No More Learning

"** "
'' Bede's Life,
xxxviii.
thought replied :
:
March 20. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 895 absolute necessity of preserving peace and humility, and of avoiding whatever
"
might be calculated to oppose these virtues.
Always preserve peace among and when necessity requires, that you take counsel regarding your state, be careful that you are unanimous in
opinion. With other servants of Christ, hold friendly intercourse, and, in a
great degree, esteem those as united to you in religion, Avho come to partake
ofyourhospitality; receive,entertain,anddismiss,inafamiliarandbenignant
manner, such persons, not conceiving yourselves to be superior to others of like faith and conversation. But, with those who differ from you, not observ-
ing the unity of Catholic peace, by not duly celebrating Easter at the proper time, or who live perversely, hold no communion. Know well, and bear in
memory,thatifnecessityurgeyou,tochoosebetweenopposinginterests; I had much rather, you should remove my bones from the tomb, and retire from
those parts, taking up your habitation, wherever it shall please God to appoint, than that, on any account, you should consent to iniquity, or bend your necks to a schismatical yoke. Continue to study and to observe the Catholic decrees of our fathers most diligently ; and, be you solicitous to practise those institutes of regular observance, which the Divine mercy has
deigned to give you, througli my ministry. For, I know, that although I lived inacontemptiblemanner,accordingtotheestimationofsomepersons; you shall see, however, after my death, such as I have been, that my precepts are
a silent manner, during the night. About the usual time for night prayer, VenerableBedeadministeredHolyViaticumandExtremeUnction. After- wards, raising his eyes to heaven and with uplifted hands, our saint's last
He
yourselves, and divine charity," said he,
"
not to be '^ With despised. "
on account of infirmities, he spoke such sentences ; and, with a calm expectation of future felicity, the evening of that day closed. His prayers were prolonged, but in
many interruptions,
increasing
breath was exhaled, in an attempt to give thanks to his Creator. '9
died, on the 20th of March—the day for his festival—and in the year of our
Lord, 686,^° 687,^^ or 688,^^ according to various writers.
Soon, Bede himself went out, to announce the holy bishop's death to his
brethren, who were then engaged, in a recital of the Eifty-ninth Psalm, whicli
:
commenceswiththesewords "Deusrepulistinos,etdestruxistinos iratus
:
es et misertus est nobis. " It must be remarked, that this Psalm occurs, at MatinsforWednesday,intheRomanBreviary\ and,asthisportionofthe
Divine Office was usually said by monks of strict observance, before the dawn of day, it is probable, our saint died about the same time, on the morning of the fourtla day of the week. Wit—hout delay, one of the brethren, taking two torches ^one light in either hand to an elevated part of the island, by this signal, he was enabled to announce the death of our saint, to the monks, who were livinginLindisfarnemonastery. Thebrother,whowasappointedtoobserve this telegraphic signal, from the tower of Lindisfarne, went immediately to its monastic church, where the monks had been engaged, reciting the matutinal office. It was a remarkable coincidence, that as he entered, the choir was engaged in reciting the Eifty-ninth Psalm, as in the former instance, their brethren had done so on the Island of Fame. The body of Cuthbert, being put on board a vessel, was conveyed to Lindisfarne. There, a great multitude
'^ See Rev. S. Baring-Gould's "Lives of the Saints," vol. iii. , March 20, p. 355.
'9 See Bede's Life, grave's Life, cap. xlviii. , xlix.
xxxix.
Cap-
" See Rev. Dr. *' Ecclesiastical Lanigan's
cap.
History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap, xviii. , ^° According to Sir James Ware, " De sect, iv. , p. 89. This is the true date for
Scriptoribus Hibernian," lib. i. , cap. iii. , p. his death.
31. See, also, Harris' Ware's Works, vol. " See Dempsters " Historia Ecclesiastica
iii. , Writers of Ireland, book i. , chap, iv. , p. 43.
896 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 20.
of people, and a full choir of religious, chaunting Psalms, received it with due reverence and solemnity. It was afterwards consigned to a sarcophagus of stone, which was placed to the right of St. Peter's altar. =3 Bede relates, that a demoniac was restored, by having a portion of the water, that touched the body of our saint, poured into his mouth ; and, he observes, likewise, that a well was shown, near the southern part of the church, where Cuthbert's relicsreposed. ^* Manywereherecured,fromthattimeforward,asthewater alreadyspokenofhadbeenpreservedthere; while,anelegantframeworkof wood surrounded this well, which had its margin formed of small stones. ^5
Eleven '^^ afterthedeathofthis years
whenitwas his supposed
holy man,
remains had crumbled into dust, the monks of Lindisfame determined on ex-
huming his body, so that it might be placed in a shrine, and over that pavement, under which it had previously lain. This design was approved, by Bishop Eadbert, who had ordered the exhumation to take place, on the 20th of
March,a. d. 698. Onopeningthetomb,Cuthbert'sbodywasnotonlyfound whole,buteventhesaintappearedrathertobesleepingthandead; thevery garments, in which he had been shrouded, preserving an air of freshness. At this time, holy Bishop Eadbert was spending the time of Lent, in a place re- mote from the monastery, engaged at exercises of penance and prayer, accord- ing to the manner of his venerable predecessor, Cuthbert. Most probably, he was on the Island of Fame ; for, it is remarked, by Bede, that he was svirrounded by the sea-waves. But, the brethren, who were present at Cuth- bert's disentombment, admiring these miraculous appearances presented to their view, removed a portion of the shrouding which covered the body, as a present for Bishop Eadbert. Through reverence, however, they dared not removethatcovering,whichadheredmoreimmediatelytohisbody. When the holy bishop beheld this relic presented to him, he kissed it with great reverence, and instructed the brethren, to procure a new covering for Cuth- bert's remains, before placing them in the shrine, and to use the cloth instead of that shroud, which had been removed. He predicted, also, the great honour, which Lindisfarne was destined to enjoy, in after time, on account of this miracle. Soon, the brethren of the monastery, acting on their holy prelate's instnictions, put a new shroud around the body of our saint. After- wards, they placed it within a shrine, above the pavement. ''? Eadbert, who did not long survive this occurrence, was laid in the former tomb of Cuthbert. The shrine of this latter saint was placed over his body. ^^
The signs and wonders of Cuthbert's sanctity seemed to increase, even
afterhisremainshadbeendepositedinthetomb. VenerableBederelates
some miracles, which in his time were wrought at Lindisfarne, through the merits and intercession of this great servant of God. These narratives may
be found, in the forty-fourth, forty-fifth and forty-sixth chapters, which close his Life of St. Cuthbert. Capgrave adds considerably to this record, and
he gives us a very interesting account of Lindisfarne's subsequent histor}', from the fifty-third to the ninety-fifth, and last chapter, in his biography of our saint. We must rest satisfied, by merely referring the reader to these particulars, on account of the considerable length, to which our notices of St. Cuthbert have already extended. In passing to other topics, however,
Gentis Scotorum," tomus i. , lib. iii. , num. xx. Tertia Vita, lib. iv. , sect. 15, p. 124.
334, p. 136.
"3 Bede's Life of St. Cuthbert, cap. xl.
' Most likely, this is the miracle alluded
to in the Life of our saint, attributed to a coeval monk, as published in the BoUan- dists' " Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Martii
*s Bede's Life, cap. xli.
^ See Bishop Challoner's " Britannia Sancta," part i. , March 20, p. 196.
•^ Bede's Life, caji. xlii. Capgrave's Life, cap. 1.
"^ Bede's Life, cap. xliii.
March 20. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 897
we might remark on the great works done, through the religious foundation of
Lindistarne, from a missionary point of view. ^9
About 793,3° the Danes made a descent upon Lindisfame, when the monas-
tery was nearly destroyed. 3' The monks had removed the remains of St. Cuth-
bert, and then, they fled with them into Scotland. s^ They went westwards to '
Whithern, in Galloway ; but, when they sought to escape into Ireland, they were driven back by a furious tempest. The relics were afterwards moved to Norham, and thence to Melrose. Here they were kept, but only for a short time The body, enclosed in a stone coffin, was launched upon the Tweed, andthenconveyedtoTilmouth,inNorthumberland. 33 Infine,therelicsof St. Cuthbert were deposited, a. d. 999, by Bishop Aldhune,34 on a steep
in the form of a
plateau, horse-shoe,
had been
where a ThisplacewascalledDurham,3^andatpresent,itsgorgeousCathedrals? a
of Irish —architecture on a
development Romanesque magnificent scale,
with later Gothic introductions ot style dominates high over the River Wear, the intermediatebankbeingcoveredwithabeltoflargeascendingtrees. 3^ This remarkablebuildingwaserectedin1080;'9 but,ithassinceundergonevarious modifications. '*" Two grand towers, five naves, and two transepts,^^ rise
beside the former episcopal palace, for to Durham was transferred the See of Lindisfarne, after the relics ot our saint had been there permanently en-
*9 This is strongly represented, in the History written by Mr, Bright, of Oxford.
Chester-le- Street and Rippon saw His holy corpse ere Wardilaw
Hail'd him with joy and fear ;
And after many wanderings past. He chose his lordly seat at last. Where his Cathedral huge and vast
Looks down upon the Wear.
There deep in Durham's Gothic shade His relics are in secret laid. "
3* This Translation was commemorated,
on the 4th of September, at which day a notice of it will be found in this work.
"
35 See Britton's
Towns, Castles, Antiquities. Nobility, Gentry. " It contains a map and plates,
3° See Mabillon's " Annales Ordinis S. Benedicti," tomus ii. , lib. xxvi. , sect, xxvi. , p. 308.
3' bee " Chronicles of St. Colman, and of St. Colman's, Farahy, Diocese of Cloyne. " By Rev, Courtenay Moore, M. A. , Incum- bent, part i. , pp. 13, 14.
3* The whole of this expedition is very circumstantially related, in the Bollandists' "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Martii xx. Translatio Corporis ad vafia Loca et dem Dunelmum, pp. 124 to 137.
History of Durham, the
33 The following are Sir Walter Scott's "
lines, as found in Maimion," canto ii. ,
on the — removals of St. 14, frequent
and it was A. D. published, l8io,
stanza
Cuthbert's remains
in Svo.
:
3^
interesting
account of this
place
" Nor did Saint Cuthbert's daughters fail
To vie with these in holy tale ;
His body's resting-place of old
How oft their patron changed they told ; How, when the rude Dane burned their
pile.
The monks fled forth from Holy Isle ; O'er northern mountain, marsh, and
moor— From sea to
—
from shore to
Seven years Saint Cuthbert's corpse they
sea,
shore,
bore.
They rested them in fair Melrose ;
But, though alive he loved it well, Not there his relics might repose ;
For, wondrous tale to tell !
In his stone coffin forth he rides,
A pondrous bark for river tides,
Yet light as gossamer it glides Downward to Tilmouth cell.
Nor long was his abiding there,
phical,
Far southward did the saint
repair.
chapel
built,
in — 995. 3s
An
will be found, in the "Topographical and Historical Description of Durham," by Rev, T, Cox, with a map and cuts of Antiquities. It was published in 1720, as a small 4to
volume,
37 There is extant a Manuscript, intituled :
Farrago Cartarum ad Historiam Ecclesiae Dunelmensis spectantium. It is classed, MS, Bodl. 596. (2376), Ff. 203-206 b. veil, folio, xi, cent.
38 See the Rev, G. " Sketches in Omsby's
Durham, illustrated by Historical, Biogra-
and Architectural Notices. " Cuts of Seals, Arms, Monuments, are in this work, which was published at Durham, in 1846. " ,
39 See Rev, Alban Butler's Lives of the
Fathers, Martyrs and other principal Saints," vol, iii,, March xx. , at St. Cuthoert.
^° The accompanying illustration, drawn on the wood by William F. Wakeman, was engraved by Mrs. Millard.
*' For a technical
very complete descrip-
3L
898 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 20.
shrined. A most competent critic' has pronounced the Minster of Durham to be one of the most imposing and best situated Cathedrals, in the wide world. ^ We learn from Monsignor Eyre's work/* that a statue^s had been erected to our saint, four hundred years after his death. The Cathedral and
Durham Cathedral, in England.
Monastery of Durham were also richly endowed, in honour of their famous
patron; while princes and nobles proved themselves special protectors of the place. The bishop was declared a count palatine, and he obtained a very
extensive civil jurisdiction. '''^ Yet, Durham and its people suffered, in course of time, from the ravages of war.
William the Conqueror marched with an army towards the North, and on his way devastated the whole country, between York and Durham. This warlike expedition is referred to a. d. i 069. ^7 From the city of Durham its inhabitants fled, and the monks left their convent. After a repose of seventy- five years, the bones of St. Cuthbert were once more removed to Lindisfarne. It is said, those who accompanied the relics were enabled to pass over dry- shod, to the island on that occasion. '*^ When the storm of war had subsided, the ho! y man's reuiains were brought to his former resting-place, and de-
see the fine folio volume of Robert
« •' of St. &c.
tion,
William
Illustrations and Descriptions of the Cathe- dral Church at Durliam.
" Published at London, in 1843.
*' Le Comte de Montalembert.
*' See "Les Moines d'Occident," tome
Cuthbert," inscription :
*°See Dugdale's " Monasficon," where
Billing,
tuled,
SanctUS Cuthbertus Monachus Episcopus Lindisfar- nensis nunc patronus ecclesias ac libertatis
Dunelmensis. "
int
"Architectural
History
*5 It bore this
*'
liv. This is an XV. , chap, i. , p. 436.
history y John Speed's
iv. ,
opinion, in which the writer agrees, from a close and careiul inspection ot all its sur- roundings and interior, made on the occasion of a visit, in July, 1872.
See
he treats about the
Britaine," book ix. , chap, ii. , num. 17, p. 428.
** See this account furnished, in a very in- teresting article on Durham City, in Lewis*
of Durham.
" Historie of Great
March 20. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 899
posited in a shrine. It is related, that in the twelfth century, on the 29th of August, A. D. 1104,^9 the body of our saint was translated, and found to be entire. 5° It was publicly shown at Durham,^* by Radulph, afterwards Arch- bishop of Canterbury.
In the time of King Henry VIII. , the shrine ot St. Cuthbert was plundered^' and demolished. The officials bore off his rich shrine, having removed the body, which was found to be entire. s^ Afterwards, the monks buried it privately, and under the spot,s+ where the faithful for so many ages hadpaiditsuchmarkedreverence. But,withthechangeofreligiousbelief, a knowledge of the grave passed away from popular traditions, so that the exact spot now appears to be unknown. ss Within the present century, the site of St. Cuthbert's relics was thought to have been ascertained ; and, accordingly, in May, 1827, preparations were made for their disinterment. Under a blue stone, in the middle of the presumed shrine of St. Cuthbert, and at the eastern extremity of the choir of Durham Cathedral, was then found a walled grave, containing the supposed coffin of our saint. The first, or outer one, was said to have been that of 1541 ; the second of 1041 ; the third, ot inner one, answered in every particular —to the description of that, referred to a. d. 698. 5^ This was found to contain not, indeed, as had been averred then, and even until 1539, the incorruptible body, but the entire skeleton of the saint ; the bottom of the grave was perfectly dry, free from offensive smell, and without the slightest symptom, that a human body had ever undergone decomposition within its walls. 57 The skeleton was found and swathed in five silk robes of emblematical embroidery ; the ornamental parts were laid with gold-leaf, and these again were covered with a robe of
"Topographical Dictionary vol. ii. , pp. no, III.
of
England,"
57 So
writer in the Quartei-ly Review states
<9 For a further account, the reader is re-
ferred to that date, in the present work. "
"
5° See Rev. John Lingard's Antiquities bert. It is quite possible, that the body
of the Anglo-Saxon Church," chap, viii. , p. 162.
5' See William of Malmesbury, Liber iv. , " De Pontificibus Angliae. "
may have been incorrupt, when it was first disinterred in 698. Instances are known in wliich, from natural causes, bodies have re- mained perfect for a considerable length of
5' A copy of St. John's Gospel was found time. But it would seem that, probably
in the coffin, and in the eighteenth cencury, the Earl of Litchfield bestowed this precious
document, on Rev. Thomas Philips, Canon of Tongres.
53 According to the testimony of Harps- field, S£ec. vii. , chap. 34.
5^ As we learn from " Ancient. Rites of the Church of Durham," p. 160.
55 See Rev. Alban Butler's " Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs and other principal Saints," vol. iii. , March xx. , at St. Cuth- bert.
5° We have an interesting account, written
" St.
elicited a reply in which —some exceptions lifetime ; but, it
by Rev. James Raine, and entitled
Cuthbert ; with an account of the state in
which his Remains were found, upon the
opening of his tomb, in Durham Cathedral,
in the year MDCCCXXVII. " Durham, 1828. ancient form, and set with garnets. It may This book conta—ins four plates. This work well have been worn by St. Cuthb>. 'rt in his
are taken to his statements from Rev. Dr. portable
is a rciic ol the saint. — personal
"
the Saint Cuthbertof theRev. JamesRaine. "
Lingard, and it is intituled
It was published at Newcastle, 1828, 8vo.
:
Remarks on
:
as the month of —a lately July, 1872,
:
There can be no reasonable doubt, that these were the actual remains of St. Cuth-
long beiore the translation in 1104 (when only one or two persons were allowed to
touch it), what passed for the incorrupt St. Cuthbert had been in truth a skeleton so shrouded and enveloped in robes as to give the appearance of an eiuiie body. The cavities of the eyes in the skull of the saint had been filled with round artificial balls of a whitish colour ; indicating, perhaps, that when first the actual body showed signs of collapsing, these balls had been inserted to give the full outline beneath the face-cloth, which no one was ever allowed to raise. " Respecting the relics, taken (rom among the
robes, the same writer makes—the following "
rather ill-con>idered remarks : They com- prise, among others, a cross of gold of very
is more
certain,
that a small
of oak
square slip plated
altar—a
with silver
Only portions of the silver plating remain ; and the oak beneath is inscribed with letters,
900
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 20.
linen. Besides the skeleton were deposited several gold and silver insignia, with other rehi-s of the samt. ^^
At the present time, some doubt seems to prevail, regarding that exact spot, in which the body had been deposited. "^9 In September, 1867. certain explorations took place, to ascertain its discovery and identification,^" owing to the circumstance, that a hereditary Roman Catholic ot Gateshead became a Protestant, and gave up a paper, on which was written a secular tradition. ^' This paper was said to have been taken from the inside of a waistcoat, be- longing to a former Vicar-Apostolic. ^^ The information given was ascer- tained to have been no hoax; and, accordingly, the late Protestant Dean Waddington invited some of the Fathers from Ushaw College, and the head of the English Benedictines, to witness the explorations. Digging was com- menced, yet nothing was found but concrete and rock. ^3
In Ireland, the festival of St Cuthbert, Bishop and Confessor, was
formerly observed with an Office, containing Nine Lessons,^^ on the xiii.
Kalends ot April, corresponding with March 20th. In Rev. Dr. Kelly's
edition of the " oi we find entered, at the xiii. of the Martyrology Tallagh,"
:
Kalends of April, March 20th " Cutbricti Saxonis (i. Insi Menoc)^^ Innse
Menoc. "^^ Our Irish writers frequently apply the term Saxon, to those saints of their country, who laboured among the Saxons. We do not dis- cover any mention ot this saint, in the Irish Calendar, preserved in the Royal Irish Academy, at the xiii. of the Calends of April. The Scottish Kalendars have notices of this holy man, at the 20th of March, thus : the Kalendar of Drummond records his Natale, as GuthDert, in Britain f^ also the Kalendar of Hyrdmanstown, as St. Cuthbert, Bishop and Confessor f^ the Kalendar of Culenros has St. Cuthbert, Bishop f"^ the Kalendar De Nova Farina enters him, in a like manner ;7° the Kalendar of Arbuthnott has St. Cuthbert, Bishop and Confessor, with a notice, that his Office contained Nine Lessons ;7' the Kalendar in the Breviary of Aberdeen has Cuchtbert, Bishop and Con- fessor, with a similar notice, regarding his Office •p'^ in Adam Kmg's Kalen- dar, we have entered S. Cuthbert, bischop and confess, in Scotland vnder
"
Eugenius ye 2 -p while Dempster, in his
Menologium Scoticum," notes, at
the form of wliich shows, that the altar was coeval with St. Cuthbert. It was no doubt used by him ; and in accordance with a custom of that age, it may have been placed on his breast at his first interment. "
of " Noics and Queries," vol. xii. , pp. 149,
"^
lims, it is noticed, in the Kalendars of the Trinity College, Dublin, Manuscripts, local contemporaneous provincial news- classed : B. i. i. B. 3. i. B. 3. 5. B. 3. 8. paper, —the Newcastle Chronicle, which B. 3 9. B. 3. 10. B. 3. 12. B. 3. 13. B.
58 See notes to " Mannion. "
59 See, on this subject, the Fourth Series the Saints," vol. iii. , March 20, n. i, pp.
274, 311.
°° This event has been alluded to, in a
sta es
:
" Tiie excavations commenced last
3. 18, 19.
^5 1 hj^ ^as the ancient Irish name for
week in Durham Cathedral, with a view of
discovering the resting-place of St. Cuth-
bert, have created some stir. Althougli not
the slightest doubt seems cast upon the in-
formation given of the wherealtouts of the we find, Cuchb|Mcctif Soisco "oe Ini]* saint's body which led to these operations; tTlenoc.
some doubts are entertained, whether the *'^ See
spot where the present excavations have Scottish
been commei. ce^i is tlie place indicated. "
"' It runs to this effect : "Subter gradus saxeos (secundum et tertium) climacis ascen- dentis et ducentis erga turrim campanarum in templo cathedrali civitatis Dunelmensis,
'*
See ^ See 7° See '* See ^^ Sec
ibid. , p. 38. ibid. , p. 55. ibid , p. 69. ibid. , p. 97. ibid,, p. 114.
prope horologium grande quod locatur in
augulo austraii fani ejusdem, sepultus jacet
ihesauros pretiosus (corpus S. Cuthberti). "
"^
father had been a servant.
lo him, the pervert's father or grand-
^^ See Rev. S. Baring-Gould's " Lives of 359, 360.
Lindi>farne.
^ See, " Calender of Irish Saints," p. xix.
In the Franci>can copy, at the present date,
Forbes' "Kalendar of Saints, p. 8.
Bishop '
March 20. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 901
Durham, the Deposition of Cuthbert, bishop, on this day. 74 In his History of Scottish Writers,75 more extensive notices are to be found. In Father
Henry Fitzsimons' anonymous Catalogue of Irish saints, pubhshed by O'Sullevan Beare, at the 20th of March, we read Luchbertus,? ^ but Cuthber-
tus most probably is meant. In the Martyrologies of Ado, of Usuard, of
Bishop Challoner,77 and in many others, St. Cuthbert, bishop of Lindisfarne,
as also in the Roman
few general Kalendars of the Church saints are without a simitar record. 7^
Among the churches and religious edifices, dedicated to St. Cuthbert, the following deserve more especial notice. In Ireland, the church of Kilma- cudrick, in the county of Dublin,79 was a memorial edifice, as noticed in the Registry^" of St. Patrick's Deanery. ^^ There is a church at Dunluce, on the north coast of Antrim, which is said to have been dedicated to St. Cuthbert. ^^ The late Very Rev. Monsignor Laurence Canon Forde, V. G. , of Dublin Archdiocese, and P. P. over the district of Kilmacud, has most appropriately dedicated the handsome new Catholic Gothic church of Stillorgan, to St. Cuthbert's memory. The following churches in Scotland have been dedicated to this saint, viz, : Ballantrge f^ Hailes f^ Glencairn ; Denesmor ; Kirkcud- bright f'^ Glenholm :®^ Ednam f^ IJruminelzier ; Maxton f^ Edinburgh ;^9 Wick ;9° Prestwick f^ Hauster f^ Eccles ; Drysdale ; Girvan -p Ewes in Eskdale ; Straiton in Carrick ;94 Manchline ; Maybole f'= Monktown ;9^ In- vertig ;97 and Weem, near Dunkeld. The following fairs, as found in tlie old Almanacks, were held under his patronage, viz. : Langton in Merse, Poole,
Grange, and Linlitligow. 98 In 1875, '^'^s ^^v- William 0'Sliaughnessy,99 Pastor of Girvan, commenced the erection of a small but elegant church, at
is commemorated at this
"
Maybole,
^^ See
The Scottish Kalen-
*'' " Priorat.