No More Learning

This learned writer adds : " By referring to these pedigrees, you may easily find the time at which any of the early saints of Erinn flourished. As, for instance, St. Colum Cille is recorded to have been the son of Ftsidlimidh, son of Fergus, son of Conall, son of Niall " of the Nine Hostages", monarch of Erinn, who was killed in the year 405. Now, by allowing the usual average of thirty years to each of the four gene rations from Niall to Colum, making 120 years, and adding them to 405, we shall find that Colum (who is known to have died in the year 592) must have been born about the year 520. He was actually bora, as we know from other sources, in 515".
St. ^Engusius Hagiographus. 35
in the Greek as in the Latin language. So long as Melruan lived, peace and security reigned within the Irish monastic en closures. Had he survived a few years, the tocsin of alarm would have sounded the first approach of Northman invasions ; while many of the shrines and illuminated Books of Erinn were destined to suffer wreck and ruin from the Pagan spoilers.
When holy Melruan had been called to bliss, our saint keenly felt the loss of his society and gentle rule. The sylvan shades around Tallagh had less attraction during the noon-tide walk, and more lonely seemed the solitudes of scarped ravines and mountains. Climbing topmost heights of the latter, the eyes of Aengus were often turned towards the rich plains beneath, through which the Liffey and Barrow flowed. Peering beyond their bounds, the hills of Dysart were seen on a distant south-western horizon. Old associations were revived; nor were the monastery and monks of Clonenagh forgotten in the train of awakened recol lections. Perhaps some message from its superior and inmates urged his return. In prosecuting his archaic studies, Aengus had travelled to many places, and always with some holy and useful object in view. It now seemed the will of Heaven, that he should turn once more towards the land of Leix and Ossory ; and, accordingly, we may suppose a sympathetic tear coursed down his cheeks and those of his fellow-religious, when he took scrip and staff, bidding adieu for the last time to those blissful haunts of science and religion, where he had spent some of his life's best years. We know not the exact period when he parted from this mountain home ; but, it appears altogether likely, his renowned superior had departed this life before Aengus thought of leaving, nor had the eighth century drawn quite to its close.
. 52ngus survived his friend the holy Abbot of Tallaght for a very considerable period. The name of St. Molruan is found in his Festilogium, where he is called the " Bright Sun of Ireland". 1 This circumstance seems to prove, that his work, in its finished state, must have been composed subsequently to the year 792. After remaining some years at Tallaght, JEngus returned to Clonenagh His ascetic and literary fame must have culminated to a high degree, at . the time his thoughts reverted to the old retreat: --
" Here to return and die at home at last''. '
1 A mistake, probably a typographical one, occurs in Dalton's History of the County of Dublin,\>. 761, where the death of Saint Molruan, or Madman, is referred to the year 787, whereas the year 788 is named for the first arrival of JEngua at Tallaght. The real date for St. Molruan's death is the 7th day of July, 792. This accomplished and usually accurate historian incorrectly tells us, when giving the history of Tallaght, and speaking of vEogus, that he died " Abbot of this house in 824". Ibid.
2 Oliver Goldsmith's Traveller.
36 The Life and Works of
Doubtless, he was welcomed by the good abbot and bis commu
nity at Clonenagh. Over this great monastery, in due course be was chosen Abbot. He is said to have succeeded Me-
lathgenius, who died in 767 (recte 768), according to Ware. 1 He was also elevated to the episcopal dignity ; for it was a very usual practice then prevailng in Ireland, to invest the superiors of all our great religious houses with this exalted rank. But, we may regard this dignity he obtained, as qualifying him to be classed only with the inferior prelates, known as Chorepiscopi, in early times. Dr. Lanigan thinks it probable, that St. jEngus had been Abbot over a monastery at Dysartenos, which he is supposed to have founded, whilst he also presided over Clone nagh. 8
But notwithstanding his elevation, and the duties that de
volved upon him, in virtue of his high office, as Abbot over
the greater monastery, that favourite retreat at Dysartenos,3 seems to have been ever dear to bis recollections. Finding his end approaching, JEngus withdrew to the scenes of his former
1 It is not probable, however, that our saint was the immediate successor of Melathgenius. By his namesake, JEngus Ceiie I)e is called Abbot. In the Martyrologies cited in a succeeding note, it will be seen, that he was also styled Bishop.
* Another ^Engus, who was almost contemporary with this saint, has left an elegant poem in praise of him. From this poem Colgan derives a great part of St. Aengus Ceile De's Acts. That the writer of this poem was abbot at Clonenagh, as also at Disert-Aengus, is possible, and Colgan observes, that his hints are even stronger as to the latter place. The matter can easily be settled. As both places lay near each other, within the barony of Mary borough, Aengus might have been abbot over both these establishments. Disert- , Aengus, which commenced with himself, may be considered simply as a cell to the older and greater monastery at Clonenagh. At Clonenagh and Disert- enos, or Disert-Aengus, Archdall has inverted the order of Aengus' trans actions. After making Aengus found an abbey at Disert-Aengus, Archdall sends him to Tallaght, where, it is said, he died. Now, it is clear from the Acts, that Aengus was no more than a simple monk when he removed to Tallaght. As to the place of his death, it could not have been Tallaght; for, as we find in said Acts, he was buried at Clonenagh. That Aengus, who was panegyrist of our saint, seems to have been, as Colgan justly conjectures, abbot Aengus, surnamed the Wise. He belonged to Clonfert-Molua, and died in 858 or 859. See Colgan, AA. SS. p. 582, and also Dr. Lanigan's Ecclesi astical History of Ireland, vol. iii. chap. xx. ? x. n. 98, pp. 248, 249. In a succeeding note, Dr. Lanigan remarks: "Considering the Irish practice of promoting eminent abbots to the episcopacy, we need not look for any other see for him than one of the above mentioned monasteries". Ibid. , n. 99, p. 249.
3 Mr. O'Donovan, in the Tenth Article of his edited Miscellany of the Irish Archaeological Society, vol. i. note g. , comments on the term Disert, a common topographical prefix to Irish localities. He says :--" This word, which is translated desertus locus in " Cormac's Glossary", and desertum by Colgan (Acta Sanctorum, p. 579), is sometimes used in ancient Irish manuscripts, to denote a hermitage, or an asylum for pilgrims or penitents. It occurs in this latter sense in the Leabhar Braec, fol. 100, a. a. , and in the Book of Leinster, in the MS. Library of Trinity College, Dublin, H. 2, 12, fol. 113, b. a". -- Irish
Charters in the Book oj Kelts, n. (g. ) p. 112.
St. sfflngusius Hagiographus. 37
retirement and austerities. He breathed his last prayers with his last breath, about the year 824, according to the most pro bable conjecture, on Friday, the 11th day of March. 1 Sir James Ware names one or other of the years 819, 824, or 830, conjecturally, as referring to our saint's death, from the circum stance of the 11th March falling on the feria sexta, or Friday, at each of these dates. Professor Eugene O'Curry thinks St, Aengus Ceile' De must have died about the year 815. ' We know not how many years he lived ; but probably this saint had not attained a very advanced age, when his death occurred.
JSngus was buried at Clonenagh, according to his Acts, as
But, whether he died there or at Dysartenos is uncertain. 4 If he built a monastery at the latter place, no trace of its ruins can be discovered at present ;6 and hence, it might be a safe conjecture to suppose Dysartenos had been only a cell or hermitage, constructed by St. vEngus, for his sole
accommodation and retirement. 6
1 " There being good reason to think that Aengus survived the year 806, Colgan conjectures that the year of his death was either 819, 824, or 830; whereas in each of them the 11th of March fell on a Friday". Dr. Lanigan'i Ecclesiastical History of Ireland, vol. iii. chap. xx. ? x. n. 100, p. 249. "Ita
eodem die Martyrologiutn Tamlact. Aengussii Episcopi Hoblenii nepotis. Marian. Magnus Aengussius Hoblenii nepos Episcopus. Mart. Dungall. Aen- gussius nepos Hoblenii, Episcopus, est qui comoosuit festilogium. In ipso etiatn Aengussii Festilogio in quibusdam exemplaribus ponitur nata hac diei sed ilia iusulsa additio est : quae idcirco in vetustioribus exemplarbus non repe- ritur". Colian's Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae, xi. Martii, n. 15, p. 583.
2 See Lectures on the Manuscript Materials of Ancient Irish History, Lect. xvii. p. 362.
3 See Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae, xi. Martii, Vita S. Aengussii, cap, xvi. p. 582.
4 In the note already given, the anonymous scholiast says, that our saint was both educated and buried at Disert- Aengus. It is certain, however, that Aengus had been educated at Clonenagh. Colgan remarks, that the Disert named, either is not different from Clonenagh, or our saint most probably died and had been buried at the first place, his body having been afterwards trans lated and deposited at Clonenagh. But, he acknowledges that our annals make a distinction between both places, as in reality they were bound to do. A dis tance of some miles intervenes between Dysartenos and Clonenagh. The present writer is fully cognizant of this fact, and has long been conversant with the bearing and local peculiarities of both places.
5 Alluding to this locality of Dysartenos, however, a writer well knowing its folk-lore observes: " Not many years ago, the remains of the foundation of St. Aengus's sacred edifice were discovered by a farmer, who professed the doc trines of the Church of England. This farmer, much to his credit, reveren tially would not suffer the remains to be disturbed. He re-covered with earth the stone steps that rested at the foot of the once altar, on which the holy an choret offered the Sacrifice of the Mass. The field in which this discovery was made is near to the dwelling of Mr. James Lawler". O'Byrne's History of the
Queen's County, chap, xxi. p. 57.
6 In what part of Dysartenos parish this cell, or monastery, if such, was
situated, the antiquary is not likely to discover. Many remains of old buil dings are yet standing in the immediate neighbourhood. If, however, I might be allowed to offer a conjecture, St. Aengus possibly selected for his cell the
given by Colgan. 3
38 The Life and Works of
It is indeed very certain --as a distinguished Irish scholai and most devoted Catholic1 well observes -- that St. Aengus Ceile De2 cannot be set down for an ignorant nor a superstitious monk; but, on the contrary, he must ever be regarded as a gifted writer, deeply read in the Holy Scriptures, and in the civil and ecclesiastical history of the world. He was especially versed in that historic lore contained in what he calls enthusi
" The Host of the Books of Erinn". Taking the Festology of St. Aengus as a purely historic tract, largely in terwoven with the early civil and ecclesiastical history of Ireland, there is probably no European country which possesses so early a national document and one of a character so im portant. A great number of the primitive Christian inhabitants and strangers, in our island, have been introduced by name into this valuable treatise. Their festival days, with copious references to the early denominations and exact situations of our old churches and monasteries, severally founded by many of them, are accurately given ; and already, by means of this tract, if not all, at least nearly all, of these foundations may be
astically
or have been identified, by competent archaeologists. His other writings are hardly less valuable for their historic, national, and religious interest.
The truly learned are ever truly humble. But to raise this latter qualification to the degree of heroic virtue requires a special intervention of the spirit of wisdom. Towards our saint, God's choicest graces appear to have been vouchsafed. From his early years, he was gifted with a docile mind, an ardent love of true perfection, humility of disposition, an un derstanding capable of comprehending a wide circle of science,
site on which the former Protestant church of Dysart may now'be'seen, as a comparatively modern ruin. When Sir Charles Coote wrote his Statistical Survey of the Queen's County, in 1801, he describes Dysart church, as standing " on one of the lofty hills of the same name, with a square tower or steeple, which has a very picturesque appearance". Chap. ix. ? iv. p. 117. An ancient graveyard is to be found there, even yet much resorted to for the in terment of deceased Catholics. No doubt, the very old parish church occupied this site. From or near this elevated position, the ruins of Clonenagh's " seven churches" are clearly visible under favouring circumstances.
1 See Professor Eugene O'Curry's Lectures on the Manuscript^Materials of Ancient Irish History, Lect. xvii. , p. 370.
Culdee. It is " used by our annalists to denote a monk or friar, even at a com paratively modern period of our history. In U'Donovan's Annals of the Four Masters, at the year 1595, we find an application of such term to the Domini cans in Sligo monastery. The reader, who desires the fullest accumulated testimonies and learned investigation, in reference to the Culdees, will examine the researchful contribution of the Rev. William Reeves, in Transactions ofthe Royal Irish A cademy, vol. xxiv. It has since been published as a separate tract, entitled, The Culdees ofthe British Islands, as they appear in History, with an Appendix of Evidences ; Dubliu. 186t".
8 In a contribution to the Gentleman's Magazine for the month of July, 1865, the following remarks may be found, on the Irish term ceile ? oe, Anglicised
r
1
St. sEngusius Hagiographu? . 39
1
human and divine, with an imagination, fervid, brilliant, chaste, and correct, as ever gifted a poet. Our Church and country have received no inconsiderable services from the literary labours and learning of this saint, while his life had been beautifully and edifyingly consistent with his teaching and acquirements. Some men possess dazzling qualities and acquire renown in this world, while their minds and dispositions are cold, vitiated, and corrupt; they may shine among their fellow-mortals, as the skin of the venomous snake or crawling reptile appears radiant with variegated colours, under the rays of a bright sun. On the contrary, in solitude and retirement, wishing to avoid the applause or rewards of the world, under a rude garb and exterior, our saint, like the glow-worm, luminous even through the darkness of night, has diffused a steady and an undiminished light over the obscurity of our scattered ecclesiastical records
and traditions, in his own time and for preceding ages. He has likewise transmitted to us some of the most venerable remains of our ancient aud holy literature, so long and so pro videntially preserved in Ireland and in more distant countries.
Let us hope, that under the careful editorship of a competent Irish scholar, these fragments will be gathered ere they perish, that they will be committed to type, published, and thus ren dered accessible to the generality of readers. While such documents serve to excite and sustain our religious feelings, they also fan the spirit of patriotism, and serve ? to extend still more the real fame of our beloved country. The holy Aengus Ceil6 De laboured wisely and well in his generation. He has left to this day and to all succeeding generations, the heritage of his zeal, his learning, his genius, his virtues, and his noble example.
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