No More Learning

94, 95.
See Ussher's Britannicarum Ecclesia-
rum Antiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 454.
2a See " Acta Sanctorum Hiber* Colgan's
:
" If I
278 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 19.
until St. Patrick's regular successor had been duly elected and consecrated. We find Sechnall and Sen-Patrick preceding St. Binen or Benignus, and pro- bably as co-adjutors to the Irish Apostle, while their deaths occurred before he had been called away from this life. 22
The foundation of Louth monastery must have been after the middle of thefifthcentury. Theyear454isthoughttohavebeenthelatestprobable date for St. Patrick's erection of Armagh See. Now, it seems likely, the foundation of Louth monastery by Mochta must have been subsequent to that epoch, since he should be too young, when the Irish Apostle lived —at
Ardpatrick, to have been the superior over a monastery. At a. d. 454 allowing Mochta to have lived one hundred years—the saint could not have
been more than nineteen years old, if his death occurred in 535-23
The first work in which Mochta engaged, after coming to Lugmud, was
to lay out a cemetery. Then the Angel again gave him the ceraculum, to which allusion has been already made. He also lighted a fire. On seeing
it, the Magi said
:
" Unless that fire be extinguished immediately, ours shall
fail, and that must perpetually last. " Whereupon, they endeavoured to
extinguish it by pouring water, but the more did they bring, the more that
fire increased. Then disappointed, they left that place, and there Mochta
began to build, and he succeeded in erecting a noble monastery. So great
was the reputation of St. Mochta in all parts of Ireland, that as bees flock to
a flower-garden, so did disciples come to range themselves under his guid-
ance, and to embrace that austere discipline recommended to them by his
example and precepts. As an effulgent star, he shone brightly above others, andheseemedtothinkofnothingmorethanofarrivingatperfection. Soon an immense number of fervent disciples were under his direction. This saint is classed among the founders of religious orders in Ireland ; and, he is said to have had among his disciples no fewer than one hundred bishops and three
in all
up
from his school, wonderfully propagated the kingdom of Christ. Nor is it
necessary to suppose, that all of these were in Louth, at the same time. *6
However, they promoted and practised Gospel works, removed Gentile superstitions, and substituted Christian observances ; they brought many into the true fold, and these were regenerated in the waters of Baptism, while it pleased the Almighty to confirm their ministry by the gift of miracles.
hundred ? + whom he trained priests,
sanctity ;*i
and forth who, going
nise," Martii xxiv. , Vita S. Mochtei Epis- copi Lugmadensis, n. io, p. 731.
It is thus translated into English : —
" Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, vi. , sect,
" No poverty had Mochta
In the burgh of Louth,
Three hundred priests and one hundred
bishops
Together with him.
Eighty psalm-singing noble —
His household, vastest of courses Without plowing, without reaping',
a3 See Rev. Dr.
Lanigan's
xii. , p. 308, and n. 124, p. 310.
24 This is affirmed in an Irish Poem, which
the O'Clerys quote in their entry regarding St. Mochta's feast, at the 19th of August.
as In a note to that copy of the " Feilire "
"
Breac," there is th—e following quotation
youths,
of St. iEngus, contained in the
Leabhar
!
reading. "
from an Irish poem
ttirvbo bochcAi x>o lYlochcd
tugbAit) tirr
ccc. raccApc &\\ cec ercop
-dpAen pnirr.
OchcmogA rAerxclaiTo rAbroach
AcheAjLdch ai-oble pemeAtro CenA^ cenbuAin cencir\<vo
Cen 5nimf\<vo Achctrxvo teigeAno.
without kiln-drying. Without work save only
"
:
Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. , part i. On the Calendar of Oengus. By Whitley Stokes, LL. D. . p. exxxii.
28
Colgan remarks, that in those early days of the Irish Church, the number of episcopal Sees was very great, as was the number of cities, towns and villages, and besides the
August 19. ] LIVES OJB THE IRISH SAINTS. 279
Lest his verbal instructions and precepts might be forgotten, Mochta wrote
a Rule of Holy Institutes, so that not only the living generation of his com-
munity, but those who were to succeed, should be guided in the true ways of
2
salvation. This Rule afterwards bore his name. ? However, it does not seem
to have been preserved. Among the most valuable of those ecclesiastical fragments of ancient Irish literature we possess, may be classed that Formula of Faith, ascribed to St. Mochta of Louth,28 and which was first published
2
by the learned Muratori, in his Anecdota Ambrosiana. 9 It was discovered
by him among the Manuscripts,3° which belonged to the celebrated monas-
tery ofBobbio,31 originally founded by the great Irish ccenobiarch, St. Colum- banus,32 in the sixth century. The Codex, from which it has been copied, must have been written in the eighth century. 33 Not only is it a most ancient expositor of the doctrines taught in the early Church of Ireland, but it has passing ecclesiastical and historic allusions of great value for the investigation of its state and condition. In it, the writer expounds the doc- trine of the Church regarding the Most Holy Trinity, and as a defence against the dangerous errors then propagated by Eutyches 34 and the Novatians. 33 He also laments, that what was the error of a particular individual, Celestius, 36 should not be imputed to his country, which at that time was only on the way to truth and still free from heresy. 37 He also deprecates the prejudice against the province to which he belonged, and from which he came as a pilgrim. 38 The intrinsic evidence contained in that tract seems to point the allusion to Britain, at that time a Roman province. The teaching of the Irish
monasteries, that had their own proper bishops. Similar accounts are contained, in the Acts of our Irish Saints, regarding such places as Clonard, Bangor, and several other localities that might be named.
27 He is therefore regarded as one of the great coenobiarchs of the Irish Church.
Nestorius ; but, about the year 448, he fell into various errors, and especially against the doctrine of the Incarnation of Christ, in which he denied the distinction of the Divine and human nature. See Cave's " Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Historia Literaria," vol. i. , pp. 439, 440.
35 From Novatian these heretics of the third century took their name, and in lapse 460. "The intrinsic arguments which of time added other errors to those received from their chief. In the East, they continued to the seventh century, and later still in the West. See L'Abbe " Dictionnaire
28 Under the name of Bachiarius Macceus, and thought to have been written about a. d.
Muratori and others refer to are—all in favour
of his claims to Irish birth. " Rev. Dr.
Moran's on the Doctrines, "Essays Origin,
Bergier's
de Theologie," tome iii. , pp. 472 to 474.
and Discipline of the Early Irish Church," chap, ii. , n. , p. 239.
29 See vol. ii. , pp. I, et seq.
30 These were afterwards transferred to
the Ambrosian Library at Milan. On occa- t
sion of a visit to that place, in October,
the courteous Librarian offered an opportunity for the examination of the fine collection of Manuscripts and books under his custody, but the writer had to regret a want of time to inspect those valuable de- posits.
31 There Muratori states, it was a Codex traced more than one thousand years before he wrote.
32 See his Life, in the Eleventh Volume of this work, at the 2 1st of November.
36 That Celestius, called a Scot by the
ancient writers, was originally from Hibernia
is shown by Ussher, in the quotations he
presents in "Britannicarum Ecclesiarum
Antiquitates," cap. viii. , pp. 112, 113.
37 He thus " Si unius argues : pro culpa
totius Provincial anathematizanda generatio est, damnetur et ilia beatissima discipula, hsec est Roma, de qua nunc non una, sed duse vel tres, aut eo amplius haereses pullula- runt ; et tamen nulla earum Cathedram Petri, hoc est sedem Fidei, aut tenere potuit, aut movere. Damnentur postremo et omnes Provincice, de quibus diversi erroris rivuli manavere. "
1886,
38 To this objection he admirably 33 So it is stated, by Montfaucon, who answers: M Verumtamen si magnopere describes this Manuscript in his " Museum quseritur, ubi natus sim, accipiatur mea,
Italicum," p. 18.
34 At first Eutyches, a priest of Constan-
tinople, strenuously defended the Catholic faith in the Council of Ephesus against
quam in Baptismi nativitate respondi ; non enim mihi Patria confessionem, sed confessio Patriam dedit ; quia credidi, et accepi. "
» This profession of Faith states :
280 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[August 19
theological schools in reference to the Sacrament of Penance is laid down there, and it is described as the only means of salvation left the sinner, who has made a shipwreck of his baptismal innocence. 3? He also declares the Old and New Testament should be received with equal reverence, and that all Scripture not agreeing with the Sacred Canons should be rejected/
He is said to have written an 1 but the of it has been Epistle,* genuineness
contested. This attributed tract appears, however, to have been written by a Priest, and if the production of this saint—which may well be doubted— either he was not advanced to the grade of a bishop, or he wrote, at least, beforeattainingthelatterdignity. Otherworkshavebeenattributedtohim, but not on sufficiently good grounds, and these are thus enumerated, by Colgan, in the following order. I. De Fide contra Querulos,42 lib. i. II. De Reparatione Lapsi, sive de Fructu Pcenitentiae ad Januarium/3 lib. i. III. De Fine Salamonis,44 lib. i. IV. Chronicorum/s lib. i. V. De Judi- ciis Nativitatum, 46 lib. i. VI. Qusedam ad Theologiam Spectantia. *7 How- ever, it is thought, that these, or, at least, some of them, may not be different from what Mocteus is supposed to have written regarding Faith and on receiving the Fallen/8 Yet, Sir James Ware was in error, when he supposed a passage in the Ulster Annals referred to the present Mochta/9 where it was stated, at the year cdlxxl, that the first prey was taken from Ireland, by the Saxons, and this is set down on the authority of Macteus. s° However, the Mocteus here indicated differed from our saint, since he was a bishop,
Magh,s
" Pcenitentiam peccatorum plenissima fide suscipimus ac veluti secundam gratiam
suspicamur, sicut Apostolus ad Corinthios dicit: Volui per vos venire, ut secundam gratiam habeatis. "
40 The whole text of that valuable tract has been published in an accessible form by Rev.
scribe,
to 303.
41 It was headed with these words :
" Maucteus peccator presbyter, sancti Patricii discipulus, in Domino salutem. " See Sir James Ware, " De Scriptoribus Hibernire,"
to was a learned Bishop of Louth who died in the year 823. See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 434, 435-
x andwhodieda. t>. Thislatterlearned 889. 5'
andanchorite,at
man must have written some Chronicle, and he refers to Cuanach's writings for confirmation of his statements The present holy man is to be distin- guished, likewise, from St. Mochta de Insula,** son of Cernachan, who died in 922,55 at his church of Inis Mochta, now Inishmot, in the County of Meath.
46 For this Possuevin, Gesner, Bale, Pitts and other writers, are mentioned.
48 See Colgan's " Acta Sanctorum Hiber- niae," Martii xxiv. Appendix ad Vitam S. Mochtei, cap. iv. , pp. 735, 736.
49 See "De Scriptoribus Hiberniae," lib. ii. , cap. i. , p. 106.
50 To this is added, "Sic in libro Cuanach Church. " Appendix, No. V. , pp. 297 inveni. " The Cuana or Cuanus here alluded
Dr. Moran, in his
"
Essays on the Origin,
Doctrines, and Discipline of the Early Irish
Chronicum Scotorum," pp. 172, 173. 42 This is stated on the authority of William M. Hennessy's edition.
Genadius, Honorius and Possuevin. 51 He is also called the foster-son of 43 This is given on the authority of Possue- Fethghna. See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals vin, Mirseus, Gesner, Bale, and other of the Four Masters," vol. i„ pp. 544.
writers. It has been published in the 545-
lib. ii. , cap. i. , p. 106.
•"
edition. This tract indicates, that the author was a learned man, profoundly versed in a knowledge of the Sacred Scriptures, as also, an elegant and a judicious writer.
53 " See Colgan's
nian," Martii xxiv.
Acta Sanctorum
Bibliotheca Patrum," tomus iii. , Cologne
Hiber- Appendix ad Vitam S.
March, in the Third Volume of this woik, 44 This is stated, on the authority of Art. vii.
"
5 1 His death is placed at A. D. 893, in the
47 Harpsfeld is quoted.
Mochtei, cap. iv. , p. 736.
s4 See an account of him, at the 26th of
64. 55 See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the
Fulbertus Carnotensis,
45 For this statement, reference is made Four Masters," vol. ii. , pp. 610, 611, and
Epist.
to Sir James Ware, and to the Ulster Annals. n. (c), ibid.
August 19. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 281
CHAPTER III.
MIRACLES WROUGHT BY ST. MOCHTA—HIS MANNER OF LIVING AT LOUTH—HIS PRE-
DICTIONS—HE SURVIVES TO A GREAT AGE—HIS DEATH—COMMEMORATIONS THE CALENDARS—MEMORIALS OF THE SAINT—CONCLUSION.
IN
Several wonderful miracles performed by this saint are recorded. Among these, it is related, that the Magus Hoa had an unmarried daughter, whom Mochta had converted to the Christian faith. Her parents wished her to espouse a certain nobleman. But, having received a zone from the saint, and desirous of keeping her vow of perpetual virginity, she bound the zone around her waist. The very night appointed for her marriage, that virgin was found dead. According to the custom of those times, she was waked for seven days, before her consignment to the tomb. Then, some of her
friends said
:
" If Mochteus could bring her to life, we should give her to
him and to God. " Having heard of this, the saint came near the deceased,
and praying fervently, that virgin was restored to life. Afterwards, she pre-
sented herself and all she possessed to him and to God ; while she lived thirty
additional years, and employed herself in making habits for the monks. The
same Hoa had been espoused to the daughter of a certain Magus, and her
name was 1 he was afflicted with an which caused Brigit. However, infirmity,
himtokeephisbedforonewholeyear. Duringthistime,ashislawfulwife,
she affectionately ministered to him, while she moved him to embrace the
true faith, and to receive Baptism, stating that he should live and be saved
as a consequence. He yielded to her persuasions. Mochta was called to
give him the necessary instructions and to administer Baptism. Then he
said " Believe that after this, you shall obtain not temporal but eternal :
salvation. This is the living and saving, your wife Brigit promised you, for, aftersevendayshence,youshallberemovedfromthislife. " Meantime,Hoa
devoutly performed penance, and died within the term prescribed. Then, Brigit bestowed her farm on the servant of God, and wished to live under
his rule. But, Mochta said " Your future resurrection shall be in your
:
own country : there near the house of your parents, shall you build a cell, in a place surrounded by a thicket, and in the middle of it grows a tree, where a fierce boar now tamed lies at the roots, That animal shall be served up as food for those building your cell. " As predicted, all this happened.
Next have we the account of a certain robber condemned to death, by a kingnamedAilell. 2 Onaccountofhisafflictedparents,oursaintpetitioned for his release, but could not obtain it. The robber had a large stone
Chapter hi—* In the times of St. Patrick and of St. Mochta, three virgins, bearing this name, were known in Ireland. First, the celebrated St. Brigid, Patroness of Kildare, venerated at the 1st of February ; secondly, St. Brigid, daughter of Daire, and belonging to the royal family of Lein- ster, venerated at the 13th or 24th of May; and thirdly, St. Brigid, daughter of Aid, descended from a Dalaradian family, and whose feast occurs, on the 30th of Septem- ber. The known circumstances of her Acts preclude the suspicion of the first-named being identical ; but, Colgan hesitates between the two latter, as being that
Brigit mentioned in the text. However, it seems just as likely, that her name has not been at all inscribed on the Irish Calen- dars.
No attempt has been made to discover who this king may have been, or where he ruled. There was a monarch of Ireland, Oilioll Molt, the son of Dathi, and who reigned from A. D. 459 to a. d. 478. See
"
Dr. O'Donovan's Annals of the Four
Masters," vol. i. , pp. 144 to 151. His period well corresponds with the times of St.
Mochta. AnotherAilill,KingofLeinster, flourished somewhat later, and he appears, likewise, to have been a contemporary.
282 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[August 19.
suspended from his neck, and he was then thrown into the sea. Nevertheless, Mocteus brought him to life, and afterwards as a monk, he became a model
of perfection. Another equally stupendous miracle is related, in reference to a disciple of St. Patrick, named Fintan,3 who had been torn into pieces by some enemies. These left the remains among rocks, in the bottom of a deep valley, while his illustrious master was celebrating the Lenten fast and con- tendingwithdemonsonthetopofCruachanMountain. Oursaintbrought Fintan to life, and so restored him, that not even the trace of a wound was tobeseenonhisbody. Afterwards,sometimehavingelapsed,hebecame abbot over a monastery, in Latin called Cella Orientis, and in Irish known as Kill Oirthir.
One night when the festival of Christmas was being celebrated in the monastery of St. Mocteus, the holy Priest Corban * arrived there to the great joy of the monks. While engaged celebrating the nocturnal Lauds, in one of the choirs distinct from that of St. Mochta, there was a boy, who had a remarkably clear voice. Whereupon, our saint asked Corban s if his boy had as clear a voice as another called to him, and who had not yet learned the alphabet. Having brought to him the person designated, and signing his mouth with a cross, Mocteus then said " the Psalms like to that
: Sing
,; Ibar 6 was the thus called, and without more ado, he to youth began
boy.
sing so clearly, that his voice filled the whole church. Afterwards, he became
a bishop.
The Legend of our saint's Acts states, that certain monks coming to Louth,
no bread was ready for their entertainment, but the abbot ordered a calf to be killed. In the morning, however, the calf was found with its mother. In the land of Hi-Meith,? he converted to a monastic life some pagan homi- cides, who had carried the heads of those killed to a house of hospitality belongingtoacertainman. Heenteredtherewithhisdisciplesandothers
6
According to Colgan, this does not seem to have been the Bishop Ibar, the son of Lugne, and who is said to have preached the Gospel in Ireland before the time of St. Patrick. His festival is given in our Calen- dars, at the 23rd of April, where his Acts
3 Among the twenty-three or twenty-four
saints, named Fintan, in the Irish Calendars,
Colgan thinks it most likely, he may be
identified with St. Fintan, the son of Fer-
guss, son to Endeus Niadh. His grand-
father lived about the year of our Lord 430.
and Illand, King of Leinster, who died a. d.
506, is said to have been his cousin-german,
on the father's side. These lived contem- may be seen, in the Fourth Volume of poraneously with St. Patrick and St. this work, Art. ii. Colgan thinks, however, Mochta. Reference is further made by that the present Ibar may be identical with
Colgan to the feast of a St. Fionntain, at the 19th of September, and to a St. Fionntain, at the 1st of October.
another so named in the Kalendar of Camerarius, at the 22nd of March. In the Third Volume of this work, at the same day, he is mentioned, in Art. xii.
* Colgan supposes him to have been the
Cerban, bishop of Feart-Cearbain, who
died at Tara, A. D. 499 {rede 504), accord-
ing to Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 160, 161, and situation, and sometimes Ui Meith Macha, n. (n). It is also thought, he may be iden-
tical with St. Curifin, or Cuirbin, the Pious, whose feast occurs at the 20th of July. Notices of him may be found, in the Seventh Volume of this work, at that date, Art. ii.
s He is supposed to have been interred at
Feart-Cearbain, Anglicized "the grave of Cerban. " This was the name given to a church, situated to the north-east of Tara Hill, but it is now totally effaced. See Dr. George Petrie's " History and Antiqui- ties of Tara Hill," p. 200. The position of
from its contiguity to Armagh ; while the latter is called Ui Meath Mara, from its contiguity to the sea. The latter was more anciently called Cuailghne. Its name and position are preserved in the Angli- cized name of O'Meath, a district in the County of Louth comprising ten townlands, situated between Carlingford and Newry. See the te<xbh<\r* nA 5-CeApc, or Book of Rights, edited by John O'Donovan, n. (a), pp. 148, 149.
8 The writer adds " Tunc aliis vana :
the church is marked, however, on plate vii. , facing p. 128, ibid.
7 There were two territories bearing this name in Oirghialla : one of these is some- times called Ui Meith Tire, from its inland
August 19. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 283
in company, being invited by the host. By him and by his wife, they were courteously received, and from a vessel filled with butter, they were abun- dantly served. On seeing this, admiring their liberality, Mocteus blessed
: someofthatbutter,andsaidtothewoman "Putthissmallportionintothe
vessel, yet let no one but yourself know or see, and then distribute largely to the poor of Christ and to all needing it. The more of it you distribute, the more shall it multiply. " This promise was fulfilled, and for four conse-
8
At one time, making a journey by night, and much fatigued, Mocteus and his companions slept in the open air. Meantime, robbers came and took away their horses ; but, having travelled on their backs the whole night, those thieves found when morning came, they were still quite near the abbot and hismonks. Wishingtorestoretheanimals,thoserobbersfoundthemselves unabletogetdown. Then,consciousofwhathadhappened,Mocteussaid
:
to his monks " Go to that place, where your horses have been tired with
vain labour, and release those wretches who still remain on their backs. "
Whereupon, the delinquents came to St. Mochta, and repented of their crime. Afterwards, being converted, they served God under his religious rule. On another occasion, when King Aedh,9 the son of Colcan, offered St.
"
Mocteus some land, he refused to take it with these words :
part of Ireland shall be born a saint, named Columba, one the elect and beloved of God, and to whom by Him is that land allotted, for not only Hibernia but Britannia shall serve that saint. "
with his monks, the saint looked askance, and said
me the infant you shall find in that cottage," They entered accordingly, and brought away a child as he desired, when the servant of God admiring his beauty called him Luchar. 10 In course of time, progressing in knowledge and holiness, he was promoted to the episcopacy. Afterwards, seeking a place suitable for his occupation, Mochta said to him : "Go to a spot between the mountain and the sea, where a wolf shall meet you, laying aside his ferocity, and there build your cell. "
The ministry of Angels was accorded to St. Mochta, and what could not be done through human agency, they often enabled him to accomplish. In one instance, while with his monks, Mocteus spent the Easter morning walk- ing round their cemetery in prayer, he saw a child playing there, and he
cutive years of liberal distribution that butter lasted.
Then, the child u You should rather have fulfilled a replied :
11 that
him. " Whereupon,themanofGodwaselevatedintheairbyAngels,and
broughtoveralongwaytoSt. Treanan. HavingcelebratedMass,heagain was returned to his monks. Afterwards, he celebrated Mass for them. Thus,
as a burning and shining light, his whole time was spent in heavenly contem- plation and in the active exercises of religion.
was
reproved.
promise
made to St.
Treanan,
you
would celebrate the Easter with
curiositate videntibus, tanta cessavit gra- tia. "
9 He was chief of Oirghialla and of all
the Airtheara or the people of Orior, and he
Cill-Elgraighe,atthe23rdofDecember,ora St. Lugair, surnamed the Leper, venerated on the nth of May.
" For reference to him, Colgan directs his readers to the Acts of St. Trien or Trienan,
died on a pilgrimage at Cluain-mic-Nois,
A. D. 606, according to Dr. O'Donovan's Abbot of Kill-Elga, at the 22nd of March,
"Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp.
232> 233- As Mochta died about 535, that
king, who is said to have retired from the
world to lead a religious life, must have Trien or Trienan, of Kildalky, he seems to
attained an extraordinary age, to have been able to offer such a gift to our saint.
refer for identity the saint whose name occurs in the text. In like manner, notices of these several saints may be found, in the Third Volume of this work, at March 22nd,
10
been, either a St. Luachair, venerated at
According to Colgan, he must have
:
One day, while travelling " Go, brothers, and bring
and to those of St. Trian, Bishop, at the 23rd of March, as also to those of St. Trenan, Monk, at the latter date. To St.
In the northern
284 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 19.
The holy prelate Daygeus I2 was his disciple, and preaching to the monks
:
at Bangor he bears this testimony " I give thanks to my God, that I see
you like the last class of St. Mochta's monks. For he had three orders of
monks succeeding him : the first, distinguished for angelic purity; the second, for apostolic acts ; the third, as holy martyrs prepared to shed their blood for Christ. " A life abundant in virtue was that spent by St. Mochta, while he was at Louth. There he is thought to have exercised the offices both of Bishop and Abbot. Some writers have even stated, that he succeeded St. Patrick, in the government of the See of Armagh. Nevertheless, this does not seem to have been the case, since his name is not found inscribed on the
J
Catalogue of the Archbishops at that place 3 but, Colgan inclines to an
;
opinion, that such omission may be accounted for, as he only held that See for a few days, and until the proper successor to the Irish Apostle had been elected and consecrated. 14 The fame of Mochta was so exalted, that he is
panegyrized as a chief man among the priests of Ireland. 1S The Martyrology of Donegal quotes an old poem regarding St. Mochta. 16 The account given of him in it shows, that there were three score seniors in his house, or those
who did not perform any labour, except the occupation of repeating psalms and prayers. Those seniors abode continually within the conventual precincts, as contradistinguished from those who were engaged at manual labour out in the fields. 1 * A panegyrist of Mochta states, that he never uttered a false word or an ignorant one j nor did he eat one morsel of fat, or that on which there was fatty moisture during the whole term of his long life. His predic- tions are also stated to have been admirably verified. He prophesied thus regarding St. Columkille, as Adamnan had been informed on the testimony of learned ancients. * In the last of the
Ocean's Islands; and, he shall brilliantly enlighten the last days of the
world.