" The man of God repHed : " I do not defend him ; but, our Lord Jesus Christ allows him to
continue
here this night.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v5
" On grapes, herbs, and water-cresses, they continued to feed.
They stopped there forty days.
The foregoing accounts seem to relate a voyage, among the West Indian Islands, where the fruits are of so delicious a flavour, and of large size, while they are unlike anything to be found in northern climes. These circum- stances of narrative, however, are sufficiently mingled with the marvellous
; because, they relate to what had been beyond the range of experience to those Celts, who poured out the exuberance of imagination in compositions, proba- bly based upon facts, yet still strangely distorted in tradition, and shadowy as dealing with the unknown. Going afterwards on board, the monks took with them the fruits of that Island. The sails were loosed, and the ship went before the wind. Directly against their course was seen a griffin flying; and, when the monks saw it stretching out its claws to seize them, they prayed St. Brendan to save them, from being devoured by that creature. But, he said : " Fear it not, for the Lord is our protector. " Then, a bird in rapid flight came to meet the griffin ; and, for a time, both engaged in conflict. "^ Thus, the dra- gons, the fire-drakes,"3 the griffins,"4 and the sea-serpents of huge dimen- sions, were described by the Celtic and Teutonic bards ; so that, we have no occasion, to seek for those monsters, through eastern sources. ^'5 At last,
;
;
432
—"—
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May i6.
the griffin's eyes were torn out, he was vanquished and killed, so that his body fell into the sea. Seeing this, the monks praised God. The victorious bird returned to his former quarter.
Again, in the Island of Ailbe, the religious voyagers from Erin cele-
bratedourLord'sNativity. Havingfinishedthosefestivedays,St. Brendan,
receiving a benediction from the father of the monastery, circumnavigated the
ocean for a considerable time ; and only, at the Festival of Easter and of the
Nativity, had they rest in their allotted places. "^ There is a religious
legend,"7regardingthreeyoungclerics, whowentoutonthewesternocean,
in a vessel, and wIto landed on an unknown island, where they built a church,
and continued to reside, until two of them died. During his navigation, St.
Brendan found the survivor, and prepared him for death ;"^ but, this
account is not to be found, in the usual narratives of his voyage. Another
time, while celebrating the Festival of St. Peter in their vessel, the navigators
saw all the sea lighted up ; it vvas so transparent, that they could fathom its
abyss, see various animals of the deep, as if beneath their hands, and distin-
guishwhatwasatthedepths,ingreatnumbers. Theywerelikecattleina
pasture crowded together ; or, as if a densely-peopled city lay beneath the
waters, appeared the multitude of heads and tails. The brethren pray their
Abbot to sing tlie Mass lower, and thus to avoid attracting those monsters of
the deep. They say to him : " So clear is each wave, where the sea is deepest,
that we see as though upon earth, both fishes innumerable, as also fishes great
and cruel, so that we scarcely dare to speak of them, for if the noise disturbed
them, know you that killed we shall be. " But, their holy father pleasantly
replied: " I greatly wonder at your folly. Why fear you those animals? Hath
not the greatest monster of all been devoured . '* For you both sat and sang
on his back you have also cut wood, and kindled a fire, and cooked his ;
flesh. Why, therefore, do you fear these? For our God is the Lord Jesus Christ, who can subdue every creature. " Saying these words, Brendan sang in a higher tone, while the monks beheld the monsters surging here and there, in great numbers,butapartfromtheirvessel. WhentheservantofGodhadfinishedthe Mass, all those fishes swam away, in different directions through the ocean. "9
With a favouring wind for eight days, and with sails spread, once more the voyagers careered over a clear sea. One day, after the celebration of three Masses, the crew witnessed another miraculous appearance, the material of which they could not surmise. They also beheld a tower, reared from the
sea, and reaching above the clouds. '^°
asalsoothermon<-,terswhichfigureinlegend and romance, from Oriental accounts, and it has been thought the Crusaders brought suchfictionsbackfromPalestine,tofurnish materials for mediceval northern romance. This, however, is a supposition, now easily disproved.
"* See Most Rev. Patrick F. Moran's "Acta Sancti Brendani," Navigatio Sancti Brendani, cap. ix. , pp. 11410 117.
"7 This Irish Tract is in vol. xxii. of the O'Longan MSS. , belonging to the Royal Irish Academy, at pp. 322 to 325. This a small 4to.
"^ There is no further account, concerning this cleric, nor are the companions, who left Ireland with him, specially designated.
"' " He sang more high, more loudly clear
The salvage fishes, him to hear,
It required three days' sai ling to reach
Leaptfromthesea, aroundthey wait,
As they the feast would celebrate ; Thussanghetill thecloseofday, And then each monster went his
way.
—Blackwood's "Edinburgh Magazine," vol. xxxix. , No. ccxlviii. . pp. Si2, 1813.
"° Thus opens this description—which suggests the idea of icebergs having been seen—in " Les Voyages Merveilleux de Saint Ikandan a la Recherche du Paradis Terres-
tre, '
edited by Francisque- Michel :
'* Quant curent e veient cler, En mer halt un grant piler ; De naturel fud jargunce, D'altre marem n'i out unce, De jargunce fud saphire : Riches estreit ki'n fust sire. "
See 11. 1064 to 1069, p. 52.
J ——;
May 1 6. LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 433
thisstrangeobject. Itwascoveredbyatransparentpavilion,withopeningsso
solarge,thatthevesselcouldpassthrough. Thiscanopyorpavilionhadthe
whitenessofsilver,andthehardnessofmarble. Thetowerwasapparentlyof
the most brilliant crystal. Then, the man of God said to his monks : " Bring
the oars and rudder within the ship, as also the spars and sails ; meantime,
let some of you hold on to the braces of the column. " For the distance
between the canopy and the column was about one mile, and so both ex-
tended out into the deep. The command was obeyed, and then the saint said
to them : " Steer the ship inwards through some opening, that we may care-
fullyexaminethewondrousworksofourgreatCreator. " Whentheyentered
that pavilion, the sea itself seemed to be of crystal, so clear and transparent
was it to its very depths. '-^ They could see the base of the column, and also
the summit of the canopy, over the sea-level. The light of the sun was not
less brilliant within and without. The extent of this pile was calculated by
Brendan himself, during the four days he spent near it. Then, the holy Abbot
measured the distance between four of the canopies, and he found it to be
four cubits. For a whole day, the mariners sailed near to one side of that
tower j and, the shadow cast by the sun, with its heat, was noticed by them,
beyond the ninth hour. The tower was thirteen or fourteen hundred cubits,
on each side ; and the fourth day, the crew found, on the southern ledge of
one among the openings, a chalice of the same material as the pavilion, and a
patera of that composing tlie tower. The man of God took these vessels,
saying : " They are presents of Christ, who has shown us these wonders, and
they are two in number, to be exhibited to many believers. " Then, the holy
man ordered the monks to recite their Divine office, so that afterwards, they
mighttastefood for,whileremainingthere,insightofthegreattower,they ;
had not taken any nourishment. That night, however, they left it, and steered northwards. When they had passed through an opening, the mast was raised, and the sails were spread. Some of the brothers held the braces of the canopy, until all things were set to rights, on board of the vessel. The sails being now loose, a prosperous wind arose behind them, so that the brothers had no need to row; they only steered their ship, and held the ropes. '^^
They sailed eight days more towards the north, when they beheld a rocky and rugged Isle ; not a tree nor a blade of grass was on it, and on all sides were forges and iron-workers. "Brethren," said Brendan, "my soul is in pain for this Island, for I would not touch it, nor approach it, and yet the wind drives us straight upon it. '^s Approaching within a stone's cast, they
^' In Blackwood's " Edinburgh Maga- zine," vol. xxix. , No. ccxlviii. , The Anglo- Norman Trouveres, p. 812, we find the fol- lowing description, in English verse :
"Right in iheir course, they clearly see
A pillar rising in mid sea
A wondrous building round appeared, Not as a common structure reared, But founded all of sapphire stone (Nought with more brightness ever
shone),
And to the clouds upreared high While in the deep ye might descry Its base, and round about outspread A fair pavilion, to the sea Descending, while clear overhead, Like dazzling gold, the canopy Shone ; ne'er on earth was such a
sight I"
'" See Most Rev. Patrick F. Moran's " Acta Sancti Brendani," Navigatio Sancti Brendani, cap. x. , pp. 118 to 120.
^^^ The following lines are to be found, in " Les Voyages Merveiileux de Saint Brandan a la Recherche du Paradis Ter-
" restre :
" Mult s'esforcent de ailurs tendre ; Mais 9a estout lur curs prendre, Quar li venz la les emmeinet,
E li abes bien les enseignet
E dist lur : ' Bien sachez
Que a enfern estes caches. N'oustes mester unc mais si grant Cum or avez de Deu guarant. ' Brandans ad fait surcals la cruz. Bien set pres est d'enfern li puz. "
;
—See 11. 11 12 to 1121, p. 54.
I£
434
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May i6.
soon heard the mighty panting of the bellows, wliich made a noise like thun- der, and the formidable blows of the sledges on the anvils, at the depth of the echoing workshops. Then said the holy man, signing himself with the cross : " O Lord Jesus Christ, deliver us from this evil Island. " One of the work- men, as if to do something, then came out, by chance ; he was hairy and horrible-looking, and, as it were, besmeared with fire and darkness. At the sight of the servants of God, he returned to his companions, crying out, " Alas ! alas I alas ! " Then making a sign of the cross, Brendan cried : " Hoist the sail and put off, my brethren, let us fly with all haste from this Island. " Already, he who had seen them returned towards the shore, and bearing in his enormous tongs an immense mass of burning and seething iron.
He hurled it with violence, against the servants of Christ. It did no harm to the
saints, for it passed over their heads, and it fell more than a stadium beyond ;
and where it fell, the sea boiled up as though a mountain of fire had entered its bosom ; while the smoke poured up as from a heated oven. All the men of the island then flocked on the shore, when the saint had sailed about a mile from where that mass fell into the sen. They were armed with like molten masses, andtheyhurledthemall,oneafteranother,againsttheservantsofChrist. Then, they returned to their lairs. All their workshops at once burst into flames, and that whole Island seemed on fire. The sea, around the siiips, and afar, was heated. Vexed and seethed was the space around them, like to water in a vessel, over a raging fire. The howls on that Island, and its fetid odour, reached the brethren, when it could no longer be seen. Brendan said, "SoldiersofChrist,letusrelyonourfaithandspiritualarms watchandbe
;
men ; for we are now on the borders of hell. ""4
The next day, while pursuing their course of sailing, they saw,
towards the north, as if through a transparent haze, a lofty mountain, rising from the ocean ; its summit was lost in a dense smoke. A rapid wind drew them on. The shore seemed steep as a wall, and of vast height, so that its top could scarcely be distinguished. The soil was black as coal. Then, the survivor of the three brothers, who had followed Brendan, sprang out of the boat, and walked to the shore, saying, "Woe to me! lam lost, father; I cannot return to you. ""5 The crew, struck with terror, turned the vessel from that land, and cried aloud to the Lord, saying : " Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us. " A sad fate was to happen their lost brother. A crowd of devils had already seized him, and these were dragging him off. He was a prey to the tortures and flames that devoured him. Brendan cried out : "Woe to thee, unfortunate man, the end of thy life is an eternal death. " A fresh wind arose, which wafted them southwards. At that moment, the mountain top was descried; it foamed and boiled, breathing in and out fire and flames, which were seen to ascend towards the height of heaven, and to descendagain into thedeep bowels of the mountain. The whole mountain, to its very base, and even to the sea itself, was like a flaming pyre. A favouring gale sprung up, however, and forsevendays,themarinerswerebornetowardsthesouth. Whencometothe opensea,averydarkcloudsurroundedthem. Atlast,theyfindanakedrock, and upon it a man seemed "^ to be fixed. Some thought he was a bird. He had a cloth tied about his head, and holding a javelin in his hand,"? he seemed
"* See Most Rev. Patrick F. Moran's —"Les Voyages Merveilleux de Saint
"Acta Sancti Brendani," Navigatio Sancti Brendani, cap. xi. , p[). 120, I2i.
"5 See L. Tachet de Barneval's "His- toire Legenilaire de I'lrlande," chap, xxiii. , pp. 261 to 267.
ia6 << jviult ert periz, c detirez, Delacherez, e descirez. "
Brandan a la Recherche du Paradis Terres- trc," edited by Francisque-Michel, 11. 1224, 1225, p. 59.
"'" And tightly grappled be the stone Which hove the waves he sat upon, For they were beating vehemently, As he might overwhelm'd be. "
——"
May i6. ] LIVES OF 2'HE IRISH SAINTS.
hanging between two iron forceps, and tossed about by the waves, hke a vessel labouring in a storm. He cried bitterly for assistance. '^** Brendan de- sired the crew to cease discussing the matter, but to direct their vessel towards that place. When reaching it, the waves formed a circle, as if they had been frozen. They found that man sitting on a rock, deformed and wretched, and when the tides flowed towards him, they reached to where he sat, when they receded, only tlie naked rock appeared. The cloth, which hung before when the winds blew, flapped against his eyes and forehead. Then, the holy man asked, who he was, what crime he had committed, or why he had merited such a punishment. He declared to Brendan, that he was the unhappy Judas, who betrayed our Lord Jesus Christ, Brendan learns that there is an occasional respite to his sufferings, and that had been accorded him, through the ineffable mercy of the Saviour. He declared, also, that no penitence could now avail him ; but, on each Sunday,"9 he was allowed to sit on that naked rock, which seemed a Paradise to him, as compared with those tortures he must endure, when the day had passed. " When I am tor- tured," he added, " I burn like lead melted in hot oil, both day and night, in the middle of that mountain you have seen ; there is the Leviathan with his satellites, and I was there, when he took away your brother ; and, therefore, doth hell rejoice, and pour out great flames, and as it always does, when it devours the souls of the damned. That you may know the greatness of God's mercy towards me, I shall relate to you the nature of my solace. Here, I find a respite every Sunday, from evening to evening ; from the Nativity of our Lord to the Epiphany ; from Easter to Pentecost ; on the feast of the Purifi- cation of the Blessed Virgin Mary ; as also, on the day of her Holy Assump- tion. But, on all other days, I am tortured with Herod and Pilate, with Anna and Caipha ; and, therefore, I adjure you, through the Redeemer of the world, that you deign to intercede for me, that I may remain here, even to sun-rise on to-morrow, so that the devils may not torture me, in honour of your arrival, and drag me to the evil inheritance, I have bought for my- self. " Then, the holy Brendan said : " Be the will of God done. For this night, the demons shall not disturb you, nor until the morrow. " Next, Brandan asks Judas the meaning of the cloth which is tied around his head. Judas replies, that although in a great measure an impediment to him, yet he re- ceives great benefit from it, since it shelters his head and face from the cutting winds,andpreventsthefishfrombitingthem; and,thisadvantageheobtained, because once, when on earth, he gave a piece of cloth to a beggar,^3° or to a leper. ^31 The benefit of that single deed of charity still remained to him,'^* as his only solace. When the hour of evening came, the fiends appeared, and they loudly cried out : " O man of God, retire from us, for we cannot approachourcompanion,unlessyouwithdrawfromhim. Wedarenotsee
—Blackwood's "Edinburgh Magazine," vol. xxxix. . No. ccxlviii. The Anglo-Norman Trouveres, p. 814.
128
EventilltheSabbath'spastaway
I have. " —Ibid.
»3° The old French Life calls him " un- cataif. "
'^t Xhe " Navigatio Sancti Brendani," adds : " Nam furcas ferreas ubi pendet dedi sacerdotibus ad cacabos sustinendos. Petram autem cui semper sedeo publica via misi in fossam antequam fuissem discipulus Christi.
'^j in Sir Walter Scott's "Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border," the Lyke Wake Dirge is founded on a similar popular no- tion.
((^hou son of Marie, think on me, Nor vainly let me cry mercy, Hemm'd round by terrors of this
sea! " Ibid. "9 Judas replies :
*' Not half my sorrow can you see, Which in that place I'm doom'd to
dree,
But respite sweet from Saturday
435
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May i6.
the face of our chief, until we restore to him our friend. But, do you give us our prey, and do not withdraw him from us this night.
" The man of God repHed : " I do not defend him ; but, our Lord Jesus Christ allows him to continue here this night. " The fiends vociferate : " Why have you invoked the holy name for hiru, who betrayed his Lord? " St. Brendan then said " I command you, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you do him no injuryuntilto-morrow. " Thenighthavingpassedaway,earlythenextday, Brendan resumed his voyage, when a vast number of demons covered the face of the deep. Their screams were dreadful to hear : " O man of God, may thy entry and departure here be accursed, since our chief last night be- laboured us witli heavy scourges, because we did not bring this caitiff captive
with us to him. " St. Brendan then said : " This malediction shall not alight on us, but on yourselves ; for whom ye curse, he is blessed, and whom ye bless, he is accursed. " The demons reply : " During the coming six days, this unhappy Judas shall endure redoubled punishment, because you pro- tected him during the past night. " The saint then said : " You and your chief have no power, but, you must yield to the power of God. I command you and your chief, in the name of our Lord, that you inflict on him no greater punishments, than he has been accustomed to endure. " They reply : " Art thoutheLordofallthings,thatweshouldobeythycommands. " Theman of God answered : " I am only the servant of the Lord of all things, but whatsoever I order, in his name, is accomplished; nor have I any office, ex- ceptwhathegrantstome. " Again,thedemonspouroutimprecations,but, they are prevented from attacking St. Brendan. However, they carry off Judas, to his other scene of torment ; while, awe-struck and sorrowful, the
pilgrims sailed on, the shrieks of those fiends resounding on their ears. '33 Then, blessed Brendan and his companions sailedagainst thesouth, praising God in all things. Their course continued for three days, and then land ap- peared, in the distance. The crew began to labour at their oars, in order to reach it. But, the holy Abbot reminded them, that now nearly seven years had elasped, since they had left their own country, and that their full term should expire the approaching Easter, so he told them not to waste their strength unnecessarily. On therefore they sailed, towards that other small isle. Brendan said : "You are going to see Paul the hermit, who lives there without his corporal life being supported, by any material food, for the last sixty years. For twenty years previously, a certain animal brought him food. " When the monks approached that shore, on account of the steepness of its rocks, a landing place could not be found. This Island was round in shape,
and only a stadium, or six hundred and twenty-five feet, in circumference and, on its summit, no soil appeared, but only a bare rock. Its length and breadth were of equal measurement. On sailing round it, however, they found a fissure, so narrow, that only the prow of their ship could enter it, and the ascent was most difficult. Then, the holy superior said to his brothers : " We cannot enter the island, without permission of the man of God, who dwells here : await my return. " Then, St. Brendan clambered to the summit, where he saw two caves ; the opening of one being opposite to that of the other, on the eastern side of that Island. Here, too, there was a very small and round fountain, issuing from the rock, before the mouth of that cave, where the soldier of Christ resided. Where the little well bubbled,
it soon afterwards was diverted into the rock, and there the waters dis- appeared. St. Brendan went to the opening of one cave, being different from
'31 See Most Rev. Patrick F. Mor. m's Brendani, cap. xii. , pp. I2i to 125. "ActaSancti Brendani," Navigatio ijancti '*< The great Apostle of Ireland, whose
436
:;
437
that, in which the hermit lived. He landed alone ; but the old man came to
meet him, saying, " It is sweet and pleasant for brethren to dwell together. "
All the brethren then left the ship. Paul embraced them, and saluted each
one of them, calling him by name. They wondered at his prophetic spirit, and
also at his strange appearance. His hair, his beard, and the hair of his body,
covered him down to his feet ; owing to his extreme old age, his hair was
white as snow ; he had no other garment, while only his eyes, and a part of
his face, could be seen. On beholding him, Brendan was saddened, tor he
saidinhisheart: "Woeis me,asinner! Iwearthehabitofamonk; many
have placed themselves under me, to learn the monastic life, and behold, a
man, living in his cell, who in the bonds of flesh is like an angel ; and who is
uninfluenced by the miseries of the body. " Meanwhile, the man of God
answered his thoughts : " Venerable father, what great wonders God has
shown thee, that he has not revealed to the other fathers ! and thou sayest in
thy heart, that thou art unworthy to wear the habit of a monk, when thou art
greater than a monk. The monk lives and is clothed, by the labour of his
hands yet,forthelastsevenyears,Godhasnourishedtheeandthinebyhis ;
benefits. As for me, here I am on this rock, miserable and naked, like the birdthathasonlyitsplumage. " Then,Brendanaskedhim,howhehadgot there, when he came, and how long he had led that life. " I was nourished for fifty-five years," said Paul, "in the monastery of St. Patrick,'34 and I kept thecemeteryofthecommunity. Oneday,whenmyprefectpointedoutthe place for my interment, and where a certain person had been already buried, a man, not known to me, appeared and said : " Brother, do not dig your grave here, for elsewhere shall be the place for your interment," Then, Paul replied : " Father, who art thou ? " The stranger visitor said knowme:amInotyourabbot? " Paulsaid: "St. Patrickismyabbot. " The stranger said : " I am he : for yesterday, I departed from life, and this is the place of my interment. " He also pointed out another spot saying : " Here shall you bury our brother, and tell to no person, what I have said to thee. To-
morrow, thou shalt go to the sea-side ; there thou wilt find a vessel, and embark it shall bear thee to a spot, where thou must await the day of thy death. Ac- cording to the order of my father, I set out on the day following to that place, and I found all things to be as he forewarned me. Having gone on board a vessel, I sailed for three days and three nights. These having passed, I allowed the ship to move before the wind. On the seventh day, this rock appeared, and on it I landed ; then, with my foot, I shoved off the bark to return to that place, whence it started. It cut the waves in a speedy course to the country I had left. About the ninth hour, an otter came, bearing to me in its fore-paws a fish with some grass and twigs. He then retired. I struck fire from a liint, lighted the grass and twigs, and prepared my meal. Every third day, my servant came ni like manner from the sea, and thus I lived for thirty years. I feel no thirst nor hunger. On the Lord's day, this rock gave me a little water for ablution. At the end of thirty years, I discovered those twogrottos,andthelivingfountain sothatIhavesincelivedsixtyyears,with
;
no other food, than the water of that fountain. Thus, for thirty years, I have fed on fish, in this Island, for sixty on water alone, and so, I have passed ninety years of my life. Fifty years have I spent in my own country. My life has already lasted one hundred and fifty years ;'3S and, according to God's pro- mise, I here await the day, when he shall judge me in this mortal fiesh. "^36
Life is given at tfie 17th of Marcfi, vol. iii. , Art. i. of this work.
'^s The reading in the other Manuscripts
lias one hundred and forty years : and this seems better to accord with the context,
'^6 gee L. Tachet de Barneval's " Histoire
:
'* Do you not
;
May 1 6. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
438
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May i6.
The hermit Paul then recommends St. Brendan and his companions, to fill a vessel with water, taken from the small round well, and to proceed on their journey. Thereremainedforthemfortydays,untilHolySaturdayshould arrive,anditwasordained,thattheyshouldcelebrateit, asalsoEasterand its holy days coming after, as they had been accustomed to do, for the six previous years. Then were they enjoined, to receive the blessing of their protector, before starting for that land, holier than all other lands. There must they remain for forty days ; when it was further decreed, that the Almighty would bring them all back safely, to the country of their birth. '37
Having received holy Paul's blessing and the kiss ofpeace, they sailed against the south, during the whole time of Lent. While their ship was borne on the waves, the water taken from the Island served them for nourishment. 's^ On Holy Saturday, they reach the Island of their former patron ; who, on seeing them, came down to the port, with great joy ; then, he brought all of them on shore,fromthevessel,andinhisownarms. Havingcelebratedinabecoming manner the sacred rites of that day, their host obliged them to be seated, at a banquet prepared. In the evening, all go on board their vessel, together with the patron, and they find the huge sea-monster in the usual place. They are allowed to mount on his back, and there during the whole night, they sing praisestoGod. EasterSundayMasswascelebrated,andwhenitwasover, the huge fish, called Jasconius, began to move, Avith his living freight. The brothers all cry out : " Hear us, O Lord, our God ! " The blessed Brendan began to comfort them, saying '' Brothers, why are you disturbed? Do not
:
fear, as no evil shall happen to us, but the Lord shall assist our journey. " The monster moved straight forward, to the shore of that Island, known as the Paradise of Birds. There, all were safely landed, and they remained, until the octave of Pentecost. This period having lapsed, their patron, who was present, said to St. Brendan: "Go now on board your vessel, and fill your bottles, from this fountain. " When they embarked, all the birds of that Island, on seeing the father, chorused as if with one voice : " A prosperous voyage be yours, to the Island of your protector, who accompanies you. " There, they take in provisions to serve for forty days.
Setting sail from their island, they now direct their course to the east,'39 for that length of time ; until one evening, a great darkness surrounded them. ''>° They could scarcely see each other, when his heavenly guide said to St. Brendan : " Father, know you, what this dark- ness means? " The saint replied: "I know not, brother. " He then said : " This darkness surrounds that Island you have sought for seven years. Lo ! you shall soon see and enter it. " After an hour had
LegendairedeI'lrlande,"chap,xxiii. , pp. 267 to 269.
'37 See Most Rev. Bishop Patrick Francis Moran's " Acta Sancti Biendani," Naviga- tio S. Brendani, cap. xiii. , pp. 125 to 128.
138 «i pgj triduum auttm reficiendo sine ulla esurie et siti permanserunt omnes leti. " is the account contained in the Legend of
our saint.
«39 " Full forty days o'er the high sea,
With sloping course, right speedily The bark glides on, and now they
come,
So Heaven hath order'd, to the
gloom
That round encloseth Paradise, Hiding it well from mortal eyes And heavily, and lab'ring slow,
Overthattidelessseatheygo; And now that darkness all con-
founds them,
Wrapping them o'er, and perils
round them
So many are, that had not Heaven In mercy timely succour given, They ne'er had pass'd that cloud I
trow. "
—Blackwood's "Edinburgh Magazine," vol. xxxix. , No. ccxlviii. The Anglo- Norman Trouveres, p. 815.
'" " Nues grandes tenerge funt,
— Que le sun eir return n'i unt. "
"Lcs \^oyages Mervielleux de Saint Brandan a la Recherche du Paradis Torres- tre," euited by Francisque-Michcl, 11. 1648, 1649, p. 79.
May 1 6. ] LIVES OP THE IRISH SAINTS.
passed, a resplendent atmosphere surrounded them, while their ship reached the shore. They disembarked, and now they beheld a spacious land, covered with beautiful fruits, as if it were in the autumn season. So long as they re- mained exploring it, no night was there, but the light was as that of the sun, shining at his brightest. '-^"^ P'or forty days they travelled, in that country, nor couldtheyfinditslimit. Atlength,theydiscoveredagreatriver,whichthey could not pass, apparently in the middle of that land. Then, St. Brendan said to his monks : " This river we cannot pass, and the extent of this land we do not know. " While they held a conference together, regarding these mysteries, a vision was vouchsafed them by the Almighty. A youth of noble presence,andexceedinglybeautiful,accostedthem. ^42 Hejoyfullyembraced each of the brothers, and called them by their several names. '''3 He . said : " O brethren, peace to you, and to all who seek peace with Christ. " After- wards, he added : " Blessed are they, O Lord, who dwell in thy house ; for ever and for ever shall they praise thee. " After these words, he addressed St, Brendan : " Behold, the land you have sought, for so long a time. But, you could not find it, at once, because our Lord Jesus Christ desired to show you the different mysteries of this great ocean. Therefore, now, return to the land of your birth, taking with you as many of those fruits and gems, as your ship can hold. ''^'* For, the final days of your journey approach, so that you
''" The objects and imagery here intro- duced must have been drawn originally from some authentic description of a flowery and bright southern land ; otherwise, northern imaginations could hardly conceive those pictures, in the romance, they have so richly unfolded to our fancy. It is somewhat re- markable, that among the North American
Indians, the Shawanoes, an Algonquin tribe, have a tradition regarding a foreign origin and a landing of their ancestors, after a sea-voyage. "It is a prevailing opinion among them, that Florida had been in- habited by white people, who had the use of iron tools,"—Henry Ix. Schoolcraft's " His- torical and Statistical Information, respect- ing the History, Condition, and Prospects of the Indian I'ribes of the United States," &c. , vol. i. , part i. , C. Traditions of the Ante-Columbian Epoch, p. 19.
'"•-"And now that fair youth leads them on,
Where Paradise in beauty shone, And there they saw the land all
full
Of woods and rivers beautiful
And meadows large besprent with
flowers,
And scented shrubs in fadeless
bowers.
And trees with blossoms fair to
And never shed their leaf the trees,
Nor failed their fruit, and still the breeze
Blew soft, scent-laden from the fields.
Full were the woods of venison ; The rivers of good fish each one. Andothersflowedwithmilkytide (No marvel all things fructified). The earth gave honey, oozing
through
Its pores, in sweet drops like the
dew
And in the mount was golden ore, And gems, and treasure wondrous
store ;
There the clear sun knew no de-
clining.
Nor fog nor mist obscured his
shining
Nor cloud across that sky did stray. Taking the sun's sweet light away ; No cutting blast, nor blighting air, For bitter winds blew never there ; Nor heat, nor frost, nor pain, nor
grief,
Nor hunger, thirst, for swift relief From every ill was there ; plentie. Of every good right easily,
Each had according to his will, And aye they wandered blithely
still.
In large and pleasant pastures
see, Andfruitalsodeliciously Hung from the boughs ;
nor brier,
green,
O ! such as earth hath never seen
—Blackwood's "Edinburgh Magazine," vol. xxxix. , No. ccxlviii. The Anglo- Norman Trouveres, pp. 815, 816.
nor thorn,
Thistle, nor blighted treeforlorn
With blackefi'd leaf, was there, for Spring
Held aye a year-long blossoming;
;
;;
439
! "
143 «' II arivent, cil les receit,
Tuz les nurnet par lur nun dreit
Puis dulcement les ad baisez E les draguns tuzapaisez. "
;
evident, no theory could really be formed, where the circumstances related appear to be so shadowy and imaginative.
'** To them, we may appropriately attri- bute the sentiments conveyed through some beautiful lines of an Irish poet, J. Boyle O'Reilly, in his poem intituled, "Native
—" Les Voyages Mcrveilleux de
Brandan a la Recherche du Paradis Terres-
tre," edited by Fiancisque-Michel, 11, 1720 Land ": to 1723, p. 83.
144 •' But, when the Lord shall call thee home,
Thou fitted then, a spirit free From weakness and mortality Shalt aye remain, no fleeting guest, But taking here thine endless rest.
And while thou still remain'st be- low.
That heaven's high favour all may know.
Take hence these stones, to teach all eyes
That thou hast been in Paradise. "
—Blackwood's "Edinburgh Magazine," vol. xxxix. , No. ccxlviii. The Anglo- Norman Trouveres, p. S16.
''5 According to some versions of the Legend, this river flowed from e. ist to west, and there are interpreters to be found, who will make it identical witli the beautiful Ohio, supposing that Brendan and his com- panions were journeying, at the time, through the interior of the present United . States. From the description given in the text—if the country coukl be (li. -icrmincd as stated more likejy the great Mis>issi|n River should seem a more likely conjecture.
The foregoing accounts seem to relate a voyage, among the West Indian Islands, where the fruits are of so delicious a flavour, and of large size, while they are unlike anything to be found in northern climes. These circum- stances of narrative, however, are sufficiently mingled with the marvellous
; because, they relate to what had been beyond the range of experience to those Celts, who poured out the exuberance of imagination in compositions, proba- bly based upon facts, yet still strangely distorted in tradition, and shadowy as dealing with the unknown. Going afterwards on board, the monks took with them the fruits of that Island. The sails were loosed, and the ship went before the wind. Directly against their course was seen a griffin flying; and, when the monks saw it stretching out its claws to seize them, they prayed St. Brendan to save them, from being devoured by that creature. But, he said : " Fear it not, for the Lord is our protector. " Then, a bird in rapid flight came to meet the griffin ; and, for a time, both engaged in conflict. "^ Thus, the dra- gons, the fire-drakes,"3 the griffins,"4 and the sea-serpents of huge dimen- sions, were described by the Celtic and Teutonic bards ; so that, we have no occasion, to seek for those monsters, through eastern sources. ^'5 At last,
;
;
432
—"—
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May i6.
the griffin's eyes were torn out, he was vanquished and killed, so that his body fell into the sea. Seeing this, the monks praised God. The victorious bird returned to his former quarter.
Again, in the Island of Ailbe, the religious voyagers from Erin cele-
bratedourLord'sNativity. Havingfinishedthosefestivedays,St. Brendan,
receiving a benediction from the father of the monastery, circumnavigated the
ocean for a considerable time ; and only, at the Festival of Easter and of the
Nativity, had they rest in their allotted places. "^ There is a religious
legend,"7regardingthreeyoungclerics, whowentoutonthewesternocean,
in a vessel, and wIto landed on an unknown island, where they built a church,
and continued to reside, until two of them died. During his navigation, St.
Brendan found the survivor, and prepared him for death ;"^ but, this
account is not to be found, in the usual narratives of his voyage. Another
time, while celebrating the Festival of St. Peter in their vessel, the navigators
saw all the sea lighted up ; it vvas so transparent, that they could fathom its
abyss, see various animals of the deep, as if beneath their hands, and distin-
guishwhatwasatthedepths,ingreatnumbers. Theywerelikecattleina
pasture crowded together ; or, as if a densely-peopled city lay beneath the
waters, appeared the multitude of heads and tails. The brethren pray their
Abbot to sing tlie Mass lower, and thus to avoid attracting those monsters of
the deep. They say to him : " So clear is each wave, where the sea is deepest,
that we see as though upon earth, both fishes innumerable, as also fishes great
and cruel, so that we scarcely dare to speak of them, for if the noise disturbed
them, know you that killed we shall be. " But, their holy father pleasantly
replied: " I greatly wonder at your folly. Why fear you those animals? Hath
not the greatest monster of all been devoured . '* For you both sat and sang
on his back you have also cut wood, and kindled a fire, and cooked his ;
flesh. Why, therefore, do you fear these? For our God is the Lord Jesus Christ, who can subdue every creature. " Saying these words, Brendan sang in a higher tone, while the monks beheld the monsters surging here and there, in great numbers,butapartfromtheirvessel. WhentheservantofGodhadfinishedthe Mass, all those fishes swam away, in different directions through the ocean. "9
With a favouring wind for eight days, and with sails spread, once more the voyagers careered over a clear sea. One day, after the celebration of three Masses, the crew witnessed another miraculous appearance, the material of which they could not surmise. They also beheld a tower, reared from the
sea, and reaching above the clouds. '^°
asalsoothermon<-,terswhichfigureinlegend and romance, from Oriental accounts, and it has been thought the Crusaders brought suchfictionsbackfromPalestine,tofurnish materials for mediceval northern romance. This, however, is a supposition, now easily disproved.
"* See Most Rev. Patrick F. Moran's "Acta Sancti Brendani," Navigatio Sancti Brendani, cap. ix. , pp. 11410 117.
"7 This Irish Tract is in vol. xxii. of the O'Longan MSS. , belonging to the Royal Irish Academy, at pp. 322 to 325. This a small 4to.
"^ There is no further account, concerning this cleric, nor are the companions, who left Ireland with him, specially designated.
"' " He sang more high, more loudly clear
The salvage fishes, him to hear,
It required three days' sai ling to reach
Leaptfromthesea, aroundthey wait,
As they the feast would celebrate ; Thussanghetill thecloseofday, And then each monster went his
way.
—Blackwood's "Edinburgh Magazine," vol. xxxix. , No. ccxlviii. . pp. Si2, 1813.
"° Thus opens this description—which suggests the idea of icebergs having been seen—in " Les Voyages Merveilleux de Saint Ikandan a la Recherche du Paradis Terres-
tre, '
edited by Francisque- Michel :
'* Quant curent e veient cler, En mer halt un grant piler ; De naturel fud jargunce, D'altre marem n'i out unce, De jargunce fud saphire : Riches estreit ki'n fust sire. "
See 11. 1064 to 1069, p. 52.
J ——;
May 1 6. LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 433
thisstrangeobject. Itwascoveredbyatransparentpavilion,withopeningsso
solarge,thatthevesselcouldpassthrough. Thiscanopyorpavilionhadthe
whitenessofsilver,andthehardnessofmarble. Thetowerwasapparentlyof
the most brilliant crystal. Then, the man of God said to his monks : " Bring
the oars and rudder within the ship, as also the spars and sails ; meantime,
let some of you hold on to the braces of the column. " For the distance
between the canopy and the column was about one mile, and so both ex-
tended out into the deep. The command was obeyed, and then the saint said
to them : " Steer the ship inwards through some opening, that we may care-
fullyexaminethewondrousworksofourgreatCreator. " Whentheyentered
that pavilion, the sea itself seemed to be of crystal, so clear and transparent
was it to its very depths. '-^ They could see the base of the column, and also
the summit of the canopy, over the sea-level. The light of the sun was not
less brilliant within and without. The extent of this pile was calculated by
Brendan himself, during the four days he spent near it. Then, the holy Abbot
measured the distance between four of the canopies, and he found it to be
four cubits. For a whole day, the mariners sailed near to one side of that
tower j and, the shadow cast by the sun, with its heat, was noticed by them,
beyond the ninth hour. The tower was thirteen or fourteen hundred cubits,
on each side ; and the fourth day, the crew found, on the southern ledge of
one among the openings, a chalice of the same material as the pavilion, and a
patera of that composing tlie tower. The man of God took these vessels,
saying : " They are presents of Christ, who has shown us these wonders, and
they are two in number, to be exhibited to many believers. " Then, the holy
man ordered the monks to recite their Divine office, so that afterwards, they
mighttastefood for,whileremainingthere,insightofthegreattower,they ;
had not taken any nourishment. That night, however, they left it, and steered northwards. When they had passed through an opening, the mast was raised, and the sails were spread. Some of the brothers held the braces of the canopy, until all things were set to rights, on board of the vessel. The sails being now loose, a prosperous wind arose behind them, so that the brothers had no need to row; they only steered their ship, and held the ropes. '^^
They sailed eight days more towards the north, when they beheld a rocky and rugged Isle ; not a tree nor a blade of grass was on it, and on all sides were forges and iron-workers. "Brethren," said Brendan, "my soul is in pain for this Island, for I would not touch it, nor approach it, and yet the wind drives us straight upon it. '^s Approaching within a stone's cast, they
^' In Blackwood's " Edinburgh Maga- zine," vol. xxix. , No. ccxlviii. , The Anglo- Norman Trouveres, p. 812, we find the fol- lowing description, in English verse :
"Right in iheir course, they clearly see
A pillar rising in mid sea
A wondrous building round appeared, Not as a common structure reared, But founded all of sapphire stone (Nought with more brightness ever
shone),
And to the clouds upreared high While in the deep ye might descry Its base, and round about outspread A fair pavilion, to the sea Descending, while clear overhead, Like dazzling gold, the canopy Shone ; ne'er on earth was such a
sight I"
'" See Most Rev. Patrick F. Moran's " Acta Sancti Brendani," Navigatio Sancti Brendani, cap. x. , pp. 118 to 120.
^^^ The following lines are to be found, in " Les Voyages Merveiileux de Saint Brandan a la Recherche du Paradis Ter-
" restre :
" Mult s'esforcent de ailurs tendre ; Mais 9a estout lur curs prendre, Quar li venz la les emmeinet,
E li abes bien les enseignet
E dist lur : ' Bien sachez
Que a enfern estes caches. N'oustes mester unc mais si grant Cum or avez de Deu guarant. ' Brandans ad fait surcals la cruz. Bien set pres est d'enfern li puz. "
;
—See 11. 11 12 to 1121, p. 54.
I£
434
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May i6.
soon heard the mighty panting of the bellows, wliich made a noise like thun- der, and the formidable blows of the sledges on the anvils, at the depth of the echoing workshops. Then said the holy man, signing himself with the cross : " O Lord Jesus Christ, deliver us from this evil Island. " One of the work- men, as if to do something, then came out, by chance ; he was hairy and horrible-looking, and, as it were, besmeared with fire and darkness. At the sight of the servants of God, he returned to his companions, crying out, " Alas ! alas I alas ! " Then making a sign of the cross, Brendan cried : " Hoist the sail and put off, my brethren, let us fly with all haste from this Island. " Already, he who had seen them returned towards the shore, and bearing in his enormous tongs an immense mass of burning and seething iron.
He hurled it with violence, against the servants of Christ. It did no harm to the
saints, for it passed over their heads, and it fell more than a stadium beyond ;
and where it fell, the sea boiled up as though a mountain of fire had entered its bosom ; while the smoke poured up as from a heated oven. All the men of the island then flocked on the shore, when the saint had sailed about a mile from where that mass fell into the sen. They were armed with like molten masses, andtheyhurledthemall,oneafteranother,againsttheservantsofChrist. Then, they returned to their lairs. All their workshops at once burst into flames, and that whole Island seemed on fire. The sea, around the siiips, and afar, was heated. Vexed and seethed was the space around them, like to water in a vessel, over a raging fire. The howls on that Island, and its fetid odour, reached the brethren, when it could no longer be seen. Brendan said, "SoldiersofChrist,letusrelyonourfaithandspiritualarms watchandbe
;
men ; for we are now on the borders of hell. ""4
The next day, while pursuing their course of sailing, they saw,
towards the north, as if through a transparent haze, a lofty mountain, rising from the ocean ; its summit was lost in a dense smoke. A rapid wind drew them on. The shore seemed steep as a wall, and of vast height, so that its top could scarcely be distinguished. The soil was black as coal. Then, the survivor of the three brothers, who had followed Brendan, sprang out of the boat, and walked to the shore, saying, "Woe to me! lam lost, father; I cannot return to you. ""5 The crew, struck with terror, turned the vessel from that land, and cried aloud to the Lord, saying : " Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us. " A sad fate was to happen their lost brother. A crowd of devils had already seized him, and these were dragging him off. He was a prey to the tortures and flames that devoured him. Brendan cried out : "Woe to thee, unfortunate man, the end of thy life is an eternal death. " A fresh wind arose, which wafted them southwards. At that moment, the mountain top was descried; it foamed and boiled, breathing in and out fire and flames, which were seen to ascend towards the height of heaven, and to descendagain into thedeep bowels of the mountain. The whole mountain, to its very base, and even to the sea itself, was like a flaming pyre. A favouring gale sprung up, however, and forsevendays,themarinerswerebornetowardsthesouth. Whencometothe opensea,averydarkcloudsurroundedthem. Atlast,theyfindanakedrock, and upon it a man seemed "^ to be fixed. Some thought he was a bird. He had a cloth tied about his head, and holding a javelin in his hand,"? he seemed
"* See Most Rev. Patrick F. Moran's —"Les Voyages Merveilleux de Saint
"Acta Sancti Brendani," Navigatio Sancti Brendani, cap. xi. , p[). 120, I2i.
"5 See L. Tachet de Barneval's "His- toire Legenilaire de I'lrlande," chap, xxiii. , pp. 261 to 267.
ia6 << jviult ert periz, c detirez, Delacherez, e descirez. "
Brandan a la Recherche du Paradis Terres- trc," edited by Francisque-Michel, 11. 1224, 1225, p. 59.
"'" And tightly grappled be the stone Which hove the waves he sat upon, For they were beating vehemently, As he might overwhelm'd be. "
——"
May i6. ] LIVES OF 2'HE IRISH SAINTS.
hanging between two iron forceps, and tossed about by the waves, hke a vessel labouring in a storm. He cried bitterly for assistance. '^** Brendan de- sired the crew to cease discussing the matter, but to direct their vessel towards that place. When reaching it, the waves formed a circle, as if they had been frozen. They found that man sitting on a rock, deformed and wretched, and when the tides flowed towards him, they reached to where he sat, when they receded, only tlie naked rock appeared. The cloth, which hung before when the winds blew, flapped against his eyes and forehead. Then, the holy man asked, who he was, what crime he had committed, or why he had merited such a punishment. He declared to Brendan, that he was the unhappy Judas, who betrayed our Lord Jesus Christ, Brendan learns that there is an occasional respite to his sufferings, and that had been accorded him, through the ineffable mercy of the Saviour. He declared, also, that no penitence could now avail him ; but, on each Sunday,"9 he was allowed to sit on that naked rock, which seemed a Paradise to him, as compared with those tortures he must endure, when the day had passed. " When I am tor- tured," he added, " I burn like lead melted in hot oil, both day and night, in the middle of that mountain you have seen ; there is the Leviathan with his satellites, and I was there, when he took away your brother ; and, therefore, doth hell rejoice, and pour out great flames, and as it always does, when it devours the souls of the damned. That you may know the greatness of God's mercy towards me, I shall relate to you the nature of my solace. Here, I find a respite every Sunday, from evening to evening ; from the Nativity of our Lord to the Epiphany ; from Easter to Pentecost ; on the feast of the Purifi- cation of the Blessed Virgin Mary ; as also, on the day of her Holy Assump- tion. But, on all other days, I am tortured with Herod and Pilate, with Anna and Caipha ; and, therefore, I adjure you, through the Redeemer of the world, that you deign to intercede for me, that I may remain here, even to sun-rise on to-morrow, so that the devils may not torture me, in honour of your arrival, and drag me to the evil inheritance, I have bought for my- self. " Then, the holy Brendan said : " Be the will of God done. For this night, the demons shall not disturb you, nor until the morrow. " Next, Brandan asks Judas the meaning of the cloth which is tied around his head. Judas replies, that although in a great measure an impediment to him, yet he re- ceives great benefit from it, since it shelters his head and face from the cutting winds,andpreventsthefishfrombitingthem; and,thisadvantageheobtained, because once, when on earth, he gave a piece of cloth to a beggar,^3° or to a leper. ^31 The benefit of that single deed of charity still remained to him,'^* as his only solace. When the hour of evening came, the fiends appeared, and they loudly cried out : " O man of God, retire from us, for we cannot approachourcompanion,unlessyouwithdrawfromhim. Wedarenotsee
—Blackwood's "Edinburgh Magazine," vol. xxxix. . No. ccxlviii. The Anglo-Norman Trouveres, p. 814.
128
EventilltheSabbath'spastaway
I have. " —Ibid.
»3° The old French Life calls him " un- cataif. "
'^t Xhe " Navigatio Sancti Brendani," adds : " Nam furcas ferreas ubi pendet dedi sacerdotibus ad cacabos sustinendos. Petram autem cui semper sedeo publica via misi in fossam antequam fuissem discipulus Christi.
'^j in Sir Walter Scott's "Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border," the Lyke Wake Dirge is founded on a similar popular no- tion.
((^hou son of Marie, think on me, Nor vainly let me cry mercy, Hemm'd round by terrors of this
sea! " Ibid. "9 Judas replies :
*' Not half my sorrow can you see, Which in that place I'm doom'd to
dree,
But respite sweet from Saturday
435
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May i6.
the face of our chief, until we restore to him our friend. But, do you give us our prey, and do not withdraw him from us this night.
" The man of God repHed : " I do not defend him ; but, our Lord Jesus Christ allows him to continue here this night. " The fiends vociferate : " Why have you invoked the holy name for hiru, who betrayed his Lord? " St. Brendan then said " I command you, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you do him no injuryuntilto-morrow. " Thenighthavingpassedaway,earlythenextday, Brendan resumed his voyage, when a vast number of demons covered the face of the deep. Their screams were dreadful to hear : " O man of God, may thy entry and departure here be accursed, since our chief last night be- laboured us witli heavy scourges, because we did not bring this caitiff captive
with us to him. " St. Brendan then said : " This malediction shall not alight on us, but on yourselves ; for whom ye curse, he is blessed, and whom ye bless, he is accursed. " The demons reply : " During the coming six days, this unhappy Judas shall endure redoubled punishment, because you pro- tected him during the past night. " The saint then said : " You and your chief have no power, but, you must yield to the power of God. I command you and your chief, in the name of our Lord, that you inflict on him no greater punishments, than he has been accustomed to endure. " They reply : " Art thoutheLordofallthings,thatweshouldobeythycommands. " Theman of God answered : " I am only the servant of the Lord of all things, but whatsoever I order, in his name, is accomplished; nor have I any office, ex- ceptwhathegrantstome. " Again,thedemonspouroutimprecations,but, they are prevented from attacking St. Brendan. However, they carry off Judas, to his other scene of torment ; while, awe-struck and sorrowful, the
pilgrims sailed on, the shrieks of those fiends resounding on their ears. '33 Then, blessed Brendan and his companions sailedagainst thesouth, praising God in all things. Their course continued for three days, and then land ap- peared, in the distance. The crew began to labour at their oars, in order to reach it. But, the holy Abbot reminded them, that now nearly seven years had elasped, since they had left their own country, and that their full term should expire the approaching Easter, so he told them not to waste their strength unnecessarily. On therefore they sailed, towards that other small isle. Brendan said : "You are going to see Paul the hermit, who lives there without his corporal life being supported, by any material food, for the last sixty years. For twenty years previously, a certain animal brought him food. " When the monks approached that shore, on account of the steepness of its rocks, a landing place could not be found. This Island was round in shape,
and only a stadium, or six hundred and twenty-five feet, in circumference and, on its summit, no soil appeared, but only a bare rock. Its length and breadth were of equal measurement. On sailing round it, however, they found a fissure, so narrow, that only the prow of their ship could enter it, and the ascent was most difficult. Then, the holy superior said to his brothers : " We cannot enter the island, without permission of the man of God, who dwells here : await my return. " Then, St. Brendan clambered to the summit, where he saw two caves ; the opening of one being opposite to that of the other, on the eastern side of that Island. Here, too, there was a very small and round fountain, issuing from the rock, before the mouth of that cave, where the soldier of Christ resided. Where the little well bubbled,
it soon afterwards was diverted into the rock, and there the waters dis- appeared. St. Brendan went to the opening of one cave, being different from
'31 See Most Rev. Patrick F. Mor. m's Brendani, cap. xii. , pp. I2i to 125. "ActaSancti Brendani," Navigatio ijancti '*< The great Apostle of Ireland, whose
436
:;
437
that, in which the hermit lived. He landed alone ; but the old man came to
meet him, saying, " It is sweet and pleasant for brethren to dwell together. "
All the brethren then left the ship. Paul embraced them, and saluted each
one of them, calling him by name. They wondered at his prophetic spirit, and
also at his strange appearance. His hair, his beard, and the hair of his body,
covered him down to his feet ; owing to his extreme old age, his hair was
white as snow ; he had no other garment, while only his eyes, and a part of
his face, could be seen. On beholding him, Brendan was saddened, tor he
saidinhisheart: "Woeis me,asinner! Iwearthehabitofamonk; many
have placed themselves under me, to learn the monastic life, and behold, a
man, living in his cell, who in the bonds of flesh is like an angel ; and who is
uninfluenced by the miseries of the body. " Meanwhile, the man of God
answered his thoughts : " Venerable father, what great wonders God has
shown thee, that he has not revealed to the other fathers ! and thou sayest in
thy heart, that thou art unworthy to wear the habit of a monk, when thou art
greater than a monk. The monk lives and is clothed, by the labour of his
hands yet,forthelastsevenyears,Godhasnourishedtheeandthinebyhis ;
benefits. As for me, here I am on this rock, miserable and naked, like the birdthathasonlyitsplumage. " Then,Brendanaskedhim,howhehadgot there, when he came, and how long he had led that life. " I was nourished for fifty-five years," said Paul, "in the monastery of St. Patrick,'34 and I kept thecemeteryofthecommunity. Oneday,whenmyprefectpointedoutthe place for my interment, and where a certain person had been already buried, a man, not known to me, appeared and said : " Brother, do not dig your grave here, for elsewhere shall be the place for your interment," Then, Paul replied : " Father, who art thou ? " The stranger visitor said knowme:amInotyourabbot? " Paulsaid: "St. Patrickismyabbot. " The stranger said : " I am he : for yesterday, I departed from life, and this is the place of my interment. " He also pointed out another spot saying : " Here shall you bury our brother, and tell to no person, what I have said to thee. To-
morrow, thou shalt go to the sea-side ; there thou wilt find a vessel, and embark it shall bear thee to a spot, where thou must await the day of thy death. Ac- cording to the order of my father, I set out on the day following to that place, and I found all things to be as he forewarned me. Having gone on board a vessel, I sailed for three days and three nights. These having passed, I allowed the ship to move before the wind. On the seventh day, this rock appeared, and on it I landed ; then, with my foot, I shoved off the bark to return to that place, whence it started. It cut the waves in a speedy course to the country I had left. About the ninth hour, an otter came, bearing to me in its fore-paws a fish with some grass and twigs. He then retired. I struck fire from a liint, lighted the grass and twigs, and prepared my meal. Every third day, my servant came ni like manner from the sea, and thus I lived for thirty years. I feel no thirst nor hunger. On the Lord's day, this rock gave me a little water for ablution. At the end of thirty years, I discovered those twogrottos,andthelivingfountain sothatIhavesincelivedsixtyyears,with
;
no other food, than the water of that fountain. Thus, for thirty years, I have fed on fish, in this Island, for sixty on water alone, and so, I have passed ninety years of my life. Fifty years have I spent in my own country. My life has already lasted one hundred and fifty years ;'3S and, according to God's pro- mise, I here await the day, when he shall judge me in this mortal fiesh. "^36
Life is given at tfie 17th of Marcfi, vol. iii. , Art. i. of this work.
'^s The reading in the other Manuscripts
lias one hundred and forty years : and this seems better to accord with the context,
'^6 gee L. Tachet de Barneval's " Histoire
:
'* Do you not
;
May 1 6. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
438
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May i6.
The hermit Paul then recommends St. Brendan and his companions, to fill a vessel with water, taken from the small round well, and to proceed on their journey. Thereremainedforthemfortydays,untilHolySaturdayshould arrive,anditwasordained,thattheyshouldcelebrateit, asalsoEasterand its holy days coming after, as they had been accustomed to do, for the six previous years. Then were they enjoined, to receive the blessing of their protector, before starting for that land, holier than all other lands. There must they remain for forty days ; when it was further decreed, that the Almighty would bring them all back safely, to the country of their birth. '37
Having received holy Paul's blessing and the kiss ofpeace, they sailed against the south, during the whole time of Lent. While their ship was borne on the waves, the water taken from the Island served them for nourishment. 's^ On Holy Saturday, they reach the Island of their former patron ; who, on seeing them, came down to the port, with great joy ; then, he brought all of them on shore,fromthevessel,andinhisownarms. Havingcelebratedinabecoming manner the sacred rites of that day, their host obliged them to be seated, at a banquet prepared. In the evening, all go on board their vessel, together with the patron, and they find the huge sea-monster in the usual place. They are allowed to mount on his back, and there during the whole night, they sing praisestoGod. EasterSundayMasswascelebrated,andwhenitwasover, the huge fish, called Jasconius, began to move, Avith his living freight. The brothers all cry out : " Hear us, O Lord, our God ! " The blessed Brendan began to comfort them, saying '' Brothers, why are you disturbed? Do not
:
fear, as no evil shall happen to us, but the Lord shall assist our journey. " The monster moved straight forward, to the shore of that Island, known as the Paradise of Birds. There, all were safely landed, and they remained, until the octave of Pentecost. This period having lapsed, their patron, who was present, said to St. Brendan: "Go now on board your vessel, and fill your bottles, from this fountain. " When they embarked, all the birds of that Island, on seeing the father, chorused as if with one voice : " A prosperous voyage be yours, to the Island of your protector, who accompanies you. " There, they take in provisions to serve for forty days.
Setting sail from their island, they now direct their course to the east,'39 for that length of time ; until one evening, a great darkness surrounded them. ''>° They could scarcely see each other, when his heavenly guide said to St. Brendan : " Father, know you, what this dark- ness means? " The saint replied: "I know not, brother. " He then said : " This darkness surrounds that Island you have sought for seven years. Lo ! you shall soon see and enter it. " After an hour had
LegendairedeI'lrlande,"chap,xxiii. , pp. 267 to 269.
'37 See Most Rev. Bishop Patrick Francis Moran's " Acta Sancti Biendani," Naviga- tio S. Brendani, cap. xiii. , pp. 125 to 128.
138 «i pgj triduum auttm reficiendo sine ulla esurie et siti permanserunt omnes leti. " is the account contained in the Legend of
our saint.
«39 " Full forty days o'er the high sea,
With sloping course, right speedily The bark glides on, and now they
come,
So Heaven hath order'd, to the
gloom
That round encloseth Paradise, Hiding it well from mortal eyes And heavily, and lab'ring slow,
Overthattidelessseatheygo; And now that darkness all con-
founds them,
Wrapping them o'er, and perils
round them
So many are, that had not Heaven In mercy timely succour given, They ne'er had pass'd that cloud I
trow. "
—Blackwood's "Edinburgh Magazine," vol. xxxix. , No. ccxlviii. The Anglo- Norman Trouveres, p. 815.
'" " Nues grandes tenerge funt,
— Que le sun eir return n'i unt. "
"Lcs \^oyages Mervielleux de Saint Brandan a la Recherche du Paradis Torres- tre," euited by Francisque-Michcl, 11. 1648, 1649, p. 79.
May 1 6. ] LIVES OP THE IRISH SAINTS.
passed, a resplendent atmosphere surrounded them, while their ship reached the shore. They disembarked, and now they beheld a spacious land, covered with beautiful fruits, as if it were in the autumn season. So long as they re- mained exploring it, no night was there, but the light was as that of the sun, shining at his brightest. '-^"^ P'or forty days they travelled, in that country, nor couldtheyfinditslimit. Atlength,theydiscoveredagreatriver,whichthey could not pass, apparently in the middle of that land. Then, St. Brendan said to his monks : " This river we cannot pass, and the extent of this land we do not know. " While they held a conference together, regarding these mysteries, a vision was vouchsafed them by the Almighty. A youth of noble presence,andexceedinglybeautiful,accostedthem. ^42 Hejoyfullyembraced each of the brothers, and called them by their several names. '''3 He . said : " O brethren, peace to you, and to all who seek peace with Christ. " After- wards, he added : " Blessed are they, O Lord, who dwell in thy house ; for ever and for ever shall they praise thee. " After these words, he addressed St, Brendan : " Behold, the land you have sought, for so long a time. But, you could not find it, at once, because our Lord Jesus Christ desired to show you the different mysteries of this great ocean. Therefore, now, return to the land of your birth, taking with you as many of those fruits and gems, as your ship can hold. ''^'* For, the final days of your journey approach, so that you
''" The objects and imagery here intro- duced must have been drawn originally from some authentic description of a flowery and bright southern land ; otherwise, northern imaginations could hardly conceive those pictures, in the romance, they have so richly unfolded to our fancy. It is somewhat re- markable, that among the North American
Indians, the Shawanoes, an Algonquin tribe, have a tradition regarding a foreign origin and a landing of their ancestors, after a sea-voyage. "It is a prevailing opinion among them, that Florida had been in- habited by white people, who had the use of iron tools,"—Henry Ix. Schoolcraft's " His- torical and Statistical Information, respect- ing the History, Condition, and Prospects of the Indian I'ribes of the United States," &c. , vol. i. , part i. , C. Traditions of the Ante-Columbian Epoch, p. 19.
'"•-"And now that fair youth leads them on,
Where Paradise in beauty shone, And there they saw the land all
full
Of woods and rivers beautiful
And meadows large besprent with
flowers,
And scented shrubs in fadeless
bowers.
And trees with blossoms fair to
And never shed their leaf the trees,
Nor failed their fruit, and still the breeze
Blew soft, scent-laden from the fields.
Full were the woods of venison ; The rivers of good fish each one. Andothersflowedwithmilkytide (No marvel all things fructified). The earth gave honey, oozing
through
Its pores, in sweet drops like the
dew
And in the mount was golden ore, And gems, and treasure wondrous
store ;
There the clear sun knew no de-
clining.
Nor fog nor mist obscured his
shining
Nor cloud across that sky did stray. Taking the sun's sweet light away ; No cutting blast, nor blighting air, For bitter winds blew never there ; Nor heat, nor frost, nor pain, nor
grief,
Nor hunger, thirst, for swift relief From every ill was there ; plentie. Of every good right easily,
Each had according to his will, And aye they wandered blithely
still.
In large and pleasant pastures
see, Andfruitalsodeliciously Hung from the boughs ;
nor brier,
green,
O ! such as earth hath never seen
—Blackwood's "Edinburgh Magazine," vol. xxxix. , No. ccxlviii. The Anglo- Norman Trouveres, pp. 815, 816.
nor thorn,
Thistle, nor blighted treeforlorn
With blackefi'd leaf, was there, for Spring
Held aye a year-long blossoming;
;
;;
439
! "
143 «' II arivent, cil les receit,
Tuz les nurnet par lur nun dreit
Puis dulcement les ad baisez E les draguns tuzapaisez. "
;
evident, no theory could really be formed, where the circumstances related appear to be so shadowy and imaginative.
'** To them, we may appropriately attri- bute the sentiments conveyed through some beautiful lines of an Irish poet, J. Boyle O'Reilly, in his poem intituled, "Native
—" Les Voyages Mcrveilleux de
Brandan a la Recherche du Paradis Terres-
tre," edited by Fiancisque-Michel, 11, 1720 Land ": to 1723, p. 83.
144 •' But, when the Lord shall call thee home,
Thou fitted then, a spirit free From weakness and mortality Shalt aye remain, no fleeting guest, But taking here thine endless rest.
And while thou still remain'st be- low.
That heaven's high favour all may know.
Take hence these stones, to teach all eyes
That thou hast been in Paradise. "
—Blackwood's "Edinburgh Magazine," vol. xxxix. , No. ccxlviii. The Anglo- Norman Trouveres, p. S16.
''5 According to some versions of the Legend, this river flowed from e. ist to west, and there are interpreters to be found, who will make it identical witli the beautiful Ohio, supposing that Brendan and his com- panions were journeying, at the time, through the interior of the present United . States. From the description given in the text—if the country coukl be (li. -icrmincd as stated more likejy the great Mis>issi|n River should seem a more likely conjecture.
