The Bollandists 7° give proper portions of a Mass, which had been
celebrated
on his festival, and from a Codex Sacramentorum, which had been printed by Ratold, Abbot ot Corbie, so early as 1480.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v7
Les Petits Bollandistes,* refer his Neither 565, departure.
5 64. 4
has it been determined how many years he—lived. Some writers attribute to
ndred or the still more him the unusual number of one hu—
extraordinary
durationofonehundredandtwenty years.
At Dol, his episcopal cross was for a long time preserved. 50 Acurious
tradition is related, that this religious and valued object of art was covered
36 In the year 1789.
37 A full account of this monumental stone
44 See Les Petits Bollandistes, " Vies des Saints," tome ix. , xxviiie Jour de Juillet, p. 90.
4S See Very Rev. Dr. F. C. Husenbeth's "Emblems of Saints," p, 186. Norwich, 1882, 8vo.
46 See Bishop Challenor's "Britannia
"
the Ancient British Poems," and in a note to
the " Iolo MSS. ," p. 263.
33 By the Rev. T. Price of Carnhua-
nawe.
39 According to a learned Welsh writer,
Taliesin Williams.
40 See the Bollandists' "Acta Sancto-
mm," tomus vi. , Julii xxviii. De S. Sam- sone Episcopo Conf. Doloe in Britannia Armorica. Vita S. Samsonis Episcopi, cap. vi. , num. 61, p. 587.
41 His festival is held on the 1st of May. For an account of him, see the Fifth Volume of the present work, at that date, Art. ii.
42 His feast occurs, on the 6th of June.
43 At the 28th of February, his commemo- ration is celebrated.
may be found, in Turner's
Vindication of
Sancta," part ii. , p. 44. "
47 See Annales Ordinis S. Benedicti,"
tomus i. , lib. vi. , num. xx. ,
48 The " Circle of the Seasons," also
places his death, at a. d. 564. See p. 210. 49 See " Vies des Saints," tome ix. ,
xxviii Jour de Juillet, p. 90.
s° This he caused to be carried before him
by one of his brethren. . In later times, it was encased in silver arid gold. It was also adorned with precious gems, and it was
jealously guarded by the faithful. See Right
"
Rev. Patrick F. Moran's Early Irish
p. 151.
July 28. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 429
with gold, silver, and precious stones \ but, it tempted the cupidity of a dis- honest and sacrilegious man, who stole it. Afterwards, he was miraculously punished, by a sudden death, while those valuables, which he had taken from the cross, were recovered. 51 Many differences of opinion have been venti- lated by various writers, to account for its removal from Dol, and for the sub- sequentdispersionofSt. Samson'srelics. Somecenturiesafterhisdeath,the Christians of Dol were alarmed by the approach of enemies. Thence, on occasion of the Norman Invasions, the relics of St. Samson were translated to Paris, together with those of his kinsmen, St. Magloire and St. Maclou. This
happened during the reign of King Lothaire. Owing to the pious care of Salvator, Bishop, over the ancient See of Aleth, the precious remains were
removed. However,thechurchatDolpossessedathigh-bone,atibia,and some other fragments of the vertebrae and bones of its holy patron. The
diocesan Bishop, Charles d'Epinal, inspected these sacred relics, and had them transferred to a new shrine, on the 24th of December, 1579. At the
period of the French Revolution, this beautiful reliquary had been placed besidethehighaltarofthecathedral; but,nowitdoesnotexist,owingto
the irreligious spirit then paramount. It is said, likewise, that Maynon, Bishop of Dol, in the year 878, had the relics of our saint transferred to Orleans, fearing that the Normans should desecrate the church in Brittany, where they had been preserved. Then, those sacred relics were deposited in that church belonging to the monastery of St. Symphorian, afterwards called St. Samson. s2 With regard to the relics carried to Paris; some of these were distributed in favour of the church of St. Bartholomew, while some part of the remains were sent to a church, dedicated to St. Samson, at Orleans. These relics were hidden from the Huguenots, when they became masters of that city. 53 The Jesuits had possession of St. Samson's church, to the time of their dispersion. 5* Again, it has been stated, that the relics of St. Samson had been transferred from Lesser to Greater Britain in 934. 5S Moreover, it has been asserted, that a certain English Camaldulensian monk, named Ger- manus, brought the three bodies of the holy Bishops Magloire, Paschasius and Samson to Italy, in the time of King Henry VIII. , but this account is not substantiated nor credible. A great portion of St. Samson's bones, after an inquisition made, was found to be contained in his shrine, at Paris, when
onthe
value are wanting to authenticate such various statements as are current. 57
Missions," No. i. , p. 29.
s1 See the Bollandists' " Acta Sancto-
rum," tomus vi. , Julii xxviii. De S. Samsone Episcopo Conf. Dolse in Britannia Armorica, lib. ii. , num. 10, pp. 589, 590.
52 Such is the account given by Mabillon, and he adds, that the church in his time be- longed to the Jesuits. See the observations
"' prefixed to his Vita S. Samsonis.
53 At this time, the relics were so well concealed, that they have never since been discovered.
54 The relics of St. Samson, brought to Orleans, are supposed to have been buried somewhere in or about that church.
ss According to William of Malmesbury. 56 " Les ossements, conserves a Paris,
of
that
is to be made of more than one holy person named Samson, it seems difficult to reconcile those conflicting accounts, regarding the transfer of our saint's relics to so many different places, especially as early historic authorities of
opened
19th
January,
a. d.
1647. 5
admit,
question
6 Unlesswe
etaient, en dernier lieu, dans l'eglise de Saint-Magloire ; ils se trouvent maintenant dans celle de Saint-Jacques du Haut-Pas. " —Les Petits "Vies des
Saints," tome ix. , xxviiie Jour de Juillet, p. 90.
Bollandistes,
57 The Bollandist Father John Baptist
Soller fully discusses this matter in " Acta
Sanctorum," tomus vi. , Julii xxviii. De S. Samsone Confessore Epis. Dolae in Britannia Armorica. Appendix de S. Samsonis Reli- quiis earumque Translatione, pp. 591 to 593.
s» AWelshfamilynamedGriffin is said
to have settled here in the thirteenth cen-
tury.
59 " The parochial name and dedication
agree in indicating a Welsh occupant about
43° LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 28.
Memorials of St. Samson still exist in Ireland. In the former parish of Ballygriffin, a church had been placed under the patronage of this Cambrian saint. The church may have been on the site of one still more ancient, and it was built near the manorial castle of s8—so called
probably from some Welsh settler and founder. ^ The church or district of St. Samson's church has been ab- sorbed in that of St. Doulough*»—a church of mediaeval construc- tion61—situated a few miles northwards from the city of Dublin. The
St. Doulough's Church, County of Dublin.
been engraved on the maps, we are led irresistibly to such a conclusion.
Inthesouthof thereisa Wexford,
Ballysamson,
6s witharuined but church,
this is now dedicated to St. Catharine.
the time of the English Invasion. " See Rev. Dr. Reeves' "Memoir of the Church of St. Duilech, in the Diocese of Dublin," pp. 5, 6. P'or further particulars, regarding this church
and parish of Ballygriffin, the reader is re- ferred to that valuable Memoir.
Its more ancient patron may have
for the County of Dublin," sheet 15.
62 The walls were razed, and the whole site
levelled, when the present Belgryffin House was erected, nearly a century and a-half ago, by the Doynes of Wells, in the county of Wexford.
63 The accompanying illustration of St. Doulough's church was drawn on the spot, by William F. Wakeman, and by him trans- ferred to the wood, engraved by Mrs. Millard.
64 See " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps
for the County of Dublin/ sheet 15. This
small parish contains only 1,052a. 2r. 2p.
6s It is in the parish of Tacumshin and This is a townland, within the parish of barony of Forth. It is shown on the
"
Ballygriffin, barony of Coolock, and marked Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the
on the " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps County of Wexford," sheet 48.
60
There is a beautiful lithograph drawing
of this church, by J. D. Harding, from a
sketch by Robert O'Callaghan Newenham,
Esq. , as published in "The Picturesque
Scenery and Remarkable Antiquities of Ire-
land. " This work has been dedicated to
His Excellency Richard Marquis Wellesley,
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.
61
Ballygriffin
old church of Balgriffin —the present name— lay between the very curious ancient struc- ture of St. Duilech 63
and Stapolin, in the county of Dublin. At
the left hand side, en- tering the avenue to
Balgriffin Park, some traces of St. Samson's ruined church 6* may yet be seen. It consisted of a nave and chancel ; together taken, about eighteen yards in length. Thechurchyardis under meadow; still a shadowy outline of its precincts is faintly discernible. Yet, both these objects seem to have escaped the no- tice of our Ordnance Surveystaff. Nothaving
62
July 28. ] LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. 431
beenSt. Samson,whosenameispreservedinthatofthetownland. Ona
high hill, in the vicinity of Downpatrick, there is a huge cromlech. An absurd legend prevails, that the Jewish Samson cast it there from the mountain of SlieveDonard. Therefore,itissaidtohavebeencalled"Samson'sStone. " It has been more reasonably conjectured, however, that its denomination may rather be referable to our present St. Samson, who spent a considerable term in Ireland. 66 Several memorials of this saint's connection with Corn- wall still exist in the county. There is a parish in the Hundred of Powder still called by his name, and it has been thus designated from at least the four- teenth 67 But, it is also called
Golant,
earliest name. When this sacred spot became the site of a parish church,
century.
the name of St. Samson had be—en given to it, as in former times he had
hall—
6
A church known anciently
owed the
?
Hill has given the latter name to a parish in Cornwall. In various parts of
France, but especially in Brittany, St. Samson was greatly venerated, while many churches, chapels and religious institutes were dedicated there and in his name.
Foremost among the holy confessors of his nation, the English Litanies of the seventh century place the name of St. Samson. In the British and Irish Churches, his Office of Nine Lessons had been recited, on the day of his festival, as we find on consulting old records. Likewise, in the ancient Breviaries of Dol, of Leon, and ofSaint-Brieuc, at the 28th of July, there are nineLessons. TherearetwelveLessonsinaBreviaryconnectedwiththe AbbeyofSt. M£en. HismemoryiscelebratedintheBreviariesofNantes, of Quimper, of Rennes, of Treguier, and of Orleans.
The Bollandists 7° give proper portions of a Mass, which had been celebrated on his festival, and from a Codex Sacramentorum, which had been printed by Ratold, Abbot ot Corbie, so early as 1480. St. Samson is honoured with a proper office, as well in the Sarum Liturgy, as in the Breviaries of Paris, and as in those of divers other churches. His Natalis is universally celebrated on the 28th of July. The name of this holy bishop occurs in our Irish Calendars, because
1
his education had been received in Ireland. ?
saint, however, at the 28th of July, in the published Martyrology of Tallagh. Heismissing,likewise,fromtheMartyrologyofDonegal. Itisremarkable, moreover, that in none of the classic or well-known Martyrologies is the name of Samson included ; as in those of Venerable Bede, of Florus, of Wandel-
a
bert, of Ado, of Raban, and of Notker. 7
festival is entered, at the 28th of July. In the Kalendarium de Hyrdmanis- town,73 in the Kalendarium De Nova Farina,74 in the Kalendarium de Arbuthnott,75 and in the Kalendarium Breviarii Aberdonensis,? 6 we find
place.
as St. Samson's de South
66 Letter addressed to the writer,
John W. Hanna, and headed, Downpatrick,
30th of May, 1872.
67 According to a writ directed to the
sheriff of Cornwall, for levying a subsidy of
,£50,000, granted to King Edward III. See "
11 See " Acta Sanctorum Hiber- Colgan's
nise," xxix. Januarii. Vita S. Gildae Badonici, Abbatis et Confessoris, n. 8, pp. 188, 189.
^ See Bollandists' "Acta Sanctorum," tomus vi. , Julii xxviii. De S. Samsone Episcopo Conf. Dolae in Britannia Armorica.
by
Mr.
Carew's Survey of Cornwall," p. 442. Commentarius Prsevius, sect, ii. , num. 10,
Edition of 181 1.
p. 569.
73 Thus : "28th. v. Kal. Sancti Psamp-
sonisEpiscopi. " See Bishop Forbes' "Kalen- dars of Scottish Saints," p. 42.
74 Thus " 28 v. Kal. Sampsonis Epis-
:
copi. " See ibid. , p. 73.
"Thus: " 28 v. Kal. S. Sampsonis Epis-
copi. " See ibid. , p. 102.
? 6 Thus: " 28th v. Kal. Sampsonis Epis-
68 This is a compound of two Cornish "
words, Gol, "holy," and Lan, an enclo- sure. "
6» See Rev. John Adam's " Life of St. Samson. "
7° See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus vi. , Julii xxviii. De S. Samsone Episcopo Conf. Dolse in Britannia Armorica, p. 591.
68 and this was its probably
There is no mention of this
In the Scottish Calendars, his
432 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [July 28.
records of his festival. In his Menologium Scotorum, Dempster has St.
SampsonenteredforSt. Samson,atthe28thofJuly. 77 Hisfeastisassignedto
thev. ofthe withthe28thof 8 Inthe August Kalends, corresponding July. ?
imperfect Calendar of Irish Saints, in what is called the Breviary of Kil- moon,79 B. 1. 5. T. C. D. , St. Samson is noted, at this date. There was an office of Three Lessons for St. Samson, Bishop and Confessor, at the Fifth of the August Kalends, or 28th of July, according to the Calendar in the Trinity College Manuscript, Dublin, classed B. 3. 18, 19. Parts i. andii. of the Sarum Breviary, England. This is mentioned in the second part. His festival is noted
at this same
in the of 8° of Ado,81 of 82
of Martyrology,
many
8* at the 28th of
place Sampson, Bishop,
Saussay,
date,
83 and of
Martyrologies Usuard,
others. St. Samson has a
Bucelin, in the Roman
July. June
Dean 86 of 87 of Rev. Alban Cressy, Bishop Challenor,
at the 28th of
in the Saurum 8* In the succinct Breviary.
DolaeSampsonisepiscopi,qui
with
tation, is in a tolerably perfect state. On
Responses,
margin
Piety,"
of the Manuscript, at St.
book xi. , chap, xxviii. , pp. 252, 253. 8? See "A Memorial of British
the
Patrick's office, there are additional glosses.
80 Thus " In Britannia minori, Dolo :
monasterio, S. Samsonis episcopi et con- fessoris. "
81 One copy (Morinensis) has: "In Bri- tannia minore Dolo monasterio, S. Sam-
sonis episcopi et confessoris, cujus beatitu-
pp. 109, no.
" See " Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs
and other principal Saints," vol. vii. , July xxviii.
8s> See "Vies des Saints pour tous les Jours de l'Annde," tome iv. , xxviii* Jour de Juillet, p. 277.
nam cuminnumeris refulgeat virtutibus, speciali-
9° See "Lives of the vol. [Saints,"
July 20th, p. 602.
dinem miraculorum gloria testatur ;
vii. ,
For St.
there was a
proper prayer,
Calendar, prefixed to the " Heures de Nostre-Dame a l'usage du Mans," we find the feast of S. Samson, at Jvillet 28. At the 28th of July, likewise, in all the saint-writers, the festival of St. Samson is noted ;
Rohrbacher,89 and of Rev. S. Baring-Gould. 9°
There can be no doubt, that this celebrated saint was one of the most perfect
and admirable prelates in his day ; for, he laboured with unremitting zeal to extend the kingdom of Christ upon earth. It seems incredible, how he had
been able to accomplish such great things for God's glory, while he brought so many souls on the road to salvation. The great secret lay in the care he had for his own personal sanctification j and, his whole life is filled with examples of those solid virtues, which from youth he so perseveringly culti- vated. With him self-government was thoroughly predominant, and he never
copi in dup. , iii. lect. " See ibid. , p. 118.
"
? 7 Thus:
sanctorum Brandani et Maclouii discipulus, Gallicanam—monarchiam mentis suis illus- trat. VV. " Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p. 207.
78 Among the Trinity College Antiphona- riums, classed B. 1. 3. , there is a notice, at this date, that his office as a Bishop and Confessor contained ix. Lessons. Also, in that classed B. 1. 4. , and B. 1. 5. , similar information is given, with allusion to its being a Duplex, and having an Invitatorium. A " Breviarium Romanum," classed B. 3. 9. , and another B. 3. 13. , have our saint on their Calendars at this date.
79 The page of its Calendar remaining is so stained or written in such pale ink, as to be almost illegible. In many instances, the characters are quite effaced. In it, an office for St. Patrick, consisting of Nine Lessons,
Antiphons, and musical no-
ter tamen mortuos tres ante obitum, unum
vero post ad vitam perduxit, quod postre- mum Aurelianensibus innotuit miraculum. " In the more ancient copies, however, the name of St. Samson does not appear to have
received either notice or insertion. 82 "
as in the works of
Butler,
88 ofTAbbd
In his MartyrologiumBenedictinum. "
83 "
In his Martyrologium Gallicanum. "
8*Thus: "InBritanniamiuorisanc—ti Sampsoni Episcopi et Confessoris. "
" Martyrologium Romanum Gregorii XIII. jussu editum Urbani VIII. et ClementisX. ," p. 109. Romae, 1878, fol.
8$ A new edition of this work has been
edited by Rev. Francis Procter, A. M. ,
and Rev. Christopher Wordsworth, A. M. ,
and it was published at Cambridge, 1879, 1882, and 1886, in three 8vo volumes, under
'*
K See his " of Church-History Brittany,"
the title to each Fasciculus of
ad Usum Insignis Ecclesiae Sarum. " See Fasc. iii. , col. 557.
Breviarium
July 28. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 433
ceasedtowaragainsteverytemptationtosin. Inprayerandretreat,heloved to spend a great part of his precious time ; while such habits served to refresh his soul for the active pursuits of his most useful ministry. Not only Chris- tians but pagans were brought by him to a sense of their evil ways. During Lent,heretiredfromallconversationwithmen. Hesoughtsomeremote place,wherehemightconversewithGodalone. Inhisselectedsolitude,he was miraculously sustained until Easter came round, by offering the Divine Oblation, that is to say, by partaking solely of the Blessed Sacrament. This he constantly received, and to practise the virtue of mortification in a super- natural manner, without any other food, he remained for several successive days. His gift of miracles was often exercised. He gave sight to the blind, he cleansed the lepers, and he cast out devils. Even, he is related to have raisedthedeadtolife. ThemostnotedhagiographershaveplacedtheActsof St. Samson among their sacred biographies, nor can we conceive any that are more edifying and instructive. To recount all that has been written regarding him should require a still greater detail, than could well be presented in the foregoing narrative.
5 64. 4
has it been determined how many years he—lived. Some writers attribute to
ndred or the still more him the unusual number of one hu—
extraordinary
durationofonehundredandtwenty years.
At Dol, his episcopal cross was for a long time preserved. 50 Acurious
tradition is related, that this religious and valued object of art was covered
36 In the year 1789.
37 A full account of this monumental stone
44 See Les Petits Bollandistes, " Vies des Saints," tome ix. , xxviiie Jour de Juillet, p. 90.
4S See Very Rev. Dr. F. C. Husenbeth's "Emblems of Saints," p, 186. Norwich, 1882, 8vo.
46 See Bishop Challenor's "Britannia
"
the Ancient British Poems," and in a note to
the " Iolo MSS. ," p. 263.
33 By the Rev. T. Price of Carnhua-
nawe.
39 According to a learned Welsh writer,
Taliesin Williams.
40 See the Bollandists' "Acta Sancto-
mm," tomus vi. , Julii xxviii. De S. Sam- sone Episcopo Conf. Doloe in Britannia Armorica. Vita S. Samsonis Episcopi, cap. vi. , num. 61, p. 587.
41 His festival is held on the 1st of May. For an account of him, see the Fifth Volume of the present work, at that date, Art. ii.
42 His feast occurs, on the 6th of June.
43 At the 28th of February, his commemo- ration is celebrated.
may be found, in Turner's
Vindication of
Sancta," part ii. , p. 44. "
47 See Annales Ordinis S. Benedicti,"
tomus i. , lib. vi. , num. xx. ,
48 The " Circle of the Seasons," also
places his death, at a. d. 564. See p. 210. 49 See " Vies des Saints," tome ix. ,
xxviii Jour de Juillet, p. 90.
s° This he caused to be carried before him
by one of his brethren. . In later times, it was encased in silver arid gold. It was also adorned with precious gems, and it was
jealously guarded by the faithful. See Right
"
Rev. Patrick F. Moran's Early Irish
p. 151.
July 28. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 429
with gold, silver, and precious stones \ but, it tempted the cupidity of a dis- honest and sacrilegious man, who stole it. Afterwards, he was miraculously punished, by a sudden death, while those valuables, which he had taken from the cross, were recovered. 51 Many differences of opinion have been venti- lated by various writers, to account for its removal from Dol, and for the sub- sequentdispersionofSt. Samson'srelics. Somecenturiesafterhisdeath,the Christians of Dol were alarmed by the approach of enemies. Thence, on occasion of the Norman Invasions, the relics of St. Samson were translated to Paris, together with those of his kinsmen, St. Magloire and St. Maclou. This
happened during the reign of King Lothaire. Owing to the pious care of Salvator, Bishop, over the ancient See of Aleth, the precious remains were
removed. However,thechurchatDolpossessedathigh-bone,atibia,and some other fragments of the vertebrae and bones of its holy patron. The
diocesan Bishop, Charles d'Epinal, inspected these sacred relics, and had them transferred to a new shrine, on the 24th of December, 1579. At the
period of the French Revolution, this beautiful reliquary had been placed besidethehighaltarofthecathedral; but,nowitdoesnotexist,owingto
the irreligious spirit then paramount. It is said, likewise, that Maynon, Bishop of Dol, in the year 878, had the relics of our saint transferred to Orleans, fearing that the Normans should desecrate the church in Brittany, where they had been preserved. Then, those sacred relics were deposited in that church belonging to the monastery of St. Symphorian, afterwards called St. Samson. s2 With regard to the relics carried to Paris; some of these were distributed in favour of the church of St. Bartholomew, while some part of the remains were sent to a church, dedicated to St. Samson, at Orleans. These relics were hidden from the Huguenots, when they became masters of that city. 53 The Jesuits had possession of St. Samson's church, to the time of their dispersion. 5* Again, it has been stated, that the relics of St. Samson had been transferred from Lesser to Greater Britain in 934. 5S Moreover, it has been asserted, that a certain English Camaldulensian monk, named Ger- manus, brought the three bodies of the holy Bishops Magloire, Paschasius and Samson to Italy, in the time of King Henry VIII. , but this account is not substantiated nor credible. A great portion of St. Samson's bones, after an inquisition made, was found to be contained in his shrine, at Paris, when
onthe
value are wanting to authenticate such various statements as are current. 57
Missions," No. i. , p. 29.
s1 See the Bollandists' " Acta Sancto-
rum," tomus vi. , Julii xxviii. De S. Samsone Episcopo Conf. Dolse in Britannia Armorica, lib. ii. , num. 10, pp. 589, 590.
52 Such is the account given by Mabillon, and he adds, that the church in his time be- longed to the Jesuits. See the observations
"' prefixed to his Vita S. Samsonis.
53 At this time, the relics were so well concealed, that they have never since been discovered.
54 The relics of St. Samson, brought to Orleans, are supposed to have been buried somewhere in or about that church.
ss According to William of Malmesbury. 56 " Les ossements, conserves a Paris,
of
that
is to be made of more than one holy person named Samson, it seems difficult to reconcile those conflicting accounts, regarding the transfer of our saint's relics to so many different places, especially as early historic authorities of
opened
19th
January,
a. d.
1647. 5
admit,
question
6 Unlesswe
etaient, en dernier lieu, dans l'eglise de Saint-Magloire ; ils se trouvent maintenant dans celle de Saint-Jacques du Haut-Pas. " —Les Petits "Vies des
Saints," tome ix. , xxviiie Jour de Juillet, p. 90.
Bollandistes,
57 The Bollandist Father John Baptist
Soller fully discusses this matter in " Acta
Sanctorum," tomus vi. , Julii xxviii. De S. Samsone Confessore Epis. Dolae in Britannia Armorica. Appendix de S. Samsonis Reli- quiis earumque Translatione, pp. 591 to 593.
s» AWelshfamilynamedGriffin is said
to have settled here in the thirteenth cen-
tury.
59 " The parochial name and dedication
agree in indicating a Welsh occupant about
43° LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 28.
Memorials of St. Samson still exist in Ireland. In the former parish of Ballygriffin, a church had been placed under the patronage of this Cambrian saint. The church may have been on the site of one still more ancient, and it was built near the manorial castle of s8—so called
probably from some Welsh settler and founder. ^ The church or district of St. Samson's church has been ab- sorbed in that of St. Doulough*»—a church of mediaeval construc- tion61—situated a few miles northwards from the city of Dublin. The
St. Doulough's Church, County of Dublin.
been engraved on the maps, we are led irresistibly to such a conclusion.
Inthesouthof thereisa Wexford,
Ballysamson,
6s witharuined but church,
this is now dedicated to St. Catharine.
the time of the English Invasion. " See Rev. Dr. Reeves' "Memoir of the Church of St. Duilech, in the Diocese of Dublin," pp. 5, 6. P'or further particulars, regarding this church
and parish of Ballygriffin, the reader is re- ferred to that valuable Memoir.
Its more ancient patron may have
for the County of Dublin," sheet 15.
62 The walls were razed, and the whole site
levelled, when the present Belgryffin House was erected, nearly a century and a-half ago, by the Doynes of Wells, in the county of Wexford.
63 The accompanying illustration of St. Doulough's church was drawn on the spot, by William F. Wakeman, and by him trans- ferred to the wood, engraved by Mrs. Millard.
64 See " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps
for the County of Dublin/ sheet 15. This
small parish contains only 1,052a. 2r. 2p.
6s It is in the parish of Tacumshin and This is a townland, within the parish of barony of Forth. It is shown on the
"
Ballygriffin, barony of Coolock, and marked Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the
on the " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps County of Wexford," sheet 48.
60
There is a beautiful lithograph drawing
of this church, by J. D. Harding, from a
sketch by Robert O'Callaghan Newenham,
Esq. , as published in "The Picturesque
Scenery and Remarkable Antiquities of Ire-
land. " This work has been dedicated to
His Excellency Richard Marquis Wellesley,
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.
61
Ballygriffin
old church of Balgriffin —the present name— lay between the very curious ancient struc- ture of St. Duilech 63
and Stapolin, in the county of Dublin. At
the left hand side, en- tering the avenue to
Balgriffin Park, some traces of St. Samson's ruined church 6* may yet be seen. It consisted of a nave and chancel ; together taken, about eighteen yards in length. Thechurchyardis under meadow; still a shadowy outline of its precincts is faintly discernible. Yet, both these objects seem to have escaped the no- tice of our Ordnance Surveystaff. Nothaving
62
July 28. ] LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. 431
beenSt. Samson,whosenameispreservedinthatofthetownland. Ona
high hill, in the vicinity of Downpatrick, there is a huge cromlech. An absurd legend prevails, that the Jewish Samson cast it there from the mountain of SlieveDonard. Therefore,itissaidtohavebeencalled"Samson'sStone. " It has been more reasonably conjectured, however, that its denomination may rather be referable to our present St. Samson, who spent a considerable term in Ireland. 66 Several memorials of this saint's connection with Corn- wall still exist in the county. There is a parish in the Hundred of Powder still called by his name, and it has been thus designated from at least the four- teenth 67 But, it is also called
Golant,
earliest name. When this sacred spot became the site of a parish church,
century.
the name of St. Samson had be—en given to it, as in former times he had
hall—
6
A church known anciently
owed the
?
Hill has given the latter name to a parish in Cornwall. In various parts of
France, but especially in Brittany, St. Samson was greatly venerated, while many churches, chapels and religious institutes were dedicated there and in his name.
Foremost among the holy confessors of his nation, the English Litanies of the seventh century place the name of St. Samson. In the British and Irish Churches, his Office of Nine Lessons had been recited, on the day of his festival, as we find on consulting old records. Likewise, in the ancient Breviaries of Dol, of Leon, and ofSaint-Brieuc, at the 28th of July, there are nineLessons. TherearetwelveLessonsinaBreviaryconnectedwiththe AbbeyofSt. M£en. HismemoryiscelebratedintheBreviariesofNantes, of Quimper, of Rennes, of Treguier, and of Orleans.
The Bollandists 7° give proper portions of a Mass, which had been celebrated on his festival, and from a Codex Sacramentorum, which had been printed by Ratold, Abbot ot Corbie, so early as 1480. St. Samson is honoured with a proper office, as well in the Sarum Liturgy, as in the Breviaries of Paris, and as in those of divers other churches. His Natalis is universally celebrated on the 28th of July. The name of this holy bishop occurs in our Irish Calendars, because
1
his education had been received in Ireland. ?
saint, however, at the 28th of July, in the published Martyrology of Tallagh. Heismissing,likewise,fromtheMartyrologyofDonegal. Itisremarkable, moreover, that in none of the classic or well-known Martyrologies is the name of Samson included ; as in those of Venerable Bede, of Florus, of Wandel-
a
bert, of Ado, of Raban, and of Notker. 7
festival is entered, at the 28th of July. In the Kalendarium de Hyrdmanis- town,73 in the Kalendarium De Nova Farina,74 in the Kalendarium de Arbuthnott,75 and in the Kalendarium Breviarii Aberdonensis,? 6 we find
place.
as St. Samson's de South
66 Letter addressed to the writer,
John W. Hanna, and headed, Downpatrick,
30th of May, 1872.
67 According to a writ directed to the
sheriff of Cornwall, for levying a subsidy of
,£50,000, granted to King Edward III. See "
11 See " Acta Sanctorum Hiber- Colgan's
nise," xxix. Januarii. Vita S. Gildae Badonici, Abbatis et Confessoris, n. 8, pp. 188, 189.
^ See Bollandists' "Acta Sanctorum," tomus vi. , Julii xxviii. De S. Samsone Episcopo Conf. Dolae in Britannia Armorica.
by
Mr.
Carew's Survey of Cornwall," p. 442. Commentarius Prsevius, sect, ii. , num. 10,
Edition of 181 1.
p. 569.
73 Thus : "28th. v. Kal. Sancti Psamp-
sonisEpiscopi. " See Bishop Forbes' "Kalen- dars of Scottish Saints," p. 42.
74 Thus " 28 v. Kal. Sampsonis Epis-
:
copi. " See ibid. , p. 73.
"Thus: " 28 v. Kal. S. Sampsonis Epis-
copi. " See ibid. , p. 102.
? 6 Thus: " 28th v. Kal. Sampsonis Epis-
68 This is a compound of two Cornish "
words, Gol, "holy," and Lan, an enclo- sure. "
6» See Rev. John Adam's " Life of St. Samson. "
7° See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus vi. , Julii xxviii. De S. Samsone Episcopo Conf. Dolse in Britannia Armorica, p. 591.
68 and this was its probably
There is no mention of this
In the Scottish Calendars, his
432 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [July 28.
records of his festival. In his Menologium Scotorum, Dempster has St.
SampsonenteredforSt. Samson,atthe28thofJuly. 77 Hisfeastisassignedto
thev. ofthe withthe28thof 8 Inthe August Kalends, corresponding July. ?
imperfect Calendar of Irish Saints, in what is called the Breviary of Kil- moon,79 B. 1. 5. T. C. D. , St. Samson is noted, at this date. There was an office of Three Lessons for St. Samson, Bishop and Confessor, at the Fifth of the August Kalends, or 28th of July, according to the Calendar in the Trinity College Manuscript, Dublin, classed B. 3. 18, 19. Parts i. andii. of the Sarum Breviary, England. This is mentioned in the second part. His festival is noted
at this same
in the of 8° of Ado,81 of 82
of Martyrology,
many
8* at the 28th of
place Sampson, Bishop,
Saussay,
date,
83 and of
Martyrologies Usuard,
others. St. Samson has a
Bucelin, in the Roman
July. June
Dean 86 of 87 of Rev. Alban Cressy, Bishop Challenor,
at the 28th of
in the Saurum 8* In the succinct Breviary.
DolaeSampsonisepiscopi,qui
with
tation, is in a tolerably perfect state. On
Responses,
margin
Piety,"
of the Manuscript, at St.
book xi. , chap, xxviii. , pp. 252, 253. 8? See "A Memorial of British
the
Patrick's office, there are additional glosses.
80 Thus " In Britannia minori, Dolo :
monasterio, S. Samsonis episcopi et con- fessoris. "
81 One copy (Morinensis) has: "In Bri- tannia minore Dolo monasterio, S. Sam-
sonis episcopi et confessoris, cujus beatitu-
pp. 109, no.
" See " Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs
and other principal Saints," vol. vii. , July xxviii.
8s> See "Vies des Saints pour tous les Jours de l'Annde," tome iv. , xxviii* Jour de Juillet, p. 277.
nam cuminnumeris refulgeat virtutibus, speciali-
9° See "Lives of the vol. [Saints,"
July 20th, p. 602.
dinem miraculorum gloria testatur ;
vii. ,
For St.
there was a
proper prayer,
Calendar, prefixed to the " Heures de Nostre-Dame a l'usage du Mans," we find the feast of S. Samson, at Jvillet 28. At the 28th of July, likewise, in all the saint-writers, the festival of St. Samson is noted ;
Rohrbacher,89 and of Rev. S. Baring-Gould. 9°
There can be no doubt, that this celebrated saint was one of the most perfect
and admirable prelates in his day ; for, he laboured with unremitting zeal to extend the kingdom of Christ upon earth. It seems incredible, how he had
been able to accomplish such great things for God's glory, while he brought so many souls on the road to salvation. The great secret lay in the care he had for his own personal sanctification j and, his whole life is filled with examples of those solid virtues, which from youth he so perseveringly culti- vated. With him self-government was thoroughly predominant, and he never
copi in dup. , iii. lect. " See ibid. , p. 118.
"
? 7 Thus:
sanctorum Brandani et Maclouii discipulus, Gallicanam—monarchiam mentis suis illus- trat. VV. " Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p. 207.
78 Among the Trinity College Antiphona- riums, classed B. 1. 3. , there is a notice, at this date, that his office as a Bishop and Confessor contained ix. Lessons. Also, in that classed B. 1. 4. , and B. 1. 5. , similar information is given, with allusion to its being a Duplex, and having an Invitatorium. A " Breviarium Romanum," classed B. 3. 9. , and another B. 3. 13. , have our saint on their Calendars at this date.
79 The page of its Calendar remaining is so stained or written in such pale ink, as to be almost illegible. In many instances, the characters are quite effaced. In it, an office for St. Patrick, consisting of Nine Lessons,
Antiphons, and musical no-
ter tamen mortuos tres ante obitum, unum
vero post ad vitam perduxit, quod postre- mum Aurelianensibus innotuit miraculum. " In the more ancient copies, however, the name of St. Samson does not appear to have
received either notice or insertion. 82 "
as in the works of
Butler,
88 ofTAbbd
In his MartyrologiumBenedictinum. "
83 "
In his Martyrologium Gallicanum. "
8*Thus: "InBritanniamiuorisanc—ti Sampsoni Episcopi et Confessoris. "
" Martyrologium Romanum Gregorii XIII. jussu editum Urbani VIII. et ClementisX. ," p. 109. Romae, 1878, fol.
8$ A new edition of this work has been
edited by Rev. Francis Procter, A. M. ,
and Rev. Christopher Wordsworth, A. M. ,
and it was published at Cambridge, 1879, 1882, and 1886, in three 8vo volumes, under
'*
K See his " of Church-History Brittany,"
the title to each Fasciculus of
ad Usum Insignis Ecclesiae Sarum. " See Fasc. iii. , col. 557.
Breviarium
July 28. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 433
ceasedtowaragainsteverytemptationtosin. Inprayerandretreat,heloved to spend a great part of his precious time ; while such habits served to refresh his soul for the active pursuits of his most useful ministry. Not only Chris- tians but pagans were brought by him to a sense of their evil ways. During Lent,heretiredfromallconversationwithmen. Hesoughtsomeremote place,wherehemightconversewithGodalone. Inhisselectedsolitude,he was miraculously sustained until Easter came round, by offering the Divine Oblation, that is to say, by partaking solely of the Blessed Sacrament. This he constantly received, and to practise the virtue of mortification in a super- natural manner, without any other food, he remained for several successive days. His gift of miracles was often exercised. He gave sight to the blind, he cleansed the lepers, and he cast out devils. Even, he is related to have raisedthedeadtolife. ThemostnotedhagiographershaveplacedtheActsof St. Samson among their sacred biographies, nor can we conceive any that are more edifying and instructive. To recount all that has been written regarding him should require a still greater detail, than could well be presented in the foregoing narrative.
