35 One day, when the holy bishop Maidoc and the holy abbot Munnu,3^ were
together
in a certain place, our saint ascended to a high position on the corner of a church, which was there.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v1
Vita S.
Maidoci, cap.
xlvii.
, xlviii.
, pp.
213, 214.
Also the Bol-
^We are told, in a note by Mr. Eugene landists' "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. ,
O'Cuny, 'taken from our saint's Irish life, that Maodoge bequeathed the Bachall Bran- naimh, with which he resuscitated Branduff, to Ferns. See "County of Wexford Ex-
xxxi. Januarii. Vita S. Aidani, cap. vii. ,
p. 1118. — Chapter VI.
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
See the "Irish Eccle- siastical Record," vol. vii. , p. 398.
'
January 31. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 565
a world of care, to participate in the joys of those blessed spirits. With the Apostle, St. Paul, he longed to be dissolved, and to rest with Christ. ^ How- ever, the Almighty wished him still to be detained in the prison of the body,
for example and instruction to others.
A voice said to him
:
" Thou oughtest
on account of
as the Lord wills me to live, I shall not refuse labour. "3
yet live,
thy people. "
holy bishop answered,
long
A certain poor man, from whom his master^ demanded a very large sum of money, came to our saint and sought his assistance. At this time, Mai- doc was in the field, and he was engaged sowing it with seed. When that poor man had stated his case, he received a measure of barley from Maidoc. The man then asked, what advantage would accrue to him from such a gift.
He received for answer " With this shalt thou pay thy whole debt, and
:
have something to spare. " The man smiled incredulously ; but on looking once more, he found the grain converted into gold. Our saint then said : " Pay thy master his demand, that thou mayest be free. " On seeing so much pure gold, his master made inquiry, to know whence that man had procured it. Being told St. Maidoc was the donor, the bondman obtained his liberty. Afterwards, seeking the holy bishop, on becoming a freeman, he stated what the chieftain had done, and again offered Maidoc the gold. But our saint
this —and to him worthless—mammon. — offered despised glittering Having
—e oncemorewasconvertedinto
a prayer, th gold grain. s
Assuch sostates
theaccount itwassowedintheearth.
At one time, St. Maidoc wished to build a church, but he could not find
an artificer. ^ Trusting in God, he blessed the hands of a certain uninstructed person, named Gobban. 7 Immediately this man became a most ingenious architect,^ and afterwards built St. Maidoc's church, in his best architectural style. 9 At another time, St. Maidoc went to a rivulet to wash his hands, in company with some brothers. On seeing them, certain persons remarked, that no one could move St. Maidoc to anger. A rustic, who was present, said he would undertake that task. At the same time, the churl went for- ward, and, it is stated, pushed our saint into the river. Maidoc was then
"
Philip, i. , 23. died on the i8th of April, A. D. 639 or 640. 3 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber- See the " Carlow College Magazine," vol.
nise," xxxi. Januarii. Vita S. Maidoci, cap. i. Life of St. Laserian, cap. iii. , iv. , vii. ,
xlix. , p. 214. Also the Bollandists' "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , xxxi. Januarii. Vita S. Aidani, cap. vii. , p. 11 18.
* He is called a king, in Rev. W. J. Rees'
"Lives of the Cambro-British Saints," pp.
247, 570.
s See the "Irish Ecclesiastical Record,"
vol. vii. , pp. 298, 299.
* See the Rev. W. J. Rees' "Lives of the
Cambro-British Saints," pp. 247, 570.
"> He is celebrated in Irish traditions, for
the extraordinary number of buildings he is said to have erected in Ireland. It is need-
less to state, that according to popular legends, hardly any old castle or ecclesiasti-
cal ruin, yet remaining in our island, can be found, with which his name has not been associated, as the builder.
^ Notices regarding him frequently occur
in the lives of our earlier saints, and about
St. Maidoc's epoch, we read of a St. Gob-
ban, who kindly received St. Molaisi or La-
serian, the patron saint of Leighlin, who chap, xii. , xiii. , pp. 155 to 170.
The
" So
pp. 234, 235, 278, 429. Although no men- tion of the latter occurs in the Acts of either saint—so far as the vvriter can ascertain— St. Laserian of Old Leighlinand St. Maidoc of Ferns were contemporaries, and from the proximity of their fplaces, both must have laeen acquaintances. Perhaps, indeed, the anecdotes referable to Laserian of Devenish, in our saint's Acts, should rather be referred to Laserian of Leighlin. This may have been a mistake of the biographer, and it is evident he fell into various errors,
9 The reader will find some interesting ac-
counts and traditionary legends regarding the Gobhan Saor, in a beautifully illustrated
work, lately published by the accomplished architect and archaeologist of Cork, Richard
Rolt Brash, and intituled,
''
The Ecclesias-
tical Architecture of Ireland, to the close of
the Twelfth Century ; accompanied by inter-
esting historical and antiquarian notices of numerous ancient remains of that period,"
S66 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 31.
'°
clothed in skins, yet his garments did not appear to have been even mois-
tened with water. Noticing this circumstance, the rustic expressed sorrow,
: andaskedpardonforwhathehaddone. Towhomthesaintsaid "Thou
hast acted rightly in confessing thy fault, and in repenting. If thou hadst not done so, the earth this instant should have opened and swallowed thee. But now, thou shalt merit Heaven, and die within forty days. " Such proved to be the exact term of that man's life, and it was to be hoped the beginning for his entrance into bliss. One day, the CEconomus of St. Mochua of Lothra came to Maidoc," and told him they were about to build a church. The timber necessary for its erection had already been cut down in the
woods,'^ Lalthough there was not a sufficiency of men and oxen for bringing it to the intended site. Our saint told him that he should return to the cell,
and not look whatever took
upon place,
within the
of their — hearing,
that —None of the brethren dared during night. '3
range transgress
this
precept
one only excepted although during night a great noise was heard in the
woods, near their monastery. But a certain simple lay-brother peeped
through openings in the door-lock,*-* when he saw a multitude of beautiful,
well-formed youths, with golden locks flowing down their shoulders, and
bearingwood. Thenavoicewasheard,sayingtothoseyouths,whoproved
to be " Cease from this labour. " If the monk had not to angels : sought
gratify his curiosity in this manner, it is thought these angels would have built the whole church. 's Afterwards, however, the architect Cobban'^ com-
pleted this building. '?
Another time, while Bishop Maidoc sojourned in Munster, and in that
part called Hy-Connell, near St. Ita's monastery at Cluain Credhuil,'^ he heard bells loudly ringing. At this very instant, he was on his way to visit
his confessor,'? St. Molua f° but on inquiring the cause for this ringing, he was told that a greatly beloved daughter of blessed Ita was dead. "' This handmaid of God, knowing the bishop was near, sent him a pressing mes- sage, that he would graciously come and raise her spiritual daughter to life.
:
The bishop, then giving his staff,^" sent a disciple, and said " Place this
staff on the breast of the deceased maid. For I trust in the mercy of God, and in the sanctity of blessed Ita,'3 she shall arise. " When the staff had
"" In the Rev. W. Rees' "Lives of the dists' "Acta tomus xxxi.
J.
Cambro-British Saints" they are called
foxes' skins. See pp. 247, 570, 571.
" We are informed, he was then an old
man.
" From the incident already related, it
would seem, that some of our early ecclesi-
Sanctorum," ii. , Januarii. Vita S. Aidani, cap. viii. , p. 1119. ''See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
niae," xxxi. Januarii. Vita S. Maidoci, cap. 1. , li. , Hi. , liii. , p. 214.
'* This seems to have been the ancient name for St. Ita's religious establishment, Afterwards, from the holy patroness, the place appears to have been called Kill-Ita or Killeedy.
''Thisincident must, therefore, be referred
to a period before the close of the sixth, or
in the beginning of the seventh century. St.
Molua died soon after the commencement of
a. d. 600.
'^°
See his life at the 4th of August,
^' The custom of tolling bells, on the death of Christians, seems to have been observed
in our churches from remote times,
"This probably was the potent Bachall Brannaimh, to which allusion has been al-
ready made.
^^Sge her Life at the 15th of January,
astical erections were constructed of wood
;
and, perhaps, most, if not nearly all, were composed of this material.
'* Such accounts, as the foregoing allusion, in the acts of our Irish Saints, serve to ex- hibit the domestic economy of our ancestors. The use of a lock and key may be inferred in their houses.
'5 The moral to be drawn from this narra-
tive is, that celestial visions are not vouch-
safed to disobedient and unworthy persons.
**
There can hardly be a doubt, that such a person must have existed, however difficult it may be to record sufficiently authentic particulars regarding him. See the Bollan-
'3 See Rev. W.
Rees' "Lives of the Cambro-British Saints," pp. 248, 571.
J.
January 31. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 567
been placed in this manner, the deceased maiden instantly arose, and she was restored to life. ^^ All, who heard of and saw this miracle, gave glory to God, and to His holy servant. ^s it is thought, however, that this miracle must have taken place, not during St. Ita's life-time,^^ but during that of some abbess who succeeded her, although the narrative appears adverse to this
supposition. "?
In the acts of St. Maidoc we are told, that a thief stole one of the
bishop's cattle, and that he had eaten this animal. "^ To clear himself from all suspicion of guilt, the same man had sworn before Blessed Maidoc, that he had neither stolen nor eaten it. =^9 Then we find stated, that his guilt was manifested in a miraculous manner, 3° and in presence of many persons who were present. These felt greatly surprised, and reproaching the thief with
his crime, he was overwhelmed with shame and confusion. 3'
Again, certain soldiers, who were conducting a captive in chains, met St. Maidoc. HeaskedthemforChrist'ssaketoliberatetheirprisoner. Himthey were dragging as a malefactor, to a king of Leinster. s" Those soldiers refused toliberatethebondsman. Butafterwards,whilepassingthroughawood,they saw a great crowd of enemies^s lying in wait for them, and rapidly approach- ing. Consulting for their own safety, those soldiers betook themselves to flight, leaving behind them their manacled captive. 34 On seeing what had occurred, he returned immediately to Maidoc. Hearing about that occur- rence, the king ordered this man to be set at liberty, while extolling the grace of God, worked through the saint.
35 One day, when the holy bishop Maidoc and the holy abbot Munnu,3^ were together in a certain place, our saint ascended to a high position on the corner of a church, which was there. Seeing him in this place, Munnu asked what he beheld from that
elevated spot. 37 The bishop made a sign of the cross over his companion's eyes, when both immediately saw the entire world,3^ from the rising to the setting of the sun. 39 Giving thanks to God, they descended. Then St.
'*See Rev. W. J. Rees' "Lives of the
Cambro-British Saints," pp. 248, 571.
'5 See the "Irish Ecclesiastical Record,"
trunculus," or "a petty thief," in Rev. W. J. Rees' "Lives of the Cambro-British
Saints," pp. 248, 571, 572.
34 See the BoUandists' "Acta Sanctorum,"
vol. vii. , p. 397.
''We have already seen, that her death tomus ii. , xxx. Januarii. Vita S. Aidani,
has been assigned to A. D. 569, in Dr. cap. viii. , p, 11 19. ""
O' Donovan's Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. pp. 206, 207.
"
Acta Sanctorum Hiber- niae," xxxi. Januarii. Vita S. Maidoci, cap.
liv. , p. 214.
** The term used in our saint's published
Life is " coronam," for which is substituted the term " " in the "Codex Insulen-
"
35 See the Irish Ecclesiastical Record," vol. vii. , p. 399.
36 According to Dr. Lanigan, he died on the 21st of October, a. d. 635. See "Ec-
clesiastical History of Ireland, "vol ii. , chap. xv. , sec. x. , andn. 83,pp. 406to409.
37 See Rev. W. J. Rees' "Lives of the
=7 See Colgan's
sis," and
animal,
Cambro-British
38 Jhis account, literally rendered from
bovem," in the Irish Life.
"9 At a loss to know why " corona " should our saint's published life, shows that the
be substituted for either of the more natural writer had very little knowledge regarding terms, Colgan suspects by an Irishism, the modern received theory of the earth's "corona" is put for the Irish" coroid," motion. To the ninth century, the astrono- which word denotes either " cows " or
"oxen. " See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hibernise," xxxi. Januarii, n. 45, p. 220.
3° See Rev. W.
Cambro-British Saints," pp. 248, 571.
"
mical theories of Hipparchus and Ptolemy appear to have been received in our Irish schools. For a fuller account of our national astronomers and astronomical
"Irish Folk Lore," chap. xxx. "Dungal, the Recluse, a learned Irishman of the Ninth
Century," pp. 253 to 284.
39 "Quasi unum stadium. " The "stadium"
measured six hundred and twenty-five feet of ground.
J.
Rees' "Lives of the
manuscripts in Irish and Latin, the reader is referred to
Acta Sanctorum," 3* His name is not recorded, but probably
3' See the BoUandists'
tomus ii. , xxxi. Januarii. Vita S. Aidani, cap. viii. , p. III9.
he was a successor to King Brandubh. 33 Apparently under a leader, called
"
la-
Saints," pp. 248, 572.
568 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 31.
Munnu related to his brethren what had occurred. •° Whilst our saint was makingajourneyoneday,hemetSt. ColmanFiacre^^ontheway. Atthe same moment, his horse had fallen down dead, when Maidoc, taking his own horse from the traces, placed it under Colman's chariot. After Colman departed, another horse*' of a purplish colour was providentially sent to Maidoc. Inaverydocilemanner,thisanimaltooktheplaceofthegift-horse, and under St. Maidoc's chariot. As Colman returned, afterwards, by that same spot, local legends relate how his horse came to life immediately upon his approach. This miracle was attributed to the sanctity of holy Bishop Maidoc^s Oneday,whenoursainthadbeenemployed,plantinghisgarden
with apple-trees,44 the man, who was engaged for the purpose of bringing shoots of fruit-bearing trees, also carried some-^s that were unfruitful or com- paratively worthless, such as the birch and alder,^^ Not observing the dif- ference between these species,*' our saint planted them indiscriminately with the fruit-trees. *^ God's bounty, nevertheless, produced excellent fruit*9 from those trees. Although of their own nature not fruitful,5° yet the Almighty brought them an increase.
CHAPTER VII.
ST, FINIAN LOBHAR'S REPUTED VISION REGARDING THE DEPARTURE OF ST. MAIDOC —THE DEATH OF THIS HOLY PATRON OF FERNS—YEAR OF HIS DECEASE—MI- RACLES AFTERWARDS ATTRIBUTED TO HIS INTERCESSION—WRITINGS ASCRIBED TO THIS SAINT—MEMORIALS—FEAST DAY AND OFFICES OF ST. MAIDOC—VENERA- TION FOR HIS MEMORY IN IRELAND, WALES, AND SCOTLAND—HIS CHARACTER— CONCLUSION.
A HOLY man called Finan Lobhar, or the Leper,^ lived in the northern part
*> Seethe Bollandists' " Acta Sanctorum," writers, speak of apples and ^'ines grafted on tomus ii. , xxxi. Januarii. Vita S. Aidani, elms and poplars. The ancients, however,
cap. viii. , p. 1119.
4' Allusion has been made already to this
holy man, who was venerated at the 27th of
October in Templeshanbo, and it would ap-
pear that he lived contemporaneously with St. Maidoc,
** The horse is styled Jacinctus, in the Rev. W. J. Rees' Latin Life of St. Aiduus, as if it were a proper name. See " Lives of the
acknowledged that such grafts were but of
very short duration. It is now generally
allowed, that if a union of natures be not
attended^to, success will not crown the opera-
Cambro-British Saints," p. 249.
*3 See the Bollandists' tomus ii. , xxxi. Janiiarii. cap. viii. , p. 1 119.
Acta Sanctorum," Vita S. Aidani,
ner, in J. C. Loudon's Encyclopaedia of Gardening, comprising the Theory and Prac- tice of Horticulture, Floriculture, Arbori- culture, and Landscape Gardening, includ- ing all the latest improvements," etc. , part ii. , book iv. , chap, iii. , sect, ii. , subsect. 4, pp. 391 to 397. London, 1827. Fifth Edi- tion ; 8vo.
•"In the Rev. W. J. Rees' "Lives of the Cambro-British Saints," plum-trees or shoots (brensei et pruni) are stated to have pro- duced apples. See pp. 249, 572.
« These are incorrectly Latinized " bicu-
lei et auli," in the published life. They should be written •'betulae"or "betullse,' and "alni. " See Colgan's "Acta Sancto- rum Hibemise," xxxi. Januarii, n. 48, p. 220.
** According to the Irish Life, those un-
9"Fructifera cum pomis dulcibus. "— Bollandists' "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , xxxi. Januarii. Vita S. Aidani, cap. viii. , p. II 19.
"
*7 Pliny, Varro, Columella, and other
fruitful trees he planted are called, and " Femog. "
Beithe"
Iv. , Ivi. , Ivii. , Iviii. , lix. , p. 214. Chaptervii. —' Thefestivalofthissaint,
who was abbot of Swords, is kept on the
"
Nouveau Cours Complet d' Agri-
tion. See
culture," etc. , tome xvi. Art. Greffe.
*^ Here, perhaps, we have an instance of the grafting-art, which appears to have been practised from the most remote antiquity.
See this subject, treated in the ablest man- ""
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber- niae," xxxi. Januarii. Vita S. Maidoci, cap.
5° See
Colgan's
January 31. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 569
descending
Heaven,
1 6th of March ; at which day, an account of his Hfe and actions will be found.
9 Namely, on the ist of February.
'° Namely, Ferns and Kildare, over which
they were special patrons,
" See the Bollandists' "Acta Sanctorum,"
tomus ii. , xxxi. Januarii. Vita S. Aidani, cap. ix. , p. 1 120.
"Hence, it has been supposed, on the authority of our saint's Acts, that St. Finian Lobhar died the 2nd day of February,
'3 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
nise," xxxi. Januarii. Vita S. Maidoci, cap.
^We are told, in a note by Mr. Eugene landists' "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. ,
O'Cuny, 'taken from our saint's Irish life, that Maodoge bequeathed the Bachall Bran- naimh, with which he resuscitated Branduff, to Ferns. See "County of Wexford Ex-
xxxi. Januarii. Vita S. Aidani, cap. vii. ,
p. 1118. — Chapter VI.
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
See the "Irish Eccle- siastical Record," vol. vii. , p. 398.
'
January 31. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 565
a world of care, to participate in the joys of those blessed spirits. With the Apostle, St. Paul, he longed to be dissolved, and to rest with Christ. ^ How- ever, the Almighty wished him still to be detained in the prison of the body,
for example and instruction to others.
A voice said to him
:
" Thou oughtest
on account of
as the Lord wills me to live, I shall not refuse labour. "3
yet live,
thy people. "
holy bishop answered,
long
A certain poor man, from whom his master^ demanded a very large sum of money, came to our saint and sought his assistance. At this time, Mai- doc was in the field, and he was engaged sowing it with seed. When that poor man had stated his case, he received a measure of barley from Maidoc. The man then asked, what advantage would accrue to him from such a gift.
He received for answer " With this shalt thou pay thy whole debt, and
:
have something to spare. " The man smiled incredulously ; but on looking once more, he found the grain converted into gold. Our saint then said : " Pay thy master his demand, that thou mayest be free. " On seeing so much pure gold, his master made inquiry, to know whence that man had procured it. Being told St. Maidoc was the donor, the bondman obtained his liberty. Afterwards, seeking the holy bishop, on becoming a freeman, he stated what the chieftain had done, and again offered Maidoc the gold. But our saint
this —and to him worthless—mammon. — offered despised glittering Having
—e oncemorewasconvertedinto
a prayer, th gold grain. s
Assuch sostates
theaccount itwassowedintheearth.
At one time, St. Maidoc wished to build a church, but he could not find
an artificer. ^ Trusting in God, he blessed the hands of a certain uninstructed person, named Gobban. 7 Immediately this man became a most ingenious architect,^ and afterwards built St. Maidoc's church, in his best architectural style. 9 At another time, St. Maidoc went to a rivulet to wash his hands, in company with some brothers. On seeing them, certain persons remarked, that no one could move St. Maidoc to anger. A rustic, who was present, said he would undertake that task. At the same time, the churl went for- ward, and, it is stated, pushed our saint into the river. Maidoc was then
"
Philip, i. , 23. died on the i8th of April, A. D. 639 or 640. 3 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber- See the " Carlow College Magazine," vol.
nise," xxxi. Januarii. Vita S. Maidoci, cap. i. Life of St. Laserian, cap. iii. , iv. , vii. ,
xlix. , p. 214. Also the Bollandists' "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , xxxi. Januarii. Vita S. Aidani, cap. vii. , p. 11 18.
* He is called a king, in Rev. W. J. Rees'
"Lives of the Cambro-British Saints," pp.
247, 570.
s See the "Irish Ecclesiastical Record,"
vol. vii. , pp. 298, 299.
* See the Rev. W. J. Rees' "Lives of the
Cambro-British Saints," pp. 247, 570.
"> He is celebrated in Irish traditions, for
the extraordinary number of buildings he is said to have erected in Ireland. It is need-
less to state, that according to popular legends, hardly any old castle or ecclesiasti-
cal ruin, yet remaining in our island, can be found, with which his name has not been associated, as the builder.
^ Notices regarding him frequently occur
in the lives of our earlier saints, and about
St. Maidoc's epoch, we read of a St. Gob-
ban, who kindly received St. Molaisi or La-
serian, the patron saint of Leighlin, who chap, xii. , xiii. , pp. 155 to 170.
The
" So
pp. 234, 235, 278, 429. Although no men- tion of the latter occurs in the Acts of either saint—so far as the vvriter can ascertain— St. Laserian of Old Leighlinand St. Maidoc of Ferns were contemporaries, and from the proximity of their fplaces, both must have laeen acquaintances. Perhaps, indeed, the anecdotes referable to Laserian of Devenish, in our saint's Acts, should rather be referred to Laserian of Leighlin. This may have been a mistake of the biographer, and it is evident he fell into various errors,
9 The reader will find some interesting ac-
counts and traditionary legends regarding the Gobhan Saor, in a beautifully illustrated
work, lately published by the accomplished architect and archaeologist of Cork, Richard
Rolt Brash, and intituled,
''
The Ecclesias-
tical Architecture of Ireland, to the close of
the Twelfth Century ; accompanied by inter-
esting historical and antiquarian notices of numerous ancient remains of that period,"
S66 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 31.
'°
clothed in skins, yet his garments did not appear to have been even mois-
tened with water. Noticing this circumstance, the rustic expressed sorrow,
: andaskedpardonforwhathehaddone. Towhomthesaintsaid "Thou
hast acted rightly in confessing thy fault, and in repenting. If thou hadst not done so, the earth this instant should have opened and swallowed thee. But now, thou shalt merit Heaven, and die within forty days. " Such proved to be the exact term of that man's life, and it was to be hoped the beginning for his entrance into bliss. One day, the CEconomus of St. Mochua of Lothra came to Maidoc," and told him they were about to build a church. The timber necessary for its erection had already been cut down in the
woods,'^ Lalthough there was not a sufficiency of men and oxen for bringing it to the intended site. Our saint told him that he should return to the cell,
and not look whatever took
upon place,
within the
of their — hearing,
that —None of the brethren dared during night. '3
range transgress
this
precept
one only excepted although during night a great noise was heard in the
woods, near their monastery. But a certain simple lay-brother peeped
through openings in the door-lock,*-* when he saw a multitude of beautiful,
well-formed youths, with golden locks flowing down their shoulders, and
bearingwood. Thenavoicewasheard,sayingtothoseyouths,whoproved
to be " Cease from this labour. " If the monk had not to angels : sought
gratify his curiosity in this manner, it is thought these angels would have built the whole church. 's Afterwards, however, the architect Cobban'^ com-
pleted this building. '?
Another time, while Bishop Maidoc sojourned in Munster, and in that
part called Hy-Connell, near St. Ita's monastery at Cluain Credhuil,'^ he heard bells loudly ringing. At this very instant, he was on his way to visit
his confessor,'? St. Molua f° but on inquiring the cause for this ringing, he was told that a greatly beloved daughter of blessed Ita was dead. "' This handmaid of God, knowing the bishop was near, sent him a pressing mes- sage, that he would graciously come and raise her spiritual daughter to life.
:
The bishop, then giving his staff,^" sent a disciple, and said " Place this
staff on the breast of the deceased maid. For I trust in the mercy of God, and in the sanctity of blessed Ita,'3 she shall arise. " When the staff had
"" In the Rev. W. Rees' "Lives of the dists' "Acta tomus xxxi.
J.
Cambro-British Saints" they are called
foxes' skins. See pp. 247, 570, 571.
" We are informed, he was then an old
man.
" From the incident already related, it
would seem, that some of our early ecclesi-
Sanctorum," ii. , Januarii. Vita S. Aidani, cap. viii. , p. 1119. ''See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
niae," xxxi. Januarii. Vita S. Maidoci, cap. 1. , li. , Hi. , liii. , p. 214.
'* This seems to have been the ancient name for St. Ita's religious establishment, Afterwards, from the holy patroness, the place appears to have been called Kill-Ita or Killeedy.
''Thisincident must, therefore, be referred
to a period before the close of the sixth, or
in the beginning of the seventh century. St.
Molua died soon after the commencement of
a. d. 600.
'^°
See his life at the 4th of August,
^' The custom of tolling bells, on the death of Christians, seems to have been observed
in our churches from remote times,
"This probably was the potent Bachall Brannaimh, to which allusion has been al-
ready made.
^^Sge her Life at the 15th of January,
astical erections were constructed of wood
;
and, perhaps, most, if not nearly all, were composed of this material.
'* Such accounts, as the foregoing allusion, in the acts of our Irish Saints, serve to ex- hibit the domestic economy of our ancestors. The use of a lock and key may be inferred in their houses.
'5 The moral to be drawn from this narra-
tive is, that celestial visions are not vouch-
safed to disobedient and unworthy persons.
**
There can hardly be a doubt, that such a person must have existed, however difficult it may be to record sufficiently authentic particulars regarding him. See the Bollan-
'3 See Rev. W.
Rees' "Lives of the Cambro-British Saints," pp. 248, 571.
J.
January 31. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 567
been placed in this manner, the deceased maiden instantly arose, and she was restored to life. ^^ All, who heard of and saw this miracle, gave glory to God, and to His holy servant. ^s it is thought, however, that this miracle must have taken place, not during St. Ita's life-time,^^ but during that of some abbess who succeeded her, although the narrative appears adverse to this
supposition. "?
In the acts of St. Maidoc we are told, that a thief stole one of the
bishop's cattle, and that he had eaten this animal. "^ To clear himself from all suspicion of guilt, the same man had sworn before Blessed Maidoc, that he had neither stolen nor eaten it. =^9 Then we find stated, that his guilt was manifested in a miraculous manner, 3° and in presence of many persons who were present. These felt greatly surprised, and reproaching the thief with
his crime, he was overwhelmed with shame and confusion. 3'
Again, certain soldiers, who were conducting a captive in chains, met St. Maidoc. HeaskedthemforChrist'ssaketoliberatetheirprisoner. Himthey were dragging as a malefactor, to a king of Leinster. s" Those soldiers refused toliberatethebondsman. Butafterwards,whilepassingthroughawood,they saw a great crowd of enemies^s lying in wait for them, and rapidly approach- ing. Consulting for their own safety, those soldiers betook themselves to flight, leaving behind them their manacled captive. 34 On seeing what had occurred, he returned immediately to Maidoc. Hearing about that occur- rence, the king ordered this man to be set at liberty, while extolling the grace of God, worked through the saint.
35 One day, when the holy bishop Maidoc and the holy abbot Munnu,3^ were together in a certain place, our saint ascended to a high position on the corner of a church, which was there. Seeing him in this place, Munnu asked what he beheld from that
elevated spot. 37 The bishop made a sign of the cross over his companion's eyes, when both immediately saw the entire world,3^ from the rising to the setting of the sun. 39 Giving thanks to God, they descended. Then St.
'*See Rev. W. J. Rees' "Lives of the
Cambro-British Saints," pp. 248, 571.
'5 See the "Irish Ecclesiastical Record,"
trunculus," or "a petty thief," in Rev. W. J. Rees' "Lives of the Cambro-British
Saints," pp. 248, 571, 572.
34 See the BoUandists' "Acta Sanctorum,"
vol. vii. , p. 397.
''We have already seen, that her death tomus ii. , xxx. Januarii. Vita S. Aidani,
has been assigned to A. D. 569, in Dr. cap. viii. , p, 11 19. ""
O' Donovan's Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. pp. 206, 207.
"
Acta Sanctorum Hiber- niae," xxxi. Januarii. Vita S. Maidoci, cap.
liv. , p. 214.
** The term used in our saint's published
Life is " coronam," for which is substituted the term " " in the "Codex Insulen-
"
35 See the Irish Ecclesiastical Record," vol. vii. , p. 399.
36 According to Dr. Lanigan, he died on the 21st of October, a. d. 635. See "Ec-
clesiastical History of Ireland, "vol ii. , chap. xv. , sec. x. , andn. 83,pp. 406to409.
37 See Rev. W. J. Rees' "Lives of the
=7 See Colgan's
sis," and
animal,
Cambro-British
38 Jhis account, literally rendered from
bovem," in the Irish Life.
"9 At a loss to know why " corona " should our saint's published life, shows that the
be substituted for either of the more natural writer had very little knowledge regarding terms, Colgan suspects by an Irishism, the modern received theory of the earth's "corona" is put for the Irish" coroid," motion. To the ninth century, the astrono- which word denotes either " cows " or
"oxen. " See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hibernise," xxxi. Januarii, n. 45, p. 220.
3° See Rev. W.
Cambro-British Saints," pp. 248, 571.
"
mical theories of Hipparchus and Ptolemy appear to have been received in our Irish schools. For a fuller account of our national astronomers and astronomical
"Irish Folk Lore," chap. xxx. "Dungal, the Recluse, a learned Irishman of the Ninth
Century," pp. 253 to 284.
39 "Quasi unum stadium. " The "stadium"
measured six hundred and twenty-five feet of ground.
J.
Rees' "Lives of the
manuscripts in Irish and Latin, the reader is referred to
Acta Sanctorum," 3* His name is not recorded, but probably
3' See the BoUandists'
tomus ii. , xxxi. Januarii. Vita S. Aidani, cap. viii. , p. III9.
he was a successor to King Brandubh. 33 Apparently under a leader, called
"
la-
Saints," pp. 248, 572.
568 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 31.
Munnu related to his brethren what had occurred. •° Whilst our saint was makingajourneyoneday,hemetSt. ColmanFiacre^^ontheway. Atthe same moment, his horse had fallen down dead, when Maidoc, taking his own horse from the traces, placed it under Colman's chariot. After Colman departed, another horse*' of a purplish colour was providentially sent to Maidoc. Inaverydocilemanner,thisanimaltooktheplaceofthegift-horse, and under St. Maidoc's chariot. As Colman returned, afterwards, by that same spot, local legends relate how his horse came to life immediately upon his approach. This miracle was attributed to the sanctity of holy Bishop Maidoc^s Oneday,whenoursainthadbeenemployed,plantinghisgarden
with apple-trees,44 the man, who was engaged for the purpose of bringing shoots of fruit-bearing trees, also carried some-^s that were unfruitful or com- paratively worthless, such as the birch and alder,^^ Not observing the dif- ference between these species,*' our saint planted them indiscriminately with the fruit-trees. *^ God's bounty, nevertheless, produced excellent fruit*9 from those trees. Although of their own nature not fruitful,5° yet the Almighty brought them an increase.
CHAPTER VII.
ST, FINIAN LOBHAR'S REPUTED VISION REGARDING THE DEPARTURE OF ST. MAIDOC —THE DEATH OF THIS HOLY PATRON OF FERNS—YEAR OF HIS DECEASE—MI- RACLES AFTERWARDS ATTRIBUTED TO HIS INTERCESSION—WRITINGS ASCRIBED TO THIS SAINT—MEMORIALS—FEAST DAY AND OFFICES OF ST. MAIDOC—VENERA- TION FOR HIS MEMORY IN IRELAND, WALES, AND SCOTLAND—HIS CHARACTER— CONCLUSION.
A HOLY man called Finan Lobhar, or the Leper,^ lived in the northern part
*> Seethe Bollandists' " Acta Sanctorum," writers, speak of apples and ^'ines grafted on tomus ii. , xxxi. Januarii. Vita S. Aidani, elms and poplars. The ancients, however,
cap. viii. , p. 1119.
4' Allusion has been made already to this
holy man, who was venerated at the 27th of
October in Templeshanbo, and it would ap-
pear that he lived contemporaneously with St. Maidoc,
** The horse is styled Jacinctus, in the Rev. W. J. Rees' Latin Life of St. Aiduus, as if it were a proper name. See " Lives of the
acknowledged that such grafts were but of
very short duration. It is now generally
allowed, that if a union of natures be not
attended^to, success will not crown the opera-
Cambro-British Saints," p. 249.
*3 See the Bollandists' tomus ii. , xxxi. Janiiarii. cap. viii. , p. 1 119.
Acta Sanctorum," Vita S. Aidani,
ner, in J. C. Loudon's Encyclopaedia of Gardening, comprising the Theory and Prac- tice of Horticulture, Floriculture, Arbori- culture, and Landscape Gardening, includ- ing all the latest improvements," etc. , part ii. , book iv. , chap, iii. , sect, ii. , subsect. 4, pp. 391 to 397. London, 1827. Fifth Edi- tion ; 8vo.
•"In the Rev. W. J. Rees' "Lives of the Cambro-British Saints," plum-trees or shoots (brensei et pruni) are stated to have pro- duced apples. See pp. 249, 572.
« These are incorrectly Latinized " bicu-
lei et auli," in the published life. They should be written •'betulae"or "betullse,' and "alni. " See Colgan's "Acta Sancto- rum Hibemise," xxxi. Januarii, n. 48, p. 220.
** According to the Irish Life, those un-
9"Fructifera cum pomis dulcibus. "— Bollandists' "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , xxxi. Januarii. Vita S. Aidani, cap. viii. , p. II 19.
"
*7 Pliny, Varro, Columella, and other
fruitful trees he planted are called, and " Femog. "
Beithe"
Iv. , Ivi. , Ivii. , Iviii. , lix. , p. 214. Chaptervii. —' Thefestivalofthissaint,
who was abbot of Swords, is kept on the
"
Nouveau Cours Complet d' Agri-
tion. See
culture," etc. , tome xvi. Art. Greffe.
*^ Here, perhaps, we have an instance of the grafting-art, which appears to have been practised from the most remote antiquity.
See this subject, treated in the ablest man- ""
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber- niae," xxxi. Januarii. Vita S. Maidoci, cap.
5° See
Colgan's
January 31. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 569
descending
Heaven,
1 6th of March ; at which day, an account of his Hfe and actions will be found.
9 Namely, on the ist of February.
'° Namely, Ferns and Kildare, over which
they were special patrons,
" See the Bollandists' "Acta Sanctorum,"
tomus ii. , xxxi. Januarii. Vita S. Aidani, cap. ix. , p. 1 120.
"Hence, it has been supposed, on the authority of our saint's Acts, that St. Finian Lobhar died the 2nd day of February,
'3 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
nise," xxxi. Januarii. Vita S. Maidoci, cap.
