No More Learning

Dempstero placuit scribere : Co- Ionise, Martini Scotorum Patroni translatio. De eadem cgimus in observatione ad Usuar- dum, omnia remittentes ad diem natalem xi. Novembris. "
iv.
pretermitted feasts, p. 4.
Julii *"
—the Among
ii. , pretermitted feasts, p. 4.
6
tish Saints,'' p. 17.
3 To this is added, another Translation of
St. Florentina or Floientia, Virgin and
Martyr, belonging to the company of the
ElevenThousand butwhosechief Virgins,
festival is more properly referable to the 2ist of October.
Article VII. — ' This was an Irish
See Bishop l-'orbes' "Kalendars of Scot-
1 Seeibid. ,
p. 42. Scr ibid. , p. 59.
1
1 See ibid. ,
10 See ibid. , p. 118.
p. 103.
iv. Article v.
ii. , Julii feasts, p. 4.
Article VI. tomus ii. , Julii iv. feasts, p. 4.
Julii
tomus
Sanctorum," Among pretermitted
iv.
the
—
'
See " Acta Sanctorum," Among the pretermitted
'
See "Acta
July 5. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 55
Article VII. —Reputed Feast of St. Marianus, Confessor and
Abbot, at Ratisbon. {Eleventh Century. '] At this date, July 4th, Camerarius places the festival of St. Marianus, Confessor and Abbot, in the
celebrated Scottish x of Ratisbon in He Monastery Germany. *
is said to have lived in the Caledonian province of Scotia, the chief city of which is called Dumcalidonia, or Dunkeld, and there to have presided over a com-
munityofmonks,andwithagreatreputationforsanctity. However,amore exact criticism has proved him to have been an Irishman from Donegal. 3 There is a memoir of him and of his successors composed by an Irish monk of Ratisbon. * Dempster has an imperfect account of him at this same date,* which he notes as the Feast for his Translation.
Article VIII. —Reputed Translation of St. Rumold's Relics. In the Codex of Usuard at Bruxelles and in the Florarius Sanctorum, the Bollan-
dists *
July. month.
that the Translation of St. Rumold is set down, at the 4th of His Life has been pretty fully treated already, at the 1st of this
jfiftft 2Bap of gulp,
state, 8
ARTICLE I. —ST. MODWEN, MONYNNA, MONINIA, MONENNA, MODUENNA, MODWENNA, MONYMA, MODOVENA, MOWENA, MODVENNA, OR NODWENNA, VIRGIN.
[PROBABLY IN THE NINTH CENTURY^
can scarcely be a doubt, but that the biography of the present
THEREwoman has been confused holy by
different writers. It
certainly
requires a critical examination and correction, if we are to draw any authentic
particulars, which serve to distinguish her individuality, place, and period.
The form of name has been so varied, that a probability arises of more than one pious saint having lived; and the incidents related, in such Acts as remain to us, serve to show a parachronismus in their application to one and the same person. Again, it seems pretty certain, that her Acts had been written long after the period when she nourished, and which must account for much ignorance on the part of their writers, who were even incapable of separating well known annalistic facts of Irish and English history, or of
Monastery, and founded for Irishmen. s Thus : "B Colonise Martini—Scotorum
a In the " Review " of Edinburgh
translatio. Adelbaud. " Menolo- gium Scoticum. Bishop Forbes' " Kalen-
Sancto-
rum," tomus ii. , Julii iv. Among the pre- termitted saints, p. 2.
2 See in the present volume of this work, Art. i.
Article I. —* Nothing more seems to be knownregardinghim; buthisnameandthe
January, patroni 1861, there is an interesting article on " The
Scottish Religious Houses abroad. "
3 See Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of
Scottish Saints," p. 391.
4 This is in the Bollandists' "Acta Sane-
torum, "tomus ii. ,Februariiix. DeB. Mariano Scoto, Abbate Ord. S. Benedicti, et B. Mur- cherato Incluso, Ratisbonse in Bavaria, pp. 365to372.
dars of Scottish S—aints," p. 204. '
Articleviii. See "Acta
56 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 5<
referring these to periods which could not have been contemporaneous with any one living person. Intrinsically, too, they abound in fables or incre- dible narratives, calculated not only to puzzle, but likewise to displease and to disappoint, the studious readers of hagiology.
Several Manuscript Lives of this holy woman are extant, and some of h—er
x
and that by an anonymous writer 3 as found in a Sala-
Acts have been published. Among the latter, are her Life by Concubran
—
an ancient writer 2
mancanManuscript/ GalfridusEdys,otherwiseknownasGeoffrey,amonk
of Burton,5 prepared a Life of St. Modwenna. 6 Among the Clarendon
Manuscripts 7 is contained a Life of St. Modwenna, Virgin. There is
another,8 written by Concubran. 9 Among other records, we find extant a
Tract intituled : S. Modvennae Vita, et Tractatus de Miraculis
ejus.
10 This
Manuscript, written in the thirteenth century, formerly belonged to the Abbey
An of of Burton exists. 11 In the Bodleian ofRevesby. abridgment Geoffrey
Library, Oxford, there is a Manuscript Life of this saint.
12
It was written in
the fifteenth In a Lambeth 1* there are Acts or century. ^ Manuscript,
notices of several saints out of the regular order at the end, and among these
1 is a lengthy Life of St. Modvenna. *
Life of St. Monenna,18 which was written in the seventeenth century. In some
1
of her Acts, she is called indifferently Monynna and Darerca. ^ John
90 at tertio Nonas
Abbess. TheEnglishMartyrologyandHenryFitzsimonhaveModwenna, Virgin, for the same feast-day. The anonymous Calendar published by
Modwenna has been and at written,
16 This : 7 contains poem
great length.
about 10,360 lines. Among the Sloane Manuscripts, there is a paper folio
Capgrave,
also mentions St. and Modwena, Virgin
Julii,
intrinsic statements in the memoir sufficiently demonstrate that he was Imh. This Life n piinted by the Bollandists.
2 He appears to have been the earliest known compiler of St. Modwenna's Life, and from it, as the ba^is, many other Lives were drawn.
"
3 This has been printed in the Acta
"
Sanctorum of the Bollandists, at the 6th
July. torn, ii. , p. 290.
4 It begins with these words: "Virgo
venerabilis nomine Darerca, cognomento
Monynnna," &c.
s Uc was at first prior of Winchester, and
afterwards he was promoted to be abbot of
Burton-upon-Trent, from A. D. 1114 to 1151. AnnalesBurtonapudFell,i. , pp. 248,249.
6 There is a copy among the Cottonian
Itisclashed, — A Manuscripts. Cleopat. ii. ,
small vellum, 4to. Th—is Life Manuscript oftheeleventhcentury properlybelongsto Conchubranus, whose name occurs at the end. There is likewise a S. Modvennoe Vita, per Galfridum Burtoniensem, described
as MS. Mostyn Gloddaeth, p. 5. 7 This is numbered 76.
12
8
in the thirteenth century.
18 It is noted as Vita S. Monennrc, No.
ff. 4788, 1-32.
19 Among the Burgundian Library Manu- scripts, at Bruxelles, there is a Vita S. Monymnse cogn. Darercae, at fol. 79 of vol. xxii.
20 See "Nova Legenda Angliae," fol. cexxxiiii. , cexxxv. , cexxxvi. , cexxxvii. , cexxxviii. , cexxxix. , ccxl.
31 However, this is probably a mistake of
This is numbered 39, and it was written
' See "Catalogi Librorum Manuscripto- rum Anglic et UibernLw"
is classed: MS. Bibl. Reg. 15, B. iv. . ff. 76, 78, veil. 4to.
orthography by substituting an N for an M " Vita S. Modwenna: MS. Lansdowne, as the initial letters.
22 "
436, ft. I26,b-I3l b, veil, folio xiv. cent. See Histories Cntholicac [berniae Com-
In old French verse, the Life of St.
It is noticed as Vita S. Modwenna;. 13 Classed Tanner, 15, f. 423, veil, folio. x « Classed 99, 5, f. 187.
13 This collection is intituled
:
gus Sanctorum in Anglia pausantium et oriundorum, quorum Depositionum diescon- sequenter annotantur, Progreditur juxta or- dinem Mensium adeoque incipiens ab Edwardo Confessore, 8 Kal. Januar. desinit in S. Thoma, Cant. 4to Kal. Januar. "
16 It is classed in the Bodleian Library,
Oxford, Digby, 34, ff. 1-76, vell. Svo. , dble. cols. The Manuscript belongs to the twelfth
century.
'7 It thus commences
:
—
"OezseignurspurDeunuspri, Cummunt li munz eit peri
Ala
Par Jhesu Crist reverti. "
duntil gloire chai,
" Catalo-
July 5. ] LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. 57
O'Sullevan Beare has Nodwenna 21
entered,
at the same date. 22 The Manu-
script from which John Capgrave's Life of this holy woman 2 3 had been
printed is extant among the Cottonian collections. 2'* Besides, in the collec-
tions of F. Maihew,2* some notices of her are to be met with. It appears
Colgan's posthumous list 26 of Irish Saints notes St. Moduenna's Life as pre-
pared for publication, at the 5th of July. The Acts of St. Modwenna, in two
sections and twenty-six paragraphs, are to be found in the great Bollandist
2
collection. 7 ThereFatherJohnPiniusverycriticallyexaminesthelegendary
biographies which had been written, and he shows how impossible it must be to reconcile them with an individual saint, who at one time is stated to have received the veil from St.
Patrick, the Apostle of Ireland in the fifth cen- tury ; also, to have lived in the middle of the seventh century; and, again, to have flourished and built monasteries in England about the middle of the ninthcentury. —Heinclinestotheopinion,thattheremusthavebeenatleast threeMoninnas ifwearetoattachanydegreeofcredittothespecifications set forth in those Acts 28 which have come down to our times. There is a
2
Vita S. Darercse seu Monynnse Virginis by some anonymous writer, 9 and it is
supposed by Father John Pinius to have been written earlier than one attri- butedtoConchubran. Itsnarrativesarebriefer,writteninabetterstyleof
composition, altogether more comformable to credibility, yet does it abound
inanachronisms. Bothagree,however,inmanysta—tements. Thepublished
—uted to Conchubran 3 1 who is to have Life of St. Modwenna,3° attrib thought
2
writtenintheeleventhcentury hasprobablybeeninterpolated;3
various silly popular legends introduced, it is quite evident, that the names of many Irish places are misunderstood and falsely spelled, while it is not likely that any Irish scribe could have fallen into such obvious mistakes. The same
Conchubran is said to have written, moreover, two alphabetical Hymns in praise of the same Moninna. However, Archbishop Ussher and Sir James Ware both maintain, that there were two distinct saints bearing this name; one of these was usually known as Darerca, who flourished in the time of St.
Patrick, and who departed this life at Kilsleve of Kilsleve-Cuilin, in the county of Armagh, on the 3rd of July, A. D. 516 or 518 ; while the other is said to have flourished about the year 640. We are told, likewise, that Con- cubran confounds the actions of both. Some notices of St. Modwena are givenbyBishopChalloner. 3^ St. ModuenaiscalledanobleIrishVirgin,by Rev. Alban Butler, who has an account regarding her, for this day. 3*
pendium," tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. xi. , xii. , pp.
50, 56.
23 It is intituled : Vita S. Modvennse. 24ItisclassedTiber. E. i. , ff. 199b-204b. 2 5 See " Troprueorum Benedictinorum,"
tomus ii. , pp. 909, 910.
Dierum. "
27 See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Julii
v. De S. Moduenna seu Monenna, Monynna Monyma, una an pluribus, pp. 241 to 246.
published in the " Acta Sanctorum," at the
6th of It is there divided into four July.
chapters, consisting of forty-five para-
graphs.
30 This has been taken from the Codex in
the Cottonian Library, and the original was
classed A. 2. It has been pub- Cleopatra
lished the second in order by the Bollan- dists, at the 6th of July, and it has been col- lated with a Life of St. Monynna or Darerca. Besides a Prologue, it is given in eight chapters, consisting of seventy-eight para- graphs,
31 He is supposed to have been a scholas- tic of Gleanussen, who is related to have died there A. D. 1082.
32 His work, according to Sir James Ware,
was written in Three Books. See "De Scrip- "
toribus Hibernke, lib. i. , cap. viii. , p. 57. 33 See " Britannia Sancta," part ii. , at 5th
of July, p. 14.
26 See "
Actuum Sanctorum quse MS. habentur, Ordine Mensium et
2S A
transcript
of the Manuscript Codex of
Catalogus
this saint's Life, classed Cleopatra A. 2, and
belonging to the Cottonian Library, appears
to have been sent by the learned William
Dugdale in 1678, to Father Daniel Pape- broch.
29 This has been taken from an Irish
Manuscript, belonging to the Salamancan College of the Jesuits, and it is the one first
for
besides
58 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 5.
It seems to us, no better means exist for solving the difficulties here pre- sented, than to suppose, that certain inventions have found the position of facts in the biographies accessible to us, unless we are to admit their appli- cation to three distinct Modwennas 35 however, only two of these appear to
;
be traceable, with any great degree of probability ; therefore, our conjec- ture is, that the Irish Calendars have recognised a St. Modwenna, otherwise
called Darerca, who lived contemporaneously with St. Patrick, the great
IrishApostle,andwhosefeastisascribedtothe6thofJuly; whiletheotheris
Modwenna, who went from Ireland to England, who flourished probably
during the ninth century, and whose feast is generally referred to the 5th of
July,bymostoftheCalendarists. Proceedingonthisassumption,weshallnext
endeavour to deal conjecturally with her Acts, omitting what we deem to be
only excrescences and fables in them. Her name is variedly written Mod-
6
wen,3 Moninna,Moninne,Maudoena,Moedoena,Monenna,Monynna,Mony-
ma, Moninia, Moduena, Mowena, Modovena, Moduenna, Modvenna, Mod- wena,ModewineandModwenna. 37 Accordingtoallthereceivedaccounts,St. Modwenna was born in Ireland, 58 but, in what particular part of it, we have no correct means for ascertaining. According to her Acts, as written by Capgrave, her father was a king. 39 She had first embraced a religious life in her own country. There she was illustrious for sanctity and miracles. She also trained many pious souls in the fear and love of God. She is said to have established a nunnery in Ireland at Celistline, and at other places. 4° She miraculously cured Alfred, the illustrious son of King Ethelwolf, from a grievous infirmity. He was the fourth son of the king, by his first wife Osburg, and he was born a. d. 849, the thirteenth of his father's reign. When only five years old, the young Prince Alfred was sent to Rome, where he was con-
firmed by Pope Leo IV. *
1
Afterwards, during the successive reigns of his
three elder
9 3 and Prince Alfred brothers, Ethelbald,* Ethelbert,* Ethelred,^
had acquired such a reputation for wisdom, magnanimity and integrity, that he acted as viceroy under each of them, until he came to the throne a. d. 872. The virtues, valour and abilities of King Alfred are matters of history 45 so well known, that it is needless to state, his reign which lasted twenty-nine
34 See " Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs names of St. Moninne, of Cill-Sleibhe-
nn 1 other principal Saints," vol. vii. , July v.
35 The only corresponding names we find
in the Irish Calendars are Mo-Inne, which
Culaind or Killesoy, in the County of
Armagh, according to William M. llen- nessey, M. R. I. A.
38 See Bishop Challenor's "Britannia
may be the name of a female ; but, it has Sancta," part ii. , p. 14.
been rendered Moenind, Moeninninius or 39 Hut this author is mistaken, when he Moenennus, as recorded at the 21st of May, makes her a disciple of St. Patrick. The
in the Fifth Volume of this work, Art. iv. ; Moninne, Virgin, barely recorded at the 3rd
of June, in the Sixth Volume of this work, Art. viii. ; the Moduena, Moedoena or Mau- doena, who seems to be confounded with Etaoin, and both of whom are recorded in the Martyrology of Donegal, at this date,
;6 In Holingshed's Chronicle.
37 There is a note, regarding Moninna,
carried from column to column on the 3 4,
17th page of the Ten Folia of the " Book of Leinster," among the Franciscan archives, Merchants' quay, Dublin. On column 3, p. 17, there is also a short tract, on the various
Irish Apostle was dead long before her time.
40 This account is to be found in Holing-
and the . Moninne. of Sliabh Virgin
4 ' He the Church from A. D. 847 governed
July 5th;
Cuillmn, who is placed, at the following day. July 6th, in the same Martyrology.
10855. See Sir Harris Nicolas' " Chrono-
"
builded both in England and Scotland, as at
Sniveling, Edenbrough, and in Ireland at Celis'lineand elsewhere. "
shed's Chronicle
Manie monastries she
logy of History," p. 210.
« He only reigned from A. D. 857, to the
201 h December, a. d. 860.
4i He from a. d. 860, to A. D. reigned
866. 4*
1 1 is reign, beginning A. D. 866, the 23rd of April, a. d. 872.
lasted to
*> His biographer Asser has admirably
July 5. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 59
years and six months was one of the most glorious in the Annals of England. He
6
departed this life, on the 26th of October, a. d. 899 or 90 1,* in the fifty-fust
yearofhisage. However,astatement,4? thatPrinceAlfredwentintoIreland to serve King Conald,48 and that he was there cured by St. Modwenna, is likely to be false, for our Annals do not give the name of a supreme King of Ireland so named during the time of Prince Alfred. —
Afterwards, it is stated, that she passed into England. St. Athea said to have been her kinswoman —accompanied her. A foolish story is told of Modwenna and several holy virgins passing over to a castle called Dagann in Britain, in a miraculous manner, and that afterwards they visited the king there in his villa, called Streneshalen. 49 Then, it is said, that the king was greatly rejoiced, and that besides entrusting his sister to them for her education, he gave that villa with lands and endowments. In the time of King Ethelwolf,5° St. Modwena is said to have gone into England. His sister s 1 —others state his daughter—Edgith or Edith, he committed during her childhood to the care of this holy Irish virgin, Modewine,*2 who in turn transferred her to Athea. From her, Edith is said to have learned the Psaltery, while St. Modwenna dwelt there for three months. 53 Afterwards, Edith founded the famous nunnery of Polesworth,*4 where she lived, died and was honourably buried, so that from her the place was subsequently called St. Edith's of Polesworth. ss This was near the forest of Arden, in Warwick- shire. There, too, she collected around her a pious community that con- formed to her rule. 56 From King Ethelwolf, as we are informed, St. Mod- wennaobtainedsomeland,forthepurposeofbuildingamonastery. The pious Modwena did not confine herself, however, to the erection of this
foundation. She built another religious house at Trentshall,57 also called Strenshall. Some writers confound this place with the Streanshalch of St. Hilda ; but, the situation of this latter locality was in the northern part of England. ' AtTrenshaleforsometimeModwennaledasolitarylife,which was passed in prayer, contemplation, and other religious exercises.
pom trayed his character and acts.
46
See Lingard's "History of England," vol. i. , chap, iv. , p. 187.
47 In the Life by Conchubran.
48 King Congall or Conald II. reigned towards the close of the seventh century, while King Congall III. was slain in the twelfth year of his reign, a. d. 956, according
Ethelwolfe gave leave to build two abbies, and also dalivered unto her his sister Edith to be a professed nun. "
S3 After this, the Life by Conchubran adds most unchronologically, that she and her nuns returned with many gifts to Brigid's family, in Ireland, and that she remained there in the northern parts, until she and her virgins made a pilgrimage to Rome.
54 In the time of Henry L, Robert Mar- mion and Milicent, his wife, were founders and benefactors of a nunnery here, which was dedicated to St. Mary and St. Edith. It was placed under the Black Nuns, and at
to our historians. See Thomas D'Arcy "
McGee's Popular History of Ireland," book ii. , chap, iv. , p. 79.
49 In Conchubran's Life, this place is said
to have been "juxta silvam, quae dicitur Arderne. "
50 His reign over England commenced the time of suppression it was valued at
over and 8s. 6d. See twenty years, ^"23
A. D. He 837.
" of History
reigned
died on the 13th of January, a. d. 857.
John Speed's
Great Britaine," book ix. , chap. xxi. Cata-
logue of the Religious Houses. Warwick- shire.
ss See ibid. ^ book vii.