This name was thought to
resemble
Eboria.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v3
, sect, xix.
, p.
204.
But, it was almost equally convenient, to transmit
an accusation, or to place obstacles, at a great distance from his place of residence, or of birth.
'°* Among these are Archbishop Ussher. See " Index Chronologicus," at a. d. CCCCXXXII. See, also, Harris' Ware, vol.
i. , "Archbishops of Armagh," sect. 14, p. II.
'°s The
Eboria, is thought to correspond with the cited by Colgan, in n. 21, p. 109, of
'"
him the in forty-thii-d
Jocelyn styles
'°^
March 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 527
he at all visited the Eternal City, his stay must have been short, at this period, as can easily be collected, from a comparison of dates. His arrival,
in that city, according to Rev. Dr. Lanigan,"^ could scarcely have been previous to the year 431. It is generally allowed, his abode there, on the occasion treated of, could not have been that, during which it has been said by some writers, he studied at Rome. So early as a. d. 402 has been set down,"7 for his first visit to that city, where it is said he spent a considerable time. "^ ThisperiodUssherconsiders,asapartofthosesevenyears,men- tioned by Tirechan, and which are said to have been passed, by the saint, in
the Gauls, in Italy, and in the islands,"? although Rome is not referred to, by thelatterwriter. '2° However,abouta. d. 402,St. Patrickwasprobablyacap- tiveinIreland. Besides,thereisnot,inanyofSt. Patrick'searlyActs,anac- count,relativetothosesupposedstudies,intheeternalcity. Nordoesitclearly seem, he had ever been there, unless he went thither, on business connected withtheIrishmission. However,ithasbeenstated,insomeofthoseLives, that he had been actually at Rome, where he received the Pope's benedic- tion. This was amplified into an account of his having remained there a considerable time, and for the sake of study. '^^ Were we to follow the text of Probus, in Colgan, the foregoing conclusion might be admitted. '^^ In that passage, however, the text of Probus seems to have been reversed, so that, what is found in the twentieth chapter ought to follow the twenty-second chapter. Thereportedcircumstance,ofSt. Patrickhavingbeenaccompanied by a priest, was for the purpose of introducing our great Apostle to the Pope. Other ancient Acts of our Apostle interpret it, in like manner. "3 For, Probus could not have meant what the text, in its present involved state, seems to convey ; since, neither Rome, nor Celestine, is mentioned, after what we find, in the twenty-first and twenty-second chapters. "*
According to some accounts,"5 St. Patrick, while at Rome, is said to have become a Regular Canon of St. John Lateran,"^ and to have followed
"6 See "Ecclesiastical History of Ire- land," vol. i. , chap, iv. , sect, xv. , p. 184.
"? See Ussher's " Primordia," cap. xvi. ,
xvii. , pp. 790, 835.
"^ Colgan followed Ussher's account, and
he has observed, that St. Patrick could not have remained there, more than six years. See "Trias Thaumaturga," Quinta Appen- dix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap. xiii. , p. 243.
"9 If this were the case, we might sup- pose it probable, that on some occasion or other, St. Patrick visited Rome, like other holy men. A visit to a city, however, is very different, from a permanent residence, which he is thought to have had there, ac- cording to some of his more recent biogra- phers, or their interpolators.
"3 This appears to be the more confinned, by what Probus states, regarding a priest having been sent with our saint, as the vvit- ness, or voucher for his character. This priest could not have borne testimony for him, to the people of Ireland. For these knew less of that priest, than of St. Patrick himself. Yet, such appears to have been Probus' meaning, were we to adhere to the order of his printed text. We must also
naturally conclude, according to such version, that our saint had been sent to Ire- land, not by the Pope, but by St. German,
"* "
See Rev. Dr. Lanigan's Ecclesias-
tical History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, iv. , sect, xv. , n. 135, pp. 190, 191.
"° " See Ussher's
" De Ecclesia lib. Lateranense,"
Index Chronologicus,"
"' Nennius is the only old writer, in Regularium," lib. i. , cap. 5. Also, Gabriel
at A. D. CCCCII.
Joannes Trullus, in
whom this story is to be found.
"» See " Quinta Vita S. Patricii," lib. i,,
cap. XX. , p. 48. Afterwards, it is stated, that he remained a considerable time with
St. German. When the proper time arrived, for St. Patrick setting out for Ire- land, Germanus sent with him a priest, who is called Regirus. See cap. xxi. , xxii. Ibid,
'=*
The claim of the Canons Regular of
"5 in his See, Onuphrius Panvinius,
work, ii. , cap. 3. Historia Canonicorum
"
Pennotus, in his "Historia Canonicorum Regularium," lib. ii. , cap. 34, 35.
St. Augustine, to St. Patrick, has been
strenuously opposed, on their own behalf, by several writers, belonging to the Order of
Augustinian Hermits,
"7 This might be understood, however, as
merely meaning, that they lived in a manner,
528 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 17.
the rule of St. Aiigustine/^7 But, the name of that church, or the account of his regular attachment to it, is not mentioned, in any of St. Patrick's old
Acts. "^ Probably,thatdiscipline,accordingtowhichhehadlived,bothin St. Martin's College, and at Lerins, was similar to what had been observed in Canonical communities. But, he could not properly be called a Canon Regular of St. Augustine, because no such Canons were known, until the eleventhcentury. Aboutthattime,somecommunitiesofclergymenadopted a sort of monastic
had drawn for the direction of a up
'35 See " Ecclesias- Bingham's Origines
nunnery. This was under the superintendence of his
ticae," book i. , chap, v. , sect. 10.
'3* See Fleury's Institutes, part i. , chap, xvii.
'37InIrelandwehadveryfewofthem,until
alter the arrival of the English. Alemand "
sister. With some necessary alterations, these have been applied to communities of men,whotookvows,underthetitle ofthe Rule of St. Augustine.
attributed to St. — Nor until rule, commonly Augustine. "^
the thirteenth century were the Augustinian Hermits'30 more generally known as Augustinians—in existence. ^^i Until the time of Pope Gelasius, it is said,'32 there had not been Canons, in the church of St. John Lateran. '33 However, the practice of some clergy, belonging to a diocese, and living in common with the bishop, had been introduced in several churches, at an early
period. Althoughgivenoriginallytoallclergymen,whowereintheCanon, orrollofachurch;'34 afterwards,thetitleCanoniciorCanonsbecameparticu-
larlyappropriatedtothoseonly,whothuslivedinacomniunity. '35 Especially, they were bound to observe regular rules, relating to their institute. '36
According to this acceptation, it might be said, during part of his life St. Patrick had lived as a Canon, or even, as a Regular Canon. However, it does not appear, that he could have been a Canon Regular of St. Augustine, nor an Augustinian Hermit. '37 For, owing to the nature of that business, upon which St. Patrick is thought to have visited Rome, he could not have
been attached — to the service of regularly there,
any bytheoldwritersofhisActs ithasbeenconjectured,thatitwasprobably
With
toEboria th—
regard place assigned
e
similar to that practised in St Augustine's tine, however, for the first time, had been domestic establishment. placed in the Lateran church, by Alexander "" As a conclusion from this, however, II. Onuphrius himself marks it, in his
Dr. Ledwich had no reason triumphantly to urge an objection, from rather modem and ill-founded statements, against the truth of our saint's Acts, and even of his existence. See " The Antiquities of Ireland," p. 372.
'^ He left no rule, according to Dr. Lani- gan, except certain regulations, which he
Ecclesiastical Chronology, at the year 1062,
'3° Then, they appeared in Lombardy, in his Histoire Monastique d'Irlande,"
under the name of Ereviitce fratris Joannis Boni, ordinis S. Augttstini.
'3' Colgan has a long disquisition, regard-
and, after him, Harris in "Antiquities of Ireland," chap, xxxviii. , have been guilty of a great mistake, in classing such a multitude of our ancient monasteries, under the head of Canons /Regular of St. Augustine. The name of Canons Regular has been continued in these institutions alone, since the eleventh century ; and, as such, they are usually spoken of in the Canon law, and alluded to
ing this whole question. See
maturga," Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Pa- tricii, pp. 237 to 241. There, he states with critical and historical care, the arguments, for and against, these rival claimants of our saint, as their patron. He has very unneces- sarily and amusingly endeavoured to ac- commodate matters, between the disputants.
by Canonists. Thus Gibert says :
''
Tan-
'3= His pontificate began, a. d. 492.
From
we
tum seculo XI. visi sunt primum Canonici
regulares, sic vocati, quia religiosonim vota
— et ea vitre clericali faciebant,
3-
Lanigan's
History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, iv. , sect.
XV,, nn. 133, 134, pp. 186 to 1S9.
the archives of this
'33
learn, that they continued there, until the timeofPopeBonifaceVIH. Seeanoteto Platina's Life of Felix H. , alias 111. That learned man was certainly mistaken, in this point. The Canons Regular of St. Augus-
"
Trias Thau-
church,
adjiciebant. " "Corpus Juris Canonici," Tit. xiii. , Reg.
church. '38
for St. Patrick's consecration
or, as it would appear from Fleury, in 1063. ""
See Histoire Ecclesiastique, lib. Ixi,, sect. vi.
'3* Regulations were made, at various periods, for the purpose of upholding that salutary discipline.
'3^ See Dr.
"Ecclesiastical
March 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 529
some corrupt form of the ancient Bononia, now Boulogne ; or, that Eboria
might stand for Eboracum/39 or for Ebonia Insula ;'t° or, that it might refer,
perhaps, to some town, within or near the territory of Liege, in Belgium. ^**
Again, the Eburones, or Eburoni, are mentioned by C8esar,'t2 and, m his
time, they had a town named Amatuca. Afterwards, their chief town was
Tongern/^3 Supposing it to have been near the coast of France,^*'* and
not far from Auxerre, Dr. Lanigan thinks it was in north-western Gaul,'45
and to have been identical with Evreux,''*^ in Normandy. This was formerly
called Ebroica, and the people of that district were designated Aulerci
Eburovices. *''?
This name was thought to resemble Eboria. But, in Gaul,
neither a town can be found corresponding in name with Eboria,'*^ as all
skilled topographers must acknowledge, nor a bishop, who might answer for St. Amator; itmaybeconsidered,then,ifsuchatownandsuchabishop,
may be found in ancient Italy. Now, it so happens, that very town, in
which St, Patrick received the death of intelligence, regarding
we find at the foot of the
and —
Eboria
—
strates, that St. Patrick had been consecrated
a either in Gaul or and this bishop, Italy,
too before he set out for Britain or Ireland,
Gallica," at Aulerci Ebui-ovices.
to assume the
on him, in reference to our island.
'^' See "Trias Colgan's
'^^ This
missionary
devolving
Colgan
Thaumaturga, Secunda Vita S. Patricii, n. 38, p. 18.
Also, Quarta Appendix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap. xvi. , pp. 252 to 254.
write, babtizo, obto, etc. See also Reeves* "
'= See " De Bello Gallico," lib. ii. , sect. 4, lib. vi. , sect. 31, and elsewhere.
Adamnan's Life of St. Columba. " Prse-
duties
himself avows,
'*' The change of/ into b is quite charac-
Alps,
called or
Eboria, Eporia. '+9
resolvable into Eporia or Eporedia is now Ivr^a, in Piedmont, according to the Bollandists. '5° It lay at the foot of the Alps. 'j' Also, it has been
styled, Iporia and Eporedia and, it is met with, on the direct route from
—;—
Ravenna where probably St. Germanus then lived to Gaul and Ireland.
Travellers, and especially celebrated Irish Saints, generally passed through it, in former times, when journeying between Italy and Gaul. It happened to be on that very road, hallowed by St. German's relics, when translated with solemn pomp from Ravenna to Auxerre ; and, in after times, this funeral route was dotted over, where his remains rested, with several churches, dedi- cated to him. '52
St. Maximus ruled, at this very period, over the See of Turin. He
flourished, a. d. 423,^53 and he was bishop there in 451. ^54 In a straight course, that city is not more than a few miles distant from Ivrea. The name, Maximus, in the old Celtic form, should be equivalent to Amahor, it is main-
'39 York, an ancient city in England. Afterwards, it went by the name of Civitas
'*" Eubonia and Ebonia were formerly Ebroicorum, then Ebroica. Finally, the names, used by ancient Irish writers, for the name was Frenchified into Evreiix. See
"
present Isle of Man. However, the con- Celiarius,
text of his various Lives sufficiently demon- cap. 2, and Hadrian Valesius,
fatio, p. xviii.
'=° See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. ,
'*3 It was called so from Tongri. This Martii xvii. Commentarius prsevius, ad
was another name for the tribe. See Cella- Vitam S. Patricii, sect. v.
"
rius, Geographia Antiqua," lib. ii. , cap. 3.
"Si for the various names of Ivrea, see
'••» "
See, also. Rev. Dr. Todd's "St. Cappaletti's LeChiesed'Italia," vol. xiv. ,
Patrick, Apostle of Ireland," chap, i. , p. 280. p. 177.
'''S This he thinks may be gleaned, from 'S^ in the town and small diocese of Ivrea,
the Second, Fourth and Fifth Lives. In at present, there are no less than seven
these, Euboria is spoken of, as being not far from that port, whence St. Patrick embarked for Great Britain.
chapels, bearing the name of St. Germanus. '^^ According to Genadius.
'54 During this year, he assisted at the
'** In Peutinger's Table, and in Antoni-
nus' Itinerary, from Rouen to Paris, this
town is called Mediolanuin Aukrcorum. occurs on the 25th of June.
'*' See
" De Bello
Gallico,"
lib.
Caesar, iii. , sect. 15.
Geographia Antiqua," lib. ii. ,
" teristic of our Irish writers. This early
Zeuss very clearly proves. It is thus they
Milan Synod, and subscribed to its decrees,
He died soon after A. D. 465, and his feast 2L
Palladius,
"
Notitia
530 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 17.
tained ;^S5 and, a transition from that, to the various Latinized names, already
given, is readily explained. This reputation, for learning and eloquence, and still more for sanctity, justifies those epithets, which are added to his name, in the ancient Lives of St. Patrick. Even the title, Romanus, which these sometimes add, has reference, perhaps, to a tradition, mentioned in the Life of St. Maximus, that he was a native of Rome. At this time, the Emperor Theodosius lived, probably at Ravenna. This city was regarded, at that period, as head-quarters for the Western Empire, and for other cities, in Northern Italy. St. German's history justifies a conjecture, that he was then actually at the Emperor's court. This, too, on occasions, had been migratory, between Ravenna and the Imperial city of Turin. 's6 Accounts state, that the Popes had often visited those parts, during the fifth century. Thus, Pope Celestine, the Emperor Theodosius, St. Germanus, St. Maximus, and Segetius,'57 could have been present, at Turin, on the occasion of St. Patrick's consecration as bishop, and when intelligence had been received at Eboria, regarding the death of Palladius. '^s
Some writers have stated, that St. Patrick was sixty years old, at this time of hislife;'59 but,moreprobably,ithasbeenconcluded,thathemusthavebeen consecrateda bishop, when about forty-five years of age. '^° From some passages,
found in his Confessions, this latter
has been inferred. '^^ — an opinion During
unguardedmoment,inone—hourandduringsomedayofhisboyhood being onlyfifteenyearsatthetime St. PatrickseemstohaveoffendedGod,bysome
objectionable expression. He meekly confesses, that in consequence of it, he wasseverelypunished; thatverily,hewashumbledbyhungerandnakedness, and that he proceeded, though not willingly, towards Ireland, until he nearly faintedaway. Theseacknowledgmentsmanifestthe'poignancyofhisregret; and, we cannot approve, therefore, that breach of confidence, to which he afterwards had been subjected. The saint thus writes, that he was tempted by some of his elders, who came on account of his sins, to urge him against undertakinghislaboriousepiscopacy; and,hewasviolentlytempted,onthat
day, so that he might have fallen then, and for ever, which appears to mean, hehadalmostformedanintention,torenouncehisoriginalpurpose. Hethen
" But the Lord had
and favourably came to my aid in this tribulation, so that I escaped from the
on his
same, without blame, and without reproach. I beseech the Lord," is added,
*'
thathelaynottheoccasionofthissintotheircharge; for,afterthespaceof thirty years, they discovered against me that word, which I confessed, before
says :
mercy
stranger
convert, for his name's
sake,
"
'55 By a writer in the Irish Ecclesias-
tical Record," vol. iii. See Notes on the Life of St. Patrick, No. i. , p. 18.
'5^ It was called, Augusta Taurinorum, in those times.
'57 A bishop, named Segetius, was in Italy, during the pontificate of Leo the Great, and
chap, iv. , sect, xv. , n. 132, p. 186. There was a St. Maximus, Abbot of Lerins, in 426.
He became Bishop of Riez, in Provence, about the year 433, and he died befor—e the year 462, on the 27th of November the day for his festival,
'ss s^g ^ very learned dissertation, on the subject of this enquiry, by an acute investi- gator and a learned writer, in the "Irish Ecclesiastical Record," vol. iii. , No. 25.
about A. u. 443. See Tillemont,
"
Memoires
pour servir a I'Histoire Ecclesiastique,"
tome XV. , p. 421. Dr. Lanigan asks :
•' he have been the same ? Or Might person
would it be reasonable to conjecture, that
Segetius, when a priest, had been sent by Pope Celestine with letters to S. German re- lative to his proceeding to Grea:t Britain, and that, after having been with him in that country, he, on his returning to Rome, was requested to take St. Patrick along wi—th
to 18.
'59 Were such the case, when imdertaking
the Irish mission, in Dr. Lanigan's opinion, he would not have spoken of himself, as
"
Ec- clesiastical History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, iv. , sect, iii. , p. 136. But, may it not be observed, this allusion to being a young
man might have reference to the period of his captivity ?
" Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. i,,
him and to introduce him to the Pope ? '*
October, 1866, pp. 7
having been then a young man. See
March 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 531
I was ordained deacon. '^^ On account of the anxiety of my sorrowing mind, I confessed to my dearest friend, what I had done one day in my boyhood. " The false zeal and want of judgment, on the part of this supposed familiar, seem, for a time, to have interposed some objection to St. Patrick's episcopal elevation. Yet, God had great designs in waiting, for his humble servant ; and, he acknowledges, that all things turned out well for him,'^3 because he was thereby amended, through our Lord. Even on that very day, when Patrick had been reproved by those censors, he saw a nightly vision, before his face. It presented the appearance of a writing, and, in the meantime,
:
Patrick heard an answer from the Lord, saying to him " We have imper-
fectly seen the face of him, who was marked out to us, and whose name was
discovered. " In
giving
this
but,
the saint adds account, :
" Nor did he ' You say,
have
imperfectly
seen
;'
' Wehave
asifhethere imperfectly seen,' joined
himself to another like when he ;
said,
' He who touches touches the you,
of
with my purpose, which I had learned from my Lord ; but, rather I felt within me an uncommon strength, and my faith was approved before God and men. Wherefore, I boldly assert, that my conscience offers me no re- proach. I have God for my witness, that I have spoken the truth in those things I related ; but, I grieved the more for my dearest friend, to whom I trusted my soul, that we should have deserved to hear such an answer. I found out, likewise, from some of my br'ethren, before such prohibition, that I was not there, nor was I in Britain, nor was I the occasion, that he, in my absence, should have defended me. " We are not more clearly enlightened, regarding the nature of this accusation and defence of our holy patron. However, he returned thanks to God, for having comforted and encouraged him, not to desist from the great purpose, on which he had resolved. '^s He also declares, how God and the Irish people knew the manner of his life, and of his dispositions, among them, from the time of his youth. It has been conjectured, that the denunciation of St. Patrick had been contrived, by
'^-^
I
all things, so as not to interfere with the journey I had resolved upon, nor
apple
my eye. '
Wherefore,
give
him,
certain '^^ with a view of seniors,
him at with his friends and home,
keeping
relatives, who were so much opposed to the idea of his undertaking the Irish
mission. It has been regarded, also, as a convincing proof, for his having been consecrated, in his own country, and, not far from where his relations and acquaintances resided. '^^
Singular to relate, St. Celestine the First only lived one week, after this most remarkable event in his pontificate. ^^^ He thoroughly approved, how-
''°
Thus, according to Dr. Lanigan, it would seem to have occurred, in A. D. 432, or towards the latter end of 431. StQibid. ,
least under a part of these seniores, he com- See, Tillemont's Memoires pour prised some of his relatives, nor with his
sect, iv. , pp. 136, 137.
*^' "
servir a I'Histoire
tome xvi. , Art.
notes,
'^^
Ecclesiastique," &c. , ii. , S. Patrice, and
using the word/;w4y^^^» ^^herever he talks of a priest. It would be very unusual, more- over, for a person, while as yet only a priest himself, to use the phrase, "myphests. "
'^7 Tillemont adds, that country was Great Britain. See p. 783. At this time, however, St. Patrick's near relatives seem to have been in France.
These thirty years must be counted, after the fifteen years of age, when this fault had been committed.
'*3 Rom. viii. 28.
'* Zach.
an accusation, or to place obstacles, at a great distance from his place of residence, or of birth.
'°* Among these are Archbishop Ussher. See " Index Chronologicus," at a. d. CCCCXXXII. See, also, Harris' Ware, vol.
i. , "Archbishops of Armagh," sect. 14, p. II.
'°s The
Eboria, is thought to correspond with the cited by Colgan, in n. 21, p. 109, of
'"
him the in forty-thii-d
Jocelyn styles
'°^
March 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 527
he at all visited the Eternal City, his stay must have been short, at this period, as can easily be collected, from a comparison of dates. His arrival,
in that city, according to Rev. Dr. Lanigan,"^ could scarcely have been previous to the year 431. It is generally allowed, his abode there, on the occasion treated of, could not have been that, during which it has been said by some writers, he studied at Rome. So early as a. d. 402 has been set down,"7 for his first visit to that city, where it is said he spent a considerable time. "^ ThisperiodUssherconsiders,asapartofthosesevenyears,men- tioned by Tirechan, and which are said to have been passed, by the saint, in
the Gauls, in Italy, and in the islands,"? although Rome is not referred to, by thelatterwriter. '2° However,abouta. d. 402,St. Patrickwasprobablyacap- tiveinIreland. Besides,thereisnot,inanyofSt. Patrick'searlyActs,anac- count,relativetothosesupposedstudies,intheeternalcity. Nordoesitclearly seem, he had ever been there, unless he went thither, on business connected withtheIrishmission. However,ithasbeenstated,insomeofthoseLives, that he had been actually at Rome, where he received the Pope's benedic- tion. This was amplified into an account of his having remained there a considerable time, and for the sake of study. '^^ Were we to follow the text of Probus, in Colgan, the foregoing conclusion might be admitted. '^^ In that passage, however, the text of Probus seems to have been reversed, so that, what is found in the twentieth chapter ought to follow the twenty-second chapter. Thereportedcircumstance,ofSt. Patrickhavingbeenaccompanied by a priest, was for the purpose of introducing our great Apostle to the Pope. Other ancient Acts of our Apostle interpret it, in like manner. "3 For, Probus could not have meant what the text, in its present involved state, seems to convey ; since, neither Rome, nor Celestine, is mentioned, after what we find, in the twenty-first and twenty-second chapters. "*
According to some accounts,"5 St. Patrick, while at Rome, is said to have become a Regular Canon of St. John Lateran,"^ and to have followed
"6 See "Ecclesiastical History of Ire- land," vol. i. , chap, iv. , sect, xv. , p. 184.
"? See Ussher's " Primordia," cap. xvi. ,
xvii. , pp. 790, 835.
"^ Colgan followed Ussher's account, and
he has observed, that St. Patrick could not have remained there, more than six years. See "Trias Thaumaturga," Quinta Appen- dix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap. xiii. , p. 243.
"9 If this were the case, we might sup- pose it probable, that on some occasion or other, St. Patrick visited Rome, like other holy men. A visit to a city, however, is very different, from a permanent residence, which he is thought to have had there, ac- cording to some of his more recent biogra- phers, or their interpolators.
"3 This appears to be the more confinned, by what Probus states, regarding a priest having been sent with our saint, as the vvit- ness, or voucher for his character. This priest could not have borne testimony for him, to the people of Ireland. For these knew less of that priest, than of St. Patrick himself. Yet, such appears to have been Probus' meaning, were we to adhere to the order of his printed text. We must also
naturally conclude, according to such version, that our saint had been sent to Ire- land, not by the Pope, but by St. German,
"* "
See Rev. Dr. Lanigan's Ecclesias-
tical History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, iv. , sect, xv. , n. 135, pp. 190, 191.
"° " See Ussher's
" De Ecclesia lib. Lateranense,"
Index Chronologicus,"
"' Nennius is the only old writer, in Regularium," lib. i. , cap. 5. Also, Gabriel
at A. D. CCCCII.
Joannes Trullus, in
whom this story is to be found.
"» See " Quinta Vita S. Patricii," lib. i,,
cap. XX. , p. 48. Afterwards, it is stated, that he remained a considerable time with
St. German. When the proper time arrived, for St. Patrick setting out for Ire- land, Germanus sent with him a priest, who is called Regirus. See cap. xxi. , xxii. Ibid,
'=*
The claim of the Canons Regular of
"5 in his See, Onuphrius Panvinius,
work, ii. , cap. 3. Historia Canonicorum
"
Pennotus, in his "Historia Canonicorum Regularium," lib. ii. , cap. 34, 35.
St. Augustine, to St. Patrick, has been
strenuously opposed, on their own behalf, by several writers, belonging to the Order of
Augustinian Hermits,
"7 This might be understood, however, as
merely meaning, that they lived in a manner,
528 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 17.
the rule of St. Aiigustine/^7 But, the name of that church, or the account of his regular attachment to it, is not mentioned, in any of St. Patrick's old
Acts. "^ Probably,thatdiscipline,accordingtowhichhehadlived,bothin St. Martin's College, and at Lerins, was similar to what had been observed in Canonical communities. But, he could not properly be called a Canon Regular of St. Augustine, because no such Canons were known, until the eleventhcentury. Aboutthattime,somecommunitiesofclergymenadopted a sort of monastic
had drawn for the direction of a up
'35 See " Ecclesias- Bingham's Origines
nunnery. This was under the superintendence of his
ticae," book i. , chap, v. , sect. 10.
'3* See Fleury's Institutes, part i. , chap, xvii.
'37InIrelandwehadveryfewofthem,until
alter the arrival of the English. Alemand "
sister. With some necessary alterations, these have been applied to communities of men,whotookvows,underthetitle ofthe Rule of St. Augustine.
attributed to St. — Nor until rule, commonly Augustine. "^
the thirteenth century were the Augustinian Hermits'30 more generally known as Augustinians—in existence. ^^i Until the time of Pope Gelasius, it is said,'32 there had not been Canons, in the church of St. John Lateran. '33 However, the practice of some clergy, belonging to a diocese, and living in common with the bishop, had been introduced in several churches, at an early
period. Althoughgivenoriginallytoallclergymen,whowereintheCanon, orrollofachurch;'34 afterwards,thetitleCanoniciorCanonsbecameparticu-
larlyappropriatedtothoseonly,whothuslivedinacomniunity. '35 Especially, they were bound to observe regular rules, relating to their institute. '36
According to this acceptation, it might be said, during part of his life St. Patrick had lived as a Canon, or even, as a Regular Canon. However, it does not appear, that he could have been a Canon Regular of St. Augustine, nor an Augustinian Hermit. '37 For, owing to the nature of that business, upon which St. Patrick is thought to have visited Rome, he could not have
been attached — to the service of regularly there,
any bytheoldwritersofhisActs ithasbeenconjectured,thatitwasprobably
With
toEboria th—
regard place assigned
e
similar to that practised in St Augustine's tine, however, for the first time, had been domestic establishment. placed in the Lateran church, by Alexander "" As a conclusion from this, however, II. Onuphrius himself marks it, in his
Dr. Ledwich had no reason triumphantly to urge an objection, from rather modem and ill-founded statements, against the truth of our saint's Acts, and even of his existence. See " The Antiquities of Ireland," p. 372.
'^ He left no rule, according to Dr. Lani- gan, except certain regulations, which he
Ecclesiastical Chronology, at the year 1062,
'3° Then, they appeared in Lombardy, in his Histoire Monastique d'Irlande,"
under the name of Ereviitce fratris Joannis Boni, ordinis S. Augttstini.
'3' Colgan has a long disquisition, regard-
and, after him, Harris in "Antiquities of Ireland," chap, xxxviii. , have been guilty of a great mistake, in classing such a multitude of our ancient monasteries, under the head of Canons /Regular of St. Augustine. The name of Canons Regular has been continued in these institutions alone, since the eleventh century ; and, as such, they are usually spoken of in the Canon law, and alluded to
ing this whole question. See
maturga," Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Pa- tricii, pp. 237 to 241. There, he states with critical and historical care, the arguments, for and against, these rival claimants of our saint, as their patron. He has very unneces- sarily and amusingly endeavoured to ac- commodate matters, between the disputants.
by Canonists. Thus Gibert says :
''
Tan-
'3= His pontificate began, a. d. 492.
From
we
tum seculo XI. visi sunt primum Canonici
regulares, sic vocati, quia religiosonim vota
— et ea vitre clericali faciebant,
3-
Lanigan's
History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, iv. , sect.
XV,, nn. 133, 134, pp. 186 to 1S9.
the archives of this
'33
learn, that they continued there, until the timeofPopeBonifaceVIH. Seeanoteto Platina's Life of Felix H. , alias 111. That learned man was certainly mistaken, in this point. The Canons Regular of St. Augus-
"
Trias Thau-
church,
adjiciebant. " "Corpus Juris Canonici," Tit. xiii. , Reg.
church. '38
for St. Patrick's consecration
or, as it would appear from Fleury, in 1063. ""
See Histoire Ecclesiastique, lib. Ixi,, sect. vi.
'3* Regulations were made, at various periods, for the purpose of upholding that salutary discipline.
'3^ See Dr.
"Ecclesiastical
March 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 529
some corrupt form of the ancient Bononia, now Boulogne ; or, that Eboria
might stand for Eboracum/39 or for Ebonia Insula ;'t° or, that it might refer,
perhaps, to some town, within or near the territory of Liege, in Belgium. ^**
Again, the Eburones, or Eburoni, are mentioned by C8esar,'t2 and, m his
time, they had a town named Amatuca. Afterwards, their chief town was
Tongern/^3 Supposing it to have been near the coast of France,^*'* and
not far from Auxerre, Dr. Lanigan thinks it was in north-western Gaul,'45
and to have been identical with Evreux,''*^ in Normandy. This was formerly
called Ebroica, and the people of that district were designated Aulerci
Eburovices. *''?
This name was thought to resemble Eboria. But, in Gaul,
neither a town can be found corresponding in name with Eboria,'*^ as all
skilled topographers must acknowledge, nor a bishop, who might answer for St. Amator; itmaybeconsidered,then,ifsuchatownandsuchabishop,
may be found in ancient Italy. Now, it so happens, that very town, in
which St, Patrick received the death of intelligence, regarding
we find at the foot of the
and —
Eboria
—
strates, that St. Patrick had been consecrated
a either in Gaul or and this bishop, Italy,
too before he set out for Britain or Ireland,
Gallica," at Aulerci Ebui-ovices.
to assume the
on him, in reference to our island.
'^' See "Trias Colgan's
'^^ This
missionary
devolving
Colgan
Thaumaturga, Secunda Vita S. Patricii, n. 38, p. 18.
Also, Quarta Appendix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap. xvi. , pp. 252 to 254.
write, babtizo, obto, etc. See also Reeves* "
'= See " De Bello Gallico," lib. ii. , sect. 4, lib. vi. , sect. 31, and elsewhere.
Adamnan's Life of St. Columba. " Prse-
duties
himself avows,
'*' The change of/ into b is quite charac-
Alps,
called or
Eboria, Eporia. '+9
resolvable into Eporia or Eporedia is now Ivr^a, in Piedmont, according to the Bollandists. '5° It lay at the foot of the Alps. 'j' Also, it has been
styled, Iporia and Eporedia and, it is met with, on the direct route from
—;—
Ravenna where probably St. Germanus then lived to Gaul and Ireland.
Travellers, and especially celebrated Irish Saints, generally passed through it, in former times, when journeying between Italy and Gaul. It happened to be on that very road, hallowed by St. German's relics, when translated with solemn pomp from Ravenna to Auxerre ; and, in after times, this funeral route was dotted over, where his remains rested, with several churches, dedi- cated to him. '52
St. Maximus ruled, at this very period, over the See of Turin. He
flourished, a. d. 423,^53 and he was bishop there in 451. ^54 In a straight course, that city is not more than a few miles distant from Ivrea. The name, Maximus, in the old Celtic form, should be equivalent to Amahor, it is main-
'39 York, an ancient city in England. Afterwards, it went by the name of Civitas
'*" Eubonia and Ebonia were formerly Ebroicorum, then Ebroica. Finally, the names, used by ancient Irish writers, for the name was Frenchified into Evreiix. See
"
present Isle of Man. However, the con- Celiarius,
text of his various Lives sufficiently demon- cap. 2, and Hadrian Valesius,
fatio, p. xviii.
'=° See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. ,
'*3 It was called so from Tongri. This Martii xvii. Commentarius prsevius, ad
was another name for the tribe. See Cella- Vitam S. Patricii, sect. v.
"
rius, Geographia Antiqua," lib. ii. , cap. 3.
"Si for the various names of Ivrea, see
'••» "
See, also. Rev. Dr. Todd's "St. Cappaletti's LeChiesed'Italia," vol. xiv. ,
Patrick, Apostle of Ireland," chap, i. , p. 280. p. 177.
'''S This he thinks may be gleaned, from 'S^ in the town and small diocese of Ivrea,
the Second, Fourth and Fifth Lives. In at present, there are no less than seven
these, Euboria is spoken of, as being not far from that port, whence St. Patrick embarked for Great Britain.
chapels, bearing the name of St. Germanus. '^^ According to Genadius.
'54 During this year, he assisted at the
'** In Peutinger's Table, and in Antoni-
nus' Itinerary, from Rouen to Paris, this
town is called Mediolanuin Aukrcorum. occurs on the 25th of June.
'*' See
" De Bello
Gallico,"
lib.
Caesar, iii. , sect. 15.
Geographia Antiqua," lib. ii. ,
" teristic of our Irish writers. This early
Zeuss very clearly proves. It is thus they
Milan Synod, and subscribed to its decrees,
He died soon after A. D. 465, and his feast 2L
Palladius,
"
Notitia
530 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 17.
tained ;^S5 and, a transition from that, to the various Latinized names, already
given, is readily explained. This reputation, for learning and eloquence, and still more for sanctity, justifies those epithets, which are added to his name, in the ancient Lives of St. Patrick. Even the title, Romanus, which these sometimes add, has reference, perhaps, to a tradition, mentioned in the Life of St. Maximus, that he was a native of Rome. At this time, the Emperor Theodosius lived, probably at Ravenna. This city was regarded, at that period, as head-quarters for the Western Empire, and for other cities, in Northern Italy. St. German's history justifies a conjecture, that he was then actually at the Emperor's court. This, too, on occasions, had been migratory, between Ravenna and the Imperial city of Turin. 's6 Accounts state, that the Popes had often visited those parts, during the fifth century. Thus, Pope Celestine, the Emperor Theodosius, St. Germanus, St. Maximus, and Segetius,'57 could have been present, at Turin, on the occasion of St. Patrick's consecration as bishop, and when intelligence had been received at Eboria, regarding the death of Palladius. '^s
Some writers have stated, that St. Patrick was sixty years old, at this time of hislife;'59 but,moreprobably,ithasbeenconcluded,thathemusthavebeen consecrateda bishop, when about forty-five years of age. '^° From some passages,
found in his Confessions, this latter
has been inferred. '^^ — an opinion During
unguardedmoment,inone—hourandduringsomedayofhisboyhood being onlyfifteenyearsatthetime St. PatrickseemstohaveoffendedGod,bysome
objectionable expression. He meekly confesses, that in consequence of it, he wasseverelypunished; thatverily,hewashumbledbyhungerandnakedness, and that he proceeded, though not willingly, towards Ireland, until he nearly faintedaway. Theseacknowledgmentsmanifestthe'poignancyofhisregret; and, we cannot approve, therefore, that breach of confidence, to which he afterwards had been subjected. The saint thus writes, that he was tempted by some of his elders, who came on account of his sins, to urge him against undertakinghislaboriousepiscopacy; and,hewasviolentlytempted,onthat
day, so that he might have fallen then, and for ever, which appears to mean, hehadalmostformedanintention,torenouncehisoriginalpurpose. Hethen
" But the Lord had
and favourably came to my aid in this tribulation, so that I escaped from the
on his
same, without blame, and without reproach. I beseech the Lord," is added,
*'
thathelaynottheoccasionofthissintotheircharge; for,afterthespaceof thirty years, they discovered against me that word, which I confessed, before
says :
mercy
stranger
convert, for his name's
sake,
"
'55 By a writer in the Irish Ecclesias-
tical Record," vol. iii. See Notes on the Life of St. Patrick, No. i. , p. 18.
'5^ It was called, Augusta Taurinorum, in those times.
'57 A bishop, named Segetius, was in Italy, during the pontificate of Leo the Great, and
chap, iv. , sect, xv. , n. 132, p. 186. There was a St. Maximus, Abbot of Lerins, in 426.
He became Bishop of Riez, in Provence, about the year 433, and he died befor—e the year 462, on the 27th of November the day for his festival,
'ss s^g ^ very learned dissertation, on the subject of this enquiry, by an acute investi- gator and a learned writer, in the "Irish Ecclesiastical Record," vol. iii. , No. 25.
about A. u. 443. See Tillemont,
"
Memoires
pour servir a I'Histoire Ecclesiastique,"
tome XV. , p. 421. Dr. Lanigan asks :
•' he have been the same ? Or Might person
would it be reasonable to conjecture, that
Segetius, when a priest, had been sent by Pope Celestine with letters to S. German re- lative to his proceeding to Grea:t Britain, and that, after having been with him in that country, he, on his returning to Rome, was requested to take St. Patrick along wi—th
to 18.
'59 Were such the case, when imdertaking
the Irish mission, in Dr. Lanigan's opinion, he would not have spoken of himself, as
"
Ec- clesiastical History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, iv. , sect, iii. , p. 136. But, may it not be observed, this allusion to being a young
man might have reference to the period of his captivity ?
" Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. i,,
him and to introduce him to the Pope ? '*
October, 1866, pp. 7
having been then a young man. See
March 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 531
I was ordained deacon. '^^ On account of the anxiety of my sorrowing mind, I confessed to my dearest friend, what I had done one day in my boyhood. " The false zeal and want of judgment, on the part of this supposed familiar, seem, for a time, to have interposed some objection to St. Patrick's episcopal elevation. Yet, God had great designs in waiting, for his humble servant ; and, he acknowledges, that all things turned out well for him,'^3 because he was thereby amended, through our Lord. Even on that very day, when Patrick had been reproved by those censors, he saw a nightly vision, before his face. It presented the appearance of a writing, and, in the meantime,
:
Patrick heard an answer from the Lord, saying to him " We have imper-
fectly seen the face of him, who was marked out to us, and whose name was
discovered. " In
giving
this
but,
the saint adds account, :
" Nor did he ' You say,
have
imperfectly
seen
;'
' Wehave
asifhethere imperfectly seen,' joined
himself to another like when he ;
said,
' He who touches touches the you,
of
with my purpose, which I had learned from my Lord ; but, rather I felt within me an uncommon strength, and my faith was approved before God and men. Wherefore, I boldly assert, that my conscience offers me no re- proach. I have God for my witness, that I have spoken the truth in those things I related ; but, I grieved the more for my dearest friend, to whom I trusted my soul, that we should have deserved to hear such an answer. I found out, likewise, from some of my br'ethren, before such prohibition, that I was not there, nor was I in Britain, nor was I the occasion, that he, in my absence, should have defended me. " We are not more clearly enlightened, regarding the nature of this accusation and defence of our holy patron. However, he returned thanks to God, for having comforted and encouraged him, not to desist from the great purpose, on which he had resolved. '^s He also declares, how God and the Irish people knew the manner of his life, and of his dispositions, among them, from the time of his youth. It has been conjectured, that the denunciation of St. Patrick had been contrived, by
'^-^
I
all things, so as not to interfere with the journey I had resolved upon, nor
apple
my eye. '
Wherefore,
give
him,
certain '^^ with a view of seniors,
him at with his friends and home,
keeping
relatives, who were so much opposed to the idea of his undertaking the Irish
mission. It has been regarded, also, as a convincing proof, for his having been consecrated, in his own country, and, not far from where his relations and acquaintances resided. '^^
Singular to relate, St. Celestine the First only lived one week, after this most remarkable event in his pontificate. ^^^ He thoroughly approved, how-
''°
Thus, according to Dr. Lanigan, it would seem to have occurred, in A. D. 432, or towards the latter end of 431. StQibid. ,
least under a part of these seniores, he com- See, Tillemont's Memoires pour prised some of his relatives, nor with his
sect, iv. , pp. 136, 137.
*^' "
servir a I'Histoire
tome xvi. , Art.
notes,
'^^
Ecclesiastique," &c. , ii. , S. Patrice, and
using the word/;w4y^^^» ^^herever he talks of a priest. It would be very unusual, more- over, for a person, while as yet only a priest himself, to use the phrase, "myphests. "
'^7 Tillemont adds, that country was Great Britain. See p. 783. At this time, however, St. Patrick's near relatives seem to have been in France.
These thirty years must be counted, after the fifteen years of age, when this fault had been committed.
'*3 Rom. viii. 28.
'* Zach.
