Here there was a strong for t r
See an account of her, at the 25th of guard the northern borders of France.
See an account of her, at the 25th of guard the northern borders of France.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v9
HeiscalledthesonofOranorOdran.
3 In the former of these calendars, however, the name is entered as Tochunnus.
There is a female Saint, bearing the appellation of Dachonna, likewise, and mentioned in the Life of St.
Attracta,* as patron of a church in the diocese of Clonfert.
The Bollandists allude once more3 to their having placed St.
Dachonna or Machonna among the pretermitted Saints, at the 17th of Feb-
6 and that more ruary , stating,
be related about
tember or at the 16th of November. They merely refer, at the later date,
to the x. (? xxx. ) of October or the 16th of November.
his Acts have been given, at the 1st of September.
Article viii. —1 Edited by Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. xxxiii. In the Book of Leinster
copy we read Cochtmm. 2'
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
Acta Sanctorum," Among the pre-
Article ix. — Edited byDrs. Todd and
Reeves, pp. 238, 239. In a table super- added to this Martyrology, the commentator bestows on her the name Eucharide. See
ibid. , pp. 430, 431.
238, 239. 3"
See »he Bollandists'
tomus iii. , Februarii xvii.
termitted saints, p. 3.
43 See notices of her, at the 9th of February.
in the Second Volume of this Art. work, viii. ,
and at the nth of August, in the Eighth
Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxxiii. "
Volume, Art
quiarum Scethi—filioe Mechi ad Tamlachta. "
i.
s See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus
Article x.
xxxiii. 2
Edited
"
by
Rev. Dr.
Kelly,
tembris vi. p. 654.
Among
the
ii. , Sep- p. pretermitted saints,
:
Thus —
might
him,
at the 6th of
Sep-
2 a festival in honour of Dochonna is
* See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Sep- tembris vi. Among the pretermitted feasts, p. 654.
'See
See ibid. , tomus iii. , Februarii xvii. tomus ii. , Septembris vi. Among the pre-
6
Among the pretermitted saints, p. 3. termitted feasts, p. 653.
7 See "Trias " See at that in the Thaumaturga," Appendix day,
present volume,
Septima ad Acta S. Patricii, pars iii. , p. 294. Art. i.
3 The is thus made Adventus Reli- entry :
Article xi.
Acta Sanctorum,"
51AIIA111.
180 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [September7
£>ebentl) 2Bai> of September.
ARTICLE I. —ST. MADELBERGA, MEDALBERTA, AMALBERTE, OR MADELBERTA, ABBESS, AT MAUBEUGE, BELGIUM.
{SEVENTH AND EIGHTH CENTURIES. ]
the place of this holy virgin's nativity has not been
King of France. Moreover, on her father's side, St. Madelberta. had Irish blood in her veins, and doubtless she inherited many of those happy dispositions, that rendered her worthy to rank with so many other members of a truly noble and holy
family.
The ancient Acts of St. Madelberta are to be found in a Brabantine
Hagiological Manuscript of Rubea Vallis Monastery f and collated with two other Manuscript Lives,3 they have been published by the Bollandists,* in fourteen paragraphs, illustrated with notes. A previous commentary5 has been prefixed by Father John Perier, S. J. The Acts found in the Utrecht
6 do not differ from the substance of those others, which have been collated by the editor ; yet, the sentences are expressed in a different substitution of \vords and order-form, so that he deemed it but a needless iteration to have published them separately. ? The name of the author is not known, nor the period when he wrote ,' yet, it may be suspected, he lived not contemporaneously with the subject of his biography, although his time of writing it was undoubtedly very remote. 8 Several chronological and other obscurities are presented, which render the life of our saint very
ascertained ALTHOUGH
our Irish Saints, because her religious father is held to have sought from Ireland the shores of France, where he was renowned as a warrior, and where he attained the distinction of being known as Count of Hannonia, or Hainault, in reward for his services, as also because with his religious wife, Waldetrude, he visited
1
dis
; yet,
she has been classed
among
ti
nct
ly
Ireland, on a mission entrusted to him, by Dagobert I. ,
Manuscript
Article —• soon after i. Born probably
A. n. 600, he died at Epinay a. d. 638, at the age of about 36, and he was interred at Saint-Denis, which he had founded six years
M in Vita S. Madalbertae Incipit prologus
virginis. " However, as no mention of our Saint's name there occurs, and as it abounds
chiefly in Scripture phrases, reduced to the form of a sermon, which could be rendered
applicable to any other holy virgin, the editor omitted printing it.
7 Nor was it necessary to multiply Anno- tations for mere differences of words, where the reader should find what was worthy of allusion to it brought under his notice by the
yte Walsh, tome x. , p. 6.
7 This
religious
See " Catho- Encyclopedic
previously.
lique," &c, par M. L'Abb£ Glaire et M. Le
house is near Bruxelles.
3 One of these belonged to the monastery of Bethleem, near Louvain. The other is
supposed to have belonged to the house of
St. Saviour, at Utrecht. Such are the editor.
statements of Fathers Bollandus and brochius, as handed down for the information of their successors.
8 He remarks that the Saint's body had been interred at Malbod, where miracles were wrought through her intercession. However, he is silent, regarding the trans-
Pape-
4 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Sep-
tembris vii. De S. Madelberta Virgine et lation of her remains to Liege. Still,
Abbatissa Malbodii in Hannonia, pp. 103 to III.
5 In three sections, and twenty-nine para-
graphs.
' To it is found prefixed, as a title :
it cannot be inferred from such silence, that the writer lived before the latter date ; as he may have been either ignorant regarding such
translation,orknowingofit, hemayhave deemed it beyond the scope of his narrative.
September 7. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 181
difficult for solution ; but, the Bollandist editor has probably given the most reasonable conjectures to serve for elucidation. This saint is briefly noticed by Joannes Molanus, at the 7th of September. 9 His observations are taken chiefly from the offices, in the churches of Malbod and Liege. Alludii
10
the other saints of her family, St. Waldetrude, Abbess, and St. Aldetrude,
11
AbbessofMalbod, ColganhadintendedtogivetheActsofSt. Madelberta,
at the 7th of September. The Petits Bollandistes,12 at the 7th day of September, have notices of Sainte Madelberte or Amalberte, Abbess of Monastery of Maubeuge, in the Diocese of Cambray. Some notices of her are contained in the work of Rev. S. Baring-Gould. '3
Already
de Septembre, pp. 553 to 555.
13 See " Lives of the
vol.
1 * or Madelberta was the of Saints Maelceadar or daughter
St.
Vincentius15 and Waldetrude. 16
their sainted connections. Their children were Landric or Landry, ? after- wards Bishop of Meaux, or of Metz, Aldetrude,18 and Malberta, their daughters, and Dentelin, 19 who was the youngest of that family. Surrounded by such a happy circle, we can scarcely wonder, that Madelberta, or Amalberte—as she is also called—grew up in the most happy dispositions. Born—as seems most probable. —a short time before the death of Dagobert I. , King of France, which happened about a. d. 638 ; from childhood, Madel- berta loved to pray constantly, and to profit by the teaching and example of her holy parents. It has been thought by some, that she and her sister Aldetrudis had been twins, and born about the year 637 ; or if they were born at different periods, one saw the light about a. d. 636, and the other a. d. 637.
Madelberga
20 2' Heraunt,St. Aldegundis, whocouldnothavebeenmanyyearsolder, was
the first foundress of a convent at Malbod,22 also known as Maubeuge. It was then a solitary place, on the River Sambre ; and, it is now a town and canton of France, in the Department of the North. 23 There she had built three churches, on the death of her parents. One of those was dedicated in
2
honour of the Queen of Angels j another to honour St. Quintin, * Martyr ;
and the third was dedicated to the chiefs of the Apostles, Saints Peter and
20 0r Her festival is observed Aldegonde.
on the 30tk of January at Maubeuge. She was born a. d. 630, in the town of Hainault, in the Low Countries, and she was the
9 See "Natales Sanctorum
Belgii," Sep- 10" "
Hibernian,
tima Septembris, p. 193 £. See Acta Sanctorum
Februarii iii. , n. 5, p. 249.
11 See ibid,, Februarii xxv. , n.
"See Vies des Saints," tome x. , viie Jour
sister of St. Waldetrude, whom slfc preceded in a religious profession. She died about the year 689.
2l In her Life ascribed to Hucbaldus, a monk of St. Amand's,—who lived in the
5, p. 412.
younger
Saints,"
14 This seems to have been the more ninth century, he states
September 7, p. 109.
ancient form of her name.
15 See his Life, at the 14th of July, in the
Seventh Volume of this work, Art. i.
16
See her Acts, at the 9th of April, in the Fourth Volume of this work, Art. i. She and her sister A ldegond is were the daughters of Prince Walbert, descended in a direct line from the former French Kings, and the Princess Berthille, an Anglo-Saxon.
— day for his feast — in the Fourth Volume of
17 See notices of him at this work, Art. vii.
18
February, in the Second Volume of this work, Art. ii.
torum 193 b.
'' See his life, at the of
14th July,
in the
"
Gazetteer of the World," vol. ix. , pp. 161, 162.
34 He was also the of Amiens. Apostle
Seventh Volume of this work, Art. ix.
His feast is held on the 31st of October.
April 17th
the
Belgii," Septima Septembris, p.
ix. ,
have we alluded to them and to 1
"Anno Dominicae
Incarnationis circiter evoluto sexcentesimo
tricesimo, in Francia regnante Dagoberto
filio Clotharii, orta est in pago Hainoensi
Virgo Aldegundis ex regali prosapia, patre Walberto, matre Bertilia. " Her Acts have
been published by Bolandus, in the "Acta
Sanctorum," at January 30th, from three different sources.
""
See Joannes Molanus' Natales Sanc-
2?
Here there was a strong for t r
See an account of her, at the 25th of guard the northern borders of France. See
:
i82 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[September 7.
Paul. 2* Her sister Waldetrude retired from the 26 collected world, having
aroundheraferventandreligiouscommunity. Atthattime,Aldegondewas placed under her charge, at the age of eleven years, by Bertilia, as seems likely for purposes of religious and secular instruction ; the younger children of Waldetrude remaining in care of their maternal aunt. The parents of
Aldegonde withdrew their daughter after a brief sojourn in the monastery, fearing that she also should take the veil, and because they had intended her to marry a man of rank -equal to their own. However, their efforts were unavailing ; for she soon took an opportunity to escape from the paternal mansion, and while still very young, she had found that place of solitude, where her religious house was afterwards established. 2?
Meanwhile, Aldetrude and Madelberta felt a growing desire to conse-
28 had they
2
berta sought a retreat from the world with St. Aldegonde 9 while it would
;
seem, that her sister Aldetrude also devoted herself to a religious life, in the same monastery. There indeed was a union of 'souls engaged in all the practical virtues of their state. Their chastity and humility were exercised with vigils and largesses to the poor. From St. Amand3° and other holy bishops, they heard frequent exhortations, and were comforted against the trials and temptations, which fail not to test the fortitude of even the most virtuous persons. On one of those occasions, while our saint was in great distress, bright rays of light came through the windows of her oratory, and seemed to cover her, as if the Divine influence had been poured on her for
a protection from the snares of the enemy.
For a long time, the holy Abbess Aldegonde ruled over her community, onthebanksoftheSambre. Shewasfavouredinaneminentdegreewith the gift of fervent prayer, and with many revelations. Under such a superioress, we may well suppose, her nieces were schooled in all the virtues and discipline of their religious state. The closing years of Aldegonde were a continual martyrdom j for a cancer in the right breast was the cause of jntense pain. This she bore, not only with exemplary patience, but with rejoicing that she was deemed worthy to suffer for the name of Christ. When her term on earth was arrived, a globe of fire was seen coming from Heaven and settling over the house, in which her spirit so happily departed, and as generally supposed on the 30th of January, a. d. 684. We have already seen, the parents of St. Madelberta separated by mutual consent to spend the rest of their days in religious retirement, about the year 653 ;3» Madelgarius, or Vincent, to take up his abode in that monastery he had
crate their lives to the service of Christ. At an solely
early age,
been consigned by their pious mother to the convent founded at Maubeuge, where they were placed for education and direction under their aunt. Thus, it may be said, that almost from their cradle, they were familiarised with all the monastic rules and practices. Being—as supposed—the youngest of the daughters of St. Mauger or Vincent, and Vaudrue, or Waldetrude, Madel-
25 Venerated on the of
29th June.
26
About ihe year 641.
^ " The act of this foundation, published
l8 were not more than nine They probably
or ten years, at the time.
* See Les Petits Bollandistes, "Vies des
by Miraeus, is spurious, as mention is made Saints," tome x. , viie Jour de Septembre,
therein of persons who were not living at that time ; neither could it have been made in the twentieth year of Dagobert, as it con- tains facts, which cannot be r—econciled with
p. 553.
30 St. Amand, Bishop of Maestricht,
whose feast occurs on the 6th of February, He died A. D. 684, in the ninetieth year of
the history of that prince. "
Butler's "Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs,
and other principal Saints," vol. i. , January xxx. , n.
age.
3t See the Life of St. Maelceadar or Mal-
degarius, surnamed Vincent, at the 14th of July.
Rev. Alban his
September 7. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 183
previously founded, at Hautmont, near Maubeuge, on the River Sambre, 2
and his wife Waldetrude, or Vaudru,3 at Castrilocus, or Castrilos, subse- quently designated Mons, in the year 656. The Blessed Aldetrudis, or Adeltrude, succeeded her aunt in the government of this religious establish- ment. 33 For twelve years she presided over it with great virtue and wisdom, when she was also called away to taste the fruits of life everlasting, about the
year 696.
After the death of her sainted sister, Madelberta was selected to govern
the monastery. 34 Nor was she less careful to set an excellent example to the nuns under her charge, and to foster the good seed already sown, so that daily were pious females brought to the sanctuary, and directed by her in the paths that led to Heaven. She ruled over her religious community for the term of nine years. Madelberta had thus become the third abbess of Malbod,35 and now in turn she was called to receive the eternal reward. In the most admirable sentiments of piety she died about the year 684, or 685 according to some writers. 36 However, more recent and exact researches,
8
by Carolus le Cointe 37 and others,3 have ascertained by certain historic
comparisons of data^ that her life had been prolonged to about a. d. 705.
Her body was deposited in the Church of St. Peter, the Apostle, with solemn
funeral rites; a great number of priests with the religious entoning the psalms and canticles appropriate for the occasion.
Soon after the Saint's death, a remarkable miracle took place, which soon
caused the people of all that surrounding country to venerate her as their
special patroness. A very religious man, living near Maubeuge, had a deaf- ness in the right ear, and he had often prayed to God for the gilt of sound
hearing. One night in his sleep, a voice came to him, saying: "Arise, go to the monastery of Maubeuge and to the Church of St. Peter, where the
body of St. Madelberte, Virgin, reposes, and there you shall be healed at her tomb. " Whenmorninghadcome,hearoseandhastenedtothemonastery as directed. He assisted at Mass with profound devotion, offering up his prayers most fervently. Suddenly, when the priest commenced chaunting the Gospel, the man had an extraordinary sensation. His limbs began to tremble, his face grew pale, and some aqueous humour distilled from the ear affected. At the same moment, he felt relieved from his infirmity, which never afterwards returned. Another miracle is recorded regarding a certain girl, whose lower limbs had been crooked and paralysed from the time of birth ; but, her parents had brought her to the tomb of our saint, where she
was suddenly restored to their use.
32 See the Life of St. Waldetrude or Vau- trude, at the 9th of April.
At the time of the evening office, she
33 See Joannes Molanus' " Natales Sane-
39 Thus it has been conclusively proved in the Bollandists' "Acta Sanctorum," 34 See Les Petits Bollandistes, "Vies des tomus i. , Februarii, in a previous corn- mentary to the Acts of St. Amand, that this
torum Belgii,"SeptimaSeptembris, p. 193 £.
Saints," tome x. , viie Jour de Septembre, p. 554.
holy Bishop most probably died after a. d. 679. After his death, St. Aldegundis sur- vived him lor 'some years, and died most probably in the year 684, according to the calculations of Mabillon and the Bollandists. It is stated, likewise, that afterwards Alde- trude succeeded her aunt as abbess, ruling for twelve years in that capacity, and depar't-
35 See Joannes Molanus' " Natales Sane-
torum Belgii," Septima Septembris, p. 193 b. 36 Among these are Bartholomeus Fisen,
in Floribus Leodiensibus, Arturus in Gynae-
ceo, i-Egidius Bucherius in Chronico Epis-
coporum Trajectensium, as seen in an Ap-
pendix to " De Rebus Gestis Episcoporum
Leodiensium," by Joannes Chapeavillus, ing this life about the year 696 or 697. Her
tomus i.
3? See "Annales Ecclesiastici Francorum,"
tomus iv. , A. D. 684, num. 1.
sister Madelberta then became third abbess of that religious house, and governed it for nine years.
"
38 Such as, P. Michael Delewarde, in
Historia Generalis Harmonise," tomus
i.
84 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [September 7.
was seen by the nuns, walking through the middle of the Church, and giving thanks to God. This caused great rejoicing and admiration to all who had known her previous condition, and who had witnessed her perfect restoration. These are only a few of those miracles, which were wrought, at the place of her first sepulture. *
St. Hubert,41 who had succeeded St. Lambert** as Bishop of Maestricht,
removed the episcopal see in 721 to Liege,*3 of which city he then became
the first bishop. To honour his martyred predecessor, he had built a stately church, which he designated the cathedral,** and thither he conveyed the relicsofSt. Lambert. *s HeisstillveneratedaschiefpatronofLiege. Until theyear722,therelicsofSt. MadelbertreposedatMaubeuge. Thefameof her sanctity and miracles was so great, that about the same time, St. Hubert hadherbodytransportedtoLiege,withsolemnceremonies. Havingencased her relics in a shrine, in which were also enclosed the relics of St. Theodard,*6 they were placed in the cathedral church. There several miracles were after- wards wrought through our saint's intercession. During the middle ages,
likewise, frequent broils arose among the powerful and opulent families that disturbed the peace of Liege ; when public prayers and visitations to the shrines of the local patrons took place, to avert those disorders. On such occasions, the relics were exhibited for veneration to the faithful. *? In the year 1489, those relics were well preserved, when a commission had been appointed to examine into their state. On the 14th of April, with solemn religious ceremonies, a number of representative ecclesiastics, deputed by the Dean and Chapter oi Liege Cathedral, began the work of examination, which was continued on the 18th and 19th of the same month. In that compart- ment, in which the remains of St. Magdelberta reposed, they found her bones, with her hood and veil, as also a black cincture remarkably wrought ; more- over, they saw her robe and another veil, with two large portions 'of her habit, and two small scissors, whi—ch she was doubtless accustomed to use, together with some other ornaments whether belonging to her or placed there by others is not known. After this examination, the inner and outer coverings were locked, when the keys were placed in the sacristy of the church, and in an upper drawer, which was lettered Mechlinia. *8
40 See the Bollandists' " Acta Sanctorum," 43 The capital of an important province in tomus iii. , Septembris vii. Acta auctoie Belgium so named, and situated on the
anonymo, ex Hagiologio Brabantino MS. Rubea? Vallis, collata cum duobus aliis
MSS. , pp. no, in.
River Maese or Meuse. At that period, it
was only an insignificant village- Near it lived Pepin, in the castle of Herstal or Heristal.
44 This Gothic edifice was destroyed by
41 He was
when a young man of the world, and hence
May,
1508,
A. D.
of Erarde de la
Liege, was torn to pieces by the revolutionary mob, in 1794! The head of St. Lambert, however, has been recovered, and it is still
passionately
fond of
hunting,
he has been regarded as the patron of the French, in 1794.
hunters.
He departed this life, on the 30th
*5 The beautiful shrine in gilt bronze, a gift,
His chief —how- in 727. festival,
of
ever, is kept on the 3rd of November pro- bably on account of some translation of his relics.
Marck, Bishop
of
42 He was assassinated, at the
of Alpais, a concubine to Pepin of Heirstal, because he had reproved their crimes. He
suffered martyrdom September 17th, the day afterwards appointed for his festival. The year of his death has been variedly stated: according to a tradition of the Church at Liege, A. D. 696; while the Bollandists have it, at a. d. 708, or 709. See an account
of him in Les Petits Bollandistes, " Vies des
in instigation preserved Liege.
e"
pp. 172 to 179. Leodiensis," and of Anselmus, Canon of
''
Saints, tome xi. , xvii Jour de Septembre, Fisen, S. J. , in his Historia Ecclesise
*6 St. Lambert's predecessor in the See of Maestricht. His martyrdom took place a. n. 668, arid his feast is celebrated at Liege on the loth of September.
4? An account of those transactions may be found in Joannes Chapeavillus' work,
"
Gesta Pontificum Leodiertsium. "
48 From the Report of this investigation, and from the accounts of Bartholomoeus
September 7. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. i»S
The name of this holy virgin is to be found in a great number of calendars and martyrologies. Although not contained in the oldest versions of Ado and Usuard ; yet, from her own time has Madalberta been venerated in the
Low
Countries,
and mentioned in various additions to Usuard. 4? At the 7th
of September, she is recorded in the Florarian Manuscript, by Castellan,s°
1 2 and in the Parisian Besides these,
byCanisiiiSjS bySaussay. s Martyrology. S3 68
Arnold Wion,s* Menard,ss Dorgan,s Bucelin,57 Molanus^ Miraeus,59 Con- stantine Ghinius,60 Arturus,61 and a host of other hagiographers, have inserted the name and festival of this holy virgin in their writings. On the 7th of September, she was venerated at Malbod,62 according to the list of Irish saints compiled by Convseus.
The Churches of Liege and Mons had an Office and a Mass proper for
St. Madelbert, on the day of her festival. In a Breviary of Liege, printed a. d. 15 14, at Paris, there is a Duplex Office, as also in the edition of 1520, there printed. A—ll the parts are from the common office of a virgin, except
in the ancient thenineLessons comprisingherLife,asfound anonymous
Acts to which allusion has been already made, only omitting those passages
that do not — to her—and the appertain immediately
"
of charity, who hath translated to Heaven on this day, thy beatified virgin
Madelberta, grant to us Thy servants celebrating her sacred festival pardon of our sins through her pious intercession. " The ancient Breviary of Mons, belonging to the noble collegiate Church of St. Waldetrude, contains the office of our saint, but having only Three Lessons63—also taken chiefly from the old Acts referred to ; while the Proper Missal of the Church . of Liege, printed at Paris, jl. d. 1509, has a special Mass prescribed for St. Madelberta's feast. 6* These notices show the veneration in which this holy virgin had
translated from the Latin
:
O
God,
Prayer,
the Creator of innocence
and the lover
in •' Gesta Pontificum
Liege, Trajectensium
et Leodiensium," we learn, that the relics of St. Madalbert, St. Lambert, and of other saints, although enclosed in one and the same great loculus, yet were placed apart in three distinct and lesser compartments.
ss In his ' ' Benedictinum. " Martyrologium
56 In his Martyrology.
57 In his Menology. However, he errs greatly in the statement, that Maldeberta flourished in the year of Christ 612. It is certain she had not been born at that date. Moreover, he makes a still greater mistake, at the 25th of February, in stating, that her sister Aldetrude flourished about the year of Christ 840—or more than two centuries later ! For this statement, he incorrectly
49 At the 7th of September, in Greven's "
edition, are the words Madelbertae vir-
ginis ;" Hagenoyensis, " Item S. Madel- bertae Virginis ;" the Carthusian MS. at
Utrecht, "Madelbergis Virginis :" and with
these may be mentioned the Lubeck- quotes Joannes Molanus and Autbertus
Cologne and Molanus additions. The author of the Bruxelles Usuard mentions her at somewhat greater length, in these words: "Item depositio S. Madelbertae virginis, quae Leodii quiescit, filiae scilicet S. Waldetrudis et beatse Gudilse neptis. " However, the latter relationship is not so certain, and it has been rejected by Father Soller in his previous commentary on the Acts of St. Amalberga, widow, and mother
Miraeus, with other Belgian writers.
6 and that more ruary , stating,
be related about
tember or at the 16th of November. They merely refer, at the later date,
to the x. (? xxx. ) of October or the 16th of November.
his Acts have been given, at the 1st of September.
Article viii. —1 Edited by Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. xxxiii. In the Book of Leinster
copy we read Cochtmm. 2'
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
Acta Sanctorum," Among the pre-
Article ix. — Edited byDrs. Todd and
Reeves, pp. 238, 239. In a table super- added to this Martyrology, the commentator bestows on her the name Eucharide. See
ibid. , pp. 430, 431.
238, 239. 3"
See »he Bollandists'
tomus iii. , Februarii xvii.
termitted saints, p. 3.
43 See notices of her, at the 9th of February.
in the Second Volume of this Art. work, viii. ,
and at the nth of August, in the Eighth
Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxxiii. "
Volume, Art
quiarum Scethi—filioe Mechi ad Tamlachta. "
i.
s See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus
Article x.
xxxiii. 2
Edited
"
by
Rev. Dr.
Kelly,
tembris vi. p. 654.
Among
the
ii. , Sep- p. pretermitted saints,
:
Thus —
might
him,
at the 6th of
Sep-
2 a festival in honour of Dochonna is
* See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Sep- tembris vi. Among the pretermitted feasts, p. 654.
'See
See ibid. , tomus iii. , Februarii xvii. tomus ii. , Septembris vi. Among the pre-
6
Among the pretermitted saints, p. 3. termitted feasts, p. 653.
7 See "Trias " See at that in the Thaumaturga," Appendix day,
present volume,
Septima ad Acta S. Patricii, pars iii. , p. 294. Art. i.
3 The is thus made Adventus Reli- entry :
Article xi.
Acta Sanctorum,"
51AIIA111.
180 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [September7
£>ebentl) 2Bai> of September.
ARTICLE I. —ST. MADELBERGA, MEDALBERTA, AMALBERTE, OR MADELBERTA, ABBESS, AT MAUBEUGE, BELGIUM.
{SEVENTH AND EIGHTH CENTURIES. ]
the place of this holy virgin's nativity has not been
King of France. Moreover, on her father's side, St. Madelberta. had Irish blood in her veins, and doubtless she inherited many of those happy dispositions, that rendered her worthy to rank with so many other members of a truly noble and holy
family.
The ancient Acts of St. Madelberta are to be found in a Brabantine
Hagiological Manuscript of Rubea Vallis Monastery f and collated with two other Manuscript Lives,3 they have been published by the Bollandists,* in fourteen paragraphs, illustrated with notes. A previous commentary5 has been prefixed by Father John Perier, S. J. The Acts found in the Utrecht
6 do not differ from the substance of those others, which have been collated by the editor ; yet, the sentences are expressed in a different substitution of \vords and order-form, so that he deemed it but a needless iteration to have published them separately. ? The name of the author is not known, nor the period when he wrote ,' yet, it may be suspected, he lived not contemporaneously with the subject of his biography, although his time of writing it was undoubtedly very remote. 8 Several chronological and other obscurities are presented, which render the life of our saint very
ascertained ALTHOUGH
our Irish Saints, because her religious father is held to have sought from Ireland the shores of France, where he was renowned as a warrior, and where he attained the distinction of being known as Count of Hannonia, or Hainault, in reward for his services, as also because with his religious wife, Waldetrude, he visited
1
dis
; yet,
she has been classed
among
ti
nct
ly
Ireland, on a mission entrusted to him, by Dagobert I. ,
Manuscript
Article —• soon after i. Born probably
A. n. 600, he died at Epinay a. d. 638, at the age of about 36, and he was interred at Saint-Denis, which he had founded six years
M in Vita S. Madalbertae Incipit prologus
virginis. " However, as no mention of our Saint's name there occurs, and as it abounds
chiefly in Scripture phrases, reduced to the form of a sermon, which could be rendered
applicable to any other holy virgin, the editor omitted printing it.
7 Nor was it necessary to multiply Anno- tations for mere differences of words, where the reader should find what was worthy of allusion to it brought under his notice by the
yte Walsh, tome x. , p. 6.
7 This
religious
See " Catho- Encyclopedic
previously.
lique," &c, par M. L'Abb£ Glaire et M. Le
house is near Bruxelles.
3 One of these belonged to the monastery of Bethleem, near Louvain. The other is
supposed to have belonged to the house of
St. Saviour, at Utrecht. Such are the editor.
statements of Fathers Bollandus and brochius, as handed down for the information of their successors.
8 He remarks that the Saint's body had been interred at Malbod, where miracles were wrought through her intercession. However, he is silent, regarding the trans-
Pape-
4 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Sep-
tembris vii. De S. Madelberta Virgine et lation of her remains to Liege. Still,
Abbatissa Malbodii in Hannonia, pp. 103 to III.
5 In three sections, and twenty-nine para-
graphs.
' To it is found prefixed, as a title :
it cannot be inferred from such silence, that the writer lived before the latter date ; as he may have been either ignorant regarding such
translation,orknowingofit, hemayhave deemed it beyond the scope of his narrative.
September 7. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 181
difficult for solution ; but, the Bollandist editor has probably given the most reasonable conjectures to serve for elucidation. This saint is briefly noticed by Joannes Molanus, at the 7th of September. 9 His observations are taken chiefly from the offices, in the churches of Malbod and Liege. Alludii
10
the other saints of her family, St. Waldetrude, Abbess, and St. Aldetrude,
11
AbbessofMalbod, ColganhadintendedtogivetheActsofSt. Madelberta,
at the 7th of September. The Petits Bollandistes,12 at the 7th day of September, have notices of Sainte Madelberte or Amalberte, Abbess of Monastery of Maubeuge, in the Diocese of Cambray. Some notices of her are contained in the work of Rev. S. Baring-Gould. '3
Already
de Septembre, pp. 553 to 555.
13 See " Lives of the
vol.
1 * or Madelberta was the of Saints Maelceadar or daughter
St.
Vincentius15 and Waldetrude. 16
their sainted connections. Their children were Landric or Landry, ? after- wards Bishop of Meaux, or of Metz, Aldetrude,18 and Malberta, their daughters, and Dentelin, 19 who was the youngest of that family. Surrounded by such a happy circle, we can scarcely wonder, that Madelberta, or Amalberte—as she is also called—grew up in the most happy dispositions. Born—as seems most probable. —a short time before the death of Dagobert I. , King of France, which happened about a. d. 638 ; from childhood, Madel- berta loved to pray constantly, and to profit by the teaching and example of her holy parents. It has been thought by some, that she and her sister Aldetrudis had been twins, and born about the year 637 ; or if they were born at different periods, one saw the light about a. d. 636, and the other a. d. 637.
Madelberga
20 2' Heraunt,St. Aldegundis, whocouldnothavebeenmanyyearsolder, was
the first foundress of a convent at Malbod,22 also known as Maubeuge. It was then a solitary place, on the River Sambre ; and, it is now a town and canton of France, in the Department of the North. 23 There she had built three churches, on the death of her parents. One of those was dedicated in
2
honour of the Queen of Angels j another to honour St. Quintin, * Martyr ;
and the third was dedicated to the chiefs of the Apostles, Saints Peter and
20 0r Her festival is observed Aldegonde.
on the 30tk of January at Maubeuge. She was born a. d. 630, in the town of Hainault, in the Low Countries, and she was the
9 See "Natales Sanctorum
Belgii," Sep- 10" "
Hibernian,
tima Septembris, p. 193 £. See Acta Sanctorum
Februarii iii. , n. 5, p. 249.
11 See ibid,, Februarii xxv. , n.
"See Vies des Saints," tome x. , viie Jour
sister of St. Waldetrude, whom slfc preceded in a religious profession. She died about the year 689.
2l In her Life ascribed to Hucbaldus, a monk of St. Amand's,—who lived in the
5, p. 412.
younger
Saints,"
14 This seems to have been the more ninth century, he states
September 7, p. 109.
ancient form of her name.
15 See his Life, at the 14th of July, in the
Seventh Volume of this work, Art. i.
16
See her Acts, at the 9th of April, in the Fourth Volume of this work, Art. i. She and her sister A ldegond is were the daughters of Prince Walbert, descended in a direct line from the former French Kings, and the Princess Berthille, an Anglo-Saxon.
— day for his feast — in the Fourth Volume of
17 See notices of him at this work, Art. vii.
18
February, in the Second Volume of this work, Art. ii.
torum 193 b.
'' See his life, at the of
14th July,
in the
"
Gazetteer of the World," vol. ix. , pp. 161, 162.
34 He was also the of Amiens. Apostle
Seventh Volume of this work, Art. ix.
His feast is held on the 31st of October.
April 17th
the
Belgii," Septima Septembris, p.
ix. ,
have we alluded to them and to 1
"Anno Dominicae
Incarnationis circiter evoluto sexcentesimo
tricesimo, in Francia regnante Dagoberto
filio Clotharii, orta est in pago Hainoensi
Virgo Aldegundis ex regali prosapia, patre Walberto, matre Bertilia. " Her Acts have
been published by Bolandus, in the "Acta
Sanctorum," at January 30th, from three different sources.
""
See Joannes Molanus' Natales Sanc-
2?
Here there was a strong for t r
See an account of her, at the 25th of guard the northern borders of France. See
:
i82 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[September 7.
Paul. 2* Her sister Waldetrude retired from the 26 collected world, having
aroundheraferventandreligiouscommunity. Atthattime,Aldegondewas placed under her charge, at the age of eleven years, by Bertilia, as seems likely for purposes of religious and secular instruction ; the younger children of Waldetrude remaining in care of their maternal aunt. The parents of
Aldegonde withdrew their daughter after a brief sojourn in the monastery, fearing that she also should take the veil, and because they had intended her to marry a man of rank -equal to their own. However, their efforts were unavailing ; for she soon took an opportunity to escape from the paternal mansion, and while still very young, she had found that place of solitude, where her religious house was afterwards established. 2?
Meanwhile, Aldetrude and Madelberta felt a growing desire to conse-
28 had they
2
berta sought a retreat from the world with St. Aldegonde 9 while it would
;
seem, that her sister Aldetrude also devoted herself to a religious life, in the same monastery. There indeed was a union of 'souls engaged in all the practical virtues of their state. Their chastity and humility were exercised with vigils and largesses to the poor. From St. Amand3° and other holy bishops, they heard frequent exhortations, and were comforted against the trials and temptations, which fail not to test the fortitude of even the most virtuous persons. On one of those occasions, while our saint was in great distress, bright rays of light came through the windows of her oratory, and seemed to cover her, as if the Divine influence had been poured on her for
a protection from the snares of the enemy.
For a long time, the holy Abbess Aldegonde ruled over her community, onthebanksoftheSambre. Shewasfavouredinaneminentdegreewith the gift of fervent prayer, and with many revelations. Under such a superioress, we may well suppose, her nieces were schooled in all the virtues and discipline of their religious state. The closing years of Aldegonde were a continual martyrdom j for a cancer in the right breast was the cause of jntense pain. This she bore, not only with exemplary patience, but with rejoicing that she was deemed worthy to suffer for the name of Christ. When her term on earth was arrived, a globe of fire was seen coming from Heaven and settling over the house, in which her spirit so happily departed, and as generally supposed on the 30th of January, a. d. 684. We have already seen, the parents of St. Madelberta separated by mutual consent to spend the rest of their days in religious retirement, about the year 653 ;3» Madelgarius, or Vincent, to take up his abode in that monastery he had
crate their lives to the service of Christ. At an solely
early age,
been consigned by their pious mother to the convent founded at Maubeuge, where they were placed for education and direction under their aunt. Thus, it may be said, that almost from their cradle, they were familiarised with all the monastic rules and practices. Being—as supposed—the youngest of the daughters of St. Mauger or Vincent, and Vaudrue, or Waldetrude, Madel-
25 Venerated on the of
29th June.
26
About ihe year 641.
^ " The act of this foundation, published
l8 were not more than nine They probably
or ten years, at the time.
* See Les Petits Bollandistes, "Vies des
by Miraeus, is spurious, as mention is made Saints," tome x. , viie Jour de Septembre,
therein of persons who were not living at that time ; neither could it have been made in the twentieth year of Dagobert, as it con- tains facts, which cannot be r—econciled with
p. 553.
30 St. Amand, Bishop of Maestricht,
whose feast occurs on the 6th of February, He died A. D. 684, in the ninetieth year of
the history of that prince. "
Butler's "Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs,
and other principal Saints," vol. i. , January xxx. , n.
age.
3t See the Life of St. Maelceadar or Mal-
degarius, surnamed Vincent, at the 14th of July.
Rev. Alban his
September 7. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 183
previously founded, at Hautmont, near Maubeuge, on the River Sambre, 2
and his wife Waldetrude, or Vaudru,3 at Castrilocus, or Castrilos, subse- quently designated Mons, in the year 656. The Blessed Aldetrudis, or Adeltrude, succeeded her aunt in the government of this religious establish- ment. 33 For twelve years she presided over it with great virtue and wisdom, when she was also called away to taste the fruits of life everlasting, about the
year 696.
After the death of her sainted sister, Madelberta was selected to govern
the monastery. 34 Nor was she less careful to set an excellent example to the nuns under her charge, and to foster the good seed already sown, so that daily were pious females brought to the sanctuary, and directed by her in the paths that led to Heaven. She ruled over her religious community for the term of nine years. Madelberta had thus become the third abbess of Malbod,35 and now in turn she was called to receive the eternal reward. In the most admirable sentiments of piety she died about the year 684, or 685 according to some writers. 36 However, more recent and exact researches,
8
by Carolus le Cointe 37 and others,3 have ascertained by certain historic
comparisons of data^ that her life had been prolonged to about a. d. 705.
Her body was deposited in the Church of St. Peter, the Apostle, with solemn
funeral rites; a great number of priests with the religious entoning the psalms and canticles appropriate for the occasion.
Soon after the Saint's death, a remarkable miracle took place, which soon
caused the people of all that surrounding country to venerate her as their
special patroness. A very religious man, living near Maubeuge, had a deaf- ness in the right ear, and he had often prayed to God for the gilt of sound
hearing. One night in his sleep, a voice came to him, saying: "Arise, go to the monastery of Maubeuge and to the Church of St. Peter, where the
body of St. Madelberte, Virgin, reposes, and there you shall be healed at her tomb. " Whenmorninghadcome,hearoseandhastenedtothemonastery as directed. He assisted at Mass with profound devotion, offering up his prayers most fervently. Suddenly, when the priest commenced chaunting the Gospel, the man had an extraordinary sensation. His limbs began to tremble, his face grew pale, and some aqueous humour distilled from the ear affected. At the same moment, he felt relieved from his infirmity, which never afterwards returned. Another miracle is recorded regarding a certain girl, whose lower limbs had been crooked and paralysed from the time of birth ; but, her parents had brought her to the tomb of our saint, where she
was suddenly restored to their use.
32 See the Life of St. Waldetrude or Vau- trude, at the 9th of April.
At the time of the evening office, she
33 See Joannes Molanus' " Natales Sane-
39 Thus it has been conclusively proved in the Bollandists' "Acta Sanctorum," 34 See Les Petits Bollandistes, "Vies des tomus i. , Februarii, in a previous corn- mentary to the Acts of St. Amand, that this
torum Belgii,"SeptimaSeptembris, p. 193 £.
Saints," tome x. , viie Jour de Septembre, p. 554.
holy Bishop most probably died after a. d. 679. After his death, St. Aldegundis sur- vived him lor 'some years, and died most probably in the year 684, according to the calculations of Mabillon and the Bollandists. It is stated, likewise, that afterwards Alde- trude succeeded her aunt as abbess, ruling for twelve years in that capacity, and depar't-
35 See Joannes Molanus' " Natales Sane-
torum Belgii," Septima Septembris, p. 193 b. 36 Among these are Bartholomeus Fisen,
in Floribus Leodiensibus, Arturus in Gynae-
ceo, i-Egidius Bucherius in Chronico Epis-
coporum Trajectensium, as seen in an Ap-
pendix to " De Rebus Gestis Episcoporum
Leodiensium," by Joannes Chapeavillus, ing this life about the year 696 or 697. Her
tomus i.
3? See "Annales Ecclesiastici Francorum,"
tomus iv. , A. D. 684, num. 1.
sister Madelberta then became third abbess of that religious house, and governed it for nine years.
"
38 Such as, P. Michael Delewarde, in
Historia Generalis Harmonise," tomus
i.
84 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [September 7.
was seen by the nuns, walking through the middle of the Church, and giving thanks to God. This caused great rejoicing and admiration to all who had known her previous condition, and who had witnessed her perfect restoration. These are only a few of those miracles, which were wrought, at the place of her first sepulture. *
St. Hubert,41 who had succeeded St. Lambert** as Bishop of Maestricht,
removed the episcopal see in 721 to Liege,*3 of which city he then became
the first bishop. To honour his martyred predecessor, he had built a stately church, which he designated the cathedral,** and thither he conveyed the relicsofSt. Lambert. *s HeisstillveneratedaschiefpatronofLiege. Until theyear722,therelicsofSt. MadelbertreposedatMaubeuge. Thefameof her sanctity and miracles was so great, that about the same time, St. Hubert hadherbodytransportedtoLiege,withsolemnceremonies. Havingencased her relics in a shrine, in which were also enclosed the relics of St. Theodard,*6 they were placed in the cathedral church. There several miracles were after- wards wrought through our saint's intercession. During the middle ages,
likewise, frequent broils arose among the powerful and opulent families that disturbed the peace of Liege ; when public prayers and visitations to the shrines of the local patrons took place, to avert those disorders. On such occasions, the relics were exhibited for veneration to the faithful. *? In the year 1489, those relics were well preserved, when a commission had been appointed to examine into their state. On the 14th of April, with solemn religious ceremonies, a number of representative ecclesiastics, deputed by the Dean and Chapter oi Liege Cathedral, began the work of examination, which was continued on the 18th and 19th of the same month. In that compart- ment, in which the remains of St. Magdelberta reposed, they found her bones, with her hood and veil, as also a black cincture remarkably wrought ; more- over, they saw her robe and another veil, with two large portions 'of her habit, and two small scissors, whi—ch she was doubtless accustomed to use, together with some other ornaments whether belonging to her or placed there by others is not known. After this examination, the inner and outer coverings were locked, when the keys were placed in the sacristy of the church, and in an upper drawer, which was lettered Mechlinia. *8
40 See the Bollandists' " Acta Sanctorum," 43 The capital of an important province in tomus iii. , Septembris vii. Acta auctoie Belgium so named, and situated on the
anonymo, ex Hagiologio Brabantino MS. Rubea? Vallis, collata cum duobus aliis
MSS. , pp. no, in.
River Maese or Meuse. At that period, it
was only an insignificant village- Near it lived Pepin, in the castle of Herstal or Heristal.
44 This Gothic edifice was destroyed by
41 He was
when a young man of the world, and hence
May,
1508,
A. D.
of Erarde de la
Liege, was torn to pieces by the revolutionary mob, in 1794! The head of St. Lambert, however, has been recovered, and it is still
passionately
fond of
hunting,
he has been regarded as the patron of the French, in 1794.
hunters.
He departed this life, on the 30th
*5 The beautiful shrine in gilt bronze, a gift,
His chief —how- in 727. festival,
of
ever, is kept on the 3rd of November pro- bably on account of some translation of his relics.
Marck, Bishop
of
42 He was assassinated, at the
of Alpais, a concubine to Pepin of Heirstal, because he had reproved their crimes. He
suffered martyrdom September 17th, the day afterwards appointed for his festival. The year of his death has been variedly stated: according to a tradition of the Church at Liege, A. D. 696; while the Bollandists have it, at a. d. 708, or 709. See an account
of him in Les Petits Bollandistes, " Vies des
in instigation preserved Liege.
e"
pp. 172 to 179. Leodiensis," and of Anselmus, Canon of
''
Saints, tome xi. , xvii Jour de Septembre, Fisen, S. J. , in his Historia Ecclesise
*6 St. Lambert's predecessor in the See of Maestricht. His martyrdom took place a. n. 668, arid his feast is celebrated at Liege on the loth of September.
4? An account of those transactions may be found in Joannes Chapeavillus' work,
"
Gesta Pontificum Leodiertsium. "
48 From the Report of this investigation, and from the accounts of Bartholomoeus
September 7. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. i»S
The name of this holy virgin is to be found in a great number of calendars and martyrologies. Although not contained in the oldest versions of Ado and Usuard ; yet, from her own time has Madalberta been venerated in the
Low
Countries,
and mentioned in various additions to Usuard. 4? At the 7th
of September, she is recorded in the Florarian Manuscript, by Castellan,s°
1 2 and in the Parisian Besides these,
byCanisiiiSjS bySaussay. s Martyrology. S3 68
Arnold Wion,s* Menard,ss Dorgan,s Bucelin,57 Molanus^ Miraeus,59 Con- stantine Ghinius,60 Arturus,61 and a host of other hagiographers, have inserted the name and festival of this holy virgin in their writings. On the 7th of September, she was venerated at Malbod,62 according to the list of Irish saints compiled by Convseus.
The Churches of Liege and Mons had an Office and a Mass proper for
St. Madelbert, on the day of her festival. In a Breviary of Liege, printed a. d. 15 14, at Paris, there is a Duplex Office, as also in the edition of 1520, there printed. A—ll the parts are from the common office of a virgin, except
in the ancient thenineLessons comprisingherLife,asfound anonymous
Acts to which allusion has been already made, only omitting those passages
that do not — to her—and the appertain immediately
"
of charity, who hath translated to Heaven on this day, thy beatified virgin
Madelberta, grant to us Thy servants celebrating her sacred festival pardon of our sins through her pious intercession. " The ancient Breviary of Mons, belonging to the noble collegiate Church of St. Waldetrude, contains the office of our saint, but having only Three Lessons63—also taken chiefly from the old Acts referred to ; while the Proper Missal of the Church . of Liege, printed at Paris, jl. d. 1509, has a special Mass prescribed for St. Madelberta's feast. 6* These notices show the veneration in which this holy virgin had
translated from the Latin
:
O
God,
Prayer,
the Creator of innocence
and the lover
in •' Gesta Pontificum
Liege, Trajectensium
et Leodiensium," we learn, that the relics of St. Madalbert, St. Lambert, and of other saints, although enclosed in one and the same great loculus, yet were placed apart in three distinct and lesser compartments.
ss In his ' ' Benedictinum. " Martyrologium
56 In his Martyrology.
57 In his Menology. However, he errs greatly in the statement, that Maldeberta flourished in the year of Christ 612. It is certain she had not been born at that date. Moreover, he makes a still greater mistake, at the 25th of February, in stating, that her sister Aldetrude flourished about the year of Christ 840—or more than two centuries later ! For this statement, he incorrectly
49 At the 7th of September, in Greven's "
edition, are the words Madelbertae vir-
ginis ;" Hagenoyensis, " Item S. Madel- bertae Virginis ;" the Carthusian MS. at
Utrecht, "Madelbergis Virginis :" and with
these may be mentioned the Lubeck- quotes Joannes Molanus and Autbertus
Cologne and Molanus additions. The author of the Bruxelles Usuard mentions her at somewhat greater length, in these words: "Item depositio S. Madelbertae virginis, quae Leodii quiescit, filiae scilicet S. Waldetrudis et beatse Gudilse neptis. " However, the latter relationship is not so certain, and it has been rejected by Father Soller in his previous commentary on the Acts of St. Amalberga, widow, and mother
Miraeus, with other Belgian writers.
