No More Learning

*^ A fine woodcut of this bell may be seen,
Ferghus,
I66 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[April 15.
ture life. Being exalted in charity, he was still greater in humility ; he was
renowned for patience, mercy, and other good works. Wherefore, owing to all these virtues, St. Ruadan obtained great honours and rewards, in Heaven, and in the sight of the Omnipotent God and eternal King, Christ Jesus him- self, to whom be honour and glory, for ever and everS' That faulty state of the original evidence, which renders discussions of credibility, and hesitations in the language of the judge, unavoidable, has been complained of by a dis- tinguished modern writer, in a truly magnificent work -p and, we can only re- gret, tha,t the legendary character of St. Ruadan's surviving Acts is lament-
ably inadequate, to satisfy the demands of enlightened curiosity, much less of religious edification.
Article II. —St. Paternus, or Padern, Bishop of Vennes, and Confessor,ofWales,andofBrittany,inFrance. \^FifthatidSixth Centuries^ It was the good fortune of many saints, in the early times, to make happy inroads on prevailing idolatry. The earliest record known of this holy man's Acts is supposed to have been- that, written by John, son of Sulgen, who was bishop of St. David's, in Wales, a. d. 1070. This Life was composed in metre. ' The name of Padarn, Patem, or Pedrwn, was that, by which he was first known, in the vernacular of his native country, and in Wales ; but, it has been Latinized to Paternus. John of Teignmouth wrote the Acts of this saint, in the Fourteenth Century. After him, John Capgrave has written the Life of St. Paternus, bishop and confessor, for the xvti. of the May Kalends, which corresponds with the 1 5th of April. " The Acts of this holy prelate had been prepared for publication, at the present date, by ournationalhagiologist,beforehisdeath. ' TheLifeofSt. Paternus,bishop of Vennes,< is given, in various great collections of holy biographies ; such as, in the Annals of the Cistercian Monks,? in Mabillon,* and in the Gallia Christiana. 7 Nicolas Harpsfeld gives his biography. ^ The BoUandists,' Baillet,'° Roualt," Bishop Challenor," have issued biographical particulars, regarding this holy man. The Rev. Alban Butler '3 inserts his Life, but this account seems to abound in mistakes. The Rev. W. J. Rees has published the Acts of St. Paternus, in Latin,'* with an English translation. '' The Petits Bollandistes '^ and the Rev. S. Baring-Gould,'? have special notices of his fes-
tival, at the 15th of April. 5= See VrUi. , sect. 17, p. 386.
"
55 See George Grote's
Greece," vol. i. , Preface, pp. iv. , v. , London, 1862, 8vo.
' '° Article ii. — See Rev. S. Baring-
Gould's " Lives of the Saints," p. 200.
" See "Nova Legenda Angliae," fol.
cclviii. , cclix. , cclx.
"
Actuum Sane- torum quae MS. habentur, ordine Mensium
et Dierum. "
* By Adrien Baillet, in "Vies des Saints. "
s At pp. 471, 472.
' See "Acta Sanctorum Ordinis S. Bene-
dicti," s:ec ii. , p. 1103.
^ See tome xi. , p, 471.
^ In "llistoria Ecclesiastica Anglicana,"
cap. xxviii.
9 In " Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Aprilis
XV. , De Sancto Paterno Episcopo, Veneti in BritanniaArmorica. Acommentaryinthree
See "Les Vies des Saints," pp. 200 to 202.
3 See Colgan's
Catalc^s
critical hand. The author was
St. Paternus was bom, at Emyr Llydaw, and of sections precedes a Life, taken from John of
Teignmouth, as found among the legends of John Caj^rave, with notes. See pp. 378 to 382.
History of
" to the Rev. Alban Accordir^
Butler, this was published, in 1734, but it stands in
need of a
curate of St. Pair's,
"See"BritanniaSancta,"parti. , April 15, pp. 226, 227.
'3 See " Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs and other principal Saints," vol. iv. , April xv.
'•'See "Lives of the Cambro-British Saints," pp. 188 to 197,
'5 See (&</. , pp. 502 to 514.
"See "Vies des Saints," tome iv. , xv. d'Avril, pp. 412, 413.
' See " Lives of the Saints," vol. iv. , pp. 200to 202.
April 15. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 167
noble parents, in Little Britain, or Brittany, of France. By race, he was an Armorican. His birth took place, about the close of the fifth, or beginning
of the sixth, century. '* His father was called Petranus, according to'John of Teignmouth, while other writers have him named Padarn. »9 His mother is named Guean, Gwen, or Gueana. Their domestic life was particularly edifying. After the birth of their son, whom they named Patem, they parted, by mutual consent, from each other, resolving to consecrate themselves more freely to the love of God. For that purpose, Petranus left Lesser Britain, and went over into Ireland. There, to his dying day, the elder Petranus served his Maker, in watching, in fasting, and in prayer. *" His wife became a holy religious, imitating her husband's great example. Having come to man's estate,Patemusresolvedtofollowhisfather'sexample. Hetookalongwith him divers other pious pilgrims,^' who had the same resolution of dedicating themselves to God, and he sailed over into Great Britain, it is said, in the year 516. ''" It is stated,'^ that after his arrival in Wales, Padam became a member of the College » of St Iltud, or Illtyd. =5 In the Welsh Traids, he is regarded, with Teilo ^* and David,'' as one of the three blessed visitors. At a place, afterwards from him called St. Patern's, and by the Britons, Llan-Pademvaur,"* or the church of the Great Patemus, he founded a reli- gious establishment, which consisted of one hundred and twenty members. "? John of Teignmouth calls the place Mauritania,3° and it was in the northern part of Ceretica, now called Cardiganshire. 3' This monastery he left in charge of an Oeconomus, of a President, and of a Dean. Having thus provided for its government, and bestowing a blessing on the community, Patemus afterwards passed into Ireland, to visit his father. The mutual comfort of both was a result of this visit, and they gave thanks to the Almighty. Through his mediation, Padem reconciled two kings of different provinces inIreland,andwhowereengaged,atthattime,inabloodyconflict. ^' After several houses were burned, prey had been taken, and men were slain, the bishops of Hibemia had an angelic inspiration, that the holy stranger from Britain was most likely to appease the combatants. Accordingly, his ser- vices were sought, and standing between both opposed armies, Padern pleaded
earnestly for peace. His prayers were heard, and a truce was the prelude to a permanent union, between the contending parties. 33 Bidding farewell to his
"Godefrid Henschenn considers he was bom, about the year 490, or a little later. See "Acta Sanctorum. " tomus ii, Aprilis XV. De Sancto Patemo Episcopo, Veneti in Britannia Armorica, Commentarius Pra5vius, num.
Charles Wilkins' " Wales, Past and Pre-
sent," chap, ix. , p. 58.
'' See his Life, at the 1st day of March, in
this work.
"' Sometimes called Llanbadarn Fawr.
See Lewis' " of Topographical Dictionary
3, p. 379. '» See Rev. S.
" Lives ol the Saints," vol. iv. , April 15, p. 200.
vol.
"9 According to the Welsh accounts ; but,
John of Teignmouth swells the number to
847,
*" Ussher remaks: " in quo vocabulo de-
compositoprioraduomembraFanumPa- terni; postremum illud Vaur sive Maur (M enim et Vconsonans in Cambro-Britan- nici lingua permutari inter se notum est) a quo Mauritania nomen de—flexum videri pos- set. Magnum denotat. " "Britannicarum Ecclesiarum
Baring-Gould's
Wales,"
i. , p. 478.
" See Bishop Challenor's " Britannia Sancta," part i. , p. 226.
" According to John of Teignmouth 's ac- count,theincrediblenumberof847monks
accompanied them. ""
See Ussher's Britannicarum Ecclesia-
rum Antiquitates," cap. xiv. , p. 275, and
Index Chronologtcus, p. 526.
°3
By Achan-y-Saint.
•* This was situated, at Lantwit *
"* He founded Llandaff College, alter-
wards converted into a bishopric See Teignmouth.
Glamorganshire. "s See Rev. S.
" Lives of the Saints," vol. iv. , April 15, p. 201.
'» See " Britannia 226.
Baring-Gould's
Sancta," part i. , p.
Major,
in
Antiquitates," cap. xiv. , p. 275. 3> According to William Camden.
3' Such is the account, given by John of
i68 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[April 15.
father, and after spending about a year in Ireland,^* Padam thence returned intoBritain. There,hefoundallhismonks,intheenjoymentofgoodhealth.
Amongothers, one Nymannauc,35orMinonochon,3*who remained, after Padam had left Lesser Britain, could not endure the absence of his beloved master.
He pi-ayed to God, and he was transported beyond the sea, in a miraculous manner, so that he was now ready to salute Patern, on his return from Ire-
land. A rather legendary account is inserted, relating to Mailgunus,37 or
Maelgwn Gwynedd, King of the Northern Britons, who planned an expedi- tion, against the Southern Britons. 3^ He had sent before him two evil-dis-
posed persons, who brought the royal treasures, in a vessel,39 to deposit them withSt. Padam. But,thosemiscreantstookawaythetreasures,andthey sought to cast the robbery on St. Padarn. Then, a trial by cold and hot water^ was ordered, by the king, to detect who had been guilty of falsehood. St. Padarn placed his hand alternately in cold water, and in that heated, without suf- fering any injury; but, when the real thieves faced this trial, they were both scalded to death. On account of the insult offered our saint, the king was
deprived of sight ; however, on becoming penitent, and on asking pardon from Padarn, his vision was restored, and he recovered the use of his mem-
bers. •' The holy man had contracted a most intimate friendship with St. David,BishopofMenevia,andwithSt. Eliud,orTheliau. '*'' Withtheseholy men, also, he is said to have made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and to have
been there consecrated Bishop ;<3 while he received, as a special gift from the "
patriarch, a baculus, or staff," and a Cappa C/wralis,*^ or as otherwise ex-
3* See Ussher's
"
Britannicarum Ecclesia-
"
a tunic. " After his return from Jerusalem, the holy pilgrim held his episcopal See, at that place, which from him was called St. Patem's church. It became the seat of his administration. 'ts It is ascertained, that the last notice of its being an episcopal See occurs in 720. The diocese was then annexed to Menevia, owing to the turbulent character of the people, who killed their bishop, supposed <^ to have been Idnerth.
'" Here, Paternus was eminent in all virtues. But, more especially was he noted, for his pastoral zeal, for his great charity, and for his rigorous mortifications. *^ However, while he was visited by a high potentate named Arthur,*' the latter was
pressed,
3* Such is the calculation of Godefrid Henschenn.
35 Thus is he called, by John of Teign- mouth.
3* In the Breviary of Vannes, he is so named.
3? He was otherwise known as Mailgon, who erected the episcopal See of Bangor, on the Strait of Menai.
*^ See "Britannia Sancta," part i. , p. 227.
** See a much fuller account of this pil- gi image, in the Life of St. David, at the 1st of March, chap. v.
*^ See Charles Wilkins' " Wales, Past and Present," chap, ix. , p. 58.
*' By Humphrey Lloyd.
*' To his memory, there is a monumental
inscription, in the church of Llandewy- Brevi.
<^ See "Britannia Sancta," part i. , p. 227.
rum Antiquitates," cap. xiv. , p. 275.
3' The Latin lias it vasa glarea, which
rather should meansavesselformedofsand —
:
*'This is
it a vessel of glass sand form- British whose we suppose King,
about
ing a compound of the latter manufacture. "' This ordeal was introduced, by the Salian Franks, about the beginning of the
"
Popular Encyclopedia ; or Conversations Lexicon," vol. v. , Art.
fifth century. See
Ordeal, p. 322.
< See the BoUandists' " Acta Sancto- Hocl. See
" Pictorial His- rum," tomus ii. , Aprilis xv. De Sancto Pa- tory of Scotland," vol. i. , chap, iii. , p. 24.
terno Kpiscopo, &c. Vita S. Paterni, cap. i. . num. I, 2, 3, 4, pp. 379, 380.
*' His feast occurs, at the 9th of February. He died, about a. d. 560.
He was a renowned military leader, and his career will be found well investigated, in
to be the celebrated
has been mixed up with a great amount of bardic fiction. This monarch is said to have been chosen as Pendragon or military leader of the Cumbrian Britons, and to have ex- pelled his sovereign, the leeble Huail, or
supposed
reign began
as generally suppossed : but, his memory
James Taylor's
"
i. , book i. , chap, iii. , pp. 152, et seq.
William F. Skene's
Celtic Scotland," vol.
528,
April 15. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 169
seized with a great desire to obtain the gold-woven tunic, or chasuble,5° which Padam had received as a present, and he asked for it. Padarn replied, that it was prepared to grace a cleric, rather than a royal person. Arthur then
left the monastery, in great anger ; yet, he returned once more, to take pos- session of the coveted garment, by force. But, a miracle is recorded to have taken place, which recalled the tyrant to a sense of his duty. On asking pardon from the saint, on his knees, Arthur was rescued from an impending death. 5' About the year 540, it has been stated, that a powerful British King, named Caradoc, or Caradauc,s^ carried his arms into Lsetavia, or Lesser Britain, and he brought its people under his sway. 53 However, only on con- dition, that their countryman St. Padam should be restored to them, would they consent, to become his subjects. Through their ambassadors, this re- quest was conveyed to Caradoc, and he promised to exert his influence, in their favour. A special request was then conveyed to Padern, by King Caraudauc, and the holy missionary returned to his native country. Hav- ing agreed to leave Llanbadam-vawr, in obedience to the royal message ; Padern resolved on returning to Armorica,s* especially as much useful work remained, in that field. He lived at Llanbadam-vawr, according to some authors, one-and-twenty years ;55 during which time, his life was spent in prayers, in tears, and in fasting. Both as an abbot, and as a bishop, our saint is commended, in the writings of Venantius Fortunatus, a Latin poet of Gaul, andsaidtohavebeenhiscontemporary. 5' Diverschurchesandmonasteries were founded, by St. Padam, throughout the whole territory of Ceretica;and,
in these, he placed colonies of monks, withdrawn from his principal estab- lishment,atLlanbadarn. " Hewentaboutthecountry,preachingthefaith of Christ, without fee or reward, and to all ranks of the people. He exer- cised great hospitality, and he loved to attend on the sick. At this time, St. Sampson s^ was bishop over the See of Dol, while he exercised great influ- ence, in Minor Britain. There, our saint had again founded a monastery. While engaged on a visitation of the province, and on coming near this place, St Samson was advised, by one of the monks in his train, to devise a curious test, to prove our saint's humility. But, the monk's presumption andturnforraillerywerepunished,inaremarkablemanner; whilePatern's readyspiritofobediencewasrenderedmanifesttoSt. Sampson. Itwould seem, that St. Patern was then a bishop, and ruling over the See, which St. Sampson declared should thenceforward be free from tribute. Through the influence of the latter, St. Padarn had been made Bishop of Vannes, which then bore the name of Guenet59 While ruling over his monastery, one of Padarn's servants had been killed by robbers ; but, coming to the spot, where the dead body lay, Padarn blessed the corpse, and immediately, the man was restored to life. The robbers served a wicked chief, in that part of the country. However, the latter, becoming alarmed lest the vengeance of God
! ° The Breviary of Vennes thus describes it : "Eburneo baculo tunicaque inconsutili, in qua ipse rem divinam facere solitus erat. "
5' See the Life, published by the Bollan- disU. chap. ii. , num. 5, 6, pp. 380, 381.
year 540 ; and, he gives reasons, for such a supposition,
s'Such an account is found, in the Latin
hexameters of Johannes Sulgenus.
5» See Rev. . S. Baring-Gould's "Lives of
the Saints," vol. iv. , April 15, p. 202.
57 See Lewis' "Topographical Dictionary of Wales," vol. i. , p. 479.
5' His feast occurs, at the 28th of July.
»The Breviary of Vennes tells us, in addition, that he was received there with great applause, by the clergy, by the chiefs and by the people.
5* See Ussher's
"
Britannicanim Ecclesia-
rum Aniiquitates," cap. xiv. , p. 276, and "Index Chonologius, at A. D. DXL. , p. 529.
"This is noticed, in the Breviary of Vennes.
5* Godefrid Henschenn considers, that he remained in Great Britain, until alraut the
I70 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 15.
shouldovertakehimself,pleadedforpardonwithhumility. Thisheobtained from St. Paternus, who prophesied, that he should pass out of life reconciled with God, and that he should deserve to be buried, with great honour, in the cemetery. Here, in Armorica, our saint met with no small disturbance, from the envy of some false brethren ; and, even divers bishops declared them- selves his adversaries. However, his innocence and his patience brought them all to a happy reconciliation with him. *° Still, Padern had fears, that such a state of affars could not last, although a Synod had been convened, and peace had been seemingly established. *' As a consequence, Padern went into the land of the Franks, and among them his days closed. His name is found subscribed, with that of St. Samson, to the Third Council of Paris,*' abouttheyear557. *' Ussherhasdeferredit,toabouta. d. 560. *^Theyear of St. Patern's death is unknown. However, it is supposed to have fallen, about A. D. 560 f^ and, good reasons have been given, for such a conjecture. ** Nevertheless, Albert Le Grand *' has deferred the departure of this saint, to about A. D. 590, yet without citing authority for his statement. *^ The inhabi- tants of Little Britain seem to have observed of old five days, in his honour, viz. , the 15th of April, which was the day of his decease; the i6th of the same month f'^ the 20th of June, which was tlie day he became Bishop ; and the ist of November, which was the day, when peace had been concluded, betweenthesaintandhisadversaries. '" TheTranslationofhisrelics,atthe 2ist of May, is another of his festivals. '' After the departure of our samt, a greatfaminespreadoverLesserBritain; and,forthreewholeyears,neither rain nor dew fell over that province. The people there considered it to have been a punishment visited on them, because he left their land, owing to the in- juries, inflicted by false brethren. They resolved on making a pilgrimage to
*"
See Britannia Sancta," Part i. , p.
Intendens animo caelestia numina toto,
227.
" See Rev. S.
" Lives of the Saints," vol. iv. , April 15, p. 202.
Devovit Christo totum servire sevum.
'^
Ac etiam sanctum mactans crucia- mine corpus,
Semper inexhausto persistens valde labore,
Orans, jejunans, vigilans, lacrymansq; gemensque :
Esuris alimenta simul, nexisque leva- men,
Hospitibus pandens aditum, sitienti- bus haustum,
^grotis curam, nudis miseratus amictum,
Prudens quaeque gerens, perfecit cuncta potenter :
Ac sic lucifluum meruit conscendere
regnum,
Cuncti quo Sancti miro splendore
Baring-Gould's
See "Britannia Sancta," Part i. , p.
per
227.
'^ See Sir Harris Nicolas'
"
Chronol(^
of History," p. 221.
'* See " Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Anti-
quitates,"cap. xiv. , p. 276.
'5 Such is the opinion of Father Godefrid
Henschenn.
" Thus, in the Council of Vennes, in Ar-
morica, summoned about the year 465, by
St. Perpetuus, Bishop of Tours, tliere does not
appear hissignature; aIthough,undoubtedly,
soine other Paternus Episcopus, manifestly of another See, has his name there sub-
scribed.
'' In his work, " De Sanctis Britannise
Armoricse," printed A. D. 1587.
'* The Life of Sulgenrecords, in thefoUow-
ing verses, the age and a panegyric of our
:
— beantur. "
Ussher's " Britannicarum
v. , 48, Antiquitates," cap. p.
Ecclesiarum
and cap.
saint —
xiv. ,
" Huius ad Arctoas locus est, metropo-
lis alta,
Antistes sanctus quo duxit jure Pater-
nus
Egregiam vitam, septenos terque per annos.
Omnia quae mundi sunt vana et lub- rica cernens,
pp. 275, 276.
*« This is assumed to have been the date
for his death, in the Breviaries of Vennes, and in the first edition of the Breviary Corisopiten, with other authorities.
'° See "Britannia Sancta," Part i. , p.
227.
' It is celebrated as a semi-double, with
an otHce.
April 15. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 171
where his relics were preserved, in the country of the Franks. There, they
were granted one of his bones, which could not be removed to their city,
until a high-born inhabitant of Vannes, recollecting a refusal he had given to
the saint while living, now declared, that he should grant a piece of land, to
erect a church on his estate. Wherefore, the relic of holy Paternus was
broughtthither,andachurchwasfoundedinhishonour. Afterwards,this
relicwaspreservedinit, andthepeopleentertainedagreatvenerationfor
their patron. '^ The churches dedicated to this saint, in Great Britain, are
mentionedbyGiraldusCambrensis,73andbyJohnSpeed. '* TheAnglican
Martyrologies of Jerome Porter,'' of Richard Wytford,'* of Michael Alford," and of John Wilson,'* commemorate St. Paternus. The " Circle of the
Seasons" has his festival, at the isth of April" The people ofArmo- rica have deferred the celebration of this holy man's feast, to the following
day.
Article III. —The Sons of Dragen, or Draighen, of Cill-Ro, or KiLL-RoA, NOW KiLROE, CouNTV OF Mayo. {Fifth Century.