No More Learning

"7
"
Annales Ordinis S. Benedicti," tomus i. , lib. xiv. , sec. i. , p. 409. — " "'"On croit qu'il mourut I'an 650,"
Histoire Ecclesiastique," livre xxxvii. , sec. 28.
»9See "Histoire Universelle de I'Eglise
Catholique," tome x. , liv. xlix. , p. 279.
3° See " Ecclesiastical History of Ireland,"
vol. ii. , chap, xvi. , sec. x. , p. 461. In a note, he adds, that the " Annals otRoscrea" and the " Annals of Boyle" place it in 652. Ware quotes the "Annals of Boyle" as having not 652, but 653. "This date may be reconciled with the other, if we suppose that the Annals of Roscrea anticipated the
««
33
fursey died at Perone, in Picardy, on
Christian era by one year, according to what we find in several other Irish annals.
Either 652 or 653 may be as probable a date as Mabillon's ; and his 650 ought
perhaps be understood about 6$o. " Ibid. , n. 91, p. 462.
3' Especially those of Roscrea and ot
"Annals of Boyle" as published by Mr.
ii. have no entry regarding the death of
St. Fursey, nor even data lor the year 652
3* Sanctum in Cselos emisit Animam
the 1 6th of consecrated to January (a day
his memory), in the year 648, or (as others say) 653, under which year the author of the 'Annals of the Abbey oi Boyle' hath this passage : Anno 653 Fursu Paruna quicvit. In the year 653, Fursey went to rest at Perone. " — Harris' Ware, vol. ii. " Writers of Ireland," book i. , chap, iv. , P- 35-
3"* See "Annales Ecclesiastici, tomus viii. , p. 382.
35 In his Belgian Chronicle, and in the Feasts, at the 1 6th of January.
January i6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 283
Desmay. This writer says, he happily departed about that year, on the 9th of February, and during the reign of Clovis II. , King of France. s^
Although the i6th of January was specially dedicated to St. Fursey's memory, at Perrone, Desmay relates, it was not owing to the circumstance of his death occurring on that day, but because it had been the anniversary of his canonization by the Church, when he had been enrolled among the number of the saints. 37 Venerable Bede tells us, that soon after the building of the monastery at Lagny, St. Fursey closed his mortal career. 3^
Nearly as great a difference of opinion prevails regarding the day, as respecting the year of St. Fursey's death. His natalis has been variously assigned to the i6th of January, to the 9th of February, to the 4th of March, to the 14th of July,39 and to the 26th of December. It is thought most probable, that our saint died on the 16th of January. -^" This also is the day given by Mabillon,t' and by the Irish Martyrologies. Thus his name occurs in the Calendar of Marianus Gorman. ^^ The Roman Martyrology likewise enters him. Again, at the present date, the feast of St. Fursjeus is entered in the anonymous Catalogue of Irish Saints, published by O'SuUivan Beare . '^ It is likewise noticed in -Henry Fitzsimon's list,t'^ where he refers to Surius, for the particulars of his acts. 'ts In Convreus' Catalogue he is called Fursseus, prince and patron of Perrone, as also abbot, at this date. Besides, an
the two first dates are not the on the Kalends of December, year 660,
'''-'
Colgan says
satisfactory, for these reasons. First, be- according to Miraeus, in his chronicle. If cause St. Fursey came to England in the such be the case, Eligius could not have year 636, as Florence of Worcester and lived an entire year after that translation, Edward Mahew, already cited, state. It is a circumstance not considered probable. clear also h-oui Bede, and from all other And, thirdly, because the authority of our writers, who have treated concerning him, Irish annals is adverse. As these foregoing
that Fursey afterwards lived many years in
England, and later still in France. Secondly,
because, according to Baronius, whose au-
thority he had already adduced, this saint flourished in England in A. D. 644, and
according to Sigebert, in the year 648. Thirdly, because, Bede, . Surius, Desmay,
reasons militate against an opinion that Fursey died in the year 655, they will have
still greater force against the supposition that our saint died A. D. 660. See Colgan's
37 See Colgan's Acta Sanctorum Hiber- Capgrave, with other writers, testify tliat nice," ix. Februarii. Vita S. Furssei, cap.
Fursey came to Gaul during the reign of
Clovis II. According to Mirasus, this king
did not begin his reign before the year 644,
or, according to Baronius and others, until
A. D. 648. Fourthly, because St. Fursey Belgii. " lived in the year 650, according to Matthew
of Westminster, Tnthemius, lib. iii. , cap. 86, Wion, lib. ii. , ad. 16 Jan. , Baronius, in his notes to the Roman Martyrology, at the 1 6th of January, and other authors. Noris theyear655amoreprobabledate.
^° See Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical His- tory of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xvi. , sec. x. , p. 461.
*' " Annales Ordinis S. Benedict! ," tomus
i. , lib. xiv. , sec. i. , p. 409. *^Inadditiontosomeoftheseauthorities,
First, because, as Sigebert and Baronius Raban, Notker, Usuard, Saussay, Dor-
state at that year, St. Foillan, brother of ganius, and Baronius Molanus in his life of ;
St. Fursey, suffered martyrdom in 655. So, . St. Foillan, at the 31st of October, as also
also, Molanus, in his chronicle, cap. 5.
This same Molanus states, that P'oillan lived
at Fossey, and he was intimate with St.
Gertrude, after St. Fursey's deatli. When Iliberniffi," xvi. Januarii. Vita S. Furssei.
treating about St. Ultan, at the 1st of May, Appendix, cap. x. , p. 97. ""
his word are, qui post excessum fratris sui B. Fursaei cum S. Foillano sancta adeptus est S. Gertrudis contubernia. " Secondly, because St. Eligius, who translated the body
of St. Fursey, on the 9ih of February, and, four years after our saint's decease, died in
'*3 See Ilistorice Catholicre Ibernife Com- pendium," tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. xi. , p. 49.
"
Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae," xvi. Januarii.
Vita S. Fursiiei. Appendix, cap. ix. , p. 97. "
xviii. , p. 296.
3^Bede's
"
Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis
Anglorum,"lib. iii. , cap. 19.
3^ See Molanus' " In Natalibus Sanctorum
Ilarpsfield, Sajculo vii. , Ferrarius, Wion, and other writers, treat of this saint at the 25th of February. . See "Acta Sanctorum
•• " niae. "
Catalogus aliquorum Sanctorum Iber-
'*5See ibid. , cap. xii. , p. 54. We have never seen Fitzsimon's book, which is rare.
284 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 1 6.
ancient martyrology of the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, Dublin, had a festival for St Fursey, abbot and confessor, for this day. *^ In the Feilire of St ^ngus, at the i6th of January, the feast of St. Fursey is
particularly recorded. ^7 A Trinity College MS. +^ of the Dublin University places the same festival at Kal. xvii. Februarii, corresponding \vith this same
date. The " Dormitatio entry,
the " Rest of is the Fursey,"
Fursae," or,
notice of his feast, at this day, in the Martyrology of Tallagh. ^s Venerable
Bede, Stephen White,s° and Bishop Challoner,5' have references to this saint, at the i6th of January, Trithemiuss- and the English Martyrology say, that St. Fursey's natalis was commemorated on the 4th of March. But Colgan is of opinion, the date of our saint's obitus must rather be assigned to
the 9th of February. This position he endeavours to establish, from a passage in the saint's old acts,53 and from the life written by Desmay. The testimony of this latter writer, who lived at the place of his departure, is supposed to be rather more worthy of credit than that even of older wTiters. It is regarded as likely that his account had been drawn from reliable circumstances or documents. S4 As we have already seen, De Burgo is the only authority known to have placed the date of our saint's death at the 26thofDecember. Colganhasnotgiventhisdate,amongsevendifferent days on which the saint's memory was revered, as anniversaries regarding his death, burial, or translation of reHcs.
St. Fursey is honoured as Patron of Perrone ; and a church, built at the place of his departure, was afterwards called " Fursei Domus," or, as now corrupted, Froheins. ss According to Dempster, he wrote a book, having
lib. \J>^ A attributed to St prophecy,
for its " De Vita title,
Monastica,"
Fursey, was still extant in the Irish language at the time when Harris wrote. 57
Report has it, that St. Fursey was gifted with a poetic genius, and some of his poems are said to be yet extants^ A litany, attributed to him, is also stated to be among the MSS. of Trinity College Library, Dublin. ss
Fursey having been so illustrious and holy during the period of his sojourn on earth, we may rank him as the spiritual parent and superior of
**xvii. Kal. , Feb. His office was cele- brated with nine lessons.
See "The Book of Obits and Martyrology of the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, commonly called Christ Church, Dublin. Edited by John Clarke Crosthwaite and Rev. Dr.
Introduction, pp.
*^ The following extract in Irish, from the
Leabhar Breac copy, with its English trans-
lation, has been furnished by Professor x. , p. 97.
"
Henthom Todd. "
James
xlvii. , liii. , and pp. 61, 79.
should be lib. ii. , cap. 17. "
O'Looney. ^s
Prope vicum Macerias, ubi Furseus
b. xx\\. kt. C]\AibT3i5 1 i:eii VU]\fa
Vtvif "^o jAbfAC tMge "C^A mite trieic buAXJA
po^N fi6ic Tno|\ miie.
b. xuii. kl. " Be pious on the feast of Fursa
supremum obiit diem, exstat vicus alter ba-
silica ejus titulo insignis, vulgo Fros/iem, id
est, Fursei domus, appellatus ; uti villa Ma-
jocus olim dicta,—nunc Henion, ab Haimone
duce appellatur. " Mabillon's "Aimales Or- dinis S. Benedicti," tomus i. , lib. xiv. , sec i. , p. 410.
^o See "Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis
Withwhom took they
sovereignty Three thousand a triumphant
Scotorum," lib. 6, n. 517. " ^7 See Harris' Ware, vol. ii. ,
number
Upon twenty great thousands. " 4^ Classed B. , 3, 12.
« Edited by the Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xiii.
In the Franciscan copy wefind'Oo|\niiCACio ITuixT-ei.
Writers ot
so "Apologia pro Hibemia," cap. ii. , p. I4; cap. iv. , p. 38; cap. v. , p. 65.
S' "Britannia Sancta," part i. , pp. 41 to 48. "
s^ See De Viris Illustribus Ordinis S.
Benedict! ," lib. iii. , cap. 86.
53 He cites lib. 16. It incorrectly i. , cap.
^4 See Acta Sanctorum Hibemiae," xvi.
Januarii. Vita S. Fursaei. Appendix, cap.
Ireland," book i. , chap, iv. , p. 35.
ss See a MS. classed H i. , 11. Trinity
College Library, Dublin, No. 6. 59 See ibid. , No. 7.
January i6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 285
all those with whom he associated in a religious relationship. Hence many
of his highly-favoured companions may be classed among the most saintly of disciples. The renowned names of these latter are known, and adduced
by Colgan from different authors. ^ Among them are noted St. Foillan,^^ martyr, and brother of our saint; St. Ultan,^^ Abbot of Fossey, another brother ; St. Dichul f^ St. Gobban f'- St. Adalgisus f^ St. Etto f^ St. Ber- tuin,67 Bishop ; St, Emilian f^ St. Eloquius -^ St. Mombulus ;7° St. Frede- gand;7i St. Helan;? ^ St. Boetius ;73 the Blessed Columban ;74 St. Veran ;7S
St. Corbican •^^ St. Lactan or Lactantius St. ;79
St. Tressan St. German ;76
;77
Vincent,^° Count of Hannonia ; St. Malgill f^ St. Sigebert,^^ King of the
East Angles. Several of these disciples followed St. Fursey to France ; and all are mentioned as having been his friends and familiars. ^3
Three places in Ireland seem to have derived their denominations from
St. Fursey. Besides one in the county of Galway, in the deanery of Annagh- down, and archdiocese of Tuam, there was a Kilfursa near the town of Dundalk, in the archdiocese of Armagh, and province of Ulster, as also one in the county of Cork, and province of Munster. ^* Besides, in Scotland, as in Ireland, the memory of St. Fursey was specially commemorated. ^s Thus the Kalendarium Drummondiense,^^ the Kalendarium Breviarii Aber- donensis,^7 and the Breviary of Aberdeen itself ^^ Adam King's Kalendar,^^
" and David Dempster's MenologiumScotorum,9°
have
notices of this illustrious saint. In art, Fursey is represented with oxen at his feet, because his body was placed on a waggon, and the oxen were
^ See his "Acta Sanctoram Hibemise. "
Appendix ad Acta S. Fursaei, xvi. Januarii,
cap. vi. p. 96.
°' See his acts at. the 31st of October.
** See notices of this saint at the ist of
separate
^^ His feast occurs at the 27th of Septem- ber, See Sir Harris Nicholas' "^Chronology of History," p, 171,
*3 St, Cummian, who is said by Colgan to have written on "The Virtues of the Irish
"
Saints
*3The feast of this holy man does not has allusion to this holy man. His morti-
May.
seem to be known.
**This saint's festival has not been dis-
covered.
'5 See notices of this saint at the 2nd of
June.
** Notices of this saint occur at the nth
of July.
*7 See an account of this holy man at the
I ith of November.
^ See notices of this saint at the loth of
March.
*9 See his life at the 3rd of December.
7° See notices at the i8th of November. 7'Seeanaccountofhimatthe17thof
July.
7^ His feast has been placed at the 7th of
January,
73 His festival does not seem to be
known.
7* His feast does not appear to be known.
75 His festival has not been noted.
7* His feast has not been discovered.
77 See notices at the 9th of July.
7^ His feast is not known.
79 A doubt exists regarding his proper doneuald. " Ibid. , p. 142,
feast. See some notices regarding this dis-
ciple at the 26th of June, and at the 1st of
^ See notices of him at the 14th of July.
^'
9° At the 1 6th of January we there read, " Peronje inventio Fursaei & Foillani, V. V,
9' " Eodem die, Sanctus Fursaeus Abbas. " —Ibid. , p. 234,
August.
See his life at the^30th of May.
"
Fursa, the truly pious loved
Nothing more admirable, we are told of, In a well as cold as the snow,
Accurately to sing his psalms. "
—See Rev. Dr. Kelly's "Calendar of
Irish Saints," p. 167.
^See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
Camerarius,? '
more than a thousand years before, fications are thus narrated :
nise," xvi. Januarii. Vita S. Fursaei, n. i. , p, 91.
*s See Bishop Forbes' " Kalendars of
ScottRh Saints," pp. 352 to 354,
^At the 1 6th of January, it has "apud
Hibemiam natale sancti Fursey Scotigene
confessoris atque Abbatis celebratur," ibid. ,
p. 2.
^ See at i6th of
January,
" Fursei Abb. "
Ibid. , p. III.
^Pars Hyemalis, f. xxxii. , quoted by Bishop Forbes.
^At the i6th of "S, January,
Furce, patron of perone in Pacardie in France oye
to — of Scotland vnder Eugenicis 4, king king
286 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January i6.
allowed to conduct it without guide as they went to Perrone ; or making a fountain spring up at Lagny, by thrusting his staff into the soil ; or be- holding a vision, of angels ; or the flames of purgatory and hell, seea in his wonderful trance. 9'
According to various authorities, there are no less than eight different
festival days, which should be considered sacred to this saint's memory.
These are, the i6th of January, the 6th, 9th, and 25th of February, the 4th of March, the 17th and 28th of September, and the 26th of December.
Although some difficulty may be experienced, in determining exactly each particular memorial of the saint, affixed to these several days ; yet the reader is referred to days already mentioned for further notices concerning him. These seem more properly assignable to succeeding pages and volumes ot this work.
Article II. —St. M9N0A or Monua, of Magh-Niadh, In Tuaith- Ratha, now Monea, in Tooraa, C—ounty of Fermanagh. The double
existence that most — persons support
that
they wish to be considered is the source of many faults. To such pre-
tensions we may trace most of our vexations and wretchedness. He is the
Monea Church, Co. Fermanagh.
truly happy man, who forgets that insincerity of action followed by so many, and who remembers only that each is as he appears in the sight of his Creator, and no greater. This was the wisdom of God's true friends. As- signed to this day, in the Martyrologies of Tallagh' and of Donegal,' we find entered, Monoa, Virgin, of Magh-Niadh,3 in Tuaith-ratha. * The place was
»» See Rev. S. Baring- Gould's " Lives of
the Saints," vol. i.