°* See " Vita
See Historise Romans," lib.
See Historise Romans," lib.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v3
, sect.
6, lib.
xxvii.
, sect.
I, lib.
xxx.
, sect.
3, 4, lib.
xxxii.
, sect.
21, lib.
xxxiii.
, sect.
6, 16, lib.
xxxiv.
, sect.
49, lib.
xxxvii.
, sect.
II.
Ed.
Harduini, Paris, 1723.
37 He flourished about A. D. 80, as gene- rally believed.
3^ See "Polyhistoriae," cap. xxii. , xxiii. , l:ii. Ed. Salmasii, Traject. ad Rhenum, A. D. 1689.
39 He flourished A. D. 120.
cerpts, from Julius Honorius and from Oro- sius.
Britons,
"* He is supposed to have written, in tlie "
''^
Only fragments of his Geographical
Poem " Orbis Terrse" have been Descriptio
Itine-
440 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. []\Iarcii 17.
it, in the anonymous Geographer of Ravenna,54 who is presumed to have flourished, in the seventh century. ss But, it is probable, that the native
writers, GildaSjS^ the Wise, who lived and wrote in the sixth century,57 and the authors of the Anglo-Saxon Chroniclers—of uncertain date—give us the most reliable ancient accounts, regarding the Britons and their history. s9 Venerable Bede gives us an account of divers nations, who came from other countries, and who occupied, by degrees, the whole British island. ^° The first settlers were Britons, as he informs us ; and, from these, the island is said to have derived its name of Britain. Then, he adds, the Pictish nation migrated from Scythia ; and, according to him, they had been called Picts, even before they arrived in Great Britain. ^' After these colonists came the Scots, already known by that name, in Ireland. But, the father of English history relates, that the Albion Britons were said to have derived their descent from Gaulish Britons, who migrated from Armorica. ^^ Yet, certain writers, who treated the much-disputed subject, regarding the first settlement of the Britons in the country, now called Britany,^3 would have us believe, Bede did not mean to say, that the island of Britain derived its name from those colo- nists. ^* Speakingofpeople,dwellingonthesouth-easternandmaritimepartsof
xix. , xxvii. , xxxiv. , xli. , Ixviii. , Ixxi. , Ixxii. , Ixxxvii. In twelve folio volumes. Utrecht,
1694 to 1699.
5* See the Editio Gronovius Lugcl. Batav.
1696. The London edition of T. Gale, 1709, has various readings of places named. See lib. i. , cap. 3, lib. v. , cap. 31, 32.
55 For further particulars, in reference to
the foregoing authorities, the reader is re- ferred to that valuable work, " Monumenta Historica Britannica, or Materials for the History of Britain, from the earliest Period. " vol. i. Edited by Henry Petrie, Esq. ,
this Kingdom, from the First Traditional
Beginning, until the year of our Lord . 800, when the name of Britain was changed into
England; faithfullycollectedoutofthebest Authors, and disposed in a better Method than hitherto hath been done ; with the Antiquities of the Saxons, as well as Phoe- nicians, Greeks and Romans. " By Aylett Sammes, of Christ's CoUedge in Cambridge. Since, of the Inner-Temple. London, 1676, fol.
'° "
See Historia Ecclesiastlca Gentis An-
glorum," lib. i. , cap. i. , pp. 21 to 24. Editio
F. S. A. , and Rev. John Sharpe, B. A. Cantabrigire, 1644, fol.
London, 1848, fol. See the introductory Part, "ex Scriptoribus GrsecisatqueLatinis
Excerpta de Britannia," with notes, pp. i. to cxx. Very admirable and learned illus-
trations of Ptolemy, and of those works, just mentioned in the text, as having leference to
"
Britannia Ro- mana : or the Roman Antiquities of Bri- tain. " By John Horsley, M. A. and F. R. S. London, 1732, fol. See book iii. , 35310520.
5* He is venerated as a saint, at the
day of January, and he died about A. D. 570.
*' "
See Camden's Britannia," col. xvi. ,
xvii. , and following passages. A. Du Chesne has also treated the same subject, at
Britain, will be found in
liv. i. Yet, he has given us scarcely any
original observation, having followed Cam-
den, almost to the letter.
29th 57 In his "Liber Querulus," or " De
13ritones solum, a quibus nomen accepit, in- colas habuit, qui de tractu Armoricano (ut fertur) Britanniam — australes sibi
Excidio Britannise," and in his "Epistola. Mon. Hist. Brit. , pp. I to 46.
58 See ibid. , pp. 291 to 466.
"
advecti,
partes illius vindicarunt. " " Historia Ec-
clesiastlca Gentis Anglorum," lib. i. , cap. i. ,
p. 23.
"3 See Dom. Guy-Alexis Lobineau.
*•* In answer to such remarks, it may be
difficult to explain, if that had not been his intention, why he touched upon the name at all. A reason, which induced those writers to resort to such a quibble, was probably, that, in their opinion, no foundation could be discovered, for placing Britons in the province, now called Britany, before the middle of the fifth century. But, it does not thence follow, should we admit this sup- position, that there were not Britons, living insomeotherpartsoftheContinent. The Armorican tract, mentioned by Bede, was
far more extensive, than the province of
59 A very interesting work, to elucidate this subject, is "Britannia Antiqua IIlus- trata : or, the Antiquities of Ancient Bri- tain, derived from the Phoenicians : wherein the Original Trade of the Island is dis- covered, the Names of Places, Offices, Dignities, as likewise the Idolatry, Lan-
guage and Customs of the Primitive Inhabi- tanis are clearly demonstrated from that Nation, many old Monuments illustrated, and the Commerce with that People, as well as the Greeks, plainly set forth and collected out of approved Greek and Latin Authors. Together with a Chronological History of
Britany. See Rev. Dr. Lanigan's
''
Eccle-
great length. See
"
Histoire d'Angleterre,"
''^
Bede says: "In primis haec insula
March 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 441
the present England, Caesar had already derived their descent from the Belgae. ^s Again, Diodorus Siculus, Tacitus^^ Dion Cassias,^? and other ancient writers, agree ; still, on such a subject, the classic authors are poor authorities. '^^
The first authentic account of a Roman invasion, beyond the northern boundaries of England, must be referred to the expedition of Agricola, about A. D. 80. ^9 As a measure of precaution, he established a line of forts, between the Friths of Clyde and of Forth, when those hardy Caledonians, who had dared to oppose his progress, were obliged to retire, as it were, into another island. 7° Those defensive works seem to have been the commencement of that larger fortified rampart, renewed and strengthened, from time to time, and, of which, remnants are yet to be found. 7^= Beyond these works, however, the Roman army penetrated, and even their fleet sailed northwards, to the Orkneys, so that Britain was then discovered, by the Romans, to have been an island,ifanydoubtofthatfacthadheretoforeremained. ? ^ But,littlehad been done, towards the annexation of that district of Scotland, south of the Clyde and of the Forth. The Emperor Hadrian^s raised a barrier, to define the boundaries of his British Empire, about the year 119 74 but, this defen-
;
sive work,75 it is presumed, ran along the line of the famous Roman Wall, from the Tyne to the Solway. ? ^ The ancient and present state of the Roman wall, in Scotland, with those forts, whereby the position had been secured, have engaged the curiosity and lively interest of antiquaries. 77 Through his Lieutenant, LoUius Urbicus,? ^ the Emperor Antoninus Pius79 is said to have
siastical History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, iii. , sect, xii. , n. 122, pp. 108, 109.
*2 Speaking of Britain and of its coloniza- tion, he observes, "maritima pars ab iis qui, proedt^ ac belli inferendi causa, ex Bel- gis transierant, qui onines fere iis nominibus
In two volumes.
7' See Charles Merivale's
"
civitatum appelantur, quibus orti ex civita-
Princes qui ont regne durant les six premiers
siecles de de leurs contra I'Eglise, guerres
les Juifs, des Ecrivains profanes, et des per- sonnes les plus illustres de leur temps. " Justifiee par les citations des auteurs origi- naux. Avec des Notes pour eclaircir les principales difficultez de I'Histoire. Tome ii. L'Empereur Domitien. Art. v. , p. 32. Ed. Second. A Bruxelles, 1732, et seq. fol.
73 He ruled, from a. d. 117 to 138.
7-t SeeMerivale's" oftheRomans History
under the Empire," vol. vii. , chap. Ixvi. , pp. 434 to 437.
75 For an account of it, the reader is re- ferred to iElius Spartianus, and to Julius
"
^Ionun]enta Historica Bri- tannica," pp. Ixiv. , Ixv.
7* See the laboured and elegant Disquisi- tion, on this subject, in John Hill Burton's
tibus eo pervenerunt. "
ileo," lib. v. , sect. 10. Yet, it seems very
strange, that in commenting on a passage of Dionysius Periegetes, Hill could assert, that there were no Britons in his time, except such as lived in the British Islands. He re- fers on this occasion to Camden's " Bri-
tannia. " However,this latterwriter distinctly admits a Britain, to have been near Bou-
logne.
°* See " Vita
See Historise Romans," lib. xxxix. , sect. 50, 51, 53, lib. xl. , sect. I, 2, 3, 4, lib. xli. , sect. 30, 32, 34, lib. xliv. , sect. ' 42, 43, 49, lib. xlix. , sect. 38, lib. 1. , sect. 24, lib. liii. ,
sect. 7, 22, 25, lib. Iv. , sect. 23, lib. lix. , sect. 21, 25, lib. Ix. , sect. 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 30. Editio Reimari, Hamburgi, 1750.
"
sect. xi. ^^ Dion Cassius flourished A. D. 230.
^8 See Whitaker's
of Man- valuable " of History
Agricolge,"
"History chester," vol. i. Corrections, p. 152.
from cola's Invasion to the Revolution of 1688,"
vol. i. , chap, i. , pp. i to 19.
^^ Their chief features, with highly inte-
resting diagrams, may be traced, in the learned folio volume of John Horsley, M. A.
" Britannia Romana : or the Roman Antiquities of Britain," in Three Books. See booki. , chap, x. , pp. 158 to
? " An inscription, found near the northern wall, commemorates his name ; but, little more is known, regarding him.
^ Tacitus has given a most interesting nar- rative, regarding this remarkable expedition, as also touching on the bravery of the Cale- donians, the progress of a partial conquest, and the results of Agricola's military and political arrangements. See "Vita Agri- coIk," cap. X. et seq.
7° An admirable account of Caledonia will be found in Joseph Ritson's " Annals of the Caledonians, Picts and Scots, and of Strath- clyde, Cumberland, Galloway, and Murray. "
and F. R. S.
:
"
— De Bello Gal-
History of the Romans under the Empire," vol. vii. , chap.
Ixi. , p. 83.
"
7^ See Le Sieur Le Nain de Tillemont's
Histoire des Empereurs, et des autres
Capitolinus, in
Scotland,
Agri-
442 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 17.
conquered Britain, and to have built a second wall, in order to restrain the northern natives. ^" The date, most prominently connected with this struc-
ture, is 139, as many inscriptions, found near its ramparts, testify. The pro- file of this fortified line is either of earth, or of stone, in the shape of a ditch, and mound, which had been well garrisoned, at intervals. ^^ For a period of
about twenty years, during which Lollius Urbicus governed the province, peace appears to have prevailed ; and, during his time, within the present
bounds of Scotland, municipal or maritime seats may have been established, by the Roman colonists. ^* In the reign of Commodus,^3 when Christianity is supposed to have taken its hold on North Britain, a violent outbreak of thenativeshappened,a. d,181. Theybrokethroughthatrampart,separating them from their more civilized invaders, they killed a Roman commander, with his followers, and they committed other damage. ^* Whether, they carried a portion of the walls, or a Roman Station, at this time, is not easily ascertainable, from the fragment of history left us. ^s These troubles are said to have been suppressed, by a certain legate, named Marcellus Ulpius, probably between the years 193 and 196. This secured a few years of doubtful peace, for the northern province. ^^ The Emperor, Severus,^? is thought to have restored or improved, in detail,^^ the great defensive engineering position of Hadrian. ^s About a. d. 208, he entered Ca'ledonia,9° at the head of a formidable force, and penetrated, so far as the Moray Firth. But, with numbers greatly reduced, he was obliged to abandon this part of northern Britain. 9' Thenceforth, restless Caledonians and Picts made inroads on the southern province. It has been stated,9=' that although the first intro- duction of Christianity into Scotland cannot be clearly ascertained ; it is possible, the persecution raging against it, in every part of the Roman Empire, urged many Christians to take refuge, among the unconquered people and districts of Ireland and of Scotland. Other writers assert, that
nominally Christianity became the religion of the Roman province, in Scot- land, during the reign of Constantine the Great. 93 Yet, it seems strange,
that among existing Roman relics, great or small, not one can be pronounced
79 He ruled, from A. D. 138 to 161.
^ See Julius Capitolinus, in " Vita Anto- nini Pii," sect. v.
A. D. 417—"Historise," lib. vii. , cap. 17. Editio Havercampi Lugd. Batav. 1738.
^ An interesting work, by the Rev. John Collingwood Bruce, published in 1853, and intituled, "The Roman Wall," throws much light on this subject.
^' " See General Roy's
Military Antiqui-
ties," p. 154.
^^ See Daniel Wilson's "Archeology and
Prehistoric Annals of Scotland," part iii. , chap, ii. , p. 365.
^3 This lasted, from A. D. 180 to 192.
^•» See John Speed's "History of Great Britaine," book vi. , chap, xxi:, p. 224.
*i This is related, by Xiphilinos, who minster. London, 1838, 1839, 8vo.
abridged a work of Dion Cassius. The latter died, some eighty years old, at the
conclusion of the third century. He had
written eighty books of a Roman History ;
a small of these has been but, only portion
preserved.
** See Wilson's " Archseology and Pre-
historic Annals of Scotland," part iii. , chap.
ii. , p. 366.
''' He ruled, from A. D. 193 to 21 1.
*^ The wall he built is said to have ex-
9' By the Rev. W. M. Hetherington,
"
centum et duo millia triginta
Scotland, from the Introduction of Chris- tianity to the Period of the Disruption, May 18, 1843," vol. i. , chap, i. , p. 67.
9"* He was the first Christian of Emperor
Rome, and he ruled with supreme com-
mand, from A. D. 312, to the 22nd of May,
A. D. after a he 337, when, glorious reign,
died, in the sixty-third year of his age.
tended,
passuum a mari ad mare ;" the ditch and
per
were —with numerous rampart strengthened
turrets. See Paulus Orosius who flourished
94 Wilson
remarkable paucity of Roman remains, in
9° See Edward Gibbon's "
Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire," vol. i. , chap, vi. , p. 219. With Notes by the Rev. H. H. Milman, Prebendary of St. Peter's, and Vicar of St. Margaret's, West-
of the
»' He died at York, a. d. 211, in his fifty- sixth year, and in the eighteenth of his reign. See 7<5/</. , p. 222.
LL. D. See his " of the Church of History
acknowledges,
that there is a
History
March 1 7. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 443
a recognizable vestige of their Christianity. 9+ Indeed, we are told, that
Ninian,95 a Briton, by birth, had been ordained just towards the close of the
fourth century 96 and, that, afterwards, he became the Apostle of Southern ;
Scotland, where he built a church for himself, at the promontory Whithorn, in Galloway. It was called Candida Casa, or the White House, because it had been built of stone. 97 This material is supposed, by some antiquaries, not to have been in common use, for a long time afterwards, not even for the erection of ecclesiastical edifices. Ninian died, at Whithorn, where he was buried, about the year 432. 9^ How far he was successful, in extending the Faith among the Britons, Picts and Scots, is at present imperfectly known. In 369,99 during the reign of the Emperor Valentinian I. ,'°° Theodosius and the Roman legions recovered and converted into a Roman province that dis- trict, between the walls of Antoninus and of Severus. In honour of the Emperor, this conquered province was called Valentia. Still the Picts were
formidable foes, and they continued to ravage the colonizers' settlements. About the beginning of the fifth century, the Celtic and Britannic races re- volted from the Romans, lived independent of them, and refused to obey their laws. '°^ In the year 422, it was found impossible to maintain the colony of Valentia. Then, the legionary colonists and the Romanized Britons were advised to abandon it, for that line of defence, which was south of Hadrian's wall. ^°=' However, the Christianity, which Ninnian represented, together with the Roman civilization, is thought, by some writers, to have been swept away from Scotland, from this time, nearly to the age of the
Venerable Bede. '°3
The denomination of Britain embraced a larger extent of territory, in
former times, than at present. '°+ This extension of British name and race,
on the European Continent, seems to have prevailed from a time very re- mote; although this fact has been overlooked, by several of the French geographers'"^ and historians. In the time of Caesar, Gaul, as known to the Romans, had been distinguished, by its including three principal divisions. '"^ These were inhabited by a people, called the Belgse, the Aquitani, and the Celts or Gauls,'°7 speaking different languages, and regulated by differing
Scotland, and that a trifling innucnce was exercised by Roman civilization, on its ancient arts. Of these, however, illustra- tions and inscriptions are given; but, none of them seem objects of purely Christian design. See '"Archaeology and Prehistoric Annals of
from A. D. 364 to 378.
'°' See Zosimus, who flourished about this
time. " Historise Novas," lib. vi. , cap. v,
'"-
Scotland," part iii. , chap.
"^ See Rev. W. M. " His- Hetherington's
ii.
55 His feast occurs, at the l6th of Septem-
tory of the Church of Scotland, from the in- troduction of Christianity to the Period of the Disruption, May 18, 1843," vol. i. , chap, i. , p. 67.
37 He flourished about A. D. 80, as gene- rally believed.
3^ See "Polyhistoriae," cap. xxii. , xxiii. , l:ii. Ed. Salmasii, Traject. ad Rhenum, A. D. 1689.
39 He flourished A. D. 120.
cerpts, from Julius Honorius and from Oro- sius.
Britons,
"* He is supposed to have written, in tlie "
''^
Only fragments of his Geographical
Poem " Orbis Terrse" have been Descriptio
Itine-
440 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. []\Iarcii 17.
it, in the anonymous Geographer of Ravenna,54 who is presumed to have flourished, in the seventh century. ss But, it is probable, that the native
writers, GildaSjS^ the Wise, who lived and wrote in the sixth century,57 and the authors of the Anglo-Saxon Chroniclers—of uncertain date—give us the most reliable ancient accounts, regarding the Britons and their history. s9 Venerable Bede gives us an account of divers nations, who came from other countries, and who occupied, by degrees, the whole British island. ^° The first settlers were Britons, as he informs us ; and, from these, the island is said to have derived its name of Britain. Then, he adds, the Pictish nation migrated from Scythia ; and, according to him, they had been called Picts, even before they arrived in Great Britain. ^' After these colonists came the Scots, already known by that name, in Ireland. But, the father of English history relates, that the Albion Britons were said to have derived their descent from Gaulish Britons, who migrated from Armorica. ^^ Yet, certain writers, who treated the much-disputed subject, regarding the first settlement of the Britons in the country, now called Britany,^3 would have us believe, Bede did not mean to say, that the island of Britain derived its name from those colo- nists. ^* Speakingofpeople,dwellingonthesouth-easternandmaritimepartsof
xix. , xxvii. , xxxiv. , xli. , Ixviii. , Ixxi. , Ixxii. , Ixxxvii. In twelve folio volumes. Utrecht,
1694 to 1699.
5* See the Editio Gronovius Lugcl. Batav.
1696. The London edition of T. Gale, 1709, has various readings of places named. See lib. i. , cap. 3, lib. v. , cap. 31, 32.
55 For further particulars, in reference to
the foregoing authorities, the reader is re- ferred to that valuable work, " Monumenta Historica Britannica, or Materials for the History of Britain, from the earliest Period. " vol. i. Edited by Henry Petrie, Esq. ,
this Kingdom, from the First Traditional
Beginning, until the year of our Lord . 800, when the name of Britain was changed into
England; faithfullycollectedoutofthebest Authors, and disposed in a better Method than hitherto hath been done ; with the Antiquities of the Saxons, as well as Phoe- nicians, Greeks and Romans. " By Aylett Sammes, of Christ's CoUedge in Cambridge. Since, of the Inner-Temple. London, 1676, fol.
'° "
See Historia Ecclesiastlca Gentis An-
glorum," lib. i. , cap. i. , pp. 21 to 24. Editio
F. S. A. , and Rev. John Sharpe, B. A. Cantabrigire, 1644, fol.
London, 1848, fol. See the introductory Part, "ex Scriptoribus GrsecisatqueLatinis
Excerpta de Britannia," with notes, pp. i. to cxx. Very admirable and learned illus-
trations of Ptolemy, and of those works, just mentioned in the text, as having leference to
"
Britannia Ro- mana : or the Roman Antiquities of Bri- tain. " By John Horsley, M. A. and F. R. S. London, 1732, fol. See book iii. , 35310520.
5* He is venerated as a saint, at the
day of January, and he died about A. D. 570.
*' "
See Camden's Britannia," col. xvi. ,
xvii. , and following passages. A. Du Chesne has also treated the same subject, at
Britain, will be found in
liv. i. Yet, he has given us scarcely any
original observation, having followed Cam-
den, almost to the letter.
29th 57 In his "Liber Querulus," or " De
13ritones solum, a quibus nomen accepit, in- colas habuit, qui de tractu Armoricano (ut fertur) Britanniam — australes sibi
Excidio Britannise," and in his "Epistola. Mon. Hist. Brit. , pp. I to 46.
58 See ibid. , pp. 291 to 466.
"
advecti,
partes illius vindicarunt. " " Historia Ec-
clesiastlca Gentis Anglorum," lib. i. , cap. i. ,
p. 23.
"3 See Dom. Guy-Alexis Lobineau.
*•* In answer to such remarks, it may be
difficult to explain, if that had not been his intention, why he touched upon the name at all. A reason, which induced those writers to resort to such a quibble, was probably, that, in their opinion, no foundation could be discovered, for placing Britons in the province, now called Britany, before the middle of the fifth century. But, it does not thence follow, should we admit this sup- position, that there were not Britons, living insomeotherpartsoftheContinent. The Armorican tract, mentioned by Bede, was
far more extensive, than the province of
59 A very interesting work, to elucidate this subject, is "Britannia Antiqua IIlus- trata : or, the Antiquities of Ancient Bri- tain, derived from the Phoenicians : wherein the Original Trade of the Island is dis- covered, the Names of Places, Offices, Dignities, as likewise the Idolatry, Lan-
guage and Customs of the Primitive Inhabi- tanis are clearly demonstrated from that Nation, many old Monuments illustrated, and the Commerce with that People, as well as the Greeks, plainly set forth and collected out of approved Greek and Latin Authors. Together with a Chronological History of
Britany. See Rev. Dr. Lanigan's
''
Eccle-
great length. See
"
Histoire d'Angleterre,"
''^
Bede says: "In primis haec insula
March 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 441
the present England, Caesar had already derived their descent from the Belgae. ^s Again, Diodorus Siculus, Tacitus^^ Dion Cassias,^? and other ancient writers, agree ; still, on such a subject, the classic authors are poor authorities. '^^
The first authentic account of a Roman invasion, beyond the northern boundaries of England, must be referred to the expedition of Agricola, about A. D. 80. ^9 As a measure of precaution, he established a line of forts, between the Friths of Clyde and of Forth, when those hardy Caledonians, who had dared to oppose his progress, were obliged to retire, as it were, into another island. 7° Those defensive works seem to have been the commencement of that larger fortified rampart, renewed and strengthened, from time to time, and, of which, remnants are yet to be found. 7^= Beyond these works, however, the Roman army penetrated, and even their fleet sailed northwards, to the Orkneys, so that Britain was then discovered, by the Romans, to have been an island,ifanydoubtofthatfacthadheretoforeremained. ? ^ But,littlehad been done, towards the annexation of that district of Scotland, south of the Clyde and of the Forth. The Emperor Hadrian^s raised a barrier, to define the boundaries of his British Empire, about the year 119 74 but, this defen-
;
sive work,75 it is presumed, ran along the line of the famous Roman Wall, from the Tyne to the Solway. ? ^ The ancient and present state of the Roman wall, in Scotland, with those forts, whereby the position had been secured, have engaged the curiosity and lively interest of antiquaries. 77 Through his Lieutenant, LoUius Urbicus,? ^ the Emperor Antoninus Pius79 is said to have
siastical History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, iii. , sect, xii. , n. 122, pp. 108, 109.
*2 Speaking of Britain and of its coloniza- tion, he observes, "maritima pars ab iis qui, proedt^ ac belli inferendi causa, ex Bel- gis transierant, qui onines fere iis nominibus
In two volumes.
7' See Charles Merivale's
"
civitatum appelantur, quibus orti ex civita-
Princes qui ont regne durant les six premiers
siecles de de leurs contra I'Eglise, guerres
les Juifs, des Ecrivains profanes, et des per- sonnes les plus illustres de leur temps. " Justifiee par les citations des auteurs origi- naux. Avec des Notes pour eclaircir les principales difficultez de I'Histoire. Tome ii. L'Empereur Domitien. Art. v. , p. 32. Ed. Second. A Bruxelles, 1732, et seq. fol.
73 He ruled, from a. d. 117 to 138.
7-t SeeMerivale's" oftheRomans History
under the Empire," vol. vii. , chap. Ixvi. , pp. 434 to 437.
75 For an account of it, the reader is re- ferred to iElius Spartianus, and to Julius
"
^Ionun]enta Historica Bri- tannica," pp. Ixiv. , Ixv.
7* See the laboured and elegant Disquisi- tion, on this subject, in John Hill Burton's
tibus eo pervenerunt. "
ileo," lib. v. , sect. 10. Yet, it seems very
strange, that in commenting on a passage of Dionysius Periegetes, Hill could assert, that there were no Britons in his time, except such as lived in the British Islands. He re- fers on this occasion to Camden's " Bri-
tannia. " However,this latterwriter distinctly admits a Britain, to have been near Bou-
logne.
°* See " Vita
See Historise Romans," lib. xxxix. , sect. 50, 51, 53, lib. xl. , sect. I, 2, 3, 4, lib. xli. , sect. 30, 32, 34, lib. xliv. , sect. ' 42, 43, 49, lib. xlix. , sect. 38, lib. 1. , sect. 24, lib. liii. ,
sect. 7, 22, 25, lib. Iv. , sect. 23, lib. lix. , sect. 21, 25, lib. Ix. , sect. 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 30. Editio Reimari, Hamburgi, 1750.
"
sect. xi. ^^ Dion Cassius flourished A. D. 230.
^8 See Whitaker's
of Man- valuable " of History
Agricolge,"
"History chester," vol. i. Corrections, p. 152.
from cola's Invasion to the Revolution of 1688,"
vol. i. , chap, i. , pp. i to 19.
^^ Their chief features, with highly inte-
resting diagrams, may be traced, in the learned folio volume of John Horsley, M. A.
" Britannia Romana : or the Roman Antiquities of Britain," in Three Books. See booki. , chap, x. , pp. 158 to
? " An inscription, found near the northern wall, commemorates his name ; but, little more is known, regarding him.
^ Tacitus has given a most interesting nar- rative, regarding this remarkable expedition, as also touching on the bravery of the Cale- donians, the progress of a partial conquest, and the results of Agricola's military and political arrangements. See "Vita Agri- coIk," cap. X. et seq.
7° An admirable account of Caledonia will be found in Joseph Ritson's " Annals of the Caledonians, Picts and Scots, and of Strath- clyde, Cumberland, Galloway, and Murray. "
and F. R. S.
:
"
— De Bello Gal-
History of the Romans under the Empire," vol. vii. , chap.
Ixi. , p. 83.
"
7^ See Le Sieur Le Nain de Tillemont's
Histoire des Empereurs, et des autres
Capitolinus, in
Scotland,
Agri-
442 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 17.
conquered Britain, and to have built a second wall, in order to restrain the northern natives. ^" The date, most prominently connected with this struc-
ture, is 139, as many inscriptions, found near its ramparts, testify. The pro- file of this fortified line is either of earth, or of stone, in the shape of a ditch, and mound, which had been well garrisoned, at intervals. ^^ For a period of
about twenty years, during which Lollius Urbicus governed the province, peace appears to have prevailed ; and, during his time, within the present
bounds of Scotland, municipal or maritime seats may have been established, by the Roman colonists. ^* In the reign of Commodus,^3 when Christianity is supposed to have taken its hold on North Britain, a violent outbreak of thenativeshappened,a. d,181. Theybrokethroughthatrampart,separating them from their more civilized invaders, they killed a Roman commander, with his followers, and they committed other damage. ^* Whether, they carried a portion of the walls, or a Roman Station, at this time, is not easily ascertainable, from the fragment of history left us. ^s These troubles are said to have been suppressed, by a certain legate, named Marcellus Ulpius, probably between the years 193 and 196. This secured a few years of doubtful peace, for the northern province. ^^ The Emperor, Severus,^? is thought to have restored or improved, in detail,^^ the great defensive engineering position of Hadrian. ^s About a. d. 208, he entered Ca'ledonia,9° at the head of a formidable force, and penetrated, so far as the Moray Firth. But, with numbers greatly reduced, he was obliged to abandon this part of northern Britain. 9' Thenceforth, restless Caledonians and Picts made inroads on the southern province. It has been stated,9=' that although the first intro- duction of Christianity into Scotland cannot be clearly ascertained ; it is possible, the persecution raging against it, in every part of the Roman Empire, urged many Christians to take refuge, among the unconquered people and districts of Ireland and of Scotland. Other writers assert, that
nominally Christianity became the religion of the Roman province, in Scot- land, during the reign of Constantine the Great. 93 Yet, it seems strange,
that among existing Roman relics, great or small, not one can be pronounced
79 He ruled, from A. D. 138 to 161.
^ See Julius Capitolinus, in " Vita Anto- nini Pii," sect. v.
A. D. 417—"Historise," lib. vii. , cap. 17. Editio Havercampi Lugd. Batav. 1738.
^ An interesting work, by the Rev. John Collingwood Bruce, published in 1853, and intituled, "The Roman Wall," throws much light on this subject.
^' " See General Roy's
Military Antiqui-
ties," p. 154.
^^ See Daniel Wilson's "Archeology and
Prehistoric Annals of Scotland," part iii. , chap, ii. , p. 365.
^3 This lasted, from A. D. 180 to 192.
^•» See John Speed's "History of Great Britaine," book vi. , chap, xxi:, p. 224.
*i This is related, by Xiphilinos, who minster. London, 1838, 1839, 8vo.
abridged a work of Dion Cassius. The latter died, some eighty years old, at the
conclusion of the third century. He had
written eighty books of a Roman History ;
a small of these has been but, only portion
preserved.
** See Wilson's " Archseology and Pre-
historic Annals of Scotland," part iii. , chap.
ii. , p. 366.
''' He ruled, from A. D. 193 to 21 1.
*^ The wall he built is said to have ex-
9' By the Rev. W. M. Hetherington,
"
centum et duo millia triginta
Scotland, from the Introduction of Chris- tianity to the Period of the Disruption, May 18, 1843," vol. i. , chap, i. , p. 67.
9"* He was the first Christian of Emperor
Rome, and he ruled with supreme com-
mand, from A. D. 312, to the 22nd of May,
A. D. after a he 337, when, glorious reign,
died, in the sixty-third year of his age.
tended,
passuum a mari ad mare ;" the ditch and
per
were —with numerous rampart strengthened
turrets. See Paulus Orosius who flourished
94 Wilson
remarkable paucity of Roman remains, in
9° See Edward Gibbon's "
Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire," vol. i. , chap, vi. , p. 219. With Notes by the Rev. H. H. Milman, Prebendary of St. Peter's, and Vicar of St. Margaret's, West-
of the
»' He died at York, a. d. 211, in his fifty- sixth year, and in the eighteenth of his reign. See 7<5/</. , p. 222.
LL. D. See his " of the Church of History
acknowledges,
that there is a
History
March 1 7. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 443
a recognizable vestige of their Christianity. 9+ Indeed, we are told, that
Ninian,95 a Briton, by birth, had been ordained just towards the close of the
fourth century 96 and, that, afterwards, he became the Apostle of Southern ;
Scotland, where he built a church for himself, at the promontory Whithorn, in Galloway. It was called Candida Casa, or the White House, because it had been built of stone. 97 This material is supposed, by some antiquaries, not to have been in common use, for a long time afterwards, not even for the erection of ecclesiastical edifices. Ninian died, at Whithorn, where he was buried, about the year 432. 9^ How far he was successful, in extending the Faith among the Britons, Picts and Scots, is at present imperfectly known. In 369,99 during the reign of the Emperor Valentinian I. ,'°° Theodosius and the Roman legions recovered and converted into a Roman province that dis- trict, between the walls of Antoninus and of Severus. In honour of the Emperor, this conquered province was called Valentia. Still the Picts were
formidable foes, and they continued to ravage the colonizers' settlements. About the beginning of the fifth century, the Celtic and Britannic races re- volted from the Romans, lived independent of them, and refused to obey their laws. '°^ In the year 422, it was found impossible to maintain the colony of Valentia. Then, the legionary colonists and the Romanized Britons were advised to abandon it, for that line of defence, which was south of Hadrian's wall. ^°=' However, the Christianity, which Ninnian represented, together with the Roman civilization, is thought, by some writers, to have been swept away from Scotland, from this time, nearly to the age of the
Venerable Bede. '°3
The denomination of Britain embraced a larger extent of territory, in
former times, than at present. '°+ This extension of British name and race,
on the European Continent, seems to have prevailed from a time very re- mote; although this fact has been overlooked, by several of the French geographers'"^ and historians. In the time of Caesar, Gaul, as known to the Romans, had been distinguished, by its including three principal divisions. '"^ These were inhabited by a people, called the Belgse, the Aquitani, and the Celts or Gauls,'°7 speaking different languages, and regulated by differing
Scotland, and that a trifling innucnce was exercised by Roman civilization, on its ancient arts. Of these, however, illustra- tions and inscriptions are given; but, none of them seem objects of purely Christian design. See '"Archaeology and Prehistoric Annals of
from A. D. 364 to 378.
'°' See Zosimus, who flourished about this
time. " Historise Novas," lib. vi. , cap. v,
'"-
Scotland," part iii. , chap.
"^ See Rev. W. M. " His- Hetherington's
ii.
55 His feast occurs, at the l6th of Septem-
tory of the Church of Scotland, from the in- troduction of Christianity to the Period of the Disruption, May 18, 1843," vol. i. , chap, i. , p. 67.
