No More Learning

See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " Vita Quarta S. Brigidce, lib. ii. , cap. Ixix. , J). 560. Vita Tertia S. Brigidas, cap. xcviii. , p. 539, ? ^? V/. See, also, Vita Sexta S. Bri- gidae, sec. Ix. , p. 594, ibid.
s" See the Bollandists' "Acta Sanctorum,"
Life,
Brigid.
S" Colgan explains the expressions, "ta-
bulatam laciem," to mean a iace, plain like the surface of a table, having all its parts of equal prominence, and of featureless defor* mity ; hence, deprived of those various or* gans of sense, to be found in more regularly formed features,
53 in the Third Life, he is called Cretanus,
_*9
tomus i. , Februarii. Vita iv. S. lib. ii. , cap. x. , p. 169.
Brigidae,
s* See Colgan s "Trias Thaumaturga. " and of him it is very unintelligibly said,
Quarta Vita S. Brigidre, lib. ii. , cap. Ixx. , p. 560. Vita Tertia S. Brigidae, cap. ci. , p. 540, ibid. In this latter* life, the mira- culous supply of milk is said to have occurred,
"quem affirmant usque ad mortem dolorem ccculorum habuisse, sed turn sanos occulos semper habebat. "
S4 gee, Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Quarta Vita S. Brigidae, lib. ii. , cap. Ixxi. , p. 560. Vita Tenia S. Brigidae, cap, cii,
inconsequenceof the arrival of three bishops
and their companions, most probably those
l^uests, already mentioned in the Fourth and n, 49, pp. 540, 545, ibid.
thefe iS 110 men*
February i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 147
real necessity to appear otherwise, he assumed the garments and disguise of a pauper. 55 Appearing to sustain upon a staff his Umbs, tottering with pre-
tended infirmity and want, he approached the holy abbess. His steps seemed unsteady, while drawing deep sighs, and with a voice broken and resumed only at intervals, he entreated that one sheep from her flock should be given to him. An appeal of the kind was seldom made in vain to St. Brigid; thelooks,gestures,andhabitofthepetitioner,inducinganopinionof hisextremepoverty. Hisrequestwascompliedwith,andasheepwasgiven, which he conveyed to a suitable hiding-place. Encouraged by the success of this sportive experiment, he returned again, in another assumed disguise and habit. Again, he pleaded want of means and health ; and, again he received a sheep trom the abbess. This he accepted with expressions of thanks, and removed it, to that place, in which he had left the other animal. This trick was repeated, no less than seven different times, and with like suc- cess. But, God would not permit His holy servant to suifer any loss, owing to her charitable credulity, nor would he allow the young man to derive any advantage, from his cunning deception. Those, who knew that St. Brigid had already lessened her flock by seven sheep, were surprised to find the originalnumberofanimals,whencountedintlieevening. Soboundlesswas her large-hearted charity, that it was often almost undiscriminating. Ihose sheep, which had been hidden by the young man, were not tound in their place of concealment, when it was examined jS^ so that the jest, he practised upon the saint, redounded to his own confusion and ridicule. 57 His day's futile labour and his falsely-assumed characters were made a subject tor pleasantry, and directed by his acquaintances against himself. This gave him more annoyance than the loss of those animals he had surreptitiously
acquired, in the hope of creating some merriment in the neighbournood. 5<* The illustrious rehgieuse exercised a mysterious sway over wild beasts of the forest, and birds of the air. 59 The following circumstance is attributed
to the all-subdumg influences of the gentle lady's virtues, and it is com- mended by Cogitosus to the attention of his brethren, for whose special edificationtheActsofholyBrigidhadbeencomposed. Toshowhoweven irrational animals became subject to her will and words, while remaining tame and domesticated, he instances a wild boar, aflrighted by his pursuers, that fledfromthewoods. Atlast,thatboarjoinedaherdolswine,belongingto St. Brigid. Finding him among her own animals, with her blessing the saint caused him to remain there in security, and he became perfectly domesti- cated. ^° One day, Brigid saw some wild ducks swimming in a river, and
55 In Professor O'Looney's Irish Life of St. Brigid—where this story is noticed—this deceiver is called a thief. See pp. 4I, 42.
5" The matter is thus
the First Metrical Life ; according to the Latin version :
"
S7 See the foregoing account in Abbate D. Giaconio Certani's "La Sautita Prodi- giosa. " Vita di S. Brigida Ibernese. Libro
Vir importunus, qui postulavit
A Brigida propter amurem Domini^ Accepit septem Verveces ab ea : Nee grex mde fuit diminutus. "
tuiga. "
5^ This is alluded to, in the Bollandists*
"Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Februarii.
—Vita Prima S. Brigidae, § 18, p. 516. Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " It is in like manner mentioned, in Vita Secunda S. Brigidae, cap. viii. , p. 519. Tertia Vita S. Brigidae, cap. ciii. , p. 540. Quarta Vita S. Jirigidae, lib, ii. , cap. Ixxii. , p. 560, ibid,
Vita Secunda S. Brigidae, cap. xix. , p. 520. Vita Tertia S. Brigidae, cap. cix. , p. 540. Quarta Vita S. Brigidae, lib. ii. , cap. Ixxiv. , p. 560. This circumstance is thus recorded in the First Metrical Life, according to thQ
Latin version :
briefly related,
Sesto, pp. 504
507.
in
to
^a Sucli is the detailed narrative, as fur-
nished in the Vita Quinta S. Brigidae, cap.
" xlii. , p. 577. Colgau's
Trias Thauma-
Vita ii. , cap. iv.
''"See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga.
"
148 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February i.
occasionally flying through the air. ^' These fowl she collected around her, in great numbers ; for, they flocked towards her, without any apparent ap-
prehension of danger, when they heard this holy virgin's gentle voice calling them. Forsometime,oursaintcaressedthem,andcoveredthemwithher hand; atterwards,sheallowedtheirreturntotheirfeatheredcompanions. ^*
By her extraordinary practices of piety, Divine power Avas manifested through her, in the following instance. '^^ There was a certain very strong man, named Lugid, who is said to have had the physical strength of twelve ordinary men, while his appetite for food was proportionately excessive. Lugid asked St. Brigid to petition God in his behalf, that his appetite might be restrained within reasonable bounds, while yet he might retain his bodily strength. The saint complied with his request, and gave him her blessing. ^^ Afterwards, this Lugid^^ was content with a quantity of food usually necessary for the support of an ordinary man, while his strength^^ continued equal to the united bodily prowess of twelve labourers. "^^
After St. Brigid came to her own city, certain religious men visited her,
and preached the Divine Word, in her presence. Afterwards, the abbess
told her cellarer or store-keeper^^ to prepare a dinner for her pious guests. Asking what kind of a meal should be prepared, she Avas told by Brigid, to setdifferentdishesbeforethem. ^9 But,asthestore-keeperhadnotmeans for complying with our saint's mandate, she requested the abbess to retire to thechurchandtopraythere,trustingtheresulttoDivineProvidence. As already remarked, such had been the boundless charity of Brigid, that she immediately distributed to those in need, whatever the Almighty bestowed on her. Well knowing the real state of affairs, the abbess told her store-
*'
solebat venire in
Versus Aquilonem, ubi est vallis nunc: Quern Brigida baculo benedixit j
At cum grege jugiter permansit. "
Certani's "La Santiti
S. Brigida Ibemese. "
Vita di Libro Sesto, pp.
Aper
ejus gregem,
Prodigiosa.
513, 5H.
"5 Surius, concealing the name of Lugid,
briefly relates this mii-acle, in "De Probatis
Sanctorum Historiis," &c. , tomus i. , Febru- This miracle is alluded to in our saint's arius. Vita S. Brigidre, Virginis, p. 809.
—Vita Prima S. Brigidse, sec. xxix. , p. 516.
offices.
'* Abbate D. Giacomo Certani, who re-
lates this incident, states, that over these
animals, St. Brigid exercised as absolute a
dominion as could our first parents have
practised in their terrestrial Paradise. See
" La Santiti Prodigiosa. Vita di S. Bri-
gida Ibemese. " Libro Sesto, pp. 516, this miracle is thus introduced :
"
—Vita Prima S. Brigidse, sec. 34, p. 517. ^^ In the Fourth Life of our saint, she is
called, "Cellaria," and in the Third "Coqua. " These and similar incidental notices, in the legends of our saints, serve to give us an idea, regarding various officials connected with ancient monasteries and nunneries, or relating to their domestic
economy.
^ In the Third Life, we read, that Brigid
*'See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " Vita Quarta S. Brigidse, lib. ii. , cap. xcii. , p. 562. Vita Tertia S. Brigidee," cxxvii. , p. 541. Thismiracleseemstheonealluded to, in the First Life, as related in the fol- lowing Latin lines :
Quantas fecerit virtutes,
NuUus est qui referre posset plene.
Prceclarum qualiter minuerit edacitatem
" Clarum est in
Quod singularis mater fuerit fUii Regis
magTii [id est, Dei),
Benedixit avem volatilem,
Ita ut earn apprebenderit sua manu. '*
—Vita Prima S. Brigidac, sec. xxxiii. , p. 517. Also Vita Secunda S. Brigidse, cap. Xxii. , p. 521.
ejus gestls,
^' So are we informed said to " Give them bread and
by Cogitosus.
* See the account in Abbate D. Giacomo
her,
with several dishes of meat and onions,"
^ By Abbate D. Giacomo Certani, he is called "vn Sansone Ibemese. "
"7 See, Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " Vita Secunda S. Brigidse, cap. xxiv. , p. 521. Vita Tertia S. Brigjidae, cap. ex. , p. 540. Vita Quarta S. Brigidae, lib. ii. , cap. Ixxv. , p. 560. In the First Metrical Life,
Lugadii
Pugilis, et ejus non extinxit vires.
"
butter,
February i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 149
keeper to go into the cellar, and to mark it with a sign of the cross, to close it,andonherreturntopray,whileherselfenteredthechurch. 7° Aboutthe
sixth
hour,7^
the abbess called her
and " The time for said,
7^ See
Vita Quarta S. Brigidse, lib. ii. , cap. Iv. , p. 558. Vita Tertia S. Brigidas, cap. Ixxxii. , P- 537> ibi'i- Vita Sexta S. Brigidce, sect. xlix. , p. 593, ibid.
77 Most
—Edward Hayes' "Ballads of Ireland,"
vol. i. , p. 7.
79 See Abbate D. Giacomo Certani's "La
Santita Prodigiosa, Vita di S. Brigida Ibernese. " LibroQuinto,pp. 419to421. There these herbs are called " Cauoli Ac-
quatici," in the Itahan language.
^° In reference to the different species of
herbs, mentioned in the Fourth Life of our
saint, Colgan endeavours to explain their nature in a note. "Per Biisia videtur in-
telligere genus aquatici oleris, quod Hiber- nice dicitur Biorar & Latine anasturtium
aquaticum, quo passim Eremitse istius tem- poris & Patrice vescebantur : per Sampsia,
quid intelligat, nescio, nisi forte herbam quam Latini vocant sampsychum, & aliis nominibus vocatur amartiais & niaiorana; vel aliam, quam Hiberni vocant Samhadh^
Colgan's
"Trias
Thaumaturga.
these herbs were of
store-keeper^*
go now to the cellar, 73 and liberally give
waiting on our guests has arrived ;
them, whatsoever you may find there. " Opening it, the store-keeper found
in the cellar all those different kinds of food, mentioned by St. Brigid. And these various viands lasted during seven entire days, serving as refreshments, not only for the guests, but even for the whole religious community, as also for the poor. 74 At that time, no persons living in the nunnery, save only the abbess and her store-keeper, knew whence came those provisions, nor who hadprovidedthem. 7s Aknowledgeofthismiraculousoccurrenceremained among the secrets of Divine Omnipotence. 7^
It is said, our saint was at a certain place, where there were many rivulets,
yet unprovided with water-herbs,77 that usually grow in a natural state on streams supplied by fountains. 73 While there, a band of holy virgins, be- longing to the place, came to visit and to ask her a question. They say to
:
her "Why,Omother,donotthewater-herbs,79onwhichholymenare
accustomed to live, grow in those waters ? " ^° The holy abbess, knowing that they desired a growth of such herbs there, spent the following night in vigil and prayer. ^^ On rising the succeeding morning, those religious found
7° In the Third Life, the account runs a
little differently, as follows : Brigid said to
the cook, "sweep the kitchen pavement,
houses or cells, —
probably grouped together
aroundthechurch theusualancientIrish
monastic arrangement.
T^ From the manner, in which this is re-
lated, it would seem, the sixth hour was
the time usually set apart for the dinner of
these guests ; perhaps, too, it was the hour for the conventual meal.
7=* So called in the Fourth Life of our saint, but designated "the cook" in the Third Life.
73 In the Fourth Life, we read that she was directed to this place, but in the Third Life, she was ordered to the cook-house or kitchen.
T< From this narrative and in similar ac- counts, we may well infer, how large and bountiful were the distributions of food, made to the destitute, in our early monastic institutes.
7S This miracle is recorded in Abbate D. Giacomo Certani's "La Santita Prodigiosa. Vita di S. Brigida Ibernese. " Libro Quin- to, pp. 417 to 419.
"
fed on such herbs. And in the Sixth Life, it is said, that these holy men,
close the cook-house ; then
house, and pray in it ; I will go to the church. " Thisshows,thattheinmatesof St. Brigid's establishment lived in separate
cum
sumebant
et
go
Frigida
crispis herbis.
"
pocula
to thine own
"
the
species, known as "water- cresses. " The Latini vero, acce/osatn. ''^ N. 16, p. 566.
probably,
—
^' Seethe Bollandists' "Acta Sanctorum,"
Fourth Life of our saint adds, that many saints who were accustomed to fast with extreme rigour in the western parts, usually
tomus i. , Februarii. Vita Quarta S. Bri- gidse, lib. ii. , cap. viii. , p. 167.
7^InthebeautifullinesofJohnFraseron "The Holy Wells," w—e have the following
appropriate
allusions
:
" The cottage hearth, the convent wall, the battlemented tower,
Grew up around the crystal springs, as well as flag and flower ;
The brooklime and the water-cress were evidence of health.
in and wealth. "
to
Abiding
those basins, free
poverty
J50 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February i,
the rivulets filled with such herbs,^" while others grew for a considerable dis- tance around, and where they had not hitherto been seen. This abundant
growth of water-cresses^3 was granted by God to St. Brigid's prayers. ^^ The fame of our glorious virgin had already extended to very distant places. Certain men, wishing to recommend themselves to her good offices, came from afar, and brought with them many presents on horses and in waggons. ^s But, on that day, when they expected to have arrived, those travellers entered thickwoods,wherenightfelluponthem. Sodarkwereitsshades,thattheir waggons could not be driven through the forest, and they went astray in an unknown place. However, the holy Brigid had some prophetic intuition regarding their distress. Praying to God for them, she told her nuns to kindle a fire, and to warm some water, that the feet of guests she expected thisnightmightbewashed. Hernunswonderedathersaying,thatmen
were journeying through the darkness on this particular night. Meanwhile, a great light appeared to the travellers. Its glow illuminated their path, until
they arrived at St. Brigid's monastery. ^^ The holy virgin went out to meet them, when all gave thanks to God. Having accomplished the object of their visit, and after staying three days, the travellers resumed their return journey, by that same road they had previously traversed. Such was the
roughness or intricacy of their passage, that they had much difficulty, even in the day-time, to draw their empty waggons along. ^7 Yet, on account of St. Brigid's prayers, Christ himself caused the rough places to become
smooth, on the night of their journey, while miraculous light guided them on the way. ^^ This incident reads very much like that previously related
regarding Bishop Broon and his companions.
Previous to the residence of a bishop at Kildare, a priest, named Nat-
froich,^y was charged with the performance of clerical duties for the religious inmates of the nunnery. He became St. Brigid's frequent and confidential
companion. Hewasaccustomedtoreadpassagesfromsomereligiousbook, whenever the community assembled at their meals. From such circum- stances, which are recorded in different lives of our saint, it is quite probable, that this priest was spiritual director of the abbess and of her nuns ; and, we are told, that he remained with the holy woman, during his whole lifetime. Natfroich, after his ordination, became chaplain to St. Brigid and to her nuns,
'"
The Fourth Life has that the rivulets miracle is also mentioned in the Vita it,
were "supra modum illis oleribus plenos, i. e. y Brisia et caeteris oleribus abundantes. "
Sexta S. Brigidse, section 1. , p. 593, ibid. In this latter, it is said, she cured many lepers and sick, as also blind and lame
"3 The water-cress, which grows in our .
brooks and rivulets, is a well-known aquatic
plant, and it forms an excellent and a whole-
some salad. Its flowers are white, and they tomus i. , Februarii. Vita Quarta S. Bri- appear in July. See James Townsend gidee, lib. ii. , cap. viii. , p. 168.
Mackay's " Flora Hibernica, comprising the flowering Plants Ferns Characeoe Musci Hepaticae Lichenses and Algse of Ireland arranged according to the natural system, with a synopsis of the Genera, according to the Linnaean System. " Vasculares. Class I. Sub-class I. Order 6, pp. 17, 18. Dublin, 1836, 8vo.
^* The writer of the Vita S. Quarta Brigi-
dse, lib. ii. , cap. Ivi. , p. 558, adds, that there herbs of the same species did not fail to grow in his time through the blessing of God and of St. Brigid. See also, Vita
^ The Third Life says, that it appeared only to the chief man, among these travellers. In her Sixth Life, he is called "prsesul
'*
venerable bishop. "
^^ See this narrative also set forth in Abbate D. Giacomo Certani's " La Santit^ Prodigiosa. Vita di S. Brigida Ibernese. "
Libro Quinto, pp. 421 to 424,
^s g^g "Trias Thaumaturga. " Colgan's
Quarta Vila S. Brigidre, lib. ii. , cap. Ivii. , pp. 158, 159, Vita Tertia S. Brigidae, cap. Ixxxiv. , pp. 537, 538, ibid.
^s See an account of this saint at the nth of December, the date set down for his
Tertia S. Brigidae, cap. Ixxxiii. , p. 537. Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " This feast.
persons.
^s See the Bollandists' "Acta Sanctorum,"
venerabilis," or a
J'EBRUARV I. ] LIVES OF THE lEISH SAINTS, 151
for whom he often read the Holy Scriptures and other pious books. By appointment of St. Patrick, he attended on her during her travels, while he
frequently acted in the capacity of charioteer. Being thus engaged, the following recorded incident took place. s° On a certain day, when the pre-
sence of our saint was necessary, at a great congregation, she proceeded to the spot in a chariot, drawn by two horses. 9^ AVe are told, in St. Brigid's Third Life, that the abbess—most probably on this occasion—was proceeding to the plain of the Liffy, and that another holy virgin sat with her, in the chariot. The charioteer, who was with them, had been desired to instruct histravellingcompanions.