No More Learning

* See Colgan's
"
Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
'3 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
98,99.
Article hi. —' See "Star of Bethle-
nise," iii. Januarii. Vita S. Fintani, cap. vii. , p. II.
s See zi5/a'. , nn. 14, 15.
'Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 98, 99. After the entry of this name, in the table appended to this work, we find in-
hem. "
'
Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxi. Franciscan copy reads Sci nii-ogu]-^.
The
3 See "Ada Sanctorum," tomus
rilis X. Among the pretermitted saints, p. certain comments. These words, "[Her-
Ap-
856.
* Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp
serted, in Irish and within brackets, English
98, 99. — Article IV.
'
translation. S—ee Md. , pp. 426, 427. '
Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxi. The Franciscan copy has efea'onA-
Article v. See "Acta Sanctorum,"
CAtl
Uip.
tomusi. , Aprilisx. Amongthepretermitted saints, p. 857.
i. ,
meadachandHermcnas seeEirmeadhach ;
and Ermin], (10 Apr. )," are the English
cir-
April I o. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 93
of Lismore, in Ireland, and who lived contemporaneously with St. Malachy O'Morgair. " He was born of respectable parents, about the middle of the eleventh century. Although a native of Ireland, Malclius had spent a long time in the monastery at Winchester,^ in England, where his education seems to have been chiefly obtained. This holy man was well versed, in the canon- ical observances of the universal Church, and he had a great reputation for learning. * He was raised to the priesthood, and he lived as a monk, under BishopWalchelin,ofWinchester. Suchwerethegraceshereceived,thathe was not only illustrious for the purity of his doctrine and morals, but even for the performance of miracles. In illustration of this latter statement, the greatSt. Bernard' citestwowell-knownexamples. Oneofthesewasaman who had been deaf, and who was restored to the sense of hearing, when Malchus applied his fingers, to the ears of that afflicted person. Another instancewasthatofaboy,whoseintellecthadbeenweak; butwho,itseems, was able to receive confirmation, at the hands of Malchus, when the latter had become a bishop. When he participated in the graces of that holy sacrament, the boy obtained such a gift of understanding, that the bishop was enabled to appoint him, almost immediately afterwards, as the ostiarius of his house ; and, this function, the boy continued to discharge, until he grew on to the age of manhood. * In the eleventh century, the city of Waterford was inhabited, principally by Danes, or Ostmen, who had embraced the Christian religion. ' It was subject, however, to Murtogh O'Brien, King of Munster, in the year 1095, when it was constituted an Episcopal See. An election had been held by the clergy and laity of that city, and Malchus was unanimously
chosen for the Episcopal charge f this choice was also appoved by Murtogh
O'Brien, and by his brother Derraod, by Domnald, Bishop of Cashel, by
Samuel O'Haingley, Bishop of Dublin, by Idunan, Bishop of Meath, by Fer- domnach, a Leinster Bishop, and by others. ' A letter was directed to St.
Anselm,'" then Bishop of Canterbury, and signed by the above-named Princes and Prelates, in the name of the,Waterford clergy and people. " In this epistle, it was stated, that as Waterford city tlien contained a numerous popu- lation, that as it had remained without pastoral care, and that as it had been exposed to various perils, which were detrimental fo faith and morals ; the
petitioners judged it expedient, in consequence, to apply for the appointment of a local bishop. Malchus was deemed a person, best suited to discharge
this office, owing to his prudence, piety, and learning. The Danes of Lime- rick, as also those of Dublin, appear to have preferred union in ecclesiastical
*HU Life will be found, at the 3rd of No- sibos transmisssE subscribit Samutl Dub-
vonbcr, the date for his feast.
^ " In Wintoninui inoiia*terio,"a« we find
Uniensium et Ftrdonuuhus Laginiensium EpiKopus. "—Ussher's Index Chronolo-
it recorded. gicus,
"
Britannicairuiii Eccletiarum Anti-
' He was well vetted in Apostolic and
quitates," p. 545.
'"He departed this life, on the 2lst of
April, A. D. 1 109, in the seventy-sixth year of his age, and in the sixteenth of his remark- able pontificate. His Acts by Eadmer are to be found, with an Introduction, in the BolUndists'"ActaSanctorum,"tomusii. , Aprilis xxi. De Sancto Anselmo Archiepis- copo Cantuariensi in Anglia, pp. 865 to 953.
"^In writing to Ansclm, they say :" Prop-
tera nos, et Kex nostcr Murchertachus Dom-
naldiis, et Dermeth Dux noster frater Regis,
ecclesiastical discipline, accordwg to £ad- "
mer, in Historia Novorum," lib. ii. , pars. ii. , cap. L
I The Abbot of Clairvaux, whose festival occurs, at the 20th of August.
'SeeViuS. Malachiae,cap. iv. ,"Open" S. Bemardi, tomus ii.
' See Smith's
"
Ancient and Present State
of the County and City of Waterford,"
chap, iv. , p. 98.
• See Archdeacon Henry Cotton's " Fasti
Ecclesix liibernicae," vol. L Diocese of Waterford, p. 116.
•"Mxciv. EpiswUe ad Anstlmum Cas\- tnaiiensem aicluepiscopum a Wateifoidica-
tlegimus hunc presbyterum Malchum, Wale-
helini Wintoniensis Ejiiscopi Monachum,"—
"
laruiik Syl^e," li^pi^t. , ;pLXi,,,p. s^.
Ussher'j
Veterum Hibernicarum £pisto-,
94 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April io.
government, with the Northmen, then powerful in England. The present instance, with a few others of similar character, will not, however, bear out the assertion, that the See of Canterbury held a supremacy over the churches ofIreland. " Beingappointed,asthebeareroftheletteralludedto,'3Mal- chus went over to England, in the year \ 096. He was very graciously received by Anselni. This holy Prelate judged the Irish priest selected, to be in every respect qualified for the higher office, to which he had been elected. He was consecrated by St. Anselm,''* Archbishop of Canterbury, on the 28th of Decem- ber, A. D. 1 096,^5 Ralph, Bishop of Chichester, and Gundulph, Bishop of Ro-
: chester,assisting. Aprofessionwasmade,inthefollowingterms "Elected
for the Church of VVaterford, and to be consecrated Bishop by thee. Rev. Father Anselm, Archbishop over the holy Church of Canterbury, and Primate
of all Britain, I Malchus do promise, that I will observe canonical obedience, in all things, to thee, and to thy successors. " The newly consecrated Bishop shortly afterwards returned to VVaterford. With the assistance of his Ostmen or Danish flock, Malchus built the cathedral there. This church at Water-
ford, formerly dedicated to the Blessed Trinity, was, at a subsequent period, denominated Christ's Church. '^ Very interesting notices of this edifice are
on record. '' Malchus is found holding that See, A. D. 11 10, but the year of
his death is not recorded -^^ hence, the uncertainty which arises, to ascertain, if this holy Malchus be the very learned and sage Malchus, who lived as Bishop of Lismore, for several years after the previous date. Our acces- sible records are not sufficiently clear, on this point ;'9 but, we believe, that strongcircumstantialevidencewillgofartoestablishtheiridentity. Certain reports had reached St. Anselm regarding the practices of Samuel O'Haingly, or 0'Hanly,=° the Bishop of Dublin, who had not faithfully discharged some trusts,leftforthebenefitofhisSee. Sinioniacaldealingshadbeenattributed to hmi, by rumour. From the year 1095, when King Muirtach O'Brien, monarch of all Ireland, drove out the local Danish ruler, Godfrid Merenagh, to A. D. 1 1 20, when the monarch's death took place, no other king of the Dublin Ostmen seems to have reigned," in that city. Before the death of Arch-
" " Hibernienses a suis Episcopos postu-
'* See Archdeacon Cotton's " Fasti Henry
Ecclesias Hibernicse," vol. i. , Diocese of Waterford, p. 116.
latos, vel electos a Cantuariensibus Archi- episcopis confirmariatquesacrarisolitosesse,
ex his constare potest, &c. —Parker,
"
De
' the next Melisa O-Hamire is
recorded
Antiquitate Britannicae Ecclesise," p. 33.
'3 This letter begins with the following
words, "Anselmo Dei gratia Anglorum archiepiscopo, et omnibus diocesis sute epis-
Bishop, after Malchus of Waterford, orPort-
largi, as called by the Irish, or Britons,
according to the supplement of Tighernach's
Annals, and he died, in 1135 or 1136. See
Harris'Ware,vol. i. , "BishopsofWater-
ford," p. 527. We find the death of one
Mac-Mic-/Educan, under the heading of
"
Bishops of Lismore," at A. D. 1 1 1 3, zii/(/. p. 550. Again, at the year 1128, we have the deathof " Mac-Maras Ua Reabhachain, suc- cessor of Mochuda," recorded. See Dr.
copis, Clerus at Populus oppidi Watafordise, cum rege Murchertacho et Episcopo Dom-
naldo, salutem in Domino. " — "Veterum Hibernicarum Epistolarum Syl- loge. " No. xxxiv.
'• A very beautifully-written and interes-
"
S. Tint Anselm," by R. W. Church, Rector of Whatley, appeared in 1870. Throughout there is a fair appre- ciation of this great saint's career, although the work in question has been written by a
Protestant minister.
'5 "Die xxviii. mensis Decembris,
ting biography, called
"
qui anno MXCVI. in Dominicam incidebat,"—
ters," vol. ii. , pp. 1028, 1029. To that date, Ware added a year, and, it would seem, that O'Rebacain was only abbot, and not Bishop, of Lismore.
'° He is said to have ruled over the See of Dublin, from A. D. 1095, when he was con- secrated at Winchester, by St. Anselm, to the 4th of July, a. d. 1121, when he died, according to the best authorities. See an account of this prelate, in John D'Alton's "Memoirs of the Archbishops of Dublin," pp. 37 to 41.
"
Annales Ecclesiastici," critices
Baronius'
Pagii. ad annum 1097, sect. II.
"See Smith's "Ancient and Present State of the County and City of Waterford," chap, iv. , p. 98.
'' See ibid,, chap, v. , pp. 169 to 178.
Ussher's
O'Donovan's
Annals of the Four Mas-
April io. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 95
bishop Anselm, he wrote an epistle to Malchus, Bishop of Waterford, and thiswasaccompaniedbyone,directedtoSamuel. Theletter,Malchuswas requested by the Archbishop ot Canterbury, to deliver in person to him, and
to expostulate viva voce, respecting those complaints preferred. This occur- red some short time before the death of Archbishop Anselm. " The See of Waterford, however, seems not to have constituted the sole charge of Mal- chus, especially at a later period of his life. Ussher maintains, that this Malchus was not only Bishop of Waterford, but likewise of Lismore. 's Arch- deacon John Lynch of Tuam formed the same opmion, and the Rev. Dr.
Lanigan asserts, that this is probable, although the question is involved in too
much obscurity, to venture on a decided judgment. Although, St. Bernard
says, that Malchus was removed from Winchester straight to Lismore, whereas
the original see of the Malchus already mentioned was at Waterford ; yet, the
circumstances of the name and time agreeing, with the fact of each having
been alluded to, as a monk of Winchester, are strongly corroborative of
identity. However, there were in those times other persons named Malchus,
one of whom is mentioned by St. Bernard himself'* Perhaps, the Bishop of
Waterford, so named, had been translated to Lismore, at a subsequent period ;
if, indeed, both Sees had not been united,'' at the time to which we allude.
From the early part of the seventh century, however, Lismore had its separate
bishop,'* and with a distinct jurisdiction. '' At a long subsequent period, the See of Lismore was united to that of Waterford : and this union was contem-
plated, in the reign of King Henry HL"* However, the two dioceses con- tinued to begovemed, by different prelates, until the timeof King Edward HL,
who caused letters, signed by himself, to be transmitted to Pope John XXH. , and this Pontiff sanctioned such an arrangement,'' in the Bull, which he
" Malchus was there some be- bishop years
fore tliat time, as is clear from St. Malachy's
having repaired to him thither about II23. In consequence of that mistake they were puzzled as to the precise period of Malchus' incumbency. Ware saying that he flourished in 1 140 (when he was probably dead), and Harris, that it was in 1 134.
Indeed Harris has shame:ully bungled the whole business, telling us elsewhere (see above, Not. 44), that >t. Malachy went to Lismore when only twelve years old, tliat is, about A. D. 1107. He throws in a caveat, that Malchus was not yet a bishop. Had he read or di<l he understand St. Bernard, who tells us in the clearest terms, that Malchus was a bishop, and a cclcbraied one, of Lismore, before he was waited upon by St. Malachy? "—" Ec- clesiastical History of Ireland," vol. iv. , chap, xxvi. , sec. vii. , n. 54, pp. 74, 75.
"" St. Mochuda, the first bishop, died 14th of May, ad. 636. See Dr. O'Donovan's
"
Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 254, 255.
^ See Harris' Ware, vol. i. , "Bishops of Lismore," pp. 547 to 554.
""A condition was distinctly specified, "that the episcopal See should continue at Waterford. ' The king's writ to that eflfect, and his letters to the Pope, on this subject, are extant ; birt, for reasons, of which no mention happens to be made in the Close
Rolls, after repeated application^ the pro- ject was abandoned.
" See Walter Harris' "
^nities of the City of Dublin, from the ear- liest accounts," &c. , chap, ix. , p. 202.
" In Ussher's " Veterum Hibemicanim
Epistolarum Sylloge," the date is incorrectly placed, at A. C. 11 10. . See tpist. xixviii. , pp. 97, 98. The Arthbishop departed this life, daring the previous year.
'^ In a note, appended to the epistle. See
Epistolarum Recen>io, pp. 144, 145. Jbid. »< In Vita S. Malachiae, cap. v. Accord- ing to Dr. Lanigan, Malchus seenls to have been a Latinized appellation, for one or other of those many Irish names, that began with Maol. There might have been two persons, so called, monks at Winchester,
out this conjecture is hariily probable. ''Such a union is said to have been
ordered, by the Synod of Kathbreasal ; and, hence, it m. ght be supposed, that one and the same Malchus ruled over both bishoprics. . See the Rev. Dr. Lanigan s "Ecclesiastical
History of Ireland," vol. iv. , chap, xxvi. , sect, vii. , n. 53, p. 74. The same writer supposes Malchus, to have been the imme- diate successor of Mac-mic-. ^edncan, bishop of Lismore, who died, in the year 1 113. See Harris' Ware, vol. i. , "Bishops of Lismore," p. 550. In ihe latter worU. however, a Gilla- Motudu O'kebacain, which name, accord- ing to Harris, signifies, Rei^acian the servant of Mocudu, and who died in 1 129 (/Hii. ), is made the next successor to . \Iac-mic-Aedu- Can. "But furely," lemaikaDi. Lanigan,
History
and Anti-
96 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April lo.
issuecl. 3° Notwithstanding the decree of Pope John, the two dioceses con- tinued separate, until a second appUcation had been made, during the Ponti- ficate of Innocent VI. ; that Pope, at the instance of Edward III. , in 1355, confirmed the letters of union, granted by John XXII. ; while, atthe^same time, he transmitted copies, both of the original document and of its confir- mation, to Edward III. , and to Roger, Bishop of Waterford. Nor was the union effected, until eight years after this period, or, in the year 1363. 3' In the earlier and even in the mediaeval times, the city of Lismore was greatly dis-
tinguished,'for the number of its religious edifices, and as a place of learning. 3" It would appear, that the name of Malchus had not been unknown, beyond the boundaries of his native Island, and the country in which he had passed such a lengthened portion of his life ; for, even the Scots or Northern Britons 33 were accustomed to resort, for the benefit of his instructions and spiritual guidance, to the city, where he usually resided. Mindful of the expression of holy Job, that wisdom is to be found among seniors,34 the illustrious St. Malachy O'Morgair was anxious to place himself, under the direction of this
experienced sage. St, Malachy O'Morgair arrived at Lismore, about the year 1 1 19, or 1 1 20,—according to anotheraccount 1123,3s—having sought the bless-
ing of his former superior, Imar, and the approval of Archbishop Celsus, who then ruled over Armagh. His object was, to restore religious rites and the Divine worship, in a manner conformable to exact ecclesiastical usage and canon law. For this laudable effort, in the way of reform, he chiefly desired the counsel of Malchus, who had experience and profound knowledge to direct him. The holy priest was most graciously received by Malchus, under whose guidance and instruction, it is said,3* he spent some years ; but, we think his stay to have been of short continuance, before being recalled by his Bishop Celsus, and by his superior Imar,37 to engage on those useful reforms, for which he was specially destined, in the Irish Church. s^ St. Malachy
'^ Tn consequence of this representation, a
Waterford and Lismore were permanently
united, by Urban v. , Thomas Le Reve, Pope
formerly Chancellor of Ireland, having been at the time Bishop of Lismore. See Rev.
"
3= Xhe modern Protestant church stands on the old cathedral site. See Leitch Rit-
"
Ireland, Picturesque and Romantic," vol. i. , chap, ix. , p. 140. A beautiful illus- tration of Lismore Castle is at p. 136.
^^ St. Bernard " ad eum Scoti, Hi- says :
bernique confluerent," thus making a dis- tinction between the Irish, and the Scots, living out of Ireland.
3* " In the ancient is —wisdom, and in "
length of days prudence. ^Job. xii, 12.
35 For this date, Dr. Lanigan gives the reason, that he was ordained, when about 25 years of age, or about the year 1120, and he was afterwards Vicar-General of the Arch- diocese of Armagh "for sometime, which can scarcely be supposed to have been less
"
decree was " that passed,
upon
the
resigna-
tion or decease of either of those Prelates,
the Episcoiial dignity of the two churches,
Lismore and Waterford, should be one and
the same, and that the surviving Prelate
should be styled Bishop of both Sees ; that
in case of a vacancy, the episcopal election
should take place in the most notable of the chie's
two Cathedrals, and be conducted by the Canons of both—and that to the Capitular
to summon the Canons to election. Moreover, by this union the Metropolitan rights of the SeeofCashel were not to be impaired; these rights re- maining over the united Sees, precisely as
as they had been before. "
3° The paramount reason set forth, both
in the supplication for the union, and in the Bull of John XXII. , is tlie poverty of the Sees themselves, the revenues of which were at that time so limited, that neither the pon- tilical rank nor the rights, privileges or dignity of the See could be adequately sup- ported. It was stated, in the remonstrance, that the annual revenue of both Sees did not on any occasion exceed the average sum of fifty marks sterling (^33 6s. 8d. ).
3' Then, upon the translation of Roger
Cradock, Bishop of Waterford, to the dio- cese of Landaff, in Wales, the two Sees of
of said Church it
belonged
M. J. Brenan's
Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, ii. , pp. 30,31,32,
than two or three years. " See
tical History of Ireland," vol. iv. , cap. xxvi. , sec. vii. , p. 73, and n. 55, p. 75, ibid. It will be seen, elsewhere, Dr. Lanigan is at least a year behind the date of this saint's birth.
36 By Rev. John Lanigan, D. D.
27 it is also possible, St. Malachy might
Ecclesias-
April io. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 97
returned from his first visit to Lismore, if not in the year 1 1 20, at least shortly afterwards,39 and thenceforward continued his zealous ministrations in the Northern Province, until disturbances breaking out, about the year 1127, the holy Bishop of Connor was obliged to fly, with a band of religious, and to take refuge with Cormac MacCarthy, son of Muireadhaech, son to Carthach, and King of South Munster. '«° This latter pious monarch took them under h—is special protection, and enabled them to found a monastery in Ibracense supposed to be Ibrach orlveragh—a province under King Cormac's just and prosperingrule. Hewasmostanxioustofoundandtoendowchurchesand monasteries, while he gave jewels, sacred vessels, and books to the clergy for these institutions. *' But, this religious patron experienced, also, the unfavoura- ble vicissitudes of those unquiet times ; for, a confederacy had been formed against him, and of too powerful a nature to be successfully resisted. This quarrel seems to have been forced upon him, owing to the ambition of his brother Donough, who engaged the warlike Toirdhealbhach O'Conchobhair, Monarch of Ireland, to aid his efforts. Accordingly, with the forces of Leth- cuin, in the year 1 127, a great army was led by Turlough O'Conor to Cork, himself going by land, and a fleet of one hundred and fifty ships moving by sea roundtothatcity. DonoughMacCarthy,withhispeopleandotherEugenian princes joining him, caused Cormac, son of Muireadhach, son of Carthach, to be dethroned,*' and Donough was proclaimed King of Desmond. *' That divi- sion of Munster is called Deas-Mhuraha, while another division, which is named Tuath-Mhumha, better known as Thomond, was granted to Con- chobhar or Conor O'Brien. ** During the sojourn of Malchus in Lismore,
have formed the acquaintance of King Cor-
mac Mac Carthy, during his 6r. st stay at Lis-
more, and long previous to 1 127, the year of that king's expulsion and restoration.
posed, that the expulsion and restoration of
Cormac MacCarthy took place, during the time of our saint's first residence in Lismore.
* In Harris' Ware, after stating that our saint had been under the government of Malchus at Lismore, we find the following
But, in this he was evidently mistaken, as will be seen, by referring to dates contained in our annals ; and, the mistake has led him into many subsequent errors, altogether irre- concilable OTth the of
incorrect account —" Upon
his return to Ulster (he was admitted into Priest's orders, in the year 1 120, by Archbishop Celsus, in
chronology Malachy's life. The saint was ordained, in the year 1119,ifnotintheyearprevious; and,itis probable enough, he visited Lismore, not
:
the 25th year of his age), vol. i. ,
hops of Armagh," p. 54. Whilst Dr. Lani- gan takes Harris to task, for placing the re- turn of St. Malachyto Ulster, in 1120, and for not noting in St. Bernard's Life of him, the fact of his having said Mass, and conse-
quently, of having been a priest, and even a Vicar-General, at Armagh, before going to Lismore ; the learned doctor endeavours to show, that our saint did not go to the latter city, until later than 1 120. See " Ecclesias-
tical History of Ireland," vol. iv. , chap, xxvi. , sec. viii. , n. 60, p. 77. Elsewhere, we have seen, that he refers this first visit of Malachy to Lismore, to about the year 1 123. Again, Dr. Lanigan maintains, that the first return of St. Malachy, from Lismore, was probably in 1 127, the year m which he became inti- mate with Cormac MacCarthy, at Lismore. See ibid. , p. 76. But, with regard to the period of our saint's return, Harris is far nearer the truth, than Dr. Lanigan. The latter, assuming St. Bernard's narrative to follow the chronological series of St. Mala- chy's actions, and testing it by the date foiind in oui native annals, naturally sup-
"
Archbis-
long afterwards.
" We must allow him some considerable
time, after his arrival at Armagh, to have built the oratory at Bangor, and to have for- med a character for himself, in ministerial experience and real, before hewas elevated to the See of Connor, in 1 124.
• He is also styled, chief king of Desmond
"
Annals of Kilronan," and, in the "Annals of the FourMasters,"ata. d. 1138. Itisevident, from references made to our ancient an- lulists, that St Bernard has misplaced some of the foregoing and following accounts, in the Life of our St. Malachy. In due chro- nological order, several of them should have found insertion, after the expulsion of St. Malachy from the See of Connor, which took
place about the year 1127.
" According to the Annals of Kilronan
and of the Four Masters, these benefactionsof this pious monarch are placed, at a. d. 1 138.
"
See Dr. Petrie's
and Round Towers of Ireland," part ii. , sub- sec, i. , P-3II.
and Bishop-king of Ireland, in the
Ecclesiastical Architecture
98 LIVES OF THE IfilSH SAINTS. [April io.