No More Learning

3 See his
F," p. 65. Volume
2 He is also Foilan and Fuillen. styled
and of Charles
The Martyrology of Donegal 3' enters this saint, at the 23rd of July, as Fuillen of Ath-an-eich. This place has not been identified. In that copy of
the Irish Calendar, now preserved among the Irish Ordnance Survey Records,* this holy man is noted down, as Fuillen, Atha Ineic, at the 10th of the August Kalends,' corresponding with this present date.
Article IV. —St. Fethcon or Fethchu, Bishop. [Probably in tJw SixthCe? itut}\~\ Thereaderisreferredtowhathasbeenalreadystatedatthe 1 2U1 of March, when treating about St. Fethchuon or Fiechnon, also called Fethuo, Fethchuo, Fiechno and Fetno, said to have been a missionary among
12
the Scots and Picts. In the — of Tallagh and of Marianus
6
abbot of Innisfreil, who was venerated on the 7th of April. ologyofDonegal7 simplyentersthenameofFethchu,withoutanyfurther designation, and at this same date.
Article V. —St. Lassar, or Lasre, of Killasseragh, Parish of Kilmeen, County of Cork. At the 23rd of July, the name of Lasre is
1 metwith,intheMartyrologyofTallagh. St. Lassar'sday,althoughmarked
in the Calendar at the 23rd of July, seems to have been commemorated by '
2
stations at the 24th. The townland of Killasseragh, in the parish of Kil
meen, and barony of Duhallow, county of Cork, is called after this saint. 3 It seems very probable, also, that another townland so called,* in the parish
of Ballynoe,5 barony of Kinnatalloon, in the same county, has derived its name from the present holy virgin. In the south-west of the county of Fer- managh, the ruins of an old church, with a holy well, dedicated to a virgin
Martyrologies
O'Gorman, the name of Fethcon, Eps. which stands for Episcopus or Bishop—occurs at the 23rd of July. By Colgan,3 some notices are given of him, but at the 12th day of March. This holy man seems to have been a companion of St. Columkille,4 when the latter first sailed for Britain. * He is also called Fetchuo, and he is said to have been brother to Russ or Russen,
1
The Martyr-
July 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
305
6
In the glen of the Marble Arch, where there are very remarkable caves, and on its western side—upon the brow of a hill not difficult of access—is shown St. Lasser's cell. This is a souterrain. It has, however, no further connexion with a church in the neighbourhood, dedicated to the patron St. Lasser. Some inconsiderable remains of this old building yet exist. ? We do not under- take to say, that the foregoing localities are in any manner connected with the present St. Lassar; for, there are other saints bearing her name, and not distinguished by any special locality ; but, we thought it not amiss, to place upon record here, information which may somewhat help towards a future identification, regarding one or other of the Lassars or Lassaras mentioned in our Calendars. The Martyrology of Donegal 8 notes Lassar simply, at
the 23rd of July.
Article VI. —Reputed Feast of St. Alfred, King of Northum-
bria. In Thomas Dempster's " Menologium Scotorum," at the 23rd of July, there is a festival for Alfred, King of Northumberland, who became an exile
called St. Lassara, are still to be seen. It is now called Killassery.
8
198, 199. — Article vi.
1
Now, it is well known, that the Scotia in which he lived as an
in Scotia.
exile, before or about the year 685, was no other than Ireland, where he is
said to have been known the name of Flann Fion. 2 He was son to by
Oswy, King of Northumbria ; but, on the death of his father, in 670, Aldfred or Alfred was persecuted by his brother Egfrid, and he then fled for refuge to our Island, where his time was devoted to study. He was especially learned in the Scriptures. 3 Here, he is said to have composed an original Irish Poem,* which is still preserved, and which has been published, by James Hardiman, Esq. ,5 while it has been translated literally, into English, by JohnO'Donovan. 6 It is highly laudatory of our Island and of its people, while it manifests an acquaintance with Irish topography, products, customs and institutions, as then
edition, 1644, fol.
On the death of
recalled from Ireland, by the Saxon nobles, and selected to become their king over Northumbria. 9 Some unhappy differences took place between
existing.
5 See ibid. , sheets 45, 46, 54, 55.
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
.
7
don's " Historia
Thomas Arnold, M. A. , lib. iv. , sect. 4, p. 106.
8 He was slain in the battle at Drumnech-
tan, waged against King Brude and the Picts. See Matthsei Parisiensis, Monachi Sancti Albani, " Chronica Majora," edited by Henry Richards Luard, M. A. , vol. i. , p. 305.
l
Thus entered: "In
Anglorum,"
edited by
Mailros Alfredi regis Northumberland, qui
a daughter to Colmann, King of Meath.
in in &c. S. B. F. " privatus pueritia Scotia,
—Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p. 206.
2 This is an adjunct, said to have been derived from Fiona, his mother, and
'' SeeGratianusLucius, CambrensisEversus,
"s
Itisstrange,thatthelearnedhistorian,
King Egfrid
6 A vicar of this Cill Laisre died A. D.
See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the Four
Masters," vol. iv. , pp. 1146, 1147, and n. a very obscure character. See " Rerum
1487.
(b), ibid.
7 See W. F. Wakeman's "Lough Erne,
Enniskillen, Belleek, Ballyshannon and Bun- doran,"&c. FifthExcursion,p. 147.
4 Of this the of Dr. Charles grandfather
vol. ii. , cap; xiv. , pp. 236, 237. Edition of Rev. Dr. Lingard, places his exile among the
Rev. Matthew Kelly, D. D. Dublin, 1850, 8vo. 3 According to Venerable Bede. See V Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. iii. , cap. 25, pp. 233, 234. Cambridge
"western isles," as if intending Scotland. See " History of England," vol. i. , chap, iii. , p. 108.
10 of His Life is set forth, in William
1 his brother, a. d. 8 Alfred was 685,
O'Conor had a copy, and it was written in
Hibernicarum Scriptores," tomus iv. , Anna- tes Ultonienses, p. 129.
s In his "Irish Minstrelsy," vol. ii. , p. 372.
6
No. 12, pp. 94, 95-
SeetheDublinPenny/ournal,vol. i. ,
See
of
Henry Hunting-
. the account in
f TT
.
3o6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 23.
10
Bishop of York. However, on his death-bed, King Alfred bitterly lamented his errors, and he promised to make reparation to Wilfrid, if only he could be brought to his presence before death. For nine-
teen years, Alfred had governed his kingdom in justice and in peace. He
12 x3 died a,d. 705," at Driffeld, seated on the River Hull in Yorkshire. In
one Martyrology, at the 12th of March,1 '* he is set down as a monk in the
monastery of Mailros. This, however, is incorrect, if applied to Alfred, King of Northumbria.
Article VII. —St. Banbhnat, or Banbnatan. Veneration was given to Banbnatan, at the 23rd of July, as we find recorded in the Martyrology of
himself and St. Wilfrid,
Tallagh.
1 In that of 2 the name is set down as Banbhnat. Donegal,
Article VIII. —St. Cronseg, or Croinseach. According to the Martyr-
of 1 and of ologies Tallagh, Cronseg,
the 23rd of July.
Donegal,
2 Croinseach, was at venerated,
Article IX. —St. Vincentius, Martyr. In the early Irish Church, on the 23rd of July, was held a festival in honour of St. Vincentius, as we
find recorded in the " Feilire " of St.
there was—a martyr St. Vincentius at Rome in Vi—a Tiburtina. By other
3
Calendars as in the modern Roman Martyrology his feast is deferred to
^Engus.
also, that according to some copies of St. Jerome's Martyrology, at this date,
the following day.
Malmesbury's " De Gestis Pontificum Ang- lorum," Libri Quinque, edited from the autograph Manuscript by N. E. S. A. Hamilton, lib. iii. , sect. 100 to 109, pp. 211 to 224.
lated into English, by Dr. Whitley Stokes : —
LacepvoUnicenn
Co Cnirc cec-hams p^iche
IrvuAim bApeim f|\uiche Oaix imlcortiAiclie.
"At Vincentius' suffering to Christ went See BartholomEei de Cotton Monachi a troop : in Rome was a succession of seniors,
11
by Henry Richards Luard, M. A. Annales
See "Annales Monastici,"vol. ii. , edited
Monasterii de Waverleia, p. 153.
12 Norwicensis
"
Historia Anglicana," edited by Henry Richards Luard, M. A. , sect. 2,
twice nine goodly thousands. "—"Transac-
tions of the Royal Irish Academy,' Irish
Manuscript Series, vol. i. , part i. On the
Calendar of cxi. Oengus, pp.
p. 5-
li See Dean
" Church
History
of
Cressy's
Brittany,"- book xx. , chap, xxiv. , p. 521.
2
See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus v. ,
14 See ibid.
Article vii.
—
•
Julii xxiii.
Among the pretermitted feasts, Edited by Rev. Dr. p. 327.
Kelly, p. xxx.
3 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
3 At the the 24th of July, it is there en-
centii Martyris. "—"Martyrologium Ro- manum Gregorii XIII. jussu editum Urbani vm. et dementis x. Auctoritate recogni- turn ac deinde Anno mdccxlix. Benedicti xiv. labore et studio auctum et castigatum, p. 106. Editio novissima. Romrr, 1878, 4to.
198, 199. Article viii.
Kelly, p. xxx.
—
'
Edited by Rev. Dr.
2
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
198, 199.
Article ix. — In the "Leabhar Breac"
copy, we have the following ratifi, trans-
'
1 The Bollandists have a notice, 2
tered : "Romas via Tiburtina sancti Yin-
July 24. I LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 307
Ctoentp'fourtb JBaj? of 3ulp,
ARTICLE I. —ST. DECLAN, BISHOP OF ARDMORE, AND PATRON OF THE DECIES, COUNTY OF WATERFORD.
[FIFTH AND SIXTH CENTURIES. ]
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION—MATERIALS FOR THE ACTS OF ST. DECLAN—HIS PERIOD—HIS FAMILY AND DESCENT—HIS BIRTH—MIRACULOUS MANIFESTATIONS—HIS FOSTERAGE AND EARLY EDUCATION—HIS REPUTATION FOR SANCTITY AT AN EARLY AGE.
preaching of St. Patrick in Ireland is generally supposed to have
THE
—
been the labours of four other
less distin- guished—missionaries. These were Saints Kieran, Ibar, Ailbe and Declan. With this latter holy man we are at present only concerned. He had in his day, a great local celebrity ; and, even to the present time, his fame has not diminished in his native district, which seems chiefly to have been the scene forhislabours. HisActsarenotdeficientinvariedincidents,butwecannot accept all of them as well authenticated. However unwilling we may feel, to enter upon recorded particulars of our saint's biography, and on the basis
of unsatisfactory statements ; yet, as no better are accessible, and as it is of much importance, in connection with the early establishment of Christianity in Ireland, to treat at some length about St. Declan, we have been obliged to make use of such rather doubtful materials. We shall point out the por- tions of this narrative, however, which are irreconcilable with each other, and withawelldigestedsystemofchronology. Wemustleavethereadertohis own reflections, on the amount of credit due to the various traditions recorded, by the author of our saint's Acts. Hence then, presenting substantially accounts in the Life of St. Declan, and chiefly in that order followed by the Bollandists, as also introducing the substance of several notes, appended by the learned editor of those Acts, we shall blend them with other annotations or remarks of a historic character, that may serve to delineate that remote period, with which our saint is thought to have been contemporaneous.
At this intended to have the Acts of St. Declan. 1 He date, Colgan given
had also promised to illustrate them with accompanying notes. 2 Acts of our saint, 3 abounding in Legends, have descended to us, but they are not of that
ancient date, which Colgan supposed. He was under an impression, that such Acts had been written over a thousand years, previous to his own day. This should lead to a supposition, that they had been extant, at the early period ofthe sixth or seventh century. * What contributes not a little to the impression, that those Acts are of great antiquity is the circumstance, that
Article1. —Chapteri. —* Asmaybe 3Onthese,ArchbishopUssher,Colgan,
seen from his
"
Catalogus Actuum Sancto-
and the Bollandists, have chiefly rested their statements regarding our saint.
4 See "Trias Thaumaturga," Quinta Ap- pendix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap. xv. , p. 250.
preceded by
although
rum quae MS. habentur, Ordine Mensium et
Dierum. "
a" See
S.
Trias Thaumaturga," Qnarta Vita
Brigidee,
n.
4, p. 563.
3o8 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 24.
many monasteries, churches, and other monuments,* had been treated of in
them, as commonly known and subsisting at a time when they were written.
Moreover, the writer asserts, that he used still more ancient writings in com-
6
piling those Acts.
copiesofDeclan'sLifetobefoundinIreland. Eventhereseemtohavebeen variations from it. ? In another place, Colgan inclines to an opinion, that perhaps these were the production of a writer, who had been contem- poraneous with St. Ultan, a disciple of St. Declan, and who is said to have been set over the monastery of Ardmore, by appointment of its founder. 8 However, Colgan's critical discrimination appears to have been egregiously at fault, regarding the remote antiquity of our saint's Latin Life j nor can we believe from its internal evidences, that the author of this tract in question flourished, until some centuries after the death of his biographical subject. Most probably, Colgan founded his opinion, on passages in our saint's Life, where Ultan is spoken of in the present tense, as illustrating his holy manner of living by the performance of miracles, and again, in having received an account of St. Declan's actions, from his former disciples, a number of whom werehisconstantcompanions. ^ But,eventhewordingofthosepassagesis by no means conclusive, in favour of that interpretation placed upon them. For, in the first place, it may be observed, historians are frequently in the habit of relating past occurrences in the present tense, and biographers are also accustomed to an observance of a like practice. So that, when it is said, the Life of a saint abounds in well-known miracles, we may understand such phrases, as not inconsistent with their having been written, and often long after the person's death, to whom they refer. In the second place, when it is related, that the narrative had been drawn from a relation given by St. Declan's dis-
ciples, it is not necessary to suppose, that these disciples related verbally to the author of the saint's Acts, what he had written j but only, that those dis- ciples had committed certain facts respecting their master to writing, and which had been preserved for posterity in such a manner. Doubtless, the sense of the author regarding our saint's Acts was, that certain reports, derived from Declan's disciples by him, were found in ancient writings, and that these formed authorities, from which his more recent biography had been compiled. 10
The Bollandists received a copy of St. Declan's Latin Life from Irish MinoriteFriars,intheconventatLouvain. " Asthatcopy,inpossessionof the Bollandists, contained many errors and omissions, they sent it to Rome for the purpose of comparison with a more complete copy, kept in the Library
5 Excepting from St. Declan's Acts, which they cite, these structures were unknown to Colgan, Ware, and other authors.
» These passages occur in our saint's Life
" Et ipse Ultanus post obitum
visitavit, sed in veteribus scriptisnon inveni-
It is lawful to conjecture, that there were formerly many
6 He states at Num. 28: "
quod S. Declanus multis vicibus Romam cujus vita clara miraculis refulget," cap. ix. ,
Vulgus dicit,
mirabilis multorum miraculorum
sect. 72. And again : "et inde fertur nobis
—"Acta
Sanctorum," tomus v. , Julii xxiv. De S. quod magnus exercitus in comitatu ipsius
mus plus quam tribus vicibus. " Declano Episcopo Ardmorise in Hibemia
S.
Commentarius num. Praevius,
I0 See "Acta tomus Sanctorum,"
8, p. 592.
' Thus Dr. Charles Smith cites a Manu-
v. , Julii xxiv. De S. Declano Episcopo Ard- morise in Ilibernia, Commentarius Pnevius,
script Life of St. Declan, and discrepancies from the Latin published Life can be traced in it. See " The Ancient and present State of the County and City of Waterford," chap, i. , p. 6, n.
num. 8. p. 592.
" At a time when Boschius wrote, a copy
had been preserved, written in the Irish character, according to Friell. This was taken from a most ancient copy, by brother Michael O'Clery, to whose talents a grace-
*
nice," xiv. Martii. Vila S. Ullani, p. 608.
vSee Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
as follows
sanctissimi Declani secundus abbas et pater
:
Declani) discipulis, consuete fuerat," cap. ix. , sect. 77.
antiquis ejus (scil.
exstitit,
July 24. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 309
of St. Isidore's
College.
12 These
lengthened
Acts
have been published by
the Bollandists, at the 24th of July. They consist of the saint's Life, com-
prised in nine chapters, and seventy-nine paragraphs, with accompanying
notes, besides a preliminary commentary of eleven paragraphs. These Acts
were edited by Father Peter Boschius,^ as appears from the marginal initials,
1
affixed at the commencement. '* Bosch observes, that in editing previous
volumes of the great work on which he was engaged, his predecessors were sensible those Acts of St. Declan had been filled with incredible legends, as
alreadyremarked,inmorethanonepassage. ^ Hewasconvinced,also,that few persons, who might take the trouble to examine them, could arrive at a differentconclusion. Suchconsiderations,andothersofasimilarcharacter, urged an idea, about entirely suppressing those Acts. Yet, on subsequent reflection,theeditoralteredthisresolution. 16 TheBollandistwouldnothave his objections to their antiquity understood as implying, that a distant period could not be assigned for their authorship fi and, moreover, he had no proof to advance, that the author recording our saint's Acts flourished at a later periodthanthetenthcentury. Fromacertainpassage,whichappearedinan interpolated copy of these Acts, Papebroch supposed, that the writer could not have lived, before the twelfth century. Some Manuscript Lives of this
18 1
saintare still preserved in Dublin, as also at Bruxelles. ? There is also a
50 21 Manuscript Life of St. Declan, at Louvain. In the "Feilire" of St.
^Engus, at the 24th of July, St. Declan is commemorated, and with distin- guished praise. To this has been affixed a comment, relating to-his family
ful tribute is paid by Colgan, in his preface to the First Volume of the Irish Saints.
12 An Irishman distinguished by his writings and many virtues, Francis Harold, then resided at Rome, and he returned the Acts of St. Declan, afterwards published by
the Bollandists, having accurately amended them, A. n. 1679, from the Roman copy. This enabled him also to supply certain
"
omissions. See Acta Sanctorum," tomus reasons or greater authorities could be pro-
v. , Julii xxiv. De S. Declano Episcopo Ard-
moiice in Hibernia, Commentarius Pnevius,
num. 9, 10, 11, pp. 592, 593.
13 The Bollandist editor acknowledges,
that he could find no better authorities for
St. Declan's Acts, than those used by Ussher
duced to contradict them ; for, as all these
men were skilled in a knowledge of their
country's antiquities, and had read these Manuscript Acts of our saint, in very ancient books ; it ought only seem reasonable, that others should incline to hold as probable an opinion, that those Acts of St. Declan were
and Colgan ; but, he feels surprised, that
these learned men coidd have bestowed of great antiquity.
18
In Marsh's Library, there is one, but sistencies of these materials. See Commen- the commencement of St. Declan's Life,
much attention on the chronological incon-
tarius Praevius, sect. 6, p. 592,
14 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus v. ,
Julii xxiv. De S. Declano Episcopo Ard- morioe in Hibernia, pp. 590 to 608.
*S He remarks : "sed prsecipue ubi de S.
Patricio est actumdiexvii. Martii, — pag. 581. "
16 for the reasons: Chiefly following
First, because they served to show the public
opinion formerly entertained in Ireland, re-
specting Declan's sanctity. Secondly, be-
cause they were of great antiquity in the Life of St. Declan. It exists among the opinion of those esteemed for their know-
ledge of Irish antiquities ; and thirdly, be- cause Ware, Ussher and Colgan published some extracts from them, which created a desire on the part of many, that the entire
Burgundian Manuscripts, in the Library at Bruxelles, fol. 160.
Acts should be published.
*' But, he desired to remove such period
some ages from the death of St. Declan, of whose times this author could have no
personal knowledge. He also acknowledges, that the opinions of Colgan, and of his col-
leagues—whom he extols in the preface his work—
worthy of due consideration, so long as no
to of Ussher and of Ware, must be
which continues from fol. 10 1 to 107, is lost, at fol. 100, in the " Codex Kil- kenniensis. " In Trinity College, there is a Manuscript classed E. 3, II, which contains
a Vita S. Declani, at fol. 66.
Also, in the
and
Irish
Messrs.
Hodges
Academy,
quarto paper Manuscript
Royal
Smith's
contains a Life of St. Deaglan of Ardmore, in the county of Waterford.
'9 Michael O'Clery transcribed an Irish
ao
Described as Vita S. Declani Episcopi
Hibernire, among the Manuscripts of the Library at Louvain.
No.