»» Melchior Goldast and Archbishop
Usher have supposed, he was the celebrated Noiker Balbulus.
Usher have supposed, he was the celebrated Noiker Balbulus.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v3
, p.
553.
"5 See Rev. Alban Butler's "Lives of
the Fathers, Martyrs and other principal Saints," vol. iii. , March xx. , at St. Cuth- bert.
Mgr.
3 >3ee "De Rebus Ecclesiasticis," cap. "* At University College, Oxford, the 25. Vita S. Galli, lib. i. , cap. i. , and lib.
Masters and Fellows kept a festival on St. Cuthbert's Day. Boswell tells us, because this holy man "was a saint of Durham, with which the College is much connected. " The celebrated Dr. Johnson and his bio- grapher dined with these College autho- rities, on St. Cuthbert's Day, A. D. 1776. See, Boswell's "Life of Samuel Johnson,
tome
Article ii. —' See the Two Books, written by Monachus, Sangallensis, or the
ii. , cap. 46.
* Claudius, a Spaniard, was made bishop
of Turin, by Louis the Pious, in the ninth century, and the Irishman Dungal the Re- cluse wrote against him " Responsa contra perversas Claudii Turonensis Episcopi sen- tentias. " He taught the Sacred scriptures in France, and he is related to have com-
posed various commentaries on tliem. See "
Fleuiy's Ilistoire Ecclesiastiqvie," tome x. , liv. xlviii. , sect. vii.
s See " Hisioria Ecclesiastica Gentis Scotorum,' tomus i. , lib. iii. , num. 242, p.
LL. D. ," vol. ii. , p 445. "7 See "Les Moines
d'Occident," iv. , liv. XV. , chap, i. , pp. 434, 435.
March 20. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 905
stood,^ besides a Clemens, and a St. Clemens. However, according to Sir James Ware,7 Bale is mistaken, by confounding the Irish Clemens, both with
Claude,® another man of great piety and learning, and with Clement, who was Bishop of Auxerre, in France. Such, too, seems to have been the Bol-
landists'opinion,9whenintroducinghiscommemoration. However,Clement,
Bishop of Auxerre, seems to have lived, at an earlier period than the time of
our Irish Clemens. Our national hagiologist, John Colgan, has given us
what he designates as the Acts of Clement, the supposed Irish founder of
the University of Paris ; but, this narrative abounds in mistaken speculations
'°
and other errors,
rities,andtheirimperfectknowledge. ThelearnedMabillon"shows,that Clemens, Bishop of Auxerre, died, about A,D. 738 ; and, hence it is clear, that Colgan's inference is false, when confounding the latter with Clemens
Scotus. " TheItalianwriter,Tiraboschi,institutessomeinquiries,regarding our Clemens, under the name Claudius Clemens. He argues, that Claudius was a distinct person from the Irish Clemens, and he also arrived at the illogical conclusion, that no such person as Clemens existed. How- ever, the anonymous monk of St. Gall'3 has not prefixed the name Claudius to Clemens. Therefore, the argument of Tiraboschi has little torce, against the statement of the Monk of St. Gall. "* We have no account, regarding the parents of this holy and learned man, nor do we know the exact place of his birth ; yet, owing to the term Scotus, so constantly appended to his name, we may rationally infer, that Ireland was the country of his birth. Some ot the Scottish writers,^5 indeed, state, that he was a native of British Scotia. '^ His arrival in France occurred, soon after the Emperor Charle- magne became supreme ruler over that country. This event took place, after the death of his brother Carloman, towards the latter end of 771. Therefore,itisprobable,Clemensarrivedabouttheyear772. '7 Thismaybe inferred, likewise, from the opening narrative of the monk,'" belonging to the
" Sir James Ware and Walter Harris re- fute this identification. See Harris' Ware, vol. iii. , "Writers of Ireland," book i. , chap, vi,, p. 56.
141, num. 303, pp. 175, 176, num. 304, pp. 175 {rccte 177), 176, and num. 307, pp. 177, 178.
* According to Labbe, " De Sciiptoribus Ecclesiasticis. "
'^ Thus is he styled by Mabillon, in "Annalcs Ordinis S. Benedicti," tomus ii. , lib. xx. , sect, liii. , p. 67. At. A. D. 781,
owing to the vague conceptions, suggested by his autho-
? See " De Scriptoribus Hibernise," lib.
i. , cap. v. , p. 4£.
^ Trithemius, in his work, De Viris Muratoii calls him, Monaco di S. GaUo,"
at a time long subsequent, living towards
the close of the eighth, and at the beginnmg
of the ninth, cenluiy. This appears, from the preface to his work " Commentarium in S. Matiheum," in which we find mentioned the Emperor Lewis the Pious, and his ex- pedition against the Normans. See Sir James Ware, " De Scriptoribus Hibernire," lib. i. , cap. v. , p. 41.
sect, iii. , n. 20, p. 218.
'3 Among the. -,e is Buchanan, who also
sets down his travelling companion, Joannes Albinus, as a British Scot, on account of the latter surname. See " Re- rum Scoticarum Historia," lib. v. , rex. Ixv. , p. 150. But, the Monk of St. Gall has it, that those who arrived in France were Scots from Ireland.
Martii xx. Among the pretermitted saints,
p, 7.
"> See " Acta Sanctorum Hibernia;," xx.
tannia atque Hibernia, a VI. ad X. Littera- rum Domilicia," the pretensions of Buchanan are reproved, in connexion with this matter.
"_"
"
Illusiribus Ordinis S. Benedicti," mistakes in Annali di Italia. "
^^ "
him for a disciple of Venerable Bede. See See Rev. Dr. Lanigan's Ecclesiastical
lib. ii. , cap. 28. He flourished, however, History of Ireland," vol. iii,, chap, xx. ,
9 "Acta tomus '° Inaworkof P. "DeBri- See Sanctorum," iii,, J. Murray,
Martii. De S. Clemente prasnomine Clau- Tomus ii. , in N. Commentar. Soc. R.
dio, Universitatis Parisiensis Fundatore, et
to
Gotting.
'' See Rev. Dr. " Ecclesiastical Lanigan's
History of Irela 1. ' vol. iii. , ciiap. xx. ,
sect, ii. , pp. 207, 208.
*^
Episcopo postea Antisiodorensi, pp. 696
704.
" See " Annales Ordinis S. Benedicti,"
tomus ii. , lib. xx. , sect, xivii,, p. 63.
His iiooks on me Acts of Charenia^ne
9o6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 20.
Monastery of Saint Gall, in Switzerland. ^^ He tells us, that when Charle- magne began to reign alone, in the western parts of the world, and when
literature was everywhere almost forgotten, it happened, that two Scots** from Ireland—distinguished as Clemens and Albinus''—came over with some British merchants to the shores of France. =*^ Those accomplished men were incomparably skilled, in human learning, and in the holy Scriptures. 's It is stated, that disturbances at home caused them to leave for Gaul. '* As they produced no merchandise for sale, they used to cry out to the crowds,
flocking
to
purchase :
" If is desirous of wisdom, let him come to anyone us,
and receive it ; for, we have it to sell. " Their reason for saying they had it
for sale was that they perceived the people inclined to deal in saleable
articles, and not to take anything gratuitously, and that thus they might
rouse them to the acquisition of wisdom, as well as of objects, for which they
should give value's As the sequel showed, by speaking in that manner,
they hoped to excite the wonder and astonishment of those persons hearing
them. They repeated this declaration so often, that an account was con-
veyed, either by their admirers, or by those who thought them insane, to the
illustrious King Charles. He being a lover of learning, and very desirous of
wisdom,*^ had the strangers conducted with all expedition before him, and
he asked them, if they truly possessed wisdom, as had been reported to him. ''
They answered, that they did, and that they were ready, in the name of the
Lord, to communicate the gift to such as would seek for it worthily. On in-
quiring from them, what compensation they sliould expect for it, the Irish-
men replied, that they required nothing more than convenient situations,
ingenious minds, and, as being in a foreign country, to be supplied with
sustenance and raiment. Charles had established a school in his own palace, over which Alcuin was placed,'^ and subordinate to him was the Scottish, or
were addressed to Charles the Fat, and therefore these must have l)een written, be- tween A. D. 884 and A. D. 888. He is cited
"
prseceptorem habuerit. "
"See Archbishop Ussher's "Veterum
Epistolarum Hibernicarum Sylloge," Prae- facio.
"^ Colgan contends, that the real name of Albinus was John ; but, Dr. Lanigan throws out a conjecture, that it may have been the Latinized form of his original Irish name,
"
ano- nymus Sancti Galli monachus," in " Annales Ordinis S. Benedicti," tomus ii. , lib. xx. ,
by Mabillon, under the designation
sect, liii. , p. 67.
»» Melchior Goldast and Archbishop
Usher have supposed, he was the celebrated Noiker Balbulus.
'° In Du Chesne's " Rerum Franciarum Scriptores," their names are omitted, in the Monk of St. Gall's work, as edited, and they are wanting in various Manuscripts. Vincentius Bellovacensis and others call one of them by tiie name of John, but they probal)ly thought John —Scotus Erigina—who lived many years later was the travelling
Ecde- siastical History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap.
companion
of Clemens. See Rev. Dr.
^See L. P. "Histoire de Anquetil's
Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical History of Ire-
land," vol. iii. , chap, xx. , sect, ii. , n. 9, pp.
209, 210. Muratori observes, that the
name of Clemens' travelling companion is
not exactly known. See "Ann. li di "
Italia," at A. D. 781, as also Antiquitates Italicx Medii iEvi," tomus iii. Dissert.
43.
France," Deuxieme Race dite dcsCarlovin-
giens, pp. 62, 63.
"^ Tiraboschi denies, that such persons
were in existence, and he treats the whole
*'
account as a fable. See Storia dclla
Letteratura Italiana," tom. iii. , lib. iii. , cap. i. However, Dr. Lanigan very lucidly shows, how unfounded were his grounds for such a supposition. See " Ecclesiastical
History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap, xx. ,
" Eginhard speaks ot a preceptor to "
Charlemagne, in these terms: in ceteris
disciplinis Allnnum, cognomento Alcuinum, item diaconemde Britannia, Saxonici generis
hominem, virum undequaque doctissimum,
sect, i;. , n. Ii, pp. 211 to 213.
aee Rev. Dr. John Alzog's Manuel
Finubarr, Finan, or Finian. See
xx. , sect, ii. , n. 9, p. 210.
"* See Sir James Ware, " De Scriptoribus
Hibernise," lib. i. , cap. v. , p. 38.
^^ Although Brucker acknowledges, that
these persons came to France, yet he rejects a great part of this narrative as fabulous.
See " Historia Philosophise," torn, iii,, pp. 586, 629.
"
of Universal Church History," vol. ii.
March 20. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 907
rather Irish, Clement, while about the same time, Claude, a Spaniard, taught the Scriptures there. 's This may account for the confusion of names, Clemens Claudius, or Claudius Clemens. 3° The Universities of Paris and of Pavia are said to have owed their origin to the munificent Emperor Charle- magne. 3^ HeselectedthetwodistinguishedIrishmen,ClementandJoannes Albinus, to take charge of those great schools. 3* It has been conjectured, that the learned strangers arrived, in France, late in 772, and that probably they lived with Charlemagne, until some time in the year 773. 33 Charles, having heard the proposals of Clement and Albin, graciously kept both with himself,3'» for a short time. 35 After some interval, when obliged to proceed on a military expedition,3^ he desired Clemens to remain in France,37 en- trusting to his care a great number of boys, not only of the highest noblesse; but, likewise of the middling and lower ranks in society, all of whom, by his orders, were provided with victuals and suitable habitations. The other Irishman, by name Albinus, he directed to Italy, 3^ and assigned to him the Monastery of St. Augustine, near Pavia, that such persons, as choose to do so, might there resort to him for instruction. 39 On hearing how graciously the most religious King Charles used to treat wise men, Albinus, or rather
Alcuin,^° an Englishman, took shipping, and went over to visit the great monarch, whose celebrity was then established. It is well known, that
Clemens and Albinus were in
Alcuin,*' —waited on Charlemagne, in 781. 4= Then Alcuin also called Albinus+3 first arrived in that country, although himself and the Emperor had previously met in Italy. There, Charlemagne had exacted a promise, that Alcuin should visit France, after the Emperor's return to it. ** Clemens was able to render Alcuin very great assistance, in the work of education. '^s We read*^ of a certain Albinus, who was sent by Charlemagne to Pope
Second Period. Epoch i. , part i. , chap. iv. , num. 172, p. 125. Dublin Edition.
3? See Arnold Wion's "Lignum Vitae,"
lib. v. , cap. 95.
^8 About a hundred to this years, previous
time, literature was at a very low ebb in
Italy, as is proved by the letters of Pope Agatho, and of the Roman Synod, a. d. 680, to the Emperor Constantine. See Fleury's "Histoire Ecclesiastique," tome ix. , liv. x1. , sect, vii. , pp. 19 to 23. This is admitted, likewise, by Muratori, in "Anti- quitates Italicae Medii . ^vi," &c. , tomus iii. Dissertatio 43.
39 See Mabillon's "Annales Ordinis S.
Benedicti," tomus ii. , lib. xx. , sect, liii. ,
p. 67.
'° He has often been confounded with the
Irish Albinus, as D. Rothe shows in " Bri-
gida Thaumaturga. "
»' He a-sumed the classic of appellation
Flaccus All)inus.
* See Mabillon's "Annales Ordinis S,
Benedicti," at A. n. 781, tomus ii. , lib. xxv. , sect, xxii. , p. 258.
'' See " Histoire Fleury's
Ecclesiastique," tome X. , liv. xlv. , sect, xviii.
3° See Rev. Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap, xx. , sect, xiv. , p. 262, and n. 143, p. 265.
3' His nephew Lothaire I. appointed the learned Dungal to conduct the University of Pavia, with many other less celebrated schools, in Italy. See " Irish Folk-lore," by Lageniensis, chap, xxx. , page 276.
"
going accounts, he has taken ex archivis
ecclesise Arelatensis. " See, also. Father
3* See Antonius' " Historia. " The fore-
White's " cap. v. , pp. 61, 62.
Apologia pro Hibernia,"
Stephen
33 See Rev. Dr.
of
Lanigan's
" Ecclesiastical
Ireland," sect, iii. , n. 14, p. 215.
vol.
History
iii. ,
chap, xx. ,
3* According to Joannes Rossus Warwic-
ensis, in his book " De Regibus. "
3S See the account left us, by the Monk of
" *^ St. Gall, De Gestis Caroli Magni," in
According to the Monk of St. Gall,
Canisius' "
tomus
who him from the Irish distinguishes
Albinus. ''* Some
England.
when he went back to where 793, France,
his remaining days were spent.
Antiquaj Lectiones," pars. 3. Edition oi Basnage.
ii. ,
3* This
tion of A. D. 775, or of 776, against the
later, Alcuin to proceeded
appears
to have been the
expedi-
years
There he remained, until 792 or
" Historic Ecclesias- tique," tome ix. , lib. xhv. , num. xii. , pp.
442, 443-
Saxons. See
Fleury's
before the —
France, great English scholar,
9o8 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [MaRch 20.
Adrian, as one of his ambassadors, in 773/7 It is supposed,*^ that he was the Irish Albinus, favoured so greatly by the Emperor,+9 as had been, Uke- wise, his couniryman Clemens, the companion of his travels. Towards the latter end of 774, Charlemagne got possession of Pavia, where Albinus after- wards taught, under his patronage, and where it is said he died, leaving some writings,regardingwhichdifferentopinionshavebeencirculated. Clemensis stated to have been the real founder of the University, established by Charle- magne at Paris, according to various writers. 5° Those appointments have been referred to a. d. 792. 5^ Among the pupils of Clement the Scot were Mo- destus and Candidus,52 sent by Abbot Ratgarss to be instructed in the classic branches of learning, then comprised under the denomination of grammar. 54 The place where Clemens kept his school has not been so clearlyascertamed. 55 Severalhaveasserted,thatitwasatParis,^^andeven that he was the first founder of the celebrated University established, in that
However, Charlemagne had other places, where he was accustomed to reside, and it may be probable, that in one of these localities, the school ofClemenshadbeenfirstestablished. Boyswereleftunderhiscare,bythe
Emperor, during his absence on warlike expeditions. Returning on one occasion from a campaign, the illustrious monarch desired those boys to be examined in his presence, to find what progress they had made in classical and scientific studies. It is remarked, that while he found the sons of the nobility had neglected their books and lessons, the boys of an inferior rank in society had made a wonderful proficiency. That just monarch thereupon solemnly averred, when distributing preferment and places, he would have regard, solely to merit and to learning, and that he should make no distinc- tion on the score of rank or birth. s^ In the year 802, Clemens was alive and teaching, and if he were the Clemens, who wrote the Lifers of the Emperor Charlemagne,^" he must have lived, after the death of his celebrated
sovereign. ^* Hishistoryhasbeengreatlyconfused,owingtothecircumstance, that he has been confounded with Claudius Scotus, who flourished about the
city. S7
*s See Bracket's " Historia Philosophise,"
torn, iii. , p. 629
^* From Anastasius Bibliothecarius.
47 See Mabiilon's "Annales Ordinis S.
Benedict! ," tomus ii,, lib. xxiv. , sect, xlv.
"5 See Rev. Alban Butler's "Lives of
the Fathers, Martyrs and other principal Saints," vol. iii. , March xx. , at St. Cuth- bert.
Mgr.
3 >3ee "De Rebus Ecclesiasticis," cap. "* At University College, Oxford, the 25. Vita S. Galli, lib. i. , cap. i. , and lib.
Masters and Fellows kept a festival on St. Cuthbert's Day. Boswell tells us, because this holy man "was a saint of Durham, with which the College is much connected. " The celebrated Dr. Johnson and his bio- grapher dined with these College autho- rities, on St. Cuthbert's Day, A. D. 1776. See, Boswell's "Life of Samuel Johnson,
tome
Article ii. —' See the Two Books, written by Monachus, Sangallensis, or the
ii. , cap. 46.
* Claudius, a Spaniard, was made bishop
of Turin, by Louis the Pious, in the ninth century, and the Irishman Dungal the Re- cluse wrote against him " Responsa contra perversas Claudii Turonensis Episcopi sen- tentias. " He taught the Sacred scriptures in France, and he is related to have com-
posed various commentaries on tliem. See "
Fleuiy's Ilistoire Ecclesiastiqvie," tome x. , liv. xlviii. , sect. vii.
s See " Hisioria Ecclesiastica Gentis Scotorum,' tomus i. , lib. iii. , num. 242, p.
LL. D. ," vol. ii. , p 445. "7 See "Les Moines
d'Occident," iv. , liv. XV. , chap, i. , pp. 434, 435.
March 20. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 905
stood,^ besides a Clemens, and a St. Clemens. However, according to Sir James Ware,7 Bale is mistaken, by confounding the Irish Clemens, both with
Claude,® another man of great piety and learning, and with Clement, who was Bishop of Auxerre, in France. Such, too, seems to have been the Bol-
landists'opinion,9whenintroducinghiscommemoration. However,Clement,
Bishop of Auxerre, seems to have lived, at an earlier period than the time of
our Irish Clemens. Our national hagiologist, John Colgan, has given us
what he designates as the Acts of Clement, the supposed Irish founder of
the University of Paris ; but, this narrative abounds in mistaken speculations
'°
and other errors,
rities,andtheirimperfectknowledge. ThelearnedMabillon"shows,that Clemens, Bishop of Auxerre, died, about A,D. 738 ; and, hence it is clear, that Colgan's inference is false, when confounding the latter with Clemens
Scotus. " TheItalianwriter,Tiraboschi,institutessomeinquiries,regarding our Clemens, under the name Claudius Clemens. He argues, that Claudius was a distinct person from the Irish Clemens, and he also arrived at the illogical conclusion, that no such person as Clemens existed. How- ever, the anonymous monk of St. Gall'3 has not prefixed the name Claudius to Clemens. Therefore, the argument of Tiraboschi has little torce, against the statement of the Monk of St. Gall. "* We have no account, regarding the parents of this holy and learned man, nor do we know the exact place of his birth ; yet, owing to the term Scotus, so constantly appended to his name, we may rationally infer, that Ireland was the country of his birth. Some ot the Scottish writers,^5 indeed, state, that he was a native of British Scotia. '^ His arrival in France occurred, soon after the Emperor Charle- magne became supreme ruler over that country. This event took place, after the death of his brother Carloman, towards the latter end of 771. Therefore,itisprobable,Clemensarrivedabouttheyear772. '7 Thismaybe inferred, likewise, from the opening narrative of the monk,'" belonging to the
" Sir James Ware and Walter Harris re- fute this identification. See Harris' Ware, vol. iii. , "Writers of Ireland," book i. , chap, vi,, p. 56.
141, num. 303, pp. 175, 176, num. 304, pp. 175 {rccte 177), 176, and num. 307, pp. 177, 178.
* According to Labbe, " De Sciiptoribus Ecclesiasticis. "
'^ Thus is he styled by Mabillon, in "Annalcs Ordinis S. Benedicti," tomus ii. , lib. xx. , sect, liii. , p. 67. At. A. D. 781,
owing to the vague conceptions, suggested by his autho-
? See " De Scriptoribus Hibernise," lib.
i. , cap. v. , p. 4£.
^ Trithemius, in his work, De Viris Muratoii calls him, Monaco di S. GaUo,"
at a time long subsequent, living towards
the close of the eighth, and at the beginnmg
of the ninth, cenluiy. This appears, from the preface to his work " Commentarium in S. Matiheum," in which we find mentioned the Emperor Lewis the Pious, and his ex- pedition against the Normans. See Sir James Ware, " De Scriptoribus Hibernire," lib. i. , cap. v. , p. 41.
sect, iii. , n. 20, p. 218.
'3 Among the. -,e is Buchanan, who also
sets down his travelling companion, Joannes Albinus, as a British Scot, on account of the latter surname. See " Re- rum Scoticarum Historia," lib. v. , rex. Ixv. , p. 150. But, the Monk of St. Gall has it, that those who arrived in France were Scots from Ireland.
Martii xx. Among the pretermitted saints,
p, 7.
"> See " Acta Sanctorum Hibernia;," xx.
tannia atque Hibernia, a VI. ad X. Littera- rum Domilicia," the pretensions of Buchanan are reproved, in connexion with this matter.
"_"
"
Illusiribus Ordinis S. Benedicti," mistakes in Annali di Italia. "
^^ "
him for a disciple of Venerable Bede. See See Rev. Dr. Lanigan's Ecclesiastical
lib. ii. , cap. 28. He flourished, however, History of Ireland," vol. iii,, chap, xx. ,
9 "Acta tomus '° Inaworkof P. "DeBri- See Sanctorum," iii,, J. Murray,
Martii. De S. Clemente prasnomine Clau- Tomus ii. , in N. Commentar. Soc. R.
dio, Universitatis Parisiensis Fundatore, et
to
Gotting.
'' See Rev. Dr. " Ecclesiastical Lanigan's
History of Irela 1. ' vol. iii. , ciiap. xx. ,
sect, ii. , pp. 207, 208.
*^
Episcopo postea Antisiodorensi, pp. 696
704.
" See " Annales Ordinis S. Benedicti,"
tomus ii. , lib. xx. , sect, xivii,, p. 63.
His iiooks on me Acts of Charenia^ne
9o6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 20.
Monastery of Saint Gall, in Switzerland. ^^ He tells us, that when Charle- magne began to reign alone, in the western parts of the world, and when
literature was everywhere almost forgotten, it happened, that two Scots** from Ireland—distinguished as Clemens and Albinus''—came over with some British merchants to the shores of France. =*^ Those accomplished men were incomparably skilled, in human learning, and in the holy Scriptures. 's It is stated, that disturbances at home caused them to leave for Gaul. '* As they produced no merchandise for sale, they used to cry out to the crowds,
flocking
to
purchase :
" If is desirous of wisdom, let him come to anyone us,
and receive it ; for, we have it to sell. " Their reason for saying they had it
for sale was that they perceived the people inclined to deal in saleable
articles, and not to take anything gratuitously, and that thus they might
rouse them to the acquisition of wisdom, as well as of objects, for which they
should give value's As the sequel showed, by speaking in that manner,
they hoped to excite the wonder and astonishment of those persons hearing
them. They repeated this declaration so often, that an account was con-
veyed, either by their admirers, or by those who thought them insane, to the
illustrious King Charles. He being a lover of learning, and very desirous of
wisdom,*^ had the strangers conducted with all expedition before him, and
he asked them, if they truly possessed wisdom, as had been reported to him. ''
They answered, that they did, and that they were ready, in the name of the
Lord, to communicate the gift to such as would seek for it worthily. On in-
quiring from them, what compensation they sliould expect for it, the Irish-
men replied, that they required nothing more than convenient situations,
ingenious minds, and, as being in a foreign country, to be supplied with
sustenance and raiment. Charles had established a school in his own palace, over which Alcuin was placed,'^ and subordinate to him was the Scottish, or
were addressed to Charles the Fat, and therefore these must have l)een written, be- tween A. D. 884 and A. D. 888. He is cited
"
prseceptorem habuerit. "
"See Archbishop Ussher's "Veterum
Epistolarum Hibernicarum Sylloge," Prae- facio.
"^ Colgan contends, that the real name of Albinus was John ; but, Dr. Lanigan throws out a conjecture, that it may have been the Latinized form of his original Irish name,
"
ano- nymus Sancti Galli monachus," in " Annales Ordinis S. Benedicti," tomus ii. , lib. xx. ,
by Mabillon, under the designation
sect, liii. , p. 67.
»» Melchior Goldast and Archbishop
Usher have supposed, he was the celebrated Noiker Balbulus.
'° In Du Chesne's " Rerum Franciarum Scriptores," their names are omitted, in the Monk of St. Gall's work, as edited, and they are wanting in various Manuscripts. Vincentius Bellovacensis and others call one of them by tiie name of John, but they probal)ly thought John —Scotus Erigina—who lived many years later was the travelling
Ecde- siastical History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap.
companion
of Clemens. See Rev. Dr.
^See L. P. "Histoire de Anquetil's
Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical History of Ire-
land," vol. iii. , chap, xx. , sect, ii. , n. 9, pp.
209, 210. Muratori observes, that the
name of Clemens' travelling companion is
not exactly known. See "Ann. li di "
Italia," at A. D. 781, as also Antiquitates Italicx Medii iEvi," tomus iii. Dissert.
43.
France," Deuxieme Race dite dcsCarlovin-
giens, pp. 62, 63.
"^ Tiraboschi denies, that such persons
were in existence, and he treats the whole
*'
account as a fable. See Storia dclla
Letteratura Italiana," tom. iii. , lib. iii. , cap. i. However, Dr. Lanigan very lucidly shows, how unfounded were his grounds for such a supposition. See " Ecclesiastical
History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap, xx. ,
" Eginhard speaks ot a preceptor to "
Charlemagne, in these terms: in ceteris
disciplinis Allnnum, cognomento Alcuinum, item diaconemde Britannia, Saxonici generis
hominem, virum undequaque doctissimum,
sect, i;. , n. Ii, pp. 211 to 213.
aee Rev. Dr. John Alzog's Manuel
Finubarr, Finan, or Finian. See
xx. , sect, ii. , n. 9, p. 210.
"* See Sir James Ware, " De Scriptoribus
Hibernise," lib. i. , cap. v. , p. 38.
^^ Although Brucker acknowledges, that
these persons came to France, yet he rejects a great part of this narrative as fabulous.
See " Historia Philosophise," torn, iii,, pp. 586, 629.
"
of Universal Church History," vol. ii.
March 20. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 907
rather Irish, Clement, while about the same time, Claude, a Spaniard, taught the Scriptures there. 's This may account for the confusion of names, Clemens Claudius, or Claudius Clemens. 3° The Universities of Paris and of Pavia are said to have owed their origin to the munificent Emperor Charle- magne. 3^ HeselectedthetwodistinguishedIrishmen,ClementandJoannes Albinus, to take charge of those great schools. 3* It has been conjectured, that the learned strangers arrived, in France, late in 772, and that probably they lived with Charlemagne, until some time in the year 773. 33 Charles, having heard the proposals of Clement and Albin, graciously kept both with himself,3'» for a short time. 35 After some interval, when obliged to proceed on a military expedition,3^ he desired Clemens to remain in France,37 en- trusting to his care a great number of boys, not only of the highest noblesse; but, likewise of the middling and lower ranks in society, all of whom, by his orders, were provided with victuals and suitable habitations. The other Irishman, by name Albinus, he directed to Italy, 3^ and assigned to him the Monastery of St. Augustine, near Pavia, that such persons, as choose to do so, might there resort to him for instruction. 39 On hearing how graciously the most religious King Charles used to treat wise men, Albinus, or rather
Alcuin,^° an Englishman, took shipping, and went over to visit the great monarch, whose celebrity was then established. It is well known, that
Clemens and Albinus were in
Alcuin,*' —waited on Charlemagne, in 781. 4= Then Alcuin also called Albinus+3 first arrived in that country, although himself and the Emperor had previously met in Italy. There, Charlemagne had exacted a promise, that Alcuin should visit France, after the Emperor's return to it. ** Clemens was able to render Alcuin very great assistance, in the work of education. '^s We read*^ of a certain Albinus, who was sent by Charlemagne to Pope
Second Period. Epoch i. , part i. , chap. iv. , num. 172, p. 125. Dublin Edition.
3? See Arnold Wion's "Lignum Vitae,"
lib. v. , cap. 95.
^8 About a hundred to this years, previous
time, literature was at a very low ebb in
Italy, as is proved by the letters of Pope Agatho, and of the Roman Synod, a. d. 680, to the Emperor Constantine. See Fleury's "Histoire Ecclesiastique," tome ix. , liv. x1. , sect, vii. , pp. 19 to 23. This is admitted, likewise, by Muratori, in "Anti- quitates Italicae Medii . ^vi," &c. , tomus iii. Dissertatio 43.
39 See Mabillon's "Annales Ordinis S.
Benedicti," tomus ii. , lib. xx. , sect, liii. ,
p. 67.
'° He has often been confounded with the
Irish Albinus, as D. Rothe shows in " Bri-
gida Thaumaturga. "
»' He a-sumed the classic of appellation
Flaccus All)inus.
* See Mabillon's "Annales Ordinis S,
Benedicti," at A. n. 781, tomus ii. , lib. xxv. , sect, xxii. , p. 258.
'' See " Histoire Fleury's
Ecclesiastique," tome X. , liv. xlv. , sect, xviii.
3° See Rev. Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap, xx. , sect, xiv. , p. 262, and n. 143, p. 265.
3' His nephew Lothaire I. appointed the learned Dungal to conduct the University of Pavia, with many other less celebrated schools, in Italy. See " Irish Folk-lore," by Lageniensis, chap, xxx. , page 276.
"
going accounts, he has taken ex archivis
ecclesise Arelatensis. " See, also. Father
3* See Antonius' " Historia. " The fore-
White's " cap. v. , pp. 61, 62.
Apologia pro Hibernia,"
Stephen
33 See Rev. Dr.
of
Lanigan's
" Ecclesiastical
Ireland," sect, iii. , n. 14, p. 215.
vol.
History
iii. ,
chap, xx. ,
3* According to Joannes Rossus Warwic-
ensis, in his book " De Regibus. "
3S See the account left us, by the Monk of
" *^ St. Gall, De Gestis Caroli Magni," in
According to the Monk of St. Gall,
Canisius' "
tomus
who him from the Irish distinguishes
Albinus. ''* Some
England.
when he went back to where 793, France,
his remaining days were spent.
Antiquaj Lectiones," pars. 3. Edition oi Basnage.
ii. ,
3* This
tion of A. D. 775, or of 776, against the
later, Alcuin to proceeded
appears
to have been the
expedi-
years
There he remained, until 792 or
" Historic Ecclesias- tique," tome ix. , lib. xhv. , num. xii. , pp.
442, 443-
Saxons. See
Fleury's
before the —
France, great English scholar,
9o8 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [MaRch 20.
Adrian, as one of his ambassadors, in 773/7 It is supposed,*^ that he was the Irish Albinus, favoured so greatly by the Emperor,+9 as had been, Uke- wise, his couniryman Clemens, the companion of his travels. Towards the latter end of 774, Charlemagne got possession of Pavia, where Albinus after- wards taught, under his patronage, and where it is said he died, leaving some writings,regardingwhichdifferentopinionshavebeencirculated. Clemensis stated to have been the real founder of the University, established by Charle- magne at Paris, according to various writers. 5° Those appointments have been referred to a. d. 792. 5^ Among the pupils of Clement the Scot were Mo- destus and Candidus,52 sent by Abbot Ratgarss to be instructed in the classic branches of learning, then comprised under the denomination of grammar. 54 The place where Clemens kept his school has not been so clearlyascertamed. 55 Severalhaveasserted,thatitwasatParis,^^andeven that he was the first founder of the celebrated University established, in that
However, Charlemagne had other places, where he was accustomed to reside, and it may be probable, that in one of these localities, the school ofClemenshadbeenfirstestablished. Boyswereleftunderhiscare,bythe
Emperor, during his absence on warlike expeditions. Returning on one occasion from a campaign, the illustrious monarch desired those boys to be examined in his presence, to find what progress they had made in classical and scientific studies. It is remarked, that while he found the sons of the nobility had neglected their books and lessons, the boys of an inferior rank in society had made a wonderful proficiency. That just monarch thereupon solemnly averred, when distributing preferment and places, he would have regard, solely to merit and to learning, and that he should make no distinc- tion on the score of rank or birth. s^ In the year 802, Clemens was alive and teaching, and if he were the Clemens, who wrote the Lifers of the Emperor Charlemagne,^" he must have lived, after the death of his celebrated
sovereign. ^* Hishistoryhasbeengreatlyconfused,owingtothecircumstance, that he has been confounded with Claudius Scotus, who flourished about the
city. S7
*s See Bracket's " Historia Philosophise,"
torn, iii. , p. 629
^* From Anastasius Bibliothecarius.
47 See Mabiilon's "Annales Ordinis S.
Benedict! ," tomus ii,, lib. xxiv. , sect, xlv.
