ThisLedwichincorrectly
supposed, to have been built of stone,*" from the architectural description left ot it ;' although a phrase is used •' to show, that it was constructed of wood.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v4
Brigid has been published, by Messingham,'^ and by Colgan.
's
'
Article ii. — See "Acta Sanctorum,"
Kildare, a. d. 835.
"> That lived before the said de- Cogitosus
vastation is evident, first, from his not mak- ing, in his minute description of the church at Kildare, the least allusion to its having
been ever destroyed, or to the spoliation of the shrines of St. Brigid and Conleath, which
tomus ii. ,
mitted saints, p. 521.
the
"
See her Life, already published, at the
3
Thus, the Bollandists notice, at the pre-
"
Aprilis
xviii.
Among
preter-
1st day of February, with allusions to Cogi-
tosus, and his Life of St. Brigid, chap. i.
sent day:
Turonis, /<f//«r /h MS. Tornacensi et pridie
in Lcetiensi ; ubi diximus, nimnulhis apud the city of Kildare and its suburbs were a
Cogitosi Episcopi depositio
he represents as being very splendid and rich; and, secondly, from liis stating, that
Turoiiensesfuerit Episcopus Cogitosus, nos non posse assequi, quis hie inteliigatur. "
* Edited by Rev Dr. Kelly, p. xxi.
Inthe Franciscan copy, at xiiii. Kal. Mali, we
find Cogicopi e^pc.
5
According to Colgan.
' Who is said to have died, about A. D.
523, in the time of the Elder Juslinus.
*
period.
'Some time after the beginning of the
ninth century, the remains of St. Brigid were removed to Down, then a safe place, to guard them against the fury of the heathen
Danes. ' See Colgan 's "Trias Thaumaturga," at pp. 565, 629. These Danes first ravaged
place of refuge, in which there could not be
the least apprehension of any hostile attack ;
" Nullus carnalis adversarius, nee concursus
timetur hostium. " Now, remarks Dr.
Lanigan, Cogitosus could not have written
in this manner, after the year 836, nor even
after 831 (832), in which year Kildare was
plundered by Keilach, son of Bran," See
" of vol. Eccle-iastical History Ireland," i. ,
chap, viii. , sect. ii„ n. 18, pp. 379, 380. " See his Vita S. Brigida;, cap. xxxv.
"
In Apparatu Sacro.
'3 In "Auctario, cap. 117, p. 205.
< In Florilegium Insulse Sanctorum. " See
pp. 189 to 207.
'S He remarks, that the editions of
Canisius and of Messingham abound in errors.
1 In his "
tomus v. His description of this church of Kildare plainly refers to a time, much later than that
Aniiqua; Lectiones,"
April i8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 231
From a certain phrase,'* in the memoir of St. Brigid, some writers maintain,"? thatCogitosuswashernephew. '^ Someintrinsicevidenceofnepotisticand early authorship is to be found, it is supposed, where Cogitosus speaks of
miracles, wrought through the power of St. Brigid, and which, not only he had heard about, but which he had even actually seen. '9 Yet, from the context, in this passage, it can only be rightly inferred, that the writer witnessed these supernatural wonders, after the holy virgin's departure from this life ; and, it seems most probable, they took place through her intercession, and in her convent, or in that church, where St. Brigid's venerable body had been de- posed,''' and where the faithful had an opportunity of visiting her shrine. '' Her relics were undoubtedly at Kildare, when Cogitosus penned or pro- nounced her panegyric. Yet, such supposed relationship may be rejected, for many reasons. Especially, Colgan could not be induced to admit it, on account of having in his possession two Menologic genealogies, in which four- teen saints of St. Brigid's family and kindred are enumerated, and there he finds no mention of Cogitosus's name, or even that of any nephew belonging to her. Besides, Brigid's different Acts, written in the Irish language, and by ancient authors, relate, that saint's father had seven sons by his wife, and that he had no daughter besides Brigid. Also, there are internal evidences in his work to show, that Cogitosus lived at too late a period, to have been St Brigid's nephew, in the ordinary course of nature. '' The Latin word
" sometimes nepos," moreover,
or a luxurious orriotousman. '* However,Cogitosusmighthavecalledhimselfaculpable spendthrift, not on account of having lived a luxurious life, but because of his having trifled with time, or of his having wasted precious moments, in his own humble opinion. This may have been his conscientious conjecture, although in reality, he may have spent his days piously and religiously, after the example of many other holy men, who called themselves great sinners, and who be- of serious offences. It is supposed, Cogitosus was a monk at Kildare,'' owing to his finished and detailed account of the church, in that place, for which he seems to have had a special regard ; and, because he frequently calls those persons bretiiren, for
whom his Life of St. Brigid had been particularly written. His description of the religious institutions and privileges of that protected city are supposed to
lieved—even when living regularly—that they were guilty
••
' See Posseviuo, "In Apparatu Sacro. "
"Gerard Vossius, however, explains the wordi alluded to in a difTerent sense. " Sed fortasse ob adolescentiam luxuriose trans- actam, culpabiltm se nepotem vocat, uti Hora- tiusdixitdiscinctumnepvtem: aquanotione
. apud Senecam et Tertull. ani m^iati dicun- tur qui sua inutiliter profundunt. "— "Ue Historicis Latinis," lib. lii. , p. 624.
''See Secunda Vita S. Brigidae, cap.
Towards the close of his Life of St.
Cogitoso
which succession is mentioned in terms,
which indicate a of time, but long lapse
likewise, he represents the bishop of that See as chief over the Leinster prelates. This the bishop of Kildare was not, at least, until after the sixth century, bee Ussher's "Primor- dia," p. 965.
"
Brigid, we reaii : pro
Orate me nepote culpahili," &c.
xxxii. , in " Trias at Thaumaturga,
Epodon
p. S^S- "The words of Cogitosus are "in suo
monasterio, ubi ejus venerabile corpus re- "
quiescit.
" It was raised, near the altar of that
church, where her mortal remains were de-
posited. See Rev. P. J. Carew's " Ecclesi-
astical History of Ireland," chap. vi. p. 242.
"
In his prologue, Cogitosus speaks not only regarding a succession of Bishops at Kildare after Conlacth, who died in 5 19, and
signifies
a wasteful
spendthrift. '^
'' Thus, Horace says
:
—
. ou. . TM. , . «,. »
•< ,-, 1 .
Q""^ ='"' ^"""^ "* Chremes, terra
premam, „ Distmctus aut perdam ut nepos.
—
'5 Thus, he must have learned many popu- lar traditions regarding St. Brigid, and cur- rent probably during tlie two or three cen- turies, immediately succeeding her death, and in that locality, with which the illustrious virgin was most inseparably connected. Even, at (he present day, various legends of St. Brigid are preserved among thepeasantry, through various parts of Ireland, and espe- cially in Kildare.
Liber. Ode i, 33, 34.
'* See Cicero pro Quint, num. 12.
232 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April i8.
be applicable, only to some period after the sixth century,'^ and he cannot be placed, at a later epoch, than the beginning of the ninth century, for reasons
already given. '? Cogitosus flourished, a. d. 530, according to Cardinal Bel- larmin, who ranks him among the ecclesiastical writers. ^^ A conjecture, that
Cogitosus flourished, about the year 550, has been offered ;'» and, Sir James Ware 3° accepts apparently this period, for his living. In his Prologue to this biography, Cogitosus informs us, he was urged to undertake the labour of re- cording St. Brigid's virtues and Acts. He calls her a virgin of holy and revered memory. Afterthemanneroflearnedauthors,heendeavouredtocomply
with this request, by assuming his pen, while distrusting his own knowledge, abilit)', and powers of composition, to attempt so difficult and so delicate a task;
yet, confiding in Almighty power, which can magnify the smallest object, and which caused the poor widow's house to be filled from her scant measure of oil and meal, he could not refuse humble obedience, when compelled by the prayers of his brethren. In order to avoid a charge of contumacy, he thought it advisable, to put on record, some few among many incidents handed down through those preceding him,3' and which he considered the best authenti- cated. While doing so, and without ambiguity, he thought, in the eyes of all persons, those virtues oi her must shine forth, and manifest the many and great graces bestowed on Brigid. Not that the writer expected, his asserted want of memory, his incompetency and rude style, should suffice, for a proper ful- fihnent of this obligation, imposed on him ; but, he trusted, that the good faith and daily prayers of his brethren should supply his literary deficiency. '' Wiien the fame of Brigid's extraordinary virtues and wonderful actions were spread abroad, from all the different Irish provinces, an innumerable multi- tude of either sex eagerly flocked to record their vows, on the plains of the Liffey. 33 Upon the firm foundations of Faith, this holy virgin raised her monastery, wliich was pre-eminent among the Churches of Ireland. The roof- tree of this institute towered high, above other religious houses of the Scots, as from one sea to the other her rule extended, throughout the whole Island. 34
,
°' The
of St. — — Festilogy ^ngus composed
"Trias Secunda Vita S. Thaumaturga. "
Brigidoe, n. 3, p. 525.
'^ Perhaps, it was in consequence of pre-
vious preparation by retirement, prayer and contemplation, on his own part, as well as
on that of his brethren, that Cogitosus had been induced to undertake his task, as St.
probably about the year 800 declares, that . St. Brigid's church at Kildare then retained
its dazzling splendour.
"' See Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical His-
tory of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, viii. , sec. ii. , n. 18, pp. 379, 380.
°' See "
De
tomus vii. toribus Ecclesiasticis, p. 200.
is said to have undertaken the
of his Gospel, when urged by his brethren, and when they had engaged to fast and pray together, for the successful and happy issue
Operum,'*
Scrip- John
writing
°' In his Index to Lives of Irish Saints, Mes-
singham is followed by Colgan. He refers the
author's period to this time, and thinks him,
to have been a contemporary of St. Brigid. Prologomina in Mattseum, Opera Omnia," See ''Florilegium Insulae . Sanctorum. "
'" See " De Scriptoribus Hibernise," lib. i. , cap. ii.
3' Colgan thinks, Cogitosus here indicates, that oiliers before his time compiled the Acts of St. Brigid. As St. Ultan, and St. Aleran, or Areran, surnamed the Wise, wrote the . -Kcts of this saint, and flourished about the time of Cogitosus, they may have been alluded to ; but, on this matter, he would not pronounce a definite op nion. At least, says Colgan, he had written a hymn already published by himself, in which the virtues and miracles of Bri^jid were briefly sketched.
Cogitosus gives a few particulars regarding her, which are not there to be found. See
tomus iv. , p. 3. Editio Benedictina. Also,
of his assumed work. See St. Jerome's "
S. Chrysostomi "Opeia," Homilia 67.
33 This river has its source in the moun-
lains of 'Wicklow, whence diverging by a tortuous course, through a part of Kildare County, it falls into the Irish Sea, at Dublin. A wide and fertile plain extends along its banks, for the greater part of its course; and this was formerly called Magh Liffe, La- tinized Campus Liffciis. On this plain, the church and nunnery of St. Brigid at Kildare were situated. Tliey lay about twenty miles distant from Dublin.
34 jn this place, and in other passages, Cogitosus use-i the terms Hiberniensium and Scotorum, as being synonymous. 'When he
April i8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 233
While the holy Abbess provided for the spiritual wants of those subject to
her, and while with mature consideration, she evinced solicitude for various
churches dependent on her, in many districts ; Brigid considered it necessary to obtain the services of a bishop, to consecrate churches, and to confer ecclesiasticalorders. Sheselectedforthisoffice,andinvitedforitsassump- tion, an illustrious man, and a holy solitary, adorned with all virtues, and through whom the Almighty wrought many miracles. Him she called from the desert, and from a life of seclusion, so that, with herself, he might govern religious establishments, founded at Kiidare, in his capacity of bishop, and that the priestly order sliould not be wanting, in the churches or institutions shehadbuilt. 35 ThePrologueofCogitosusends,byhisagainasserting,that being compelled by his brethren, he would endeavour to relate, in a compen- dious manner, the virtues of this holy virgin Brigid, and those wonderful events of her early and subsequent career, without having much regard for any order his narrative might take. He intended this Tract, to be merely an
abridgment, rather than a complete biography. 3' However, there is nothing in the words of Cogitosus to warrant a conclusion, that his narrative had been drawn from written sources. Giraldus Cambrensis borrowed -'' much Irom the Life of St. Brigid, by Cogitosus, especially in reference to what he relates, in reference to her, and to the city of Kiidare, with which she had been con- nected. It has been maintained, by Dr. Ledwich, tliat the Life of St. Brigid, by Cogitosus, is suppositious,^* and unworthy of credit. 39 Not understanding ordinary terms, used in the art ot criticism, what Ledwich wishes to convey seems to be, that the tract of Cogitosus had been written in the twelfth cen- tury,onaccountofanallusiontoKiidarechurch.
ThisLedwichincorrectly supposed, to have been built of stone,*" from the architectural description left ot it ;' although a phrase is used •' to show, that it was constructed of wood. « It might have been known,** that Cogitosus only related some of St.
Brigid's Acts, virtues, and miracles. speak:> of the church at Kiidare, as being
"
This he has done, in the form of a inolevit. "
omniumHibemiensiumEcclc- siarum,' he understands it as conitituting the largest or most important church, or he
^See ibid. S. Frologus
518.
caputpaene
Cogitosus, p.
» Especially, in "Topc^aphiaHlberniae. " alludes to its standing, in cunnexion wuhes- See J. S. Brewer's "Giraldi Cambrensis
tablishments, destineti for religious women.
For, in this age, before the Monasteries of
Bangor, Clonmacnoise, Kathen, Lismore,
Durrow, Clonfert, \c. , were founded, with
the exception of the church at Armagh, there
was hardly any other in Ireland, larger or
better budt, than that at Kiidare. What See Wtc/. , p. 368. added greatly to the importance of thislatter
city, two religious congregations were then established ; one oftiiese had been intended for nuns, and the other for monks. See
Colgan's"TriasThaumatuga. 'ViuSecunda
tosus, and the prelate to whom he alludes is Conlacth, first bishop of Kiidare. Cogito-
•'
£t postea sic unctum caput et principale omnium Kpiscoporum et bea- tissima puellarum prnc palis lelici comitalu inter se et gubcrnaculis omnium viriutum suam erexit principatcm Eccle. . iam ; ambo- rum meritis sua cathedra Episcopalis et
*> " Could not there be architecture with- out stone ? " enquires Dr. I,inigan. Allusion is then m. ide to Germany, where many fine houses are built, without eitherstune or brick.
Ledwich probably thought, that the word ""
paries," or parietes," used by Cogitosus, should l;e understood of stone. . See " Trias
Thaumaturga. " Setunda Vita S. Brigida, cap. xxxv. , pp, 523, 524.
< By Ccguosus.
«» That of "parietes tabulati. "
*3 ' • The fact is," as I t. Laiiigan remaiks, " that Cogitosus has not a word about stone in his descri|)tion of the church. " See"Ec- clesiisiical History of Ireland," vol.
S. n. 4, Brigidae,
p. 525.
33 Evidently, such i. > the meaning of Cogi-
sus there says :
puellaris, ,ic si vitis I'uctifcr. idiffusa undique chap, viii. , . sec. ii. , n. 18, p. 380. ramis crescentibus, in tola Hibernlensi iiLsula
Opera," vol. v.
^ See his so-called "
Antiquities
of Ire-
land," p. 166.
^ Yet, in another place, he inquires, why this author of St. Brigid's Acts does not in-
sertspecialparticulars. relalive toSt. Patrick.
i. ,
334
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS [April i8.
panegyric, and which can hardly be considered a professed biography of the illustrious virgin. Cogitosus does not even tell us, in what part of Ireland the holy Abbess was born, nor does he enter particularly into historical facts, re- lating to the subject of his praise. With the exception of giving her father's and mother's names, or of mentioning Macchille,t5 from whom she received the veil, as also Conlaeth,** Bishop of Kildare; the author of St. Brigids second Life does not even introduce to our notice any of her contemporaries.
Hence, there is no sufficient reason, why we should expect any special account of St. Patrick,47 from Cogitosus. 48 Colgan thinks it most probable,
he lived before a. d. 580 ;49 he believes, also, there are internal evidences, in the tract itself, to indicate its author having been in the world, not loiig after St. Brigid'sdemise. Oneoftheseproofsisdrawn,fromthatpassageinhispro- logue to her Life, where it is said, that the prelates and abbesses of Kildare were foremost, and ruled in happy succession, over other Irish Bishops and
Abbesses. 5° It is asserted, however, that this is an over-charged statement of Cogitosus, anxious to exalt Kildare, supposed to have been his native dio- cese, and without other corroboration to sustain it. s^ St. Conlaeth departed this hfe in 5 ig. s" To this latter bishop succeeded many others, in ruling over the Metropolitan See of Kildare. As the Leinster Archieplscopate is assumed to have been established, at Sletty, previous to its removal to Kildare ; it is thought, Cogitosus must have written this Life, before a. d. 594, or at least, antecedent to 598. 53 In the former year, we find it recorded, that Aedli, son
to Ainmire, Monarch of Ireland, had been killed, by Bran Dabh, King of
Leinster. 54 This latter, having caused a synod to be convoked, procured
Ferns to be named as a Metropolitan See, for Leinster province,55 and over it,
St Moedoc,5« or Aedhan, was placed. That synod is supposed to have been
convoked,ashorttimeafterthedeathofAedh. Asthislattereventisre-
ferred,tooneorotherofthepreviousdates; so,ithasbeenconjectured,must
the composition of Cogitosus be assigned to a time antecedent, when it was supposed the archiepiscopate had not been transferred from Kildare to Ferns. "
From the former statement, it has been inferred,58 not alone that the Archi- episcopateofLeinsterprovincewasatKildare,inthetimeofCogitosus; but,
44 By referring to the Tract in question.
45 His feast has been referred, to the 20th f Ar,,. ;!
46 Slis Life is given, at the 3rd of May. 47 His feast occurs, at the 17th of March. 48SeeDr Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical His-
torv of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, ii. , sect, xi. , io
^49 While treating about the Irish writers, Sir Tames Ware refers his period, to the fiJth century See " De Scriptoribus Hi- hr,^i^Mrb i cap. ii. p. II.
I^Howev^r'as to whether or not, all the Abbesses and Nuns of Ireland embraced that nilp established bv St. Brigid, Colgan would n"ot unde take to affirm^ or deny. See
that Synod, in which Moedhog was ap-
pointed Metropolitan for Lemster 1 here, however, Ussher asserts, that the Archi- episcopate of the Leinster province had been removed, not from Kildare, but from Sletty to Ferns. See Index Chronologicus, A. D.
Secunda Vita S. W^fe Rev M T Brenan's " Ecclesiastical
siarura Antiquitates.
i* See 0r. ODonovan's "Annals of the
Four Masters, vol. 1. , pp. 218 to 221.
55 St. Maidoc or Aedhan was appomted to rule over this See, and to assume the archiepiscopal office. See Ussher s ;; Bri- tannicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates, cap.
xvii. , p. 449. , , „ ,
56 The festival of this holy Prelate occurs,
at the 31st of X
J^""f ^''"V'^'^ tTha? more particularly referred to his Life at that
date, as also to another Life of St. Maidoc, Abbot of Clonmore, at the nth of April.
57 This Colgan promised to prove in notes to be attached to the Acts of St. Moling at th«17thofJune,andinthoseofSt. Molua, at the 4th of August. . See '' Trias Thauma-
Trias Thaumaturga. " nriarW nn 7 8 pN2? .
and ^Teibid Rev. C. P, Meehan's edition.
Histoid of iVeland," chap, ii. , p. 36,
5' See Dr. Donovan's "Annalsof the Four M\. tr! "vnl i
S This is the year, assigned by Ussher for
the defeat of Aedh, at the battle of Dun- turga. " Secunda Vita S. Bngidx, nn. 7, 8,
bolg, by Bran Dubh, and for the holding of pp. 518, 525.
dxcviii. , at p. 535-
Bntannicarum Eccle-
,','
April i8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 235
also, from his words, that it might be considered certain, many bishops had succeeded to their pecuHar office there, and before the period when he wrote. » However, the most generally received opinion is, that after Ferns had en- joyed the distinction ofa metropolite's residence for a period, Kildare subse- quentlydisplacedit, owingtothesuperioradvantagesofpositionorimpor- tance. *" This must have been, after the time of St. Maidoc ; yet, the fact seems to be not very clear, as to whether the dignity had been annexed to a
person, or to a locality. ^' In the latter contingency, the chief episcopal rule over Leinster appears to descend from Sletty to Ferns, from Ferns to Kildare, and from Kildare to Dublin. '" There the Leinster Archbishop has since re-
of Kells. *^
O'Gorman alludes to him, and with great commendation. 's
Article III. —St. Lassar, Virgin, daughter of Eoghan, of Maig-
HiN, POSSIBLY MoYNE, IN THE CouNTY OF Mayo. As in the church there
are different gifts, says St. Jerome,' I grant that marriage is one of them, lest I should seem to oppose nature. At the same time consider, that the gift of virginity differs from that of marriage ; for, if the married and virgins had the same reward, the Apostle would not have added, "But each one has his proper gift from God,' one in this manner and another in that," when he had given the precept regarding continence. This holy female appears, in the Martyro- logy of Tallagh,3 at the i8th of April, as Lasar, daughter of Eccain of Maig- hin. From the same authority, the IJollandists enter Lassara filia Egani de Maigin,* Thislocality,perhaps,wasidenticalwiththepresentMoyne,inthe barony of Tirawley, and county of Mayo. A conventual establishment for
religious women may have existed there, previous to the foundation of a Franciscan Monastery, early in the fifteenth century. ' Its ruins are still iu
a good state of preservation,* and they occupy a most picturesque situation,
mained since the fixed,
at the writer is commemorated as a saint, his festival being assigned, to the i8th of April. Thus, besides the Martyrology of Tallagh,'* that of Marianus
the — Synod
In the Irish a
5'ByColgan.
^ Before the Synod of Kells, no less than
fifty-three bishoprics were in Ireland ; and, their respective names are set down in the
Provinciale Ronianum, published by Carolus A. S. Paulo, in the Appendix to his Gec^a- phy. This list is reproduced, in Rev. Joseph
'3 See Rev. Sylvester Malone's "Church History of Ireland," chap, i. , and n. (h), pp. 18, 19,
** It calls him "Cc^tosus Sapiens. "
'' Marianus O'Gorniaii, at the same day,
The Antiquities of the Christian Church,"vol. i. ,
"
See his
Treatise Adver-
Bingham's "Orijjiucs Ecclesiastics
:
. '"Such was the actual position, at the time
Cogitosus wrote, when Kildare was a great
city, and its bishop was a Metropolitan. See
susJovinianum,lib. i. ,cap. iv. ,SanctiHierony-
mi Steidoniensis "Opera Omnia," tomusi. ,
p. I20. Coloniae Agrippinae, l6i6, fol.
'
See i Cor. vii. , 7. 'EditedbyRev. Dr. Kelly,p. xxi. The
Franciscan copy has it tarfAp 1 eccAin o Tniigm, at the same date.
rilis xviii. the Among
p. 521.
5 Erected A. D. 1460. For an account of it.
see Archdall's " Monasticon Hibernicum," p. 507. A view of it will be found, in the "Dublin Penny Journal," vol. iv. .
'
Article ii. — See "Acta Sanctorum,"
Kildare, a. d. 835.
"> That lived before the said de- Cogitosus
vastation is evident, first, from his not mak- ing, in his minute description of the church at Kildare, the least allusion to its having
been ever destroyed, or to the spoliation of the shrines of St. Brigid and Conleath, which
tomus ii. ,
mitted saints, p. 521.
the
"
See her Life, already published, at the
3
Thus, the Bollandists notice, at the pre-
"
Aprilis
xviii.
Among
preter-
1st day of February, with allusions to Cogi-
tosus, and his Life of St. Brigid, chap. i.
sent day:
Turonis, /<f//«r /h MS. Tornacensi et pridie
in Lcetiensi ; ubi diximus, nimnulhis apud the city of Kildare and its suburbs were a
Cogitosi Episcopi depositio
he represents as being very splendid and rich; and, secondly, from liis stating, that
Turoiiensesfuerit Episcopus Cogitosus, nos non posse assequi, quis hie inteliigatur. "
* Edited by Rev Dr. Kelly, p. xxi.
Inthe Franciscan copy, at xiiii. Kal. Mali, we
find Cogicopi e^pc.
5
According to Colgan.
' Who is said to have died, about A. D.
523, in the time of the Elder Juslinus.
*
period.
'Some time after the beginning of the
ninth century, the remains of St. Brigid were removed to Down, then a safe place, to guard them against the fury of the heathen
Danes. ' See Colgan 's "Trias Thaumaturga," at pp. 565, 629. These Danes first ravaged
place of refuge, in which there could not be
the least apprehension of any hostile attack ;
" Nullus carnalis adversarius, nee concursus
timetur hostium. " Now, remarks Dr.
Lanigan, Cogitosus could not have written
in this manner, after the year 836, nor even
after 831 (832), in which year Kildare was
plundered by Keilach, son of Bran," See
" of vol. Eccle-iastical History Ireland," i. ,
chap, viii. , sect. ii„ n. 18, pp. 379, 380. " See his Vita S. Brigida;, cap. xxxv.
"
In Apparatu Sacro.
'3 In "Auctario, cap. 117, p. 205.
< In Florilegium Insulse Sanctorum. " See
pp. 189 to 207.
'S He remarks, that the editions of
Canisius and of Messingham abound in errors.
1 In his "
tomus v. His description of this church of Kildare plainly refers to a time, much later than that
Aniiqua; Lectiones,"
April i8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 231
From a certain phrase,'* in the memoir of St. Brigid, some writers maintain,"? thatCogitosuswashernephew. '^ Someintrinsicevidenceofnepotisticand early authorship is to be found, it is supposed, where Cogitosus speaks of
miracles, wrought through the power of St. Brigid, and which, not only he had heard about, but which he had even actually seen. '9 Yet, from the context, in this passage, it can only be rightly inferred, that the writer witnessed these supernatural wonders, after the holy virgin's departure from this life ; and, it seems most probable, they took place through her intercession, and in her convent, or in that church, where St. Brigid's venerable body had been de- posed,''' and where the faithful had an opportunity of visiting her shrine. '' Her relics were undoubtedly at Kildare, when Cogitosus penned or pro- nounced her panegyric. Yet, such supposed relationship may be rejected, for many reasons. Especially, Colgan could not be induced to admit it, on account of having in his possession two Menologic genealogies, in which four- teen saints of St. Brigid's family and kindred are enumerated, and there he finds no mention of Cogitosus's name, or even that of any nephew belonging to her. Besides, Brigid's different Acts, written in the Irish language, and by ancient authors, relate, that saint's father had seven sons by his wife, and that he had no daughter besides Brigid. Also, there are internal evidences in his work to show, that Cogitosus lived at too late a period, to have been St Brigid's nephew, in the ordinary course of nature. '' The Latin word
" sometimes nepos," moreover,
or a luxurious orriotousman. '* However,Cogitosusmighthavecalledhimselfaculpable spendthrift, not on account of having lived a luxurious life, but because of his having trifled with time, or of his having wasted precious moments, in his own humble opinion. This may have been his conscientious conjecture, although in reality, he may have spent his days piously and religiously, after the example of many other holy men, who called themselves great sinners, and who be- of serious offences. It is supposed, Cogitosus was a monk at Kildare,'' owing to his finished and detailed account of the church, in that place, for which he seems to have had a special regard ; and, because he frequently calls those persons bretiiren, for
whom his Life of St. Brigid had been particularly written. His description of the religious institutions and privileges of that protected city are supposed to
lieved—even when living regularly—that they were guilty
••
' See Posseviuo, "In Apparatu Sacro. "
"Gerard Vossius, however, explains the wordi alluded to in a difTerent sense. " Sed fortasse ob adolescentiam luxuriose trans- actam, culpabiltm se nepotem vocat, uti Hora- tiusdixitdiscinctumnepvtem: aquanotione
. apud Senecam et Tertull. ani m^iati dicun- tur qui sua inutiliter profundunt. "— "Ue Historicis Latinis," lib. lii. , p. 624.
''See Secunda Vita S. Brigidae, cap.
Towards the close of his Life of St.
Cogitoso
which succession is mentioned in terms,
which indicate a of time, but long lapse
likewise, he represents the bishop of that See as chief over the Leinster prelates. This the bishop of Kildare was not, at least, until after the sixth century, bee Ussher's "Primor- dia," p. 965.
"
Brigid, we reaii : pro
Orate me nepote culpahili," &c.
xxxii. , in " Trias at Thaumaturga,
Epodon
p. S^S- "The words of Cogitosus are "in suo
monasterio, ubi ejus venerabile corpus re- "
quiescit.
" It was raised, near the altar of that
church, where her mortal remains were de-
posited. See Rev. P. J. Carew's " Ecclesi-
astical History of Ireland," chap. vi. p. 242.
"
In his prologue, Cogitosus speaks not only regarding a succession of Bishops at Kildare after Conlacth, who died in 5 19, and
signifies
a wasteful
spendthrift. '^
'' Thus, Horace says
:
—
. ou. . TM. , . «,. »
•< ,-, 1 .
Q""^ ='"' ^"""^ "* Chremes, terra
premam, „ Distmctus aut perdam ut nepos.
—
'5 Thus, he must have learned many popu- lar traditions regarding St. Brigid, and cur- rent probably during tlie two or three cen- turies, immediately succeeding her death, and in that locality, with which the illustrious virgin was most inseparably connected. Even, at (he present day, various legends of St. Brigid are preserved among thepeasantry, through various parts of Ireland, and espe- cially in Kildare.
Liber. Ode i, 33, 34.
'* See Cicero pro Quint, num. 12.
232 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April i8.
be applicable, only to some period after the sixth century,'^ and he cannot be placed, at a later epoch, than the beginning of the ninth century, for reasons
already given. '? Cogitosus flourished, a. d. 530, according to Cardinal Bel- larmin, who ranks him among the ecclesiastical writers. ^^ A conjecture, that
Cogitosus flourished, about the year 550, has been offered ;'» and, Sir James Ware 3° accepts apparently this period, for his living. In his Prologue to this biography, Cogitosus informs us, he was urged to undertake the labour of re- cording St. Brigid's virtues and Acts. He calls her a virgin of holy and revered memory. Afterthemanneroflearnedauthors,heendeavouredtocomply
with this request, by assuming his pen, while distrusting his own knowledge, abilit)', and powers of composition, to attempt so difficult and so delicate a task;
yet, confiding in Almighty power, which can magnify the smallest object, and which caused the poor widow's house to be filled from her scant measure of oil and meal, he could not refuse humble obedience, when compelled by the prayers of his brethren. In order to avoid a charge of contumacy, he thought it advisable, to put on record, some few among many incidents handed down through those preceding him,3' and which he considered the best authenti- cated. While doing so, and without ambiguity, he thought, in the eyes of all persons, those virtues oi her must shine forth, and manifest the many and great graces bestowed on Brigid. Not that the writer expected, his asserted want of memory, his incompetency and rude style, should suffice, for a proper ful- fihnent of this obligation, imposed on him ; but, he trusted, that the good faith and daily prayers of his brethren should supply his literary deficiency. '' Wiien the fame of Brigid's extraordinary virtues and wonderful actions were spread abroad, from all the different Irish provinces, an innumerable multi- tude of either sex eagerly flocked to record their vows, on the plains of the Liffey. 33 Upon the firm foundations of Faith, this holy virgin raised her monastery, wliich was pre-eminent among the Churches of Ireland. The roof- tree of this institute towered high, above other religious houses of the Scots, as from one sea to the other her rule extended, throughout the whole Island. 34
,
°' The
of St. — — Festilogy ^ngus composed
"Trias Secunda Vita S. Thaumaturga. "
Brigidoe, n. 3, p. 525.
'^ Perhaps, it was in consequence of pre-
vious preparation by retirement, prayer and contemplation, on his own part, as well as
on that of his brethren, that Cogitosus had been induced to undertake his task, as St.
probably about the year 800 declares, that . St. Brigid's church at Kildare then retained
its dazzling splendour.
"' See Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical His-
tory of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, viii. , sec. ii. , n. 18, pp. 379, 380.
°' See "
De
tomus vii. toribus Ecclesiasticis, p. 200.
is said to have undertaken the
of his Gospel, when urged by his brethren, and when they had engaged to fast and pray together, for the successful and happy issue
Operum,'*
Scrip- John
writing
°' In his Index to Lives of Irish Saints, Mes-
singham is followed by Colgan. He refers the
author's period to this time, and thinks him,
to have been a contemporary of St. Brigid. Prologomina in Mattseum, Opera Omnia," See ''Florilegium Insulae . Sanctorum. "
'" See " De Scriptoribus Hibernise," lib. i. , cap. ii.
3' Colgan thinks, Cogitosus here indicates, that oiliers before his time compiled the Acts of St. Brigid. As St. Ultan, and St. Aleran, or Areran, surnamed the Wise, wrote the . -Kcts of this saint, and flourished about the time of Cogitosus, they may have been alluded to ; but, on this matter, he would not pronounce a definite op nion. At least, says Colgan, he had written a hymn already published by himself, in which the virtues and miracles of Bri^jid were briefly sketched.
Cogitosus gives a few particulars regarding her, which are not there to be found. See
tomus iv. , p. 3. Editio Benedictina. Also,
of his assumed work. See St. Jerome's "
S. Chrysostomi "Opeia," Homilia 67.
33 This river has its source in the moun-
lains of 'Wicklow, whence diverging by a tortuous course, through a part of Kildare County, it falls into the Irish Sea, at Dublin. A wide and fertile plain extends along its banks, for the greater part of its course; and this was formerly called Magh Liffe, La- tinized Campus Liffciis. On this plain, the church and nunnery of St. Brigid at Kildare were situated. Tliey lay about twenty miles distant from Dublin.
34 jn this place, and in other passages, Cogitosus use-i the terms Hiberniensium and Scotorum, as being synonymous. 'When he
April i8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 233
While the holy Abbess provided for the spiritual wants of those subject to
her, and while with mature consideration, she evinced solicitude for various
churches dependent on her, in many districts ; Brigid considered it necessary to obtain the services of a bishop, to consecrate churches, and to confer ecclesiasticalorders. Sheselectedforthisoffice,andinvitedforitsassump- tion, an illustrious man, and a holy solitary, adorned with all virtues, and through whom the Almighty wrought many miracles. Him she called from the desert, and from a life of seclusion, so that, with herself, he might govern religious establishments, founded at Kiidare, in his capacity of bishop, and that the priestly order sliould not be wanting, in the churches or institutions shehadbuilt. 35 ThePrologueofCogitosusends,byhisagainasserting,that being compelled by his brethren, he would endeavour to relate, in a compen- dious manner, the virtues of this holy virgin Brigid, and those wonderful events of her early and subsequent career, without having much regard for any order his narrative might take. He intended this Tract, to be merely an
abridgment, rather than a complete biography. 3' However, there is nothing in the words of Cogitosus to warrant a conclusion, that his narrative had been drawn from written sources. Giraldus Cambrensis borrowed -'' much Irom the Life of St. Brigid, by Cogitosus, especially in reference to what he relates, in reference to her, and to the city of Kiidare, with which she had been con- nected. It has been maintained, by Dr. Ledwich, tliat the Life of St. Brigid, by Cogitosus, is suppositious,^* and unworthy of credit. 39 Not understanding ordinary terms, used in the art ot criticism, what Ledwich wishes to convey seems to be, that the tract of Cogitosus had been written in the twelfth cen- tury,onaccountofanallusiontoKiidarechurch.
ThisLedwichincorrectly supposed, to have been built of stone,*" from the architectural description left ot it ;' although a phrase is used •' to show, that it was constructed of wood. « It might have been known,** that Cogitosus only related some of St.
Brigid's Acts, virtues, and miracles. speak:> of the church at Kiidare, as being
"
This he has done, in the form of a inolevit. "
omniumHibemiensiumEcclc- siarum,' he understands it as conitituting the largest or most important church, or he
^See ibid. S. Frologus
518.
caputpaene
Cogitosus, p.
» Especially, in "Topc^aphiaHlberniae. " alludes to its standing, in cunnexion wuhes- See J. S. Brewer's "Giraldi Cambrensis
tablishments, destineti for religious women.
For, in this age, before the Monasteries of
Bangor, Clonmacnoise, Kathen, Lismore,
Durrow, Clonfert, \c. , were founded, with
the exception of the church at Armagh, there
was hardly any other in Ireland, larger or
better budt, than that at Kiidare. What See Wtc/. , p. 368. added greatly to the importance of thislatter
city, two religious congregations were then established ; one oftiiese had been intended for nuns, and the other for monks. See
Colgan's"TriasThaumatuga. 'ViuSecunda
tosus, and the prelate to whom he alludes is Conlacth, first bishop of Kiidare. Cogito-
•'
£t postea sic unctum caput et principale omnium Kpiscoporum et bea- tissima puellarum prnc palis lelici comitalu inter se et gubcrnaculis omnium viriutum suam erexit principatcm Eccle. . iam ; ambo- rum meritis sua cathedra Episcopalis et
*> " Could not there be architecture with- out stone ? " enquires Dr. I,inigan. Allusion is then m. ide to Germany, where many fine houses are built, without eitherstune or brick.
Ledwich probably thought, that the word ""
paries," or parietes," used by Cogitosus, should l;e understood of stone. . See " Trias
Thaumaturga. " Setunda Vita S. Brigida, cap. xxxv. , pp, 523, 524.
< By Ccguosus.
«» That of "parietes tabulati. "
*3 ' • The fact is," as I t. Laiiigan remaiks, " that Cogitosus has not a word about stone in his descri|)tion of the church. " See"Ec- clesiisiical History of Ireland," vol.
S. n. 4, Brigidae,
p. 525.
33 Evidently, such i. > the meaning of Cogi-
sus there says :
puellaris, ,ic si vitis I'uctifcr. idiffusa undique chap, viii. , . sec. ii. , n. 18, p. 380. ramis crescentibus, in tola Hibernlensi iiLsula
Opera," vol. v.
^ See his so-called "
Antiquities
of Ire-
land," p. 166.
^ Yet, in another place, he inquires, why this author of St. Brigid's Acts does not in-
sertspecialparticulars. relalive toSt. Patrick.
i. ,
334
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS [April i8.
panegyric, and which can hardly be considered a professed biography of the illustrious virgin. Cogitosus does not even tell us, in what part of Ireland the holy Abbess was born, nor does he enter particularly into historical facts, re- lating to the subject of his praise. With the exception of giving her father's and mother's names, or of mentioning Macchille,t5 from whom she received the veil, as also Conlaeth,** Bishop of Kildare; the author of St. Brigids second Life does not even introduce to our notice any of her contemporaries.
Hence, there is no sufficient reason, why we should expect any special account of St. Patrick,47 from Cogitosus. 48 Colgan thinks it most probable,
he lived before a. d. 580 ;49 he believes, also, there are internal evidences, in the tract itself, to indicate its author having been in the world, not loiig after St. Brigid'sdemise. Oneoftheseproofsisdrawn,fromthatpassageinhispro- logue to her Life, where it is said, that the prelates and abbesses of Kildare were foremost, and ruled in happy succession, over other Irish Bishops and
Abbesses. 5° It is asserted, however, that this is an over-charged statement of Cogitosus, anxious to exalt Kildare, supposed to have been his native dio- cese, and without other corroboration to sustain it. s^ St. Conlaeth departed this hfe in 5 ig. s" To this latter bishop succeeded many others, in ruling over the Metropolitan See of Kildare. As the Leinster Archieplscopate is assumed to have been established, at Sletty, previous to its removal to Kildare ; it is thought, Cogitosus must have written this Life, before a. d. 594, or at least, antecedent to 598. 53 In the former year, we find it recorded, that Aedli, son
to Ainmire, Monarch of Ireland, had been killed, by Bran Dabh, King of
Leinster. 54 This latter, having caused a synod to be convoked, procured
Ferns to be named as a Metropolitan See, for Leinster province,55 and over it,
St Moedoc,5« or Aedhan, was placed. That synod is supposed to have been
convoked,ashorttimeafterthedeathofAedh. Asthislattereventisre-
ferred,tooneorotherofthepreviousdates; so,ithasbeenconjectured,must
the composition of Cogitosus be assigned to a time antecedent, when it was supposed the archiepiscopate had not been transferred from Kildare to Ferns. "
From the former statement, it has been inferred,58 not alone that the Archi- episcopateofLeinsterprovincewasatKildare,inthetimeofCogitosus; but,
44 By referring to the Tract in question.
45 His feast has been referred, to the 20th f Ar,,. ;!
46 Slis Life is given, at the 3rd of May. 47 His feast occurs, at the 17th of March. 48SeeDr Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical His-
torv of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, ii. , sect, xi. , io
^49 While treating about the Irish writers, Sir Tames Ware refers his period, to the fiJth century See " De Scriptoribus Hi- hr,^i^Mrb i cap. ii. p. II.
I^Howev^r'as to whether or not, all the Abbesses and Nuns of Ireland embraced that nilp established bv St. Brigid, Colgan would n"ot unde take to affirm^ or deny. See
that Synod, in which Moedhog was ap-
pointed Metropolitan for Lemster 1 here, however, Ussher asserts, that the Archi- episcopate of the Leinster province had been removed, not from Kildare, but from Sletty to Ferns. See Index Chronologicus, A. D.
Secunda Vita S. W^fe Rev M T Brenan's " Ecclesiastical
siarura Antiquitates.
i* See 0r. ODonovan's "Annals of the
Four Masters, vol. 1. , pp. 218 to 221.
55 St. Maidoc or Aedhan was appomted to rule over this See, and to assume the archiepiscopal office. See Ussher s ;; Bri- tannicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates, cap.
xvii. , p. 449. , , „ ,
56 The festival of this holy Prelate occurs,
at the 31st of X
J^""f ^''"V'^'^ tTha? more particularly referred to his Life at that
date, as also to another Life of St. Maidoc, Abbot of Clonmore, at the nth of April.
57 This Colgan promised to prove in notes to be attached to the Acts of St. Moling at th«17thofJune,andinthoseofSt. Molua, at the 4th of August. . See '' Trias Thauma-
Trias Thaumaturga. " nriarW nn 7 8 pN2? .
and ^Teibid Rev. C. P, Meehan's edition.
Histoid of iVeland," chap, ii. , p. 36,
5' See Dr. Donovan's "Annalsof the Four M\. tr! "vnl i
S This is the year, assigned by Ussher for
the defeat of Aedh, at the battle of Dun- turga. " Secunda Vita S. Bngidx, nn. 7, 8,
bolg, by Bran Dubh, and for the holding of pp. 518, 525.
dxcviii. , at p. 535-
Bntannicarum Eccle-
,','
April i8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 235
also, from his words, that it might be considered certain, many bishops had succeeded to their pecuHar office there, and before the period when he wrote. » However, the most generally received opinion is, that after Ferns had en- joyed the distinction ofa metropolite's residence for a period, Kildare subse- quentlydisplacedit, owingtothesuperioradvantagesofpositionorimpor- tance. *" This must have been, after the time of St. Maidoc ; yet, the fact seems to be not very clear, as to whether the dignity had been annexed to a
person, or to a locality. ^' In the latter contingency, the chief episcopal rule over Leinster appears to descend from Sletty to Ferns, from Ferns to Kildare, and from Kildare to Dublin. '" There the Leinster Archbishop has since re-
of Kells. *^
O'Gorman alludes to him, and with great commendation. 's
Article III. —St. Lassar, Virgin, daughter of Eoghan, of Maig-
HiN, POSSIBLY MoYNE, IN THE CouNTY OF Mayo. As in the church there
are different gifts, says St. Jerome,' I grant that marriage is one of them, lest I should seem to oppose nature. At the same time consider, that the gift of virginity differs from that of marriage ; for, if the married and virgins had the same reward, the Apostle would not have added, "But each one has his proper gift from God,' one in this manner and another in that," when he had given the precept regarding continence. This holy female appears, in the Martyro- logy of Tallagh,3 at the i8th of April, as Lasar, daughter of Eccain of Maig- hin. From the same authority, the IJollandists enter Lassara filia Egani de Maigin,* Thislocality,perhaps,wasidenticalwiththepresentMoyne,inthe barony of Tirawley, and county of Mayo. A conventual establishment for
religious women may have existed there, previous to the foundation of a Franciscan Monastery, early in the fifteenth century. ' Its ruins are still iu
a good state of preservation,* and they occupy a most picturesque situation,
mained since the fixed,
at the writer is commemorated as a saint, his festival being assigned, to the i8th of April. Thus, besides the Martyrology of Tallagh,'* that of Marianus
the — Synod
In the Irish a
5'ByColgan.
^ Before the Synod of Kells, no less than
fifty-three bishoprics were in Ireland ; and, their respective names are set down in the
Provinciale Ronianum, published by Carolus A. S. Paulo, in the Appendix to his Gec^a- phy. This list is reproduced, in Rev. Joseph
'3 See Rev. Sylvester Malone's "Church History of Ireland," chap, i. , and n. (h), pp. 18, 19,
** It calls him "Cc^tosus Sapiens. "
'' Marianus O'Gorniaii, at the same day,
The Antiquities of the Christian Church,"vol. i. ,
"
See his
Treatise Adver-
Bingham's "Orijjiucs Ecclesiastics
:
. '"Such was the actual position, at the time
Cogitosus wrote, when Kildare was a great
city, and its bishop was a Metropolitan. See
susJovinianum,lib. i. ,cap. iv. ,SanctiHierony-
mi Steidoniensis "Opera Omnia," tomusi. ,
p. I20. Coloniae Agrippinae, l6i6, fol.
'
See i Cor. vii. , 7. 'EditedbyRev. Dr. Kelly,p. xxi. The
Franciscan copy has it tarfAp 1 eccAin o Tniigm, at the same date.
rilis xviii. the Among
p. 521.
5 Erected A. D. 1460. For an account of it.
see Archdall's " Monasticon Hibernicum," p. 507. A view of it will be found, in the "Dublin Penny Journal," vol. iv. .
