Rejoicing that he was deemed worthy to suffer for the sake of Christ, Iero prayed while
he was being conducted to the tribunal for examination
:
" O Lord, lead me
in thy justice because of my enemies; conduct my ways in thy sight.
he was being conducted to the tribunal for examination
:
" O Lord, lead me
in thy justice because of my enemies; conduct my ways in thy sight.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v8
Conan.
At the 16th of August, the name Conan, without any further designation, is found entered in the Martyrology of
Donegal.
1
His position in the Church, and his place, are not known.
ArticleV. —SaintsMarinusandAnianus. Atthe16thofAugust,
Colgan intended to have published the Lives of Saints Marinus and Anianus,
as we learn from the posthumous list 1 of his Manuscripts. Elsewhere, I have not been able to find any account, that might serve to explain their connec- tion with Irish hagiology.
Article VI. —Festival of Moelcoisne, of Cill-Moelcoisne, in Hy- Many, Connaught. The commentator on the " Feilire" of St. /Engus, as found in the " Leabhar Breac" copy, at this 16th day of August, remarks : Moelcoisne, moreover, of Cell Moelcoisne in Hy-Many of Connaught on the
1 samedayasMary,theLord'sMother. However,neitherontheIrishMap,
prepared by Dr. O'Donovan, and prefixed to his edition of" The Tribes and
Article hi. —' See " Acta Sanctorum,"
tomusiii. , Augusti xvi. Among thepreter- mitted feasts, p. 261.
2 "
Actuum Sanctorum Mensium et Die—rum. "
MS. habentur,ordine
Article vi. According to Charles MacDonnell's Irish entry :
The following is the
ffloelcoipie x>m. oclull
Actuum Sanctorum
MS.
ARTICLE iv. Edited by Drs. Todd "Transactions of the Royal Irish Aca-
qu? e habentur, ordine—Mensium et Dierum. "
moelicoipieui
AenLa ocuf tYUr\i4 mAcep "Oomini.
Catalogus
x
and Reeves, —220, 221.
pp. demy,"
Irish Manuscript Series, vol.
i. ,
On the Calendar of Charles MacDonnell, Esq. , "Catalogus Whitley Stokes, LL. D. , p. cxxxi.
'
Article v. See that published by part
i.
dingus, by
quae
nuib rnAnieComiachu — yop
232
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[August 17.
2
Customs of Hy-Many, commonly called O'Kelly's Country," nor in the
Treatise itself, is there any mention of Moelcoisne, or of his; place, Cell Moelcoisne. Moreover, on the Irish Ordnance Survey Maps for that district, we cannot discover any parochial or tovvnland denomination, coinciding in spelling or pronunciation, with the latter place. However, as our Irish Ord- nance Survey Maps are as yet exceedingly defective, in giving all the locally preserved and traditional names of places, it is quite probable, such an etymon may still be preserved by the peasantry, in some part of that extensive dis-
trict.
Article VII. —Festival of the Birth of Mary. In the "Feilire"
3
1 at the 16th of August, is entered a feast to commemorate the birthoftheBlessedVirginMary. Elsewhere,thewritercannotfindsucha
of St.
^Engus,
festival, nor allusion to the circumstances there presented.
Article VIII. —Reputed Translation and Festival of St. David, BishopofMenevia. IntheadditionstoGreven'sCarthusianMartyrology, Bruxelles, the Translation of St. David, Bishop of Menevia, is mentioned, at
The Bollandists note this entry, 1 likewise, and as his chief feast is on the 1st of March, the reader is referred to the latter date for
2
£*tmtteentb JBap of anjpisit
ARTICLE I. —ST. IERO OR HIERO, PRIEST AND MARTYR AT EGMOND, HOLLAND.
NINTH CENTURY. CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION—NOTICES OF ST. IERO—HIS PARENTAGE AND COUNTRY—HIS EARLY EMBRACING THE ECCLESIASTICAL STATE—ORDAINED ^PRIEST—HE RESOLVES TO ENTER ON A MISSIONARY CAREER IN HOLLAND—HIS LABOURS AND SUCCESS- SCANDINAVIAN INVASION—ST. IERO IS SEIZED BY THE DANES AND BROUGHT TO TRIAL.
public veneration given to St. Iero, Jero, or Hieron, Priest and
the 16th of
August.
particulars of his Life.
THE in Holland, is of Martyr, very
2
Published from the Book of Lecan, for
the Irish Archaeological Society, Dublin, not theft, the birth of Mary, a virginal, 1843, 4to. strong diadem, holy Mother of my Prince. "
Article vii. — ' In the " Leabhar —"Transactions of the Royal Irish Aca-
Breac" copy, we have the following Irish demy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. , stanza, with its English translation as part i. On the Calendar of Oengus, p.
furnished by Whitley Stokes, LL. D. :—
tacrtoich > <Votuonir
Cocleirx n<vocViAr* T)ichuiAincc
5em muipe nun-o nuAjjbailcc noemniAcliAin mor\i5m<vicc.
exxiv. To this stanza a short note is
affixed, on the right margin of the Manu-
at . i.
script 5ew rfluipe comemorationis,
p. exxxi.
ancient
date,
and he is to be found
"At Adrion's cross, with a train that loved
*
16th of August, as found in LesPctits Bollan-
However, the following notice, at the
August 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 23j
recorded in Martyrologies and Calendars, as also in various Manuscripts of remote writing, as in some belonging to Harlaem, to Utrecht, and to other
places. An ancient Manuscript Breviary, the Florarium Sanctorum, and the additions to Usuard, have notices of him. St. Iero, like many other holy men,resolvedonleavinghisnativecountrytogainsoulstoChrist. Hewas also ready to lay down his own life, in the effort to spread the Gospel among the Gentiles.
From the more ancient memoirs of this holy martyr the mediaeval and morerecentnoticeshavebeendrawn. Inthe"NatalesSanctorumBelgii,"
1
This accountMolanushastaken,fromaManuscriptbelongingtoEgmond. Like- wise, Sueder, Bishop of Utrecht, mentions this holy martyr, with great com- mendation, and in a decree, dated November 15th, 1429. In the. " Historia
2
" Opus chronographicum Orbis Universi, aMundi Exordio usque ad Annum ,;
T—he fullest mediaeval account ofSt. Iero
St. Ieron is mentioned, at the 17th of August, in two paragraphs.
Martyrum Batavicorum," appended to Peter van Opmeer's celebrated work,
mdcxi. , 3 we find published, Vita S. Jeronis, and rendered in heroic Latin verse. This latter was composed, by Wi—lliam Hermann Goudan Erasmus. 4
but
is that given by John Gerbrand, who was prior of the Carmelite Convent,
this saint, both in the " Britannia
Sancta,"
1 * and in the " Memorial of British
Piety. "
1* In the latter St. is called a native of Great Britain. 16 work, Jeron
5
at Leyden, in 1495. And this was first published, in his " Chronicon
Belgicum. "6 Molanus has treated about St. Ieron or Hieron, at the 17th of
°8
August. ? Likewise, in Batavia Sacra," there is a brief account relating to
the Life and Passion of this holy Martyr, as also to those circumstances con- nectedwiththediscoveryandpreservationofhisrelics. TheBollandistshave inserted his Acts, at this date. 9 in two 10 have been taken
These, given chapters,
from John of Leyden's Belgic Chronicle," and they are preceded by an introductory commentary. 12 Dean Cressy has an account of St. Ieron, whom
he calls an English Priest. ^ The Right Rev. Dr. Challenor has a record of
The Petits Bollandistes notice also the feast of St. Jeron (Hiero), at this
1 date. ?
distes, may serve to show, that a feast of the but, not being able to procure a copy of Blessed Virgin Mary was thus commemo- Opmeer's great work, he could not pro«
nounce with on the matter. certainty
s He is praised by Trithemius, as being a studious and learned man, in " Catalogus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum. "
6 Lib. v. , cap. 24, 33, and lib. vii. , cap. 20, 21, 22, 23, 24.
? See " Indiculus Sanctorum Belgii," p. 44 b.
3
See the Third Volume of this work,
p. 216.
'See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. ,
Augusti xvii. De S. Jerone Praesb. Martyre
I0
:
" Ce une tradi> jour, d'apres pieuse
rated
tion, on fit l'ouverture du sepulcre de la tres-saint Vierge j et, comme elle etait montee au ciel au jour precedent, on ne trouva que son suaire qui exhalait une deli- cieuse odeur. "—" Les Vies des Saints," tome ix. , xvie Jour d'Aout, p. 593.
Article viii. — x See " Acta Sancto-
tomus xvi. the rum," iii. , Augusti Among
pretermitted feasts, p. 260.
at that date, Art. i. Article i. —Chapter
— i.
«See
pp.
in to Hollandia, pp. 475
179, 180.
2 The writer was born at Amsterdam, on
the 13th of September, 1525, and he died on
the 9th of November, 1595, at Delft. See
M. Le Dr. Hoefer's " Nouvelle Biographie "
Generate, tome xxxviii. , cols. 708, 709.
3 This was published at Amsterdam, in
161 1, in fol. , with engravings.
4 Father Peter Bosch, S. J. , found among
the papers collected by Rosweyde what seemed to be a copy of this Vita S. Jeronis ;
479. Containing fourteen paragraphs.
probably
8 Sueder's Namely, Bishop
Decree,
at
" At the year 847.
,2
Peter Bosch, S. J. , is the editor.
not the most reliable
Comprised in eight paragraphs. Father
,3 See "Church History of Brittany," book xxvii. , chap, ix. , p. 714.
MSeepartii. , p. 83.
*J See p. 117.
t6 In this statement, Dr. Challenor seems
to have followed the statement of John Gerbrand of Leyden.
234 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 17.
18
found at Egmond, it would seem, that this priest was aScotus or an Irishman by birth/a and that he was of noble
From the ancient Manuscript History,
parentage.
20 He is related, likewise, to have been an only son of his father
and mother ; but, resolving to avoid the snares and illusions of this world,
he joined a society of religious, and zealously endeavoured to emulate the
virtues of his brethren. This happened, as we are informed, while he was very young ; but, when he advanced in years, he also grew in wisdom and in sanctity. Having a vocation for the ecclesiastical state, he went through the various preparatory grades oforders.
In due course, he was ordained a priest. He commenced a missionary
careerasapreacherinHolland,21 andthistookplacetowardsthemiddleof
the ninth 22 When his mission opened, rites and the worship century. pagan
ofidolsprevailedinthosenorthernpartsofEurope. Gradually,hewonover converts to the true Faith, and then very sedulously he began to ground them in those principles which should guide their future course of life.
He converted many souls from darkness and error, especially in Frisia. 23
Notwithstanding the known ferocity of the people living in that region, he gained upon their affections, and rendered many of them most acceptable to God. Aftersometimespent—ontheselabours,St. Ieroseemstohavesettled
in
named Noortwyck at— the of Noordwyk-Binnen place present village
in a
the province of South Holland 24 about six miles N. N. W. Leyden. The place in which he lived lay on the shores of the North Sea.
However, a storm of invasion was about to burst forth, and a host of Scandinavian plunderers descended on the shores of Holland, about the year 856, when many men and women were killed, while others were taken as
captives. The invaders subjected the whole country to robbery and spolia- tion. Especially were the Christians objects of aversion to them.
While Iero laboured on that mission, these Danish and Northmen ravages served to interrupt the good he had accomplished. Moreover, he was speedilyapprehended,andbroughtfortrialbeforetheDanishleader.
Rejoicing that he was deemed worthy to suffer for the sake of Christ, Iero prayed while
he was being conducted to the tribunal for examination
:
" O Lord, lead me
in thy justice because of my enemies; conduct my ways in thy sight. " It
: wouldseem,thatmanyinthecrowdwhofollowedhimcriedout '*Remove
this man from life, nor suffer him longer to continue the enemy of our gods. " Others demanded, that he should endure the most exquisite tortures, so that the people of Holland, who loved him, might be deterred by the example made from following him as their Christian leader.
** See "Vies des Saints," tome ix. , xviieJourd'Aout, p. 625.
*8
It is quoted by Molanus.
19 This opinion seems to have been con-
accounts are silent as to the exact place of his nativity.
-°
John Gerbrand writes of him, that in baptism he received the name of Jeron, which was intended to prelude the merits
:
tested, and authors are divided on it. Thus,
John Gerbrand of Leyden, states, that he
was "in Anglia juxta seculi dignitatem llicron, quasi sanctus totus. " However,
parentibus nobilibusprogeniius ;" and again,
the Bollandists had some papers, drawn up
by D. Lindan, Bishop of Ruremonde, con-
taining nine Lessons, in which he is also
said to have been an Englishman. How-
ever, William Goudan Erasmus, in his
poem, and Peter van Opmeer, in his work
on the Martyrs of Belgium, rendered into
Dutch, and published at Amsterdam, in
1700, First part, p. 95, make him a Scotus.
Some of the more ancient Manuscript known as North Holland, and also they
of his (uture holy life
" dicitur enim
Father Bosch disputes such interpretation, or that he was of Greek origin, the name having been anciently written without an aspirate.
3 ' See Bishop Challenor's " Britannia
Sancta," part ii. , p. 83.
M Circa a. d. 847, according to the
"Chronicum Belgicum" of Joannes Gcr- brandus a Leydis.
'3 The Frisons occupied that district, now
from 25
August 17. ] LIVES OP THE IRISH SAINTS. 235
CHAPTER II.
EXAMINATION OF ST. IERO, AND HIS DEFENCE BEFORE THE DANISH LEADER AND HIS COUNCIL—HE IS CONDEMNED TO DEATH—HIS MARTYRDOM—DISCOVERY OF HIS SACRED REMAINS—TRANSLATION OF HIS BODY TO EGMONT—DISCOVERY OF HIS HEAD AND ITS PRESERVATION—HIS FESTIVAL AND COMMEMORATIONS—CON- CLUSION.
After many persecutions visited upon him by the barbarians, St. Ierowasat last thrust into a dark prison. There he remained until the day following, when he was brought to trial. The pagans had resolved on urging him to renounce Christianity, and to embrace the worship of idols. However, he
: employedthesublimewordsofthePsalm "Lord,Ishallwalkinthelight
ofthypresence,andIshallrejoiceinthynamealltheday. " Whenbrought before the Danish leader and his council, the former asked if the wounds he received on the day before had made any impression on him. Then the man of God answered: •* Not alone have
cheerfully
but they have strengthened my resolution, for it is written, according to the number of griefs in my heart, thy consolations have rejoiced my soul. " Next the President asked about his condition and his religion. St. Iero imme-
Gospel,
:
shall I bend the knee to false idols, because the Lord my God hath said in
:
:
possess our friendship. " Whereupon St. Ieron answered " You counsel a
foolish course, and make a doubtful promise, saying, leave God the Creator, unwillingly, and our sacred rites, which have lasted for ages, and sacrifice to demons, so that my life may last to old age ; whereas, He is omniscient, and having established all things, He alone knows what is to happen. " Then returned the President. ; " I desire, that you explain to me, who that God is, whom you state to be alone worthy the praise of every creature. "
Thus invited, the pious servant of God was enabled to make a full pro-
" It has been written, give not holy things to dogs, nor cast pearls before swine, and therefore, never from me shall you learn the truth with polluted ears. Yet, as some are standing around, and whom I know to be predestined for eternal life, for their sakes, shallIgiveasummaryofmyreligion. WebelieveintheFather,fromwhom
is all paternity named in Heaven and on earth, according to the Apostle ; also, in His Son and in the Holy Ghost, regarding whom the Psalmist pro- claims, in the word of the Lord, the Heavens are established, and through the breath of His Spirit exist all their powers. The indivisible Trinity of those divisible Persons, a Unity of substance, we venerate ; while in this Trinity, none are foremost or last, none greater or lesser, but all three persons are co- eternalandco-equal; sothatallshallperish,whobelieveoradoreanyGod, orplacehopeofsalvation,saveinthisOneandTriune. God. " Whilethese words of Faith were spoken, all the Christians present rejoiced : in some their Faith was strengthened ; from the minds of others, a love of their false deities was driven, while fear of suffering was removed from the spirits of many, who surrounded that tribunal.
were north of the chief embouchure of the 9< See " Gazetteer of the World," vol. x. , River Rhine. See "Atlas Classica," p. 605.
plate
' Thou shalt adore the Lord and him shalt thou thy God, only
the
serve. ' " Then said the leader
what remains of your life may be enjoyed to old age, and that you may
fession of his Faith in the following words
:
xxiii,
^FormerlyknownasLugdunumBatavorum.
they
sorrow,
" Not alone am I of a respectable but of a distinguished
diately answered
family; I have worshipped Christ as the true God from my infancy, and never
not filled me with
" Hear me, and sacrifice to our gods, so that
236
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 17.
Nevertheless, the President unwilling to be convinced resolved not to hear any further arguments that reflected on his idolatry, or that might pre- vail over the reason of any who were present. He therefore ordered the saint to be handed over to the executioners, and to be tortured, before he should be put to death. When led to punishment, St. Iero is stated to have prayed : "Take not from my soul thy mercy, nor thy truth from much counsel. Wherefore, O Lord, I entreat thee, withdraw not thy bounties from me, but may thy mercy and thy truth always support me. " While reciting pious ejaculations of this sort, the holy martyr was subjected to the most extreme tortures. In fine, he was beheaded, having nobly professed his Faith, in the midst of all these sufferings.
According to the general opinion, St. Iero obtained the crown of martyr- dom,atNordovyck,orNordwis. ThefewChristianswhowerethenspecta- tors of that scene contrived to steal away the body of the holy man, and to bury it with all becoming respect in a newly made grave. He appears to have suffered martyrdom about the year 855,—and we are informed, that the
day September for his festival.
After these events, one hundred years had elapsed, and the place of St. Iero's burial appears to have been forgotten or neglected, when in the year 955,apiousandanhumblelayman,namedNothbod,2 wholivednearthe spot, had a vision one night, during which a venerable man of large stature, and having a beautiful countenance, appeared to that agriculturalist. This apparition so unusual filled him with fear and astonishment. Nevertheless,
" Fear not, nor be under any apprehension, dear brother, for the labour of thy hands hath sanctified thee, and the charities thou hast bestowed have cleared thy soul from the stains of sin, so that thou art worthy to behold the face of thy fellow-servants, now reigning with the Almighty, and to hold communion with them. Wherefore, it has been granted me, one of these servants, to appear in a vision to thee, through God's grace ; and, learn now, that thou art to raise my remains, so long neglected, and to manifest in a public manner my deserts in the kingdom of Heaven. " Fearing this apparition and these words might be designed to ensnare him through some illusion of Satan, Nothbod first armed himself with a sign of the cross. Thencomfortedwiththesweettoneofspeechheard,heenquiredwho
:
the spirit was, and he received for answer " O good man, I congratulate
you on the faith you have in that sign of the holy cross, as a shield against
every diabolic effort. Not as you think am I a phantasm, I was conceived
like you in sin, but, I was born, so that I should suffer the tribulations of
humanity, and now justified through the grace of God, I enjoy the happiness
of eternal life. " He then related, how having loved and served God, he had
been brought through the palm of martyrdom to the rewards of Heaven. He
addedmoreover uNowgotothevillagecalledNoortwyck,andthereshall :
you find my tomb, composed of small stones, and formed in the barren sand. Bear my remains to the place called Egmond, which has been rescued from thefoulnessofidolatry,throughthedistinguishedmeritsofSt. Adalbert. 3 Do not hesitate to deposit them, in the sanctuary of that place; for, He who enabled
was the 16th of the Kalends 1 with this date
the figure spoke and said
:
Article i. —Chapter II. — Accord-
ing to John of Leyden : "ad patriam cceli susceptus est sexto decimo Kalendas Sep- tembris. "
2 He is said to have maintained himself by the labour of his hands, and yet to have laid by something to distribute for the neces- shies of the poor ; thus making a friend to
himself with the mammon of iniquity, so that he might lay up treasures in Heaven, where the moth and rust do not consume, and where thieves cannot break through nor steal,
3 His festival is held, on the 25th of June, See his Life at that date, in the Sixth
corresponding
August 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
237
me to overcome earthly trials has also desired them to be preserved in such a tabernacle. " Having spoke these words, the apparition vanished.
However, the pious countryman resolved to wait a further confirmation of this command, while he prayed to the Almighty most earnestly, with humility of spirit and contrition of heart, and with fasting, that the vision might be repeated a second and a third time. Again, St. Iero appeared, and Nothbod was warned, that he should not be so slow, in manifesting obedience to the will of God, and that he should not contemn the divine mandate, lest he might suffer punishment in the next life for such inexcusable neglect. Yet, was the admonition disregarded, until it happened, that thieves stole some horses from the pasture of a certain man while he was asleep. They were concealed in a recess the robbers had selected for that purpose. On missin^ those animals, the owner collected a band of friends and servants, to search for them. After great fatigue, towards the decline of day, that company reached a very intricate place, from which they saw no outlet, and they were wearied. There, the man told his friends to rest and to take some refresh- ment. Afterwards, they fell asleep.
ofthese whowas men,
andhesaid: "
and
. that no longer must he delay to fulfil the divine commands; for, in the
eastern part of the plain, and to the right hand of it, from the place where he
sleeps this night, he shall find my tomb. And, as unbelievers demand a sign,
when morning dawns, go to the adjoining wood, where without doubt you shall find the horses that have been lost. "
On awaking, this man told his companions to arise, as the Almighty had even deigned to discover that place, where the horses should be found. Having entered the wood a little distance from the highway, the horses were met with, and tied to stakes, as they had been left by the robbers. This fulfilment of the prediction caused the man to relate all he had learned in the vision to Nothbod, and those directions he had received. This was a source of great joy to Nothbod, because additional evidence had been procured, to corrobo- ratewhathadbeenalreadymanifestedtohim. Whentheothershadleftfor home, both of these taking sacks with them began to dig in the spot shown to them. Soon they found a box, containing the precious remains of St. Iero, and to their great joy. At once, they conveyed a special message to St. Baldric/ the holy bishop of Utrecht, and to Theodric II. , Count of Holland, that they should come to the spot, so soon as they possibly could, and that the relics might be brought to that destined place, where they were to be held in special veneration.
The Count was a man distinguished for his religious life, as had been the saintly prelate, and both were greatly rejoiced to hear about the discovery of St. Iero's relics ; but, before proceeding further, a three days' fast was directed for observance in the whole diocese. Then they approached the
tomb, whence proceeded a fragrant odour, and they gave praise to the Almighty, for thus manifesting his power and goodness. The remains of St. Iero were then raised, and at first placed in fine linen, while hymns and can- ticles of praise were sung, as a procession formed along the road which led by the sea. Great crowds of men and women assembled, at a grove, which was called Rynmeer. Then, another great miracle was witnessed. A coffin was wanting to enclose the relics, and to their great amazement, one was seen floating on the sea-waves, and it was suddenly cast on shore.
< Bishop Sueder of Utrecht, who wrote in 1429, states that Odilbald, the twelfth bishop of that See, was then actor in this case; however, the Bollandists prefer the
statement of John Gerbrand of Leyden, as given in the text. Balderic was the fifteenth bishop of Utrecht, and his period corre- sponds with that of Theodric or Thierry II. ,
just
holy,
Arise,
andtell
Nothbod,
Meantime, St. Iero appeared to one
238 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 17.
The body of this holy martyr was afterwards translated to Egmont,s by Count Theodoric II. , where in the Benedictine Abbey of St. Adalbert,6 it has been since preserved, with every mark of respect and religious veneration. There are three villages named Egmont, in the province of North Holland, and a few miles west of Alkmaer. That lying nearest to the sea is called Egmond-aan-Zee-p furtherinland,andontheothersideofasand-hillridge,
8
is Egmond-opden-Hoef; and about one mile or more, south of it, stands
Egmond-Binnen or Inner Egmont. 9
The saint's head had not been found, however, when the body had been
takenfromitstomb; but,manyyearsafterwards,itpleasedtheAlmightyto show his wonders to the people of Noortwyck, who resolved on building a churchonthatspotwhereSt. Iero'srelicshadsolonglain. Whentheworkmen opened a foundation for the altar, to their great joy they found the skull of the holymartyr. Then,withoutanyhumanagency,thebellsofthevillagechurch began to ring. The people were in admiration, and said that angels were causingthisjoyouschime. TheygavepraisetoAlmightyGodforhisboun- ties to them. Taking the venerable head, it was deposited with becoming honour and ceremony within the sanctuary. In times subsequent, innumerable bands of pilgrims flocked to St. Iero's shrine, even from the most distant places, to pray and to ask many temporal and spiritual favours, through his inter- cession. Nor were miracles wanting to confirm the fame of his sanctity.
On the 15th of November, 1429, to encourage devotion towards our saint, Bishop Sueder of Utrecht issued a Decree or Pastoral, in which it was announced, that the festival of St. Iero should be observed each year, with like- solemnity as that of St. Laurence, the martyr, throughout his diocese. 10 More- over, he granted an Indulgence of Forty Days to all, who should visit the parochial church of Noirtich (Noordwyck), on his Feast-day, or on any other occasion of a procession in it, or for the celebration of Mass there in his honour, or who should contribute means or ornaments for the decent main- tenance of the church.
Throughout Holland, the festival and reverence for St. Iero have long
beenobserved. Amongthepeople,moreover,abeliefgrewup,thatthrough his pious invocation objects lost were sure to be recovered. 11 It seems to be in allusion to this belief, that St. Jeron has been represented in art, as a Priest, with hooded falcon on his hand and bearing a sword ;" also, in a Priest's
Count of Brabant. I0 The
s "Qui pagus est Hollandize in diocesi tium ordinamus in virtute sanctae obedientiae,
Ilarlemensi, comitatus titulo clarus. "— et sub excommunicationis poena, quam con- Mirseus, "Fasti Belgici et Burgundici," tradictores et rebelles incurrere volumus,
p. 479.
6 See Dean Cressy's "Church-History of
Brittany," book xxvii. , chap, ix. , p. 714.
7 Here in October, 1799, a bloody but an indecisive battle was fought between the Gallo-Batavian and Anglo-Russian armies. It was soon afterwards followed by the more decisive battle at Kastricum, and the capi-
tulation at Zip, when the Anglo-Russians were obliged to evacuate Holland. See M. A. Thiers' " Histoire de la Revolution Franchise," tome x. , chap, xviii. , p. 331.
stride proecipiendo mandantes, quatenus ex nunc in antea perpetuis futuris temporibus dies dicti sancti martyris Jeronis ad instar diei sancti Laurentii martyris, singulis annis in octava sancti Laurentii in singulis paro- chiis dictarum terrarum Noirt-Hollandia? , West-Frisice, et circumjacentium locorum tarn in choro quam in foro solemniter cele- bretur. "—" Batavia Sacra," p. 216.
8
heneficio res suas deperditas recuperarunt. " Unde versus extat : "Rebus in amissis
In 1573, it was destroyed by the Jeron ssepissime fulget. Litterati autem. aliqui in suis carminibus eum Hieronem appellare malunt. "—" Natales Sanctorum
Belgii," p. 180.
"See "Die Attribute der Heiligen,"
Spaniards, and the ruins of the old town are
still conspicuous.
9 See "Gazetteer of the World," vol. v. , p. 159.
bishop
writes
:
:
" Molanus observes "
enim Multi ejus
" Tenore pnesen-
August 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 239
cassock over a suit of armour, and a falcon on his left hand, not hooded, his
right hand holding up the cassock, so as to display the armour on his right
1
leg 13 likewise, in a Priest's cassock, with a falcon on his left hand. * While
;—
the sword was emblematic of his martyrdom apeculiarinstinctofsearchingforthingsburied representstheotherpre- vailing popular tradition.
In the Martyrologies of Holland, Belgium and France, the feast of St. Jeron is this day commemorated. Likewise, in the Calendars of Galesinus, of Wion, of Bucelin, and in other Martyrologies, the feast of St. Iero or Hieron is set down, at the 17th of August. In Father Stephen White's work,'5 this saint is called Vero—probably through a misprint—and his martyrdom is assigned to this day. Convaeus registers at this date St. Ieron, an illus- trious martyr, at Egmond, in Holland. In the anonymous Catalogue of national saints, published by O'Sullevan Beare, we find Hieron, at the 17th of August. In like manner, on the authority of Molanus and Floratius, Father Henry Fitzsimon l6 enters Iheron, presbyter et martyr, at this same
date, In his Menologium Scotorum, Thomas Dempster has classed this holy 1
martyr, at the 17th of August, ? of course claiming him to be a Scotus belong- ing to Scotland.
In the foregoing narrative, we have to admire the manner in which the
Almighty is pleased to manifest his providential regard for the honour of those who are faithful to him until death, and to make known their merits on
earth, for the edification of the Church Militant, as they are rewarded for
ever in Heaven, and understood by the Church Triumphant, consisting of the Angels and Saints. No longer do these blessed spirits desire human applause, nor do they ambition honours among mortals ; neither envious nor jealous of those happy favours already obtained by others who rejoice before the throne of God, they have no desires that are not gratified, and no void of soul that is not filled with delights, which cannot be described or even con- ceived. What was all earthly suffering as compared with their present glory and happiness ?
Article II. '—St. Ernan, of Torach, now Tory Island, County of Donegal. A festival to honour Ernan is inserted in the Martyrology of
1 at the
;
—
the falcon a bird said to have
of He is called the son of Colman, in the August.
17th
SanctilogiumGenealogicum. AccordingtotheO'Clerys,hesprungfromthe race of Eoghan, son to Niall. From Eoghan he was the fifth in regular descent. He was born, most probably, in the beginning of the sixth century, and in the northern part of Ireland. He became a disciple of St. Columkille.
Donegal.
1
His position in the Church, and his place, are not known.
ArticleV. —SaintsMarinusandAnianus. Atthe16thofAugust,
Colgan intended to have published the Lives of Saints Marinus and Anianus,
as we learn from the posthumous list 1 of his Manuscripts. Elsewhere, I have not been able to find any account, that might serve to explain their connec- tion with Irish hagiology.
Article VI. —Festival of Moelcoisne, of Cill-Moelcoisne, in Hy- Many, Connaught. The commentator on the " Feilire" of St. /Engus, as found in the " Leabhar Breac" copy, at this 16th day of August, remarks : Moelcoisne, moreover, of Cell Moelcoisne in Hy-Many of Connaught on the
1 samedayasMary,theLord'sMother. However,neitherontheIrishMap,
prepared by Dr. O'Donovan, and prefixed to his edition of" The Tribes and
Article hi. —' See " Acta Sanctorum,"
tomusiii. , Augusti xvi. Among thepreter- mitted feasts, p. 261.
2 "
Actuum Sanctorum Mensium et Die—rum. "
MS. habentur,ordine
Article vi. According to Charles MacDonnell's Irish entry :
The following is the
ffloelcoipie x>m. oclull
Actuum Sanctorum
MS.
ARTICLE iv. Edited by Drs. Todd "Transactions of the Royal Irish Aca-
qu? e habentur, ordine—Mensium et Dierum. "
moelicoipieui
AenLa ocuf tYUr\i4 mAcep "Oomini.
Catalogus
x
and Reeves, —220, 221.
pp. demy,"
Irish Manuscript Series, vol.
i. ,
On the Calendar of Charles MacDonnell, Esq. , "Catalogus Whitley Stokes, LL. D. , p. cxxxi.
'
Article v. See that published by part
i.
dingus, by
quae
nuib rnAnieComiachu — yop
232
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[August 17.
2
Customs of Hy-Many, commonly called O'Kelly's Country," nor in the
Treatise itself, is there any mention of Moelcoisne, or of his; place, Cell Moelcoisne. Moreover, on the Irish Ordnance Survey Maps for that district, we cannot discover any parochial or tovvnland denomination, coinciding in spelling or pronunciation, with the latter place. However, as our Irish Ord- nance Survey Maps are as yet exceedingly defective, in giving all the locally preserved and traditional names of places, it is quite probable, such an etymon may still be preserved by the peasantry, in some part of that extensive dis-
trict.
Article VII. —Festival of the Birth of Mary. In the "Feilire"
3
1 at the 16th of August, is entered a feast to commemorate the birthoftheBlessedVirginMary. Elsewhere,thewritercannotfindsucha
of St.
^Engus,
festival, nor allusion to the circumstances there presented.
Article VIII. —Reputed Translation and Festival of St. David, BishopofMenevia. IntheadditionstoGreven'sCarthusianMartyrology, Bruxelles, the Translation of St. David, Bishop of Menevia, is mentioned, at
The Bollandists note this entry, 1 likewise, and as his chief feast is on the 1st of March, the reader is referred to the latter date for
2
£*tmtteentb JBap of anjpisit
ARTICLE I. —ST. IERO OR HIERO, PRIEST AND MARTYR AT EGMOND, HOLLAND.
NINTH CENTURY. CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION—NOTICES OF ST. IERO—HIS PARENTAGE AND COUNTRY—HIS EARLY EMBRACING THE ECCLESIASTICAL STATE—ORDAINED ^PRIEST—HE RESOLVES TO ENTER ON A MISSIONARY CAREER IN HOLLAND—HIS LABOURS AND SUCCESS- SCANDINAVIAN INVASION—ST. IERO IS SEIZED BY THE DANES AND BROUGHT TO TRIAL.
public veneration given to St. Iero, Jero, or Hieron, Priest and
the 16th of
August.
particulars of his Life.
THE in Holland, is of Martyr, very
2
Published from the Book of Lecan, for
the Irish Archaeological Society, Dublin, not theft, the birth of Mary, a virginal, 1843, 4to. strong diadem, holy Mother of my Prince. "
Article vii. — ' In the " Leabhar —"Transactions of the Royal Irish Aca-
Breac" copy, we have the following Irish demy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. , stanza, with its English translation as part i. On the Calendar of Oengus, p.
furnished by Whitley Stokes, LL. D. :—
tacrtoich > <Votuonir
Cocleirx n<vocViAr* T)ichuiAincc
5em muipe nun-o nuAjjbailcc noemniAcliAin mor\i5m<vicc.
exxiv. To this stanza a short note is
affixed, on the right margin of the Manu-
at . i.
script 5ew rfluipe comemorationis,
p. exxxi.
ancient
date,
and he is to be found
"At Adrion's cross, with a train that loved
*
16th of August, as found in LesPctits Bollan-
However, the following notice, at the
August 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 23j
recorded in Martyrologies and Calendars, as also in various Manuscripts of remote writing, as in some belonging to Harlaem, to Utrecht, and to other
places. An ancient Manuscript Breviary, the Florarium Sanctorum, and the additions to Usuard, have notices of him. St. Iero, like many other holy men,resolvedonleavinghisnativecountrytogainsoulstoChrist. Hewas also ready to lay down his own life, in the effort to spread the Gospel among the Gentiles.
From the more ancient memoirs of this holy martyr the mediaeval and morerecentnoticeshavebeendrawn. Inthe"NatalesSanctorumBelgii,"
1
This accountMolanushastaken,fromaManuscriptbelongingtoEgmond. Like- wise, Sueder, Bishop of Utrecht, mentions this holy martyr, with great com- mendation, and in a decree, dated November 15th, 1429. In the. " Historia
2
" Opus chronographicum Orbis Universi, aMundi Exordio usque ad Annum ,;
T—he fullest mediaeval account ofSt. Iero
St. Ieron is mentioned, at the 17th of August, in two paragraphs.
Martyrum Batavicorum," appended to Peter van Opmeer's celebrated work,
mdcxi. , 3 we find published, Vita S. Jeronis, and rendered in heroic Latin verse. This latter was composed, by Wi—lliam Hermann Goudan Erasmus. 4
but
is that given by John Gerbrand, who was prior of the Carmelite Convent,
this saint, both in the " Britannia
Sancta,"
1 * and in the " Memorial of British
Piety. "
1* In the latter St. is called a native of Great Britain. 16 work, Jeron
5
at Leyden, in 1495. And this was first published, in his " Chronicon
Belgicum. "6 Molanus has treated about St. Ieron or Hieron, at the 17th of
°8
August. ? Likewise, in Batavia Sacra," there is a brief account relating to
the Life and Passion of this holy Martyr, as also to those circumstances con- nectedwiththediscoveryandpreservationofhisrelics. TheBollandistshave inserted his Acts, at this date. 9 in two 10 have been taken
These, given chapters,
from John of Leyden's Belgic Chronicle," and they are preceded by an introductory commentary. 12 Dean Cressy has an account of St. Ieron, whom
he calls an English Priest. ^ The Right Rev. Dr. Challenor has a record of
The Petits Bollandistes notice also the feast of St. Jeron (Hiero), at this
1 date. ?
distes, may serve to show, that a feast of the but, not being able to procure a copy of Blessed Virgin Mary was thus commemo- Opmeer's great work, he could not pro«
nounce with on the matter. certainty
s He is praised by Trithemius, as being a studious and learned man, in " Catalogus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum. "
6 Lib. v. , cap. 24, 33, and lib. vii. , cap. 20, 21, 22, 23, 24.
? See " Indiculus Sanctorum Belgii," p. 44 b.
3
See the Third Volume of this work,
p. 216.
'See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. ,
Augusti xvii. De S. Jerone Praesb. Martyre
I0
:
" Ce une tradi> jour, d'apres pieuse
rated
tion, on fit l'ouverture du sepulcre de la tres-saint Vierge j et, comme elle etait montee au ciel au jour precedent, on ne trouva que son suaire qui exhalait une deli- cieuse odeur. "—" Les Vies des Saints," tome ix. , xvie Jour d'Aout, p. 593.
Article viii. — x See " Acta Sancto-
tomus xvi. the rum," iii. , Augusti Among
pretermitted feasts, p. 260.
at that date, Art. i. Article i. —Chapter
— i.
«See
pp.
in to Hollandia, pp. 475
179, 180.
2 The writer was born at Amsterdam, on
the 13th of September, 1525, and he died on
the 9th of November, 1595, at Delft. See
M. Le Dr. Hoefer's " Nouvelle Biographie "
Generate, tome xxxviii. , cols. 708, 709.
3 This was published at Amsterdam, in
161 1, in fol. , with engravings.
4 Father Peter Bosch, S. J. , found among
the papers collected by Rosweyde what seemed to be a copy of this Vita S. Jeronis ;
479. Containing fourteen paragraphs.
probably
8 Sueder's Namely, Bishop
Decree,
at
" At the year 847.
,2
Peter Bosch, S. J. , is the editor.
not the most reliable
Comprised in eight paragraphs. Father
,3 See "Church History of Brittany," book xxvii. , chap, ix. , p. 714.
MSeepartii. , p. 83.
*J See p. 117.
t6 In this statement, Dr. Challenor seems
to have followed the statement of John Gerbrand of Leyden.
234 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 17.
18
found at Egmond, it would seem, that this priest was aScotus or an Irishman by birth/a and that he was of noble
From the ancient Manuscript History,
parentage.
20 He is related, likewise, to have been an only son of his father
and mother ; but, resolving to avoid the snares and illusions of this world,
he joined a society of religious, and zealously endeavoured to emulate the
virtues of his brethren. This happened, as we are informed, while he was very young ; but, when he advanced in years, he also grew in wisdom and in sanctity. Having a vocation for the ecclesiastical state, he went through the various preparatory grades oforders.
In due course, he was ordained a priest. He commenced a missionary
careerasapreacherinHolland,21 andthistookplacetowardsthemiddleof
the ninth 22 When his mission opened, rites and the worship century. pagan
ofidolsprevailedinthosenorthernpartsofEurope. Gradually,hewonover converts to the true Faith, and then very sedulously he began to ground them in those principles which should guide their future course of life.
He converted many souls from darkness and error, especially in Frisia. 23
Notwithstanding the known ferocity of the people living in that region, he gained upon their affections, and rendered many of them most acceptable to God. Aftersometimespent—ontheselabours,St. Ieroseemstohavesettled
in
named Noortwyck at— the of Noordwyk-Binnen place present village
in a
the province of South Holland 24 about six miles N. N. W. Leyden. The place in which he lived lay on the shores of the North Sea.
However, a storm of invasion was about to burst forth, and a host of Scandinavian plunderers descended on the shores of Holland, about the year 856, when many men and women were killed, while others were taken as
captives. The invaders subjected the whole country to robbery and spolia- tion. Especially were the Christians objects of aversion to them.
While Iero laboured on that mission, these Danish and Northmen ravages served to interrupt the good he had accomplished. Moreover, he was speedilyapprehended,andbroughtfortrialbeforetheDanishleader.
Rejoicing that he was deemed worthy to suffer for the sake of Christ, Iero prayed while
he was being conducted to the tribunal for examination
:
" O Lord, lead me
in thy justice because of my enemies; conduct my ways in thy sight. " It
: wouldseem,thatmanyinthecrowdwhofollowedhimcriedout '*Remove
this man from life, nor suffer him longer to continue the enemy of our gods. " Others demanded, that he should endure the most exquisite tortures, so that the people of Holland, who loved him, might be deterred by the example made from following him as their Christian leader.
** See "Vies des Saints," tome ix. , xviieJourd'Aout, p. 625.
*8
It is quoted by Molanus.
19 This opinion seems to have been con-
accounts are silent as to the exact place of his nativity.
-°
John Gerbrand writes of him, that in baptism he received the name of Jeron, which was intended to prelude the merits
:
tested, and authors are divided on it. Thus,
John Gerbrand of Leyden, states, that he
was "in Anglia juxta seculi dignitatem llicron, quasi sanctus totus. " However,
parentibus nobilibusprogeniius ;" and again,
the Bollandists had some papers, drawn up
by D. Lindan, Bishop of Ruremonde, con-
taining nine Lessons, in which he is also
said to have been an Englishman. How-
ever, William Goudan Erasmus, in his
poem, and Peter van Opmeer, in his work
on the Martyrs of Belgium, rendered into
Dutch, and published at Amsterdam, in
1700, First part, p. 95, make him a Scotus.
Some of the more ancient Manuscript known as North Holland, and also they
of his (uture holy life
" dicitur enim
Father Bosch disputes such interpretation, or that he was of Greek origin, the name having been anciently written without an aspirate.
3 ' See Bishop Challenor's " Britannia
Sancta," part ii. , p. 83.
M Circa a. d. 847, according to the
"Chronicum Belgicum" of Joannes Gcr- brandus a Leydis.
'3 The Frisons occupied that district, now
from 25
August 17. ] LIVES OP THE IRISH SAINTS. 235
CHAPTER II.
EXAMINATION OF ST. IERO, AND HIS DEFENCE BEFORE THE DANISH LEADER AND HIS COUNCIL—HE IS CONDEMNED TO DEATH—HIS MARTYRDOM—DISCOVERY OF HIS SACRED REMAINS—TRANSLATION OF HIS BODY TO EGMONT—DISCOVERY OF HIS HEAD AND ITS PRESERVATION—HIS FESTIVAL AND COMMEMORATIONS—CON- CLUSION.
After many persecutions visited upon him by the barbarians, St. Ierowasat last thrust into a dark prison. There he remained until the day following, when he was brought to trial. The pagans had resolved on urging him to renounce Christianity, and to embrace the worship of idols. However, he
: employedthesublimewordsofthePsalm "Lord,Ishallwalkinthelight
ofthypresence,andIshallrejoiceinthynamealltheday. " Whenbrought before the Danish leader and his council, the former asked if the wounds he received on the day before had made any impression on him. Then the man of God answered: •* Not alone have
cheerfully
but they have strengthened my resolution, for it is written, according to the number of griefs in my heart, thy consolations have rejoiced my soul. " Next the President asked about his condition and his religion. St. Iero imme-
Gospel,
:
shall I bend the knee to false idols, because the Lord my God hath said in
:
:
possess our friendship. " Whereupon St. Ieron answered " You counsel a
foolish course, and make a doubtful promise, saying, leave God the Creator, unwillingly, and our sacred rites, which have lasted for ages, and sacrifice to demons, so that my life may last to old age ; whereas, He is omniscient, and having established all things, He alone knows what is to happen. " Then returned the President. ; " I desire, that you explain to me, who that God is, whom you state to be alone worthy the praise of every creature. "
Thus invited, the pious servant of God was enabled to make a full pro-
" It has been written, give not holy things to dogs, nor cast pearls before swine, and therefore, never from me shall you learn the truth with polluted ears. Yet, as some are standing around, and whom I know to be predestined for eternal life, for their sakes, shallIgiveasummaryofmyreligion. WebelieveintheFather,fromwhom
is all paternity named in Heaven and on earth, according to the Apostle ; also, in His Son and in the Holy Ghost, regarding whom the Psalmist pro- claims, in the word of the Lord, the Heavens are established, and through the breath of His Spirit exist all their powers. The indivisible Trinity of those divisible Persons, a Unity of substance, we venerate ; while in this Trinity, none are foremost or last, none greater or lesser, but all three persons are co- eternalandco-equal; sothatallshallperish,whobelieveoradoreanyGod, orplacehopeofsalvation,saveinthisOneandTriune. God. " Whilethese words of Faith were spoken, all the Christians present rejoiced : in some their Faith was strengthened ; from the minds of others, a love of their false deities was driven, while fear of suffering was removed from the spirits of many, who surrounded that tribunal.
were north of the chief embouchure of the 9< See " Gazetteer of the World," vol. x. , River Rhine. See "Atlas Classica," p. 605.
plate
' Thou shalt adore the Lord and him shalt thou thy God, only
the
serve. ' " Then said the leader
what remains of your life may be enjoyed to old age, and that you may
fession of his Faith in the following words
:
xxiii,
^FormerlyknownasLugdunumBatavorum.
they
sorrow,
" Not alone am I of a respectable but of a distinguished
diately answered
family; I have worshipped Christ as the true God from my infancy, and never
not filled me with
" Hear me, and sacrifice to our gods, so that
236
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 17.
Nevertheless, the President unwilling to be convinced resolved not to hear any further arguments that reflected on his idolatry, or that might pre- vail over the reason of any who were present. He therefore ordered the saint to be handed over to the executioners, and to be tortured, before he should be put to death. When led to punishment, St. Iero is stated to have prayed : "Take not from my soul thy mercy, nor thy truth from much counsel. Wherefore, O Lord, I entreat thee, withdraw not thy bounties from me, but may thy mercy and thy truth always support me. " While reciting pious ejaculations of this sort, the holy martyr was subjected to the most extreme tortures. In fine, he was beheaded, having nobly professed his Faith, in the midst of all these sufferings.
According to the general opinion, St. Iero obtained the crown of martyr- dom,atNordovyck,orNordwis. ThefewChristianswhowerethenspecta- tors of that scene contrived to steal away the body of the holy man, and to bury it with all becoming respect in a newly made grave. He appears to have suffered martyrdom about the year 855,—and we are informed, that the
day September for his festival.
After these events, one hundred years had elapsed, and the place of St. Iero's burial appears to have been forgotten or neglected, when in the year 955,apiousandanhumblelayman,namedNothbod,2 wholivednearthe spot, had a vision one night, during which a venerable man of large stature, and having a beautiful countenance, appeared to that agriculturalist. This apparition so unusual filled him with fear and astonishment. Nevertheless,
" Fear not, nor be under any apprehension, dear brother, for the labour of thy hands hath sanctified thee, and the charities thou hast bestowed have cleared thy soul from the stains of sin, so that thou art worthy to behold the face of thy fellow-servants, now reigning with the Almighty, and to hold communion with them. Wherefore, it has been granted me, one of these servants, to appear in a vision to thee, through God's grace ; and, learn now, that thou art to raise my remains, so long neglected, and to manifest in a public manner my deserts in the kingdom of Heaven. " Fearing this apparition and these words might be designed to ensnare him through some illusion of Satan, Nothbod first armed himself with a sign of the cross. Thencomfortedwiththesweettoneofspeechheard,heenquiredwho
:
the spirit was, and he received for answer " O good man, I congratulate
you on the faith you have in that sign of the holy cross, as a shield against
every diabolic effort. Not as you think am I a phantasm, I was conceived
like you in sin, but, I was born, so that I should suffer the tribulations of
humanity, and now justified through the grace of God, I enjoy the happiness
of eternal life. " He then related, how having loved and served God, he had
been brought through the palm of martyrdom to the rewards of Heaven. He
addedmoreover uNowgotothevillagecalledNoortwyck,andthereshall :
you find my tomb, composed of small stones, and formed in the barren sand. Bear my remains to the place called Egmond, which has been rescued from thefoulnessofidolatry,throughthedistinguishedmeritsofSt. Adalbert. 3 Do not hesitate to deposit them, in the sanctuary of that place; for, He who enabled
was the 16th of the Kalends 1 with this date
the figure spoke and said
:
Article i. —Chapter II. — Accord-
ing to John of Leyden : "ad patriam cceli susceptus est sexto decimo Kalendas Sep- tembris. "
2 He is said to have maintained himself by the labour of his hands, and yet to have laid by something to distribute for the neces- shies of the poor ; thus making a friend to
himself with the mammon of iniquity, so that he might lay up treasures in Heaven, where the moth and rust do not consume, and where thieves cannot break through nor steal,
3 His festival is held, on the 25th of June, See his Life at that date, in the Sixth
corresponding
August 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
237
me to overcome earthly trials has also desired them to be preserved in such a tabernacle. " Having spoke these words, the apparition vanished.
However, the pious countryman resolved to wait a further confirmation of this command, while he prayed to the Almighty most earnestly, with humility of spirit and contrition of heart, and with fasting, that the vision might be repeated a second and a third time. Again, St. Iero appeared, and Nothbod was warned, that he should not be so slow, in manifesting obedience to the will of God, and that he should not contemn the divine mandate, lest he might suffer punishment in the next life for such inexcusable neglect. Yet, was the admonition disregarded, until it happened, that thieves stole some horses from the pasture of a certain man while he was asleep. They were concealed in a recess the robbers had selected for that purpose. On missin^ those animals, the owner collected a band of friends and servants, to search for them. After great fatigue, towards the decline of day, that company reached a very intricate place, from which they saw no outlet, and they were wearied. There, the man told his friends to rest and to take some refresh- ment. Afterwards, they fell asleep.
ofthese whowas men,
andhesaid: "
and
. that no longer must he delay to fulfil the divine commands; for, in the
eastern part of the plain, and to the right hand of it, from the place where he
sleeps this night, he shall find my tomb. And, as unbelievers demand a sign,
when morning dawns, go to the adjoining wood, where without doubt you shall find the horses that have been lost. "
On awaking, this man told his companions to arise, as the Almighty had even deigned to discover that place, where the horses should be found. Having entered the wood a little distance from the highway, the horses were met with, and tied to stakes, as they had been left by the robbers. This fulfilment of the prediction caused the man to relate all he had learned in the vision to Nothbod, and those directions he had received. This was a source of great joy to Nothbod, because additional evidence had been procured, to corrobo- ratewhathadbeenalreadymanifestedtohim. Whentheothershadleftfor home, both of these taking sacks with them began to dig in the spot shown to them. Soon they found a box, containing the precious remains of St. Iero, and to their great joy. At once, they conveyed a special message to St. Baldric/ the holy bishop of Utrecht, and to Theodric II. , Count of Holland, that they should come to the spot, so soon as they possibly could, and that the relics might be brought to that destined place, where they were to be held in special veneration.
The Count was a man distinguished for his religious life, as had been the saintly prelate, and both were greatly rejoiced to hear about the discovery of St. Iero's relics ; but, before proceeding further, a three days' fast was directed for observance in the whole diocese. Then they approached the
tomb, whence proceeded a fragrant odour, and they gave praise to the Almighty, for thus manifesting his power and goodness. The remains of St. Iero were then raised, and at first placed in fine linen, while hymns and can- ticles of praise were sung, as a procession formed along the road which led by the sea. Great crowds of men and women assembled, at a grove, which was called Rynmeer. Then, another great miracle was witnessed. A coffin was wanting to enclose the relics, and to their great amazement, one was seen floating on the sea-waves, and it was suddenly cast on shore.
< Bishop Sueder of Utrecht, who wrote in 1429, states that Odilbald, the twelfth bishop of that See, was then actor in this case; however, the Bollandists prefer the
statement of John Gerbrand of Leyden, as given in the text. Balderic was the fifteenth bishop of Utrecht, and his period corre- sponds with that of Theodric or Thierry II. ,
just
holy,
Arise,
andtell
Nothbod,
Meantime, St. Iero appeared to one
238 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 17.
The body of this holy martyr was afterwards translated to Egmont,s by Count Theodoric II. , where in the Benedictine Abbey of St. Adalbert,6 it has been since preserved, with every mark of respect and religious veneration. There are three villages named Egmont, in the province of North Holland, and a few miles west of Alkmaer. That lying nearest to the sea is called Egmond-aan-Zee-p furtherinland,andontheothersideofasand-hillridge,
8
is Egmond-opden-Hoef; and about one mile or more, south of it, stands
Egmond-Binnen or Inner Egmont. 9
The saint's head had not been found, however, when the body had been
takenfromitstomb; but,manyyearsafterwards,itpleasedtheAlmightyto show his wonders to the people of Noortwyck, who resolved on building a churchonthatspotwhereSt. Iero'srelicshadsolonglain. Whentheworkmen opened a foundation for the altar, to their great joy they found the skull of the holymartyr. Then,withoutanyhumanagency,thebellsofthevillagechurch began to ring. The people were in admiration, and said that angels were causingthisjoyouschime. TheygavepraisetoAlmightyGodforhisboun- ties to them. Taking the venerable head, it was deposited with becoming honour and ceremony within the sanctuary. In times subsequent, innumerable bands of pilgrims flocked to St. Iero's shrine, even from the most distant places, to pray and to ask many temporal and spiritual favours, through his inter- cession. Nor were miracles wanting to confirm the fame of his sanctity.
On the 15th of November, 1429, to encourage devotion towards our saint, Bishop Sueder of Utrecht issued a Decree or Pastoral, in which it was announced, that the festival of St. Iero should be observed each year, with like- solemnity as that of St. Laurence, the martyr, throughout his diocese. 10 More- over, he granted an Indulgence of Forty Days to all, who should visit the parochial church of Noirtich (Noordwyck), on his Feast-day, or on any other occasion of a procession in it, or for the celebration of Mass there in his honour, or who should contribute means or ornaments for the decent main- tenance of the church.
Throughout Holland, the festival and reverence for St. Iero have long
beenobserved. Amongthepeople,moreover,abeliefgrewup,thatthrough his pious invocation objects lost were sure to be recovered. 11 It seems to be in allusion to this belief, that St. Jeron has been represented in art, as a Priest, with hooded falcon on his hand and bearing a sword ;" also, in a Priest's
Count of Brabant. I0 The
s "Qui pagus est Hollandize in diocesi tium ordinamus in virtute sanctae obedientiae,
Ilarlemensi, comitatus titulo clarus. "— et sub excommunicationis poena, quam con- Mirseus, "Fasti Belgici et Burgundici," tradictores et rebelles incurrere volumus,
p. 479.
6 See Dean Cressy's "Church-History of
Brittany," book xxvii. , chap, ix. , p. 714.
7 Here in October, 1799, a bloody but an indecisive battle was fought between the Gallo-Batavian and Anglo-Russian armies. It was soon afterwards followed by the more decisive battle at Kastricum, and the capi-
tulation at Zip, when the Anglo-Russians were obliged to evacuate Holland. See M. A. Thiers' " Histoire de la Revolution Franchise," tome x. , chap, xviii. , p. 331.
stride proecipiendo mandantes, quatenus ex nunc in antea perpetuis futuris temporibus dies dicti sancti martyris Jeronis ad instar diei sancti Laurentii martyris, singulis annis in octava sancti Laurentii in singulis paro- chiis dictarum terrarum Noirt-Hollandia? , West-Frisice, et circumjacentium locorum tarn in choro quam in foro solemniter cele- bretur. "—" Batavia Sacra," p. 216.
8
heneficio res suas deperditas recuperarunt. " Unde versus extat : "Rebus in amissis
In 1573, it was destroyed by the Jeron ssepissime fulget. Litterati autem. aliqui in suis carminibus eum Hieronem appellare malunt. "—" Natales Sanctorum
Belgii," p. 180.
"See "Die Attribute der Heiligen,"
Spaniards, and the ruins of the old town are
still conspicuous.
9 See "Gazetteer of the World," vol. v. , p. 159.
bishop
writes
:
:
" Molanus observes "
enim Multi ejus
" Tenore pnesen-
August 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 239
cassock over a suit of armour, and a falcon on his left hand, not hooded, his
right hand holding up the cassock, so as to display the armour on his right
1
leg 13 likewise, in a Priest's cassock, with a falcon on his left hand. * While
;—
the sword was emblematic of his martyrdom apeculiarinstinctofsearchingforthingsburied representstheotherpre- vailing popular tradition.
In the Martyrologies of Holland, Belgium and France, the feast of St. Jeron is this day commemorated. Likewise, in the Calendars of Galesinus, of Wion, of Bucelin, and in other Martyrologies, the feast of St. Iero or Hieron is set down, at the 17th of August. In Father Stephen White's work,'5 this saint is called Vero—probably through a misprint—and his martyrdom is assigned to this day. Convaeus registers at this date St. Ieron, an illus- trious martyr, at Egmond, in Holland. In the anonymous Catalogue of national saints, published by O'Sullevan Beare, we find Hieron, at the 17th of August. In like manner, on the authority of Molanus and Floratius, Father Henry Fitzsimon l6 enters Iheron, presbyter et martyr, at this same
date, In his Menologium Scotorum, Thomas Dempster has classed this holy 1
martyr, at the 17th of August, ? of course claiming him to be a Scotus belong- ing to Scotland.
In the foregoing narrative, we have to admire the manner in which the
Almighty is pleased to manifest his providential regard for the honour of those who are faithful to him until death, and to make known their merits on
earth, for the edification of the Church Militant, as they are rewarded for
ever in Heaven, and understood by the Church Triumphant, consisting of the Angels and Saints. No longer do these blessed spirits desire human applause, nor do they ambition honours among mortals ; neither envious nor jealous of those happy favours already obtained by others who rejoice before the throne of God, they have no desires that are not gratified, and no void of soul that is not filled with delights, which cannot be described or even con- ceived. What was all earthly suffering as compared with their present glory and happiness ?
Article II. '—St. Ernan, of Torach, now Tory Island, County of Donegal. A festival to honour Ernan is inserted in the Martyrology of
1 at the
;
—
the falcon a bird said to have
of He is called the son of Colman, in the August.
17th
SanctilogiumGenealogicum. AccordingtotheO'Clerys,hesprungfromthe race of Eoghan, son to Niall. From Eoghan he was the fifth in regular descent. He was born, most probably, in the beginning of the sixth century, and in the northern part of Ireland. He became a disciple of St. Columkille.
