^^ Into the little harbour, opposite the chief island village,^^ the steamer draws near the beach, and lands its freight of passengers, for a nearer
examination
of the memorable
in Scotland, and Voyage to the Hebrides : MDCCLXXii.
in Scotland, and Voyage to the Hebrides : MDCCLXXii.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v2
281.
'^ See ibid.
^9 In his Kalendar is noted, St. Boisil, at
S. Boisilo, pp. 540 to 542.
this particular date. See p. 104.
^° "
Martyrs and other principal Saints," vol. ii. , February xxiii.
3o ggg Venerable Bede's ** Historia Eccle- See Bishop Forbes' Kalendars of siastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. v. cap. 10,
Scottish Saints," pp. 42, 281. pp. 400 to 403.
"3 See " Statistical Account of Scotland," 3i See Rev. Alban Butler's "Lives of the
vol. i. , p. 52, and x. , p. 206. Also "New Fathers, Martyrs and other principal Saints," Statistical Account of Scotland," vol. iii. , vol. ii. February xxiii.
pp. 104, no, 112.
^'
See "Monumenta Historica Britan-
nica," vol. i. , p. 256.
" **
^^ ^^
See notices of her, at the i8th of July. See notices of him, at the 13th of Jan-
^^V'
^'^^ ^^ ^^ ^^^^ of November.
;
Meditationes,"
^^
preaching the Gospel to the infidels of Ger- many. HediedApril24th,A. D,729. See
Previouslyhehadbeenpreventedfrom
February 24. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 689
Pontiff, on account of his great zeal and constancy in prosecuting the work
of the Gospel, he was at length crowned with martyrdom, about the year
1064. ^ Hugh Menard^ says he was a Benedictine, and places his feast, at
the 23rd of February. Krantzs and other writers,-^ however, say, that his
Natalis belongs, to the loth of November. Colgan imagines the 23rd of
February to be the festival for some translation or discovery of his relics,
and he promises to treat more fully about the particulars of St. John's passion,atthelothofNovembers TheBollandistsbrieflynoticehim,at
the 23rd of February. ^
Article XII. —Reputed Festival of St. Aldetrudis. St. Aldetrudis
wasthedaughterofSaintsVincentiusandWaldetrudis. AtMalbod,she
was venerated, on the 23rd of February, according to Conv^us. ^ Yet, this seems to be a mistake for the 25 th of this month, where the proper notice will be found.
Ctoentp--jfotiitI> IBap tsl jfefiruarp*
ARTICLE I. —ST. CUMMINEUS ALBUS, CUIMINE AILBE, OR FIONN, ABBOT OF ZONA, SCOTLAND.
[SEVENTH CENTURY. ^
Celtic nature is communicative and enterprising. It is easily
THE
kindled to enthusiasm. "^ when St. Patrick^ succeeded in
Thus,
ing Christianity deeply in the convictions of the Irish people, their feeHngs
glowed with the fervour of faith. Soon earnest and fearless missionaries
issued, as from a hive, to spread Christianity and civilization among those nations, yet destined to receive and communicate the true lights of religion andscience. IfwearetobelieveDempster,St. Everhard,AbbotofHolmus Cultra, wrote this holy man's biography. 3 Bishop Forbes has a short Life of Cumine,surnamedFionnorAlbus. 4 Thissainthasbeendenominatedby writers, Cummein Fionn, or Ailbe, and in Latin, Cumineus Albus, or the White. 5 IntheIrishtongue,hisnamehasbeenwrittenComine,Cumaine,^
Article i. —^ See Goldwin Smith's
"Irish History and Irish Character," pp.
27, 28.
^ See his Life, at the 17th of March.
"
3 See Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis
Scotorum," tomus i. , lib, iii. , num. 323, -* Such as Helmoldus, "In Chronico p, 184,
Article XI. — ''According to Trithemius,
"In Chronico Hirsaugiensis. " ^"
In his Martyrologium Benedictinum. " 3 See " Rerum Germanicaram Historici Clarissimi, Ecclesiastica Historia, sive Me-
tropolis," lib, iiii. , cap. 43, p, 11^.
Sclavorum," lib, i,, cap, 13, and, Adam of Bremen, lib. iv. , cap. 12.
4 See " Kalendars of Scottish Saints," pp.
316, 317.
= He probably received this appellation,
5 See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernife," Feb-
i-uarii xxiii, De S. loanne Epis. Meckel- owing to the colour of his hair or com-
burg, et Martyre, p. 407. ^"
plexion. See Dempster's iii. , num. 323, p, 184.
See Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii,, Feb-
ruarii xxiii.
Among the pretermitted saints,
p, 360. Article XII.
In Tighernach's Annals, at A,D, 661 and "Rerum Hiber-
—
"Historiae Catholicae Ibernise Compen-
^
See O'Sullevan Beare's dium," tomus i. , lib, iv,, cap. x. , p, 49.
nicarum Scriptores," tomus ii, Tigernaci Annales, pp, 202, 207.
Historia Eccle- siastica Gentis Scotorum," tomus i,, hb.
^
669, See Dr. O'Conor's
"
2Y
plant-
690 LTVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS, [February24.
Cummine,7Cumine,^Cummein. 9 HewasnephewtoSegenius,orSeghine,'° thefifthabbotofHy,orlona. " Hisfather'snamewasErnan,"andhewas descended from Fergus, grandfather to the illustrious St. Columkille. 's Cathal Maguire, however, calls him the son of Dinertaigh, or Dunertuigh, and the Codex Malcnnrianus^* says, he was the son of Carnain. He be- longed to the race of Conall Gulban, son to Niall the Great's St. Cumminc, the White, or the Fair, was born most probably, about the beginning of the seventh century; and, it would seem, that his birth took place, somewhere in the nortii-western parts of Ireland.
His Acts, which are given by Colgan, at the 24th of February,^^ have been involved, it is said, in almost inextricable confusion, in consequence of his being confounded with another saint, bearing a similar name,'7 and who was also a contemporary, and a native of Ireland *^ The Bollandisis have only a short paragraph. '9 St. Cumineus Albus seems to have embraced the religious and ecclesiastical state, at an early period of his life ; but, whether or not, his novitiate had been commenced in Ireland can hardly be dis- covered. It is probable, however, that there he learned the first rudiments, which served to qualify him for his future useful career. This holy man was related by family to the early abbots of lona, and thither he went,=^° in order to qualify himself for the work of the ministry. ''' It can only be understood
of him, in a manner entirely remote, when Colgan has classed this holy man, among the disciples of the illustrious St. Columkille. ^^ For, the latter most probably had passed away from life, before St. Cummine was born. '3 Taking a rapid view of Columba s time, a distinguished nobleman of our day passes toacloserinspectionofColumba'shome. Wehaveseen,hesays,theplace which his age occupied in the history of the world, and the character of those events, in which he bore a part, or of which he must have heard the fame. He next invites the jreader, to visit that island, which is sacred to the memory of his illustrious life, and to look upon the landscape, which was familiar to
his ^'-f no a lover of romantic sight, And, doubt,
or of its historic associations, must feel all the enthusiasm of novelty and delight, as in the
7 According to the Annals of the Four Masters, at A. D. 668.
^According to the Martyrology of Tal- lagh.
9 According to the Martyrologies of Ma- vii. , viii,, with accompanying notes, pp. rianus O'Gorman and of the O'Clerys. 395 to 402. Also, vol. iii. , chap, xvii. ,
'°
See notices of him, at August I2th. sect, viii. , and mi. 105 to 108, pp. 36 to 38. "See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " Ibid.
ad Acta S.
cap. iii. , num. 16, p. 480, and cap. X. , num.
'» See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus
saints, p. 429.
Quarta Appendix
Columbae,
iii. , Februarii xxiv. Among the pretermitted
42, p. 489.
" Son to Fiachrius, son of
*'
Gulban, according to the Sanctilogic others went with St. Columba, from Ireland
Genealogy," chap. i. Instead of Ninned, to lona, lib. ix. , fol. 166, 167. He is fol-
Feredach,
to Ninned, son of Ferguss, son to Conall
Boetius,
Hystoria:
the Book of Lecain has Lugid, but incor-
rectly, for Ferguss had no son called Lugi- dius.
*3 See his Life, at the 9th of June.
^* This authority, and all other records, derive this saint from the race of Nennid.
lowed, in this statement, by Wion, in his Appendix to "Lignum Vita;," lib. iii. , by the author of the English Martyrology, and by Camerarius, in his Scottish Martyrology, at the 6th of October,
'*
'5 See Rev. Drs. Todd's and Reeves'
Martyrology of Donegal," pp. 56, 57.
rity of Henry Sinclair, there was a chapel of St. Cumeneus in lona, and that he was an old man, before St. Columba went to Scot -
'* See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernise," Februarii xxiv. De S. Cuniineo sive Cume- land.
ano, Abbate Hiensi, pp. 408 to 411, in-
eluding notes.
'>' Supposed to have been Cummin Fada,
"See "Trias Thaumaturga," Quarta Appendix ad Acta S. Columbic," cap. x. , num. 42, p. 489.
son
^° Hector
Scotorum," states, that our saint with eleven
='
Dempster would have it, on the autho-
scenery,
about whom some notices will be found, at
the 12th of November. '^ **
See Dr. Lanigan's
Ecclesiastical His- tory of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xiv,, sect.
in his "
February 24. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 691
well-appointed tourists' steamer, he can easily bear down on its shores, after a summer sail from Oban, through the Sound of Mull, with magnificent views on either shore, and touching at FingaFs wonderful basaltic cave, on the Island of Staffa. =5 Thus did we approach the holy island of Saint Columba, on a pleasant, sunny day, within the month of August, 1864. Recollections of that tour cannot readily be forgotten. The Duke of Argyll describing lona remarks, that it is situated, at the southern apex of a long triangular tract of mountain-land, which lies north-west of the great Caledonian vallc)-, and which, stretching from Inverness on the one side, and from Cape Wrath on the other, terminates in the lofty summit of Ben More, in Mull. In ap- proaching lona along the south coast of Mull, massive hills or igneous rocks, constituting the great bulk of that large island, subside somewhat suddenly
Ruins at lona, Scotland.
into a long promontory of comparatively low elevation, at first seen with sharp and broken outlines, due to mica slate, and then with rounded knobs
and knolls of granite, swept naked by the blast, along the margin of the sea, butfartherinlandcoveredwithsheetsofmossandheather. Offthepointof
this long promontory, called the Ross, and separated from it by a Sound of shallow sea, about one mile broad, lies Columba's Isle.
^^ Into the little harbour, opposite the chief island village,^^ the steamer draws near the beach, and lands its freight of passengers, for a nearer examination of the memorable
in Scotland, and Voyage to the Hebrides : MDCCLXXii. , pp. 261 10269. Several most curious plates of the basaltic appearances on Staffa Island accompany this memoir.
-^ See "lona," by the Duke of Argyll,
chap, ii. , pp. 75> 76.
'~' The outline and chief features of this
view are faithfully preserved by William
F. Wakeman's drawing, here presented, and engraved by Mrs. Millard.
=' Notwithstanding, Dempster absurdly states, that St. Cuimine died A. D. 592, even before St. Columba. See " Historia Eccle- siastica Gentis Scotorum," tomusi. , lib. iii. , num.
184.
^4 See "lona," by the Duke of Argyll,
323, p.
chap, ii. , p. 58.
=5 The reader will find a very interesting
account of Staffa, communicated by Joseph Banks, Esq. , in Thomas Pennant's "Tour
692 LIVESOFTHE,IRISHSAINTS. [February24.
andstoriedniins. Theancientecclesiasticalbuildings,whicharenowslowly mouldering to decay, and which are all grouped within a short distance of each other, mark beyond all question those few acres of ground, on some part of which Columba's cell and church were built. ^^ In the very halo of its prosperity, the monastic establishment seems to have been flourishing, when our saint pursued his studies there, and afterwards administered its spiritual and temporal affairs.
On the death of the Abbot, St. Suibhne,='9 a. d. 657, St. Cuimine Ailbhe immediately succeeded him. During his rule died3° Tolargain, son of Ain- frith, King of the Picts, as also Conall Crandamhna, King of the Dalriatai,3^
and St. Daniel, 32 Bishop of Cinngaradh. 33 The present saint visited Ireland, intheyear661,accordingtotheAnnalistTighernach. 34 WhenSt. Cumine returned to Ireland, it is stated, that he founded a church, at a place, called Disert-Chiamin,35 in the west of Leinster. s^ Yet, this appears to be more than doubtful ; and, it is probable, the erection in question must be assigned to some other saint, bearing the name of Cummine.
The holy subject of this memoir was a man of great erudition, it is observed, and he adorned either Scotia with his gifts. Yet, we are not to suppose, he was the author of attributed tracts, which certain writers imagine he had composed. There can be no question, but he was the author of a Life of his venerable predecessor, St. Columba, and this is of exceeding great value, inasmuch as it had been composed, not long after the death ot his illustrious patron and relative. It was possible, likewise, to glean anecdotes and statements from contemporaneous witnesses. Yet, different opinions have been published, by more recent writers, in reference to the authentic biography prepared by Cummeneus Albus. Adamnan has alluded to it, as a Book on the virtues of St. Columba. 37 This title must have proved rather indefinite, were it not, that he cites a passage or narrative from it. The biography of Cummian also furnishes the groundwork for Adamnan's Third Book, into which he has transferred the whole tract, excepting two chapters, which he worked into an earlier part. He observes, likewise, the order of Cummein's narrative, and in many instances, he uses the very expressions of his predecessor. This helps the critic to an exact identification. Among the Acts of St. Columba,3^ Colgan has inserted in the second place, what is supposed to be his Life by St. Cumineus, Abbot of Hy, under the title, " Vita Secunda S. Columbae sive Columbani Abbatis, Scotorum et Pictorum Apostoli et utriusque Scotise Patroni communis. " This was taken from a Salamancan Manuscript, and it is very defective, 39 in certain places. 4° The Bollandists, however, seem to regard the Life, found in the Belfortian supple- ment to Surius, as that, written by Cumineus Albus. -^^ This begins with the
=3 See "lona," by the Duke of Argyll, chap, ii,, pp. 83, 84,
^9 See an account of him, at January the nth, the day for his feast.
3S This local denomination now seems to be lost.
3'^ See Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of
Scottish Saints," p. 316.
37 He " Cummeneus Albus, in libro says :
quern de—virtutibus Sancti Columba: scrip- s' He died A. D. 660. See Dr. O'Conor's sit. " &c. Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's
He is also called Talloreen, the son of Enfret, in the Pictish Chronicles.
^^ A. D.
657.
" Rerum Hibernicarum vScriptorcs," tomus
ii. Tigernachi Annales, p. 201.
32 See notices of him at the i8th of Feb-
"Life of St. Columba," lib. iii. , cap. 5> p. 199.
3S These are portions of two distinct
Lives. Although Colgan was unable to
find there, the passage quoted by Adamnan, he supposed its absence was accounted for,
by a chasm in the manuscript.
39 To has a few it, Colgan appended
"otes.
He died, 3* See Rev. William Reeves' Adamnan's
ruary, the day for his festival. A. D. 660. See ibid.
33 Or Kingarth, in Bute.
" (0)>P. 375-
Life of St. Columba. " Additional
notes,
February 24. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 693
words,
"
Sanctissimus igitur Columba," &c. It is the first Life of St. Columba,
as published by Father John Colgan,^^ but regarding its author, he expresses no opinion. 43 However, he beHeved it to be an ancient tract. Subsequently,
in Mabillon's collection,'*4 a manuscript from Compeigne was printed, and its author was stated to have been Cummeneus Albus, according to the title found. 45 This differs only from the copy, published by Colgan, in a few forms of expression. The Life of St. Columba, by Cummeneus, was thought to have been lost ; but, it was thus brought to light,^^ and from two indepen- dent sources. The Bollandist editor thought, that the scribe, who wrote the Compeigne Codex followed more a recent Latin style, than he who tran- scribed the Belfort exemplar, and hence preferred the latter, as a text for the
"
Martyrology of Donegal," published by Drs. Todd and Reeves, we find it stated, that Cuim- main Fionn wrote the Life of Colum Cille in 134 chapters, and that it
"
Vita Brevior, at St. Columba's day. 47 In that copy of the
Venerabilis abbas et plurimorum pater ccenobiorum/'^s Mabillon has published St: Cummeneus' Life of St. Columba, in the first volume of Saints' Acts belonging to his order. 49 Adamnan has supplied many impor- tant relations, in his Life of St. Columkille, which are not to be found in Cummin's, whose Life of the saint Adamnan even quotes. s^ It must be remarked, however, that the passage quoted is not to be found in Cumineus' Life of Columkille, as published by Colgan, according to the Bollandists. These authors state, that this biography had been composed by different writers, and from a double Life, relating to the great saint. ^^ Therein, his death is found recorded, in two distinct places.
Other works are attributed to our saint. Thus, Dempster. states, that he
wrote a book in verse, having for its title, "Sanctorum Genealogias. "s^ Besides, this St. Cumine has a factitious renown attaching to his name, for a
letter to Segenius, the Abbot of lona, regarding the Paschal controversy. He employed, it is said, one whole year to deliberate on the view he should take of this case, and at last, he resolved on espousing the Roman computa- tion. This course brought him, it is thought, into collision with his brethren at Hy ; and, to defend his conclusions, he penned that celebrated letter, which treated on this subject. 53 However, the known circumstances of this saint's history forbid the conclusion, that he wrote such an Epistle ; and, we must seek out some other Cumine, to whom its authorship may be fairly attributed.
begins,
4° See ** Trias Thaumaturga," pp. 325 to 331.
words within brackets are in the later hand. " See also Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga,"
'*^ See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. ,
Junii ix. De Sancto Columbte, &c. , pp. ^9 See Canisius' Lectiones AntiquDe,"
p. 325.
Tom. i. , lib. iii. , n. 5, p. 700.
so Mr. Hallam certainly mistakes in assert-
ing, that Cummineus' Life of St. Columba "is chiefly taken from that of Adamnan. " See his " History of the Middle Ages," vol. ii. , p. 350. (London, 1853. )
^i See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ix. ii. ,^
Junii. De Sancto Columba, (S:c. Com- 45 Pinkerton has reprinted Mabillon's mentarius prsevius, sect, ii. , num. 17, p.
"
185 to 189, with notes.
42 See " Trias
" Vita Prima
Thaumaturga.
S. Columbse, &c. , pp. 321 to 325, including
notes.
43 This had been taken from a manuscript
ofMirseus, at Antwerp.
44 See " Acta Sanctorum Ordinis S. Be-
nedicti," tomus i. , pp. 342 to 349.
Vit» Antiquae Sanctorum," &c. , 185. "
4^ It is possible, we have not yet recovered Scotorum," tomus i. , lib. iii. , num. 323,
text, in
pp. 27 to 45. 52 See
Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis
the genuine text. 47 See "Acta
.
p, 184.
S3 See it published in Ussher's "Veterum
Epistolarum Hibernicarum Sylloge," Epist. xi. , pp. 24 to 35.
tomus Junii ix. De Sancto Columbse, &c. , p.
185.
4** In a note
here,
Dr. Todd
says,
"The
Sanctorum,"
ii. ,
"
694 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [February24.
Not only were tlie religious inmates at lona strongly wedded to the old
observance of Plaster, introduced by St. Columba, and that, too, during the time of this abbot ; but, even their affiliates in Northumbria maintained it
with a great degree of obstinacy, so much so, that St. Colman,54 who had strenuously contended with St. Wilfrid,s5 in the Synod at Streaneshalch, and who had been obliged to yield in that contest, returned to Scotia, a. d.
662. The following year, Gartnait, son to Domhnaill, King of the Picts, died; and,in664,St. Colman,thebishop,whohadretiredtoIreland,again returned to lonajS"^ where he remained, during four years. The great pesti- lence of the yellow plague, in Ireland, and the war of Luthofeirnn,s7 in Fortrinn or Pictinia, are recorded at the year just noticed. In 668, the passage of Gartnait's sons, with the people Scith.
'^ See ibid.
^9 In his Kalendar is noted, St. Boisil, at
S. Boisilo, pp. 540 to 542.
this particular date. See p. 104.
^° "
Martyrs and other principal Saints," vol. ii. , February xxiii.
3o ggg Venerable Bede's ** Historia Eccle- See Bishop Forbes' Kalendars of siastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. v. cap. 10,
Scottish Saints," pp. 42, 281. pp. 400 to 403.
"3 See " Statistical Account of Scotland," 3i See Rev. Alban Butler's "Lives of the
vol. i. , p. 52, and x. , p. 206. Also "New Fathers, Martyrs and other principal Saints," Statistical Account of Scotland," vol. iii. , vol. ii. February xxiii.
pp. 104, no, 112.
^'
See "Monumenta Historica Britan-
nica," vol. i. , p. 256.
" **
^^ ^^
See notices of her, at the i8th of July. See notices of him, at the 13th of Jan-
^^V'
^'^^ ^^ ^^ ^^^^ of November.
;
Meditationes,"
^^
preaching the Gospel to the infidels of Ger- many. HediedApril24th,A. D,729. See
Previouslyhehadbeenpreventedfrom
February 24. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 689
Pontiff, on account of his great zeal and constancy in prosecuting the work
of the Gospel, he was at length crowned with martyrdom, about the year
1064. ^ Hugh Menard^ says he was a Benedictine, and places his feast, at
the 23rd of February. Krantzs and other writers,-^ however, say, that his
Natalis belongs, to the loth of November. Colgan imagines the 23rd of
February to be the festival for some translation or discovery of his relics,
and he promises to treat more fully about the particulars of St. John's passion,atthelothofNovembers TheBollandistsbrieflynoticehim,at
the 23rd of February. ^
Article XII. —Reputed Festival of St. Aldetrudis. St. Aldetrudis
wasthedaughterofSaintsVincentiusandWaldetrudis. AtMalbod,she
was venerated, on the 23rd of February, according to Conv^us. ^ Yet, this seems to be a mistake for the 25 th of this month, where the proper notice will be found.
Ctoentp--jfotiitI> IBap tsl jfefiruarp*
ARTICLE I. —ST. CUMMINEUS ALBUS, CUIMINE AILBE, OR FIONN, ABBOT OF ZONA, SCOTLAND.
[SEVENTH CENTURY. ^
Celtic nature is communicative and enterprising. It is easily
THE
kindled to enthusiasm. "^ when St. Patrick^ succeeded in
Thus,
ing Christianity deeply in the convictions of the Irish people, their feeHngs
glowed with the fervour of faith. Soon earnest and fearless missionaries
issued, as from a hive, to spread Christianity and civilization among those nations, yet destined to receive and communicate the true lights of religion andscience. IfwearetobelieveDempster,St. Everhard,AbbotofHolmus Cultra, wrote this holy man's biography. 3 Bishop Forbes has a short Life of Cumine,surnamedFionnorAlbus. 4 Thissainthasbeendenominatedby writers, Cummein Fionn, or Ailbe, and in Latin, Cumineus Albus, or the White. 5 IntheIrishtongue,hisnamehasbeenwrittenComine,Cumaine,^
Article i. —^ See Goldwin Smith's
"Irish History and Irish Character," pp.
27, 28.
^ See his Life, at the 17th of March.
"
3 See Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis
Scotorum," tomus i. , lib, iii. , num. 323, -* Such as Helmoldus, "In Chronico p, 184,
Article XI. — ''According to Trithemius,
"In Chronico Hirsaugiensis. " ^"
In his Martyrologium Benedictinum. " 3 See " Rerum Germanicaram Historici Clarissimi, Ecclesiastica Historia, sive Me-
tropolis," lib, iiii. , cap. 43, p, 11^.
Sclavorum," lib, i,, cap, 13, and, Adam of Bremen, lib. iv. , cap. 12.
4 See " Kalendars of Scottish Saints," pp.
316, 317.
= He probably received this appellation,
5 See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernife," Feb-
i-uarii xxiii, De S. loanne Epis. Meckel- owing to the colour of his hair or com-
burg, et Martyre, p. 407. ^"
plexion. See Dempster's iii. , num. 323, p, 184.
See Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii,, Feb-
ruarii xxiii.
Among the pretermitted saints,
p, 360. Article XII.
In Tighernach's Annals, at A,D, 661 and "Rerum Hiber-
—
"Historiae Catholicae Ibernise Compen-
^
See O'Sullevan Beare's dium," tomus i. , lib, iv,, cap. x. , p, 49.
nicarum Scriptores," tomus ii, Tigernaci Annales, pp, 202, 207.
Historia Eccle- siastica Gentis Scotorum," tomus i,, hb.
^
669, See Dr. O'Conor's
"
2Y
plant-
690 LTVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS, [February24.
Cummine,7Cumine,^Cummein. 9 HewasnephewtoSegenius,orSeghine,'° thefifthabbotofHy,orlona. " Hisfather'snamewasErnan,"andhewas descended from Fergus, grandfather to the illustrious St. Columkille. 's Cathal Maguire, however, calls him the son of Dinertaigh, or Dunertuigh, and the Codex Malcnnrianus^* says, he was the son of Carnain. He be- longed to the race of Conall Gulban, son to Niall the Great's St. Cumminc, the White, or the Fair, was born most probably, about the beginning of the seventh century; and, it would seem, that his birth took place, somewhere in the nortii-western parts of Ireland.
His Acts, which are given by Colgan, at the 24th of February,^^ have been involved, it is said, in almost inextricable confusion, in consequence of his being confounded with another saint, bearing a similar name,'7 and who was also a contemporary, and a native of Ireland *^ The Bollandisis have only a short paragraph. '9 St. Cumineus Albus seems to have embraced the religious and ecclesiastical state, at an early period of his life ; but, whether or not, his novitiate had been commenced in Ireland can hardly be dis- covered. It is probable, however, that there he learned the first rudiments, which served to qualify him for his future useful career. This holy man was related by family to the early abbots of lona, and thither he went,=^° in order to qualify himself for the work of the ministry. ''' It can only be understood
of him, in a manner entirely remote, when Colgan has classed this holy man, among the disciples of the illustrious St. Columkille. ^^ For, the latter most probably had passed away from life, before St. Cummine was born. '3 Taking a rapid view of Columba s time, a distinguished nobleman of our day passes toacloserinspectionofColumba'shome. Wehaveseen,hesays,theplace which his age occupied in the history of the world, and the character of those events, in which he bore a part, or of which he must have heard the fame. He next invites the jreader, to visit that island, which is sacred to the memory of his illustrious life, and to look upon the landscape, which was familiar to
his ^'-f no a lover of romantic sight, And, doubt,
or of its historic associations, must feel all the enthusiasm of novelty and delight, as in the
7 According to the Annals of the Four Masters, at A. D. 668.
^According to the Martyrology of Tal- lagh.
9 According to the Martyrologies of Ma- vii. , viii,, with accompanying notes, pp. rianus O'Gorman and of the O'Clerys. 395 to 402. Also, vol. iii. , chap, xvii. ,
'°
See notices of him, at August I2th. sect, viii. , and mi. 105 to 108, pp. 36 to 38. "See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " Ibid.
ad Acta S.
cap. iii. , num. 16, p. 480, and cap. X. , num.
'» See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus
saints, p. 429.
Quarta Appendix
Columbae,
iii. , Februarii xxiv. Among the pretermitted
42, p. 489.
" Son to Fiachrius, son of
*'
Gulban, according to the Sanctilogic others went with St. Columba, from Ireland
Genealogy," chap. i. Instead of Ninned, to lona, lib. ix. , fol. 166, 167. He is fol-
Feredach,
to Ninned, son of Ferguss, son to Conall
Boetius,
Hystoria:
the Book of Lecain has Lugid, but incor-
rectly, for Ferguss had no son called Lugi- dius.
*3 See his Life, at the 9th of June.
^* This authority, and all other records, derive this saint from the race of Nennid.
lowed, in this statement, by Wion, in his Appendix to "Lignum Vita;," lib. iii. , by the author of the English Martyrology, and by Camerarius, in his Scottish Martyrology, at the 6th of October,
'*
'5 See Rev. Drs. Todd's and Reeves'
Martyrology of Donegal," pp. 56, 57.
rity of Henry Sinclair, there was a chapel of St. Cumeneus in lona, and that he was an old man, before St. Columba went to Scot -
'* See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernise," Februarii xxiv. De S. Cuniineo sive Cume- land.
ano, Abbate Hiensi, pp. 408 to 411, in-
eluding notes.
'>' Supposed to have been Cummin Fada,
"See "Trias Thaumaturga," Quarta Appendix ad Acta S. Columbic," cap. x. , num. 42, p. 489.
son
^° Hector
Scotorum," states, that our saint with eleven
='
Dempster would have it, on the autho-
scenery,
about whom some notices will be found, at
the 12th of November. '^ **
See Dr. Lanigan's
Ecclesiastical His- tory of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xiv,, sect.
in his "
February 24. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 691
well-appointed tourists' steamer, he can easily bear down on its shores, after a summer sail from Oban, through the Sound of Mull, with magnificent views on either shore, and touching at FingaFs wonderful basaltic cave, on the Island of Staffa. =5 Thus did we approach the holy island of Saint Columba, on a pleasant, sunny day, within the month of August, 1864. Recollections of that tour cannot readily be forgotten. The Duke of Argyll describing lona remarks, that it is situated, at the southern apex of a long triangular tract of mountain-land, which lies north-west of the great Caledonian vallc)-, and which, stretching from Inverness on the one side, and from Cape Wrath on the other, terminates in the lofty summit of Ben More, in Mull. In ap- proaching lona along the south coast of Mull, massive hills or igneous rocks, constituting the great bulk of that large island, subside somewhat suddenly
Ruins at lona, Scotland.
into a long promontory of comparatively low elevation, at first seen with sharp and broken outlines, due to mica slate, and then with rounded knobs
and knolls of granite, swept naked by the blast, along the margin of the sea, butfartherinlandcoveredwithsheetsofmossandheather. Offthepointof
this long promontory, called the Ross, and separated from it by a Sound of shallow sea, about one mile broad, lies Columba's Isle.
^^ Into the little harbour, opposite the chief island village,^^ the steamer draws near the beach, and lands its freight of passengers, for a nearer examination of the memorable
in Scotland, and Voyage to the Hebrides : MDCCLXXii. , pp. 261 10269. Several most curious plates of the basaltic appearances on Staffa Island accompany this memoir.
-^ See "lona," by the Duke of Argyll,
chap, ii. , pp. 75> 76.
'~' The outline and chief features of this
view are faithfully preserved by William
F. Wakeman's drawing, here presented, and engraved by Mrs. Millard.
=' Notwithstanding, Dempster absurdly states, that St. Cuimine died A. D. 592, even before St. Columba. See " Historia Eccle- siastica Gentis Scotorum," tomusi. , lib. iii. , num.
184.
^4 See "lona," by the Duke of Argyll,
323, p.
chap, ii. , p. 58.
=5 The reader will find a very interesting
account of Staffa, communicated by Joseph Banks, Esq. , in Thomas Pennant's "Tour
692 LIVESOFTHE,IRISHSAINTS. [February24.
andstoriedniins. Theancientecclesiasticalbuildings,whicharenowslowly mouldering to decay, and which are all grouped within a short distance of each other, mark beyond all question those few acres of ground, on some part of which Columba's cell and church were built. ^^ In the very halo of its prosperity, the monastic establishment seems to have been flourishing, when our saint pursued his studies there, and afterwards administered its spiritual and temporal affairs.
On the death of the Abbot, St. Suibhne,='9 a. d. 657, St. Cuimine Ailbhe immediately succeeded him. During his rule died3° Tolargain, son of Ain- frith, King of the Picts, as also Conall Crandamhna, King of the Dalriatai,3^
and St. Daniel, 32 Bishop of Cinngaradh. 33 The present saint visited Ireland, intheyear661,accordingtotheAnnalistTighernach. 34 WhenSt. Cumine returned to Ireland, it is stated, that he founded a church, at a place, called Disert-Chiamin,35 in the west of Leinster. s^ Yet, this appears to be more than doubtful ; and, it is probable, the erection in question must be assigned to some other saint, bearing the name of Cummine.
The holy subject of this memoir was a man of great erudition, it is observed, and he adorned either Scotia with his gifts. Yet, we are not to suppose, he was the author of attributed tracts, which certain writers imagine he had composed. There can be no question, but he was the author of a Life of his venerable predecessor, St. Columba, and this is of exceeding great value, inasmuch as it had been composed, not long after the death ot his illustrious patron and relative. It was possible, likewise, to glean anecdotes and statements from contemporaneous witnesses. Yet, different opinions have been published, by more recent writers, in reference to the authentic biography prepared by Cummeneus Albus. Adamnan has alluded to it, as a Book on the virtues of St. Columba. 37 This title must have proved rather indefinite, were it not, that he cites a passage or narrative from it. The biography of Cummian also furnishes the groundwork for Adamnan's Third Book, into which he has transferred the whole tract, excepting two chapters, which he worked into an earlier part. He observes, likewise, the order of Cummein's narrative, and in many instances, he uses the very expressions of his predecessor. This helps the critic to an exact identification. Among the Acts of St. Columba,3^ Colgan has inserted in the second place, what is supposed to be his Life by St. Cumineus, Abbot of Hy, under the title, " Vita Secunda S. Columbae sive Columbani Abbatis, Scotorum et Pictorum Apostoli et utriusque Scotise Patroni communis. " This was taken from a Salamancan Manuscript, and it is very defective, 39 in certain places. 4° The Bollandists, however, seem to regard the Life, found in the Belfortian supple- ment to Surius, as that, written by Cumineus Albus. -^^ This begins with the
=3 See "lona," by the Duke of Argyll, chap, ii,, pp. 83, 84,
^9 See an account of him, at January the nth, the day for his feast.
3S This local denomination now seems to be lost.
3'^ See Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of
Scottish Saints," p. 316.
37 He " Cummeneus Albus, in libro says :
quern de—virtutibus Sancti Columba: scrip- s' He died A. D. 660. See Dr. O'Conor's sit. " &c. Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's
He is also called Talloreen, the son of Enfret, in the Pictish Chronicles.
^^ A. D.
657.
" Rerum Hibernicarum vScriptorcs," tomus
ii. Tigernachi Annales, p. 201.
32 See notices of him at the i8th of Feb-
"Life of St. Columba," lib. iii. , cap. 5> p. 199.
3S These are portions of two distinct
Lives. Although Colgan was unable to
find there, the passage quoted by Adamnan, he supposed its absence was accounted for,
by a chasm in the manuscript.
39 To has a few it, Colgan appended
"otes.
He died, 3* See Rev. William Reeves' Adamnan's
ruary, the day for his festival. A. D. 660. See ibid.
33 Or Kingarth, in Bute.
" (0)>P. 375-
Life of St. Columba. " Additional
notes,
February 24. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 693
words,
"
Sanctissimus igitur Columba," &c. It is the first Life of St. Columba,
as published by Father John Colgan,^^ but regarding its author, he expresses no opinion. 43 However, he beHeved it to be an ancient tract. Subsequently,
in Mabillon's collection,'*4 a manuscript from Compeigne was printed, and its author was stated to have been Cummeneus Albus, according to the title found. 45 This differs only from the copy, published by Colgan, in a few forms of expression. The Life of St. Columba, by Cummeneus, was thought to have been lost ; but, it was thus brought to light,^^ and from two indepen- dent sources. The Bollandist editor thought, that the scribe, who wrote the Compeigne Codex followed more a recent Latin style, than he who tran- scribed the Belfort exemplar, and hence preferred the latter, as a text for the
"
Martyrology of Donegal," published by Drs. Todd and Reeves, we find it stated, that Cuim- main Fionn wrote the Life of Colum Cille in 134 chapters, and that it
"
Vita Brevior, at St. Columba's day. 47 In that copy of the
Venerabilis abbas et plurimorum pater ccenobiorum/'^s Mabillon has published St: Cummeneus' Life of St. Columba, in the first volume of Saints' Acts belonging to his order. 49 Adamnan has supplied many impor- tant relations, in his Life of St. Columkille, which are not to be found in Cummin's, whose Life of the saint Adamnan even quotes. s^ It must be remarked, however, that the passage quoted is not to be found in Cumineus' Life of Columkille, as published by Colgan, according to the Bollandists. These authors state, that this biography had been composed by different writers, and from a double Life, relating to the great saint. ^^ Therein, his death is found recorded, in two distinct places.
Other works are attributed to our saint. Thus, Dempster. states, that he
wrote a book in verse, having for its title, "Sanctorum Genealogias. "s^ Besides, this St. Cumine has a factitious renown attaching to his name, for a
letter to Segenius, the Abbot of lona, regarding the Paschal controversy. He employed, it is said, one whole year to deliberate on the view he should take of this case, and at last, he resolved on espousing the Roman computa- tion. This course brought him, it is thought, into collision with his brethren at Hy ; and, to defend his conclusions, he penned that celebrated letter, which treated on this subject. 53 However, the known circumstances of this saint's history forbid the conclusion, that he wrote such an Epistle ; and, we must seek out some other Cumine, to whom its authorship may be fairly attributed.
begins,
4° See ** Trias Thaumaturga," pp. 325 to 331.
words within brackets are in the later hand. " See also Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga,"
'*^ See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. ,
Junii ix. De Sancto Columbte, &c. , pp. ^9 See Canisius' Lectiones AntiquDe,"
p. 325.
Tom. i. , lib. iii. , n. 5, p. 700.
so Mr. Hallam certainly mistakes in assert-
ing, that Cummineus' Life of St. Columba "is chiefly taken from that of Adamnan. " See his " History of the Middle Ages," vol. ii. , p. 350. (London, 1853. )
^i See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ix. ii. ,^
Junii. De Sancto Columba, (S:c. Com- 45 Pinkerton has reprinted Mabillon's mentarius prsevius, sect, ii. , num. 17, p.
"
185 to 189, with notes.
42 See " Trias
" Vita Prima
Thaumaturga.
S. Columbse, &c. , pp. 321 to 325, including
notes.
43 This had been taken from a manuscript
ofMirseus, at Antwerp.
44 See " Acta Sanctorum Ordinis S. Be-
nedicti," tomus i. , pp. 342 to 349.
Vit» Antiquae Sanctorum," &c. , 185. "
4^ It is possible, we have not yet recovered Scotorum," tomus i. , lib. iii. , num. 323,
text, in
pp. 27 to 45. 52 See
Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis
the genuine text. 47 See "Acta
.
p, 184.
S3 See it published in Ussher's "Veterum
Epistolarum Hibernicarum Sylloge," Epist. xi. , pp. 24 to 35.
tomus Junii ix. De Sancto Columbse, &c. , p.
185.
4** In a note
here,
Dr. Todd
says,
"The
Sanctorum,"
ii. ,
"
694 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [February24.
Not only were tlie religious inmates at lona strongly wedded to the old
observance of Plaster, introduced by St. Columba, and that, too, during the time of this abbot ; but, even their affiliates in Northumbria maintained it
with a great degree of obstinacy, so much so, that St. Colman,54 who had strenuously contended with St. Wilfrid,s5 in the Synod at Streaneshalch, and who had been obliged to yield in that contest, returned to Scotia, a. d.
662. The following year, Gartnait, son to Domhnaill, King of the Picts, died; and,in664,St. Colman,thebishop,whohadretiredtoIreland,again returned to lonajS"^ where he remained, during four years. The great pesti- lence of the yellow plague, in Ireland, and the war of Luthofeirnn,s7 in Fortrinn or Pictinia, are recorded at the year just noticed. In 668, the passage of Gartnait's sons, with the people Scith.
