)
48 In thelrish language written 11 1 rmrvr^e.
48 In thelrish language written 11 1 rmrvr^e.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v6
, cap.
xxxix.
26 The reader who is desirous of learning
more regarding them may consult Fleming's "Collectanea Sacra," where Abbot Cum- mian's "Liber de Mensura Pcenitentiarm," consisting of fourteen chapters, maybe seen,
at pp. 197 to 210.
27 This seems to have greatly prayed on
his conscience, as may be seen afterwards,
and owing to the conditions under which it
was taken.
38
you spoke,
living;
"°
Greek fjL&xat-pa, a sword. This instance, Probablybypayinganericormoney andseveralotherpassagesinAdamnan,and
fine to the nearest kinsmen of the deceased, which was a very usual mode in Ireland of statisfying for an injury committed. See
other ecclesiastical writers ofhisage, manifest the growing taste for Latinizing Greek terms, 3* "The Irish were so addicted to fishing
"
Hibernicis," vol. i. , No. iii. A Critico* have lived in ships. The extensive fisheries
Charles Vallancey's
Collectanea de Rebus
and navigation, that they appear almost to
Historical Dissertation concerning the
Ancient Irish Laws or National Customs,
&c, p. 392.
29 The Catholic reader needs not be told
how well the language here used corresponds
of ancient Ireland are known, from the com- mon custom of adorning the hilts of t—he swords with the teeth of large fish. "
" Cambrensis Eversus," vol. ii. , chap, xii. , p. 179, as translated by the late Rev. Pro-
3This a was
confessed all his 25 sins,
penitential house of retreat apparently, and situated in the Island of Tiree, within view of Iona. There was also
a Magh Luinge on the Island of Hy.
3I The words of Adamnan are "macheram belluinis ornatam dolatis protulit dentibus :" whence we may infer probably, that the hilt of that sword was formed from the tusk of some large wild animal, possibly a boar, or it may be from the bones of some monster fish. The Latin word machera is adopted from the
5 2o LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 9.
ransom ; the master, however, will not accept it, for he has a virtuous wife, at whose suggestion he shall set you free, unbinding the girdle from around your . loins. 33 Though thus relieved from this source of anxiety, other trials await
you four brothers will insist on your providing for the necessities of your
;—
father a duty, they will say, you
their wishes, and promise to watch over your father with filial piety. The duty may indeed be onerous, but be not grieved thereat, because you shall not bear the burden long ; since, from the day on which you undertake it, not a week shall elapse, until the death of your father takes place. Nor shall your labours end even there ; your brothers will make the same demand, with
regard to your mother. 3* However, a younger brother shall engage to do whateverisrequiredofyou,andyoushallbefreeatlength. " Havingheard these words, the stranger received the gift with the saint's blessing, and he pro- ceededonhisjourney. Whenthatslavearrivedathome,hefoundeverycir- cumstanceexactlyasdescribedbythesaint. Hepresentedtheivory-handled sword 35 to his master, but the wife warned him not to accept it, saying : "What need we this gift sent by St. Columba? we are not even worthy of such a favour. Liberate this good young man immediately. The prayers of the saint shall profit us more than the price of this slave. " Influenced by his wife's salutary counsel, her husband ordered the slave to be set free forthwithandwithoutransom. However,accordingtothesaint'sprophecy, he was compelled by his brothers to undertake the obligation of providing for his father, until the old man's death, which occurred within the very first week after the penitent assumed that obligation. After his burial, they required him to discharge the same duty towards his mother during her lifetime. But, as the saint foretold, a younger brother engaged to supply his place, and opposed the project of the other brothers; because it was unfair, he said, to
detain at home one, who had spent seven years in penitential exercises with St. Columba. Thegoodpilgrimsoontookleaveofhismotherandbrothers, when he retired to a place, called in Irish, Daire Calgaich,36 or "the oak- wood of Calgaich. "37 There, he found a ship under sail, and just leaving the
cultui dentibus mart nantium belluarum in-
—
fessor Dr. Matthew Kelly.
— sion—allusion is made, probably
"
33 To this ceremony
a of manumis- form
signiunt ensium capulos. "
xxv.
Polyhistor,"
in the letters of Pope Gelasius : "Ex antiquis re- gulis et novella synodali explanatione com- prehensum est, personas o—bnoxias servituti, cingulo coelestis militiae. " Dist. 54, cap. 9. And again, the Pope complains of bishops :
"Qui obnoxias possessoribus obligatasque personas venientes a—d clericalis officii cingu- lum non recusant. " Ibid. , cap. 10. bee Thomassinus, De Beneficiis, tomus ii. , cap. 79; and " Le Protestantisme compare au Catholicisme," par M. l'Abbe Jacques Bal- mes, tome i. , passim, on the whole question of slavery, and the influence of the Church in abrogating it.
34 The Rev. Dr. Reeves remarks in this
connexion "Theallusiontofilialobliga- :
tionsin this chapter indicates the existence
of a better social and moral condition in Ire-
land at this date, than the tone oft—he native
Annals would lead one to expect. " Adam-
cap.
3° In the text of Adamnan, given by
Colgan, it is written Claire calig, which he corrects in a note to Daire-Chalguich, and often called Robertum Calguich, by Adam- nan. See " Trias Thaumaturga," n. 32, p. 384. The Irish word cAbg signifies "a
"
sword," or
means "sharp" or "angry. " Hence, Cabgach became a proper name, meaning "a fierce warrior. " Its genitive is CaI- 5<wch.
3? This was only another name for thepre- sent Derry, and the one it bore antecedently to the foundation there of St. Columba's monastery. An ancient Irish Life of St.
Columba relates the gift of this place by
Aedh, son of Ainmire, who could only have been ten years old, at the date assigned for that monastic erection, A. D. 545, in the An- nals of Ulster. However, as a minor, and the prospective king of that territory, he pro bably presented the site in the name of his
and
tribe, tohisownnearrelative. Intimes
nan's
"
Life of St. Columba," n. (q), p. 159.
35 Speaking of the Irish, and especially of
— — about the theirchiefs,Solinus whoflourished
year of Our Lord 230 says
" :
Qui
student
long subsequent,
the
monastery
at
Deny
ae-
have at with
long neglected ;
comply once
a thorn/' and as an adjective it
June 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 521
harbour. He called on the sailors to take him on board and to convey him to Britain. Not being well disposed towards the monks of St. Columba, the crew refused to receive that penitent, and he then prayed to the holy man,
"
Is it thy will, holy Co- lumba,thatthesesailors, whowillnotassistme,thycompanion,shouldmake their voyage with full sails and with favourable winds ? " That moment, the wind, which till then filled their sails, veered to the opposite point, and blew a strong gale against them. When thus driven back, the sailors saw again the same man running in front of them, and along the bank of the river. 38
"
absent indeed in body, but present in spirit, saying :
They cried out all at once, as if by mutual consent :
Perhaps the wind has
unexpectedly turned against us, because we refused to give you a passage ; now we invite you on board; can you [change the winds in our favour? "
When the pilgrim heard this, he said
and whom I have served for the last seven years, is able by prayer to obtain afavourablewindfromGod. " Theythennearedtheshore,andaskedhim toaccompanythem. Assoonasthepenitenthadcomeonboard,hesaid: " In the name of Almighty God, whom St. Columba faithfully serves, spread your sails on the extended yards. " When they had done so, the winds imme- diately changed to their former course, and the vessel bounded under full sail towards Britain. On reaching the shore, their passenger left the ship, blessed the sailors, and went directly to St. Columba, by whom he was warmly received. Without being informed of any on—e circumstance, the holy man toldabouteverythingthathappenedonhisway regardinghismasterandthe wife's suggestion, and of his being set free on her account ; regarding the con- duct of his brothers, the death and burial of his father within the week, the timelyassistanceoftheyoungerbrother; alsorelatingwhatoccurredonhis return, the adverse and favourable winds, the very words of the sailors when theyrefused to admit him into the ship, and the favourable wind, when they had given their consent. Every particular the saint had foretold, -the visitor now described after its having been exactly fulfilled. The pious pilgrim then gave back to the Abbot the price of his ransom. After which, the saint addressed
:
:
himinthesewords "Now,becauseyouarefree,youshallbecalledLibra-
nus39henceforth. " Atthesametime,Libranustookthemonasticvowswith muchfervour. Whenhewasbeingsentbacktothemonastery,wherehehad passed the seven years of penance, our saint made the following prophetic
:
announcement to him " You shall live yet a long time, and die at a good
old age; you shall arise from the dead, not however in Britain, but in Scotia. "* Hearingthesewords,thepilgrimweptbitterly,andthesaintcom-
forted " him,saying:
and be not
shall die in one of monasteries,* and your lot shall be among the elect brethren in the King-
quired a jurisdiction over Hy, and it became the seat of the Abbot superior over all the
Columban monasteries, according to evi- dences contained in the Irish Annals. See Rev. Dr. O'Conor's " Rerum Hibemicarum
tomus iv. ses," at a. d. 1 164.
" Annales Ultonien-
dumha, at the 30th of March. 3. Liber, of Inis-mor, at the 1st of August. 4. Liber the martyr. There are three called Libran or Liobhran: 1. Liobhran, at the 8th of March. 2. Libren, of Cluain-fodha, at the nth of March. Abbot of
Scriptores,"
,
3. Liobran,
also at the 1 ith of March. See the O'Clerys'
1
38 Allusion is made to Loch Feabhal or the Foyle, through which the river flows from above Lifford, where it is joined by the RiverFinn. TheRiverRoealsoflowsinto Lough Foyle. See a description in " The Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ireland," vol. ii. , p. 223.
39 There are four saints called Liber in the Irish Calendars : 1. Liber, Abbot of Achadh- bo, at the 8th of March. 2. Liber, of Leth-
"Calendar," at these several dates.
40 By this term, Ireland is here meant,
** St. Columba, at Iona, was the head of
all those religious houses, that followed his Rule. Hisseveralcongregationswerecalled
"
muincer* ChoUnrn-cille,
family of Columkille," according to the Book of Armagh, fol. Ii3, b.
^ The Irish word, Libyan or Librven, is said to have been derived from the Latin
Arise,
sad, you
my
la,
" St. Columba, to whom I am going,
the people or
522 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 9.
dom of Heaven, with whom you shall awake from the sleep of death unto the resurrection of life. " Being thus consoled by the saint's assurance, Libran 42
rejoiced exceedingly, asked his blessing, and went away in peace. After- wards, this prophecy of the saint was also fulfilled ; for when he had spent
many years of holy obedience in the monastery of Magh Luinge,43 even sub- sequent to the death of St. Columba, being sent on a mission to Ireland regarding the interests of the monastery, Libran 44 proceeded as soon as he landed through the plains of Meath towards the monastery of Durrow. 4 ^ He was received there as a stranger in the hospice, but suffering from disease, he passed to the Lord, on the seventh day of his illness. 46 He was buried with the chosen monks of St. Columba, according to such prophecy, and he was destined to arise with them, also, into life everlasting. This holy penitent was called Libranus Arundinetus, from his having been engaged many years in the collecting of reeds. *?
called
Hy
Tuirtre
Tort,
4?
A certain — as we are unhappy man,
and informed, belonging
to the
one of the
from Fiachra who claim descent—
48
sons s° of Colla Uais, monarch of Ireland 5I had been guilty of very grievous and shameful crime. Regarding this, St. Columba had a miraculous intuition, and in the dead hour of night, he had the monks collected in the church. To them he said : "At this hour, a shocking and an unmentionable crime has been committed, for which a judgment of God's vengeance is greatly to be feared. " At this time, also, the messenger of the monastery, named Lugaid, was away from Iona ; and when some of Columba's disciples wished to learn from their Abbot on the day following the nature of that crime, he evaded their ques- tions by merely stating, that after a few months the perpetrator should come with Lugaid to their Island. The period indicated having elapsed, while the Abbot was with Diarmitius one day he said: "Arise quickly, behold
word liber, "free," and it properly signifies side of Lough Neagh and Lough Beg, ad- libtriiuis, "a freedman. " The Irish name joining the Kir Li on the south. Fearsat
Liber* is usually Latinized Liberius, and the Irish form tibpan or bib]\en is Latinized Libranus or Librenus,
43 In the Island of Tirec.
44 Colgan is of opinion, that this Libran
had a feast, at the nth of March ; where
our early Martyrologists simply enter a Libran, while later writers add, that he was
Tuama " the Ford of Toome," now Toome Bridge, was the point of communication be- tween the Hy Tuirtre and Dalaradia. In the twelfth century they were forced over to the east side of the Bann and Lough Neagh, and gave the name of Hy Tuirtre to the territory now known as the two baronies of Toome. The Decanatus de Turtyre in the early taxa- tions represented their extent.
49 The epithet toit being a name for seizure, because it was by Faclira that Conaille
Muirtheimhne, the present county of Louth, was first seized, as an inheritance, according to the Genealogical Manuscript of MacFiibis. See Rev. Dr. Reeves' "Ecclesiastical Anti- quities of Down, Connor and Dromore, pp. 82, 83, n. (a), and Appendix BB, pp. 292 to 297. He dwelt south of the mountain of Slieve Gallion, and from him descend the Hy Tuirtre and the Fir Li, as also the Fir Luirg, and the Hy-mac-Uais.
"
berniae," Martii xi. De S. Librano Abbate
Hiensi, p. 584.
4s Venerable Bede gives us to understand,
that Hy and Durrow were the nurseries from
which the Columbian institutions of Britain
and of Ireland were chiefly recruited. See
"
Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. iii. , cap. iv. , pp. 168, 169.
46 If he had place in the Irish Calendars, it seems more probable his connexion as a saint was more with Durrow in the King's County than with Iona. See notices in the Third Volume of this work, at March nth, Art iv.
"
Abbot of Iona. See
Acta Sanctorum Hi-
s° Another of his sons named Earc, who lived on the north of the Mountain of Slieve 47 See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's Gallion, and from him descended the Mac Cartains of Loch Feabhail or Foyle. Slieve Gallion, also called Sliabh Callain, is a ba- rony in the barony of Loughinsholin, county of Londonderry. It lies on the borders of Tyrone countv. See Dr. O'Donovan's " An- Anterior to the English invasion, the Hy nals of the Four Masters," vol. ii. , at A. D.
Life of St. Columba," lib. ii. , cap. 39, pp 156 to 163, and nn. (a, b, c, d, e, f, g, ll, i, k, 1, m, n, o, p, q, r, s, t, u, v, w, x, y, z.
)
48 In thelrish language written 11 1 rmrvr^e.
Tuirtre were situated in Tyrone, on the west 1 167, pp. 1164, 1 165, and n. (b).
clan,
June 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 523
Lugaid approaches, and tell him the wicked man he brings in his ship must be landed in the Island Malea,52 or Mull," for his feet shall not pollute the soil ofthis Island. " Accordingly, in obedience to the saint's command, Diarmit went down to the sea-shore, and conveyed his message to Lugaid. Having heard these words, the unhappy man vowed he should never taste food, until he had seen and spoken to St. Columba. Thereupon, Diermait returned to the Abbot and reported his words. Having learned this, Columba himself went to the port, while Baithen, who was told about the crime, 5 * seems to have carried with him a volume of the Sacred Scriptures, as if to oblige the culprit to vow upon it, that he would accept a weighty penance for his flagrant guilt. The wretched man prostrated himself on the shore and at the knees of the holy Abbot, promising that he would fulfil whatever pen-
" This man is a son of perdition,
ance might be imposed on him. The saint replied
you repent in tears and in mourning among the Britons, and never return to Scotiasolongasyoulive,perchancetheAlmightywouldpardonyou. "56 Then
turning to his attendants, Columba said
:
who although he promises to do penance shall fail to fulfil his engagement, but soon shall he return to Scotia, where he must perish at the hands of his enemies. " All this happened, and just as the saint predicted. Soon did the wretch return to Hibernia, and in the territory 5 ? of Lea s 8 or Li, 5 ? he was mur-
60
While Mochonna—to whom we have already alluded—dwelt in the
monastery of Hy, St. Columba engaged him in the work of transcription ; and when daylight failed the young monk for his task, a supernatural brightness filled his cell by night. This was observed with envy by certain false brethren,
and it is stated, that at the hour for refreshment, poison had been conveyed into the cup set before him. However, at that moment, St. Columba, who was alone in his hermit's cell, had a Divine monition regarding this con-
spiracy. He relieved Mochonna from all danger, by suddenly raising his hand and blessing the cup from a distance. Instantly, the poison effervesced
dered by his enemies.
51 a. d. 332.
s' Like most of the names of islands *in
Adamnan, an adjective agreeing with insn- lam is here employed. See lib. i. , cap. 41, and lib. ii. , cap. 22.
from Bior to Camus. " Genealogical Mann-
script, at p. 334. The Bior is the Moyla River, locally called "the water," which
rising in Ballynascreen, on the west of the county Londonderry, flows eastwards. Pass-
53 In Ptolemy the Greek geographer, this
Island appears as MaXeos. Off the south-
western extremity, called the Ross, lies the
Isle of Iona. In his " Scotichronicon," part, the northern limit of the diocese of Fordun has it written Mule. See lib. ii. ,
cap. x. The Northern writers style it Myl, in their chronicles.
is a well-known churchyard on the Bann, _
aboutamilesouthofColeraine. SeeCol-
54 The declaration is made by Adamnan, gan's
"
Trias Thaumaturga," Septima Vita
in these terms: "O Baithenee, hie homo fratricidium in modum perpetravic Cain, et cum sua matre mcechatus est. "
55 This was a usual term of monastic pen-
S. Patricii, lib. ii. , cap. exxxviii. , p. 148, and
n. 221, p. 183, and Quarta Vita S. Co-
lumbse, lib. i. , cap. xxii. , p. 343, and nn. 69,
7°> P- 377-
58 inthe BookofArmagh, Tirechancalls
it bee, in fob 15^, &•
59 ln Irish bi, or mag ti, or from the in-
habitants, pj\ bi. Giraldus Cambrensis employs the last name, in the form Ferli. See " Opera," edited by James F. Dimock, vol. v. "Expugnatio Hibernica," lib. ii. , cap. xvii. , p. 343.
6° See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's " Life of St. Columba," lib. i. , cap. 22, and nn. (a, b, c, d, e), pp. 51 to 53.
ance or service, as may be seen, by re- "
fering to Venerable Bede's Historia Eccle- siastica Gentis Anglorum. "
5s See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Tertia Vita S. Columbse, cap. vii. , pp. 332. 333 ; Quarta Vita S. Columbse, lib. i. , cap. xxii. , p. 343 ; Quinta Vita S. Columbce, lib. ii. , cap. xxxiv. ,p. 415.
57 The territory lay on the west side of the River Bann, being thus defined by Mac Firbis : pr» bi o bmop 50 CA-mur, " Fir-Li
:
" If for twelve years 55
ing Castledawson, it falls into Lough Neagh. At the Synod of Rathbreasil, in 1 1 10, it was constituted, and it still continues to be, in
Armagh. Camus, the northern boundary,
5 2 4 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 9.
andflowedoverthevessel; thenSt. Mochonnadrainedtheremainingbeverage,
and escaped all danger. Finding, however, that he was still envied by those
monks, St. Columba willed that Mochonna should remove elsewhere ; and
sending for him, it was signified, that he should be consecrated as bishop.
Having been adorned with the ring, pastoral staff, and other emblems of
episcopal authority, he was sent into the territory of the Picts, with twelve
other 61 Columba committed to him the care of a and its companions. church,
site was to be determined on reaching the banks of a river, bent in the form of a shepherd's crook. With his obedient companions, Mochonna set forth until he arrived at the margin of a stream presenting such an appearance, and there he erected a church. While living in that place, he destroyed a huge mon- ster, which devastated that province, and which killed all it met, with a pesti- ferous breath. According to the legend, that beast was metamorphosed into a rock. It is stated, moreover, that Mochonna wrought many other miracles in that province, where he converted numbers to the true Faith, where he erected several churches, and extirpated the worship of false gods, overturning also their idols. 62 Acurious circumstance is related, also, as
having
the house of a rich named 63 who lived in Mount countryman, Foirtgirnus,
Cainle. 6* When St. Columba was a guest at this house, he decided justly a
dispute between two rustics, whose coming to him he knew beforehand. One
of them, named Sylvanus, was a sorcerer, and he effected most wonderful
thingsbyhisdiabolicalart,asAdamnanrelates. 65 Somewhatafterthemanner
of and Aaron in 66 St. Columba counteracted the efforts of this Moyses Egypt,
magician to impose on the people ; and blood, it is said coloured to resemble milk, was restored to its natural appearance. This account is certainly a very curious and remarkable one, as coming from a writer so enlightened as Adamnan,6? anditillustratesastateofsocietyandofopinion,quitedistinct from what generally prevails in our time.
Various legends of our saint are related by O'Donnell, but which are not to'be found in St. Columba's earlier Acts. Among those fictitious inventions, we may class that story of angels bearing a wooden cross, and placing it over
68 was the engaged celebrating
astonished. Immediately the chief Pontiff approached, and taking it up, he
an altar in Rome, when St. Pope
Gregory Holy Sacrifice of Mass in his own church.
Some clerics who were present endeavoured to remove it, but they could not, and they were greatly
" This cross is not intended for me nor for of any
said to the
you, but it is reserved for a servant of God named Columba, who is living in aremotepartoftheworld. " Whereupon,heorderedcertainclericstopre- pare for a journey, and to bear that gift sent from Heaven to the aforesaid servant of Christ, then dwelling in the Island of Hy. Meantime, our saint had an internal illumination, regarding their journey to him, and its object.
bystanders :
61 In commemoration of the Apostles, that
was usually the number sent to inaugurate
a See Exodus, vii.
6? See also Colgan's "Trias Thauma- turga,"Tertia Vita S. Columke, cap. xviii. ,
any important mission.
62 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," p. 333 ; Quarta Vita S. Columba;, lib. ii. ,
Quinta Vita S. Columboe, lib. iii. , cap. xxv. ,
xxvi. , p. 425.
6i It has been conjectured, that this form
of the name may have been intended to ex-
press the Irish portcchenn, the name of one
cap. xvii. , p. 354.
among St. Patrick's disciples.
64 Some place unknown.
6s See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's " Book of Hymns of the Ancient Irish
" Life of St. Columba," lib. ii. , cap. 17, and Church, "edited by Rev. Dr. James Henthorn nn. (a, b, c, d), pp. 126, 127. Todd, these words are said to have been ad-
*Surnamecl the and the first Great,
Sovereign Pontiff of this name, began to rule over the Universal Church, A. D. 590, and he died A. D. 604.
69
copy, contained in the leAbhan Imuiun, or
In the Preface to the Altus Prosator
occurred in
June 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 525
6" Then he said to the attendants : 9
This very night, messengers from Pope Gregory shall be our guests, and take care that suitable provision be made for their entertainment. " At this time, but one baked loaf and a small cup of wine destined for the Holy Sacrifice happened to be in the monastery. Hav- ing ordered both to be produced, he blessed them in the name of Christ, and so greatly were they increased, that abundance was immediately procured, not alone for the guests, but for the whole religious community. On this occasion,
St. Columbawaspresentedwiththatwoodencross7° broughtfromRomeand 1
sentbyPopeGregory. ? Accordingtootheraccounts,theybroughttheHymn
of the a Week,
Hymn
of the week, and other 2 After gifts. ?
for
this, it is related, that St. Columba sent back to Pope St. Gregory, at Rome,73
through three of his disciples, that rhythmical Hymn 74 he had composed in honour of the Most Blessed Trinity,7S while dwelling at Iona,76 and during
77
the time of Aedan,7
of —andof
Gabhran, King Alba, Aedh,79 son to
8l
presenting
Cross in the time of O'Donnell. See "Trias "
Thaumaturga, Vita Quinta S. Columba. *, lib. ii. , cap. xx. , p. 412.
72 According to a Preface of the Altus
Prosator, in the " Leabhar Breac," fol.
109a.
73 If we admit the authenticity of the story
with those circumstances included in the
text, and the chronology sought to be as- signed for the composition of St. Columba's
the Altus Prosator, we must refer it to the closing years of the holy Abbot's life, or to about the period, between A. D.
26 The reader who is desirous of learning
more regarding them may consult Fleming's "Collectanea Sacra," where Abbot Cum- mian's "Liber de Mensura Pcenitentiarm," consisting of fourteen chapters, maybe seen,
at pp. 197 to 210.
27 This seems to have greatly prayed on
his conscience, as may be seen afterwards,
and owing to the conditions under which it
was taken.
38
you spoke,
living;
"°
Greek fjL&xat-pa, a sword. This instance, Probablybypayinganericormoney andseveralotherpassagesinAdamnan,and
fine to the nearest kinsmen of the deceased, which was a very usual mode in Ireland of statisfying for an injury committed. See
other ecclesiastical writers ofhisage, manifest the growing taste for Latinizing Greek terms, 3* "The Irish were so addicted to fishing
"
Hibernicis," vol. i. , No. iii. A Critico* have lived in ships. The extensive fisheries
Charles Vallancey's
Collectanea de Rebus
and navigation, that they appear almost to
Historical Dissertation concerning the
Ancient Irish Laws or National Customs,
&c, p. 392.
29 The Catholic reader needs not be told
how well the language here used corresponds
of ancient Ireland are known, from the com- mon custom of adorning the hilts of t—he swords with the teeth of large fish. "
" Cambrensis Eversus," vol. ii. , chap, xii. , p. 179, as translated by the late Rev. Pro-
3This a was
confessed all his 25 sins,
penitential house of retreat apparently, and situated in the Island of Tiree, within view of Iona. There was also
a Magh Luinge on the Island of Hy.
3I The words of Adamnan are "macheram belluinis ornatam dolatis protulit dentibus :" whence we may infer probably, that the hilt of that sword was formed from the tusk of some large wild animal, possibly a boar, or it may be from the bones of some monster fish. The Latin word machera is adopted from the
5 2o LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 9.
ransom ; the master, however, will not accept it, for he has a virtuous wife, at whose suggestion he shall set you free, unbinding the girdle from around your . loins. 33 Though thus relieved from this source of anxiety, other trials await
you four brothers will insist on your providing for the necessities of your
;—
father a duty, they will say, you
their wishes, and promise to watch over your father with filial piety. The duty may indeed be onerous, but be not grieved thereat, because you shall not bear the burden long ; since, from the day on which you undertake it, not a week shall elapse, until the death of your father takes place. Nor shall your labours end even there ; your brothers will make the same demand, with
regard to your mother. 3* However, a younger brother shall engage to do whateverisrequiredofyou,andyoushallbefreeatlength. " Havingheard these words, the stranger received the gift with the saint's blessing, and he pro- ceededonhisjourney. Whenthatslavearrivedathome,hefoundeverycir- cumstanceexactlyasdescribedbythesaint. Hepresentedtheivory-handled sword 35 to his master, but the wife warned him not to accept it, saying : "What need we this gift sent by St. Columba? we are not even worthy of such a favour. Liberate this good young man immediately. The prayers of the saint shall profit us more than the price of this slave. " Influenced by his wife's salutary counsel, her husband ordered the slave to be set free forthwithandwithoutransom. However,accordingtothesaint'sprophecy, he was compelled by his brothers to undertake the obligation of providing for his father, until the old man's death, which occurred within the very first week after the penitent assumed that obligation. After his burial, they required him to discharge the same duty towards his mother during her lifetime. But, as the saint foretold, a younger brother engaged to supply his place, and opposed the project of the other brothers; because it was unfair, he said, to
detain at home one, who had spent seven years in penitential exercises with St. Columba. Thegoodpilgrimsoontookleaveofhismotherandbrothers, when he retired to a place, called in Irish, Daire Calgaich,36 or "the oak- wood of Calgaich. "37 There, he found a ship under sail, and just leaving the
cultui dentibus mart nantium belluarum in-
—
fessor Dr. Matthew Kelly.
— sion—allusion is made, probably
"
33 To this ceremony
a of manumis- form
signiunt ensium capulos. "
xxv.
Polyhistor,"
in the letters of Pope Gelasius : "Ex antiquis re- gulis et novella synodali explanatione com- prehensum est, personas o—bnoxias servituti, cingulo coelestis militiae. " Dist. 54, cap. 9. And again, the Pope complains of bishops :
"Qui obnoxias possessoribus obligatasque personas venientes a—d clericalis officii cingu- lum non recusant. " Ibid. , cap. 10. bee Thomassinus, De Beneficiis, tomus ii. , cap. 79; and " Le Protestantisme compare au Catholicisme," par M. l'Abbe Jacques Bal- mes, tome i. , passim, on the whole question of slavery, and the influence of the Church in abrogating it.
34 The Rev. Dr. Reeves remarks in this
connexion "Theallusiontofilialobliga- :
tionsin this chapter indicates the existence
of a better social and moral condition in Ire-
land at this date, than the tone oft—he native
Annals would lead one to expect. " Adam-
cap.
3° In the text of Adamnan, given by
Colgan, it is written Claire calig, which he corrects in a note to Daire-Chalguich, and often called Robertum Calguich, by Adam- nan. See " Trias Thaumaturga," n. 32, p. 384. The Irish word cAbg signifies "a
"
sword," or
means "sharp" or "angry. " Hence, Cabgach became a proper name, meaning "a fierce warrior. " Its genitive is CaI- 5<wch.
3? This was only another name for thepre- sent Derry, and the one it bore antecedently to the foundation there of St. Columba's monastery. An ancient Irish Life of St.
Columba relates the gift of this place by
Aedh, son of Ainmire, who could only have been ten years old, at the date assigned for that monastic erection, A. D. 545, in the An- nals of Ulster. However, as a minor, and the prospective king of that territory, he pro bably presented the site in the name of his
and
tribe, tohisownnearrelative. Intimes
nan's
"
Life of St. Columba," n. (q), p. 159.
35 Speaking of the Irish, and especially of
— — about the theirchiefs,Solinus whoflourished
year of Our Lord 230 says
" :
Qui
student
long subsequent,
the
monastery
at
Deny
ae-
have at with
long neglected ;
comply once
a thorn/' and as an adjective it
June 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 521
harbour. He called on the sailors to take him on board and to convey him to Britain. Not being well disposed towards the monks of St. Columba, the crew refused to receive that penitent, and he then prayed to the holy man,
"
Is it thy will, holy Co- lumba,thatthesesailors, whowillnotassistme,thycompanion,shouldmake their voyage with full sails and with favourable winds ? " That moment, the wind, which till then filled their sails, veered to the opposite point, and blew a strong gale against them. When thus driven back, the sailors saw again the same man running in front of them, and along the bank of the river. 38
"
absent indeed in body, but present in spirit, saying :
They cried out all at once, as if by mutual consent :
Perhaps the wind has
unexpectedly turned against us, because we refused to give you a passage ; now we invite you on board; can you [change the winds in our favour? "
When the pilgrim heard this, he said
and whom I have served for the last seven years, is able by prayer to obtain afavourablewindfromGod. " Theythennearedtheshore,andaskedhim toaccompanythem. Assoonasthepenitenthadcomeonboard,hesaid: " In the name of Almighty God, whom St. Columba faithfully serves, spread your sails on the extended yards. " When they had done so, the winds imme- diately changed to their former course, and the vessel bounded under full sail towards Britain. On reaching the shore, their passenger left the ship, blessed the sailors, and went directly to St. Columba, by whom he was warmly received. Without being informed of any on—e circumstance, the holy man toldabouteverythingthathappenedonhisway regardinghismasterandthe wife's suggestion, and of his being set free on her account ; regarding the con- duct of his brothers, the death and burial of his father within the week, the timelyassistanceoftheyoungerbrother; alsorelatingwhatoccurredonhis return, the adverse and favourable winds, the very words of the sailors when theyrefused to admit him into the ship, and the favourable wind, when they had given their consent. Every particular the saint had foretold, -the visitor now described after its having been exactly fulfilled. The pious pilgrim then gave back to the Abbot the price of his ransom. After which, the saint addressed
:
:
himinthesewords "Now,becauseyouarefree,youshallbecalledLibra-
nus39henceforth. " Atthesametime,Libranustookthemonasticvowswith muchfervour. Whenhewasbeingsentbacktothemonastery,wherehehad passed the seven years of penance, our saint made the following prophetic
:
announcement to him " You shall live yet a long time, and die at a good
old age; you shall arise from the dead, not however in Britain, but in Scotia. "* Hearingthesewords,thepilgrimweptbitterly,andthesaintcom-
forted " him,saying:
and be not
shall die in one of monasteries,* and your lot shall be among the elect brethren in the King-
quired a jurisdiction over Hy, and it became the seat of the Abbot superior over all the
Columban monasteries, according to evi- dences contained in the Irish Annals. See Rev. Dr. O'Conor's " Rerum Hibemicarum
tomus iv. ses," at a. d. 1 164.
" Annales Ultonien-
dumha, at the 30th of March. 3. Liber, of Inis-mor, at the 1st of August. 4. Liber the martyr. There are three called Libran or Liobhran: 1. Liobhran, at the 8th of March. 2. Libren, of Cluain-fodha, at the nth of March. Abbot of
Scriptores,"
,
3. Liobran,
also at the 1 ith of March. See the O'Clerys'
1
38 Allusion is made to Loch Feabhal or the Foyle, through which the river flows from above Lifford, where it is joined by the RiverFinn. TheRiverRoealsoflowsinto Lough Foyle. See a description in " The Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ireland," vol. ii. , p. 223.
39 There are four saints called Liber in the Irish Calendars : 1. Liber, Abbot of Achadh- bo, at the 8th of March. 2. Liber, of Leth-
"Calendar," at these several dates.
40 By this term, Ireland is here meant,
** St. Columba, at Iona, was the head of
all those religious houses, that followed his Rule. Hisseveralcongregationswerecalled
"
muincer* ChoUnrn-cille,
family of Columkille," according to the Book of Armagh, fol. Ii3, b.
^ The Irish word, Libyan or Librven, is said to have been derived from the Latin
Arise,
sad, you
my
la,
" St. Columba, to whom I am going,
the people or
522 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 9.
dom of Heaven, with whom you shall awake from the sleep of death unto the resurrection of life. " Being thus consoled by the saint's assurance, Libran 42
rejoiced exceedingly, asked his blessing, and went away in peace. After- wards, this prophecy of the saint was also fulfilled ; for when he had spent
many years of holy obedience in the monastery of Magh Luinge,43 even sub- sequent to the death of St. Columba, being sent on a mission to Ireland regarding the interests of the monastery, Libran 44 proceeded as soon as he landed through the plains of Meath towards the monastery of Durrow. 4 ^ He was received there as a stranger in the hospice, but suffering from disease, he passed to the Lord, on the seventh day of his illness. 46 He was buried with the chosen monks of St. Columba, according to such prophecy, and he was destined to arise with them, also, into life everlasting. This holy penitent was called Libranus Arundinetus, from his having been engaged many years in the collecting of reeds. *?
called
Hy
Tuirtre
Tort,
4?
A certain — as we are unhappy man,
and informed, belonging
to the
one of the
from Fiachra who claim descent—
48
sons s° of Colla Uais, monarch of Ireland 5I had been guilty of very grievous and shameful crime. Regarding this, St. Columba had a miraculous intuition, and in the dead hour of night, he had the monks collected in the church. To them he said : "At this hour, a shocking and an unmentionable crime has been committed, for which a judgment of God's vengeance is greatly to be feared. " At this time, also, the messenger of the monastery, named Lugaid, was away from Iona ; and when some of Columba's disciples wished to learn from their Abbot on the day following the nature of that crime, he evaded their ques- tions by merely stating, that after a few months the perpetrator should come with Lugaid to their Island. The period indicated having elapsed, while the Abbot was with Diarmitius one day he said: "Arise quickly, behold
word liber, "free," and it properly signifies side of Lough Neagh and Lough Beg, ad- libtriiuis, "a freedman. " The Irish name joining the Kir Li on the south. Fearsat
Liber* is usually Latinized Liberius, and the Irish form tibpan or bib]\en is Latinized Libranus or Librenus,
43 In the Island of Tirec.
44 Colgan is of opinion, that this Libran
had a feast, at the nth of March ; where
our early Martyrologists simply enter a Libran, while later writers add, that he was
Tuama " the Ford of Toome," now Toome Bridge, was the point of communication be- tween the Hy Tuirtre and Dalaradia. In the twelfth century they were forced over to the east side of the Bann and Lough Neagh, and gave the name of Hy Tuirtre to the territory now known as the two baronies of Toome. The Decanatus de Turtyre in the early taxa- tions represented their extent.
49 The epithet toit being a name for seizure, because it was by Faclira that Conaille
Muirtheimhne, the present county of Louth, was first seized, as an inheritance, according to the Genealogical Manuscript of MacFiibis. See Rev. Dr. Reeves' "Ecclesiastical Anti- quities of Down, Connor and Dromore, pp. 82, 83, n. (a), and Appendix BB, pp. 292 to 297. He dwelt south of the mountain of Slieve Gallion, and from him descend the Hy Tuirtre and the Fir Li, as also the Fir Luirg, and the Hy-mac-Uais.
"
berniae," Martii xi. De S. Librano Abbate
Hiensi, p. 584.
4s Venerable Bede gives us to understand,
that Hy and Durrow were the nurseries from
which the Columbian institutions of Britain
and of Ireland were chiefly recruited. See
"
Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. iii. , cap. iv. , pp. 168, 169.
46 If he had place in the Irish Calendars, it seems more probable his connexion as a saint was more with Durrow in the King's County than with Iona. See notices in the Third Volume of this work, at March nth, Art iv.
"
Abbot of Iona. See
Acta Sanctorum Hi-
s° Another of his sons named Earc, who lived on the north of the Mountain of Slieve 47 See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's Gallion, and from him descended the Mac Cartains of Loch Feabhail or Foyle. Slieve Gallion, also called Sliabh Callain, is a ba- rony in the barony of Loughinsholin, county of Londonderry. It lies on the borders of Tyrone countv. See Dr. O'Donovan's " An- Anterior to the English invasion, the Hy nals of the Four Masters," vol. ii. , at A. D.
Life of St. Columba," lib. ii. , cap. 39, pp 156 to 163, and nn. (a, b, c, d, e, f, g, ll, i, k, 1, m, n, o, p, q, r, s, t, u, v, w, x, y, z.
)
48 In thelrish language written 11 1 rmrvr^e.
Tuirtre were situated in Tyrone, on the west 1 167, pp. 1164, 1 165, and n. (b).
clan,
June 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 523
Lugaid approaches, and tell him the wicked man he brings in his ship must be landed in the Island Malea,52 or Mull," for his feet shall not pollute the soil ofthis Island. " Accordingly, in obedience to the saint's command, Diarmit went down to the sea-shore, and conveyed his message to Lugaid. Having heard these words, the unhappy man vowed he should never taste food, until he had seen and spoken to St. Columba. Thereupon, Diermait returned to the Abbot and reported his words. Having learned this, Columba himself went to the port, while Baithen, who was told about the crime, 5 * seems to have carried with him a volume of the Sacred Scriptures, as if to oblige the culprit to vow upon it, that he would accept a weighty penance for his flagrant guilt. The wretched man prostrated himself on the shore and at the knees of the holy Abbot, promising that he would fulfil whatever pen-
" This man is a son of perdition,
ance might be imposed on him. The saint replied
you repent in tears and in mourning among the Britons, and never return to Scotiasolongasyoulive,perchancetheAlmightywouldpardonyou. "56 Then
turning to his attendants, Columba said
:
who although he promises to do penance shall fail to fulfil his engagement, but soon shall he return to Scotia, where he must perish at the hands of his enemies. " All this happened, and just as the saint predicted. Soon did the wretch return to Hibernia, and in the territory 5 ? of Lea s 8 or Li, 5 ? he was mur-
60
While Mochonna—to whom we have already alluded—dwelt in the
monastery of Hy, St. Columba engaged him in the work of transcription ; and when daylight failed the young monk for his task, a supernatural brightness filled his cell by night. This was observed with envy by certain false brethren,
and it is stated, that at the hour for refreshment, poison had been conveyed into the cup set before him. However, at that moment, St. Columba, who was alone in his hermit's cell, had a Divine monition regarding this con-
spiracy. He relieved Mochonna from all danger, by suddenly raising his hand and blessing the cup from a distance. Instantly, the poison effervesced
dered by his enemies.
51 a. d. 332.
s' Like most of the names of islands *in
Adamnan, an adjective agreeing with insn- lam is here employed. See lib. i. , cap. 41, and lib. ii. , cap. 22.
from Bior to Camus. " Genealogical Mann-
script, at p. 334. The Bior is the Moyla River, locally called "the water," which
rising in Ballynascreen, on the west of the county Londonderry, flows eastwards. Pass-
53 In Ptolemy the Greek geographer, this
Island appears as MaXeos. Off the south-
western extremity, called the Ross, lies the
Isle of Iona. In his " Scotichronicon," part, the northern limit of the diocese of Fordun has it written Mule. See lib. ii. ,
cap. x. The Northern writers style it Myl, in their chronicles.
is a well-known churchyard on the Bann, _
aboutamilesouthofColeraine. SeeCol-
54 The declaration is made by Adamnan, gan's
"
Trias Thaumaturga," Septima Vita
in these terms: "O Baithenee, hie homo fratricidium in modum perpetravic Cain, et cum sua matre mcechatus est. "
55 This was a usual term of monastic pen-
S. Patricii, lib. ii. , cap. exxxviii. , p. 148, and
n. 221, p. 183, and Quarta Vita S. Co-
lumbse, lib. i. , cap. xxii. , p. 343, and nn. 69,
7°> P- 377-
58 inthe BookofArmagh, Tirechancalls
it bee, in fob 15^, &•
59 ln Irish bi, or mag ti, or from the in-
habitants, pj\ bi. Giraldus Cambrensis employs the last name, in the form Ferli. See " Opera," edited by James F. Dimock, vol. v. "Expugnatio Hibernica," lib. ii. , cap. xvii. , p. 343.
6° See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's " Life of St. Columba," lib. i. , cap. 22, and nn. (a, b, c, d, e), pp. 51 to 53.
ance or service, as may be seen, by re- "
fering to Venerable Bede's Historia Eccle- siastica Gentis Anglorum. "
5s See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Tertia Vita S. Columbse, cap. vii. , pp. 332. 333 ; Quarta Vita S. Columbse, lib. i. , cap. xxii. , p. 343 ; Quinta Vita S. Columbce, lib. ii. , cap. xxxiv. ,p. 415.
57 The territory lay on the west side of the River Bann, being thus defined by Mac Firbis : pr» bi o bmop 50 CA-mur, " Fir-Li
:
" If for twelve years 55
ing Castledawson, it falls into Lough Neagh. At the Synod of Rathbreasil, in 1 1 10, it was constituted, and it still continues to be, in
Armagh. Camus, the northern boundary,
5 2 4 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 9.
andflowedoverthevessel; thenSt. Mochonnadrainedtheremainingbeverage,
and escaped all danger. Finding, however, that he was still envied by those
monks, St. Columba willed that Mochonna should remove elsewhere ; and
sending for him, it was signified, that he should be consecrated as bishop.
Having been adorned with the ring, pastoral staff, and other emblems of
episcopal authority, he was sent into the territory of the Picts, with twelve
other 61 Columba committed to him the care of a and its companions. church,
site was to be determined on reaching the banks of a river, bent in the form of a shepherd's crook. With his obedient companions, Mochonna set forth until he arrived at the margin of a stream presenting such an appearance, and there he erected a church. While living in that place, he destroyed a huge mon- ster, which devastated that province, and which killed all it met, with a pesti- ferous breath. According to the legend, that beast was metamorphosed into a rock. It is stated, moreover, that Mochonna wrought many other miracles in that province, where he converted numbers to the true Faith, where he erected several churches, and extirpated the worship of false gods, overturning also their idols. 62 Acurious circumstance is related, also, as
having
the house of a rich named 63 who lived in Mount countryman, Foirtgirnus,
Cainle. 6* When St. Columba was a guest at this house, he decided justly a
dispute between two rustics, whose coming to him he knew beforehand. One
of them, named Sylvanus, was a sorcerer, and he effected most wonderful
thingsbyhisdiabolicalart,asAdamnanrelates. 65 Somewhatafterthemanner
of and Aaron in 66 St. Columba counteracted the efforts of this Moyses Egypt,
magician to impose on the people ; and blood, it is said coloured to resemble milk, was restored to its natural appearance. This account is certainly a very curious and remarkable one, as coming from a writer so enlightened as Adamnan,6? anditillustratesastateofsocietyandofopinion,quitedistinct from what generally prevails in our time.
Various legends of our saint are related by O'Donnell, but which are not to'be found in St. Columba's earlier Acts. Among those fictitious inventions, we may class that story of angels bearing a wooden cross, and placing it over
68 was the engaged celebrating
astonished. Immediately the chief Pontiff approached, and taking it up, he
an altar in Rome, when St. Pope
Gregory Holy Sacrifice of Mass in his own church.
Some clerics who were present endeavoured to remove it, but they could not, and they were greatly
" This cross is not intended for me nor for of any
said to the
you, but it is reserved for a servant of God named Columba, who is living in aremotepartoftheworld. " Whereupon,heorderedcertainclericstopre- pare for a journey, and to bear that gift sent from Heaven to the aforesaid servant of Christ, then dwelling in the Island of Hy. Meantime, our saint had an internal illumination, regarding their journey to him, and its object.
bystanders :
61 In commemoration of the Apostles, that
was usually the number sent to inaugurate
a See Exodus, vii.
6? See also Colgan's "Trias Thauma- turga,"Tertia Vita S. Columke, cap. xviii. ,
any important mission.
62 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," p. 333 ; Quarta Vita S. Columba;, lib. ii. ,
Quinta Vita S. Columboe, lib. iii. , cap. xxv. ,
xxvi. , p. 425.
6i It has been conjectured, that this form
of the name may have been intended to ex-
press the Irish portcchenn, the name of one
cap. xvii. , p. 354.
among St. Patrick's disciples.
64 Some place unknown.
6s See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's " Book of Hymns of the Ancient Irish
" Life of St. Columba," lib. ii. , cap. 17, and Church, "edited by Rev. Dr. James Henthorn nn. (a, b, c, d), pp. 126, 127. Todd, these words are said to have been ad-
*Surnamecl the and the first Great,
Sovereign Pontiff of this name, began to rule over the Universal Church, A. D. 590, and he died A. D. 604.
69
copy, contained in the leAbhan Imuiun, or
In the Preface to the Altus Prosator
occurred in
June 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 525
6" Then he said to the attendants : 9
This very night, messengers from Pope Gregory shall be our guests, and take care that suitable provision be made for their entertainment. " At this time, but one baked loaf and a small cup of wine destined for the Holy Sacrifice happened to be in the monastery. Hav- ing ordered both to be produced, he blessed them in the name of Christ, and so greatly were they increased, that abundance was immediately procured, not alone for the guests, but for the whole religious community. On this occasion,
St. Columbawaspresentedwiththatwoodencross7° broughtfromRomeand 1
sentbyPopeGregory. ? Accordingtootheraccounts,theybroughttheHymn
of the a Week,
Hymn
of the week, and other 2 After gifts. ?
for
this, it is related, that St. Columba sent back to Pope St. Gregory, at Rome,73
through three of his disciples, that rhythmical Hymn 74 he had composed in honour of the Most Blessed Trinity,7S while dwelling at Iona,76 and during
77
the time of Aedan,7
of —andof
Gabhran, King Alba, Aedh,79 son to
8l
presenting
Cross in the time of O'Donnell. See "Trias "
Thaumaturga, Vita Quinta S. Columba. *, lib. ii. , cap. xx. , p. 412.
72 According to a Preface of the Altus
Prosator, in the " Leabhar Breac," fol.
109a.
73 If we admit the authenticity of the story
with those circumstances included in the
text, and the chronology sought to be as- signed for the composition of St. Columba's
the Altus Prosator, we must refer it to the closing years of the holy Abbot's life, or to about the period, between A. D.
