No More Learning

DVIIL, p. 525.
7S See his life at the 28th of July. The
cross of Iltudus, thought to have been erected by Sampson about the middle of the sixth
churchyard of Lantwit, in Glamorganshire. Its archaic inscriptions are to be seen en-
ii. , p. 39.
76^ciaudius Robertus, in his catalogue of
the Bishops of Dol, in Armorica, places the death of this holy man at the 12th of March, and about the year 600.
77 See " Acta Sanctorum Hiber- Colgan's
478 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 29.
fellow-disciples. Then he went over to Iren for further instruction. By this place, we are to understand Erinn, or Ireland. It has indeed been stated, through want of sufficient knowledge, that Iren was an academy in Great Britain,^ and some have gone so far as to make it identical with Oxford. ^ But it is quite evident, from the sequel, it was in Ireland, Gildas, a diligent lover of study, sought out the most renowned doctors in philosophy and theology. Here, like a faithful servant, he treasured the talent he had re- ceived from God, that it might be returned to him with usury. Of Gildas it might truly be affirmed, that if the sword of the persecutor reached him not, hedidnotlosethemartyr'spalm. AgainstthetemptationsofSatanhere- solutely contended, and he subjected himself to a rigorous course of penance to subdue bodily failings. Towards himself he seemed to direct the scourge, and to bear his self-imposed persecution patiently for the sake of Christ, so thathislifemightberegardedasacontinuousmartjTdom. There,too,in Ireland he frequented the most celebrated schools in quest of divine and human learning. 3 Like the industrious bee, he gathered from every flower the honey of virtue and knowledge, for his own and his neighbour's benefit. In the meantime, he chastised his body and brought it under subjection ; lest, with all his learning, while preaching to others, he himself might become a cast-away. Therefore he fasted much, and he often watched whole nights. He employed those silent hours of darkness in prayer. * As to fasting, he seems to have practised excessive rigour : for the writer of his acts affirms, as a thing he had learned from a reliable source, that from the age of fifteen until the day he died, Gildas only partook of three meals each week. Even
when he eat, it was only very sparingly. 5
It is stated, that Gildas was able with his own hands to exercise in certain
artistic productions. At the request of St Brigid, an illustrious virgin pre- siding as abbess over a monastery of virgins, he made and sent her a bell. ^ This she desired to possess as a relic. ' If the holy virgin were the great abbess of Kildare, as seems to be indicated ; supposing its occurrence, this event must have been towards the close of her life. ^ Again we are told, that
Chap. ii. —* A statement of
Bosco, attached to the margin, in the Monk
of Ruys' biography of Gildas. By Diodorus
Siculus, Ireland is called Iru, lib. v. , p.
309. The Irish are called Irenses by Ode-
ricus Vitalis, in his Ecclesiastical History, at
A. D. 1094, lib. X. ; and by yElnothus of Gildas AIbanius, Ussher assigns it to A. n, Canterbury, in his life of Canute they are
called Iri, chap. x.
" Britannicarum Ecclesiarum
absurdity of this fable. See "Antiquities Index Chronologicus, A. D. CCCCLXXXIV. ,
' has however Stillingfleet
the
In those times there were in Ireland,
exposed of the British Church," chap. iv.
Antiquitates. "
"
3
ccccxcvill. , pp. 523, 524. Yet the life, which mentions this transaction, places it subsequently to the return of Gildas from Ireland. From this, too, Ussher quotes at p. 905 of his work. Hence, according to his own calculation, it must have been later than 508. See ibid. A. D. DVlli. , p. 525.
' See the Monk of Ruys' narrative, chap, ix. Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hibemiae,"
besides the school of Armagh, those of Ailbe,
Moctheus, Enda, Naal, &c. , &c. Ussher in
pursuance of his hypothesis, mentions (p.
907) among the schools, which Gildas might
have frequented, that of Finnian at Clonard,
imagining that it was his Badonicus, who is
said to have come to Iren, and according to
him in the year 540 [Ind. Chron. )" See xxix. Januarii, p. 183.
Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, ix. , § x. , n. 162, p.
482. Gildas, who came to Ireland, taught for some time in Armagh, and therefore was not different from him called Albanius by Ussher.
* See that account, given by the Monk of
^
She is said to have died about 521 or 523. See her life at the 1st of Februarj-. Colgan thinks this transaction must reler to Gildas Albanius, whom) he distinguishes from Gildas Badonicus. See ibid. , n. 11, p. 189.
John
de
" Historia Vitae S. Gildae "
Ruys.
Hibemise," xxix. Januarii, p. 182.
Sapientis," cap. vi. , vii. Colgan's Acta Sanctorum
"
Thinking this narrative referable to
5 See Bishop Challenor's
Britannia Sanc-
ta," part i. , p. 80. *
484. Yet, strange to say, he does not bring Albanius to Ireland until A. D. 498. See
January 29. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 479
while Gildas, the Historian of Britain,? remained in Ireland, he preached
much and discharged the duties of a professor in the city of Armagh. '"
It seems more than likely from the order of narrative," that this saint
hadbeenpromotedtoHolyOrdersinIreland. WhenGildaswasordaineda priest, he went to preach the Gospel in Britain's northern parts. There a great part of the inhabitants were as yet pagans. Among the nominal Christians, many were infected with Pelagian heresy. God blessed the labours of Gildas with such signal success, that great numbers both of the pagans and heretics, through his means, were converted to Christ. Many miracles were wrought through him. He cured blind, lame, and sick, in confirmation of his doctrine. His great fame attracted multitudes to his sermons. The Church of Christ received a daily accession to its member- ship ; and finally, he succeeded in drawing people of various British pro- vinces over to the true Catholic doctrine. Idols and their temples were overthrown by those, who had formerly been pagans ; while in their stead churcheswereerectedatconvenientplaces. Severalnobles,withtheirwives, children and families, received the grace of Christian baptism. " When Gildas saw that so much had been accomplished, filled with great joy, he is
said thus to have " I prayed :
thee
O Lord who Jesus Christ,
thanks,
hast deigned to bring this people, so long straying from thee, to a know-
there valuable "Memoir introductory to the early History of the
canim Ecclesiarum
Antiquitates," pp. 443,
in Rev. Robert
King's
Church of Armagh. "
bernire," xxix. Januarii. Vita S. Gildae
Albanii, p. 178, and Vita S. Davidis, p.
425.
'7 See MS. C. C. C. Cant. , xii. cent. See
" of Ma- Descriptive Catalogue Manuscript
terials relating to the History of Great Bri- tain and Ireland," vol. i. , part i. , p. 152.
" the Monk of Especially by
Ruys. But, indeed, the order of St. Gildas' Acts seems
to have been
strangely
confused
by
his bio-
graphers.
'^ Such is the account given by the Monk
of Ruys.
'3 See ibid. , cap. ix. , p. 183.
'* Ussher, however, asserts that this, and
'^
Thus it is called by Capgrave.
other accoimts in the saint's life, must be re- of
"
David's land," in English, because St.
presence
Also " Acta Sanctorum Hi- 871. Colgan's
give
ledge of truth, and who hast enlightened by thy justice, those weak and un- happy ones, who for a long time wandered in the shadow of death, so that a
proclaimed peace now reigns among us. "'^3
He preached with great efficacy, it is said, throughout the three kingdoms
of Britain. '4 On one occasion, immediately before the birth of St. David, 'S
whose mother was present, he lost the power of speech. '^ This is accounted
for by a miracle,'^ which took place in the territory of Epidana,'^ or Pepi- dana. 's
If we can understand rightly the meaning of the Monk of Ruys, after ^ Gildas had left Ireland a first time for Great Britain, it was deemed advisable that he should return once more to revive faith and morals. ^° He was ac-
'* This is told in the life of St. story
David, by Giraldus Cambrensis, and in Capgrave's life of St. Gildas, cap. iii. In
the life of David, published by Colgan at the ist of March, he is called "quidem vir
sanctus," cap. iv. , but no name is given, This legend seems to have been shifted in transmission ; for in the life of St. Ailbe, a
priest offering the Holy Sacrifice, is said to "
9 So he is called
lusion is here made to the work, " De Ex- cidio Britannite," which was written about the middle of the sixth century. Yet,
"
De Pri- mordiis Britannicarum Ecclesiarum,"p. 859, still persists in his assertion, that the teacher at Armagh was Gildas Albanius, who is sup- posed to have flourished in the previous
century.
'° We find no account of his
Ussher, quoting this passage,
by
Caradoc. Now al-
garded as exaggerations.
'5 See further notices regarding this inci- and described by Camden. See Britan-
dent, in the life of St. David, at the ist of nia," p. 524.
March. =° It seems pretty clear, the Monk of
have been struck dumb. See Britanni-
'' Caradoc of Lanncarvan calls it by this
name. We are told, it bore the signification
David was bom there. It is in Pembroke, "
480 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 29.
cordinglyinvitedtoIrelandbyKingAnmericuSj^*^probablyAinmire. *' With this request, Gildas is said to have complied. ^^3 On his approach to the court, he healed a paralytic, who notwithstanding an admonition to the con- trary spread the fame of this miracle abroad. Gildas wished to avoid pubUc applauseinretirement; butsomenobles,whohadformerlyknownhim,in- sistedonhisbeingpresentedtoKingAnmericus. Publicandprivategifts he declined, or gave to the poor,=^'» while he preached in different parts throughout Ireland, girding on the shield of fortitude and the helmet of sal- vation. There he instructed the people, especially in CathoUc faith regard- ing the Holy Trinity. He built monasteries, and instructed many sons of the nobilit}^ in the rule of regular discipline. And that he might offer many alumni to God, while a monk himself, he collected monks around him, re- ceiving several orphans and pupils, as well from the ranks of the nobles as
from those of the plebeians. He is said to have released many from a state
ofpaganbondage. Likeagoodpastor,hebroughtsheepintothetruefold, andemployedhistalentstothegreatestadvantage. Gildasgreatlyadvanced the bounds of Christ's Kingdom, by preaching and miracles. ^5 He built churches and monasteries ; he established Christian discipline ; he regulated
theLitiu-gy; and,inaword,hewasregardedasanotherSt. Patrick,inthe Irish nation. He has been ever since gratefully honoured among the most
=^
illustrious saints of Ireland.
Ruys had very incorrect notions, regarding the civil or religious state of Ireland, in the time of Gildas. Otherwise he could not have stated that all from the highest to the lowest there had nearly abandoned the Ca- tholic faith. Yet, this may be regarded, perhaps, as a rhetorical flourish, in order more to enhance the labours and success of
Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. i. ,
CHAPTER III.
DISTURBED STATE OF GREAT BRITAIN—GILDAS LEAVES IRELAND ON HEARING ABOUT THE DEATH OF HIS BROTHER, HOEL—KING ARTHUR ASKS FORGIVENESS AND OBTAINS IT FROM GILDAS—HIS INTIMACY AND COMPANIONSHIP WITH CADOC OF LANNCARVAN—SAID TO HAVE LIVED TOGETHER IN THE HOLMES' ISLANDS—GILDAS IS DRIVEN THEREFROM, AND IT IS STATED HE THENCE WENT TO GLASTONBURY— DEATH OF KING ARTHUR—THE RESIDENCE OF GILDAS IN ARMORICA^—HIS ESTAB- LISHMENT AT RUYS—HIS LIFE AND MIRACLES WHILE THERE.
The kings and people of Great Britain, about this period, were in a state ol chronic disturbance and disorder. While soon after the opening of the sixth age, Gildas was teaching a school at Armagh in Ireland, King Arthur^ lived
"
St. Gildas' preaching. To prove the absur- of Gildas. Ussher, of course, refers it to "
dity of his assertion, Colgan has produced his Badonicus. See Index Chronologicus"
a very long list of renowned Irish saints, with illustrations to show the universality of religious culture, from the close of the fifth to the end of the sixth See " Acta
at A. D. DLXVI. p. 532.
John Capgrave's chapter ii.
" Life of Gildas,"
century.
Sanctorum Hibemiae," xxix. Januarii. Vita nise," xxix. Januarii. Vita S. Gildas . Ba-
S. GildiK Badonici, n. 13, pp. 189 to 194.
" That Gildas was in Ireland, during the short reign of King Anraireus, is thought by
Dr. Lanigan to be not improbable, since he was contemporary with many Irish saints of the second class, who then flourished. See
donici, cap. X. , p. 183.
=* See Bishop Challoner's " Britannia
chap, ix. , § X. , n. 169, p. 488.
** "
AccordingtoDr. O'Donovan's Annals of the Four Masters," Ainmire, son of Sedna, was monarch of Ireland, from A. D. 564 to
566. See vol. i. , pp. 204, 205.
'3 This visit to Ireland, if admitted, must
have been only a few years before the death
^ See
•5 See *' Acta Sanctorum Hiber- Colgan's
Sancta," part—i.
Chap. hi. 'This celebrated king
of the Silures, an ancient tribe of Britons, rallied around him those driven by Cerdic, an
January 29. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 481
as a renowned king over all Britain. ' His advent to royal sway is assigned to the beginning of the sixth century. 3 So much is he the hero of the Welsh bards and of romance,* that his actions have been strangely confused and misunderstood. ^ Lancashire and the north-western parts of England seem to have been the scenes in the first part of King Arthur's career f afterwards it lay in the south. 7 Here he fought the battles of Llongborth, supposed by some writers to be Portsmouth, and Badon, identified by others with Bath. ^ Hoel or Huel, the elder brother of Gildas, refusing to obey Arthur, came from Scotland and ravaged South Britain. ^ Arthur found it necessary to attack with vigour, and having overcome him, Huel was killed. '° This action took place at a spot, now called Carrig-Howel, in the island of Anglesey. " One writer asserts, that Arthur was not yet a king," when this
Anglo-Saxon and pagan king, into the wes- ternpartsofEngland. Hebravelydefended the faith and liberty of the Christian Britons about the close of the fifth and beginning of the sixth
Arthur's twelve battles, in the "Irish version of the Historia Britonum of Nennius," edited by Rev. James Henthorn Todd and the Hon, Algernon Herbert, that of Mons Ba-
century.
(i),
clopedia," vol. i. , p. 450.
pp. 108 to 113.
* the first Among
^ See Chambers' "
—See Chambers' "
See sec. xxiv. and n. Yet, in another version of Supposing Gildas Albanius to have Nennius' Historia Britonum," cap. LXii. , died in 512, and to have been brother to LXiii. , Arthur is represented as general and Huel, Ussher places the commencement of not king at the battle of Bath. Dr. Lanigan
Ency- *"
King Arthur's reign and the death of Hocl, at A. D. 508. He says, we should not believe Caradoc of Lanncarvan ; for this writer as- serts, that Hoel was a vigorous and able
thinks, that Ussher should have placed Ar- thur's birth before A. D. 493, and at a year which might enable him to have part in that battle, where, however, he did not command
as a king. Now Ambrosius was old enough *' "
young man, at the time he was killed. See Index Chronologicus," p. 525.
to be a general in 455. See Ussher's In-
3
tremely inconsistent with himself in his chronological inferences ; for by, his own confession, Ussher makes Gildas and King Arthur contemporaries, according to Cara- doc. Ussher also places the birth of King Arthur at A. D.
the British Church," chap. iv.
dex *
Stillingfleet remarks,
that Ussher is ex-
Chronologicus," p. 520.
Arthur was the eldest son of Uther.
493.
See "
Antiquities
of
7Le Vicomtcdela Villemarque's "Contes Populaires des Anciens Bretons," published at Paris, in two volumes, A. D. 1842, con- tains an interesting account of King Arthur. The reader is likewise referred to Ritson's "King Arthur. "
books of the
Caxton Press, a. d. 1485, appeared the p. 450.
Encyclopedia,"
vol,
highly-popular romance,
and Actes of Kyng Arthur; of his Noble
Knyghtes of the Rounde Table, theyr Mer- veyllous Enquests and Aduentures, Thach- yeuyng of the Sane Greal; and in the end Le Morte Darthur, with the Dolourous Deth
and— out of
Worlde of them the
it seems certain,
"
printed ''
i. ,
Departyng thys
al. This has been re-edited with an Intro- duction and Notes, by the Poet Robert Southey, in two large 4to volumes, published at London, A. D. 1817.
5 Thus Matthew of Westminster glowing account of the battle of Bath, A. D. 520, when Arthur is said to have commanded
**
the Britons. See Flores Historiarum,"
pp. 186, 187. Yet, several writers assert,
that his uncle Ambrosius Aurelianus, who
reigned in Britain until very near the end of
the fifth century, was general-in-chief at that
battle. Now Arthur was a warlike young
prince,beforethedeathofAmbrosius. See
William of Malmesbury, " De Gestis Regum
Angliae," lib. i. , cap. i. So is Arthur re-
gests
King Arthur,
presented about 490, according to the
"Usher believes he has shown, that
Hoel's brother, Gildas Albanicus, was bom in 525 ; but supposing the battle to have been fought in 505, this assumed Gildas could not have been Hoel's brother. Dr. Lanigan
The Byrth, Lyf,
9 While Ussher places the birth of Gildas Badonicus at A. D. 520, he came to be bom after he had taught in Ireland, and after the death of his brother Hoel. To get over such absurdities, two Gildases had to be supposed. But whatever may be arranged, regarding
gives
Westminster, at the early age of fifteen, Arthur was elected King of Britain, A. D. 516. See "Flores
"
Vol. I. 2 I
a
'° to Matthew of According
Chronicon Britannicum. " In the list of denies that Ussher has proved his position,
donis is omitted.
of
that the real and only Gildas was bom before A. D. 520, See "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, ix,, sec. x. , n. 164, p. 484.
Historiamm," p. 185. In this or the suc- ceeding year, it is said this battle was fought.
See Warrington's 69.
"
History of Wales,'" p.
" See Rowland's " Mona Antiqua," p. 180.
482 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 29.
battle was fought. ^3 This, however, does not accord with the account left byCaradocorCapgrave; forwhentreatingaboutthecauseofthisquarrel and battle, both represent^him as King of Britain. ^* Having heard about his brother's death, Gildas left Ireland. ^s Arthur met him, and entreated forgivenessforcausingthedeathofHuel. Thiswasobtained,andanumber of bishops, abbots, clergy, and laity, interposed kindly offices, to effect a com- plete reconciliation between them. Gildas gave King Arthur the kiss of peace. The latter, repenting his conduct towards Hoel, shed tears, and accepted a suitable penance from the bishops who were present. To the end of his life, this homicide was a source of bitter regret to the magnanimous Arthur. ^^ Cadoc of Lanncarvan had desired to purchase an elegant and a sweetly-soundinglittlebell,broughtbyGildasfromIreland; butherefused to sell if He desired to bring it to Rome. Yet it was found, when Gildas there presented this bell to the Pope, it could not be made to ring. Having learned what had occurred, the Pope then wished that so holy a man as Cadoc, who had seven times visited Rome and thrice Jerusalem, should be gratified with the possession of this bell. On his return, Gildas gave it to Cadoc. At his request, Gildas then taught a school at Lanncar- van,'^ where he remained for a single year. Here he was most usefully em- ployed in directing the students, from whom he would only accept their prayers in retiun. Here too he wrote a beautiful copy of the Gospels. '9 This was
^° and
Lanncarvan. ^' Attheexpirationofayear,="heissaidtohaveretiredwith
Cadoc to the Holmes. '3
In the islands of Ronech and Echni both these holy men applied to
prayer and study, for at Lanncarvan the crowd of visitors was too great to afford them sufficient leisure. We are told, an oratory was erected in one ofthoseislands,'*andafountainwasmiraculouslyproduced. '^ TheOrkney
ornamented with and gold
precious stones,
kept
in veneration at great
and rebukes him for disbelieving Caradoc's statements about Gildas, which Ussher him- self often follows. He " not
and John Capgrave.
^^ So is it stated, in John of Teignmouth's
Life of Cadoc.
'^ We refer to the Acts of St. Cadoc at the
24th of January, for what occurred at this time.
'9 It was kept at Lanncarvan to the time of Caradoc.
'~The Welsh had such a reverence for
this volume, that they scrupled opening it.
" To the time of Caradoc in the twelfth
also Caradoc's
reject asseition,
that Gildas was contemporary with King. Arthur, who, according to Ussher, was bom in 493. "Who would say that a man bom in said year wa—s
contemporary with another bom in 425 ? " "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, ix. , sec. x. , n. 164, p. 483.
'3 In the year A. D. 508, according to Row- land, in " Mona Antiqua. "
century.
"^ Ussher makes Cadoc flourish so
'* The romantic
history
of
King Arthur, "
early as 500. Then he says, Gildas Albanius
originally written for Macmillan's Maga-
zine," by Herbert Coleridge, is to be found
taught in his school A. D. 508, just four years
before he died. See "Index " Chronologicus,
A. D. D. DViil. DXil. , pp. 524, 525, But he could hardly have flourished so early, or
"
asks, Why
to an old version of " Le English
prefixed
Morte Arthur," edited from the Harleian
MS. 2252 in the British Museum, by F. J. Fumival, A.