580,
according
to Polydore Virgil, and in the ninetieth year of his age is said to have died at Bangor, while Maglocun ruled as King in Britain.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v1
, pp.
137, 138.
' The words are repeated, however, in Irish as follows : Ca ^TAitue aici.
5 This seems to have been a pagan cus- torn, turned to Christian account in honour of St. Brigid, according to the expressed
origin.
sThe writer well remembers a very general
prevalence of such customs in the midland
parts of Ireland, and from reliable informa-
t ion communicated to him, they were known the writer thinks it is of purely Christian and practised in many districts of the south.
*For the accompanying items of interest-
ing information, the writer feels indebted to
Rev. D. B. Mulcahy, C. C. , Pharis, Parish
of Loughguile. They are contained in a catedby Rev. 'Laurence O'Byme, C. C, SS.
letter, dated 12th of January, 1875.
7 The Irish words are: CeijiT) ai^a bup
n-giume Aju-p •oeAneA'6 ji-o utribuigeAcc, AgUf LlgTO biMJiT) riA i\uti AfCeAC.
Michael and John, Dublin.
opinion of Rev. Mr. Mulcahy. However,
"
"It was called in Irish, b]\eAC biMgit)! , Brigid's cloak. "
" This information has been communi-
Article xili. — Kelly, p. xiv.
'Edited
by
Rev. Dr.
6 32 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 31.
Marianus O'Gorman' and of Donegal,^ on this day, the name of Cainneach, son of Ua Chil, as a priest, occurs. This Uchil had the happiness of having a partner in wedlock, and she was eminent for her virtues. So do we find, that the rank and family of our saint are recorded, notv\dthstanding the opposite assertion of Colgan. ^ St. Mella was his mother,s She was like- wisetheparentofanotherholyson,namedSt. Tigernach. ^ Fromearliest years, we can have little doubt, their pious mother had been instrumental in directing her sons' vocation towards that life in religion, which she also embraced after her husband's death. The present sainfs mission has not been noticed ; but probably —its scene lay not far from Doire Melle—near the beautiful Lough Melvin? and either in the County of Leitrim or Fer- managh. Thatwoodedspotwasprobablycleared,longcenturiesago,and now both name and site appear to have been forgotten. With Doire Melle, however, Cainnech's holy mother and brother were associated, towards the close of the eighth century. Although Colgan has remarked, that the pre- sent St. Cannech may be the one baptized by St. Patrick, at the fountain Slan, in Finmagh, and in the province of Connaught;^ yet, we must ob- serve, the latter is called a bishop,^ and besides the times will not agree. Our readers are referred to another St. Coinnech's or St. Cainneach's festival, af the 23rd of January, for a little further elucidation. The year of this presentsaint'sdeathhasnotbeenascertained; but,heprobablysurvivedto the close of the eighth, or to the beginning of the ninth century. A priest in spirit and in truth, as he undoubtedly was, only tends to God and to virtues ;'" he flies from (worldlings ; he mortifies sensual desires ; he loves solitudeandsilence; heisnorespecterofpersons; heregardsrichandpoor, the powerful and the lowly, alike ; or rather, he favours the poor more than the rich, and he compassionates the humble, rather than the mighty. He loves especially to announce Gospel truths to the poor.
Article XIV. —St. Gildas, Confessor, of Blavet, in Britany,
France. \Sevetith Century? ^ Already has the reader been presented with the Life of St. Gildas, sumamed Badonicus, and the Wise ;' while some de-
gree of circumspection has been observed, in analysing the evidence which is accessible, so that on the one side, he might possibly be identified with, and
on the other be distinguished from, Gildas, called Cambrius, and Albanius, as alsofromGildasiusorGildas,AbbotofReys,inBritany. '' Nextcomesfora
question, the existence and separation of another saint, designated Gildas, whose feast has been set down at this day, in an ancient Corisopitensian Breviary. Mediseval writers state, that it belonged to the Comouaille diocese. 3 His
"
niat," xxxi. Martii. Vita S. McUje, n. 2,
p. 796.
3 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
32, 33.
See "Trias Thaumaturga," Septima
Vita S. Patricii, n. 128, p. 179.
5 Some notices regarding her will be found
at the 31st of March, the day for her festival. ' See notices of him at the 4th of Novem-
ber, the day for his feast.
7 Its Leitrim shore is immediately over-
hung by the Dartree Hills, while its northern shores are " relieved by the wooded surface and the relative positions of the principal islands. " See "
"See Colgan's
Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
'See "Trias Thaumaturga. " Septima Vita S. Patricii, n. 128, ;p. 171.
5 His feast occurs, it is thought, at the 23rd of January.
Parliamentary Ireland," toI. ii. , p. 764.
Gazetteer of
Article xiv. See at the 29th day of January, art. i.
"
See ibid. , art. i. , ii,, iii.
3 According to Philippus Ferrarius, Cori-
sopitum or Quimper, was in the western part of Minor Britain, formerly called Cor- nubia. Hence the city is often called Corn- ouaille, and sometimes Quimper Corentin, from St. Corentin, its patron bishop. See "Novum Lexicon tomus
i. , p. 220.
'"
See the Canon Claude Arvisinet's
" Memoriale Vit? —e Sacerdotalis," cap. x. •
Geographicum,"
January 31. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 603
acts, so far as they had been known, are given by Father John Colgan. * The learned editor sifts reasons for and against his being taken, as a distinct
Gildas, from any of the Gildases, regarding whose acts he had previously
treated. Heinclinedrathertodistinguishthepresentholyman,butitseems
doubtful enough, if with a just regard to correctness. Nevertheless, the
Bollandists suppose,^ that St. Gildas or Gildasius, venerated on the 31st of
January, at the Church of St. Corentin, of Corisopitis,^ in Britannic Amiorica,
wasinnomannertobedistinguishedfromSt. GildastheWise. Itisstrange,
how the very existence of this latter holy man should be called in question,
simply because his history has been involved in doubt and obscurity. 7 On
similar grounds, many a historic character should be classed among mythic
personages. Most of our early and mediaeval writers fall into the error of
making several diverse titles serve to discriminate as many different persons.
Hence, we have a Gildas Cambrius, a Gildas Albanius, a Gildas Badonicus,
a Gildas Sapiens, a Gildasius or Gildas of Reys, a Gildas of Blavet, a Gildas,
otherwise called Nennius, not to speak of other disguised forms for this ancient
IrishandBritishname. ^ Attendingtowhathasbeenstated,inpreviouspages
of this work, it will only be within our power briefly to recapitulate acts,
severally attributed to those Gildases. Thus we find a Gildas Cambrius,
who was a British and who was famous for ^° He is said to poet,9 prophecy.
have been born at a time, when Roman eloquence flourished most through- out the entire world. Under the best masters, he studied Greek and Latin letters, and he was a contemporary with the most celebrated of the Latin poets," if we are to believe the account left us. " He is said, also, to have written many books. This learned man is reputed to have been a poet, a mathematician,arhetoricianandahistorian. '3 Accordingtocertainwriters,** Gildas Albanius was a disciple of the great St. Patrick, and descended from a royal stem among the Britons. He is said to have been very learned, and to have visited Gaul, whence he returned with a knowledge of the language, and with a great number of books. He opposed the Pelagian heresy ; he wasaprophetandanascetic; hewasanactivemissionaryandahermit;
" See "Acta Sanctorum Hibemi2e,"xxxi. 'See John Lewis' "History of Great Januarii. De S. Gildasio Confessore. Ex Britain, from the first Inhabitants thereof,
Breviario vetusto Corispotensi. A few elu- cidations from other sources follow, with some explanatory notes. See pp. 226 to 228.
5 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , xxxi.
Januarii. Prsetermissi et in alios dies re-
jecti, p. 1078.
* As appears from the old Breviary of this
cliurch.
7 See such a statement in S. Austin Alii-
bone's " Critical Dictionary of English Li- terature, and British and American Authors, Living and Deceased, from the earliest Ac- counts to the middle of the Nineteenth Century," vol. i. , p. 669.
^ We are told, that Alawn was the bardic name for Gildas, who, with Plennydd and Gwron, three primary bards of Britain, first framed and organised the privileges, customs and institutes of bards and bardism. This, however, is from a rather doubtful source. See " An Essay on the Ncodruidic Heresy in Britannia," parti. , § 15, p. 85. By the author of "Brittannia after the Romans. "
The work here quoted is visionary, and yet
'till the Death of Cadwalader, Last King of
the Britains ; and of the Kings of Scotland
to Eugene V. ," &c. , p. 88.
"•
See ibid. , pp. 174, 193.
"Among these are reckoned, Martial,
Flaccus, Silius, Statius, Stella, Juvenal, &c.
"See John Bale's "Scriptorum Illus-
trium Majoris Brytannise quam nunc Angliam
etScotiam vocant — Catalogus,"cent. 1. , p. 19.
'3 The following is a list of his works
Annales suae Gentis, lib. i. ; Historiam
Aruiragi contra luuenalem, lib. i. ; Epitha-
lamion Gennissas, lib. i. ; Cambreidos Car-
men, lib. plures ; Lites Luddi et Nennii, lib. i. ; Poemata Diversi Generis, lib. i. ;
Epigrammaton quoque, lib. i. ; De Perdice prophetante, lib. i. ; Prophetiam ejus trans- tulit, lib. i. ; Statuta Dunuallonis vertit, lib.
i. ; Leges Molmutinas, lib. i. ; Leges Mar- tianas, lib. i. We are told, that he wrote many other works, even while Britain was more harrassed by Roman wars, than any other country in the world. See ibid. , pp.
a learned
production.
19, 20.
'* See ibid. ,
p. 49.
:
6o4 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 31.
while numbers flocked to his teaching and direction,^s He is reputed to have written various works/^ the titles'7 of which have been gleaned from many sources. He departed this life in an island, not far from the River Sabrina, on the fourth of the February Kalends, a. d. 512, and during the reign of Uther Pendragon, King of the Britons. He was buried at Glaston- bury. '^ In the third place, Gildas Badonicus or the Wise is distinguished from the former two by some writers, ^9 and he is said to have assumed the
^° He was a man of
parts and learning,^' while to him is specially attributed a pointed invective against the princes, clergy and people of Britain. " He flourished a. d.
580, according to Polydore Virgil, and in the ninetieth year of his age is said to have died at Bangor, while Maglocun ruled as King in Britain. ^3 Again, there is a fourth reputed Gildas, whose father was an Irish Scot. He was bom in Cambria, and his family belonged to Britain. In youth, he was emulous of learning from the best scholars of his day. It would seem from his writings, that he studied among the Scots of Hibernia. He has unjustly been accused^* of imposture and inventions in his works. '^s His book on the wonders of Britain^^ he commenced a. d. 829. This, however, was not the sole composition he left. ^? The present Gildas is thought to have been
living, as an old man, in a. d. 860, during the reign of King Ethelbert of Eng-
land. ^^ ThepossibilityofdistinguishingorconfoundingoneGildaswithano- ther must be apparent, from the fact stated by Dr. O'Conor, that not less than one thousand historical persons were adorned with this name. ^9 With these observations premised, we must proceed with the involved narrative of
'3 This holy man is celebrated by John walader, Last King of the Britains ; and of
monastic habit in the cenobium at great
Bangor.
great
Capgrave, as also by Galfridus and Ponticus.
He is distinguished from the Cambrian Gil-
das. See ibid. , and Appendix.
'*
See John Lewis' "History of Great Britain, from the first Inhabitants thereof, 'till the Death of Cadwaladar, Last King of
of Scotland
the Kings of Scotland to Eugene V. ," &c. See also this latter work, at p. 206.
*3 As we have already seen in his life at the 29th of January (chap. iv. ), to Gildas Badonicus or the Wise, John Bale attributes various works.
='• Leland and other By Polydore Vergil,
writers.
^5 See likewise the remarks of the Hon.
Algernon Herbert, prefixed to his and Dr. Todd's edition of "The Irish Version of the Historia Britonum of Nennius," pp. 19, 20.
the Britains ;
and of the
Kings to Eugene V. ," &c. , p. 176.
'7 See them already noticed, in the life of
St. Gildas Badonicus or the Wise (chap, iv. ,
n. 47), at the 29th of January.
'"John Bale's'* Scriptorum Illustrium Ma-
joris Brytannise quam nunc Angliam et Sco- tiam vocant Catalogus," cent, i. , p. 49.
-*
nostrorum veterum. " See Thomas
'9 See ibid. ,
^° "
^^ to Alluding
the est DePrimis Stagnum. "
p. 59.
Stephen's Literature of the Kymry," chap. i. , p. 17. ^1 The—following is said to be a list of his works : Breviarium Gildce, lib. i. ; it com- mences with " A principio mundi usque ad diluvium. De Mirabilibus Brytannias, lib. i. , commencing wiih " Primum Miraculum
Polydore Virgil is quoted as anauthority for this statement.
^' The Rev. John Williams, in his " Ec- clesiastical Antiquities of the Cymry," seems only to regard this Gildas, called the son of Law. See chap, v. , p. 136.
as
Gildas,
writer Folydorus, the Welsh antiquary, Humfrey Lhuyd, vindicated the ancient
Britons from his too sweeping charges, by telling us " he was no Hystoriographer, but a Priest and a Preacher. Whose custome is
very sharply to inueigh agaynst the faultes
of their hearers," See " The
Britayne. As this most renowned Hand was of auncient time diuided into three Kingdomes, England, Scotland, and Wales," &c. , p. 51. Appended to John Lewis' "History of Great Britain, from the first Inhabitants thereof, 'till the Death of Cad-
quoted by
habitatoribus, lib. i. ; De Rege Arthuro, lib. i. ; De Se-
pulchro ejus incognito, lib. i. ; De esse peri- culoso, lib. i. ; De milite Leonis, lib. i, ; De Percevallo et Lanceloto, lib. i. ; De Gal- guano et aliis, lib. i. Besides these, it is said he wrote other tracts.
"'^ See Bale's " Illustrium John Scriptorum
Majoris BrytanniiB quam nunc Angliam et Scotiam vocant Catalogus," cent, ii. , pp.
122, 123,
="9 See "Rerum Hibemicarura Scriptores,"
tomus i. , p. 198,
Breviary
of
In this he alludes ',to "antiquis libris
January 31. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 605
yet another Gildas. It is supposed, that the present saint's origin was derived from a respectable family, and that he had been born in British Armorica. 3°
We find related, that his pious parents brought their son to be baptized by the holy Philibert,^^ who was then living in the Island of Oya, Hoia or Ogia,
where a monastery stood, about the beginning of the seventh century. 3^ Re- liable accounts do not warrant us in stating, that he was abbot at Hoya,33 although he discharged that ofiice in the adjoining Island of Hero. The same Philibert is said to have been his master in sacred letters. 34 In these Gildasmadewonderfulprogress,ashewasmoststudious. Ofelegantshape and appearance, his genius and dispositions were noble and intellectual. He
disregarded human applause and fame, having resolved on a religious life ; while his staid modest deportment indicated an evident turn for the monastic
state. In chastity and austerity of life he had no superior and few equals. From earliest youth, he was remarkable for a devotion to truth. He prac-
tised alms-giving and charity ; while he spent whole nights in vigil, and was frequently noticed with his hands and eyes directed to heaven in the attitude of sublime contemplation. 35 He is said to have tasted food only three times each week. He built a monastery called Blavet,3^ near the sea-shore, and beside the river thus denominated. 37 Thither many disciples resorted, and here, too, his ancient legend relates, that the saint was sorely tried by temp- tation. ss Four demons are said to have appeared, and habited as monks.
3° In his " Martyrologium Gallicanum," Andrew Saussay makes the Abbot Gildas a resident of Minor Britain, in his Supplement, at the 29th of January.
3' He is called, Abbas Tomodorensium,
in the life of Gildas, by the anonymous
Monk of Ruys. . This is a mistake, however, biarchae Camotensis. " Supplementum ad for the saint held no such position there, al-
though some of his successors had been ele-
vated to that dignity. Papirius Masson calls
the
Fluminibus Galliae. " Other writers call it Tomasium, and Tomusium. Philibert is said to have sailed over the sea with St. Germanus, that he might evangelize some
nodurensis. Neither in Sebastian Rouilard's
place Tornachium,
"
Christiana," is there mention made of St.
western people. See the Bollandists'
"
Acta
Philibert, nor of his monastery among the Camutes.
33 Thisis also related regarding the Blessed
Martin, according to the old Cornouaille
Breviary, lect. i.
3* The old Breviary of Cornouaille calls it
Baluet. The Bollandists state, that it is not to be distinguished from the Monastery of Ruys. See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , xxix. Januarii. De. S. Gilda Sapiente. Prsemium, § iii. , 18, p. 954.
Sanctorum," tomus ii. , xxix. Januarii. De S. Gilda Sapiente Abbate in Britannia
Armorica. Prsemium, §§ iii. , iv. , pp. 955, 956- This latter seems to have been the
St. Germanus, Bishop of Leon, in Armorica, who succeeded St. Paul, in that see, and who flourished about A. D. 640. See Andrew
"
Saussay's Martyrologium Gallicanum,"
Ca-
other writers, he is called Goluenus.
3^ Authors chiefly notice St. Philibert, as first abbot over the Monastery of Jumieges, in Normandy, and afterwards abbot in the
Gazetteer of the World," vol.
in his ' ' De work,
"
37 It is in the maratime department of talogus Episcoporum Leonensium," and by Morbihan, in the north-west of France.
Appendix. By Claude Robert, in his
in Britannic Armorica.
This river enters the sea below Lorient. It has a tide navigation up to Hennebout. See Charles Knight's "English Cyclopedia," Geography, vol. iii. , col. 864.
3** This related in detail legend, greater
in the Coumouaille Breviary, lect. iii. , iv. , v. , vi. , vii. , viii. , has been abridged in the Bollandist collection. It is interesting, merely as exhibiting illustrations of religious and social customs, in those early times. Thus, when tempted, Gildas retired to his oratory, and signed himself with a sign of the cross. He then took a book of the
Island of
Jumieges is on the right bank of the Seine, in the Department of Seine-Inferieure, and the ruins of an ancient abbey are there to be
found. See
"
Hero,
vii. , p. 417.
33 His acts are to be met with in Surius,
at the 20th of August, with the style some- what changed by the editor. This was ad-
dressed by the unknown writer to the Abbot Coschinus and to the brethern of Coenobiuni Gemmeticensis. See "De Probatis Sanc- torum Historiis," tomus iv. , pp. 785 to 791.
^ According to Andrew Saussay, Gildas ''
is called a disciple, S. Philiberti Coeno-
xxix. Januarii. However, this appears to
beSx\error; and,itisprobable,Carnotensis
has been substituted for Tornutiensis or Tor-
Historia Carnutensi," nor in the "Gallia
6o6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[January 31.
These told him, they had been sent by St. Philibert, who desired to see Gildas before death. That holy man was the first abbot of Jumieges,39 and afterwardsofHermoutier,nowNoirmoutier. 4° Hediedtowardsthecloseof the seventh century. ^^ Gildas had intuition regarding the pretences of his tempters, and said no monks were near to accompany him, nor seamen to prepare a bark, and steer it on the voyage. -*^ In a miraculous manner, how- ever, he was wafted over the sea and at length he safely reached the Island of Noirmoutier,43 where he saw the abbot St. Philibert. t+ The latter heard with awe the account of Gildas, but he gave thanks to God, who never de- serts his servants when in peril. +s Our saint then asked his blessing, and re- turningtothepost,hetookpostinthepoopofaship. Afterwardshestood out to sea, wishing to steer for the coast of Gaul. But, as God willed, a northern wind beat against him, and after some difficulty experienced during the navigation, he reached the shores of Ireland. We cannot find any re- liable record of his proceedings while in our country. -**^ That he blessed her land with his living presence is a circumstance to regard with pleasure, and he well deserves to rank among the holy ones there, who had been regarded as his contemporaries and friends. ''?
Gospels, in its case, which he had written over the altar, and this was placed on his bosom. Thengoingout,hemetthedemons, who declared they would accompany him as monks, and that they had a ship well manned, to convey him to \ki& exequicc of St. Philibert. Gildas put on his cloak and belt, while tak- ing a staff in his hand, and all sailed out to sea in the vessel provided. The bark moved with great velocity, until Gildas requested the directors to slacken speed, while they should sing God's praises at the first hour of the day. To this they demurred, as likely to delay their voyage, and to prevent their arriving that evening, to witness the death of Venerable Philibert. But Gildas insisted on carrying out his purpose, went on his knees, and began the Divine Office, with these words, " Deus-in adjutorium meum in- tende. " Instantly the phantom ship and monks disappeared, while the saint, spread- ing his cloak over the waves, sat on it. Then he was wafted with incredible speed to the
A,D.
' The words are repeated, however, in Irish as follows : Ca ^TAitue aici.
5 This seems to have been a pagan cus- torn, turned to Christian account in honour of St. Brigid, according to the expressed
origin.
sThe writer well remembers a very general
prevalence of such customs in the midland
parts of Ireland, and from reliable informa-
t ion communicated to him, they were known the writer thinks it is of purely Christian and practised in many districts of the south.
*For the accompanying items of interest-
ing information, the writer feels indebted to
Rev. D. B. Mulcahy, C. C. , Pharis, Parish
of Loughguile. They are contained in a catedby Rev. 'Laurence O'Byme, C. C, SS.
letter, dated 12th of January, 1875.
7 The Irish words are: CeijiT) ai^a bup
n-giume Aju-p •oeAneA'6 ji-o utribuigeAcc, AgUf LlgTO biMJiT) riA i\uti AfCeAC.
Michael and John, Dublin.
opinion of Rev. Mr. Mulcahy. However,
"
"It was called in Irish, b]\eAC biMgit)! , Brigid's cloak. "
" This information has been communi-
Article xili. — Kelly, p. xiv.
'Edited
by
Rev. Dr.
6 32 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 31.
Marianus O'Gorman' and of Donegal,^ on this day, the name of Cainneach, son of Ua Chil, as a priest, occurs. This Uchil had the happiness of having a partner in wedlock, and she was eminent for her virtues. So do we find, that the rank and family of our saint are recorded, notv\dthstanding the opposite assertion of Colgan. ^ St. Mella was his mother,s She was like- wisetheparentofanotherholyson,namedSt. Tigernach. ^ Fromearliest years, we can have little doubt, their pious mother had been instrumental in directing her sons' vocation towards that life in religion, which she also embraced after her husband's death. The present sainfs mission has not been noticed ; but probably —its scene lay not far from Doire Melle—near the beautiful Lough Melvin? and either in the County of Leitrim or Fer- managh. Thatwoodedspotwasprobablycleared,longcenturiesago,and now both name and site appear to have been forgotten. With Doire Melle, however, Cainnech's holy mother and brother were associated, towards the close of the eighth century. Although Colgan has remarked, that the pre- sent St. Cannech may be the one baptized by St. Patrick, at the fountain Slan, in Finmagh, and in the province of Connaught;^ yet, we must ob- serve, the latter is called a bishop,^ and besides the times will not agree. Our readers are referred to another St. Coinnech's or St. Cainneach's festival, af the 23rd of January, for a little further elucidation. The year of this presentsaint'sdeathhasnotbeenascertained; but,heprobablysurvivedto the close of the eighth, or to the beginning of the ninth century. A priest in spirit and in truth, as he undoubtedly was, only tends to God and to virtues ;'" he flies from (worldlings ; he mortifies sensual desires ; he loves solitudeandsilence; heisnorespecterofpersons; heregardsrichandpoor, the powerful and the lowly, alike ; or rather, he favours the poor more than the rich, and he compassionates the humble, rather than the mighty. He loves especially to announce Gospel truths to the poor.
Article XIV. —St. Gildas, Confessor, of Blavet, in Britany,
France. \Sevetith Century? ^ Already has the reader been presented with the Life of St. Gildas, sumamed Badonicus, and the Wise ;' while some de-
gree of circumspection has been observed, in analysing the evidence which is accessible, so that on the one side, he might possibly be identified with, and
on the other be distinguished from, Gildas, called Cambrius, and Albanius, as alsofromGildasiusorGildas,AbbotofReys,inBritany. '' Nextcomesfora
question, the existence and separation of another saint, designated Gildas, whose feast has been set down at this day, in an ancient Corisopitensian Breviary. Mediseval writers state, that it belonged to the Comouaille diocese. 3 His
"
niat," xxxi. Martii. Vita S. McUje, n. 2,
p. 796.
3 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
32, 33.
See "Trias Thaumaturga," Septima
Vita S. Patricii, n. 128, p. 179.
5 Some notices regarding her will be found
at the 31st of March, the day for her festival. ' See notices of him at the 4th of Novem-
ber, the day for his feast.
7 Its Leitrim shore is immediately over-
hung by the Dartree Hills, while its northern shores are " relieved by the wooded surface and the relative positions of the principal islands. " See "
"See Colgan's
Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
'See "Trias Thaumaturga. " Septima Vita S. Patricii, n. 128, ;p. 171.
5 His feast occurs, it is thought, at the 23rd of January.
Parliamentary Ireland," toI. ii. , p. 764.
Gazetteer of
Article xiv. See at the 29th day of January, art. i.
"
See ibid. , art. i. , ii,, iii.
3 According to Philippus Ferrarius, Cori-
sopitum or Quimper, was in the western part of Minor Britain, formerly called Cor- nubia. Hence the city is often called Corn- ouaille, and sometimes Quimper Corentin, from St. Corentin, its patron bishop. See "Novum Lexicon tomus
i. , p. 220.
'"
See the Canon Claude Arvisinet's
" Memoriale Vit? —e Sacerdotalis," cap. x. •
Geographicum,"
January 31. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 603
acts, so far as they had been known, are given by Father John Colgan. * The learned editor sifts reasons for and against his being taken, as a distinct
Gildas, from any of the Gildases, regarding whose acts he had previously
treated. Heinclinedrathertodistinguishthepresentholyman,butitseems
doubtful enough, if with a just regard to correctness. Nevertheless, the
Bollandists suppose,^ that St. Gildas or Gildasius, venerated on the 31st of
January, at the Church of St. Corentin, of Corisopitis,^ in Britannic Amiorica,
wasinnomannertobedistinguishedfromSt. GildastheWise. Itisstrange,
how the very existence of this latter holy man should be called in question,
simply because his history has been involved in doubt and obscurity. 7 On
similar grounds, many a historic character should be classed among mythic
personages. Most of our early and mediaeval writers fall into the error of
making several diverse titles serve to discriminate as many different persons.
Hence, we have a Gildas Cambrius, a Gildas Albanius, a Gildas Badonicus,
a Gildas Sapiens, a Gildasius or Gildas of Reys, a Gildas of Blavet, a Gildas,
otherwise called Nennius, not to speak of other disguised forms for this ancient
IrishandBritishname. ^ Attendingtowhathasbeenstated,inpreviouspages
of this work, it will only be within our power briefly to recapitulate acts,
severally attributed to those Gildases. Thus we find a Gildas Cambrius,
who was a British and who was famous for ^° He is said to poet,9 prophecy.
have been born at a time, when Roman eloquence flourished most through- out the entire world. Under the best masters, he studied Greek and Latin letters, and he was a contemporary with the most celebrated of the Latin poets," if we are to believe the account left us. " He is said, also, to have written many books. This learned man is reputed to have been a poet, a mathematician,arhetoricianandahistorian. '3 Accordingtocertainwriters,** Gildas Albanius was a disciple of the great St. Patrick, and descended from a royal stem among the Britons. He is said to have been very learned, and to have visited Gaul, whence he returned with a knowledge of the language, and with a great number of books. He opposed the Pelagian heresy ; he wasaprophetandanascetic; hewasanactivemissionaryandahermit;
" See "Acta Sanctorum Hibemi2e,"xxxi. 'See John Lewis' "History of Great Januarii. De S. Gildasio Confessore. Ex Britain, from the first Inhabitants thereof,
Breviario vetusto Corispotensi. A few elu- cidations from other sources follow, with some explanatory notes. See pp. 226 to 228.
5 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , xxxi.
Januarii. Prsetermissi et in alios dies re-
jecti, p. 1078.
* As appears from the old Breviary of this
cliurch.
7 See such a statement in S. Austin Alii-
bone's " Critical Dictionary of English Li- terature, and British and American Authors, Living and Deceased, from the earliest Ac- counts to the middle of the Nineteenth Century," vol. i. , p. 669.
^ We are told, that Alawn was the bardic name for Gildas, who, with Plennydd and Gwron, three primary bards of Britain, first framed and organised the privileges, customs and institutes of bards and bardism. This, however, is from a rather doubtful source. See " An Essay on the Ncodruidic Heresy in Britannia," parti. , § 15, p. 85. By the author of "Brittannia after the Romans. "
The work here quoted is visionary, and yet
'till the Death of Cadwalader, Last King of
the Britains ; and of the Kings of Scotland
to Eugene V. ," &c. , p. 88.
"•
See ibid. , pp. 174, 193.
"Among these are reckoned, Martial,
Flaccus, Silius, Statius, Stella, Juvenal, &c.
"See John Bale's "Scriptorum Illus-
trium Majoris Brytannise quam nunc Angliam
etScotiam vocant — Catalogus,"cent. 1. , p. 19.
'3 The following is a list of his works
Annales suae Gentis, lib. i. ; Historiam
Aruiragi contra luuenalem, lib. i. ; Epitha-
lamion Gennissas, lib. i. ; Cambreidos Car-
men, lib. plures ; Lites Luddi et Nennii, lib. i. ; Poemata Diversi Generis, lib. i. ;
Epigrammaton quoque, lib. i. ; De Perdice prophetante, lib. i. ; Prophetiam ejus trans- tulit, lib. i. ; Statuta Dunuallonis vertit, lib.
i. ; Leges Molmutinas, lib. i. ; Leges Mar- tianas, lib. i. We are told, that he wrote many other works, even while Britain was more harrassed by Roman wars, than any other country in the world. See ibid. , pp.
a learned
production.
19, 20.
'* See ibid. ,
p. 49.
:
6o4 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 31.
while numbers flocked to his teaching and direction,^s He is reputed to have written various works/^ the titles'7 of which have been gleaned from many sources. He departed this life in an island, not far from the River Sabrina, on the fourth of the February Kalends, a. d. 512, and during the reign of Uther Pendragon, King of the Britons. He was buried at Glaston- bury. '^ In the third place, Gildas Badonicus or the Wise is distinguished from the former two by some writers, ^9 and he is said to have assumed the
^° He was a man of
parts and learning,^' while to him is specially attributed a pointed invective against the princes, clergy and people of Britain. " He flourished a. d.
580, according to Polydore Virgil, and in the ninetieth year of his age is said to have died at Bangor, while Maglocun ruled as King in Britain. ^3 Again, there is a fourth reputed Gildas, whose father was an Irish Scot. He was bom in Cambria, and his family belonged to Britain. In youth, he was emulous of learning from the best scholars of his day. It would seem from his writings, that he studied among the Scots of Hibernia. He has unjustly been accused^* of imposture and inventions in his works. '^s His book on the wonders of Britain^^ he commenced a. d. 829. This, however, was not the sole composition he left. ^? The present Gildas is thought to have been
living, as an old man, in a. d. 860, during the reign of King Ethelbert of Eng-
land. ^^ ThepossibilityofdistinguishingorconfoundingoneGildaswithano- ther must be apparent, from the fact stated by Dr. O'Conor, that not less than one thousand historical persons were adorned with this name. ^9 With these observations premised, we must proceed with the involved narrative of
'3 This holy man is celebrated by John walader, Last King of the Britains ; and of
monastic habit in the cenobium at great
Bangor.
great
Capgrave, as also by Galfridus and Ponticus.
He is distinguished from the Cambrian Gil-
das. See ibid. , and Appendix.
'*
See John Lewis' "History of Great Britain, from the first Inhabitants thereof, 'till the Death of Cadwaladar, Last King of
of Scotland
the Kings of Scotland to Eugene V. ," &c. See also this latter work, at p. 206.
*3 As we have already seen in his life at the 29th of January (chap. iv. ), to Gildas Badonicus or the Wise, John Bale attributes various works.
='• Leland and other By Polydore Vergil,
writers.
^5 See likewise the remarks of the Hon.
Algernon Herbert, prefixed to his and Dr. Todd's edition of "The Irish Version of the Historia Britonum of Nennius," pp. 19, 20.
the Britains ;
and of the
Kings to Eugene V. ," &c. , p. 176.
'7 See them already noticed, in the life of
St. Gildas Badonicus or the Wise (chap, iv. ,
n. 47), at the 29th of January.
'"John Bale's'* Scriptorum Illustrium Ma-
joris Brytannise quam nunc Angliam et Sco- tiam vocant Catalogus," cent, i. , p. 49.
-*
nostrorum veterum. " See Thomas
'9 See ibid. ,
^° "
^^ to Alluding
the est DePrimis Stagnum. "
p. 59.
Stephen's Literature of the Kymry," chap. i. , p. 17. ^1 The—following is said to be a list of his works : Breviarium Gildce, lib. i. ; it com- mences with " A principio mundi usque ad diluvium. De Mirabilibus Brytannias, lib. i. , commencing wiih " Primum Miraculum
Polydore Virgil is quoted as anauthority for this statement.
^' The Rev. John Williams, in his " Ec- clesiastical Antiquities of the Cymry," seems only to regard this Gildas, called the son of Law. See chap, v. , p. 136.
as
Gildas,
writer Folydorus, the Welsh antiquary, Humfrey Lhuyd, vindicated the ancient
Britons from his too sweeping charges, by telling us " he was no Hystoriographer, but a Priest and a Preacher. Whose custome is
very sharply to inueigh agaynst the faultes
of their hearers," See " The
Britayne. As this most renowned Hand was of auncient time diuided into three Kingdomes, England, Scotland, and Wales," &c. , p. 51. Appended to John Lewis' "History of Great Britain, from the first Inhabitants thereof, 'till the Death of Cad-
quoted by
habitatoribus, lib. i. ; De Rege Arthuro, lib. i. ; De Se-
pulchro ejus incognito, lib. i. ; De esse peri- culoso, lib. i. ; De milite Leonis, lib. i, ; De Percevallo et Lanceloto, lib. i. ; De Gal- guano et aliis, lib. i. Besides these, it is said he wrote other tracts.
"'^ See Bale's " Illustrium John Scriptorum
Majoris BrytanniiB quam nunc Angliam et Scotiam vocant Catalogus," cent, ii. , pp.
122, 123,
="9 See "Rerum Hibemicarura Scriptores,"
tomus i. , p. 198,
Breviary
of
In this he alludes ',to "antiquis libris
January 31. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 605
yet another Gildas. It is supposed, that the present saint's origin was derived from a respectable family, and that he had been born in British Armorica. 3°
We find related, that his pious parents brought their son to be baptized by the holy Philibert,^^ who was then living in the Island of Oya, Hoia or Ogia,
where a monastery stood, about the beginning of the seventh century. 3^ Re- liable accounts do not warrant us in stating, that he was abbot at Hoya,33 although he discharged that ofiice in the adjoining Island of Hero. The same Philibert is said to have been his master in sacred letters. 34 In these Gildasmadewonderfulprogress,ashewasmoststudious. Ofelegantshape and appearance, his genius and dispositions were noble and intellectual. He
disregarded human applause and fame, having resolved on a religious life ; while his staid modest deportment indicated an evident turn for the monastic
state. In chastity and austerity of life he had no superior and few equals. From earliest youth, he was remarkable for a devotion to truth. He prac-
tised alms-giving and charity ; while he spent whole nights in vigil, and was frequently noticed with his hands and eyes directed to heaven in the attitude of sublime contemplation. 35 He is said to have tasted food only three times each week. He built a monastery called Blavet,3^ near the sea-shore, and beside the river thus denominated. 37 Thither many disciples resorted, and here, too, his ancient legend relates, that the saint was sorely tried by temp- tation. ss Four demons are said to have appeared, and habited as monks.
3° In his " Martyrologium Gallicanum," Andrew Saussay makes the Abbot Gildas a resident of Minor Britain, in his Supplement, at the 29th of January.
3' He is called, Abbas Tomodorensium,
in the life of Gildas, by the anonymous
Monk of Ruys. . This is a mistake, however, biarchae Camotensis. " Supplementum ad for the saint held no such position there, al-
though some of his successors had been ele-
vated to that dignity. Papirius Masson calls
the
Fluminibus Galliae. " Other writers call it Tomasium, and Tomusium. Philibert is said to have sailed over the sea with St. Germanus, that he might evangelize some
nodurensis. Neither in Sebastian Rouilard's
place Tornachium,
"
Christiana," is there mention made of St.
western people. See the Bollandists'
"
Acta
Philibert, nor of his monastery among the Camutes.
33 Thisis also related regarding the Blessed
Martin, according to the old Cornouaille
Breviary, lect. i.
3* The old Breviary of Cornouaille calls it
Baluet. The Bollandists state, that it is not to be distinguished from the Monastery of Ruys. See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , xxix. Januarii. De. S. Gilda Sapiente. Prsemium, § iii. , 18, p. 954.
Sanctorum," tomus ii. , xxix. Januarii. De S. Gilda Sapiente Abbate in Britannia
Armorica. Prsemium, §§ iii. , iv. , pp. 955, 956- This latter seems to have been the
St. Germanus, Bishop of Leon, in Armorica, who succeeded St. Paul, in that see, and who flourished about A. D. 640. See Andrew
"
Saussay's Martyrologium Gallicanum,"
Ca-
other writers, he is called Goluenus.
3^ Authors chiefly notice St. Philibert, as first abbot over the Monastery of Jumieges, in Normandy, and afterwards abbot in the
Gazetteer of the World," vol.
in his ' ' De work,
"
37 It is in the maratime department of talogus Episcoporum Leonensium," and by Morbihan, in the north-west of France.
Appendix. By Claude Robert, in his
in Britannic Armorica.
This river enters the sea below Lorient. It has a tide navigation up to Hennebout. See Charles Knight's "English Cyclopedia," Geography, vol. iii. , col. 864.
3** This related in detail legend, greater
in the Coumouaille Breviary, lect. iii. , iv. , v. , vi. , vii. , viii. , has been abridged in the Bollandist collection. It is interesting, merely as exhibiting illustrations of religious and social customs, in those early times. Thus, when tempted, Gildas retired to his oratory, and signed himself with a sign of the cross. He then took a book of the
Island of
Jumieges is on the right bank of the Seine, in the Department of Seine-Inferieure, and the ruins of an ancient abbey are there to be
found. See
"
Hero,
vii. , p. 417.
33 His acts are to be met with in Surius,
at the 20th of August, with the style some- what changed by the editor. This was ad-
dressed by the unknown writer to the Abbot Coschinus and to the brethern of Coenobiuni Gemmeticensis. See "De Probatis Sanc- torum Historiis," tomus iv. , pp. 785 to 791.
^ According to Andrew Saussay, Gildas ''
is called a disciple, S. Philiberti Coeno-
xxix. Januarii. However, this appears to
beSx\error; and,itisprobable,Carnotensis
has been substituted for Tornutiensis or Tor-
Historia Carnutensi," nor in the "Gallia
6o6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[January 31.
These told him, they had been sent by St. Philibert, who desired to see Gildas before death. That holy man was the first abbot of Jumieges,39 and afterwardsofHermoutier,nowNoirmoutier. 4° Hediedtowardsthecloseof the seventh century. ^^ Gildas had intuition regarding the pretences of his tempters, and said no monks were near to accompany him, nor seamen to prepare a bark, and steer it on the voyage. -*^ In a miraculous manner, how- ever, he was wafted over the sea and at length he safely reached the Island of Noirmoutier,43 where he saw the abbot St. Philibert. t+ The latter heard with awe the account of Gildas, but he gave thanks to God, who never de- serts his servants when in peril. +s Our saint then asked his blessing, and re- turningtothepost,hetookpostinthepoopofaship. Afterwardshestood out to sea, wishing to steer for the coast of Gaul. But, as God willed, a northern wind beat against him, and after some difficulty experienced during the navigation, he reached the shores of Ireland. We cannot find any re- liable record of his proceedings while in our country. -**^ That he blessed her land with his living presence is a circumstance to regard with pleasure, and he well deserves to rank among the holy ones there, who had been regarded as his contemporaries and friends. ''?
Gospels, in its case, which he had written over the altar, and this was placed on his bosom. Thengoingout,hemetthedemons, who declared they would accompany him as monks, and that they had a ship well manned, to convey him to \ki& exequicc of St. Philibert. Gildas put on his cloak and belt, while tak- ing a staff in his hand, and all sailed out to sea in the vessel provided. The bark moved with great velocity, until Gildas requested the directors to slacken speed, while they should sing God's praises at the first hour of the day. To this they demurred, as likely to delay their voyage, and to prevent their arriving that evening, to witness the death of Venerable Philibert. But Gildas insisted on carrying out his purpose, went on his knees, and began the Divine Office, with these words, " Deus-in adjutorium meum in- tende. " Instantly the phantom ship and monks disappeared, while the saint, spread- ing his cloak over the waves, sat on it. Then he was wafted with incredible speed to the
A,D.
