No More Learning

^ See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus iv. , Maii
xviii. De Sancto Convallo Archidiacono. Glascvensi in Scotia," pp. 183, 184.
opinion, thiat this should be regarded as a legend. This information, with many other special particulars here inserted, was kindly communicated by Rev. Bernard Tracy, in a letter, dated Mount St. Mary's, Pollock- shaws, October 20th, 1874.
'» See his Life, at the 9th of June,
^ Nothing is said of his having been in
Ireland,bytheBollandists but,theyspeak ;
of his having lived and died, and of his hav- ing been buried in Scotland.
° See Hector Boece's "Scotorum His- toriae, a prima Gentis origine," «S;c. , lib. ix. , fol. clxxii. , clvxiii. Edition, Prelum Ascen- sianum, 1520, fol.
? See John Lesley, " De Orgine, Moribus, et Rebus Gestis Scotorum," lib. iiii. , sect. xlv. , p. 138. Romse, M. D. , Lxxviil. , 4to.
p. 3.
Article i.
3 Among papers in the possession of Rev.
Bernard Tracy, was a letter by the Rev. John
Kyle, to F. Galletti, priest at Pollockshaws,
and dated Preshome, January 20th, 1859,
the foregoing account is given, with an Art. ii. The chief notices regarding him
^ See a notice of this saint, at the 13th of January, in the First Volume of this work,
S
49 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May i8.
13th day of January, as also to the 13th of November. Could we believe Dempster,'° St. Conval not only wrote a Life of his master St. Kentigern, but also a book against the Rites of the Pagans, and another on the Church, directed to the Scottish clergy. This holy man is stated to have been at lona when Aiden "—St. Columba's Irish King—died and was buried there;" while, it was after that event, he went to preach to the Picts '^ and Scots. '* This was probably towards the close of the sixth century.
When Kenneth Keir, or Kenneth I. ,'5 came to the throne of Scotland on the death of Aiden I. , St. Convallus first became conspicuous through his life of holiness. There were three men distinguished by their piety and learning, at that time, who were Scoti by nationality, and these are called Hebredus, Dunstan, and Conval. '^ Their memory is still greatly respected in Scotland. '7 Especially, St. Convallus was an ornament to the primitive Church of the Scots. '^ At Inchinnan, in the Rutherglen Deanery, and Archdiocese of Glasgow, he is said to have chiefly lived, and he is regarded as its special
patron. '9 However, it is thought, by a high authority,^" that Pollock, rather than Inchinan, was more probably the seat of his establishment, as the Church of Pollock was certainly dedicated to Convall, and he was regarded as the tutelar saint of the place. ^' The Second Lesson of St. Convallus' Office, in the Breviary of Aberdeen, states, that when he could not obtain a vessel for the purpose of sailing, a stone served to convey him. ^^ This stone was thereafter called St. Convall's chariot, and by the touch of it, men and cattle were healed. ^^ This legend—however absurd—indicates a traditionary belief, that the saint came from some other country than Scotland ; for, neither a vessel nor a miraculous stone could be necessary to bring a Scotch- mantotheshoresoftheClyde,nortoanyScottishshore. Allagree,thathe settled down on the banks of the Clyde,^* and he was feted thereabouts, on the
i8th of May, as one of the tutelar samts of Scotland.
In Adam King's Kalendar, he is said to have lived, in the time of King
Eugenius the Fourth. ^s St. Conval is styled the first Archdeacon of Glas-
are held over, however, to the 13th of Chronicles of Scotland," written in Latin hy
November.
9 See the " Historians of Scotland," vol.
V. Lives of S. Ninian and S. Kentigern, com- piled in the twelfth century, edited from the best Manuscripts, by Alexander Penrose Forbes, D. C. L. , Bishop of Brechin. General Introduction, p. xci. Edinburgh, 1874, 8vo.
'° See Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Sco- torum," tomus i. , lib. iii. , num. 263, pp. 157, 158.
" He is said to have reigned thirty-four years, and to have died, A. D. 604. See George Buchanan's " Rerum Scoticarum Historia," lib. v. , p. 144.
'^ See Hector Boethius' "Scotorum His- torije, a primo Gentis Origine,"&c. , lib. ix. , fol. clxxvii.
'3 St. Columba first commenced his mis- sion to their King Brude, A. D. 565. See William F. Skene's "Celtic Scotland: a History of Ancient Alban," Book ii. , chap. iii. , p, 105.
'St. Columba came from Ireland to Scotland, A. D. 563. See ibid. , p. 85.
'5 See an account of his reign, in John Bellenden's translation. " The History and
Hector Boece, Canon of Aberdeen, vol. ii. The Nint Buke, chap, xviii. , pp. 99 to loi.
'* According to John Lesley, '• De Rebus Gestis Scotorum," lib. iv. , they are named Balredus, Drostanus, and Convallus. See sect. xlix. Aidanus, pp. 145, 146.
'' See "Acta Sanctoram," tomus iv. , Maii xviii. De Sancto Conuallo Archidiacono Glascvensi in Scotia, p. 182.
'^ See Bishop Forbes' " Kalendars of the Scottish Saints," p. 315.
'' See Rev. Mackenzie E. C. AValcott's " Scoti-Monasticon," p. 19S.
*° George Chalmers.
"See "Caledonia," vol. iii. , chap, vii. , sect, viii. , subs. 6. p. 834.
-'The Bollandists make no mention of that stone, which brought our samt to the shores of the Clyde,
'^ See Bishop Forbes' " Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p. 315.
"* " Ita Clodum lluminum, eujusque ager- proper omnia fructuum genera, aliosqueaniae- nitaies, Scotire paradisus habetur. "
-^ He flourished in the beginning of the sixth century, having ascended the Scottish throne, A. D. 605. See George Buchanan's
May18.
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
499
" Rerum Scoticarum Historia," lib. v. , pp. 144, 145,
^^ At the l8th of May, we find, in Adam King's Kalendar, this notice : " S. Conualle first archdeacon of Glascow disciple to S, Mungo vnder King Eugeniiis ye 4. " Bishop Forbes' " Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p. 152.
''' It is one mile from Renfrew, See George Chalmers' " Caledonia," for a very interesting account of this place, vol. iii. , chap, vii. , sect, viii. , subs. 6, pp. 833 to 835-
^^ He "is buryit at Inchinnane, nocht far fra Glasquew, quhair he is haldin in gret veneratioun of pepill. " See Bellenden's Boece, "History and Chronicles of Scot- land," vol. ii. , lib. ix. , chap. 17, p. 99.
°9 See "New Statistical Account of Scot- land," Renfrew, p. 128.
3° It is now called Argyle's Stone, accord- ing to Mr. Motherwell.
3' See John Stuart's " Sculptured Stones of Scotland," vol. ii. , p. 38.
3^ See "Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Sco- torum," tomus i. , lib. iii. , num. 263, p. 158.
3^AbacukBisset'sMS. , fol. 100 ; Fordun,
'*° The following is a reproduction of this Hymn:
ST, CONVAL.
" Sing we now St. Conval's glory
On this eighteenth day of Alay ;
For we know by ancient story Scotland kept his feast this day ;
And did Eastwood Him as special Patron pray.
II.
" And let Glasgow join the chorus, For that city too we learn Full a thousand years before us
Honoured him and Kentigern, First Archdeacon
And first Bishop : —as saints in Hea- ven.
III.
" Nor should Conval's name and nation Be to Ireland's sons unknown ;
Born and reared in royal station, Quits he Erin's native home ; Like St, Columb,
To acquire a Heavenly throne. IV.
" Exiles too, we pray thee, Exile, Of thy kindred and thy race.
By thy merits on sweet Hye's isle Get us mercy, get us grace.
Saint of lona Bring us to the realms of peace.
V.
"Remember Patron-Saint of Eastwood During ages long gone by,
'Mid Estwood's oaks thy ancient church
Faith the Most High.
Raised by to
Priest of Jesus For thy aid thy children cry.
lib. iii. , 29; Spottiswood's History, p. 11 Keith's Bishops, p. 232.
^* See George Chalmers' " Caledonia," vol. iii. , chap, vii. , sect, viii. , subs. 6, p. 834.
35 This is proved from a pre-Reformation will.
3* See Register of Testaments, Commis- sariat of Glasgow, vol. i.
3'' In his " Menologium Scoticum " thus " Euonii in Lorna Conualli Archidiaconi, S. Kentigerni discipuli. "
3^ See Bishop Forbes' " Kalendars of Scot- tish Saints," p. 2CO.
39 To this account he adds, however "anonymo tamen scriptori Scoto lib. de Antiquitate Scoticas Ecclesise videtur festum ejusre—colipostridie calend. Quintil. Videret ipse. " " Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Scotorum," tomus i. , lib. iii. , num. 263, P- 157.
—: —! ! —
gow. ^^ AtInchennene,orInchinnan,=7notfarfromGlasgow,St. Convaldied. Therebewasburied,"^also,andheldingreatveneration. Informertimes, St. Convallus' stone stood near the ancient fort of Inchinnan, on the Ren- frew side of the river. That spot, where the Marquis of Argyle was taken, ^9 has the base of a cross,3° erected to the memory of St, Convallus. 3' To give the statement of Dempster,3^ he flourished a. d. 6o6. According to various Scottishwriters,33hedieda. d. 6x2. 34 Cummockisdedicatedtohim,3Sand Ochiltree was his church. 3^
At the 1 8th of May, Thomas Dempster 37 has an entry of this saint ;33 although, elsewhere, he states, the Scottish Martyrologies do not name the date for his festival, nor could he find it in the Scottish Annals. 39 An in- teresting Hymn ^° to St, Conval has been composed, printed, and circulated, by Rev. Bernard Tracy, Pastor of Pollockshaw::. The Rev. John J. Kyle
;
:
— —
500 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 1 8.
supposes Oban, or Dunstaffnage,*' to have been connected with a former veneration, paid to St. Conval, Many wonderful cures are attributed to his intercession ; and, he is said to have predicted the punishment, which should fall on the Kings of Pictland and of Britain, on account of their immoralities, while many other prophetic pronouncements are mentioned, as a portion of his spiritual gifis. ''^ The ancient church of Pollockshaws ^a—called Pollock,'t4 Polloc, Poloc, and Pulloc, in ancient documents—or the Shaws,45 as popularly named, probably stood beside the castle upon the bank of the Cart. It was dedicated to St. Convallus, the pupil of St. Kentigern, The old church may have continued to exist as a chapel. After the thirteenth cen- tury, Polloc disappears as a separate parish and parochial name. It is not known, whether it included Upper Pollock, now a part of the parish of Mearns. ''^ The ancient names of Nether Pollock,'»7 and of Eastwood,-*^ for- merly had their separate churches, and they were constituted as separate
parishes. 49
Article II. Merolilanus, a Scottish Priest and ]\Iartyr, at Rheims, France. {Eighth Century. '] Merolilan, a Scottish Priest and Martyr, at Rheims, is noticed by the Bollandists at the i8th of May,' in a historiccommentary. ItwastheintentionofFatherJohnColgan,togive his Acts, at the same date. ^ His' period has been assigned to the eighth century ; but, the date for his birth has not been ascertained. Nor was his memory preserved in our Irish Calendars ; for, only among the Rhemi 3 of
VI.
" Holy Abbot, still defend us, Guard our parish as of yore
; Hye and Erin's saints befriend us,
And the Faith they brought our shore.
Eastwood's Patron ! Thy sweet blessing we implore. "
4' Owing to the statement of Dempster:
" Euonium oppidum esse ora Lornae sive Loguairireoccidcntali contra mulam (mull? ) insulam, a Dumblane urbe supra vigenti milliaria. "
^= See John Lesley's work " De Origine, Moribus, etGestisScotorum," lib. iiii. . sect, xlv. , p. 138.
*3 For an account of this flourishing town, adjoining Glasgow, see the " Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland," vol. ii. , p. 618.
^^ See "Origines Parochiales Scotiae," vol. i. , p. 66.
*5 The Shaws' Fair was held in May probably on the patron's day— and the Races there are not long abolished. In the Scottish dialect Sha'u means " a grove. "
** According to the " Registrum Passe- let. "
*' The parish minister of Pollockshaws in- formed the Rev. Bernard Tracv, that Cosmo Innes confounded Upper Pollock which has long ceased to exist as a parish with Lowcjr or Nether Pollock, in the " Orignes Parochiales Scotiae. " Conval's daven, or dos, still exists, and goes by that
name. It adjoins the burgh of Pollock- shaws.
**^ The church of Estwood was the pro- perty of the Abbey of Paisley, but acquired somewhat later. Its donor is not known. It may have been founded, by the monks themselves, on their own manor. It was certainly the property of Paisley in 1265, when Pope Clement IV. confirmed both the churches of Estwood and Pollic to the Abbey, with their other possessions.
•9 Before the end of the twelfth century, Peter, tlie son of Fulbert, who took the local surname of Polloc, gave to the monks of Paisley the church of Polloc, with its per- tinents, lands and waters, plains and pas- tures; whichwasconfirmedtothemfortheir own use and support, by Bishop Jocelin, who died A. D. 1199. In 1227, at the general settlement of the allowances to the vicars of the Abbey churches, the vicar of Pollock was appointed to have the Altar dues and two calders of meal, and five acres of land by the church, the rest of the church lands remain- ing with the monks.
Article ii. — ' See " Acta Sanctorum," tomusiv. . Mail xviii. De S. Merolilano Pres- bytero Martyrc Scoto, Remis in Gallia, p.
185.
" His name is found, in " Catalogus
Actuum Sanctorum qune MS. habentur, or- dine Mensium ct Dierum. "
3 Their territory w. -is bounded, towards the cast, by the Treviri and Viroduni, towards the south, by the Catalauni. towards the west, by the Suessones, while the great
May i8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
501
-France had he been then known, and afterwards venerated. An account of St. Merolilanus is to be found, in the ancient Breviary of the Diocese of Rheims, in France; and, the accomphshed Flodoard,+ in his history of that ancient church, 5 sets forth several particulars, regarding the holy man. St. Merolilanus was of Irish race—indicated by the term Scotigena applied to him—and he travelled into France, with some companions, for the purpose of making a pil- grimage to Rome. Passing along the River Axona^—now known as L'Aisne 7—some robbers set upon the travellers, and those freebooters killed Merolilanus. His companions brought the body of the holy man to Rheims,^ where it was interred in an ancient cemetery. For a long time, the very memory of St. Merolilanus seems to have been forgotten, in the place of his sepulture, until miracles revealed the spot where he was buried. It happened in the time of Hildegarius, a Priest of Rheims, as we are told in the History 9 of that city, by FIodoard,'° that a person of some respectabilit)', yet in poor circumstances, died ; and, as means were wanting to give him a decent inter- ment, his friends applied to that Priest for a place of sepulture, where they might find a sarcophagus to enclose his body. The requisite permission being granted, his friends opened that place, where Merolilanus had been en- tombed, and they found his sarcophagus, which, however, could not be opened bythem. Hearingthis,thePriestapproachedthespot,andendeavouringto raise the lid of that sarcophagus—which he partially accomplished—a most . fragrantodourwasdiffusedaround. Lookingin,Hildegariussawthesaint's body preserved entire, and clothed with sacerdotal garments. He replaced -the lid, not daring furtlier to interfere with the remains ; however, he allowed the dead man's body to be placed over them, some planks being inserted beneath. That very night, his uncle on the mother's side, and who had long -been dead, appeared to the Priest during sleep, and told him, that he had offended deeply the Almighty on the day past, and more especially, should he presume farther to violate the sepulchre of Merolilanus. About the same time, the latter holy man appeared in spirit to Hildegarius, and intimated, that he felt much the indignity of a corpse having been placed over his own remains, and he announced, that if the Priest did not remove the body soon, some preter- natural punishment should befall him. Wherefore—according to the History ofRheimsChurch,byFlodarius"—affrightedbysuchadmonitions,Hildegar
forest of Ardennes lay towards the north, See Bavdrand's " Novum Lexicon Geogra- phicum," tomus ii. , p. 128.
'* This writer flourished in the tenth cen-
'
tury, and he wrote ' Annales " dating from
A. D. 919, to A. D. 978. He ends with an account of aman of God, "Malcallanus, na- tione Hibernicus. " There is a fine edition of these Annals, in Georgius Heinricus Pertz's "Monumenta Germanise Historica," tomus iii. , pp. 363 to 408.
s See " Historia Ecclesice Remensis," lib. iv. , cap. 48.
^ Allusion is made to it, in Julius Caesar's Commentaries, " De Bello Gallico," lib. ii. , cap. ix. ^
7 A river of Champagne, which passes by the city of Soissons, and flows into the Oyse, near the city of Compiegne.
^ Besides its fine cathedral, this city is remarkable for its public churches, institu- tions and commerce. See Elisee Reclus' "Nouvelle Geographic Universelle," tome
ii. , chap, xi. , sect, v. , p. 709.
9 This history first appeared in a French
translation, by Nicolas Chesneau, published
^° See an interesting account of Flodoard or Frodoard, Canon of the Church of Rheims and of his writings, in " Histoire Literaire de la France," tome vi. , pp. 313 to 329.
''A few extracts, from the "Historia Ecclesije Rhemensis," only appear, in the " Recueil des Historiens des Gaules et de la France," par Dom. Martin Bouquet, Bene- dictin de la Congregation de Saint Maur, tome v. , pp. 361, 362, and tome vi. , pp. 213 to 216.
4to. Father Sirmond
at Rheims, in
published the Latin text, for the first time, at Paris, in 161 1, 8vo. The best edition is that of Couvenier, or Colvener, published at Douai, 1617, 8vo, and it has been reproduced in the " Bibliotheca Patruum," tonius xvii. , at Lyons, in 1677. See M. le Dr. Hoefer's " Nouvelle Biographic Generate," tome xvii. , col. 937.
1 540,
"
502
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 1 8.
caused almost immediately the body of the buried man to be raised, for inter- ment in another place. The saint of God appeared to a rustic and ordered, also, that he should go to the Bishop Artoldus,'^ or Artand, and tell him, that the body of Merolilanus, which lay in the cemetery without, must be re- moved to within the church. The rustic was unwilling, however, to convey such a message to the Bishop, and he treated it with neglect. '3 Afterwards, the saint appeared one Sunday night in a vision to a certain Priest, who served under Hildegarius. '* He was admonished to inform tlie Bishop, that the body of Merolilanus should be brought into that church, and even the very place where it was to be deposed had been mentioned. Then, too, did he give the history of himself, which had been forgotten ; while, he told the priest, to write down his name as Merolilanus, and he presented a piece of chalk for that purpose. '5 During the effort, however, the priest wrote down the letter R for that of L ; and Merolilanus warned him to make the neces- sary correction. '^ The Bishop—informed of these visions—caused the church to be restored ; still, he did not transfer to it the saint's relics. Nor was it long afterwards, until in the presence of Prince Hugo,'? fifth son to Heribert, Count of Picardy, and in the same church, Artoldus abdicated the episcopal dignity. However, the King Raoul having prevailed against Heribert in war, and after the peace concluded between them, at Soissons, a. d. 935, Artaud wasrestoredtothearchiepiscopalseatofRheims. '^ Afterwards,theremains of Merolilanus were translated to the Church of the Holy Apostles and of St. Symphronien, Martyr, at Rheims. It seems probable, that either Archbishop Artaldus, or his successor Odalricus,'^ took care to have this ceremony car- ried out, with due solemnity, and according to the requirement of St. Meroli- lanus, His relics were preserved, in the Church of St. Symphorien, at Rheims. ''° There, his Natalis was specially venerated. In the city and dio- cese of Rheims, the Feast of St. Merolilanus, !