No More Learning

Brigid," by an Irish Priest, when alluding to this narrative. See chap, iv,, pp. 46 to 48.
7^ This place was situated in the northern part of Meath. In ancient times, it was greatly celebrated. See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " Vita Quarta S. Brigida:, n. 19, p. 564.
of Erin at Tailtin," and "the Synod of
Erin," in Professor O'Looney's Irish Life of
the saint, pp. 25, 26. A very interesting
description of Telltown, identified with Tail-
tean, is given in Sir William Robert Wilde's
St. Patrick, the Apostle of Ireland, as her father, and that, in turn, he adopted her as his daughter. It is also said, that for the first time, these two great saints saw each other there ; and from this date forward, common consent allowed St. Brigid to be the greatest of all the Irish saints, after St. Patrick.
74 See his acts at the 8th of June,
75 See the Lections of St. Brigid's Office intheBreviaryofAberdeen. BishopForbes* *' Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p. 289.
7^ John O'Donovan has given an account of ancient—Tailten—which he identifies with
in dated
Telltown letters, Keannanus,
Uiy i2th, July 13th, July 14th, 1836, pp. 6 to 16, in "Letters containing Informa- tion relative to the Antiquities of the County of Meath, collected during the Progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1836. "
77 A townland of 626 acres so called con- tains a remarkable eminence called tlAch "Otibh or Black Rath. It is about sixty perches northward from the Blackwater River,
"
Beauties of the Boyne and its Tributary the
7^ It is called a " Convocation of the men
Blackwater," chap, vi. , pp. 149 to 154.
73 In the Fourth Life of our saint, we are
told, on this occasion, St. Brigid received
78 it is also called Killalton Parish,
76 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February i.
UpperKells,countyofMeath. 79 Yet,anotheropinionhasbeenadvanced
with much abiHty,^° that the remains of the celebrated Royal Cemeteries of
Tailltin should be sought for on the Lough Crew Hills,^' at Oldcastle, in the
^^
Here an annual meeting of the people, called in Irish
same county. ""
Oenach, a fair," had been held in ancient times, on the fair-hilled Taill- ten," which seems a term inapplicable to Telltown, which lies in a low situa- tion, and which is singularly destitute of hills. It is probable, St. Patrick took advantage of the popular gathering there to hold a synod or to give a public mission. It is said, the fair was held with great pomp,^3 and that it Avas celebrated for national games, which commenced on the ist of August
each year, although occasionally interrupted or prevented, owing to civil discords or to other causes. When the day, on which the foregoing
occurrence took place, drew to a close, on seeing the miracles which our saint wrought, a certain man asked her to visit, with her virgins, a house lately built, and which he wished should be consecrated by her pre- sence. She went according to his request, and was received by her host, in ahospitableandrespectfulmanner. Whenfoodhadbeenplacedbeforethe nuns for their refreshment, Brigid said to her sisters, with a prophetic spirit ; " The Lord hath now shown me, that this man is a Gentile, and as he will notbebaptized,weshouldnotpartakeofhismeats. " Oneofhernunsre-
" You
resisted St. Patrick's preaching and hath refused to receive baptism. " St. Brigid then told her host, that they could not eat with him until he had been first baptized. Immediately afterwards, the Lord touched this man's heart with compunction for his sins, and he believed, together with his whole family. Bishop Bron, St. Patrick's disciple, who accompanied our saint, administered the baptismal rite. On being informed about these circumstances the follow- ing day, St. Patrick told the holy virgin, that henceforth she should not journey,^-* without having a priest to accompany her. ^s Then, the illustrious bishop ordained a priest, named Natfroich,^^ who during the whole course of
plied :
speak truth,
for I have
heard,
that of all he hath most others,
79 See Lewis' "
The same writer to proposes
a
publish ^° "
Topographical Dictionary of Ireland," vol. ii. , p. 600.
See some admirable investigations, re-
and antiquities, intituled, Taillten and Brugh : in the County of Meath : being an account of the present condition of two of the Royal Cemeteries of Ireland in Pagan Times. " Illustrations, from correct draw- ings, are designed for this work.
^3 Here "games similar to the Olympian are described to have been held for 15 days before, and 15 days after, the 1st of August, and the time appointed for this grand festival was also that commonly c—hosen for giving
lative to this matter, which were presented
by Eugene Alfred Conwell, M. R. I. A. , in a series of communications to the Royal Irish
Academy on the 23rd of May, and on the 14th of November, 1864 ; as also on the 26th of February, 1866, and on the 12th of
February, 1872. These were published in "Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy," vol. ix. First series, pp. 355 et seq. , and vol. i. , second series, pp. 72 et seq.
^' The pre-historic monuments here were first discovered by Eugene Alfred Conwell, M. R. I. A. , on Tuesday, the 9th of June,
"
youngpeopleinmarriage. " ThomasCrom- "
1863. See
Academy," vol. ix. , p. 356.
of the Ancient Sepulchral Cairns on the Loughcrew Hills, County of Meath. "
^^ See "Life of St. Brigid," by an Irish
Priest," chap, iv. , p. 48.
^s in the Irish Life of St. Brigid, belong-
ing to Professor O'Looney, the foregoing
occurrences are noticed. We are informed,
moreover, that St. Patrick's injunction to
Proceedings of the Royal Irish
^' Mr. Conwell has issued in book
thin 8vo, an interesting account of this loca-
This is intituled " of the Discovery
St. " caused Natfraech to take Brigid
Orders," pp. 25, 26.
was afterwards numbered among our national saints, and according to Marianus O'Gorman and the Martyrology of Donegal, he was venerated on the nth of
lity.
Tomb of OllAmh -po-ohU (^Ollav Fola), Ireland's famous Monarch and Law-Maker upwards of Three Thousand Years Ago," Dublin, 1873. It contains several interest- ing illustrations, pertinent to the subject.
Holy
"
Examination
form,
very valuable contribution to our ancient history
well's Excursions through Ireland," vol. ii. , p. 125. London, 1820, 8vo.
""^ This
priest
l^EBRUARY I. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
n
her life attended St. Brigid, in quality of guardian, while on her travels. ^7 Having taken leave of St. Patrick, the holy abbess returned to her nunnery. About this time, also, a certain man^^ came to the saint, and bore his mother, a paralytic, on his shoulders. When he had arrived in our saint's presence,
placing his mother on the ground, under the holy virgin's shadow,^9 no sooner had the infirm woman been set in this position, than she arose and cried
out
:
" I give thanks to God, because the moment I touched your shadow,
O saint, I was healed, and felt no more pain. " Then audible exclamations
of praise to the Almighty issued from the lips of all present. 9°
After some interval of time, a certain demoniac, bound with strong chains,
was about being brought to St. Brigid ; but, on learning to whom he was
being conducted, he cast himself on the ground and persistently declared, they should never bring him to her. The conductors told him, that he
neither knew where Brigid was, nor the purpose they had in view ; still, he replied, he well knew their object, and the place where our saint dwelt, whichhenamed. Findingtheycouldnotmovehimfromthespotwhere he lay, his guardians were of opinion, that a message should be sent to Brigid,requestinghertovisithimthereinChrist'sname. Theholyvirgin assented to their request; and, on her approach, a demon fled from that man, whilst as yet she was at some distance. This was a marked privilege our saint possessed, for she caused devils to fear and to fly her approach, wheresoever she came. On the instant, this man's reason returned, and he gave thanks to God. 9^
CHAPTER V.
AT ST, LASARA's CONVENT ST. BRIGID WORKS MIRACLES—HER EXCURSION TO MUN- STER WITH BISHOP ERG—THE HOLY ABBESS VISITS CONNAUGHT—HER LABOURS AND AUSTERITIES WHILE THERE—THE PEOPLE OF LEINSTER REQUEST HER TO RETURN—SHE COMPLIES, AND RE-CROSSES THE SHANNON—SHE RESOLVES ON BUILDING HER GREAT ESTABLISHMENT AT KILDARE.
While some legendary writers of the illustrious saint's acts intersperse them with fantastic recitals, others recount the daily wonders of her life, and the benefits her charitable solicitude everywhere spread around in providing, not only for the wants of the clergy and religious with whom she associated, butevenforthoseofthepoorandhumble. ^ Atacertaintime,Brigid,with her companions, was entertained by a St Lasara or Lasrea, at the church of this latter virgin. It has been conjectured she was the daughter of Ferguss,^
December. An Irish Life of our saint, in Colgan's possession, mentions him in the fourteenth chapter. See "Trias Thauma- turga. " Vita Tertia S. Brigidse, n. 20, p. 543-
''7 See L. Tachet de Bameval's ** Histoire Legendaire del'lrlande," chap, ix,, p. 87.
is said to have been from Northern
Bregia in Professor O'Looney's Manuscript Life.
^ In the Irish Life of St. Brigid, Pro-
fessor O'Looney renders this passage "the
shelter of Brigid," pp. 25, 26.
9° See " Vita Sexta S. Brigidoe," section
xvi. , p, 585, ibid. , for an account of the fore- goingmiracle.
»* The foregoing miracles are copied, with little variation, from the Third and Fourth Lives of St. Brigid. See Colgan's "Trias
"
Thaumaturga. Vita Tertia S. Brigidae,
cap. xxxii. , xxxiii. , xxxiv. , xxxv. , xxxvi. , xxxvii. , xxxviii. , xxxix. , xl. , xli. , xlii. , xliii. , pp, 530, 531. Vita Quarta S. Brigidse, lib.
^He
xxxiv. xxxv. i. , cap. , ,
xxxvi. ,
xxxvii. ,
xxxviii. ,
xxxix. , xl, xH,, xlii. , xliii. , xliv. , xlv. , pp.
547, 548, 549. In many, if not in most, of
these chapters, one life seems to be almost a verbal copy or transcript of the other,
—'See L. Tachet de Bameval's " Historie Legendaire de I'lrlande," chap*
Chap. v.
viii. , p. 82.
=* TheMartyrologiesofMarianusGorman,
7S LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February i. sontoFethlemid,sontoKingLeogaire. 3 Thisidentification,however,is
not well ascertained. '^ Her place is called Kill-Laisre,5
"
or
Laisre's
Church ;"^ although it is difficult to identify the foundress,7 among the many- recurringandsimilarnamesinscribedonourcalendars. ^ Whilerestingatthis
retreat, on the evening of a particular day, accompanied by a great multitude, St. Patrick, it is said, came to demand hospitality. Then, the nuns of St. Laisre's church,9 being concerned about the poor provision made in that place for entertaining such a number of persons, manifested their inquietude to St. Brigid. She enquired, what store they possessed. Being told, they had only twelve loaves, an tgg, and a little milk,^° which were prepared for herself and her sisters, our holy abbess repHed, that these should prove sufficient for a great number of persons, through God's bounty. She then required the Sacred Scriptures to be read, so that their corporal necessities
might presently be forgotten. St. Brigid and St. Patrick afterwards partook
of some food, which had been prepared. The quantity of provisions greatly increased, even when their repast concluded. St. Lasrea then offered her place to God and to St. Brigid, for ever. " This account seems to indicate, that previously, it had been a convent and not subject to her jurisdiction.
Our Divine Redeemer " Blessed are the for proclaimed, peace-makers,
they shall be called the children of God. ''^^* While holy Brigid remained at the nunnery of St. Lasara, a certain man, whose wife bore him some un- accountable aversion, came to the virgin. He entreated, that she should employ her pious offices for the restoration of a connubial love, which ought to exist between himself and his companion.
Then, Christ's holy spouse, blessing some water, ordered the man to sprinkle his house with it, in God's name. ^3 This order he obeyed. During the absence of his wife, food and drink,withhisbed,wereaspersedbyhim. Whenshereturnedhome,^*her
Tallagh, and Cathal Maguire treat concern- ing her at the 1 8th of February, and at the 29th of March, in the opinion of Colgan.
"
See "Trias Thaumaturga, n. 21, p. 543.
3 About the year 520, his great-grand- daughter, St. Lasre, flourished, on the borders of Meath and Leinster. She was
a disciple to St. Finnian of Clonard, as may be seen in the twenty-second chapter of his life, and also in the sixteenth chapter of the Life of St. Kieran of Clonmacnoise.
^The Abbate D. Giacomo Certani as- sumes it as established, in his work, "La Santita Prodigiosa. Vita di S. Brigida Ibernese. " Libro Quarto, p. 265. For the use of this very rare work, the writer is in- debted to its learned and courteous owner, Jasper Robert Joly, LLD. , 38 Rathmines, Dublin.
s In an Irish life of our saint, at chapter
In Latin Cella S. Lassaroe. "
f The time and place are thought by Col-
gan to favour such identity.
^
first of these occurs.
9 There are many churches bearing such a
nameinIreland. OneofthesewasinUlster,
xxviii. 6"
diocese of Lismore, in Munster. A third was in Elphin diocese, in the territory Oirecht
Hymainnin; while,afourthwasinthedio- cese of Achonry, and within the territory of Lugny : both these latter being in the pro- vince of Connaught. But, from circumstances of this relation and place, none of the afore- mentioned churches seem to be here alluded to.
'°In Professor O'Looney's Irish Life of St. Brigid, "a sheep" is added to these resources, pp . 25, 26.
"See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " Vita Quarta S. * Brigidae, lib. i,, cap. xlvi. , p. 549. Vita Tertia S. Brigidos, cap. xliv. , p. 531. Ibid.
There are at least fifteen or sixteen holy
virgins, called Lassara, Lassar or Lasrea, in
our Irish maenologies. Marianus Gorman, Abbate D. Giacomo Certani has amplified
the Martyrologies of Tallagh, of Cathal Ma- guire, and of Donegal, name them at the
dates of their respective festivals, which are enumerated at the 6th of January, where the
his narrative of this incident. See " La
Santiti Prodigiosa. Vita di S. Brigida Ibernese. " Libro Quarto, pp. 269 to 272.
**This was at Killassair, according to
during Colgan's time. It was a parish church of Clogher diocese, and situated on the banks of a lake called Lochmacnen. Allusion has been made to in the notices of St. Lassar
it,
of Achadh-foda. There was another in the
'^St. Matt, v. , 9.
'3 In his usual erudite and fanciful manner,
February l] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 79
heart filled with affection towards her husband, while their mutual harmony and love continued so long as they lived. '5 At this time, also, St. Brigid was visited by a certain virgin, descended from the race of Guais or Guas- sius. ^*5 Their district was in Meath, where they were known as the Hi Mac Huais. ^7 This virgin sought alms from every house in the kingdom.
could profit her, for way-side robbers might deprive her of them. Brigid then asked her visitor, if she would receive a girdle, worn by herself, and which should heal several kinds of diseases, prevailing in that part of the country, provided this zone were immersed in water, the name of Christ being also invoked. The virgin'9 received this gift from our saint very thankfully. Taking the girdle, she first went to a certain boy, who was sick, and who was greatly beloved by his parents. The Almighty was pleased to restore him to health, through the instrumentality of this Brigidine relic. =*° That virgin in like manner was enabled to heal many, who were sick, so long as she lived. ^^ According to St. Brigid's prediction, she even received several presents in return for such services. With the gifts thus acquired, she bought lands, giving all the wealth she possessed to the poor. While living a chaste and holy life, she became a distinguished saint. ^* Her name, however, does not appear to have been recorded.
Another time, St. Brigid went into the district of Feara Ross. '3 Having
been requested by some persons, the Abbess visited a king, living in the plain of Breagh,24 that she might obtain a certain man's liberation. This person
had been held as a prisoner by the dynast. Our holy virgin promised a
"
sented to me. '^ The religious told our saint, that neither of these gifts
Brigid said to her :
I will give you either my cloak, or a heifer lately pre-
Professor O'Looney's Irish Life of St, Brigid. An additional incident is added to prove the affection, which the wife evinced for her husband, pp. 27, 28.
'S This miraculous renewal of affection be- tween the parties is related in the sixth metrical life of our saint, with some addi-
'5 This person is said to have been in great misery, before St. Brigid bestowed on her the gift. Professor O'Looney's Irish Life of St. Brigid, pp. 27, 28.
^° This same miracle seems the one alluded to, in the metrical life of our saint ; but, in this life, it is said, that a poor man was the recipient of St. Brigid's girdle.
tional particulars. cludes this narrative
"
T—he foUbwing line con- :
^^ It is in the Sixth stated,
that
Virginis ob meritum Christus firmavit amorem. "
Life,
means of this girdle, many miracles, in favour of the sick and afflicted, had been
—Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " Sexta Vita S. Brigidse, sec. xl. , p. 590.
/«*Thus found in the Third and Fourth Lives of our saint. In a note thereon, post- fixed to the Third
^^ See " Trias Colgan's
writes an emendation, that in the Irish idiom this family should be named the Mac-Huais. This tribe's name they took from an old and respectable stock, descended from Colla Huasius, who is numbered among the Irish kings. See "Trias Thaumaturga," n. 22,
p. 543-
'7 The Abbate D. Giacomo Certani has it
"Ella era d'vna Regione della Media, che allora chiamausi Nac-Hunis, et oggidi vien detta Hi Machunis. "— "La Santita Prodi- giosa. Vita di S. Brigida Ibemese," libro quarto, p. 272.
Life, Colgan
Thaumaturga. " VitaTertia S. Brigidse, cap. xlv. , xlvi. , and Quarta Vita S. Brigidse lib. i. , cap. xlvii. ,
^^This narrative is somewhat
presented in the Lections taken from the Breviary of Aberdeen. See Bishop Forbes'
"Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p. 289.
ments, Copied from Ancient Sources, by Dubhaltach Mac Firbisigh," edited with a translation and notes, by John O'Donovan,
LL. D. , p. 72, n. (b. )
^'^ or
differently
Otherwise, Breaghmhagh,
the great plain of Meath, in which Tara is situated. See " The Irish Version of the Historia Britonum of Nennius," edited with
by
wrought, throughout the districts around Kildare. These miracles are said to have been continued, after it had been brought to the recipient's country. See Sexta Vita S. Brigidse, sec. xxv. , pp. 586, 587.
xlviii. , pp. 531, 549.
^3 Which means "the men of Ross.
"
Pro-
fessor O'Looney's Irish Life of St. Brigid,
pp. 29, 30. This was a tribe and territory, comprising the country around Carrickma*
in the
part of Louth County.
of
Monaghan, and a See "Three Frag-
cross,
County
Bregia,
3o LIVJS. S OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February i.
ransom to him for that captive. But the king would not consent to release
his =^5 He even vowed, this man should be to death on the prisoner. put
same day ; and the utmost concession, our saint could obtain, was a delay of
execution, until the ensuing night. Accompanied by the kindred and friends of that captive, Brigid went at night to the place where he was confined ; andwhilehercompanionsslept,shealoneremainedawake. Thedynast's
friends said to him " O : Unless,
be
to
king, thy captive
this night, no person can deprive him of Hfe on to-morrow, for St. Brigid
will liberate 'him. We have held a council amongst ourselves, resolving to take him away by violence, and to kill him, independently of your wishes.
This course, we trust, will serve to your being considered inculpable. " But
the holy virgin was miraculously admonished, regarding this plot. During the first night-watch, a vision appeared to the chained man. He saw Brigid
"
standing near him, and he heard her pronounce these words :
men are intent on killing thee this night, but when thou art dragged to death,thoushaltoftencallonmebyname. Andwhenthechainshallhave been removed from thy neck, that they may proceed to murder thee, slip away from thy executioners, on the right side, and thou wilt safely escape from them to your friends. " After this announcement, and while the captive remained awake, his executioners came. Removing him without the door of the king's castle, they unbound that chain which confined him. We are told, this man immediately escaped from their hands, and without molesta- tion,hecametoSt. Brigid; hisenemies,meantime,thinkingtheyhadkilled him and had cut off his head. On the following day, however, neither his head nor body could be seen, and this man's enemies were astonished at the result of their search. In the early part of that same day, Brigid sent a messenger to the king, with a true account concerning the transaction. Hearing this, the dynast repented of his evil intentions, and dismissed all inimical thoughts towards the man, on account of that veneration he enter-
^'^
tained for holy Brigid.
One of the holy men, who had been distinguished owing to his virtues in
St. Brigid's time, was Bishop Ere or Ercus of Slane. ='7 He was an early
^'^
convert and a disciple of St. Patrick. This Bishop Erc's immediate progeni-
tors and family lived in Munster ; although, he descended from Fergus Rogius,^9 and the royal line of Ulster kings. 3° His hermitage was at Slane,3^
a translation and notes by Dr. James Hen-
thorn Todd and by the Hon. Algernon
Herbert, p. 124, n. (q. )
^SThe account is more fully given in Ab-
bate D. Giacomo Certani's "La Santiti Prodigiosa. Vita di S. Brigida Ibemese,"
provinces of Ireland, viz. , in Ulster, Con- naught, and Munster.
3ojrrom this line descended St. Brendan
of Birr, St. Caiman, St. Leathan, St. Ere,
bishop, and the holy sisters Criada, Derusia,
and Sincha, daughters of Ernan. According
"
to the
these were near relatives of St. Brendan. In this old record, the several holy persons enumerated are derived from their common progenitor, Corb. See "Trias Thauma-
libro quinto, pp. 354 to 359.
^See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga.
"
Sanctilogic Genealogy," chap. 30,
Vita Quarta S. Brigidae, lib. ii. , cap. xxxix. . p.