^* All of those lessons are short, and
contained
on one page, within two columns.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v1
, Rector of Cas-
cob, Radnorshire, Prebendary of Brecknock, and Member of the Cambrian
Archaeological Association, &:c. It appeared at Llandovery, under the
auspices of the Welsh MSS. Society. 334 This work contains a lithograph of
St. Illtyd's Cross, Lantwit, with fac-similes from ancient MSS. In it are
to be found, also, pedigrees of the saints, from a MS. of the thirteenth cen-
tury, with pedigrees of the Welsh saints, both in Welsh and English. 335 It
also comprises the acts of some saints, having a connexion with Ireland.
During the present century have appeared in Germany a work by Abban
Stolz, on " The Legends of the Saints," a translation by the Abbe Dacas,
" La Fleur des Saints," extracts from the Church History of Rohrbacher,
""
Les Vies des Saints," the Benedictines of Solesmes' translation, Les Actes
"
Les Vies des Saints de France," by Charles Barthd- lemy,336 and the unfinished but magnificent work of Le Comte de Monta-
lembert, so popularly known as " Les Moines d'Occident. "337
Besides the foregoing productions, L'Abbe C. Martin has published a
des Martyrs," as also,
very useful and instructive work at Paris
:
" Vies des Saints a I'usage des
Predicateurs, comprenant : 1° La Vie du Sainte de chaque Jour ; 2° Son
Pandgyrique ; 3° Des Materiaux appropries a chaque sujet pour Panegy-
riques, instructions familieres et colloques. " Mon. L'Abbe A. Vaillant pub-
lished an octavo volume, " Vies des Saints des Families Chretiennes et des
Communantes Religieuses. " It appeared at Paris, in 1865. A very interesting
and important work, by the Abbe J. Corblet, appeared in two large
volumes, and it was published338 both in Paris and Amiens, a. d. 1870.
"
It is intituled,
Hagiographie du Diocese d'Amiens," and the learned author
has added notices of the saint's relics, under the heading of each biography,
together with an account of the veneration, liturgy, monuments and traditions,
iconography and books referring to each individual subject. This work has allusion to some of our Irish saints. 339
A voluminous and highly interesting work has been projected in France,
"LesActsdes
Louis Gauthier, Editeur. The first volume was published at Lyons, a. d.
334 In one volume, royal 8vo. 33* gee "Les Bollandistes et I'Hagio-
335 In addition, it has an account of Bry- graphic Ancienne et Modeme," p. 128. chan of Brycheiniog, Latin and English— 337 A second edition of this work ap- Hymns of the Martyr St. Curig, Welsh peared at Paris in five 8vo volumes, ex-
andona It is very comprehensive plan.
intituled,
Saints,'"*
and English—an Epitome of the His- tory of Britain, Latin and English, with Preface, Index and Supplementary Notes totheLiberLandavensis, by ThomasWake-
man, Esq. , of Graig House, Monmoutli- slurc
tending from A. D. 1863 to 1867, and ele-
gantly printed.
338 in gvo shape.
339 See "Revue des Questions Histo-
riques," tome vii. , p. 699, and tome ix. ,pp. 510, 511.
3<° This edition has been wholly revised,
carefully corrected, and considerably aug- mented.
tivals, to be found in the Church Kalendar, commences each day of the month and year; besidesageneralreferencetothebest hagiographicalandhistoric worksservesto
INIRODUCTION.
1865, in royal quarto size, and in double columns. This promises to be a
collection of the highest importance. Its erudition is manifest. Another
collection of saints' lives, by Mgr. Paul Guerin, has appeared in France.
The latest, or sixth edition, is kno^vn as " Les Petits Bollandistes, Vies des
Saints, d'apres les Bollandistes, Lipoman, Surius, le P. Giry, les hagiologies
et les propres de chaque diocese et les travaux hagiographiques les plus
recents. "34o This series appeared in fifteen large octavo volumes. Among
later books, which treat on saintly history, may be mentioned one containing
a variety of interesting and reliable facts. The Rev. S. Baring-Gould, M. A. ,
Protestant Rector of East Mersea, near Colchester, commenced in 1872
the of a " The Lives of the Saints. " publication beautifully-written series,
This work is to be completed in twelve volumes. S'ii While historic and chronologic accuracy has been well preserved, the style is very attractive and picturesque. 34" Many Irish saints find place among the biographies ; nor are these the least interesting in the author's collection.
The lives of various saints, published in English by the Very Rev. F. W. Faber, and by other Fathers of the Oratory, are distinguished for a felicity of style and a devotional cast of thought, worthy these accomplished writers, who undertook the editorship of this series of volumes. 343 But they con- tain little reference to the subject of our national hagiography.
A truly erudite and elegant quarto volume has lately appeared at Edin- burgh. It must prove a work of inestimable value to the Irish and to the
Scottish hagiologist. As a collection, its uses towards illustrating the history of Ireland and Scotland are most obvious. Materials for this volume have
been selected from many different sources, and by processes involving long-
"
continued labour and research. It is intituled,
Saints. With Personal Notices of those of Alba, Laudonia, and Strathclyde. An attempt to fix the Districts of their several Missions and the Churches where they were chiefly had in Remembrance. " By Alexander Penrose Forbes,
D. C. L. , Bishop of Brechin. The opening part of his book is occupied with aseriesofKalendars. 344 ThesearetakenfrombooksreadintheScottish Church, at different periods. The first of these collections is a Celtic Ka- lendar, found in the Drummond Castle Missal, with a fac-simile illustration. This work is ascribed to the twelfth century, and it is of Irish origin. Here, we find saints' commemorations referring to the east and west, while the
34'Crown8vosize.
34^ The iconography, symbols and mot- authenticate the acts, which are at once
toes of the saints are faithfully reproduced from medals, statues, pictures and scrolls ; while those serve to inform and direct popular and intellectual tastes, in the con- templation and study of mediaeval and Christian art. A heading of the chief fes-
gracefully and learnedly compiled.
343 The prospectus of this series was is- sued in 1850, when some of the volumes had already appeared, at London and Derby,
in 8vo shape.
344 Preceded by an Introduction,
Kalendars of Scottish
INTRODUCTION.
Irish saints are largely represented. It is given in Roman capitals. The Hyrdmanstown Kalendar follows, in a beautiful Gothic lettering. This is of the thirteenth century, when it was used in East Lothian, In general, it followstheusageofSarumChurch. ThethirdKalendaristhatofCulross. This may belong to the fourteenth century, and it is in Gothic lettering. Here,onlyafewoftheCelticsaintsaretobefound. Inthis,weobser\'ean Anglicising of the Scottish Church, resulting from that policy introduced by QueenMargaretandhersons. WarsbetweenEnglandandScotland,however, soon obliterated this feeling. In the Kalendar of Nova Farina or Feme, which next occurs, more of the Scottish and Irish saints appear in Gothic letters. A Celtic Kalendar, preserved in the Advocate's library, succeeds. It is in small Roman letters. The saints there given are mostly those held in esteem on the Scottish western coast. Followed by the Kalendar of the Arbuthnott Missal, in Gothic letter, and by the Kalendar of the Aberdeen Breviary, given in Gothic letter, the Scottish saints are extracted from the "MartyrologiumAberdonense. " TheKalendarofAdamKingfurnishesex- cerpts, which are printed in small Roman letters. The " Menologium Sco- torum" of Thomas Dempster follows, with his Preface and an Index. Next areScottishentries,fromtheKalendarofDavidCamerarius. TheScottish Kalendar of the Prayer Book, used in the time of Charles I,, concludes this valu- ablearrayofauthorities. Themostgenerallyinterestingportionofthevolume, however, is not that referring to the Kalendars, but to the historical notices of saints. With these, this portly volume ends in an alphabetical and a bio- graphical list. Personal biography and topography are here blended. It is thus we realize more thoroughly the ecclesiastical history of different districts in Scotland. Over 200 closely printed and double-columned pages are under thisdivisionofthework. AmongtheScottishsaints,itmustbepremised, that very many are Irish by birth. The biographical sketches, translated and selected from many sources, both printed and in manuscript, number
over 400 special articles.
The foregoing enumeration and description only present a curtailed and meagre synopsis of universal hagiographical literature. Additional authors, and their various works, relating to individual saints, w^ill be quoted in notes,
which accompany succeeding pages.
Section VII. —Materials for Irish Saints' Lives, in Irish Libraries.
It is not to be supposed, that the foregoing writers and their
special volumes remotely exhaust authorities, even yet available for the study of Irish hagiology. Numerous other tracts in manuscript and in print re- main, the authors and periods of many being known, while in a vast num- ber of cases, the writers and dates of composition cannot be clearly ascer- tained. It will be requisite, however, to make some brief allusion to the
INTRODUCTION. . d
chief of those libraries and archives, both at home and abroad, which con- tain acts of our national saints, or documents illustrating their history. In Ireland,itsmetropolisnotablyholdsthemostextensivecollection. Among
those manuscripts in Trinity College Library, Dublin, which materially serve to illustrate Irish hagiography, national ecclesiastical history, with the liturgy
and rites of our primitive Church, these following deserve particularly to be
enumerated. ^ In Dr. John Barrett's catalogue of the Trinity College ma-
nuscripts, these are found classed and described in detail, yet frequently with
very inaccurate notices, as a personal and minute examination of all the
originals has assured the present writer. ' I. On press B. shelf or tab. i,
"
No. I, we find,
Breviarium Romanum, continens Officia et Cantica in Fe- riasetDominicastotiusanni,cumRubricis,mutiluminitioetfine,"&c. A calendar of saints3 is found in this manuscript. It likewise contains pane- gyrics of several persons named, with dates of their deaths, generally re- ferring to the sixteenth century. * Some of these entries are extraneous to the subject-matter. 5 There is an account, referring to grants of land and of churches, founded a. d. 1170, by Dion O'CarroU, Lord of Ergall. ^ This manuscript is incorrectly called a " Roman Breviary,"^ while it appears to have been written about the fifteenth century. In reality, it is an " Anti- phonarium,"^ beautifully traced in black and red characters. It is a large vellum folio and impaged. It is said, formerly to have been in the posses- sion of Culdees, attached to the metropoHtan church of Armagh, II. B. i, 2. "Proprium Sanctorum per anni circulum secundum Ritum Romanas Eccle- sise, cum omnibus Antiphonis. " This is also a large vellum folio, and an
" It to resemble in character and date unpaged Antiphonarium. " appears
the previously noticed one. A part is missing towards the end. ^ III. B.
Section VII. —' The following list is
confined to the chief manuscripts, illustrat-
ing our present theme.
' During this process, the writer had fre-
quently the advantage of the late learned
librarian's opinion, on matters which re-
quired special enlightenment. The Rev. James Henthom Todd, and his obliging library assistants, were always most kind in affording all facilities for research.
3 The names of many Irish saints and their festivals are there given.
* These entries are in the Irish and Latin character. The MS. also contains a de- scription of certain lands, which formerly
entries are more recent, and in a different
character, from that found in the original or
proper text.
* These notices are written in the Irish
character.
^ In Dr. Barrett's Catalogue. Another
manuscript catalogue has been compiled, by H. J. M. Mason, LL. D. , to correct mis- takes in the former. Even in this latter, the MS. in question has been incorrectly set down as " Missale Romanum. " The Rev. James Henthom Todd, S. F. T. C. D. — whose labours as librarian were so incessant —has corrected various errors of both com- pilers. Dr. John O'Donovan commenced the compilation of a Catalogue Raisonniy relating to those MSS. , purely Irish ; but,
belonged to the see of Armagh, and which,
it is stated, were afterwards unjustly ac-
quired and retained by Con O'Neill. The unfortunately, this work was never com-
latter restored these to Archbishop Dowdall
pleted.
* Or an OfSce Book to be used in choir. ' This MS. contains anliphcns and mu-
sical notation for the feast of St. Patrick,
and to his successor in
s The latest date of an obit, I could dis-
cover in it, refers to A. D. 1596. Many other
perpetuity.
cii INTRODUCTION.
" Breviarium Romanum. " This, too, is described, for it I, 3. incorrectly
should be called an " Antiphonarium. " It is a large vellum unpaged folio, very much defaced by stains and imperfect, especially at its commencement andattheend. Thisappearstohavebeenwritteninthefifteenthcentury. It is said, to have formerly belonged to Clondalkin Church, in the county of
^°
Dublin. It contains a calendar of saints,
with notation of their offices, lessons and dates of their festivals. " IV.
" Iterum, cum Psalterio," &c. " This MS. should be called an " Anti-
B.
phonorium. " Itisalargevellumunpagedfolio,withsomepageswanting inthecommencement. Formerly,itissaidtohavebeenkeptintheChurch of St John the Evangelist, Dublin. It contains a calendar of saints, many of whom are Irish. '3 Nine lessons of an office for St. Patrick, written in a different character and by a more recent hand, than in those of the original text, are found prefixed.
^* All of those lessons are short, and contained on one page, within two columns. V. B. i, 5. "Iterum. "'s Like the pre- ceding manuscripts, however, this should have been noticed as an " Anti- phonarium. " Thecharactersareratherstainedanddefacedbyage,orthey have not been written in good black ink. It is imperfect at the beginning and at the end, as also in other places. It is paged at the bottom margin throughout,butinarathermodemhand. ^^ Thisappearstobeamanuscript of the fourteenth or fifteenth century. It contains only one page of a ca- lender, including saints' names and festivals—some Irish—for the months of
I, 4.
May, June, July and August. Other pages of it seem wanting. ^7 All the preceding manuscripts, for the most part, are written in black and red ink. At the musical notation parts, the notes are traced in black, and the lines in red, while many capital letters are curiously ornamented and variously co- loured : in some instances these are gilt. A few curious figures are traced, inmanyplaces,throughoutthosemanuscripts. Thepagesareallwritten
bishop and confessor. Nothing else, speci- calendar. Comparatively recent annota-
ally referring to an Irish saint, is included. '^ The deaths of many persons, written within unoccupied spaces and margins of
the calendar, with other unimportant anno-
tations, are found in different parts of its
calendar. These are traced in a compara- logue, by which we are to understand he lively recent hand from that which formed
theoriginalfineGothiccharacters.
" Within the leaves of this MS. a very correct and beautiful transcript of January
InMason'sCatalogue,onthecontrary,it is noted as a " Missale Romanum. "
The figures on the last leaf are 180, al- month, taken from the calendar, is to be ternate pages only having been numbered,
found. It is on an unfastened page, and in
Dr. Todd's handwriting.
" " Id est, Breviarium Romanum. " Thus
On a leaf, pasted to the cover at its com- mencement, I find a title, "The Breviary of Kilmoon," with notices of its containing
noticed, in Dr. Barrett's catalogue. Mr. St. Brigid's office, at fol. 114 b. , and St.
Mason inaccurately describes it as, "Missale
Patrick's office, at fol. 122 a.
'7 It contains some obits, scattered through-
out its pages.
" '3 There are various obits entered in the
Romanum, cum Psalterio et Antiphonis.
among whom many are Irish,
tions, also, are here noticeable.
'* Each lesson varies in length, occupying
from five to seven lines of that column, in which it is found.
»s Thus it is noted, in Dr. Barrett's cata-
regarded it as a " Breviarium Romanum. "
'*
INTRODUCTION. ciii
within double columns. '^ VI, B. i, i6. "Sanctorum Quorumdam Vitze et Passiones,unacumeorumDiebusFestis. " Thisisabeautifulvellumfolio, written in the 13th or 14th century. It is unpaged, and traced in double co- lumns. On its first written pages, a table, containing a list of saints' lives, with the days of their festivals, may be found prefixed. '9 Some folios are wanting throughout this manuscript, and especially towards the end, as ap- pears from the loss of saints' lives referred to in the table of contents. *" It
formerly belonged to the Monastery of St. Mary de Jorevalle, in the county of York ; while the characters are traced with elegance, on pencilled lines,
and in fine black ink, having initial letters in red, blue and green colours,
with handsome illuminations and VII. B. tracery.
2, 7.
" Sanctorum
Quo-
ruradam Vitse. " This elegant vellum folio was written in the thirteenth or
fourteenthcentury; illuminatedingoldandvariouscoloursthroughout,it
contains for the most part lives of English saints. *' It is unpaged. Pre-
fixed to this manuscript, and bound with it, some extraneous matters are
found, written on a few vellum pages. Towards the end matters of like
import are discovered. ** This particular codex has many marginal notes,
some of which are in Ussher's hand-writing. *3 VIII. B. 3, i. " Missale
Romanum, quod olim fuit Monasterii de Kilcormick, in comitatu Regis. "**
In Mason's catalogue, this manuscript is said to have been finished a. d.
i458. *s A calendar is prefixed to this missal. *^ One folio, containing the
months of January and February, is wanting. Many leaves are torn and in
part defaced, while several are altogether wanting. Some fragmentary folios
of an "
Antiphonarium"
are inserted at the end. This is un- manuscript
*^The publication of these MSS. , or of
any particular one among them, and col- lated with the others, should throw much light on the liturgical observances of our early Irish Church, at divers periods pre- ceding the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century. In the hands of a judi- cious and competent editor, having a know- ledge of Church music and rubrics, it might be rendered a most interesting publication.
'9 All I could meet with in it, regarding
"
=^
Theyarewrittenin25columns. Among
Irish saint history, is
Epis. et Confes. ," at the i6th of the April
phetise diversse de Sexto Hibemiaj,'qui vo- catur Dominus. " They are in Latin prose and verse. These are followed by other vi- sions and prophecies attributed to Thomas of Canterbury, Merlin, &c.
»3 To him this MS. belonged, after it had been procured from St. Peter's Church, Westminster.
^-^ It contains many curious obits of the O'Molloys, &c. , with other marginal writ-
"
Miscellany of the Irish Archaeological Society," vol. i. , Art. vi. , pp. 99 to 106. This account is accompa- nied by suitable notes and historic illustra-
tions.
^s \ have been unable to find that record
in the codex,
** It contains the festivals and names of
some Irish saints,
Vita S. Patricii, kalends. This life occupies 40 cols, of the
MS. There is likewise a
gatorio Hibemiae," comprising 24 cols. , with
one leaf, or perhaps more folios, missing at the end.
^°
Although the remaining folios are ge- nerally in a fine state of preservation ; yet there is a partial mutilation on one of the leaves, where the life of St. Gudlac, con- fessor, commences.
*'
Only a few of these saints had con- nexion with Ireland.
tract,
ing.
Todd, in his edited
" De Pur-
An account of these is Dr. given by
these last-mentioned fragments, I find the
curious — are following prophecies. They
thus noticed in Mason's Catalogue
'' :
Pro-
civ INTRODUCTION.
paged, and it is written in double columns, throughout elegantly traced, with
several curiously-coloured and ornamented capital letters. IX. B. 3, 5.
"Ceremoniale Romanum," &c. This manusucript belongs to the fifteenth
century, and it contains a varied collection of tracts. "' The whole of it is
very elegantly written, but for the most part in very minute characters. Many
ofitscapitallettersarehandsomelycolouredandornamented. "^ X. B. 3,8.
"
Juliani Epis. Toletani (qui floruit 450) Liber de origine mortis humanse," &c. This manuscript contains a number of tracts, on different subjects, and apparently transcribed by various writers. '? The several tracts it con- tains appear to have been WTitten in the twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth centuries. However, this codex is imperfect. It comprises constitutions and rules of religious orders, together with an abbreviation of Venerable Bede'sMartyrology. 3° Thereisacalendar,containingtheinsertionofsome
"
Irish saints' festivals. XI. B. 3, 9.
manuscript contains Dominical and festival offices, with an order for reading them, as also different Masses for the feasts of saints, and a calendars' This is a beautiful quarto vellum codex, written about the fourteenth century, and illuminated. XII. B. 3, 10. " Iterum. " This manuscript contains " Officia Dominicalia totius anni, cum Kalendario, Psalterium Latinum, cum Lectionibus e Vitis Sanctorum Quorumdam precipue Hibemiorum. "3» Ac- cording to a notice affixed to the first folio of this breviary, it was written A. D. 1489, at that time a war took place about a right to the principality of Ely. 33 This codex was written by Malachy O'Lachnayn, a cleric of Killaloe diocese. 34 It is a vellum folio, beautifully traced in double columns, the capital letters being variously figured and coloured. It is in a fine state of preservation, as a curious and valuable memorial of our Irish Church liturgy, during the middle ages, and as particularly relating to Killaloe diocese. XIII. B. 3, 12. "Psalterium Romanum, cum Officiis persolvendis in Diebus Festis Sanctorum, a mense Junio usque ad mensem Novembris exclusive, cumKalendario,"&C. 35 Itisimperfecttowardstheend,anditcontainsan
^^ First in order among these is found a "Calendar," containing notices of Irish saints. It wants, however, the four last
months of the year. It contains, also,
tyrology, should doubtless reward the labour of a competent editor, and become a source of interest to the learned in such matters,
3i This contains notices of Irish saints, their festivals and offices,
3' Irish saints' names, festivals, and of- fices are here noted. The arrangement of the lessons differs, however, from the Ro- man Breviary, at present in use.
33 The disputants were Tatheu or Thad- deus and William O'Keruayle.
34 He concludes the insertion of this no- tice, by requesting the reader of his book to offer up the Lord's Prayer for his soul's salvation.
35 This quarto vellum manuscript for- merly belonged to the Blessed Virgin Mary's
Usuard's
rules, epistles, &c.
"
Martyrology," with monastic
^^ This codex formerly belonged to the Abbey of St. Thomas, near Dublin. It is
a vellum folio, and paged in comparatively recent characters.
=5 It is a vellum quarto, with ornamental
capitals.
'^ As the Martyrology of Bede is already
printed, I thought it unnecessary to extract several notices of Irish saints contained in this version. Yet, a publication, or a com- parison of this latter, with the printed Mar-
and coloured
Breviarium Romanum," &c. This
3, 13,
INTRODUCTION. cv
entry of several obits in the calendar. 3^ This codex is beautifully written, in double columns, with coloured capitals and gold illuminations. XIV.
" Breviarium Romanum cum Psalterio Latino. " This is a vellum
B.
octavo manuscript, written about the fifteenth century, and it contains also
a calendar, 37 This codex is greatly effaced towards the close, through the
effects of
damp
or of some other
injury.
XV. B. " Psalterium Ro- 3, 14.
manumcumOfficiisB. Mariseetmortuorum,"&c. Tothispsalter,anim-
perfect calendar is prefixed. 3^ It wants the months of May, June, July and
August. The remaining months only give a small diurnal proportion of
saints, for there are no entries at many of the days. However, on certain
blank spaces within this calendar, several curious figures illuminated, and illustrating the various menstrual employments, as also astronomical repre- sentations for the sun's entrance into the twelve zodiacal signs, may be seen. 39 This is a vellum octavo, and it was probably written during the thirteenth century. XVI. B. 3, 15. "Iterum, cum aliis Canticis," &c. This is an octavo vellum codex, beautifully illuminated throughout, with gold and colours. The capital letters are elegantly designed. We find a calendar prefixed, and the names of saints there are written in French. *"* This manuscript probably belongs to the fourteenth century. XVII. B. 3,
" Breviarium secundum usum & ii. In the second Sarum," pars. i.
18, 19.
part of this breviary there is a calendar of saints, including some that are
Irish. Although classed among the manuscripts of Trinity College, this is a printed book. *' It contains, however, manuscript comments and insertions throughout, while some of these are traced in the Irish language. XVIII.
"
B. 4, 4.
tiali)," &:c. This is a quarto paper manuscript, transcribed in 1637. Pro- perlyspeaking,itcontainsnothingonthesubjectofIrishhagiology; but, as regarding the British Churches of the seventh century, many curious ac- counts of discipline and regulations may be seen. *^ These matters serve incidentally to throw light on the contemporaneous practices of our Irish
Monastery at Trim, and it was written about the fifteenth century.
3* This contains the names, festivals and office lessons of various Irish saints.
Theodorus Archiep. Cantuariensis de Ecclesia (ex ejus Peneten-
Church. 43 XIX.
cob, Radnorshire, Prebendary of Brecknock, and Member of the Cambrian
Archaeological Association, &:c. It appeared at Llandovery, under the
auspices of the Welsh MSS. Society. 334 This work contains a lithograph of
St. Illtyd's Cross, Lantwit, with fac-similes from ancient MSS. In it are
to be found, also, pedigrees of the saints, from a MS. of the thirteenth cen-
tury, with pedigrees of the Welsh saints, both in Welsh and English. 335 It
also comprises the acts of some saints, having a connexion with Ireland.
During the present century have appeared in Germany a work by Abban
Stolz, on " The Legends of the Saints," a translation by the Abbe Dacas,
" La Fleur des Saints," extracts from the Church History of Rohrbacher,
""
Les Vies des Saints," the Benedictines of Solesmes' translation, Les Actes
"
Les Vies des Saints de France," by Charles Barthd- lemy,336 and the unfinished but magnificent work of Le Comte de Monta-
lembert, so popularly known as " Les Moines d'Occident. "337
Besides the foregoing productions, L'Abbe C. Martin has published a
des Martyrs," as also,
very useful and instructive work at Paris
:
" Vies des Saints a I'usage des
Predicateurs, comprenant : 1° La Vie du Sainte de chaque Jour ; 2° Son
Pandgyrique ; 3° Des Materiaux appropries a chaque sujet pour Panegy-
riques, instructions familieres et colloques. " Mon. L'Abbe A. Vaillant pub-
lished an octavo volume, " Vies des Saints des Families Chretiennes et des
Communantes Religieuses. " It appeared at Paris, in 1865. A very interesting
and important work, by the Abbe J. Corblet, appeared in two large
volumes, and it was published338 both in Paris and Amiens, a. d. 1870.
"
It is intituled,
Hagiographie du Diocese d'Amiens," and the learned author
has added notices of the saint's relics, under the heading of each biography,
together with an account of the veneration, liturgy, monuments and traditions,
iconography and books referring to each individual subject. This work has allusion to some of our Irish saints. 339
A voluminous and highly interesting work has been projected in France,
"LesActsdes
Louis Gauthier, Editeur. The first volume was published at Lyons, a. d.
334 In one volume, royal 8vo. 33* gee "Les Bollandistes et I'Hagio-
335 In addition, it has an account of Bry- graphic Ancienne et Modeme," p. 128. chan of Brycheiniog, Latin and English— 337 A second edition of this work ap- Hymns of the Martyr St. Curig, Welsh peared at Paris in five 8vo volumes, ex-
andona It is very comprehensive plan.
intituled,
Saints,'"*
and English—an Epitome of the His- tory of Britain, Latin and English, with Preface, Index and Supplementary Notes totheLiberLandavensis, by ThomasWake-
man, Esq. , of Graig House, Monmoutli- slurc
tending from A. D. 1863 to 1867, and ele-
gantly printed.
338 in gvo shape.
339 See "Revue des Questions Histo-
riques," tome vii. , p. 699, and tome ix. ,pp. 510, 511.
3<° This edition has been wholly revised,
carefully corrected, and considerably aug- mented.
tivals, to be found in the Church Kalendar, commences each day of the month and year; besidesageneralreferencetothebest hagiographicalandhistoric worksservesto
INIRODUCTION.
1865, in royal quarto size, and in double columns. This promises to be a
collection of the highest importance. Its erudition is manifest. Another
collection of saints' lives, by Mgr. Paul Guerin, has appeared in France.
The latest, or sixth edition, is kno^vn as " Les Petits Bollandistes, Vies des
Saints, d'apres les Bollandistes, Lipoman, Surius, le P. Giry, les hagiologies
et les propres de chaque diocese et les travaux hagiographiques les plus
recents. "34o This series appeared in fifteen large octavo volumes. Among
later books, which treat on saintly history, may be mentioned one containing
a variety of interesting and reliable facts. The Rev. S. Baring-Gould, M. A. ,
Protestant Rector of East Mersea, near Colchester, commenced in 1872
the of a " The Lives of the Saints. " publication beautifully-written series,
This work is to be completed in twelve volumes. S'ii While historic and chronologic accuracy has been well preserved, the style is very attractive and picturesque. 34" Many Irish saints find place among the biographies ; nor are these the least interesting in the author's collection.
The lives of various saints, published in English by the Very Rev. F. W. Faber, and by other Fathers of the Oratory, are distinguished for a felicity of style and a devotional cast of thought, worthy these accomplished writers, who undertook the editorship of this series of volumes. 343 But they con- tain little reference to the subject of our national hagiography.
A truly erudite and elegant quarto volume has lately appeared at Edin- burgh. It must prove a work of inestimable value to the Irish and to the
Scottish hagiologist. As a collection, its uses towards illustrating the history of Ireland and Scotland are most obvious. Materials for this volume have
been selected from many different sources, and by processes involving long-
"
continued labour and research. It is intituled,
Saints. With Personal Notices of those of Alba, Laudonia, and Strathclyde. An attempt to fix the Districts of their several Missions and the Churches where they were chiefly had in Remembrance. " By Alexander Penrose Forbes,
D. C. L. , Bishop of Brechin. The opening part of his book is occupied with aseriesofKalendars. 344 ThesearetakenfrombooksreadintheScottish Church, at different periods. The first of these collections is a Celtic Ka- lendar, found in the Drummond Castle Missal, with a fac-simile illustration. This work is ascribed to the twelfth century, and it is of Irish origin. Here, we find saints' commemorations referring to the east and west, while the
34'Crown8vosize.
34^ The iconography, symbols and mot- authenticate the acts, which are at once
toes of the saints are faithfully reproduced from medals, statues, pictures and scrolls ; while those serve to inform and direct popular and intellectual tastes, in the con- templation and study of mediaeval and Christian art. A heading of the chief fes-
gracefully and learnedly compiled.
343 The prospectus of this series was is- sued in 1850, when some of the volumes had already appeared, at London and Derby,
in 8vo shape.
344 Preceded by an Introduction,
Kalendars of Scottish
INTRODUCTION.
Irish saints are largely represented. It is given in Roman capitals. The Hyrdmanstown Kalendar follows, in a beautiful Gothic lettering. This is of the thirteenth century, when it was used in East Lothian, In general, it followstheusageofSarumChurch. ThethirdKalendaristhatofCulross. This may belong to the fourteenth century, and it is in Gothic lettering. Here,onlyafewoftheCelticsaintsaretobefound. Inthis,weobser\'ean Anglicising of the Scottish Church, resulting from that policy introduced by QueenMargaretandhersons. WarsbetweenEnglandandScotland,however, soon obliterated this feeling. In the Kalendar of Nova Farina or Feme, which next occurs, more of the Scottish and Irish saints appear in Gothic letters. A Celtic Kalendar, preserved in the Advocate's library, succeeds. It is in small Roman letters. The saints there given are mostly those held in esteem on the Scottish western coast. Followed by the Kalendar of the Arbuthnott Missal, in Gothic letter, and by the Kalendar of the Aberdeen Breviary, given in Gothic letter, the Scottish saints are extracted from the "MartyrologiumAberdonense. " TheKalendarofAdamKingfurnishesex- cerpts, which are printed in small Roman letters. The " Menologium Sco- torum" of Thomas Dempster follows, with his Preface and an Index. Next areScottishentries,fromtheKalendarofDavidCamerarius. TheScottish Kalendar of the Prayer Book, used in the time of Charles I,, concludes this valu- ablearrayofauthorities. Themostgenerallyinterestingportionofthevolume, however, is not that referring to the Kalendars, but to the historical notices of saints. With these, this portly volume ends in an alphabetical and a bio- graphical list. Personal biography and topography are here blended. It is thus we realize more thoroughly the ecclesiastical history of different districts in Scotland. Over 200 closely printed and double-columned pages are under thisdivisionofthework. AmongtheScottishsaints,itmustbepremised, that very many are Irish by birth. The biographical sketches, translated and selected from many sources, both printed and in manuscript, number
over 400 special articles.
The foregoing enumeration and description only present a curtailed and meagre synopsis of universal hagiographical literature. Additional authors, and their various works, relating to individual saints, w^ill be quoted in notes,
which accompany succeeding pages.
Section VII. —Materials for Irish Saints' Lives, in Irish Libraries.
It is not to be supposed, that the foregoing writers and their
special volumes remotely exhaust authorities, even yet available for the study of Irish hagiology. Numerous other tracts in manuscript and in print re- main, the authors and periods of many being known, while in a vast num- ber of cases, the writers and dates of composition cannot be clearly ascer- tained. It will be requisite, however, to make some brief allusion to the
INTRODUCTION. . d
chief of those libraries and archives, both at home and abroad, which con- tain acts of our national saints, or documents illustrating their history. In Ireland,itsmetropolisnotablyholdsthemostextensivecollection. Among
those manuscripts in Trinity College Library, Dublin, which materially serve to illustrate Irish hagiography, national ecclesiastical history, with the liturgy
and rites of our primitive Church, these following deserve particularly to be
enumerated. ^ In Dr. John Barrett's catalogue of the Trinity College ma-
nuscripts, these are found classed and described in detail, yet frequently with
very inaccurate notices, as a personal and minute examination of all the
originals has assured the present writer. ' I. On press B. shelf or tab. i,
"
No. I, we find,
Breviarium Romanum, continens Officia et Cantica in Fe- riasetDominicastotiusanni,cumRubricis,mutiluminitioetfine,"&c. A calendar of saints3 is found in this manuscript. It likewise contains pane- gyrics of several persons named, with dates of their deaths, generally re- ferring to the sixteenth century. * Some of these entries are extraneous to the subject-matter. 5 There is an account, referring to grants of land and of churches, founded a. d. 1170, by Dion O'CarroU, Lord of Ergall. ^ This manuscript is incorrectly called a " Roman Breviary,"^ while it appears to have been written about the fifteenth century. In reality, it is an " Anti- phonarium,"^ beautifully traced in black and red characters. It is a large vellum folio and impaged. It is said, formerly to have been in the posses- sion of Culdees, attached to the metropoHtan church of Armagh, II. B. i, 2. "Proprium Sanctorum per anni circulum secundum Ritum Romanas Eccle- sise, cum omnibus Antiphonis. " This is also a large vellum folio, and an
" It to resemble in character and date unpaged Antiphonarium. " appears
the previously noticed one. A part is missing towards the end. ^ III. B.
Section VII. —' The following list is
confined to the chief manuscripts, illustrat-
ing our present theme.
' During this process, the writer had fre-
quently the advantage of the late learned
librarian's opinion, on matters which re-
quired special enlightenment. The Rev. James Henthom Todd, and his obliging library assistants, were always most kind in affording all facilities for research.
3 The names of many Irish saints and their festivals are there given.
* These entries are in the Irish and Latin character. The MS. also contains a de- scription of certain lands, which formerly
entries are more recent, and in a different
character, from that found in the original or
proper text.
* These notices are written in the Irish
character.
^ In Dr. Barrett's Catalogue. Another
manuscript catalogue has been compiled, by H. J. M. Mason, LL. D. , to correct mis- takes in the former. Even in this latter, the MS. in question has been incorrectly set down as " Missale Romanum. " The Rev. James Henthom Todd, S. F. T. C. D. — whose labours as librarian were so incessant —has corrected various errors of both com- pilers. Dr. John O'Donovan commenced the compilation of a Catalogue Raisonniy relating to those MSS. , purely Irish ; but,
belonged to the see of Armagh, and which,
it is stated, were afterwards unjustly ac-
quired and retained by Con O'Neill. The unfortunately, this work was never com-
latter restored these to Archbishop Dowdall
pleted.
* Or an OfSce Book to be used in choir. ' This MS. contains anliphcns and mu-
sical notation for the feast of St. Patrick,
and to his successor in
s The latest date of an obit, I could dis-
cover in it, refers to A. D. 1596. Many other
perpetuity.
cii INTRODUCTION.
" Breviarium Romanum. " This, too, is described, for it I, 3. incorrectly
should be called an " Antiphonarium. " It is a large vellum unpaged folio, very much defaced by stains and imperfect, especially at its commencement andattheend. Thisappearstohavebeenwritteninthefifteenthcentury. It is said, to have formerly belonged to Clondalkin Church, in the county of
^°
Dublin. It contains a calendar of saints,
with notation of their offices, lessons and dates of their festivals. " IV.
" Iterum, cum Psalterio," &c. " This MS. should be called an " Anti-
B.
phonorium. " Itisalargevellumunpagedfolio,withsomepageswanting inthecommencement. Formerly,itissaidtohavebeenkeptintheChurch of St John the Evangelist, Dublin. It contains a calendar of saints, many of whom are Irish. '3 Nine lessons of an office for St. Patrick, written in a different character and by a more recent hand, than in those of the original text, are found prefixed.
^* All of those lessons are short, and contained on one page, within two columns. V. B. i, 5. "Iterum. "'s Like the pre- ceding manuscripts, however, this should have been noticed as an " Anti- phonarium. " Thecharactersareratherstainedanddefacedbyage,orthey have not been written in good black ink. It is imperfect at the beginning and at the end, as also in other places. It is paged at the bottom margin throughout,butinarathermodemhand. ^^ Thisappearstobeamanuscript of the fourteenth or fifteenth century. It contains only one page of a ca- lender, including saints' names and festivals—some Irish—for the months of
I, 4.
May, June, July and August. Other pages of it seem wanting. ^7 All the preceding manuscripts, for the most part, are written in black and red ink. At the musical notation parts, the notes are traced in black, and the lines in red, while many capital letters are curiously ornamented and variously co- loured : in some instances these are gilt. A few curious figures are traced, inmanyplaces,throughoutthosemanuscripts. Thepagesareallwritten
bishop and confessor. Nothing else, speci- calendar. Comparatively recent annota-
ally referring to an Irish saint, is included. '^ The deaths of many persons, written within unoccupied spaces and margins of
the calendar, with other unimportant anno-
tations, are found in different parts of its
calendar. These are traced in a compara- logue, by which we are to understand he lively recent hand from that which formed
theoriginalfineGothiccharacters.
" Within the leaves of this MS. a very correct and beautiful transcript of January
InMason'sCatalogue,onthecontrary,it is noted as a " Missale Romanum. "
The figures on the last leaf are 180, al- month, taken from the calendar, is to be ternate pages only having been numbered,
found. It is on an unfastened page, and in
Dr. Todd's handwriting.
" " Id est, Breviarium Romanum. " Thus
On a leaf, pasted to the cover at its com- mencement, I find a title, "The Breviary of Kilmoon," with notices of its containing
noticed, in Dr. Barrett's catalogue. Mr. St. Brigid's office, at fol. 114 b. , and St.
Mason inaccurately describes it as, "Missale
Patrick's office, at fol. 122 a.
'7 It contains some obits, scattered through-
out its pages.
" '3 There are various obits entered in the
Romanum, cum Psalterio et Antiphonis.
among whom many are Irish,
tions, also, are here noticeable.
'* Each lesson varies in length, occupying
from five to seven lines of that column, in which it is found.
»s Thus it is noted, in Dr. Barrett's cata-
regarded it as a " Breviarium Romanum. "
'*
INTRODUCTION. ciii
within double columns. '^ VI, B. i, i6. "Sanctorum Quorumdam Vitze et Passiones,unacumeorumDiebusFestis. " Thisisabeautifulvellumfolio, written in the 13th or 14th century. It is unpaged, and traced in double co- lumns. On its first written pages, a table, containing a list of saints' lives, with the days of their festivals, may be found prefixed. '9 Some folios are wanting throughout this manuscript, and especially towards the end, as ap- pears from the loss of saints' lives referred to in the table of contents. *" It
formerly belonged to the Monastery of St. Mary de Jorevalle, in the county of York ; while the characters are traced with elegance, on pencilled lines,
and in fine black ink, having initial letters in red, blue and green colours,
with handsome illuminations and VII. B. tracery.
2, 7.
" Sanctorum
Quo-
ruradam Vitse. " This elegant vellum folio was written in the thirteenth or
fourteenthcentury; illuminatedingoldandvariouscoloursthroughout,it
contains for the most part lives of English saints. *' It is unpaged. Pre-
fixed to this manuscript, and bound with it, some extraneous matters are
found, written on a few vellum pages. Towards the end matters of like
import are discovered. ** This particular codex has many marginal notes,
some of which are in Ussher's hand-writing. *3 VIII. B. 3, i. " Missale
Romanum, quod olim fuit Monasterii de Kilcormick, in comitatu Regis. "**
In Mason's catalogue, this manuscript is said to have been finished a. d.
i458. *s A calendar is prefixed to this missal. *^ One folio, containing the
months of January and February, is wanting. Many leaves are torn and in
part defaced, while several are altogether wanting. Some fragmentary folios
of an "
Antiphonarium"
are inserted at the end. This is un- manuscript
*^The publication of these MSS. , or of
any particular one among them, and col- lated with the others, should throw much light on the liturgical observances of our early Irish Church, at divers periods pre- ceding the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century. In the hands of a judi- cious and competent editor, having a know- ledge of Church music and rubrics, it might be rendered a most interesting publication.
'9 All I could meet with in it, regarding
"
=^
Theyarewrittenin25columns. Among
Irish saint history, is
Epis. et Confes. ," at the i6th of the April
phetise diversse de Sexto Hibemiaj,'qui vo- catur Dominus. " They are in Latin prose and verse. These are followed by other vi- sions and prophecies attributed to Thomas of Canterbury, Merlin, &c.
»3 To him this MS. belonged, after it had been procured from St. Peter's Church, Westminster.
^-^ It contains many curious obits of the O'Molloys, &c. , with other marginal writ-
"
Miscellany of the Irish Archaeological Society," vol. i. , Art. vi. , pp. 99 to 106. This account is accompa- nied by suitable notes and historic illustra-
tions.
^s \ have been unable to find that record
in the codex,
** It contains the festivals and names of
some Irish saints,
Vita S. Patricii, kalends. This life occupies 40 cols, of the
MS. There is likewise a
gatorio Hibemiae," comprising 24 cols. , with
one leaf, or perhaps more folios, missing at the end.
^°
Although the remaining folios are ge- nerally in a fine state of preservation ; yet there is a partial mutilation on one of the leaves, where the life of St. Gudlac, con- fessor, commences.
*'
Only a few of these saints had con- nexion with Ireland.
tract,
ing.
Todd, in his edited
" De Pur-
An account of these is Dr. given by
these last-mentioned fragments, I find the
curious — are following prophecies. They
thus noticed in Mason's Catalogue
'' :
Pro-
civ INTRODUCTION.
paged, and it is written in double columns, throughout elegantly traced, with
several curiously-coloured and ornamented capital letters. IX. B. 3, 5.
"Ceremoniale Romanum," &c. This manusucript belongs to the fifteenth
century, and it contains a varied collection of tracts. "' The whole of it is
very elegantly written, but for the most part in very minute characters. Many
ofitscapitallettersarehandsomelycolouredandornamented. "^ X. B. 3,8.
"
Juliani Epis. Toletani (qui floruit 450) Liber de origine mortis humanse," &c. This manuscript contains a number of tracts, on different subjects, and apparently transcribed by various writers. '? The several tracts it con- tains appear to have been WTitten in the twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth centuries. However, this codex is imperfect. It comprises constitutions and rules of religious orders, together with an abbreviation of Venerable Bede'sMartyrology. 3° Thereisacalendar,containingtheinsertionofsome
"
Irish saints' festivals. XI. B. 3, 9.
manuscript contains Dominical and festival offices, with an order for reading them, as also different Masses for the feasts of saints, and a calendars' This is a beautiful quarto vellum codex, written about the fourteenth century, and illuminated. XII. B. 3, 10. " Iterum. " This manuscript contains " Officia Dominicalia totius anni, cum Kalendario, Psalterium Latinum, cum Lectionibus e Vitis Sanctorum Quorumdam precipue Hibemiorum. "3» Ac- cording to a notice affixed to the first folio of this breviary, it was written A. D. 1489, at that time a war took place about a right to the principality of Ely. 33 This codex was written by Malachy O'Lachnayn, a cleric of Killaloe diocese. 34 It is a vellum folio, beautifully traced in double columns, the capital letters being variously figured and coloured. It is in a fine state of preservation, as a curious and valuable memorial of our Irish Church liturgy, during the middle ages, and as particularly relating to Killaloe diocese. XIII. B. 3, 12. "Psalterium Romanum, cum Officiis persolvendis in Diebus Festis Sanctorum, a mense Junio usque ad mensem Novembris exclusive, cumKalendario,"&C. 35 Itisimperfecttowardstheend,anditcontainsan
^^ First in order among these is found a "Calendar," containing notices of Irish saints. It wants, however, the four last
months of the year. It contains, also,
tyrology, should doubtless reward the labour of a competent editor, and become a source of interest to the learned in such matters,
3i This contains notices of Irish saints, their festivals and offices,
3' Irish saints' names, festivals, and of- fices are here noted. The arrangement of the lessons differs, however, from the Ro- man Breviary, at present in use.
33 The disputants were Tatheu or Thad- deus and William O'Keruayle.
34 He concludes the insertion of this no- tice, by requesting the reader of his book to offer up the Lord's Prayer for his soul's salvation.
35 This quarto vellum manuscript for- merly belonged to the Blessed Virgin Mary's
Usuard's
rules, epistles, &c.
"
Martyrology," with monastic
^^ This codex formerly belonged to the Abbey of St. Thomas, near Dublin. It is
a vellum folio, and paged in comparatively recent characters.
=5 It is a vellum quarto, with ornamental
capitals.
'^ As the Martyrology of Bede is already
printed, I thought it unnecessary to extract several notices of Irish saints contained in this version. Yet, a publication, or a com- parison of this latter, with the printed Mar-
and coloured
Breviarium Romanum," &c. This
3, 13,
INTRODUCTION. cv
entry of several obits in the calendar. 3^ This codex is beautifully written, in double columns, with coloured capitals and gold illuminations. XIV.
" Breviarium Romanum cum Psalterio Latino. " This is a vellum
B.
octavo manuscript, written about the fifteenth century, and it contains also
a calendar, 37 This codex is greatly effaced towards the close, through the
effects of
damp
or of some other
injury.
XV. B. " Psalterium Ro- 3, 14.
manumcumOfficiisB. Mariseetmortuorum,"&c. Tothispsalter,anim-
perfect calendar is prefixed. 3^ It wants the months of May, June, July and
August. The remaining months only give a small diurnal proportion of
saints, for there are no entries at many of the days. However, on certain
blank spaces within this calendar, several curious figures illuminated, and illustrating the various menstrual employments, as also astronomical repre- sentations for the sun's entrance into the twelve zodiacal signs, may be seen. 39 This is a vellum octavo, and it was probably written during the thirteenth century. XVI. B. 3, 15. "Iterum, cum aliis Canticis," &c. This is an octavo vellum codex, beautifully illuminated throughout, with gold and colours. The capital letters are elegantly designed. We find a calendar prefixed, and the names of saints there are written in French. *"* This manuscript probably belongs to the fourteenth century. XVII. B. 3,
" Breviarium secundum usum & ii. In the second Sarum," pars. i.
18, 19.
part of this breviary there is a calendar of saints, including some that are
Irish. Although classed among the manuscripts of Trinity College, this is a printed book. *' It contains, however, manuscript comments and insertions throughout, while some of these are traced in the Irish language. XVIII.
"
B. 4, 4.
tiali)," &:c. This is a quarto paper manuscript, transcribed in 1637. Pro- perlyspeaking,itcontainsnothingonthesubjectofIrishhagiology; but, as regarding the British Churches of the seventh century, many curious ac- counts of discipline and regulations may be seen. *^ These matters serve incidentally to throw light on the contemporaneous practices of our Irish
Monastery at Trim, and it was written about the fifteenth century.
3* This contains the names, festivals and office lessons of various Irish saints.
Theodorus Archiep. Cantuariensis de Ecclesia (ex ejus Peneten-
Church. 43 XIX.
