No More Learning

Magnus, at Ratisbonn, in Bavaria. This Februarii i,. Vita Prima Brigidce, pp. 118
tract Colgan accompanied with various marginalannotationsandreadings. These
were partly taken from a MS,, belonging to the monastery of St. Autbert, at Cambray, and partly from a MS. , preserved at the Island of all Saints, in Ireland. The Cam- bray MS. had been furnished by D. Georgeus Colvenerius, who was distinguished for his research and love of antiquities ; and besides the All Saints' MS. , received from Longford
County in Ireland, Colgan obtained another MS. from the Carthusian collection at
Cologne.
7° His Festival occurs on the 27th of
November.
7' His Feast is assigned to the 8th of
January.
7» These flourished in Bavaria, during the
eighth century.
73 The Trinity College Manuscript classed
E. 4, 10 contains, "Vita et Legenda S. Brigidse Virginis. " Ussher supposes this to have been the Life of St. Brigid, written by St. Ultan of Ardbraccan. It includes,
also, various readings on the margins, copied
from a more old to copious MS. , belonging
the monastery of St. Magnus, tenanted by the Canons regular of St. Augustine, at Ratisbon in Bavaria.
74 This belonged to Dunensis monastery in Flanders. Colgan adds, that we may fairly infer the author must have lived at a
to 135-
77 Among these are : Vita S. Brigidae,
MS. Bodl. Rawl. , B. 505, pp. 193-207, fol. veil. xiv. cent. A similar life in MS. Bodl.
Rawl. , B. 485, f. 134, veil. 4to. xiv. cent. , is extant.
7^ See " De Primordiis Ecclesiarum Bri- tannicarum," p. 1067.
^ While it is admitted, by Dr. Lanigan, that Ultan of Ardbraccan wrote something concerning St. Brigid, this learned historian will not allow either him or any other wri- ter of the seventh century, to have recorded the many strange fables, with which it is crammed. Thisworkhedesignatesas"a hodge-podge, made up at a late period, in which it is difficult to pick out any truth,
from amidst a heap of rubbish. " It also differs from the two former tracts, in some material points. See "Ecclesiastical His- tory of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, viii. , § II, n. 18, p. 380.
7" See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. ,
79 See "De Scriptoribus Hibemioe," lib. i. , cap. iii. , pp. 22, 23.
^'
This conclusion is supposed to be fur-
ther the usual " Ex- warranted, by clause,
plicit Vita S. Brigidre," postfixed to the life of a Saint coming after, and not before that
Hymn, found in the St. Magnus MS. , as written many ages before Colgan's time.
^^
and Ward.
In the opinion of White, Colveneriur>
February
i. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS,
"
Aiitbert MS. , the Life comes after a
Although the author does not give us his name, he nevertheless reveals him- self as being from the Island Hibernia, and of Irish origin. ^* After the last words, in a life of our sainted Virgin, the author first places her proper Latin Hymn,^5 and t—hen having completed the Latin lines, he pours forth prayers to St. Brigid thus piously invoking her intercession, in the Irish idiom and character. These circumstances are somewhat remarkable. ^^ That St. Ultan was its author, and consequently composer of the Third Life, seems to be established,^7 from certain remarks of an old Scholiast,^^ on the same Hymn. Even although the Scholiast doubts, whether St. Nennidius, St. Fiech, or St. Ultan, be its author, his very words are thought conclusive, in showing this latter to be the writer, both of the Life and of the Hymn ; since, he is said to have composed both one and the other, in praise of St.
^3 This piece is headed "Carmen de eadem (Sci]. S. Brigida) exMSS. Autberti. " Its lines are in Latin, of which we present the following English version : —
published by Colgan, with the metrical lines
postfixed, and that he was composer, both of the prose life and of the Hymn. See
ibid. , n. 80, p. 545.
^^
This metrical composition is headed, HymnusdeBrigidaVirgine. " Thelines runinLatin butwehaveventuredtoren-
;
der them in the following English version : —
"Those her wond'rous Signs, whereby
pow'r was known
To men, in our Hibernian Isle, were
shown ;
Excelling through great virtues, beamed on earth
The dawning promise of her heavenly birth.
Not mighty Brigid's fame, this_ humble verse
Can fitly celebrate, nor half rehearse, Our Virgin, type of Mary, myriads found Eager to praise, and hear her triumphs
sound.
She girt around her, day and night, the
zone
Ofchastedesires; shereadandprayed
alone ;
She vigil spent ; as the bright sun on
high
Her radiance warm'd the earth, and fill'd
the sky.
Hear ye the Virgin's praise ! her gifts
proclaim !
The victor's garland twines around that
name.
No void her words and acts e'er left be-
tween
Whose vows to Christ Were pledg'd and
to Heav'n's Queen.
Be gracious then, O sainted Brigid, free From earthly toils, our pi-ay'rs ascend to
thee ;
Obtain for us, from God, of good the
giver,
Tlie Angel's crown of rest and joy for-
ever. "
^^ In Colgan's opinion.
^~^
*' " Brigid's great name, with double lustre
shines,
Brigid's great name, our love with light
entwines.
A of the Lord, without, Virgin
within, Pure was her soul, preserved from stains
of sin.
A Virgin of the Lord, dear brethren, she Dead to the world and pride, for Heaven
was free.
Despised she fleeting honours, wealth and
pleasures,
She sought eternal joys, exhaustless trea-
sures.
Then shield us from that future fate we
dread.
When the last Trumpet wakes the buried
dead,
O Virgin, loved by God, bless'd and be-
nign, Ohearthyclients'prayers,norceaseto
offer thine. "
See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Tertia Vita S. Brigidas, p. 542, and nn. 82, 83, p. 545, ibid.
^'^ This is indicated, in the first line.
Colgan says, the Hymn which he published was found in that Irish MS. , commonly called the Leabhur lomawt, and in Latin, " Liber Hymnorum," by our national anti- quaries. In this MS. were also contained many Hymns, composed by different Irish Saints. From it, Colgan obtained the la-^^t line, which was wanting in the St. Magnus MS.
*5 It has been concluded, that as no authority states St. Nennidius or St. Fiech to have written St. Brigid's Acts in a book, and as it could be shown from written and from other sources, that St. Ultan wrote her Acts in one book, and also a Hymn in her praise ; it would seem, this latter must have been the author of St. Brigid's Third Life,
These comments are given in a note.
carmen/'^s which follows the Hymn.
10 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS [February i.
Brigid, and both were contained in one book. ^9 Now, it is not rightly known, that St. Nennidius or St. Fiech wrote a life of St. Brigid, whether in one tract, or in more
than o—ne part. St.
Ultan surnamed likewis—e Mac
Concubar
bishop
of Ardbraccan, in
Meath, is reputed
to have been St.
Brigid's relative,9°
on her mother's
side. 9^ Waretreats
about him and his
'\\Titings. 9=»
The Fourth Life
of our saint, as pub-
lished by Colgan,93 and by this latter writer attributed to Animosus or Anim- chad,94 is contained in two books. 95 The editor of this Trea- tise says, the Latin- ized form of Ani- mosus' name is not
easily recognisable as an Irish one, al-
though its vernacu-
lar interpretation be common. This
Latin form, how-
ever, can easily be resolved into the name Anmchadh or Anamchodh. This
^' The Scholiast even cites a portion of
one line, taken from this Hymn, and which
agrees with what Colgan has published.
9° Ussher writes, that he was descended
from the Conchabar or O'Conor family, to
whom belonged, also, Brodsechain, daughter
to Dallbronaig, and the mother of St. Brigid.
This is given on the authority of a certain
Scholiast in an Irish hymn composed in
praise of Brigid, Some, however, attribute
this to St. Columkille, who lived in the time
of son to Ainmirech while others King Aed, :
ascribe it to Ultan, Bishop of Ardbrechan, who flourished in the time of the two sons of Aed Slane. See " De Primordiis Brita-
"
Kildare Ruins.
nicanim Ecclesiarum.
9' Hence, we do not find this
Brigidae," p. 582.
95 These comprise, with a Prologue, in the
relationship shown in the Pedigrees of St. Brigid, on the father's side, as given by Dr. Todd in ** St.
First Book 52, in the Second Book 100— in all 152 chapters. As published in the
p. 965.
Patrick, Apostle of Ireland," appendix A, pp. 247 to 255.
92 See " De Scriptoribus Hibernice," lib. i. , cap. iii. , pp. 22, 23.
93 See " Trias Thau maturga. " Quarta Vita S. Brigidae, pp. 546 to 563. Appended notes, pp. 563 to 566.
9* St. Coelan, or his prologuist, enume- rates Animosus, among various writers of St. Brigid's Acts. This is asserted in the following verses :
" multos Animosus nomine libros Descripsit
De vita, et studiis Virginis, ac mentis," &c.
^ec **
ibid. , p. 563. Also, Sexta^Vita'S.
February i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. It
has been applied to various Irish saints of the olden time. To pass over others, there was a venerable and pious man, who died in the year 980. 9'^ He is called Anmchadh, Bishop of Kildare. This prelate is said to have departed at an advanced age, after the course of his virtuous life in this world had been completed. 97 It has been maintained,^^ that until some other fairer objections be advanced, these following reasons should lead us to con- clude, this Anmchadh or Animosus was author of our saint's Fourth Life. In the first place, circumstances of name and locality favour such a conclusion, as no one could more appropriately or justly manifest his reverence and de- votion towards St. Bridget, than a native of Kildare, especially when he was eitheraprelateoramonk. Asitisrelated,anAnimosuswroteSt. Brigid's Acts, and as a certain prelate of Kildare bore that name, to what other Ani- mosus than he can we more probably assign the performance of such a task ? Again, it must be added, the author of this Fourth Life often insinuates, that he was a monk or prelate of Kildare, and in a Prologue to it, he addresses certain brethren. 99 It has been concluded,^°° therefore, that he must have been a monk or an abbot, before he became bishop of Kildare,'°' in accord- ance with a usage, common to his age and country. In the next place, the author of St. Brigid's Fourth Life indicates, that he lived so late as the tenth
whereas,AnimosusissaidtohavewrittenherActsinseveralbooks. This
at which Anmchod of Kildare flourished. '°^ period
there are The author of this Fourth Life appears to have written only two books of St. Brigid's Acts ;
century,
reasons, also, that can be advanced for a different opinion.
Yet,
** "
Trias Thaumaturga, however, 22 of these
chapters are wanting in the First Book, See
such a work presents a danger ; since, I dread the taunts of critics and enemies tasting my very small intellectual viands. But, as the Lord ordered His poor to offer little gifts, when about to build His tabernacle, ought we not give ours to build up His church ? "What is she but a congregation of the just ? How is a prudent life formed, unless through the examples and records of the prudent? Therefore shall I give a first place to love, I shall trample on shame, and I shall tolerate the carpers.
I adjure you, O wise reader and intelligent hearer, that you overlook the text arrangement ; and consider only the miracles of God and of His blessed hand- maid. Indeed, every husbandman should be fed on the fruits drawn from the furrows of his own field. "
^°° By Colgan.
^°^ The " Vita S. Brigidse," by an anony- mous author, and from a Manuscript belong- ing to Hugh Ward, has been printed by Father John Boland in the "Acta Sancto- rum," tomus i, Februarii i. Vita iv. , Lipartita S. Brigida;, pp. 155 to 172. Usher
**
Quarta Vita S. Brigidse," Hb. i. p. 547.
^ See O'Donovan's " Annals of the Four
Masters," vol. ii. , pp. 712, 713. The editor corrects the date 980 by the words, '^\recte 981. ]" See also n. (y), ibid.
97 Colgan'sCopyoftheFourMastersadds,
''
that he died
tur. " The latter clause seems to be omitted
in Mr. O'Donovan's copy.
Omnes fere
in loco, que Kenntar appella-
"
Hiberniae prselati ex Monachis assumeban-
tur. " See Giraldus Cambrensis, Opera, vol. v. "TopographiaHibernica,Dist. iii. , cap. xxix. Edition by James F. Dimock, M. A.
58ByColgan. ThetovmofKildarehas yet many interesting vestiges of its former religious establishments. The accompany- ing engraving, which represents one of these ruins, has been executed by Mrs. Millard, from a photograph of Frederick W. Mares, Dublin.
99 This Preface runs as follows: "My
mind, brethren, is filled with three emotions,
viz. , of love, of shame, and of fear. Love often cites it as the anonymous or inedited
urges me to write in documents a life of the
illustrious Brigid, lest that great abundance
of virtues, which God's grace conferred on
her, or the many miracles accomplished
through her, should be hidden and unheard. vol. i. , part i. , pp. 108, 109. The writer
I feel prevented through shame, lest, as I
suppose, my very plain discourse or poor
judgment, may displease my educated readers
or hearers. Yet, my fear is still greater, for Also, Harris' Ware, vol. ii. , Writers of my weakness of mind in the composition of Ireland," Book i. , chap, iv. , p. 37.
Life in two books. The author lived before 1 1 52. See Sir Thomas Duffus Hardy's
"
to the History of Great Britain and Ireland,"
Descriptive Catalogue of Materials relating is supposed to be Animosus, by Colgan.
'°'
See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga,"
Quarta Vita S. Brigidse, n. i. , pp. 563. "
13 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February i. I
occurred, before the time in which St. Coelan, or at least the author of that prologue to his metrical acts of our saint, wrote. Now, Colgan thinks St. Coelan wrote St. Brigid's Acts previous to a. d. 8oo'°3 in such hypothesis, it is supposed, that Animosus, who wrote St. Brigid's Acts, must be distin- guished from Animosus or Animchadh, who died a. d. 980. Again, the Irish word,Anmire,seemstohaveanidenticalmeaningwithAnimosus. Atleast four Anmires are enumerated among the saints of Ireland: i. Anmire of Alech,^°4 2. Anmire of Cluanfoda,''°5 3. Anmire of Ros-hua Chonna,^°^ 4. Anmire of Rath-nuadha,'°7 It may be argued, that some one of the forego- ing, or another person, bearing the same name, different from the Animchod, who died in 980, had been the author of St. Brigid's Acts. The matter re-
mains, not yet fully determined.
But the author of St. Brigid's Fourth Life,
^°^ he flourished at a Although
whoever he is deemed may be,
trustworthy.
comparatively late period, and wrote in a rude style, his Acts relate, in a more
copious and comprehensive manner, than any other writer's, almost all St. Brigid's transactions. Also, he gives many particulars, concerning the anti- quities of Ireland, which, for the most part, are either omitted or obscurely related, by other biographers. '°9 The Fifth of St. Brigid's Lives, as published by Colgan, was taken from a Manuscript belonging to the Irish College at Salamanca"° Although containing fewer Acts and miracles of St. Brigid, than most of her other Lives ; yet, this biography, making allowance for many fables,'" surpasses most of them in elegance and correctness of style, as also in its more systematic and complete arrangement. "^ For these reasons, it seems more suited for reading in the refectoiies of religious com- munities. It came into Colgan's hands, in an imperfect state ;"3 yet, he thought, that not more than the first, and a part of its second chapter, had beenwanting. "4 Theeditorendeavouredtosupplysuchmissingportions in that distinctive character, known as the Italic ; while special titles are pre- fixed by him to the several chapters, and placed in the margin. He thinks there can be no question about the author being Laurence of Durham. "5
This, it is supposed, can be shown, from the elegant style, nationality of authorship, and the period, in which it had been written ; for, in the second
chapter, its author indicates his being an Englishman, and that he composed
this life, after the Normans came to England. He likewise wrote it before
the — invasion of Ireland. as he flourished after the — Anglo-Norman Now, year
1065
"^
about which date the Norman conquest of England commenced
'°3 This he endeavours to show, in his notes to "Sexta Vita S. Brigidae," nn. I, 2, 3, pp, 596 to 598, "Trias Thaumaturga. "
'^^ His feast is celebrated on the loth of
June.
'°5 This saint is commemorated on the
1 5th of September.
'°''
His festival occurs on the 25th of Sep- tember.
to 1 85.
"3 As this Manuscript was acephalous, its
author's name had not been found prefixed. "* The following MSS. copies of this life are extant : Vita S. Brigidce, auctore Lau- rentio Dunelmensi, MS. Salmanticensis, published by Colgan and Bollandus. Defi- ciencies in this may be supplied from the following copies in Latin : Vita S. Brigittae
'°7 This saint's feast is held on the 20th of Virginis a Laurentio Dunelmensi. MS.
November.
""^ Such is Colgan's expressed opinion.
*°9 So far as came under Colgan's observa- tion.
"° Therefore it is called by him the Sala-
mancan Manuscript.
"'See Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical
History of Ireland," vol. i,, chap, viii. , sec. ii. , n. 18,, p. 381.
Bodl. Laud. Mis. 668 (1052) 106. veil. 4to XIL cent. Again, S. Brigidic Vita per Lau-
rentium Dunelmensem, pracvia Epistola ad Ethelredum Dispensatorem. MS. Coll. Balliol. ccxxvi. f. 86-94. veil, fol, dble. col. XHL cent. Tanner refers to both of these copies in his " Bibliotheca," p. 472.
"s This writer is known to have flourished
about the year 1140, and he wrote a singu-
larly learned and eloquent Life of St. Brigid complete, in one book,
""Dr. Lingard assigns the battle of Hast-
"=^
This Life has been printed in the Bol- "
landists' Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Feb- ruarii i. , Vita v. , S. Brigidae Virg. pp. 172
February i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
and prior to the iiyi,"^ when the English invasion of Ireland began ; it appears probable enough, that the author of St. Brigid's Fifth Life must have beentheaforesaidLaurenceofDurham. TheSixthLifeofSt. Brigid,"^is a long poem, written in Latin Hexameter verse. The editor supposes St. Cholian or Coelan, a monk of Inis-Keltra monastery, on the Shannon, to havebeenitsauthor. "^ ItwaspublishedfromanoldManuscript,belonging to the library of Monte Cassino, and it had been collated, with a copy taken from the Vatican library, as also with various other Manuscript exemplars. In the first note, post-fixed to our Saint's Sixth Life, we are told, that over three months before, when Colgan had begim passing St. Brigid's Acts through the press, he received from the Rev. Father Bernard Egan,"° a certain
'^^ A
Finibusocciduis,"&c. Thislatterissupposedtohavebeenacomposition
of St. Donatus,^^^ Bishop of Fesule, in Tuscany,'^3 and who flourished in the ninth century. But, the life itself was marked, as having been written by a monk of Iniskeltra, in Lough Derg, and who was named Chilien. This writer Colgan conjectures to have been the same as Coelan of Iniskeltra, who was known in the eighth century. '^^ But, with much apparent truth,^^5 this fragment has been referred to a later period, in which it is suspected its author lived. Dr. Lanigan believes, that if Chilien lived in the eighth cen- tury,"^ it must have been in the latter part; although this historian does not think it worth while, to enter upon a long discussion regarding him. "7
Having received this Sixth Life, from the Cassinian MS. , and through
the zealous Father already mentioned, three other counterpart copies of these same Acts were procured. One copy came from the Vatican Librar)*-, one from the Library of his Eminence Anthony Barberini, and a third was sentbythecelebratedFranciscanFather,LukeWadding. Allthesecopies
fragment •'
of this
biography.
prologue
is with prefixed, commencing
ings to the 14th of October, A. D. 1066. See
*'
History of England," vol. i,, chap, vi. , p. 309.
^'7 Henry II. landed at Waterford on the i8th of October, A. D. 1 171. See Rev. John
^^-^ Dr. Lanigan thinks, that the circum- stance of Chilien calling the mother of St. Brigid a countess seems to indicate a com- paratively late period for this composition.
"^s Speaking about Donat, Bishop of Fiesole, who flourished in the ninth century,
O'Hanlon's
Lesson
"
Catechism of Irish History,"
116.
xiii,, p.
^'^ As published by Colgan.
^*9 In Harris' Ware, Chaelian or Coelan,
a monk of the Abbey of Inis-Keltra, in the diocese of Killaloe, and who wrote the Life of St. Brigid in verse, is said to have been a contemporary with yEngus Mac-Tiprait, who died 745. The festival of this Chilien is assigned to the 29th of July in our domestic Martyrologies.
'^° He was a Benedictine Abbot and an Irishman.
From a hurried reading, it was thensupposed,
that the poem in question began with these
lines, and Colgan stated as much in the com-
mon preface to St. Brigid's Acts. But he
afterwards discovered his mistake, when this
holy virgin's five first lives had been printed.
^-^
See his Life at the 22nd of October. *^3See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap.