BRIGID—THE CON- VENTUAL RULE AND DISCIPLINE, UNDER WHICH HERSELF AND HER NUNS LIVED —HER CHARITY IN
RELIEVING
THE POOR—HER MODESTY, HER SELF-SACRIFICING SPIRIT, HER LIBERALITY, HER GIFTS OF MIND AND PERSON, HER POWERS FOR HEALINC?
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v2
Giacomo Certani, who re- lates these miraculous occurrences, states, that this mountain separated the ancient
*' provinces of Meath and Leinster. See La
251. ^*
In those early days, such animals in- fested our woods and wastes, and to them might well apply the poet's lines :—
" Cruel as death, and hungry as the grave, Burning for blood, bony, and gaunt, and
gi-im.
Assembling wolves in raging troops de-
scend,
And, pouring o'er the country, bear
along,
Keen as the north wind sweeps the glossy
snow.
All is their prize. "
—James Thomson's " Winter. "
83 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " Vita Tertia S. Brigidce, cap. cxxix. and n.
Santitk Prodigiosa. Vita di S. Brigida
Ibemese. " Libro Sesto, p. 535. This 78, pp. 541, 545. Vita Quarta S. Brigidae,
—mistakes foreign writer, however, totally
the local position of Grabor or rather
Huachter Gabhra—which seems to have
been somewhere near or within the present
mountain ranges of Slievemargy, between
the county of Kilkenny and Queen's County.
For some highly interesting expositions, re-
lating to Gabhran territory, the reader is re-
ferred to a learned contribution, "Topo- tum" is called a Sextarius, which was an
graphical and Historical Illustrations of the old Roman measure, holding something
lib. ii. ,
xciv. ,
cap. p. 562.
occurs in Abbate D. Giacomo Certani's "La Santiti Prodigiosa. Vita di S. Brigida Ibemese. " Libro Sesto,
^'^
This account
pp. 529 to 532.
"sSee, Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. "
Vita Tertia S. Brigidae, cap. cxx. , p. 541.
^^ *'
In two of our saint's Lives, this quan-
February i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 167
no honey as a present for the applicant, suddenly, the hum of bees was heard under the pavement of that house, in which she resided. ^7 When
that spot, from which the humming proceeded, had been examined, a sufficient amount of honey, to relieve the petitioner's wants, was there found. The man received as much as he asked from St. Brigid, and with joy returned afterwards towards his home. ^^
The following miracle, performed by St. Brigid, has been recorded. Cogitosus precedes it with an account, which is of still greater interest, to the Irish historian. The king,^9 ruling over that part of the country, in which our saint lived,9° had ordered the construction of a road, which should
be able to bear the driving of chariots, waggons and other vehicles, with a large array of horse and foot, for purposes of a social, civil or military nature. He commanded the inhabitants of all districts and territories, under his sway, to be assembled, and to take part in such labour. ? ^ That road, he intendedtoconstructinapermanentmanner. Forsuchpurpose,branches of trees were used, and stones were placed for a substructure. Certain trenches or mounds were formed through a deep and an almost impassable
bog,92 while they were brought through soft and marshy places, where a
large river93 ran. When various subject tribes and families had assembled,
the road was marked out in different sections, to be severally constructed,
by the clans or people, to whom those portions were respectively assigned.
But, when the difficult and intricate river-section fell to the lot of a certain
powerful clan, its labouring contingent sought to avoid this most onerous
part of the road-making. Compelled, by their superior force, St. Brigid's weaker gang of workmen had to undertake that labour. The more powerful
clan unfairly selected an easier section, which was apart from the river. Whereupon, Brigid's kindred94 came to her, and complained about the harsh andunjusttreatmentreceivedfromtheirstrongerrivals. Oursainttoldthem, that the river should move its course, from where they were obliged to work,
about our pint and a half. In Troy and Avoirdupois weight, it is variously estimated,
as containing from eighteen to twenty-four ounces. In Horace, allusion is made to "vini sextarius. " See lib. i. , Satirarum,
i. 1. 74.
^7 See Abbate D. Giacomo Celrtani's ** La
^5 Abbate D. Giacomo Certani, who re-
lates this incident, calls him the King of
Leinster, and localizes the road-making —or embankment in "la ProvinciadiLabraide"
but on what grounds may be questioned, See " La Santita Prodigiosa. Vita di S.
Brigida Ibernese. " Libro Quinto, pp. 404 Santitk Prodigiosa. Vita di S. Brigida to 408.
Ibernese. " LibroQuinto,pp. 438,439. ^oMostprobablyatKildare.
*^ ""
See, Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. Vita Secunda S. Brigidse, cap. xxx. , p. 522. Vita Tertia S. Brigidae, cap. cxxx. , p. 541. Vita Quarta S. Brigidae. , lib. ii. , cap. xcv. , p. 562. As usual, the foregoing miracle, related in Vita Quinta S. Brigidse, cap, liv. , p. 582, is amplified, with many additional details. It is possible, the follow- ing account may refer to the same incident ; but, most—probably, it relates to a different miracle
According to the ancient Irish annals, and other fragments of Irish history, the ancient Irish had many roads which were cleaned and kept in repair according to
"
Leabhar na g- Ceart, or The Book of Rights. " Intro- duction, p. Ivi. Some very curious illustra- tions and an enumeration of several old roads
follow, ibid. , pp. Ivi. to Ix.
^'^ Grunnce, Anglice, bo^s, are frequently
:
" Medo erat ei oblatus
Nee detrimenti quidquam passus est
offerens
Repertus est juxta ipsius domum
mentioned in the Lives
saints.
:
Sine defectu vel augmento.
"
Vita Prima S. Brigidse, sec. xli. , p. 517. Bid.
95 See Colgan's 522, 523.
9^
law. "—Dr. O'Donovan's
of our Irish
93 This may have been the Liffy or the
Barrow.
'* This, with other allusions in her Acts,
seems to indicate, that St. Brigid's family belonged to Leinster, at least on her father's side.
**
Trias Thaumaturga. " Vita Secunda S. Brigidse, cap. xxxi. , pp.
i68 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February i
and should run through that section, chosen by their oppressors. On the morning, when all were assembled for the work, it was found, the river left its former bed, and that place, for which St. Brigid's friends had been specially drafted ; while, its course ran near to that quarter, selected by the numerous and powerful clan, who had thought to. circumvent and oppress their weaker fellow-labourers. As a proof of this miracle, attributed to the holy abbess, Cogitosus remarks, the deserted channel and empty valley, whichhadformerlybeenfilledwithwater,mightbeseen,inhistime; while, the river itself flowed at some distance from this natural channel, but then a dry and deserted hollow. 9S Long after the illustrious saint's departure,
popular tradition preserved a recollection of the supernatural occurrence, and associated it with some particular conformation of ground,96 which probably has not yet disappeared. It seems not unlikely, a river not far from Kildare and some contiguous boggy or low-lying land may afford a clue to discover that dried channel.
Among the number of our saint's miracles, Cogitosus tells us, that the
followingoccurrenceisnottheleastmemorable. Threelepers,havingasked
an alms from St. Brigid, received from her a silver vessel. 97 Fearing, how-
ever, that distributing the proceeds of this gift might prove a cause of con-
tention among them, our saint directed a certain man, accustomed to deal
in silver and gold, that he should divide the vessel into three equal parts.
One of these was to be the property of each leper. The dealer in precious
metals began to excuse himself, by saying, that he could not fairly execute
such a commission. Then, holy Brigid, taking the silver vessel, cast it
against a stone and broke it, as she intended, into three parts equally
valuable. 93 Wonderful to relate ! when these three divisions were afterwards
weighed, no single fragment was found to be lighter or heavier than another,99
even in the slightest appreciable degree. Thus, without envy or quarrel, these poor men returned joyfully to their homes. ^°°
We are ^°^ that while the abbess and her nuns were en- informed, holy
gaged in prayer, a certain rich nobleman suffered from a dangerous attack
^ See ibid. In the Third and Fourth Lives of our saint, the foregoing account is greatly abridged. Vita Tertia S . Brigidce, cap. cxxxi. ,p. 541. VitaQuartaS. Brigidos,
lib. ii. , cap. xcvi. , p. 562. In the latter lives, it is also stated, that the dry course of the river was to be seen at a time when the authors wrote.
57 See Abbate D. Giacomo Certani's " La
Santita Prodigiosa. Vita di S. Brigida Ibemese. " LibroQuinto,pp. 436to438.
9^ This miraculous occurrence seems al-
luded to, when we read, according to the Latin v—ersion of St. Brogan Cloen's original
of fever. ^°* little account on his Setting
at that
and being willing to perform a meritorious action, he desired his servants to select and present the best cow from his herd, as a gift for our saint. His ser- vants,however,selectedtheworstheifer,whichcouldbefound; but,onthe
Irish
**
:
Donarium argenteum, quod non potuit frangere
Faber aerarius (quod prJEclarum erat Sanctse)
Fregit Brigida sua manu,
Ut exsilJciit in tres partes sequales.
522. "'
time,
Ponderatse erant illae partes per artificem:
Et repertum est (ecce miraculum aliud), Quod nulla pars inventa est
Praeponderassealteri. "
temporal possessions,
—
p. 517. See also a similar statement in
Vita Prima S. Brigidse, sees, xxxix. , xl. ,
Vita Quinta S. Brigidse, cap. liv. , pp. 580, 581.
'9 Cogitosus adds, as it were parentheti- cally, "licet uno obulo, de his inventa est
tribus partibus. "
'°°
See- Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. "
Secunda Vita S. Brigidae, cap, xxviii. , p.
In St. '°^ "
"Sixth Metrical Life. Dives habebat opes aeger, quod per-
deret auri,
Copiam & argenti, multarum pondera
rerum,
Centones, stimulos, pecora, ac in-
gentia rura. "
Brigid's
February i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS 169
nightfollowing,theanimal,thusselected,waskilledbysevenwolves. "3 in the morning, those herdsmen not only found the heifer killed, in the midst of other cattle, but even the dead bodies of those seven wolves were scattered nearthecarcass,whichtheyhadnotbeenabletodevour. Thisremarkable occurrence was long remembered in that part of the province. '"-^ Our saint's great miracles were not alone famous in her own country ; for, with the lapse of time, Brigid's name became celebrated through all nations, where the Christian faith had been received.
CHAPTER XIII.
ST. brigid's reputed residence at GLASTONBURY—the EARLY PRACTICE OF WRITING AND ILLUMINATING IN IRELAND—WRITINGS ASCRIBED TO ST.
BRIGID—THE CON- VENTUAL RULE AND DISCIPLINE, UNDER WHICH HERSELF AND HER NUNS LIVED —HER CHARITY IN RELIEVING THE POOR—HER MODESTY, HER SELF-SACRIFICING SPIRIT, HER LIBERALITY, HER GIFTS OF MIND AND PERSON, HER POWERS FOR HEALINC? THE SICK AND INFIRM, HER VIGILS, AND HER CARE FOR SUBJECTS.
We cannot receive as duly authenticated, or even as probable, several assertions of mediaeval and more recent writers, who have treated concerning this illustrious virgin. It has been stated, that about the year 488, Saint Brigid left Ireland, and proceeded towards Glastonbury. ^ There, it is said, she remained, until advanced in years, on an island, and convenient to the monastery in that place. ^ Whether she died there or returned to Ireland is doubted. 3 But, it seems probable enough, such a tradition had its origin, owing to this circumstance, that a different St. Brigid, called of Inis-bridge, or of Bride's Island, had been the person really meant. She lived many years on a small island, near Glastonbury, called Brides-hay, i. e. , BrigidcB insula. '' This latter St. Brigid is said to have been buried, at Glastonbury. s Another cause for a grievous mistake, about St. Brigid's and St. Columkille's^
*°3 These animals to have been appear very
numerous in Ireland, as also to have been
destructive to human beings and to domes-
ticated animals. At so late a period as the
beginning of last century, some wolves were
to be found. In Ulster, the last wolf known
to exist was hunted from Benyevanagh
mountain, in Londonderry county, and it
= to this fable, remarks Colgan, referring
ontheignoranceofthatvi^riter, whoassigned the burial-place of these aforesaid saints to Glastonbury. This city never contained the bodies of our St. Brigid, nor of St. Columkille, Abbot and Confessor. The latter is even ignorantly named, Colum Killa, after such a manner, as to indicate a
was killed in the woods near Dungiven. female. See "Trias Thaumaturga. " Ap-
**
pendix Quarta ad Acta S. Brigidse, cap. vi. , pp. 617, 618.
3 Such is the account, given by an ancient
of
anonymous chronographer Glastonbury.
See
niensis, No. ii. , n. i. , p. 8.
Legend Lays of Ireland," by Lage-
"-^ See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. "
Vita Sexta S. — sec.
Brigidae, xxxv. , p. 569.
^
Chapter xiii. Whilst it has been
falsely supposed, by some Scottish writers, that the great St. Brigid had been buried at Abemethy, in Scotland, an error nearly similar has been propagated through a treatise, * * On the Antiquities of Glastonbury Church. " Here, it was supposed, that St. Brigid and St. Colum-Kille were buried, on the northern side of its high altar, in a conspicuous stone tomb, and over the monument of John de Cantia, Abbot. See Ussher's "Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Anti- quitates," cap. xvii. , pp, 466, 467.
See Ussher's
"
Britannicarum Ecclesiarum
Antiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 467.
^ We find it also called Parva Hibernia,
and Bekery, reminding us of Beg-Eri, off the coast of Wexford, and about three miles and a half mile north-east of that town. See "Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ireland," vol. i. , p. 230.
s See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " Appendix Quarta ad Acta S. Brigidse, cap. vi. , p. 618.
^ See ibid. y pp. 617, 618.
170 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February i.
interment at Glastonbury, may be traced, owing to this latter place having been possibly confounded with Down, in Ireland. '' This city was called
Dun da-Lethglas,^ in our ancient language. A fable, propagated by some ignorant legend-mongers and scribes, had its probable origin from the circumstance, that our two great Irish Saints had been buried, in the town
or fort called Leath-glas ; while, it is supposed, ZmM-^/fSij- had been incor- rectly substituted for Glaston. '^ It is said, this latter designation may be
" '' ^° more fully Anglicized, the glassy city," or the city of glass. "
Among other laudable practices, which were followed by the pious and cultivated intelligence of holy Brigid, her nuns and scribes," that of writing
^^
If not referable to Pagan times, and derivable from eastern climes, or from the Druidic schools,^3 the long-neglected Celtic art of illumination was, at least, charac' teristic of the ages of faith in this kingdom. ^* So skilful were our sainted illuminators of old, so wonderful was their work of ornamentation, so elaborate, so interlaced and intertwined, so minute and yet so perfect in all details were the manuscripts of our ancient scribes,^^ that the first Anglo-Norman settlers
or copying religious books must deserve especial regard.
7 It is true, the old writer expresses some
doubt respecting the reliability of his infor- mation.
Book of Kells and of Durrow, and Draw* ings from Nature. By M. S. With Notes on Celtic ornamental Art. Revised by George Petrie, LL. D. London, mdccclxi. , folio size.
'3 See some admirable observations, re-
ferring to this very subject, in Very Rev.
^
correctly, arcem binorum niedioi-um catena,
It is rendered in Latin, collem or more
according to Joceline, in his Life of St. Patrick.
Ulick Bourke's ** of the Thaumaturga. " J, Aryan Origin
" The very inexact chronographer brings
St. Columkille to Glastonbury, A. D. 504,
several years before the great Apostle of
Caledonia was born. See Ussher's " Bri-
tannicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates," cap. in Four Languages ; or, The Immaculate xvii. , p. 467.
9 See
"Trias
Colgan's AppendixQuartaadActaS. Brigidae,cap. vi. , p. 618.
Gaelic Race and Language," &c. , chap, xii. , pp. 328 to 338.
" The most illustrious artists of modern times have not concealed their admiration for these works of our fathers ; they only lament, that it seems to be no longer possible toimitatethem. DigbyWyattandProfessor J. O. Westwood have strongly expressed themselves, concerning the beauty and ori-
Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary defined," &c. , pp. 103 to 122.
ginality of this Keltic art. See J. O. West- Ireland," selected and edited under the
"
wood's Palseographia Sacra Pictoria. "
Book of Kells, p. I.
"
Among the most elegant and curious
illustrations of ancient Irish caligraphy,
produced in our day, must be noticed those
incomparable drawings of fac-similes, by
Miss Margaret Stokes, included in a very
large but thin 4to work, intituled, "De- General of the Ordnance Survey, part i. scriptive Remarks on Illuminations in Cer-
tain Ancient Irish Manuscripts," by Rev.
James Henthom Todd, U. D. , F. S. A.
London, M. DCCC. LXix. The monogram Ireland. Public Record Office of Ireland, **
copied from the Book of Kells" is alone Dublin, MDCCCLXXiv. No less than forty-
amostwonderfulartproduction. Another charming work contains coloured drawings on stone of natural landscapes and interlaced letters orfac-similes, exactly copied from Irish Manuscripts or scenes by Miss Stokes. This is intituled, "The Cromlech on Howth. "
A Poem. By Samuel Ferguson, Q. C. , M. R. I. A. With illuminations from the
four beautifully coloured plates, containing several hundred most elegant and accurate specimens of initial letters, are in this part. It includes, likewise, a learned introduction, with historic and descriptive memoranda, as also modem versions, for the use of per- sons unaccustomed to the archaic caligraphy of the manuscript pages delineated.
^^ See an interesting article, on " The Art of Illuminating : as it was practised of old : its revival," appended to Very Rev. Ulick
Bourke's "The Bull ' Ineffabilis' work,
J.
'5 For proof of these assertions, the reader has only to examine some of the many ori- ginals in our Dublin Libraries. Failing such opportunity, a magnificent and very large 4to work will satisfy. It is intituled, "Fac-similes of National Manuscripts of
direction of the Rt. Hon. Edward Sullivan, Master of the Rolls in Ireland, by J. T.
Gilbert, F. S. A. , M. R. I. A. , Secretary of the Public Record Office of Ireland, and
Photozincographed by command of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, by Major-General Sir Henry James, R. E. , F. R. S. , Director
Published by Authority of the Lords Com- missioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, under the direction of the Master of the Rolls in
February i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 171
regardedthosevellumpagesastheworkofangels,andnotofmen. ^^ Giraldus Cambrensis relates, that a tradition existed in his day, concerning a miracle, saidtohavetakenplace,duringoursaint'slife-time. ^7 Onacertainoccasion, a scribe, belonging to St. Brigid's monastery, undertook transcription of a book of the Gospels, according to St. Jerome's version. ^^ That night, on which he had commenced his task, an angel is said to have appeared. This heavenly messenger bore a certain tablet, upon which a beautiful impression was depicted; at the same time, that angel asked the scribe, if he could reproduceasimilarillustration,onthetitle-page. Thewriterreplied,suchan
" On to-morrow, tell
effort exceeded his ability. Then the angel said
mistress, she must pour forth her prayers before God's throne, so that your corporal and mental vision may be able to behold accurately, and to under- stand with due perception, and that your hand maybe properly directed, in trac- ingcorrespondingcharacters. " Thefollowingnight,anangelagainappeared. He bore the same drawing, and presented many other illustrations. All of these,thatscribecarefullyimpressedonhismemory; while,withthegreatest exactness, he reproduced those different figures and tracings represented, introducingtheminsuitableplaces,throughouthisbook. Itisremarked,St. Brigid continued her prayers, during the progress of this wonderful work, until it issued from the scribe's hands, in a most perfect state. '9 Afterwards, this manuscript was an object of admiration to all persons of taste. It called forth the warm eulogistic commendations of Giraldus Cambrensis,=° who appears to have examined it with great interest and minuteness. ''^
It seems probable, that such a tradition as the foregoing may serve to
"
of Revelations. " However, it will be found, on enquiry, that no ancient
account for a rumour, regarding our saint having composed
Twelve Books
^^ The late lamented Rev. James Gaffney
Europe from the earliest times. Part i. , p.
" The wondrous excellence attained London: writes, 15.
privately printed, 4to,
no
by the Irish in the art of illuminating has never been equalled. "—*' The Ancient Irish Church," chap, iv. , p. no, n.
**
date.
='° He remarks: Here do you see the
Divinely-impressed face of Majesty; here *7 See Giraldi Cambrensis Opera. " the evangelistic and mystic forms, some
Edited by J^mes F. Dimock, M. A. , vol.
V. "Topographia Hibernica," distinctio
Edited by James F. Dimock, M. A.
*' provinces of Meath and Leinster. See La
251. ^*
In those early days, such animals in- fested our woods and wastes, and to them might well apply the poet's lines :—
" Cruel as death, and hungry as the grave, Burning for blood, bony, and gaunt, and
gi-im.
Assembling wolves in raging troops de-
scend,
And, pouring o'er the country, bear
along,
Keen as the north wind sweeps the glossy
snow.
All is their prize. "
—James Thomson's " Winter. "
83 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " Vita Tertia S. Brigidce, cap. cxxix. and n.
Santitk Prodigiosa. Vita di S. Brigida
Ibemese. " Libro Sesto, p. 535. This 78, pp. 541, 545. Vita Quarta S. Brigidae,
—mistakes foreign writer, however, totally
the local position of Grabor or rather
Huachter Gabhra—which seems to have
been somewhere near or within the present
mountain ranges of Slievemargy, between
the county of Kilkenny and Queen's County.
For some highly interesting expositions, re-
lating to Gabhran territory, the reader is re-
ferred to a learned contribution, "Topo- tum" is called a Sextarius, which was an
graphical and Historical Illustrations of the old Roman measure, holding something
lib. ii. ,
xciv. ,
cap. p. 562.
occurs in Abbate D. Giacomo Certani's "La Santiti Prodigiosa. Vita di S. Brigida Ibemese. " Libro Sesto,
^'^
This account
pp. 529 to 532.
"sSee, Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. "
Vita Tertia S. Brigidae, cap. cxx. , p. 541.
^^ *'
In two of our saint's Lives, this quan-
February i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 167
no honey as a present for the applicant, suddenly, the hum of bees was heard under the pavement of that house, in which she resided. ^7 When
that spot, from which the humming proceeded, had been examined, a sufficient amount of honey, to relieve the petitioner's wants, was there found. The man received as much as he asked from St. Brigid, and with joy returned afterwards towards his home. ^^
The following miracle, performed by St. Brigid, has been recorded. Cogitosus precedes it with an account, which is of still greater interest, to the Irish historian. The king,^9 ruling over that part of the country, in which our saint lived,9° had ordered the construction of a road, which should
be able to bear the driving of chariots, waggons and other vehicles, with a large array of horse and foot, for purposes of a social, civil or military nature. He commanded the inhabitants of all districts and territories, under his sway, to be assembled, and to take part in such labour. ? ^ That road, he intendedtoconstructinapermanentmanner. Forsuchpurpose,branches of trees were used, and stones were placed for a substructure. Certain trenches or mounds were formed through a deep and an almost impassable
bog,92 while they were brought through soft and marshy places, where a
large river93 ran. When various subject tribes and families had assembled,
the road was marked out in different sections, to be severally constructed,
by the clans or people, to whom those portions were respectively assigned.
But, when the difficult and intricate river-section fell to the lot of a certain
powerful clan, its labouring contingent sought to avoid this most onerous
part of the road-making. Compelled, by their superior force, St. Brigid's weaker gang of workmen had to undertake that labour. The more powerful
clan unfairly selected an easier section, which was apart from the river. Whereupon, Brigid's kindred94 came to her, and complained about the harsh andunjusttreatmentreceivedfromtheirstrongerrivals. Oursainttoldthem, that the river should move its course, from where they were obliged to work,
about our pint and a half. In Troy and Avoirdupois weight, it is variously estimated,
as containing from eighteen to twenty-four ounces. In Horace, allusion is made to "vini sextarius. " See lib. i. , Satirarum,
i. 1. 74.
^7 See Abbate D. Giacomo Celrtani's ** La
^5 Abbate D. Giacomo Certani, who re-
lates this incident, calls him the King of
Leinster, and localizes the road-making —or embankment in "la ProvinciadiLabraide"
but on what grounds may be questioned, See " La Santita Prodigiosa. Vita di S.
Brigida Ibernese. " Libro Quinto, pp. 404 Santitk Prodigiosa. Vita di S. Brigida to 408.
Ibernese. " LibroQuinto,pp. 438,439. ^oMostprobablyatKildare.
*^ ""
See, Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. Vita Secunda S. Brigidse, cap. xxx. , p. 522. Vita Tertia S. Brigidae, cap. cxxx. , p. 541. Vita Quarta S. Brigidae. , lib. ii. , cap. xcv. , p. 562. As usual, the foregoing miracle, related in Vita Quinta S. Brigidse, cap, liv. , p. 582, is amplified, with many additional details. It is possible, the follow- ing account may refer to the same incident ; but, most—probably, it relates to a different miracle
According to the ancient Irish annals, and other fragments of Irish history, the ancient Irish had many roads which were cleaned and kept in repair according to
"
Leabhar na g- Ceart, or The Book of Rights. " Intro- duction, p. Ivi. Some very curious illustra- tions and an enumeration of several old roads
follow, ibid. , pp. Ivi. to Ix.
^'^ Grunnce, Anglice, bo^s, are frequently
:
" Medo erat ei oblatus
Nee detrimenti quidquam passus est
offerens
Repertus est juxta ipsius domum
mentioned in the Lives
saints.
:
Sine defectu vel augmento.
"
Vita Prima S. Brigidse, sec. xli. , p. 517. Bid.
95 See Colgan's 522, 523.
9^
law. "—Dr. O'Donovan's
of our Irish
93 This may have been the Liffy or the
Barrow.
'* This, with other allusions in her Acts,
seems to indicate, that St. Brigid's family belonged to Leinster, at least on her father's side.
**
Trias Thaumaturga. " Vita Secunda S. Brigidse, cap. xxxi. , pp.
i68 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February i
and should run through that section, chosen by their oppressors. On the morning, when all were assembled for the work, it was found, the river left its former bed, and that place, for which St. Brigid's friends had been specially drafted ; while, its course ran near to that quarter, selected by the numerous and powerful clan, who had thought to. circumvent and oppress their weaker fellow-labourers. As a proof of this miracle, attributed to the holy abbess, Cogitosus remarks, the deserted channel and empty valley, whichhadformerlybeenfilledwithwater,mightbeseen,inhistime; while, the river itself flowed at some distance from this natural channel, but then a dry and deserted hollow. 9S Long after the illustrious saint's departure,
popular tradition preserved a recollection of the supernatural occurrence, and associated it with some particular conformation of ground,96 which probably has not yet disappeared. It seems not unlikely, a river not far from Kildare and some contiguous boggy or low-lying land may afford a clue to discover that dried channel.
Among the number of our saint's miracles, Cogitosus tells us, that the
followingoccurrenceisnottheleastmemorable. Threelepers,havingasked
an alms from St. Brigid, received from her a silver vessel. 97 Fearing, how-
ever, that distributing the proceeds of this gift might prove a cause of con-
tention among them, our saint directed a certain man, accustomed to deal
in silver and gold, that he should divide the vessel into three equal parts.
One of these was to be the property of each leper. The dealer in precious
metals began to excuse himself, by saying, that he could not fairly execute
such a commission. Then, holy Brigid, taking the silver vessel, cast it
against a stone and broke it, as she intended, into three parts equally
valuable. 93 Wonderful to relate ! when these three divisions were afterwards
weighed, no single fragment was found to be lighter or heavier than another,99
even in the slightest appreciable degree. Thus, without envy or quarrel, these poor men returned joyfully to their homes. ^°°
We are ^°^ that while the abbess and her nuns were en- informed, holy
gaged in prayer, a certain rich nobleman suffered from a dangerous attack
^ See ibid. In the Third and Fourth Lives of our saint, the foregoing account is greatly abridged. Vita Tertia S . Brigidce, cap. cxxxi. ,p. 541. VitaQuartaS. Brigidos,
lib. ii. , cap. xcvi. , p. 562. In the latter lives, it is also stated, that the dry course of the river was to be seen at a time when the authors wrote.
57 See Abbate D. Giacomo Certani's " La
Santita Prodigiosa. Vita di S. Brigida Ibemese. " LibroQuinto,pp. 436to438.
9^ This miraculous occurrence seems al-
luded to, when we read, according to the Latin v—ersion of St. Brogan Cloen's original
of fever. ^°* little account on his Setting
at that
and being willing to perform a meritorious action, he desired his servants to select and present the best cow from his herd, as a gift for our saint. His ser- vants,however,selectedtheworstheifer,whichcouldbefound; but,onthe
Irish
**
:
Donarium argenteum, quod non potuit frangere
Faber aerarius (quod prJEclarum erat Sanctse)
Fregit Brigida sua manu,
Ut exsilJciit in tres partes sequales.
522. "'
time,
Ponderatse erant illae partes per artificem:
Et repertum est (ecce miraculum aliud), Quod nulla pars inventa est
Praeponderassealteri. "
temporal possessions,
—
p. 517. See also a similar statement in
Vita Prima S. Brigidse, sees, xxxix. , xl. ,
Vita Quinta S. Brigidse, cap. liv. , pp. 580, 581.
'9 Cogitosus adds, as it were parentheti- cally, "licet uno obulo, de his inventa est
tribus partibus. "
'°°
See- Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. "
Secunda Vita S. Brigidae, cap, xxviii. , p.
In St. '°^ "
"Sixth Metrical Life. Dives habebat opes aeger, quod per-
deret auri,
Copiam & argenti, multarum pondera
rerum,
Centones, stimulos, pecora, ac in-
gentia rura. "
Brigid's
February i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS 169
nightfollowing,theanimal,thusselected,waskilledbysevenwolves. "3 in the morning, those herdsmen not only found the heifer killed, in the midst of other cattle, but even the dead bodies of those seven wolves were scattered nearthecarcass,whichtheyhadnotbeenabletodevour. Thisremarkable occurrence was long remembered in that part of the province. '"-^ Our saint's great miracles were not alone famous in her own country ; for, with the lapse of time, Brigid's name became celebrated through all nations, where the Christian faith had been received.
CHAPTER XIII.
ST. brigid's reputed residence at GLASTONBURY—the EARLY PRACTICE OF WRITING AND ILLUMINATING IN IRELAND—WRITINGS ASCRIBED TO ST.
BRIGID—THE CON- VENTUAL RULE AND DISCIPLINE, UNDER WHICH HERSELF AND HER NUNS LIVED —HER CHARITY IN RELIEVING THE POOR—HER MODESTY, HER SELF-SACRIFICING SPIRIT, HER LIBERALITY, HER GIFTS OF MIND AND PERSON, HER POWERS FOR HEALINC? THE SICK AND INFIRM, HER VIGILS, AND HER CARE FOR SUBJECTS.
We cannot receive as duly authenticated, or even as probable, several assertions of mediaeval and more recent writers, who have treated concerning this illustrious virgin. It has been stated, that about the year 488, Saint Brigid left Ireland, and proceeded towards Glastonbury. ^ There, it is said, she remained, until advanced in years, on an island, and convenient to the monastery in that place. ^ Whether she died there or returned to Ireland is doubted. 3 But, it seems probable enough, such a tradition had its origin, owing to this circumstance, that a different St. Brigid, called of Inis-bridge, or of Bride's Island, had been the person really meant. She lived many years on a small island, near Glastonbury, called Brides-hay, i. e. , BrigidcB insula. '' This latter St. Brigid is said to have been buried, at Glastonbury. s Another cause for a grievous mistake, about St. Brigid's and St. Columkille's^
*°3 These animals to have been appear very
numerous in Ireland, as also to have been
destructive to human beings and to domes-
ticated animals. At so late a period as the
beginning of last century, some wolves were
to be found. In Ulster, the last wolf known
to exist was hunted from Benyevanagh
mountain, in Londonderry county, and it
= to this fable, remarks Colgan, referring
ontheignoranceofthatvi^riter, whoassigned the burial-place of these aforesaid saints to Glastonbury. This city never contained the bodies of our St. Brigid, nor of St. Columkille, Abbot and Confessor. The latter is even ignorantly named, Colum Killa, after such a manner, as to indicate a
was killed in the woods near Dungiven. female. See "Trias Thaumaturga. " Ap-
**
pendix Quarta ad Acta S. Brigidse, cap. vi. , pp. 617, 618.
3 Such is the account, given by an ancient
of
anonymous chronographer Glastonbury.
See
niensis, No. ii. , n. i. , p. 8.
Legend Lays of Ireland," by Lage-
"-^ See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. "
Vita Sexta S. — sec.
Brigidae, xxxv. , p. 569.
^
Chapter xiii. Whilst it has been
falsely supposed, by some Scottish writers, that the great St. Brigid had been buried at Abemethy, in Scotland, an error nearly similar has been propagated through a treatise, * * On the Antiquities of Glastonbury Church. " Here, it was supposed, that St. Brigid and St. Colum-Kille were buried, on the northern side of its high altar, in a conspicuous stone tomb, and over the monument of John de Cantia, Abbot. See Ussher's "Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Anti- quitates," cap. xvii. , pp, 466, 467.
See Ussher's
"
Britannicarum Ecclesiarum
Antiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 467.
^ We find it also called Parva Hibernia,
and Bekery, reminding us of Beg-Eri, off the coast of Wexford, and about three miles and a half mile north-east of that town. See "Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ireland," vol. i. , p. 230.
s See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " Appendix Quarta ad Acta S. Brigidse, cap. vi. , p. 618.
^ See ibid. y pp. 617, 618.
170 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February i.
interment at Glastonbury, may be traced, owing to this latter place having been possibly confounded with Down, in Ireland. '' This city was called
Dun da-Lethglas,^ in our ancient language. A fable, propagated by some ignorant legend-mongers and scribes, had its probable origin from the circumstance, that our two great Irish Saints had been buried, in the town
or fort called Leath-glas ; while, it is supposed, ZmM-^/fSij- had been incor- rectly substituted for Glaston. '^ It is said, this latter designation may be
" '' ^° more fully Anglicized, the glassy city," or the city of glass. "
Among other laudable practices, which were followed by the pious and cultivated intelligence of holy Brigid, her nuns and scribes," that of writing
^^
If not referable to Pagan times, and derivable from eastern climes, or from the Druidic schools,^3 the long-neglected Celtic art of illumination was, at least, charac' teristic of the ages of faith in this kingdom. ^* So skilful were our sainted illuminators of old, so wonderful was their work of ornamentation, so elaborate, so interlaced and intertwined, so minute and yet so perfect in all details were the manuscripts of our ancient scribes,^^ that the first Anglo-Norman settlers
or copying religious books must deserve especial regard.
7 It is true, the old writer expresses some
doubt respecting the reliability of his infor- mation.
Book of Kells and of Durrow, and Draw* ings from Nature. By M. S. With Notes on Celtic ornamental Art. Revised by George Petrie, LL. D. London, mdccclxi. , folio size.
'3 See some admirable observations, re-
ferring to this very subject, in Very Rev.
^
correctly, arcem binorum niedioi-um catena,
It is rendered in Latin, collem or more
according to Joceline, in his Life of St. Patrick.
Ulick Bourke's ** of the Thaumaturga. " J, Aryan Origin
" The very inexact chronographer brings
St. Columkille to Glastonbury, A. D. 504,
several years before the great Apostle of
Caledonia was born. See Ussher's " Bri-
tannicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates," cap. in Four Languages ; or, The Immaculate xvii. , p. 467.
9 See
"Trias
Colgan's AppendixQuartaadActaS. Brigidae,cap. vi. , p. 618.
Gaelic Race and Language," &c. , chap, xii. , pp. 328 to 338.
" The most illustrious artists of modern times have not concealed their admiration for these works of our fathers ; they only lament, that it seems to be no longer possible toimitatethem. DigbyWyattandProfessor J. O. Westwood have strongly expressed themselves, concerning the beauty and ori-
Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary defined," &c. , pp. 103 to 122.
ginality of this Keltic art. See J. O. West- Ireland," selected and edited under the
"
wood's Palseographia Sacra Pictoria. "
Book of Kells, p. I.
"
Among the most elegant and curious
illustrations of ancient Irish caligraphy,
produced in our day, must be noticed those
incomparable drawings of fac-similes, by
Miss Margaret Stokes, included in a very
large but thin 4to work, intituled, "De- General of the Ordnance Survey, part i. scriptive Remarks on Illuminations in Cer-
tain Ancient Irish Manuscripts," by Rev.
James Henthom Todd, U. D. , F. S. A.
London, M. DCCC. LXix. The monogram Ireland. Public Record Office of Ireland, **
copied from the Book of Kells" is alone Dublin, MDCCCLXXiv. No less than forty-
amostwonderfulartproduction. Another charming work contains coloured drawings on stone of natural landscapes and interlaced letters orfac-similes, exactly copied from Irish Manuscripts or scenes by Miss Stokes. This is intituled, "The Cromlech on Howth. "
A Poem. By Samuel Ferguson, Q. C. , M. R. I. A. With illuminations from the
four beautifully coloured plates, containing several hundred most elegant and accurate specimens of initial letters, are in this part. It includes, likewise, a learned introduction, with historic and descriptive memoranda, as also modem versions, for the use of per- sons unaccustomed to the archaic caligraphy of the manuscript pages delineated.
^^ See an interesting article, on " The Art of Illuminating : as it was practised of old : its revival," appended to Very Rev. Ulick
Bourke's "The Bull ' Ineffabilis' work,
J.
'5 For proof of these assertions, the reader has only to examine some of the many ori- ginals in our Dublin Libraries. Failing such opportunity, a magnificent and very large 4to work will satisfy. It is intituled, "Fac-similes of National Manuscripts of
direction of the Rt. Hon. Edward Sullivan, Master of the Rolls in Ireland, by J. T.
Gilbert, F. S. A. , M. R. I. A. , Secretary of the Public Record Office of Ireland, and
Photozincographed by command of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, by Major-General Sir Henry James, R. E. , F. R. S. , Director
Published by Authority of the Lords Com- missioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, under the direction of the Master of the Rolls in
February i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 171
regardedthosevellumpagesastheworkofangels,andnotofmen. ^^ Giraldus Cambrensis relates, that a tradition existed in his day, concerning a miracle, saidtohavetakenplace,duringoursaint'slife-time. ^7 Onacertainoccasion, a scribe, belonging to St. Brigid's monastery, undertook transcription of a book of the Gospels, according to St. Jerome's version. ^^ That night, on which he had commenced his task, an angel is said to have appeared. This heavenly messenger bore a certain tablet, upon which a beautiful impression was depicted; at the same time, that angel asked the scribe, if he could reproduceasimilarillustration,onthetitle-page. Thewriterreplied,suchan
" On to-morrow, tell
effort exceeded his ability. Then the angel said
mistress, she must pour forth her prayers before God's throne, so that your corporal and mental vision may be able to behold accurately, and to under- stand with due perception, and that your hand maybe properly directed, in trac- ingcorrespondingcharacters. " Thefollowingnight,anangelagainappeared. He bore the same drawing, and presented many other illustrations. All of these,thatscribecarefullyimpressedonhismemory; while,withthegreatest exactness, he reproduced those different figures and tracings represented, introducingtheminsuitableplaces,throughouthisbook. Itisremarked,St. Brigid continued her prayers, during the progress of this wonderful work, until it issued from the scribe's hands, in a most perfect state. '9 Afterwards, this manuscript was an object of admiration to all persons of taste. It called forth the warm eulogistic commendations of Giraldus Cambrensis,=° who appears to have examined it with great interest and minuteness. ''^
It seems probable, that such a tradition as the foregoing may serve to
"
of Revelations. " However, it will be found, on enquiry, that no ancient
account for a rumour, regarding our saint having composed
Twelve Books
^^ The late lamented Rev. James Gaffney
Europe from the earliest times. Part i. , p.
" The wondrous excellence attained London: writes, 15.
privately printed, 4to,
no
by the Irish in the art of illuminating has never been equalled. "—*' The Ancient Irish Church," chap, iv. , p. no, n.
**
date.
='° He remarks: Here do you see the
Divinely-impressed face of Majesty; here *7 See Giraldi Cambrensis Opera. " the evangelistic and mystic forms, some
Edited by J^mes F. Dimock, M. A. , vol.
V. "Topographia Hibernica," distinctio
Edited by James F. Dimock, M. A.
