turalists,
answering
to the description of the ' sea serpent,' it must be closely allied to the Plesiosaurus.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v5
, sect, vii.
, and n.
103, pp.
29, 34.
5' In the Prose Life of St. Brandon, edited by Thomas Wright for the Percy Society, we read, that when twelve monks entered " into the shyppe, there came other two of his monkes, and prayed hym that they myght sayle with hym. "—Vol. xiv,, pp. 37» 38.
S' See his Life, at the 15th of Novem- ber.
53 See Archbishop Ussher's " Britan-
nicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates," cap. xiv. , p. 277.
54 An account of this voyage, in blank verse, will be found in Rev. John Adam's " St. Malo's Quest and other Poems. "
ss The Petits Bollandistes have it, "depeii- dante du diocese de Contances au moins jusqu'auxv^ Siecle. "—"Vies des Saints," tome v. ,xvi^ Jourde Mai, p. 557, n. 4.
56 Under these circumstances, we may well imagine, the poetic thought—afterwards so happily expressed by Thomas Moore, Ire- land's|illustrious bard—often filled the mind of the holy man :
" And, as I watch the line of light, that plays
Along the smooth wave tow'rd the burning west,
I long to tread that golden path of rays,
And think 't would lead to some bright isle of rest. "
—" Irish Melodies. "
=7 See Most Rev. Patrick F. Moran's
"ActaSancti Brendani," Navigatio Sancti Brendani, cap. ii. , pp. 89 to 91.
^s See that most exquisitely written narra- ive, "Washington Irving's History of the Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus,
415
4i6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May i6.
when leaving vast tracts of ocean behind them. They knew not to what part of the world the vessel bore them. Fifteen days their plea- sant course holds on ; but, a calm next succeeds, and this lasts for a month. Every evening they took some food ; forty days had elapsed, and theirprovisionswereexhausted. ^ Then,northwards,anislandappearedto them, and crowned with towering rocks. From the midst of this island, many streams ran down to the sea. The brethren, exhausted with hunger and thirst, wished, even before they found a landing place, to dip up water. Brendan said : " Beware, brethren, what you would do must lead to madness. God has not deigned to show you the port, and yet you desire to steal. In three days, our Lord will show a spot, where we may land, and where the wearied shall regain tlieir strength. " For three days they coasted around the island,andonthethirdday,theydisembarkedinasmallport. Rockssteep as a wall, and of great lieight, were on either side. In this fanciful account, scenes of beauty and of horror are painted with great versatility, force, and spirit, as they succeed ; and, few modern compositions equal in vigour of conception, and power of description, those weird images and bold adven- tures, connected with this early ocean navigation.
It has been supposed, by several modern writers on this subject, that St. Brendan and his companions went, in a south-westerly direction, past the Pillars of Hercules, beyond which the mariners of antiquity dared not go. After a long and rough voyage, the adventurers at length came to summer seas, where they were carried along for manyaday, without the aid of sail oroar. Having landed, at length, Brendan blessed the port, and commanding his brethren to remove none of the effects from their ship, they began to explore that newly-discovered country. As they were walking along the sea-shore, a dog trotting down a path came to Brendan's feet. The saint then ordered his monks to follow it, as their guide. In obedience to such direction, they entered a town, where they found a great hall, with beds and seats, and water to wash their feet. And, while they rested, the man of God warned them, saying : " Take care, lest Satan lead you into temptation ; for, I see that, at this moment, he instigates one of you three, who followed us from the monas- tery, to a shameful theft. Pray for his soul, for his flesh has already been deliveredtothepowerofSatan. " Now,thathouse,wheretheywere,wasfull of vessels, hanging by the wall, and all of different metals; there were, too, bits and horns, mounted with silver. Then Brendan, speaking to his servants, added: " Let us eat the meats, which our Lord has prepared for us. " In obedience to his order, they sat down at a table, which was covered with a cloth of wonderful whiteness, and on it were set several loaves and fishes. When all things were ready for the meal, St. Brendan blessed the table and the monks, saying : " Bless ye the Lord of Heaven, who giveth food to all mortals. " The brothers were thus refreshed, and they gave praise to God. In like manner, a sufficiency of drink was provided for them. Nought was wanting at their board. As recommended by their superior, then rising, they all went to their beds, which were ready, to rest after their great hardships.
Book iii. , chap, ii. , iii. , iv.
59 It seems strange, that in a work, edited
for the Ilakluyt Society, by R. H. Major,
F. S. A. , only ashght allusion is made to the
voyage of St. Brendan, in the Introduction, at
p. xxvi. , and which book is not devoid of con-
siderable research, in reference to the early
voyages to America. This notice is found,
prefixed to " Select Letters of Christopher
Columbi;^, with other original Documents, vol. xxxix. , No. ccxlviii. The Anglor relating to his four voyages to the New Norman Trouveres, p. 80S.
World. " London, 1S70, Svo, Second Edi- tion.
^ This consideration spread a sadnes^ over the crew, but
" Not unforgotten arc their means, God still is nigh his faithful ones. "
—Blackwood's "Edinburgh Magazine,'*
—
May 1 6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 417
But, while they slept, Brendan saw a child, black as an Ethiop, holding a bit, and playing before the unfortunate brother, in whose eyes he made it glitter. 'J'he saint arose, and he passed that night in prayer till day. ^' When morning dawned, the monks rose as usual, to give praise to the Almighty, and after- wards to regain their ship. Once more, the table was found furnished, as on the day preceding ; and thus, for three days and for three nights, the Lord preparedfoodforhisservants. There,too,forthreewholedays,bytheDivine will, they rested on that isle. Then they returned to their ship, when Bren- dan said : " See, brethren, doth not one of you carry off something from here ? " " God forbid," they replied, " that a robbery should dishonour our voyage. " "Then,"saidSt. Brendan,"behold,ourbrother,whomIwarned yestereve, has now in his robe a silver bit, that the devil gave him this
night. " The brother instantly flung that bit en the ground, and fell at the feet of the man of God, crying : " Father, I have sinned : pardon ! pray for the salvation of my soul. " And, at the same moment, all fell down to pray for their brother's salvation. Rising up, they saw the wretched Ethiop escape from the guilty man's bosom, howling and crying : " Why drive me, O man of God, from my abode, where for seven years I have dwelt, and thus expel me from my inheritance. ^^ Brendan immediately turned to the brother, and said: " Receive promptly tlie Body and Blood of Christ, for thy soul is about to leave thy body, and this is the place of thy burial. But, thy brother, who came with you from the monastery, shall find his place of sepulture in hell. " Whereupon, that penitent monk received Holy Eucharist, and his soul de- parted ; but, it was received by Angel? , in the sight of the other monks. His bodywasthenburied. Also,St. Brendanhadorderedtheexpulseddemon,in God's name, to hurt no person, until the Day of General Judgment.
Afterwards, with their holy Abbot, his monks went to where their ship lay, on theshoreofthatIsland. Theywerere-embarking,whenayoungmancame withabasketofbreadandajarofwater. "Receive,"hesaid,"thisofferingof thy servant, you have a long way to go ; the bread and water will not fail you until Pentecost. " Having a blessing pronounced on their future course over the ocean, they set out, and sailed, eating every second day. Then their ship was borne through different parts on the wide expanse of water, until coming to an island,^3 with a favourable wind, so that they were not tried beyond their strength, by using oars, when reaching land. ^* As the port had been found, their ship stood for it under sail, and having reached it, the servant of God commanded his crew to leave their vessel. He was the last to quit it.
On getting ashore, they saw waters, which, coming from different fountains, formed a large current, full of fish; and, traversing' the Island, they found flocks of sheep, all white, and so numerous, that they could be seen far off from the land. Brendan told them to take one and to celebrate the feast ; for, it was now approaching the Easter festival ; and that sheep taken followed like a domestic animal. It was brought to the saint ; and, by his order, a spot- less lamb was also secured. When his monks had fulfilled these directions, they prepared all things for the morning's celebration. At the same time, a
*' See L. Tachet de Barnevai's "His- 'Cheles! Brandan, par quel raisun toire Legendaire de I'lrlande," chap, xxiii. , Gettes-mei fors dc maisun? '"
pp. 255, 256.
*^ In the old French version of "Les —See 11. 341 to 344, p. 17.
Voyages Merveilleux de Saint Brandan a la Recherche du Paradis Terrestre," we find the following account :
- ' Devant trestuz tuz veables Eisit criant li diables :
*3 See L. Tachet de Barnevai's " Histoire Legendaire de i'lrlande," chap, xxiii. , pp. 256, 257.
^'' See Most Rev. Patrick F. Moran's "Acta Sancti Brendani," Navigatio Sancti Brendani, cap, iii. , pp. 92 to 95.
1D
said to St. Brendan : "Your ship cannot hold more
celebratetheSabbath. However,onto-morrow,youshallgointotheIsland which you see ; there, the Lord wishes you to celebrate tlie day of his Resur- rection. After eight days, I shall give you food and drink, wherewith to supply your wants until Pentecost. " Then said God's servant to him : "How shall it be known, according to thy promise, where we may be in eight days? " The stranger replied : "This night you shall land on the Island, which is near, and remain there to-morrow, until the sixth hour. After the day of the Resurrection of our Lord, you shall sail towards another Island, lying to the west ; it is called the Paradise of Birds; there you shall rest until the Octave ofWhitSunday. " OnthatIslandweresheeptobeseenlargerthanoxen; and Brendan asked the man the cause for their unusual size. ^s He replied : "No person milks the sheep in this Island; nor is there a wintry cold, to stunt their growth ; but, they always live in pastures, so that the sheep are larger here than in your country. " Giving and receiving mutual benedic- tions, Brendan and his companions went on board their vessel.
Again the ship was steered towards that supposed land which was next seen, but il was found difficult to meet with a port for entrance. There- fore, the saint desired his monks to descend into the sea, and to hold the ship on her course at either side, with cables, until they should find a landing place; for, that island was unfurnished with herbage and trees, nor was sand to be seen, along the margin of its shores. The Abbot Brendan had a foreknowledge of the object, there presented to their view, and he remained in the vessel alone, while his com- panions were without ; nor would he inform them about what he knew, lest they should become terrified. The next morning, while Brendan sang his hymns of ])raise in the vessel, he commanded the priests who were present to celebrateMass. Themonksnextdrewtherawmeatandfishes,obtainedin the other Island, from their ship ; these were placed on the shore of the sup- posed land, and cauldrons were prepared for cooking. No sooner had wood been placed under them, and fire applied, than that strange land seemed moving like a wave. The monks in terror ran towards their vessel, beseeching the protection of their father Abbot. He extended his hands to each of them
;
they were brought on board, but all other matters were left on the floating island, and it soon disappeared beneath the ocean. And now,'the crew be- heldabouttwomilesdistantfromthemagreatfire. Brendansaid,"Brothers,
*s " Sliecp with fleece of snowy wliite, And much they marvelled at their
height,
For each one was as large to see As are the stags of our countree. "
—Blackwood's "Edinburgh M-igazine,"
** In the Manuscript, "Le Voyage de St. Brandan," Cottonian Library, Vespasian, B. x. , this monster iscailed "beste :"
" N'est pas terre, ainz est beste U nus feimes noslre festc. "
vol. xxxix. , No. ccxlviii. The Anglo- In " Paradise Lost," Milton also uses the Norman Trouvcres, p. 808. term "sea-beast. "
;
but, here you are going to
—
4iS LIVES OF 2HE IRISH SAINTS. [May i6.
man appeared, holding a basket full of loaves, cooked under the ashes. He had also brought other viands, and whatever was necessary to celebrate Easter, and he laid all at the feet of the man of God, saying in tears : " How is it given as a reward to me, O pearl of God, that you should be refreshed forthreedays,throughthelabourofmyhands. " Heprostratedhimselfon the earth three different times. Then, Brendan embraced on raising him up, and replied : " Son, our Lord Jesus Christ provides for us a place, where we may celebrate His Holy Resurrection. " When these words were spoken, the man proceeded to prepare all things requisite, for the use of God's servants on the following day. Having brought necessaries to the ship, the stranger
May i6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 419
have you been astonished, at wliat has become of that island ? " They all cried out : " Indeed, father, we greatly wonder, and an awful trembling hath seized on us. " Their Abbot then answered : " My dear children, be not ter- rified ; for the Almighty hath revealed to me, last night, the meaning of this mystery. Youwerenotstandingonanisland,butonafish,^^thelargestof all swimming in the ocean ; and it tries in vain, to join its head with its tail, but it cannot do so, because of its extraordinary length. Now, Jasconius^^ js the name it bears. " The imaginary sea-monster of this adventure will probably recall to thereader's memorystories yetcurrent of the traditional Irish Peistha,^^ or Water Dragon, and of the Kraken,''^ supposed to rise or swim, over deep soundings. The great sea-serpent 7° is another form of supposed marine existence,? ^ and of which specimens are said to have appeared, at various times ;72 but, while there is no valid reason for doubting, that such gigantic creatures might exist,73 few scientists have ventured to suppose, they can be more than from one hundred to one hundred and fifty feet in length. ^'^ Naturalists have a conviction, that the existence of these monstrous animals, popularly believed for centuries to have had a place in creation, will be one (lay proved beyond doubt ;75 and, not only several credible and trustworthy
narratives of sea voyagers are in evidence, to sustain the earlier Arctic and
^^ The English Metrical Life reads Jascom. Agassiz writes : —'* If there exists any See Thomas Wright's " St. Brandan : A animal in our waters not yet known to na-
Mediasval Legend of the Sea," in English Verse and Prose, p. 8. Another MS. reads Jastoyn. See n. p. 59, ibid.
^^ This monster is stated to be enchanted, at the bottom of nearly all the Irish lakes, and to be seen occasionally beneath their waters.
*9 An account of this amazing animal is given by Bishop Fontoppidan, in his Natural History of Norway. Its back is stated to be covered by rugged excrescences, and it is said to be an English mile and a-half in cir- cumference ; while a mane waves over the back, as it advances through the water, and it is supposed to be of a crab-like mo—del.
:
'° In 1848 Professor Owen wrote "The
creative powers of the human mind appear to be really very limited, and on all occa- sions when the true source of the great un- known has been detected, whether it has proved to be a file of sportive porpoises or a pair of gigantic sharks, old Pontoppidan's sea-serpent with the mane has uniformly suggested itself as the representative of the portent, until the mystery has been unra- velled. "
7' Small sea-serpents, about five feet long, are well known in tropical and sub-tropical seas. If all the collected accounts of the dif- ferent appearances of a gigantic sea-serpent are compared, they all so differ among them- selves, that it is evident divers people and witnesses saw different things. By some naturalists, it has been thought, there are at least two species of a larger creature Jtyled Eremotherium, one of these being in the northern and the other in the southern ocean.
turalists, answering to the description of the ' sea serpent,' it must be closely allied to the Plesiosaurus. The occurrence in the fresh waters of North America of a fish, the Lep- idosteus, which is closely allied to the fossil fishes found with the Plesiosaurus in the Jurassic beds, renders such a supposition probable. "
"In the year 1875, the daily press in these Islands gave a report sent from Zanzi- bar of an encounter between the sea serpent and a whale, seen by those on board the Pauline, when off the coast of Brazil. A drawing of the encounter, representing the sea-serpent coiled round the whale was sent
England. However, Mr. Frank Buck- land in noticing this account said, that he be- lieves the coils of that supposed sea- serpent round the whale were nothing more nor less than the airms of a large octopus, or one of its near relations. Since Mr. Buck- land's note appeared, an illustrated paper has published a woodcut of the encounter between the serpent and the whale, drawn by a naval chaplain at Zanzibar, from the description of those who saw it, and who affirmed that the drawing was a correct re- presentation.
? •• Quiteremovedfromaloveforthemar- vellous, which so many persons share, few of those, acquainted with the strange forms of extinct animal life the palaeontologist has made known to us, doubt that they rnay exist ; to the physiologist there are no diffi- culties in understanding, how gigantic ser- pent-shaped fish might live, at depths of the sea, and yet be rarely seen.
75 To the present time, however, nothing has been seen to prove their existence ; and, lished in 1871, the American Professor all the researches of scientific men have
7" In his "Geological Researches," pub-
to
420 LI V£6 OF THE UU3H SAINTS. [May 1 6.
North American traditions,'^ but, we have even pictorial representations of the sea-serpent,77 which exhibit it, in various extraordinary shapes,'^ although allowance must be made for imperfect observation and for much consequent exaggeration. Some naturalists believe, that the monsters described as such were only specimens of the octopus or of the phoca proboscia,79 if they were n. ot large whales. ^°
The vessel of our Irish voyagers, after that adventure, began to sail once more; and, for three days, it drifted towards that Island they had so lately left. When they had turned one of its headlands, towards the west, another Island was observed, with only a narrow strait intervening. That Island was covered with grass, flowers, and trees. Towards it, the crew sailed to find a port. ^' While sailing southwards of tiiis latter Island, the voyagers saw a small rivulet, just the width of their bark, running into the sea, and at its opening they landed. Disembarking, the holy superior ordered his monks to pull the vessel with ropes against the current of the river. He remained on board. When they had thus tugged for about a mile, they came to a remarkable foun- tain. Over its waters grew a large tree, not so wonderful on account of its height, as for its great spreading branches, on which had perched a vast number of white and beautiful birds,^^ so that the branches and leaves could
failed to discover any remains of such a crea- ture, or to obtain any satisfactory informa- tion as to the size, proportions, appearance, or habits, of the sea-serpent.
'* On the iSlh of March, 1874, a paper was read on " Evidence for and against Existence of the so-called Sea-serpent," by Dr. Samuel Kneeland, at a meeting of the Boston Society of Natural History, and it was published in the proceedings of that learned body. There, he gives numerous references to its appearance in Europe and America. Restates, that this animal could not be referred to fishes, nor to serpents, nor to any described form of living reptiles or mammals, and he drew attention, likewise, tothefact,thatmanyearlygeologicaltypes had been transmitted to the present time, with or without interruption—such as the cestracion, lepidosteus, chimsera, percopsis, lingula, etc.
^^ In 1811, in the first volume of the Wer- nerian Society's Transactions, ji. 41S, there is an account of an animal 56 f^eet long, which was cast ashore on the Island of Stronsa, one of the Orkney Islands, a. d. 1808. The drawing which is given, based on the affi- davits of people who saw it, represents the animal with six legs and a serpent-like body. Portions of the animal were preserved and sent to the museum at Edinburgh ; but those points of interest, which make the creature a "sea-serpent," rest only on the statements of people made from memory. Again, in the " Monthly Magazine" for 1818,
counts of the sea-serpent's appearances, but with great diversity of description. See vol. vi.
7* A singularly-looking monster, rearing up mast-high and spouting water, makes an effective picture, as drawn by Hans Egede.
'' Such is the conclusion arrived at, by Professor Owen, in October, 1S48, when there appeared in the " Illustrated London News" some drawings of the great sea-ser- pent as seen by the crew of the Dsedalus, Cap- tain M'Quhoe. There was a carefully exe- cuted drawing, on an enlarged scale, repre- senting the head and neck of the animal and this, together with the rlescription given byCaptainM'Quhoe,ledProfessorOwento the conclusion, that a seal's head approached more nearly to the description than any other. None of the men of the Daedalus saw any portion of the body, except about four feet of the neck raised out of water. The length of the body in the water was only guessed at ; but, Professor Owen holds, that if what the men of the Dxdalus saw was really a serpent, then their description and drawing must be inaccurate. The creature seen by that crew, it is assumed, was evi- dently an air-breather
;
there is notice of the Scoliophis Atlanticus,
which was killed on the shore, but there is
no proof it was marine ; however, it was
only between five and six feet long, and it is
a pure assumption, to call it the young of
the great sea-serpent. In the Naturalists'
Library, published A. D. 1843, Sir William scribe the ' Island of Sheep," and the
*^ "Some of the Arabian geographers de- Jardine has produced various collected ac- ' Island of Birds,' in the Western Ocean, in
wherefore, it would make an effort to dive, and its carcase when dead should float ; yet, never has a trace of
any part of the body been found.
*" It is almost universally admitted, that
widely spread popular beliefs in natural his- tory—especially when professing to rest upon credible testimony—have generally some portion of scientific truth for their basis.
•*= See Most Rev. Patrick F. Moran's " Acta vSancti Brendani," Navigatio Sancli Brendani, cap. iv. , pp. 95 1097.
;
May 1 6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 421
scarcely be seen. Then said the holy father: "Behold, brothers, the Lord hath given us a place for remaining, until His Holy Resurrection," and he added : " If we had no other provision, I believe this fountain should suffice for our food and drink. " He then began to consider, wherefore or how it was, that such a multitude of birds could have been collected together, in the same place. Moved with some deep feeling and in tears, Brendan fell upon hiskneescryingout ''OLord,therevealerofthingsknownandunknown,
:
thouknowesttheanxietyofmyheart; wherefore,I,asinner,entreatoftheeto
reveal such a secret, through tliy great mercy, as thou hast given to my sight so : great a vision. This grace I dare not ask, because of any merits I possess, but - solelyIpresumeit, throughthyclemency. " Whenthesewordswereprb- - nounced, one of the birds flew from the tree towards the ship, where the
servant of God remained, and the motion of his vings sounded like a little cymbal. Whenhealightedonthetopoftheprow,hiswingswereexpanded in token of joy, and with a pleased look, the bird regarded St, Brendan. This holy man, understanding that the Lord had heard his prayer, then said to the bird: "If thou art one of God's messengers, tell me whence come those birds, or why is there such a number of them here ? " The bird immediately spoke:^3 "We are of that ruin caused by the old enemy; yet, not by sinning, nor by full consent, have we fallen ; but, where we have been created, owing to the fall of that wicked one and with his satellites, our ruin has happened. ^* But, the Omnipotent God, who is just and true in his decrees, hath sent us to this place. We do not endure pains. In part, we enjoy the presence of God ; he has, however, separated us from the companionship of those who remained faithful. We wander through different parts of this world, through air, earth, and space, as other spirits do. But, on Sundays and Festive days we receive such bodies as you behold us in, and through Almighty dispensa- tion here we dwell, and praise our Creator. You and your brethren have now journeyed a year, while six years yet remain for your course. And, wliere to-day you have celebrated the Easter, there every other year you shall observe it. Afterwards, you shall find that, which is so dear to your hearts, namely, The Land of Promise of the Saints," When that bird spoke these words, he flew from the ship's prow, and returned towards the other birds. Another wonder is to be added. When even-tide approached, all the birds be- gan to clap their wings, and they burst forth into a chorus of song, thus warb- ling : " Te decet hymnus Deus in Syon, et tibi reddetur votum in Jherusa-
^ lem. " And always they repeated this verse each hour. ; while, the modulation of their notes, and the sound of the wings, produced a delightful harmony. . Then, St. Brendan said to his monks : "Refresh your bodies, since on this day, your souls have been filled with a Divine revelation. " Having taken
words which must have been taken from our Christian Legend. "—Thomas Wright's "St. Brandon: A Medieval Legend of the Sea," in English Verse and Prose, Preface, p. V.
^^ From Blackwood's "Edinburgh Maga- zine," vol. xxxix. , No. ccxlviii. , iu the Anglo- Norman Trouveres, p. S09, we have this pas- sage versified :
"Then sang the bird, 'Erst we were high
In power and glory in the sky,
For angels were we, but we fell When pride drove Sathanas to hell : For we his vassals were, and driven
Thus for his surquedie from Hea- ven—
Now exiled for a space to stay
Upon this island, till the day
That shall restore us to the skies, For we are birds of Paradise,
But ye have much,' said he, ' to do And bear ere Paradise ye view,
And six years' toils must suffer still, Rocked by the winds and waves at
will;
And aye each year your Pasch shall
keep
Upon some monster of the deep. ' "
^' This is not a literal translation, but it
422
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May i6.
supper, and discharged the duties of their Divine Ofifice, the servant of God, and those who were with him, retired to rest, until the third watch of the night. Then rising, the man of God aroused his brethren for the nightly virgil, and they began with this versicle : " Domine, labia mea aperies. " Having finished the sentence, all the birds with throats and wings responded : " Laudate Dominum omnes Angeli ejus, laudate eum omnes Virtutes ejus. " Inlikemanner,atVespers,theyunceasinglysangforafullhour; andwhen the morning dawned, they began to sing, " Et sit splendor Domini Dei nostri super nos," with modulation equally ravishing, and with measured intonation, as when singing Matins. In like manner, at the Tierce, this verse was given : " Psallite Deo nostro, psallite, psallite regi nostro, psallite sapienter. " At Sext, they sung : " liluminavit Dominus vultum suum super nos, et miserea- tur nostri. " At None, they sang : " Ecce quam bonum et quam jocundum habitare fratres in unum. " So day and night did those birds sing God's praises. Wherefore, holy Brendan, on hearing and seeing this, blessed the Almighty, for all his wonderful works.
During the Octave of that Easter Festival, and while they remained, his brothers were refreshed with spiritual food. This time having elapsed, the blessed Abbot said : " Let us take our portion from tliis foun- tain ; for, until now, there was no need to wash our hands or feet. " When he had thus spoken ; behold, that man, with whom they had been three days before the Pasch, came to them, having his ship filled with food and drink for their use. Removing these things and placing them before the holy father, that man of God said : "Men and brothers, see here what is sufficient for you, to the time of Pentecost ; but, drink not from this fountain, for only the strong can drink, as the nature of it is to cause sleep during four-and- twenty hours, on whosoever shall taste its waters. While it flows from the fountain, however, it has the taste and properties of water. " Saying these words, he obtained St. Brendan's blessing, and then he returned to his own place. There, the holy Abbot and his monks remained until Pentecost; for, the music of its birds had greatly charmed them. When that feast had come, and when the voyagers were preparing to celebrate the holy Mass, their venerable procurator once more appeared, and bearing with him all things that were necessary for this great solemnity. When tliey sat down to dinner in com- pany, that same man said to the rest: " Brothers, a great journey is before you. Take from this fountain your vessels filled with water, and hard bis cuits, which shall last you for another year, and I shall give you so much pro-
visions, as your vessel can carry. " When this had been accomplished, receiving a benediction, that stranger returned. Eight days having elapsed, Brendan commanded his monks to load their vessel with all the stranger had given them, and to fill their vessels at the fountain. Having brought all those matters to the shore, the bird again flew towards them, and it alighted on the prow of their ship. The blessed superior, wishing once more to know what it had to reveal, heard the following words, as if emitted by the human voice: "With us, you have celebrated the Holy Eastertide this year, and you shall keep it with us, on the succeeding year. And, wliere you were celebrating the Festival of our Lord's Supper the past year, there, on the same occasion, shall you be tlie year to come. In like manner, you shall celebrate the night of our Lord with the Easter, where you have always kept it, on the back of the monster Jascon, and after eight months shall you find Ailbey's ^5 Island. " There you shall celebrate the Nativity of our Lord. "
appears to us, as conveying the meaning of the writer.
*5 In the old French version, it is called the Isle of Albeu or Albeus. See "Les
Voyages Mcrvcilleux ile Saint Drandan a la Recherche du I'aradis Terrcslre, edited by Francisque- Michel, 11. 6i8, 721, 729, 785,
S77, pp. 30, 35, 36, 38, 43.
*^ See Most Rev. Patrick F. Moran's "Acta Sancti Biendani," Navigatio Sancti Brendani, cap. v. , pp. 98 to loi.
**' This was the Isle, dedicated to " Saint Albeu li pelerin. " according to "Les Voy- ages Merveilleux de Saint Brandan a la Recherche du Paradis Terrestre," edited by Francisque-Michel, I. 721, p. 35. Although, the writer of an article on The Anglo- Norman 'J'rouveres thinks the author of "Le Voyage de St. Brandan," taken from the Cotton Library, Vespasian B. x. , to have been an Englishman, on very slender grounds; yet,headmitstheimprobabilityof St. Albaii, the Protomartyr of England, being identical with St. Albeu or Albeus, who was indeed a well-known Irish saint.
He was called a pilgrim, on account of his desire, to seek a desert island out in the ocean, and therefore, it was meet that he should be selected as the patron of that found in St. Brandan's romantic voyage.
^^ In Blackwood's "Edinburgh Maga- zine," vol. xxxix. , No. ccxlviii. , this passage we find rendered in English verse :
But faint were they, blithe they go
To slake their thirst. * No, brothers. no,'
Brandan out cried, ' first seek and know
If this strange spring be wholesome drink. '
Affright they hastened from the brink,
Tho' sorely pained with thirst ;— then nigh
An old nian came, and when his eye
Glanced on St. Brandan, and he saw
The holy freres, with mickle awe
He prostrate fell, and kissed the
hand
Of the abbot, who now bade him
stand.
And soothly tell by word or sign Where were they. Well could he
divine.
Although he spoke not what was
said,
And joyfully and swiftly led
The abbot and his companie,
With care and ail huniilitie.
Unto an abbey fair and good (Beneath the moon none holier
stood). "
-The Anglo-Norman Trouveres, p. 810.
•' When lo spring,
!
they found a wond'rous
From whence two springs their waters fling;
The one was foul, the other bright Much gazed the faith ul at the
sight,
——
May 1 6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
Having thus spoken, the stranger left them, for his own place. ^^ Soon, the sails were spread, and they began to move out on the ocean. All the crew heard the birds chaunting, as if with one voice : " Exaudi nos Deus salutaris noster, spes omnium finium tcrrae et in mari longe. "
After Whit Sunday, they sailed for three months, seeing nothing but sea and sky;onlyeatingonce,everytwoorthreedays. Then,theydescriedanlsland;^^ but, the wind blowing in one direction, for forty days they sailed around it, with- out being able to find a port. In tears, they entreated the Almighty, that he might come to their aid. Thus, persevering for three days, in prayer and fast- ing, relief was at length afforded them, for they felt both wearied and weak. At last, they found a port, but it was very narrow, and so as to give room only foronevessel. Twofountainswerethere,onewasturbid,andtheotherwas limpid and clear. ^^ As the brethren hastened to draw water, the saint stopped them, saying, "You cannot do what is unlawful, without the permission of the fathers who inhabit this country. Will they not give you this water, which you now wish to steal ? " Then disembarking, and considering what course they should take, an old man of venerable mien advanced towards them. His hair was white as snow, and his countenance was radiant. Thrice did he prostrate himself on the ground before Brendan, who raised him up, and they embraced. The old man took Brendan by the hand, and walked with him a stadium towards the monastery. When they reached its door, Brendan asked his guide, " Whose is this monastery } Who governs it ? Whencecomethesaintswhodwellhere? " Theoldmanspokenot,inreply to those queries ; but, his thought answered, and it miraculously penetrated Brendan's mind. The old man made a motion of his hand for silence. Seeing this, Brendan said to his brethren : " Hold your tongues, in silence, lest our brethren be sullied by our dissipation. " Eleven brethren soon
423
424
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. \V[k\ i6.
appeared, attired in copes, bearing the cross, and chaunting : *'0 saints, arise
from your abodes go to meet the truth ; sanctify the place ; bless the people ;;
and vouchsafe to keep thy servants in peace. " At the moment that verse finished, the monastery superior embraced Brendan and his companions after him; his companions and the brethren also embraced each other. When they had thus given the kiss of peace, the travellers were led into the monas- tery, according to the custom of the west. After prayer, their feet were washed, while the antiphon, "Behold, I give you a new commandment," was chaunted. Then, their hands were washed. All sat down, and when the servant gave a signal, the table was prepared. Loaves of surpassing whiteness and roots of exquisite savour were served up. Each of the voyagers was placed, between two of his hosts, and a whole loaf was set before each two of the guests. After their meal, the monastic Abbot said to the strangers : " Brethren, you wished this morning to steal water from that fountain, the limpid waters of which you saw ; but, you may now draw thence, at will, re- joicinginthefearoftheLord. Theotherfountain,withitsturbidwaters,
serves for our daily ablutions, for it is tepid all the year round. As to these loaves, we know not where they are prepared, nor how they are brought to us. It is an alms, that God sends us, by one of his obedient creatures. What Divine truth says: 'Nothing is wanting to those fearing the Lord,' is accom- plished. We are twenty-four brethren, and we have twelve loaves every day, for our refreshment. On Sundays and Festival days there is a loaf for each one. To-day, in consequence of your arrival, the ordinary number of loaves has been doubled. Such are the presents, that Christ has continued to bestow on us, since the days of St. Patrick and of St. Albeus, our patrons. Eighty years have passed, and yet our bodies have not grown old, during all that time.
5' In the Prose Life of St. Brandon, edited by Thomas Wright for the Percy Society, we read, that when twelve monks entered " into the shyppe, there came other two of his monkes, and prayed hym that they myght sayle with hym. "—Vol. xiv,, pp. 37» 38.
S' See his Life, at the 15th of Novem- ber.
53 See Archbishop Ussher's " Britan-
nicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates," cap. xiv. , p. 277.
54 An account of this voyage, in blank verse, will be found in Rev. John Adam's " St. Malo's Quest and other Poems. "
ss The Petits Bollandistes have it, "depeii- dante du diocese de Contances au moins jusqu'auxv^ Siecle. "—"Vies des Saints," tome v. ,xvi^ Jourde Mai, p. 557, n. 4.
56 Under these circumstances, we may well imagine, the poetic thought—afterwards so happily expressed by Thomas Moore, Ire- land's|illustrious bard—often filled the mind of the holy man :
" And, as I watch the line of light, that plays
Along the smooth wave tow'rd the burning west,
I long to tread that golden path of rays,
And think 't would lead to some bright isle of rest. "
—" Irish Melodies. "
=7 See Most Rev. Patrick F. Moran's
"ActaSancti Brendani," Navigatio Sancti Brendani, cap. ii. , pp. 89 to 91.
^s See that most exquisitely written narra- ive, "Washington Irving's History of the Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus,
415
4i6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May i6.
when leaving vast tracts of ocean behind them. They knew not to what part of the world the vessel bore them. Fifteen days their plea- sant course holds on ; but, a calm next succeeds, and this lasts for a month. Every evening they took some food ; forty days had elapsed, and theirprovisionswereexhausted. ^ Then,northwards,anislandappearedto them, and crowned with towering rocks. From the midst of this island, many streams ran down to the sea. The brethren, exhausted with hunger and thirst, wished, even before they found a landing place, to dip up water. Brendan said : " Beware, brethren, what you would do must lead to madness. God has not deigned to show you the port, and yet you desire to steal. In three days, our Lord will show a spot, where we may land, and where the wearied shall regain tlieir strength. " For three days they coasted around the island,andonthethirdday,theydisembarkedinasmallport. Rockssteep as a wall, and of great lieight, were on either side. In this fanciful account, scenes of beauty and of horror are painted with great versatility, force, and spirit, as they succeed ; and, few modern compositions equal in vigour of conception, and power of description, those weird images and bold adven- tures, connected with this early ocean navigation.
It has been supposed, by several modern writers on this subject, that St. Brendan and his companions went, in a south-westerly direction, past the Pillars of Hercules, beyond which the mariners of antiquity dared not go. After a long and rough voyage, the adventurers at length came to summer seas, where they were carried along for manyaday, without the aid of sail oroar. Having landed, at length, Brendan blessed the port, and commanding his brethren to remove none of the effects from their ship, they began to explore that newly-discovered country. As they were walking along the sea-shore, a dog trotting down a path came to Brendan's feet. The saint then ordered his monks to follow it, as their guide. In obedience to such direction, they entered a town, where they found a great hall, with beds and seats, and water to wash their feet. And, while they rested, the man of God warned them, saying : " Take care, lest Satan lead you into temptation ; for, I see that, at this moment, he instigates one of you three, who followed us from the monas- tery, to a shameful theft. Pray for his soul, for his flesh has already been deliveredtothepowerofSatan. " Now,thathouse,wheretheywere,wasfull of vessels, hanging by the wall, and all of different metals; there were, too, bits and horns, mounted with silver. Then Brendan, speaking to his servants, added: " Let us eat the meats, which our Lord has prepared for us. " In obedience to his order, they sat down at a table, which was covered with a cloth of wonderful whiteness, and on it were set several loaves and fishes. When all things were ready for the meal, St. Brendan blessed the table and the monks, saying : " Bless ye the Lord of Heaven, who giveth food to all mortals. " The brothers were thus refreshed, and they gave praise to God. In like manner, a sufficiency of drink was provided for them. Nought was wanting at their board. As recommended by their superior, then rising, they all went to their beds, which were ready, to rest after their great hardships.
Book iii. , chap, ii. , iii. , iv.
59 It seems strange, that in a work, edited
for the Ilakluyt Society, by R. H. Major,
F. S. A. , only ashght allusion is made to the
voyage of St. Brendan, in the Introduction, at
p. xxvi. , and which book is not devoid of con-
siderable research, in reference to the early
voyages to America. This notice is found,
prefixed to " Select Letters of Christopher
Columbi;^, with other original Documents, vol. xxxix. , No. ccxlviii. The Anglor relating to his four voyages to the New Norman Trouveres, p. 80S.
World. " London, 1S70, Svo, Second Edi- tion.
^ This consideration spread a sadnes^ over the crew, but
" Not unforgotten arc their means, God still is nigh his faithful ones. "
—Blackwood's "Edinburgh Magazine,'*
—
May 1 6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 417
But, while they slept, Brendan saw a child, black as an Ethiop, holding a bit, and playing before the unfortunate brother, in whose eyes he made it glitter. 'J'he saint arose, and he passed that night in prayer till day. ^' When morning dawned, the monks rose as usual, to give praise to the Almighty, and after- wards to regain their ship. Once more, the table was found furnished, as on the day preceding ; and thus, for three days and for three nights, the Lord preparedfoodforhisservants. There,too,forthreewholedays,bytheDivine will, they rested on that isle. Then they returned to their ship, when Bren- dan said : " See, brethren, doth not one of you carry off something from here ? " " God forbid," they replied, " that a robbery should dishonour our voyage. " "Then,"saidSt. Brendan,"behold,ourbrother,whomIwarned yestereve, has now in his robe a silver bit, that the devil gave him this
night. " The brother instantly flung that bit en the ground, and fell at the feet of the man of God, crying : " Father, I have sinned : pardon ! pray for the salvation of my soul. " And, at the same moment, all fell down to pray for their brother's salvation. Rising up, they saw the wretched Ethiop escape from the guilty man's bosom, howling and crying : " Why drive me, O man of God, from my abode, where for seven years I have dwelt, and thus expel me from my inheritance. ^^ Brendan immediately turned to the brother, and said: " Receive promptly tlie Body and Blood of Christ, for thy soul is about to leave thy body, and this is the place of thy burial. But, thy brother, who came with you from the monastery, shall find his place of sepulture in hell. " Whereupon, that penitent monk received Holy Eucharist, and his soul de- parted ; but, it was received by Angel? , in the sight of the other monks. His bodywasthenburied. Also,St. Brendanhadorderedtheexpulseddemon,in God's name, to hurt no person, until the Day of General Judgment.
Afterwards, with their holy Abbot, his monks went to where their ship lay, on theshoreofthatIsland. Theywerere-embarking,whenayoungmancame withabasketofbreadandajarofwater. "Receive,"hesaid,"thisofferingof thy servant, you have a long way to go ; the bread and water will not fail you until Pentecost. " Having a blessing pronounced on their future course over the ocean, they set out, and sailed, eating every second day. Then their ship was borne through different parts on the wide expanse of water, until coming to an island,^3 with a favourable wind, so that they were not tried beyond their strength, by using oars, when reaching land. ^* As the port had been found, their ship stood for it under sail, and having reached it, the servant of God commanded his crew to leave their vessel. He was the last to quit it.
On getting ashore, they saw waters, which, coming from different fountains, formed a large current, full of fish; and, traversing' the Island, they found flocks of sheep, all white, and so numerous, that they could be seen far off from the land. Brendan told them to take one and to celebrate the feast ; for, it was now approaching the Easter festival ; and that sheep taken followed like a domestic animal. It was brought to the saint ; and, by his order, a spot- less lamb was also secured. When his monks had fulfilled these directions, they prepared all things for the morning's celebration. At the same time, a
*' See L. Tachet de Barnevai's "His- 'Cheles! Brandan, par quel raisun toire Legendaire de I'lrlande," chap, xxiii. , Gettes-mei fors dc maisun? '"
pp. 255, 256.
*^ In the old French version of "Les —See 11. 341 to 344, p. 17.
Voyages Merveilleux de Saint Brandan a la Recherche du Paradis Terrestre," we find the following account :
- ' Devant trestuz tuz veables Eisit criant li diables :
*3 See L. Tachet de Barnevai's " Histoire Legendaire de i'lrlande," chap, xxiii. , pp. 256, 257.
^'' See Most Rev. Patrick F. Moran's "Acta Sancti Brendani," Navigatio Sancti Brendani, cap, iii. , pp. 92 to 95.
1D
said to St. Brendan : "Your ship cannot hold more
celebratetheSabbath. However,onto-morrow,youshallgointotheIsland which you see ; there, the Lord wishes you to celebrate tlie day of his Resur- rection. After eight days, I shall give you food and drink, wherewith to supply your wants until Pentecost. " Then said God's servant to him : "How shall it be known, according to thy promise, where we may be in eight days? " The stranger replied : "This night you shall land on the Island, which is near, and remain there to-morrow, until the sixth hour. After the day of the Resurrection of our Lord, you shall sail towards another Island, lying to the west ; it is called the Paradise of Birds; there you shall rest until the Octave ofWhitSunday. " OnthatIslandweresheeptobeseenlargerthanoxen; and Brendan asked the man the cause for their unusual size. ^s He replied : "No person milks the sheep in this Island; nor is there a wintry cold, to stunt their growth ; but, they always live in pastures, so that the sheep are larger here than in your country. " Giving and receiving mutual benedic- tions, Brendan and his companions went on board their vessel.
Again the ship was steered towards that supposed land which was next seen, but il was found difficult to meet with a port for entrance. There- fore, the saint desired his monks to descend into the sea, and to hold the ship on her course at either side, with cables, until they should find a landing place; for, that island was unfurnished with herbage and trees, nor was sand to be seen, along the margin of its shores. The Abbot Brendan had a foreknowledge of the object, there presented to their view, and he remained in the vessel alone, while his com- panions were without ; nor would he inform them about what he knew, lest they should become terrified. The next morning, while Brendan sang his hymns of ])raise in the vessel, he commanded the priests who were present to celebrateMass. Themonksnextdrewtherawmeatandfishes,obtainedin the other Island, from their ship ; these were placed on the shore of the sup- posed land, and cauldrons were prepared for cooking. No sooner had wood been placed under them, and fire applied, than that strange land seemed moving like a wave. The monks in terror ran towards their vessel, beseeching the protection of their father Abbot. He extended his hands to each of them
;
they were brought on board, but all other matters were left on the floating island, and it soon disappeared beneath the ocean. And now,'the crew be- heldabouttwomilesdistantfromthemagreatfire. Brendansaid,"Brothers,
*s " Sliecp with fleece of snowy wliite, And much they marvelled at their
height,
For each one was as large to see As are the stags of our countree. "
—Blackwood's "Edinburgh M-igazine,"
** In the Manuscript, "Le Voyage de St. Brandan," Cottonian Library, Vespasian, B. x. , this monster iscailed "beste :"
" N'est pas terre, ainz est beste U nus feimes noslre festc. "
vol. xxxix. , No. ccxlviii. The Anglo- In " Paradise Lost," Milton also uses the Norman Trouvcres, p. 808. term "sea-beast. "
;
but, here you are going to
—
4iS LIVES OF 2HE IRISH SAINTS. [May i6.
man appeared, holding a basket full of loaves, cooked under the ashes. He had also brought other viands, and whatever was necessary to celebrate Easter, and he laid all at the feet of the man of God, saying in tears : " How is it given as a reward to me, O pearl of God, that you should be refreshed forthreedays,throughthelabourofmyhands. " Heprostratedhimselfon the earth three different times. Then, Brendan embraced on raising him up, and replied : " Son, our Lord Jesus Christ provides for us a place, where we may celebrate His Holy Resurrection. " When these words were spoken, the man proceeded to prepare all things requisite, for the use of God's servants on the following day. Having brought necessaries to the ship, the stranger
May i6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 419
have you been astonished, at wliat has become of that island ? " They all cried out : " Indeed, father, we greatly wonder, and an awful trembling hath seized on us. " Their Abbot then answered : " My dear children, be not ter- rified ; for the Almighty hath revealed to me, last night, the meaning of this mystery. Youwerenotstandingonanisland,butonafish,^^thelargestof all swimming in the ocean ; and it tries in vain, to join its head with its tail, but it cannot do so, because of its extraordinary length. Now, Jasconius^^ js the name it bears. " The imaginary sea-monster of this adventure will probably recall to thereader's memorystories yetcurrent of the traditional Irish Peistha,^^ or Water Dragon, and of the Kraken,''^ supposed to rise or swim, over deep soundings. The great sea-serpent 7° is another form of supposed marine existence,? ^ and of which specimens are said to have appeared, at various times ;72 but, while there is no valid reason for doubting, that such gigantic creatures might exist,73 few scientists have ventured to suppose, they can be more than from one hundred to one hundred and fifty feet in length. ^'^ Naturalists have a conviction, that the existence of these monstrous animals, popularly believed for centuries to have had a place in creation, will be one (lay proved beyond doubt ;75 and, not only several credible and trustworthy
narratives of sea voyagers are in evidence, to sustain the earlier Arctic and
^^ The English Metrical Life reads Jascom. Agassiz writes : —'* If there exists any See Thomas Wright's " St. Brandan : A animal in our waters not yet known to na-
Mediasval Legend of the Sea," in English Verse and Prose, p. 8. Another MS. reads Jastoyn. See n. p. 59, ibid.
^^ This monster is stated to be enchanted, at the bottom of nearly all the Irish lakes, and to be seen occasionally beneath their waters.
*9 An account of this amazing animal is given by Bishop Fontoppidan, in his Natural History of Norway. Its back is stated to be covered by rugged excrescences, and it is said to be an English mile and a-half in cir- cumference ; while a mane waves over the back, as it advances through the water, and it is supposed to be of a crab-like mo—del.
:
'° In 1848 Professor Owen wrote "The
creative powers of the human mind appear to be really very limited, and on all occa- sions when the true source of the great un- known has been detected, whether it has proved to be a file of sportive porpoises or a pair of gigantic sharks, old Pontoppidan's sea-serpent with the mane has uniformly suggested itself as the representative of the portent, until the mystery has been unra- velled. "
7' Small sea-serpents, about five feet long, are well known in tropical and sub-tropical seas. If all the collected accounts of the dif- ferent appearances of a gigantic sea-serpent are compared, they all so differ among them- selves, that it is evident divers people and witnesses saw different things. By some naturalists, it has been thought, there are at least two species of a larger creature Jtyled Eremotherium, one of these being in the northern and the other in the southern ocean.
turalists, answering to the description of the ' sea serpent,' it must be closely allied to the Plesiosaurus. The occurrence in the fresh waters of North America of a fish, the Lep- idosteus, which is closely allied to the fossil fishes found with the Plesiosaurus in the Jurassic beds, renders such a supposition probable. "
"In the year 1875, the daily press in these Islands gave a report sent from Zanzi- bar of an encounter between the sea serpent and a whale, seen by those on board the Pauline, when off the coast of Brazil. A drawing of the encounter, representing the sea-serpent coiled round the whale was sent
England. However, Mr. Frank Buck- land in noticing this account said, that he be- lieves the coils of that supposed sea- serpent round the whale were nothing more nor less than the airms of a large octopus, or one of its near relations. Since Mr. Buck- land's note appeared, an illustrated paper has published a woodcut of the encounter between the serpent and the whale, drawn by a naval chaplain at Zanzibar, from the description of those who saw it, and who affirmed that the drawing was a correct re- presentation.
? •• Quiteremovedfromaloveforthemar- vellous, which so many persons share, few of those, acquainted with the strange forms of extinct animal life the palaeontologist has made known to us, doubt that they rnay exist ; to the physiologist there are no diffi- culties in understanding, how gigantic ser- pent-shaped fish might live, at depths of the sea, and yet be rarely seen.
75 To the present time, however, nothing has been seen to prove their existence ; and, lished in 1871, the American Professor all the researches of scientific men have
7" In his "Geological Researches," pub-
to
420 LI V£6 OF THE UU3H SAINTS. [May 1 6.
North American traditions,'^ but, we have even pictorial representations of the sea-serpent,77 which exhibit it, in various extraordinary shapes,'^ although allowance must be made for imperfect observation and for much consequent exaggeration. Some naturalists believe, that the monsters described as such were only specimens of the octopus or of the phoca proboscia,79 if they were n. ot large whales. ^°
The vessel of our Irish voyagers, after that adventure, began to sail once more; and, for three days, it drifted towards that Island they had so lately left. When they had turned one of its headlands, towards the west, another Island was observed, with only a narrow strait intervening. That Island was covered with grass, flowers, and trees. Towards it, the crew sailed to find a port. ^' While sailing southwards of tiiis latter Island, the voyagers saw a small rivulet, just the width of their bark, running into the sea, and at its opening they landed. Disembarking, the holy superior ordered his monks to pull the vessel with ropes against the current of the river. He remained on board. When they had thus tugged for about a mile, they came to a remarkable foun- tain. Over its waters grew a large tree, not so wonderful on account of its height, as for its great spreading branches, on which had perched a vast number of white and beautiful birds,^^ so that the branches and leaves could
failed to discover any remains of such a crea- ture, or to obtain any satisfactory informa- tion as to the size, proportions, appearance, or habits, of the sea-serpent.
'* On the iSlh of March, 1874, a paper was read on " Evidence for and against Existence of the so-called Sea-serpent," by Dr. Samuel Kneeland, at a meeting of the Boston Society of Natural History, and it was published in the proceedings of that learned body. There, he gives numerous references to its appearance in Europe and America. Restates, that this animal could not be referred to fishes, nor to serpents, nor to any described form of living reptiles or mammals, and he drew attention, likewise, tothefact,thatmanyearlygeologicaltypes had been transmitted to the present time, with or without interruption—such as the cestracion, lepidosteus, chimsera, percopsis, lingula, etc.
^^ In 1811, in the first volume of the Wer- nerian Society's Transactions, ji. 41S, there is an account of an animal 56 f^eet long, which was cast ashore on the Island of Stronsa, one of the Orkney Islands, a. d. 1808. The drawing which is given, based on the affi- davits of people who saw it, represents the animal with six legs and a serpent-like body. Portions of the animal were preserved and sent to the museum at Edinburgh ; but those points of interest, which make the creature a "sea-serpent," rest only on the statements of people made from memory. Again, in the " Monthly Magazine" for 1818,
counts of the sea-serpent's appearances, but with great diversity of description. See vol. vi.
7* A singularly-looking monster, rearing up mast-high and spouting water, makes an effective picture, as drawn by Hans Egede.
'' Such is the conclusion arrived at, by Professor Owen, in October, 1S48, when there appeared in the " Illustrated London News" some drawings of the great sea-ser- pent as seen by the crew of the Dsedalus, Cap- tain M'Quhoe. There was a carefully exe- cuted drawing, on an enlarged scale, repre- senting the head and neck of the animal and this, together with the rlescription given byCaptainM'Quhoe,ledProfessorOwento the conclusion, that a seal's head approached more nearly to the description than any other. None of the men of the Daedalus saw any portion of the body, except about four feet of the neck raised out of water. The length of the body in the water was only guessed at ; but, Professor Owen holds, that if what the men of the Dxdalus saw was really a serpent, then their description and drawing must be inaccurate. The creature seen by that crew, it is assumed, was evi- dently an air-breather
;
there is notice of the Scoliophis Atlanticus,
which was killed on the shore, but there is
no proof it was marine ; however, it was
only between five and six feet long, and it is
a pure assumption, to call it the young of
the great sea-serpent. In the Naturalists'
Library, published A. D. 1843, Sir William scribe the ' Island of Sheep," and the
*^ "Some of the Arabian geographers de- Jardine has produced various collected ac- ' Island of Birds,' in the Western Ocean, in
wherefore, it would make an effort to dive, and its carcase when dead should float ; yet, never has a trace of
any part of the body been found.
*" It is almost universally admitted, that
widely spread popular beliefs in natural his- tory—especially when professing to rest upon credible testimony—have generally some portion of scientific truth for their basis.
•*= See Most Rev. Patrick F. Moran's " Acta vSancti Brendani," Navigatio Sancli Brendani, cap. iv. , pp. 95 1097.
;
May 1 6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 421
scarcely be seen. Then said the holy father: "Behold, brothers, the Lord hath given us a place for remaining, until His Holy Resurrection," and he added : " If we had no other provision, I believe this fountain should suffice for our food and drink. " He then began to consider, wherefore or how it was, that such a multitude of birds could have been collected together, in the same place. Moved with some deep feeling and in tears, Brendan fell upon hiskneescryingout ''OLord,therevealerofthingsknownandunknown,
:
thouknowesttheanxietyofmyheart; wherefore,I,asinner,entreatoftheeto
reveal such a secret, through tliy great mercy, as thou hast given to my sight so : great a vision. This grace I dare not ask, because of any merits I possess, but - solelyIpresumeit, throughthyclemency. " Whenthesewordswereprb- - nounced, one of the birds flew from the tree towards the ship, where the
servant of God remained, and the motion of his vings sounded like a little cymbal. Whenhealightedonthetopoftheprow,hiswingswereexpanded in token of joy, and with a pleased look, the bird regarded St, Brendan. This holy man, understanding that the Lord had heard his prayer, then said to the bird: "If thou art one of God's messengers, tell me whence come those birds, or why is there such a number of them here ? " The bird immediately spoke:^3 "We are of that ruin caused by the old enemy; yet, not by sinning, nor by full consent, have we fallen ; but, where we have been created, owing to the fall of that wicked one and with his satellites, our ruin has happened. ^* But, the Omnipotent God, who is just and true in his decrees, hath sent us to this place. We do not endure pains. In part, we enjoy the presence of God ; he has, however, separated us from the companionship of those who remained faithful. We wander through different parts of this world, through air, earth, and space, as other spirits do. But, on Sundays and Festive days we receive such bodies as you behold us in, and through Almighty dispensa- tion here we dwell, and praise our Creator. You and your brethren have now journeyed a year, while six years yet remain for your course. And, wliere to-day you have celebrated the Easter, there every other year you shall observe it. Afterwards, you shall find that, which is so dear to your hearts, namely, The Land of Promise of the Saints," When that bird spoke these words, he flew from the ship's prow, and returned towards the other birds. Another wonder is to be added. When even-tide approached, all the birds be- gan to clap their wings, and they burst forth into a chorus of song, thus warb- ling : " Te decet hymnus Deus in Syon, et tibi reddetur votum in Jherusa-
^ lem. " And always they repeated this verse each hour. ; while, the modulation of their notes, and the sound of the wings, produced a delightful harmony. . Then, St. Brendan said to his monks : "Refresh your bodies, since on this day, your souls have been filled with a Divine revelation. " Having taken
words which must have been taken from our Christian Legend. "—Thomas Wright's "St. Brandon: A Medieval Legend of the Sea," in English Verse and Prose, Preface, p. V.
^^ From Blackwood's "Edinburgh Maga- zine," vol. xxxix. , No. ccxlviii. , iu the Anglo- Norman Trouveres, p. S09, we have this pas- sage versified :
"Then sang the bird, 'Erst we were high
In power and glory in the sky,
For angels were we, but we fell When pride drove Sathanas to hell : For we his vassals were, and driven
Thus for his surquedie from Hea- ven—
Now exiled for a space to stay
Upon this island, till the day
That shall restore us to the skies, For we are birds of Paradise,
But ye have much,' said he, ' to do And bear ere Paradise ye view,
And six years' toils must suffer still, Rocked by the winds and waves at
will;
And aye each year your Pasch shall
keep
Upon some monster of the deep. ' "
^' This is not a literal translation, but it
422
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May i6.
supper, and discharged the duties of their Divine Ofifice, the servant of God, and those who were with him, retired to rest, until the third watch of the night. Then rising, the man of God aroused his brethren for the nightly virgil, and they began with this versicle : " Domine, labia mea aperies. " Having finished the sentence, all the birds with throats and wings responded : " Laudate Dominum omnes Angeli ejus, laudate eum omnes Virtutes ejus. " Inlikemanner,atVespers,theyunceasinglysangforafullhour; andwhen the morning dawned, they began to sing, " Et sit splendor Domini Dei nostri super nos," with modulation equally ravishing, and with measured intonation, as when singing Matins. In like manner, at the Tierce, this verse was given : " Psallite Deo nostro, psallite, psallite regi nostro, psallite sapienter. " At Sext, they sung : " liluminavit Dominus vultum suum super nos, et miserea- tur nostri. " At None, they sang : " Ecce quam bonum et quam jocundum habitare fratres in unum. " So day and night did those birds sing God's praises. Wherefore, holy Brendan, on hearing and seeing this, blessed the Almighty, for all his wonderful works.
During the Octave of that Easter Festival, and while they remained, his brothers were refreshed with spiritual food. This time having elapsed, the blessed Abbot said : " Let us take our portion from tliis foun- tain ; for, until now, there was no need to wash our hands or feet. " When he had thus spoken ; behold, that man, with whom they had been three days before the Pasch, came to them, having his ship filled with food and drink for their use. Removing these things and placing them before the holy father, that man of God said : "Men and brothers, see here what is sufficient for you, to the time of Pentecost ; but, drink not from this fountain, for only the strong can drink, as the nature of it is to cause sleep during four-and- twenty hours, on whosoever shall taste its waters. While it flows from the fountain, however, it has the taste and properties of water. " Saying these words, he obtained St. Brendan's blessing, and then he returned to his own place. There, the holy Abbot and his monks remained until Pentecost; for, the music of its birds had greatly charmed them. When that feast had come, and when the voyagers were preparing to celebrate the holy Mass, their venerable procurator once more appeared, and bearing with him all things that were necessary for this great solemnity. When tliey sat down to dinner in com- pany, that same man said to the rest: " Brothers, a great journey is before you. Take from this fountain your vessels filled with water, and hard bis cuits, which shall last you for another year, and I shall give you so much pro-
visions, as your vessel can carry. " When this had been accomplished, receiving a benediction, that stranger returned. Eight days having elapsed, Brendan commanded his monks to load their vessel with all the stranger had given them, and to fill their vessels at the fountain. Having brought all those matters to the shore, the bird again flew towards them, and it alighted on the prow of their ship. The blessed superior, wishing once more to know what it had to reveal, heard the following words, as if emitted by the human voice: "With us, you have celebrated the Holy Eastertide this year, and you shall keep it with us, on the succeeding year. And, wliere you were celebrating the Festival of our Lord's Supper the past year, there, on the same occasion, shall you be tlie year to come. In like manner, you shall celebrate the night of our Lord with the Easter, where you have always kept it, on the back of the monster Jascon, and after eight months shall you find Ailbey's ^5 Island. " There you shall celebrate the Nativity of our Lord. "
appears to us, as conveying the meaning of the writer.
*5 In the old French version, it is called the Isle of Albeu or Albeus. See "Les
Voyages Mcrvcilleux ile Saint Drandan a la Recherche du I'aradis Terrcslre, edited by Francisque- Michel, 11. 6i8, 721, 729, 785,
S77, pp. 30, 35, 36, 38, 43.
*^ See Most Rev. Patrick F. Moran's "Acta Sancti Biendani," Navigatio Sancti Brendani, cap. v. , pp. 98 to loi.
**' This was the Isle, dedicated to " Saint Albeu li pelerin. " according to "Les Voy- ages Merveilleux de Saint Brandan a la Recherche du Paradis Terrestre," edited by Francisque-Michel, I. 721, p. 35. Although, the writer of an article on The Anglo- Norman 'J'rouveres thinks the author of "Le Voyage de St. Brandan," taken from the Cotton Library, Vespasian B. x. , to have been an Englishman, on very slender grounds; yet,headmitstheimprobabilityof St. Albaii, the Protomartyr of England, being identical with St. Albeu or Albeus, who was indeed a well-known Irish saint.
He was called a pilgrim, on account of his desire, to seek a desert island out in the ocean, and therefore, it was meet that he should be selected as the patron of that found in St. Brandan's romantic voyage.
^^ In Blackwood's "Edinburgh Maga- zine," vol. xxxix. , No. ccxlviii. , this passage we find rendered in English verse :
But faint were they, blithe they go
To slake their thirst. * No, brothers. no,'
Brandan out cried, ' first seek and know
If this strange spring be wholesome drink. '
Affright they hastened from the brink,
Tho' sorely pained with thirst ;— then nigh
An old nian came, and when his eye
Glanced on St. Brandan, and he saw
The holy freres, with mickle awe
He prostrate fell, and kissed the
hand
Of the abbot, who now bade him
stand.
And soothly tell by word or sign Where were they. Well could he
divine.
Although he spoke not what was
said,
And joyfully and swiftly led
The abbot and his companie,
With care and ail huniilitie.
Unto an abbey fair and good (Beneath the moon none holier
stood). "
-The Anglo-Norman Trouveres, p. 810.
•' When lo spring,
!
they found a wond'rous
From whence two springs their waters fling;
The one was foul, the other bright Much gazed the faith ul at the
sight,
——
May 1 6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
Having thus spoken, the stranger left them, for his own place. ^^ Soon, the sails were spread, and they began to move out on the ocean. All the crew heard the birds chaunting, as if with one voice : " Exaudi nos Deus salutaris noster, spes omnium finium tcrrae et in mari longe. "
After Whit Sunday, they sailed for three months, seeing nothing but sea and sky;onlyeatingonce,everytwoorthreedays. Then,theydescriedanlsland;^^ but, the wind blowing in one direction, for forty days they sailed around it, with- out being able to find a port. In tears, they entreated the Almighty, that he might come to their aid. Thus, persevering for three days, in prayer and fast- ing, relief was at length afforded them, for they felt both wearied and weak. At last, they found a port, but it was very narrow, and so as to give room only foronevessel. Twofountainswerethere,onewasturbid,andtheotherwas limpid and clear. ^^ As the brethren hastened to draw water, the saint stopped them, saying, "You cannot do what is unlawful, without the permission of the fathers who inhabit this country. Will they not give you this water, which you now wish to steal ? " Then disembarking, and considering what course they should take, an old man of venerable mien advanced towards them. His hair was white as snow, and his countenance was radiant. Thrice did he prostrate himself on the ground before Brendan, who raised him up, and they embraced. The old man took Brendan by the hand, and walked with him a stadium towards the monastery. When they reached its door, Brendan asked his guide, " Whose is this monastery } Who governs it ? Whencecomethesaintswhodwellhere? " Theoldmanspokenot,inreply to those queries ; but, his thought answered, and it miraculously penetrated Brendan's mind. The old man made a motion of his hand for silence. Seeing this, Brendan said to his brethren : " Hold your tongues, in silence, lest our brethren be sullied by our dissipation. " Eleven brethren soon
423
424
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. \V[k\ i6.
appeared, attired in copes, bearing the cross, and chaunting : *'0 saints, arise
from your abodes go to meet the truth ; sanctify the place ; bless the people ;;
and vouchsafe to keep thy servants in peace. " At the moment that verse finished, the monastery superior embraced Brendan and his companions after him; his companions and the brethren also embraced each other. When they had thus given the kiss of peace, the travellers were led into the monas- tery, according to the custom of the west. After prayer, their feet were washed, while the antiphon, "Behold, I give you a new commandment," was chaunted. Then, their hands were washed. All sat down, and when the servant gave a signal, the table was prepared. Loaves of surpassing whiteness and roots of exquisite savour were served up. Each of the voyagers was placed, between two of his hosts, and a whole loaf was set before each two of the guests. After their meal, the monastic Abbot said to the strangers : " Brethren, you wished this morning to steal water from that fountain, the limpid waters of which you saw ; but, you may now draw thence, at will, re- joicinginthefearoftheLord. Theotherfountain,withitsturbidwaters,
serves for our daily ablutions, for it is tepid all the year round. As to these loaves, we know not where they are prepared, nor how they are brought to us. It is an alms, that God sends us, by one of his obedient creatures. What Divine truth says: 'Nothing is wanting to those fearing the Lord,' is accom- plished. We are twenty-four brethren, and we have twelve loaves every day, for our refreshment. On Sundays and Festival days there is a loaf for each one. To-day, in consequence of your arrival, the ordinary number of loaves has been doubled. Such are the presents, that Christ has continued to bestow on us, since the days of St. Patrick and of St. Albeus, our patrons. Eighty years have passed, and yet our bodies have not grown old, during all that time.
