bank of the Trebbia, in a province of Pied- ''
5 See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernire," mont.
5 See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernire," mont.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v6
, p.
74.
59 It would seem, that he had been no- minated by St. Columba himself, and he was
Donegal," pp.
probably
p. 369, and following pages.
58 See Rev. S. Maitland's "The Dark
604 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 9.
custom, Baithen was now chosen,59 and St. Columba was immediately suc-
ceeded by him in the government of Hy, and consequently in the super- intendence over the whole order or institution. 60 But, he did not long continue to govern the monastery and church at Iona, which must have
6t and
and Abbey Church of the Diocese of the Isles had been erected in the early
disappeared ages ago,
long
beforetheEclusMoror Cathedral great
part
century.
ruin,
This is even now a
62 but the of capitals
of the thirteenth
some bas-reliefs on its columns resemble many of those to be found in Ire- land. The great master Columba had declared, that his disciple Baithen resembled St. John the Evangelist, the disciple of Christ, in his true inno-
Chancel of Abbey Church, Iona.
cence, in his perfect works, and in his prudent simplicity of character; but, thattheirrespectiveteachers,borenoresemblanceonetotheother. Tohis
last hour, notwithstanding the violent pains he suffered, Baoithen desisted not from his usual employments of writing, praying and teaching. Death
surprised him, while praying at the altar, on a certain Tuesday, when a faint- nessseizeduponhim. Themonksflockedaroundhimingreatlamentation, for they thought he was in the last agony. Then, the ministrator Diermitius
:
criedout uSeebrothers,betweenthefeastsofbothyourseniorsthereisbut
a short interval. "
sleep-swoon said
:
When he spoke these words, Baithen aroused from his
" If I have found favour in the sight of God, and if I have
continued to please him by a perfect course to this day ; I trust in him, that
I shall not die until the Natalis of my great senior. " This his desire was
and for six more his life was 63 actually accomplished, days prolonged.
60 "
See Rev. Dr. Lanigan's Ecclesiastical interior is from an improved drawiug in
Billing's "Baronial and Ecclesiastical Anti- quities of Scotland," reduced by William F. Wakeman, and drawn on the wood, en- graved by Mrs. Millard.
63 See the Bollandists' " Acta Sancto-
History of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xii. , sect, xv. , p. 250.
61 See Rev. Dr. J. F. S. Gordon's " Iona,"
pp. 25, 26.
62 The accompanying illustration of the
June 9. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
605
According to some, Baoithin resigned his soul to Heaven, after three 6* or
6
four 5 years of rule on the same day of the month, that Colum Cille went to
Heaven. He departed this life in 595, according to the statement of some writers. This, however, cannot be admitted, as it seems altogether most probable, that St. Columkille himself was then living. It is supposed, by Archbishop Ussher and by Rev. Dr. Lanigan,66 that as immediate successor of St. Columba, his cousin St. Baoithen, survived him only for a year, neith—er
more nor and that he a. d. That the —
with notes.
64 According to Rev. Dr. Reeves, he en-
joyed the Abbacy for three years.
65 Such is the statement of the O'Clerys.
turga," Quarta Appendix ad Acta S. Co- lumba*, cap. 3, num. 4, p. 480.
? 2 See"MemoiroftheCityandNorth- Western Liberties of Londonderry," part ii. , sect. 2, p. 26.
« See " Notice of some popular Supersti- tions still extant, in Connexion with certain of the primitive Ecclesiastical Hand-Bells of Ireland," by John Bell, Esq. , Dungannon, F. S. A. , Scotland, in " Proceedings of the Society of Antiquities of Scotland," vol. i. , p. 54.
Academy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. On the Calendar of Oengus, edited by Whitley Stokes, LL. D. , p. xciii.
« Edited by the Rev. Dr. Kelly, p xxvi.
? 6 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 162,163.
<<
The story here alluded to is told with somecuriousandinterestingcircumstances,
e6
See "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland,"
vol. ii. , chap, xii. , sect, xv. , p. 250.
67 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga,
"
Quarta Vita S. Columbse, lib. ii. , cap. xlv. , p. 363, and n. 38, p. 384.
c8 See " Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Anti- quitates," cap. xvii. , p. 498, and Index Chro- nologicus, a. d. , dxcviii. , p. 535.
6» See Rev. William Reeves' Adamnan's "Life of St. Columba, Additional Notes O, p. 372. Such, too, is the year given by the O'Clerys.
7° See Bishop Challenor's "Britannia
? 4 See " Transactions of the Royal Irish
Sancta," part i. , June 9th, p. 357. This is
also the date given, as the opinion of the Bollandist editor. See "Acta Sanctorum,"
tomus ii. , Junii ix. De S. Baitheneo Abbate, 77
&c. Prsefatiuncula,num. 3,p. 236.
died,
was the day June 9th
less,
coinciding with the festival of the illustrious Columkille
not doubted by any historical writer. Archbishop Ussher places the day of his departure on the "feria secunda," answering to Monday. 68 He died a. d. 6oo,69 or 601,7° according to other authorities. He was interred at Iona, andmostprobablyintheReligOran. Hismemorywasvenerated,bothat
Iona and at Teagh-Baithin,71 or Taughboyne, in Tir Enda, county of Done- gal. Hewasreputedtobethefounderofthislatterchurch. 72 Fromthebellof St. Baodain or Bothan, it is a common practice of the Donegal people to allow their herds to drink annually from the water of St. Bothan's river. The people too of that district admit the curative efficacy of quenching their thirst, with a draft oftheriverwater,andtakenfromthebell. 73 Inthe"FeilireofSt. ^Engus,"St. Baethine's feast is coupled with that of St. Columkille, on the 9th day of June, with an eulogy, in whichhe is called the high and angelic. 74 The name of Bai- thine is found simply registered at this same date, in the Martyrology of Tal-
On of inthe of 76afestival
lagh. 75 thegth June, Martyrology Donegal, isrecorded,
in honour of Baoithin, abbot of I-Coluem Cille. Among the legends, relating
to St. Baoithin, is the following story. In consequence of his abstemious- ness, the impression of his ribs through his woollen tunic was seen in the sandy beach, which is by the side of la, where he used to lie on it at night. 77 This saint was a most perfect pattern of all virtues, especially of devotion and humility ; he was favoured, also, with the gift of prophecy, and of miracles.
Article IV. —St. Cummin, a Bishop, and a Monk at Bobbio. \SeventhCentury^ ThedevotionoftheCatholicChurch,withregardtothe
rum," tomus ii. , Junii ix. De S. Baitheneo ? x It is Latinized " ;Ede Baitheni in Tir- Abbate, &c, num, I to 10, pp. 237,238, conallia," by Colgan. See " Trias Thauma-
598.
is on record,
6?
and
6o6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[June 9.
remission of sins in the Sacrament of Penance, and the early practice of con- fession, are most clearly revealed in the Acts and writings of our saints, and
His Acts are to be found briefly entered in the old Chronicle of Bobbio, and in the learned work of
founding the present saint, with a Cumian of Antrim, who died a. d. 658. Nearly all we can know, about the present holy man, is gleaned from the epitaph, which for centuries was legible on his tomb. St. Cummin of Bobbio 6 was a native of Scotia or Ireland. He was born, it seems probable, in the
seventh century. The precise place of his nativity, however, is unknown. Much distinguished by the respectability of his descent, and by his excellent qualities of mind and person, he was esteemed and admired by all who had
an opportunity of forming acquaintance with him. He appears to have been abishopinIrelandformanyyears. ? InspiredwithaloveofGod,heresolved on devoting his earthly existence to the monastic profession. At a late period of his life, St. Cummin left his native country for such a purpose. His course was directed towards Italy, and Bobbio,8 where a celebrated monas- tery had been founded by his illustrious countryman St. Columbanus, appears to have been the place he chose for his rest in this life. At that period, Cummianhadattainedhisseventy-fifthyear. 9 ThatCummianwasaBishop is ascertained from his epitaph ; but, whether this was before or after his arrival in Italy, we are not informed. 10 It is sufficiently probable, however, he must have resigned his episcopal office in Ireland, to become a religious in Italy. The famous monastery of Bobbio, founded by his countryman St. Columbanus,11 received him within its cloisters. There, he sedulously prac-
especially in those of the present holy Bishop.
2 in which
the same sources. 4 This Cumian or Cummin has been noticed at the 12th of January,byColgans but,hefallshereintoanevidentanachronism,bycon-
;
Ughelli,
they
are
quoted.
ix. De Sancto Cumiano, Scoto Bobii in Italia, p. 244.
Episcopo
7 See ''A Die of Christian ionary
Junii
Biogra- phy," edited by William Smith, LL. D. , and
"
4 Their account professes to be a Sylloge Henry YYace, M. A. , vol. i. , p. 721.
8
Historica ex Monunicntis liobiensibus apud It is situated in a valley, near the left
Ughellum," in three paragraphs.
bank of the Trebbia, in a province of Pied- ''
5 See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernire," mont. Besides the cathedral, the church
Januarii xii. De S. Cumiano Episcopo Bobii sepulto, pp. 58, 59. According to Dr.
Lanigan, it is said, that Luitprand's reign did
not begin until long after this year. See
and former convent of—St. Columbanus are
de erving of notice. " '•
'• 9
Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap, xix. , sect, x. , n. no, p. 174.
This celebrated monastery had at one time 700 valuable Manuscripts ; one half of these were sold to Cardinal Frederic, and the other half pas>cd to the Vatican Library, while many are yet preserved in the Ambrosian Library at Milan. Bobbio is in Northern Italy, and at the foot of the
p. 67.
'° "
cols. 959, 960, from which the Bollandists
appear to have copied his Epitaph.
11
His festival occurs at the 21st of No- vember.
" After him, until A. D. S46, a record of
some Abbots is
cloitre et les montagnes furent l'asile des account of this Abbey and of its Abbots may
Apennines.
" Dans ces
temps
debarbarie, le
wanting. Avery interesting
"
jours par d'habiles ecrivins et habiles dcri- iv. , Bobienses Abbates, cols. 950 to 979.
lettres ; publies, commentes, traduitsde nos be found in Ughelli's
Italia Sacra," tomu
X
1
The Bollandists also from give them,3
here omitted, in the Scholia to the Felire of vains et des (fditeurs exereds, ces dock's at — Note Dr. Todd. debris se avec gloire et avec
Aengus, June 9th. " by repandent
—
Article iv. Noticed as Chronicon eclat monde civilise. " M. Yalery's
dans le
Bobiensis. This Manuscript was kept in Voyages Historiques, Litterahes tt Ams-
"
the Bibliotheca Aniciana. tiqucs en Italie, Guide Raisonne etComplet
2"" "
See Italia Sacra," tomus iv. , Bobien-
ses Abbates, at col. 959.
3 See the "Acta Sanctorum," tonnis ii. ,
iiu Voyageur et de ''Artiste, tome
i. .
ix. , pp. 109, no, and n. 1. Deuxieme edi-
tion. Paris, 1S38, 8vo.
Knight's English Cyclopedia," Geography, vol. i. ,
cols. 1 1 29, 1 1 30.
See Mabillon's "Annales Ordinis S.
Benedicti," tomus ii. , lib. xx. , sect. Hv. ,
See Ughelli's Italia Sacra," tomu> iv. .
Charles
chap.
June 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 607 tised the ru—les of its founder, and it seems probable enough, that the Abbot
probability
conjecture.
12 from the name an Irishman—and the fourth Abbot apparently
Congelus
of Bobbio I3 was then his superior. By the observance of continual prayer, watching, and fasting, his life was rendered most exemplary. He is said to
1 have lived seventeen years in this house ; but, according to Mabillon, * he
dwelt there for more than twenty years, like a fresh recruit for that spiritual
warfare in which he had been engaged. His very great modesty, piety, pru- dence and perfect disposition endeared him to all the brethren. 15 These virtues were practised until his dying day. By some writers it has been stated, that St. Cummin of Bobbio left behind him what is known* as Cumian's Penitential. 16 This had been drawn from the Canons of various Councils, and from St. Columban's Penitential. In fact, many literal extracts
from this latter are found in the former one, which lends a great degree of "
1 7 Two l8 of St. Cummian's Manuscript copies
to the
Penitential are preserved in St. Gall's Library. There is also a Darmstadt
2° ofthetenthcen- tury, containing it. The first printed edition appeared in 1621, and after- wards it was inserted by Father Fleming, in his " Collectanea Sacra. " 21 The last and best edition was published, by the learned Professor Dr. Wasser- schleben,22 in 1851. The quarto-deciman celebration of Easter is condemned in this Penitential, and similar Treatises of the eighth, ninth and tenth cen- turies often cite the Canons of St. Cummian. 23 A Codex found in St. Gall's
Codex'9 oftheninth andaVienna century,
monastery
Manuscript
2* renders the first of the Penitentials of St. Columban and of part
13 The immediate successor of Columba- Early Irish Church," by the Rev. Dr.
nus was St. Attala or Attalas, whose feast is held on the 6th of the March Ides ; next was St. Bertulphus, whose feast occurs on the 14th of the September Kalends ; the fourth was Congelus, about whom nothing more
seems to be known.
"
Moran, Vice-Rector of the Irish College, Rome, Appendix No. III. A, pp. 250 to 253
24 In the year 1683, when the learned
Father John Mabillon had a literary tour of
inspection through the German Libraries, he visited St. Gall, where he spent five days, and he has left us an extract taken from its archives, in the following terms, while he tells us, that it was drawn from the Peniten- tial of Cummean Abbot, born in Scotia, and whom he identifies with Cummeneus Albus, who flourished in the seventh cen- tury, and who wrote the Life of St. Columba, Abbot of Hy. " De remediis vulnerum se- cundum priorum Patrum diffinitionem dic- turi, sacris tibi eloquiis, mi fidelissime Fra- ter, antea medicamina compendii ratione in- timemus. Prima itaque est remissio, qua
14 See
tomus ii. , lib. xx. , sect, liv. , p. 67.
Annales Ordinis S. Benedicti,"
15 Seeibid.
16 However, in Mre L. Ellies du Pin's " Nouvelle Bibliotheque des Auteurs Eccle- siastiques," it is stated of the author, "on
ne scait pas d'ou iletoit, ni qui il etoit. " It is then conjectured, that he was Cumin Fada or the Long, son to King Fiachna, born A. D. 592, and dying a. d. 662. See tome vi. , p. 9.
"*"
Such is the opinion of Dr. Wasser-
schleben, inasmuch as it had been chiefly
preserved among the Manuscripts, that once
belonged to the Monastery ot Bobbio, and because it was well known to the French and Italian compilers of the ninth and tenth centuries.
18 These are of the ninth century, and they are classed Nos. 550 and 675.
19 Classed No. 91.
20 Codex Theologicus, No. 651.
21 Printed at Louvain, a. d. 1667, 4to.
22Inhiswork,publishedatHalle,"Bus- sordnungen der Abendlandischer Kirche," pp. 460 to 493.
23 For the most part with the simple title "
baptisamur in aqua .
. . Secunda re- Tertia eleemosy-
Judicium Cummeani. See Essays on the
17, 18.
25 The text of Cummin's Penitential is to
Origin, Doctrines,
and of the Discipline
missio caritatis . narum fructus .
.
.
Quarta profusio Quintacriminumcon- Sexta afflictio cordis et Septima emendatio mo- Octava intercessio sanctorum . . . Nona bona misericordise et fidei Decima conversio et . Undecima indulgen-
lacrymarum .
.
.
fessio .
.
.
corporis . rum . .
.
.
meritum
. . . salus aliorum . .
.
.
.
tiaetremissiono—stra. . . Duodecima "
passio martyrii. " Vetera Analecta. " Iter Germanicum, pp. 6, 7, and Varias Observa- tions ex MS. Codicibus Germanicis, pp.
6o8 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[June 9.
St. Cummin,2s in precisely the same terms. This Manuscript is called the
Penitential of St. Cummin,26 by some thought to have been St. Cummeneus
Albus,AbbotofIona. 2? ThisPenitentialhasbeenattributed,however,to
St. Cummin Foda,28 as the author, and with every appearance of probability,
owing to certain proofs that have been given. These are chiefly derivable
from a Manuscript collection ofCanons,2* preserved in the Vatican Archives ;
and in it, a long extract is given from the Penitential, expressly cited as
"
ninth or the beginning of the tenth century. 3° After having attained the
exceedingly advanced age of ninty-five years and four months,31 the spirit of
Cumian separated from its mortal prison. His death is made to fall within the eighth century, according to some accounts. 32 We are informed, that in the Calendar of Bobbio, his festival has been assigned to the 9th of June. 33
This probably was the day of his death, although others place it, at the 19th of August. 3 * He was buried in the church at Bobbio, where the body of St. Columbanusrested,apparentlyunderornearthehighaltar; atleast,from the year 1480, it has been preserved there in a stone chest, with sculptures representing him as kneeling before the Pope, in the act of giving him a vase filled with relics. In the crypt to the left of the principal altar, the body of St. Cummian is preserved in a stone chest. 35 Luitprand, King of Lombardy, adorned his tomb with precious stones. This monarch also procured an epitaph,36 to be written for him, by a certain Joannes Magister. The three
inquisitio Acumiani Longii. " This was written towards the close of the
be found in the Bibliotheca Maxima Pat-
ruum, vol. xii. , pp. 41. etseq. Also, it is to
be found in " Cursus Completus Patrilogise," vol. lxxxvii. , pp. 979, et seq.
36 See Ceillier's " Histoire des Auteurs Ecclesiastiques," tome xvii. , chap, xiii.
59 It would seem, that he had been no- minated by St. Columba himself, and he was
Donegal," pp.
probably
p. 369, and following pages.
58 See Rev. S. Maitland's "The Dark
604 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 9.
custom, Baithen was now chosen,59 and St. Columba was immediately suc-
ceeded by him in the government of Hy, and consequently in the super- intendence over the whole order or institution. 60 But, he did not long continue to govern the monastery and church at Iona, which must have
6t and
and Abbey Church of the Diocese of the Isles had been erected in the early
disappeared ages ago,
long
beforetheEclusMoror Cathedral great
part
century.
ruin,
This is even now a
62 but the of capitals
of the thirteenth
some bas-reliefs on its columns resemble many of those to be found in Ire- land. The great master Columba had declared, that his disciple Baithen resembled St. John the Evangelist, the disciple of Christ, in his true inno-
Chancel of Abbey Church, Iona.
cence, in his perfect works, and in his prudent simplicity of character; but, thattheirrespectiveteachers,borenoresemblanceonetotheother. Tohis
last hour, notwithstanding the violent pains he suffered, Baoithen desisted not from his usual employments of writing, praying and teaching. Death
surprised him, while praying at the altar, on a certain Tuesday, when a faint- nessseizeduponhim. Themonksflockedaroundhimingreatlamentation, for they thought he was in the last agony. Then, the ministrator Diermitius
:
criedout uSeebrothers,betweenthefeastsofbothyourseniorsthereisbut
a short interval. "
sleep-swoon said
:
When he spoke these words, Baithen aroused from his
" If I have found favour in the sight of God, and if I have
continued to please him by a perfect course to this day ; I trust in him, that
I shall not die until the Natalis of my great senior. " This his desire was
and for six more his life was 63 actually accomplished, days prolonged.
60 "
See Rev. Dr. Lanigan's Ecclesiastical interior is from an improved drawiug in
Billing's "Baronial and Ecclesiastical Anti- quities of Scotland," reduced by William F. Wakeman, and drawn on the wood, en- graved by Mrs. Millard.
63 See the Bollandists' " Acta Sancto-
History of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xii. , sect, xv. , p. 250.
61 See Rev. Dr. J. F. S. Gordon's " Iona,"
pp. 25, 26.
62 The accompanying illustration of the
June 9. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
605
According to some, Baoithin resigned his soul to Heaven, after three 6* or
6
four 5 years of rule on the same day of the month, that Colum Cille went to
Heaven. He departed this life in 595, according to the statement of some writers. This, however, cannot be admitted, as it seems altogether most probable, that St. Columkille himself was then living. It is supposed, by Archbishop Ussher and by Rev. Dr. Lanigan,66 that as immediate successor of St. Columba, his cousin St. Baoithen, survived him only for a year, neith—er
more nor and that he a. d. That the —
with notes.
64 According to Rev. Dr. Reeves, he en-
joyed the Abbacy for three years.
65 Such is the statement of the O'Clerys.
turga," Quarta Appendix ad Acta S. Co- lumba*, cap. 3, num. 4, p. 480.
? 2 See"MemoiroftheCityandNorth- Western Liberties of Londonderry," part ii. , sect. 2, p. 26.
« See " Notice of some popular Supersti- tions still extant, in Connexion with certain of the primitive Ecclesiastical Hand-Bells of Ireland," by John Bell, Esq. , Dungannon, F. S. A. , Scotland, in " Proceedings of the Society of Antiquities of Scotland," vol. i. , p. 54.
Academy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. On the Calendar of Oengus, edited by Whitley Stokes, LL. D. , p. xciii.
« Edited by the Rev. Dr. Kelly, p xxvi.
? 6 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 162,163.
<<
The story here alluded to is told with somecuriousandinterestingcircumstances,
e6
See "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland,"
vol. ii. , chap, xii. , sect, xv. , p. 250.
67 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga,
"
Quarta Vita S. Columbse, lib. ii. , cap. xlv. , p. 363, and n. 38, p. 384.
c8 See " Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Anti- quitates," cap. xvii. , p. 498, and Index Chro- nologicus, a. d. , dxcviii. , p. 535.
6» See Rev. William Reeves' Adamnan's "Life of St. Columba, Additional Notes O, p. 372. Such, too, is the year given by the O'Clerys.
7° See Bishop Challenor's "Britannia
? 4 See " Transactions of the Royal Irish
Sancta," part i. , June 9th, p. 357. This is
also the date given, as the opinion of the Bollandist editor. See "Acta Sanctorum,"
tomus ii. , Junii ix. De S. Baitheneo Abbate, 77
&c. Prsefatiuncula,num. 3,p. 236.
died,
was the day June 9th
less,
coinciding with the festival of the illustrious Columkille
not doubted by any historical writer. Archbishop Ussher places the day of his departure on the "feria secunda," answering to Monday. 68 He died a. d. 6oo,69 or 601,7° according to other authorities. He was interred at Iona, andmostprobablyintheReligOran. Hismemorywasvenerated,bothat
Iona and at Teagh-Baithin,71 or Taughboyne, in Tir Enda, county of Done- gal. Hewasreputedtobethefounderofthislatterchurch. 72 Fromthebellof St. Baodain or Bothan, it is a common practice of the Donegal people to allow their herds to drink annually from the water of St. Bothan's river. The people too of that district admit the curative efficacy of quenching their thirst, with a draft oftheriverwater,andtakenfromthebell. 73 Inthe"FeilireofSt. ^Engus,"St. Baethine's feast is coupled with that of St. Columkille, on the 9th day of June, with an eulogy, in whichhe is called the high and angelic. 74 The name of Bai- thine is found simply registered at this same date, in the Martyrology of Tal-
On of inthe of 76afestival
lagh. 75 thegth June, Martyrology Donegal, isrecorded,
in honour of Baoithin, abbot of I-Coluem Cille. Among the legends, relating
to St. Baoithin, is the following story. In consequence of his abstemious- ness, the impression of his ribs through his woollen tunic was seen in the sandy beach, which is by the side of la, where he used to lie on it at night. 77 This saint was a most perfect pattern of all virtues, especially of devotion and humility ; he was favoured, also, with the gift of prophecy, and of miracles.
Article IV. —St. Cummin, a Bishop, and a Monk at Bobbio. \SeventhCentury^ ThedevotionoftheCatholicChurch,withregardtothe
rum," tomus ii. , Junii ix. De S. Baitheneo ? x It is Latinized " ;Ede Baitheni in Tir- Abbate, &c, num, I to 10, pp. 237,238, conallia," by Colgan. See " Trias Thauma-
598.
is on record,
6?
and
6o6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[June 9.
remission of sins in the Sacrament of Penance, and the early practice of con- fession, are most clearly revealed in the Acts and writings of our saints, and
His Acts are to be found briefly entered in the old Chronicle of Bobbio, and in the learned work of
founding the present saint, with a Cumian of Antrim, who died a. d. 658. Nearly all we can know, about the present holy man, is gleaned from the epitaph, which for centuries was legible on his tomb. St. Cummin of Bobbio 6 was a native of Scotia or Ireland. He was born, it seems probable, in the
seventh century. The precise place of his nativity, however, is unknown. Much distinguished by the respectability of his descent, and by his excellent qualities of mind and person, he was esteemed and admired by all who had
an opportunity of forming acquaintance with him. He appears to have been abishopinIrelandformanyyears. ? InspiredwithaloveofGod,heresolved on devoting his earthly existence to the monastic profession. At a late period of his life, St. Cummin left his native country for such a purpose. His course was directed towards Italy, and Bobbio,8 where a celebrated monas- tery had been founded by his illustrious countryman St. Columbanus, appears to have been the place he chose for his rest in this life. At that period, Cummianhadattainedhisseventy-fifthyear. 9 ThatCummianwasaBishop is ascertained from his epitaph ; but, whether this was before or after his arrival in Italy, we are not informed. 10 It is sufficiently probable, however, he must have resigned his episcopal office in Ireland, to become a religious in Italy. The famous monastery of Bobbio, founded by his countryman St. Columbanus,11 received him within its cloisters. There, he sedulously prac-
especially in those of the present holy Bishop.
2 in which
the same sources. 4 This Cumian or Cummin has been noticed at the 12th of January,byColgans but,hefallshereintoanevidentanachronism,bycon-
;
Ughelli,
they
are
quoted.
ix. De Sancto Cumiano, Scoto Bobii in Italia, p. 244.
Episcopo
7 See ''A Die of Christian ionary
Junii
Biogra- phy," edited by William Smith, LL. D. , and
"
4 Their account professes to be a Sylloge Henry YYace, M. A. , vol. i. , p. 721.
8
Historica ex Monunicntis liobiensibus apud It is situated in a valley, near the left
Ughellum," in three paragraphs.
bank of the Trebbia, in a province of Pied- ''
5 See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernire," mont. Besides the cathedral, the church
Januarii xii. De S. Cumiano Episcopo Bobii sepulto, pp. 58, 59. According to Dr.
Lanigan, it is said, that Luitprand's reign did
not begin until long after this year. See
and former convent of—St. Columbanus are
de erving of notice. " '•
'• 9
Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap, xix. , sect, x. , n. no, p. 174.
This celebrated monastery had at one time 700 valuable Manuscripts ; one half of these were sold to Cardinal Frederic, and the other half pas>cd to the Vatican Library, while many are yet preserved in the Ambrosian Library at Milan. Bobbio is in Northern Italy, and at the foot of the
p. 67.
'° "
cols. 959, 960, from which the Bollandists
appear to have copied his Epitaph.
11
His festival occurs at the 21st of No- vember.
" After him, until A. D. S46, a record of
some Abbots is
cloitre et les montagnes furent l'asile des account of this Abbey and of its Abbots may
Apennines.
" Dans ces
temps
debarbarie, le
wanting. Avery interesting
"
jours par d'habiles ecrivins et habiles dcri- iv. , Bobienses Abbates, cols. 950 to 979.
lettres ; publies, commentes, traduitsde nos be found in Ughelli's
Italia Sacra," tomu
X
1
The Bollandists also from give them,3
here omitted, in the Scholia to the Felire of vains et des (fditeurs exereds, ces dock's at — Note Dr. Todd. debris se avec gloire et avec
Aengus, June 9th. " by repandent
—
Article iv. Noticed as Chronicon eclat monde civilise. " M. Yalery's
dans le
Bobiensis. This Manuscript was kept in Voyages Historiques, Litterahes tt Ams-
"
the Bibliotheca Aniciana. tiqucs en Italie, Guide Raisonne etComplet
2"" "
See Italia Sacra," tomus iv. , Bobien-
ses Abbates, at col. 959.
3 See the "Acta Sanctorum," tonnis ii. ,
iiu Voyageur et de ''Artiste, tome
i. .
ix. , pp. 109, no, and n. 1. Deuxieme edi-
tion. Paris, 1S38, 8vo.
Knight's English Cyclopedia," Geography, vol. i. ,
cols. 1 1 29, 1 1 30.
See Mabillon's "Annales Ordinis S.
Benedicti," tomus ii. , lib. xx. , sect. Hv. ,
See Ughelli's Italia Sacra," tomu> iv. .
Charles
chap.
June 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 607 tised the ru—les of its founder, and it seems probable enough, that the Abbot
probability
conjecture.
12 from the name an Irishman—and the fourth Abbot apparently
Congelus
of Bobbio I3 was then his superior. By the observance of continual prayer, watching, and fasting, his life was rendered most exemplary. He is said to
1 have lived seventeen years in this house ; but, according to Mabillon, * he
dwelt there for more than twenty years, like a fresh recruit for that spiritual
warfare in which he had been engaged. His very great modesty, piety, pru- dence and perfect disposition endeared him to all the brethren. 15 These virtues were practised until his dying day. By some writers it has been stated, that St. Cummin of Bobbio left behind him what is known* as Cumian's Penitential. 16 This had been drawn from the Canons of various Councils, and from St. Columban's Penitential. In fact, many literal extracts
from this latter are found in the former one, which lends a great degree of "
1 7 Two l8 of St. Cummian's Manuscript copies
to the
Penitential are preserved in St. Gall's Library. There is also a Darmstadt
2° ofthetenthcen- tury, containing it. The first printed edition appeared in 1621, and after- wards it was inserted by Father Fleming, in his " Collectanea Sacra. " 21 The last and best edition was published, by the learned Professor Dr. Wasser- schleben,22 in 1851. The quarto-deciman celebration of Easter is condemned in this Penitential, and similar Treatises of the eighth, ninth and tenth cen- turies often cite the Canons of St. Cummian. 23 A Codex found in St. Gall's
Codex'9 oftheninth andaVienna century,
monastery
Manuscript
2* renders the first of the Penitentials of St. Columban and of part
13 The immediate successor of Columba- Early Irish Church," by the Rev. Dr.
nus was St. Attala or Attalas, whose feast is held on the 6th of the March Ides ; next was St. Bertulphus, whose feast occurs on the 14th of the September Kalends ; the fourth was Congelus, about whom nothing more
seems to be known.
"
Moran, Vice-Rector of the Irish College, Rome, Appendix No. III. A, pp. 250 to 253
24 In the year 1683, when the learned
Father John Mabillon had a literary tour of
inspection through the German Libraries, he visited St. Gall, where he spent five days, and he has left us an extract taken from its archives, in the following terms, while he tells us, that it was drawn from the Peniten- tial of Cummean Abbot, born in Scotia, and whom he identifies with Cummeneus Albus, who flourished in the seventh cen- tury, and who wrote the Life of St. Columba, Abbot of Hy. " De remediis vulnerum se- cundum priorum Patrum diffinitionem dic- turi, sacris tibi eloquiis, mi fidelissime Fra- ter, antea medicamina compendii ratione in- timemus. Prima itaque est remissio, qua
14 See
tomus ii. , lib. xx. , sect, liv. , p. 67.
Annales Ordinis S. Benedicti,"
15 Seeibid.
16 However, in Mre L. Ellies du Pin's " Nouvelle Bibliotheque des Auteurs Eccle- siastiques," it is stated of the author, "on
ne scait pas d'ou iletoit, ni qui il etoit. " It is then conjectured, that he was Cumin Fada or the Long, son to King Fiachna, born A. D. 592, and dying a. d. 662. See tome vi. , p. 9.
"*"
Such is the opinion of Dr. Wasser-
schleben, inasmuch as it had been chiefly
preserved among the Manuscripts, that once
belonged to the Monastery ot Bobbio, and because it was well known to the French and Italian compilers of the ninth and tenth centuries.
18 These are of the ninth century, and they are classed Nos. 550 and 675.
19 Classed No. 91.
20 Codex Theologicus, No. 651.
21 Printed at Louvain, a. d. 1667, 4to.
22Inhiswork,publishedatHalle,"Bus- sordnungen der Abendlandischer Kirche," pp. 460 to 493.
23 For the most part with the simple title "
baptisamur in aqua .
. . Secunda re- Tertia eleemosy-
Judicium Cummeani. See Essays on the
17, 18.
25 The text of Cummin's Penitential is to
Origin, Doctrines,
and of the Discipline
missio caritatis . narum fructus .
.
.
Quarta profusio Quintacriminumcon- Sexta afflictio cordis et Septima emendatio mo- Octava intercessio sanctorum . . . Nona bona misericordise et fidei Decima conversio et . Undecima indulgen-
lacrymarum .
.
.
fessio .
.
.
corporis . rum . .
.
.
meritum
. . . salus aliorum . .
.
.
.
tiaetremissiono—stra. . . Duodecima "
passio martyrii. " Vetera Analecta. " Iter Germanicum, pp. 6, 7, and Varias Observa- tions ex MS. Codicibus Germanicis, pp.
6o8 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[June 9.
St. Cummin,2s in precisely the same terms. This Manuscript is called the
Penitential of St. Cummin,26 by some thought to have been St. Cummeneus
Albus,AbbotofIona. 2? ThisPenitentialhasbeenattributed,however,to
St. Cummin Foda,28 as the author, and with every appearance of probability,
owing to certain proofs that have been given. These are chiefly derivable
from a Manuscript collection ofCanons,2* preserved in the Vatican Archives ;
and in it, a long extract is given from the Penitential, expressly cited as
"
ninth or the beginning of the tenth century. 3° After having attained the
exceedingly advanced age of ninty-five years and four months,31 the spirit of
Cumian separated from its mortal prison. His death is made to fall within the eighth century, according to some accounts. 32 We are informed, that in the Calendar of Bobbio, his festival has been assigned to the 9th of June. 33
This probably was the day of his death, although others place it, at the 19th of August. 3 * He was buried in the church at Bobbio, where the body of St. Columbanusrested,apparentlyunderornearthehighaltar; atleast,from the year 1480, it has been preserved there in a stone chest, with sculptures representing him as kneeling before the Pope, in the act of giving him a vase filled with relics. In the crypt to the left of the principal altar, the body of St. Cummian is preserved in a stone chest. 35 Luitprand, King of Lombardy, adorned his tomb with precious stones. This monarch also procured an epitaph,36 to be written for him, by a certain Joannes Magister. The three
inquisitio Acumiani Longii. " This was written towards the close of the
be found in the Bibliotheca Maxima Pat-
ruum, vol. xii. , pp. 41. etseq. Also, it is to
be found in " Cursus Completus Patrilogise," vol. lxxxvii. , pp. 979, et seq.
36 See Ceillier's " Histoire des Auteurs Ecclesiastiques," tome xvii. , chap, xiii.
