There is
reference
to St.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v3
18.
, at p.
141.
'7 It only contains four quatrains. See
vol. xxii. , p. 325 of the O'Ldngan CoUec- tion,R. I. A. Small4to.
"
denominates Oisin's Vision," pp. 189 to
193, and "Oisin's Good Confession," pp.
210 to 214, are excellent compositions. — ^-
Thus, the angels sang, says Oisin
:
" — They said
"
"
"
"This man, for Erin's sake
here an — tarry age,
Shall
TillChristtoErincomes shallsleep
In this still hermitage :
That so, ere yet that gieat old time
Is wholly gone and past,
Her manlier with her saintly day
May blend in bridal fast.
Patrick! Thatvision,wasittruth? Or fancy's mocking gleam ?
^ In Irish, cboc 11A ccec.
That I should tarry till
'Twas not, 'twas not a dream !
*' See the
R. I.
A. ,
Thensaidthe
But Patrick said,
' Hisbrainishurt:' They lie !
'° It is classed, No. 223, and it is in a large 4to parchment MS.
'' Itis at p. 306.
monks, •
A. andit is found 15,
He came—
of
Would I for Him might die !
'
O'Longan Collection, vol. xxii. , p. 336. Small 4to.
classed, 23.
Also, in the Manuscript, classed
March 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. Ill
The following pretentious compositions are, also, extant : A Poem,? * by St. Patrick, on the Hawthorn Bush of Emania, &c. A Poem,7S by St. Patrick, on Cloch na Get, now the Rock of Cashel. A Poem,? ^ by St. Patrick, on Cloch na Ceann, now the Rock of Cashel. There is a Poem,77 by St. Patrick, withouttitle. Twostanzas,bySt. Patrick,areintheLeabharBreac,atfol. 42 (now 32) front margin. Again, we have copies of St. Patrick's Benediction to the People of Ireland. 7^ In a 4to paper Manuscript, which contains 226 written pages, produced by Michael, son of Peter O'Longan, about the year
1760, there is a Hymnus Sancti Patricii. 79 Besides, there is a piece, called The Bequest or Testimony of St. Patrick. ^" This, however, is a vulgar forgery, in
the opinion of Professor Eugene O'Curry. ^^ Stanihurst^^ has published a Sermon, attributed to St. Patrick, and Messingham^3 has re-published this
spuriousproduction. TheholyApostlewasimbuedwiththegift ofprophecy,^4 and therefore it is not wonderful, that some of his attributed predictions should have come down to us. ^s There are some other unimportant tracts, relating to our saint, but these are hardly worth any serious notice. ^^ The Irish reader, who is curious to discover further references to, and accounts concerning, our great Apostle, will find various entries, in the Manuscript literature of our national language. ^?
23. E. 16. at p. 400, line 13, another copy is met with.
7= It contains twenty-eight verses, and it is in the third volume of O'Longan's MSS. , in the R. I. A.
73 It is found, in the celebrated "Liber Hymnonim," a Manuscript in Trinity College, Dublin, and classed E. 4. 2. See at num. 22.
^* It is classed, as 23. G. 5. , and it is found at p. 7, col. 2, in Hodges and Smith's col- lection, in the R. I. A.
75 It is classed, 23. C. 19. , and it is found, at p. 336, in the Betham Collection.
^5 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. "
Tertia Appendix ad Acta S. Patricii, pars,
ii. , pp. 208, 209.
*^
Such as, Legenda Brevis de S. Patricio MS. Arundel. 330. f. 13 b. veil. 8vo. dble. cols. XV. cent. This is a very short tract and of no historical value. Anonymi Car- mina quaedam Anepigrapha de S. Patricio, Calpurnio et Cellano. MS. Laurentianjse Mediceas. Num. ii. 812. Cod. vi.
^7 Thus, among the Royal Irish Academy's Collection, we may allude to that notice of St. Patrick, in the story known as the " Ghost of Cuchulainn's Chariot. " Leabhar
found, at p. 309, line 5, in the Hodges and Smith Collection.
77 This is classed, 23. Q. , in a Manuscript, belonging to the Royal Irish Academy, at fol. 138.
7^ One is classed, 23 E. 26, and it is met with at p. 234. There is another copy in the Book of Bailymote, at fol. 153. There is one, also, in the Book of Lecan, at fol. 191.
^ It is classed, 23 Q. 18, and it is found at p. 61.
*' According to a remark made, in de- scribing the contents of the Betham Collec- tion, where the tract ia question occurs. Seep. 289.
^^ See "Vita S. Patricii," lib. ii.
ference to St. Patrick, in the Sixth Age of the World, at fol. 4. a. b. , and in the His- tory of the Origin of the name of Finnloch- Ceara, in the Book of Bailymote, at fol. 206. b. a. Also, at what is designated Agallamh, in the same Manuscript, at fol. 200, b. b. , line I. The viii. vol. of O'Lon- gan's MSS. , in the R. I. A. , contains a story ofHolyPatrick,atp. 117. APoem,saidto have been extracted from an old Life of St. Patrick, is in the Betham Collection. See R. I. A. classification, 23. G. 21, p. 516. There is a reference to St. Patrick, in the Book of Lecan, at fol. 105, b. a. , line 40. Also, in a Poem onMogh Ruith, at fol. 133, b. a. Likewise,intheDerivationofSliabh Fuaid, at fol. 257, b. a. , line 22. Also, at fol. 309, a. b. , line 11. A stanza on Patrick
'9 In vol. xviii. , p. 90.
^3 In his "
pp. 437 to 441. A further account of the
writings, attributed to St- Patrick, will be Breac," fol. 48 b. (now 38. ) See R. I. A. found in Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," copy.
There is reference to St. Patrick, in
Florilegium
Insula Sanctorum,"
"
Quarta Appendix ad Acta S. Patricii, pars, i. , ii. , pp. 212to215.
the Manuscripts, classed, 23. G. 8, at fol. 31. ; 23. H. I. e. at p. 76, in a Poemof Oisin; 23. H. I. j. ; 23. L. 22. atAgallamh na Seanoiridhe ; again, in 23. L. 22, at p.
^»WefindaMS. yetextant,intituled:
"Prophetia S. Patris Patricii de Dublinia,"
MS. Lambeth. 523 ff. 11 7-1 1 7 b. veil. 8yo. , 316. Hodges and Smith Collection. Re- xiv. cent. ferences are made to St. Patrick, in those
It must be remarked, notwithstanding,
7* This is classed, 23. L. 34, and it is na Huidhre, fol. 74. a. There is a re-
Guiric, Laisren and Beoc, in the
Leabhar
778. LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [. March 17.
that many of the foregoing pieces^^ are spurious, unauthenticated, and written at times, long subsequent to the period of our great Patron Saint, so that we may regard them, as having no real value, to illustrate the present record of his life.
CHAPTER XXVI
ST. PATRICK S PREDICTION, THAT ST. BENIGNUS SHOULD SUCCEED HIM IN THE SEE OF ARMAGH—THE IRISH APOSTLE RECEIVES A WARNING FROM HEAVEN, REGARDING HIS DEATH, AND WHERE IT SHOULD TAKE PLACE—HE DEPARTS THIS LIFE AT SAUL —HIS FUNERAL OBSEQUIES—DISPUTE CONCERNING THE POSSESSION OF HIS SACRED REMAINS DETERMINED BY A MIRACLE—HIS BURIAL AT DOWNPATRICK.
According to several of his Acts, the Irish Apostle announced, that St. Benignus should succeed him, in the See of Armagh ; and, it is said, the event corresponded with such a prediction. Thus, Tirechan,^ Probus,^ the
Thirds and the Tripartite* Lives, with Jocelyn's Lifes of our holy Apostle, all aver ; but, it has been thought, only was that event accomplished, after St. Patrick's death. ^ However, the demise of St. Benignus has been placed, so early as a. d. 467 or 468. 7 Owing to this annalistic statement, Colgan felt so puzzled, that he threw out a most extravagant conjecture. ^ The Benignus, who died in 468, he thinks, ought to be regarded, as a different person from that Benignus, who succeeded after St. Patrick's death. Consequently, according to Colgan, the Armagh Benignus must have lived, after a. d. 493.
Manuscripts, classed 23. A. 40. , at p. 65. ; in23. C. 18. ,atp. 28. ; in23. C. 33. ,atp, 177, in a Poem, by Caoilte ; in 23. D. 9. ,
of
Synchronisms the Saints; in 23. D. 15. , at p. 138. ; in 23. E. 16. ,atp. 354,inaPoemonthe
Christian Kings of Connaught ; in 23. E. 20. , at p. 19, at an account of Tara ; in 23.
E. 26. ,atp. 250;again,in23. E. 26. ,at p. 185, and, again, at p. 301, where allusion ismadetoCashel; in23. F. 10. ,atp. 2. ; in 23. F. 16. , at p. 147, in a Poem on Tadhg O'Brien ; in 23. K. 32. , at pp. 150, 164, 181, 182, 196, 200, 202 ; in 23. ]\1. 45. , at p. 293, in relation with Oisin ; in 23. Q. at fol. 127, b. a. , where there is a
*'
Liber Hymno- rum," a Manuscript, belonging to Trinity College, Dublin, and classed E. 4. 2. , has
at No. I. A Latin Plymn in praise of St. Patrick. Also, at No. 19, the Irish
Hymn of St. Fiech, first Bishop of Sletty, on St. Patrick, is given in 34 stanzas. A note is prefixed, giving an account of a dia- logue, between St. Patrick and Dubtach, the poet and master of St. Fiech.
^* See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," for an account of the writers, who have treated about St. Patrick. Quarta Appen- dix ad Acta S. Patricii, pars, iii. , pp. 216 to 219. —
Chapter xxvi. ' Tirechan has these
words: "Ipse est Benignus episcopus su—c- cessor Patricii in Ecclesia Machine. "
Ussher's " Primordia," cap. xvii. , p. 875.
* He thus states : "Jam te fill meum suc- cessorem dignum esse sentio futurum. " See
Quinta Vita S. Patricii, lib. ii. , cap. i. , p.
52-
3 In the Third Life, the saint is introduced,
as ofhim " meiheres saying : quia regni
est. " See Tertia Vita S. Patricii, cap. xxxvi. , p. 24.
* The Tripartite states, that he also was destined to succeed in the Primacy. " Hie
heres regni mei erit, hoc est, erit post me supremus Ecclesiae Hibernicae moderator. "
See Septima Vita S, Patricii, lib. i. , cap. xlv. , p. 124.
5 Where he writes : "ipsum successorum
ministerii sui, sicut et fuit, fore praedixit.
Idem namque Benignus in regimine Pontifi- catus Primatusque totius Hiberniae successit S. Patricio," &c. See Sexta Vita S. Patri- cii, cap. xxxix. , p. 74, In another passage, Jocelyn represents St. Patrick, as retaining the primacy until the time of his death. See ibid. , cap. cxci. , p. 107.
^
This is stated, in a Life of St. Benignus, as also, in the Acts of St. Moctheus, ([uoted by Ussher. See " De Primordiis," cap. xvii. , p. 876.
' IntheUlsterAnnals. SeeUssher's"Pri- mordia," cap. xvii. , p. 877. In Dr. O'Dono- van's "Annals of the Four Masters;," vol. i.
'7 It only contains four quatrains. See
vol. xxii. , p. 325 of the O'Ldngan CoUec- tion,R. I. A. Small4to.
"
denominates Oisin's Vision," pp. 189 to
193, and "Oisin's Good Confession," pp.
210 to 214, are excellent compositions. — ^-
Thus, the angels sang, says Oisin
:
" — They said
"
"
"
"This man, for Erin's sake
here an — tarry age,
Shall
TillChristtoErincomes shallsleep
In this still hermitage :
That so, ere yet that gieat old time
Is wholly gone and past,
Her manlier with her saintly day
May blend in bridal fast.
Patrick! Thatvision,wasittruth? Or fancy's mocking gleam ?
^ In Irish, cboc 11A ccec.
That I should tarry till
'Twas not, 'twas not a dream !
*' See the
R. I.
A. ,
Thensaidthe
But Patrick said,
' Hisbrainishurt:' They lie !
'° It is classed, No. 223, and it is in a large 4to parchment MS.
'' Itis at p. 306.
monks, •
A. andit is found 15,
He came—
of
Would I for Him might die !
'
O'Longan Collection, vol. xxii. , p. 336. Small 4to.
classed, 23.
Also, in the Manuscript, classed
March 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. Ill
The following pretentious compositions are, also, extant : A Poem,? * by St. Patrick, on the Hawthorn Bush of Emania, &c. A Poem,7S by St. Patrick, on Cloch na Get, now the Rock of Cashel. A Poem,? ^ by St. Patrick, on Cloch na Ceann, now the Rock of Cashel. There is a Poem,77 by St. Patrick, withouttitle. Twostanzas,bySt. Patrick,areintheLeabharBreac,atfol. 42 (now 32) front margin. Again, we have copies of St. Patrick's Benediction to the People of Ireland. 7^ In a 4to paper Manuscript, which contains 226 written pages, produced by Michael, son of Peter O'Longan, about the year
1760, there is a Hymnus Sancti Patricii. 79 Besides, there is a piece, called The Bequest or Testimony of St. Patrick. ^" This, however, is a vulgar forgery, in
the opinion of Professor Eugene O'Curry. ^^ Stanihurst^^ has published a Sermon, attributed to St. Patrick, and Messingham^3 has re-published this
spuriousproduction. TheholyApostlewasimbuedwiththegift ofprophecy,^4 and therefore it is not wonderful, that some of his attributed predictions should have come down to us. ^s There are some other unimportant tracts, relating to our saint, but these are hardly worth any serious notice. ^^ The Irish reader, who is curious to discover further references to, and accounts concerning, our great Apostle, will find various entries, in the Manuscript literature of our national language. ^?
23. E. 16. at p. 400, line 13, another copy is met with.
7= It contains twenty-eight verses, and it is in the third volume of O'Longan's MSS. , in the R. I. A.
73 It is found, in the celebrated "Liber Hymnonim," a Manuscript in Trinity College, Dublin, and classed E. 4. 2. See at num. 22.
^* It is classed, as 23. G. 5. , and it is found at p. 7, col. 2, in Hodges and Smith's col- lection, in the R. I. A.
75 It is classed, 23. C. 19. , and it is found, at p. 336, in the Betham Collection.
^5 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. "
Tertia Appendix ad Acta S. Patricii, pars,
ii. , pp. 208, 209.
*^
Such as, Legenda Brevis de S. Patricio MS. Arundel. 330. f. 13 b. veil. 8vo. dble. cols. XV. cent. This is a very short tract and of no historical value. Anonymi Car- mina quaedam Anepigrapha de S. Patricio, Calpurnio et Cellano. MS. Laurentianjse Mediceas. Num. ii. 812. Cod. vi.
^7 Thus, among the Royal Irish Academy's Collection, we may allude to that notice of St. Patrick, in the story known as the " Ghost of Cuchulainn's Chariot. " Leabhar
found, at p. 309, line 5, in the Hodges and Smith Collection.
77 This is classed, 23. Q. , in a Manuscript, belonging to the Royal Irish Academy, at fol. 138.
7^ One is classed, 23 E. 26, and it is met with at p. 234. There is another copy in the Book of Bailymote, at fol. 153. There is one, also, in the Book of Lecan, at fol. 191.
^ It is classed, 23 Q. 18, and it is found at p. 61.
*' According to a remark made, in de- scribing the contents of the Betham Collec- tion, where the tract ia question occurs. Seep. 289.
^^ See "Vita S. Patricii," lib. ii.
ference to St. Patrick, in the Sixth Age of the World, at fol. 4. a. b. , and in the His- tory of the Origin of the name of Finnloch- Ceara, in the Book of Bailymote, at fol. 206. b. a. Also, at what is designated Agallamh, in the same Manuscript, at fol. 200, b. b. , line I. The viii. vol. of O'Lon- gan's MSS. , in the R. I. A. , contains a story ofHolyPatrick,atp. 117. APoem,saidto have been extracted from an old Life of St. Patrick, is in the Betham Collection. See R. I. A. classification, 23. G. 21, p. 516. There is a reference to St. Patrick, in the Book of Lecan, at fol. 105, b. a. , line 40. Also, in a Poem onMogh Ruith, at fol. 133, b. a. Likewise,intheDerivationofSliabh Fuaid, at fol. 257, b. a. , line 22. Also, at fol. 309, a. b. , line 11. A stanza on Patrick
'9 In vol. xviii. , p. 90.
^3 In his "
pp. 437 to 441. A further account of the
writings, attributed to St- Patrick, will be Breac," fol. 48 b. (now 38. ) See R. I. A. found in Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," copy.
There is reference to St. Patrick, in
Florilegium
Insula Sanctorum,"
"
Quarta Appendix ad Acta S. Patricii, pars, i. , ii. , pp. 212to215.
the Manuscripts, classed, 23. G. 8, at fol. 31. ; 23. H. I. e. at p. 76, in a Poemof Oisin; 23. H. I. j. ; 23. L. 22. atAgallamh na Seanoiridhe ; again, in 23. L. 22, at p.
^»WefindaMS. yetextant,intituled:
"Prophetia S. Patris Patricii de Dublinia,"
MS. Lambeth. 523 ff. 11 7-1 1 7 b. veil. 8yo. , 316. Hodges and Smith Collection. Re- xiv. cent. ferences are made to St. Patrick, in those
It must be remarked, notwithstanding,
7* This is classed, 23. L. 34, and it is na Huidhre, fol. 74. a. There is a re-
Guiric, Laisren and Beoc, in the
Leabhar
778. LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [. March 17.
that many of the foregoing pieces^^ are spurious, unauthenticated, and written at times, long subsequent to the period of our great Patron Saint, so that we may regard them, as having no real value, to illustrate the present record of his life.
CHAPTER XXVI
ST. PATRICK S PREDICTION, THAT ST. BENIGNUS SHOULD SUCCEED HIM IN THE SEE OF ARMAGH—THE IRISH APOSTLE RECEIVES A WARNING FROM HEAVEN, REGARDING HIS DEATH, AND WHERE IT SHOULD TAKE PLACE—HE DEPARTS THIS LIFE AT SAUL —HIS FUNERAL OBSEQUIES—DISPUTE CONCERNING THE POSSESSION OF HIS SACRED REMAINS DETERMINED BY A MIRACLE—HIS BURIAL AT DOWNPATRICK.
According to several of his Acts, the Irish Apostle announced, that St. Benignus should succeed him, in the See of Armagh ; and, it is said, the event corresponded with such a prediction. Thus, Tirechan,^ Probus,^ the
Thirds and the Tripartite* Lives, with Jocelyn's Lifes of our holy Apostle, all aver ; but, it has been thought, only was that event accomplished, after St. Patrick's death. ^ However, the demise of St. Benignus has been placed, so early as a. d. 467 or 468. 7 Owing to this annalistic statement, Colgan felt so puzzled, that he threw out a most extravagant conjecture. ^ The Benignus, who died in 468, he thinks, ought to be regarded, as a different person from that Benignus, who succeeded after St. Patrick's death. Consequently, according to Colgan, the Armagh Benignus must have lived, after a. d. 493.
Manuscripts, classed 23. A. 40. , at p. 65. ; in23. C. 18. ,atp. 28. ; in23. C. 33. ,atp, 177, in a Poem, by Caoilte ; in 23. D. 9. ,
of
Synchronisms the Saints; in 23. D. 15. , at p. 138. ; in 23. E. 16. ,atp. 354,inaPoemonthe
Christian Kings of Connaught ; in 23. E. 20. , at p. 19, at an account of Tara ; in 23.
E. 26. ,atp. 250;again,in23. E. 26. ,at p. 185, and, again, at p. 301, where allusion ismadetoCashel; in23. F. 10. ,atp. 2. ; in 23. F. 16. , at p. 147, in a Poem on Tadhg O'Brien ; in 23. K. 32. , at pp. 150, 164, 181, 182, 196, 200, 202 ; in 23. ]\1. 45. , at p. 293, in relation with Oisin ; in 23. Q. at fol. 127, b. a. , where there is a
*'
Liber Hymno- rum," a Manuscript, belonging to Trinity College, Dublin, and classed E. 4. 2. , has
at No. I. A Latin Plymn in praise of St. Patrick. Also, at No. 19, the Irish
Hymn of St. Fiech, first Bishop of Sletty, on St. Patrick, is given in 34 stanzas. A note is prefixed, giving an account of a dia- logue, between St. Patrick and Dubtach, the poet and master of St. Fiech.
^* See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," for an account of the writers, who have treated about St. Patrick. Quarta Appen- dix ad Acta S. Patricii, pars, iii. , pp. 216 to 219. —
Chapter xxvi. ' Tirechan has these
words: "Ipse est Benignus episcopus su—c- cessor Patricii in Ecclesia Machine. "
Ussher's " Primordia," cap. xvii. , p. 875.
* He thus states : "Jam te fill meum suc- cessorem dignum esse sentio futurum. " See
Quinta Vita S. Patricii, lib. ii. , cap. i. , p.
52-
3 In the Third Life, the saint is introduced,
as ofhim " meiheres saying : quia regni
est. " See Tertia Vita S. Patricii, cap. xxxvi. , p. 24.
* The Tripartite states, that he also was destined to succeed in the Primacy. " Hie
heres regni mei erit, hoc est, erit post me supremus Ecclesiae Hibernicae moderator. "
See Septima Vita S, Patricii, lib. i. , cap. xlv. , p. 124.
5 Where he writes : "ipsum successorum
ministerii sui, sicut et fuit, fore praedixit.
Idem namque Benignus in regimine Pontifi- catus Primatusque totius Hiberniae successit S. Patricio," &c. See Sexta Vita S. Patri- cii, cap. xxxix. , p. 74, In another passage, Jocelyn represents St. Patrick, as retaining the primacy until the time of his death. See ibid. , cap. cxci. , p. 107.
^
This is stated, in a Life of St. Benignus, as also, in the Acts of St. Moctheus, ([uoted by Ussher. See " De Primordiis," cap. xvii. , p. 876.
' IntheUlsterAnnals. SeeUssher's"Pri- mordia," cap. xvii. , p. 877. In Dr. O'Dono- van's "Annals of the Four Masters;," vol. i.
