No More Learning

could profit her, for way-side robbers might deprive her of them. Brigid then asked her visitor, if she would receive a girdle, worn by herself, and which should heal several kinds of diseases, prevailing in that part of the country, provided this zone were immersed in water, the name of Christ being also invoked. The virgin'9 received this gift from our saint very thankfully. Taking the girdle, she first went to a certain boy, who was sick, and who was greatly beloved by his parents. The Almighty was pleased to restore him to health, through the instrumentality of this Brigidine relic. =*° That virgin in like manner was enabled to heal many, who were sick, so long as she lived. ^^ According to St. Brigid's prediction, she even received several presents in return for such services. With the gifts thus acquired, she bought lands, giving all the wealth she possessed to the poor. While living a chaste and holy life, she became a distinguished saint. ^* Her name, however, does not appear to have been recorded.
Another time, St. Brigid went into the district of Feara Ross. '3 Having
been requested by some persons, the Abbess visited a king, living in the plain of Breagh,24 that she might obtain a certain man's liberation. This person
had been held as a prisoner by the dynast. Our holy virgin promised a
"
sented to me. '^ The religious told our saint, that neither of these gifts
Brigid said to her :
I will give you either my cloak, or a heifer lately pre-
Professor O'Looney's Irish Life of St, Brigid. An additional incident is added to prove the affection, which the wife evinced for her husband, pp. 27, 28.
'S This miraculous renewal of affection be- tween the parties is related in the sixth metrical life of our saint, with some addi-
'5 This person is said to have been in great misery, before St. Brigid bestowed on her the gift. Professor O'Looney's Irish Life of St. Brigid, pp. 27, 28.
^° This same miracle seems the one alluded to, in the metrical life of our saint ; but, in this life, it is said, that a poor man was the recipient of St. Brigid's girdle.
tional particulars. cludes this narrative
"
T—he foUbwing line con- :
^^ It is in the Sixth stated,
that
Virginis ob meritum Christus firmavit amorem. "
Life,
means of this girdle, many miracles, in favour of the sick and afflicted, had been
—Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " Sexta Vita S. Brigidse, sec. xl. , p. 590.
/«*Thus found in the Third and Fourth Lives of our saint. In a note thereon, post- fixed to the Third
^^ See " Trias Colgan's
writes an emendation, that in the Irish idiom this family should be named the Mac-Huais. This tribe's name they took from an old and respectable stock, descended from Colla Huasius, who is numbered among the Irish kings. See "Trias Thaumaturga," n. 22,
p. 543-
'7 The Abbate D. Giacomo Certani has it
"Ella era d'vna Regione della Media, che allora chiamausi Nac-Hunis, et oggidi vien detta Hi Machunis. "— "La Santita Prodi- giosa. Vita di S. Brigida Ibemese," libro quarto, p. 272.
Life, Colgan
Thaumaturga. " VitaTertia S. Brigidse, cap. xlv. , xlvi. , and Quarta Vita S. Brigidse lib. i. , cap. xlvii. ,
^^This narrative is somewhat
presented in the Lections taken from the Breviary of Aberdeen. See Bishop Forbes'
"Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p. 289.
ments, Copied from Ancient Sources, by Dubhaltach Mac Firbisigh," edited with a translation and notes, by John O'Donovan,
LL. D. , p. 72, n. (b. )
^'^ or
differently
Otherwise, Breaghmhagh,
the great plain of Meath, in which Tara is situated. See " The Irish Version of the Historia Britonum of Nennius," edited with
by
wrought, throughout the districts around Kildare. These miracles are said to have been continued, after it had been brought to the recipient's country. See Sexta Vita S. Brigidse, sec. xxv. , pp. 586, 587.
xlviii. , pp. 531, 549.
^3 Which means "the men of Ross.
"
Pro-
fessor O'Looney's Irish Life of St. Brigid,
pp. 29, 30. This was a tribe and territory, comprising the country around Carrickma*
in the
part of Louth County.
of
Monaghan, and a See "Three Frag-
cross,
County
Bregia,
3o LIVJS. S OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February i.
ransom to him for that captive. But the king would not consent to release
his =^5 He even vowed, this man should be to death on the prisoner. put
same day ; and the utmost concession, our saint could obtain, was a delay of
execution, until the ensuing night. Accompanied by the kindred and friends of that captive, Brigid went at night to the place where he was confined ; andwhilehercompanionsslept,shealoneremainedawake. Thedynast's
friends said to him " O : Unless,
be
to
king, thy captive
this night, no person can deprive him of Hfe on to-morrow, for St. Brigid
will liberate 'him. We have held a council amongst ourselves, resolving to take him away by violence, and to kill him, independently of your wishes.
This course, we trust, will serve to your being considered inculpable. " But
the holy virgin was miraculously admonished, regarding this plot. During the first night-watch, a vision appeared to the chained man. He saw Brigid
"
standing near him, and he heard her pronounce these words :
men are intent on killing thee this night, but when thou art dragged to death,thoushaltoftencallonmebyname. Andwhenthechainshallhave been removed from thy neck, that they may proceed to murder thee, slip away from thy executioners, on the right side, and thou wilt safely escape from them to your friends. " After this announcement, and while the captive remained awake, his executioners came. Removing him without the door of the king's castle, they unbound that chain which confined him. We are told, this man immediately escaped from their hands, and without molesta- tion,hecametoSt. Brigid; hisenemies,meantime,thinkingtheyhadkilled him and had cut off his head. On the following day, however, neither his head nor body could be seen, and this man's enemies were astonished at the result of their search. In the early part of that same day, Brigid sent a messenger to the king, with a true account concerning the transaction. Hearing this, the dynast repented of his evil intentions, and dismissed all inimical thoughts towards the man, on account of that veneration he enter-
^'^
tained for holy Brigid.
One of the holy men, who had been distinguished owing to his virtues in
St. Brigid's time, was Bishop Ere or Ercus of Slane. ='7 He was an early
^'^
convert and a disciple of St. Patrick. This Bishop Erc's immediate progeni-
tors and family lived in Munster ; although, he descended from Fergus Rogius,^9 and the royal line of Ulster kings. 3° His hermitage was at Slane,3^
a translation and notes by Dr. James Hen-
thorn Todd and by the Hon. Algernon
Herbert, p. 124, n. (q. )
^SThe account is more fully given in Ab-
bate D. Giacomo Certani's "La Santiti Prodigiosa. Vita di S. Brigida Ibemese,"
provinces of Ireland, viz. , in Ulster, Con- naught, and Munster.
3ojrrom this line descended St. Brendan
of Birr, St. Caiman, St. Leathan, St. Ere,
bishop, and the holy sisters Criada, Derusia,
and Sincha, daughters of Ernan. According
"
to the
these were near relatives of St. Brendan. In this old record, the several holy persons enumerated are derived from their common progenitor, Corb. See "Trias Thauma-
libro quinto, pp. 354 to 359.
^See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga.
"
Sanctilogic Genealogy," chap. 30,
Vita Quarta S. Brigidae, lib. ii. , cap. xxxix. . p. 556. Also, Vita Tertia S. Brigida:, cap. Ixviii. , p. 535. Ibid.
=^7 His festival occurs at the 2nd of No-
Vita Tertia S. nn. turga. " Brigidas,
42, 43,
vember.
=* "
p. 544.
In addition to this, D. Giacomo Certani 3' In the Diocese of Meath, Ancient and
makes him, absurdly enough, a Canon Re- Modem," vol. i. , chap, xxxix. , p. 297, the gular of St. Augustine. See "La Santiti Rev. Anthony Cogan writes in sympathy
Prodigiosa. Vita di S. Brigida Ibemese," libro quinto, p. 362.
=9 His son was Corb, sumamed Ulom. Eight sons of this Ferguss, with their pos- terity, held large tracts of land, indifferent
with his subject.
put
death, during
'*
The Rev. Mervyn Arch- dall, Protestant Rector of Slane, the distin- guished author of the Monasticon Ilibcrtiicum and of the Peerage ofIreland, is buried in the Protestant churchyard of Slane. He
Behold, evil
February i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 8i
on the banks of the and it stood in a most 3' Here Boyne, charming locality.
too, at the present time, may be seen some most interesting relics of our
Franciscan Abbey Ruins, at Slane.
ancestors' piety. 33 Beside that romantically situated cell of the holy man,
was an indefatigable compiler, and to his valuable labours we are all indebted for much
interesting information. Over his remains a monument has been erected, with the fol« lowing inscription :—
Diocesan Seminary of Navan, he won all hearts by his goodness and gentleness. His
collegiate duties were faithfully discharged ; while his literary labours were of a peculiarly
arduous nature, and must, no doubt, have greatly tended to undermine his constitution.
' We shall also bear the Heavenly. '
Sacred to the Memory of
to the first volume the author "I went from churchyard to church- yard, taking the dimensions of the existing ruins, deciphering the tombs of priests, tran-
scribing the inscriptions on the pedestals of old chalices, searching the registers, gather- ing old documents and letters of the aeceased pastors, examining the lists of subscribers
catalogued in old books, visiting the old crosses and the holy wells, and taking notes of every surviving memorial of the faith and piety of the people," p. viii. In declining health, "It is strange," he often observed
Mervyn Archdall, A. m. , Rector of this Parish, Who died the 6th August, 1791-
Aged 68 years. "
3= A very interesting history and descrip- tion of Slane—so associated with early and
scen
—es of the amiable and learned
to his friends,
"
I believe that I had a voca-
closing
writer's life found in the Rev. tion
image
of the
In his says :
preface
to write this and I should not be work,
if God would call me soon, since I cient and Modern," vol. i. , chap, ix. , pp. have finished my labours. " He departed
Anthony Cogan's
Meath,
surprised
will be
** Diocese of
An-
58 to 64, and chap, xxxix. , pp. 283 to 297. The lamented deceased was a native of Slane, where he was born in the year 1826. He was ordained a priest A. D. 1 850. As a lecturer and pulpit orator, he was highly distinguished. By the admirable work he published in three octavo volumes, an in- calculable service was rendered to the dio- cese of Meath. Attached as dean to the Vol. II.
this life on Saturday, January 28th, 1872, at Slane, with his relatives so dearly loved
by his bedside, at the comparatively early age of 46. He was buried on the following Monday, in the Parish Church of Slane, where a handsome public monument has been erected to commemorate his worth and services.
33 The accompanying engraving, by Mm,
S2 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February i.
yet visited by so many pilgrims of taste, who delight to wander along the wind- ing waters of the Boyne, some towering and extensive abbey ruins34 crown a
magnificent height, which presents a vast view over one of the most lovely landscapes in Ireland.
35 A fine, lofty, and nearly perfect abbey-tower dominates over the deserted and ruinous cloisters beside it. s^ A much
frequented graveyard surrounds the ruined Franciscan monastery, that had \ beenfoundedherea. d. 1512. 37 ThepiousandnobleFlemings's^pileofbuild-
ings was soon diverted to secular purposes, while the church and monastic portions gradually fell into decay, It is said, that several fragments of St.
Erc's ancient hermitage and some ornamental details were taken from the older ruin, and inserted in the more modern erection.
With blessed Ere, the great St. Brigid was specially intimate and bound
by ties of holy friendship. This appears from her Acts, and it is supposed,39 that about the year 484, she was his travelling companion to his native pro- vince. -*® Such tour of the holy abbess possibly preceded one she made to Connaught •*'^ although, indeed, this matter has not been very clearly estab- lished. "^^ St. Brigid entertained a great incHnation to see certain consecrated places and holy persons in Munster ; but, according to another account, her visit there was induced, through a desire to accompany St. Ere on a visit towards that country, where his relatives lived. '^3 One day, while prosecuting their St.
said to the
to me the quarter of Munster, in which your family resides. " When the
journey,
Brigid
bishop,
bishop had complied with her request, the holy virgin exclaimed in continua-
tion,
" At
present,
a war is there
waging,
between tribe and another your
clan. " The bishop replied to her " O holy mother, I believe what thou
:
hast told me is true, for when I last left them to see you, they were in a
state of discord. " Then cried Brigid
" O are now Father, your people
out,
routed. " One of St. Erc's disciples,44 hereupon, thoughtlessly remarked to
Millard, Dublin, from a drawing made on the spot, represents the ruins of the Fran- ciscan monastery at Slane.
3* At Slane, it is said, Dagobert, King of Austrasia, took refuge, when he was ban- ished into Ireland, by Grimoald, Mayor of the Palace, at the age of seven years, and A. D. 653.
39 By Dr. Lanigan.
4° Whether this or the Connaught journey took place, before or after the foundation of her nunnery at Kildare, seems uncertain. Perhaps, she made more journeys than one to either province, for she appears to have been an indefatigable traveller on her holy missions, like the great Apostle St. Patrick.
4' See Dr. " Ecclesiastical His- Lanigan's
tory of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, viii. , sec. x. , n. 116, p. 407.
4= In "The Life of St. Brigid," by an
Irish Priest, he gives precedence to the holy woman's Munster visit, in the order of nar-
rative. See chap, iv. , v. , pp. 50 to 56. Some of her Latin Acts seem to reverse th—is arrangement. Abbate D. Giacomo Certani— no great historical authority, however places the Connaught journey after the Munsterone. See"LaSantitiProdigiosa. Vita di S. Brigida Ibernese," libro quinto, pp. 362 to 404. See also p. 408, et seq.
P- 389-
^ In Professor O'Looney's Irish Life of
35 Canons
been placed here by Harris, and St. Patrick is called the founder in the sixth century. See Harris' Ware, vol. ii. , "Antiquities of Ireland," chap, xxxviii. , p. 264. But, Sir James Ware more sensibly states, that Christopher Fleming, Baron of Slane, and his wife, Elizabeth Stukely, were the foun- ders. In the charter of its foundation, it is stated, to have been "in loco Hermitorii S. Erci. " See "De Hibernia et Antiqui- tatibus ejus," cap. xxvi. , pp. 167, 168.
3* A very inexact engraving of this ivy- shrouded object is presented in the "Dublin
Penny Journal," vol. ii. , No. 102, p. 393. 37 See Archdall's "Mopasticon Hibemi-
cum," pp. 572, 573.
3^ See some account of them in Rev. C.
Regular
of St.
Augustine
have
"
P. Meehan's Rise and Fall of the Irish St. Brigid he is called a clerical student,
Franciscan Monasteries and Memoirs of the Irish Hierarchy in the Seventeenth Century," ohap. ill. , pp. 144 to 156.
while it is stated St. Brigid and Bishop Ere were in Leinster, at the time of this occur- rence, pp. 41, 42.
" O venerable out father, point
" Ecclesiastical His- tory of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, viii. , sec. iv. ,
3
See Dr. Lanigan's
February i. ]
LIVES OB THE IRISH SAINTS. 83
the
holy abbess,
" How are
you
able to see the at such a distance ? " fight
The bishop reproved this incredulity for his not recognising the Holy Spirit's illuminating gifts conferred on a virgin, who was blessed both in soul and
body. Then said P^c to our saint
:
" O servant of God, sign our eyes that
we may witness those things thou seest. " The spouse of Christ immediately
complied with this request, so that they clearly observed the battle's progress.
Looking on, in great griet, his disciple cried out to Bishop Ere : "Alas!
also, my Lord, at this moment, my eyes behold the decapitation of two
brothers. " The result of enquiry established the reaHty this vision detailed. -^s
Afterwards, in a certain place, and near a mountain, the holy Bishop Erc^^ and the sanctified virgin Brigid sat down, with their attendants. These
were greatly fatigued after their journey, and they experienced great hunger.
food should confer a great charity on them. St. Brigid then said, I pre- dict, that if food and drink be required, you must wait awhile in expectation of assistance from on high; because, I behold a house, in which they are to-day preparing alms for a certain church. Within an hour it shall come here, and even now it is put up lor us in packages. " While our saint was speaking, refreshment carriers arrived, and when they had learned th'e illustrious Brigid and holy Bishop Ere, with their disciples, were there, those bearers greatly rejoiced to relieve their wants. Alms were presented to the famished
:
travellers, with such words " Receive those refreshments, which God Him-
self hath intended for you, as your wants and merits should be taken into
consideration,beforethoseofanyothercongregation. " GivingGodthanks, our travellers partook of this food presented ; yet, as they only received edibles, some drink was required, likewise, to allay their thirst. Then Brigid told them to dig the earth near this spot. 47 On obeying her order, a springofclearwaterissuedfromtheground. Afterwards,itborethename of St. Brigid's well, and it might be seen at the time our virgin's Third and Fourth Lives had been written. ^^
The holy travellers subsequently visited Magh'Femyn,49 at a time when a great Synod of Saints was there assembled. 5° They were obliged to re- main at that synod. 5"^ The holy Bishop Ere gave an account of those miracles wrought by our saint, while he was assisting at this council. 5» The neighbouring inhabitants, hearing that Brigid was there, brought many infirm persons to her, that she might heal them. Among these were in- cluded some lame, leprous, and demented persons. 53 Such fortunate patients
A youth in their company thereupon remarked, that whoever gave them "
*5Abbate D. Giacomo Certani has a la- boured account of the foregoing incidents. See "La Santita Prodigiosa. Vita di S. Brigida Ibemese," libro quinto, pp. 362 to 368.
544.
5° We appear to have no other historical
notices regarding this synod preserved. It does not occur in the List of Councils, con- tained in Sir Harris Nicolas' "Chronology of History," pp. 21210269.
S' See "The Life of St. Brigid," by an Irish Priest, chap, iv. , p. 51.
s^ Near Fethart, in the county of Tipper- ary, there is a Kilbride ; but, it is not known to have been erected by St. Brigid, or to
4^ In the Third Life of St. Brigid, the *'
words Bronus Episcopus" are introduced erroneously, as is evident Irom the context.
*i See D. Giacomo Certani's " La Santiti Prodigiosa. Vita di S. Brigida Ibemese," libro quinto, pp. 368, 369.
"See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " indicate the site of any residence, which Vita Quarta S. Brigidae, lib. ii. , cap. xlii. , had ever any connexion with her, and which xliii. , pp. 556, 557. Also, Vita Tertia S. existed in the neighbourhood. See Dr.
"
Brigidae, cap. Ixxi. , pp. 535, 536. Ibid. Lanigan's
*^ Otherwise, Magh-Femhin, or "the land," vol. i. , chap, viii. , sec. iv. , and nn.
plain of Femhin," winch is a celebrated and extensivelevelintheterritoryoltheDecies
51, 52, pp. 389, 390. 53See"LaSantitkProdigiosa. Vitadi
S. Brigida Ibemese," libro quinto, pp. 369 to 373.
"
turga. " Vita Tertia S. Brigidae, n 45, p.
inMunster. See Colgan's
Trias Thauma-
Ecclesiastical History of Ire-
84 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February i.
were released from their several afflictions, through Divine assistance, and the prayers of our merciful saint. 54
After this, Brigid went to a place, adjoining the sea, and at no great distance from that house in which Bishop Ere then dwelt. ss Here she remained for a long time, with her companions. s^ An anchoret lived not far from them. He was a most devout and perfect man. Wishing to avoid all female society, he sought a desert place for his habitation, and directed his course to an island. s7 While on his way thither, he came near a cell, in which
:
St. Brigid lodged. The disciples of the anchoret said to him " O Father,
let us visit holy Brigid, that she may bless us. " The anchoret replied: " My children, you know already my vow to visit no woman. ^ss Then
continuing their course, they recollected, in the evening when they had reached a hospice, that some of their luggage had been left behind. It was
generally supposed, this loss of their effects occurred, through their neglect of visiting our saint to receive her blessing, and they resolved to fast that night, in atonement for their fault. After these religious men had taken their departure, St. Brigid was inspired to address the following words to her
:
nuns "GoandbringhitherthepropertyofGod'sservants,andwhichhas
been left behind on the road near to us. " On the following morning, the monks went back to Brigid, and found their effects in her safe keeping. The holy anchoret and his disciples remained three days and as many nights, near to where she lived. All offered joint prayers to Heaven. God's holy word59 was preached, likewise, during this visit.
Those devout men afterwards prosecuted their course, and St. Brigid comphedwiththeirwishes,byaccompanyingthemoneday'sjourney. . Our pious virgin had compassion on those disciples of the anchoret, for she saw their burdens were too heavy. Beholding two horses descend towards her from a neighbouring mountain, she ordered their baggage to be placed on these animals. When the end of that day's journey had been accomplished, Brigid wished the return of those horses to their owners. Her desire was accomplished, although none of the company knew whence they came, or to whom they belonged. Parting with those religious men, St.