39 Some
accounts
have it, indeed, that St.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v3
The blessed Apostle, knowing by Divine inspiration the holy virgin's desire, commanded her to go, and to bring that sheet, wherein the illustrious womanwouldhavehisbodywrapt.
HethenwenttothemonasteryofSaul, where falling sick, he expected the end of this life, or rather the beginning of another life that hath no end.
The holy virgin Brigid was so wearied with the length and difficulty of her journey, that she could not come to him, so soon as she purposed.
3° The Blessed Bishop, knowing in what distress the pious virgin was, sent chariots, to meet herself, and four other pious virgins, coming to Saul, where the saint lay sick.
She soon presented him with the
=*
Jocelyn adds the following words : si proxima essem, vestimentum dedissem. "Therefore, remember thy word, where- Beatus vero Patricius respondit ; expectabit
with thou gayest hope unto thy first con- verts, the sons of Dichu, when instructed of heaven, thou didst foretel unto them, that in their land thou wouldst die and be buried. "
egens : venias. Quedam vero sanctimoniahs
Virgo B. Brigidam de paupere secreto sci- scitata est. Cui Brigida ait ; Sanctus Pater noster Patricius proximo huic loco sepultus jacebit ; et non post multum ad alterum transferetur, ibique sanctum ipsius et vene- rabile corpus requiescet. "
=*
Nothing seems to be known with certainty, regarding this saint, who is also called Cethuberis. Some other variations of her name occur. See Sexta Vita S. Patricii, nn. 82, 181, pp. 112, 116.
=' She was the first nun, in all Ireland, who had embraced virginity, and who liad been consecrated by St. Patrick,
*7 The Fourth Life has it, that the multi- tude there " quidam beatam Brigidam inter- rogant," as if she were distinct from the great Patroness of Ireland. Then, however, do we read " Quae respondit Non me
:;
sed S. Patricium interrogate. Audiens autem Patricius S. Brigidam loquentem dixit ; ^qualiter sumus : quapropter liujus rei mysterium revela prassentibus. At illi ilia
inquit j Angeli sui est visitatio cujusdam . sancti viri ad locum sepulchri ejus, quo cor-
Patricius deinde
ait, animam fore propriori in loco, qui ves-
3" The Fourth Life of St. Patrick
puto
tern quiescent! dabit. Brigida dixit j Ego for this purpose, with five virgins, when
pus ejus requiescet.
states, that she journeyed to the plain of Bregia,
March 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 7^3
sheet, which he received very gratefully. Then, kissing his feet and hands, she and her virgins received his last benediction.
Spent in years, and weakness of body coming on him, as closed the gate of life on earth, the portals of Heaven began to open before Patrick's view, bring- ingthecrowntoreleasehimfromallinfirmity. TheAngelhadadmonished the holy man, to receive the last Sacraments, at the hands of his disciple St. Tassach,3itheBishop. 3^ Elevatinghiseyes,PatricksawJesus,standinginthe midst of a multitude of Angels. Then, blessing his disciples, and rendering thanks to God, he passed out of this life, resigning his spirit to Heaven. Thus was he destined to see the Lord, face to face. His blessed soul was received into the joy of life supernal, by the all-immaculate Virgin, the Mother of God, and by sacred choirs of Virgins, with the Patriarchs, Apostles, Martyrs, Confessors, and the Angels. No wonder that he was honoured by all the saints, since there shone in him the virtues of all the saints. An Angel he was, not alone by nature, but by his virtues and office ; for, his lips kept science, and the law of life, which he taught to the people. He was a Prophet, for few of the Prophets were imbued with a greater foresight of future things. He may well be regarded as an Apostle, for everywhere in Ireland, and in the neighbouring Islands, it is said, he left proofs of his Apostle- ship. AMartyrhewas,inregardofthemanyconflictshehadagainstkings, Magicians, Idolaters, and Devils, even although his life was spared, notwith- standing his many trials. Rightly was he called the Confessor of God, who continually preached the name of Christ, and who, by his words, his example, and his miracles, excited people, tribes and tongues, to the confession of God's name, against human sin, and in favour of the Divine promise. Rightly was he called a virgin, who remained a virgin in his body, in his heart, and in his faith, and by his three-fold virginity, who pleased the Spouse of virgins, and the Virgin of virgins. Rightly is he numbered among the angelic choirs, and the assemblies of all saints, who was the sharer in all holy acts, and the exemplar of all virtues. It has been stated, that for three-and-thirty years, he gave himself to the sweet rest of contemplation, either at Armagh, or at Saul monastery. During this time, he never went abroad, according to the same authority,
unless it were for great affairs. It is said, he held a Council once each year, for the redress of existing abuses, or to serve the good government of those churches he had founded. ^3 Notwithstanding the foregoing statement, we
all sat down "ad
they wearied, lapidem
Ailbe. " No attempt has hitherto been made to discover this ancient monument.
" Tassach remained after him (in
having given the Communion to him :
3' The Third Life has "dedit ei sacrifi-
cium Episcopus Tassach. "—Cap. Ixxxix. , p. — 28, and n. 86, p. 35. So state the O'Clerys,
HesaidthatPatrickwouldreturn: the wordofTassachwasnotfalse. " .
likewise, in their Calendar, where they add, pp. 290, 291. See also Colgan's "Trias ""
This is related in the Quatrain, beginning :
'The royal Bishop Tasach,'" &c. His Natal Day was held, on the 14th of April, according to St. ^ngus, the Martyrologies of Tallagh and of Marianus O'Gorman, at Rath-Colptha, or Kill-Chlopta, near Down.
3^ In —St. Fiech's Hymn, this matter is thus
Thaumaturga, Prima Vita S. Patricii, Strophe 27, p. 3, and n. (jid,) of the Scho- liast, as, also, n. 19, p. 6. See, also, Quinta Vita S. Patricii, lib. ii. , cap. xxxv. , p. 60, and n. 35, p. 64.
stated
:
-AiiAif CAffAch TDiAef incAtt 00 bei\C com- niAn 06,
<Xfbei\c TnomcT^et) pAci\Aicc, b|MAcliAt\ Ca]^ai5 nii\ bu 50.
26, and nn. (,aa. bb. cc), pp. 6,
It is thus rendered into English :—
"Irish Ecclesiastical Record,"
vol.
iv. ,
33 See Colgan's
"
Trias Thaumaturga,"
Prima Vita S. Patricii, strophes 23, 24, 25.
p. 3, 5, Tertia Vita S. Patricii, cap. Ixxxviii. , Ixxxix. , p. 28, and n. 82, p. 34. Quarta Vita S. Patricii, cap. xci. , xciii. , xciv. , pp. 46, 47, and nn. 74,_ 75, p. 50. Quinta Vita S. Patricii, lib. ii. , cap. xxxii. , xxxv. , xxxvii. , p. 60. Sexta Vita S. Patricii, cap.
Sabhall),
784 LiVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March i^.
can hardly believe, that St. Patrick spent the last thirty years of his life, at Saul. Another St. Patrick is said to have died, and about the same time with thegreatApostle,whenboththeirsoulswenttogethertoHeaven. 34 Asthe name of St. Patrick of Nola35 could not have been known to St. Fiach, it appears, he could not have been that other Patrick, to whom he made allusion. Again, the Patrick Senior, having had his day assigned to the 24th of August, excludes him from consideration ; although, the Scholiast on St. -^ngus seems to have thus understood it ; but, his assertion has been well corrected by Colgan. For a precisely similar reason, he could not have been a St. Patrick of Nevers. s^ It must be remarked, however, that Colgan, while confounding Nivernensis with Arvernensis, says, Patricius Nivernensis was revered, on the i6th of March, Now, in some old Martyrologies, a St, Patrick of Auvergne has a festival placed, at that particular date. 3? This might have furnished occasion for supposing him to have ascended to Heaven, and nearly on the same day with our great Apostle. But, excellent critics, who have examined this question, seem to think, that through some error of entry in the Calendars, St. Patrick of Auvergne must be deemed identical with the great Apostle of Ireland. All our authorities are agreed, that the latter departed this life, on the 17th day of March ; and, according to one account,thishappenedjustsevendays,afterhehadreturnedtoSaul. s^ We have already alluded to a supposition, that the Irish Apostle spent his last days
clxxxvii. , clxxxviii. , clxxxix. , cxc, cxci. , pp. 106, 107. The Latin Tripartite Life of St. Patrick, lib. iii. , cap. ci. , cii. , ciii. , pp. 167, 168. Also, the Irish Version of the Tripartite, as translated in Miss Cusack's "Life of St. Patrick, Apostle of Ireland," PP- 497. 498.
3< The matt—er is thus stated, in the Hymn
tandem putat errore prsetermissum, nisi alte- rius fortassis civitatis Episcopus fuerit.
Joannes Savaro, vir eruditiis, in Originibus Arvernensibus, cusis et remsis late hoc
dtibium deducit, asseritqiie nullum vestigium esse apud Arvernos nominis, reliquiarum, aut alicujus cultus S. Patricii Episcopi, sed
hunc in praedictis Martyrologiis allegatum
of St. Fiech
:
IncAti conhuAlAi pAc^vaic, a-o e\X& iti pACi\Aicc riAiLe,
ll* mAtle connubAcbfAC, •Dochvim n1fu meicc mAi|\e.
This stanza is thus rendered into Eng- lish :—
alium non esse S. Patricium quam
fuisse nomen depositionis, quod absque ulte- •* When Patrick departed (from life), he riore examine potuit descriptum deinceps
went to visit the other Patrick ; Together they ascended to Jesus, Son of
Mary. "
Irish Ecclesiastical Record," vol. iv. , pp. 292, 293.
3S He is mentioned, in Ferrarius' " Cata- logus Sanctorum Italic. " But, Ughelli supposes him to be the Irish St, Patrick. See " Italia Sacra," tomus vi.
fuisse, Tamaius Salazar in Martyrolog. Hispan. arreptd hac occasione dubitantium aut reijcientium S. Patricium Aruernensium Episcopum, statuit eum fuisse Patricium Episcopum Malacitanum in Baetica, qui in- ierfuit Co7icilio Illiberitano. Vertim hunc Malacitani non agnoscunt Sanctum, ut con- stat ex libra Martini de Rod de Malacd urbe et ejus Sanctis. Plura de eo non occurrunt,"
^ Probus thus writes
dicta post septim dies, in die scilicet xvi. Calend. Aprilis expleta sunt circa B. Pa- tricium, peractis totius vits ejus cxxx. duo-
—"
" Hasc Angeli tomus ii. , xvi. Martii, among the Sancti bus annis, s—icut in omnibus Hibemise finibus
3* A Patricius Nivernensis is noticed, in the Usuard and in the Roman Martyrologies. 37 In the Bollandists' " Acta Sanctorum,"
Praetermissi et in alios dies relati, p. 417, celebratur. " Quinta Vita S. Patricii,
"
Epis- copum Hibernise, sive Hiverniae, pro qud voce alibi substitutam fuisse Arverniae, sive
Averniae, maxime cum prima loco apud Usuardum sequenti die legatur, Natalis S. Patricii Episcopi et Confessoris in Scotia ; a quo die ob ejus Vigiliam ad ultimum hujus diei locum potuit in nonnullus fastis irans- latusfuisse, ac tandem loco Vigilias intrusum
lib.
S. Patricii Episcopi et ii. , cap. xxxiii. , p. 60. Colgan, however, fancies, that the error of a copyist must have put cxxx, for cxx, as the latter number best accords with the general statement of his
they thus notice :
Confessoris depositio Avernis, sive Arvernis,
memoratur apud Usuardum, Bellinum, Gale-
sinium, et in hodierno Martyrol. Rom. in
ctijus Noiis liaeret dubius Baronius cum inter
episcopos Arvernenses non recenseatur, d n. 33, p. 64, ibid.
biographers, while it is more probable. See
:
March 7-] LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. ^S5
at Glastonbury, and that there he had been interred.
39 Some accounts have it, indeed, that St. Patrick ha—d been buried, in the old church of Glastonbury, on the right side of the altar an Angel having revealed God's will to this effect, and a great light or flame breaking out of the same place. Here, the holy body was placed, in a pyramidical tomb, richly covered with silver and gold. 4° However, the foregoing tradition must have reference to a St. Patrick, quite distinct from the Irish Apostle.
A number of monks stood around the bed of their holy founder, while
the dying Apostle commended his soul to tlie Almighty ; and, they wrapped around him that shroud, prepared by the hands of St. ]3rigid. A very great multitude of clergy and laity flocked to the place f^ where, Avith tears and sighs, they mourned for the desolation occasioned to the Irish Church. Yet,
they were consoled, as on the very first night, after his departure, the Angels of the Lord of Elements watched Patrick's body, a miraculous light having spread all over the placCj^^ and a wonderful melody chiming with their
spiritual
chants. 'fs The mortals who were seemed ravished with the present
sights and sounds, until sleep stole over them ;44 but, on the following morn-
ing, those Angels disappeared, when they awoke, and fragrant odours of Divine Grace were typified by those, which issued from the sacred body -p while the angelic music'*'^ gave tranquillity and joy to the chief clerics of the men of Erin, who watched47the body for twelve days and nights, following his death. ^^ During this period, a great controversy had arisen, among the clergy and people, regarding the place where he should be interred. This, like many
35 See also, Harris' Ware, vol.
" Arch-
^mni lAOpCA^NAt),
bishops of Armagh," pp. 22, 23.
'•° His memoiy is said to have been so
anions there, that the cliinxli was called St.
and St. Patrick's while his relics JNIary's ;
were kept, until the old structure was burned. About A. D; 1 186, they were taken up, -H-itli
AingiL 'Oe icec Ai'oche, A]\to|:cci]' ccn AH AX).
—
" Patrick's from his soul was severed body
after pains ;
The angels of God, on the first night, kept
choir around it unceasingly. "
those of St. Giklas, and of others, when
they
were put into shrines, and translated into
the new church. See Father Peter Riba-
"
lated by W. P. , Esq. , part i. , p. 159.
deneira's
Lives of the Saints," &c. , trans-
't'
Acc—ording
to St. Fiach's
Flymn, 31st
'*'* Probus
that on the first
stanza
:
the
celebrated
cieiAich liO|\eiiii Dollot:A|A, •oaiim Pacjaaicc A'p cech yec,
Son in cecAib UA'oib ]:o|\ I'cc.
concuib cAcli
" The
to watcli around Patrick,
clergy
of Erin went from
every part
'|-o]^]\obAic1i,
It is thus rendered into English :—
The sound of harmony fell upon them, so that they slept, enchanted on the
way. "
•*- This
l^revalent,
in all Catholic countries. It was
have
considered an act of t—o
respect, keep lights
report may lights, during
waked. Those were more or less numerous, according to the rank of deceased persons. They were used, likewise, in funeral pro-
i. ,
pAC]\Aicc fi^iA cho|\p, \\ ia]a pocAib
from the the time of Divine
arisen,
use of
service, and while the sacred body was church or a chapel where it was deposited,
cessions. See " Bingham's Origines
Eccle-
iv. ,
siasticas," book xxiii. , chap. 2.
''3 The Hymn of St. Fiach states, at the
32nd stanza ;^
It is thus rendered into English :
relates, obsequies being
XXXvi. , p. 60.
*= The Irish Life, in allusion to Tripartite
this miracle, remarks, that the blessing of Jacob to his son was kept regarding him, i. e. " Ecce odor tilii mei sicut odor agri
j^leni, quern benedixit dicens," &c.
•**' Whether the coiicentus of St. supcriii
Fiech's Hymn refer to Angels, or to clerics, does not seem to be very clear. See Prima
Vita S. Patricii, stanzas 31, 32, p. 3.
''^ This custom of holding wakes is still
night, by Angels, the clergy and people suddenly fell asleep. vSee Quinta Vita S. Patricii, lib. ii. , cap.
around a
n the i—
a
and watched until the time of burial. Con- stantine's body was surrounded with lights, and watched for several days and nights. SeeEusebius' "VitaConstantini,"lib. cap. Ixvi. Hence came what are called waives.
t** St. Gregory of Nyssa says, that the 3D
corpse
place regularly
786 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 17.
another event in the Apostle's Acts, was determined by Divine interposition. It would seem, that services of more than usual magnificence and solemnity were employed, in the waking and interment of this great founder of the Irish Church. For twelve days,'»9 and as many nights, the solemnities for waking theholyApostleofIrelandwerecontinued. 5° Themonksandthedivines sang requiem hymns, and psalms, with canticles, appropriate for the occasion. ^* An extraordinary portent betokened his happiness. There was no night, for the people of Magh-Inis, during that whole interval ;52 while, an angelic illuminationseemeddiffusedovertheentirefirmament. Someevenstated,
persons watching the body of his sister Ma- "htiAi^ Afi'oich Ia Vl6fu ing^iAn, ^^m bAf crina sang psalms during the whole night. niriA cL6en,
See Vita Macrinse. To this singing by CiAfu ch|\ebt\ech bA huifr^j foillp >'l\i
night, during the obsequies of St. Patrick, is probably to be referred what we find in
Fiech's Hymn, at stroph. 31, in Colgan's
eici'echc ha noeb.
They are thus rendered into English :
" He (St. Patrick) put an end to night ; light ceased not with him ;
To a year's end there was radiance ; it wasalongdayofpeace.
" At the battle fought around Beth-horou against the Canaanites by the son of Nun
"
superni reddebat ipsos sopore irruente ubi
Latin translation :
Sonus concentus
humi decumbentes.
"
By concentus superni,
we may understand, "singing psalms and "
hymns, thisbeingasortofcelestialmusic.
In Lynch's translation, we have, instead of concentus superni, the "musical instru- ment. " Could it be that instrumental music was allowed, at the obsequies of our saint ? This should form a singular exception to the Church's practice in those days. Although the Jews, in their watchings or wakes of the dead, had that custom (Matt. ix. 23. ) ; yet, among Christians, no other than vocal music seems to have been allowed in their religious ceremonies, at least until a period, much later than that of St. Patrick's death. Dr. Lanigan tells us, that he knew too little of the Irish language, to be able to unravel that obscure passage ; but, if anything like a musical instrument were mentioned in it,
he should be—inclined to think, that it was either a bell for —the use of bells was very ancient in Ireland or some sonorous in- strument, such as the trumpets of those ancient Egyptian monks, by which the time for attending service was announced. The effect of this instrumental sound or noise should be, to rouse people from their sleep, not to bury them in sleep, as Lynch's trans- lation runs.
•sjocelyn, at cap. cxciii. , ^. 108, and
Probus —have (lib. ii. , cap. xxxiv. ), p. 60,
this statement. The —Life both Tripartite
'*
The sun stood still at Gabaon : this it is that the Scripture tells us.
The sun lasted with Josue, unto the death
of the wicked : this indeed was be-
fitting ;
It was more befitting that there should be
radiance, at the death of the saints. "
Vita S.
the Latin and Irish version is also of This account seems to have been borrowed
accord. See lib. iii. , cv. , 168. cap. p.
5° —
In St. Fiach's Hymn, stanzas 28, 29,
from the words of Fiech's " Hymn :
Spatio Prima
30, the matter is thus related
SAniAigef ciMcli \\A Ai'ochi, <\]\ riA cAice Lei' occAi,
Co cenn bliA'onA bAi foiLlfe, bA he pcli I/Aiche focAi.
1n cAch ^. -echcA iinbec1ii\on, \\a cuaicIi CAiiAn l,A in AC nuin,
^I'^oicli 111 5i\iAn ppi SAbori iffet) atji-cic ucc^xi 'oun.
Vita S.
translation has :
—from the 17th March—"continued the
:
Patricii,
28, p. 3. Lynch's Till the year's end," viz.
S' This mode of celebrating funeral ob- sequies seems to have been an ancient practice, in the Christian Church, Thus,
St. Jerome, in Epitaph. Fabiolas, cap. iv. , "
Sona- baijt Psalmi, et aurata templorum tecta re-
thus describes her funeral service
:
boans in sublime quatiebat Alleluia. "
s= In the Hymn of St. Fiech, it is com- pared to the long day caused by the stand- ing of the sun for Joshua against Gabaon. See Prima Vita S. Patricii, stanzas 29, 30,
P-3-
53 According to the Tripartite Life of St.
Patrick, some said, that this preternatural
lasted for a whole See
light year. Septima
unius anni
continuata lux erat. " See
Patricii,
lib.
iii. , cap. cvi. , p.
168.
stanza
"
The
lights. "
clear, from the sequel.
continuation of light or lights, to the cele- bration of St. Patrick's obsequies, and to the conflux of clergymen. As to his making it
last for a year, or great part of a year, it can be explained by supposing, that various commemorations were held, from time to
time, which might have been repeated, until
meaning
very
of the author is
He attributes this
—
March 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 787
that there was light in Magh-Inis, for the duration of a year,s3 after St. Patrick's death. 54
When due honour had been shown to the precious remains of this ever- glorious Apostle, and when the strains of sacred music had ceased, as also the clerical and lay watching over his body, preparations were made for—the
ve for their interment. That enthusiastic lo—
benefactors so inherentintheCelticcharacter causedapassionateeagerness,amongthe people, to possess St. Patrick's remains, and to have these interred in their
particularlocality. Thus,theUlidians,againsttheUi-NeillandAirghialla,ss contended for their right to preserve, in Uiidia, the venerated relics of the holy man. The Airghialla and Ui-Neill tried to take the body to Ard- Macha, because he had there founded his Archiepiscopal See. Thus arose a great conflict, between those provinces of Erin, already named ; while, the opposing parties met in battle array, and with arms, to enforce their hostile purposes. Yet, even in this emergency, from the Heavens was heard a voice, whichthedisputantsbelievedtobethatofSt. Patrick. ^^ Inaccordancewith an advice, given by the Angel, before the Apostle's death, and following an account, which is found in the Book of Armagh,57 in the place wljich is called Clogher,s8 at the east of Findubrec, the people selected oxen, from among the cattle of Conail, and they departed, the Son of God guiding them to Dun-leth-glaisse, or Down. For, when the Angel came to St. Patrick, he
gave this advice, regarding his burial
they closed with the anniversary. That St. Fiech, or the author of the Hymn, did not
mean day-light, during that whole time, is evident from his saying, that Angels at- tended on the first night of the obsequies. See ibid. , stanza 32. Probus, also, mentions nights, during this celebration. See Quinta Vita S. Patricii, lib. ii. , cap. xxxvi. , p. 60. Hence, Dr. Lanigan suspects, that what occurs, about the miraculous long day, is an interpolation, and more especially, as it is rather misplaced. See ibid. , cap. xxxiv. , and also Rev. Ur.
:
" Let the untamed oxen be allowed
" Ecclesiasti- cal History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap. vii. ,
p. 168, Colgan incorrectly denominates this as Cloclier, in
sect,
365. 366.
nn.
Lanigan's
138, 139, 140, 141, 145, pp.
the —of inthe country P'innaur, region
of
xiii. ,
5-* The Irish Tripartite Life, relating
Conail that is, Maghery Coiiiial, the
present County Louth ; and, in his notes,
he makes it the churcii of Kill- absurdly
clochar, now the parish of Clogher, in the baronyofFerrard,inthatcounty. Thus,he makes them travel upwards of forty miles for the oxen, whereas it is obviously the
present Finabrogue, in the parish of Inch, on the west margin of the River Quoile or Coyle, in the eastern part of which lies
witli the narrative, in the Book of Armagh," and it is marked, on the Ord- nance Sheet of County Down, No. 37, as lying not more than a mile distant from Saul, the place of the saint's death. The Conail, whose property the oxen were, was, pro- bably, Conal, son of Coelbadh, King of Uiidia, so frequently mentioned in the Lives of the saint. He was ancestor of the family of Magenis, lords of Iveagh, his brother Saran being ancestor of the Macartans,
lords of Kiualarty.
a9 The Book of Armagh has it, that a dire
this wonderful " nulli portent, adds, Quia
adanti viri nieritum declaranduni accidisse dubium est, et ita non visa nox in tota
ilia regione in tempore luctus Patricii, qua- liter Ezechiae langenti in horologio Achaz demonstrato sanitatis indicio, sol per xv. lineas reversus est, et sic sol contra Gabon, et luna contra vallem Achilon stetit. " In some particulars, this differs from the Latin version of the Life.
55 In the Tripartite Life of St. Patrick, the Ardmachians are distinguished, as the Hua-KcUii and the Origillii. Probus dis- tinguishes the contending factions, as the Ulionians, on the one side ; and the Orien- tal people of Ireland, on the other. This statement serves to show his ignorance of Irish topography. The Ultu and the Har- thirii are named as disputants, in the Third Life.
5* So state the Sixth and Seventh Lives of St. Patrick, when giving the traditional
CloghaghWood. Thisexactlycorresponds "
great departed
story, regarding this miraculous occurrence.
=*
Jocelyn adds the following words : si proxima essem, vestimentum dedissem. "Therefore, remember thy word, where- Beatus vero Patricius respondit ; expectabit
with thou gayest hope unto thy first con- verts, the sons of Dichu, when instructed of heaven, thou didst foretel unto them, that in their land thou wouldst die and be buried. "
egens : venias. Quedam vero sanctimoniahs
Virgo B. Brigidam de paupere secreto sci- scitata est. Cui Brigida ait ; Sanctus Pater noster Patricius proximo huic loco sepultus jacebit ; et non post multum ad alterum transferetur, ibique sanctum ipsius et vene- rabile corpus requiescet. "
=*
Nothing seems to be known with certainty, regarding this saint, who is also called Cethuberis. Some other variations of her name occur. See Sexta Vita S. Patricii, nn. 82, 181, pp. 112, 116.
=' She was the first nun, in all Ireland, who had embraced virginity, and who liad been consecrated by St. Patrick,
*7 The Fourth Life has it, that the multi- tude there " quidam beatam Brigidam inter- rogant," as if she were distinct from the great Patroness of Ireland. Then, however, do we read " Quae respondit Non me
:;
sed S. Patricium interrogate. Audiens autem Patricius S. Brigidam loquentem dixit ; ^qualiter sumus : quapropter liujus rei mysterium revela prassentibus. At illi ilia
inquit j Angeli sui est visitatio cujusdam . sancti viri ad locum sepulchri ejus, quo cor-
Patricius deinde
ait, animam fore propriori in loco, qui ves-
3" The Fourth Life of St. Patrick
puto
tern quiescent! dabit. Brigida dixit j Ego for this purpose, with five virgins, when
pus ejus requiescet.
states, that she journeyed to the plain of Bregia,
March 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 7^3
sheet, which he received very gratefully. Then, kissing his feet and hands, she and her virgins received his last benediction.
Spent in years, and weakness of body coming on him, as closed the gate of life on earth, the portals of Heaven began to open before Patrick's view, bring- ingthecrowntoreleasehimfromallinfirmity. TheAngelhadadmonished the holy man, to receive the last Sacraments, at the hands of his disciple St. Tassach,3itheBishop. 3^ Elevatinghiseyes,PatricksawJesus,standinginthe midst of a multitude of Angels. Then, blessing his disciples, and rendering thanks to God, he passed out of this life, resigning his spirit to Heaven. Thus was he destined to see the Lord, face to face. His blessed soul was received into the joy of life supernal, by the all-immaculate Virgin, the Mother of God, and by sacred choirs of Virgins, with the Patriarchs, Apostles, Martyrs, Confessors, and the Angels. No wonder that he was honoured by all the saints, since there shone in him the virtues of all the saints. An Angel he was, not alone by nature, but by his virtues and office ; for, his lips kept science, and the law of life, which he taught to the people. He was a Prophet, for few of the Prophets were imbued with a greater foresight of future things. He may well be regarded as an Apostle, for everywhere in Ireland, and in the neighbouring Islands, it is said, he left proofs of his Apostle- ship. AMartyrhewas,inregardofthemanyconflictshehadagainstkings, Magicians, Idolaters, and Devils, even although his life was spared, notwith- standing his many trials. Rightly was he called the Confessor of God, who continually preached the name of Christ, and who, by his words, his example, and his miracles, excited people, tribes and tongues, to the confession of God's name, against human sin, and in favour of the Divine promise. Rightly was he called a virgin, who remained a virgin in his body, in his heart, and in his faith, and by his three-fold virginity, who pleased the Spouse of virgins, and the Virgin of virgins. Rightly is he numbered among the angelic choirs, and the assemblies of all saints, who was the sharer in all holy acts, and the exemplar of all virtues. It has been stated, that for three-and-thirty years, he gave himself to the sweet rest of contemplation, either at Armagh, or at Saul monastery. During this time, he never went abroad, according to the same authority,
unless it were for great affairs. It is said, he held a Council once each year, for the redress of existing abuses, or to serve the good government of those churches he had founded. ^3 Notwithstanding the foregoing statement, we
all sat down "ad
they wearied, lapidem
Ailbe. " No attempt has hitherto been made to discover this ancient monument.
" Tassach remained after him (in
having given the Communion to him :
3' The Third Life has "dedit ei sacrifi-
cium Episcopus Tassach. "—Cap. Ixxxix. , p. — 28, and n. 86, p. 35. So state the O'Clerys,
HesaidthatPatrickwouldreturn: the wordofTassachwasnotfalse. " .
likewise, in their Calendar, where they add, pp. 290, 291. See also Colgan's "Trias ""
This is related in the Quatrain, beginning :
'The royal Bishop Tasach,'" &c. His Natal Day was held, on the 14th of April, according to St. ^ngus, the Martyrologies of Tallagh and of Marianus O'Gorman, at Rath-Colptha, or Kill-Chlopta, near Down.
3^ In —St. Fiech's Hymn, this matter is thus
Thaumaturga, Prima Vita S. Patricii, Strophe 27, p. 3, and n. (jid,) of the Scho- liast, as, also, n. 19, p. 6. See, also, Quinta Vita S. Patricii, lib. ii. , cap. xxxv. , p. 60, and n. 35, p. 64.
stated
:
-AiiAif CAffAch TDiAef incAtt 00 bei\C com- niAn 06,
<Xfbei\c TnomcT^et) pAci\Aicc, b|MAcliAt\ Ca]^ai5 nii\ bu 50.
26, and nn. (,aa. bb. cc), pp. 6,
It is thus rendered into English :—
"Irish Ecclesiastical Record,"
vol.
iv. ,
33 See Colgan's
"
Trias Thaumaturga,"
Prima Vita S. Patricii, strophes 23, 24, 25.
p. 3, 5, Tertia Vita S. Patricii, cap. Ixxxviii. , Ixxxix. , p. 28, and n. 82, p. 34. Quarta Vita S. Patricii, cap. xci. , xciii. , xciv. , pp. 46, 47, and nn. 74,_ 75, p. 50. Quinta Vita S. Patricii, lib. ii. , cap. xxxii. , xxxv. , xxxvii. , p. 60. Sexta Vita S. Patricii, cap.
Sabhall),
784 LiVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March i^.
can hardly believe, that St. Patrick spent the last thirty years of his life, at Saul. Another St. Patrick is said to have died, and about the same time with thegreatApostle,whenboththeirsoulswenttogethertoHeaven. 34 Asthe name of St. Patrick of Nola35 could not have been known to St. Fiach, it appears, he could not have been that other Patrick, to whom he made allusion. Again, the Patrick Senior, having had his day assigned to the 24th of August, excludes him from consideration ; although, the Scholiast on St. -^ngus seems to have thus understood it ; but, his assertion has been well corrected by Colgan. For a precisely similar reason, he could not have been a St. Patrick of Nevers. s^ It must be remarked, however, that Colgan, while confounding Nivernensis with Arvernensis, says, Patricius Nivernensis was revered, on the i6th of March, Now, in some old Martyrologies, a St, Patrick of Auvergne has a festival placed, at that particular date. 3? This might have furnished occasion for supposing him to have ascended to Heaven, and nearly on the same day with our great Apostle. But, excellent critics, who have examined this question, seem to think, that through some error of entry in the Calendars, St. Patrick of Auvergne must be deemed identical with the great Apostle of Ireland. All our authorities are agreed, that the latter departed this life, on the 17th day of March ; and, according to one account,thishappenedjustsevendays,afterhehadreturnedtoSaul. s^ We have already alluded to a supposition, that the Irish Apostle spent his last days
clxxxvii. , clxxxviii. , clxxxix. , cxc, cxci. , pp. 106, 107. The Latin Tripartite Life of St. Patrick, lib. iii. , cap. ci. , cii. , ciii. , pp. 167, 168. Also, the Irish Version of the Tripartite, as translated in Miss Cusack's "Life of St. Patrick, Apostle of Ireland," PP- 497. 498.
3< The matt—er is thus stated, in the Hymn
tandem putat errore prsetermissum, nisi alte- rius fortassis civitatis Episcopus fuerit.
Joannes Savaro, vir eruditiis, in Originibus Arvernensibus, cusis et remsis late hoc
dtibium deducit, asseritqiie nullum vestigium esse apud Arvernos nominis, reliquiarum, aut alicujus cultus S. Patricii Episcopi, sed
hunc in praedictis Martyrologiis allegatum
of St. Fiech
:
IncAti conhuAlAi pAc^vaic, a-o e\X& iti pACi\Aicc riAiLe,
ll* mAtle connubAcbfAC, •Dochvim n1fu meicc mAi|\e.
This stanza is thus rendered into Eng- lish :—
alium non esse S. Patricium quam
fuisse nomen depositionis, quod absque ulte- •* When Patrick departed (from life), he riore examine potuit descriptum deinceps
went to visit the other Patrick ; Together they ascended to Jesus, Son of
Mary. "
Irish Ecclesiastical Record," vol. iv. , pp. 292, 293.
3S He is mentioned, in Ferrarius' " Cata- logus Sanctorum Italic. " But, Ughelli supposes him to be the Irish St, Patrick. See " Italia Sacra," tomus vi.
fuisse, Tamaius Salazar in Martyrolog. Hispan. arreptd hac occasione dubitantium aut reijcientium S. Patricium Aruernensium Episcopum, statuit eum fuisse Patricium Episcopum Malacitanum in Baetica, qui in- ierfuit Co7icilio Illiberitano. Vertim hunc Malacitani non agnoscunt Sanctum, ut con- stat ex libra Martini de Rod de Malacd urbe et ejus Sanctis. Plura de eo non occurrunt,"
^ Probus thus writes
dicta post septim dies, in die scilicet xvi. Calend. Aprilis expleta sunt circa B. Pa- tricium, peractis totius vits ejus cxxx. duo-
—"
" Hasc Angeli tomus ii. , xvi. Martii, among the Sancti bus annis, s—icut in omnibus Hibemise finibus
3* A Patricius Nivernensis is noticed, in the Usuard and in the Roman Martyrologies. 37 In the Bollandists' " Acta Sanctorum,"
Praetermissi et in alios dies relati, p. 417, celebratur. " Quinta Vita S. Patricii,
"
Epis- copum Hibernise, sive Hiverniae, pro qud voce alibi substitutam fuisse Arverniae, sive
Averniae, maxime cum prima loco apud Usuardum sequenti die legatur, Natalis S. Patricii Episcopi et Confessoris in Scotia ; a quo die ob ejus Vigiliam ad ultimum hujus diei locum potuit in nonnullus fastis irans- latusfuisse, ac tandem loco Vigilias intrusum
lib.
S. Patricii Episcopi et ii. , cap. xxxiii. , p. 60. Colgan, however, fancies, that the error of a copyist must have put cxxx, for cxx, as the latter number best accords with the general statement of his
they thus notice :
Confessoris depositio Avernis, sive Arvernis,
memoratur apud Usuardum, Bellinum, Gale-
sinium, et in hodierno Martyrol. Rom. in
ctijus Noiis liaeret dubius Baronius cum inter
episcopos Arvernenses non recenseatur, d n. 33, p. 64, ibid.
biographers, while it is more probable. See
:
March 7-] LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. ^S5
at Glastonbury, and that there he had been interred.
39 Some accounts have it, indeed, that St. Patrick ha—d been buried, in the old church of Glastonbury, on the right side of the altar an Angel having revealed God's will to this effect, and a great light or flame breaking out of the same place. Here, the holy body was placed, in a pyramidical tomb, richly covered with silver and gold. 4° However, the foregoing tradition must have reference to a St. Patrick, quite distinct from the Irish Apostle.
A number of monks stood around the bed of their holy founder, while
the dying Apostle commended his soul to tlie Almighty ; and, they wrapped around him that shroud, prepared by the hands of St. ]3rigid. A very great multitude of clergy and laity flocked to the place f^ where, Avith tears and sighs, they mourned for the desolation occasioned to the Irish Church. Yet,
they were consoled, as on the very first night, after his departure, the Angels of the Lord of Elements watched Patrick's body, a miraculous light having spread all over the placCj^^ and a wonderful melody chiming with their
spiritual
chants. 'fs The mortals who were seemed ravished with the present
sights and sounds, until sleep stole over them ;44 but, on the following morn-
ing, those Angels disappeared, when they awoke, and fragrant odours of Divine Grace were typified by those, which issued from the sacred body -p while the angelic music'*'^ gave tranquillity and joy to the chief clerics of the men of Erin, who watched47the body for twelve days and nights, following his death. ^^ During this period, a great controversy had arisen, among the clergy and people, regarding the place where he should be interred. This, like many
35 See also, Harris' Ware, vol.
" Arch-
^mni lAOpCA^NAt),
bishops of Armagh," pp. 22, 23.
'•° His memoiy is said to have been so
anions there, that the cliinxli was called St.
and St. Patrick's while his relics JNIary's ;
were kept, until the old structure was burned. About A. D; 1 186, they were taken up, -H-itli
AingiL 'Oe icec Ai'oche, A]\to|:cci]' ccn AH AX).
—
" Patrick's from his soul was severed body
after pains ;
The angels of God, on the first night, kept
choir around it unceasingly. "
those of St. Giklas, and of others, when
they
were put into shrines, and translated into
the new church. See Father Peter Riba-
"
lated by W. P. , Esq. , part i. , p. 159.
deneira's
Lives of the Saints," &c. , trans-
't'
Acc—ording
to St. Fiach's
Flymn, 31st
'*'* Probus
that on the first
stanza
:
the
celebrated
cieiAich liO|\eiiii Dollot:A|A, •oaiim Pacjaaicc A'p cech yec,
Son in cecAib UA'oib ]:o|\ I'cc.
concuib cAcli
" The
to watcli around Patrick,
clergy
of Erin went from
every part
'|-o]^]\obAic1i,
It is thus rendered into English :—
The sound of harmony fell upon them, so that they slept, enchanted on the
way. "
•*- This
l^revalent,
in all Catholic countries. It was
have
considered an act of t—o
respect, keep lights
report may lights, during
waked. Those were more or less numerous, according to the rank of deceased persons. They were used, likewise, in funeral pro-
i. ,
pAC]\Aicc fi^iA cho|\p, \\ ia]a pocAib
from the the time of Divine
arisen,
use of
service, and while the sacred body was church or a chapel where it was deposited,
cessions. See " Bingham's Origines
Eccle-
iv. ,
siasticas," book xxiii. , chap. 2.
''3 The Hymn of St. Fiach states, at the
32nd stanza ;^
It is thus rendered into English :
relates, obsequies being
XXXvi. , p. 60.
*= The Irish Life, in allusion to Tripartite
this miracle, remarks, that the blessing of Jacob to his son was kept regarding him, i. e. " Ecce odor tilii mei sicut odor agri
j^leni, quern benedixit dicens," &c.
•**' Whether the coiicentus of St. supcriii
Fiech's Hymn refer to Angels, or to clerics, does not seem to be very clear. See Prima
Vita S. Patricii, stanzas 31, 32, p. 3.
''^ This custom of holding wakes is still
night, by Angels, the clergy and people suddenly fell asleep. vSee Quinta Vita S. Patricii, lib. ii. , cap.
around a
n the i—
a
and watched until the time of burial. Con- stantine's body was surrounded with lights, and watched for several days and nights. SeeEusebius' "VitaConstantini,"lib. cap. Ixvi. Hence came what are called waives.
t** St. Gregory of Nyssa says, that the 3D
corpse
place regularly
786 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 17.
another event in the Apostle's Acts, was determined by Divine interposition. It would seem, that services of more than usual magnificence and solemnity were employed, in the waking and interment of this great founder of the Irish Church. For twelve days,'»9 and as many nights, the solemnities for waking theholyApostleofIrelandwerecontinued. 5° Themonksandthedivines sang requiem hymns, and psalms, with canticles, appropriate for the occasion. ^* An extraordinary portent betokened his happiness. There was no night, for the people of Magh-Inis, during that whole interval ;52 while, an angelic illuminationseemeddiffusedovertheentirefirmament. Someevenstated,
persons watching the body of his sister Ma- "htiAi^ Afi'oich Ia Vl6fu ing^iAn, ^^m bAf crina sang psalms during the whole night. niriA cL6en,
See Vita Macrinse. To this singing by CiAfu ch|\ebt\ech bA huifr^j foillp >'l\i
night, during the obsequies of St. Patrick, is probably to be referred what we find in
Fiech's Hymn, at stroph. 31, in Colgan's
eici'echc ha noeb.
They are thus rendered into English :
" He (St. Patrick) put an end to night ; light ceased not with him ;
To a year's end there was radiance ; it wasalongdayofpeace.
" At the battle fought around Beth-horou against the Canaanites by the son of Nun
"
superni reddebat ipsos sopore irruente ubi
Latin translation :
Sonus concentus
humi decumbentes.
"
By concentus superni,
we may understand, "singing psalms and "
hymns, thisbeingasortofcelestialmusic.
In Lynch's translation, we have, instead of concentus superni, the "musical instru- ment. " Could it be that instrumental music was allowed, at the obsequies of our saint ? This should form a singular exception to the Church's practice in those days. Although the Jews, in their watchings or wakes of the dead, had that custom (Matt. ix. 23. ) ; yet, among Christians, no other than vocal music seems to have been allowed in their religious ceremonies, at least until a period, much later than that of St. Patrick's death. Dr. Lanigan tells us, that he knew too little of the Irish language, to be able to unravel that obscure passage ; but, if anything like a musical instrument were mentioned in it,
he should be—inclined to think, that it was either a bell for —the use of bells was very ancient in Ireland or some sonorous in- strument, such as the trumpets of those ancient Egyptian monks, by which the time for attending service was announced. The effect of this instrumental sound or noise should be, to rouse people from their sleep, not to bury them in sleep, as Lynch's trans- lation runs.
•sjocelyn, at cap. cxciii. , ^. 108, and
Probus —have (lib. ii. , cap. xxxiv. ), p. 60,
this statement. The —Life both Tripartite
'*
The sun stood still at Gabaon : this it is that the Scripture tells us.
The sun lasted with Josue, unto the death
of the wicked : this indeed was be-
fitting ;
It was more befitting that there should be
radiance, at the death of the saints. "
Vita S.
the Latin and Irish version is also of This account seems to have been borrowed
accord. See lib. iii. , cv. , 168. cap. p.
5° —
In St. Fiach's Hymn, stanzas 28, 29,
from the words of Fiech's " Hymn :
Spatio Prima
30, the matter is thus related
SAniAigef ciMcli \\A Ai'ochi, <\]\ riA cAice Lei' occAi,
Co cenn bliA'onA bAi foiLlfe, bA he pcli I/Aiche focAi.
1n cAch ^. -echcA iinbec1ii\on, \\a cuaicIi CAiiAn l,A in AC nuin,
^I'^oicli 111 5i\iAn ppi SAbori iffet) atji-cic ucc^xi 'oun.
Vita S.
translation has :
—from the 17th March—"continued the
:
Patricii,
28, p. 3. Lynch's Till the year's end," viz.
S' This mode of celebrating funeral ob- sequies seems to have been an ancient practice, in the Christian Church, Thus,
St. Jerome, in Epitaph. Fabiolas, cap. iv. , "
Sona- baijt Psalmi, et aurata templorum tecta re-
thus describes her funeral service
:
boans in sublime quatiebat Alleluia. "
s= In the Hymn of St. Fiech, it is com- pared to the long day caused by the stand- ing of the sun for Joshua against Gabaon. See Prima Vita S. Patricii, stanzas 29, 30,
P-3-
53 According to the Tripartite Life of St.
Patrick, some said, that this preternatural
lasted for a whole See
light year. Septima
unius anni
continuata lux erat. " See
Patricii,
lib.
iii. , cap. cvi. , p.
168.
stanza
"
The
lights. "
clear, from the sequel.
continuation of light or lights, to the cele- bration of St. Patrick's obsequies, and to the conflux of clergymen. As to his making it
last for a year, or great part of a year, it can be explained by supposing, that various commemorations were held, from time to
time, which might have been repeated, until
meaning
very
of the author is
He attributes this
—
March 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 787
that there was light in Magh-Inis, for the duration of a year,s3 after St. Patrick's death. 54
When due honour had been shown to the precious remains of this ever- glorious Apostle, and when the strains of sacred music had ceased, as also the clerical and lay watching over his body, preparations were made for—the
ve for their interment. That enthusiastic lo—
benefactors so inherentintheCelticcharacter causedapassionateeagerness,amongthe people, to possess St. Patrick's remains, and to have these interred in their
particularlocality. Thus,theUlidians,againsttheUi-NeillandAirghialla,ss contended for their right to preserve, in Uiidia, the venerated relics of the holy man. The Airghialla and Ui-Neill tried to take the body to Ard- Macha, because he had there founded his Archiepiscopal See. Thus arose a great conflict, between those provinces of Erin, already named ; while, the opposing parties met in battle array, and with arms, to enforce their hostile purposes. Yet, even in this emergency, from the Heavens was heard a voice, whichthedisputantsbelievedtobethatofSt. Patrick. ^^ Inaccordancewith an advice, given by the Angel, before the Apostle's death, and following an account, which is found in the Book of Armagh,57 in the place wljich is called Clogher,s8 at the east of Findubrec, the people selected oxen, from among the cattle of Conail, and they departed, the Son of God guiding them to Dun-leth-glaisse, or Down. For, when the Angel came to St. Patrick, he
gave this advice, regarding his burial
they closed with the anniversary. That St. Fiech, or the author of the Hymn, did not
mean day-light, during that whole time, is evident from his saying, that Angels at- tended on the first night of the obsequies. See ibid. , stanza 32. Probus, also, mentions nights, during this celebration. See Quinta Vita S. Patricii, lib. ii. , cap. xxxvi. , p. 60. Hence, Dr. Lanigan suspects, that what occurs, about the miraculous long day, is an interpolation, and more especially, as it is rather misplaced. See ibid. , cap. xxxiv. , and also Rev. Ur.
:
" Let the untamed oxen be allowed
" Ecclesiasti- cal History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap. vii. ,
p. 168, Colgan incorrectly denominates this as Cloclier, in
sect,
365. 366.
nn.
Lanigan's
138, 139, 140, 141, 145, pp.
the —of inthe country P'innaur, region
of
xiii. ,
5-* The Irish Tripartite Life, relating
Conail that is, Maghery Coiiiial, the
present County Louth ; and, in his notes,
he makes it the churcii of Kill- absurdly
clochar, now the parish of Clogher, in the baronyofFerrard,inthatcounty. Thus,he makes them travel upwards of forty miles for the oxen, whereas it is obviously the
present Finabrogue, in the parish of Inch, on the west margin of the River Quoile or Coyle, in the eastern part of which lies
witli the narrative, in the Book of Armagh," and it is marked, on the Ord- nance Sheet of County Down, No. 37, as lying not more than a mile distant from Saul, the place of the saint's death. The Conail, whose property the oxen were, was, pro- bably, Conal, son of Coelbadh, King of Uiidia, so frequently mentioned in the Lives of the saint. He was ancestor of the family of Magenis, lords of Iveagh, his brother Saran being ancestor of the Macartans,
lords of Kiualarty.
a9 The Book of Armagh has it, that a dire
this wonderful " nulli portent, adds, Quia
adanti viri nieritum declaranduni accidisse dubium est, et ita non visa nox in tota
ilia regione in tempore luctus Patricii, qua- liter Ezechiae langenti in horologio Achaz demonstrato sanitatis indicio, sol per xv. lineas reversus est, et sic sol contra Gabon, et luna contra vallem Achilon stetit. " In some particulars, this differs from the Latin version of the Life.
55 In the Tripartite Life of St. Patrick, the Ardmachians are distinguished, as the Hua-KcUii and the Origillii. Probus dis- tinguishes the contending factions, as the Ulionians, on the one side ; and the Orien- tal people of Ireland, on the other. This statement serves to show his ignorance of Irish topography. The Ultu and the Har- thirii are named as disputants, in the Third Life.
5* So state the Sixth and Seventh Lives of St. Patrick, when giving the traditional
CloghaghWood. Thisexactlycorresponds "
great departed
story, regarding this miraculous occurrence.
