No More Learning

"It is stated, that this was intended to avenge some injury done by the Picts. Hun- garus, Hubba, and Gadan, are said to have suffered martyrdom, on this occasion. See ibid.
9 His festival is said to have been held on the 4th of March, on the 1st of April, and on the 2nd of August. This saint is also said to have written a Book, " De Constan-
*'
cap. viii, Historia," lib. ix. , pp. 262 to 285.
Dempster's
Scotorum," p. 451.
tomus
ii. ,
834,
"
Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Scotorum," tomus ii. , lib. xii. , num. 834, p.
451.
^^ Without any authority, Dempster states,
that he wrote a Book of Epistles to various persons, and a Book of Sacred Hymns,
'^ See also Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of Scottish Saints," pp. 266 to 268, and pp. 412, 413.
"He reigned from A. D. 1329 to 1370. in Scripturas. " For these statements. An interesting account of his reign will be Dempster quotes "Scotichronicon," lib. iv. , found in Buchanan's " Rerum Scoticarum
De Humilitate ad Monachos," and a Book, "Commentarium
tia Christiana," a Book,
'^ At the 1st of March, Camerarius places St. Monan's festival. See Bishop Forbes'
Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p. 235.
^3 Dempster states, that Gad. an was then
"
king. See
684 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [February23.
surgeons were not able to extract. Then placing his hopes ot cure in God
alone, and recollecting the many miracles, wrought through the merits of his servant, Monan, the king went to Inverness, where he had been entombed, and several of his nobles were in company. There, offering his prayers to God and to St. Monan, almost immediately afterwards the iron arrow-head came out of its own accord, without any pain, and scarcely leaving behind a single scar. As a thank-offering for so great a benefit, the monarch took care to have built a magnificent church there, which he dedicated to St. Monan. He also attached thereto a collegiate chapter of priests, for the due performance of choral services, and he furnished sufficient means, for
their support. It is probable enough, that some of those called Scoti, by Boetius, were natives of Ireland ; and, during the eighth and ninth centuries, numbers of our countrymen suffered for the faith of Christ, while the Danes and Northmen infested our shores. Whether or not the Scotch St. Monan was identical with the present St. Mannan, or whether or not St. Tiaan had been among the holy band of martyrs alluded to, or may be confounded with St. Adrian, Colgan could not decide. ^? However, in a matter and manner, so very uncertain, as that to which he calls the reader's attention, no satis-
factory conjecture can even remotely be formed. In Ireland, it does not seem an easy matter, to connect these holy persons, with any particular time
or locality. There is a parish, called Kilmannan,^^ in Bargy, county of Wexford. ThereisatownlandofKilmannin,intheparishofBecan,barony of Costello, and county of Mayo. '9 Whether either has reference to this Saint Mannan cannot be ascertained with accuracy. On the road from
to there is a romantic Westport=° Leenaun,^^
valley,
Errive f^ but, this is only remotely similar to Aredh-suird or Ariudh h-Uird.
Article V. —The Daughters of ^nghus. King of Munster. \Sixth
Century^ We find this entry, Ingena ^ngusa, set down in the Martyrology of Tallagh,^ at the 23rd of February. Marianus O'Gorman has a similar notice. Where these daughters lived does not appear. Their father is thought to have beenthehusbandofDarenia,sistertoSt. EndeusofAran. ^ Afragmentof the old record, known as the Calendar of Cashel, says, that ^ngus had twelve sons, and as many daughters, dedicated to God, and all these bore either the clerical tonsure or the monastic habit. 3 Yet, we are unable to discover the names of these holy brothers and sisters. The daughters of Aenghus are also mentioned, in the Martyrology of Donegal as having a
^7 See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernise," xxiii. Februarii, p. 392.
*^
Its contents are shown on the **Ord-
nance Survey Townland Maps for the Murrisk, on the " Ordnance Survey Town-
County of Wexford," Sheets 41, 42, 46, 47. The townland proper is on Sheet 42.
^5 See it marked on the " Ordnance Sur-
vey Townland Maps for the County of
Mayo," Sheet 93.
=°
The town, quay, port and demesne of Westport, are situated, partly in the parish of Kilmeena, barony of Burrishoole, and
land Maps for the County of Mayo," Sheets 108, 116.
scene, in Mr. and Mrs. Hall's " Ireland :
its Scenery, Character," &c. , vol. iii. , p.
416. The views along the river are wildly
magnificent.
Article v. —Edited by Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. xvi.
=* See his at the 2 1st of March, Acts,
3 See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernioe," i. Januarii. De S. Fanchea Virgine, n. 9, p. 3.
This lownland is defined, in the parish
and barony of Ross, on the "Ordnance 56, 57.
Survey Townland Maps for the County of Article vi. — Edited by
this is to be seen on the
Tovraland for the Maps
'*
Ordnance Survey
Sheets 76, 77, 87, 88; and partly in the
parish of Oughaval, barony of Murrisk, and
this is to be seen on Sheet 88, ibid.
"
4 Edited by Drs, Todd and Reeves, pp.
County
of
Mayo,"
known as " or Erriff,
Galway," Sheets ii, 12, 24, 25.
" This tract or townland is pictured in
the parish of Aghagower, and barony of
=^3 j^ee a
beautifully engraved
view of this
'
'
Rev. Dr.
February 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 685
estival on this day. They flourished, most probably, in the southern parts of Ireland, and during the sixth century.
Article VI. —Cruimther Connrach, or Conry, or Conrius. \Sixth Century. '] This holy man was probably born, towards the middle of the sixthcentury,ifthedataforthisnoticebewellfounded. Wefindanentry,
in the Martyrology of Tallagh,^ at the 23rd of February, regarding Cruimther Connrach. According to Colgan's statements, this saint was a nephew of the illustrious St. Columkille. His mother was Sinecha, or Sinech,* and he
belongedtotheposterityofMocukein. 3 Thus,wearetold,thatoneofher sons was Aidan,-* a monk, who was buried in Cuil-uisque, another was Cucuimne, Abbot of Hy, and buried there, after a good old age, while the other was Conrius Mocukein, the present holy man. s He was a disciple to hisrenowneduncle. ^ Thisholymanseemstohavebecomeamonk,asalso from his title, a priest, in the Monastery of Durrow. 7 There he was interred, as we are informed in a valedictory poem, attributed to St. Columba, when he was taking leave of that place, before returning to Britain. ^ Therefore, his nephew seems to have died at an early age. Cruimhther Connrach? is
^°
as having a festival on this day. According to a commentator, he is said to belong to the Ards. "
Article VII. —St. Colman or Columnan. The name Colman, with- out any further designation, occurs in the Martyrology of Tallagh,^ at the 23rd of February. The Martyrology of Donegal mentions Columnan,3 as having been venerated on this day. It is not easy to distinguish him, by race or by locality, among the many saints, to whom a similar name applies.
Article VIII. —St. Madian, Bishop and Martyr. At the 23rd of
February, the following entry is found in the " Feilire " of St. ^ngus. The ""
entered in the Martyrology of Donegal,
stanza, from the Leabhar Breac copy, and its English translation, have been furnished by Professor O'Looney. The Bollandists have no notice —of
this saint, at the same date, nor elsewhere can we find an account of him
:
Kelly, p. xvi.
s gee ibid. Tertia Appendix ad Acta S. Columbse, pars ii. , num. 12, p. 472.
^
She was the third sister of St. Columba.
e. tiii. kl.
mAtnAti in
c-<\fpuL,
3 That *' oftheraceofKien. " is,
9 Ina
note,
Dr. Todd at this word says
"Oon
Con 'oeticli A-oicciAtLA.
|Mc>iitiT) ^onfriAToeA,
Madian, the bishop,
For Christ he suffered tortures
To heaven may he conduct us,
With those who have been in his alle2:iance.
4 Colgan thinks, he was St. Aidan, of Connrach " The later hand adds here, in
:
'" Both-medhbha, in the diocese of Derry. Roman characters, in Arda. '
s All the '° Edited Drs. Todd and Reeves, foregoing information, Colgan by
pp.
derives from St. Adamnan, or from his Scholiast.
56, 57.
" Probably the baronies of the Ards, in
^ See Colgan*s "Trias Thaumaturga. " the present county of Down.
Quarta Appendix ad Acta S. Columbse," cap. ii. , num. I, 5, 22, pp. 477 to 479, cap. X. , num. 35, p. 489.
7 See ibid. Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Columba, cap. iv. , sect, ii. , p. 507.
Article vii. —' Edited by Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. xvi.
2 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
56, 57.
3 fn a note, Dr. Todd says at this word,
;
686 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[February 23.
Article IX. —Festival of St. Finianus, or St. Finian, Bishop of Clonard, County of Meath. [Fifth and Sixth Centuries. '] A feast in honour of St. Finianus is entered in the anonymous Calendar, published by O'Sullivan Beare, and at this day. Again, St. Finian, Bishop, is found in Henry Fitzsimon's list, at the 23rd of February. He quotes the Carthusian Martyrology,^ as an authority. At this date, following the authority of an Irish Office Book, printed at Paris, a. d. 1620, Colgan republishes it.
as also a Life of the saint, taken from a Salamancan Manuscript. =^ The Bollandists have short notices of St. Finian, Confessor and Bishop of Meath, at the 23rd of February,3 but they resolved on deferring his Acts to the 12th of Decem- ber, which they deemed to be his principal feast. At the latter date, also, ourLifeofthisholybishopshallbefound,infullerdetail. HermanGreuen
gives his festival at the 23rd of February, as also the General Catalogue of Saints, published by Ferrarius. In the Carthusian Martyrology, Tyminus or Thiminus, at this date, is thought to have been a mistake for Finninus. Ussher has placed St. Finian's festival, at the 23rd of February. 4 Besides these, with his usual inaccuracy, Dempsters enters a festival for Finnan, a man of wonderful sanctity, in Anglia, at the 23rd of February. ^ Here, the bishop or abbot of Clonard is confounded with St. Finan,7 the bishop of
Lindisfarne, and the Apostle in Northumbria, although nearly a century elapsed between their respective epochs.
Article X. —St. Boisil, Abbot of Melrose, Scotland. \Senenth
St. Abbotof in was — at Century. ] Boisil, Melrose, Scodand, probably, or,
least, possibly,—a native of Ireland. Some particulars of his history
which is little known have been partially revealed to us, by the Venerable Bede. ^ It seems likely to have been the case, that Boisil received his early religious training, either in lona or Lindisfarne. He was born most probably about, or soon after, the beginning of the seventh century. In his public capacity, St. Boisil first appears in 651, as iht prepositus or prior of Melrose. ^ While a resident there, on the banks of the Tweed,3 he made several conversions to the ways of God, among the inhabitants of surrounding towns. He was also the preceptor of St. Cuthbert,4 whom he received with great cordiality, kind- ness, and a prophetic spirit, referring to his future celebrity. At this time, St. Eata,5 who was Abbot of Melrose and of Lindisfarne, happened to be present. Even, then he was the superior of St. Boisil ; both, having been
trained under the holy discipline of St. Aidan,^ first abbot and founder of Lindisfarne. The houses, thus established, adopted the Rule of St. Colum- kille,whichhadbeenpractisedatHy. Theadorablepersonsofthemost
Columjtan "The later hand * Sed : adds,
M. T. vocat ColtriAri. * But the Mart, of
Taml. calls him—Colman. "
**
dium," tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. xi. , p. 49, 402. In like manner, the father of English
Scottish
Saints," p. 192.
7 See his Life, at the 9th of January. Article x. —' See Historia Ecclesiastica
Gentis Anglorum," lib. iv. , cap. xxvii. , p. Historise Catholicse Iberniae Compen- 348. See also lib. v. , caj). 10, pp. 401,
'
Article ix. See O'Sullevan Beare's
and cap. xii,, p. 54.
' See ** Acta Sanctorum Hibemice," xxiii.
Februarii. Vita S. Finniani seu Finneni, Abbatis de Cluain-Eraird, &c. , pp. 393 to 407-
3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Februarii xxiii. Among the pretermitted
saints, pp. 360, 361.
Ecclesiastical History refers to him, in " Vita S. Cuthberti," cap. viii.
=
See "Origines Parochiales Scotiae," vol. i. , p. 292.
3 This monastic and Cistercian place of retirement, in after times, was a very charm- ing one. See John Major, "De Gestis Scotorum," lib. ii. , cap. xii.
^ See his Life, at the 20th of March,
5 See his Life, at the 26th of October.
^ See his He Life, at the 31st of August.
^ See
"
Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Anti-
quitates," cap. xvii. , p. 493.
s See " Scoticum. " Menologium
See Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of died a. d. 651.
February 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 687
Holy Trinity were frequently invoked by Boisil, and especially the name of our Divine Redeemer, Jesus, he often repeated, with lively sentiments of
devotion. He would " How frequently exclaim,
good
He wept tears of emotion, and he frequently moved others to weep with
him. Three years before it came, he predicted the great pestilence of 664, and that while the Abbot Eata should survive, he declared, that himself should die of it. He made frequent excursions into the villages, where he preached with great success to the poor. He often instructed his monks, that they should never cease giving thanks to God for the grace of their reli- gious vocation \ that they should always watch over themselves to guard against the delusions of self-love, self-will and private judgment, as being their chief enemies ; that they should converse assiduously with God, by in- terior prayer ; and that they should labour constantly, to possess the most perfect purity of heart, this being the true and perfect road to Christian virtue and perfection. From reading the Gospel of St. John, he drew the most ardent and tender love for our Holy Redeemer. 7 He used it as a book for suggesting spiritual reflections. When St. Eata, St. Cuthbert and other monks had been expelled from Ripon^ monastery, Cuthbert sought refuge with St. Boisil; and, being seized with a pestilence, which then raged throughout Britain, the disciple Cuthbert recovered, owing to the prayers of his brother-religious. Seeing him so far restored, Boisilus said to him :
" Brother, you find yourself relieved from the plague you suffered, and I de- clare you shall not be again attacked by it, nor die this time. But, as my death is near, I charge you to hear from me, what I have to say, so long as I shall be able to speak. For only seven days remain, during w^hich the health of my body, and the use of my tongue, shall enable me to instruct you. " Notdoubtingthetruthofthisassurance,Cuthbertaskedhissuperior, what he should read for him, during this interval of time. Boisilus told him to read the Gospel of the Evangelist, St. John,5 as it contained a certain number of pages, which could be read in equal divisions, during those seven days, and that both should be able to meditate on such portions, during this interval, with the Divine assistance. These holy men did not employ them- selves on difficult and profound questions, through mere curiosity, but rather on most simple expositions of Divine faith and charity. Seven days being at an end, Boisilus was seized with the pestilence already mentioned, and he was translated from earth to heaven. But, during those seven days spent in reading, it is said, he revealed to Cuthbert whatever took place during his after and
a have we " Jesus !
that he should become a '° The bishop.
especially telling him,
happiness. He often exclaimed, with St. Stephen, during his last illness,
""
to some
St. BoisiFs death was 661,^^ when he was immediately succeeded by St.
Cuthbert. The Bollandists, with others, assign the feast of St. Boisil to the 23rdofJanuary,atwhichdaytheyhavepubUshedhisActs. IntheScottish
7 See Rev. Alban Butler's "Lives of the *° See Cressy's "Church History of Brit- Fathers, Martyrs and other principal tany," book xix. , chap, i. , p. 461.
life,
holy man was filled with joy, when he found a near approach to eternal
" Lord receive Jesus
my Spirit !
According
writers,
the of year
Saints," vol. ii. February xxiii.
^ It is said to derive its name from the
of this place in Lewis' "Topographical Dictionary of England," vol. iii. , pp. 672 to 674.
9 See Venerable Bede's "Vita S. Cuth- berti," cap. viii.
" See Rev. Alban Butler's "Lives of the
Fathers, Martyrs and other principal Saints," vol. ii. February xxiii.
"
tion on the bank of a river. See an account
Latin v^ord,
ripa," on account of its situa-
'^
8, Smith asserts, that Mabillon and the Bol- landists are wrong in assigning his decease
"
In a note to St. Cuthbert's Life, at cap.
to A. D. 664. See Dr. Lanigan's
xviii. , sect, iv. , p. 89, and n. 43, p. 93.
Ecclesias- tical History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap,
688 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[February 23
Martyrologies, however, his festival is set down, on the 23rd of February. If we can credit the account, Boisil is stated by Dempster to have written four
on the " De Fide Charitatem following subjects : quae per
""
books, respectively operatur," lib. i. ; In
Evangelium Joannis,"
Hb. i.
lib. " De Trinitate," Excerpta ex D. Augustino et aliis, Hb. i. The same author is indignant, that English writers endeavour to make him an Anglus, as Melrose is well known to be in Scotland. '3 Trithemius'^ and Wion's are
said to regard him as a saint. He died a. d. 643, according to Dempster. ^^ But, in reality, he died of the great plague, a. d. 664. ^7 Bishop Forbes places hisfestival,atthe23rdofFebruary,^^followingCamerarius. ^9 Otherwriters have it, at the 23rd ot January, which appears to be the real date, according to the Bollandists. ^° However, Simeon of Durham says, that his deposition,
in Britain, was celebrated on the 7th of July. ^'^ Wilson, in his English Martyrology, and Ferrarius have a feast of St. Boisil, at the 7th of August. Again, Hugh Menard has a festival of St. Boisil—called Basilius—at the 9th of September. In the Kalendar of Herdmanston, his name, as a later Scottish insertion, occurs, at the 8th of July. ^^ St. Bosweirs=3 and Lessud- den,^4 in Roxburghshire, Scotland, were dedicated to him, the former place even having been called after him. St. Boswell's fair is held, however, on the 1 8th of July : =^5 this was also the festival of St. Thenew,^^ the mother of St. Kentigern. ^7 Weread,thatafterhisdeath,Boisilappearedtwicetoone of his disciples, and he was told to assure St. Egbert,^^ that God commanded him to seek St. Columba's monasteries,^^ and to instruct their inmates, re- garding the right manner for celebrating Easter. 3° In 1030, the remains of St. Boisil were translated to Durham. They were deposited beside the body of his celebrated disciple, St. Cuthbert;3^ but, now, all trace of those vener- able relics seems to have been lost.
Article XL—St. John, Martyr, and Bishop of Meckelenburg, Saxony. ^Eleventh Century.