No More Learning

1S7 See Micliaud's "Biographic Univer- selle," tome v. , Art. Boniface (Saint),
P- 5-
156 See Rev. S. Baring-Gould s "Lives of
the Saints," vol. vi. , June 5, p. 54.
139 See Rev. S. Baring-Gould's "Lives of
the Saints," vol. vi. , June 5, p. 54.
N
.
,
194 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 5.
were periodically exposed for veneration, by the faithful. At Erfurt, likewise, some portions of his relics have been preserved. The collegiate church of St. Quentin, in the department of Aisne, is said to keep a part of St. Boniface's skull. It seems difficult to discover, at what time, it became possessed of that relic. l6° ThecopeandchasubleofSt. Boniface,withapartofhisskull,were
shown at Docum. l6t A considerable of St. Boniface's arm is at portion
long
Eichfeld, and it was bestowed by the Rev. and illustrious Prince Joachim,
Abbot of Fulda, in 1670. There, too, the Feast of our saint was devoutly celebrated. That office for St. Boniface, read in the Church of Utrecht, 162 has been chiefly taken from the Second Life of the holy Martyr, as published by the Bollandists. 16^
Both ancient and modern Calendars and Martyrologies record the chief
Festival of the illustrious Apostle of Germany and of his faithful companions
in suffering. Although Venerable Bede departed this life, a. d. 735, twenty
years before the death of St. Boniface ; still in some of the best and most
authentic versions of his Martyrology, we find the introduction of that Festi-
val, which commemorates the Martyrdom of St. Boniface and of h—is com-
Usuardan—dAdo draw-
16 l6s '*
thesixthAbbotof panions. Also, Raban, Fulda,
ing their accounts most probably from more ancient Calendars have notices
of St. Boniface's Martyrdom. 166 Those copies of St. Jerome's Martyrology, belonging to Corbie and Lucca,'6? have the Festival of St. Boniface, Bishop and Martyr, postfixed, through the care of those who had such copies trans-
l68
cribed. In an ancient Martyrology
belonging to the Collegiate Church of
,6
St. Mary, at Utrecht, the Feast of St. Boniface is also entered. 9 In a
1 Manuscript belonging to St. Martin's at Treves, this Festival occurs. ? In a
Martyrology, which belonged to. the Queen of Sweden, there is a lengthened encomiumonSt. Boniface,whichisindeedanabbreviationofhisLife. The
1
Bollandist Father Henschen deems '7
this to have formerly belonged to the
Monastery of Fulda. Also, a compendium of this eulogy is to be found, in a 12
Manuscript Martyrology, belonging to the Monastery of St. Cyriacus. ? In
160 See " Les Petits Bollandistes, Vies des Saints," tome vi. , ve Jour de Juin,
167 In this particular copy, the saint is as- signed to Austria, i. e. , Franconia or Eastern Fiance, in which Fulda is situated, in the diocese of Wurtzburg.
p. 463, note.
161
"
See Rev. S. Baring-Gould's the Saints," vol. vi. , June 5. p. 54.
162 Printed A. n. 1608, and 1618.
Lives of
163 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. ,
Junii iv. De S. Bonifacio Martyre, &c. niis veniens Trajcctum, tempore S. Willi-
Commentaiius Prsevius, sect, i. , num. 5, P- 453-
" S.
105 His Martyrology states: "Nonas Junii, Bonifacii Archiepiscopi, cujus in Fre- sonis martyrii passio peracta est, et Eobani Coeniscopi ejus, cum servis De Wintrunge et Walthore, Scirbalde et Bosan, Hamunde ^Ethelhere, Wancare et Gundacare, \Yi lie- hereetHadavolfe. *'
166 In these words: "Item S. Bonifacii
Episcopi, qui de Britanniis veniens, et fidem
Christi gentibus Euangelizans, cum maxi- mum multitudinem in Frisia Christianse reli-
gioni subjugasset, novissime a Paganis, qui supererant, gladio peremptus martyrium con- summavit, cum Eobano Coepiscopo et aliis servis Dei. "
104 At the 5th of June, we read Bonifacii, Archiepiscopi in Fresonis, martyrii passio peracta est, et Eobani Coepiscopi ejus, cum aliis servis Dei sociis eorum. "
:
168
Transcribed about A. n. 11 38.
169 In these terms "
:
brordi Archiepiscopi primi Trajectensium Doctoris, cum eo moratus est. Post transi- tum vero sanctissimi Praesulis Willibrordi, jam dictus Bonifacius Dei gratia ejusdem Archiepiscopatus lionore sublimatus est. Qui cum fidem Christi in Frisia constants euangenlizaret, et maximam multitudinem Christiani religioni subjugasset, novissime a Fngis gladio peremptus, martyrium con- summavit, cum cooperatoribus Eobano et Adelario Praesbyteris et aliis quinquaginta tribus. "
"
170 Thusis it recorded:
Bonifacii Episcopi et Martyris cum sociis suis
Eobano Coepiscopo Athalario Presbytero, et aliis quinquaginta tribus. "
171 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Junii v. De S. Bonifacio Martyre, &c. Com- mentarius Pnevius, sect, iii. , num. II, 16,
17, 18, pp. 456, 457.
Trajecti, Archiepiscopi et Martyris. Qui de Biitan-
B. Bonifacii
In Frisia S.
June 5. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 195
the Roman Martyrology, the Festival of St. Boniface is set down, at the 5th day of June. '73 This holy martyr was greatly venerated in Scotland. The
feast of St. Boniface, Bishop and Martyr is entered, at the 5U1 of June, in the
Kalendar of Hyrdmanistoun J "4 the Calendar of Arbuthnott/75 and that ;
T? 6 commemoratehimandhis
in Adam
Scotorum," 7 and in the Scottish Kalendar/79 there are notices of him, at this date.
As if by enchantment, over the entire surface of Europe, under the trans-
forming genius of Catholic Ireland, great labours were undertaken, while
innumerable convents and schools were founded,180 under its auspices
and inspiration. Pious retreats were afforded, by Christian missionaries from
our Island, as places where religious and monks, the ancient tutelary masters
of learning, should watch and wait during evil times, preserving science in
their solitudes, and spreading the hallowed remembrance of Christian heroic
efforts in the Church of Christ, with that love of home and of native country,
which the sacred fire of national 181 before the preserves independence. Long
time of St. Boniface, Ireland had effected such hallowed results, and contem- poraneous with him were labourers in the Lord's vineyard, who undoubtedly were natives of our Green Island, associated in his mission and works. Their record still survives, in the grateful memory of many a distant community, and their festivals are even yet celebrated in divers places, where the Faith and those good fruits it naturally produces are on a safe foundation, and where they seems to flourish after the lapse of long ages.
Article II —St. Eoban, Martyr, and Assistant Bishop of Utrecht,
inthe of
Breviary Aberdeen,
companions "
in
martyrdom; also, I8
King's Kalendar,'
77 in
Dempster's
Menologium
Holland. [Eighth Century. '] This holy man, who is claimed to have been 1
an Irishman, was a companion of St. Boniface, Apostle of Germany, in
preaching the Gospel, especially to the Frisons. As we have already seen,
he was set over the See of Utrecht, by St. Boniface, to administer its affairs,
as an assistant or 2 The duties of this he dis- Bishop Chorepiscopus. office,
charged with great fidelity and fruit. When St. Boniface arrived at Utrecht, in the summer of 755, he brought St. Eoban with him to the more northern parts of Frisia, the circumstances and results of which expedition are recorded in the preceding Article. St. Eoban shared in the martyr- dom of St. Boniface, and therefore his festival is to be assigned
172 Baronius ology.
esteems this
l8° the Among
"
7i In these terms: "Eodem die sancti
highly
Martyr-
Burgundian Library Manuscripts, Bruxelles, vol. xxviii. , No. 5314, there is an interesting collection upon the "Irish Apostles," with their labours in Belgium and Germany. To the historical student, who wishes to pursue his researches in reference to the seminaries established on the Continent, this volume and its contents must be of great value. In it, are the names of many almost unknown authors, with re-
Bonifacii Episcopi Moguntini, qui de Anglia
Romam veniens, et a Gregorio Secundo in
Germaniam missus, ut fidem Christi illis
gentibus evangelizaret ; cum maximam mul-
titudinem, prsesertim Frisonum, Christiana?
religioni subjugasset, Geimanorum Aposto-
lus meruit appellari : no\ issime in Frisia a
furentibus Gentilibus gladio peremptus, ferences to their writings,
consummavit cu—m Eobano et lBl See Sindaret's "
martyrium Synchronisme
des quibusdam aliis servis Dei. " "Martyrolo- Litteratures depuis leur origine, jusqu'a nos giumRomanianGregoriiXIII. ,"p. 80. Jours,"&c. CinquiemeEpoque,sect,xiii. ,
174 See Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of pp. 285, 286. —
Scottish Saints," p. 41.
176
178 See ibid. , p. 202.
Article ii.
'
See the communication
175 See
Most Rev. Dr. "Was Moran,
101. Steibit. , p, 117. 177 See ibid. , p. 154.
of the
St. Boniface an Irishman? " in the "Irish Ecclesiastical Record," Third Series, vol. v. , No. 3, p. 183.
2 to at the word, According Ducange,
l
<9 See ibid. , p. 252.
ibid. , p.
196 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 5.
to this day. He is recorded as foremost, among those persons whose names have been preserved, in the accounts given of that trial, which procured for him an eternal crown. In the first instance, the remains of the Bishop St. Eoban with those of the Priest Adalarius were conveyed to the Monastery in Utrecht. 3 There, they were honourably enshrined, and these were regarded as most distinguished among the martyred companions of St. Boniface. It has been asserted,* likewise, that the bodies of St. Eoban, the Assistant Bishop of St. Boniface, and of the Priest Adalarius,* were elevated in coffins, with those of other saints, in the Church of Our Saviour, and which formerly had been called the Church of the Holy Trinity. Their names had been formerly invoked, in the Litanies of the Church of Utrecht. 6 However, after
the lapse of some years, those remains were brought to Fulda. There, they were placed in a shrine, near the body of the holy Martyr, and Pastor of Souls, St. Boniface. Again, it is stated, that the bodies of St. Eoban and of St. Adalarius were brought to Erfurt, where they were honourably enshrined, in theMonasteryofSt. Mary,theBlessedVirgin. 7 Eoban'sremainswereplaced towards the south, within the church, and those of Adelarius towards the north. This Monastery had been founded by St. Boniface ; however, after the lapse of ages, it became ruinous, and fell down, but without injury to any person. In the year n54, it became necessary to rebuild it; when, on the Twelfth of the May Kalends, the bones of St. Adalarius were translated, and on the Seventh of the August Kalends, those of St. Eoban were removed. At the time of this Translation, a wonderful fragrance seemed to issue from their remains, and to the great admiration of all who were present. Nay more, several blind, lame, mute, deaf, insane, leprous and epileptic persons, who were there, miraculously recovered. The fame of these cures attracted infirm persons, who lived even at a great distance. Wherefore, Arnoldus,8 Archbishop of Mayence, decreed, that the clergy and people of Erfurt should
The vene-
at the 20th day of April, in the Breviary of Eifurt; while that of St. Eoban, Bishop and Martyr, is assigned to the 26th of July. In the year 1633, and on the 28th of October, a public examination" of those relics took place beforetheDeanandChapter"ofErfurt.
'3 Whentherelicshadbeentaken
annually and devoutly observe the Festival of this Translation. ?
rationofSt. 10 and is asa Adelarius, Bishop Martyr, prescribed
Chorepiscopi, it has the meaning of an Epis- copal Vicar. See "Glossanum Mediae et
Infimre Latinitatis," tonuis ii. , pp. 335, 336. 3 This is stated, in the Manuscript Martyr-
Doub'e,
' See Serrarius' "Return Moguntiacarum," lib. v.
" He was the of twenty-ninth Archbishop
this See, but he is incorrectly called Chris- ology, which belonged to the Queen of tianus in the History of this Translation, Sweden, and which Father llenschen sup- taken from a Manuscript belonging to the
posed to have been pre\iously in the Monas- Monastery Bodecems in Westphalia, de-
tery of Fulda. See "Acta Sanctorum," tomusi. . Junii v. De S. Bonifacio Martyre. &c. Commentarius Prsevius, sect, hi. , num. 17, 18, pp. 456, 457.
* See Molnnus, in " Natalibus Sanctorum
Belgii," nt the 5th of June.
5 Molanus tells us, that the body of St.
Athalarius rested in a portable shrine, in the ChurchofOurSaviour,atUtrecht.
In a Collect of this Chureh, we have the
"
Deus qui multitudinem populon m, devota Sanctorum tuoium Boni- facii. Eobani atque Athalarii, et Sociorum ejus instantia, ad agnitionem tui nominis vocare dignatUS es ; concede propitius, ut
quorum solennia colimus, eorum apud te
sentiamus. "
scribed by Joannes Gamansius.
9 These matters are related, likewise, in
the "Breviarium Erphordiense," printed in the year 1513.
,0 This dignity of Bishop is supposed to be an assumption, still to be proved ; although Serrarius thinks it to be probable, that the people of Erfurt held such a tradition.
"Occasionwasgiventoit, owingtothe circmusiauce of observing, that a portion of one foot had been made of wood, so that it was deemed desirable to inspect the relics more minutely to ascertain their authenticity
were present, as also a Notary and witnesses, to establish the facts elicited on investiga- tion.
following prayer :
patrocinia
" Several members of Religious Orders
June 5. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 197
down and exposed, with all due reverence, in the tombs were found two wooden effigies, in the shape of human bodies. One of these contained the remains of St. Adelarius, and the other these of St. Eoban. The front of those cases only presented the carved shape, while the back was found to have been hollowed out; and, within the hollow were the various bones of each body, covered in with linens, and fastened down with pieces of wood and nails. '+ At the 5th of June, David Camerarius I5 has an entry of St. Eoban,
Martyr,'
6 as a Scottish Saint. The Bollandist editor of the Acts of St. Boniface
takes an unwarrantable with his liberty
1 ? in him identical with making
text,
Alubertus,' 8 who is stated to have come from Britain and from the nation of
the Angles. '9
Article III. —Reputed Feast of St. Adelarius, Martyr, in
was born in Scotia, and while a boy, in company with St. Boniface, he left his native country for England, where he embraced the monastic state. He is said to have taken priestly orders, in the monastery of Muschella. 2 He is accountedtohavebeenthefirstinauguratedBishopofHertford. Hefollowed St. Boniface to Germany, and there wished to aid him in converting the Gentiles. Adelariuslivedaveryholylife. Hewasoneofthefifty-twocompanions,who, with—St. Boniface, laid down their lives for the faith, on the 5 tli of June, a. d.
754 more correctly 755. The foregoing particulars are stated to rest on the authority of Scotichronicon, or rather on Magnus Maculloch, its continuator. 3 If we are to credit Dempster, Adelarius wrote two Treatises : one Ad Infide- les, lib. i. , and another Ad Pontifices, lib. i. 4 A feast has been assigned to
him, likewise, at the 20th of April. 5
Article IV. —Translation of the Relics ov St. Pr^ecordius of
Velia to Corbie, in Picardy, France. A very interesting account
of this saint » has been 3 and the Bollandists. 3 It published by Colgan, by
relates to Prsecordius, regarding whom a few notices have been gleaned, at the 1st of February. After his death, which is thought to have occurred in
Frisia. \_Eighth Century. ~\ According to Thomas Dempster, St. Adelarius 1
13 This examination took place, in the chai el of the Sacred Blood.
Adelarius—and who was also a companion of
St. Boniface in martyrdom. In the text of
14 A more detailed account of this examina-
tion, at which a surgeon assisted, was given
by Father Peter Richart, of the Society of
Jesus, who was probably present on the
occasion. See the Boilandists' "Acta v. De S. Bonifacio Martyre, 4c, p. 487, Sanctorum," tomus i. , Junii v. DeS. Boni-
facio Martyre, &c. Analecta Bonifaciana,
cap. iv. ,pp. 494, 495.
15 In the Scottish Entries to his Kalen- dar.
16 Thus " :
Sanctus Eobanus
"
— Scotum communio
Bishop Forbes' "
Saints,
17 Drawn from the Vita S.
p. 23S.
"
Martyr. " Kalendars of Scottish
probant
Pas- toris Uluajectini, in these word. -, alludingto St. Boniface, '•populum irradiavit simul cum
terium Scotis in llerefurcli. e,
peipetuum
Gregorii.
Chorepiscopo et adjutore suo Aluberto, qui Scotorum," tomus i. , lib. i. , num. 33,
de Britannia et gente Anglorum veniebat," &c, num. 16.
,s We think him to have been the same as Adelhere—otherwise called Adalarius or
p. 28.
s yee volume iv. of this work, at that date.
Art. viii.
Article iv. — Recorded by Nicholas
St. it :. s he is to be dis- Ludger, probable,
tingirshed from the Chorepiscopus, who was St. Eoban.
day. 2
I9 See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Junii
and n. (r). — l Article III.
Also venerated on this
Nutchelle is meant.
3 To the foregoing Dempster adds :
Probably
vita? , laborum, martyriique cum S. Honifacio acta, auctori- tas Scotichronici, sed lunge valentius monas-
erectum, Sco ire nsseiit civem. "
4 See " Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis
'
193 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 5.
the sixth century, at Velia, or Villiacus, in Picardy, the relics of this holy man were placed in a rich shrine. Corbie is a small town in Picardy, on the River
Somme. ItisfourleaguesdistantfromAmiens,4anepiscopalcitywhichwas a suffragan See to the Archbishopric of Rheims. Formerly Amiens was known to the Romans as Ambianum,s and Samarobiva was another name for it.
Corbie is distant about
eight leagues
from Perrone. 6 A celebrated Benedic-
tine Abbey was formerly founded at Corbie by Queen Bathilde, during her
regency. This happened during the year 657 or 662. It was dedicated to
SaintsPeterandPaul. ? Afteritsestablishment,theKingsofFranceandthe Sovereign Pontiffs conferred many honours and favours on that Abbey. In
8
This Abbey was suppressed, at the period of the French Revolution. 9 It is
10 stated,thatabouttheyear940,Corbiemonastery obtainedtherelicsofSt.
Prsecordius, a Scottish priest, which for four hundred years had lain in the tombatValliacus,orVasliacus,neartheRiverAxonaortheAisne. Atthat
time Berengarius was Abbot. 11 In a copy of St. Jerome's Martyrology, this
Translation of his body is recorded, at the 5th of June; and, the event has
been commemorated, in an Office of Twelve Lessons, as noticed by the
12
Article V. —Saints Niadh and Berchan, of Cluain Aodh Aith- meth, in Luighne. The 5th of June is dedicated to the memory of St. Niadh and of St. Berchan. Both were connected with Cluain Aodh Aithmeth, of Teamhair were a in Meath, and the
16 18, it embraced the reforms of the Religious Congregation of St. JNIaur.
Bollandists.
in 1 The Luighne.
Luaighni
position oflheir district seems determined, by a passage in one of St. Patrick's
Lives. * The Church of Domhnach-mor-Muighe Echenach is placed within the territory. 3 It lay upon the banks of the Boyne. 4 The identification ofa modern designation for the ancient Cluain Aedha Aithmet proves a more difficult matter, for the topographer and historian.
Belfort, from an old Manuscript.
2 See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernise,"
Februarii i. De. S. Prsecordii Translatione,
pp. 330 to 333.
3 See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Feb-
ruarii i. De S. Praecordio Presbytero Cor- beise et Valliaci in Gallia, pp. 196 to 198.
4 It is said to have been founded by the
Macedonians, under Alexander the Great, and to have been surrounded by water.
Temps et en tous Lieux," &c, cols. 222, 223.
at Januarii xxvi. , tomus ii. , pp. 732 to 749. Ibid.
" The Bollandists add, in their Preface to
the Acts of St. Pnvcordius " ut scribit : qui,
around was " tractus Ambianensis. "
s The
country
distinguished
as
Claudius Robertus, Walberto, ad Noviomen- 6 See Bandrand's Ferrarius, " Novum sem Cathedram an. nccccxxxn. evecto,
Lexicon Geographicum," tomus i. , p. 218. ' There were three churches at Corbie, typical of the Trinity; the first had St. Peter the fisherman as patrcn, the second the Evangelist John "piscatis," and the third St. Stephen, Protomartyr. See the Bollan-
suffectus. an. dccccxi. ii. xiii. Xovemb. de- cessit. Facta est ea Translatio v. Junii ; quo
die in quodam MS. Martyrol. hxc leguntur : Mona-terio Corbeiae Fxceptio corporis S. Praecordii Confessoris. "
— See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , dists' "Acta Sanctorum," n. (i), p. 198. Junii v. Among the pretermitted Saints,
From a preface to the miracles of Adelard, and in their Second Tome for February.
p. 417. — Article v.
8
in the "Gallia Christiana," tomus x. , col.