No More Learning

Lib. Eccles. de
Raine's " of North
^? History Durham,"
and Anderson's "Diplom. Scotire. " ^^"Origines Parochiales Scotite," pars,
Scotland," Caithness, p. 160.
»' " New Statistical Account of Scot-
land," Ayr, p. 166.
92 "New Statistical Account of Scot-
land," Caithness, p, 160.
93 Robert III. , to Cros- Charter, by
"
93 "New Staiistical Account of Scot-
Letter from Rev. David B. Alulcahy, Lys Marie, Ballynafeigh, Belfast,
Scon, pp. 83, 84.
day
;
Martyrology. Indeed,
raguel," 24th August, 1404.
Charter to
s-*
land," Ayr, p. 499. ^IbiJ. ,^. 170.
Crosraguel. "
'°' The — accoujpanyiiig illustration
giving a side and an end view has been drawn,
by WilUam F. Wakenian, on the wood,
"
902
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 20.
the early English Gothic style, having a nave, porch and tower. We find some notices of the ancient'church of St. Cuthbert at Coldingham,'" in the Martyrology, belonging to the church of Aberdeen. There is a place, in England, called St. Cubert, on the west coast of Cornwall. It has been suggested,'°3 that it may have been named after our saint, the letter / being silent, as in the c^se of Kirkcudbright, in Scotland. Likewise, in the diocese ofBeverly,atMickley,thereisachurchdedicatedtoSt. Cuthbert; asalso
St. Cutbbert's Catholic Church, Maybule, bcutlaod.
one in the diocese of Hexham and Newcastle, at Wigton, at Durham, at
Crook, at Darlington, at Ushaw, at Berwick-on-'i'weed, at Cowpen, at North Shields, and at Prudhoe Hall. *°4 The interesting relic, known as "The Durham Book, St. Cuthbert"s Gospels, or the Lindisfarne Gospels," is said to have been miraculously preserved from the bottom of the sea, and to have remained uninjured in the water,'°5 having been cast up by an extraordinary ebb of the tide at Whithorn, or Candida Casa. The book is yet preserved, in the British Museum, where it is shown to the public, as one of its greatest curiosities, and also as one of the most valuable Manuscripts, in this or in any other country. This book is nearly twelve hundred years old, and we must go back to the Saxon era, in order to relate its history. After St. Cuthbert's death, as some writers state, his successor Egfrith, in 698, de- termined to show some singular respect towards the memory of hi—s distin-
'°^ This he whichshouldoccupythebishopmanyalongyear. TheManuscript,whichwas
guished predecessor.
did, by writing
out the a work Gospels
from pho'o^rnphs furnished by the Rev.
William O'Sliaughuessy, and the engraving is by Mrs. Millard.
"* The foregoing information has been gleaned, from the Ufhcial "Cathohc Direc- tory, Ecclesiasiical Register and Almanack" for England, Wales and Scotland.
'°5 bee "Church of Cre>sy's History
Briltanv," book xxviii. , chap, xix. , p. 760.
"* See Seldeu's " X. " Pne- {scripioris
facio, p. 25.
10.
•'
See Antiquaries
Proceedings of the Society of
of Scotland," vol.
"3 By Rev. David B. Mukahy, of Bally-
in a letter to the dated June 14th, 1878.
mfeigh, Belfast,
writer,
i. , pp. 84, 85.
March 20. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
903
the result of his labours, may vie, in respect of its delicacy in penmanship, and the beauty of its general execution, with any that can be produced. It is written, in a large, bold, uniform hand ; the ink retains all its depth of colour, and the unvarying equality of thickness as to letters is so remark- able, that it seems hardly possible, it was written wirh a common quill. It is in the Latin language, and it contains 258 double-column folio pages, 131^ inches by 9^ inches. It is written throughout, in uncial or initial letters, on carefully glazed vellum. ^Ethelwald, who succeeded Egfrith, clothed this book with a binding of gold and silver, and inlaid it with precious stones. The execution of this was mainly the work of St. Bilfrid,'°7 a pious hermit, and a worker in gold. The initial letters of each Gospel are most remarkable ;
each one of them is of gigantic dimensions, most elegantly ornamented, with an endless variety of patterns. What astonishes most is the quality and perma- nence of its inks and colours. The history of this wonderful book became also a record for the Lindisfarne brethren. About fifty years after the time which has been mentioned, the Danes began to appear off English coasts, when they burned down Lindisfarne monastery, and murdered many ecclesi- astics. Thus compelled to fly, while carrying with them the bones of St. Cuthbert and of other saints, together with their precious volume, the perse- cuted monks wandered about, until at last they settled at Durham. Altera while, St. Cuthbert's gospels were translated into Saxon, the Dano-Saxon, or common language of that day, the translation being beautifully written betweentheLatinlines; and,thiswasdone,abouttheyear950. Fromthis period, some six centuries elapse, before any further account of St. Cuthbert's Book appears. When it again came under observation, it had been despoiled of its noble cover, which probably was stolen, at a time when monas- terieshadbeendissolved. Thisseemstohavebeendone,forsakeotitsgold and jewels. It was then found, in the hands of Robert Bower, Clerk of Parlia- ment, under James I. , and afterwards, it was in the library of Sir Robert Cotton, at Westminster. By him, it was bought, and afterwards, it was trans-
ferred to the British Museum, by Sir John Cotton, along with the remainder of his library. A few years ago, the Museum authorities suggested the idea
of rebinding this book, in something like its original style. The honour of doing so fell into the hands of Edward Maltby, Protestant Bishop of Durham, who spent ;;^ioo on the work. '°^
According to John Bale,'°9 St. Cuthbert is said to have written " Ordina-
and "
Viscount Montaigne, who procured the relic from Sir Robert Hare, to whom Dr. Watson, the last Catholic Bishop of Lincoln, gave it, again presented the ring of St. Cuthbert, containing a sapphire enchased,"^ to Dr. Richard
la the Life of St. Cuthbert, by John of Tinmouth, and aiterwards edited by John Capgrave, the Monastic Institutions of the saint, delivered to his monks, are mentioned. Probably, this is the same book as the one, called " Exhortationes ad Fratres. "'" He is said to have ordained by decree, that no woman should enter his monastery. "^' Lord Anthony
tiones Suae lib. Ecclesise,"
i. ,"°
Prgecepta
Vitge lib. i. Regularis,"
by Dempster,
'"' See his Life, at the 6th of March.
. vocant. " Ceniur. i. , num. Ixxxi. , p. 82,
'»* These
have been extracted from a
lecture, delivered in November, 1867, by
""We find " Fnma appended,
est de Domino. "
'" " See H. irris' Ware, vol. iii. ,
foregoing particulars
text, of a
ill the report
Regula
Writers
of Ireland," book i , chap, iv. , p. 43. *• '""
the Rev. Henry Holden, D. D. , of Durham, on St. Cutiibert's Gospels. " It has bsen noted in a local newspaper of that date, known as the Newcastle Daily Journal.
'"'See "Scriptorum lllusuium Majoris Eritannise, quam nunc Angliam et Scotiam
See John Bale's Scripiorum lUus- trium Majoiis Biitanniae, quam nunc An- gliam et Scoiiam vocant, CaialogUs," cent. i. , num. Ixxxi. , p. 82.
904 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 20.
Smith, Bishop of Chalcedon. Subsequently this was left, in tlie nunnery or English CanonesseSj at Paris. "'* These nuns also possessed a tooth ot St.
Cuthbert,"S saved probably at the time, when his shrine was rifled, in the sixteenth century. Not only by English CathoHcs has St Cuthbert been held in veneration ; but even, English Protestants have manifested respect for liis
instances of which could be adduced in "^ memory, many proof.
While contrasting the controversial and enterprising character of St. Wil-
frid, with the humble and retiring, yet popularly active, missionary life of St- Cuthbert, the Comte de Montalembert remarks, how both, if rivals, regarding a ritualistic observance, were equally anxious to promote the cause of Catholic unity. The Celtic saint, however, was prone to persuade and to console, by his discourses ; he was at once, the pontiff, the priest, the shepherd, the sailor, the agriculturalist of the Northumbrians, comprehending and partaking their occupations, their emotions, and their wants. "7 He taught them virtue, by practising it himself, and truth, by observing it without ceasing, but with a boundless charity. Thus, he acquired a greater veneration from people, princes, lords and prelates, than any other saint of his age and country, while it comes down to our own times, unfading and established.
Article II. —Reputed Festival of Clemens, sometimes called Claudius Clemens Scotus. [Eighth and Ni,th Centuries. '] Many holy and learned Irishmen emigrated to France and Germany, where schools and monasteries were founded by them,^ especially during the times of the great
Emperor Charlemagne,* and of his nephew, Charles II. Those gifted im- migrants contributed very materially to establish religion, civilization and
culture, throughout the European Continent. Walafndus Strabo, Abbot of Reichenau, who flourished about the middle of the ninth century, bears
testimony to those facts. 3 Among the distinguished strangers, that arrived on the Continent, in the eighth century, was Clemens, or Clement, some- times called Clemens Claudius •/> but, it is doubtful if these separate names belong to one and the same person. The name Claude Clement is applied,
by John Bale, to this distinguished man ; and Camerarius enters his festival, at the 5th of March, while Dempsters has produced two persons bearing the name of Claudius Clement, although, in reality one person should be under-
Monk of St. " De Gestis Gall, especially
Caroli Magni," lib. i. Published by Hen-
ricus in "
Canisius, Antiquoe Lectiones,"
tomus ii. , pars. iii. Edition of Basnage.
=>
See, on this subject of Irish literary history, Christopher Anderson's "Native Irish and their Descendants," sect, i. , pp. 9 to 19.
"3See
Challoner's "Britannia Sancta," part i. , March 20, p. 197.
" See
Bishop
Paul Gueriu, " Les Petits Bollandistes, Vies des Saints," &c. , tome
iii. . Mar. xx. , p. 553.
"5 See Rev. Alban Butler's "Lives of
the Fathers, Martyrs and other principal Saints," vol. iii. , March xx. , at St. Cuth- bert.
Mgr.
3 >3ee "De Rebus Ecclesiasticis," cap. "* At University College, Oxford, the 25. Vita S. Galli, lib. i. , cap. i. , and lib.
Masters and Fellows kept a festival on St. Cuthbert's Day. Boswell tells us, because this holy man "was a saint of Durham, with which the College is much connected. " The celebrated Dr. Johnson and his bio- grapher dined with these College autho- rities, on St. Cuthbert's Day, A. D. 1776. See, Boswell's "Life of Samuel Johnson,
tome
Article ii. —' See the Two Books, written by Monachus, Sangallensis, or the
ii. , cap. 46.
* Claudius, a Spaniard, was made bishop
of Turin, by Louis the Pious, in the ninth century, and the Irishman Dungal the Re- cluse wrote against him " Responsa contra perversas Claudii Turonensis Episcopi sen- tentias. " He taught the Sacred scriptures in France, and he is related to have com-
posed various commentaries on tliem. See "
Fleuiy's Ilistoire Ecclesiastiqvie," tome x. , liv. xlviii. , sect. vii.
s See " Hisioria Ecclesiastica Gentis Scotorum,' tomus i. , lib. iii. , num. 242, p.
LL. D. ," vol. ii. , p 445. "7 See "Les Moines
d'Occident," iv. , liv. XV. , chap, i. , pp. 434, 435.
March 20. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 905
stood,^ besides a Clemens, and a St. Clemens. However, according to Sir James Ware,7 Bale is mistaken, by confounding the Irish Clemens, both with
Claude,® another man of great piety and learning, and with Clement, who was Bishop of Auxerre, in France. Such, too, seems to have been the Bol-
landists'opinion,9whenintroducinghiscommemoration. However,Clement,
Bishop of Auxerre, seems to have lived, at an earlier period than the time of
our Irish Clemens. Our national hagiologist, John Colgan, has given us
what he designates as the Acts of Clement, the supposed Irish founder of
the University of Paris ; but, this narrative abounds in mistaken speculations
'°
and other errors,
rities,andtheirimperfectknowledge. ThelearnedMabillon"shows,that Clemens, Bishop of Auxerre, died, about A,D. 738 ; and, hence it is clear, that Colgan's inference is false, when confounding the latter with Clemens
Scotus. " TheItalianwriter,Tiraboschi,institutessomeinquiries,regarding our Clemens, under the name Claudius Clemens. He argues, that Claudius was a distinct person from the Irish Clemens, and he also arrived at the illogical conclusion, that no such person as Clemens existed. How- ever, the anonymous monk of St. Gall'3 has not prefixed the name Claudius to Clemens. Therefore, the argument of Tiraboschi has little torce, against the statement of the Monk of St. Gall. "* We have no account, regarding the parents of this holy and learned man, nor do we know the exact place of his birth ; yet, owing to the term Scotus, so constantly appended to his name, we may rationally infer, that Ireland was the country of his birth. Some ot the Scottish writers,^5 indeed, state, that he was a native of British Scotia. '^ His arrival in France occurred, soon after the Emperor Charle- magne became supreme ruler over that country. This event took place, after the death of his brother Carloman, towards the latter end of 771. Therefore,itisprobable,Clemensarrivedabouttheyear772. '7 Thismaybe inferred, likewise, from the opening narrative of the monk,'" belonging to the
" Sir James Ware and Walter Harris re- fute this identification. See Harris' Ware, vol. iii. , "Writers of Ireland," book i. , chap, vi,, p. 56.
141, num. 303, pp. 175, 176, num. 304, pp. 175 {rccte 177), 176, and num. 307, pp. 177, 178.
* According to Labbe, " De Sciiptoribus Ecclesiasticis. "
'^ Thus is he styled by Mabillon, in "Annalcs Ordinis S. Benedicti," tomus ii. , lib. xx. , sect, liii. , p. 67. At. A. D. 781,
owing to the vague conceptions, suggested by his autho-
? See " De Scriptoribus Hibernise," lib.
i. , cap. v. , p. 4£.
^ Trithemius, in his work, De Viris Muratoii calls him, Monaco di S. GaUo,"
at a time long subsequent, living towards
the close of the eighth, and at the beginnmg
of the ninth, cenluiy. This appears, from the preface to his work " Commentarium in S. Matiheum," in which we find mentioned the Emperor Lewis the Pious, and his ex- pedition against the Normans. See Sir James Ware, " De Scriptoribus Hibernire," lib. i. , cap. v. , p. 41.
sect, iii. , n. 20, p. 218.
'3 Among the. -,e is Buchanan, who also
sets down his travelling companion, Joannes Albinus, as a British Scot, on account of the latter surname. See " Re- rum Scoticarum Historia," lib. v. , rex. Ixv. , p. 150. But, the Monk of St. Gall has it, that those who arrived in France were Scots from Ireland.
Martii xx. Among the pretermitted saints,
p, 7.
"> See " Acta Sanctorum Hibernia;," xx.
tannia atque Hibernia, a VI. ad X. Littera- rum Domilicia," the pretensions of Buchanan are reproved, in connexion with this matter.
"_"
"
Illusiribus Ordinis S. Benedicti," mistakes in Annali di Italia. "
^^ "
him for a disciple of Venerable Bede. See See Rev. Dr. Lanigan's Ecclesiastical
lib. ii. , cap. 28. He flourished, however, History of Ireland," vol. iii,, chap, xx. ,
9 "Acta tomus '° Inaworkof P. "DeBri- See Sanctorum," iii,, J. Murray,
Martii. De S. Clemente prasnomine Clau- Tomus ii. , in N. Commentar. Soc. R.
dio, Universitatis Parisiensis Fundatore, et
to
Gotting.
'' See Rev. Dr. " Ecclesiastical Lanigan's
History of Irela 1. ' vol. iii. , ciiap. xx. ,
sect, ii. , pp. 207, 208.
*^
Episcopo postea Antisiodorensi, pp. 696
704.
" See " Annales Ordinis S. Benedicti,"
tomus ii. , lib. xx. , sect, xivii,, p. 63.
His iiooks on me Acts of Charenia^ne
9o6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 20.
Monastery of Saint Gall, in Switzerland. ^^ He tells us, that when Charle- magne began to reign alone, in the western parts of the world, and when
literature was everywhere almost forgotten, it happened, that two Scots** from Ireland—distinguished as Clemens and Albinus''—came over with some British merchants to the shores of France. =*^ Those accomplished men were incomparably skilled, in human learning, and in the holy Scriptures. 's It is stated, that disturbances at home caused them to leave for Gaul. '* As they produced no merchandise for sale, they used to cry out to the crowds,
flocking
to
purchase :
" If is desirous of wisdom, let him come to anyone us,
and receive it ; for, we have it to sell. " Their reason for saying they had it
for sale was that they perceived the people inclined to deal in saleable
articles, and not to take anything gratuitously, and that thus they might
rouse them to the acquisition of wisdom, as well as of objects, for which they
should give value's As the sequel showed, by speaking in that manner,
they hoped to excite the wonder and astonishment of those persons hearing
them. They repeated this declaration so often, that an account was con-
veyed, either by their admirers, or by those who thought them insane, to the
illustrious King Charles. He being a lover of learning, and very desirous of
wisdom,*^ had the strangers conducted with all expedition before him, and
he asked them, if they truly possessed wisdom, as had been reported to him. ''
They answered, that they did, and that they were ready, in the name of the
Lord, to communicate the gift to such as would seek for it worthily. On in-
quiring from them, what compensation they sliould expect for it, the Irish-
men replied, that they required nothing more than convenient situations,
ingenious minds, and, as being in a foreign country, to be supplied with
sustenance and raiment. Charles had established a school in his own palace, over which Alcuin was placed,'^ and subordinate to him was the Scottish, or
were addressed to Charles the Fat, and therefore these must have l)een written, be- tween A. D. 884 and A. D. 888. He is cited
"
prseceptorem habuerit. "
"See Archbishop Ussher's "Veterum
Epistolarum Hibernicarum Sylloge," Prae- facio.
"^ Colgan contends, that the real name of Albinus was John ; but, Dr. Lanigan throws out a conjecture, that it may have been the Latinized form of his original Irish name,
"
ano- nymus Sancti Galli monachus," in " Annales Ordinis S. Benedicti," tomus ii. , lib. xx. ,
by Mabillon, under the designation
sect, liii. , p. 67.
»» Melchior Goldast and Archbishop
Usher have supposed, he was the celebrated Noiker Balbulus.
'° In Du Chesne's " Rerum Franciarum Scriptores," their names are omitted, in the Monk of St. Gall's work, as edited, and they are wanting in various Manuscripts. Vincentius Bellovacensis and others call one of them by tiie name of John, but they probal)ly thought John —Scotus Erigina—who lived many years later was the travelling
Ecde- siastical History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap.
companion
of Clemens. See Rev. Dr.
^See L. P. "Histoire de Anquetil's
Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical History of Ire-
land," vol. iii. , chap, xx. , sect, ii. , n. 9, pp.
209, 210. Muratori observes, that the
name of Clemens' travelling companion is
not exactly known. See "Ann. li di "
Italia," at A. D. 781, as also Antiquitates Italicx Medii iEvi," tomus iii. Dissert.
43.
France," Deuxieme Race dite dcsCarlovin-
giens, pp. 62, 63.
"^ Tiraboschi denies, that such persons
were in existence, and he treats the whole
*'
account as a fable. See Storia dclla
Letteratura Italiana," tom. iii. , lib. iii. , cap. i. However, Dr. Lanigan very lucidly shows, how unfounded were his grounds for such a supposition. See " Ecclesiastical
History of Ireland," vol.