No More Learning

SEVERAL HOLY MEN ARE VISITED BY ST. MOCHUDA—AT LAST HE IS INDUCED TO SELECT RATHAIN FOR HIS RELIGIOUS FOUNDATION—ANTIQUITIES THERE—HIS MANNER OF LIFE AND RULE—LEGENDS RELATED ABOUT ST, CARTHAGE—VIRTUES OF HIS MONKS—MIRACLES.
Leaving his religious establishments, in Kerry, to the care of faithful guardians and religious men, St. Carthage afterwards went with a few companions, to the southern part of Munster. He visited the son of Fintan, St. Hyeran,' a Bishop,
S" See Vita ex anliquo MS. Ilibernico, cap. I, num. 9.
mon. " " It is not amiss that he has met you," said the devil, "because I should not have allowed him to remain two nights in any one place, for the partiality he has shown to his own shoes above those of his congrega- tion. " Thus was St. Mochuda reproved for this slight indication of vanity,
s^ The following account is taken from
still unpubli-hed MSS. ^Vhen St. Mochuda
was in the habit of touching anything greasy
with his hands, he usually rubbed them on
his shoes. Having resolved on abandoning
his monasteiy in Rathan, tlie saint wi>hed
to go on a foreign pilgrimage, lest he might cap. i. , num. lo.
become vain of that great character he had acquired at home. But fust he went to St. Comgall of Bangor, and told him regarding this design. After St. Mochuda sat down and his shoes had been removed, St. Com- gall said. " Coma out of that shoe, thou de-
54 See the Second Chapter of his Life,
55 See Rev. Dr. Lanigan's " Ecclesiastical History of Ircland,"vol. ii. , chap, xiv. , sect, I4, n. 185. p, 353,
Chapter II. — " The Bollandists were unable to assigii a day for his festival.
53 See Vita ex antiquo MS. Hibernico,
May 14. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
247
who had founded a monastery at Roffigillain. From this saint, the pilgrim enquired, where his largest church should be built, in these parts ; as the Angel of the Lord had declared to St. Comgall, that it must be founded in the southernpartofIreland. Accordingly,St. Hyaran,whowasgiftedwiththespirit of prophecy, answered : " My dear fellow-servant in Christ, you shall first go to Niall's posterity, and there shall you build a renowned house to our Lord. There shalt thou remain for forty years, and afterwards thou shalt be expelled therefrom, and return to Munster. Then only shalt thou build thy larger church. " St. Carthage said to him : " Holy father, I shall always regard thee as my patron. " But Hyaran said : " My brother, it must not be so, but I offer myself and my monks to you for ever. " He declared, likewise, that Furudran,= his disciple, should succeed him in his episcopal seat. Accordingly, such was the case, Furudran occupying the See for tv/enty years.
Not having as yet determined on his permanent settlement, St. Carthage went to Ruathan's sons, into the country of the Nan-Desi. These pre- sented themselves with their house to him. Olman, son to Cobihaigh, a chieftain living in that same part of the country, bestowed some lands upon St. Mochudda. Having made provision for the due care of these possessions, our saint went to the top of a mountain, called Guad, in the Nan-Desi terri- tory. Lookingdownfromit, hesaw,neartheriverbeneath,Angelsascending fromtheearthtowardsHeaven. Also,theyelevatedachurchofsilver,with a golden image in it, as they arose towards the skies. This was the spot, where the greater church of St. Carthage was afterwards founded. It furnishedthepresentsiteforLismore. 3 Then,theholypilgrimwenttoSt. Molua,4livingatClonfertMolua. s ItwasonthebordersofLeinsterandofMun- ster,andthere,hefoundthesaintengagedwithhisharvesters. Now,St. Carthage had dismissed all his disciples, except one, who said he wished to remain in that place. St. Molua declared his willingness to receive this person, if Car- thage would give his consent ; but, this not being accorded, the disciple was also sent away. Then, going forth alone, Carthage bore two wallets, filled with books, on his shoulders. Unacquainted with the name and character of the holy man, St. Molua's monks remarked, in a reproachful manner, how- ever, that at his age, he should remain in a monastery, and that it was discre- ditable for him, to set out as a lone wanderer. But, Molua replied : " My brethren, say not so ; for, behold the day shall come, when our city and our congregation shall be small, as compared with those of him, who now wanders alone. For this is Carthage, the saint of God, and who is called by many Mochuda. Severalsaintsaresubjecttohimthisday,andmorewillbe,ata future time. " The monks were sorry for their remarks, when they had heard thosewords. ^ WhileCarthagewasonhisjourney,twomonksmethimonthe way, and asked him whither he was going. He replied, to St. Colman-Elo. ? These brethren besought him to receive them as disciples, for they declared, that God's grace appeared to shine in his countenance. He complied with theirrequest, and, on coming to St. Colman, then declared his desire of remain-
" It must not be so; but, you shall go
* Father Godefrid Henschenn was unable
to identify this Furudran, unless he might
have been the Furachran, son of Monan, name is appended the words " filium and said to have been venerated, on the 1 8th Cordce. " His feast occurs, at the 4th of of July, in Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum August.
ing with him. ^ However, Colman said :
Hibernias," xxi. Martii. Appendix ad Acta S. Endei, cap. 4, num. 14, p. 713.
3 See the Bollandists' " Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Maii xiv. De S. Carthaco seu Mochudda, &c. Vita ex antiquo MS. Hiber- nico, cap. ii. , num. 11, p. 380, and nn. (a, b),
:> See Rev. S. Baring-Gould's "Lives of the Saints," vpl. v. , May 14.
^ See Vita ex vetere MS. Hibernico, cap. ii. , num. 12.
^ Patron of Lynnally, in the King's County. His feast occurs, at the 26th of
p. 382, ibid.
''In the Second Life of our saint to his
248
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 14,
to a certain place, near to me, and called Rathen,9 which has been promised you by the Lord. There shalt thou remain, and many monks shall serve the Lord under thee ; while the place itself, from thee, shall assume for its name, Carthach Raithin. '° It is said, St. Columkille " had formerly proposed the building of a cell, in this place. " But, finding that the Almighty had destined such work for our saint, he left three bundles of twigs for Carthage, who con- structed his home with these materials.
Protestant Church, at Rathan, King's County.
The site of Rahen, or Rathan,'3 was within the territory of Meath, and among the people of Fearceall,^ in the midland parts of Ireland. 's This latter name was long preserved in Fircal, a barony of the present King's County, now known as Eglish. '^ At the present time, in Rahan,
September.
*. See Rev. S. Baring-Gould's "Lives of
the Saints," vol. v. , May 14.
" Deceived, apparently by the statement of Ussher, ArchduU has transferred the site of St. Carthage's establishment to Rathyne,
« Aichdall and Dr. Lanigan erioneously ill the barony of Fertull. agh, and about six
state, that this ph-ice is now called Ralhyne, and that it is situated, in the barony of Fcr- tullagh, and county of Westmeath. See Archdall's " Monasticon llibernicum," p. 727, and " Ecclesiastical History of Ire- land," vol. ii. , chap, xiv. , sect, xiv. , n. 186, P- 353-
miles south-east of MuUingar. See "Monas- ticon Hibernicum," p. 727.
'^ Rahen, or Rathain, is Latinized Filice- tuvi, or " Ferny Land," in the Earl of Dan- raven's "Notes on Irish Architecture," edited by Miss Margaret Stokes, vol. ii. , p. 66.
'••Or Feara-Ceall, i. e. , Viri-cellatttm seu potius (cclcsiartitn, according to Dr. John O'Donovan.
'5 " Civitas Rathen posita est in medio Ilibernia:, in regione Midi, in plcbc de Fear- ccall. "—Ussher's " Britannicarum Ecclesia- rum Antiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 472.
'* However, there is ample evidence to prove, that Feara-ceall comprised not only
'" Ussher says : " Rathenim locum hunc hodie nominaut, in Occidentali Midia ad viii. milliarium a Dearmachano Columbae monastcrio s. tum ; non procul a Land-elo cfcnnbio, quod in Feicallia construxcrat Colmanus Abbas, cognomentum Elo inde
adeptus. "—" Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 472.
" See his Life, at the 9th of June.
May 14. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS,
249
there are two distinctive objects of antiquity and of special ecclesiastical inte- rest. One is the Protestant church, built on the lines of the former Catholic one, which seems to have stood there, in the earlier centuries of our Chris- tianity. '7 That structure consists of a nave and chancel. Ofthese, the chancel only seems to be ancient ; but, it has lost the original east window. The nave is a comparatively modern addition, and the whole character of this church has been disfigured by repairs, showingan architecture, exceedingly plain and faulty. ^^ The cliancel is fourteen feet, eight inches, long, by ten feet, six inches, in width. It has a very high and steep stone roof, with a croft above the barrel-vaulted roof, and it is thought such had been the case with the nave, in former times. The croft was lighted by a circular window,'? measuring seven feet, six inches, in the external diameter of the circle. ^" The east window of the chancel is very large ; it is about eight feet high, and four feet, ten inches, wide, at the base. The jambs are vertical, and it has double round moulding ; while there is no trace of a mullion. The masonry of this building is of a very superior character while the stones,^' of a polygonal shape, are jointed with the greatest neatness and art. ^^ The chancel arch is eighteen feet, four inches, wide. This archway consists of three rectangular piers, at each side, and rounded at their angles,intosemi-columns. =3 Thesesupportthreesemicirculararches,entirely unornamented,exceptbyaplainarchitraveontheeasternside. ^^ Itisprobable, that somewhere on or near it had been chosen the site for erection of the cele-
brated establishment, which arose in the sixth or seventh century.
Having received St. Colman's benediction, Carthage went to the place indicated, with his two disciples, and he built there a great monastery, ^5 which soon became celebrated. ^^ As near neighbours, Carthage and Colman were thenceforward mutual and frequent visitors. ^7
the modern barony of Eglish ; but, also, the baronies of Ballycowan and Ballyboy, in the same county. See "The Topographical Poems of John O'Dubhagain and Giolla na Naomh O'Huidhrin," edited by John O'Donovan, LL. D. , n. 24, p. vi.
'7 However, it does not appear to reach back to the lifetime of St. Carthage.
in that district.
^'^ SeeDr. GeorgePetrie's"Ecclesiastical
Architecture of Ireland, anterior to the Anglo-Norman Invasion," &c. , part ii. , sect, iii. , sub-sect, i. , p. 242.
^3 In Dr.
George Petrie's work, beautiful woodcut illustrations of the chancel-arch, its
^ The view of this church here given was
taken on the spot, by Mr. J. A. Mitchell,
I)rawing Master to the adjoining celebrated
Jesuit College of St. Stanislaus, at Tulla- century. See ibid. , pp. 242, 243. beg. It has been transferred to the wood,
by William F. Wakeman, and it was en- graved by Mrs Millard.
^t In the Earl of Dunraven's "Notes on Irish Architecture," edited by Miss Mar- garet Stokes, it is added : " The capitals on
'9 An engraving of this, taken from a the innermost of these piers have an archaic
drawing by Mr. George V. Du Noyer, has been published by Dr. Petrie, in his work, on the "Ecclesiastical Architecture of Ire- land, anterior to the Anglo-Norman Inva- sion," &c. , part ii. , sect, iii. , sub-sect, i. , p. 244.
^° In the Earl of Dunraven's " Notes on Irish Architecture," edited by Miss ]\Iar- garet Stokes, we have the following descrip-
tion : " The actual aperture for light and air consists of four circular orifices, about 9 inches in diameter each, set in the angles of a square. The mouldings on this beautiful window are shown in Figs, a and b Plate facing page 64. Several of the pellets in the mouldings are carved into human faces. "
—Vol. ii. , p. 65.
" " These are of the celebrated limestone.
character ; but, nevertheless, I think they are twelfth century work. The bases are bulbous. On each side of the chancel there is a doorway, round-arched, and of good ashlar masonry ; they are about 5 feet high, and 2 feet wide at the base, and i foot 10 inches at the top. It is said that these doors led into cells which are now destroyed. I do not remember having seen anything simi- lar elsewhere. "
^5 " In ipso loco maximum monasterium ffidificatum est a S. Carthago. "—Ussher's " Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 472.
""^ See Rev. S. Baring-Gould's "Lives of the Saints," vol. v. , May 14.
'7 See Vita ex antique MS. Hibernico, cap. ii. , num. 13.
capitals, and mouldings, are exhibited theseare classed with the style of ornamented doorways, in the Round Towers of Kildare and Timahoe, supposed to be of the eighth
;
and,
;
250
"^ According to Archbishop Ussher, "in quo ipse per xi. . annos vixit," &c. —" Bri- tannicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 472.
*9 See Rev. Alban Butler's "Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs and other principal Saints," vol. v. , May xiv.
30 See Bishop Challenor's "Britannia Sancta," part i. , p. 287.
3» Probably, we are to understand, that he practised an eremitical life, while residing at Rahan.
3" See Vita ex antiquo MS. Ilibernico, cap. ii. , num. 14.
33 See Rev. S. Baring-Gould's "Lives of the Saints," vol. v. . May 14.
3* Among the Trinity College Manu- scripts, Dublin, there is one classed II i, 1 1. It contains, The Rule of St. Mochoda, in Irish.
35 See " Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Anti- quitates," cap. xvii. , p. 476.
3' This poem commenced with the words
" Vlife Afn<im ha ^Iaca," "It is the way
of the Lord. " See " Chronological Account
of nearly four Hundred Irish Writers,"
p. xliii.
^s
This seems to have been a corrupt ren- dering o{ Bcati.
'9 xiij-j is mentioned, in the 62nd Stanza of St. Carthach's Rule.
*° The 96th stanza gives these details :
" The celebration of every (canonical) hour,
With each order we perform ;
Three genuflexions before celebra-
tion,
Tiiree more after it. "
There were, therefore, six genuflexions at each canonical hour. Now, to this day, in the Brevi. iry, the ilSth Tsahn, Bcati imma- cidnli, is distributed over, antl almost entirely forms, I'rime, Tierce, Sext and None—four
3* See the First or Old Series of the
"Irish F. cclesiastical Record,'' vol i. , pp. of the canonical ho\irs. Six genutlcxions, 112 to 118, and pp. 172 to 181. being allowed to each of those, make up the
—:
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 14.
Thus, at Rabin, our saint founded the celebrated monastery, m which he lived fortyyears^^—asgenerallysupposed—fromtheyear590,totheyear63o. Those brothers, who lived under his Rule, confined themselves to feed only on vege- tables,whichtheyraisedandcultivatedwiththeirownhands. ^9 Theylaboured daily for their own subsistence, and for the relief of poor persons. 3° At first, St. Carthage obliged his monks to till the earlh, with spades or rakes, not having oxen to plough it. But, afterwards, the princes and chieftains, in that part of the country, presented him with lands and herds, as also with gold, silver, and other valuable oblations. Although, he is said to have been a Bishop, before his departure from Kerry yet, we are told, also, in this connexion,
;
that he was consecrated a Bishop, by many saints, and that he occasionally visited his native country of Kerry. He lived the condition of a foreigner,3' among his monks, within his monastery, at Rathin ; as his clergy and monks were not always with him. 3' However this may be, he became one of the great masters of a spiritual life in Ireland ; and, he drew up constitutions, for the guidance of his numerous disciples, who flocked to him from all quarters. 33
Moreover, St. Mochuddaissaid to have written a metrical Rule, for his monks, in the Irish language. 3'* A copy of this Rule appears to have been subjected to the inspection of Archbishop Ussher. The latter writer states, that the Rule of our saint was wTitten, in the old Irish dialect, which, even in his day, was almost unintelligible. 35 The Rule—as rendered into Irish verse—of St. Carthage has been lately published, and translated for the instruction of English readers, 3^ The Metrical Rule alluded to was among the Manuscript collections of the late Edward O'Reilly. 37 This Rule of St. Carthage required the recitation of the Beata,^"^ each day, with two hundred genuflexions. 39 Besides thrice fifty Psalms were to be sung, most probably in choir. '»° A single line of that invaluable document seems to prove, likewise, that the priests of old, thirteen hundred years ago, read in the choirs of Clonenagh, of Bangor, and ofLismore, the same Prime, Tierce, Sext, and None, that are this day read by every priest, in reciting his Divine Office, according to the Roman Rite. The Rule of St. Carthach is metrically rendered, in a Poem of 580 lines; and, it is divided into sections, addressed to distinct objects or persons.
Mav 14. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
251
An English version of this Rule, has been presented to us, by the learned Pro- fessor, Eugene O'Curry ; and, it is one of the niost valuable expositions remaining of early Irish monasticism. It would seem, in the last divi- sion, only eight stanzas could be translated, as we have this observation within brackets : " There were a few stanzas more, but they are illegible. " The first division, consisting of eight stanzas or 32 lines, inculcates the love of God and of our neighbour, with a strict observance of God's Command- ments,whicharegenerallydetailedinwordandspirit. Theseconddivision, on the office and duties of a bishop, contains nine stanzas or 36 lines. The third division, on the duties and office of a church abbot, contains twenty stanzas or 80 lines. The fourth division, on the office and duties of a priest, iscomprisedinsevenstanzasor28lines. Thefifthdivision,whichminutely describes the office and duties of a father confessor, as well in his general character of an ordinary priest, as in a special relation to his penitents, con- tains twenty-two stanzas or 88 lines. The sixth division, on the life and duties of a monk, contains nineteen stanzas or 76 lines. The seventh^ division, on the life and duties of the Cdlidhe De or Culdees, contains twelve stanzas or 48 lines. The eighth division, which treats on the rule and order of the refec- tory, prayers, oblations, vespers, with feasts and fasts of the year, is comprised in thirty stanzas or 120 lines. The ninth or last division contains nineteen stanzas or 76 lines ; it inculcates duties of the regal office and it notes those evil consequences, which flow from their neglect or unfaithful discharge, both
to king and people. '''
The recorded Acts of St. Carthage abound in many legends. We are
told, that one day, during the winter season, a certain Magus came to him, and challenged God's servant to make an apple tree produce leaves. Knowing this magician wished to call the Divine power in question, our saint blessed the tree, in the name of Christ. Immediately, it produced leaves. He then required the saint, in like manner, to make it blossom, with which requirement Carthage complied. But, urging him still further, to produce fruit upon the tree, apples appeared thereon ; when again, the Magus requir- ing them to ripen, our saint once more blessed the tree, and its fruit fell ripe to the earth. The magician, hereupon, taking one of these apples, found it very bitter ; and, he told the saint, that on this account, the fruit was not of a good quality. Our saint again blessed the fruit, when it seemed to taste as sweet ashoney. Then,inpunishmentforhisincredulity,themagician'seyescon- tinued blind, for a year. At the end of this period, feeling penitent, he came to St. Carthage, who restored his sight. Then, the Magus returned with joy to his friends. On another day, a man brought his son, to St. Carthage, and besought his interposition, on behalf of the boy. Our saint prayed to God, and then said to him: " Hear, my son, and speak to us. " The boy imme- diately replied : " O man of God, behold I ofl'er myself and my inheritance to thee, for ever. " From that time forward, he was perfectly cured. Again, a youth, afflicted with leprosy, came to the saint, and he was restored to a healthfulcondition. Atanothertime,amanwhohadlosthiseyesandnose, through some hideous infirmity, came to our saint, with a request to be relieved from his deformity. The saint told him, that if he had faith in God, heshouldberestored. Theafflictedmanprotested,hebelievedintheHoly Trinity,andinthepowerofGod,towhomallthingswerepossible. Hewas then baptized. This man afterwards was restored, and in such a manner, that
whole number of genuflexions.
^' See Eugene O'Curry's " Lectures on
the Manuscript Materials of Ancient Irish
History," Lecture xviii. , p. 375.
^^ See Vita ex antiquo MS. Legendario,
num. 3, 4, 5.
252
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 14.
his features assumed a natural shape; whilst all, who witnessed such a miracle, gave praise to God, who had effected this cure through his servant/'
After his monastery was built, and St. Carthage had wrought various mira- cles there; many persons travelled from different provinces of Ireland, and even from Britain, to become monks under his rule. It was an age, v/hen faith and fervour glowed in the souls of Christians, who aspired to be perfect as religious. In an old recordj^s it is stated, that Carthage had a famous congregation, consisting of seven hundred and ten persons, when he was abbot, at Raithin,''^ and lived in that monastery. According to another account, however, eight hundred and sixty-seven n)onks,''s at one time, were subject to his Rule. One day, in the spring season, a certain poor man, who lived in the neighbourhood of his monastery, came to our saint, and asked himfortheuseofaploughandsomeoxen. Asthesaint'smonksdidnot use ploughs, but hoes or spades, Carthage called one of them, named ^dan, and told him to go out into an adjoining wood, and take two deer, which should meet him, to that man. With them he was to plough, daring the spring season. This ^dan did, and when he had ploughed for the poor man dur. ing this season, he repaired to St. Carthage, while the deer returned to the woods. '»^ At another time, a demoniac was brought to our saint. Making the sign of the cross on him, Carthage commanded that evil spirit to depart, and no longer to profane a temple, which God had designed for his own dwel- ling. This command was obeyed. The demoniac was restored, and to the great admiration of all who were present. ^? Under the direction of such a holy superior, it is not surprising, that his disciples should abound in heavenly graces. An angel used to address every third man of the monks,'*^ living under the Rule of St. Mochudda. Their Rule prescribed bodily labour, as well as holy meditation. On one occasion, while the monks were wearied, after other toil, it is said, our saint himself went to the mill, to prepare flour for monastic purposes. On leaving this, nine robbers, who bore a hatred to Carthage, came there, andwithan intention of killinghim. Each of those endea- voured successively to enter the mill, according to the orders of their leader, but each man found himself prevented from entering. A flame interposed, miraculously, between the robbers and the door. However, these outcasts observed, through an opening in the door, that being overtaken with fatigue, Carthage sometimes slumbered, for a short time, and then awoke, at intervals. While he was sleeping, the mill ceased to grind, butrecommenced its work, when he was awake. One of those robbers returned, with an account of what he had observed, to the leader, who was sitting in a wood. Inflamed with anger, their captain went to the mill, intending to kill our saint ; but he, on witness- ing the same phenomenon, returned also to his companions, and told them to wait in a certain place, that they might murder Carthage, when leaving the mill. After some time, Mochuda left it, and carrying a heavy load of flour.
Rushing forth to murder him, those robbers found their hands and arms com- pletely paralyzed. St. Mochuda besought them, to allow a visit to his monks, andthatheshouldafterwardsreturntothem,astheirvictim. Thesaintwas allowed to pass. Having deposited his load in the house, Carthage repaired to the robbers, as he had promised. This he did, without giving any intima- tion to the monks, who thought he retired to some secret place for prayer.
« See Dermod O'Connor's Keating's "History of Ireland," Book ii.