No More Learning

46 A Breton prince, named Nomenoy, who became King of Bretagne, was the first to erect Dol as the Metropolis of his new king- dom. See Baillet's "Vies des Saints," tome
vii. , xxviii. Jour de Juillet, sect, iv. , p. 812. *7 See Giraldi Cambrensis "Opera," vol. vi. , edited by James F. Dimock, M. A. Itinerarium Kambrise, lib. ii. , cap. i. , p.
but, according
2 the lifetime
It has been intimated, that he went to Brit-
103. *8
" of See the History and Antiquities
St. David's," by Jones and Freeman, p. 264.
*9 See Rev. John Adams' "Life of St. Samson. "
5° to Mabillon's uAnnales According
Ordinis S. Benedicti," tomus i. , lib. vi. , num. xx. , p. 151.
s' This sentiment is appositely expressed by one of our very distinguished Irish poets :
" For the Irish and Breton are kin, Though the lights of Antiquity
pale,
In the point of the dawn where the
partings begin
Of the Bolg, and the Kymro, and
Gael. "
—Sir Samuel Ferguson's "Lays of the Western Gael, and other Poems. " Adieu to
Brittany, p. 138.
ofSamson.
424 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 28.
on his account, metropolitical jurisdiction, over all the other Sees of Little
Britain. A communistic feeling of national, ethnological and religious
interests, at this period, greatly united the pious men of Armorica, of Cornubia, of Cambria, as also the Britains of Strathclyde with the people of Ireland. 51
CHAPTER IV.
INCORRECT TRADITION A130UT ST. SAMSON HAVING BEEN ARCHBISHOP OF YORK— HIS ZEAL AND MISSIONARY WORK IN ARMORICA—HIS DISCIPLES—FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN ST. SAMSON AND ST. GERMAIN, BISHOP OF PARIS—PRESENCE OF ST. SAMSON AT THE THIRD COUNCIL OF PARIS—HE RETURNS TO DOL MONASTERY— HIS DEATH—WELSH TRADITIONS—HIS" INTERMENT AT DOL—HIS RELICS— MEMORIALS OF ST. SAMSON IN IRELAND, WALES, ENGLAND AND FRANCE- FESTIVAL AND COMMEMORATIONS—CONCLUSION.
According to the statements of certain writers, St. Samson was set over the
See of York, and at a time when the Anglo-Saxons invaded the Britons.
During that period, Uterpendragon was confined to his sick bed at Verola-
ravages. Wherefore—so runs the story—the Anglo-Saxons levelled all the Christian churches before them, and obliged the Bishops and pastors to retire from such scenes of desolation to seek hiding-places from their fury. During this state of confusion and desolation, a tradition has it, that Samson, a man of exalted sanctity, and then Archbishop over York,2 fled with multi- tudes of his fellow-countrymen into Lesser Britain, and bringing with him the Pallium,3 which he had received from the Roman Pontiff. 4 There the fugitive prelate is said to have been most favourably received, and the bishop of Dol being dead, at that time, Samson was elected to succeed him, and with unanimous acclaim'; while the king also approving that choice, he was obliged to yield consent to their wishes, although with great reluctance on his part. The story continues, that being enthroned, and so long as he lived, Samson wore his Roman Pallium, at Dol, while many of his successors com- tinued the same usage. However, all this account is self-contradictory, while it is utterly irreconcilable with the facts of civil and ecclesiastical history. *
1
mium, so that he was unable to defend himself or his kingdom from their
Chapter iv. — * This Roman colony was in Britain, and near St. Albans. It is alluded to by Tacitus, in " Annalium," lib. xiv. , cap. xxxiii.
is a pontifical ornament, which properly de-
signates the office of archbishop, or of bishops who have obtained the right to wear it. Allusion is made to its use in the time of St. Isidore of Damietta, who died in the middle of the fifth century, and it was con- ferred on St. Cesaire, Bishop of Aries, by
2
This error is said to have arisen, from
mistaking this Samson, son of Amwn, for Samson, the son of Caw, who had a church
at York, although he was not a bishop there. ""
Samson, son of Caw, lived a gene —ration
earlier than Samson, son of Amwn. " Rev.
Pope Symmacus in the sixth century. See lAbbe Bergier's Dictionnaire de Theolo- gie," sub voce Pallium.
s Yet, such a tradition caused the Kings of Armorica to contend, that their Arch- bishop and Metropolitan of Dol, and the
bishops of that province, owed no subjec- tion to the Archbishop of Tours, although it might have been otherwise in the time of St. Martin. This question had been mooted for more than three hundred years, until thedis- pute was settled by a Decree of Pope Inno-
S. Baring-Gould's
vol. vii. , July 28, p. 607, n. 1.
"
Lives of the Saints,"
3 The Pallium was originally a cloak worn by philosophers in the ancient schools. It appears afterwards to have been worn by
" monks. See Rev. Joseph Bingham's Ori-
gincs Ecclesiastical : Antiquities of the Christian Church," book vi. , chap, iv. , sect.
19, and book vii. , chap, iii. , sect. 6.
4 The Pallium, now conferred by the Pope, cent III. ; while, at the instance of the
July 28. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAIMTS. 425
This holy Bishop was most anxious to provide for the spiritual wants of that flock committed to his charge, and once each year, he was sure to visit every quarter of his diocese ; while, on the 1st of November annually, he held a provincial synod, in which with incredible zeal, he laboured to regulate discreetly the affairs of his See, to reform the manners of clergy and people, to build and ornament churches and religious institutes, as also to fill vacant
6
benefices with learned and virtuous ecclesiastics.
It is related, that about the
middle of the sixth century, St. Samson placed various channel islands, and
aided by King Childebert, among others Jersey—then deserted—to be held
under sway of Dol monastery, in perpetuity. But, to his successor St.
Maglorie has been attributed its complete conversion to Christianity. ? Owing
to monastic culture, Jersey afterwards became a marval of fertility and of
8
agriculturalwealth, whileithasapopulationsixtimesgreaterthanFrance,
in relative proportion to the extent of its surface. * As one of the Scilly Islands has borne the name of St. Samson,10 and from an immemorial period ; so it has been conjectured, that during his lifetime, it had become his abode. The origin of a monastery at Pentalien, as at Dol, has been referred to the holybishopSamson. 11 ThatwasalsoinArmorica. Atacertaintime,whileSt. Samson preached in the Island, called Resia, the people were accustomed to practise profane rites, on the Kalends of January. But, the saint assembled them in one place, and there he lectured them on the unseemliness of their proceedings. The seniors felt ashamed, and promised to renounce these customs for the future. The children, who were accustomed to run about the island, were rewarded with some small gifts by the saint, and he exhorted them to renounce such evil practices. A reform was soon affected, and
12
nothing but Christian usages were afterwards tolerated in that island. According to a Breton legend, seeing his monks disturbed by the cry of wild birds, St. Samson collected these together one night, and in the court of his
x 3 he
was dismissed, with an interdiction against resuming their screams. This order of the saint they afterwards implicitly observed. 14 To St. Samson, likewise, in conjunction with St. Teilo, a British monk, is attributed the
r
planting of a great orchard or forest s of fruit trees, which existed, even to
the twelfth 16 It in the immediate of and
monastery,
imposed
silence on them. Next the feathered flock morning,
century. grew
neighbourhood Dol,
Archbishop of Tours, Pope Nicholas I. wrote to Salomon, Count of Britanny, a definitive Decree, importing, that thence- forth, the Archbishop of Tours should have jurisdiction over the See of Dol, as over all the other Sees in Britanny. It began
Lewis' "Topographical Dictionary of England," for a description of the Scilly Islands, in general and in detail, vol. iv. , pp. 31, 32.
"
thus :
sis. " See it in Matthsei Parisiensis, Monachi Sancti Albani, " Chronica Majora," vol. ii. Edited by Henry Richards Luard, M. A. , at A. D. 1 199, pp. 459, 460.
7 See Samuel Lewis' "Topographical
Dictionary of England," vol. ii. , p. 632.
8 See Le Comte de Montalembert's " Les
Moines de l'Occident," tome ii. , liv. vii. , chap, iv. , p. 316.
9 From 22,855 in 1851, the population increased to 57,155 in i860. See "The
Gazetteer of the World," vol. vii. , p. 381. 10 This is a very small island, only inha- bited by a few individuals. See Samuel
" See Mabillon's " Annales Ordinis S. Benedicti," tomus i. , lib. vi. , sect, xx. , p. 151.
Doleat Dolensis, et gaudeat Turonen-
" I2
6 See Les Petits
Saints," tome ix. , xxviiie Jour de Juillet, p. 89.
Bollandistes,
" Vies des
See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus vi. , Julii xxviii. De S. Samsone Episcopo Conf. Dobe in Britannia Armorica. Vita S. Samsonis, lib. ii. , num. 13, p. 590.
13 Such casual in the Acts of descriptions
saints furnish a correct notion of what had been the custom in building early monas- teries. We are to infer, most probably, that the dwellings of St. Samson's monks had been formed around a square plot ofground which was in the centre.
M See Albert le Grand, p. 423.
"i In the Legend it is called "magnum
nemus. "
l6 "
It bore the name Arboretum Teleavi
et Samsonis. " See La Broderie's " Dis- cours sur les Saints Bretons," p. 39.
426 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 28.
according to popular tradition, it was three miles in extent. To these saints,
the people of Amorica are mainly indebted for introducing the apple-tree into 1
a district, where cider is yet the national beverage. ?
The chief of St. Samson were St. 18 his deacon and disciples Magloire,
1
successor at Dol, St. Similien, ^ Abbot over the monastery of Taurac, St.
Ethbin 20 and St. Guenole the 21 both Younger,
religious
of the same
monastery
at Taurac, the famous St. Me'en," founder of Gael monastery ; besides, in
Greater and Lesser Britain, there were many others, who spread everywhere
the name and glory of this holy man. Among these may be included
his own father, and his mother, his uncle and his aunt, his brothers and his
2 cousins. 3
Some accounts state, that Queen Ultrogotha was a faithful coadjutrice of the monks. With her husband's assistance, at the gates of Paris, she founded a great monastery, afterwards known as St. Germain-des-Pre's. The Bishop of Paris, St. Germain,2* and the king, agreed that it should be given for a religious institute of men. This new monastery was exempt from episcopal jurisdiction. One day, according to a Breton legend, our saint and the Bishop of Paris talked over the affairs of their respective monasteries. St. Samson said his monks were such good economists, and so careful of their beehives, that they had an abundance of honey and of-wax. At the same time, he complained, that their country was not suited for vines, and con- sequently, they experienced a dearth of wine. St.
Germain then replied, that vineyards abounded near Paris, and that, while wanting waxlights for the Church services, they had more wine than sufficient for monastic uses. It was agreed, that Dol should furnish yearly wax, to light the church at Paris ; while the tenth part of wine, produced from the monastery vineyards there, should be returned as an equivalent. During the lifetime of both saints, this mutual accommodation continued. 25
The zeal of St. Samson caused him to visit Paris, and to take part in the deliberations of many holy Archbishops and Bishops, who assembled for the purpose of holding a National Council. The king had invited him to lodge in an apartment prepared for his reception, in the royal palace ; but, such was our saint's humility, that he preferred to remain in the monastery of St. Vincent,builtbySt. Germain. Atthistime,hewasadvancedinyears,and hetravelledinachariot. Whilepassingthroughaplace,calledBeauce,one of the wheels broke, and there was neither wheel-wright, nor tradesman, nor wood, to set it in order. Those who were present felt alarmed at that accident ; but, according to Samson's usual custom, making the sign of the cross, the wheel was mended, so that he was able to proceed on his way. Being informed regarding such a miraculous occurrence, King Childebert desired he should build a monastery at that very spot. Accordingly, Samson called a house there erected Rotmou, and it became a dependency to the Abbey of
17 See Le Comte de Montalembert's
34 See Albert le Grand, p. 422.
2S from about A. D. St. Germain flourished
490 to the period of his death, which took
this Third Council
"Les Moines de l'Occident," tome
livre viii. , chap, iii. , pp. 433, 434.
18 Venerated on the ber.
ii. ,
Octo- *• His feast occurs, at the 16th of June.
on the 28th of a. d. He had May, 576.
of
His festival is held on the 19th of October,
31 He is honoured with a feast, at the 3rd of March.
22 He is venerated on the 21st of June.
20
83 See Les Petits
Saints," tome ix. , xxviii JJour de Juillet, p. 90.
Bollandistes, e
"
en 557. " He also enumerates, amongst
24th
place
the principal share in drafting trie Canons of the Third Council of Paris, in 557. By his advice,KingChildibert issued an edict, direct- ing all idols to be destroyed throughout his dominions, while it forbid all indecent dances and diversions on Sundays and Holy* days.
" Vies des
a6 to According Fleury,
of Paris had been held
comme
Ton
croit,
July 28. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 427 Dol. Among the many bishops who were present, St. Samson's name is found
subscribed to decrees,
passed
in the Council of which was held a. d. a6 Paris, 55 7.
runs in this manner " Samson, signature : I,
27 The
a sinner, Bishop, have consented and subscribed. " A similar form has been
Others it at a. d. place
5S9.
adopted by most—but not by all—of the bishops who assisted. 28 On his return to Dol from the Council of Paris, Samson wrought several miracles along his route. Among others, he caused a snake to leave the body of a man, and it had entered there while he was sleeping. When Samson had arrived at the gates of Dol, he effected the recovery of two persons, who were in the agonies of death, which had been momently expected; he also delivered eight demoniacs, from their malady ; while a woman of quality, who had dared to enter his monastic enclosure contrary to the rule, having been
2 deprived of sight, he benignantly restored her again to the faculty of vision. ?
Samson, according to the most reliable accounts, spent the rest of his days in that monastery, which he founded at Dole. 3° This saint is said to have
1
detained Theliaus^ Bishop of LandafT, on his return to that See, at Dol, in
the year 596. 3' Hence, it would seem, that he lived to the close of the sixth, if not to the beginning of the seventh century. The same fervour, the same prayers, the same vigils, and the same austerities, that he had practised during his vigorous years, and before he had become a bishop, were persevered in
to his declining years. To reward his merits, the Almighty now permitted that malady to assail him, and which was destined to prelude the final triumph. When he found death approaching, the holy bishop called together his canons and religious ; while he declared, that the moment had come, when St. Magloire should prepare to succeed, and he recommended them to elect him. He then addressed those assembled in a pathetic and farewell monition, which drew tears from their eyes. Then, he received the last Sacraments of the Church, in a spirit of fervent emotion ; and, giving his benediction to all who were present, on the 28th of July, his soul passed away to everlasting happiness. 33
According to some accounts, having returned to his native country of Cambria, the holy man then and there became Archbishop of Menevia. 34 These statements, however, do not deserve the slighest credence. Some Welsh authorities tell us, that Samson travelled from Brittany to Wales, at the close of his life, and that he was buried at Lantwit ;35 while there is still in existence a remarkable monument, which lends an appearance of plausibi- lity to this tradition. It consists of the stone shaft belonging to a cross, nine feet in height, which was disinterred in the churchyard of Landwit,36 and has
on it this inscription in Latin " In the name of God Most High, here begins
:
the cross of the Saviour, which Samson the Abbot prepared for his own soul,
at it, "Saint Samson, 3I His festival is on the ot —" pre- held, 25th
others
mier eveque de Dol, en Bretagne. " His- November.
assisting
toire Ecclesiastique," liv. xxxiii. , sect, lviii. , p. 473.
27 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
nke," Martii ii. Vita S. Jaovse, Episcopi
See Labbe's and Crossart's Acta Con- ciliorum et Epistolae Decretales ac Constitu- tiones Summorum Pontificum," tomus iii. , col. 340.
32 "
See Ussher's Britannicarum Ecclesia-
rum Antiquitates," Index Chronologicus, p. 534.
33 See Les Petits Bollandistes, " Vies des Saints," tome ix. , xxviiie Jour de Juillet. p. 90.
& See Giraldi Cambrensis, "Opera," vol. vi. Edited by James F. Dimock, M. A.
"
Itinerarium Kambrise," lib. ii. , cap. i. , p. 102.
Leonensis, n. 10, p. 443.
28 "
2» See Les Petits Bollandistes, t Vies des
e 3S "
Saints," tome ix. , xxviii Jour de Juillet, p. 89.
30 So ends his history, as given in the oldest Life, and in the Liber Landavensis.
Achau Saint ynys Prydain. — Iolo MSS. ," p. 105. The Book of Llandaff, how- ever, represents him as closing his life in his monastery at Dole.
428 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [J uly 28.
andthesoulofKingJuthael,andofArtmaltheDean. "37 Thefirstofthese names is thought to have been that of St. Samson, who was Bishop of Dole in Brittany, in the sixth century, and also Abbot of Lantwith ; the next corresponding with that of Juthael, King of Brittany; but, the last name, Artmal, cannot be identified with any historic personage ; however, it is thoughtpossiblehemayhavebeenofDole. Ifthisinterpretationbecorrect,it seems to support a tradition, that our saint returned to Wales, and there ended his life. However, another opinion has been advanced,38 that the foregoing are all the names of Welshmen ;39 and, according to this supposition, that cross might have been erected by St. Samson, while he was a monk at Lantwith. Besides, none of the Lives which are extant have any allusion to St. Samson's return to Wales, and they all mention, that he died at Dole, in a good old age. The earliest of St. Samson's biographers tells us, that being perfect in life and in age, as also with all good qualities fully and completely adorned, he finished a holy course, in the hope of resurrection to eternal life, while full of bliss, his happy soul went to Christ.
He was interred in his own monastery at Dole, according to his most ancient biographer/ At the time of his death, the monastic brothers heard the music and hymns of angelic choirs. Three holy prelates assisted at his
2
1
these were St. Brieuc,* who has
name to his
and bishopric, St. Gurval,* bishop of St. Malo, and St. Ruelm,** bishop of Tre"guier. At the moment of his interment, an extraordinary brightness
funeral obsequies
;
given
city
illuminated his tomb, and the angels themselves appeared assisting at his obsequies. The emblematic forms of art have represented St. Samson, some- times with a dove floating over his head ; sometimes as chasing a dragon beforehim 4 andsometimeswithacrossnearhim. ts
;<
Authors are not agreed, regarding the year of St. Samson's happy death.
However, it is generally assigned to some date after the middle of the sixth
century. It has been supposed probable, that he departed to our Lord, about a. d. 560. 46 At the year 563, Father John Mabillon records the death of St. Samson. 4? TheRev. AlbanButlerhashisdemise,onthe28thofJuly,a. d.
s To a. d. Les Petits Bollandistes,* refer his Neither 565, departure.
5 64. 4
has it been determined how many years he—lived. Some writers attribute to
ndred or the still more him the unusual number of one hu—
extraordinary
durationofonehundredandtwenty years.
At Dol, his episcopal cross was for a long time preserved. 50 Acurious
tradition is related, that this religious and valued object of art was covered
36 In the year 1789.
37 A full account of this monumental stone
44 See Les Petits Bollandistes, " Vies des Saints," tome ix. , xxviiie Jour de Juillet, p. 90.
4S See Very Rev. Dr. F. C. Husenbeth's "Emblems of Saints," p, 186. Norwich, 1882, 8vo.
46 See Bishop Challenor's "Britannia
"
the Ancient British Poems," and in a note to
the " Iolo MSS. ," p. 263.
33 By the Rev. T. Price of Carnhua-
nawe.
39 According to a learned Welsh writer,
Taliesin Williams.
40 See the Bollandists' "Acta Sancto-
mm," tomus vi. , Julii xxviii. De S. Sam- sone Episcopo Conf. Doloe in Britannia Armorica. Vita S. Samsonis Episcopi, cap. vi. , num. 61, p. 587.
41 His festival is held on the 1st of May. For an account of him, see the Fifth Volume of the present work, at that date, Art. ii.
42 His feast occurs, on the 6th of June.
43 At the 28th of February, his commemo- ration is celebrated.
may be found, in Turner's
Vindication of
Sancta," part ii. , p. 44. "
47 See Annales Ordinis S. Benedicti,"
tomus i. , lib. vi. , num. xx. ,
48 The " Circle of the Seasons," also
places his death, at a. d. 564. See p. 210. 49 See " Vies des Saints," tome ix. ,
xxviii Jour de Juillet, p. 90.
s° This he caused to be carried before him
by one of his brethren. . In later times, it was encased in silver arid gold. It was also adorned with precious gems, and it was
jealously guarded by the faithful. See Right
"
Rev. Patrick F. Moran's Early Irish
p.