9 See
Venerable
Bede's "Vita S.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v2
, num.
12, p.
472.
^
She was the third sister of St. Columba.
e. tiii. kl.
mAtnAti in
c-<\fpuL,
3 That *' oftheraceofKien. " is,
9 Ina
note,
Dr. Todd at this word says
"Oon
Con 'oeticli A-oicciAtLA.
|Mc>iitiT) ^onfriAToeA,
Madian, the bishop,
For Christ he suffered tortures
To heaven may he conduct us,
With those who have been in his alle2:iance.
4 Colgan thinks, he was St. Aidan, of Connrach " The later hand adds here, in
:
'" Both-medhbha, in the diocese of Derry. Roman characters, in Arda. '
s All the '° Edited Drs. Todd and Reeves, foregoing information, Colgan by
pp.
derives from St. Adamnan, or from his Scholiast.
56, 57.
" Probably the baronies of the Ards, in
^ See Colgan*s "Trias Thaumaturga. " the present county of Down.
Quarta Appendix ad Acta S. Columbse," cap. ii. , num. I, 5, 22, pp. 477 to 479, cap. X. , num. 35, p. 489.
7 See ibid. Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Columba, cap. iv. , sect, ii. , p. 507.
Article vii. —' Edited by Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. xvi.
2 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
56, 57.
3 fn a note, Dr. Todd says at this word,
;
686 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[February 23.
Article IX. —Festival of St. Finianus, or St. Finian, Bishop of Clonard, County of Meath. [Fifth and Sixth Centuries. '] A feast in honour of St. Finianus is entered in the anonymous Calendar, published by O'Sullivan Beare, and at this day. Again, St. Finian, Bishop, is found in Henry Fitzsimon's list, at the 23rd of February. He quotes the Carthusian Martyrology,^ as an authority. At this date, following the authority of an Irish Office Book, printed at Paris, a. d. 1620, Colgan republishes it. as also a Life of the saint, taken from a Salamancan Manuscript. =^ The Bollandists have short notices of St. Finian, Confessor and Bishop of Meath, at the 23rd of February,3 but they resolved on deferring his Acts to the 12th of Decem- ber, which they deemed to be his principal feast. At the latter date, also, ourLifeofthisholybishopshallbefound,infullerdetail. HermanGreuen
gives his festival at the 23rd of February, as also the General Catalogue of Saints, published by Ferrarius. In the Carthusian Martyrology, Tyminus or Thiminus, at this date, is thought to have been a mistake for Finninus. Ussher has placed St. Finian's festival, at the 23rd of February. 4 Besides these, with his usual inaccuracy, Dempsters enters a festival for Finnan, a man of wonderful sanctity, in Anglia, at the 23rd of February. ^ Here, the bishop or abbot of Clonard is confounded with St. Finan,7 the bishop of
Lindisfarne, and the Apostle in Northumbria, although nearly a century elapsed between their respective epochs.
Article X. —St. Boisil, Abbot of Melrose, Scotland. \Senenth
St. Abbotof in was — at Century. ] Boisil, Melrose, Scodand, probably, or,
least, possibly,—a native of Ireland. Some particulars of his history
which is little known have been partially revealed to us, by the Venerable Bede. ^ It seems likely to have been the case, that Boisil received his early religious training, either in lona or Lindisfarne. He was born most probably about, or soon after, the beginning of the seventh century. In his public capacity, St. Boisil first appears in 651, as iht prepositus or prior of Melrose. ^ While a resident there, on the banks of the Tweed,3 he made several conversions to the ways of God, among the inhabitants of surrounding towns. He was also the preceptor of St. Cuthbert,4 whom he received with great cordiality, kind- ness, and a prophetic spirit, referring to his future celebrity. At this time, St. Eata,5 who was Abbot of Melrose and of Lindisfarne, happened to be present. Even, then he was the superior of St. Boisil ; both, having been
trained under the holy discipline of St. Aidan,^ first abbot and founder of Lindisfarne. The houses, thus established, adopted the Rule of St. Colum- kille,whichhadbeenpractisedatHy. Theadorablepersonsofthemost
Columjtan "The later hand * Sed : adds,
M. T. vocat ColtriAri. * But the Mart, of
Taml. calls him—Colman. "
**
dium," tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. xi. , p. 49, 402. In like manner, the father of English
Scottish
Saints," p. 192.
7 See his Life, at the 9th of January. Article x. —' See Historia Ecclesiastica
Gentis Anglorum," lib. iv. , cap. xxvii. , p. Historise Catholicse Iberniae Compen- 348. See also lib. v. , caj). 10, pp. 401,
'
Article ix. See O'Sullevan Beare's
and cap. xii,, p. 54.
' See ** Acta Sanctorum Hibemice," xxiii.
Februarii. Vita S. Finniani seu Finneni, Abbatis de Cluain-Eraird, &c. , pp. 393 to 407-
3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Februarii xxiii. Among the pretermitted
saints, pp. 360, 361.
Ecclesiastical History refers to him, in " Vita S. Cuthberti," cap. viii.
=
See "Origines Parochiales Scotiae," vol. i. , p. 292.
3 This monastic and Cistercian place of retirement, in after times, was a very charm- ing one. See John Major, "De Gestis Scotorum," lib. ii. , cap. xii.
^ See his Life, at the 20th of March,
5 See his Life, at the 26th of October.
^ See his He Life, at the 31st of August.
^ See
"
Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Anti-
quitates," cap. xvii. , p. 493.
s See " Scoticum. " Menologium
See Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of died a. d. 651.
February 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 687
Holy Trinity were frequently invoked by Boisil, and especially the name of our Divine Redeemer, Jesus, he often repeated, with lively sentiments of
devotion. He would " How frequently exclaim,
good
He wept tears of emotion, and he frequently moved others to weep with
him. Three years before it came, he predicted the great pestilence of 664, and that while the Abbot Eata should survive, he declared, that himself should die of it. He made frequent excursions into the villages, where he preached with great success to the poor. He often instructed his monks, that they should never cease giving thanks to God for the grace of their reli- gious vocation \ that they should always watch over themselves to guard against the delusions of self-love, self-will and private judgment, as being their chief enemies ; that they should converse assiduously with God, by in- terior prayer ; and that they should labour constantly, to possess the most perfect purity of heart, this being the true and perfect road to Christian virtue and perfection. From reading the Gospel of St. John, he drew the most ardent and tender love for our Holy Redeemer. 7 He used it as a book for suggesting spiritual reflections. When St. Eata, St. Cuthbert and other monks had been expelled from Ripon^ monastery, Cuthbert sought refuge with St. Boisil; and, being seized with a pestilence, which then raged throughout Britain, the disciple Cuthbert recovered, owing to the prayers of his brother-religious. Seeing him so far restored, Boisilus said to him :
" Brother, you find yourself relieved from the plague you suffered, and I de- clare you shall not be again attacked by it, nor die this time. But, as my death is near, I charge you to hear from me, what I have to say, so long as I shall be able to speak. For only seven days remain, during w^hich the health of my body, and the use of my tongue, shall enable me to instruct you. " Notdoubtingthetruthofthisassurance,Cuthbertaskedhissuperior, what he should read for him, during this interval of time. Boisilus told him to read the Gospel of the Evangelist, St. John,5 as it contained a certain number of pages, which could be read in equal divisions, during those seven days, and that both should be able to meditate on such portions, during this interval, with the Divine assistance. These holy men did not employ them- selves on difficult and profound questions, through mere curiosity, but rather on most simple expositions of Divine faith and charity. Seven days being at an end, Boisilus was seized with the pestilence already mentioned, and he was translated from earth to heaven. But, during those seven days spent in reading, it is said, he revealed to Cuthbert whatever took place during his after and
a have we " Jesus !
that he should become a '° The bishop.
especially telling him,
happiness. He often exclaimed, with St. Stephen, during his last illness,
""
to some
St. BoisiFs death was 661,^^ when he was immediately succeeded by St.
Cuthbert. The Bollandists, with others, assign the feast of St. Boisil to the 23rdofJanuary,atwhichdaytheyhavepubUshedhisActs. IntheScottish
7 See Rev. Alban Butler's "Lives of the *° See Cressy's "Church History of Brit- Fathers, Martyrs and other principal tany," book xix. , chap, i. , p. 461.
life,
holy man was filled with joy, when he found a near approach to eternal
" Lord receive Jesus
my Spirit !
According
writers,
the of year
Saints," vol. ii. February xxiii.
^ It is said to derive its name from the
of this place in Lewis' "Topographical Dictionary of England," vol. iii. , pp. 672 to 674.
9 See Venerable Bede's "Vita S. Cuth- berti," cap. viii.
" See Rev. Alban Butler's "Lives of the
Fathers, Martyrs and other principal Saints," vol. ii. February xxiii.
"
tion on the bank of a river. See an account
Latin v^ord,
ripa," on account of its situa-
'^
8, Smith asserts, that Mabillon and the Bol- landists are wrong in assigning his decease
"
In a note to St. Cuthbert's Life, at cap.
to A. D. 664. See Dr. Lanigan's
xviii. , sect, iv. , p. 89, and n. 43, p. 93.
Ecclesias- tical History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap,
688 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[February 23
Martyrologies, however, his festival is set down, on the 23rd of February. If we can credit the account, Boisil is stated by Dempster to have written four
on the " De Fide Charitatem following subjects : quae per
""
books, respectively operatur," lib. i. ; In
Evangelium Joannis,"
Hb. i.
lib. " De Trinitate," Excerpta ex D. Augustino et aliis, Hb. i. The same author is indignant, that English writers endeavour to make him an Anglus, as Melrose is well known to be in Scotland. '3 Trithemius'^ and Wion's are
said to regard him as a saint. He died a. d. 643, according to Dempster. ^^ But, in reality, he died of the great plague, a. d. 664. ^7 Bishop Forbes places hisfestival,atthe23rdofFebruary,^^followingCamerarius. ^9 Otherwriters have it, at the 23rd ot January, which appears to be the real date, according to the Bollandists. ^° However, Simeon of Durham says, that his deposition,
in Britain, was celebrated on the 7th of July. ^'^ Wilson, in his English Martyrology, and Ferrarius have a feast of St. Boisil, at the 7th of August. Again, Hugh Menard has a festival of St. Boisil—called Basilius—at the 9th of September. In the Kalendar of Herdmanston, his name, as a later Scottish insertion, occurs, at the 8th of July. ^^ St. Bosweirs=3 and Lessud- den,^4 in Roxburghshire, Scotland, were dedicated to him, the former place even having been called after him. St. Boswell's fair is held, however, on the 1 8th of July : =^5 this was also the festival of St. Thenew,^^ the mother of St. Kentigern. ^7 Weread,thatafterhisdeath,Boisilappearedtwicetoone of his disciples, and he was told to assure St. Egbert,^^ that God commanded him to seek St. Columba's monasteries,^^ and to instruct their inmates, re- garding the right manner for celebrating Easter. 3° In 1030, the remains of St. Boisil were translated to Durham. They were deposited beside the body of his celebrated disciple, St. Cuthbert;3^ but, now, all trace of those vener- able relics seems to have been lost.
Article XL—St. John, Martyr, and Bishop of Meckelenburg, Saxony. ^Eleventh Century. ^ In the eleventh century, John, a native of Ireland,cameintotheterritoryofMeckelenburg,inSaxony. Hepreached the Word of God to the people there, and soon after the middle of the century named, having been raised to the episcopal dignity by the Roman
i.
;
^3 See "Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Scotorum," tomus i. , lib. ii. , num. 127, pp. 68, 69.
^^\xi lib. iii. , cap. cxxvi.
'3 **
See Lignum Vitse," lib. iii. , p.
ccccxii. »
*^
See "Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Scotorum," tomus i. , lib. ii. , num. 127, p. 69.
^* See **
Origines vol. i. , pp. 291, 292.
=s See ibid.
Parochiales Scotiae,"
'7 See Bishop Forbes' **Kalendars of Cressy's "Church History of Brittany,"
book xxii. , chap, xx. , p. 576.
'^^ The chief of these, was the great mk-
sionary establishment in lona, and that of
Magis, in the Isles of Orkney, whicli liad The reader is referred to their Acta been ei^ected by Bishop Colman, See Rev. Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Januarii xxiii. De Alban Butler's "Lives of the Fathers,
Scottish Saints," p. 281.
'^ See ibid.
^9 In his Kalendar is noted, St. Boisil, at
S. Boisilo, pp. 540 to 542.
this particular date. See p. 104.
^° "
Martyrs and other principal Saints," vol. ii. , February xxiii.
3o ggg Venerable Bede's ** Historia Eccle- See Bishop Forbes' Kalendars of siastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. v. cap. 10,
Scottish Saints," pp. 42, 281. pp. 400 to 403.
"3 See " Statistical Account of Scotland," 3i See Rev. Alban Butler's "Lives of the
vol. i. , p. 52, and x. , p. 206. Also "New Fathers, Martyrs and other principal Saints," Statistical Account of Scotland," vol. iii. , vol. ii. February xxiii.
pp. 104, no, 112.
^'
See "Monumenta Historica Britan-
nica," vol. i. , p. 256.
" **
^^ ^^
See notices of her, at the i8th of July. See notices of him, at the 13th of Jan-
^^V'
^'^^ ^^ ^^ ^^^^ of November.
;
Meditationes,"
^^
preaching the Gospel to the infidels of Ger- many. HediedApril24th,A. D,729. See
Previouslyhehadbeenpreventedfrom
February 24. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 689
Pontiff, on account of his great zeal and constancy in prosecuting the work
of the Gospel, he was at length crowned with martyrdom, about the year
1064. ^ Hugh Menard^ says he was a Benedictine, and places his feast, at
the 23rd of February. Krantzs and other writers,-^ however, say, that his
Natalis belongs, to the loth of November. Colgan imagines the 23rd of
February to be the festival for some translation or discovery of his relics,
and he promises to treat more fully about the particulars of St. John's passion,atthelothofNovembers TheBollandistsbrieflynoticehim,at
the 23rd of February. ^
Article XII. —Reputed Festival of St. Aldetrudis. St. Aldetrudis
wasthedaughterofSaintsVincentiusandWaldetrudis. AtMalbod,she
was venerated, on the 23rd of February, according to Conv^us. ^ Yet, this seems to be a mistake for the 25 th of this month, where the proper notice will be found.
Ctoentp--jfotiitI> IBap tsl jfefiruarp*
ARTICLE I. —ST. CUMMINEUS ALBUS, CUIMINE AILBE, OR FIONN, ABBOT OF ZONA, SCOTLAND.
[SEVENTH CENTURY. ^
Celtic nature is communicative and enterprising. It is easily
THE
kindled to enthusiasm. "^ when St. Patrick^ succeeded in
Thus,
ing Christianity deeply in the convictions of the Irish people, their feeHngs
glowed with the fervour of faith. Soon earnest and fearless missionaries
issued, as from a hive, to spread Christianity and civilization among those nations, yet destined to receive and communicate the true lights of religion andscience. IfwearetobelieveDempster,St. Everhard,AbbotofHolmus Cultra, wrote this holy man's biography. 3 Bishop Forbes has a short Life of Cumine,surnamedFionnorAlbus. 4 Thissainthasbeendenominatedby writers, Cummein Fionn, or Ailbe, and in Latin, Cumineus Albus, or the White. 5 IntheIrishtongue,hisnamehasbeenwrittenComine,Cumaine,^
Article i. —^ See Goldwin Smith's
"Irish History and Irish Character," pp.
27, 28.
^ See his Life, at the 17th of March.
"
3 See Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis
Scotorum," tomus i. , lib, iii. , num. 323, -* Such as Helmoldus, "In Chronico p, 184,
Article XI. — ''According to Trithemius,
"In Chronico Hirsaugiensis. " ^"
In his Martyrologium Benedictinum. " 3 See " Rerum Germanicaram Historici Clarissimi, Ecclesiastica Historia, sive Me-
tropolis," lib, iiii. , cap. 43, p, 11^.
Sclavorum," lib, i,, cap, 13, and, Adam of Bremen, lib. iv. , cap. 12.
4 See " Kalendars of Scottish Saints," pp.
316, 317.
= He probably received this appellation,
5 See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernife," Feb-
i-uarii xxiii, De S. loanne Epis. Meckel- owing to the colour of his hair or com-
burg, et Martyre, p. 407. ^"
plexion. See Dempster's iii. , num. 323, p, 184.
See Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii,, Feb-
ruarii xxiii.
Among the pretermitted saints,
p, 360. Article XII.
In Tighernach's Annals, at A,D, 661 and "Rerum Hiber-
—
"Historiae Catholicae Ibernise Compen-
^
See O'Sullevan Beare's dium," tomus i. , lib, iv,, cap. x.
^
She was the third sister of St. Columba.
e. tiii. kl.
mAtnAti in
c-<\fpuL,
3 That *' oftheraceofKien. " is,
9 Ina
note,
Dr. Todd at this word says
"Oon
Con 'oeticli A-oicciAtLA.
|Mc>iitiT) ^onfriAToeA,
Madian, the bishop,
For Christ he suffered tortures
To heaven may he conduct us,
With those who have been in his alle2:iance.
4 Colgan thinks, he was St. Aidan, of Connrach " The later hand adds here, in
:
'" Both-medhbha, in the diocese of Derry. Roman characters, in Arda. '
s All the '° Edited Drs. Todd and Reeves, foregoing information, Colgan by
pp.
derives from St. Adamnan, or from his Scholiast.
56, 57.
" Probably the baronies of the Ards, in
^ See Colgan*s "Trias Thaumaturga. " the present county of Down.
Quarta Appendix ad Acta S. Columbse," cap. ii. , num. I, 5, 22, pp. 477 to 479, cap. X. , num. 35, p. 489.
7 See ibid. Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Columba, cap. iv. , sect, ii. , p. 507.
Article vii. —' Edited by Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. xvi.
2 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
56, 57.
3 fn a note, Dr. Todd says at this word,
;
686 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[February 23.
Article IX. —Festival of St. Finianus, or St. Finian, Bishop of Clonard, County of Meath. [Fifth and Sixth Centuries. '] A feast in honour of St. Finianus is entered in the anonymous Calendar, published by O'Sullivan Beare, and at this day. Again, St. Finian, Bishop, is found in Henry Fitzsimon's list, at the 23rd of February. He quotes the Carthusian Martyrology,^ as an authority. At this date, following the authority of an Irish Office Book, printed at Paris, a. d. 1620, Colgan republishes it. as also a Life of the saint, taken from a Salamancan Manuscript. =^ The Bollandists have short notices of St. Finian, Confessor and Bishop of Meath, at the 23rd of February,3 but they resolved on deferring his Acts to the 12th of Decem- ber, which they deemed to be his principal feast. At the latter date, also, ourLifeofthisholybishopshallbefound,infullerdetail. HermanGreuen
gives his festival at the 23rd of February, as also the General Catalogue of Saints, published by Ferrarius. In the Carthusian Martyrology, Tyminus or Thiminus, at this date, is thought to have been a mistake for Finninus. Ussher has placed St. Finian's festival, at the 23rd of February. 4 Besides these, with his usual inaccuracy, Dempsters enters a festival for Finnan, a man of wonderful sanctity, in Anglia, at the 23rd of February. ^ Here, the bishop or abbot of Clonard is confounded with St. Finan,7 the bishop of
Lindisfarne, and the Apostle in Northumbria, although nearly a century elapsed between their respective epochs.
Article X. —St. Boisil, Abbot of Melrose, Scotland. \Senenth
St. Abbotof in was — at Century. ] Boisil, Melrose, Scodand, probably, or,
least, possibly,—a native of Ireland. Some particulars of his history
which is little known have been partially revealed to us, by the Venerable Bede. ^ It seems likely to have been the case, that Boisil received his early religious training, either in lona or Lindisfarne. He was born most probably about, or soon after, the beginning of the seventh century. In his public capacity, St. Boisil first appears in 651, as iht prepositus or prior of Melrose. ^ While a resident there, on the banks of the Tweed,3 he made several conversions to the ways of God, among the inhabitants of surrounding towns. He was also the preceptor of St. Cuthbert,4 whom he received with great cordiality, kind- ness, and a prophetic spirit, referring to his future celebrity. At this time, St. Eata,5 who was Abbot of Melrose and of Lindisfarne, happened to be present. Even, then he was the superior of St. Boisil ; both, having been
trained under the holy discipline of St. Aidan,^ first abbot and founder of Lindisfarne. The houses, thus established, adopted the Rule of St. Colum- kille,whichhadbeenpractisedatHy. Theadorablepersonsofthemost
Columjtan "The later hand * Sed : adds,
M. T. vocat ColtriAri. * But the Mart, of
Taml. calls him—Colman. "
**
dium," tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. xi. , p. 49, 402. In like manner, the father of English
Scottish
Saints," p. 192.
7 See his Life, at the 9th of January. Article x. —' See Historia Ecclesiastica
Gentis Anglorum," lib. iv. , cap. xxvii. , p. Historise Catholicse Iberniae Compen- 348. See also lib. v. , caj). 10, pp. 401,
'
Article ix. See O'Sullevan Beare's
and cap. xii,, p. 54.
' See ** Acta Sanctorum Hibemice," xxiii.
Februarii. Vita S. Finniani seu Finneni, Abbatis de Cluain-Eraird, &c. , pp. 393 to 407-
3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Februarii xxiii. Among the pretermitted
saints, pp. 360, 361.
Ecclesiastical History refers to him, in " Vita S. Cuthberti," cap. viii.
=
See "Origines Parochiales Scotiae," vol. i. , p. 292.
3 This monastic and Cistercian place of retirement, in after times, was a very charm- ing one. See John Major, "De Gestis Scotorum," lib. ii. , cap. xii.
^ See his Life, at the 20th of March,
5 See his Life, at the 26th of October.
^ See his He Life, at the 31st of August.
^ See
"
Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Anti-
quitates," cap. xvii. , p. 493.
s See " Scoticum. " Menologium
See Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of died a. d. 651.
February 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 687
Holy Trinity were frequently invoked by Boisil, and especially the name of our Divine Redeemer, Jesus, he often repeated, with lively sentiments of
devotion. He would " How frequently exclaim,
good
He wept tears of emotion, and he frequently moved others to weep with
him. Three years before it came, he predicted the great pestilence of 664, and that while the Abbot Eata should survive, he declared, that himself should die of it. He made frequent excursions into the villages, where he preached with great success to the poor. He often instructed his monks, that they should never cease giving thanks to God for the grace of their reli- gious vocation \ that they should always watch over themselves to guard against the delusions of self-love, self-will and private judgment, as being their chief enemies ; that they should converse assiduously with God, by in- terior prayer ; and that they should labour constantly, to possess the most perfect purity of heart, this being the true and perfect road to Christian virtue and perfection. From reading the Gospel of St. John, he drew the most ardent and tender love for our Holy Redeemer. 7 He used it as a book for suggesting spiritual reflections. When St. Eata, St. Cuthbert and other monks had been expelled from Ripon^ monastery, Cuthbert sought refuge with St. Boisil; and, being seized with a pestilence, which then raged throughout Britain, the disciple Cuthbert recovered, owing to the prayers of his brother-religious. Seeing him so far restored, Boisilus said to him :
" Brother, you find yourself relieved from the plague you suffered, and I de- clare you shall not be again attacked by it, nor die this time. But, as my death is near, I charge you to hear from me, what I have to say, so long as I shall be able to speak. For only seven days remain, during w^hich the health of my body, and the use of my tongue, shall enable me to instruct you. " Notdoubtingthetruthofthisassurance,Cuthbertaskedhissuperior, what he should read for him, during this interval of time. Boisilus told him to read the Gospel of the Evangelist, St. John,5 as it contained a certain number of pages, which could be read in equal divisions, during those seven days, and that both should be able to meditate on such portions, during this interval, with the Divine assistance. These holy men did not employ them- selves on difficult and profound questions, through mere curiosity, but rather on most simple expositions of Divine faith and charity. Seven days being at an end, Boisilus was seized with the pestilence already mentioned, and he was translated from earth to heaven. But, during those seven days spent in reading, it is said, he revealed to Cuthbert whatever took place during his after and
a have we " Jesus !
that he should become a '° The bishop.
especially telling him,
happiness. He often exclaimed, with St. Stephen, during his last illness,
""
to some
St. BoisiFs death was 661,^^ when he was immediately succeeded by St.
Cuthbert. The Bollandists, with others, assign the feast of St. Boisil to the 23rdofJanuary,atwhichdaytheyhavepubUshedhisActs. IntheScottish
7 See Rev. Alban Butler's "Lives of the *° See Cressy's "Church History of Brit- Fathers, Martyrs and other principal tany," book xix. , chap, i. , p. 461.
life,
holy man was filled with joy, when he found a near approach to eternal
" Lord receive Jesus
my Spirit !
According
writers,
the of year
Saints," vol. ii. February xxiii.
^ It is said to derive its name from the
of this place in Lewis' "Topographical Dictionary of England," vol. iii. , pp. 672 to 674.
9 See Venerable Bede's "Vita S. Cuth- berti," cap. viii.
" See Rev. Alban Butler's "Lives of the
Fathers, Martyrs and other principal Saints," vol. ii. February xxiii.
"
tion on the bank of a river. See an account
Latin v^ord,
ripa," on account of its situa-
'^
8, Smith asserts, that Mabillon and the Bol- landists are wrong in assigning his decease
"
In a note to St. Cuthbert's Life, at cap.
to A. D. 664. See Dr. Lanigan's
xviii. , sect, iv. , p. 89, and n. 43, p. 93.
Ecclesias- tical History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap,
688 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[February 23
Martyrologies, however, his festival is set down, on the 23rd of February. If we can credit the account, Boisil is stated by Dempster to have written four
on the " De Fide Charitatem following subjects : quae per
""
books, respectively operatur," lib. i. ; In
Evangelium Joannis,"
Hb. i.
lib. " De Trinitate," Excerpta ex D. Augustino et aliis, Hb. i. The same author is indignant, that English writers endeavour to make him an Anglus, as Melrose is well known to be in Scotland. '3 Trithemius'^ and Wion's are
said to regard him as a saint. He died a. d. 643, according to Dempster. ^^ But, in reality, he died of the great plague, a. d. 664. ^7 Bishop Forbes places hisfestival,atthe23rdofFebruary,^^followingCamerarius. ^9 Otherwriters have it, at the 23rd ot January, which appears to be the real date, according to the Bollandists. ^° However, Simeon of Durham says, that his deposition,
in Britain, was celebrated on the 7th of July. ^'^ Wilson, in his English Martyrology, and Ferrarius have a feast of St. Boisil, at the 7th of August. Again, Hugh Menard has a festival of St. Boisil—called Basilius—at the 9th of September. In the Kalendar of Herdmanston, his name, as a later Scottish insertion, occurs, at the 8th of July. ^^ St. Bosweirs=3 and Lessud- den,^4 in Roxburghshire, Scotland, were dedicated to him, the former place even having been called after him. St. Boswell's fair is held, however, on the 1 8th of July : =^5 this was also the festival of St. Thenew,^^ the mother of St. Kentigern. ^7 Weread,thatafterhisdeath,Boisilappearedtwicetoone of his disciples, and he was told to assure St. Egbert,^^ that God commanded him to seek St. Columba's monasteries,^^ and to instruct their inmates, re- garding the right manner for celebrating Easter. 3° In 1030, the remains of St. Boisil were translated to Durham. They were deposited beside the body of his celebrated disciple, St. Cuthbert;3^ but, now, all trace of those vener- able relics seems to have been lost.
Article XL—St. John, Martyr, and Bishop of Meckelenburg, Saxony. ^Eleventh Century. ^ In the eleventh century, John, a native of Ireland,cameintotheterritoryofMeckelenburg,inSaxony. Hepreached the Word of God to the people there, and soon after the middle of the century named, having been raised to the episcopal dignity by the Roman
i.
;
^3 See "Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Scotorum," tomus i. , lib. ii. , num. 127, pp. 68, 69.
^^\xi lib. iii. , cap. cxxvi.
'3 **
See Lignum Vitse," lib. iii. , p.
ccccxii. »
*^
See "Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Scotorum," tomus i. , lib. ii. , num. 127, p. 69.
^* See **
Origines vol. i. , pp. 291, 292.
=s See ibid.
Parochiales Scotiae,"
'7 See Bishop Forbes' **Kalendars of Cressy's "Church History of Brittany,"
book xxii. , chap, xx. , p. 576.
'^^ The chief of these, was the great mk-
sionary establishment in lona, and that of
Magis, in the Isles of Orkney, whicli liad The reader is referred to their Acta been ei^ected by Bishop Colman, See Rev. Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Januarii xxiii. De Alban Butler's "Lives of the Fathers,
Scottish Saints," p. 281.
'^ See ibid.
^9 In his Kalendar is noted, St. Boisil, at
S. Boisilo, pp. 540 to 542.
this particular date. See p. 104.
^° "
Martyrs and other principal Saints," vol. ii. , February xxiii.
3o ggg Venerable Bede's ** Historia Eccle- See Bishop Forbes' Kalendars of siastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. v. cap. 10,
Scottish Saints," pp. 42, 281. pp. 400 to 403.
"3 See " Statistical Account of Scotland," 3i See Rev. Alban Butler's "Lives of the
vol. i. , p. 52, and x. , p. 206. Also "New Fathers, Martyrs and other principal Saints," Statistical Account of Scotland," vol. iii. , vol. ii. February xxiii.
pp. 104, no, 112.
^'
See "Monumenta Historica Britan-
nica," vol. i. , p. 256.
" **
^^ ^^
See notices of her, at the i8th of July. See notices of him, at the 13th of Jan-
^^V'
^'^^ ^^ ^^ ^^^^ of November.
;
Meditationes,"
^^
preaching the Gospel to the infidels of Ger- many. HediedApril24th,A. D,729. See
Previouslyhehadbeenpreventedfrom
February 24. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 689
Pontiff, on account of his great zeal and constancy in prosecuting the work
of the Gospel, he was at length crowned with martyrdom, about the year
1064. ^ Hugh Menard^ says he was a Benedictine, and places his feast, at
the 23rd of February. Krantzs and other writers,-^ however, say, that his
Natalis belongs, to the loth of November. Colgan imagines the 23rd of
February to be the festival for some translation or discovery of his relics,
and he promises to treat more fully about the particulars of St. John's passion,atthelothofNovembers TheBollandistsbrieflynoticehim,at
the 23rd of February. ^
Article XII. —Reputed Festival of St. Aldetrudis. St. Aldetrudis
wasthedaughterofSaintsVincentiusandWaldetrudis. AtMalbod,she
was venerated, on the 23rd of February, according to Conv^us. ^ Yet, this seems to be a mistake for the 25 th of this month, where the proper notice will be found.
Ctoentp--jfotiitI> IBap tsl jfefiruarp*
ARTICLE I. —ST. CUMMINEUS ALBUS, CUIMINE AILBE, OR FIONN, ABBOT OF ZONA, SCOTLAND.
[SEVENTH CENTURY. ^
Celtic nature is communicative and enterprising. It is easily
THE
kindled to enthusiasm. "^ when St. Patrick^ succeeded in
Thus,
ing Christianity deeply in the convictions of the Irish people, their feeHngs
glowed with the fervour of faith. Soon earnest and fearless missionaries
issued, as from a hive, to spread Christianity and civilization among those nations, yet destined to receive and communicate the true lights of religion andscience. IfwearetobelieveDempster,St. Everhard,AbbotofHolmus Cultra, wrote this holy man's biography. 3 Bishop Forbes has a short Life of Cumine,surnamedFionnorAlbus. 4 Thissainthasbeendenominatedby writers, Cummein Fionn, or Ailbe, and in Latin, Cumineus Albus, or the White. 5 IntheIrishtongue,hisnamehasbeenwrittenComine,Cumaine,^
Article i. —^ See Goldwin Smith's
"Irish History and Irish Character," pp.
27, 28.
^ See his Life, at the 17th of March.
"
3 See Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis
Scotorum," tomus i. , lib, iii. , num. 323, -* Such as Helmoldus, "In Chronico p, 184,
Article XI. — ''According to Trithemius,
"In Chronico Hirsaugiensis. " ^"
In his Martyrologium Benedictinum. " 3 See " Rerum Germanicaram Historici Clarissimi, Ecclesiastica Historia, sive Me-
tropolis," lib, iiii. , cap. 43, p, 11^.
Sclavorum," lib, i,, cap, 13, and, Adam of Bremen, lib. iv. , cap. 12.
4 See " Kalendars of Scottish Saints," pp.
316, 317.
= He probably received this appellation,
5 See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernife," Feb-
i-uarii xxiii, De S. loanne Epis. Meckel- owing to the colour of his hair or com-
burg, et Martyre, p. 407. ^"
plexion. See Dempster's iii. , num. 323, p, 184.
See Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii,, Feb-
ruarii xxiii.
Among the pretermitted saints,
p, 360. Article XII.
In Tighernach's Annals, at A,D, 661 and "Rerum Hiber-
—
"Historiae Catholicae Ibernise Compen-
^
See O'Sullevan Beare's dium," tomus i. , lib, iv,, cap. x.
