No More Learning

1839.
8's See "Description of the Ancient
" Iona," Preamble and Introduction, p. xiii. Also p. 20.
Besides the handsomely kept well of
Cahier. See Very Rev. Dr. F. C. Husenbeth's "Emblems of Saints," Rev. Dr. Augustus Jessopp's third edition, p.
52.
8" It is marked, No. 555.
8*3 It is curious and interesting on this ac-
count, although the features be not regarded as an accurate likeness.
fathers " in Caledonia. 820 In works of art, St. Colum-
ment of the " killeorColumbaisdistinguishedbyhavingdevilsflyingbeforehim. 821 There
822
pilgrim
of St. Columba in his 82 * habit,
which contains a
of his Life by Adamnan. 82* This Manuscript belongs to the ninth century.
with a
In 1888, the Scottish Catholics in great numbers made a pilgrimage to the
813 At 976, Tighernach records the plan-
dering of Serin Colunn-dlle, which probably
means the church, where the relics of the
saint had been deposited. See Rev. Dr. period ; but it is now uprooted. A Protes-
8*4 A
tome ii. , part ii. , num. 501. Sec "Scottish Preface to Rev. Dr. Reeves' edition of this
Manuscripts,
and noted in the Catalogue,
representation
of it is in the given
Historical Library," part ii. , chap, vi. , p. 65, n. 20.
8 ' 8 A church was built here at a
tant church has been erected on its site. See
"
Docese oi Meath, Ancient and Modern," vol. ii. , chap, xvi. ,
82° 821
See idiJ. ,p. 51.
painted, also,
very early
June 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. $$t
island grave of St. Columba, on the 13th June, the fifth day within the octave of his festival. This remarkable demonstration of respect for the memory of St. Columba took place on Wednesday. On the evening before, between five and six hundred persons from all parts of Scotland—chiefly Catholics—and a few from England and Ireland, had arrived on a pilgrimage to Iona. His Grace the Duke of Argyll, landed proprietor of the Island, had permitted the Catholic prelates, clergy, religious and laity to hold a solemn Pontifical Vespers, with Benediction of the Most Holy Sacrament, within the ruined walls of the cathedral, which was crowded to excess. The great majority of the Islanders were Presbyterian Free Churchmen, but the visitors were received with courtesy and respect. Monsignor Persico, the Papal Commissioner of his Holiness Leo XIII. was present, as also Archbishop Smith of Edinburgh and of St. Andrew's, with all the other Bishops of Scotland, except him of Galloway. On landing, the whole party moved in grand procession to the cathedral. On the 13th, several Masses were celebrated at a very early hour, and large num- bers of the pilgrims received Holy Communion. A canopy for shelter of the ecclesiastics had been erected within the cathedral, and at a quarter past ten o'clock, Pontifical High Mass was celebrated on a temporary altar, Bishop Angus Macdonald of Argyll being celebrant. 825 Archbishop Smith preached an eloquent panegyric of St. Columba, in English, after the First Gospel of theMass. SeveraloftheIslandershadattendedtheservice,intheirSunday clothes ; and a company of Protestant Hebrideans, who had crossed from the Ross- of Mull, was also present. After the ceremonies of High Mass had concluded, Bishop Angus Macdonald preached in Gaelic to the assembled
multitude, and he concluded by imparting the Papal Benediction. Having visited the old ecclesiastical sites and various parts of the Island, the pil- grimsstartedintheafternoonbysteamerforOban; whileduringtheirexcur- sion, the weather proved most favourable, and the incidents most impressive.
Such then was the course and such was the end of this distinguished
Patron's life ; such were the happy beginnings of his merits before God, when
admitted into the society of the glorious Patriarchs, of the holy Apostles, of the sacred Martyrs, and of the most pure Virgins. The illustrious Columkille in deathtriumphedbythefavourofoursweetSaviourJesus. AstheAlmighty loves those that love him, and as He glorifies more and more those that magnify and praise Him ; so it has happened, that a great and an honourable celebrity, among other marks of Divine favour, has been conferred on our saint. From his boyhood, Columba had been brought up in Christian train- ing, and in the study of wisdom. By the grace of God, he had so preserved the integrity of his body, and the purity,of his soul, that, though dwelling on earth, he appeared to live like the saints in heaven. For, he was dignified and angelic in appearance, persuasive and graceful in speech, earnest and and holy in work, with talents of the highest order, and possessing consum- mateprudence. Soincessantlywasheengagedbynightasbyday,inthe unwearied exercises of prayer, fasting and watching, that the burden of these austerities seemed beyond the power of human endurance. And still, in all of these occupations, he was beloved by those who came within reach of his influence. A holy radiance, ever beaming on his face, revealed the joy and gladness, with which the Holy Spirit filled his inmost soul. The visions
work, plate 5, at p. xxviii.
fas The Glasgow Weekly Mail, from which
the abridged account in the text has been
drawn, here states, that during the Music
:
of the Mass " Overhead, under the blue
dome of the open sky, a choir of larks were
simultaneously uniting in the song of praise ; and the bleating of the lambs on the hill side above the cathedral mingled not inharmoni- ously with the praise that was being offered up by the pilgrims at the shrine of St. Colum-
ba. "—Glasgow, Saturday, June 16th, 1888,
S 9 2 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 9.
ofoursaintwereextraordinaryandsupernaturalintheireffects'. Thesewere
instantaneously and distinctly revealed to him. By a miraculous expansion
of his soul, on one occasion, the whole universe was depicted and concen-
trated before his mind, and as it were gathered into a single ray, bright as
that of the sun. We have already seen, he had the gift of prescience in a
remarkable degree, and although absent in body, being present in spirit, he
could know and behold objects, widely distinct, both in time and in place.
He foretold the future ; while he declared to persons present what had been
happening in distant localities, and at the very moment of his speaking.
While he was yet in this mortal flesh, storms were quelled and seas were
calmed through his prayers ; and again, when he found it necessary, the winds arose at his bidding, and the sea was lashed into fury.
He brought over the Picts and Scots to the Faith, nearly as perfectly as St. Patrick converted the Irish. Columba left his character upon them, so that they became a staunch and loyal and true Catholic race in the Highlands of Scotland,andtheycontinuedthustobe,almosttothepresenttime. Duringthe earlier part of the last century, the people in the Hebrides were almost exclu-
sively Catholics,
until
persecution
drove their missionaries 826 How- away.
ever, in summing up the character of our great saint, the Count de Monta-
lembert, assuming certain legendary accounts 82 ? to be facts, has drawn a very
incorrect picture of St. Columba's disposition, which he represents to be full
of contrasts and contradictions ; to be imperious, irritable, rude and revenge-
ful, although admitting him to be fired with generous passions and thorough
828 In refutation of such
accomplished Scottish historian 829 h—as helped much to correct such errors. Besides, —a contemporary of the saint also renowned for his piety, and a man
83°
of genius Dalian Forgaill speaks of Columba, in an admiring strain. He
describes the people mourning him who was their souls' light, their learned one, their chief from right, who was God's messenger, who dispelled fears from them, who used to explain the truth of words, a harp without a base chord, a perfect sage who believed Christ ; he was learned, he was chaste, he was charitable, he was an abounding benefit of guests, he was eager, he was noble, he was gentle, he was the physician of the heart of every sage, he was to persons inscrutable, he was a shelter to the naked, he was a consolation to the poor; there went not from the world one who was more continual for the remembrance of the cross. In this panegyric, there is no trace of those darker features of vindictiveness, love of fighting, and the remorse caused by its indulgence; nor do the events of his life, as we find them rather hinted at than narrated, bear out such an estimate of it. The holy man possessed a spotless soul, a disciplined body, an indomitable energy, an industry that never
826 Rev. Thomas Burke's " Lecture on St. traditions, and the popular mind invests Columkille,"inSt. Columba'sChurch,New themwithattributestowhichtheyhaveno
uprightness.
imaginings,
a acute and truly learned,
York City. See Boston Pilot of March 22nd,
1873.
8 - 7 To these, and to their total want of ere-
dibility, we have already alluded in a pre-
ceding chapter.
828 See " Les Moines d'Occident," tome
iii. , liv. xi. , chap, vii. , pp. 285 to 287.
829 He has remarked :" It is unfortunately the fate of all such men as stand out pro- minently from among their fellows, and put their stamp upon the age in which they lived, that, as the true character of their sayings and doings fades from men's minds, they be- tome more and more the subject of spurious
claim. When these loose popular traditions and conceptions are collected and become embedded in as>>tematic biography, the evil
becomes irreparable, and it is no longer pos- sible to separate in popular estimation the true from the spurious. This has been pecu- liarly the case with Columba, and has led —to a very false estimate of his character. " William F. Skene's "Celtic Scotland: a History of Ancient Alban," vol. ii.
83° See that ancient tract called the " Amra Choluimchille," edited by O'lkirne Crowe, with the original Irish and a literal English translation.
June 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 593
wearied, a courage that never blenched, a sweetness and a courtesy that won all hearts, as also a tenderness for others that contrasted strongly with rigour towards himself. These were the secrets which brought success upon the labours of this eminent missionary—these were the miracles by which he accomplished the conversion of so many barbarous tribes and pagan
831 princes.
How high in favour before God, observes Adamnan, must have been our holy and venerable Abbot ; how often he was blessed by the bright visits of
the angels ; how full of the prophetic spirit ; how great his power of daily miracles ; how frequently during his mortal life he was surrounded by a halo of heavenly light ; and even since the departure of his happy soul from the tenement of his body, until the present day, the place where his sacred bones repose is frequently visited by the holy angels, and illumined by the same heavenly light, as had been clearly manifested to a select few ! Besides, this is no small honour, conferred by God on his servant of happy memory, that though he lived in a small and remote Island of the British Sea, his name
beyond the Penine Alps 83+ and even to the
; city
of all cities. 833 Now, according to the expressions of holy Scripture, sharing in eternal triumphs, and added to the Patriarchs, associated with the Pro- phets and Apostles, numbered among the thousands of white-robed saints, who have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb,836 he follows the Lamb whithersoever He goeth. 83 ? A virgin, free from all stain, had he lived, through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ : to whom be honour, and power, and praise, and glory, and eternal dominion, with the Father, in the Unity of the Holy Ghost, for ever and ever.
Article II. —Feast of the Translation of the Relics of St.
Patrick, St. Columba, and St. Brigid, chief Patrons of Ireland.
Far distant from each other lay the sacred relics of the great Apostle of Ire-
land St. Patrick, of the renowned Virgin St. Brigid, and of the illustrious St.
Columkille, for many generations after their respective dates of departure from
this life. The first in order of was at 1 and former, time, deposed Downpatrick,
2 accordingtoalong-preservedtradition,inaverydeepearth-pit, withoutthe
site of that cathedral. 3 After the lapse of years, the body of the Irish Apos-
become illustrious
the largest Island of the globe,832 but, moreover, it had reached Spain re-
has not
markable for its triangular form 833 penetrated
only
throughout
Ireland,
831 See Thomas D'Arcy McGee's " Popu-
lar History of Ireland," vol. i. , book i. .
quae caput est omnium civitatum. "—Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's "Life of St. Co- lumba,"lib. iii. , cap. 23, p. 241, and nn.
chap, v. , p. 36.
832 This was the incorrect notion then (e, f)> ibid.
our own
—and Gaul, and into
835 See Apoc. xxii. , 14.
reader is referred to
_
somes the form of bean or bin, which Sexta Vita S. Patricii, cap. cxcvi. , p. 108,
appears in Welsh as penn ; while ailp is an and Septima Vita S. Patricii, lib. iii. , cap.
"
Irish word, denoting a great mass. " See cviii. , p. 169.
entertained by Adamnan.
833 The following account seems to have
:
been received—"Hispaniauniversatenaium
1 722.
834 Both of these words have a Celtic
origin. The Irish word cenn sometimes as-
837 Sec ibid. , —xiv. , 4. '
situ trigona. " Pomponius Mela, "Cosmo-
written on this sub-
been
graphia," p. 729. Editio Lugd. Bat. A. D. ject, in the Life of St. Patrick, at the 17th
Rev. Dr. O'Brien's English-Irish Dictionary, Preface, p. 28.
8is " Ipsam quoque Romanam civitatem
3 At the present time, the people there point to St. Patrick's grave, ami this tradi- tion appears to have continued from time
IP
Article ii. The
Italy, of Rome itself, the head
what has
of March, in the Third Volume of this work,
Art. i. , chap. xxvi. a"
already
See Colgan's Trias Thaumaturgn,'
and — Britain,
594 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 9.
tie seems to have been drawn from that position,* and it was probably enshrined or entombed within the church. In the century succeeding that of St. Patrick died St. Brigid,5 and her remains appear to have been deposited within the church at Kildare, attached to her convent. They rested in a
6
shrine, at one side of the high altar, and they were held in great veneration
by the people, especially on the day of her chief festival, when multitudes flocked thither for devotional purposes. Many miracles were wrought there through her intercession. The body of St.
Brigid remained in Kildare, until the beginning of the ninth century. The magnificent shrine in which her relics were encased invited the cupidity of the Scandinavian invaders, and as Kil- dare was greatly exposed to their ravages, it was deemed more desirable to have St. Brigid's relics removed to Downpatrick, where they should be in a more defensible position, and more secure from plunder or profanation. ? When the happy soul of St. Columba departed from the tenement of his body
8 afterhisusefulmissionarycareerinScotlandhadterminated, anduntilthe
time of Adamnan,° the place where his sacred bones reposed was well knownandreverenced. Frequentlydidhismonksresortthither,lesstooffer prayers for the loved and lamented Father of their institute, than to prefer theirownpetitionsforhispowerfulpatronage. Visitedbytheholyangels,and illumined in a miraculous manner by heavenly light, was that grave, which for many long years succeeding his decease had been exposed to the winds, that played freely over the ancient cemetery at Iona. Those visions were clearlymanifested,butonlytoaselectfew. 10 Itwouldappearfromthewords of Adamnan,11 which are borrowed from the earlier work of Cummian,12 that at least a century was allowed to elapse, before the remains of St. Columba were disinterred. 13 In the course of the eighth century, it seems probable,
immemorial. It is customary to take away earth from the spot, and a hallowed efficacy is attributed to it* possession. Not alone the Catholic people of Downpatrick, but those from the most distant parts of the world, eagerl) seek to obtain some of this clay, which is thought to preserve the owner from accident through fire or water. It is believed to be efficacious, also, in curing dis- eases. In 1874, when the writer visited that place, he saw a peasant engaged in taking some to his home, and as he said to cure some member of his family, suffering from a distemper.
4 According to the '* Annals of Ulster," in the year 552, when the Irish Apostle was about sixty years dead, St. Columba ex- humed his relics.
5 See the Second Volume of this work, for
the Life of this venerable Abbess, at the 1st
whose remains had been translated to Down- patrick, where they repose with those of St. Patrick and St. Columkille. See "Eccle- siastical Antiquities of Down, Connor and Dromore," Appendix LL, p. 379.
8 At the 9th of in '' Meno- June, Dempster's
logium Scotorum," we read : "In Insulis Scoticis Columbae presbyteri admirabilis vitae viri, qui Hibernus ortu in Scotia xxx. annis haesit, regibus familiaris, officia pieta- tis, quae Scotis Apostolis suis Hibe—rnia de- bebat, indefesse rependens. " Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p. 202.
9 See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's " Life of St. Columba," lib. iii. , cap. 23, p. 241.
10 For a more detailed account of his death and burial, the reader is referred to the Life of St. Columkille, given in the Arti- cle immediately preceding, chap. xvii.
"
remarked,
quidam juxta sepulcrum ejus titulus stat monumenti. "
12
See Colgan's "Trias Thaumalurga," Secunda Vita S. Columbae, cap. xxxix. ,
of February, Art. i. , chap. xiv.
6 On the other side were those of St. Con- 11
laeth. Sir James Ware writes : "Ossaejus
in
deauratam, —
capsulam gemmisqueornatam,
is further
qui hodieque quasi
translata ferunt anno 801. "
'•
De Proesvli-
bvs Laginiae, sive Provinciae Dvbliniensis,"
Episcopi Darensis, p. 42.
7 At the 9th of June, in the Calendar
compiled by himself, the Rev. William P- 330.
Reeves has a festival for St. Brigid, at
Downpatrick. It is to be presumed, that he has reference to St. Brigid of Kildare,
13 See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's " Life of St. Columba," lib. iii. , cap. 23, and n. (p), pp. 233, 234.
of that stone which served either as the bed or pillow for our saint, it
Speaking
June 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
595
that the bones of St. Columba had been removed, and that they had been
1
deposited in a shrine or shrines. * Afterwards, they must have been trans-
ferred to the church of the monastery in Iona, where they were religiously
preserved, so long as it was deemed safe to keep them in that venerated spot.
Ireland is said to have been selected as a country best suiting such a purpose,
when the occasion arose, which demanded their removal. Towards the close
of the eighth century, the Scandinavian sea-rovers began to sail southwards,
in quest of new settlements and bent upon plunder. The appearance of the
Northman invaders on the Hebridean coasts gave warning to conceal the
precious shrine, in which, doubtless, the relics of St. Columba had been en-
cased. But such a temporary expedient could not long save it from their
cupidity and profanation. The accounts contained in our Irish Annals state,
T
thattheremainss ofSt. ColumbahadbeenbroughttoErin,afterhisdeath,
andonmorethanoneoccasion. Abeliefseemstohaveexisted,attheclose of the eighth century, that his relics had been brought to Ireland from Britain, and that they had been deposited in Saul. Another mediaeval tradition sets forth Downpatrick, as having been his resting place. These contradictory accounts may be reconciled, however, by supposing a translation from Saul, when it became a subordinate church, and on the erection of Downpatrick into a Bishop's See. Another thoroughly legendary account of a still later date gives us to understand, that when Manderus, son to a Danish king, and chief of the Northman piratical fleet, ravaged the northern parts of Britain with fire and sword, he also came to Iona, and there he profaned the sanc-
domum — an ibi
reversa, acceperit pausam,
incertum. " Sir Henry Spelman's "Con- cilia, Decreta, Leges, Constitutiones in Re Ecclesiarum Orbis Britanici, tomus i. , Appa- ratus, de Exordio Christianae Religionis in Britanniis," p. 19. London edition 1639, fol.
19 See an account of their glorious triumph, in the First Volume of this work, at the 19th of January, Art. i.
20 He seems to have been Abbot from A. D.
815 to the year subsequent to 831.
2' TheIrishwordminnasignifiesarticles held in veneration and belonging to a saint,
such as a bachal, books, or vestments, &c,
upon winch oaths in after time used to be
administered.
22
See "Chronicles of the Picts, Chroni- cles of the Scots, and other early Memorials of Scottish History," edited by William F. Skene, LL. D. , p. 77.
23 Tighernach is the only annalist, who briefly notices this transaction.
24 See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four Masters," vol. ii. , pp. 1026, 1027. —
14 About this
it became cus- tomary to prepare costly shrines for the relics
of saints in the Irish churches.
15 Perhaps, however, we are not to con-
found those relics mentioned with the body of St. Columba, in all cases.
16 The early cathedral of Downpatrick has long since disappeared, but upon its site had been erected a mediaeval church, with pointed Gothic windows, and beside it stood a Round Tower. A representation of both may be seen in the Third Volume of this
work, in the Life of St. Patrick, chap, xxvi. , at the 17th of March, Art. i. These objects have been removed, since the year 1790, and another Protestant cathedral has been erected, at the same spot. The accompany- ing illustration of the latter is from a photo- graph, and it has been drawn by William
F. Wakeman on the wood, engraved by Mrs. Millard.
17 This account is attributed to St. Ber- chan, by Prince O'Donnell. See Colgan's "Trias Tliaumaturga," Quinta Vita S. Co- lumbee, lib. iii. , cap. lxxviii. , p. 446.
18
period, also,
Thus in Glastonbury, England, we find
it stated, that her relics were held in vene-
ration. " Hiberniensibus mos inolitus fuit
ad osculandas Patroni reliquias locum fre-
quentare : unde et sanctum Indrahtum et Pius. "
beatam Brigidam (Hibernire non obscuras Thus rendered into English rhythm incolas) hue olim commeasse celeberrimum
. . . est. Brigida relictis quibusdam suis
insignibus (monili pera, et textrilibus armis) qua; ad hue pro sanctitatis memoria osculan- tur et morbis diversis medentur utrum
" Three Saints one Urn in Down's Cathedral fill,
Patrick and Bridget too, with Colum- kille. "
25 ThisisexpressedinaLatinEpitaph
:
" Hi tres in uno tumulo tumulantur in Duno
Patricius, Brigida, atque Columba
:
—
596
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June g.
tuary, while digging in the earth for treasures he thought to be concealed.
Among other impieties, he opened the sarcophagus or case, in which lay the body of St. Columba. This he is said to have carried with him to that vessel, in which he sailed for Ire- land; but, on
Downpatrick Cathedral.
nermost part of
Strangford Lough, near to Down-
16
patrick. There,
it is related, that the Abbot had a
Divine revelation, regarding the sa-
cred deposit it contained. Ac-
cordingly, he ex-
tracted the relics,
and placed them
with the lipsana. of Saints Patrick
and Brigid. 17 We need not attach
the slightest cre- dit to the foregoing account ; for, it may be observed, that the earliest
recorded descent of the Northmen on Iona was in 802, nor does it seem likely, that the body of St. Brigid had been removed from Kildare to Down- patrick, at so early a date. However, it cannot have been very long after this year, when the relics of St. Brigid were removed from Kildare to Down. There, it seems probable, they had been kept in their own distinctive shrine, whichwasacostlyworkofart. Elsewhere,too,someotherrelicsofthisholy
Patroness of Ireland had been 18 preserved.
Moreover,
the Scandinavians again visited the Island of Iona, St. Columba's shrine
adorned with precious metals was there, and to prevent desecration it was hidden
86
This is in a small and rare i8mo Tract,
demandavit Urbanus III. " There is not a title page, at least in the copy, the property of Rev. Denis Murphy, S. J. . and that used by
containing only 64 pages, but giving other
Irish offices, and among them one of St.
Columba, Abbot. At p. I, it commences the writer. Theoffice has a First Vespers, with with " Die Nona Junii, Translatio SS.
Patricii, Columba; ct Brigidse, trium com-
munium Ilibernise Patronorum, Duplex I.
Classis, cum Octava per universam Insulam,
cujus sequitur Oflicium approbatum a Vi-
viano Cardinale titttli S. Stephani in Ccelio
Monte, quern ad Solemnitatem Transla- Vespers are of a mixed character. After- tionis, An. 1 186, Apostolicum Legatum wards follows a proper Mass.
opening the chest, in which he found only bones and ashes, he threw it overboard. Then it
miraculously floated on the waves, until it was wafted to the in-
in the when year 825,
proper Antiphons, Capitulum, and Prayer. The Invitatorium of Matins is proper, with
all the Antiphons and Six Lessons, the re- maining three being from the Common of Evangelists, with proper Versicles and Re- sponses. The Lauds, Hours and second
June 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 597
by St. Blaithmac and by the monks, who suffered martyrdom on that occa-
T
sion. 9 It is probable, that some of the monks who escaped had knowledge
of that place where it had been concealed, and that returning soon afterwards to Iona, the shrine was again replaced in their church. In 829, Diarmait,20 AbbotofHy,wenttoAlba,withtheminna2I ofSt. Columkille,andin831 he returned with them to Ireland. Again, in the year 878, the shrine and all St. Columba's minna were transferred to Ireland, the better to secure them fromtheDanes. In976,thereisanaccountoftheshrineofSt. Columkille havingbeenplunderedbyDonaldMacMurchada. 22 Thereis noaccountofwhat shrine this had or where it had been
kept.
been,however,
the Danes of Dublin carried off St. Columba's shrine, but they restored it at theendofamonth,2* probablystrippedofitspreciousmetalsandornaments. It seems strange, that while the relics of the three great Irish Patrons had been kept with such religious veneration in the Cathedral Church of Down- patrick, for a long lapse of ages, that in the twelfth century the place of their deposition within it was forgotten. It would appear, that the Northmen frequentlyattacked,plundered,andburnedthattown. Itisprobable,that the sacred remains had been buried in the earth, to preserve them from pro- fanation, and that the secret place of their deposition had been confided to only a few of the ecclesiastics, who perished through violence, or who had not been able to return afterwards, to indicate that exact spot, in which they had beenlaid. Foralongtime,thebishops,clergyandpeopleofDownlamented this loss, until about the year 1185, when Malachy III. was bishop over that See. This pious prelate had been accustomed to offer earnest prayers to the Almighty, that the eagerly desired discovery might be made. One night, while engaged at prayer within the cathedral, Malachy observed a super- natural light, resembling a sunbeam, passing through the church and settling over a certain spot. This astonished the bishop, who prayed that the light might remain, until implements should be procured to dig beneath it. Accordingly, these being procured, beneath that illuminated place, the bodies ofthethreegreatsaintswerefound; thebodyofSt. Patrickoccupiedacen- tral compartment, while the remains of St, Bngid and of St. Columba were
placed on either side. With great rejoicing, he disinterred the bodies of those illustrious saints, and he placed them in three separate coffins. He then had them deposited in the same spot, whence they had been taken, and he took care to have the site exactly noted. In fine, the bones of St. Columkille were buried with great honour and veneration, in the one place with those of St. Patrick and of St. Brigid, within Dun-da-lethgles or Downpatrick cathedral, in Ulster. 2* About this time, the celebrated John De Courcy had procured possessions, in that part of the province; and to him, Bishop Malachy reported all the circumstances, connected with the miraculous discovery of the relics. Taking counsel together, it was resolved, that application should be made to the Pope at Rome, for permission to remove the sacred remains, to a more conspicuous and honourable position in the cathedral. At this time, Urban III. presided over the Universal Church. Supplication was made to him, that the relics of those saints should be translated in a solemn manner.