No More Learning

3^ For an account of his religious founda-
Marianus and his companions, at Bamberg. ^3 Their feasts occur on the 29th of June,
tions, tlie reader is referred to Gaspar Brus- ""
^4 xhe Scottish writer of their Acts says gentis suae more. "
^s See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Paper "On Ma-
chius, Catalogus Episcuporum Bamber- gensium," as also to " Vita S. Ottonis," wriiten by Andrew, Abbot of St. Michael, lib. i. , as found in
nanus Scotus, of Ratisbon," in
"
Proceed-
vol.
" De Probatis Sanctorum Historiis," tomus iv. , Julii ii,
of the
ings Royallrish Academy,"
Surius,
vii. ,
39 He became bishop of this city in 1060, and he died in 1089, according to Rader.
p. 292.
^^ Alluding to Ratisbon, we arc told:
" The churches of Ober and Nieder Muuster
'•° The feast of St. Benedict occurs on the
2ist of March. Very complete accounts of
him and of his institute will be found in
Dom. Mege's "Vie de Saint Benoit, avec Diet. " une Histoire abregee de son Ordre," a. d.
1690, 4to.
to nunneries since dissolved, long
^^ This was founded, on the Monk's Mountain, near Bamberg, and dedicated to St. Michael, by St. Henry II. , Emperor,
lers in Southern Germany," sect. x. Route
168, p. 108.
'>^ BoUandus remarks, these notices are
belonged
whose abbesses held the rank of princesses
of the empire, and occupied seats in the
— ''Handbook lor Travel* Murray's
missing from Raaer.
From a charter of
Henry iV. , Wiiia
—who
probably
succeeded
4 20 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS, [February 9.
superioress, it is stated, over the Upper Monastery in that z\\. y*'^ and her duties were assigned, charitably and hospitably to receive pilgrims/^
Marianus possessed great skill and industry in his capacity of scribe. Such was the grace of writing, which Divine Providence bestowed on the Blessed Marianus, remarks his biographer, that he wrote many, and some of them lengthy, volumes, with a rapid pen, both in the Upper and Lower Monasteries. '^^ For, to speak the truth, without any colouring of language, among all the acts which Divine Providence deigned to perform through this same person, he says, I deem this most worthy of praise and admiration, that the holy man wrote from beginning to end, with his own hand, the Old and New Testament, with explanatory comments on the same books, and that, not once or twice, but over and over again, with a view to the eternal reward ; all the while clad in a sorry garb, living on slender diet, attended and aided by his brethren, both in the Upper and Lower Monasteries.
At Ratisbon, Marianus was employed, by the Abbess Emma, in the transcription of some books. From this, he removed to the Lower Monas- tery,ortotheNiedermiinster. Acellwasassignedtohimselfandtohiscom- panions. Here, he diligently continued his occupation of writing, for his pen ran rapidly over the folios ; while, his companions prepared membranes for his use. Besides, he wrote many smaller books and manual psalters, for distressed widows, and poor clerics of the same city, having in view the health of his soul, and without any prospect of earthly gain. Furthermore, through the mercy of God, many congregations of the monastic order, which, in faith and charity, and imitating the Blessed Marianus, are derived from the aforesaid Ireland, and which inhabited Bavaria and Franconia, were sustained by those writings of the Blessed Marianus. 5°
The twelfth century author of our Saint's Acts states, that a certain
Father Isaac, who lived to the extraordinary age of one hundred and twenty
years, and who, moreover, was contemporaneous with the Blessed Marianus, having been under his direction and obedience, used to relate with tears in his eyes, that his venerable superior was, like another Moyses, the meekest ofmen. WhilehelivedintheLowerMonasteryofRatisbon,awonderful miracle was related about Marianus. It was a custom to have lights pre- pared, so that the holy scribe might proceed with his labours of writing
books, by night. On a particular occasion, while transcribing some religious work, in the Lower Monastery, the female sacristan of the church forgot to bring the light as usual ; yet, this in no manner seemed to interrupt his occupation. Having gone to bed, she suddenly recollected her omission of duty, and arising, she brought other virgins with her, to the cell of God's pious servant. Walking on tip-toe, and peeping through the chinks in the door of his cell, they beheld a miraculous apparition. While he wrote with the right hand, Marianus was holding up the left, and from three of its fingers were emitted as many jets of flame, which glowed more like the light ofHeaven,thanascomingfromordinarylamps. Therays,proceedingfrom hisfingers,shonelikethoseofthemeridiansun. Thevirginstrembledwith awe and reverence, at what they beheld, and then disclosed this incident to
Emma—is named
; yet, perchance, one
<' Reeves' " On Ma- See Rev. Dr. Paper
rianus Scotus, of Ratisbon," in "Proceed- ings of the Royal Irish Academy," vol. vii. ,
name is used for the other. In the same
charter, Hazoga is named as abbess, like-
wise, while she is called Hazega, by Ger-
woldus, and Haziga, by Aventinus.
^^ Aventinus adds, that Machtylda of the
Lower Monastery supplied them with ale and beer. " Annalium Boiorum," lib. v.
p. 293.
5° See the Bollandists' Acta Sancto-
"
rum,"tomus ii. ,ix. Februarii. Vita auctore
Scoto monacho Ratispon. , cap. ii. , num. 9, pp. 366, 367.
February 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 421
the abbess, and to their other religious sisters. Soon its fame got abroad,
among the clergy and people of Ratisbon. Afterwards, the inhabitants
spread this report among their neighbouring towns, and among those living
in distant places. Everywhere, with joy and gratulation it resounded, and the Blessed Marianus was regarded as the special favourite of Heaven. 5^
CHAPTER II.
THE BLESSED MARIANUS PROPOSES TO RESUME HIS PILGRIMAGE— HE IS MIRACULOUSLY WARNED TO REMAIN AT RATISBON—THE WRITINGS OF MARIANUS—HE OBTAINS A GRANT OF ST. PETER's CHURCH, AND MEANS TO ERECT A MONASTERY THERE— DISCIPLES SEEK HIM OUT FROM IRELAND—DISPERSION OF HIS COMPANIONS—HIS FEAST DAY AND DEATH—MIRACLE AT HIS TOMB—IRISH MONASTERIES FOUNDED AFTER HIS TIME, IN GERMANY—CONCLUSION.
After remaining some time at Ratisbon, the Blessed Marianus intended to
resume his original journey. However, a countryman of great sanctity, called Muircetach, or Muricherodac,^ who had been then Hving, as a recluse, at the Obermiinster, was consulted, in reference to this project. Muirchetach urged him to submit, and to trust in Divine guidance the determining, whether
Let us fast this day," he exclaimed, and ask the Holy Spirit of Wisdom, although sinners we be, that he should deign to manifest his will for you to remain here, or to visit the limifia Apostolorum, in the Roman city. " This advice, the obedient Marianus inclined to follow. Hepassed the night in great anxiety. But while in bed, and during the hours of darkness, it was intimated to him, by a Divine inspiration, that he should take John and Clement with him as companions, and that, beginning his journey, wherever, on the next day, he should first behold the rising sun,3 there he should re- main and fix his abode, so that on the Day of Judgment his bones should thence arise.
At the early dawn of morning, Marianus took with him those companions advised, and bidding adieu to Muricherodac, and to his other friends, he started, with a light and resolute heart, to pursue his journey, towards the walls of the Eternal City. For this purpose, he arose before daybreak, and entered St. Peter's Church, outside the walls of Ratisbon ; for, it was his usualcustomtopray,beforeheengageduponanygreatundertaking. There, with his brethren, he began to implore the Divine blessing on his journey. He also prayed to St. Peter, the Patron, so that his journey might prove a prosperous one, from that Church of St. Peter, the Apostle, at Ratisbon, to the Church of St. Peter, the Apostle, at Rome. But, scarcely had he come forth without the doors, when he beheld the sun stealing above the horizon. He thanked God, and the Blessed Peter, who had thus given him a place
he should proceed on his way to Rome, or settle for life, at Ratisbon. ^ ""
5^SeeHid. —
rianus Scotus, of Ratisbon," in "Proceed-
Chapter ii.
feast occurs
the
ings of the Royal p. 292.
Irish
Academy," vol. vii. ,
^
on
garding him may be found. In n, 6, an oversight has been committed, by the author,
His
17th of January, where further notices re-
in alluding to the present holy man, as the Martyrologist, Marianus O' Gorman, re- specting whom, the reader is referred to the •'
3 According to popular tradition, St. Laserian, Bishop of Leighlin, was deter- mined to found his house where he should see the sun first rising, as he began his morn-
ing travels, and inspired by a similar omen. See his Life at the 18th of April.
Introduction," sect, iii. , vol. i.
=" SeeRev. Dr. Reeves'Paper"OnMa-
42 2 LTVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February 9.
""
for quiet and for burial. Here then," said he, accepting the omen, I shall
rest for ever, and here shall be my resurrection, on the dreadful Day of Judgment. " His determination was hailed with joy, by the whole popula- tion, at Ratisbon. The clergy and people there admired that revelation, which caused him to remain among them, and even greater still was the delight of those pious nuns, to whom he had given such true cause for edifi- cation.
He now settled down to a course of life, in accordance with his tastes. The Blessed Marianus was especially distinguished, for his devotion to the pursuits and study of sacred literature. And, not only was he a celebrated divine and theologian ; but, he was pven remarkable, it is said, for his poetic talents. -^ It is not possible, at this time, to enumerate all the works he com- posedortranscribed; and,yet,manuscriptandbiblicalliteratureisenriched with some curious and valuable glosses, the genuineness of which is placed beyond question. Aventinus describes one of Marianus' compilations, as " Divini Davidis Hymni. " s To this, commentaries were added. A copy of this vellum codex had been preserved, in the Lower Monastery, at Ratisbon. ^
"
We find another of his treatises thus described,
excerptus de Evangelistarum voluminibus sive dpctoribus. " 7 But, another manuscript of our countryman, Marianus, is the most interesting, not only on account of the beauty, manifested in its execution, but, also, because it supplies the Irish name of the writer, and in the Irish character. Among his many works or transcripts, we find extant a copy of the Epistles of St. Paul. This contains an interlinear gloss, apparently an original production of Marianus himself It has, also,, a copious marginal commentary, con- sisting of extracts from the Fathers and theological writers, who were popular inhisday. Thiscommentaryfullyatteststhepatristiclearningandresearch of the Irish pilgrim. As yet, this codex is unedited. It lies, in the auto- graph of Marianus Scotus,^ among those literary treasures, stored in the Imperial Library, at Vienna. In 1679, when Lambecius' catalogue of the
4 Aventinus, the Bavarian Annalist, styles
" Poeta et —
him, Theologus insignis, nullique
"
feriis coepit, Mathoei et Ilemcrami finivit. " From the recommendation herein contained,
Annales Boiorum. " lib. v. , p. 554. Edition, 1554.
without it is curious security,
suo seculo secundus. "
not to lend it,
to find a library practice of modern times, in vogue among the ancients, suggested by
s The following is the preface, to this
codex, according to Aventinus: "Anno a writer at so early a date,
dominicae incarnationis, mlxxiv. , Hainrico
juvene Imp. , Machtylda Abbatissa S. Ma- rise, et S. Herhardi Abbateam regente, decem novalis Cycli xi. anno Indict, xii.
^ From his account, Aventinus appears to
have seen this manuscript. See "Annalium
Boiorum," lib. v.
7 Cotton, Tiberius E. iv. 26, foil. 162-178.
The once noble volume, which contains this treatise, is a MS. 'of the twelfth century, It was one of those, which suffered in the
Marianus Scotus, septimo peregrinationis
suae anno coUegit modicas istas undas, de
profundo sanctorum Patrum pelago, scilicet
Hieronymi, Augustini, Cassiodori, Arnobii, disastrous fire of 1731 ; but, it has lately
et de opusculis S. Gregorii : et pro suae ani- m? e salute, in honorem salvatoris Domini
been inlaid, and, with occasional damaged
margins, it is still in a fair and legible con-
nostri Jesu Christi, et ejus genitricis, sem-
perque Virginis Mariae, et S. Herhardi con-
fessoris, scripsit, et in unum librum perstrinx-
it. Prolixas enim et salubres Catholico-
rum Patrum expositiones non omnes avido
cordis amore petunt. Multi sunt etiam, qui
etsi tales legere vel habere vellent, tamen intrusted the Rev. Dr. Reeves with the
minori censu, vel intellectu, vel aliqua causa existente occupati, illas invenire et legere non possunt. Nunquam tribuatur ad trans- scribendum extra Monasterium, nisi pro eo congruum relinquatur vadimonium. Georgii
carriage of a communication, to the Mem- bers of the Royal Irish Academy, of which
"
he had been a former associate. See ceedings of the Royal Irish Academy," vol. vii. , p. 294.
Liber Mariani genere Scoti,
dition.
^
Mr. Charles P. MacDonnell, during a residence in Vienna, spent some time in the examination of this manuscript, which he thought to have been the production of MarianusScotus,theChronographer. He
Pro-
February 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 423
Imperial Library at Vienna was finished, the existence of this manuscript first became known to the literary public. Yet, Lambecius considered it to have been an autograph work of Marianus Scotus, the Chronographer, and a monk, at Fulda, who wrote it in 1079. He describes it,9 as containing, " Omnes Epistolae Sancti Pauli Apostoli," with marginal and interlinear glosses. This codex, he observes, is well worthy of being printed. '** From such a source, Oudin and Zeuss have derived their information, in reference to it. In his edition of " Ware's Writers of Ireland," " Harris notices this
" '" codex, as also Dr. Lanigan, in his Ecclesiastical History of Ireland,"
both referring to the authority of Lambecius. However, this guide seem<^;, in part, to have led Dr. Lanigan astray, where he should be inclined to suspect Marianus Scot—us of RatisbonV the writer, and not Marianus Scotus, the recluse of Fulda'''^ to whom he attributes it. After the order of Jesuits had been dispersed, a learned and laborious member of the society, Father Denis, was made chief librarian, in Vienna, towards the latter part of the last century. He has given a more detailed analysis of this valuable manu- script ;'5 and, from this description, the following account is chiefly drawn. Thecodexisalargequarto,consistingof160foliaofvellum; thetextisina fine clear hand of the eleventh century, in letters of moderate size ; the
gloss, both lineal and marginal, has been written, in small, delicate characters, but evidently by the same pen. Fol. 136 is written only on one side; ff. 146 and 154 were cut away to one-half their original size, after having been written. This is manifest, from some of the letters on the remaining halvesbeingpartlycutaway. ThiscodexcontainsalltheEpistlesofSaint Paul, strictly according to the text of the Vulgate, and in the same order in which they now stand in our Bibles, except that, between those to the Colossians and to the Thessalonians, the Apocryphal Epistle to the Laodi- ceans'^ is introduced. '7 With the exception of the last-mentioned, which is left uncommented, the Epistles are all accompanied with an interlinear gloss, and are elucidated by ample marginal quotations, from the following Fathers and theological writers : St. Gregory, St. Jerome, St. Augustine, Fulgentius, Origen, Cassian, Haimon, Leo, and Alcuin ; and also from the Liber Pas- toralis, Petrus Diaconus, Ambrosiaster'^ and Pelagius. '9 In the Book of Armagh, there are some prologues, bearing the name of Pilagius, who is also
"
9 See
sarea Vindobonensi," lib. ii. , cap. viii. , p. 749. Edition of 1665 et seq.
'° At the end, the following subscription wast to be read: "Explicit Epistola ad Hebrseos, habens versus Dccc. In honore Individuse Trinitatis, Marianus Scottus scripsit hunc librum suis fratribus peregrinis.
feria vi. anno Domini MLXXViiii. "
" See Harris' Ware, vol. ii. , p. 66.
" Lanigan says, that those notes of Ma-
Chronicle, at A. D, 1028, 1069. Therefore Dr. Lanigan judged the "Epistolae S. Pauli," to have been his writing. See ibid. ^ n. 15,p. 8.
'5 See Denis, "Codd. MSS. Theol. Biblioth. Palat. ,"vol. i. , p. i, col. 131.
^^ In the Book of Armagh, this spurious epistle comes in between Colossians and i.
"
Sed Hirunimus devote dicite Amen. xvi. Kal. Junii hodie etiam negat esse Pauli," fo. I38aa. See
rianus
although well worthy of the light,
lished. "—Vol. iv,, 7.
sect,
" Laodicensium
Commentarii de Bibliotheca CiE-
Anima ejus requiescat in pace, propter Deum
Timothy, with the salvo,
"
have not, as far as I know, been as yet pub-
Calnet's Bible, on col. iv. , 16, where it is printed, with various readings. It exists, in many MSS. , and it has even found its way into printed Bibles.
'^ This marginal note accompanies it,
ab alio sub nomine
in the Maurist Appendix, p.
21.
^9 His Commentarii in Paulinas may be
seen, in "Opera" S. Hieronymi, col. 835. Editio Vallars.
chap, xxv. ,
*3 At folio 10 of this MS. are the words
epistola edita. "
"
x. Kal, April, anno Domini MLXXVilli. Mariani miseri Domine
miserere. "
'4 This writer had a habit, likewise, of
rejected, edition of Paris, in tomus ii.
in his handwriting
calling himself
'*
miser Marianus," as in his
iii,, p.
pauli putatur
'*^ This is now
424 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February 9.
citedinaworkoftheIrishmanSedulius. =° IntheEpisdetotheColossians, the prevaiUng extracts are from St. Gregory ; and, from that to the end, the mostfrequentarefromthefalseAmbrosius. Denissuggests,thatimproved
readings of the text of the Fathers might be, perhaps, obtained, by a colla- tion of their works as printed, with passages quoted from their Avritings, in this MS. These exhibit, in many instances, considerable variations, from
the usually accepted readings. ^' Not the least interesting detail, in con- nexion with this manuscript, is the circumstance, that the writer enables us
=^^
to determine, not only his name, but even his family and origin.
as he made progress with his work, Marianus took care to note in his mother tongue, the dates and festivals of his country's saints, as those occurred during the year 1079. ^3
2°
Namely, in his Commentary on St. Paul's Epistles, and under the signature Pil.
=^ The foregoing account is followed up,
by Dr. Reeves, in his very interesting paper,
with printed illustrations, which serve to
give us an idea of the text, glosses, and in-
terlinear notes, with some marginal com-
ments of his own. He adds, after some pnopueu "oeum oetjoce x)icice.
descriptive remarks: "It would require considerable time, patience, and research, even under the guidance of the erudite Denis, to analyse this admirable manu- script in the detail that all who have hitherto noticed it concur in believing due
<\men.
%m. Itt. itinii ho-oie t^em-A. tJi. ^nno oomini ni. l3£itjiiii.
Here then we have, in the gloss, the Chris-
tian and family name of the illustrious
to its value and importance.
For the pre-
chronographer, written with his own hand,
sent,
obliged
myself
to this
I am
in his mother — tongue
bartaig.
=3 The words on the
to confine
slender sketch, which I close now by giving
the from the foot of folia lo, passages
Muiredack viae Ro-
at the foot of
17, 87, 141, and that at the end, by which the
— margin SAchA|\n ca]x
authorship is proved ; presenting the correct
reading of those, in Irish, on ff. 10, 87, and
which Denis has erro- 141, printed very
neously ; and lastly, by giving the inter- linear gloss, in which, at the end, the illus- trious Marianus signs, in his mother tongue, his native Christian and
^o-^
a fact now for the first time noticed, a name now for the first time ascertained, after ages
—
niini hoTjie tn. non. mAii Anno 'Oomini
m. b:c3ciiii. mA^MAni mife|\i "Oomine mi-
pepe^xe. AlsogivenbyZeussfromDenis,ut supra. But the Irish words, at the foot of fol. 87, he hasprinted in the folio wing uncouth and inaccurate form : — in
divfain
of oblivion. " Dr. Reeves had
previously observed, that it "requires an Irish eye to discern, and Irish wit to unfold, the essen-
tial and beauties of our
points exquisite
MSB. ," while he pays Mr. Charles P. M'Donnell the compliment, in this con- nection.
" The last folio concludes with the fol-
lowing words, which are all written in Ver-
million, with the exception of the Irish
feil comgaill
didin. Aimpedefdia in dilgud doiniw-io ac tros. This had not been noticed by Zeuss, who probably was deterred by Denis' cor- rupt reading. The words in the original being beautifully written (in what Den—is
name of the illustrious
traced between the lines, in black, with his
calls Anglo-Saxon characters) as follows
ITeil comgAill in-oiu yo\. Ain oi'oen.
expiicic epi^'colA
AT) -0000.
ViAbec
ueffiif
family
"Oo-
name—
The words at the foot of fol.
Denis cor-
chronographer,
own hand—for the name is written in
cisely the same hand as that in which the C)\65.
heb]^eo|'
Besides,
English, "Muiredhach, the miserable,
Mac Robartaigh. "
•m^uKxntJS scoccus scmpsic liunc
libnum suis im-dcnibtis pene- 5Rinis
-Anim4 eitjs neqtiiesc<xc in p<xce.
fol. 10 are
:
innochc Anno "Oomini Tn. bxocuiin.
oc, Kb.
rHA]\iAni mifeiAi
*'
-<\p|\ib,
"Oonime
Sabbatum Paschae in nocte x. Kl. April,
A. D. 1079. " Thisisprintedandinterpreted in Zeuss, Gr. Celt. Praef. , p. xxiv. , note.
17, rectly prints, as follows ^X-pcenpo
A impede |:o]\ wa in-oitsut) -oo mun\e-
pre- •oa6 " The festival of
Comgall (»>. , June 10) to-day, on Friday of Refuge. His entreaty of God for forgiveness to Muired- hach the miserable. " Here Cjxog is the equivalent of miser. The loth of June, in 1079, fell on the seventh Friday after Easter. inhorjoneirToiuiDUAecnimuAuis Again,Denishasprintedthewords,atthe . 1. niAcc — foot of fo. 141, in a similarly multilated muipoA'OAi C]\65 nobAfvcAig In shape, omitting also the year, which is
gloss throughout the volume is written : —
:
mii'e^eiAe.
:
February 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 425
To his more celebrated namesake, Marianus Scotus, the Chronographer, are ascribed some inedited works, or copies of works, which are partly con- tained in the library of Ratisbon. Among these, we find noted, Concordia Evangelistarum ; De Universali Computo ; Emendationes Dyonisii ; De Magno Cyclo Paschali ; Algorithmus, Breviarium in Lucam ; Notitia Utriu—s- que Imperii, &c. ^'^ It seems —doubtful enough, if some of the foregoing
be not rather compositions of the present
we cannot always accept the statements of this inaccurate writer, with con-
fidence ; and, further criticism may be usefully exercised, both in the collec-
tion of Marianus' writings, and in ascertaining their genuineness.
The Abbess Emma granted Marianus, in the most fervent spirit of cha,rity, this Church of St. Peter, commonly called Weich-Sanct-Peter, or Weyh S.
Peter,^^ with an adjacent plot. ^7 Thus was a place provided for the Blessed Marianus, and for those monks of his country, who chose to come under his direction. This too was done, with the cheerful sanction of the Emperor Henry IV. ,^^ who was by no means remarkable for his love of religion,=9 and who had excited so much opposition, in his time, to the saintly Pope
written above the line ; he reads them as Emperor, about the year 845. For this
especially the Scriptural tracts
he wrote " ad Regula
to Thomas
Fratres," Hb. i. and other works, which are preserved at Ratisbon. ^s But,
Marianus Scotus.
According
Dempster,
follows '. —fell bfenain innoctfdardain Aim- pedefdia in dilgud domurfo ac tros. Also omitted by Zeuss, probably for the same reason as the last. The words being beauti-
fully written in the original, as plainly as possible :— A. x). mbococuiin. -peii b|\enAin innocc fo^ oAyv-oAin, A impeTje ttoiawa
statement, "Chronica Episcoporum Ratis- ponentium," is quoted. And, Aventinus alludes to the tradition, that wlien Charle-
magne opposed the Bavarians, and took possession of their city, a sword having de- scended from Heaven into his hand ; he
adds, "locum castrorum in templum, quod a Divo Petro consecratum sit, cernentibus noctu in tenebris nescio quibus Scotis, ver- tisse. " Afterwards, he proceeds to refute this fable. See " Annalium Boiorum," lib. iv. , v.
^7 See the Bollandists' "Acta Sanctorum,"
tomus ii,, Februarii ix. Vita auctore Scoto
monacho Ratispon. , cap. iii. , num. 3, p. 368.
in-oiijut) -oo mu|\eT)Ac c^xog.
"
The festi-
val of Brendan (May 9 or 16), in the night,
on Thursday, A. D. 1079. His entreaty of
God for forgiveness to Muiredhach. " It is impossible to say, M'hether Brendan of Birr,
or Brendan of Clonfert, is here intended, for their festivals always fall on the same
day of the week, the former being the 9th,
and the latter the i6th, of In May.
^^ He confirmed its and possessions
1079, both fell on Thursday. See Dr. Reeves'
rights by a charter, dated Kal. Feb. Ind. xii. , A. D. 1089, soon after the death of Marianus. ^9 He had endeavoured to excite a sedi- tion against Pope Gregory VII. , by con- a number of simoniacal at
Paper " On Marianus Scotus, of Ratisbon,"
in " of the Irish Aca- Proceedings Royal
demy," vol. vii. , pp. 299, 300.
^'* See M. le Dr. Hoefer's " Nouvelle Bio-
graphic Generale," tome xxxiii. , col. 626. =^5 See "Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis
Scotorum," tomus ii. , lib. xii. , p, 447.
26
Wigullus Hundius, on the authority of an anonymous chronicle, belonging to this monastery, states, that it was founded in the time of Charlemagne, to commemorate
vening
Worms, in January, 1076, and this time-
his victory over the Bavarians, Slaves, and
Huns, "consecratum miraculose per S.
Petrum cselitus," &c. This was placed on
the Hill of Victory, without the walls ot
Ratisbon. Yet, when this place became him, in the year 1076, and took upon him too small, for the great number of monks
crowding to it, another site was chosen, in a spacious field, belonging to a noble, of
to pronounce, that for his tyranny he had forfeited the crown. —After a turbulent reign, from A. D, 1056 when at fifteen
to build a mo- nastery for the Scots, under the patronage of St. James. Dominick is said to have been its first abbot, in the time of Erckan-
frid, Bishop of Ratisbon, and of Lothaire,
—he succeeded his
years pious father, Henry
in the
Midersil, mountains,
serving conventicle, presumed
Sovereign Pontiff, on pretence of an imagi- nary nullity, in his election. Besides, the EmperorHenryIV. , hadusurpedtherights of episcopal investiture, promoting unworthy men to ecclesiastical dignities, and trafficing in benefices. His nobles and people felt discontented with his rule, and alleged that he had oppressed the liberties of the empire. For these reasons, the Pope excommunicated
he died at
been dethroned by his nobles and by his son, Henry V.