—Reputed
Festival
of St.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v3
Bosa, Archbishop of York, England.
\Seventh and Eighth Centuries.
^ The festival of St.
Bosa, Arch- bishop of York, has been referred to the loth of March, by Edward Mainew^ and by Bucelin, who regard this holy man, as belonging to the Benedictine Order.
2 At this date, the Bollandists merely notice the foregoing state- ments.
3
Article X. —St. ^milian, or ^milianus. Abbot of Lagny, France.
ySeventh Century. '] As we have already remarked, in the Life of St. Fursey,^ Abbot of Lagny, the fame of this holy man was reflected back upon his native
country, Ireland, where many of his pious and devoted compatriots desired to emulate his labours and virtues, and to follow him abroad. Among these was the present yEmilian, who, towards the middle of the seventh century, went over to France, it being generally assumed, that he had made the acquaintance of Si. Fursey, in Ireland, where, too, it is said, he had been a disciple ot the celebrated missionary. ^ ^milian was distinguished for his pious and simple character. He was accompanied by some religious Irish- men, and after they had landed m France, yEmilian directed his course to Lagny, where himself and his companions were joyfully received by the holy abbot, and trained in his monastic discipline. The virtues and sage character ofoursaintcausedFurseytonoticehisraremerits. Soontheabbotforecast his own death. From among all his religious children, Fursey chose ^milian as his most worthy successor, commending to him the charge of his commu- nity, after God should have called himself to bliss. Tnis proved a qualified source ot consolation for his religious, who were left to mourn a great loss. 3 St. ^milianthusbecamethesecondAbbotoverLagny. ** Howlonghecon- tinued to rule there is not very well ascertained. His name is found written Eminianus, Emmianus and Emianus, in the old Acts of St. Fursey. There, the little, that is told about St. ^milian, has been collected, by Colgan, at the loth ot March. 5 The Bollandists** have nearly similar notices, ^milian
*This is stated, from a MS. note, in William M. Hennessey's copy.
Menologlum Sco-
tomus ii. , Martii ix. De B. Bosa Episcopo Deirorum Eboraci in Anglia, num. 7, p. 12.
3 the
See ibid. , x. Martii. Among preter-
mitted saints, p. 2.
ARTICLE X. —' His feast occurs, at the
i6th of January, where in vol. i. ol this
work his Lile may be examined. See chap.
Articlevui. —• In"
ticum. " See Bishop Forbes' " Kalendars
of Scottish Saints," p. 194.
'^ "
See Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. ,
Martii x. Among the pretermitted saints, P- 3-
viii. ==
3 See " Historic Catholicae Iberniae Com-
According
to Menard and other writers,
pendmm,"tomusi. , lib. iv. , xi. ,
" cap. p. 49.
Article IX—' See In Tropheeis Con-
gregaiionis Anglias. "
* See the Bollandists' " Acta Sanctorum,"
" Ecclesiastical His- tory of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xvi. , sect, x,,
n. 89, p. 462.
3 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
See Rev. Dr.
Lanigan's
292
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March io.
is praised, as being a man of singular virtue, void of all selfishness, and versed in all degrees of Christian philosophy. 7 According to Desmay,^ the monks of Lagny, when informed about the death of their Abbot St. Fursey, elected St. Eloquius,9 as his immediate successor. If such be the case, ^Erai- lian must have resigned the administration. '° However, Colgan is of opinion, that the latter was Fursey's immediate successor, and that Eloquius was only called upon to rule at Lagny, after the death of ^milian. " This is said to have occurred, on the loth day of March, when Saussay" alludes to him in the Calendar ; while Menard'3 has marked him down, at the same day, and with similar commendation.
Article XL—Reputed Festival of St. Comgell, or St. Congell, Abbot. Itseemsquiteevident,thatagreatmistakehasbeencommittedby Arnold Wion," who has noted a festival for St. Congell, or Comgell, said to have been a Synchronos with St. Brendan, Dempster^ places a feast, at Bangor,fortheAbbotComgall,thefounder,onthelothofMarch. 3 Again, Philip Ferrarius'* quotes Molanus,s for the festival of St. Congellus, Abbas,_in Hibernia,atthisday,asColganremarks. ^ Hehasbeenconfounded,with the establisher of Bangor Monastery, whose real festival occurs on the loth of May ; while, it is stated,? also, that he lived in the time of St. Malachias,^ the Bishop, whose Life St. Bernard^ has written. Yet, an interval of five hundred years intervenes ; and, hence, it may be seen, how apocryphal are those statements, referring to this supposed saint.
Article XII. —The Sons of Torman. On this day, we find mentioned, in the Martyrology of Donegal,' as having veneration paid them, the sons of Torman, son of Cruaidhen. The Martyrology of Tallagh,^ intending to register a similar entry, has, we suspect, fallen into an error, when setting down, Torman and MacCruaden.
Article XTII. —St. Feidhlimid, or Failbhe II. , Abbot of Iona. \Seventh and Eighth Centuries^ It seems probable, this holy man was born
nise," xvi. Januarii. Vita S. Fursasi, lib. i. , ARTICLE XI. —' In " Lignum VitK," lib.
cap. xxxvii. , xxxviii. , p. 82. Also, ix. Feb- iii. Appendix.
ruarii. Vita S. Fursasi, cap. xvii. , pp. 295,
^"
In Menologium Scoticum. " See
"
Bishop Forbes' Kalendars of Scottish
Saints," p. 194.
3 M. L. is quoted, for Dempster's state- ment, which means John Molanus,
296. *"
See, Menard's Martyrologium Bene- dictinum," at the lothof March.
5 See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernise," x.
Martii. De S. ^miliano Abbate Latinia-
censi. Ex Jacobo Desmayo et aliis, pp. 573i 574-
In "
^ Neither on this, nor on any otlier day,
has he a notice of St. Congell, or St. Com-
gell, according to Colgan ; but, the Bollan- dists observe, that he does not appear to have examined the additions of Molanus to Usuard. See"ActaSanctorum,"tomus ii. , Martii x. Among the pretermitted
"
liano Abbate Latiniaci in Territorio Parisi- ensi, lomus ii. , Martii x. , pp. 45, 46.
7SuchistheeulogyofSaussay.
®
See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
See "Acta Sanctorum. " De S. ^mi-
nise," ix. Februarii. Vita S. Furssei, cap. saints, p. 3.
xviii. , p. 296.
5 See his Life, at the 3rd of December.
^"
See Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae. " De
S. Congello Abbate, sed alio die colendo,
p. 577.
^ ]3y Arnold Wion, who cites the Life of
St. Malachias. There, however, allusion is only made to St. Comgall, who died several centuries, before St. Malachy was born.
^ St. O'Morgair, whose Life is Malachy
given, at the 3rd of November.
" See Rev. Dr.
History of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xvi. , sect. X. , n. 98, p. 464.
" See " Acta Sanctorum Hibemiae," ix. Februarii, n. 28, p 300.
" In the " '3 In his "
Martyrologium Martyrologium
Gallicanum. " Benedictinum,"
Lanigan's
" Ecclesiastical
Catalogus
Generalis Sanctorum. "
March io. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 293
in Ireland, after the middle of the seventh century. The year for his birth has been assigned to 668, He seems to have been a monk, at lona, after the beginning of the eighth century. Colgan' and the Bollandists^ have given
some notices, concerning this St. Failbeus, the second Abbot of lona, bearing the name,3 at the loth of March. In the year 722, the Annals of lona record his being elected, as superior of the abbey ; but, as Rev. Dr. Reeves* ex-
plains, only as a coadjutor abbot, under Faelcu,5 son of Dorbene. Colgan will have it, that Failbe held such a position, for seven years ; yet, most probably, only for two, as St. Cillene Fada was elected abbot, a. d. 724. On the loth of March, the name of Failbe, bee, Abbot of la, is found set down in the Martyrologies of Tallagh,^ and of Marianus O'Gorman. Again we meet Faiibhe, Abbot of la, mentioned in the Martyrology of Donegal,? on
"
to his
he was a person of diminutive proportions. This saint died, a. d. 754, accord-
ing to the Annals of the Four Masters,^ after he had completed the eighty- seventh year of his age. He was also called Feidlimidh.
Article XIV.
—Reputed Festival of St. Bessogus, a Bishop. In
the anonymous Catalogue of Irish Saints, pubUshed by O'SuUevan Beare, at the loth of March, a St. Bessogus is commemorated. On the authorityof Floratius, Father Henry Fitzsimon calls him a bishop, at the same date. ' I feel satisfied, that here there must be a mistake of spelling for St. Kessogus, the bishop, whose festival is set down, for the present day.
Article XV. —Reputed Festival of a St. Livenus. The name Live- nus occurs, in the Catalogue of our national Saints, at the loth of March, as we find in O'Sullevan Beare's history ;' yet, elsewhere, I find nothing confir- matory of this authority.
Article XVI. —Festival of St. Constantine. At the loth of March, in the ancient Irish Church, was observed the festival of a St. Constantine, as
this The day.
epithet
small," attaching
name,
seems to that imply,
9 The festival of St Bernard is kept, on the 20th of August.
Article XII. —' Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, p. 72, 73.
=*
'
Article xiii. See "Acta Sanctorum
Hibernise," x. Martii. De S. Failbeo sive Falveo Abbate Hiensi, p. 576.
Article xiv. —' See O'Sullevan Beare's "Historias Catholicse Ibemias Compen- dium," tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. xi. , p. 49, and cap. xii. , p. 52.
Article xv. —' See "Historise Catho-
licse Iberniae Compendium," tomus i. , lib.
iv. , cap. xi. , p. 49.
Article xvi. —' The following Irish
"" Leabhar Breac copy,
P-
nished by Professor O'Looney ):• "! • 1"0.
:
Edited by Rev—. Dr. Kelly, p. xviii.
= See "Acta
Sanctorum," tomus ii. ,
stanza, from the
with its English translation, has been
Martii x.
2-
Among
the
pretermitted saints,
— fur- "Oo i\05]\At) co TiAitigbti
3 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Columbae, cap. iii. , sect, v. , p. 502.
* See Adamnan's " Life of St. Columba. " Additional Notes, O. Chronicon Hyense, pp. 382, 385, 386.
5 His feast occurs, it is supposed by Col- gan, at the 3rd of April.
^
Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xviii.
7 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
/^' 'J'
See Dr. O'Donovan's Edition, vol. i,,
pp. 356, 357.
CoiifCvMicin
cAin comulecli
in the " Feilire. " » in the BoUandist
Yet, collection,
from an
there is no mention of a St. Constantine, at this date.
appears
entry
'
t^f & ^|\ich eo AinjLech
CnAnx) cnoiche in choinroet*. ^'
He was called to the angels Constantine, the chaste, the
luminous,
By whom found the angelic
yew.
The tree of the Cross of the
Lord.
294 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March ii.
Article XVII. —Reputed Festival of St. Kennocha, Virgin, CoiLA, Scotland. \Tenth or Eleventh Century. \ At the loth ot March, David Camerarius' has a notice of St. Kennocha, a Virgin, whose memory was celebrated in Coila, a province of Scotia. ^ The Bollandists have a notice,3 at this date, but they reter her festival, to the 13th of March, which is more in accord with the Scottish Kalendars. *
Article XVIII. —Reputed Festival of St. Attala, Abbot of Bob-
bio, Italy. At Bobbio, tor the loth of March, Dempster' has a festival ot the
Abbot Attala, who succeeded St. Columbanus,^ and who, he states, is thought tohavebeenaScot. However,Jonas,whohaswrittentheLiteofbothholy
abbots, distinctly states, that Attala was a noble by birth, and belonging to the Kingdom of Burgundy ; so that, neither Scotland nor Ireland have any
right to claim him as a countryman. The Bollandists,3 giving a previous commentary of their own/ insert his Acts,5 by Jonas, in their great work, at this date.
eiebeutfj JBap of ilarri)*
ARTICLE I. —ST. iENGUSIUS HAGIOGRAPHUS, OR ST. ^NGUS THE CULDEE, BISHOP AND ABBOT AT CLONENAGH, AND ANCHORET, AT DYSARTENOS, OR AT DYSARTBEAGH, QUEEN'S COUNTY.
lEIGHTH AND NINTH CENTURIES. \
CHAPTER L
INTKODUCTION—SOURCES OF BIOGRAPHY TO ILLUSTRATE THE ACTS OF ST. ^NGUS—HIS PEDIGREE AND EARLY LIFE—HE STUDIES AT THE MONASTERY OF CLONENAGH— MONASTIC TRAINING AND LEARNING—ST. ^NGUS RETIRES TO DYSARTBKTAGH OR TO UYSART ENOS—HIS AUSTERITIES—HE VISITS THE CHURCH OF COOLBANAGHER— A VISION OF ANGELS—THE PURPOSE IT EVOKED.
value of a national literature, especially of the religious type, is the
THE
true and to
to touch the
to
or the sympathies, to inform the minds, to Unk itself closely to the hearts of
the people, who find lessons in the past, to guide their course for the present, and for a definite future. In our early monasteries, the cultivation of learn- ing was ever based on the soundest of |)rinciples, for man's supernatural con- cerns were held to be paramount. We find, that the study of the Scriptures was universal, and their transcription was a passion. Manuscripts still remain, in sufficient numbers, to attest the taste and learning of those early monks.
Article XVII. —' In the Scottish entries Article xviii. —'See "Menologium
of his Kalendar.
3 As
Arturi in Monasterio.
Gynecoeo
3 See "Acta tomus Sanctorum,"
tliey state,
lasting power
suggest,
awaken,
imagination,
Forbes' "Kalendars of Scottish Saints,"
=" See
Scottish Saints," p. 235.
" memoratur in "
» See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Martii x. Among the pretermitted saints, p; 3-
Bisliop
p. 194.
"
See his Life, at the 21st of November.
Scoticum. " Bislaop Forbes'
Kalendars of
^
il. , Martii x. De S. Attala Abbate Bobiensi in
Italia Ordinis S. Columbani, pp. 42 to 45.
In five paragraphs.
s In two
chapters
and twelve
paragraphs.
March ii. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 295
As pious and patriotic themes employed their thoughts and pens, a love for religion, for country, and for race, was perpetuated ; while, our devotional and historic literature has been enriched with their contributions, and we are
brought by links of fond sympathy, to commune intelligently with the spirit and society of ages, removed by over a thousand years, from that stand- point, which is occupied by the men of our time. —
It seems not at all certain—indeed it is extremely doubtful that the Feast and Acts of this very celebrated St. ^ngusius Hagiographus, called also St. ^ngus the Culdee, should be assigned to this day, and not rather to the i6th of February, where there is a St. ^-nghas or CEngus, called Bishop of Rath-na n Epscop, or perhaps to the i8th of February, where we have already set down notices of a St. ^ngus, or St. Oengus, called Bishop ofDrum-Rathe. ' Inthe"Felire"ofSt. ^ngus,^atthisdate,andbyafair inference, the entry occurring, which refers to Oengus, may throw his festival upon one or other of the saints' days just noticed ; since, both ^nguses are omitted there, in the metrical Calendar of the Hagiographer, thus leaving an open for the introduction of his own name, by later compilers. However,
the Martyrologies of Tallagh,3 of Marianus O'Gorman,-* and of Donegal,s record our Saint's Feast, at this date, and so do most of the Hagiographical writers, who give his Life. Wherefore, we seem to have no other option, than accordance with so general an arrangement.
The Acts of this illustrious saint, known generally to Irish scholars, as
. ^ngus the Hagiologist, have been pubhshed by Colgan, at the nth of March. ^ The Bollandists,? Bishop Challenor,^ the Rev. Alban Butler,^ the
5. tl. I'D.
hlC COimCl A|\ pATJAC Oengui' ici^\ |:LAichib Libpen, SenAn y'uchAin ConfCAncm pg RAchm.
15, p. 583. Perhaps, our suggestion is the better one, and it saves tne authenticity of the
3 Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xviii. The only entry regarding him found in the Martyroiogy of Taliagh, at the same date, is Aenghus, Eps. h Ailileni. This, of course, must have been an addition, or interpola- tion, to the original Calendar, said, at least in part, to have been composed by St. ^ngus himself ; and, the notice may have been inserted, long after his death.
* Marianus there calls our
iEngus, the descendant of Hobien, Bishop.
" '" Acta Sanctorum Hiber* See Colgan s
niae,'' xi. Muriii. De S. ^iigus^io Hagio- grapho Episcopo et Confesbore, pp. 579 to
7 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Martii xi. De B. /Engussio Keledeo Ab- bate et Episcopo in liioernia. A short pre- fatory notice, with Colgan's accoiuit, is here
'°havetheActsofSt. atthesamedate. Col- ^Engus,
Rev. S.
gan doubted not, that the Life of Saint . ^ngus had been written, at full length, and that it had been accessible, at a more remote period ; but, he complains, also, that this Life was not available, at the time he had been en-
Baring-Gould,
gaged, in publishing the Acts of our Irish Saints.
However, the virtues of
Article i. —Chapter i. —' The reader may revert, to what we have already written regarding both, at the respective dates specified.
" In ipso etiam iEngussii
^
"" LeabharBreac copy,has
:
bus non reperitur. "
The following stanza, taken from the
"Acta Sanctorum Hi-
—been translated also by Professor O'Looney
xi. Martii. Hagiographo Episcopo
De S.
et
^ngussio
n.
:
Contessore,
saint,
the
great
" See " Lives of the vol. Saints,"
217, 218.
iii. , pp.
Colgan adds
Festilogio in quibusdam exemplaribus poni- tur natalis hac die : sed ilia msulsa additio est : qu(£ idcirco in—vetustioribus exemplari-
bernias,"
"
Feilire," in all its parts.
5 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 72, 73. At tire nth ot March, is there entered Aenghus Ua h Eblen, Bishop, who
They a—re companions of our is called Aenghus Cele-de. It was lie, we Lord ""
Oenjjus amidst chieftains, Libren, and Senan, the everlast-
ing,
Constantine King of Rathin.
are told, that comp(x-,cd the Feilue.
given, pp. 85 to 88. ^ '*
See Britannia Sancta," part i. , pp.
Article X. —St. ^milian, or ^milianus. Abbot of Lagny, France.
ySeventh Century. '] As we have already remarked, in the Life of St. Fursey,^ Abbot of Lagny, the fame of this holy man was reflected back upon his native
country, Ireland, where many of his pious and devoted compatriots desired to emulate his labours and virtues, and to follow him abroad. Among these was the present yEmilian, who, towards the middle of the seventh century, went over to France, it being generally assumed, that he had made the acquaintance of Si. Fursey, in Ireland, where, too, it is said, he had been a disciple ot the celebrated missionary. ^ ^milian was distinguished for his pious and simple character. He was accompanied by some religious Irish- men, and after they had landed m France, yEmilian directed his course to Lagny, where himself and his companions were joyfully received by the holy abbot, and trained in his monastic discipline. The virtues and sage character ofoursaintcausedFurseytonoticehisraremerits. Soontheabbotforecast his own death. From among all his religious children, Fursey chose ^milian as his most worthy successor, commending to him the charge of his commu- nity, after God should have called himself to bliss. Tnis proved a qualified source ot consolation for his religious, who were left to mourn a great loss. 3 St. ^milianthusbecamethesecondAbbotoverLagny. ** Howlonghecon- tinued to rule there is not very well ascertained. His name is found written Eminianus, Emmianus and Emianus, in the old Acts of St. Fursey. There, the little, that is told about St. ^milian, has been collected, by Colgan, at the loth ot March. 5 The Bollandists** have nearly similar notices, ^milian
*This is stated, from a MS. note, in William M. Hennessey's copy.
Menologlum Sco-
tomus ii. , Martii ix. De B. Bosa Episcopo Deirorum Eboraci in Anglia, num. 7, p. 12.
3 the
See ibid. , x. Martii. Among preter-
mitted saints, p. 2.
ARTICLE X. —' His feast occurs, at the
i6th of January, where in vol. i. ol this
work his Lile may be examined. See chap.
Articlevui. —• In"
ticum. " See Bishop Forbes' " Kalendars
of Scottish Saints," p. 194.
'^ "
See Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. ,
Martii x. Among the pretermitted saints, P- 3-
viii. ==
3 See " Historic Catholicae Iberniae Com-
According
to Menard and other writers,
pendmm,"tomusi. , lib. iv. , xi. ,
" cap. p. 49.
Article IX—' See In Tropheeis Con-
gregaiionis Anglias. "
* See the Bollandists' " Acta Sanctorum,"
" Ecclesiastical His- tory of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xvi. , sect, x,,
n. 89, p. 462.
3 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
See Rev. Dr.
Lanigan's
292
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March io.
is praised, as being a man of singular virtue, void of all selfishness, and versed in all degrees of Christian philosophy. 7 According to Desmay,^ the monks of Lagny, when informed about the death of their Abbot St. Fursey, elected St. Eloquius,9 as his immediate successor. If such be the case, ^Erai- lian must have resigned the administration. '° However, Colgan is of opinion, that the latter was Fursey's immediate successor, and that Eloquius was only called upon to rule at Lagny, after the death of ^milian. " This is said to have occurred, on the loth day of March, when Saussay" alludes to him in the Calendar ; while Menard'3 has marked him down, at the same day, and with similar commendation.
Article XL—Reputed Festival of St. Comgell, or St. Congell, Abbot. Itseemsquiteevident,thatagreatmistakehasbeencommittedby Arnold Wion," who has noted a festival for St. Congell, or Comgell, said to have been a Synchronos with St. Brendan, Dempster^ places a feast, at Bangor,fortheAbbotComgall,thefounder,onthelothofMarch. 3 Again, Philip Ferrarius'* quotes Molanus,s for the festival of St. Congellus, Abbas,_in Hibernia,atthisday,asColganremarks. ^ Hehasbeenconfounded,with the establisher of Bangor Monastery, whose real festival occurs on the loth of May ; while, it is stated,? also, that he lived in the time of St. Malachias,^ the Bishop, whose Life St. Bernard^ has written. Yet, an interval of five hundred years intervenes ; and, hence, it may be seen, how apocryphal are those statements, referring to this supposed saint.
Article XII. —The Sons of Torman. On this day, we find mentioned, in the Martyrology of Donegal,' as having veneration paid them, the sons of Torman, son of Cruaidhen. The Martyrology of Tallagh,^ intending to register a similar entry, has, we suspect, fallen into an error, when setting down, Torman and MacCruaden.
Article XTII. —St. Feidhlimid, or Failbhe II. , Abbot of Iona. \Seventh and Eighth Centuries^ It seems probable, this holy man was born
nise," xvi. Januarii. Vita S. Fursasi, lib. i. , ARTICLE XI. —' In " Lignum VitK," lib.
cap. xxxvii. , xxxviii. , p. 82. Also, ix. Feb- iii. Appendix.
ruarii. Vita S. Fursasi, cap. xvii. , pp. 295,
^"
In Menologium Scoticum. " See
"
Bishop Forbes' Kalendars of Scottish
Saints," p. 194.
3 M. L. is quoted, for Dempster's state- ment, which means John Molanus,
296. *"
See, Menard's Martyrologium Bene- dictinum," at the lothof March.
5 See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernise," x.
Martii. De S. ^miliano Abbate Latinia-
censi. Ex Jacobo Desmayo et aliis, pp. 573i 574-
In "
^ Neither on this, nor on any otlier day,
has he a notice of St. Congell, or St. Com-
gell, according to Colgan ; but, the Bollan- dists observe, that he does not appear to have examined the additions of Molanus to Usuard. See"ActaSanctorum,"tomus ii. , Martii x. Among the pretermitted
"
liano Abbate Latiniaci in Territorio Parisi- ensi, lomus ii. , Martii x. , pp. 45, 46.
7SuchistheeulogyofSaussay.
®
See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
See "Acta Sanctorum. " De S. ^mi-
nise," ix. Februarii. Vita S. Furssei, cap. saints, p. 3.
xviii. , p. 296.
5 See his Life, at the 3rd of December.
^"
See Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae. " De
S. Congello Abbate, sed alio die colendo,
p. 577.
^ ]3y Arnold Wion, who cites the Life of
St. Malachias. There, however, allusion is only made to St. Comgall, who died several centuries, before St. Malachy was born.
^ St. O'Morgair, whose Life is Malachy
given, at the 3rd of November.
" See Rev. Dr.
History of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xvi. , sect. X. , n. 98, p. 464.
" See " Acta Sanctorum Hibemiae," ix. Februarii, n. 28, p 300.
" In the " '3 In his "
Martyrologium Martyrologium
Gallicanum. " Benedictinum,"
Lanigan's
" Ecclesiastical
Catalogus
Generalis Sanctorum. "
March io. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 293
in Ireland, after the middle of the seventh century. The year for his birth has been assigned to 668, He seems to have been a monk, at lona, after the beginning of the eighth century. Colgan' and the Bollandists^ have given
some notices, concerning this St. Failbeus, the second Abbot of lona, bearing the name,3 at the loth of March. In the year 722, the Annals of lona record his being elected, as superior of the abbey ; but, as Rev. Dr. Reeves* ex-
plains, only as a coadjutor abbot, under Faelcu,5 son of Dorbene. Colgan will have it, that Failbe held such a position, for seven years ; yet, most probably, only for two, as St. Cillene Fada was elected abbot, a. d. 724. On the loth of March, the name of Failbe, bee, Abbot of la, is found set down in the Martyrologies of Tallagh,^ and of Marianus O'Gorman. Again we meet Faiibhe, Abbot of la, mentioned in the Martyrology of Donegal,? on
"
to his
he was a person of diminutive proportions. This saint died, a. d. 754, accord-
ing to the Annals of the Four Masters,^ after he had completed the eighty- seventh year of his age. He was also called Feidlimidh.
Article XIV.
—Reputed Festival of St. Bessogus, a Bishop. In
the anonymous Catalogue of Irish Saints, pubUshed by O'SuUevan Beare, at the loth of March, a St. Bessogus is commemorated. On the authorityof Floratius, Father Henry Fitzsimon calls him a bishop, at the same date. ' I feel satisfied, that here there must be a mistake of spelling for St. Kessogus, the bishop, whose festival is set down, for the present day.
Article XV. —Reputed Festival of a St. Livenus. The name Live- nus occurs, in the Catalogue of our national Saints, at the loth of March, as we find in O'Sullevan Beare's history ;' yet, elsewhere, I find nothing confir- matory of this authority.
Article XVI. —Festival of St. Constantine. At the loth of March, in the ancient Irish Church, was observed the festival of a St. Constantine, as
this The day.
epithet
small," attaching
name,
seems to that imply,
9 The festival of St Bernard is kept, on the 20th of August.
Article XII. —' Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, p. 72, 73.
=*
'
Article xiii. See "Acta Sanctorum
Hibernise," x. Martii. De S. Failbeo sive Falveo Abbate Hiensi, p. 576.
Article xiv. —' See O'Sullevan Beare's "Historias Catholicse Ibemias Compen- dium," tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. xi. , p. 49, and cap. xii. , p. 52.
Article xv. —' See "Historise Catho-
licse Iberniae Compendium," tomus i. , lib.
iv. , cap. xi. , p. 49.
Article xvi. —' The following Irish
"" Leabhar Breac copy,
P-
nished by Professor O'Looney ):• "! • 1"0.
:
Edited by Rev—. Dr. Kelly, p. xviii.
= See "Acta
Sanctorum," tomus ii. ,
stanza, from the
with its English translation, has been
Martii x.
2-
Among
the
pretermitted saints,
— fur- "Oo i\05]\At) co TiAitigbti
3 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Columbae, cap. iii. , sect, v. , p. 502.
* See Adamnan's " Life of St. Columba. " Additional Notes, O. Chronicon Hyense, pp. 382, 385, 386.
5 His feast occurs, it is supposed by Col- gan, at the 3rd of April.
^
Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xviii.
7 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
/^' 'J'
See Dr. O'Donovan's Edition, vol. i,,
pp. 356, 357.
CoiifCvMicin
cAin comulecli
in the " Feilire. " » in the BoUandist
Yet, collection,
from an
there is no mention of a St. Constantine, at this date.
appears
entry
'
t^f & ^|\ich eo AinjLech
CnAnx) cnoiche in choinroet*. ^'
He was called to the angels Constantine, the chaste, the
luminous,
By whom found the angelic
yew.
The tree of the Cross of the
Lord.
294 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March ii.
Article XVII. —Reputed Festival of St. Kennocha, Virgin, CoiLA, Scotland. \Tenth or Eleventh Century. \ At the loth ot March, David Camerarius' has a notice of St. Kennocha, a Virgin, whose memory was celebrated in Coila, a province of Scotia. ^ The Bollandists have a notice,3 at this date, but they reter her festival, to the 13th of March, which is more in accord with the Scottish Kalendars. *
Article XVIII. —Reputed Festival of St. Attala, Abbot of Bob-
bio, Italy. At Bobbio, tor the loth of March, Dempster' has a festival ot the
Abbot Attala, who succeeded St. Columbanus,^ and who, he states, is thought tohavebeenaScot. However,Jonas,whohaswrittentheLiteofbothholy
abbots, distinctly states, that Attala was a noble by birth, and belonging to the Kingdom of Burgundy ; so that, neither Scotland nor Ireland have any
right to claim him as a countryman. The Bollandists,3 giving a previous commentary of their own/ insert his Acts,5 by Jonas, in their great work, at this date.
eiebeutfj JBap of ilarri)*
ARTICLE I. —ST. iENGUSIUS HAGIOGRAPHUS, OR ST. ^NGUS THE CULDEE, BISHOP AND ABBOT AT CLONENAGH, AND ANCHORET, AT DYSARTENOS, OR AT DYSARTBEAGH, QUEEN'S COUNTY.
lEIGHTH AND NINTH CENTURIES. \
CHAPTER L
INTKODUCTION—SOURCES OF BIOGRAPHY TO ILLUSTRATE THE ACTS OF ST. ^NGUS—HIS PEDIGREE AND EARLY LIFE—HE STUDIES AT THE MONASTERY OF CLONENAGH— MONASTIC TRAINING AND LEARNING—ST. ^NGUS RETIRES TO DYSARTBKTAGH OR TO UYSART ENOS—HIS AUSTERITIES—HE VISITS THE CHURCH OF COOLBANAGHER— A VISION OF ANGELS—THE PURPOSE IT EVOKED.
value of a national literature, especially of the religious type, is the
THE
true and to
to touch the
to
or the sympathies, to inform the minds, to Unk itself closely to the hearts of
the people, who find lessons in the past, to guide their course for the present, and for a definite future. In our early monasteries, the cultivation of learn- ing was ever based on the soundest of |)rinciples, for man's supernatural con- cerns were held to be paramount. We find, that the study of the Scriptures was universal, and their transcription was a passion. Manuscripts still remain, in sufficient numbers, to attest the taste and learning of those early monks.
Article XVII. —' In the Scottish entries Article xviii. —'See "Menologium
of his Kalendar.
3 As
Arturi in Monasterio.
Gynecoeo
3 See "Acta tomus Sanctorum,"
tliey state,
lasting power
suggest,
awaken,
imagination,
Forbes' "Kalendars of Scottish Saints,"
=" See
Scottish Saints," p. 235.
" memoratur in "
» See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Martii x. Among the pretermitted saints, p; 3-
Bisliop
p. 194.
"
See his Life, at the 21st of November.
Scoticum. " Bislaop Forbes'
Kalendars of
^
il. , Martii x. De S. Attala Abbate Bobiensi in
Italia Ordinis S. Columbani, pp. 42 to 45.
In five paragraphs.
s In two
chapters
and twelve
paragraphs.
March ii. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 295
As pious and patriotic themes employed their thoughts and pens, a love for religion, for country, and for race, was perpetuated ; while, our devotional and historic literature has been enriched with their contributions, and we are
brought by links of fond sympathy, to commune intelligently with the spirit and society of ages, removed by over a thousand years, from that stand- point, which is occupied by the men of our time. —
It seems not at all certain—indeed it is extremely doubtful that the Feast and Acts of this very celebrated St. ^ngusius Hagiographus, called also St. ^ngus the Culdee, should be assigned to this day, and not rather to the i6th of February, where there is a St. ^-nghas or CEngus, called Bishop of Rath-na n Epscop, or perhaps to the i8th of February, where we have already set down notices of a St. ^ngus, or St. Oengus, called Bishop ofDrum-Rathe. ' Inthe"Felire"ofSt. ^ngus,^atthisdate,andbyafair inference, the entry occurring, which refers to Oengus, may throw his festival upon one or other of the saints' days just noticed ; since, both ^nguses are omitted there, in the metrical Calendar of the Hagiographer, thus leaving an open for the introduction of his own name, by later compilers. However,
the Martyrologies of Tallagh,3 of Marianus O'Gorman,-* and of Donegal,s record our Saint's Feast, at this date, and so do most of the Hagiographical writers, who give his Life. Wherefore, we seem to have no other option, than accordance with so general an arrangement.
The Acts of this illustrious saint, known generally to Irish scholars, as
. ^ngus the Hagiologist, have been pubhshed by Colgan, at the nth of March. ^ The Bollandists,? Bishop Challenor,^ the Rev. Alban Butler,^ the
5. tl. I'D.
hlC COimCl A|\ pATJAC Oengui' ici^\ |:LAichib Libpen, SenAn y'uchAin ConfCAncm pg RAchm.
15, p. 583. Perhaps, our suggestion is the better one, and it saves tne authenticity of the
3 Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xviii. The only entry regarding him found in the Martyroiogy of Taliagh, at the same date, is Aenghus, Eps. h Ailileni. This, of course, must have been an addition, or interpola- tion, to the original Calendar, said, at least in part, to have been composed by St. ^ngus himself ; and, the notice may have been inserted, long after his death.
* Marianus there calls our
iEngus, the descendant of Hobien, Bishop.
" '" Acta Sanctorum Hiber* See Colgan s
niae,'' xi. Muriii. De S. ^iigus^io Hagio- grapho Episcopo et Confesbore, pp. 579 to
7 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Martii xi. De B. /Engussio Keledeo Ab- bate et Episcopo in liioernia. A short pre- fatory notice, with Colgan's accoiuit, is here
'°havetheActsofSt. atthesamedate. Col- ^Engus,
Rev. S.
gan doubted not, that the Life of Saint . ^ngus had been written, at full length, and that it had been accessible, at a more remote period ; but, he complains, also, that this Life was not available, at the time he had been en-
Baring-Gould,
gaged, in publishing the Acts of our Irish Saints.
However, the virtues of
Article i. —Chapter i. —' The reader may revert, to what we have already written regarding both, at the respective dates specified.
" In ipso etiam iEngussii
^
"" LeabharBreac copy,has
:
bus non reperitur. "
The following stanza, taken from the
"Acta Sanctorum Hi-
—been translated also by Professor O'Looney
xi. Martii. Hagiographo Episcopo
De S.
et
^ngussio
n.
:
Contessore,
saint,
the
great
" See " Lives of the vol. Saints,"
217, 218.
iii. , pp.
Colgan adds
Festilogio in quibusdam exemplaribus poni- tur natalis hac die : sed ilia msulsa additio est : qu(£ idcirco in—vetustioribus exemplari-
bernias,"
"
Feilire," in all its parts.
5 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 72, 73. At tire nth ot March, is there entered Aenghus Ua h Eblen, Bishop, who
They a—re companions of our is called Aenghus Cele-de. It was lie, we Lord ""
Oenjjus amidst chieftains, Libren, and Senan, the everlast-
ing,
Constantine King of Rathin.
are told, that comp(x-,cd the Feilue.
given, pp. 85 to 88. ^ '*
See Britannia Sancta," part i. , pp.
