No More Learning

February i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 47
Thenceforth, this holy virgin was called " the Mary of the Gaedhels. """ The
learned Dr. Todd observes, commenting on this title : Here when it is said "
thatBrigidwas inthetypeofMary,"themeaning,perhaps,maybe,that sheresembledinformandfigurethepersonoftheBlessedVirgin; notthat
she was actually the Blessed Virgin, reappearing upon earth, but that, from the close resemblance of her features to those of Mary, and from her having been seen in the vision as Mary, and called by the Angel as " Holy Mary, that dwells amongst you," she was saluted by the assembled Synod as Mary,
"
and was thenceforth regarded as
gyrists call St. Brigid, the Mother of Christ," The Mother of my Lord," &c. , thus bestowing upon her attributes, belonging especially to the Blessed Virgin Mary. "* St. Columkille, it is stated, composed a certain Hymn in praise of St. Brigid. "5 This was a short metrical Irish composition, which has been rendered in a Latin version by Colgan,"^ and there St. Brigid is called "The Mother of Christ. ""^ In the panegyrical poem of St. Brogan Cloen,"^ which Colgan has printed, the same exalted praise is bestowed upon St. Brigid. Dr. Todd takes quotations from the original Irish, as Colgan's printed text is full of typographical errors. Omitting the Irish extracts, these following passages are submitted :"9
the Mary of the Irish/'"3 Other pane- ""
"
Of heaven, a sovereign the best bom. "
Brigit, mother of my Lord,
On these passages, the learned commentator remarks, that Brigid is strangely
spoken of, not as resembling the Virgin Mary in feature, or even in purity and sanctity, but as partaking wiih her, in some mystical sense, of the prero-
" Mother of Lord of heaven. " Never- my
of Mother of gative being
Jesus,
theless, it is certain, that the idea of a reappearance of Mary, in the person
of St. Brigid, which should make them one and the same person, was not in the minds of those writers, notwithstanding the extravagance of their lan- guage. ^3° Yet, it is clear, that Mary and Brigid are spoken of as two distinct
have been the author. The SchoHast also adds, " or it was Ultan of Ardbreecan who made this Hymn. "
"^ In one o—f these lines, St. Brigid is alluded to thus
" Haec Christi mater. " — "7 There is still some undefined beUef
— the discre- notwithstanding chronological
**'
According
to Professor Irish Life of St. Brigid, pp. 1 1, 12.
^"3 Seethe "Liber Hymnorum," Fasciculus I. Edited with notes, by Dr. James Hen- thorn Todd. Note B, pp. 65, 66, and nn. (f. g. ) ibid. There we find a like account, under the
Brigid,
of
heading, the Irish. "
** St.
the
Mary
"'^ In the Third Life the language is :
the Irish that St. people,
"Hsec est Maria (without the explanatory altera) quae habitat inter vos ;" and these are there given, as the words, not of the saint who saw the vision, but of the Angel seen in the vision, who stood with the Vir-
pancy among BrigidwasasisterofourBlessedLady. A
gin Mary, and said, not of St. Brigid, but "
legend prevails, that St. Brigid advanced
before the Mother of our Lord to the tem-
pie, and by an ostentatious exhibition, or
"praisga," of herself, carrying lighted can- dies on her head, she wished to divert at-
tention from the modest Mother-Virgin, Although the day was stormy, none of the candles were extinguished. Hence, our Blessed Lady enjoined St. Brigid's feast to be celebrated before that of the Purification, This account was furnished to the writer by
Rev. David B. Mulcahy, C. C. , Loughguile,
Co. Antrim, in a letter, dated April 26th,
1875.
^^^ His is also foimd in the composition
"Liber Hymnorum," p. 33.
"' As translated by Dr. Todd, —
of the B. V. Mary herself, Hsec est Maria quse habitat inter vos," thus strangely con-
founding the person of Mary and Brigid. It will be observed, however, that this ex- travagance is avoided in the Office printed
"
Liber Hymnorum," Note B, n, (n. ), pp. 68, 69.
"5 A portion of the original Irish of this
Hymn, with an English translation, is given
in 1622. See
by
Dr. Todd, in the work
already quoted :
and it is taken from the MS. "Liber
Hymnorum," p. 32. In the preface, it is
said, that St. Columkille is supposed to
*3o gt. Brogan Cloen afterwards says
O'Looney's
4S LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February i.
beings, and the notion of reappearance of the former in the person of the latter is exckided. '^i Our Lord has said, that whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is his brother, and sister and mother,''^'' and this perhaps may be all that is meant by St. Brigid's pledging herself to be the Mother of Christ, and making herself so by words and deeds. According to another explanation, she who by continual elevation of mind, and fixed intention, keeps her thoughts ever upon Christ, may be said to travail with Christ, and figuratively to be the mother of Christ, and so to be, as it were, another Mary. ^33 Colgan has interpreted this prerogative of St. Brigid to be "the Mary of the Irish," because of the honour and veneration our people enter- tained for her over every other Saint—the Blessed Virgin only excepted— and because of her having had some similar kind of religious deference in comparison with the Holy Mother of God. '34 —
found with full musical notation, in the Antiphonary of Clondalkin, a MS. of the fourteenth century. '3^ It has also been reprinted by Colgan, and has
•'
The veiled Virgin who drives over the Currech
Is a shield against sharp weapons ;
None was found her equal, except Mary, Let us put our trust in my strength. "
promised or pledged herself to be Christ's
mother,' and made herself so by words or
deeds, Brigid, who is esteemed the Queen
of the true God. " The Hymn itself, how-
ever (v. 8), is content with the statement
that she was a virgin like to Holy Mary,
"
*'
Be upon them that recite it together.
There are two Virgins in heaven,
"Who will not give me a forgetful protec-
tion,
Mary and St. Brigid,
Under the protection of them both may
we remain. "
*3* To passages taken from this Irish
certainly softening the matter as much as possible, seeing that the ancient authorities place her on an equality with the Blessed Virgin, giving to her also the seemingly in- communicable title of Dei Genetrix, and the
' stillmoreunusualoneof Queenofthetrue
God. ' And,moreover,theystateexpressly that she was called the Mary of the Irish, and was recognised as such by an assembled Synod, in consequence of her personal resemblance to the B. Virgin Mary, whilst
Hymn
of St.
Dr. Todd — still a child, and therefore before she was Brogan Cloen, ap-
The accou—
nt of that
at Kildare but in a somewhat modifiedform isretainedinanOfficeofSt. Brigid,whichhasbeenprinted in Paris. '35 This Office, containing some minor variations, is also to be
In the last line there is a play upon the name of St. Brigid, and the I—rish word Btigiy "strength. " And again:
**
Marise SanctK similem. " ^32 St. Matt. xii. 50.
^33 This seems to be the
Every one that hears ;
peats [this poem],
The of blessing Brigid
every one that re-
idea, presented to the mind of the author, supposed to have been St. Ultan : "Christi matrem se spo-
be on him The blessing of Brigid and of God
^34 Dr. Todd here remarks
:
* * This is
pends the following notes. The Currech
i. e. , the Curragh of Kildare. The Scholiast
in a on this word " a
Irish
known to the people, or could have
received any honour or veneration from
them. " We are then referred Dr. Todd by
words of the supposed stanza of the Hymn in the text (taking the corrected reading of autumata for aut amata) are also remark-
'36 This latter is preserved in the Library of Trinity College, Dublin. It is classed in
a Catalogue of "MSS. there preserved, B, L3.
able : Christi matretn se spopondit ;
'
She
supposed Synod,
;
gloss says, cup|\ech
cursu equorum dictus est j" a curious proof
of the antiquity of its use as a race-course :
to which, perhaps, some allusion may be
intended in the description of St. Brigid, as
"the Nun (or veiled Virgin) who drives
oyer —the Currech. " And again : Two Vir-
gins. The word cAiLlech, here used, sig-
nifies a veiled or consecrated virgin, a nun,
derived probably from the Latin cucullus. ''^
The learned editor of the "Liber Hymno-
rum" thus continues his remarks: "The " Trias Thaumaturga," p. 600.
pondit, dictis atque factis fecit. "
to some learned and curious remarks on this
subject in Mr. Herbert's Cyclops Christianus,
p. 113, seq,, p. 137, p. 141-2. See the
"
Liber Hymnorum," Note B, pp. 65 to 68, and nn. (f,g,h,i,j,k,l,) ibid. Also Colgan's " Trias Thaumaturga," Appendix Secunda ad Acta S. Brigidoe, sec. xxiii. , p. 606, and Appendix Quarta ad Acta S. Brigidse, cap. xii. , p. 622, ibid.
'35 A. D. 1622. Noct. ii. , Lect. v. , Colgan's
February i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 49
been republished by him, in common with various lessons and prayers, relating to our Saint, as found in other Breviaries. '37 In the same Office, there is a Hymn at Lauds, the two first stanzas of which evidently paraphrase the verses commencing with " Christus in nostra insula. "'38 The Irish Life of Brigid'39 relates, that after returning from the Synod, she went to visit her mother who was in bondage.
Some great characteristics of our holy virgin are thus alluded to in an
"
It was her anxious care to comfort the poor, to banish all distress, to relieve all wretchedness : there was no one more modest, more righteous, more humble, or more chaste ; she never looked in the face of man \ she was abstinent, she was spotless, she was prayerful, she was patient, shewasjoyfulinthecommandmentsofGod. Shewasaconsecratedshrine to receive the Body and Blood of Christ : she was the temple of God : her heart and her mind were an abiding throne for the Holy Ghost. She was bright in miracles ; her type among creatures is the dove among birds, the vine among trees, the sun amidst the stars. It is she that reHeves all who are in distress and danger ; it is she that subdues disease. It is she that restrains the angry fury of the sea. She is the Mary of Ireland. ^'^o This is not the sole highly-coloured panegyric found in our ancient literature. A
very old book of vellum, in which is found the Martyrology of Maelruain of Tallagh, and also the saints bearing the same name,'^^ with the names of
many mothers of the saints, states, that Brighit was following the manners and the life, which the holy Mary, Mother of Jesus, had practised. '^^ Such was her aptitude for devotional feeling, that she possessed every virtue which could adorn a child of Mary, or which could endear her to those who were around her. '43
CHAPTER III.
STATEMENT REGARDING ST. BRIGID's PARENTS—HER PERSONAL AND MENTAL ATTRAC- TIONS DURING HER EARLY YOUTH—ALLEGED TREATMENT BY HER PARENTS—HER GREAT CHARITY TOWARDS THE POOR—BROUGHT BEFORE DUNLAING, KING OF LEINSTER—HIS ADMIRATION OF HER VIRTUES—HER RESOLUTION TO EMBRACE A RELIGIOUS LIFE—A SUITOR PROPOSES MARRIAGE WITH ASSENT OF HER FAMILY— SHE REJECTS THIS OFFER—HER RELIGIOUS PROFESSION, AND OPINIONS ADVANCED RELATIVE TO IT—PROBABLE TIME AND PLACE—ESTABLISHMENT OF ST. BRIGID's FIRST RELIGIOUS HOUSE—SHE SELECTS THE BEATITUDE OF MERCY FOR HER SPECIAL PRACTICE—HER MIRACLES.
A SINGULAR Statement has been made,^ that the parents of Brigid ruled over
ancient biography.
'37 See " Trias Thaumaturga," Appendix Prima ad Acta S. Brigidse, pp. 599 to 602. In this Office, the following is a portion of
Qui per beatam Brigidam Decoravit Hiberniam, Vitam dans ejus lucidam.
the Fifth Lesson :
plaudit. "—/fo'^/, p. 600.
'38 These stanzas are as follows :—
mina a postulavit
"
Vol. II.
"
Religiosa qusedam fae-
" Haec
Quae mundo late clamit,
Hsec rosa temperantise
Cujus virtus non languit. "
'39 professor O'Looney's Copy, pp. ii, 12. ^o prom "Life of St. Brigid," in the
" Leabhar Breac," and " Book of Lismore. "
'^i By some called Homonymi.
^^^a See "The Martyrology of Donegal," edited by Rev. Dr. Todd and Rev. Dr.
Reeves, pp. 34, 35.
M3 See " The Life of St. Brigid," by an
Irish —
Priest, chap, i. , p. 13.
ut S.
secum exiret ad synodum quae collecta erat in Carnpo Liffaei, et a pater permittitur. Tunc vir quidem sanctus in synodo dormiens vidit visionem et surgens ait. Haec altera Maria, quae habitat inter nos. Respons. Virgo deportatur, honor ei amplius cumula- tur : Synodus instabat, nova Brigida Stella micabat. Sacra cohors plaudit, quia signum caelitus audit. Vers. Presbyter banc aliam denunciat esse Mariam. Sacra cohors
patre suo,
Brigidce
speculum munditise,
Christo canamus gloriam.
Chapter hi.
'
By Camerarius.
E
50 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February i.
the Orkney islands,^ and had their residence in the province Cathensia3 in
Scotia. Under King Congall/ they helped to prevent Hengist and the Saxonss taking possession of those islands, according to the same ill-instructed ecclesiastical historian. ^ Several particulars, regarding our Saint's early youth, are supplied by Laurence of Durham, but, these are wanting in her other Acts. It is not easy to pronounce, whether some of those accounts are furnished by his own fertile imagination, or from authors, who ^vrote before his time. In various instances, however, they present a pleasing picture of virtues, that early adorned our Saint.
We are told, as Brigid grew in age, she increased also in grace. Her natural endowments were likewise remarkable. She received an excellent education. To her, the Almighty granted personal gifts, which to others are often the occasion of
danger, in a spiritual sense. Whilst a mere child, her countenance was radiant with smiles, but her looks were truly angelic. These even betokened her future exalted sanctity. Her figure was moulded with a peculiar grace- fulness, while her natural intelligence caused the pagan master of her mother —for we are still left in the mirage of legend—to furnish his bond-woman's daughter opportunities for acquiring some special culture. Each day added
effulgence of beauty to Brigid's mental faculties, and to her natural bodily endowments; while,owingtoherindividualmerits,ablessingseemedtofall
on the Magus himself, who began to grow rich in possession of this world's
goods. From the very period of our Saint's infancy, it was surprising to find, that she exhibited little youthful levity. Her thoughts and actions were characterized by sound discretion, and while her lovely features beamed with a matronly reserve, she abhorred the follies of old dotards, as much as she did the amusements of young persons. All admired her justly-regulated mind, her propriety of speech, her dislike of merely terrestrial and transitory things, and her perseverance in holy practices. Worldly-minded men wondered, that she avoided all companionship with them, and women of light
character could not but feel mortified, when the holy virgin regarded them withhorror; whilethosepiousfemales,whodevotedthemselvessincerelyto God's service, felt rejoiced, when our Saint sought their company and con-
^
These are twenty-eight in number, and
they lie directly north from Caithness.
They are partly in the Northern and partly
in the German Ocean. In the old Pictish
language, they are said to have been i. , chap, ii. , p. 63. This happened, while called Ar Cath, or the Tail of Caithness.
Hence, classic writers have their denomina-
tion, Orcades. These are divided into the
North and South groups of Islands. Some
of these are called Skirrachs—corresponding
with the Irish word Skerries
chiefly barren rocks, often covered by the salt-water. Others, which abound in pas- turage, are designated Holms.
3 Now Caithness, a district in the extreme north-east of the mainland of Scotland. See an interesting account of it in Fullarton's "Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland," vol. i. , pp. 218 to 222.
^ King Congall I. , who was the forty- fourth monarch of Scotland, according to Buchanan, succeeded Constantine I. After a reign of twenty-two years. King Congall I. died A. D, 501. See "Renim Scoticarum Historia," lib. v. , pp. 133 fo 135. In the list of Pictish Kings, as furnished by Rev,
after the Romans
—which are
toria," lib. v. , pp. 125 to 131. The Picts and Scots had made so many inroads on the
Dr. J. F. S. Gordon, we find no such name, "
See Scotichronicon," vol. i. , pp. 5, 6.
s Plengist invaded Britain in 449. See
Dr. Lingard's
"
History of England," vol.
Eugene or Evan, the forty- first Scottish king, was on the throne. He died A. D. 452. See Buchannan's "Rerum Scoticarum His-
more southern
abandoned Britain, that King Vortigern in- vited the Saxons, under Hengist and Horsa, to make head against their enemies. This success, however, resulted in the final sub- jugation of the ancient Britons to the Saxon
power, yet not without a prolonged and vigorous resistance. In some parts of Wales
and Scotland, notwithstanding, the Britons seem to have held not inconsiderable terri- lories. See Rev. Thomas Innes' "Civil and Ecclesiastical History of Scotland. " Book i. , sees. XLix. to Liii. , pp. 88 to 95.
^ See "De Statu Hominis vetcris simul
ac novae Ecclesize, et Sanctis Regni Scotice," lib. i,, cap. iii. , sec, ii. , p. 141.
Britons,
February i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 51
versation. This most amiable child, from her earliest years, began to understand, that modesty should be the companion and guardian of all her
while, her most earnest desires were directed to cultivate this lily of female perfection. In her angelic countenance, in her words and her motions, in her gait, gestures, dress and actions, she exhibited that greatest adornment of her sex ; but, those exterior appearances were supplied from the deep springs of her stainless soul, which would not admit there a single trace of impurity to leave any impress. She conceived herself, as bound to remove from the gaze of men, whatever might be calculated to afford them occasion for sin ; and she knew, that the Almighty diligently searches the secrets of hearts, to judge how far the roots of evil passion make progress. A virgin, not alone in name, but in truth, Brigid left nothing undone to increase her merits in God's sight, while she desired nothing, which a true Christian should avoid procuring.
All these virtues, however, did not screen our Saint from the envy and persecution of her father's wife—thus runs the fable—when, with her nurse, she had been sent to her first home by the Magus. It usually happens, either through himself or through his instruments, the Devil pursues with malignity those most loved by God, and principally, with a view to pervert their understanding. Hence, our Saint's step-mother was accustomed to find fault with everything said or done by this unoffending child. Often were injurious words and even cruel stripes inflicted on the innocent creature. Not content with such a tyrannical course of conduct, by her incessant and secret denunciation, that wicked woman excited the Saint's father to adopt a like treatment towards a daughter he had heretofore so much loved. Thus, instead of finding a natural protector in the person of her parent, Brigid found a tyrant : from being much attached to his daughter, her father became a persecutor ; his love was changed to dislike, and his kindness into the grossest injustice. However, his wife could not urge him to sell his daugh-
ter, as a slave ; yet, she endeavoured to render the girl's position almost as intolerable, by directing her to engage in most servile and laborious offices. It is said, that moved by his wife's persuasions, her father imposed an obli- gation of tending swine upon his young daughter. 7 Without a murmur, she accepted such a humiliating employment, to become reconciled under those injuries inflicted by her father, and partially to escape from the malevolent attempts of her step-mother. The young maid frequently meditated on Christ's passion, and thence derived most salutary thoughts. She consi- dered, that the sufferings of this life are not worthy of being compared to the glories of that kingdom, which Christ shall reveal to His perfect ones. So, spending much time out-of-doors, while engaged at an humble employment,
she did not neglect her duties to God. When at home, she was either
occupied in prayer, or in relieving the wants of the poor. ^ During a time thus spent, it chanced that her herd of swine dispersed while grazing, so that
some escaped the supervision of their young guardian. At this moment, two thieves who were passing observed the opportunity afforded them to make a
seizure. Accordingly, these men drove away two of the swine as a prey. But, it so happened, that Dubthach was distantly seen by the robbers ap-
proaching them ; whereupon, fearing merited punishment, they betook them- selves to flight. On coming to that spot, where his swine had been aban- doned, the master soon discovered, that these were a portion of his herd.
7 See "Life of St. Brigid," by an Irish the Saints," vol. ii. , p-ebruary I,"p. i6. Priest,cbap. ii. ,p. 15. Likewise,Mrs. AnastasiaO'Bynie's Saints
other virtues
;
®See Rev. S. Baring-Gould's "Lives of of Ireland," part ii. , p. 14.
52 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February i.
Having concealed them for a moment, he proceeded to the place where his daughter was. Meantime, at first concealing his anger, under an affected
hilarity and in words calmly expressed, soon he changed this assumed coun- tenance and tone, by asking his daughter, if she could account for the entire number of swine entrusted to her care, without the loss of a single animal. The holy maiden, having full faith in Almighty power, entreated her father toexamineandseeifhehadthefullnumber. Carefullycountingtheherd,
\J)ubtacJi found inckided those swine he had concealed. Astonished at such a^4£sult, tfie cHieftain then returned to his home. 9
Our pious nlaid bore her trials with patience and constancy ; while
humility induced her on all occasions to refer her meritorious actions entirely
to God, as she knew that all human virtues have their origin in the bestowal
of Divine Grace. And, as she had not received these heavenly gifts in vain,
Brigid zealously co-operated with them. She advanced each day towards
the highest degree of perfection. The more humility endeared her to the
Almighty, the more was His glory manifested through her, in the miracles
which were wrought. Brigid's virtues are greatly extolled by her pane- ^°
All these good dispositions, however, were not a sufficient protec-
gyrists.
tion from her step-mother's enmity. This woman even took occasion to find fault with the girl's excellent qualities, for she envied that good repute, which was justly due to our Saint's merits. " Such malignity seemed to in- crease each day, and reproaches were redoubled, when it had been reported miracles were wrought, on occasion of that theft which had been committed, and at the time of her nurse's infirmity. Thenceforward, envy began to assume the characteristics of a fixed hatred. All the efforts of a wicked woman's malice were directed towards the further persecution of an innocent child, on whom a variety of laborious occupations were imposed. Not only was the virgin employed as swine-herd, but she was obliged to bake, to cook, to weave, to tend sheep and to engage in harvest labours. Still more humiliating and onerous offices were exacted from her. These must have been sufficient to break the spirit and constitution of any child, even less eminently gifted and constituted than our Saint. Yet, Brigid considered no work more servile, than that of sin ; and, therefore, she patiently commenced, prudently continued, and admirably executed, her various heavy tasks. The legend proceeds to state, that the hatred and envy of St. Brigid's step- mother, once aroused, could not easily be dispelled ; and, as the holy virgin's o^vn mother had become a free woman, efforts were made to reduce her innocent daughter to a state of servitude. As some plausible pretext was even wanting for this purpose, after an anxious scrutiny into the maiden's life, no single word or action of her step-daughter being open to reproach, resort was had to calumnies and intrigue. " The whole tenor of this sweet child's life was one of blameless virtue ; yet, it was sought to give a false colouring to her good actions, and to represent them as worthy of blame and punishment. Itwassaid,althoughpossessingnopropertyofherown,that Brigid notwithstanding bestowed large alms on the poor, and hence she must havestolen,whatshedidnotrightlygiveaway. Toherhusband,thestep-
9 This is more briefly related in Professor O'Looney's Irish Life, pp. 9, 10.
*"
These are specially enumerated in the Hymn of St. Brogan Cloen. vSee Colgan's ••Trias Thaumaturga," Vita Prima S. Bri-
been the daughter of a bard and of a beauti- ful captive, tells us, the latter was chased, like another Agar, t)y her master, and at the suggestion of his wife. See "Les Moines d'Occident," tome ii. , liv. ix. , chap, i. , p. 462.
"See "Life of St. Brigid," by an Irish Priest, chap, ii. , pp. 15, 16.
sees,
"The Count de Montalembert, whose
gidsE,
3, 4, 11, 12, p. 515.
fancy leans to the legend of Brigid having
February t. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 53
mother represented a probability of his house being robbed by his own daughter, as she abstracted all the value it contained to enrich others, and this under the guise of piety. Thus, it was urged, while the maiden extended her bounty towards strangers, her own father was likely to be reduced to great poverty, unless he took suitable precautions against such a result. Hence, the step-mother reasoned, that prevention being better than cure, her husband should obviate this state of things, as it must prove vain to mend matters, when he must be in actual need. In order to prevent the absolute poverty of his family, advice was given to sell his daughter as a slave, and if he rejected this counsel, it was represented, he must soon experience those difficulties, attendant on a complete loss of property. By these and similar arguments, the insidious woman wrought on her husband's mind, and in a short time, effecting the estrangement of his affections from the holy maiden, she excited prejudices against Brigid. As it formerly happened, when the enemies of Daniel the Prophet represented him praying to God, in opposition to the king's edict ;^3 so was it now said, that the Saint gave alms for God's sake, but at the expense of her father. And, as Daniel had been delivered to the jaws of lions to be devoured, so was Brigid about to be sold as a slave to strangers ; yet, since both were found faithful to God, therefore did the Almighty liberate them from a fate to which they had been respectively doomed. Brigid'sfather,however,wouldonlyconsenttosellhisdaughterto a king or chief, as being herself of noble birth. With this view, a chariot was prepared, which Dubtach drove to the neighbouring castle, where his king, named Dunlang, then dwelt. "^ When he had arrived at this place, Dubtach left his daughter in the chariot without, while he entered the castle to pay his liegerespects. Afterdiscoursingawhileonstateaffairsandthingsofmoment, their conversation was directed to less important topics. Dubtach then added, that he had with him a virgin, who was to be sold, and that if it pleased the king to purchase her, there was every reason to believe she should not occupy the lowest place in his estimation among his other female servants. In reply to the king's inquiries, Dubtach acknowledged, also, that she was his own daughter. The king asked his reason for selling her, and was told, that her parents feared she should make him a poor man, since she abstracted all his worldly substance to bestow it on the poor. ^s Thereupon, those who attended the king said
:
^^
alms from the daughter, when she presented him with her parent's sword. Her father afterwards introduced Brigid to the king, but, on learning what she had done, Dubtach felt greatly concerned at the loss of his sword. This was one of great value, and the more prized, as it had been a present from theKingofLeinster,whomhethenvisited. Dubtachorderedthemendicant to be followed, that his sword might be recovered. Then conducting his
daughter to the king, the chief angrily complained about the loss he had
^3 Daniel vi. character of this whole narrative preceding ;
^4 In a note, we are told by Colgan, that for, our Saint is there represented as con- the king, whom her father visited, was founding ideas of charitable actions in prac-
" The good report of this your daughter has reached all parts of Ireland, and raised her immeasurably in our estima- tion; and,itisverystrange,thatyouherfathershouldaccuseherofbeing guilty, when all strangers concur in praising her. " Whereupon, the king commanded her to be brought into his presence. We are told again, while Brigid's father delayed within his dynast's castle, a poor man came to ask
Dunlang, King of Leinster, as appears from an Irisli Life of St. Brigid, cap. xiv. See
"
"Trias Thaumaturga, n. lo, p. 543.
tice with actual sins of injustice, not credit-
able to her moral or religious perceptive faculties. These are not the sole objections that may be taken, against such an incon- gruous and incredible story, imder all its laboured and inventive characteristics.
^5 See Rev. S. Baring- Gould's " Lives of the Saints," vol. ii. , February i, p. 16.
'^ We can arrive at the easily
legendary
54 LIVES OF 2HE IRISH SAINTS. [February i.
sustained through her. Looking upon the young maid, the king greatly admired her candour and gravity of countenance, her habit and deportment, before asking why she gave that sword to a beggar, which he had presented
"
Do not wonder that I have bestowed what was in my keeping on the poor, since, were it in my power to do so, I
should give all possessed by you, O king, and by my father, to them ; for, I the Almighty will confer eternal rewards on those, who for His sake give
" This virgin is too holy and . exalted to be either bought or sold, and I have not even means for purchasing her, because she is more precious than any amount of silver or gold. ^^ As for that good sword which she gave to the poor man, I shall present you with one equally valuable ; and, if you abide by my advice, you will allow her to follow the bent of her own inclinations/'^^ Approving this advice, and being honoured with gifts, Dubtach returned
home with his daughter, whose freedom was thus assured. ^°
In continuation of this same narrative, it is stated, that having thus ob- tained her freedom, the virgin of Christ could conceive no state of servitude worse than to abuse her liberty.