This
statement
of Colgan cannot be ad- mitted, so far as the xxxvii.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v3
49 These Acts, which are contained in two books, and which have
nachi, the first, in twenty-eight chapters, witii previous observations, in two para-
paragraphs, pp. 275 to 332.
3^ See his " Church History of Brittany,
from the beginning of Christianity to the Norman Conquest," book xv. , chap, xvi. ,
"^ In an 8vo volume, for private circula-
•^ See the " of with History Hartlepool,"
Some of these are in colours, with Coats of Arms, Seals and Pedigrees of families, Many of the wood-cuts are by Thomas Bewick.
•** See " Les Moines tome d'Occident,"
graphs ;
chapters, with previous observations, in four
paragraphs. Also, an Appendix, in three Views, Monumental Brasses and Costumes,
i. , ii. , vii. , viii. , ix. , book
book xix. ,
xxviii. , chap, viii. , xviii. , xix. , xx. , xxi. ,
chap,
xii.
39 See " Britannia Sancta," part i. , pp.
chap.
iii. ,
185 to 197.
'*° At the 20th of March, Baillet's "Les p. 316.
Vies des Saints," tome i. , records St. Cuth-
bert. Bishop of Lindisfarne, in England, pp. 258 to 262.
*' See •' Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs,
and other principal Saints," vol. iii. , March XX.
*' See Cough's Camden's "Britannia," vol. iii. On the Lesser Islands in the
British Ocean, p. 744.
t* See, Rev. Samuel Hayman's " New
Hand-Book for Youghal," p. xi.
of St. with an account of Cuthbert,
tion only.
a folding Map and numerous plates of
iv. , liv. xv. , chap, i. , pp. 388 to 451.
March 20, pp. 337 to 360.
"* See "Kalendars of Scottish Saints,"
March 20. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 859
been extracted from Irish records, were compiled about the year 1160. 3°
They are supposed to have been written by Laurence of Dunelm, who
flourished about this time, if we follow Colgan's opinion ; and according to
authorities from which these Acts were derived, Cuthbert is called a native
of Ireland. Other English writers, such as John of Tinmouth, John Cap-
grave and John Bale,5' expressly state, that Cuthbert was born in Ireland. s^
Among the Scottish writers, who agree on this point, may be mentioned
John Major,53 Fordun,S4 and Bishop Forbes. s5 Matthew O'Heney, Arch-
bishop of Cashel, wrote a Life of this saint, about the year 1200, in which
Cuthbert is spoken of as an Irishman by birth. More recently, Hugh
M'Cogwell, or Cavell, Archbishop of Armagh, Magennis, Bishop of Down,
David Roth, Bishop of Ossory, Stephen White,5^ Henry Fitzsimon,57 with a host of minor authorities, claim for Ireland the honour of this saint's birth.
Ussher,58 \Vare,59 Colgan, Harris,^ Dr. Petrie,^' Rt. Rev. Dr. Moran,^' maintain the opinion, that St. Cuthbert was an Irishman by birth. This, too, seems to have been a constant tradition in the church, at Durham. One account has it, that he was born at Kenlis, or Kells,^3 in the county ot Meath,^-* and this is said to rest on Irish authorities f^ yet, as we shall find further on, other local traditions seem to challenge the correctness of this statement. However, most of our Irish writers, adopting an apparently ancient local tradition, assert, that the old Meathian city of Kells has most claim to such a distinction, that he was born there, about a. d. 625, and that he was brought to Ardbraccan to be regenerated, in the saving waters of
baptism. ^^
Besides the authors already mentioned, who wrote biographies of this
saint, many other allusions are made to his acts and virtues, by various writers. At the. 20th of March, Colgan publishes Venerable Bede's Life of
"
*9 See, Ussher's Primordia Ecclesiarum tori* Catholicse Ibemiae Compendium,"
Britannicarum," p. 945.
5° Such is the statement of Colgan, but
they were probably composed at a later period.
tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. xii. , p. 53,
5' In this statement. Bale very gratuitously, "^"
andcoarselyasserts,thathewas exHiber- niensium stupro et in Hibernia natus, a matre Roma—m peregrinante, meretricante potius," &c. "Scriptorum Illustrium Ma- joris Britanniae," Cent. Prima, sect. Lxxxi. , p. 82.
s^ An inscription, placed by Prior Wessing- ton under an image of St. Cuthbert, in
St. Cuthbert, lib. i. , cap. iii. , p. 30. SeeHarris'Ware,vol. i. , Bishopsof
Meath," p. 138.
^' See the ' ' Ecclesiastical Architecture
and Round Towers of Ireland," part ii. , sect, ii. , p. 128.
^^ "
See Irish Saints in Great Britain,
chap, xi. , pp. 270, 271.
*^ See Sir James Ware, " De Hibernia,
Durham Cathedral, described him as et Antiquitatibus ejus," cap. xxix. , pp. 293,
*'
Natione Hibernicus regiis pareniibus 294. Londini, 1658, 8vo;
orlus. "
53 See " Historia Majoris Britannite, tam
Angliae quam Scotise," lib. ii. , cap. xii. , p.
^* See Harris' Ware, vol. i. , "Bishops of Meath," p. 138.
^^ Chiefly based on a Tract in the Cotto* nian library, under the head Vitellius, D.
Catalogue under Titus, A. ii. 134, entitled, "De ortu et vita B. patris Cuthberti libellus de Scoti- cis, «>. Hibernicis auctoribus coUectus. " It is the same as that, which Ussher calls the Acts of our Cuthbert extracted from Irish
77.
^ See "
" vol. cap. 51, p, 158, Goodall's edition.
lib.
xiv. 8. We find it in Mr. Planta's
55 See
"
Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p.
Scotichronicon,
i. ,
iii. ,
317.
5* Father Stephen White states "fuit
Cutbertus filius regis Ibemise, ut vel haere-
ticus Baleus, in suis Centuriis, cum indigna-
Histories, observing, that it appeared about
— "De
tione et convitiis conqueritur. " "Apologia the year 1160. See Primordiis," p.
pro Hibernia," cap. iv. , p. 37.
S7«'S. Cuthberthus filius regis Ibemiae
major. " See " Catalogus aliquorum sane- terum Ibemiae. "—O'Sullivan Beare's " His-
945. "^
See Rt. Rev. Bishop Moran's "Irish
^s gee
"
Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Anti-
quitates," cap. xvii. , p. 489.
ss yee "De at Scriptoribus Hibemiae,"
Saints in Great Britain," chap, xi. , p. 274. '''He dwells on these particulars, and
86o LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 20.
Cuthbert, with that written by John Capgrave. To both of these, he has subjoined notes, and an Appendix, containing five dissertations ; the first disquisition referring to different feasts and testimonies of Martyrologies re- garding him—the second, to writers who had treated on him—the third, to the year of his death—the fourth, to his writings—and the fifth, to the country of his birth. It appears rather unaccountable, why Venerable Bede does not relate particulars, regarding Cuthbert's birth, either in his prose or metrical notices of our saint; but, Colgan endeavours to find a suflacient reason for this silence, in the very incidents recorded by John Capgrave. ^'
In the opinion of our Irish Hagiologist, some of these were regarded, by Bede, as derogatory to that honour and veneration, justly due to the subject of his biography. In fact, this venerable writer, in the preface to Cuthbert's
life, expressly says, that many things, not less worthy of record than those he had given, were purposely omitted ; and, such a course was adopted, lest he mightappeartoinsert,whatappearedtohimunsuitableorindecorous. ^^ It has even been suggested, that in his original copy, Bede may have treated, concerning the origin, parentage and native country of Cuthbert ; and, that his copyists have pretermitted such particulars of his early life, as seemed to them ineligible, for the reasons already assigned, or perchance to claim him for a Northumbrian by birth. ^9
The BoUandists do not decide on the country of his birth, at the 20th ot
March,whentreatingaboutSt. Cuthbert;"° but,theyseemtoacknowledge,at the 8th of May, in the Acts of St. Wiro, that Cuthbert was a native of our
island. 7' Owing to a diversity of opinion, on this point, many writers pass the question over in silence, or without determining it ; among these are Le Comte de Montalembert,? ^ John Gorton,73 Haydn,? * Rev. James Raine,? ^ and the writers, in Chambers' Encyclopaedia, 7^ as, also, in the " Monasticon Anglicanum. " 77 There are many Manuscripts extant, which make St. Cuth- bert an Irishman by birth. 7^ The monks of Durham seem to have believed
Commentarius prsevius, sect, ii. , pp. 94 to
96.
7' See Rev. Dr. Lanigan's
acknowledges, that he derived the first portion of his Life of Cuthbert, from the nai-rative of Venerable Bede "
"
: Usque hunc locum scripsit Beda venerabilis presby- ter vitam S. Cuthberti : qute vero inferius sunt collecta—, per succedentia tempora erant conscripta. " Capgrave's "Vita S. Cuth-
Ecclesiasti- cal History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap,
berti," cap. lii.
^ Colgan observes, that Capgrave indi-
cates, his account of St. Cuthbert was taken from Ven. Bede's Life of the holy man, but, he adds, " cum tamen ex opere Bedos edito nihil haljeatur ex eis, quce ipse habet octo priorib—us capitibus, vel. cap. 24, 25, 35, 36, & 37. " "Acta Sanctorum Hibernice," xx. Martii. Vita S. Cuthberti, n. 21, p. 691.
This statement of Colgan cannot be ad- mitted, so far as the xxxvii. chapter of Cap- grave is concerned ; it being manifestly abridged from the xxvi. chapter of Bede's Life.
xviii. , sect, iv. , n. 38, pp. 90, 91, 92.
7^ See "Les Moines d'Occident," tome
iv. , liv. XV. , chap, i. , p. 392.
73 See his " General Biographical Dic-
tionary," vol. i. , p. 587.
7-' See "Universal Dictionary of Bio-
graphy," &c. , edited by J. Bertrand Payne, p. 118.
75 See his article, in the "Dictionary of Christian Biography," &c. , edited by Dr. William Smith and Henry Wace, vol. i. , p. 724. London, 1877 ^/jty.
7^ See Revised edition, vol. iii,, p. 375. London, 1874.
77 See vol. i. Edition of 181 7, p. 220.
78 Among these are Libellus de Ortu S. Cuthberti, de Historiis Hybernensium ex-
^ See
nire," xx. Martii.
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
Vita S. Cuthberti, n. i,
et translatus. This was
the Surtees Society, in the "Miscellanea Biographica," p. 63. London, 1838. The following copies are known to be extant : MS. Eccl. Eborac. 16. I. 5. 8. MS. Bodl. Fairfax. 6. (3886). ff. I-I2b. , veil, folio. , dble. cols. , xiv. cent. MS. Harl. 4843. ff.
Colgan's
cerptus
7° See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. ,
Martii xx. " De Sancto Cuthberto," &c. i-7b. , paper folio. , xvi. cent. MS. Cott.
p. 677. This reason, assigned by Colgan
for Bede's apparent omission of the circum- stances and country of our saint's birth, ap- pears to be well sustained.
printed, by
March 20. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 861
in this tradition ; for, some of the subjects, which ornamented the windows of their church, were derived from the legends thence taken. 79 These Manuscripts' statements*^" are said to have been confirmed in accounts given by Eugenius, Bishop, Hardionensis or Harundionensis—by some thought to be Armagh— by IMatthaeus O'Heney, Archbishop of Cashel, by St. IMalachy O'Morgair : as also were they confirmed, by the disciples of Saints Malachi, Matthias, Gilbert, and by a certain Irish priest. The Irish legends concerning his birth are also found, in a Vita S. Cuthberti, versibus hexametris rhythmicis, or in Leonine verse. ^^ The Irish birth of this holy man is asserted, in a Tract, De Sancto Cuthberto Episcopo et Confessore. ^^
Yet, in the face of these authorities, Dr. Lanigan doubts of Cuthbert being an Irishman, and he thinks it probable, that our saint was a native of theNorthumbriankingdom; and,ofthatpartofit, nowcomprised,within the borders of Scotland. ^3 His reasons' appear to be as follows : because our saint in his youth tended sheep on mountains, in the neighbourhood of Mailrose, before he entered a monastery f'' because Simeon of Durham adds, that Cuthbert was then near the Lauder, a river of Berwickshire, which flows into the Tweed because from these circumstances Mabillon and
;
others derive their inference of our saint's birth, in that part of the country;
because he did not follow St. Colman from Lindisfarne, when the latter left
for Ireland f^ and, in fine, because of a very ambiguous passage, taken from Venerable Bede's metrical Life of our saint, in the Preface, where speaking
of Cuthbert,—as the light of Britain, he uses a word genuit, in the following
connection
:
Titus. A. ii. fir. 134-147 b. , veil. 4to. , xv. cent.
MS. Lincoln's Inn, 104. ff. 169-183. paper, XV. cent. The author states in his Preface, that he collected the miracles of St. Cuth- bert, before he discovered the Irish account of his descent.
that he was born in the place.
*5 It is related, that all the Irish of Lin-
disfarne followed him ; yet, in reference to St. Cuthbert not doing so, Dr. Lanigan re-
marks : "To this, however, it may be replied: I. That Cuthbert was then not at Lindisfarne but at Mailros ; and 2, that those, who make him a native of Ireland, represent him as so very young, when carried over to Britain, that he could scarcely have retained a recollection of it. Why, it may be asked, was the memory of Cuthljert so much celebrated in Ireland, were it not the land of his birth ? I answer. that this was owing to his connexions with the Irish of Nortliumberland, his being a member of their establishments, his having observed their practices, &c. In like manner
79 See Sir Thomas Duffus
Hardy's
" De-
scriptive Catalogue of Materials relating to
the History of Great Britain and Ireland,"
vol. i. , part i. , pp. 310 to 313.
*'
There is a MS. copy, in the Cottonian Library, classed Titus. A. ii. f. 148. , veil. 4to. , XV. cent. Five leaves are wanting in this copy. There is also a MS. copy, classed Harl. 4843. f. 261,
hujusque Britannia consors
Temporibus gemiit vulgur venerabile nostris, Aurea qua Cudberetus agens per sydera vitam Scandere celsa suis docuit jam passibus Anglos. "
The English and foreign writers, who regard Cuthbert as a native of Eng- land are, John Pitsaeus,^^ Arnold Wion,^7 Possevin^^ and Edward Mahew.
*°
"
These are said to have been drawn, in
ex Scottorum paginiset scriptis," by
part,
the unknown author.
^^ These copies of it are found: MS. Gildas and St. David of Wales were greatly
Cott. Tiber. E. I. ff. 75-85. MS. Bodi. Tanner. 15. , veil, foho. , XV. cent.
^5 See Rev. Dr. Lanigan's " Ecclesiastical
History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap, xviii. ,
sect, iv. , p. 83, and n. 39, p. 92.
revered in Ireland, on account of their inter- course with the Irish. "
^* In " Relationum Historicarum de Re-
^*
stance of St. Cuthbert living there, when a boy, does not necessarily establish the fact,
^^ "
In Apparatus Sace—
Yet, Dr. Lanigan admits, the circum-
r. "
^9 There he remarks "Most ancient
bus Anglicis. " "
*' In Lignum Vitse," &c.
writers assert that St. Cuthbert, Bishop of
S62 LIVE5 OP THE IRISH SAWTS. [March 20.
This latter writer cites William of Malmesbury, as an authority for his state- ment ; whereas, the latter writer does not even mention the place of Cuth- bert's birth, no more than Venerable Bede, who wrote his life. The Rev. Alban Butler, when treating of the birthplace of our saint, at 20th March, says,hewasbornnotveryfarfromMailros,orMelrose; but,heagaincon- tradicts it, in a note, appended to the Life of St. Ultan, at 4th September. ^? Watkins says, he was an English saint, and born in the North. 9° The English Protestant Bishop, Godwin, when treating on the prelates of England,^' concursinasimilarstatement. Otherforeignwritersadoptthesameopinion, such as Mabillon,92 Bulteau,93 and J. Lacombe. 9+ On the authority of a work,95 which he quotes, Dempster makes our saint a native of Scotland. ^^ But this author, so often convicted of attempts to confound the name of Scotia or Scotia Major, with that of Scotia Minor, by a similar process of confusion, frequently assigns natives of the former, to the latter country. However, he is the only ancient author, who claims for Scotland, the honour of our saint's nativity. The Rev. Thomas Innes also claims for this, his native country, the honour of giving birth to St. Cuthbert, and he states, that not only Scottish, but even learned English and French writers will have it, that he was a native of the eastern parts of the island, which make a part of the Kingdom of Scotland. 97 Moreri makes him a fellow-citizen of the Picts, and states, that he was born in "la Merche," a small district of Southern Scotland. ss
Some authors assert, that St. Cuthbert was born, near the Irish metro-
polis, at Killmocudrick,99 or Kilmacudrick,'°° and such account seems to be based, on the Annals of St. Mary's Abbey of DubHn. '°' There was a church, in the former place, which was dedicated to our saint's memory. *"^ Some interesting ruins of a mediaeval church are still to be seen, not far removed from Clondalkin. A cemetery surrounds the old walls, ^°3 Another local tradition connects Kilmacud,'°* a townland, near the village of Stillorgan,
Lindisfarne, who is honoured on the 20th or "Cuthbert. " It is now called Kilma- March, was a native of Kells (County huddrick, a townland and parish, in the
Meath) ; as appears from his life kept in the Cottonian Library, Sub. Vitell. D. xiv. , 8.
nachi, the first, in twenty-eight chapters, witii previous observations, in two para-
paragraphs, pp. 275 to 332.
3^ See his " Church History of Brittany,
from the beginning of Christianity to the Norman Conquest," book xv. , chap, xvi. ,
"^ In an 8vo volume, for private circula-
•^ See the " of with History Hartlepool,"
Some of these are in colours, with Coats of Arms, Seals and Pedigrees of families, Many of the wood-cuts are by Thomas Bewick.
•** See " Les Moines tome d'Occident,"
graphs ;
chapters, with previous observations, in four
paragraphs. Also, an Appendix, in three Views, Monumental Brasses and Costumes,
i. , ii. , vii. , viii. , ix. , book
book xix. ,
xxviii. , chap, viii. , xviii. , xix. , xx. , xxi. ,
chap,
xii.
39 See " Britannia Sancta," part i. , pp.
chap.
iii. ,
185 to 197.
'*° At the 20th of March, Baillet's "Les p. 316.
Vies des Saints," tome i. , records St. Cuth-
bert. Bishop of Lindisfarne, in England, pp. 258 to 262.
*' See •' Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs,
and other principal Saints," vol. iii. , March XX.
*' See Cough's Camden's "Britannia," vol. iii. On the Lesser Islands in the
British Ocean, p. 744.
t* See, Rev. Samuel Hayman's " New
Hand-Book for Youghal," p. xi.
of St. with an account of Cuthbert,
tion only.
a folding Map and numerous plates of
iv. , liv. xv. , chap, i. , pp. 388 to 451.
March 20, pp. 337 to 360.
"* See "Kalendars of Scottish Saints,"
March 20. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 859
been extracted from Irish records, were compiled about the year 1160. 3°
They are supposed to have been written by Laurence of Dunelm, who
flourished about this time, if we follow Colgan's opinion ; and according to
authorities from which these Acts were derived, Cuthbert is called a native
of Ireland. Other English writers, such as John of Tinmouth, John Cap-
grave and John Bale,5' expressly state, that Cuthbert was born in Ireland. s^
Among the Scottish writers, who agree on this point, may be mentioned
John Major,53 Fordun,S4 and Bishop Forbes. s5 Matthew O'Heney, Arch-
bishop of Cashel, wrote a Life of this saint, about the year 1200, in which
Cuthbert is spoken of as an Irishman by birth. More recently, Hugh
M'Cogwell, or Cavell, Archbishop of Armagh, Magennis, Bishop of Down,
David Roth, Bishop of Ossory, Stephen White,5^ Henry Fitzsimon,57 with a host of minor authorities, claim for Ireland the honour of this saint's birth.
Ussher,58 \Vare,59 Colgan, Harris,^ Dr. Petrie,^' Rt. Rev. Dr. Moran,^' maintain the opinion, that St. Cuthbert was an Irishman by birth. This, too, seems to have been a constant tradition in the church, at Durham. One account has it, that he was born at Kenlis, or Kells,^3 in the county ot Meath,^-* and this is said to rest on Irish authorities f^ yet, as we shall find further on, other local traditions seem to challenge the correctness of this statement. However, most of our Irish writers, adopting an apparently ancient local tradition, assert, that the old Meathian city of Kells has most claim to such a distinction, that he was born there, about a. d. 625, and that he was brought to Ardbraccan to be regenerated, in the saving waters of
baptism. ^^
Besides the authors already mentioned, who wrote biographies of this
saint, many other allusions are made to his acts and virtues, by various writers. At the. 20th of March, Colgan publishes Venerable Bede's Life of
"
*9 See, Ussher's Primordia Ecclesiarum tori* Catholicse Ibemiae Compendium,"
Britannicarum," p. 945.
5° Such is the statement of Colgan, but
they were probably composed at a later period.
tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. xii. , p. 53,
5' In this statement. Bale very gratuitously, "^"
andcoarselyasserts,thathewas exHiber- niensium stupro et in Hibernia natus, a matre Roma—m peregrinante, meretricante potius," &c. "Scriptorum Illustrium Ma- joris Britanniae," Cent. Prima, sect. Lxxxi. , p. 82.
s^ An inscription, placed by Prior Wessing- ton under an image of St. Cuthbert, in
St. Cuthbert, lib. i. , cap. iii. , p. 30. SeeHarris'Ware,vol. i. , Bishopsof
Meath," p. 138.
^' See the ' ' Ecclesiastical Architecture
and Round Towers of Ireland," part ii. , sect, ii. , p. 128.
^^ "
See Irish Saints in Great Britain,
chap, xi. , pp. 270, 271.
*^ See Sir James Ware, " De Hibernia,
Durham Cathedral, described him as et Antiquitatibus ejus," cap. xxix. , pp. 293,
*'
Natione Hibernicus regiis pareniibus 294. Londini, 1658, 8vo;
orlus. "
53 See " Historia Majoris Britannite, tam
Angliae quam Scotise," lib. ii. , cap. xii. , p.
^* See Harris' Ware, vol. i. , "Bishops of Meath," p. 138.
^^ Chiefly based on a Tract in the Cotto* nian library, under the head Vitellius, D.
Catalogue under Titus, A. ii. 134, entitled, "De ortu et vita B. patris Cuthberti libellus de Scoti- cis, «>. Hibernicis auctoribus coUectus. " It is the same as that, which Ussher calls the Acts of our Cuthbert extracted from Irish
77.
^ See "
" vol. cap. 51, p, 158, Goodall's edition.
lib.
xiv. 8. We find it in Mr. Planta's
55 See
"
Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p.
Scotichronicon,
i. ,
iii. ,
317.
5* Father Stephen White states "fuit
Cutbertus filius regis Ibemise, ut vel haere-
ticus Baleus, in suis Centuriis, cum indigna-
Histories, observing, that it appeared about
— "De
tione et convitiis conqueritur. " "Apologia the year 1160. See Primordiis," p.
pro Hibernia," cap. iv. , p. 37.
S7«'S. Cuthberthus filius regis Ibemiae
major. " See " Catalogus aliquorum sane- terum Ibemiae. "—O'Sullivan Beare's " His-
945. "^
See Rt. Rev. Bishop Moran's "Irish
^s gee
"
Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Anti-
quitates," cap. xvii. , p. 489.
ss yee "De at Scriptoribus Hibemiae,"
Saints in Great Britain," chap, xi. , p. 274. '''He dwells on these particulars, and
86o LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 20.
Cuthbert, with that written by John Capgrave. To both of these, he has subjoined notes, and an Appendix, containing five dissertations ; the first disquisition referring to different feasts and testimonies of Martyrologies re- garding him—the second, to writers who had treated on him—the third, to the year of his death—the fourth, to his writings—and the fifth, to the country of his birth. It appears rather unaccountable, why Venerable Bede does not relate particulars, regarding Cuthbert's birth, either in his prose or metrical notices of our saint; but, Colgan endeavours to find a suflacient reason for this silence, in the very incidents recorded by John Capgrave. ^'
In the opinion of our Irish Hagiologist, some of these were regarded, by Bede, as derogatory to that honour and veneration, justly due to the subject of his biography. In fact, this venerable writer, in the preface to Cuthbert's
life, expressly says, that many things, not less worthy of record than those he had given, were purposely omitted ; and, such a course was adopted, lest he mightappeartoinsert,whatappearedtohimunsuitableorindecorous. ^^ It has even been suggested, that in his original copy, Bede may have treated, concerning the origin, parentage and native country of Cuthbert ; and, that his copyists have pretermitted such particulars of his early life, as seemed to them ineligible, for the reasons already assigned, or perchance to claim him for a Northumbrian by birth. ^9
The BoUandists do not decide on the country of his birth, at the 20th ot
March,whentreatingaboutSt. Cuthbert;"° but,theyseemtoacknowledge,at the 8th of May, in the Acts of St. Wiro, that Cuthbert was a native of our
island. 7' Owing to a diversity of opinion, on this point, many writers pass the question over in silence, or without determining it ; among these are Le Comte de Montalembert,? ^ John Gorton,73 Haydn,? * Rev. James Raine,? ^ and the writers, in Chambers' Encyclopaedia, 7^ as, also, in the " Monasticon Anglicanum. " 77 There are many Manuscripts extant, which make St. Cuth- bert an Irishman by birth. 7^ The monks of Durham seem to have believed
Commentarius prsevius, sect, ii. , pp. 94 to
96.
7' See Rev. Dr. Lanigan's
acknowledges, that he derived the first portion of his Life of Cuthbert, from the nai-rative of Venerable Bede "
"
: Usque hunc locum scripsit Beda venerabilis presby- ter vitam S. Cuthberti : qute vero inferius sunt collecta—, per succedentia tempora erant conscripta. " Capgrave's "Vita S. Cuth-
Ecclesiasti- cal History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap,
berti," cap. lii.
^ Colgan observes, that Capgrave indi-
cates, his account of St. Cuthbert was taken from Ven. Bede's Life of the holy man, but, he adds, " cum tamen ex opere Bedos edito nihil haljeatur ex eis, quce ipse habet octo priorib—us capitibus, vel. cap. 24, 25, 35, 36, & 37. " "Acta Sanctorum Hibernice," xx. Martii. Vita S. Cuthberti, n. 21, p. 691.
This statement of Colgan cannot be ad- mitted, so far as the xxxvii. chapter of Cap- grave is concerned ; it being manifestly abridged from the xxvi. chapter of Bede's Life.
xviii. , sect, iv. , n. 38, pp. 90, 91, 92.
7^ See "Les Moines d'Occident," tome
iv. , liv. XV. , chap, i. , p. 392.
73 See his " General Biographical Dic-
tionary," vol. i. , p. 587.
7-' See "Universal Dictionary of Bio-
graphy," &c. , edited by J. Bertrand Payne, p. 118.
75 See his article, in the "Dictionary of Christian Biography," &c. , edited by Dr. William Smith and Henry Wace, vol. i. , p. 724. London, 1877 ^/jty.
7^ See Revised edition, vol. iii,, p. 375. London, 1874.
77 See vol. i. Edition of 181 7, p. 220.
78 Among these are Libellus de Ortu S. Cuthberti, de Historiis Hybernensium ex-
^ See
nire," xx. Martii.
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
Vita S. Cuthberti, n. i,
et translatus. This was
the Surtees Society, in the "Miscellanea Biographica," p. 63. London, 1838. The following copies are known to be extant : MS. Eccl. Eborac. 16. I. 5. 8. MS. Bodl. Fairfax. 6. (3886). ff. I-I2b. , veil, folio. , dble. cols. , xiv. cent. MS. Harl. 4843. ff.
Colgan's
cerptus
7° See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. ,
Martii xx. " De Sancto Cuthberto," &c. i-7b. , paper folio. , xvi. cent. MS. Cott.
p. 677. This reason, assigned by Colgan
for Bede's apparent omission of the circum- stances and country of our saint's birth, ap- pears to be well sustained.
printed, by
March 20. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 861
in this tradition ; for, some of the subjects, which ornamented the windows of their church, were derived from the legends thence taken. 79 These Manuscripts' statements*^" are said to have been confirmed in accounts given by Eugenius, Bishop, Hardionensis or Harundionensis—by some thought to be Armagh— by IMatthaeus O'Heney, Archbishop of Cashel, by St. IMalachy O'Morgair : as also were they confirmed, by the disciples of Saints Malachi, Matthias, Gilbert, and by a certain Irish priest. The Irish legends concerning his birth are also found, in a Vita S. Cuthberti, versibus hexametris rhythmicis, or in Leonine verse. ^^ The Irish birth of this holy man is asserted, in a Tract, De Sancto Cuthberto Episcopo et Confessore. ^^
Yet, in the face of these authorities, Dr. Lanigan doubts of Cuthbert being an Irishman, and he thinks it probable, that our saint was a native of theNorthumbriankingdom; and,ofthatpartofit, nowcomprised,within the borders of Scotland. ^3 His reasons' appear to be as follows : because our saint in his youth tended sheep on mountains, in the neighbourhood of Mailrose, before he entered a monastery f'' because Simeon of Durham adds, that Cuthbert was then near the Lauder, a river of Berwickshire, which flows into the Tweed because from these circumstances Mabillon and
;
others derive their inference of our saint's birth, in that part of the country;
because he did not follow St. Colman from Lindisfarne, when the latter left
for Ireland f^ and, in fine, because of a very ambiguous passage, taken from Venerable Bede's metrical Life of our saint, in the Preface, where speaking
of Cuthbert,—as the light of Britain, he uses a word genuit, in the following
connection
:
Titus. A. ii. fir. 134-147 b. , veil. 4to. , xv. cent.
MS. Lincoln's Inn, 104. ff. 169-183. paper, XV. cent. The author states in his Preface, that he collected the miracles of St. Cuth- bert, before he discovered the Irish account of his descent.
that he was born in the place.
*5 It is related, that all the Irish of Lin-
disfarne followed him ; yet, in reference to St. Cuthbert not doing so, Dr. Lanigan re-
marks : "To this, however, it may be replied: I. That Cuthbert was then not at Lindisfarne but at Mailros ; and 2, that those, who make him a native of Ireland, represent him as so very young, when carried over to Britain, that he could scarcely have retained a recollection of it. Why, it may be asked, was the memory of Cuthljert so much celebrated in Ireland, were it not the land of his birth ? I answer. that this was owing to his connexions with the Irish of Nortliumberland, his being a member of their establishments, his having observed their practices, &c. In like manner
79 See Sir Thomas Duffus
Hardy's
" De-
scriptive Catalogue of Materials relating to
the History of Great Britain and Ireland,"
vol. i. , part i. , pp. 310 to 313.
*'
There is a MS. copy, in the Cottonian Library, classed Titus. A. ii. f. 148. , veil. 4to. , XV. cent. Five leaves are wanting in this copy. There is also a MS. copy, classed Harl. 4843. f. 261,
hujusque Britannia consors
Temporibus gemiit vulgur venerabile nostris, Aurea qua Cudberetus agens per sydera vitam Scandere celsa suis docuit jam passibus Anglos. "
The English and foreign writers, who regard Cuthbert as a native of Eng- land are, John Pitsaeus,^^ Arnold Wion,^7 Possevin^^ and Edward Mahew.
*°
"
These are said to have been drawn, in
ex Scottorum paginiset scriptis," by
part,
the unknown author.
^^ These copies of it are found: MS. Gildas and St. David of Wales were greatly
Cott. Tiber. E. I. ff. 75-85. MS. Bodi. Tanner. 15. , veil, foho. , XV. cent.
^5 See Rev. Dr. Lanigan's " Ecclesiastical
History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap, xviii. ,
sect, iv. , p. 83, and n. 39, p. 92.
revered in Ireland, on account of their inter- course with the Irish. "
^* In " Relationum Historicarum de Re-
^*
stance of St. Cuthbert living there, when a boy, does not necessarily establish the fact,
^^ "
In Apparatus Sace—
Yet, Dr. Lanigan admits, the circum-
r. "
^9 There he remarks "Most ancient
bus Anglicis. " "
*' In Lignum Vitse," &c.
writers assert that St. Cuthbert, Bishop of
S62 LIVE5 OP THE IRISH SAWTS. [March 20.
This latter writer cites William of Malmesbury, as an authority for his state- ment ; whereas, the latter writer does not even mention the place of Cuth- bert's birth, no more than Venerable Bede, who wrote his life. The Rev. Alban Butler, when treating of the birthplace of our saint, at 20th March, says,hewasbornnotveryfarfromMailros,orMelrose; but,heagaincon- tradicts it, in a note, appended to the Life of St. Ultan, at 4th September. ^? Watkins says, he was an English saint, and born in the North. 9° The English Protestant Bishop, Godwin, when treating on the prelates of England,^' concursinasimilarstatement. Otherforeignwritersadoptthesameopinion, such as Mabillon,92 Bulteau,93 and J. Lacombe. 9+ On the authority of a work,95 which he quotes, Dempster makes our saint a native of Scotland. ^^ But this author, so often convicted of attempts to confound the name of Scotia or Scotia Major, with that of Scotia Minor, by a similar process of confusion, frequently assigns natives of the former, to the latter country. However, he is the only ancient author, who claims for Scotland, the honour of our saint's nativity. The Rev. Thomas Innes also claims for this, his native country, the honour of giving birth to St. Cuthbert, and he states, that not only Scottish, but even learned English and French writers will have it, that he was a native of the eastern parts of the island, which make a part of the Kingdom of Scotland. 97 Moreri makes him a fellow-citizen of the Picts, and states, that he was born in "la Merche," a small district of Southern Scotland. ss
Some authors assert, that St. Cuthbert was born, near the Irish metro-
polis, at Killmocudrick,99 or Kilmacudrick,'°° and such account seems to be based, on the Annals of St. Mary's Abbey of DubHn. '°' There was a church, in the former place, which was dedicated to our saint's memory. *"^ Some interesting ruins of a mediaeval church are still to be seen, not far removed from Clondalkin. A cemetery surrounds the old walls, ^°3 Another local tradition connects Kilmacud,'°* a townland, near the village of Stillorgan,
Lindisfarne, who is honoured on the 20th or "Cuthbert. " It is now called Kilma- March, was a native of Kells (County huddrick, a townland and parish, in the
Meath) ; as appears from his life kept in the Cottonian Library, Sub. Vitell. D. xiv. , 8.
