This latter is one of the most authentic and valuable editions of it, as yet printed. ''^ In addition to St. Patrick's
the Bollandists/+ in the year 1668. work, pubHshed by various persons.
^s
Dr. Charles was O'Conor,^^
in the
issued, in the year 1814 ;'? a third, by Sir William Betham, saw the light, in the year 1826, while a fourth,'^ by Rev. Dr. Joachim Lorenzo Villanueva, was published, in the year 1835, in Dublin. These several versions have been made, from one or other of the ancient manuscripts, already described.
Ware, appeared,
year 1656 ;
another, by
" his letter to Confession,"
or as also the Canons Carotic,
King Coroticus,^3
of two Councils, which he is said to have held, are considered, by some of
the best critics, to have been written by him. A Cottonian Manuscript, in the British Museum, contains the text of the Epistle to Caroticus. ^* It has been published, and even with an English version. ^s Certain Synodal Canons are attributed to St. Patrick's authorship alone f^ and, again, there are others, which are ascribed to St. Patrick, to St. Auxilius, and to St. Iserni- nus. '7 Canons—differing from the foregoing—have been edited, likewise ;
from the Bodleian copy. The " Confes- St. Patrick's Life.
" ^' sion of St. Patrick, she has carefully and
See her admirable and interesting work,
conscientiously edited, while the marginal notes are collations, with five different
copies, viz. : B, representing the Cotton MS. , British Museum, F, denoting copies I or 3, Fell. Bodleian Library, V, signifying Villaneuva, corresponding with the BoUan- dists, and W, standing for Sir James Ware's version.
"The Life of St. Patrick, Apostle of Ire-
'* From a
cop5r, procured by
Father
'3 A of this was Rev. copy published by
Andrew Denis, Atrebas, of the Society of
Jesus, from St.