No More Learning

'7 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Julii v. De S. Palladio Epis. et Conf.
Scotorum Apostolo Forduni in Scotia, pp. 286 to 290.
18 "De Gestis Scotorum," lib. ii. ,
cap, ii. '9 In
20
See Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Scotorum," lib. xv. , num. 998.
82
In his History of the Church of Scot- land.
24 See "A Memorial of British 101.
Piety,"
p.
2S See "Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs
and other principal Saints," vol. vii. ,
vi.
July
26 "
tory 37
See his Civil and Ecclesiastical His- of Scotland. "
See " Ecclesiastical History of Ire- land," vol. i. , chap, i. , sect, iv. , pp. 9 to 1 1, sect, xi. , xv. , xvi. , pp. 23 to 47. Also
chap, iv. , sect, xviii. , pp, 198 to 202. 28 "
In his Early Scottish Church. "
29 See his " Scotichronicon," vol. i. , pp.
391041.
30 gee the Rev# i)r- Gordon's " Scoti-
chronicon," vol. him a Greek.
i. , p. 39.
Trithemius calls
July 6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 69
British birth. Another mistaken account makes him an Egyptian^ proba- bly originating in an assumption, that our Palladius was author of the Histo-
ria Lausiaca; but, regarding this opinion, there is no sufficient evidence given. 3 6 The Bollandist Father J. B. Soller maintains, that he was an Italian ; yet,
thisopinionisnotveryclearlysustained. 3? Accordingtooneaccount,Palla- dius hailed from Rome. Some suppose him to have been identical
with Palladius, Bishop of Helenopolis, and who wrote the Life of St. John
8 Chrysostom. s
In reality, it is improbable at the present day, that we should be able to glean any authentic facts regarding his parentage or native country, while as little seems to be discoverable regarding his early training and education. Yet, Palladius is called an Archdeacon, in that Life of St. Patrick, contained in
the Book ofArmagh. 39 It is generally supposed, this dignity had been con- ferred on him in Rome. Also, St. Palladius is styled an Archdeacon,* or a High Deacon, in other Lives of St. Patrick. A curious account is given
regarding
a certain "
Ballerus,
a man from at the head of a Rome," being
Welsh college at Cor Tewdws in Gower, when it had been plundered and
sacked by Scotic raiders, and when they carried away Padrig Maenwyn, who
was a teacher into which he endured in Ireland/1 It has there, captivity,
been supposed probable, that Palladius had been in that school for a series
of years, and that his residence there might account for a special mission he
had from Rome, to watch the progress of heresy at its source in Britain,
while he became acquainted with the spiritual needs of the British Church,
and the destitute condition of some scattered -Christian communities in
2
Ireland/
tical with Palladius ; but, we think it rather more ingeniously conceived than well-founded on any reliable evidence. St. Prosper^ who seems to have had a very inaccurate historical and geographical knowledge of the British Islands, satisfies us, that Christianity had taken root in Britain, and that the peace ot the Church had been disturbed by a subsequent prevalence of the Pelagian heresy. In his Chronicle,44 he relates, that Agricola, a Pelagian/s had cor- rupted about this time the churches of Britain, owing to the insinuation of his doctrine. Muchobscurityprevails,however,inreferencetotheoriginandacts of its author Pelagius. The holy Pope Celestine I. was greatly concerned in his endeavours to preserve the Roman province there*6 in the Catholic Faith, while he was equally desirous to bring the Scots over to the Christian
Religion.
As Legate to Pope Celestine I. , St. Germanus, the Bishop of Auxerre,4 ?
laboured among the Britons, who had been infected with the heresy of Pela-
This conjecture supposes, however, that Ballerus had been iden-
33 See the Breviary of Aberdeen. Propria Sanctorum, ad vi. Julii, fol. xxiv. b.
Quarta Vita S. Patricii, cap. xxviii. , p. 38 ; Quinta Vita S. Patricii, cap. xxiv. , p. 48;
Patricii, cap. xxv. ,
30 See Fordun's " Sexta Vita S. Scoti-Chronicon," also,
tomusi. , lib. iii. , cap. viii. , p. 112. Edin- p. 70.
burgh Edition, a. d. 1759.
37 See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Julii
v. De S. Palladio, Epis. et Conf. Scotorum
41 gee Ree's "Essay on the Welsh
Saints," p. 128.
42 See Rev. John Francis Shearman's
" Loca to Patriciana," part xiii. , pp. 402
405.
43 See St. Prosper's Book against the
Apostolo
Forduni in
Scotia,
sect,
ii. ,
num.
9,
p.
288.
38 This is an error, however, and it has
>
been refuted by Vossius and Ussher.
39 In lib. i. , cap. 7. See Rev. Father contra Collatorem, cap. xliv.
Edmund Hogan's "Vita Sancti Patricii Hibernorum Apostoli Auctore Muirchu Maccumachtheni et Tirechani Collectanea de S.
44 At A. D. 429.
4S He was son of Severianus, a Pelagian
bishop.
4<5 At this the Roman soldiers had period,
deserted the southern parts of Great Britain ; but, some Roman colonists remained, and
40
Patricio, p. 25.
See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga,"
Secunda Vita S. Patricii, cap. xxiv. , p, 13 j
Author of the Conferences, designated Liber
7o LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 6.
gius. But, previous to his mission, St. Palladius seems to have been deputed for the same purpose, and to stem the torrent of crime and of false doctrine that was then spreading. He is said to have written to the Sovereign Pontiff, and to have warned him, that many souls were there likely to perish. More- over, the Catholics of Great Britain had sent a deputation to the Bishops ot Gaul, and asking for missionaries, who should be able to defend the Faith
against
the assaults of
heresy. -'
8 The
very distinguished part
taken Palla- by
dius, in the effort to eradicate those dangerous errors and vices, proves, that
he had been delegated to assist in a work of great importance to religion/'
although we fail to find the exact place where he laboured, or under whose
particular direction. This holy missionary appears, however, to have been specially interested in the spiritual condition of the Britons, even before he
had been chosen to preach the Gospel in the countries adjoining. We read, that St. Palladius was highly instrumental, in procuring the deliverance of the British churches from being infected with the Pelagian heresy. After his deliver- ance of the Britons from heresy, we may infer, very reasonably, that he was selected and ordained Bishop, by Pope Celestine, for the conversion of the Scottish or Irish nation. As St. Prosper expresses it, he was the first Bishop amongthoseScots,towhomhewassent. 50 SeveraloftheScotchwritersmain- tain, that he was thus destined for Scotland ; but some, who believed in Christ, werefoundamonghissubjectpeople. Thisremarkcouldnothavegenerally applied to the Albanian Scots, at that particular period. However, in refer- ence to St. Palladius, much misconception and mis-statement have prevailed.
His mission was blessed with such success, in the conversion of unbelievers, that we are told, Palladius made the Island of the Scots Christian. 51 His virtues and abilities appear to have determined the illustrious Pontiff, St. Celestine I. , to select him for a great missionary enterprise, and to consecrate him as bishop. This saint is said to have flourished, in the time of Theodo- siusandValentinian,whenhisappointmenthadbeenconfirmed. 52 Wehave it on record, that the first missionary delegated by Pope Celestine I. 53 for the conversion of Ireland was Palladius. His selection for that office pre- cededthemoresuccessfulcareerofthegreatSt. Patrick;5* but,Palladiuswas not destined to be the future Apostle of our Island. 55 Pope Celestine bestowed some relics of St. Peter and St. Paul on him, as also the Books of the Old and New Testament, before he set out for Ireland. In the second book of a work,56 published by Bishop Von Carl Johann Greith of St. Gall, we are favoured with an account of the early vestiges of Christianity in Ireland.
many of these were Christians. 5X Now whether this refers to England, *7 His festival is kept, on the 31st of Ireland or Scotland, the account must be rc-
ccived only in a restricted sense. The Irish
and the Scotch have disputed the ques- long
July.
4<s See Les Petits
" Vies des Saints,"tumeix. ,xxxi JourdeJuillet,p. 136. *y Archbishop Spottisuoode states, that
he was sent to
to resist the
Bollandistes, e
towhieh nation St. Palladius had been first sent, but doubtless, it was to Ireland.
s-i See in Breviario Cammiconim Regula-
rium Divi Augustini, when treating about St. Patrick.
S3 In the Irish Tripartite Life of St.
Patrick, he is called the Airchinnech in
Rome, and the forty-second man from St. Peter. See Miss Cusack's "Life of St. Patrick. " The Tripartite, translated by W. M. Hennessy, p. 377.
Scotland, chiefly
Pelagian heresy, which then began to
spread in the Scottish church. See his "History of the Church of Scotland. "
s° "PraeteieaCcelestinus, quumS. Patricii prsedicatione Christianam fidem suscepisset Scotia et Hibernia, quae, ut modo hsereticu- rum, fuit ohm Sanctorum insula, dedit Sco- tis primum Episcopum Palladium Diaco-
num
in Iliberniam. " Berti's
clesiasticasive Dissertationes Ecclesiasticae," tomus iii. , ssec. v. , Dissertatio iv. , cap. i. , p. 174. Bassani, 1769, folio Ed.
"
tion,as
is referred to what has been Historia Ec- already stated, in the Life of St. Patrick, in
the Third Volume of this work at the 17th
— 54
; quo hortatore S.
Germanum miserat The reader
day of March. Art. i. , chap. vi.
ss See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga,
"
July 6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 71
He dwells particularly on the mission of St. Palladius to our Island. He shows by sufficient evidence, that Palladius was a deacon of the Roman Church, and that he was sent by Pope St. Celestine to this country. Although this mission had not been very successful, yet the bishop admits, that other Christians had been there scattered and isolated. 57 A learned Protestant authority = s also sustains this view of the case. A denial of his Roman mission is opposed to tradition and authoritative documents. Palladius is said to have been accompanied by twelve men, to instruct the Gaeidhel,50 and in the same way as Barnabas went from Peter to instruct the Romans. He was then sent to
60 preachtheGospeltothe"Scots,believinginChrist," asnarratedbyatrust-
worthy historian. From these remarks, we might infer, that there must have been many professors of the Gospel in Ireland at this early time. The latter people, according to the Roman style of considering those living without the
limits of their Empire, are styled barbarians; yet, this description seems greatly exaggerated, so far as it relates to Ireland. The date for the arrival of Palladius varies, according to the statement of different authors ; but, it is most generally and correctly assigned to a. d. 431. In the Annals of Multifer-
nan,
incorrectly stated,
year
It is noted, by Prosper, that St.
that in 61 the 423,
in which died, St. Augustine
it is
Palladius was sent to the Scots, or Irish.
Paliadius was sent over the sea on his mission, while Bassus and Antiochus were consuls, which was in the year 43 1. 63 Marianus Scotus has a notice of St. Palladius' mission to Ireland. 6+ However, we are informed by Matthew of
Paris,
bishop, a. d. 433, to the Scots, believing in Christ. This is also the chronology assigned, for his mission, by Matthew of Westminster. 66
The usual course of travel from the Continent of Europe to Ireland in
thefifthcenturywasthroughEngland. Accordingtooneaccount,Palladius and his Roman companions landed in the northern part of Ireland, where
6
they were fiercely opposed by the pagan inhabitants. ? This statement is con-
tradictory, however, to that of most authorities on the subject; for, it is gene- rally held, that his vessel touched the eastern shore, in the first instance. When he landed in Scotia, he came to that part of Leinster, where Nathi, son of Garchon, was ruler. 68 Another account has it, that the holy missionary landed at Inbher Dea,6° in the territory of Leinster. Palladius had a partial
Tertia Vita S. Patricii, cap. xxvi. , p. 23. tos, id est, ad Hibernicos. "—" Annates de
56
Kircheandihrer verbindungmitRom, Gallien und Alemannian (von 430-630)," also Einlei- tung in die Geschichte des Stifts St. Gallien.
02
6 s that Palladius was ordained Celestine and sent as their first by Pope
Intituled, "Geschichte der
altirischen Monte . Edited Dr. Fernandi," by Aquilla
Smith, p. 3. Published by the Irish Archaeo- logical Society in 1842.
** See Father Papebroke's observations in Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Junii xii. De Sancto Ternano, Pictorum in Britannia
s? The inconclusive objections, which Dr.
Todd urges against the Roman Mission of
Palladius, are fully refuted by Bishop Episcopo. IUorum simul et Scotorum, limi- Greith.
s8 Mr. George Grub, in his impartial and critical' 'Ecclesiastical History of Scotland," declines even to take account of Dr. Todd's
"
objections. See The Chronicle," vol. i. ,
tes, Apostoli, dicecesis, num. 4, p. 534.
64 According to him Indictione xv.
6= See "Chronica Majora," edited by
Henry Richards Luard, M. A. , vol. i. , p. 181.
66 In "Flores Historiarum," at a. d.
ccccxxxiii. , p. 148.
67 See Richard Stanihurst's tract, "De
Vita S. Patricii, Hibernise Apostoli," lib. i. , p. 40.
68 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Secunda Vita S. Patricii, cap. xxiv. , p. 13.
6' Some consider this to be the mouth of
the Vartry river ; but, such a supposition is by no means removed from the pale of con-
No.
59 '-For to the Comorb of Peter belongs
the instruction of Europe," is added in the translation of the Tripartite. See Miss Mary
37, p. 879.
"
60 See St. Prosper, in his Chronicon.
F. Cusack's
Life of St. Patrick," p. 377.
61
The two latter figures probably are only
a transposition, for what should make the
date 432.
62 The statement runs
:
' l mittitur ad Scol-
"
72 LIVES OE THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 6.
success in his first trials, having baptized some in the name of the Most Holy Trinity. 7° He is said to have founded three adjoining churches, viz. : Cill-
in which he left his books, a casket with the relics of Paul and
1 fine, Peter,*
2
and the tablets in which he used to write Thech-na-Roman as also
;? ; Domhnach-Airte, or Domnach Ardec, in which repose theremains of Sylvester" and Solonius,? 4 who are regarded as having been his disciples. Those chuches are supposed to have been situated within the present county of Wicklow ; but the exact modern denomination and identification of each church have given rise to some divergency of opinion. A learned writer,75 and one well acquainted with the localities named, has advanced good reason for supposing
According to a local tradition, still held by the people, Palladius is said to have landed at Ennisboheen,80 in the county of Wicklow, and at the mouth of that little river, which is about three miles south from Wicklow town. Some authorities have the shore of the county of Wexford as the spot ; but, as this landing took place many centuries before either Wexford or Wicklow 8l became shire-divisions, we may readily conceive, how easy it might be to confuse popular traditions, as referring to Irish territories, the boundaries of which are now only known from historic records. 82 The country about that quarter was anciently called Crioch Cualan, and afterwards it was named Hy-Garchan, after the father of Nathi, who ruled there when Palladius landed. Here he is said to have built the church of Kilnne 8 ^ or " the Church of
Teach na Roman to be identical with
tains to be represented by Donard ;? ? while, Cell Fine he considers, to be the present old church site of Killeen Cormac,? 8 about three miles west of Dun- lavin, in the townland of Colbinstown, and in the parish ot Davidstown, countyofKildare. ^ Weareofopinion,however,thatChristianityhadnot been propagated on the western slopes of the Wicklow Mountains, until after the arrival of St. Patrick.
troversy. On this subject, the Very Rev. Richard Galvin, former P. P. , Rathdrum, has written a very forcible and researched communication, which will be found in "The Journal of the Royal Historical and
Archaeological Association of Ireland," vol. i. , Fourth Series, No. 8, October, 1S71, pp. 576, 577.
7° See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Secunda Vita S. Patricii, cap. xxiv. , p. 13.
i* Jocelyn states, that he brought these, with the relics of many other Martyrs, from Rome.
7a These we are told were held in veneration by the people, and they werecalled in the Scottish language Pall-ere or Palla-
? 8 See "Journal of the Royal Historical and Archaeological Association of Ireland," vol. ii. , Fourth Series, July, 1873, No. 15. See a valuable paper, intituled " Loca Patri- ciana," pp. 486 to 498.
79 See a paper, by the Rev. John Francis
Shearman, in the "Irish Ecclesiastical Re-
cord," for June, 1868.
8o
It is Anglicised into Ennisboyne by the country people of the neighbourhood. It is called after St. Boethan, who lived there in the seventh century, and whose feast was commemorated on the 22nd of May.
8l Wicklow was formed into County only
a shire, so late as 1605-1606, according to the Patent Rolls of 3rd of James I.
" Si dere. L'tinized onus Pailadii, or the bur-
The writer is indebted to the Very Rev.
den of Palladius ;" because this seemed to
be the case or shrine, in which the relics
were kept.
73 The feast of Sylvester has been placed
by Colgan, at the 10th of March. At that date, likewise, some notices of him may be found, in theThirdVolumeof this work, Art. i.
7* See Miss M. F. Cusack's Tripartite Life
of St. Patrick, part i. , pp. 377, 378. 75 Rev. John Francis Shearman.
7* In the parish of Castlemacadam, county of Wicklow.
77 Near Dunlavin, in the west of the county of Wicklow.
Michael Moloney, P. P. , the respected P. P. of Kilbride and Barndarrig, for se\eral re-
marks in the text, and conveyed in a letter, dated Kilbride, Barndang, 12th March, 1886. His excelknt knowledge of Irish ecclesiastical antiquities has been the result
of a lile-long study, and with nearly all the local traditions ol this part of Wicklow County he is most familiar.
8^ Con of the Hundred Battles having been assassinated at Tara, and his own brother taking part in that deed, the time for retri- bution arrived, when the son of Con having attained his majority banished his uncle and
great
Tigroney;?
6 Domnach Arda he main-
July 6. ]
73
'
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
This seems to be affirmed, by the various Lives of St. Patrick but, the fourth Life states, that the church Teach na Roman, or the House of the Romans, had been built by the disciples of St. Palladius, and that the third church, called Dominica Arda, had been tended by the com- panions of Palladius, Silvester and Solinus, whose relics had been afterwards conveyed to Knnisboethen, where they were held in great honour. 85 A fair inference to be drawn from all those incidental statements is, that the three Palladian churches, as they have been styled, were not severally far removed, and probably they were within the same territory of Hy-Garchon. However,
the Tribes. " 8 4
extant
;
at the present day, it seems impracticable clearly to identify these various 86
sites, especially as the original churches were built of wood, according to Jocelyn's statement.
C H APTER II.
OPPOSITION EXPERIENCED BY ST. PALLADIUS IN IRELAND—HE IS DRIVEN AWAY BY NATHI—OTHER STATEMENTS—HIS REPUTED MISSION IN NORTH BRITAIN—HIS DEATH—HIS FESTIVALS AND COMMEMORATIONS—CONCLUSION.
Notwithstanding his high commission to evangelize the people, St.
in Ireland. 1 To St. Patrick, and not to him, had Providence assigned the grand measure of a successful mission. No sooner had Palladius begun to announce the Godhead and the Gospel of
tery, called in the Irish language Coall-mor rightly rendered Kill Mor. An ancient tradition states, however, that Palladius suffered martyrdom among the Scots,5 and owing to the various obscurities besetting his Acts, to many writers this seems to be a supposition sufficiently probable. One account 6 has it, that he was not allowed to land in Ireland at all, as tempests and signs from God prevented him. 1 However, the prevailing opinion appears to be, that the rude and inhospitable people where he landed did not readily receive his doctrine, and therefore he willed not to remain in a
his followers, who came to Crioch Cualan, of which they took possession. Afterwards they were called 'tribes or Strangers by the natives who lived there.
84 This is called Ecclesia Finte, in the Fourth Life. The meaning is the same, Kill-fine, Kill finte or Kill-fin-tech being rendered in Latin cedes Fine,
Palladius remained not
long
Christ,
enemy
of man cast obstacles -in his Nathi, son of way.
2 than the Garchon,achiefinthatpartofWicklow,opposedhisprogress. Itisstated, that he baptized a few persons at Inbher-Dea—,3 where he erected a monas-
rum Antiquitates," cap. xvi. , p. 424.
s Such is the account given by Tirechan, as we find in Sir William Betham's " Irish 85 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Antiquarian Researches. " In reference to
Quarta Vita S. Patiicii, cap. xxviii. , p. 38, . and nn. 17, 18, 19, 20, p. 49.