No More Learning

•
Thus translated into English:—"To thee
hatli sprung the feast of Coeman Brecc,
—te with a wise (? ) pair: vast Ciprian's chas
death with the fair passion of Cornelius. " Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy,
tmrni.
3 The Scholiast to Oengus states, that he
belonged to Ross Ech, in Meath, and a son of his mother was MacRustaing ; and hence we are told, that both were maternal brothers, but whether by the same father is not so clear.
translation is: "Coeman
the hardships. " Whitley Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. , part i. On Ilui Gormain," pp. 176, 177.
the Calendar of Oengus, p. cxxxvii. See 5 This parish is marked on the "Ordnance
also p. cxlv. Survey Townland Maps for the County of
"
Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxxiv. Westmeath," sheets 5, 6. The townland
In the Book of Leinster copy we read : proper is on sheet 6.
4 Thus—Caeman, Brec, brig bladmar, diar ndfn ar na dodngibh. —
The
English
Brecc—famous —
—to us from
!
vigour protect
" Stokes' Felire
September 14. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 373
6
village of Street, in the baronyot Moygoish. and in the County of Westmeath. More incorrectly, it would seem, the district had been called Chailli in Ollaim, " the wood of the Ollamh," or chief Professor. ? There is also a Clonabreany or Russagh, in Diarmor Parish, deanery of Keils, and barony of Fore, County of Meath. 8 Here an old church stood ; and only a grave- yard, overgrown with flaggers, thistles, and other weeds, may now be see—n. A holy well springs near the church-yard, and it is dedicated to St. Kevin probably the present St. Caemhan Brec. He appears to have been a former" patron of this place. ? According to the Annals of Ulster and those of the
10
Four Masters, this holy man died on the 14th of September, a. d. 6i4. According to the commentator on Oengus, his maternal brother Mac Rustaing—reputed to have been a poet—was buried in Ross Ech in
13
Article III. —St. 6eledabhaill, Abbot of Bangor, County of Down. This holy man was the son of Scannall. He was born about 868, and he is distinguished as a Scribe, a preacher, a learned doctor, and a bishop. He was likewise the successor of St. Comhgall of Beannchair, now Bangor,
moreover, that Coeman Breach was buried in Ross
Meath. 11 He
Liac, which place was unknown to him. In the Martyrology of Donegal, at the same date, he is designated Caemhan Brec, of Ros-each,^ in Gaille Fallamhain, in Meath.
states,
in the County of Down. He died on the 14th of September, while on his 12
pilgrimage at Rome, in the fifty-ninth year of his age, and in the year 92 7.
Article IV. —The Daughters of Colum, in Cremtannaibh. We find
inserted, in the published Martyrology of Tallagh, at the 14th of September,
the name and 1 Colum of Cremtannaibh. 2 The is different in place, entry
that copy contained in the Book of Leinster. 3 There can hardly be a doubt,
but that the present entry incorrectly found its way into the published Martyrology of Tallagh, through some mistake of a scribe. It seems
6 See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , n. (x. ), p. 252.
7 See Dr. O'Donovan's " Leabhar na-g-
Ceart, or Book of Rights," n. (j), p. 182.
8 It is shown on the " Ordnance Survey
Townland Maps for the County of Meath,"
I2 Edited by Rev. Drs. Todd and Reeves,
pp. 248, 249.
I3 In the table appended to this Martyr-
ology, a Latin memorandum is inserted in
the Irish character, and thus rendered into
English, after the proper name Ros-ech ;
sheets
9 See Rev. A. Cogan's "Diocese of
Meath, Ancient and Modern," vol. ii. ,
"
"
see whether it be Eachros. "
Article hi. — See Dr. O'Donovan's Annals of the Pour Masters," vol. ii. ,
15,
1 6.
chap, xvi. , p. 322. pp. 620, 621.
10 See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the 3
to the — verse, thus According following
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 238, 239,
and n. (z. ), ibid. Also Common Place Book F,
translated from the Irish
Three times nine, nine hundred years,
Are reckoned rules by plain
From the birth of Christ, deed of purity, To the holy death of Cele the Cleric.
p. 78, in the Royal Irish Academy.
" An Irish poem thus alludes to him — :
CrvicAn Ainm true tlufcamj; juvm 5apb--OAij\e Ainm true Sama-m
. AinoiAinp^nniAcCongLmoe mon •ooLaioib •oorvm'oe.
Article iv.
—
'
Edited by Rev.
Dr.
Thus translated by Dr. Whitley Stokes : — this is the confused and incorrect entry
"Critan was noble MacRustaing's name, Garb-daire was MacSamain's n—ame,
Aindiairr was MacConglinde's Many lays he made. "
Inghena
Coeman Breac of Ross ech.
Kelly, p. xxxiv.
2 Thus— " Colum i Cremtannaib. " Before
"
Coluim i Caillifollomon. " The last-named place, however, has reference to
:
There we find IngenA
Colum
3 CnemchAnnAib.
1
:
374 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [September14.
referable to the festival celebrated on the day previous in honour of the Daughters of Colum, in Cremhthanna or Cinel Crumthainn.
Article V. —Reputed Feast of a St. Faghna. —In the anonymous list of Irish Saints, published by O'Sullivan Beare, we find a St. Faghna entered, at the 14th of September, but know not on what authority. 1
ArticleVI. —MaeltolaigofDromaFaindle. Inthatcopyofthe
Martyrology of Tallagh contained in the book of Leinster, and at the
iii Ides or 14th of September, is the following entry, Maeltolaig of Droma
1
Faindle. This insertion is omitted in the version published by Rev.
Matthew Kelly, D. D.
Article VII. —Festival of St. Cyprian, Bishop, Doctor and Martyr. At an early date in the Irish Church, the festival of St. Cyprian,
1
the illustrious Bishop of Carthage, was celebrated on the 14th of September. To this entry in the Festiology of St. ^ngus, a commentator has added notes. 2 The Life and Acts of this celebrated Father and Martyr of the early Christian Church have been set forth very fully by the Bollandists, in their great collection, at this day. 3 A lengthy previous Commentary* precedes his ancient Acts, written by the Deacon St. Pontius s and to these are added
;
the Acta proconsularia, relating to St. Cyprian's Martyrdom,6 with an Appendix, referring to the after honours which commemorated him, as also a
dissertation on the Works attributed to his authorship. ? This holy bishop, called Thasius Cyprian, was a native of Carthage, and lived the greater part of his life in Paganism, until he embraced Christianity, and afterwards became a priest. He was consecrated Bishop of Carthage, towards the middle of the third century. In the year 158, he there suffered martyrdom under the Emperor Valerian. In the Martyrology of Marianus O'Gorman,
"
at the 14th of September, is also commemorated Cyprian, called the
diadem
Article v. — See " Historic Catholicae Iberniae Compendium," tomus i. , lib. iv. ,
Septembris xiv. De S. Cypriano. Epis.
Mart, prope Carthaginem in Africa, pp.
cap. xi. , p. 51. — Article vi,
191 to 348.
Thus written
trUel-
4
This contains
Sections, con-
:
Forty-eight hundred and
o — Article vii.
cript Series, vol. i. , part i. On the edition of the "Acta Sincera Martyrum,"
Calendar of Oengus, by Whitley Stokes, and it is in three chapters, comprising
C0LA15 OponiA Venule.
of
sisting Eight
thirty-one
'See "Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manu-
paragraphs,
s This too is inserted from Ruinart's
L. L. D. , p. exxxvii. thirty-seven paragraphs, with several 2""
In the Leabhar Breac copy, the first explanatory notes,
"° note has added to Cipriain, i. e. , Episcopus
Cartagenis in Africa, vel Episcopus Romae. " —In a lower marginal note is the following :
Affer
"Ciprianus prinium gloriosam
rhetoricam docuit deinde Christianus (actus
Cicilio suadente omneni substantiam suam
erogavit et postea Episcopus Cartaginis constitutus est sed hujus ingenium super- fluum est dicere cum sole clarior sit inter opera ejus passus est sub Valeriano et
In six paragraphs, with explanatory notes. 7 This treatise is in Four Chapters and
Galliano principibus
die — Cornelius quorum
3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iv. ,
in Flandria. Two sections in twenty-four
paragraphs precede Miracula Auctore
anonymc Ninoviensis ecclesise Canonico
Praemonstratensi, sub finem seculi XII. , ex Ms. codice membranaceo Ninoviensi. This
passus anno. " Ibid. % pp. cxlv. , cxlvi.
est in codem tract is in two
chapters, containing twenty-
persecutione octavo
In the same volume, there is an Appendix ad Diem XIV. ,
Septembris de SS. Cornelii et Cypriani MM.
seventy-two paragraphs.
Reliquiis
ac Miraculis in Abbatia Ninoviensi
two paragraphs, with explanatory notes, pp. 76910778.
September 14. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 375
of 8 Carthage. "
martyrdom. 9
On this
date,
the Roman likewise records his Martyrology
ArticleVIII. —FeastofSt. Cornelius,PopeandMartyr. Inthe early Irish Church, at the 14th day of September, the Feast of St. Cornelius,
1
Pope and Martyr, was celebrated, as found in the Feilire of St. ^Engus. The Acts of this holy Pontiff are presented by the Bollandists in their work,3 at this same date, in a historic commentary of sixteen sections, containing three hundred and twenty-two paragraphs. When St. Fabian, Pope, had been crowned with martyrdom, on the 20th of January, a. d. 250, the See of Rome remained vacant for over sixteen months. Then Cornelius was chosen to fill the Apostolic Chair, in 251. 3 His brief Pontificate was disturbed by the Novatians ;* as also by a persecution of the Emperors Gallus and Volusien. Finally, he suffered martyrdom under the Emperor Decius. Refusing to offer sacrifice to the Pagan divinities, he was beheaded. 5
6
St.
Cornelius was called to eternal bliss on the 14th of September, a. d. 25 2. He was venerated in the Irish Church, at an early period ; and in the Felire of Marianus O'Gorman,? he is noticed at the 14th of September, as the just Pope Cornelius. Also, at the 16th of this month, Saints Cornelius and
Cyprian
are commemorated in the Roman 8 Martyrology.
Article IX. —Festival of One-and-Twenty Martyrs. The Martyrology of Marianus O'Gorman commemorates the feast of One-and-
Twenty Martyrs, at the 14th of September.
1
It seems most probable, that
these were the one-and-twenty holy martyrs that suffered on the Appian Way, near Rome, in company with St. Cornelius the Pope.
8 Thus—"Mind — tomus Sseculum Kartaigne Ciprian. " vii. ,
s See the Petits Bollandistes, who place
,;
Cypriani Episcopi Carthaginensis, sanctitate des Saints, tome xi. , xvie Jour de
et doctrina clarissimi : qui sub Valeriano et Gallieno Principibus post durum exilium detruncatione capitis martyrium con- summavi—t sexto miliiario a Carthagine juxta
Dr. Whitley Stokes' " Felire Hui sect, iv. , p. 5.
Tertium, cap. ii. ,
Gormain," pp. 176, 177.
—
9 Thus "In Africa passio Sancti his Acts, at the 16th of September, "Vies
mare. " "Martyrologium
Editio novissima,—
p. 136.
Romanum,"
states—" Romse via Appia beati Cornelii Papse et Martyris, qui in persecutione Decii post exilii relegationem jussus est plumbatis
Article viii. 'See "Transactions of
the Royal Irish Academy. " Irish Manu- cum Salustia uxore sua, quos idem Cornelius
"
passi sunt Cornelius et Ciprianus intelli- Thus Sanctorum Cornelii et Cypriani
gens circumcisionem interpretatur. "—Ibid. , cxlv.
2 See "Acta Sanctorum,' tomus iv. ,
Pontificum et Martyrum, quorum natalis decimo-octavo Kalendas Octobris recolitur. " —"Martyrologium Romanum," Editio novissima, p. 137.
:
xiv. De S. Cornelio Martyre Centumcellis in Etruria, item de SS. Cereale et Salustia cum Viginti et uno
Socii M. Romse, pp. 143 to 191.
3 See Rev. Alban Butler's " Lives of the
Septembris
Papa
*
— —
Fathers, Martyrs and other Saints," vol. ix. , September xvi.
Principal
Translated into English as follows: —
" One and twenty (martyrs) whom thou
beseechest, who are holiest with the Lord. " See R. P. Natalis Alexandri, " Historia —Dr. Whitley Stokes' " Felire Hui
Ecclesiastica Veteris Novique Testamenti," Gormain," pp. 176, 177.
Septembre, pp. 127 to 132.
6 At this date the Roman Martyrology
et sic cum aliis et uno caedi, viginti pro-
miscui sexus decollari
:
sed et Coerealis Miles
On the in fid—e instruxerat, eodem die capite plexi
script Series, vol. i. . part i.
Calendar of Oengus, by Whitley Stokes, sunt. " MartyrologiumRomanum,"
LL. D. , p. cxxxvii. A note in the novissima, p. 136.
Leabhar Breac copy has " Cornil, i. e. 7 See Dr. Whitley Stokes' " Felire Hui episcopus Romae, i. e. in Dominico die Gormain,—" pp. 176, 177.
8
"
Editio
Thus " aen ar fichit ale
Article ix.
at cade con Comdidh. "
376 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [September14.
ArticleX. —TheFeastoftheExaltationoftheHolyCross. The
1
Emperor Constantine, having had a miraculous vision of the sign of man's
2 Redemption,andhavingvanquishedthetyrantMaxentius, becameaChristian,
and caused the Cross to be inscribed on the banners and coin of the Roman Empire. 3 His pious mother Helena4 was furthermore inspired to visit
Palestine, where, with much difficulty, and assisted by Divine Revelation, she discovered the true Cross and instruments of our Saviour's passion, in the
year of grace 326. 5 The miracles wrought at Jerusalem, on this occasion, confirmed the popular tradition, that those relics had been buried in a corner
of the Holy Sepulchre by the early Christians, to save them from pagan
profanation. Overjoyed at this discovery, 'she caused a magnificent church to be erected on that site, in which she left a considerable portion of the
True Cross, and in a shrine, richly adorned ; another portion she brought to
Constantinople, where it was deposited with great solemnity in the Basilica
destined to receive it ; while the rest was carried to Rome, where the
Emperor Constantine and Helena built a church for it on the palace-site of
Sertorius, and which has ever since received for title, the Church of the Holy
Cross of 6 The feast of that miraculous has been com- Jerusalem. discovery
memoratedintheChurchonthe3rdofMay. ? However,whentheEmperor
8 Mauritiusandhisfamilyhadbeencruellymassacred bytheusurperPhocas,
the barbarian King of Persia, Chosroes II. ,9 broke peace with the Empire, by
invading Mesopotamia and a part of Syria. Then, pressed by the chief statesmen and senators to assume the imperial purple and to rid the state
of a tyrant, Heraclius, Prefect of Africa, transported his forces by sea to Constantinople. After a successful battle he defeated Phocas, made him prisoner, and after his rule of eight years and four months, put him and his children to death, a. d. 611. Afterwards Heraclius offered to makepeace with Chosroes, but the haughty barbarian rejected his proposals. In the first year of his reign, the Persians took Edessa and Apamea, advancing so far as
Article x. —' The incidents of his s See Les Petits Bollandistes, " Vies des
e
Fleury's Histoire Ecclesiastique," tome tion de la Sainte Croix, pp. 276 to 278.
renowned career are set forth in detail in Saints," tome v. , iii "
Jour de Mai. Inven-
ii. , iii. , liv. ix. , x. , xi.
2 The elevation of Constantine after the
death of Constantius in Britain, dates from
the viii. of the August Kalends, a. d. 306. After the defeat of the tyrant Maxentius at
6
See an account of these transactions in
the Milvian bridge, on the 27th October,
A. D. 312, then he and Licinius assumed Volume of this work, Art. xvi. Also in the
Baronius' "Annales Ecclesiastici," ad A. c.
326, No. 42 to 50.
7 This feast has been celebrated in the earliest Irish Calendars, as may be seen by referring to the 3rd of May, in the Fifth
administration of the Roman Calendar of Drummond at v. Nonas Mail—
the
Empire; until at length in a. d. 323 war"
was waged between them, when Licinius
was defeated, and put to death in the
following year. Then Constantine reigned
alone, and died A. D. 337. The chronology rude day of finding of ye halie croce at
joint
"
Helena Sancta Regina sub Constantino Imperatore. " Again in A—dam King's
and incidents of his reign are very learnedly Jerusalem be ilelane mother to Constantine "
set forth in Henry Fynes Clinton's Fasti ye greit. " See Bishop Forbes' Kalendars
Romani," vol. i. , Tables, pp. 348 to 396. After the death of Licinius, Constantine
openly declared in favour of Christianity,
and recommended its adoption by circular
letters addressed "to his subjects. See Philip
Empire," vol. iii. , book ix. , chap, xliv. , p. 688.
of Scottish Saints, pp. 12 and 152.
8 On the 27th of November, A. D. 602. The death of the Emperor Maurice, as also the revolt and succession of l'hocas are related by Theophylact Simocatta in his History of the Emperor Maurice, lib. viii. ,
cap. vii. to xii.
9 The exploits of this great Persian poten- tate are well set forth in Professor George Rawlinson's "Seventh Great Oriental Monarchy," chap, xxii. , xxiii. , xxiv.
"
Records to the Fall of the Western
Smith's
Ancient History from the Earliest
4 The feast of this
n the Church on the 18th of August.
is held
pious Empress
Hierosolomis Inventio Sanctae Crucis ab
" Kalendar at the 3rd of May The halie
September 15. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 377
Antioch ; in the second, they took Csesarea, in Cappadocia ; in the fourth,
Damascus; in the fifth, in June, a. d. 614, they took possession of Jerusalem, which they filled with massacre, outrage, and desolation. The churches were burned, and that portion of the true Cross left there by St. Helena was carried away to Persia. 10
of Eutychius, tomus ii. , pp. 212 to 223. 11 "
main," pp. 176, 177.
For its present state, see
Nineveh
'
4 Thus —
"
country,
At length, the Emperor Heraclius levied an army
when near the ruins of ancient 11 on the 12th Ninive,
and invaded that
of December, a. d. 627, the Persians were entirely defeated. Chosroes was dethroned and put to death by his son Siroes, who made peace with Heraclius,
restored the true Cross, releasing Zachary, patriarch of Jerusalem, and all the Roman captives. The Emperor brought the precious Relic with him in
triumph to Constantinople, where he was received with great rejoicing. In the spring of 629, Heraclius set out for Jerusalem to carry this portion of the
true Cross, and deposit it with great pomp and religious ceremony in its formerplace. Fromthistimeforward,theFeastoftheExaltationoftheHoly Cross was celebrated with extraordinary devotion and ceremonies in the
12
city of Constantinople, and it soon was established in all other nations
throughout the Christian world. In the Felire of Marianus O'Gorman, the Exaltation of dear Christ's Cross, the great, pure diademed standard, is com- memorated, at the 14th of September. ^ This Festival is commemorated in the Roman Martyrology, 14 on the 14th of September. Also, in the Roman Breviary, this feast is celebrated as a Duplex Majus, with an Office of Nine Lessons.
jfifteentl) ©ap of September
ARTICLE I. —ST. MIRINUS OR MEADHRAN, PATRON OF PAISLEY, SCOTLAND.
[SIXTH CENTURY. ]
ALTHOUGH—chiefly venerated in Scotland, St. Mirinus—also called
1
Meadhran seems to have been born in Ireland. Whatever is related
regarding him, we find chiefly contained in the Breviary of Aberdeen, where
there is an Office of Five Lessons for St. Mirinus all of which seems to have ;
been taken from the Life of St. 2 Abbot of in Ireland. At Comgall, Bangor,
an early age, his parents entrusted their son to the care of St. Comgall, to be trained in his school. In Bangor Monastery he assumed the religious habit, and subsequently he there became prior. The gentleness of his rule was admired by all, and he was especially loved by the monks over whom he presided. When St. Finian,3 Abbot of Maghbile, came to visit Bangor
10 These events are related ir. the Annals —Dr. Whitley Stokes' Felire Hui Gor-
Exaltatio Sanctze Crucis, quando Heraclius Imperator, Chosroea The Emperor Constantinus Prophy- Rege devicto, earn de Perside Jerosoly-
the Buried City of the East," 185 1, 8vo. 12
roger. itus
on the Ceremonies of the Constantinopolitan Court. See edition of J. H. Leichius and J. J. Reiskins, lib. i. , cap. xxii. , p. 74,
1 — fol. Lipsiae 751,
13 Thus
"Tocbai! croiche caemh-Crist, In meirge moir mindglain. "
num," Editio novissinia, p. 136.