This writer Colgan
conjectures
to have been the same as Coelan of Iniskeltra, who was known in the eighth century.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v2
Brigidae, pp.
546 to 563.
Appended notes, pp.
563 to 566.
9* St. Coelan, or his prologuist, enume- rates Animosus, among various writers of St. Brigid's Acts. This is asserted in the following verses :
" multos Animosus nomine libros Descripsit
De vita, et studiis Virginis, ac mentis," &c.
^ec **
ibid. , p. 563. Also, Sexta^Vita'S.
February i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. It
has been applied to various Irish saints of the olden time. To pass over others, there was a venerable and pious man, who died in the year 980. 9'^ He is called Anmchadh, Bishop of Kildare. This prelate is said to have departed at an advanced age, after the course of his virtuous life in this world had been completed. 97 It has been maintained,^^ that until some other fairer objections be advanced, these following reasons should lead us to con- clude, this Anmchadh or Animosus was author of our saint's Fourth Life. In the first place, circumstances of name and locality favour such a conclusion, as no one could more appropriately or justly manifest his reverence and de- votion towards St. Bridget, than a native of Kildare, especially when he was eitheraprelateoramonk. Asitisrelated,anAnimosuswroteSt. Brigid's Acts, and as a certain prelate of Kildare bore that name, to what other Ani- mosus than he can we more probably assign the performance of such a task ? Again, it must be added, the author of this Fourth Life often insinuates, that he was a monk or prelate of Kildare, and in a Prologue to it, he addresses certain brethren. 99 It has been concluded,^°° therefore, that he must have been a monk or an abbot, before he became bishop of Kildare,'°' in accord- ance with a usage, common to his age and country. In the next place, the author of St. Brigid's Fourth Life indicates, that he lived so late as the tenth
whereas,AnimosusissaidtohavewrittenherActsinseveralbooks. This
at which Anmchod of Kildare flourished. '°^ period
there are The author of this Fourth Life appears to have written only two books of St. Brigid's Acts ;
century,
reasons, also, that can be advanced for a different opinion.
Yet,
** "
Trias Thaumaturga, however, 22 of these
chapters are wanting in the First Book, See
such a work presents a danger ; since, I dread the taunts of critics and enemies tasting my very small intellectual viands. But, as the Lord ordered His poor to offer little gifts, when about to build His tabernacle, ought we not give ours to build up His church ? "What is she but a congregation of the just ? How is a prudent life formed, unless through the examples and records of the prudent? Therefore shall I give a first place to love, I shall trample on shame, and I shall tolerate the carpers. I adjure you, O wise reader and intelligent hearer, that you overlook the text arrangement ; and consider only the miracles of God and of His blessed hand- maid. Indeed, every husbandman should be fed on the fruits drawn from the furrows of his own field. "
^°° By Colgan.
^°^ The " Vita S. Brigidse," by an anony- mous author, and from a Manuscript belong- ing to Hugh Ward, has been printed by Father John Boland in the "Acta Sancto- rum," tomus i, Februarii i. Vita iv. , Lipartita S. Brigida;, pp. 155 to 172. Usher
**
Quarta Vita S. Brigidse," Hb. i. p. 547.
^ See O'Donovan's " Annals of the Four
Masters," vol. ii. , pp. 712, 713. The editor corrects the date 980 by the words, '^\recte 981. ]" See also n. (y), ibid.
97 Colgan'sCopyoftheFourMastersadds,
''
that he died
tur. " The latter clause seems to be omitted
in Mr. O'Donovan's copy.
Omnes fere
in loco, que Kenntar appella-
"
Hiberniae prselati ex Monachis assumeban-
tur. " See Giraldus Cambrensis, Opera, vol. v. "TopographiaHibernica,Dist. iii. , cap. xxix. Edition by James F. Dimock, M. A.
58ByColgan. ThetovmofKildarehas yet many interesting vestiges of its former religious establishments. The accompany- ing engraving, which represents one of these ruins, has been executed by Mrs. Millard, from a photograph of Frederick W. Mares, Dublin.
99 This Preface runs as follows: "My
mind, brethren, is filled with three emotions,
viz. , of love, of shame, and of fear. Love often cites it as the anonymous or inedited
urges me to write in documents a life of the
illustrious Brigid, lest that great abundance
of virtues, which God's grace conferred on
her, or the many miracles accomplished
through her, should be hidden and unheard. vol. i. , part i. , pp. 108, 109. The writer
I feel prevented through shame, lest, as I
suppose, my very plain discourse or poor
judgment, may displease my educated readers
or hearers. Yet, my fear is still greater, for Also, Harris' Ware, vol. ii. , Writers of my weakness of mind in the composition of Ireland," Book i. , chap, iv. , p. 37.
Life in two books. The author lived before 1 1 52. See Sir Thomas Duffus Hardy's
"
to the History of Great Britain and Ireland,"
Descriptive Catalogue of Materials relating is supposed to be Animosus, by Colgan.
'°'
See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga,"
Quarta Vita S. Brigidse, n. i. , pp. 563. "
13 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February i. I
occurred, before the time in which St. Coelan, or at least the author of that prologue to his metrical acts of our saint, wrote. Now, Colgan thinks St. Coelan wrote St. Brigid's Acts previous to a. d. 8oo'°3 in such hypothesis, it is supposed, that Animosus, who wrote St. Brigid's Acts, must be distin- guished from Animosus or Animchadh, who died a. d. 980. Again, the Irish word,Anmire,seemstohaveanidenticalmeaningwithAnimosus. Atleast four Anmires are enumerated among the saints of Ireland: i. Anmire of Alech,^°4 2. Anmire of Cluanfoda,''°5 3. Anmire of Ros-hua Chonna,^°^ 4. Anmire of Rath-nuadha,'°7 It may be argued, that some one of the forego- ing, or another person, bearing the same name, different from the Animchod, who died in 980, had been the author of St. Brigid's Acts. The matter re-
mains, not yet fully determined.
But the author of St. Brigid's Fourth Life,
^°^ he flourished at a Although
whoever he is deemed may be,
trustworthy.
comparatively late period, and wrote in a rude style, his Acts relate, in a more
copious and comprehensive manner, than any other writer's, almost all St. Brigid's transactions. Also, he gives many particulars, concerning the anti- quities of Ireland, which, for the most part, are either omitted or obscurely related, by other biographers. '°9 The Fifth of St. Brigid's Lives, as published by Colgan, was taken from a Manuscript belonging to the Irish College at Salamanca"° Although containing fewer Acts and miracles of St. Brigid, than most of her other Lives ; yet, this biography, making allowance for many fables,'" surpasses most of them in elegance and correctness of style, as also in its more systematic and complete arrangement. "^ For these reasons, it seems more suited for reading in the refectoiies of religious com- munities. It came into Colgan's hands, in an imperfect state ;"3 yet, he thought, that not more than the first, and a part of its second chapter, had beenwanting. "4 Theeditorendeavouredtosupplysuchmissingportions in that distinctive character, known as the Italic ; while special titles are pre- fixed by him to the several chapters, and placed in the margin. He thinks there can be no question about the author being Laurence of Durham. "5
This, it is supposed, can be shown, from the elegant style, nationality of authorship, and the period, in which it had been written ; for, in the second
chapter, its author indicates his being an Englishman, and that he composed
this life, after the Normans came to England. He likewise wrote it before
the — invasion of Ireland. as he flourished after the — Anglo-Norman Now, year
1065
"^
about which date the Norman conquest of England commenced
'°3 This he endeavours to show, in his notes to "Sexta Vita S. Brigidae," nn. I, 2, 3, pp, 596 to 598, "Trias Thaumaturga. "
'^^ His feast is celebrated on the loth of
June.
'°5 This saint is commemorated on the
1 5th of September.
'°''
His festival occurs on the 25th of Sep- tember.
to 1 85.
"3 As this Manuscript was acephalous, its
author's name had not been found prefixed. "* The following MSS. copies of this life are extant : Vita S. Brigidce, auctore Lau- rentio Dunelmensi, MS. Salmanticensis, published by Colgan and Bollandus. Defi- ciencies in this may be supplied from the following copies in Latin : Vita S. Brigittae
'°7 This saint's feast is held on the 20th of Virginis a Laurentio Dunelmensi. MS.
November.
""^ Such is Colgan's expressed opinion.
*°9 So far as came under Colgan's observa- tion.
"° Therefore it is called by him the Sala-
mancan Manuscript.
"'See Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical
History of Ireland," vol. i,, chap, viii. , sec. ii. , n. 18,, p. 381.
Bodl. Laud. Mis. 668 (1052) 106. veil. 4to XIL cent. Again, S. Brigidic Vita per Lau-
rentium Dunelmensem, pracvia Epistola ad Ethelredum Dispensatorem. MS. Coll. Balliol. ccxxvi. f. 86-94. veil, fol, dble. col. XHL cent. Tanner refers to both of these copies in his " Bibliotheca," p. 472.
"s This writer is known to have flourished
about the year 1140, and he wrote a singu-
larly learned and eloquent Life of St. Brigid complete, in one book,
""Dr. Lingard assigns the battle of Hast-
"=^
This Life has been printed in the Bol- "
landists' Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Feb- ruarii i. , Vita v. , S. Brigidae Virg. pp. 172
February i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
and prior to the iiyi,"^ when the English invasion of Ireland began ; it appears probable enough, that the author of St. Brigid's Fifth Life must have beentheaforesaidLaurenceofDurham. TheSixthLifeofSt. Brigid,"^is a long poem, written in Latin Hexameter verse. The editor supposes St. Cholian or Coelan, a monk of Inis-Keltra monastery, on the Shannon, to havebeenitsauthor. "^ ItwaspublishedfromanoldManuscript,belonging to the library of Monte Cassino, and it had been collated, with a copy taken from the Vatican library, as also with various other Manuscript exemplars. In the first note, post-fixed to our Saint's Sixth Life, we are told, that over three months before, when Colgan had begim passing St. Brigid's Acts through the press, he received from the Rev. Father Bernard Egan,"° a certain
'^^ A
Finibusocciduis,"&c. Thislatterissupposedtohavebeenacomposition
of St. Donatus,^^^ Bishop of Fesule, in Tuscany,'^3 and who flourished in the ninth century. But, the life itself was marked, as having been written by a monk of Iniskeltra, in Lough Derg, and who was named Chilien.
This writer Colgan conjectures to have been the same as Coelan of Iniskeltra, who was known in the eighth century. '^^ But, with much apparent truth,^^5 this fragment has been referred to a later period, in which it is suspected its author lived. Dr. Lanigan believes, that if Chilien lived in the eighth cen- tury,"^ it must have been in the latter part; although this historian does not think it worth while, to enter upon a long discussion regarding him. "7
Having received this Sixth Life, from the Cassinian MS. , and through
the zealous Father already mentioned, three other counterpart copies of these same Acts were procured. One copy came from the Vatican Librar)*-, one from the Library of his Eminence Anthony Barberini, and a third was sentbythecelebratedFranciscanFather,LukeWadding. Allthesecopies
fragment •'
of this
biography.
prologue
is with prefixed, commencing
ings to the 14th of October, A. D. 1066. See
*'
History of England," vol. i,, chap, vi. , p. 309.
^'7 Henry II. landed at Waterford on the i8th of October, A. D. 1 171. See Rev. John
^^-^ Dr. Lanigan thinks, that the circum- stance of Chilien calling the mother of St. Brigid a countess seems to indicate a com- paratively late period for this composition.
"^s Speaking about Donat, Bishop of Fiesole, who flourished in the ninth century,
O'Hanlon's
Lesson
"
Catechism of Irish History,"
116.
xiii,, p.
^'^ As published by Colgan.
^*9 In Harris' Ware, Chaelian or Coelan,
a monk of the Abbey of Inis-Keltra, in the diocese of Killaloe, and who wrote the Life of St. Brigid in verse, is said to have been a contemporary with yEngus Mac-Tiprait, who died 745. The festival of this Chilien is assigned to the 29th of July in our domestic Martyrologies.
'^° He was a Benedictine Abbot and an Irishman.
From a hurried reading, it was thensupposed,
that the poem in question began with these
lines, and Colgan stated as much in the com-
mon preface to St. Brigid's Acts. But he
afterwards discovered his mistake, when this
holy virgin's five first lives had been printed.
^-^
See his Life at the 22nd of October. *^3See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap.
XX. , p. 255.
Harris observes
:
'* He seems also to have
'^^ "
This Chilien, whether—author or not of
It commences with these verses Quadam forte die sanctus Patricius almus Gemma sacerdotum synodali carmine
sedit," &c.
both the
prologue
and Life as stated in his
:
been the author of a Description of Ireland, in Hexameter and Pentameter verse ; or
rather the Life of St. Brigid, containing a Description of Ireland, of which Colgan
hath given as a fragment, which is prefixed also as a prologue to the Life of St. Brigid, supposed to be written by St. Chaelan. "
See Harris' Ware,
*'
Writers of Ireland,"
vol. ii. , chap, iv. , p. 47, and chap, vi. ,
p. 57.
^^^
"Trias Thaumaturga," Se—xta Vita S.
Brigidse, nn. I, 2, 3, p. 597 was, in CoI«
gan's opinion, the same as Coelan of Inis-
eighth century. See Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, viii. , sec. ii. , n. 18. , p. 381. But, Bollandus thought him to be a different person. See "Acta Sancto* rum," Februarii, tomus i. Vita S. Brigidae. Commentaria Prrevia, sec. 2.
'"7 See "Ecclesiastical History of Ixt- land," vol. i. , chap, viii. , sec. ii. , n, 18, p. 381.
Keltra, who seems to have flourished in the "
14 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February i.
were diligently collated by the editor, who found them severally mutilated, worn, abounding in false emendations of librarians, or commentators, de- formed with verbal transpositions and changes,, to such a degree, that the sense of some verses could not be discovered, while the proper number of
feet and the measure were requisite syllabic
in
many
lines. "^
wanting,
through the collector's great industry, who observed closely the discrepancy
in his copies, we are indebted for the pubHcation of this old Tract. The editor endeavoured to follow authorities he considered most authentic, in his
several copies ; for he observed, that in many instances, the just number and measure of the verse could be found in some particular Manuscripts, while in
others they were expressed, sometimes by abbreviations, again by a transpo- sition of words, and often by some closing or arbitrary notation. The lines
were frequently found so greatly mutilated, that they bore a prosaic rather than a metrical appearance. So many omissions and licences on the part of copyists were detected, that the editor felt obliged to affix various marginalannotationstothispoem. "9 Notalonethroughtheincautiousness of copyists—a fruitful source of error in old documents—many transpositions of words had been introduced, and certain synonymous terms were substituted for others ; but, besides, many abbreviations of doubtful meaning were found, while these left the sense imperfect. ^3© Even unaccountable caprice and mutilations caused some of the chapters to be' acephalous or truncated, while some were altogether omitted, as might be seen in the still imperfect and published Sixth Life. ^3^ There certain lines are subjoined from the Barberini Manuscript, and which were wanting in that of Monte Cassino, while breaks are discoverableinthenarrativeandstructuralcourseofthepoem. ^32 Although many particulars relating to St. Brigid are found in the Five first Lives, as published by Colgan, and which are missing in the Sixth ;'33 yet, the editor sup- poses this attributable to no other cause, than to the deplorable liberties taken by scribes or librarians. Here and there have been detected many elisions and erasures. It can scarcely be doubted, that these manipulators altoge- ther pretermitted other matters. As this old and careful writer relates, many of St. Brigid's Acts were left out by others, and as it is indicated in the Pro- logue, that he read her Lives written by St. Ultan, Eleran and Animosus ;
*='
But for such defects, it must have been
immediately afterwards, verses were maimed in prosodial number and quantity, while
they were disfigured with blots. Colgan tells us he published the poem, as he found it,
changing nothing therein, \i'\\\\ only the foregoing exceptional emendations,
'3^ This is noticed by the editor in a great variety of instances.
*33 Colgan's divisions of the six lives are as follow, viz. : First. The Metrical life, 53 stanzas of four lines each, Irish with Latin translation. Secondly. The Second Prose life has 36 chapters, with a prologue,
Thirdly. The Third Prose life has 131 chap-
ters, with supplementary metrical lines, Fourthly. The Fourth Prose life is divided
into two books—
extremely valuable.
"9 He did not alter the poem in the
slightest tittle, except in those instances, w^here noted and obvious omissions of copy- ists had left discrepancies between certain parts and lines, or had so crudely amended them, that it could readily be conjectured these emendations did not represent the original writer's words.
*3o It was not possible for the industry or research of either collator or editor, to repair so many mistakes, or restore so many omis- sions. Wherefore, Colgan only endeavoured to place in due order, those words which seemed transposed, in certain passages, and cautiously to substitute others in place of certain contracted words, doubtful in the reading, or which through the error of the copyists were put for terms having a sup- posed affinity.
*3i Here and there, certain elegant and glowing phrases were found, especially in descriptiveandmetaphoricalpassages; then
the first book
52 chapters, and the last 100. It is prefaced
hy a prologue. Fifthly. The Fifth Prose life comprises 58 chapters. Sixthly. Th—e
—ntains 68 sections Sixth Metrical life co
more or less imperfect with prefatory and supplementary lines,
containing
Yet,
February i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. IS
hence, it cannot be supposed, he would have passed over so many accounts, faithfully related by various other writers, or that he would not have included several accounts, not given by them. ^34
The Lives of St. Brigid, published by Colgan, are not the only authorities
available for her Acts. In the Book of Lismore, which had been written^35
for Mac Carthy Reagh, or Finghen Mac Diarmata, and which is now the Duke of Devonshire's property, there is an Irish sermon on the Life of St. Brigid. '36 This has been translated into English,'37 transcribed, and collated with a similar copy, but having varied readings, in the Leabhar Breac. '38 Besides these, there were many lives of St. Brigid, written in the Irish tongue. Four only of these, however, came into Colgan's hands. '39 There is scarcely any considerable library in which the Acts of St. Brigid will not be found. Her memory likewise has been commemorated by a Divine Office, not only throughout the whole of Ireland, but even in many Dioceses of England, Scotland, Belgium, France and Germany,^^o
A Life of St. Brigid has been inserted in the collection of John Cap- grave, ^^i This is taken apparently from the work of Cogitosus. ^^^ A certain anonymous writer edited a Life of St. Brigid, in German, and this was printed at Augusta, in 1478. ^43 Another biography of the Saint had been
Valentinus
*34 Such is Colgan's expressed opinion. He supposes such omissions ax'e attributable rather to incompetent commentators than to the original author.
^35 By Aonghus O'Calladh.
" De
'42 Agreeing with it is the MS. Cott. Tiber. , E. i. , ff. 32-34.
^"3 This was probably Triers, in Germany, although many towns bear a similar Latin name.
's Probably this was Argentan, in Lower Normandy, or Argenton, of the Orleannois,
at
has special reference to St. Brigid. In addition to those tracts already mentioned, Vincentius Bellovacensis^'^^ wrote a summary of St. Brigid's Acts in his book. ^47 St. Antoninus'^s has also treated about this illustrious Virgin. ^'^9 Guido de Castris,'5o Petrus de Natalibus,'5i John of Tinmouth,'52 Surius,'53 in two different acts,'54 Harseus, Messingham,^55 Cornelius Grasius/56
printed'44
Argentineans
Leuctius,
work,
Sanctis,"
^36 At folio 53, col. 2, of this MS. , there
is a Gaelic entry given in J. T. Gilbert's
"History of the Viceroys of Ireland,"
notes to chap, xi,, p. 603. The following in France.
is an English translation
:
" Let every one
146 Qr Vincent De Beauvais, a French Dominican savant, who lived from about 1 190 to 1264. See Laurence E. Phillips' "Dictionary of Biographical Reference," p. 937.
'47 See "Speculum Historise," lib. xxii. ,
cap. 29.
'48 He died the 2nd of May, A. D. 1459.
who shall read this Life of [Saint] Brigid
give a blessing on the souls of the couple for
whom it was written. "
^31'
By Professor Bryan O'Looney of the Catholic University, who has obligingly lent his Irish transcript, with his English translation, to the writer.
^38BelongingtothekoyalIrishAcademyy* HisfeastiskeptonthelothofMay.
^39 As they contained, for the most ^^? ^ '49 In "Cronicon," pars, ii. , tit. xii. ,
only particulars, which were to be -found in various Acts published by him, Colgan
thought it quite unnecessary to present more than an Irish Hymn, composed by St. Brogan, with its Latin version.
cap, 6.
'5° Abbot of St. Denis, who wrote, " De
Vitis Sanctorum. "
'S' Lib. iii. , cap. 69.
'52 In " De Sanctis Britannise. "
'53 See "De Probatis Sanctorum Histo*
*4° See, "Trias Thaumaturga. " Tertia
Vita S. Brigidse, n. 7, p. 543. Quarta Vita riis," &c. , tomus i. , pp. 806 to 809.
S. Brigidae, nn, 15, 16, p. 564, ibid. Quinta Vita S. Brigidse, cap. viii. , p. 569, and nn. 9, II, p. 640, ibid.
Cologne Edition, A. D. 1576.
9* St. Coelan, or his prologuist, enume- rates Animosus, among various writers of St. Brigid's Acts. This is asserted in the following verses :
" multos Animosus nomine libros Descripsit
De vita, et studiis Virginis, ac mentis," &c.
^ec **
ibid. , p. 563. Also, Sexta^Vita'S.
February i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. It
has been applied to various Irish saints of the olden time. To pass over others, there was a venerable and pious man, who died in the year 980. 9'^ He is called Anmchadh, Bishop of Kildare. This prelate is said to have departed at an advanced age, after the course of his virtuous life in this world had been completed. 97 It has been maintained,^^ that until some other fairer objections be advanced, these following reasons should lead us to con- clude, this Anmchadh or Animosus was author of our saint's Fourth Life. In the first place, circumstances of name and locality favour such a conclusion, as no one could more appropriately or justly manifest his reverence and de- votion towards St. Bridget, than a native of Kildare, especially when he was eitheraprelateoramonk. Asitisrelated,anAnimosuswroteSt. Brigid's Acts, and as a certain prelate of Kildare bore that name, to what other Ani- mosus than he can we more probably assign the performance of such a task ? Again, it must be added, the author of this Fourth Life often insinuates, that he was a monk or prelate of Kildare, and in a Prologue to it, he addresses certain brethren. 99 It has been concluded,^°° therefore, that he must have been a monk or an abbot, before he became bishop of Kildare,'°' in accord- ance with a usage, common to his age and country. In the next place, the author of St. Brigid's Fourth Life indicates, that he lived so late as the tenth
whereas,AnimosusissaidtohavewrittenherActsinseveralbooks. This
at which Anmchod of Kildare flourished. '°^ period
there are The author of this Fourth Life appears to have written only two books of St. Brigid's Acts ;
century,
reasons, also, that can be advanced for a different opinion.
Yet,
** "
Trias Thaumaturga, however, 22 of these
chapters are wanting in the First Book, See
such a work presents a danger ; since, I dread the taunts of critics and enemies tasting my very small intellectual viands. But, as the Lord ordered His poor to offer little gifts, when about to build His tabernacle, ought we not give ours to build up His church ? "What is she but a congregation of the just ? How is a prudent life formed, unless through the examples and records of the prudent? Therefore shall I give a first place to love, I shall trample on shame, and I shall tolerate the carpers. I adjure you, O wise reader and intelligent hearer, that you overlook the text arrangement ; and consider only the miracles of God and of His blessed hand- maid. Indeed, every husbandman should be fed on the fruits drawn from the furrows of his own field. "
^°° By Colgan.
^°^ The " Vita S. Brigidse," by an anony- mous author, and from a Manuscript belong- ing to Hugh Ward, has been printed by Father John Boland in the "Acta Sancto- rum," tomus i, Februarii i. Vita iv. , Lipartita S. Brigida;, pp. 155 to 172. Usher
**
Quarta Vita S. Brigidse," Hb. i. p. 547.
^ See O'Donovan's " Annals of the Four
Masters," vol. ii. , pp. 712, 713. The editor corrects the date 980 by the words, '^\recte 981. ]" See also n. (y), ibid.
97 Colgan'sCopyoftheFourMastersadds,
''
that he died
tur. " The latter clause seems to be omitted
in Mr. O'Donovan's copy.
Omnes fere
in loco, que Kenntar appella-
"
Hiberniae prselati ex Monachis assumeban-
tur. " See Giraldus Cambrensis, Opera, vol. v. "TopographiaHibernica,Dist. iii. , cap. xxix. Edition by James F. Dimock, M. A.
58ByColgan. ThetovmofKildarehas yet many interesting vestiges of its former religious establishments. The accompany- ing engraving, which represents one of these ruins, has been executed by Mrs. Millard, from a photograph of Frederick W. Mares, Dublin.
99 This Preface runs as follows: "My
mind, brethren, is filled with three emotions,
viz. , of love, of shame, and of fear. Love often cites it as the anonymous or inedited
urges me to write in documents a life of the
illustrious Brigid, lest that great abundance
of virtues, which God's grace conferred on
her, or the many miracles accomplished
through her, should be hidden and unheard. vol. i. , part i. , pp. 108, 109. The writer
I feel prevented through shame, lest, as I
suppose, my very plain discourse or poor
judgment, may displease my educated readers
or hearers. Yet, my fear is still greater, for Also, Harris' Ware, vol. ii. , Writers of my weakness of mind in the composition of Ireland," Book i. , chap, iv. , p. 37.
Life in two books. The author lived before 1 1 52. See Sir Thomas Duffus Hardy's
"
to the History of Great Britain and Ireland,"
Descriptive Catalogue of Materials relating is supposed to be Animosus, by Colgan.
'°'
See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga,"
Quarta Vita S. Brigidse, n. i. , pp. 563. "
13 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February i. I
occurred, before the time in which St. Coelan, or at least the author of that prologue to his metrical acts of our saint, wrote. Now, Colgan thinks St. Coelan wrote St. Brigid's Acts previous to a. d. 8oo'°3 in such hypothesis, it is supposed, that Animosus, who wrote St. Brigid's Acts, must be distin- guished from Animosus or Animchadh, who died a. d. 980. Again, the Irish word,Anmire,seemstohaveanidenticalmeaningwithAnimosus. Atleast four Anmires are enumerated among the saints of Ireland: i. Anmire of Alech,^°4 2. Anmire of Cluanfoda,''°5 3. Anmire of Ros-hua Chonna,^°^ 4. Anmire of Rath-nuadha,'°7 It may be argued, that some one of the forego- ing, or another person, bearing the same name, different from the Animchod, who died in 980, had been the author of St. Brigid's Acts. The matter re-
mains, not yet fully determined.
But the author of St. Brigid's Fourth Life,
^°^ he flourished at a Although
whoever he is deemed may be,
trustworthy.
comparatively late period, and wrote in a rude style, his Acts relate, in a more
copious and comprehensive manner, than any other writer's, almost all St. Brigid's transactions. Also, he gives many particulars, concerning the anti- quities of Ireland, which, for the most part, are either omitted or obscurely related, by other biographers. '°9 The Fifth of St. Brigid's Lives, as published by Colgan, was taken from a Manuscript belonging to the Irish College at Salamanca"° Although containing fewer Acts and miracles of St. Brigid, than most of her other Lives ; yet, this biography, making allowance for many fables,'" surpasses most of them in elegance and correctness of style, as also in its more systematic and complete arrangement. "^ For these reasons, it seems more suited for reading in the refectoiies of religious com- munities. It came into Colgan's hands, in an imperfect state ;"3 yet, he thought, that not more than the first, and a part of its second chapter, had beenwanting. "4 Theeditorendeavouredtosupplysuchmissingportions in that distinctive character, known as the Italic ; while special titles are pre- fixed by him to the several chapters, and placed in the margin. He thinks there can be no question about the author being Laurence of Durham. "5
This, it is supposed, can be shown, from the elegant style, nationality of authorship, and the period, in which it had been written ; for, in the second
chapter, its author indicates his being an Englishman, and that he composed
this life, after the Normans came to England. He likewise wrote it before
the — invasion of Ireland. as he flourished after the — Anglo-Norman Now, year
1065
"^
about which date the Norman conquest of England commenced
'°3 This he endeavours to show, in his notes to "Sexta Vita S. Brigidae," nn. I, 2, 3, pp, 596 to 598, "Trias Thaumaturga. "
'^^ His feast is celebrated on the loth of
June.
'°5 This saint is commemorated on the
1 5th of September.
'°''
His festival occurs on the 25th of Sep- tember.
to 1 85.
"3 As this Manuscript was acephalous, its
author's name had not been found prefixed. "* The following MSS. copies of this life are extant : Vita S. Brigidce, auctore Lau- rentio Dunelmensi, MS. Salmanticensis, published by Colgan and Bollandus. Defi- ciencies in this may be supplied from the following copies in Latin : Vita S. Brigittae
'°7 This saint's feast is held on the 20th of Virginis a Laurentio Dunelmensi. MS.
November.
""^ Such is Colgan's expressed opinion.
*°9 So far as came under Colgan's observa- tion.
"° Therefore it is called by him the Sala-
mancan Manuscript.
"'See Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical
History of Ireland," vol. i,, chap, viii. , sec. ii. , n. 18,, p. 381.
Bodl. Laud. Mis. 668 (1052) 106. veil. 4to XIL cent. Again, S. Brigidic Vita per Lau-
rentium Dunelmensem, pracvia Epistola ad Ethelredum Dispensatorem. MS. Coll. Balliol. ccxxvi. f. 86-94. veil, fol, dble. col. XHL cent. Tanner refers to both of these copies in his " Bibliotheca," p. 472.
"s This writer is known to have flourished
about the year 1140, and he wrote a singu-
larly learned and eloquent Life of St. Brigid complete, in one book,
""Dr. Lingard assigns the battle of Hast-
"=^
This Life has been printed in the Bol- "
landists' Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Feb- ruarii i. , Vita v. , S. Brigidae Virg. pp. 172
February i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
and prior to the iiyi,"^ when the English invasion of Ireland began ; it appears probable enough, that the author of St. Brigid's Fifth Life must have beentheaforesaidLaurenceofDurham. TheSixthLifeofSt. Brigid,"^is a long poem, written in Latin Hexameter verse. The editor supposes St. Cholian or Coelan, a monk of Inis-Keltra monastery, on the Shannon, to havebeenitsauthor. "^ ItwaspublishedfromanoldManuscript,belonging to the library of Monte Cassino, and it had been collated, with a copy taken from the Vatican library, as also with various other Manuscript exemplars. In the first note, post-fixed to our Saint's Sixth Life, we are told, that over three months before, when Colgan had begim passing St. Brigid's Acts through the press, he received from the Rev. Father Bernard Egan,"° a certain
'^^ A
Finibusocciduis,"&c. Thislatterissupposedtohavebeenacomposition
of St. Donatus,^^^ Bishop of Fesule, in Tuscany,'^3 and who flourished in the ninth century. But, the life itself was marked, as having been written by a monk of Iniskeltra, in Lough Derg, and who was named Chilien.
This writer Colgan conjectures to have been the same as Coelan of Iniskeltra, who was known in the eighth century. '^^ But, with much apparent truth,^^5 this fragment has been referred to a later period, in which it is suspected its author lived. Dr. Lanigan believes, that if Chilien lived in the eighth cen- tury,"^ it must have been in the latter part; although this historian does not think it worth while, to enter upon a long discussion regarding him. "7
Having received this Sixth Life, from the Cassinian MS. , and through
the zealous Father already mentioned, three other counterpart copies of these same Acts were procured. One copy came from the Vatican Librar)*-, one from the Library of his Eminence Anthony Barberini, and a third was sentbythecelebratedFranciscanFather,LukeWadding. Allthesecopies
fragment •'
of this
biography.
prologue
is with prefixed, commencing
ings to the 14th of October, A. D. 1066. See
*'
History of England," vol. i,, chap, vi. , p. 309.
^'7 Henry II. landed at Waterford on the i8th of October, A. D. 1 171. See Rev. John
^^-^ Dr. Lanigan thinks, that the circum- stance of Chilien calling the mother of St. Brigid a countess seems to indicate a com- paratively late period for this composition.
"^s Speaking about Donat, Bishop of Fiesole, who flourished in the ninth century,
O'Hanlon's
Lesson
"
Catechism of Irish History,"
116.
xiii,, p.
^'^ As published by Colgan.
^*9 In Harris' Ware, Chaelian or Coelan,
a monk of the Abbey of Inis-Keltra, in the diocese of Killaloe, and who wrote the Life of St. Brigid in verse, is said to have been a contemporary with yEngus Mac-Tiprait, who died 745. The festival of this Chilien is assigned to the 29th of July in our domestic Martyrologies.
'^° He was a Benedictine Abbot and an Irishman.
From a hurried reading, it was thensupposed,
that the poem in question began with these
lines, and Colgan stated as much in the com-
mon preface to St. Brigid's Acts. But he
afterwards discovered his mistake, when this
holy virgin's five first lives had been printed.
^-^
See his Life at the 22nd of October. *^3See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap.
XX. , p. 255.
Harris observes
:
'* He seems also to have
'^^ "
This Chilien, whether—author or not of
It commences with these verses Quadam forte die sanctus Patricius almus Gemma sacerdotum synodali carmine
sedit," &c.
both the
prologue
and Life as stated in his
:
been the author of a Description of Ireland, in Hexameter and Pentameter verse ; or
rather the Life of St. Brigid, containing a Description of Ireland, of which Colgan
hath given as a fragment, which is prefixed also as a prologue to the Life of St. Brigid, supposed to be written by St. Chaelan. "
See Harris' Ware,
*'
Writers of Ireland,"
vol. ii. , chap, iv. , p. 47, and chap, vi. ,
p. 57.
^^^
"Trias Thaumaturga," Se—xta Vita S.
Brigidse, nn. I, 2, 3, p. 597 was, in CoI«
gan's opinion, the same as Coelan of Inis-
eighth century. See Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, viii. , sec. ii. , n. 18. , p. 381. But, Bollandus thought him to be a different person. See "Acta Sancto* rum," Februarii, tomus i. Vita S. Brigidae. Commentaria Prrevia, sec. 2.
'"7 See "Ecclesiastical History of Ixt- land," vol. i. , chap, viii. , sec. ii. , n, 18, p. 381.
Keltra, who seems to have flourished in the "
14 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February i.
were diligently collated by the editor, who found them severally mutilated, worn, abounding in false emendations of librarians, or commentators, de- formed with verbal transpositions and changes,, to such a degree, that the sense of some verses could not be discovered, while the proper number of
feet and the measure were requisite syllabic
in
many
lines. "^
wanting,
through the collector's great industry, who observed closely the discrepancy
in his copies, we are indebted for the pubHcation of this old Tract. The editor endeavoured to follow authorities he considered most authentic, in his
several copies ; for he observed, that in many instances, the just number and measure of the verse could be found in some particular Manuscripts, while in
others they were expressed, sometimes by abbreviations, again by a transpo- sition of words, and often by some closing or arbitrary notation. The lines
were frequently found so greatly mutilated, that they bore a prosaic rather than a metrical appearance. So many omissions and licences on the part of copyists were detected, that the editor felt obliged to affix various marginalannotationstothispoem. "9 Notalonethroughtheincautiousness of copyists—a fruitful source of error in old documents—many transpositions of words had been introduced, and certain synonymous terms were substituted for others ; but, besides, many abbreviations of doubtful meaning were found, while these left the sense imperfect. ^3© Even unaccountable caprice and mutilations caused some of the chapters to be' acephalous or truncated, while some were altogether omitted, as might be seen in the still imperfect and published Sixth Life. ^3^ There certain lines are subjoined from the Barberini Manuscript, and which were wanting in that of Monte Cassino, while breaks are discoverableinthenarrativeandstructuralcourseofthepoem. ^32 Although many particulars relating to St. Brigid are found in the Five first Lives, as published by Colgan, and which are missing in the Sixth ;'33 yet, the editor sup- poses this attributable to no other cause, than to the deplorable liberties taken by scribes or librarians. Here and there have been detected many elisions and erasures. It can scarcely be doubted, that these manipulators altoge- ther pretermitted other matters. As this old and careful writer relates, many of St. Brigid's Acts were left out by others, and as it is indicated in the Pro- logue, that he read her Lives written by St. Ultan, Eleran and Animosus ;
*='
But for such defects, it must have been
immediately afterwards, verses were maimed in prosodial number and quantity, while
they were disfigured with blots. Colgan tells us he published the poem, as he found it,
changing nothing therein, \i'\\\\ only the foregoing exceptional emendations,
'3^ This is noticed by the editor in a great variety of instances.
*33 Colgan's divisions of the six lives are as follow, viz. : First. The Metrical life, 53 stanzas of four lines each, Irish with Latin translation. Secondly. The Second Prose life has 36 chapters, with a prologue,
Thirdly. The Third Prose life has 131 chap-
ters, with supplementary metrical lines, Fourthly. The Fourth Prose life is divided
into two books—
extremely valuable.
"9 He did not alter the poem in the
slightest tittle, except in those instances, w^here noted and obvious omissions of copy- ists had left discrepancies between certain parts and lines, or had so crudely amended them, that it could readily be conjectured these emendations did not represent the original writer's words.
*3o It was not possible for the industry or research of either collator or editor, to repair so many mistakes, or restore so many omis- sions. Wherefore, Colgan only endeavoured to place in due order, those words which seemed transposed, in certain passages, and cautiously to substitute others in place of certain contracted words, doubtful in the reading, or which through the error of the copyists were put for terms having a sup- posed affinity.
*3i Here and there, certain elegant and glowing phrases were found, especially in descriptiveandmetaphoricalpassages; then
the first book
52 chapters, and the last 100. It is prefaced
hy a prologue. Fifthly. The Fifth Prose life comprises 58 chapters. Sixthly. Th—e
—ntains 68 sections Sixth Metrical life co
more or less imperfect with prefatory and supplementary lines,
containing
Yet,
February i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. IS
hence, it cannot be supposed, he would have passed over so many accounts, faithfully related by various other writers, or that he would not have included several accounts, not given by them. ^34
The Lives of St. Brigid, published by Colgan, are not the only authorities
available for her Acts. In the Book of Lismore, which had been written^35
for Mac Carthy Reagh, or Finghen Mac Diarmata, and which is now the Duke of Devonshire's property, there is an Irish sermon on the Life of St. Brigid. '36 This has been translated into English,'37 transcribed, and collated with a similar copy, but having varied readings, in the Leabhar Breac. '38 Besides these, there were many lives of St. Brigid, written in the Irish tongue. Four only of these, however, came into Colgan's hands. '39 There is scarcely any considerable library in which the Acts of St. Brigid will not be found. Her memory likewise has been commemorated by a Divine Office, not only throughout the whole of Ireland, but even in many Dioceses of England, Scotland, Belgium, France and Germany,^^o
A Life of St. Brigid has been inserted in the collection of John Cap- grave, ^^i This is taken apparently from the work of Cogitosus. ^^^ A certain anonymous writer edited a Life of St. Brigid, in German, and this was printed at Augusta, in 1478. ^43 Another biography of the Saint had been
Valentinus
*34 Such is Colgan's expressed opinion. He supposes such omissions ax'e attributable rather to incompetent commentators than to the original author.
^35 By Aonghus O'Calladh.
" De
'42 Agreeing with it is the MS. Cott. Tiber. , E. i. , ff. 32-34.
^"3 This was probably Triers, in Germany, although many towns bear a similar Latin name.
's Probably this was Argentan, in Lower Normandy, or Argenton, of the Orleannois,
at
has special reference to St. Brigid. In addition to those tracts already mentioned, Vincentius Bellovacensis^'^^ wrote a summary of St. Brigid's Acts in his book. ^47 St. Antoninus'^s has also treated about this illustrious Virgin. ^'^9 Guido de Castris,'5o Petrus de Natalibus,'5i John of Tinmouth,'52 Surius,'53 in two different acts,'54 Harseus, Messingham,^55 Cornelius Grasius/56
printed'44
Argentineans
Leuctius,
work,
Sanctis,"
^36 At folio 53, col. 2, of this MS. , there
is a Gaelic entry given in J. T. Gilbert's
"History of the Viceroys of Ireland,"
notes to chap, xi,, p. 603. The following in France.
is an English translation
:
" Let every one
146 Qr Vincent De Beauvais, a French Dominican savant, who lived from about 1 190 to 1264. See Laurence E. Phillips' "Dictionary of Biographical Reference," p. 937.
'47 See "Speculum Historise," lib. xxii. ,
cap. 29.
'48 He died the 2nd of May, A. D. 1459.
who shall read this Life of [Saint] Brigid
give a blessing on the souls of the couple for
whom it was written. "
^31'
By Professor Bryan O'Looney of the Catholic University, who has obligingly lent his Irish transcript, with his English translation, to the writer.
^38BelongingtothekoyalIrishAcademyy* HisfeastiskeptonthelothofMay.
^39 As they contained, for the most ^^? ^ '49 In "Cronicon," pars, ii. , tit. xii. ,
only particulars, which were to be -found in various Acts published by him, Colgan
thought it quite unnecessary to present more than an Irish Hymn, composed by St. Brogan, with its Latin version.
cap, 6.
'5° Abbot of St. Denis, who wrote, " De
Vitis Sanctorum. "
'S' Lib. iii. , cap. 69.
'52 In " De Sanctis Britannise. "
'53 See "De Probatis Sanctorum Histo*
*4° See, "Trias Thaumaturga. " Tertia
Vita S. Brigidse, n. 7, p. 543. Quarta Vita riis," &c. , tomus i. , pp. 806 to 809.
S. Brigidae, nn, 15, 16, p. 564, ibid. Quinta Vita S. Brigidse, cap. viii. , p. 569, and nn. 9, II, p. 640, ibid.
Cologne Edition, A. D. 1576.
