No More Learning

36Seei. Peterii. 18.
3? See the Bollandists' "Acta Sanctorum,"
tomus ii. , Februarii vii. De S. Tresano
that date, the Martyrologies of Tallagh and Presbytero, &c, cap. i. , ii. , iii. , iv. , pp.
33 See Rev. S. Baring-Gould's Lives of
properly it should be Matrona.
35 " Gibrianus Scoius cum fratribus et
Sigeberti
of Marianus O'Gorman have such a record.
" *'
the Saints," vol. ii. , February vii. , p. 192.
3^ In the Acts it is called Materna—more 3'
great
error has been committed a by
peregrinatus
114$.
4°
—vrbe Re- :
sororibus in Gallia
mensem vita et morte illustrat. "
Gemblacensis Coenobita; "Chronicon ab at the 3rd of December, as found in Miraeus anno 381 ad 1113, cum insertionibus ex
Historia Galfridi et additionibus Roberti
Abbatis Montis centum et tres sequentes
annos complectentibus, promovente egregio
53, 54.
38 Vernerus, In Fasciculo Temporum,"
A
continuator of Sigebertus Gemblacensis, when making these saints to flourish a. d.
has their period at 494.
Taken from the Life of St. Eloquius,
and Molanus.
^' See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernia, ;
Appendix ad Acta S. Furssei, cap. vi. , p. 96.
February 7. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS 379
Abbot of Laguy. ^^ Yet, this is clearly inconsistent with a statement after- wards made, that they flourished in the time of King Clovis I. ''' Following
an old Life of St. Eloquius, Molanus joins with him, St. Foillan, St. Ultan, St. Tressan and other holy companions,^3 as missionaries and contemporaries in France. Were the Tressan there mentioned identical witli the present saint, his period should be assigned to the seventh century. The Bolla—ndist editor. ^** who prepared the Acts of our saint, is angry with the author or, perhaps, the interpolator—of St. Eloquius' Life, for having made Helan, and others there named, contemporaries with Eloquius. 's He thinks it strange, likewise, that Molanus*^ has followed it, as an authority. But, it is certain, that no mistake was committed in drawing up the Acts of Tressan, upon which mainly depends the opinion of these persons, regarding his having flourished in the time of Clovis L. and of St. Remigius. '*' It has been re- marked, by the Bollandist editor, that in the said Life of Eloquius there is mentioned,also,aColumbanus,asoneofhiscompanions. Thinkingthat the author meant the great St. Columbanus of Luxeu, BoUandus hence con- cluded, that the passage, relative to these companions, is not worthy of credit. '*^ This inference, however, is by no means conclusive. '*^
According to his Acts, Tressan was an illiterate man ; yet, he was a very religious and a very good Christian. A church, dedicated to St. Martin, happened to be in the village of Murigny ;5o and here, a priest had been engaged reciting matins, and in celebrating the solemnities of Mass. Not loosing sight of his herd, Tressan would steal towards the doors of the church, while he endeavoured to learn all he could regarding the sacred rites. 5^ And the Lord was pleased miraculously to reward this holy thirst for science, by filling his mind with a knowledge of letters. It would appear, Tressan had unwittingly excited the prejudice of certain rustics, in that place, known as Ay ;52 for, when St. Remigius visited a village near it, and which was called Villare in Silva, or Villiers en Selue,s3 these peasants accused the poor Scottish swineherd, for having caused their vineyards to be injured, their fields and meadows to be grazed and trodden down, through his neglect. But, St. Remigius was not the bishop, to hear a one-sided
4' See /3/i/. Appendix ad Acta S. Tressani, cap. ii. , p, 274.
« Helan, German and Veran, are named,
also, as his companions.
* The celebrated Father John Boland.
^s See Commentarius Historicus ad Vitam
'•
S. Tresani.
Februarii vii,, num. 6, p. 53.
*'' In "Natales Sanctorum
Acta Sanctomm," tomus ii. ,
eorum chronica recapitulatio. "
^' Dr. Lanigan asks: "Might not some
old document have assigned their times to the reign of a Clovis, without adding who that Clovis was? The period mentioned in
the Life of Eloquius corresponds to the reign of Clovis the Second. The compilers of the
Acts of Tressan, &c,, might have mistaken this Clovis for Clovis the First, It is true that the specific mention, in Tressan's Acts, of Remigius, and, what is more re- markable, ot Genelialdus, affords a strong argument against this supposition. Yet it may be still suspected, that these compilers, knowing that these bishops lived in the reign of Clovis I. , introduced their names without sufficient authority. "—'Ecclesiastical His-
to Ay.
S3 According to the
"
Belgii,
et
might
have been a
person
tory of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xvi. , sect, XV. , n. 155, pp. 489, 490.
^^ See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Februarii vii. De S. Tresano. Commen- tarius Historicus, num. 6, p. 53.
the Colum- banus there mentioned is not marked by any epithet of distinction ; and that he of that name, which was very common in Ireland, among the companions ol Eloquius, different both as to time and place from the great one. "-— " Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. ii. ,
chap, xvi. , sect, xv,, n, 155, p. 490.
5° in the Acts, this place is called Mutini-
acus, or Montiniacus.
si See Rev, S. Baring-Gould's "Lives of
the Saints," vol, ii. , February vii,, p. 192. 5* It is called Agcius, in the Acts of St. Tressan ; Agenis, by Camerarius ; Duiatius, Aveniac and the office have it Ageyus, Duiatius and Viellius render it in French
^' Dr. Lanigan observes,
Chorographia Re- mensis," within which ancient territory this
place was situated.
"
38o LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February 7.
accusation, without sifting its truth : he sent a messenger for Tressan to
appear, and when he did so, the holy prelate, fully convinced of his innocence, consoled him with gentle words, while he drove the malignant accusers away from his presence. 54 The old author of our saint's Acts relates, that unjustly accused man afterwards stood on an elevated spot, known thence- forward as St. Tressan's Mount, where he had collected the herd of swine together, with a view of bringing them to the homes of their owners. Look-
:
ing towards Ay, in the spirit of prophecy, he exclaimed " You, who have
falsely accused me to the high priest of our Lord, shall pass out of this life, when you have lived to the age of thirty years, nor will your worldly sub- stance increase ; thus, it shall be better, that you receive punishment here, rather than suffering without end, in the other world. " The Almighty was pleased to make good these words of his faithful servant ; and, to the time when his ancient Acts were written, the people remarked, how the descen- dants of St. Tressan's accusers never lived beyond the thirtieth year, that they were obliged to subsist by manual labour, to be in want, and even to beg for the necessaries of life. Returning the swine to their rightful master, Tressan, thenceforth, devoted himself entirely to God's servicers
CHAPTER II.
ST. TRESSAN IS ORDAINED PRIEST—HIS VIRTUES—HIS RESIDENCE AT MARVILLE—HIS LABOURS AND MANNER OF LIVING—MIRACLES AT MURIGNY—HIS LAST ILLNESS —AND DEATH—DISPOSAL OF HIS REMAINS—HIS FESTIVAL, OFFICE AND MEMORIALS
CONCLUSION.
After some years, having acquired sufficient learning, he went to the town of Laon,' in the province of Picardy. Genebald or Genebaud^ had been ordained its first bishop by St. Remigius. 3 On the recommendation of St. Genebaldus, Bishop of Laon,^ who admired the humility, good dispositions, and progress he had made in learning, Tressan was ordained priest by St. Remigius,5 when the requirements of the canons had been fulfilled. 'I'hus was he chosen, by one of God's elect, and blest, by a saint. St. Remigius, before taking leave of Tressan, exhorted him regarding the manner in which he should serve at the altar ; he also comforted and encouraged this disciple. In our saint, he found a truly good subject ; for, Tressan fasted and prayed almost continuously, while he crucified the fiesh, with its vices and concupi- scences. He avoided all snares of the enemy ; he despised the things of this world ; he gave alms to the poor, and spent much time in vigil. So closely did Tressan adhere to God's law and to the works ordered by Christ, that he might be regarded as being with him, both in soul and body. ^
After his ordination, Tressan chose for a place of residence Marogillus, or Marville, where a church had been dedicated to St. Hilary,^ Bishop of
^ See the Bollandists' "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Februarii vii. De S. Tresano, cap. iv. , and nn. (o, q), pp. 54, 55.
II. 'The Latinized name of
= His feast occurs at the 7th of December,
iv. , v. , p. 272. —
5 ^
His least occurs on the
1st of October.
Chaptkr
See the Bollandists' "Acta Sanctorum,"
'• Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
-» He was to that before or
See
niae," vii Februarii. Vita S. Tressani, cap. about A. d. 500.
_"
Colgan's
appointed
see,
this city is Laudunum. See Flodoardus' tomus ii. , Febiuani vii. De S. Tresauo,
**
Historia Ecciesise Remensis," lib. i. , cap. cap. vi. , vii. , p. 54.
xiv. 7 His feativai occurs at January 14th.
3 See " Histoire Fleury's
Ecclesiasiique," tome vii. , liv. xxx. , sect xlvi. , p. 89.
February 7. ] LTVES OF THE IFISH SAINTS. 381
Poictiers. Tressan stopped in the territory of Rheims, near the Mame,
during the time of Bishop Reinigiiis. ^ He preached with great zeal, while in France. 9 Serving the Lord most faithfully, at the church of St. Hilary ; he had a church near it, which had been consecrated in honour of St. Martin,
'°
the holy Bishop of Tours.
offer sacrifice to the Lord, and to sacrifice himself on the very altar of his heart. He was wholly intent on the worship of God, and his manner of life wasextremelysimple. Whilethere,aninhabitantoftheplacecametomake a confession to him, and then devoutly asked the saint to offer prayers for his salvation. Knowing, likewise, that the Lord would return, herealter, and in a hundred-fold measure, whatsoever should be given to his holy minister, the devout penitent besought his confessor to receive a small gift. Knowing his earnestness and sincerity, Tressan assented to a request he made, for bestowing a meadow that was near, to serve as pasture lor an ass. This meadow lay within the bounds of Ay village, and afterwards it went by the name of our saint. "
As our Divine Lord said to the " believe the works," " so Jesus Jews,
could the holy Irish pilgrim certify both by miracles and good deeds his gifts of grace and of virtue. For one day, having celebrated the Matins, Office and Mass, in the church of St. Martin at Murigny, and while returning to Mareville, he felt wearied, and he sat down on the side of a dry hill, from which water had never flowed. Fixing his staff in the ground, the wearied saint fell asleep ; but, on awaking, he found the staff had grown into a tree,^^ which was covered with a bark and green leaves. '-* At the same time, a fountain of most delicious water ran Irom the root of this tree, to the very footofthemount. Whentheholypriest,Tressan,witnessedthis,hedrank from the well, and he asked of the Almighty, that no injustice or turpitude
"
should there occur. It was regarded as a
troubled with tertian and quartan agues, came thither, drank of its waters, and were cured. 's After the Lord had raanitested these and other wonders of His glory, through this humble servant, Tressan was seized with a fever. He then called various priests and clerics around him, confessing that he was a sinner and an unworthy priest, having offended God, and having injured his fellow-men. Lying on the bed, in his last agony, he was con- soled by his visitors, while with great humility and contrition, he received
"
the sacraments of reconciliation.
Then he cried out :
In these churches, Tressan was accustomed to
Dearly beloved brethren, be ye comforted in the Lord, and. in the power of his virtue, ac- cording to that word of our Redeemer, " Walk whilst you have the light," ^^ and according to that saying of the Prophet David, " the fear of the Lord is
"
the beginning of wisdom. " ^7 Then he added :
Meditation on death is the
^ By whom Clovis I. was baptized, about the year 499. He received this holy sacra- ment. on Christmas Day.
9 See Rev. Alban Butler's "Lives of the
Fathers, Martyrs and other Principal Saints," vol. ii. , February vii.
" His feast occurs at the nth of Novem- ber.
had been after a lapse of many years. He also adds, thai a villager, who had cut away
part of this tree, for the purpose of repairing his house, took ill, and seven days after- wards, he died in a miserable way. Such a legend, as the foregoing, must needs remind the Irish reader ol many a similar one he has heard, regarding the fate befalling de- secrators of old churches and sacred objects,
*s The author of our saint's Acts relates, that once, in his time, a woman came to it, and endeavoured to wash her garments, but could not, for the waier turned to a colour red as that of human blood.
'^ See John xii. 35. '^ See "Psalms ex. 10.
" See the BoUandists' " Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Februarii vii. De S. Tresano, cap. viii. , ix , p. 54.
" See John x. 38.
*3 See Rev. S. Baring- Gould's " Lives of
the Saints," vol. ii. , February vii. , p. 193. '< The author of his Acts tells us, this tree
flourished to the time ol his
writing,
which
holy well," while several persons,
382 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS [February 7.
beginning of wisdom. " He afterwards asked for Holy Viaticum. Rising
from the bed, and lying prostrate on the ground, he exclaimed with heartfelt
of Christ, mercifully shed for our sins, and given as the price of our redemp- tion. Hail ! Jesus Christ, son of God, may thy power defend me from the snares of my old enemy, and may the prince of darkness meet me not. As thy strvant, I pray you make me appear the last in order among your saints. " Saying these words, he received the Body and Blood of Christ. ^^ Then, when lifted into bed, with eyes and heart directed towards Heaven, where all his hopes were centred, his happy soul flew to bliss. There for ever his spirit shall enjoy the beatific vision of God. '9
Tressan seems to have spent a great part of his life, in the diocese of Rheims,neartheRiverMarne. And,attheverymoment,whenhisspirit was exhaled to Heaven, a most fragrant odour spread around, so that those who were present declared, nothing they had a sense of before could be compared to it. As those, vvho live a real life in this world, by beautiful works, are the good odour of Christ ; so was it fitting, that holy Tressan should depart from this world, and in the manner related, since his works had continued freshly-smelling to the end.
Having thus distinguished himself by his great piety and various miracles, on the Ides or 7th day of February,'° the priest of Christ, Tressan, finished his temporal agony, to receive a good and an eternal reward, from the SupremeRemunerator. =' Thepriestsandothers,whowerepresentathis
death, began to arrange for his interment. It was proposed to deposit his remains in the Church of St. 'Hilary, at Mareville, as he had so long served the Lord in that place. Yet, when the attempt was made to lift his corpse, alleffortsprovedvain. Again,itwasthoughtwelltohavethecoffinbrought to the monastery of Altovillarense^* or Haultvilliers -p yet, the trial proved unavailing. Then, it was resolved, to yoke a pair of bullocks to a waggon, and to leave the disposal of Tressan's holy remains to the direction of Pro- vidence. We read in the Old Testament, that the satraps of the Philistines placed the Ark of the Lord on a new waggon, and then yoked kine to it that had sucking calves. The Ark was brought thus in a direct line to Bethsames. '* Mow, as the Ark represents the Church of Christ, and the
"healthy" — thus Tres-sain or Tre-sain, "most healthy ;" or again, by making him Tres-sainct^ in Latin Sanctissimus,ox "most holy. " By such titles he was said to be known in Brabant, but Father John Boland
denies his knowledge of this statement, as being at all correct.
" devotion :
Hail, our most happy Hope ! hail, our holy Redemption ! hail, most holy Body of Christ, more precious and dear to me than gold or topaz, andsweeterthanthehoneyorthehoneycomb. Hail! mostadorableBlood
*" See Rev. S.
" Lives of
Baring-Gould's
the Saints," vol. ii. , February vii. , p. 193.
'' In Colgan's copy of St. Tressan's Acts, a very strange error is admitted at the pas- sage "finiens agonem Cofnucii—as if the latter were the proper name of a place ; whereas, in the Bollandist version we find the co—rrect reading "finiens agonem cosmi-
to his cum" having reference solely ending
worldly agony.
" Such is the almost unanimous opinion
of the calendarists and writers of his—Acts.
="
'*
Here there was a Benedictine monas- ItwasinthedioceseofRheims. See
Ferrarius, at the 7th of February while
incorrectly assigning Rheims—to be the place Bercharius was appointed its abbot. The
has admitted Bollandists to state more regarding of this holy man's departure promised
another singular mistake, in calling him St. both saints, at the 1st of September, and at Sanissimus, confessor, an;! in notes, he the i6th of October, the dates for their festi- adds, that some have called him Sanctissi* vals. See Sif Harris Nicolas' "Chronology mus. From Tresain, however, it is thought, of History. " Alphabetical Calendar of
some may have compounded the French Saints' Days, &c. , pp. 137, 164.
" '*
superlative form ires very," with saittj See i Kings vi.
tery.
Flodoardus'
lib. ii. , cap. vii. and x.
"
Historia Ecclesiae Remensis,"
'3 There a monastery had been built by St. Nivard, Bishop of Rheims, and St.
FEBRUARY 7. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 383
kine its doctors, so was a holy son, and servant of the Church, brought with tears and requiem psalms, by doctors of the Church, to the very spot the
Lord Himself had designated. When the yoked oxen brought that waggon to a certain spot, they were not able to proceed further, and there it was de- termmed to inter the remains of St. Tressan. He died curate of Mareuil,=5 and he was buried at Avenay,'^ in Champagne. This the attendants re- garded as decreed by supernatural agency. The Bollandists justly observe, certain writers are wrong in saying, that the bodies of St. Tressan and of his holybrothersandsistersrestinRheims. '^ TheActsofoursaintplacehis relics at Avenay ; and, there is no authentic account of their having been removed.
While in one article, Dempster states, he was not able to discover, if St. Tesanus had been a writer ; yet, a few lines afterwards he declares, that all
his writings perished, through the injury wrought by time. '^ He and his brothersaresaidtohaveflourishedintheyear509or522. Tressanwasvene-
rated on the 3rd of December,"^9 according to Saussay, Ferrarius3° and
Dempster ; but, these statements appear to be incorrect. Francisca Marcana,
or De la Marck, Abbess of Avenay, procured the printing of an office relating to this saint,3' at Kheuns, in the year 1600. 3^ This was chiefly taken from the ancient Acts of St. Tressan, preserved in the archives of that city. The oftice had been drawn up to suit the Roman Breviary, and it has the sanc- tion of Pope Clement VIII. and that of Philip, Archbishop of Rheims.
The relics ot this holy man are said to be in Pont-aux-Dames, in Brie. In art, he is represented with a budding stafr,33 to indicate the miracle con- tained in his Acts. All that remains of our early missionaries belonging to the Irish Church abroad, the decrees of national synods, the penitentials, their legends and Acts, present us with everything, which the enemies of Rome have rejected. We tind therein recorded, the Eucharistic Sacrifice, Extreme Unction, Viaticum, the invocation of saints, the Hturgies of our Church, prayers lor the dead, the practice of confession, of fasting, of vigil, and of abstmence.
Article II. —St. Lomman, of Portloman, County of Westmeath. [Sixth Century. ] Among the many beautiful lakes of Westmeath, some may be found to rival Lough Owel,' in depth, extent and variety of adjacent
-s See Rev. Alban Butler's "Lives of the and the other a monk, who flourished A. D. Fathers, Martyrs and other Principal 651.
Saints," vol. ii. , February vii.
3t it is arranged for an octave, and it pre- cedes the offices of St. Gumbert and of St.
"*•
Here a canobium for pious f—emales had
been established —St. Bertha venerated by
whose remains were Bertha, kept
in the
on the 1st of May in the time of King Church of Avenay.
"
Childeric, son of Clodovasus II. , and in a spot called the Golden Valley,
3= In the preface to the "
she had the assistance of learned men,
the task of compilation, while there it is also stated, many and great miracles took place daily, before the shrines of the local patrons. See the Bollandists' "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Februarii vii. De S. Tresano. Commentarius historicus, num. i. , p. 53.
33 See Rev. S. Baring-Gould's "Lives of
'7 See "Acta Sancturum," tomus
ii. ,
during
Februarii vii. De S. Tresano Presbytero.
Commentarius historicus, num. 5, p. 53. '^ "
See Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis
Scotorum," tomus ii. , lib. xviii. , num. 1112,
II13, pp. 609, 610.
'^'^ Ibid. , num. 11 13, p. 610. Also, lib.
viii. , num. 629, p. 335, at a notice of his brother St. Helanus.
3° Ferrarius has insinuated in his " Gene-
ralis Cataiogus Sanctorum," at the 3rd of December, that there were two saints called
Tressan; one a priest, who lived a. d. 509,
the Saints," vol. ii. , February vii. , p. 193. '
Officia Propria Sanctorum, of Avenay, the abbess declares,
Article ii. — The River Brosna rises at Bunbrosna, county ot Westmeaih. and passes through Lough Owel and Lough Ennell. It enters the River Shannon, a short distance
3«4 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February 7'.
scenery ; yet, none to surpass it in historic and topographical interest. Anciently was it called Loch Uair,' and here, sometime in the sixth century, did the Blessed Lomman select a charming site for the foundation of a re- ligious establishment, on its western banks. Lomman Locha Uair3 is an entry found in the Martyrology of Tallagh,^ at the 7th of February. Port-
^
lomon or Portlemon is now a parish, in the barony of Corkaree, and in the county of Westmeath. 5 Within its limits is Frum Hill, on the summit of which there is a remarkable rath. Portlemon House, formerly the residence of Lord De Blaquiere, is situated within a finely wooded demesne. ^ This, likewise,enclosestheancientchurch,andthesurroundinggraveyard-^ both of these rise on a gently sloping green ridge, immediately over the waters of
iS^|ii^f»|p^M^
Portloman Old Church and Cemetery, Cu. WesUneaili.
Lough Owel. ^ The ruins, about three and a-half miles north-west of
MuUingar,measureseventy-sevenfeet,bytwentyfeetfourinches. ^ Astone, deeplyembeddedintheclay,wasdisinterredsomeyearsago. Itwasshaped like a coffin-lid, and it had a cross inscribed. Probably, it marked the grave of some ecclesiastic, in former times. A tourist or pilgrim, visiting Portloman, must linger long at a place, endeared by so venerable an auti-
to the north of Banagher. See Dr. 0' Dono-
- Edited by Rev. Matthew Kelly, D. D. , p. XV.
sit is represented on the "Ordnance
"
Rights," n. (s), pp. 9, 10.
van's
Leabhar na g-Ceart, or the Book of
"
It is now corruptly called in Irish, Loch
Survey Townland Maps for the County of "
Uail, anglice Lough Owel. It is situated
near Mulliiigar.