No More Learning

»* The Manuscript of Salamanca reads "Fedelmidium. "
Codicibus MSS. , num. 2, p. 580, and ex MS. antiquo et editione Sirini, n. 5, p. 583.
5o
48 xhis is interpreted to mean " carum
gggi_ Kings
S' This direction was probably intended for
extensiontothetermofhisnaturallife. See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , x. Maii. Vita S. Comgalli, ex trilsus Codicibus MSS. num. 3. p. 580.
== See ibid. Vita S. Comgalli, ex MS.
antiquo et editione Sirini, cap. i. , num. 6,
p. 583.
ss See ibid. Vita S. Comgalli, ex tribus
i.
156
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May io.
ing, through a field, "Father, we should leave this- land with its cares. " His father, not agreeing in such opinion, the boy said, " Do you, dear father, cultivate this little farm, but I will go and seek from the Lord 53 another portion of land, larger and more productive. " It is said, that St. Comgall was required as a substitute for his father, who was already old, in a war, which the Dailnaraidian prince was about to wage against his enemies. 54 Although, unwilling to engage in warfare, our saint took up arms, to satisfy thedesireofhisparents; but,willingtosavehisservant'shandsandeyesfrom participating in scenes of bloodshed, so distasteful to the young conscript, the Almighty effected peace between both parties, thus preserving the soul and body of his chosen one from every danger. 55 At another time, our saint being in the camp of tlie Dailnaraidan prince, a fall of snow took place, during night ; but, it was remarked by all, that tlie snow did not descend over Com- gall, and those who were with him. It remained rather heaped up on every side around them, after the manner of a small fortification. Hereupon, the chief said, " From this day forward, Comgall with his people shall be free fromme,andfromsecularpower,hebeingasaintofGod. " Then,bestow- ing his benediction on the chieftain, Comgall returned to his own home. 5^ As
a consequence of the blessing, that chief became great and powerful.
When St. Comgall resolved on abandoning the secular habit, and on assuming that of an ecclesiastic, he received the rudiments of learning from a cleric, who lived in a country house. However, the life of this tutor did not tend to edification. The pupil undertook to correct the irregularities of his master, in the following symbolical manner. While the professor spent one of his nights in the commission of sin, Comgall betook himself to prayer, and practised other pious exercises • he then met his teacher, on the follow- ing day, with a garment purposely soiled. On being reproved for this want of cleanliness, he returned the following reply: "Is it more dangerous, master, to have our garment soiled, than our soul ? That defilement of soul and body, in which you spent last night, is worse than the condition of this habit. " Although it silenced, this reproof, however, did not correct the vices of his master ; and, hence, our saint resolved on leaving him, and those scenes of his early youth. Comgall wished to place himself under the direction of a most holy instructor. ^? Having directed his course toward Leix territory, in a northern part of the southern Leinster province, he there found an asylum,
in the celebrated monastery of Clonenagh.
It has been calculated,5S that our saint was at least thirty-two years of
age, when he became a disciple of St. Fintan,59 as this latter had been a dis- ciple of St. Columba,^°son of Crimtliann, afterwards abbot of Tirdaglas, and that he had not founded the monastery of Clonenagh, until about the year 548. ^' Again, according to the earliest computation, Columkille was not born, until the year 519, and this enters as an element of chronology, bearing on this enquiry. Most probably, Comgall would have looked out for a superior, not so much younger than himself ;^^ since, in assuming any other
Codicibus MSS. , num. 3, p. 580. In this Life, instead of walking through the field, it is said, " patre suo in proprio agro labor- ante, dixisse fcrtur," &c.
54 See "Acta S. inctorum,"tom ii. , x. Mail. Vita S Comgalli, ex MS. antiquo el editione Sirini, cap. i. , num. I. , p. 582.
55 . Seeil'id.
5* Sec ibid. , num. 7, p. 583.
57 See "Acta Sanctonnn," tomus ii. , x.
Maii. Vita S. Comgalli, ex MS. antiquo et
editione Sirini, cap. i. , num. 2, p. 582.
ss By the Rev. Dr. Lanigan.
^9 See his Life, in vol. ii. of this work, at
the 17th of February.
°° See his Life, at the 13th of December.
This Columba had been a scholar to St. Finnian of Clonard.
*'AdmillingthatSt. Comgallwasreceived there, in that very year, it seems to follow, that he was at least thirty-two years old, when he assumed the monastic habit.
*^ See Rev. Dr. Lanigan's " Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. ii. , cap. x. , sect. xii. , n. 192, pp. 64, 65.
*3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , x. Mali. Vita S. Comgalli, ex MS. antiquo et editione Sirini, cap. i. , num. 8, p. 582.
our saint left Clonenagh. Dr. Lanigan also observes : " I do not know how this can be reconciled with the directions given him by St. Fintan to proceed forthwith to his own country, or with its being related that he actuallysetoutforthatpurpose. Isuspect that Clonmacnoise has been mistaken for
^"t Ibid. , num. p. 583.
9, —
^5 The Rev. Dr. Lanigan deems it very probable, that Comgall had not in the year 552 completed one-half of his monastic studies at Clonenagh. See "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, x,, sect. xii. , n. 199, p. 66.
"^ According to the Life, in Father Flem- ing's "Collectanea Sacra," &c. , num. 11, p. recteTp<).
^^ See his Life, at the 9th of September.
*^ However, this statement has been con- tested by Rev. Dr. Lanigan, who observes, that as St. Kieran died a. d. 549, and as St. Comgall could not have been received at Clonenagh, at the earliest, before a. d. 548, while he spent many years there, the founder of Clonmacnoise must have been dead before
Connor. " " Ecclesiastical History of Ire- land," vol. ii. , chap. x. sect, xii. , n. 195, p. 65. °9 The Life of St. Comgall, in Father Fleming's " Collectanea Sacra," &c. , has it, that he returned from Clonenagh ordained, with other ordained disciples. See num. 11,
p. 305.
7° See "Ecclesiastical History of Ire-
land," vol. ii. , chap, x. , sect, xii. , n. 96, pp. 65, 66.
'' He adopts this statement, made by Sir James Ware, in his work " De Scriptoribus Hibernias," lib. i. , cap. ii. , p. 13.
'- See notices of him, in Rev. Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, ix. , sect, xiii. , p. 494, and n. 195, pp. 495, 496, ibid.
;
May io. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 157
case of setting his birth before a. d. 516, the disparity of years, between the abbot and the novice, niust appear to be too great, at the time of his entrance to Clonenagh. There, St. Fintan ruled over that monastery, at the foot of the Shebh Bloom Mountain range. Having placed himself under direction of St. Fintan, Comgall entered upon a course of penance and labour. But, the devil tempted him strongly, to regret the choice he had made, in embracing this course of life, and in leaving his own part of the country. However, he related this temptation to St.
Fintan, and the latter prayed for his disciple, who at that time stood near a cross, on the western side of Clonenagh monas- tery. Tears fell down his cheeks, and while intent on prayer, suddenly a lightfromHeavensurroundedhim. Comgall'sheartwasfilledwithspiritual joy, and from that time forward, he felt no recurrence of his former tempta- tion. ^3 When residing at Cloneagh, a blind man was brought to him, with a request from himself and friends, that our saint would pray for his restoration to sight. Comgall applied saliva to this man's eyes, in the name of Christ when immediately, they were opened, and the blind man returned home rejoicing. ^'^ He spent a considerable time in Clonenagh. ^s At length, St. Fintan required our saint to revisit his own part of the country, that he might found religious cells,^^ or houses, and preside over their inmates. St. Com- gall remained without sacred orders for many years, he being unwilling through humility to receive them. Having obtained St. Fintan's benediction and prayers, with some companions, he set out on a visit to St. Kieran ^7 of Clonmacnoise. With him, it is said, Comgall remained for some time, and while there, he was greatly distinguished for his sanctity. ^^ This, however, may have been only a temporary visit, occasioned by some special circum- stance, and the nature of which cannot now be known. Afterwards, St. Com- gall directed his course homewards,^^ where he was ordained a deacon, with the advice of numerous clerics, by St. Lugid, whose identity has not been dis- covered. Although it was thought by Dr. Lanigan, 7° that our saint had been ordainedatClonmacnoise;7^ yet,hemoreshrewdlyremarks,thatbyLugidus, the ordainer of Comgall, was probably meant the bishop of Connor, who might have been otherwise called Lugadius,? ^ and that he was the more inclined to be of that opinion, since Lugadius is spoken of, as having had
have been guessed at as the ordainer. " Ibid. , chap. X. , sect, xii. , n. 96, p. 66.
^^ Dr. Lanigan observes : "It would be difScult to reconcile this narrative with the account given of Comgall having returned to his own countiy, in compliance with St. Fintan's advice, for the purpose of forming some religious establishment. I am very much inclined to think, that it is founded more on conjecture than on fact. The prac- tice of going to foreign parts, which became so general with our Irish saints towards the close of Comgall's life might have induced an opinion that he also had intended to quit Ireland, particularly as some of his own disciples, . md among others the great Colum- banus, had done so. "—" Ecclesiastical His- tory of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, x. , sect, xii. ,
n. 197, p. 66.
7< . See " Acta Sanctorum,"' tomus ii. , Maii X. Vita S. Comgalli ex MS. antique et edi- tione Sirini, cap. i. , num. 10, p. 583.
75 "Perrexitad stagnum Erne et intravit in quadam insula, quas dicitur Custodiaria insula. "
-" From the Latin name, which may be interpreted in English " Keeper's Island," it
——
158 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May io.
verbal communication with Comgall, after his return to Ulster, such as a bishop of Connor might have had with a person, living in that district, in which Bangor is situated. 73 After some interval, our saint, having been ad- vancedtothesacerdotalgrade,wentaroundhisownpartofthecountry. Every- where he preached the Gospel among the people. ^-^ Wishing to lead a life of greater perfection, St. Comgall became the inhabitant of an Island,75 in Lough Erne, where he led a most austere life. 7^ Placing themselves under his direc- tion, certain monks endeavoured to emulate his austerities. But, in this effort, seven of them died, through the effects of cold and hunger. Hearing of such circumstance, other religious men entreated our saint, to relax his excessive rigours, towards himself and those monks under his charge. Yet, while he permitted his monks to live, after the manner of other religious, Com- gall refused to indulge personally in like relaxations, thus continuing his usual austerities. 77 After remaining for some time in this place, the holy Abbot felt a desire to pass over into Britain, with the intention of remaining there ;73 but, the earnest entreaties of St. Lugidus, from whom he had received ordina- tion, with those recommendations, given by other holy saints, induced him to abandon this design. Thus he remained in Ireland, to continue that great work of monastic propagandism, on which his thoughts had been earnestly engaged.
CHAPTER II
THE MISSIONARY CAREER OF ST. COMGALL COMMENCES WITH THE ERECTION OF A GREAT MONASTERY, AT BANGOR—ITS SITUATION—MIRACLES OF ST. COMGALL HIS AUSTERITIES AND VIRTUES—HIS RULE OF RELIGIOUS LIFE—MIRACLES.
Those pious persons brought St. Comgall forth, from the place of his retreat, that he might commence a work, for which he seemed specially destined. The pious servant of God began to found cells and monasteries, in different parts of the country. Especially did he regard that beautiful site, where the Inver-Beg,' or the " Little River Beg,"^ falls into Belfast Lough,3 at its open- ing towards the sea. It is stated, that the stream—formerly known as the
" Dr. Lanigan remarks, in continuation
" It is true that Lugadius of Connor is said
to have died in 538, and therefore long be-
forehecouldhaveordainedComgall. Are
we, however, certain that he died so tione Sirini, cap. i. , num. 11, p. 583. early? . And,admittingit, theremightbe
in this case one of those anachronisms so usual
in the Acts of our saints. For I do not mean
to say that Comgall was ordained by that
bishop of Connor, but merely to observe that
as Lugadius lived in the sixth century, and
not far from Comgall's residence, he might
:
seems very difficult to identify the exact situation of this island, at present.
" See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. . Mail x. Vita S. Comgalli ex MS. antique et edi-
May lo
]
Chapter ii. — ' Thought, by Rev. James O'Laveity, to have been its most ancient name.
^ It now runs into the sea, opposite the Bangor Baths.
3 Anciently known, as Lough Laoigh, or the " Lough of the Calf," thus called from an old tradition.
Antiquce et Novos Nomenclatura, 1771 ? Lanigan's Ecclesiastical History of Ireland, 1829. 3. Benchor—^Jonas, a monk of Bobbio in Italy, Vita Columbani, c. 3, Codex MS. Vaticanus seculi noni (7th cen- tury) vide O'Conor's Annals of Ulster, p. 35 ; Life of St. Finian, ex Codice MS. Salmati- censi, AA. , SS. , p. 393 ; Lanigan's Ecclesi- astical History, 1829. 4. Beanchor—Vita Comgalli. 5. Beanchair—L'Abbe Ma- Geoghegan, 1758. 6. Bennchor—O'Fla-
* It is said, in Cormac's "Glossary," to
have been so named from Bece, a favourite
dog of Brecan, that was drowned with his
master, in that celebrated whirlpool, called herty's Ogygia, 1685. 7. Bennchair—Col- Coirebreacain or Corevrecan, " the caul- gan, 1647. 8. Benchorensis—O'Donnell, dron of Brecan. " It lies between Ireland lib. ii. , 24, 1520. 9. Bennchoria—Dr.
and the Island of Rathlin, being now called Sloghnamara, "the gulf of the sea. "
O'Conor, in Annals of the Four Masters, 1826. lo. Bennchorum—Hiberniae Antiquse etNovaeNomenclatura,1771. II. Bencho-
5 This name is said to have been derived
from Bicne, a servant to Conal Cearnach, rium Monast. —Colgan, 1647. 12. Ben- who was drowned there, while driving some chorense Coenobium—Ussher, Primordia. cows, which had been carried off, from Scot- 13. benncoijA—Cormac Mac Cuilenain, land. This incident is related in a romantic 908, Annals of the Four Masters, 1636.
story, which has for title Tain-bo-Fraich, or the " Spoil of the Cows of Froech," as found in the " Book of Leinster. "
14. benncAii\—Tigernach, 1088, Annals of Boyle. 15. ben'ochAH\—Tigernach, 1088, Annals of the Four Masters, 1636. 16.
* This is found in the Dinnseanchus or benchAij\—Tigernach, 1088. 17. benc4n\ " History of Forts," of which romantic tract, —Old Book of St. Caillin, 1516. 18. ben- there are various Irish copies, all of which choi|\—Annals of Inisfallen. 19. be<in- are still unpublished. chui|\—Annals of Ulster. 20. "bennchAi^
' At the dissolution, Bangor was found to Annals of Ulster, Annals of the Four Mas- be possessed of the temporalities and ters, 1636. 21. ben'ocAiA. 22. ben'oc^nA. spiritualities of thirty-four townlands, to- 23. beiTochui^A. 24. bennclniii\—Annals gether with the tithes of nine rectories or of the Four Masters, 1636. 25. beAnnchAiyv chapels. —Jeoffrey Keating, 1629. 26. beAnncAH\
** In some loose sheets, which the writer Duald Mc Firbis' Pedigrees, 1666. 27. has examined, at the Ordnance Survey benco|A—Haliday's Map, 181 1.
Office, Phoenix Park, Dublin, John O'Dono- 9 In the First Life of St. Comgall, as pub- van has given the varied orthography for this lished by the Bollandists, it is alluded to, as town, from ancient and modern authorities, "ad ostium fluvii, nomine Bice. " See quotedbyhim. Thesesheetsareintituled,
"Correspondence, &c. , concerning Names of Places, Antiquities, &c. , in the County Down. " The following is a digest : i. Bangor—Ecclesiastical Annals, 1623 ; His- toryoftheCountyofDown,1744; L'Abbe Ma-Geoghegan, 1758 : Hibernise Antiquse et Novoe Nomenclatura, 1771 ; Beaufort's Memoir, 1792 : Seward, 1795 ; Archdall's Monasticon, 1786; Dubourdieu's Stat. Sur- vey, 1802 ; Carlisle, 1810 ; County Map, l8n ; Abstract of Population, 1821 ; Post Office List, 1825 ; Lanigan's Ecclesiastical History, 1829 ; Irish Ecclesiastical Register, 1830. 2. Banchor—Sir James Ware, 1600; L'Abbe Ma-Geoghegan, 1758; Hiberniae
num. 7, p. 581.
'° The fullest and best account of this re-
nowned place, and of its associations, we now possess, is in the Rev. James O'Laverty's learned work, " An Historical Account of the Diocese of Down and Connor, Ancient and Modern," vol. ii. , under the heading, The United Parish of Newtownards, Bangor, Donaghadee, and^Comber, pp. i to 155, and Appendix, pp. iv. to xlv. , containing a re- print of the Bobbio Missal and the Antipho- narium Benchorense.
" After citing the Latin, from our saint's Second Life, the Rev. Dr. Lanigan observes " By regione UlLorum in this passage is to be understood the particular territory anciently
—:
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 159
strand of Inver Bece * or Inver Becne s— had its name from a curious legend. ^ On its banks did St. Comgall resolve to found his great establishment, which in after times became so renowned as the monastery of Bennchor. 7 This was the place, now known as the town of Bangor,^ situated at the inden- tation of a bay,5 bearing the same name. '° The parish to which it gives title is within the baronies of Castlereagh and Ards, in the most northern part of the present county of Down, This locality was in the region, called Altitudo Ultorum "—now known as Ards '^—in the province of Ulster. In a short time, so great a number of monks flocked to his establishment, that they
p. 67.
'-Sir James Ware renders it, "nunc
vulgo The Ardes. "—" De Hibernia et Anti- quitatibus ejus," cap. xxvi. , p. 180.