Brigid, Queen of Sweden, than to any Irish or
Scottish
Saint, bearing a like name.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v2
— sec.
Brigidae, xxxv. , p. 569.
^
Chapter xiii. Whilst it has been
falsely supposed, by some Scottish writers, that the great St. Brigid had been buried at Abemethy, in Scotland, an error nearly similar has been propagated through a treatise, * * On the Antiquities of Glastonbury Church. " Here, it was supposed, that St. Brigid and St. Colum-Kille were buried, on the northern side of its high altar, in a conspicuous stone tomb, and over the monument of John de Cantia, Abbot. See Ussher's "Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Anti- quitates," cap. xvii. , pp, 466, 467.
See Ussher's
"
Britannicarum Ecclesiarum
Antiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 467.
^ We find it also called Parva Hibernia,
and Bekery, reminding us of Beg-Eri, off the coast of Wexford, and about three miles and a half mile north-east of that town. See "Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ireland," vol. i. , p. 230.
s See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " Appendix Quarta ad Acta S. Brigidse, cap. vi. , p. 618.
^ See ibid. y pp. 617, 618.
170 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February i.
interment at Glastonbury, may be traced, owing to this latter place having been possibly confounded with Down, in Ireland. '' This city was called
Dun da-Lethglas,^ in our ancient language. A fable, propagated by some ignorant legend-mongers and scribes, had its probable origin from the circumstance, that our two great Irish Saints had been buried, in the town
or fort called Leath-glas ; while, it is supposed, ZmM-^/fSij- had been incor- rectly substituted for Glaston. '^ It is said, this latter designation may be
" '' ^° more fully Anglicized, the glassy city," or the city of glass. "
Among other laudable practices, which were followed by the pious and cultivated intelligence of holy Brigid, her nuns and scribes," that of writing
^^
If not referable to Pagan times, and derivable from eastern climes, or from the Druidic schools,^3 the long-neglected Celtic art of illumination was, at least, charac' teristic of the ages of faith in this kingdom. ^* So skilful were our sainted illuminators of old, so wonderful was their work of ornamentation, so elaborate, so interlaced and intertwined, so minute and yet so perfect in all details were the manuscripts of our ancient scribes,^^ that the first Anglo-Norman settlers
or copying religious books must deserve especial regard.
7 It is true, the old writer expresses some
doubt respecting the reliability of his infor- mation.
Book of Kells and of Durrow, and Draw* ings from Nature. By M. S. With Notes on Celtic ornamental Art. Revised by George Petrie, LL. D. London, mdccclxi. , folio size.
'3 See some admirable observations, re-
ferring to this very subject, in Very Rev.
^
correctly, arcem binorum niedioi-um catena,
It is rendered in Latin, collem or more
according to Joceline, in his Life of St. Patrick.
Ulick Bourke's ** of the Thaumaturga. " J, Aryan Origin
" The very inexact chronographer brings
St. Columkille to Glastonbury, A. D. 504,
several years before the great Apostle of
Caledonia was born. See Ussher's " Bri-
tannicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates," cap. in Four Languages ; or, The Immaculate xvii. , p. 467.
9 See
"Trias
Colgan's AppendixQuartaadActaS. Brigidae,cap. vi. , p. 618.
Gaelic Race and Language," &c. , chap, xii. , pp. 328 to 338.
" The most illustrious artists of modern times have not concealed their admiration for these works of our fathers ; they only lament, that it seems to be no longer possible toimitatethem. DigbyWyattandProfessor J. O. Westwood have strongly expressed themselves, concerning the beauty and ori-
Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary defined," &c. , pp. 103 to 122.
ginality of this Keltic art. See J. O. West- Ireland," selected and edited under the
"
wood's Palseographia Sacra Pictoria. "
Book of Kells, p. I.
"
Among the most elegant and curious
illustrations of ancient Irish caligraphy,
produced in our day, must be noticed those
incomparable drawings of fac-similes, by
Miss Margaret Stokes, included in a very
large but thin 4to work, intituled, "De- General of the Ordnance Survey, part i. scriptive Remarks on Illuminations in Cer-
tain Ancient Irish Manuscripts," by Rev.
James Henthom Todd, U. D. , F. S. A.
London, M. DCCC. LXix. The monogram Ireland. Public Record Office of Ireland, **
copied from the Book of Kells" is alone Dublin, MDCCCLXXiv. No less than forty-
amostwonderfulartproduction. Another charming work contains coloured drawings on stone of natural landscapes and interlaced letters orfac-similes, exactly copied from Irish Manuscripts or scenes by Miss Stokes. This is intituled, "The Cromlech on Howth. "
A Poem. By Samuel Ferguson, Q. C. , M. R. I. A. With illuminations from the
four beautifully coloured plates, containing several hundred most elegant and accurate specimens of initial letters, are in this part. It includes, likewise, a learned introduction, with historic and descriptive memoranda, as also modem versions, for the use of per- sons unaccustomed to the archaic caligraphy of the manuscript pages delineated.
^^ See an interesting article, on " The Art of Illuminating : as it was practised of old : its revival," appended to Very Rev. Ulick
Bourke's "The Bull ' Ineffabilis' work,
J.
'5 For proof of these assertions, the reader has only to examine some of the many ori- ginals in our Dublin Libraries. Failing such opportunity, a magnificent and very large 4to work will satisfy. It is intituled, "Fac-similes of National Manuscripts of
direction of the Rt. Hon. Edward Sullivan, Master of the Rolls in Ireland, by J. T.
Gilbert, F. S. A. , M. R. I. A. , Secretary of the Public Record Office of Ireland, and
Photozincographed by command of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, by Major-General Sir Henry James, R. E. , F. R. S. , Director
Published by Authority of the Lords Com- missioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, under the direction of the Master of the Rolls in
February i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 171
regardedthosevellumpagesastheworkofangels,andnotofmen. ^^ Giraldus Cambrensis relates, that a tradition existed in his day, concerning a miracle, saidtohavetakenplace,duringoursaint'slife-time. ^7 Onacertainoccasion, a scribe, belonging to St. Brigid's monastery, undertook transcription of a book of the Gospels, according to St. Jerome's version. ^^ That night, on which he had commenced his task, an angel is said to have appeared. This heavenly messenger bore a certain tablet, upon which a beautiful impression was depicted; at the same time, that angel asked the scribe, if he could reproduceasimilarillustration,onthetitle-page. Thewriterreplied,suchan
" On to-morrow, tell
effort exceeded his ability. Then the angel said
mistress, she must pour forth her prayers before God's throne, so that your corporal and mental vision may be able to behold accurately, and to under- stand with due perception, and that your hand maybe properly directed, in trac- ingcorrespondingcharacters. " Thefollowingnight,anangelagainappeared. He bore the same drawing, and presented many other illustrations. All of these,thatscribecarefullyimpressedonhismemory; while,withthegreatest exactness, he reproduced those different figures and tracings represented, introducingtheminsuitableplaces,throughouthisbook. Itisremarked,St. Brigid continued her prayers, during the progress of this wonderful work, until it issued from the scribe's hands, in a most perfect state. '9 Afterwards, this manuscript was an object of admiration to all persons of taste. It called forth the warm eulogistic commendations of Giraldus Cambrensis,=° who appears to have examined it with great interest and minuteness. ''^
It seems probable, that such a tradition as the foregoing may serve to
"
of Revelations. " However, it will be found, on enquiry, that no ancient
account for a rumour, regarding our saint having composed
Twelve Books
^^ The late lamented Rev. James Gaffney
Europe from the earliest times. Part i. , p.
" The wondrous excellence attained London: writes, 15.
privately printed, 4to,
no
by the Irish in the art of illuminating has never been equalled. "—*' The Ancient Irish Church," chap, iv. , p. no, n.
**
date.
='° He remarks: Here do you see the
Divinely-impressed face of Majesty; here *7 See Giraldi Cambrensis Opera. " the evangelistic and mystic forms, some
Edited by J^mes F. Dimock, M. A. , vol.
V. "Topographia Hibernica," distinctio
Edited by James F. Dimock, M. A. , vol. v. ness, you will see an erasure rather than a
"
Topographia Hibernica," distinctio ii. , ligature ; and where nothing but subtility is cap. xxxix. , p. 124. Alluding to the won- found, you little regard the perfection of derful " Book of Kells," it has been ob- subtility. But, if you strain the eye to a
ii. , cap. xxxviii. , p. 123. ^^ "
See Trias Thaumaturga," p. 607.
^5 See Giraldi Cambrensis "Opera. " and in the usual manner, with less acute-
served :
**
Of this very book, Mr. West-
more minute examination, and to a keen
perception of the very secrets of art, so delicate and refined, so thin and firm, so interlaced and branchy, so vivid are the colours, that you may note intricate illustra- tions: hence,youshouldbeinclinedtopro- nounce these, not produced by human in- dustry, but rather to regard them as angelic
wood examined the pages, as I did, for
hours together,- without ever detecting a
false line, or an irregular interlacement. In one space of about a quarter of an inch
superficial he counted, with a magnifying- glass, no less than one hundred and fifty-
eight interlacements, of a slender ribbon
pattern, formed of white lines, edged by compositions. See cap. xxxviii. , p. 123,
black ones, upon a black ground. No of the treatise already cited,
wonder that tradition should
allege
that
=*' The which Giraldus description, gives,
the of this volume in regarding appearance
his day, is a very interesting one, as recorded
"
these — lines should have been traced unerring
by angels. " "The Art of Illuminating:
what it was, —what it should —and how be,
in his
it may be practised. " An Essay, by Digby De Mirabilibus Hibernise. " Distinctio
Wyatt, Architect. Appended to a series of Secunda, cap. xxxviii. See Camden's
platesexecutedbyW. R. Tymms,illustrative "Anglica, Normannica, Hibernica, Cam- of the Art of Illuminating, as practised in brica, a veteribus scripta," p. 730.
work,
Topographia Hibemioe, sive,
:
your
having six, some four, and some two wings ; here the head of an eagle, there that of a calf, here the face of a man, and there that of a lion. Should you superficially look,
172 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS, [February i.
writers of Saint Brigid's Acts have the least mention about her having written " Revelations," although they record pretty generally, that she had frequent
^'^
Hence, such a treatise must be regarded as spurious, ifreferredtotheauthorshipofthisholywoman. Wemayassumeveryfairly, that those " Twelve Books of Revelations " =^3 extant are rather attributable
to St.
Brigid, Queen of Sweden, than to any Irish or Scottish Saint, bearing a like name. '-^ John Bale appears to have been the first author, who ascribes to our Irish St. Brigid the production in question. He tells us, those *' Revelations" were contained in Twelve Books, in the first edition of his
work ; although, he states, in the second edition, they were comprised in one book. ^s However,BaleseemstohavemisconstruedthemeaningofGiraldus, in his treatise on " The Wonders of Ireland. " Although this latter writer describes a book in relation to the concordance of the Four Gospels, accord- ing to St. Jerome, as having been written for St. Brigid, by a scribe, and under the direction of an angel ; still, Cambrensis has no mention whatever, regarding the holy abbess having composed a Book or Books of Revelations. Other authors have followed Bale, in his statement. Eisengrenius^^ and Antonio Possevino^^ are among these, while Gesner^^ and Dempster co- incide. =9
The holy Patroness of Ireland is said to have written some tracts. 3° The
principal and best authenticated among these was a Rule, thought to have
been composed by her, for the guidance of those female religious, who were members of her institute. 3^ A poem, in the Irish language, on the " Virtues of St. Patrick," is attributed to her; besides, a small treatise intituled,3^ " I'he Quiver of Divine Love," 33 and an Epistle, in Irish, to St. Aid or Aldus, son of Degil. In it she dissuades him from taking a journey. Colgan
prophetic inspirations.
^** — Nee defuit illi spiritus prophetiae, quo
multa futura veluti prgesentia indicabat. '
49, b.
In "Apparatus Sacer, tomus v. , p. 240.
•*
Oflficium S. Brigidae. " Noct. sec. Lect. **
vi. Die I. Februarii. Breviarium Ro- »8ln his Bibliotheca, seu Scriptorum
manum. " Pars Hiemalis. Supplementum Catalogus. "
pro Clero Hibemico.
"3jA very curious and an early printed book,
of an exceedingly small 4to shape, is inti- tuled, * * Orationes devotissime et multum
**
^9 Dempster, in his Historia Ecclesi-
astica Gentis Scotorum," lib. ii. , n. 144, when treating about St. Brigid, says, that Thomas Stabbes, a Dominican, and Richard Lauinbam, a Carmelite, about the year 1370, publicly expounded, at Oxford, the meaning of those Revelations. The aforesaid re-
meritorie : sancte et preclarissime Brigitte
vidue et passione Domini nostri JesuChristi :
certisque orationibus et benedictionibus pre-
stantissimis magnarumque indulgentiarum
annexis. " Under this title, there is a rude commentaries and dissertations. Dempster,
wood-cut representing St. Brigid, Queen of Sweden, kneeling before a crucifix. A short Latin Life, with an account of her Revela- tions, follows. The prayers which succeed are in Latin, in black-letter, and in ancient
also, states, that Alanus de Limma, a Car-
melite, edited St. Brigid's Book of " Reve-
lations," about the year 1420.
3° See Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical His-
tory of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, ix. , sect, vi. , n. 95. PP- 458, 459-
Disquisition Monast. , lib. i. , tract 6, disquis. 3, declares such a multitude of nuns and nunneries to have been under St. Brigid's rule, that Joannes de Bruella or Mauburnus, Abbot of
type, with contractions.
I find no date or
when
in a copy of this very rare work, kindly lent to me by its owner, Jasper Robert Joly, LL. D. , whose private library contains so
many unique literary rarities.
'^ See John Lesley's work, **De Origine
Moribus, et Rebus Gestis Scotorum," lib. iv. , p. 149. Romae, M. D. LXXViii, 4to.
3' Benedictus Haeflenus, in
colophon, indicating
the
year
printed,
"S See Bale's **
Majoris Britanniae quem nunc Angliam et Scotiam vocant, Catalogus. " Cent, i. , f. 28, b. and Cent, xiv. , cap. ii. , edition, Basil, A. D. 1557.
^In "Catalogo Testium Veritatis," p.
Scriptorum
13,000
Illustrium
nuns.
3^ It begins with "Denletha do Crich-
Rois. "
33 Or sometimes called, Quiver of Pious
Desires," according to the English form of translation.
^7
nowned philosophers and theologians added
"
corum Regularium," did not hesitate to de-
Venatorio Canoni- signate our holy abbess, as presiding over
Lioriancensis, in his
"
February i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 173
had in his possession a copy of these latter tracts. 3* In addition, there were other works, falsely ascribed to her, as may be seen by referring to Harris' Ware. 35
St. Brigid appears to have established different houses belonging to her
order, in various parts of Ireland, after, if not before, the foundation of her
nunnery at Kildare. Yet, it is no easy matter to determine the dates, Arhen
these several establishments were erected, owing to that loose and unchrono-
logical manner, in which they are mentioned, throughout her different lives.
The monasteries estabUshed by St. Brigid conferred great blessings on this
country, by making accessible to the people the boon of religious education. 3^^
We are informed, that her Rule was followed, for a long time, by the greatest
part of those monasteries, belonging to sacred virgins in Ireland ; nearly all
of these acknowledging our saint as their mother and mistress, and the
monastery of Kildare as the headquarters of their Order. Moreover,
Cogitosus informs us, in his prologue to her life, that not only did she rule
nuns, but also a large community of men, who lived in a separate monastery. This obliged the saint to call to her aid, and from out his solitude, the holy
bishop, S. Conlaeth, to be the director and spiritual father of her religious ; and, at the same time, to be bishop of the city. The church at Kildare, to suit the necessities of the double monastery and to accommodate the laity, was divided by partitions into three distinct parts. One of these was reserved for the monks ; one for the nuns ; while a third compartment was intended
to suit the requirements of the laity. 37
A controversy had been carried on, between Fathers of the Order,
designated Canons Regular of St. Augustine, and the Hermits of St. Augustine, commonly called Augustinians ; either party contending, that our saint derived her rule from, or that her order belonged to, a class of nuns, pro- fessing adhesion to their respective religious institutes. Colgan would not undertake to decide this question, although he thinks it must be allowed, St. Brigid observed whatever rule St. Patrick introduced, and wished to be pro-
pagated,throughoutIreland; for,wehavealreadyseen,thathervowswere received, or that she was veiled, by Saints Mel or Maccaleus, the disciples of St. Patrick. ss Again, we are told, that neither of the Augustinian institutes,
already mentioned, had any existence, for some hundreds of years after St. Brigid's time. Yet, as it is probable, her rule agreed in substance with special regulations, drawn by St. Augustine for those nuns, over whom his sister pre-
sided; so, in a certain measure, possibly Brigid's Rule may have been modelled
after the Augustinian prescriptions. 39 It has been remarked, by Colgan, as he could not pronounce St. Patrick having belonged either to the Hermit Fathers, or to the Canons Regular of St. Augustine, neither could he decide that St. Brigid embraced the rule of one order or the other. He thinks, however, St. Patrick must have adopted and introduced into Ireland the same Apostolic Rule, which St. Augustine observed, and which he propagated throughoutEuropeandAfrica. Ithasbeenremarked,however,thatalthough
34 See " Trias Thaumaturga. " Appendix Tertia ad Acta S. Brigidse, cap. ii. , p. 610,
35 See, vol. ii. , "Writers of Ireland,"
book i. , chap, iii. , p. 12, and nn. c, d, e, f, g, h, ibid.
3^ Pastoral Letter of His Eminence Paul Cardinal Cullen, Archbishop of Dublin, to the Clergy of the Diocese of Dublin, on the
Feast of St. Brigid. Dublin : January 25th, 1872, 8vo.
3' See Rev. S. Baring-Gould's "Lives of
the Saints," vol. ii. , February 1st, pp. 17, 18.
3' See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " Vita Secunda S. Brigidse, cap. iii. , p. 519. Vita Tertia S. Brigidse, cap. xviii. , p. 529. Quinta Vita S. Brigidse, cap. xxviii. , xxix. , pp. 573, 574. Sexta Vita S. Brigidse, sees, xii. , xiii. , p. 584.
**
39 See Dr. Lanigan's n. 94, p. 458.
Ecclesiastical His* tory of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, ix,, sect, vi. ,
174 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February i.
our saint presided over numerous holy communities of men and women, yet comparatively few of her disciples are mentioned by name.
Like those holy ones mentioned in the Apocalypse,4° we learn from the different Acts of St. Brigid, already cited, that our saint assumed a white veil, while she wore a white cloak or dress. 4^ These garments, likewise, must have been the distinguishing habit of her nuns. In view of such well- attested distinction, it seems unaccountable, that the Order of Brigitines, established in the Dioceses of Kildare and Leighlin, during the present century, and assuming our holy abbess as their great patroness, should use a black dress, for a characteristic of their conventual life.
The illustrious Patroness of Kildare gave a Rule to her nuns ; and thus, she is justly numbered among the founders of religious orders. ^^ The Life of Ciaran of Clonmacnoise states,'^3 that the Order of Brighit was one of the eight religious orders, that were in Erinn. 44 It is to be regretted, that we cannot now recover the Rules of this order, which doubtless must have been repletewithwisdom. Variousaccounts,containedinformerreligiousrules established in Ireland, are interesting, as serving to convey an idea of ancient conventual or monastic modes for Hving. '+s It is thought, even although St. BrigidmighthaveembracedaRule,existingbeforehertime; yet,itmay have been altogether changed, or greatly modified, as she is believed to have written a special Rule^^ and to have established a particular institute for holy womenin Ireland. +7
The poor and the destitute are the chosen friends of Christ. Our Divine Redeemer has declared, that He will accept and reward hereafter, as done unto Himself, whatsoever we do to the lowliest among them. St. Brigid sawtheimageofChristreflectedineverysufferingwaifofhumanity. By charity, our Divine Lord wishes His disciples to be known, and He tells us, that at the last accounting day, He shall cast from among His children those, who, during life, refuse to hear the prayers of God's poor. The tender soul and compassionate disposition of our abbess were ever sympathetic to the cry of supplication or distress. Only her own spirit or the angel of God could record Brigid's many miracles. -^^ Her Sixth Metrical Life contains an account, concerning these following miracles, not found related in the holy woman's other Lives. A shepherd boy, who had lost some sheep, or swine, belonging to his father, feared displeasure. He besought our saint to inter- cede for him, and to obtain a pardon for his neglect. This she undertook to accomplish, and, in addition, she miraculously procured the restoration of thatfullnumberofanimals,whichhadbeenmissing. 49 Whilesheprayedin
Breac," contains a Rule of the Cele De or CuldeesfromModruain. Thexxii. vol. of O'Longan MSB. in the R. I. A. contains three anonymous Quatrains, in the second
et pallio albo. "
Noct. sec. lect.
Brigidae, xxxv. , p. 569.
^
Chapter xiii. Whilst it has been
falsely supposed, by some Scottish writers, that the great St. Brigid had been buried at Abemethy, in Scotland, an error nearly similar has been propagated through a treatise, * * On the Antiquities of Glastonbury Church. " Here, it was supposed, that St. Brigid and St. Colum-Kille were buried, on the northern side of its high altar, in a conspicuous stone tomb, and over the monument of John de Cantia, Abbot. See Ussher's "Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Anti- quitates," cap. xvii. , pp, 466, 467.
See Ussher's
"
Britannicarum Ecclesiarum
Antiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 467.
^ We find it also called Parva Hibernia,
and Bekery, reminding us of Beg-Eri, off the coast of Wexford, and about three miles and a half mile north-east of that town. See "Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ireland," vol. i. , p. 230.
s See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " Appendix Quarta ad Acta S. Brigidse, cap. vi. , p. 618.
^ See ibid. y pp. 617, 618.
170 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February i.
interment at Glastonbury, may be traced, owing to this latter place having been possibly confounded with Down, in Ireland. '' This city was called
Dun da-Lethglas,^ in our ancient language. A fable, propagated by some ignorant legend-mongers and scribes, had its probable origin from the circumstance, that our two great Irish Saints had been buried, in the town
or fort called Leath-glas ; while, it is supposed, ZmM-^/fSij- had been incor- rectly substituted for Glaston. '^ It is said, this latter designation may be
" '' ^° more fully Anglicized, the glassy city," or the city of glass. "
Among other laudable practices, which were followed by the pious and cultivated intelligence of holy Brigid, her nuns and scribes," that of writing
^^
If not referable to Pagan times, and derivable from eastern climes, or from the Druidic schools,^3 the long-neglected Celtic art of illumination was, at least, charac' teristic of the ages of faith in this kingdom. ^* So skilful were our sainted illuminators of old, so wonderful was their work of ornamentation, so elaborate, so interlaced and intertwined, so minute and yet so perfect in all details were the manuscripts of our ancient scribes,^^ that the first Anglo-Norman settlers
or copying religious books must deserve especial regard.
7 It is true, the old writer expresses some
doubt respecting the reliability of his infor- mation.
Book of Kells and of Durrow, and Draw* ings from Nature. By M. S. With Notes on Celtic ornamental Art. Revised by George Petrie, LL. D. London, mdccclxi. , folio size.
'3 See some admirable observations, re-
ferring to this very subject, in Very Rev.
^
correctly, arcem binorum niedioi-um catena,
It is rendered in Latin, collem or more
according to Joceline, in his Life of St. Patrick.
Ulick Bourke's ** of the Thaumaturga. " J, Aryan Origin
" The very inexact chronographer brings
St. Columkille to Glastonbury, A. D. 504,
several years before the great Apostle of
Caledonia was born. See Ussher's " Bri-
tannicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates," cap. in Four Languages ; or, The Immaculate xvii. , p. 467.
9 See
"Trias
Colgan's AppendixQuartaadActaS. Brigidae,cap. vi. , p. 618.
Gaelic Race and Language," &c. , chap, xii. , pp. 328 to 338.
" The most illustrious artists of modern times have not concealed their admiration for these works of our fathers ; they only lament, that it seems to be no longer possible toimitatethem. DigbyWyattandProfessor J. O. Westwood have strongly expressed themselves, concerning the beauty and ori-
Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary defined," &c. , pp. 103 to 122.
ginality of this Keltic art. See J. O. West- Ireland," selected and edited under the
"
wood's Palseographia Sacra Pictoria. "
Book of Kells, p. I.
"
Among the most elegant and curious
illustrations of ancient Irish caligraphy,
produced in our day, must be noticed those
incomparable drawings of fac-similes, by
Miss Margaret Stokes, included in a very
large but thin 4to work, intituled, "De- General of the Ordnance Survey, part i. scriptive Remarks on Illuminations in Cer-
tain Ancient Irish Manuscripts," by Rev.
James Henthom Todd, U. D. , F. S. A.
London, M. DCCC. LXix. The monogram Ireland. Public Record Office of Ireland, **
copied from the Book of Kells" is alone Dublin, MDCCCLXXiv. No less than forty-
amostwonderfulartproduction. Another charming work contains coloured drawings on stone of natural landscapes and interlaced letters orfac-similes, exactly copied from Irish Manuscripts or scenes by Miss Stokes. This is intituled, "The Cromlech on Howth. "
A Poem. By Samuel Ferguson, Q. C. , M. R. I. A. With illuminations from the
four beautifully coloured plates, containing several hundred most elegant and accurate specimens of initial letters, are in this part. It includes, likewise, a learned introduction, with historic and descriptive memoranda, as also modem versions, for the use of per- sons unaccustomed to the archaic caligraphy of the manuscript pages delineated.
^^ See an interesting article, on " The Art of Illuminating : as it was practised of old : its revival," appended to Very Rev. Ulick
Bourke's "The Bull ' Ineffabilis' work,
J.
'5 For proof of these assertions, the reader has only to examine some of the many ori- ginals in our Dublin Libraries. Failing such opportunity, a magnificent and very large 4to work will satisfy. It is intituled, "Fac-similes of National Manuscripts of
direction of the Rt. Hon. Edward Sullivan, Master of the Rolls in Ireland, by J. T.
Gilbert, F. S. A. , M. R. I. A. , Secretary of the Public Record Office of Ireland, and
Photozincographed by command of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, by Major-General Sir Henry James, R. E. , F. R. S. , Director
Published by Authority of the Lords Com- missioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, under the direction of the Master of the Rolls in
February i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 171
regardedthosevellumpagesastheworkofangels,andnotofmen. ^^ Giraldus Cambrensis relates, that a tradition existed in his day, concerning a miracle, saidtohavetakenplace,duringoursaint'slife-time. ^7 Onacertainoccasion, a scribe, belonging to St. Brigid's monastery, undertook transcription of a book of the Gospels, according to St. Jerome's version. ^^ That night, on which he had commenced his task, an angel is said to have appeared. This heavenly messenger bore a certain tablet, upon which a beautiful impression was depicted; at the same time, that angel asked the scribe, if he could reproduceasimilarillustration,onthetitle-page. Thewriterreplied,suchan
" On to-morrow, tell
effort exceeded his ability. Then the angel said
mistress, she must pour forth her prayers before God's throne, so that your corporal and mental vision may be able to behold accurately, and to under- stand with due perception, and that your hand maybe properly directed, in trac- ingcorrespondingcharacters. " Thefollowingnight,anangelagainappeared. He bore the same drawing, and presented many other illustrations. All of these,thatscribecarefullyimpressedonhismemory; while,withthegreatest exactness, he reproduced those different figures and tracings represented, introducingtheminsuitableplaces,throughouthisbook. Itisremarked,St. Brigid continued her prayers, during the progress of this wonderful work, until it issued from the scribe's hands, in a most perfect state. '9 Afterwards, this manuscript was an object of admiration to all persons of taste. It called forth the warm eulogistic commendations of Giraldus Cambrensis,=° who appears to have examined it with great interest and minuteness. ''^
It seems probable, that such a tradition as the foregoing may serve to
"
of Revelations. " However, it will be found, on enquiry, that no ancient
account for a rumour, regarding our saint having composed
Twelve Books
^^ The late lamented Rev. James Gaffney
Europe from the earliest times. Part i. , p.
" The wondrous excellence attained London: writes, 15.
privately printed, 4to,
no
by the Irish in the art of illuminating has never been equalled. "—*' The Ancient Irish Church," chap, iv. , p. no, n.
**
date.
='° He remarks: Here do you see the
Divinely-impressed face of Majesty; here *7 See Giraldi Cambrensis Opera. " the evangelistic and mystic forms, some
Edited by J^mes F. Dimock, M. A. , vol.
V. "Topographia Hibernica," distinctio
Edited by James F. Dimock, M. A. , vol. v. ness, you will see an erasure rather than a
"
Topographia Hibernica," distinctio ii. , ligature ; and where nothing but subtility is cap. xxxix. , p. 124. Alluding to the won- found, you little regard the perfection of derful " Book of Kells," it has been ob- subtility. But, if you strain the eye to a
ii. , cap. xxxviii. , p. 123. ^^ "
See Trias Thaumaturga," p. 607.
^5 See Giraldi Cambrensis "Opera. " and in the usual manner, with less acute-
served :
**
Of this very book, Mr. West-
more minute examination, and to a keen
perception of the very secrets of art, so delicate and refined, so thin and firm, so interlaced and branchy, so vivid are the colours, that you may note intricate illustra- tions: hence,youshouldbeinclinedtopro- nounce these, not produced by human in- dustry, but rather to regard them as angelic
wood examined the pages, as I did, for
hours together,- without ever detecting a
false line, or an irregular interlacement. In one space of about a quarter of an inch
superficial he counted, with a magnifying- glass, no less than one hundred and fifty-
eight interlacements, of a slender ribbon
pattern, formed of white lines, edged by compositions. See cap. xxxviii. , p. 123,
black ones, upon a black ground. No of the treatise already cited,
wonder that tradition should
allege
that
=*' The which Giraldus description, gives,
the of this volume in regarding appearance
his day, is a very interesting one, as recorded
"
these — lines should have been traced unerring
by angels. " "The Art of Illuminating:
what it was, —what it should —and how be,
in his
it may be practised. " An Essay, by Digby De Mirabilibus Hibernise. " Distinctio
Wyatt, Architect. Appended to a series of Secunda, cap. xxxviii. See Camden's
platesexecutedbyW. R. Tymms,illustrative "Anglica, Normannica, Hibernica, Cam- of the Art of Illuminating, as practised in brica, a veteribus scripta," p. 730.
work,
Topographia Hibemioe, sive,
:
your
having six, some four, and some two wings ; here the head of an eagle, there that of a calf, here the face of a man, and there that of a lion. Should you superficially look,
172 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS, [February i.
writers of Saint Brigid's Acts have the least mention about her having written " Revelations," although they record pretty generally, that she had frequent
^'^
Hence, such a treatise must be regarded as spurious, ifreferredtotheauthorshipofthisholywoman. Wemayassumeveryfairly, that those " Twelve Books of Revelations " =^3 extant are rather attributable
to St.
Brigid, Queen of Sweden, than to any Irish or Scottish Saint, bearing a like name. '-^ John Bale appears to have been the first author, who ascribes to our Irish St. Brigid the production in question. He tells us, those *' Revelations" were contained in Twelve Books, in the first edition of his
work ; although, he states, in the second edition, they were comprised in one book. ^s However,BaleseemstohavemisconstruedthemeaningofGiraldus, in his treatise on " The Wonders of Ireland. " Although this latter writer describes a book in relation to the concordance of the Four Gospels, accord- ing to St. Jerome, as having been written for St. Brigid, by a scribe, and under the direction of an angel ; still, Cambrensis has no mention whatever, regarding the holy abbess having composed a Book or Books of Revelations. Other authors have followed Bale, in his statement. Eisengrenius^^ and Antonio Possevino^^ are among these, while Gesner^^ and Dempster co- incide. =9
The holy Patroness of Ireland is said to have written some tracts. 3° The
principal and best authenticated among these was a Rule, thought to have
been composed by her, for the guidance of those female religious, who were members of her institute. 3^ A poem, in the Irish language, on the " Virtues of St. Patrick," is attributed to her; besides, a small treatise intituled,3^ " I'he Quiver of Divine Love," 33 and an Epistle, in Irish, to St. Aid or Aldus, son of Degil. In it she dissuades him from taking a journey. Colgan
prophetic inspirations.
^** — Nee defuit illi spiritus prophetiae, quo
multa futura veluti prgesentia indicabat. '
49, b.
In "Apparatus Sacer, tomus v. , p. 240.
•*
Oflficium S. Brigidae. " Noct. sec. Lect. **
vi. Die I. Februarii. Breviarium Ro- »8ln his Bibliotheca, seu Scriptorum
manum. " Pars Hiemalis. Supplementum Catalogus. "
pro Clero Hibemico.
"3jA very curious and an early printed book,
of an exceedingly small 4to shape, is inti- tuled, * * Orationes devotissime et multum
**
^9 Dempster, in his Historia Ecclesi-
astica Gentis Scotorum," lib. ii. , n. 144, when treating about St. Brigid, says, that Thomas Stabbes, a Dominican, and Richard Lauinbam, a Carmelite, about the year 1370, publicly expounded, at Oxford, the meaning of those Revelations. The aforesaid re-
meritorie : sancte et preclarissime Brigitte
vidue et passione Domini nostri JesuChristi :
certisque orationibus et benedictionibus pre-
stantissimis magnarumque indulgentiarum
annexis. " Under this title, there is a rude commentaries and dissertations. Dempster,
wood-cut representing St. Brigid, Queen of Sweden, kneeling before a crucifix. A short Latin Life, with an account of her Revela- tions, follows. The prayers which succeed are in Latin, in black-letter, and in ancient
also, states, that Alanus de Limma, a Car-
melite, edited St. Brigid's Book of " Reve-
lations," about the year 1420.
3° See Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical His-
tory of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, ix. , sect, vi. , n. 95. PP- 458, 459-
Disquisition Monast. , lib. i. , tract 6, disquis. 3, declares such a multitude of nuns and nunneries to have been under St. Brigid's rule, that Joannes de Bruella or Mauburnus, Abbot of
type, with contractions.
I find no date or
when
in a copy of this very rare work, kindly lent to me by its owner, Jasper Robert Joly, LL. D. , whose private library contains so
many unique literary rarities.
'^ See John Lesley's work, **De Origine
Moribus, et Rebus Gestis Scotorum," lib. iv. , p. 149. Romae, M. D. LXXViii, 4to.
3' Benedictus Haeflenus, in
colophon, indicating
the
year
printed,
"S See Bale's **
Majoris Britanniae quem nunc Angliam et Scotiam vocant, Catalogus. " Cent, i. , f. 28, b. and Cent, xiv. , cap. ii. , edition, Basil, A. D. 1557.
^In "Catalogo Testium Veritatis," p.
Scriptorum
13,000
Illustrium
nuns.
3^ It begins with "Denletha do Crich-
Rois. "
33 Or sometimes called, Quiver of Pious
Desires," according to the English form of translation.
^7
nowned philosophers and theologians added
"
corum Regularium," did not hesitate to de-
Venatorio Canoni- signate our holy abbess, as presiding over
Lioriancensis, in his
"
February i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 173
had in his possession a copy of these latter tracts. 3* In addition, there were other works, falsely ascribed to her, as may be seen by referring to Harris' Ware. 35
St. Brigid appears to have established different houses belonging to her
order, in various parts of Ireland, after, if not before, the foundation of her
nunnery at Kildare. Yet, it is no easy matter to determine the dates, Arhen
these several establishments were erected, owing to that loose and unchrono-
logical manner, in which they are mentioned, throughout her different lives.
The monasteries estabUshed by St. Brigid conferred great blessings on this
country, by making accessible to the people the boon of religious education. 3^^
We are informed, that her Rule was followed, for a long time, by the greatest
part of those monasteries, belonging to sacred virgins in Ireland ; nearly all
of these acknowledging our saint as their mother and mistress, and the
monastery of Kildare as the headquarters of their Order. Moreover,
Cogitosus informs us, in his prologue to her life, that not only did she rule
nuns, but also a large community of men, who lived in a separate monastery. This obliged the saint to call to her aid, and from out his solitude, the holy
bishop, S. Conlaeth, to be the director and spiritual father of her religious ; and, at the same time, to be bishop of the city. The church at Kildare, to suit the necessities of the double monastery and to accommodate the laity, was divided by partitions into three distinct parts. One of these was reserved for the monks ; one for the nuns ; while a third compartment was intended
to suit the requirements of the laity. 37
A controversy had been carried on, between Fathers of the Order,
designated Canons Regular of St. Augustine, and the Hermits of St. Augustine, commonly called Augustinians ; either party contending, that our saint derived her rule from, or that her order belonged to, a class of nuns, pro- fessing adhesion to their respective religious institutes. Colgan would not undertake to decide this question, although he thinks it must be allowed, St. Brigid observed whatever rule St. Patrick introduced, and wished to be pro-
pagated,throughoutIreland; for,wehavealreadyseen,thathervowswere received, or that she was veiled, by Saints Mel or Maccaleus, the disciples of St. Patrick. ss Again, we are told, that neither of the Augustinian institutes,
already mentioned, had any existence, for some hundreds of years after St. Brigid's time. Yet, as it is probable, her rule agreed in substance with special regulations, drawn by St. Augustine for those nuns, over whom his sister pre-
sided; so, in a certain measure, possibly Brigid's Rule may have been modelled
after the Augustinian prescriptions. 39 It has been remarked, by Colgan, as he could not pronounce St. Patrick having belonged either to the Hermit Fathers, or to the Canons Regular of St. Augustine, neither could he decide that St. Brigid embraced the rule of one order or the other. He thinks, however, St. Patrick must have adopted and introduced into Ireland the same Apostolic Rule, which St. Augustine observed, and which he propagated throughoutEuropeandAfrica. Ithasbeenremarked,however,thatalthough
34 See " Trias Thaumaturga. " Appendix Tertia ad Acta S. Brigidse, cap. ii. , p. 610,
35 See, vol. ii. , "Writers of Ireland,"
book i. , chap, iii. , p. 12, and nn. c, d, e, f, g, h, ibid.
3^ Pastoral Letter of His Eminence Paul Cardinal Cullen, Archbishop of Dublin, to the Clergy of the Diocese of Dublin, on the
Feast of St. Brigid. Dublin : January 25th, 1872, 8vo.
3' See Rev. S. Baring-Gould's "Lives of
the Saints," vol. ii. , February 1st, pp. 17, 18.
3' See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " Vita Secunda S. Brigidse, cap. iii. , p. 519. Vita Tertia S. Brigidse, cap. xviii. , p. 529. Quinta Vita S. Brigidse, cap. xxviii. , xxix. , pp. 573, 574. Sexta Vita S. Brigidse, sees, xii. , xiii. , p. 584.
**
39 See Dr. Lanigan's n. 94, p. 458.
Ecclesiastical His* tory of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, ix,, sect, vi. ,
174 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February i.
our saint presided over numerous holy communities of men and women, yet comparatively few of her disciples are mentioned by name.
Like those holy ones mentioned in the Apocalypse,4° we learn from the different Acts of St. Brigid, already cited, that our saint assumed a white veil, while she wore a white cloak or dress. 4^ These garments, likewise, must have been the distinguishing habit of her nuns. In view of such well- attested distinction, it seems unaccountable, that the Order of Brigitines, established in the Dioceses of Kildare and Leighlin, during the present century, and assuming our holy abbess as their great patroness, should use a black dress, for a characteristic of their conventual life.
The illustrious Patroness of Kildare gave a Rule to her nuns ; and thus, she is justly numbered among the founders of religious orders. ^^ The Life of Ciaran of Clonmacnoise states,'^3 that the Order of Brighit was one of the eight religious orders, that were in Erinn. 44 It is to be regretted, that we cannot now recover the Rules of this order, which doubtless must have been repletewithwisdom. Variousaccounts,containedinformerreligiousrules established in Ireland, are interesting, as serving to convey an idea of ancient conventual or monastic modes for Hving. '+s It is thought, even although St. BrigidmighthaveembracedaRule,existingbeforehertime; yet,itmay have been altogether changed, or greatly modified, as she is believed to have written a special Rule^^ and to have established a particular institute for holy womenin Ireland. +7
The poor and the destitute are the chosen friends of Christ. Our Divine Redeemer has declared, that He will accept and reward hereafter, as done unto Himself, whatsoever we do to the lowliest among them. St. Brigid sawtheimageofChristreflectedineverysufferingwaifofhumanity. By charity, our Divine Lord wishes His disciples to be known, and He tells us, that at the last accounting day, He shall cast from among His children those, who, during life, refuse to hear the prayers of God's poor. The tender soul and compassionate disposition of our abbess were ever sympathetic to the cry of supplication or distress. Only her own spirit or the angel of God could record Brigid's many miracles. -^^ Her Sixth Metrical Life contains an account, concerning these following miracles, not found related in the holy woman's other Lives. A shepherd boy, who had lost some sheep, or swine, belonging to his father, feared displeasure. He besought our saint to inter- cede for him, and to obtain a pardon for his neglect. This she undertook to accomplish, and, in addition, she miraculously procured the restoration of thatfullnumberofanimals,whichhadbeenmissing. 49 Whilesheprayedin
Breac," contains a Rule of the Cele De or CuldeesfromModruain. Thexxii. vol. of O'Longan MSB. in the R. I. A. contains three anonymous Quatrains, in the second
et pallio albo. "
Noct. sec. lect.
