No More Learning

5* The object of this expedition, we are told, was to assert northern superiority over and to devastate the more southern portion of our island. It was intended, likewise, to humble the acquired pretensions of the Leinster people, owing to their recent suc- cesses.
of
p. 86.
and he there
that very glaring anachronisms must be re- marked. These are the inversions of historic incidents, which are not found mentioned in the "Codex Insulensis. " He appears to have supposed that a third battle, not dis- coverable from our records, might have been fought between the men of Leinster and of the North. See " Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
nise," xxxi. Januarii, n. 49, p. 220.
Ireland,
Ancient and
Modem," chap, x. ,
55 has a Colgan
note,
observes,
47 See Rev. Dr. Reeves "On Some Ec- clesiastical Bells in the collection of the Lord Primate. "
4^ To this occasion it is said must be re- ferred the Leinster king's bestowal on St, Aidan of the royal seat at Ferns, its ban-
quetting halls and champions' apartments, its woods and hunting grounds, and other'
According '*
supreme Irish monarch, joined by the Kings of Connaught and Ulster, had collected a great army. It was marshalled under difife- rent chieftains, and then he marched against the Leinster people.
Haverty's History
to parish
war which broke out. The of
King Tara,
S' See "Acta Sanctorum Hibemire," xxxi.
s^ Incorrectly called Cuasg, in St. Mai- doc's acts, as published.
January 31. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 551
Perhaps, owing to some confusion which occurs in the introduction of this
battle, and that chronological inaccuracy of making Cumuscach vindicate the death of his father, we are not to believe, that a third battle had been fought to settle the differences of the Leinster people and their northern adversaries ; but possibly, the writer of our saint's life had received, on doubtful authority, a false version respecting those warlike occurrences. He had confounded either the battle of Dunbolg, or of Dun-bucat, with the contest which he afterwards mentions. In a former part of our saint's acts, his biographer had already alluded to the battle of Dunbolg, in which ^dus lost his life. s^ The reigning King of Leinsters? —so state the acts—came to holy Archbishop St. Maidoc, when he heard of the danger that threatened, and then com- plained of this unjust invasion. The servant of God^^ encouraged the King ofLeinstertomeettheadvancinghostsboldly; promisingatthesametime, that as many holy men were engaged in the service of God, within his dominions,theyshouldallofferupprayersforhissuccess. Duringthenight, St. Maidocstoodwithhishandsextendedinprayer. 59 Onthedayfollowing, trusting in the God of battles, through his patron St. Maidoc, the Leinster Kingwentforthtomeettheinvadingarmy. Thehostsoftheotherpro- vinces were utterly routed with a loss of twenty-four thousand slain in battle -^
besides many others who fell, in a tumultuous retreat that ensued. ^^
It would appear, that Brandubh must have followed up his victories, by invading the northern parts of Ireland. We read, after the defeat of the monarch Aedh, that Brandubh came to a place called Callachuari, bearing with him much spoil, collected in the north of the island. While moving alongthecoast,^=^acertainlepermeetinghimaskedforalms. Thekinggave him a cow,^3 which had borne a calf Thence proceeding towards his own territorial possessions, Brandubh pitched his camp, on the banks of the River Slaney. While here, he had a vision, which caused him great uneasiness. He then seemed carried to Hell, where demons met him with open jaws. Amongst others, he saw one evil spirit greater and stronger than the rest, placed at the gates. His mouth seemed open, as if prepared to devour, and makingadesperateattempttodrawthekingtowardshim,forthispurpose. At that moment, filled with joy and exceedingly beautiful, a cleric came forward, and placed in the mouth of the dragon a cow, like to that which the king had given to the leper. ^4 Thus, he seemed to rescue this monarch from the
s^From the apparent inaccuracy of narra- nise," xxxi. Januarii. Vita S. Maidoci, cap.
live,regardingasubsequentbattle,wemay Ix. ,pp. 214,215.
perhaps infer, either that the writer's infor- mant was not contemporaneous with the events he related, or that he lived in a diffe- rent part of the country from that place in which they occurred.
^'^ In the Vita S. Aidui, Rev. W. J. Rees' " Lives fof the Cambro-British Saints," p. 241, the shore he passed by is called Ech- drom.
^3 In the life of our saint, the animal Bran- dubh gave is said to have been "ludarium Sancti Aidui. Rev. W. J. Rees' "Lives calvum et flavum. " Colgan remarks on
57 Stated to be Brandubh. See Vita
of the Cambro-British Saints," p. 249.
5^ Maidoc then appears to have been stay-
at his foundation of Cluain DichoUa. See
ing
Rev. Dr. Reeves " On Some Ecclesiastical
Bells," &c. This church probably lay on
Brandubh's line of march to encounter the monarch Aedh.
S9See the "Irish Ecclesiastical Record,"
vol. vii. , pp. 363, 364.
^ See Vita S. Aidui. Rev. W. J. Rees'
Saints," p. Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
this passage, that some MSS. read "lilium,"
while others have "fulvum. " By "Luda-
or " Laodarium," a "heifer," rium," perhaps
is to be understood, perhaps from the Irish word "Laodh," which means a "calf. " Hence " Ludaria " or " Laodaria " is to be interpreted "having a calf. " See n. 28, p. 217. In O'Reilly's "Irish-English Dic- tionary," Iao^ is " a calf" in Irish. In Welsh"Iho. " ^&^subvoce.
"Lives of the Cambro-British
^t See
Irish Ecclesiastical
Record,"
vol.
249.
6' **
See Colgan's
" vii. , p. 365.
552 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 31.
power of his foul adversary. Again, this demon attempted to draw the king
towards him, when the same cleric struck that monster's head with his staff,
andclosedhisfierymouth. However,Brandubhinhisdreamsseemedto
escape a threatened fatality, and his spirit was at once restored to his body.
On awaking from his trance or from sleep, the king told his familiars what
had occurred. So mentally depressing was the influence this vision exercised,
thathisbodilyhealthsufferedinconsequence. Theking'sattendantsthen
brought him to a place, called Inbher Grairachinn. ^s His friends here^
mentioned Maidoc's name, in connection with many miracles which were
wrought. They advised Brandubh to send for holy water, blessed by the
saint. Brandubh " no means but I vi'ill rather in to replied, By ; go person
themanofGod. " Thenascendinghischariot,thekingcametoSt. Maidoc. This latter, hearing of Brandubh's approach, went out to meet him. When
the king saw Maidoc coming at a distance, he cried out " This saint hath
:
rescued me from the demon's mouth, and from the pains of Hell ; now do I knowhisappearance. " Afterwards,thekingprostratedhimselfatoursaint's
" I am
whatsoever you shall prescribe, for my soul's salvation, in the name of God, I will perform. " Then the saint, by prayer, healed all his infirmities. ^7 The king told him what had occurred, in his vision, acknowledging at the same time his great obligations to the Lord's holy servant. Moreover, Brandubh promised that, after his death, his remains and those of his posterity should repose in St. Maidoc's cemetery. ^^ The king then made rich offerings to our saint. Amongst other gifts, he presented that land on which Ferns monastery was built,^9 and where the saint's body reposed, together with Brandubh's remains, and those of his posterity. 7° We are told, that King Brandubh, by his influence, caused a great convocation of clerics and laics, belonging to the province of Leinster, to be assembled at a synod. ''* There
was declared to be annexed to St. Maidoc's see and church at Ferns. After-
feet, saying :
truly
contrite for so much evil and having wrought ;
the archbishopric of Leinster? ^—at first assigned to St. Fiech of Sletty73— wards, we are told, our saint was consecrated and appointed archbishop,74
This event is thought to have taken
city,
7' See Rev. Dr. Reeves' "On Some Eccle-
"
etc.
^^ Dr. Lanigan remarks, that the so-called
archbishops of those times in Ireland, ex-
** The place where he lay ill is called
Bererimtham in the Vita S. Aidui of Rev. strictly speaking, metropolitans invested
in presence of numerous spectators. 75
*5 In a subsequent passage this place on the sea-shore is rendered Inbher Crumchinn. It probably lay on some part of the eastern coast, and in the county of Wexford or Wicklow.
siastical Bells,
W. J. Rees' " Lives of the Cambro-British Saints," p. 242.
with such jurisdiction as the canon law has established. They enjoyed, by courtesy, a sort of honorary pre-eminence, the title pas-
*' See
"
Irish Ecclesiastical Record," vol.
vii. , p. 365.
'^See Rev. Dr. Reeves' "On Some Ec-
clesiastical Bells," etc.
^ The Acts of St. Maidoc seem to place
the building of this religious establishment
after the vision of King Brandubh, Yet,
the chronological disorder of these Acts
leaves it doubtful at what period of the in which he endeavours to show, that those
king's career this foundation took place. '•The Acts state, that when our saint had founded Ferns monastery, in this place, a city afterwards arose near it. This city seems to have sprung into importance, and to have been the growth of years, before King Brandubh's close of life, and ere he
are in error who suppose there were not four archbishoprics to be found in Ireland, be- fore the time of Cardinal Paparo, who is said to have established them, but only in the year 11 52. See his " Acta Sanctorum Hi-
bemice," xxxi, Januarii, n. 29, pp. 217» 218.
75 See " Acta Sanctorum Hiber- Colgan's
nise," xxxi. Januarii. Vita S. Maidoci, cap.
of it into an thought elevating
archiepiscopal —in other words, an important episcopal—
cepting the primate of Armagh, were not,
sing from one see to another. See
'*
Eccle- siastical History of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap,
xiv. , sec. x. , n. 135, p. 540.
7^ See Gratianus Lucius' "Cambrensis
Eversus," Rev. Dr. Kelly's edition, vol. iii. , cap. xxxi. , pp. 472, 473.
? * Colgan has a long note on this subject,
xxvii. , xxviii. , p. 211. Ferns," p. 436.
" Ecclesiastical His*
two Irish stanzas thus recounts the happy privileges of this place : —
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS
January 31. ]
place A. D. 598,7'5 Qj. during the three following years. At least it must
have occurred before Brandubh's death. 77 Our saint's election by the Leinster bishops was quite in accordance with the disciplinary code, that prevailed at
this early period in the Irish Church. 78 The acts of this synod, how- ever, like so many others, even of more recent date, seem not recoverable at the pre- sent time.
An ecclesiastical an- tiquary would desire to visit the parish and town of Ferns. 79 It is thought to be one of the first among the thirty churches erected by St. Aidan within
Hy-Cainnselach. Ferns parish^ lies within the baronies of Scara- walsh and Gorey. The old abbey of Ferns is ill decay. ^' The ancient city from which it de- rived name has now declined from its for-
_ =„
77 See Dr.
lory of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xiv. , sec. X. , p. 338.
Round Tower belonging lo Ferns Abbey, Co. Wexford.
marginal gloss on the "Feilire" of St. 7* See Harris' Ware, vol. i. , "Bishops of /Engus. The following English version of
Lanigan's
7^ " As yet, none of the metropolitan sees
had been definitively fixed by Rome, but it
was deemed expedient, not to say necessary,
for the maintenance of discipline, and for the
observance of the canonical decrees, that to
each province there should be at least one
bishop enjoying pre-eminence, and invested
with quasi-metropolitan jurisdiction. The
" Moedoc shall sing hymns and the Psalter ;
The desire for constant chaunting is awakened,
By that plain of heavenly sounds ; —O Lord, who rulest the elements! "
"
See Irish Ecclesiastical Record," vol.
vii. , pp. 317, 318.
^ It is bounded on the north by Kilrush
and Carneu parishes ; on the east, by Kil- coom parish ; on the south, by the Clone
MS.
^^
Liber Canonum," drawn up as an
ecclesiastical code of laws for Ireland before
the year 700, expressly sanctions such an
election of a metropolitan by the decree of
his brother bishops, and it cannot surprise
bishops
if,
of all the province should be desirous to have their decree sanction—ed and confirmed by the temporal authority. " "Irish Ecclesi- astical Record," vol. vii. , pp. 364, 365.
7»In the "Leabhar Breac" there is a
us as in the case of St. Aidan, the
''
Plain of Fearna, plain of Fearna, Where the chaste Moedoc shall be \ Plain where are hounds and troops ; Plain that will be filled with sacred
chaunting !
and Kilcormack and
on the west,
by Ballycarney parish.
*' We find a very beautiful ink
drawing
of
parishes
;
554 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 31.
merimportance. ^^ Asmightbeexpected,somevenerableruinsofthepast are left. ^3 in ancient Irish MSS. Ferns is always called Feama. This place
took its name, according to an ancient tradition,^"* from the hero Feama, son of Caireal, King of the Decies. He was there slain in a battle by GoU, the son of Moma. ^5 Dr. O'Donovan offers a conjecture, founded on the
etymon
ofthe
word,
thatit
signifies,
"a inaldertrees. "^^ We place abounding
find various interesting memoranda, regarding this ancient see, left us by the same writer. ^?
One time, Maidoc paid a visit to a saintly man, Fintan Munnu,^^ of Teach Munnu, now Taghmon,^? in the southern part of the county of Wex- ford. This abbot9° received his guest with much honour, and told a brother servitor, to request Maidoc, that all the monks might partake of something beyond their ordinary fare, on the night he arrived. At once, Bishop Maidoc gave his assent. St. Munnu again requested his servant to inform the prelate, that all could not partake of refreshments, for many among them were then on the sick list. 9^ Maidoc
Hearing this,
petitioned for the recovery of his brethren, because the Lord, my God, is
able to restore all of them to health, on my arrival. " When he had thus spoken, all the infirm recovered ; even those supposed to be at the point of
death, were able to sup with their more robust brethren.
On the third day,
replied,
cunningly
" The abbot hath
St. Munnu said to him " Thou shalt not :
when Maidoc wished to
depart, until all those restored brethren shall be reduced to their former infirm state. " The bishop replied, that the Lord had granted their health through himself. The abbot repeated his [request, adding this sentence in
niae," n. 12, p. 216.
County of Wexford," Sheets 36, 41. On the latter Sheet are to be seen St. Munnu's well, and St. Munnu's church ruins in the old graveyard. Taghmon parish is partly situated in the barony of Bargy, and it is fully described on Sheets 36, 41, 42.
9° Otherwise called Fintan son of Tulchan
[recte of Fingaine] died} A. D. 685, according * to Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four
Masters," vol. i. , pp. 292, 293.
241.
thing. See the County of Wexford
"
Letters
the city of Ferns fere centum miliaria in« tervened. SeeVitaS. Maidoci,cap. xxxiii.
depart,
" Virtue is in Then the acceded to perfected infirmity. " bishop
Scripture,
Fintan Munnu's request. All his brethren so lately restored were again re- duced to their former state of trial and suffering. The bishop, however, did notdepartwithoutbestowinghisbenedictiononthisentirecommunity. At another time, while St. Maidoc was at a place, called Ardlatrann,^^ he saw
it, taken from the east, by William F. Wake-
man, and representing, too, its remarkable round tower, in the "Letters containing Information relative to the Antiquities of the County of Wexford, collected during the Progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1840," vol. i. , p. 62.
^^
The base and shaft of a ruined old cross, with carvings around the sides, succeeds the drawing already alluded to. This was in the churchyard at Ferns, in 1840, and it is represented in an ink sketch, by the same accomplished artist. Ibid.
^3 The accompanying illustration of the
curious round tower, yet remaining at Ferns, has been drawn by George V. Du Noyer, and it has been engraved by Mrs. Millard,
Dublin. The original is among his portfolio drawings in the R. I. A.
^'' According to the ancient Irish MSS. ,
"
and Colgan in his Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
^s We must reject all the fanciful " Dinn- "
seanchus derivations, of wliich this is one, as Mr. O'Donovan states.
^*
But if what Colgan and the ancient Irish writei-s say regarding the origin of this name be correct, such a derivation goes for no-
Containing Information for the Irish Ord- nance Survey," vol. i. , p. 77. The remarks are in the handwriting of Mr. O'Donovan. They are dated June 5th, 1840. \
^^ See the history and extracts relating to
Ferns, in the previously quoted volume,
from pp. 77 to 236.
^^
This saint's festival is observed on the 2 1st of October.
'^sThe townland and town of Taghmon
are shown in the parish of that name, and
in the barony of Shelmalire West, on the
''
Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the
9' See Rev. W.
Rees' "Lives of the Cambro-BritishSaints. " VitaS. Aidui,p.
J.
^^ We are told that between this place and ""
January 31. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 555
six oxen yolked to a plough, moving towards the gate of Fems city. 93 The servant of God, beholding this sight at a distance, raised his hand to bestow benediction. At this moment, the ploughman fell between the ploughshare or some other part of the yoke. Yet, he was found to be unhurt, as the oxen remained perfectly still. s^
After this account, we are told in our saint's life, that his holy master, David, Bishop of Menevia, wished to see and confer with him, before his death, which was approaching. 95 Our saint at once obeyed. He set out for Britain, where he remained for some time with his venerated master. It has been maintained,^^ this visit of our saint must be referred to a period priortothat,whenhebecamebishop; asSt. Daviddiedsomeyearsante- cedent to 599,97 and a learned writer supposes, in the year 589, from certain calculations which are made. 9^ After this visit, St. Maidoc informed his master, on a certain day, that he had promised to be in Ireland. He was told by the latter, this promise should be instantly fulfilled. A wonderful miracle is then related to account for Maidoc's speedy transition, after he had received St. David's benediction. 99 The latter had declared, likewise, that there should be a strict fraternity between both in heaven and on earth, as between their spiritual children in after time. Taking leave of St. David, blessed Maidoc was wafted over to
^°° and he landed at the of port
^°^
disciples.
The holy bishop, after an example set by Moses^°3 and Elias,^°4 and by
our Lord Himself, ^°5 fasted for forty days and as many nights, in his monas- tery at Ferns. He took during this time nothing in the shape of nourish-
ment. Afterthisprolongedmortification,oursaintappearedtohisdisciples, rather improved in figure and appearance than he had been before the com- mencement of his fast. The Lord, it is said, granted His servant four petitions which he preferred. First, he asked, that any evil person of Leinstefs royal race, or of the seed of Brandubh, Ethach's son, who should sit in his seat, and die in it, might not rest with him in Heaven. Secondly, if any one of his monks should deny him. and become a fugitive from his house,thatinlikemannerheshouldnotbewithhiminHeaven. Thirdly, that after the Judgment Day, hell might not close upon persons who should be buried in his cemetery. And lastly, that each day he might free one soul
of
Judgment.
ing in such conduct to death and without repentance, should be deprived of
Crumchinn. ^°^ Thencehewenttohis
from until the Purgatory,
^°^ The first that petition meant,
Ireland,
Day
whoever would violently assume authority in the Church of Fems, persist-
93 Near Ardladrand was the rock Druinne. See Rev. W. J, Rees' " Lives of the Cam- bro-British Saints. " Vita S. Aidui, p. 242.
'°° a Irish Life of Preceding Manuscript
St. Maodhoge, belonging to the R. I. A. , we are informed by Mr. O'Curry, the transcri- ber, that on Mogue's return from the visit made to St. David of Wales, he landed on the coast of Wexford. See Ordnance Sur- vey " County Wexford Extracts," vol. i. , p. 379. This note should probably be ap- pended to the first visit made by Maidoc to David,
'°'The place to which allusion has been
'°^ " Acta Sanctorum Hiber- See Colgan's
nice,"xxxi. Januarii. VitaS. Maidoci,chap. xxxv, p. 212.
'°3 Exodus, xxxiv. , 28.
^°* iii. xix. , 8. Kings,
'°5Matt. , iv. , 2.
'°* '' " Colgan's Acta Sanctorum Hibemise,
9^ See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber- nise," xxxi. Januarii. Vita S. Maidoci, cap. xxxii. , xxxiii. , pp. 21 1, 212.
95 See Rev. Dr. Reeves' " On Some Eccle- siastical Bells," etc.
s* By Dr. Lanigan.
97" " See EcclesiasticalHistoryofIreland,
vol. ii. , chap, xiv. , sec, x. , p. 338, and n. 137, p. 341.
9^
See ibid. , vol. i. , chap, ix. , sec. ix. , pp. 470,471,andnotessubjoined.
already made.
99 It is said in a Vita S. Aidui, that on his return to Ireland, St. Maidoc landed at Imber Cremthrain. See Rev. W. Rees'
J. "Lives of the Cambro-British Saints," p.