No More Learning

Oft through the woodlands rang the battle
shout ;
And twice there rose above the distant hill The smoke of town new-fired. Yet, none
the less,
Spring-touched, the blackbird sang ; green,
grassy lawns
The cowslips changed to golden ; and grey
rock,
And river's marge with primroses were
starred ;
Here shook the windflower , there the blue-
bells gleamed
As though a patch of sky had fallen on
earth. "
;
the floods.
His rest was nigh.
That hour a stream they
crossed,
Deep stream, and, 'neath his load, the
giant sighed : Saint Patrick said,
sigh ;'
*
Thou wert not wont to
According to Lynch's translation, there has *'
He mates
* OldI
been adde^, regarding this place : Long
answered,
Ofthem
my
has been the of Emania. " prerogative
How many hast thou left in churches housed
' Whereintheyruleandrest? Thesaint
'
replied,
Thee also will I leave within a church
For rule and rest ; not to mine own too near,
grow.
Thus, Colgan writes some description of its noble ruins. " Emania prope Ardmacham, nunc fossis latls, vestigiis muroram eminentibus,
e—truderibuspristinumredolens. splendorem. " "
"Trias Thaumaturga, Prima Vita S.
Patricii, n. 15, p. 6. Emania is near to
where Armagh now stands ; and, according to O'Donnel, it still existed, in St. Columba's
—"
De Vere. " St. Patrick and the Founding of Armagh Cathedral," pp. 172, 173.
^9 This is thought, by Dr. Lanigan, to have been a small territory.
3° Or " the plain of Armagh. "
3' It is called Altitude Macha, and Alti-
macha, in the " Book of Armagh. "
3' Some say she was Macha, the wife of
Nemhidh.
33 It is supposed to have been a royal
residenceoftheUlsterkings. TheoldIrish writers called it Emhain-Macha. It is mentioned, in Fiech's hymn, but not as a royal residence ; however, it is said, that in Armagh, the seat of royalty was maintained.
The Legends of St. Patrick," by Aubrey
726 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 17.
near the present city of Armagh. 34 A certain prosperous and venerable person was there, named Daire,35 or Darius. 3^ He lived at a place, called Rath-Daire,whichhasnotbeenidentified. Fromhim,Patrickhumblyaskeda site,37 for his Regles,^^ or church. The chief wished to know that spot he desired for selection, and the holy man requested, what seemed to him a most eligible and beautiful site. Daire at first refused that hill, which St. Patrick had requested ; but, instead of it, he granted a stony rath, or place, 39 in the low ground, called, in some of his Acts, Fearta,4° or Da Ferta. *' Holy Patrick founded a church there, and he remained a long time, in that place.
One day, two steeds belonging to Daire were brought to graze at St. Patrick's regies. The pasture here was fertile and grassy. Those horses died,atonce,aftertheyhadtastedthegrass. HisservanttoldthistoDaire,
and he added the following, to excite the chief's indignation :
*'
That
Christian hath killed your steeds, because they ate the grass which was at his
Regies. "*' Dairefeltveryangryonreceivingthisinformation,andheordered
servants to plunder the cleric, and to expel him from the Ferta. Then a
colic43 seized Daire, immediately, so that he was near dying. His wife thereupon
recalled to mind the plundering of St. Patrick, and she told Daire, the cause
for his approaching death was owing to that attack, directed against the holy
missionary. She sent messengers, instantly, to beg water, sanctified by his
prayers from Patrick, in order that her husband might be restored to health.
Patrick then " for what that woman has there should never said, Only done,
beanyresurrectionfromdeath,forDaire. " Wherefore,Patrickblessedwater, and gave it to the servants, with orders to have it sprinkled over the horses and overtheirformerowner. 44 Theydid,ashadbeendirected,andimmediately Dariusrecovered,sothatallwerereleasedfromdeath. ^s Abrazencauldron^^was next brought to Patrick, as an offering from the chief. " Deo gratias," said the saint. Daireaskedhisservants,whatPatricksaidonreceivingit. Theyanswered, " Gratzicum. " '^^ " This is little reward, for a good offering, and for a good
time. See O'Donnell's or Vita S. ^i Quinta
Meaning
" the two " graves.
Columbae, lib. i. , cap. Ixxxiv. , p. 402. The *^ The Latin Tripartite has it, "in ejus "''
growth of Armagh, liowever, contributed to agello, or in his paddock. " Probus only
its downfall.
34 See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the
Four Masters," vol i. , p. 10, n. (vv), and p. 143, n. (b. )
35 He was the son of Finched, son to Eoghan, the son of Niallan, from whom the ^i-Niellain race derived name and origin.
3* So is he called, in the Latin Tripartite Life.
37 According to the Latin Tripartite Life, "in quo Deo domum in terra, sacramque excitaret aedem. "
32 This is the term found, in the Irish Tri-
partite Life.
39 The Irish Tripartite Life thus relates
""
mentions one horse.
« According to the Irish Tripartite Life. * Sexta Vita S. Patricii, cap. clxi. , p.
100.
4S These events form the subject, for an
illustration, in Miss Cusack's " Life of St. Patrick," &c. , at p. 393. The upper part
represents Daire's donation of land for the church of Armagh, In the next com- partment is shown that site marked out, and where the fav\'n was found; while below, Daire is shown, lying on his death-bed, and about to be sprinkled with the holy water sent by the saint. The dead horses are on the ground outside,
this occurrence : Daire asked, " What
^6 Many of these ancient cauldrons, and of large size, have been found, in bogs and below," said Patrick. That was where other places, thi-oughout Ireland. The
place do you desire ?
This great hillock
"
give it," said Daire ; "but I will give you
a site for your regies, in the strong rath below. " There the Ferta or De-Fearta
might be seen, when the Irish Tripartite Lives were written.
material and workmanship were excellent and durable, in many of those vessels, which
are usually of great size. According to the account, in the Book of Armagh, the present one held three firkins. It is also
Armagh afterwards stood.
I will not
4° See Ussher's " p. 851.
called,
" eneum mirabilem transmarinum. "
Probus calls "a^neum in Primordia," cap. xvii. , this, cyphum,"
lib. ii. , cap. vi. , p. 52, but Colgan remarks.
March 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 727
cauldron,"repliedDaire. Hethenorderedthisvesseltobebroughttohim, again, and when it was demanded, " Deo gratias," was still St. Patrick's expres- sion. Daire afterwards asked, what Patrick said, when they were taking the
is a word with good
Daire
Patrick
fashion, i§ as follows
this is because a " incorrect,
A cruciform area includes a nave and or chancel,
cypbus not contain "metretas ternas. "
n. 4, p. 63.
'^^ Such is the form of
bringing
"
The servants answered, " He said the same thing,
cauldron away from him.
aswhenwewere
him. " Then Daire and his wife went with submission to St. Patrick, and the chief gave the cauldron most willingly to the holy man, as also that hill, which he had before asked. '^s This gift Patrick gratefully accepted, and he blessedthem. Afterwards,hefoundedachurchinthatplace,calledArd- Macha, and it was destined to be renowned, in after time.
In the various Lives of St. Patrick, it is stated, that at a spot, which was
known as Drumsaileth, or Druymsaileach,s° otherwise, " the ridge of willows,'' SalicetumS'orSailech;52 and,onahighground,"Dairegavehimthesite, forachurch. 54 Thisaccountruns,thatbothSt. PatrickandDairewentforth, to view the admirable and well-pleasing gift, and they ascended that height. There, they found a roe, and a little fawn with her, lying on that spot, where an altar of the Northern Church in Ardmacha stood, at a time, when the Acts of St. Patrick, contained in the Book of Armagh, had been written. 55 The eminence to which St. Patrick first went, at the north side of Armagh, can hardly be any other than that, on which the new Catholic Cathedral, dedicated to him, is nowbuilt. s^ On the 17 th of March, 1840, its foundation- stone was laid, by the Most Rev. Dr. Crolly. s? The style is that known, as perpendicular Gothic. s—^ The plan of this Cathedral,S9 described in technical
it to
whichwas"Gratzicum. "48 "
him, them," replied
This, then,
when
Gratzicum,
giving the cauldron to him, and, again, Gratzicum, when taking it away from
;
" could See ibid. ,
name of the before the Cathedral had hill,
been built.
55 See the Rev. Dr. Reeves' "Ancient
Churches of
s* The height is now called Banbrook
found " Crazacam " and ' '
the Fourth Life, it is "Graticum. " In the
Fifth Life, we find it "Grazagam. " In for great loveliness. The city, with its
the Sixth Life, it is better expressed, as narrow streets and that air of antiquity
""
Gratias agam, as also in the Latin Tri- which pervades it, lies to the south and
Plenty of Salleys there growing. " See vol. "
i. , Archbishops of Armagh," p. 19, note. 53 See Quinta Vita S. Patricii, lib. ii. ,
cap. iii. , p. 52, and n, 3, p. 63.
54 Seward states, that the Cathedral of
expression,
in the
Armagh," p. 7.
Irish Tripartite Life.
4^ In the Third Life, this expression is Hill. It lies between the Protestant
partite, where it is " Deo Gratias. "
49 Probus writes " ab eo : Accepit ergo
S. Patricius prsedium optatum et placitum sibi. "
5° See Tertia Vita S. Patricii, cap. Ixxxii. , p. 28, and Sexta Vita S, Patricii, cap. clxiii. , p. loi.
S' See Ussher's "Primordia," p. 857, and in his " Index Chronologicus," ad A. D. CCCCXLV. , as also in Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Septima Appendix ad Acta S. Patricii, pars, i. , p. 289, it is so termed.
5^ According to Probus, book ii. , chap, iii. In Harris' Ware, it is said to have been called Druim-Sailech, "from the
west. The Ridge of Sallows, the Ferta
Grazagam. "
In
Cathedral and the and from railway station,
Armagh was called Druim-Sailec. See had been raised between nave and aisles.
"
the word Armagh. This, however, was the Professor of Architectvire to the Catholic
Topographical Dictionary of Ireland," at Afterwards, Mr. J. J. McCarthy, R. H. A. ,
;
said,
it may be obtained a view, almost unexcelled
and other historic eminences, revered even under their modern titles, con- front the spectator ; religious edifices and
public buildings, every one of them hallowed by their association with the past, or occupy- ing ground made sacred by the memories of sacred things, present themselves on all sides.
57 On Sunday, the 24th of August, 1873, enormous crowds gathered to the ancient
city of Armagh, from every point in the North of Ireland, from Leinster, Connaught and Munster, from all parts of the British Empire, *nd from the United States of America, to assist at the ceremony of dedi- cation of the new Cathedral.
58 The architect, Mr. Duff, of Newry, furnished the original design, but he died when the structure had been raised to the summit of the aisle walls, and the arches
Ma7-tyriim,
728 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 17.
choir, with two western towers,^° north and south transepts,—and aisles to both the nave and chancel. The measurements of the walls are total length in the clear, 210 feet 3 width across nave and aisles, 72; across transepts, 1X2 ; height from floor to ridge, 91 feet.
^^ The nave is separated from the aisles on each side, by six bays of clustered shafts, with moulded capitals and
St. Patrick's Catholic Cathedral of Armagh.
bases, and deeply-moulded arches ; the chancel bay is separated from the aisles,bythreebaysofsimilarshaftsandarches. ^^ Theprincipalentranceto
the Cathedral is by a finely-wrought and richly-moulded doorway, in the west end of the nave ; and by smaller doors of a similar character in the towers^3
areapproaches. TheinteriorofthisnobleCathedralpresentsanimposing
University, was charged by Archbishop Dixon, in 1854, with the execution of the
task. He began, by altering materially the design, on which his predecessor had been working,
59 The accompanying side view of this fine structure has been drawn, from a photo- graph, on the wood, and it has been en- graved by William Oldham.
^ The towers rise in successive stages,
until they terminate in the bell stages, con-
taining two double light-mullioned and traceried openings, on each face. From
these stages rise the graceful broach spires, with tiers of lucarns on alternate faces, each lucarn terminated with gilt cross, until the entire is terminated with beautifully-wrought iron gilt crosses.
^' The windows of the aisles are three- light, and are filled with moulded muUions and elaborate tracery. The east window is
seven-light, and formed of moulded mullions, with rich and varied tracery. The north and
south windows of transepts are five-light and traceried.
^^ Over these arches are the triforia, con-
sisting of marble shafts, with moulded bases
and carved capitals, deeply-moulded tracery filling the arches. Above the triforia rises
the clerestory, containing in each bay three- light traceried windows.
*3 Over the west door of the nave is a series of moulded and canopied niches, to be hereafter filled with figures of saints. Under these niches is a string-course, o—n
which the following inscription is carved
'^
Soli Deo omnipotenti, trino in fcrsonis, sub iiivocatione Sti. Fatritii, Hibernoriim Afos- toli. A. D. MDCCCLVI. " Rising above the i. 'clies is an elaborate seven-light traceried window, and the west gable termi- nates in a floriated cross.
** The high altar is placed in an advanced position within the choir, and behind it are situated the cliapel and altar of the Blessed Virgin. At the end of each choir aisle are
:
March 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 729
appearance. ^* Its site, perhaps, is one of the finest to be found, in the world. ^5 It commands a view of the surrounding country, for many miles.
This prospect is unrivalled, for picturesque beauty, and for charming variety of scenery ; while, the noble towers, and their surmounting spires, are objects of imposing height, from all points of approach.
Following the legend,^^ St. Patrick's companions wanted to catch the fawn, which fled to the northern hill f^ but, the saint objected, and he would not permit them to kill it. *"^ He even took up the fawn with care, and carried itonhisownshoulders. Theroefollowedhim,likeapetsheep,untilhelaid down that fawn on another eminence, at the north side of Armagh. ^'9 There, according to the statement of those who are familiar with the ground, mira- culous attestations were to be witnessed, in after time. The particular spot was called Telac-na-liece,7° or Tualach na Leke,7^ afterwards Tullyleckeny. 72 Were we to credit Jocelyn, the glorious bishop, with God's help and favour, began the building of a city,73 remarkable for its situation, greatness and com- pass. 74 He brought, likewise, many principal citizens to inhabit there. The city itself, in due course, was adorned with fair and decent churches, wherein were ordained, by the saint, clergymen for singing the Divine Office, for the government of souls, and for instructing the people. There were, besides, monasteries furnished with monks, and with sacred virgins. Furthermore, we are told, that the next night, after this dotation, the saint saw Angels tracing out the form and compass of a fair city, that was to be built, in that pleasant and beautiful region. One of the Angels commanded him the
"
Patrick's well," 73 where he should cure certain lepers, sixteen in number, and who were covered over with ugly sores. 7^ The saint did so, accordingly, and he baptized those
succeeding day, to seek a place, called Tobar-Patniic, or
a chapel and an altar. The Primatial throne and stalls are placed in rubrical position, in advance of tlie high altar. The stone pulpit stands against the easternmost pier of nave, on the epistle side, and the baptismal font is placed within a massively-screened en- closure, towards the west, in the north aisle. The foregoing description and details are
Drumcairn, leading to Charlemont. There
is a to\\nland named Longstone, adjoining the right of the lunatic asylum, and a little to the north of Armagh. This may be the
place, here called Telac-na-liece, meaning
furnished,
Armagh, 9th September, 1633. It is now absorbed in
from the Dublin
Freeman s
''- Inan takenat Liquisition,
yt';/r;/ir/, of August 23rd, 1873.
*s In Harris' Ware, it is stated, that
Armagh took its name, from its situation on
an eminence, ? l1, the high field. See vol. i. ,
"Archbishops of Armagh," p. 19, note.
the corporation, and being placed in the same group with the Desert, as parcel of Knockadreeine, the ancient name for that hill, on which now stands the new Catholic Cathedral,
? -^ Alluding to this foundation, Probus
writes, "in quo loco jam civitas est Ard-
mach ubi Sedes et nominata, Episcopatus
regiminis est Ilibernice. " See Quinta Vita
S. Patricii, lib. ii. , cap. vii. , p. 52.
''The22ndstanzaofSt. Fiech's — Hymn,
^^
Contained in the Book of Armagh, as
quoted by Dr. Reeves, in his "Ancient
Churches of Armagh," p. 7.
^^ Where the Sa'bhall is
in the Irish Tripartite Life of the saint.
is noted The Irish Tripartite Life then adds :
"^
" Prohibuit et Patricius, dixit,
Serviat sibi
postea. "
*9 Regarding this roe or fawn, the follow-
ing legend is given, as a continuation in the
thus alludes to this metropolitan city
:
"
ad pascua, et redibat ad Dediculam, quam
in ^,to nUvdiA ^'il im^c, if ciaii x,o i\e- nAchc GmAin,
Latin Tripartite :
Statis enim horis ibat
cell V>i\w ninroil in6|\ lechjUin-e,
ea fieri curavit vir
ad inslar 1
cex) •oich|\ub UeniAiiA.
—
sanctus, -. . 11.
p^ro
mansuetissmiaj ovis, et prcebebat se mulgen- damancillisChristijuxtadicenda. "
70 According to the Irish Tripartite Life. Likely, it was that hill, a little further north of the new Catholic Cathedral, and over which an old road passed to the Callen or Geary's bridge, between TuUyelmer and
,•- 1 , 1
i? v\, *=
,• •
^^i
Ihus translated mto Lnglish
:
to-day,
"
" '
I].
"
I'^ Ardmagh there is sovereignty: it is lo"g since Emain passed away ;
^ g^^at church is Dun-Lethglasse ; I wish
'
not that Tara should be a desert. "Irish Ecclesiastical Record," vol. iv. ,
the hill of the stones. "
This is the form of name, as contained in the Latin Tripartite Life.
—
March, i868, p. 291.
730 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 17.
lepers in that well. This miracle, coming to the people's knowledge, furnished a main help towards the building of Armagh. At the saint's
request, an Angel moved out of its place a great rock, that was likely to make an entrance into the city very incommodious and difficult. 77 The dimensions St. Patrick measured out for the FertaP'^ were one hundred and
"" forty feet in the Lis, or fort ;"79 twenty feet for the Tigh-mor, or great
"
house ;" and seventeen feet for the cutlle, or
his divines, Daire and his wife, with the nobles of Airther, or Oirthir,^* also known as Orior,^^ came to the hill, in order to inspect this site for the church, to mark out its boundaries, and to have it blessed and consecrated. ^3 The Irish Tripartite Life tells us, regarding the way Patrick measured" that rath, which seems to have surrounded the early church and cemetery at Armagh, An Angel went before him, and Patrick followed with his people, and with other holy men of Erin. The Bachall Isa, or " Staff of Jesus," was held in Patrick's hand, while he was engaged, in that solemn rite of consecration. ^* He said, great should be the crime of anyone, who dared to transgress within thatsanctuary; as,ontheotherhand,theirrewardshouldbegreat,forsuch as fulfilled the will of God, in that holy place. Besides the church here erected, its holy founder established habitations^s and out-offices, for the clergy and religious,**^ destined to serve in or near it. ^7 This foundation of Armagh is placed, so early as a. d. 444,^^ or 445. ^9 A Catalogue of bishops,
allotted for the or " aregal,
We are
houses of the Congbail, or the churches,^° were always built. Patrick and
7S The Third Life calls in latere Ardmachce. "
it, ''/ons
Patricii,
the contained in the " Pontifi- rite, present
cale Romanum," on similar occasions.
? * The Third Life states the number as twelve men, who were healed there, on each Sabbath. See cap. Ixxxiii. , p. 28.
? 7 See Sexta Vita S. Patricii, cap. clxiii. , clxiv. , p. loi,
7* No remains of the buildings, at the Fertse Martyrum, are now to be found ; but, the Rev. Di". Reeves, has determined its situation, as having been in Scotch-street, Armagh. It was a nunnery, called Temple- fertagh, and it was suppressed, at the time of the Reformation. See "Ancient Churches of Armagh," p. 5 et seq.
79 This seems to have surrounded all the
buildings.
*° Thus is it explained, eclais, or " eccle*
sia," in an ancient Glossary, in the Library of Trinity College, Dublin, classed as H. 3. 18, at p. 524.
*• Thus Oirthear, Airthiry, Airthera, Ar-
theria, or Airthear, means "eastern," "
** The district of Orior, "
tensive northern territory.
83 The Rev. Dr. Todd remarks, that this
applies to the first ecclesiastical establish-
ment created by St. Patrick, at Armagh, and not to the Cathedral or religious houses afterwards built there. See " St. Patrick, Apostle of Ireland," chap, iii. , i)p. 476,
477-
•* This ceremonial forcibly reminds us of
^s This is mentioned, by Probus
:
.
" aedi-
Latine,
partis Ultonise. "
Orientale, compairatione citerioris
regio
rum sive Orientalium," lying about Armagh, was in the eastern part of Oirghialla, an ex-
Armagh
oratory. "
informed,
that it was thus the
Artherio-
of Secundiiius and of He proposes this argument, just after having quoted Ussher. This latter writer rejects Secundinus and Sen- Patrick from the list of Armagh prelates ; because, in the hypothesis of 445 having been the true date, there was no place for
kitchen ;" seven feet were
ficavit in eo monasteri—a et habitationes reli- "
giosorum virorum. " Quinta Vita S. Patricii," lib. ii. , cap. vii. , p. 52.
^7 Jocelyn, and, after him, strangely enough. Archbishop Ussher, state, that St. Patrick built here a noble city. See Sexta
Vita S. Patricii, cap. clxv. , p. loi. Also,
"A. D. 444, Ardmachafundataest. " O'Conor's " Rerum Hibernicarum Scrip- tores," tomus iv.
*9 See James Stuart's " Historical Me-
moirs of the City of Armagh," chap, i. , p. 82. Colgan says, in his "Trias Thauma-
turga," Septima Appendix ad Acta S. Pa- tricii, pars, i. , p. 291, that this is the most probable date for its erection. Colgan, too, adduces, in favour of this date, a most ex- traordinary argument, viz. , that it is the only one, which will leave room for the in- cumbencies at
" ^^
^ See also the Latin Tripartite Life.
Primordia," cap. xi. , p. 358.
So state the "Annales Ultonien—ses. "
Sen-Patrick.
them. Notwithstanding, Colgan thought, that, in order to provide room for them, it ought to be received. Now, he might have easily discovered, that, were we to admit, with the above Catalogue, those persons to
Dr.
March 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 731
belonging to that See,9° and said to have been taken from the Calendar of
Cashel, was published by Ussher,9' to determine local chronology,? ^ by a relative comparison of succession dates. 93 At the year 445, likewise, it is
supposed, by Harris,''* that Armagh had been founded, by the Irish Apostle ; but, owing to the fact, that the greatest part of Lemster and of Munster had not then been reclaimed from paganism, he had not the power to make it what he desired, viz. , the Metropolitan and Primatial See of all Ireland. ss However, he went to Macha, for the express purpose of establishing his See there,9^ and, as soon as this church had been erected, Armagh became
have been bishops of Armagh, this See should have been founded several years be- fore A. D, 445.
9^ Should we stand by this Catalogue, ac-
cording to the Rev. Dr. I,anigan, it must
follow, that the See of Armagh existed, more than fifteen or sixteen years, before
A. D. 445. Therefore, Dr. Lanigan argues, it should have existed, prior to St. Patrick's
mission, or, at least, more than six years be- fore the time calculated by Ussher.
of the Christian era. The compilers of the Ulster Annals are supposed, to have been Charles Maguire and Roderick Cassidy.
5' See his 875.
*'
ad Acta S. Patricii, pars, ii. , p. 292. The
following is a transcript of this Catalogue :
"
Patricius (annis. ) Secundinus XVI. , Patric, Senior, X. , Benignus X. , Hierlatius XVIIL, CorbmacusXV.