8 These came to
communicate
or to seek
knowledge in a country, then believed to be the most advanced in civilization of
the age.
knowledge in a country, then believed to be the most advanced in civilization of
the age.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v6
d.
1726, fol.
It is a that we have not
yet published
the
genuine
text of the Rev.
Irish.
141 Crimthann, son of Aedh, King of
Laighen, was slain A. D. 633, according to
486 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 9.
O'Reilly, son to Uadhagh,1^ King of Tuagtha-Taihgdean and Breifhey O'Rorke to Cliabhan Modhuirn ; Ceallach, son of Cearnach or O'Kear-
ney, son of Dubh Dothra, at Breifney ui Reilly ; Conghallach Ceann MhaguirofTyrconnell. TothisaugustmeetingalsorepairedFearguill,son of Maol-duin on Oillioch ; Guaire son to Conguill of Ulster, with both the
Kings of Oirgiall, that is to say, the renowed Daimin, son of Aongus, from Colchar Deasa to Fionn Cairn, at Sliabh Fuad, and Hugh, son of Duach Gal- lach, from Fionn Cairn, at Sliabh Fuaid, to the River Boyne. 146 No less than
nine persons named Aedh were present at this great assembly. 147
Among the
1 *8
ecclesiastics,
who were
present
at this
council,
are mentioned St.
Cuanus,
sonto St. 1^sonto anda St. son Midhorn, Garuan, ^Engus, bishop, Colman,^
'
son to Brendan, and St. Farannan. 's*
The bards had collected in all their numbers, and were present at this Convention, having taken their station near the hill of meeting. IS3 The result of a decision in their case was awaited with great anxiety. They are said to have been in danger of expulsion from the kingdom, on different occasions ; yet, each time, they found in a King of Ulster a successful advocate of their cause. O—ne of the most celebrated and — of the time was
religious poets
to Eochod, St. Baithen,15
*M
while his character and abilities gave him the greatest consideration and
influence. He is called the Poet Royal, and sometimes the Chief Ollamh, of Erinn. 'ss Thequestionofthebardsformedoneofthoseimportantsubjects, which the convention had to discuss. As we have already seen, public opinion had been justly excited against them, while the king shared the dis- like and prejudice, which their numbers, exactions and insolence had occa- sioned. Whenadiscussiononthismatterarose,Aedhcomplained,thatthey had enormously increased as a privileged class, and that their pretensions had been extravagantly asserted ; their idleness and disorderly demands were accompanied by dissolute behaviour, so that they became a burden to the
j
whole kingdom 1 *6 while their compositions in praise or disparagement of
individuals were proportioned only to the rewards received or refused. The chiefs and nobles, best able to comply with their exactions, were reluctant to incur their displeasure, lest they should become objects for their satirical verses, which in that age, were likely to send their names down to posterity, with dishonour ; while others, less deserving public esteem, were likely to be unduly praised, because they had been lavish in their gifts and benefactions to those ioving minstrels. '57 The eloquent Abbot of Iona then undertook the
Eochaidh betterknownasDalianForgall
whoattendedastheirchief;
Ulster. See Rev. Dr. O'Conor's " Rerum Hibernicarum Sciiptores," tomus iv.
146 The foregoing enumeration is found, in
Dermod O'Conor's Keating's "General His-
tory of Ireland," book ii. , p. 373. Duffy's edition.
' 4 ? There is an Irish Poem of nine Qua-
I5' SuccessoratIona,toSt. Columba,and venerated at the 9th of June.
l&3 See his Life, already given in the Second Volume of this work, at the 15th of
February, Art. ii. "M See Professor
trains beginning with <\ex> mac <\inmi]\ech "'
ceti Veil, in the Leabhar Breac, R. I. A. It refers to the nine persons named Aedh, said to have been at this Convention of Drum- ceat. Seethe published copy, contents, p. 22, and body of the book, No. CLXX. , col. 1, p. 238c.
S4 See an account of him, in Colgan's " Acta Sanctorum Hibemix," xxix. Januarii. De S. Dallano Martyre. Ex diversis, pp.
203 to 205.
,5S His Life will be found, in the First
Volume of this work, at the 29th of January, Art. v.
148
festival lias not been determined.
Among several saints of the name, his
149 His feast has been set down at the 20th of March and the 9th of July.
'5° Venerated at the 6th of September.
's6 See Thomas D'Arcy McGee's "Popu- lar History of Ireland," book i. , chap, v. , p. 34.
" On the Manners and Customs of the Ancient
Irish," vol. iii. . Lect. xxxi. , p. 245.
Eugene O'Curry,
* " One of their privileges, however,
June 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 487
advocacy of the bardic order,^8 and while leading the assembled council to right views for the correction of admitted abuses, he insisted on the preserva- tion of liberty—God's priceless gift to man—and on the cultivation of learn- ing, which teaches us to use that gift with intelligence and wisdom. He argued, that even when excess prevailed, moderation should be used, and that when evils became manifest, a remedy should be found for them in the fram- ing of just laws. He maintained, that an institution, which might be use- fully regulated, and which should be preserved for many public reasons, ought not be abolished, when its continuance could be directed under proper rules. He then advised, that the king and the national representatives at the convention should devise for the bards a code of laws, that might at once preserve their order and restrain all excesses. Their able advocate had so much influence with the monarch and his people, as to procure a satisfactory termination to that misunderstanding between them and the poets. To him- self was committed the care of framing laws,150 which should effectively restrain all admitted abuses. St. Columba procured a compromise of their suppression, in a limitation of their number apportioned to each province, and in demands, 160 which were to be of a more modest character, and which should prove less onerous to the upper classes in the state. These regulations of the
holy On this
known as Dalian
l63 is said to have written a
poem.
l64
antiquity.
lately published
separate form,
English
and forth the setting
of its
man to have been received with 161 appear general approval.
162 better It bears for its titleAmhraCholuimchille. l6s Copiesofit,largelyglossed,arepreservedinthe ** Liber Hymnorum," 166 and in the " Leabhar na h Uidhre," 16 ? which attest its
168 It has been
translation, by Professor O'Beirne Crowe. There is a Preface to be found,
occasion,
Forgaill,
Eigeas,
the celebrated Poet called Eochaidh
history
the Amhra is so old, as to have elicited from Colgan, who was an accom-
origin, ofitsarchaiclanguageandthepeculiaritiesofits style. '71 Thelanguageof
called conmed, which gave them a right to
exact refection from the tribes for themselves
and their — occasion to retinue, gave many
complaints. " Right Rev. Patrick F. Moran's " Irish Saints in Great Britain,"
chap, hi. , p. 88.
158 See " A Dictionary of Christian Bio-
graphy," &c, edited by William Smith, D. C. L. , LL. D. , and Henry Wace, M. A. , vol. i. , Art. Columba, p. 603.
155 See Right Rev. Patrick F. Moran's
"Irish Saints in Great Britain," chap, iii. , p. 88.
and the
cille, poems
160 The account of his is No. We here find two proceedings given 34.
in the Preface to that composition known as the Amhra Choluim-Cille, in Liber Hymno- rum, fol. 67a ; in the Leabhar-na-h Uidhre, fol. 8 ; in the Manuscript classed H. 2, 16,
Trinity College, Dublin, fol. 681 ; also in
the Highland Society's Manuscript Irish Life of St. Columba, fol. \zb b.
161
See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Quinta Vita S. Columbae, lib. iii. , cap. vii. , pp. 431, 432.
l6i See Harris' Ware, vol. ii. , "Writers
of Ireland," part ii. , book i. , chap, iii. , p. 20.
163 See Edward "
O'Reilly's Chronological
Account of nearly Four Hundred Irish Writers," p. xxxix.
leaves, containing a part of the Amhra Coluimcille already
mentioned.
l6? In the Leabhar na h-Uidhre at fol. 8.
In the published copies, it is at p. 5.
in a
160 in most 1 ? as also an account copies,
l64 The virtues which the Irish believed to reside in the recital of the Amhra Choluim-
several compositions,
l6s For an account of the Amhra Choluim
Cille, see Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum
Hibernise," xxix. Januarii. De S. Dallano
Martyre, cap. iv. , pp. 203, 204.
of St.
stated in the arguments prefixed to the
l66
It is classed E. 4. 2, among the Manu-
scripts of Trinity College, Dublin. No. 26. This text is shorter than the later copies; for the poem was afterwards interpolated.
l68
"
See the notices of it given in Colgan's
Trias Thaumaturga," pp. 473, 476.
l6s In the published Leabhar Breac or the
Speckled Book, there are only fragments of the Preface and Poem preserved. See pp.
238, 239.
*i° A copy of St. Dalian Forgaill's Poem
on St. Columkille is among the Hodges and
Smith collection of Irish MSS. in the Royal
Irish It is a classed Academy. 4to vellum,
No. 226.
J
7' Usually explained by glosses.
with an
Columba,
are
488 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 9.
Irish scholar, a
remarkable 1 ? 3 On this occa- acknowledgment.
very
sion, however, the holy Abbot imposed silence on Dalian Forghaill, by saying
plished
that only the dead should receive praise for their good actions in this life, and he forbade the poet to repeat that poem, so long as Columba himself should
1 ^
remain in the land of the
To St. Columba's defence of the bards of Drumceat may we credit, in a
great degree, that learning, which in after years made Ireland the lamp of
Europe, and her sons the great evangelists of science and literature, in various lands on the continent. New rules were framed for their class, and under proper regulations, they were to be continued as an important national institu- tion. T74 Aspecial Ollamh, or Doctor of Literature, was assigned to the monarch, as also to each of the provincial kings, chiefs, and lords of territo-
living.
ries. Each Ollamh had been assigned free lands, as a salary from his chief, J
with a grant of inviolability to his person. 75 Sanctuary for his house and lands, from the monarch and men of Erinn at large, was a privilege afforded them, and one of no small importance in times of disturbance. The meeting at Drom Ceat is said to have been the last great occasion, on which the code
16
of laws and the general system of education were revised. ? For those persons,
who desired to become learned in history, antiquities, literature, or in such of
the sciences as were then cultivated in the land, universities were to be estab-
lished and maintained. Lands and revenues were provided for their support.
Great national and ecclesiastical schools and J " about this literary colleges
time had been formed around men of individual celebrity as teachers. They began to cover the land with a number of monastic and of other houses, which were often resorted to by the sons of princes and nobles. Tutors and pupils '78 had come into Ireland from all parts of Europe. To Dalian the inauguration
and direction of the new colleges are said to have been assigned, ^
for St.
Columba himself could not afford time to regulate all the details of adminis-
tration. Eochaidh appointed presidents for the different provinces. For
Meath and Crioch Breagh, he appointed Aedh Eigeas or Hugh the Poet ; to
both divisions of Munster he assigned Urmaol, the Arch-poet and scholar ;
forConnaughtheappointedSeanchanMacUairfertaigh; andtoUlsterhe
nominated Ferbh Mac l8° The of was then Miredhaigh. profession teaching
regulated by certain enactments. Although the teacher's authority was ren-
dered very absolute in his school ; yet, was he held excused from the crimes
of his pupils, provided their parents resided in his district, and paid him for
their 81 The sons of chiefs and of learning. '
were
literature, but horsemanship, chess, swimming, and the use of arms, chiefly
172 " Est penes me unum exemplar hujus operis egregie scriptum, sed seclusis fusis, quos habet annexos Commentariis, hod—ie
I? 7 As in the cases of Masruidh or Mas-
raighe and Maigh Sleachta in Breifne, and of
Rath-Ceannaiuh, in Meath. See Dermod
O Connor's Keating's "General History
of book edi- Ireland," ii. , p. 380. Duffy's
tion.
1?
8 These came to communicate or to seek
knowledge in a country, then believed to be the most advanced in civilization of
the age.
'? J See Professor Eugene O'Curry "On
paucis, iisque peritissimis, penetrabile. "
"Acta Sanctorum Hibernise," xxix. De S. Dallano Martyre, n. 12, p.
Colgan's
204.
'" See Right Rev. Patrick F. Moran's
"Irish Saints in Great Britain," chap, iii. , p. 88.
*7« See John O'Hart's "Irish Pedigrees;
or, the Origin and Stem of the Irish the Manners and Customs of the Ancient
Nation," Second Series, Appendix 4, p. 361. Dublin, 1878, 8vo.
Irish," vol. ii. , Lect. iv. , p. 78.
l8° "
'" See Rev. Jeoffry Keating's "History ofIreland,"bookii. ReignofAodh.
History of Ireland," book ii. Reign of Aedh.
l8' Soitwas,likewise,if, athisownex- '"6 See Professor Eugene O'Curry "On pense, he fed, clothed and instructed the the Manners and Customs of the 'Ancient children of strangers ; yet, if he were paid Irish," vol. ii. , Lect. iv. , p. 78. for these boarders, the teachers was held ac-
gentlemen
taught,
not
only
See Rev. Jeoffry Keating's
June 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINST. 489
casting the spear. Their daughters were taught sewing, cutting, or fashioning, and ornamentation, or embroidery. The sons of the agricultural and pastoral class were not taught horsemanship, nor did they wear the same clothes as those classes above them. In the law, all this code had a distinct reference to public schools. There the sons of the humbler classes waited on the sons
182
of the upper classes.
A formal discussion, at Drumceat, regarding the historic and political
relations, with the several treaties of amity and alliance, between the parent state and the Dalriadian Scots, was entered upon, as the subject of greatest interestandimportance. ThemonarchofIrelandclaimedthetributedueto him, in consequence of heavy expenses incurred, for the general defence and interests of all the Irish provinces and territories. Aedh forgot not to urge, that prescriptive right which he had, from the first plantation of the Dalria- dian colony in Scotland, to the tribute paid his predecessors. Aedh insisted, likewise, on the obligation he incurred, by virtue of his coronation oath, to transmit for his heirs and successors the crown and dominion of Ireland, unimpaired in their integrity and efficiency. To these, and to such other argu- ments, Aidan, Prince of the Dalriadian Scots, replied, in a long, argumenta- tive,andanimatedspeech. Hiseloquencewasnaturallyengaged,indefending theinterestsandfreedomoftheDalriadians. Aftertheforegoingarguments of the Scottish King, Columba began by taking a luminous view, regarding the natural state and relations of both countries, and added his remonstrances, by stating, that it should be a departure from the established usages of his predecessors, if Aedh attempted to transport an Irish army into Scotland, or to impose a tax or a tribute on the Dalriadians, who were honourably allied to their parent country and race, and who were ever ready to assist the Irish with their arms, and bravely to expose their lives in a just war for their defence. He maintained, moreover, that war declared against them should be an encroachment on the rights and privileges of the Scots, while Provi- dence seemed to have taken the Dalriadians under peculiar protection, and would undoubtedly avenge on the unjust aggressors those wrongs and oppres- sions they might seek to inflict on an innocent people and on a friendly nation. l8 3
As the result of these discussions, King Aedh proposed leaving to Columba' s decision the vexed question, regarding the Dalriadic tribute. l8* However, the saint desired his alumnus Colman, son of Comgellan, to assume this duty, for he was well skilled in learning, sacred and mundane, while his knowledge of Ireland's history and antiquities rendered him well qualified to become an
" yonder youth," pointing
arbitrator between Erinn and Alba.
It is not I that shall give the decision,"
said
latter then
The pronounced
he,
" but
to Colman Mac l8s Comgeilain.
proceeded
to
give judgment.
186 The decision Colman
countable for their excesses.
also, from the Brehon laws, that the pupils were often the foster-children of the tutor.
rather that of allies, than of sovereign and vassal ; that it resembled more the homage
Carthage paid to Tyre, and Syracuse to Corinth, than any modern form of colonial dependence ; that a federal connexion existed by which, in timeof war, the Scots of Argyle and those of Hibernia were mutually bound to aid, assist, and defend each other. " —Thomas McGee's " llis-
l8s He was a youth, when Columba left
182
clothes, and instruction from the higher
They received certain benefits in food,
"
classes in return. In fact, the
in our modern colleges, appear to be a mo- dified continuation of this ancient system.
See Professor
Eugene O'Curry
" On the
D'Arcy Popular tory of Ireland," book i. , chap, v. , p. 35.
Manners and Customs of the Ancient Irish,"
Lect. , iv. pp, 78 79,
183 See Rev. " JeoffryKeating's History
of
and from Coleraine he went to Iona. l86 Theaccountofthistransactionistobe found in the Leabhar na h Uidhre, fol. 8,
Trinity College Manuscripts, Dublin, classed H. 2, 16.
Ireland," book ii.
184 " From the whole controversy we may
conclude that Scotland never paid political tribute to Ireland ; that their relation was
It appears,
sizarships,"
Ireland,
490 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [June 9.
was : Their expeditions and hostings were to be with the men of Erin always,
for hostings always belonged to the parent stock, their tributes, and gains, and shipping, were to be with the men of Alba. 18 ? And when visitors or men of Alba or Erin should come from the east, the Dal Riada were obliged to en- tertain them, whether few or many ; and the Dal Riada were to convey them
on, if they required it.
188 The nature of this decision, has been however,
variously stated. Some writers maintain, it was covenanted, that the Irish Dal-
riada should continue under the dominion of the King of Ireland, but that
the sister kingdom should be independent. This condition of things was
subject to the understanding, likewise, that either power should be prepared
whencalled to assist the other, in virtue of their national 18? upon, affinity.
The eloquence and reasoning of Columba finally prevailed, while the monarch of Ireland was necessitated to yield his consent with the unanimous wish of theaugustassembly. ThecolonistsinAlhawerenotonlyfreedfromodious taxation and subjection, '9° but their complete independence of Ireland and ofherkingwasunanimouslydecreed. Insteadofimposingtheintendedtribute, at the instigation of Columkille—now become his chief counsellor—Aedh ordered, that a treaty of amity and alliance, reciprocally advantageous to both the Albanian and Irish nations, should be drawn between them. St. Colum- kille, a personage no less distinguished for his sanctity than for his profound wisdom and great erudition in all learning, was appointed to draft the pro- visions of this instrument. In a few days after, a treaty was signed and publicly ratified, in presence of the national representatives. Thus happily ended that dispute. The Scoto-Irish alliance was the means for preventing those calamities of war, and its concomitant woes, which might otherwise ensue. By the above treaty, the Albanian Scots were raised from a state of tributary subjection and humiliating homage, to that of associates and of friends, with their kinsmen in Ireland. Thus it happened, that influence, educa- tion, and natural abilities, had well fitted Columkille for the great task of adjusting national differences, and for adding another realm to the empire of Christendom.
However successful was his advocacy on other points, Columba found it vain to move Aedh's clemency, towards his captive Scanlan Mor. When the questions of the Dalriadic tribute and about the existence of the bardic order had been satisfactorily settled, St. Columb then undertook to plead the cause of that young prince, who is called son to the King of Ossory. With the monarch, on the impropriety of his conduct towards this Scanlan Mor. our saintwarmlyexpostulated; but,toallhisentreaties,Aodhwasobdurate,for
,8? The matter in controversy and the award are stated, in the Preface to the Amhra Choluim Cille. See the published
facultates et damni illati mensuram, solueret familix damnum 'passse, eiusve Principi cer-
tam mulctam, quam vulgo vocant Eruic, et
Leabhar na h-Uidhre,
188 According to the Highland Society's dixeris. " "Trias Thaumaturga," Quinta
Manuscript, fol 13a. /'.
189 In relating the foregoing result, the
Vita S. Columbse, lib. iii. , cap. x. , pp. 432, 433.
pp. 5,
et
seq.
Iatine — vel mulctam sanguinariam pensionem,
following account occurs, in Prince O'Don- ""
nell's Life, as given by Colgan : Alludebat vir Sanctus ad morem apud istas gentes
multo
inol'tum nam
tempore : quando quis-
adeoque absolutique princi-
piam ex aliqua nobili familia aliquem ex alia
paris vel supparis nobilitatis familia vltra
moderamen inculpatze tutelse, vel aliqua vi
vel via interficeret, vel membro mu- injusta
tilaret ; ad feroces hominum animos a mu- "
Ogygia,"
tuis ccedibus coercendos lege sancitum erat, vt familia, ex qua homicida vel mutilator or- tus erat, iuxta numerum petsonarum ac
I9° The result was, as O'Flaherty suc- cinctly states : In quo conventu Aidanus immunitatem a pendendo Hibernice regibus tributo, liberi, —
patus eminentiam adeptus est. "
"
pars iii. , Scoriae Regum Catalogus Chrono-
logo- Gen ealogicus, p. 475.
'9I
to
tomary tribute to the monarch. '' Right
Rev. Patrick F. Moran's "Irish Saints in Great Britain," chap, iii. , p. 88.
put
According in bonds for
refusing
pay
t—he cus-
to some accounts he was
June 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 49 1
11 he imagined the prisoner was only paying the just forfeit of disobedience, ?
injuries
'92 he had committed or intended. When Aedh refused the
or of
request of our saint, Columba replied, that the Lord would liberate the prisoner for him. After this, he set out for his monastery at Derry, which was some miles distant from Dromceat. The night following his arrival there, Columba betook himself to vigil and fervent prayer, for the liberation of the captive. While thus engaged, a fearful tempest, accompanied by peals of thunder and flashes of lightning, raged among the camps of the assembly at Drumceat. Suddenly, too, a pillar of fire seemed floating in the air. This illuminated all the horizon, over the peninsula of Innishowen. The fire then movedforward,untilitrestedoverScanlan'sdungeon. Groaningunderthe weight of his chains, and altogether enfeebled and emaciated, for want of the common necessaries of life, and more especially for want of drink, Scanlan wasinstantlyrousedfromastateoflethargy,atthecallofanAngel. The well-barred doors in his depot of despotism were guarded by fifty of the strongest soldiers among the king's retainers. Notwithstanding their attachment to the monarch, they fell to the earth through fear. They were surprised to find, how the chains spontaneously fell to the ground, and that the iron-bolted doors of the prison flew open.
The captive was loudly accosted, by the
who cried out " thou art free : Prince,
of the Most
Columkille's mediation and intercession, on your behalf, have been heard, and acceded to by the Avenger of Oppression, the Fountain of Grace, and the FatherofMercies. " TheprincearoseandimmediatelyfollowedtheAngel, who served as his guide. The Dubh Regies of Derry happened to be near hisprison. Withoutanyapparentmovement,andinamoment,theheavenly messengertransferredScanlantothatmonastery. Thenhedisappearedfrom
at the nocturnal office of Lauds ; but, going out to meet Scanlan, and asking the means whereby he escaped from prison, he only received for reply the
messenger
High,
!
in safe 1^ custody.
left the
At the moment of his release, St. Columba is stated to have been engaged
sight, having
prince
words "
: Drink,
tinct occasions.
drink. " This the former on three dis- captive repeated,
St. Columba then said
:
" O Scanlan, because thy speech
is not opportune, thy posterity, although fortunate in some respects, shall not be prosperous in all. " These words, Scanlan did not receive as an oracle,
but as conveying some modified malediction, and he earnestly besought
Columbatoavertevilfromhis
Thenansweredthesaint "These
posterity.
words, which have just escaped my lips, went forth as God's decree, and they
are unalterable. However, from thy seed shall issue many princes and pre-
lates. " The soldiers, altogether astonished, ran to their monarch, and informed him of the prince's miraculous delivery, and of those circumstances
accompanying it. King Aedh then acknowledged, that the power of the Almighty was against him, and that Columkille was the peculiar favourite of
Heaven. J 9* He the saint's implored
forgiveness,
time, for his counsel and direction, while the Convention continued its session.
Some accounts have it, that while S. Columba had been attending the Con-
192 Some writers state, he endeavoured to throw off all allegiance to the Irish mon- arch.
193 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Quinta Vita S. Columbse, lib. iii. , cap. xi. , p. 433.
194 The Rev. Dr. Lanigan, however, re-
gards the foregoing story as apocryphal. See " Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. ii. ,
chap, xii. , sect, xiii. , p. 238, and nn. 215,
216, p. 243.
I95 In Mr. John Hogan's "St. Ciaran,
Patron of Ossory : A Memoir of his Life and Times," the pedigree of this Colman is drawn from Aengus Osraige, who flourished in the second century of the Christian era. See part i. , chap, vi. , p. 35. There, how- ever, Scanlan Mor is called the son of Ceann- faladh, and he is set down as seventeenth in descent, from the founder of that dynasty.
and he at the same begged,
:
492 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 9.
vention at Drumcheat, he went to visit Scanlan Mor, the son of Colman,10*
106 When the saint had
who was then detained a
blessed this captive prince, he said :
Ossory,
It is
stated,
constantly
prisoner by King Aydus. "
be of good comfort. King Aydus whose captive you now are, will depart
this life before 10? and after a little time, shall be in own you, you king your
country of Ossory for thirty years. Then shall you be chased once more out
08 These
of own and shallliveinexileforafew your kingdom you
being expired, the people will proclaim you king again, and over them you shall rule for three short terms. "'» After receiving the saint's blessing, Scanlan remained with him for three days, until his final departure for Ossory. As a
guarantee of his gratitude, the prince is said to have engaged on behalf of himself and his posterity, that they should perpetually offer a tribute to Columba and to his successors. However, according to some accounts,
Scanlan yet feared treachery from King Aedh, who had planned to intercept his paths homewards. St. Columba encouraged him to trust in the Almighty, who had already rescued him from past evils, and who would preserve him from the threatened danger. The prince was promised further protection, whichshouldbringhimsafelytoOssory. WhenScanlanwasthusliberated, after the synod of Druimceatt, St. Columba gave him his staff, called the Bachall Mor,200 to serve as his safe conduct, directing him at the same time to proceed to Dearmach, and to deliver the staff to Laisranus. 201 There it appearstohavebeenleft. 202 Afterwards,theprinceandhispeopleofOssoryfor subsequent generations proclaimed themselves the devoted clients of theirgreat Patron St. Columba. Again, it is stated, that his father died on the day of Scan- lan's arrival in Ossory, and that thereupon Scanlan assumed the sovereignty. In consideration of St. Columba's services, that prince granted a visitation every seventh year from that day to Columcille and to his successors, in
Ossory.
Colman,
2°3
This statement however is incorrect, for his father
lord Aidus 2°5 and
of
of St. Columba.
605,
died, a.
It is a that we have not
yet published
the
genuine
text of the Rev.
Irish.
141 Crimthann, son of Aedh, King of
Laighen, was slain A. D. 633, according to
486 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 9.
O'Reilly, son to Uadhagh,1^ King of Tuagtha-Taihgdean and Breifhey O'Rorke to Cliabhan Modhuirn ; Ceallach, son of Cearnach or O'Kear-
ney, son of Dubh Dothra, at Breifney ui Reilly ; Conghallach Ceann MhaguirofTyrconnell. TothisaugustmeetingalsorepairedFearguill,son of Maol-duin on Oillioch ; Guaire son to Conguill of Ulster, with both the
Kings of Oirgiall, that is to say, the renowed Daimin, son of Aongus, from Colchar Deasa to Fionn Cairn, at Sliabh Fuad, and Hugh, son of Duach Gal- lach, from Fionn Cairn, at Sliabh Fuaid, to the River Boyne. 146 No less than
nine persons named Aedh were present at this great assembly. 147
Among the
1 *8
ecclesiastics,
who were
present
at this
council,
are mentioned St.
Cuanus,
sonto St. 1^sonto anda St. son Midhorn, Garuan, ^Engus, bishop, Colman,^
'
son to Brendan, and St. Farannan. 's*
The bards had collected in all their numbers, and were present at this Convention, having taken their station near the hill of meeting. IS3 The result of a decision in their case was awaited with great anxiety. They are said to have been in danger of expulsion from the kingdom, on different occasions ; yet, each time, they found in a King of Ulster a successful advocate of their cause. O—ne of the most celebrated and — of the time was
religious poets
to Eochod, St. Baithen,15
*M
while his character and abilities gave him the greatest consideration and
influence. He is called the Poet Royal, and sometimes the Chief Ollamh, of Erinn. 'ss Thequestionofthebardsformedoneofthoseimportantsubjects, which the convention had to discuss. As we have already seen, public opinion had been justly excited against them, while the king shared the dis- like and prejudice, which their numbers, exactions and insolence had occa- sioned. Whenadiscussiononthismatterarose,Aedhcomplained,thatthey had enormously increased as a privileged class, and that their pretensions had been extravagantly asserted ; their idleness and disorderly demands were accompanied by dissolute behaviour, so that they became a burden to the
j
whole kingdom 1 *6 while their compositions in praise or disparagement of
individuals were proportioned only to the rewards received or refused. The chiefs and nobles, best able to comply with their exactions, were reluctant to incur their displeasure, lest they should become objects for their satirical verses, which in that age, were likely to send their names down to posterity, with dishonour ; while others, less deserving public esteem, were likely to be unduly praised, because they had been lavish in their gifts and benefactions to those ioving minstrels. '57 The eloquent Abbot of Iona then undertook the
Eochaidh betterknownasDalianForgall
whoattendedastheirchief;
Ulster. See Rev. Dr. O'Conor's " Rerum Hibernicarum Sciiptores," tomus iv.
146 The foregoing enumeration is found, in
Dermod O'Conor's Keating's "General His-
tory of Ireland," book ii. , p. 373. Duffy's edition.
' 4 ? There is an Irish Poem of nine Qua-
I5' SuccessoratIona,toSt. Columba,and venerated at the 9th of June.
l&3 See his Life, already given in the Second Volume of this work, at the 15th of
February, Art. ii. "M See Professor
trains beginning with <\ex> mac <\inmi]\ech "'
ceti Veil, in the Leabhar Breac, R. I. A. It refers to the nine persons named Aedh, said to have been at this Convention of Drum- ceat. Seethe published copy, contents, p. 22, and body of the book, No. CLXX. , col. 1, p. 238c.
S4 See an account of him, in Colgan's " Acta Sanctorum Hibemix," xxix. Januarii. De S. Dallano Martyre. Ex diversis, pp.
203 to 205.
,5S His Life will be found, in the First
Volume of this work, at the 29th of January, Art. v.
148
festival lias not been determined.
Among several saints of the name, his
149 His feast has been set down at the 20th of March and the 9th of July.
'5° Venerated at the 6th of September.
's6 See Thomas D'Arcy McGee's "Popu- lar History of Ireland," book i. , chap, v. , p. 34.
" On the Manners and Customs of the Ancient
Irish," vol. iii. . Lect. xxxi. , p. 245.
Eugene O'Curry,
* " One of their privileges, however,
June 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 487
advocacy of the bardic order,^8 and while leading the assembled council to right views for the correction of admitted abuses, he insisted on the preserva- tion of liberty—God's priceless gift to man—and on the cultivation of learn- ing, which teaches us to use that gift with intelligence and wisdom. He argued, that even when excess prevailed, moderation should be used, and that when evils became manifest, a remedy should be found for them in the fram- ing of just laws. He maintained, that an institution, which might be use- fully regulated, and which should be preserved for many public reasons, ought not be abolished, when its continuance could be directed under proper rules. He then advised, that the king and the national representatives at the convention should devise for the bards a code of laws, that might at once preserve their order and restrain all excesses. Their able advocate had so much influence with the monarch and his people, as to procure a satisfactory termination to that misunderstanding between them and the poets. To him- self was committed the care of framing laws,150 which should effectively restrain all admitted abuses. St. Columba procured a compromise of their suppression, in a limitation of their number apportioned to each province, and in demands, 160 which were to be of a more modest character, and which should prove less onerous to the upper classes in the state. These regulations of the
holy On this
known as Dalian
l63 is said to have written a
poem.
l64
antiquity.
lately published
separate form,
English
and forth the setting
of its
man to have been received with 161 appear general approval.
162 better It bears for its titleAmhraCholuimchille. l6s Copiesofit,largelyglossed,arepreservedinthe ** Liber Hymnorum," 166 and in the " Leabhar na h Uidhre," 16 ? which attest its
168 It has been
translation, by Professor O'Beirne Crowe. There is a Preface to be found,
occasion,
Forgaill,
Eigeas,
the celebrated Poet called Eochaidh
history
the Amhra is so old, as to have elicited from Colgan, who was an accom-
origin, ofitsarchaiclanguageandthepeculiaritiesofits style. '71 Thelanguageof
called conmed, which gave them a right to
exact refection from the tribes for themselves
and their — occasion to retinue, gave many
complaints. " Right Rev. Patrick F. Moran's " Irish Saints in Great Britain,"
chap, hi. , p. 88.
158 See " A Dictionary of Christian Bio-
graphy," &c, edited by William Smith, D. C. L. , LL. D. , and Henry Wace, M. A. , vol. i. , Art. Columba, p. 603.
155 See Right Rev. Patrick F. Moran's
"Irish Saints in Great Britain," chap, iii. , p. 88.
and the
cille, poems
160 The account of his is No. We here find two proceedings given 34.
in the Preface to that composition known as the Amhra Choluim-Cille, in Liber Hymno- rum, fol. 67a ; in the Leabhar-na-h Uidhre, fol. 8 ; in the Manuscript classed H. 2, 16,
Trinity College, Dublin, fol. 681 ; also in
the Highland Society's Manuscript Irish Life of St. Columba, fol. \zb b.
161
See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Quinta Vita S. Columbae, lib. iii. , cap. vii. , pp. 431, 432.
l6i See Harris' Ware, vol. ii. , "Writers
of Ireland," part ii. , book i. , chap, iii. , p. 20.
163 See Edward "
O'Reilly's Chronological
Account of nearly Four Hundred Irish Writers," p. xxxix.
leaves, containing a part of the Amhra Coluimcille already
mentioned.
l6? In the Leabhar na h-Uidhre at fol. 8.
In the published copies, it is at p. 5.
in a
160 in most 1 ? as also an account copies,
l64 The virtues which the Irish believed to reside in the recital of the Amhra Choluim-
several compositions,
l6s For an account of the Amhra Choluim
Cille, see Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum
Hibernise," xxix. Januarii. De S. Dallano
Martyre, cap. iv. , pp. 203, 204.
of St.
stated in the arguments prefixed to the
l66
It is classed E. 4. 2, among the Manu-
scripts of Trinity College, Dublin. No. 26. This text is shorter than the later copies; for the poem was afterwards interpolated.
l68
"
See the notices of it given in Colgan's
Trias Thaumaturga," pp. 473, 476.
l6s In the published Leabhar Breac or the
Speckled Book, there are only fragments of the Preface and Poem preserved. See pp.
238, 239.
*i° A copy of St. Dalian Forgaill's Poem
on St. Columkille is among the Hodges and
Smith collection of Irish MSS. in the Royal
Irish It is a classed Academy. 4to vellum,
No. 226.
J
7' Usually explained by glosses.
with an
Columba,
are
488 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 9.
Irish scholar, a
remarkable 1 ? 3 On this occa- acknowledgment.
very
sion, however, the holy Abbot imposed silence on Dalian Forghaill, by saying
plished
that only the dead should receive praise for their good actions in this life, and he forbade the poet to repeat that poem, so long as Columba himself should
1 ^
remain in the land of the
To St. Columba's defence of the bards of Drumceat may we credit, in a
great degree, that learning, which in after years made Ireland the lamp of
Europe, and her sons the great evangelists of science and literature, in various lands on the continent. New rules were framed for their class, and under proper regulations, they were to be continued as an important national institu- tion. T74 Aspecial Ollamh, or Doctor of Literature, was assigned to the monarch, as also to each of the provincial kings, chiefs, and lords of territo-
living.
ries. Each Ollamh had been assigned free lands, as a salary from his chief, J
with a grant of inviolability to his person. 75 Sanctuary for his house and lands, from the monarch and men of Erinn at large, was a privilege afforded them, and one of no small importance in times of disturbance. The meeting at Drom Ceat is said to have been the last great occasion, on which the code
16
of laws and the general system of education were revised. ? For those persons,
who desired to become learned in history, antiquities, literature, or in such of
the sciences as were then cultivated in the land, universities were to be estab-
lished and maintained. Lands and revenues were provided for their support.
Great national and ecclesiastical schools and J " about this literary colleges
time had been formed around men of individual celebrity as teachers. They began to cover the land with a number of monastic and of other houses, which were often resorted to by the sons of princes and nobles. Tutors and pupils '78 had come into Ireland from all parts of Europe. To Dalian the inauguration
and direction of the new colleges are said to have been assigned, ^
for St.
Columba himself could not afford time to regulate all the details of adminis-
tration. Eochaidh appointed presidents for the different provinces. For
Meath and Crioch Breagh, he appointed Aedh Eigeas or Hugh the Poet ; to
both divisions of Munster he assigned Urmaol, the Arch-poet and scholar ;
forConnaughtheappointedSeanchanMacUairfertaigh; andtoUlsterhe
nominated Ferbh Mac l8° The of was then Miredhaigh. profession teaching
regulated by certain enactments. Although the teacher's authority was ren-
dered very absolute in his school ; yet, was he held excused from the crimes
of his pupils, provided their parents resided in his district, and paid him for
their 81 The sons of chiefs and of learning. '
were
literature, but horsemanship, chess, swimming, and the use of arms, chiefly
172 " Est penes me unum exemplar hujus operis egregie scriptum, sed seclusis fusis, quos habet annexos Commentariis, hod—ie
I? 7 As in the cases of Masruidh or Mas-
raighe and Maigh Sleachta in Breifne, and of
Rath-Ceannaiuh, in Meath. See Dermod
O Connor's Keating's "General History
of book edi- Ireland," ii. , p. 380. Duffy's
tion.
1?
8 These came to communicate or to seek
knowledge in a country, then believed to be the most advanced in civilization of
the age.
'? J See Professor Eugene O'Curry "On
paucis, iisque peritissimis, penetrabile. "
"Acta Sanctorum Hibernise," xxix. De S. Dallano Martyre, n. 12, p.
Colgan's
204.
'" See Right Rev. Patrick F. Moran's
"Irish Saints in Great Britain," chap, iii. , p. 88.
*7« See John O'Hart's "Irish Pedigrees;
or, the Origin and Stem of the Irish the Manners and Customs of the Ancient
Nation," Second Series, Appendix 4, p. 361. Dublin, 1878, 8vo.
Irish," vol. ii. , Lect. iv. , p. 78.
l8° "
'" See Rev. Jeoffry Keating's "History ofIreland,"bookii. ReignofAodh.
History of Ireland," book ii. Reign of Aedh.
l8' Soitwas,likewise,if, athisownex- '"6 See Professor Eugene O'Curry "On pense, he fed, clothed and instructed the the Manners and Customs of the 'Ancient children of strangers ; yet, if he were paid Irish," vol. ii. , Lect. iv. , p. 78. for these boarders, the teachers was held ac-
gentlemen
taught,
not
only
See Rev. Jeoffry Keating's
June 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINST. 489
casting the spear. Their daughters were taught sewing, cutting, or fashioning, and ornamentation, or embroidery. The sons of the agricultural and pastoral class were not taught horsemanship, nor did they wear the same clothes as those classes above them. In the law, all this code had a distinct reference to public schools. There the sons of the humbler classes waited on the sons
182
of the upper classes.
A formal discussion, at Drumceat, regarding the historic and political
relations, with the several treaties of amity and alliance, between the parent state and the Dalriadian Scots, was entered upon, as the subject of greatest interestandimportance. ThemonarchofIrelandclaimedthetributedueto him, in consequence of heavy expenses incurred, for the general defence and interests of all the Irish provinces and territories. Aedh forgot not to urge, that prescriptive right which he had, from the first plantation of the Dalria- dian colony in Scotland, to the tribute paid his predecessors. Aedh insisted, likewise, on the obligation he incurred, by virtue of his coronation oath, to transmit for his heirs and successors the crown and dominion of Ireland, unimpaired in their integrity and efficiency. To these, and to such other argu- ments, Aidan, Prince of the Dalriadian Scots, replied, in a long, argumenta- tive,andanimatedspeech. Hiseloquencewasnaturallyengaged,indefending theinterestsandfreedomoftheDalriadians. Aftertheforegoingarguments of the Scottish King, Columba began by taking a luminous view, regarding the natural state and relations of both countries, and added his remonstrances, by stating, that it should be a departure from the established usages of his predecessors, if Aedh attempted to transport an Irish army into Scotland, or to impose a tax or a tribute on the Dalriadians, who were honourably allied to their parent country and race, and who were ever ready to assist the Irish with their arms, and bravely to expose their lives in a just war for their defence. He maintained, moreover, that war declared against them should be an encroachment on the rights and privileges of the Scots, while Provi- dence seemed to have taken the Dalriadians under peculiar protection, and would undoubtedly avenge on the unjust aggressors those wrongs and oppres- sions they might seek to inflict on an innocent people and on a friendly nation. l8 3
As the result of these discussions, King Aedh proposed leaving to Columba' s decision the vexed question, regarding the Dalriadic tribute. l8* However, the saint desired his alumnus Colman, son of Comgellan, to assume this duty, for he was well skilled in learning, sacred and mundane, while his knowledge of Ireland's history and antiquities rendered him well qualified to become an
" yonder youth," pointing
arbitrator between Erinn and Alba.
It is not I that shall give the decision,"
said
latter then
The pronounced
he,
" but
to Colman Mac l8s Comgeilain.
proceeded
to
give judgment.
186 The decision Colman
countable for their excesses.
also, from the Brehon laws, that the pupils were often the foster-children of the tutor.
rather that of allies, than of sovereign and vassal ; that it resembled more the homage
Carthage paid to Tyre, and Syracuse to Corinth, than any modern form of colonial dependence ; that a federal connexion existed by which, in timeof war, the Scots of Argyle and those of Hibernia were mutually bound to aid, assist, and defend each other. " —Thomas McGee's " llis-
l8s He was a youth, when Columba left
182
clothes, and instruction from the higher
They received certain benefits in food,
"
classes in return. In fact, the
in our modern colleges, appear to be a mo- dified continuation of this ancient system.
See Professor
Eugene O'Curry
" On the
D'Arcy Popular tory of Ireland," book i. , chap, v. , p. 35.
Manners and Customs of the Ancient Irish,"
Lect. , iv. pp, 78 79,
183 See Rev. " JeoffryKeating's History
of
and from Coleraine he went to Iona. l86 Theaccountofthistransactionistobe found in the Leabhar na h Uidhre, fol. 8,
Trinity College Manuscripts, Dublin, classed H. 2, 16.
Ireland," book ii.
184 " From the whole controversy we may
conclude that Scotland never paid political tribute to Ireland ; that their relation was
It appears,
sizarships,"
Ireland,
490 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [June 9.
was : Their expeditions and hostings were to be with the men of Erin always,
for hostings always belonged to the parent stock, their tributes, and gains, and shipping, were to be with the men of Alba. 18 ? And when visitors or men of Alba or Erin should come from the east, the Dal Riada were obliged to en- tertain them, whether few or many ; and the Dal Riada were to convey them
on, if they required it.
188 The nature of this decision, has been however,
variously stated. Some writers maintain, it was covenanted, that the Irish Dal-
riada should continue under the dominion of the King of Ireland, but that
the sister kingdom should be independent. This condition of things was
subject to the understanding, likewise, that either power should be prepared
whencalled to assist the other, in virtue of their national 18? upon, affinity.
The eloquence and reasoning of Columba finally prevailed, while the monarch of Ireland was necessitated to yield his consent with the unanimous wish of theaugustassembly. ThecolonistsinAlhawerenotonlyfreedfromodious taxation and subjection, '9° but their complete independence of Ireland and ofherkingwasunanimouslydecreed. Insteadofimposingtheintendedtribute, at the instigation of Columkille—now become his chief counsellor—Aedh ordered, that a treaty of amity and alliance, reciprocally advantageous to both the Albanian and Irish nations, should be drawn between them. St. Colum- kille, a personage no less distinguished for his sanctity than for his profound wisdom and great erudition in all learning, was appointed to draft the pro- visions of this instrument. In a few days after, a treaty was signed and publicly ratified, in presence of the national representatives. Thus happily ended that dispute. The Scoto-Irish alliance was the means for preventing those calamities of war, and its concomitant woes, which might otherwise ensue. By the above treaty, the Albanian Scots were raised from a state of tributary subjection and humiliating homage, to that of associates and of friends, with their kinsmen in Ireland. Thus it happened, that influence, educa- tion, and natural abilities, had well fitted Columkille for the great task of adjusting national differences, and for adding another realm to the empire of Christendom.
However successful was his advocacy on other points, Columba found it vain to move Aedh's clemency, towards his captive Scanlan Mor. When the questions of the Dalriadic tribute and about the existence of the bardic order had been satisfactorily settled, St. Columb then undertook to plead the cause of that young prince, who is called son to the King of Ossory. With the monarch, on the impropriety of his conduct towards this Scanlan Mor. our saintwarmlyexpostulated; but,toallhisentreaties,Aodhwasobdurate,for
,8? The matter in controversy and the award are stated, in the Preface to the Amhra Choluim Cille. See the published
facultates et damni illati mensuram, solueret familix damnum 'passse, eiusve Principi cer-
tam mulctam, quam vulgo vocant Eruic, et
Leabhar na h-Uidhre,
188 According to the Highland Society's dixeris. " "Trias Thaumaturga," Quinta
Manuscript, fol 13a. /'.
189 In relating the foregoing result, the
Vita S. Columbse, lib. iii. , cap. x. , pp. 432, 433.
pp. 5,
et
seq.
Iatine — vel mulctam sanguinariam pensionem,
following account occurs, in Prince O'Don- ""
nell's Life, as given by Colgan : Alludebat vir Sanctus ad morem apud istas gentes
multo
inol'tum nam
tempore : quando quis-
adeoque absolutique princi-
piam ex aliqua nobili familia aliquem ex alia
paris vel supparis nobilitatis familia vltra
moderamen inculpatze tutelse, vel aliqua vi
vel via interficeret, vel membro mu- injusta
tilaret ; ad feroces hominum animos a mu- "
Ogygia,"
tuis ccedibus coercendos lege sancitum erat, vt familia, ex qua homicida vel mutilator or- tus erat, iuxta numerum petsonarum ac
I9° The result was, as O'Flaherty suc- cinctly states : In quo conventu Aidanus immunitatem a pendendo Hibernice regibus tributo, liberi, —
patus eminentiam adeptus est. "
"
pars iii. , Scoriae Regum Catalogus Chrono-
logo- Gen ealogicus, p. 475.
'9I
to
tomary tribute to the monarch. '' Right
Rev. Patrick F. Moran's "Irish Saints in Great Britain," chap, iii. , p. 88.
put
According in bonds for
refusing
pay
t—he cus-
to some accounts he was
June 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 49 1
11 he imagined the prisoner was only paying the just forfeit of disobedience, ?
injuries
'92 he had committed or intended. When Aedh refused the
or of
request of our saint, Columba replied, that the Lord would liberate the prisoner for him. After this, he set out for his monastery at Derry, which was some miles distant from Dromceat. The night following his arrival there, Columba betook himself to vigil and fervent prayer, for the liberation of the captive. While thus engaged, a fearful tempest, accompanied by peals of thunder and flashes of lightning, raged among the camps of the assembly at Drumceat. Suddenly, too, a pillar of fire seemed floating in the air. This illuminated all the horizon, over the peninsula of Innishowen. The fire then movedforward,untilitrestedoverScanlan'sdungeon. Groaningunderthe weight of his chains, and altogether enfeebled and emaciated, for want of the common necessaries of life, and more especially for want of drink, Scanlan wasinstantlyrousedfromastateoflethargy,atthecallofanAngel. The well-barred doors in his depot of despotism were guarded by fifty of the strongest soldiers among the king's retainers. Notwithstanding their attachment to the monarch, they fell to the earth through fear. They were surprised to find, how the chains spontaneously fell to the ground, and that the iron-bolted doors of the prison flew open.
The captive was loudly accosted, by the
who cried out " thou art free : Prince,
of the Most
Columkille's mediation and intercession, on your behalf, have been heard, and acceded to by the Avenger of Oppression, the Fountain of Grace, and the FatherofMercies. " TheprincearoseandimmediatelyfollowedtheAngel, who served as his guide. The Dubh Regies of Derry happened to be near hisprison. Withoutanyapparentmovement,andinamoment,theheavenly messengertransferredScanlantothatmonastery. Thenhedisappearedfrom
at the nocturnal office of Lauds ; but, going out to meet Scanlan, and asking the means whereby he escaped from prison, he only received for reply the
messenger
High,
!
in safe 1^ custody.
left the
At the moment of his release, St. Columba is stated to have been engaged
sight, having
prince
words "
: Drink,
tinct occasions.
drink. " This the former on three dis- captive repeated,
St. Columba then said
:
" O Scanlan, because thy speech
is not opportune, thy posterity, although fortunate in some respects, shall not be prosperous in all. " These words, Scanlan did not receive as an oracle,
but as conveying some modified malediction, and he earnestly besought
Columbatoavertevilfromhis
Thenansweredthesaint "These
posterity.
words, which have just escaped my lips, went forth as God's decree, and they
are unalterable. However, from thy seed shall issue many princes and pre-
lates. " The soldiers, altogether astonished, ran to their monarch, and informed him of the prince's miraculous delivery, and of those circumstances
accompanying it. King Aedh then acknowledged, that the power of the Almighty was against him, and that Columkille was the peculiar favourite of
Heaven. J 9* He the saint's implored
forgiveness,
time, for his counsel and direction, while the Convention continued its session.
Some accounts have it, that while S. Columba had been attending the Con-
192 Some writers state, he endeavoured to throw off all allegiance to the Irish mon- arch.
193 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Quinta Vita S. Columbse, lib. iii. , cap. xi. , p. 433.
194 The Rev. Dr. Lanigan, however, re-
gards the foregoing story as apocryphal. See " Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. ii. ,
chap, xii. , sect, xiii. , p. 238, and nn. 215,
216, p. 243.
I95 In Mr. John Hogan's "St. Ciaran,
Patron of Ossory : A Memoir of his Life and Times," the pedigree of this Colman is drawn from Aengus Osraige, who flourished in the second century of the Christian era. See part i. , chap, vi. , p. 35. There, how- ever, Scanlan Mor is called the son of Ceann- faladh, and he is set down as seventeenth in descent, from the founder of that dynasty.
and he at the same begged,
:
492 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 9.
vention at Drumcheat, he went to visit Scanlan Mor, the son of Colman,10*
106 When the saint had
who was then detained a
blessed this captive prince, he said :
Ossory,
It is
stated,
constantly
prisoner by King Aydus. "
be of good comfort. King Aydus whose captive you now are, will depart
this life before 10? and after a little time, shall be in own you, you king your
country of Ossory for thirty years. Then shall you be chased once more out
08 These
of own and shallliveinexileforafew your kingdom you
being expired, the people will proclaim you king again, and over them you shall rule for three short terms. "'» After receiving the saint's blessing, Scanlan remained with him for three days, until his final departure for Ossory. As a
guarantee of his gratitude, the prince is said to have engaged on behalf of himself and his posterity, that they should perpetually offer a tribute to Columba and to his successors. However, according to some accounts,
Scanlan yet feared treachery from King Aedh, who had planned to intercept his paths homewards. St. Columba encouraged him to trust in the Almighty, who had already rescued him from past evils, and who would preserve him from the threatened danger. The prince was promised further protection, whichshouldbringhimsafelytoOssory. WhenScanlanwasthusliberated, after the synod of Druimceatt, St. Columba gave him his staff, called the Bachall Mor,200 to serve as his safe conduct, directing him at the same time to proceed to Dearmach, and to deliver the staff to Laisranus. 201 There it appearstohavebeenleft. 202 Afterwards,theprinceandhispeopleofOssoryfor subsequent generations proclaimed themselves the devoted clients of theirgreat Patron St. Columba. Again, it is stated, that his father died on the day of Scan- lan's arrival in Ossory, and that thereupon Scanlan assumed the sovereignty. In consideration of St. Columba's services, that prince granted a visitation every seventh year from that day to Columcille and to his successors, in
Ossory.
Colman,
2°3
This statement however is incorrect, for his father
lord Aidus 2°5 and
of
of St. Columba.
605,
died, a.
