No More Learning

at Centule, under the charge of its first founder and Abbot, St. Richarius,^ they led a reUgious life, where they were interred, and wliere their relics were afterwards preserved. At Centule, the monks of St. Riquier possessed a considerable quantity of books,9 in the beginning of the ninth century. '" Besides the epitaph composed for St. Caidoc," by St. Angilbert," Abbot of Centule ; this learned and holy man composed another '3 for St. Fricor, his companion. During that time, when '+ the Abbot of Centule St. Gervin lived, '5 he had their remains removed from the earth, and enclosed in a silver shrine, adorned with precious stones. The relics were thus placed for public veneration. '^ A crypt or chapel, was built, likewise, by the same St. Gervin, and four altars were erected therein; while, among the relics of holy confessors, the name of Caydocus was to be found on the chief altar. The reader is re- ferred to what has been already stated, in the Life of St. Madelgisilus, which at this date, likewise, precedes the present account.
Article VIII. —Festival of the Nativity of St. Thomas. The "Feilire"' of St. . -Engus commemorates, at the 30th of May, the Feast of the Nativity of St. Thomas. Elsewhere, we cannot find any no- tice of such a festival. His chief feast in the Church is at the 21st of December; and, as his Acts have been recorded, in the general History of the Church and in the Hagiography of her Saints, we need not further allude to him in this connexion.
caked Cannelite. The first establishment of Christianity here seems to have been rooted out owing to the incursions of the Vandals and Hunns, until it was revived by our saint.
* His feast has been assigned to the 26th of April. Besides the Life of this holy man, as written by Alcuinus Flaccus, in tlie time of Charlemagne, there has been a metrical Life of him composed in Latin Hexameter verse,bytheAbbotIngelrammus. Inthis, allusion is thus made to our two Irish saints, in cap. ii. , thus :
" Tunc et Pontivus meruit splendes- cere pagus,
Forte Sacerdotum radians fulgure duorum.
Nomen majoris quorum fuerat Caido- cus,
Egregiis nieritis quos misit Hibernia nobis. "
' Among those was one noticed as " Bib-
liotheca integra ubi continentur libri Ixxii. in
uno voluinine," as also, " Bibliotheca dis-
persa in voluminibus 14. "—Chron. Centul.
iJ'Achery's " Spicilegium," tomus ii. , p. Breac " copy we have the following stanza, 3"-
'" See Rev. S. R. Maitland's "The Dark Ages ; a series of Kssays, intended to illus- trate the . State of Relii,'ion and Literature in the Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries," No. xii. , p. 195.
" See vol. iv. of this work, at April 1st, Art. i.
'• He departed this life on the iSth of February—the day for his feast—A. D. 814.
translated into English by Whitley Stokes, LL. D. :—
'^ These Latin Lines run as follows :
" Corpore terreno qui cernitur esse sepultus,
Gaudia pro meritis coelica Isetus habet.
Iste fuit Fricorus Chaidoco consocia- tus:
Quern sibi concessum Centula gau- det ovans.
Hievirtutevalensdespexitprospera mundi
Et modo viventi gloria magna patet.
Quando Deo placuit, ccelorum regna petivit :
Nunc Angilberti carmine fulget. Amen. "
'* According to a Manuscript " Chronicon Centulense " of Joannes Capella, and com- piled A. D. 1492, at num. 21.
'5 Hedieda. d. 1073,^^^^1hisfeastiskept on tlie 3rd of March.
" According to Ariulphus, in his " Chro- nicum Centulense,' lib. iv. , cap. 32.
Article viii. — ' In the "Leabhar
rioeb a^paL Ai\|riA'o<JC hipunoniAiti eciiAi gtiii CoiiiAii' cetioipne Pai]" eucAic cenecLAi.
" A holy Apostle of our God in a deep of wisdom, the nativity of Thomas without
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May 31. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 617
Article IX. Festival of Eutychius, Martyr. As we find, in the "Feilire"' of St. ^ngus, the Martyr, St. Eutychius, had been venerated, in the early Irish Church, on this day. He suffered at Aquileia, in Italy, with St. Cantianus and St. Euthymius, according to the ancient Martyroloo^v of St. Jerome. The Bollandists ^ quote some old records, relating to their triumph ; but, few particulars of their history seem to have survived to our day.
Article X. Reputed Feast for the Translation of the Relics OF St. Dympna and of St. Gerebern, at Gheel, in Brabant. In a Florarian Manuscript, as also in a Carthusian Manuscript, the Bollandists notice this Translation, while they remark, among the Feasts pretermitted, that at the 30th of May, Thomas Dempster, in h's Menologium Scotorum,' has such a statement. The reader is referred to their respective Lives, at the 15th of May. 3
Article XI. Reputed Feast of St. Totuanus, Martyr. Accord- ing to the Entries in the Kalendar of David Camerarius, at the 30th of May,
we have a notice of St. Totuanus, a Martyr, and the companion of St. Kilian ;
but, for a more complete account, the Bollandists ' refer to the Acts of the latter holy martyr, at the 8th of July, which is that for their proper Festival,
CI)irtp--fi[r5t ©ap of i¥latn
ARTICLE I. —ST. FERADACIUS, ABBOT OF lONA, SCOTLAND.
[NINTH CENTURY. ^
FOR centuries after the time of St. Columkille, our Island sent several holy men as colonists and missionaries to his greatly frequented monastery at lona. The place had a renown for holiness; and, from Ireland, from Scotland, as also from distant Norway, there came, during successive centuries, many royal funerals to its shores. At this day, by far the most interesting remains
the passion of Eutychius with- out fear. "—"Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. , part i. On the Calendar of Oengus, by Whitley Stokes, LL. D. , p. Ixxxii. There are Irish comments on the first line of the stanza, which in English are interpreted "z'. c, Christ, it is in his presence he is;" and again on the third line, thus rendered into English, "His proper time had come. Or he was not weak as regards any anger or
falsehood. " Ibid,, p. xci.
Article ix. — ' See "Transactions of
the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. , part i. On the Calendar of Oengus, by Whitley Stokes, LL D. , p. Ixxxii.
' See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus vii. , Mail xxx. De SS. Cantiano, Evtychio, et Evthy- mio, Martyribus Aqvileise in Italia, p.
239. — See " Acta Snnctorum," Article X. '
tomus vii. , p. 233.
^ Thus : " Ghele pago translatio reliquia-
rum Dympnse virgiuis Hibernice, et Gere- berni presbyteri Scoti ejus inslitutoris et magistri, B : ML. "—Bishop Forbes' " Ka- lendars of Scottish Saints," p. 201.
3 See the present volume, at that date,
Ari. i. and ii. — See " Acta Sanctorum," Article xi. '
tomus vii. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 234.
suddenness
:
8—.
LI VES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [ May 3 1
upon the Island are those curious and beautiful tombstones, which lie in Reilig Odhrain, They belong, even the most ancient of them, to an age removed by many hundred years from Columba's time. But, they represent that lasting reverence, which his name has inspired during so many generations, and that desire of along succession of chiefs and warriors through the Middle Ages, and down almost to our own time, to be buried in the soil where he had trod. ' However, it is only in the past ages we can seek for its historic greatness. St. Feredacius was son to Corbmac, and we may assume he was of northern Irish descent,asofbirth. Heissupposedtohavebeenborn,aboutthebeginning of the ninth century ; but, where he was educated or by whom does not appear. Yet,it seemsveryprobable,thatstirredbythecelebrityofthatflourishing institute established by St. Columba,^^ at lona, he went thither at an early age to embrace the rule and conform to the discipline of that monastery. Of his earlier career, little seems to be known. He became Abbot of Zona; most pro- bably, on the death of Abbot Cellach. This took place, a. d. 863, according to the Annals of theFour Masters,3or in the year 864 according to those of Ulster. However, in that valuable " Chronicon Hyense," postfixed to the Rev. Dr. Reeves' work,5 the death of this Abbot is referred to the year 865. ^ If such were the case, it must have been during our saint's presidency, the shrine of St. Columkille was removed to Ireland, lest it should become a prey to the Danes. This removal happened, as variously stated, in the year, 875,7 877,* or 878. 9 Our saint only survived such an occurrence, for one or two years. However, if we are to credit the Annals of Inisfallen, Ferediach Abbot of Jae Columkille died a. d. 866 ;'° but, these Annals are known to be ante-dated. He died, during theyear 877," 879,'=^or 88o,'3 according to the other Irish An- nals. It must be confessed, we have no authority for assigning this saint's festival, to the 31st, in preference to the i8th of May, as Colgan only says, that a different St. Feradachrichus was venerated on both days. He is of opinion, that either was perhaps identical with St. Feradacius Abbot of lona.
Article II. St. Fer-da-crioch. An entry appears in the Martyrology of Tallagh,' at the 31st of May, regarding a St. Firdacrich. The BoUan- dists,^' who quote from the same record, have Ferdachricus at this date, as well as at the 1 8th of May, among the pretermitted feasts. However, it is difificult to discover who this saint was, when he flourished, or where he lived.
61
Article i. —' See the Duke of Argyll's *• lona," in " Good Words," second paper, September ist, 1869, at p. 620.
' See his Life, in the . Sixth Volume of this work, at the 9th of June, Art. i.
3 At A. D. 863, those state: " Ceallach, son of Ailell, Abbot of Cill-dara, and the Abbot of la, died in Pictland. "—Dr. O'Donovan's Edition, vol. i. , \i\>. 500, 501.
^ See Rev. Dr. O'Conor's " ivcrum Iliber- nicarum Scriptores, tomus iv. , p. 233.
5 See Adamnan's " Life of St. Columba.
" ' See Additional Notes O, pp. 390, 391.
' See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 522, 523.
* See the Annals of Ulster at this year, in Rev. Dr. Conor's " Rcrum Ilibernicum
Scriptores," tomus iv. , pp. 233, 234.
9 Seethe Bodleian co])y, as published in Dr. Charles O'Conor's " Rcrum liibernica-
rum Scriptores," tomus ii. , p. 3I.
'° See ' Chronicon Hyense. " Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's " Life of St. Cohimba," Additional Notes O, p. 392. Also, " Chroni- con Scotoium," pp. 166, 176. William ^L Hennessy's edition.
" According to Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 526, 527.
'- Tlie Annals of Ulster at this year, have " Feredach mac Cormaic Abbas Jae pausat. " —Dr. O'Conor's " Rerum Hibernicarurn Scriptores," tomus iv. , p. 235.
'^ See "Trias Thaumaturga," Appendix Quinta ad Acta S. Columba;, cap. iv. , sect. iv. , p. 500.
Article ii. — ' Edited by Rev, Dr. Kelly, p. xxv.
* See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus vii. , Mali xxxi. , p. 418.
^ Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 140, 141.
9— —
May 31. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
619
Again, veneration was paid on this day to Fer-da-crioch, as we read in the Martyrology of Donegal. 3 He may not be different from the saint, who has preceded, as noticed in the previous Article.
Article III. —St. Eoghan, Bishop of Cremhcaille, or Abbot of MoviLLE, County of Down. At this date, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,' we find noticed, Eoghan, a bishop and a wise man, of Maigh Cremhcaille. The Bollandists,^ who follow this authority, have entered his festival, at the 31st of May, in this form : Eugenius Episcopus et Sapiens de Magh-Creainb- Chaill. Thissaint'splaceseemstobeidenticalwithCreamchoill,nowCran-
field,3 in the barony of Upper Toome, and in the deanery of Hy-Turtre, diocese of Connor, and county of Antrim. 4 Under the head of Magh-cremhchoille,5 Duald Mac Firbis enters, Eoghan, bishop, and sage of Magh-Cremhchoille, at May the 31st. The name Magh-cremhchoille, signifies " the plain of the wild garlic wood ;" but, it has not been clearly identified. ^ Likewise, on this day, theMartyrologyofDonegal^ recordsthefestivalofEoghan,AbbotofMagh- bile. ^ From the year 731 forward, this place, now called Moville, in the county of Down, is noticed in our Annals, only, as being under the govern- ment of Abbots.
Article IV St. Maelodhrain, of Slane, County of Meath. At the 31st of May, the Martyrology of Tallagh ^ records an entry, regarding Moelodran of Slaan. The BoUandists ^ have as a festival, at this date, Moeldranus Slanensis, and following the same authority. This place deriving its name from Slanius a former monarch of Ireland 3 —was situated near the River Boyne, and in the County of Meath. It is now known as Slane, where it is said St. Here, or St. Erc,^ became its first bishop, in the time of St. Patrick,s by whom he had been consecrated. To St. Ere is attri- buted the foundation of a hermitage near the beautiful Hill of Slane, over the winding and picturesque course of the Boyne River. It is situated to the south of the town, and it is said, but incorrectly, that Regular Canons of St. Austin were here established. It was celebrated during the early ages of Christianity, and according to tradition, Dagobert,^ King of Austrasia, was
Article iit. — ' Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. XXV.
^ See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus vii. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 418.
County of Antrim," sheets 49, 54. The p. 418.
more," Appendix A, p. 152, and Appendix LL, p. 378. —
Article iv. ' Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxv.
^ See "Acta Sanctormn," tomus vii. , nance Survey Townland Maps for the Maii xxxi. Among the pretermitted saints,
3 This parish is described, on the " Ord-
townland proper is on sheet 49.
" See Rev. Dr. Reeves' " Antiquities of
Down, Connor, and Dromore," p. 82, n. (a).
5 See "Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish MSS. Series, vol. i. , part i. , pp. 122, 123.
° See note of William M. Hennessy.
7 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeve? , pp. 140, 141.
^ His name, as abbot of Moville, I have not been able to find in the " Annals of the Four Masters. "
' See Rev. William Reeves' " Ecclesias- tical Antiquities of Down, Connor and Dro-
^ See William Robert Wilde's " Beauties of the Boyne, and its Tributary, the Black- water," cliap. i. , p. 14.
* His feast is referred to the and of November.
^ See his Life, in the Third Volume of this work, at the 17th of March, Art. i. , chap. ix.
^ He flourished in the seventh centurj', being son to Sigebert III. , and on the death of his father, Grimoald, Mayor of the Palace, seized on his young son, who was only three years of age, while Dido Bishop of Poitiers conducted him to Ireland. Here, it is said, the young prince resided for many years, and
620 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAWTS. [May 31.
here educated. ? Slane was frequently pillaged, by the Northmen. ^ The Franciscans seem to have occupied the hermitage of St. Ere during the middle ages. The hermitage 9 lies within the Marquis of Conyngham's Demesne, on the northern bank of the river, and immediately below the castle, embosomed within the dark shadows, in a grove of ancient yews. Considerable portions of this picturesque building still exist. '° Near the site of his original church are the ruins of afineold Franciscan monastery, founded a. d. 1512," erected by Christopher Fleming, Lord of Slane,'=^ and by his wife, on behalf of two
Hermitage of St. Ere, Slane.
Franciscan Friars, who then dwelt in St. Erc's hermitage, and foj the order to which they belonged. This Priory was suppressed, in the 38th year of King Henry VIII. , and it was re-granted to the Flemings, whose possessions were forfeited to the crown, after the Insurrection of i64i. '3 On this day, a festival to honour Maelodhrain, of Slane, was celebrated, as we read in the Martyr- ology of Donegal. '4 With his parentage and period, we are not acquainted.
here, too, he married a " Princess Matilda," by whom he liad several children. In theyear 673, after the assassination of Childeric II. , and a revolution accomplished in Fiance, the Austrasinns called Dagohcrt II. , from his exile in Ireland to become their sovereign. See M. Michelet's " Histoire de France," tomei. , liv. i. , chap. i. ,])]! . 27310 278.
^ See F"iancis Grose's "Antiquities of Ire- land," vol. ii. , p. I.
® See ibid.
' The accompanying illustration, drawn originally on the spot, by William F. Wake- man, was transferred i)y him to the wood, engraved by Mrs. Millard.
'"See William R. Wilde's "Beauties of
the Boyne, and its Tributary, the Black- water," chap, vii. , pp. 174. 175.
" Two views, one by B. nralet, and the other by T. Cocking, A. D. 1791, are found in Grose's "Antiquities ol Ireland," with an article by Rev. Edward Ledwich, vol. ii. , I'P- I to 3.
" In Robert O'Callaghan Newenham's " Picturesque Views of the Antiquities of Ireland," there are two interesting dr. usings on stone, by James D. Harding, of the Castle and Churcli at Slane, as also of Slane Castle, vol. i.
'3 See ibid pn. 18, 19. y
^ Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 140, 141.
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May 31. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 621
ArticleV. St. ErninofCranfieldParish,CountyofAntrim. According to tlie Martyralogy of Donegal/ Ernin, of Cremchoill, was vene- rated on this day. This place is now identified with Cranfield parish, in the diocese of Connor, and county of Antrim.