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ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY 

OP  > 

IRELAND, 


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AN 

ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY 


IRELAND, 


FROM  THE 

FIRST     INTRODUCTION    OP     CHRISTIANITY 
AMONG  THE  IRISH, 

TO 

THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  THIRTEENTH  CENTURY. 


PROM  THE  WORKS  OF  THE  MOST  ESTEEMED  AUTHORS,  FORBION  AND  DOMESTIC, 
WHO  HAVE  WRITTEN  ^ND  PUBLISHED  ON  MATTERS  CONNECTED  WITH 

THE  IRISJI  CHURCH ; 

AND  PROM  IRISH  ANNALS  AND  OTHER  AUTHENTIC  DOCUMENTS, 

STILL  BXISTING   IN   MANUSCRIPT. 


By  THE  REV.  JOHN  LANIGAN,  D.  D., 

FORMERLY  PROFESSOR  OP  HEBREW,   THE  SACRED  SCRIPTURES,  AND 
IXCLESIASTICAL   HISTORY  IN  THE   UNIVERSITY  OF  PAVIA. 


IN  FOUR  VOLUMES. 
VOL.  III. 

SECOND  EDITION. 

DUBLIN: 


PRINTED  FOR  J.  GUMMING,  16,  L.  ORMOND-QUAYj 

SIM?KIN  AND  MARSHALL,  LONDON;    > 
AND  FOR  R.  CADELL  AND  CO.,  EDINBURGH. 

1829. 

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H>oTi33f, 


I 


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vJ^v^L)  Co/,/ 


MAY  2/    1892   ! 


V      ,  '  '       !• 


f*  t'  r  .' 


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AN 

ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY 

OF 

IRELAND,  Sfc. 


CHAPTER  XVII- 


7)eath  ofColman  Stellain — St.  Colman  Hua  Fiachra 
— The  priest  Failan  or  Foilan — Priest  Eman — 
Cronan  of  Roscrea — Erection  of  the  monastery 
of  Roscrea — Priest  Commian — Camin  of  Inis* 
keltra^^St.  Ahban — Supposed  to  be  two  Saints  of 
that  name^  one  living  in  the  fifth  and  the  other  in 
the  sixth  and  seventh  centuries — Monastery  of 
Ros-miC'treoin  founded  by  St  Abban^^St.  Gob» 
nata — St.  Pulcherius  or  Mochemoc-^ounds  the 
monastery  of  Liathmore^^  several  miracles  as^ 
cribed  to  him^  Death  of  St.  Pulcherius^-^St.  Mo-- 
chelloc — St.  Manchan  of  Menodrochit — supposed 
to  be  the  same'as  Munchin  of  Limerick — St.  Ai- 
dus  bishop  of  Kildare — Dachua  or  Mochua 
Luachra—Conang  O*  Daithilf  bishop  of  Emly^r^ 
Baiihan  abbot  of  Ctonmacnois^  said  to  have  been 
a  bishop'^Segenius  abbot  of  Hy  succeeded  by 
Suibhne—^uMine  succeeded  by  Cumineus  Albus 
or  Cummin  the  White — St.  Mura  or  Murus 
governed  the  monastery  qf  Fathen-Mura —  Ba- 
chulUMura  preserved  as  a  relique — St.  Mo- 
nenna  founds  the  nunnery  of  Fochard-Brighde 
— appoints  Orbila  or  Servila  abbess  at  Fochard, 
VOL.  m.  •     B 

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9  AS  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY      CHAP.  XVII. 

and  retires  to  near  Stiete  GulUn^  where  she 
erects  a  church — said  to  have  gone  into  North 
Britain  and  erected  seven  Churches  there^^said 
to  have  gone  into  England  where  she  was  known 
by  the  name  iff  Movenna  or  Modwenna--f-St. 
Cofichessa^^St.  Athracta — 5/.  Fechin^  erects 
the  monastery  of  Fore  in  the  Co.  Wesimeath — 
St.  Aileran  the  Wise — he  is  sometimes  called  He- 
leran,  Aireran^  or  Ereran — Ultan  abbot  of 
Clonard,  and  CohhairVosi  arid  Curhin^  both 
.  abbots  of  GonmacnoiSf  carried  of  by  the  plague 
that  raged  in  the  year  665 — Colman  successor  of 
Finan  in  Lindisfame — Dispute  relative  to  the 
observance  qf  Easier  renewgd^-^  synod  held  for 
the  purpose  qf  deciding  this  controversy — In 
this  synod  Colman  supports  the  Irish  mode  ef 
observing  the  Easter  JestivaU  and  Agilbert  and  • 
Wilfrid  the  Roman  practice — The  decision  of 
the  synod  in  favour  qf  the  Roman  observance — 
The  dispute  about  the  tonsure  also  decided  in 
the  synod  in  favour  qf  the  Roman  fashion. 

SEdT.   I. 

RETURNING  now  to  Ireland,  and  endeavouring 
to  follow  the  order  of  time  as  well  as  I  am  able,  I  have 
first toobserve  that  Colman  Stellain,  abbot  of  Tirdaglas, 
and  seemingly  the  immediate  successor  of  Mocumin, 
(1 )  died  in  624  or  645.  (2)  Whether  or  not  he  was 
the  Col^a^  mention^  among  tbe  priests  of  the  third 
classof  saints,  (S)  it  is  impossible  to  determine,  as 
seVeraV  other  Colmans  were  distinguished  at  that 
petiod  by  their  sanctity,  (4)  and  particularly  St. 
Colman  Hua-Fiachra,  a  descendant  of  prince  Fiachra 
the  brother  of  Neill  Neigilliach.  (5)  He  was  con- 
temporary with  St.  Maidoc  of  Ferns,  (6)  and  sepms 
to  have  been  abbot,  and  perhaps  founder,  of  the 
monastery  of  Seanbotha  in  the  territory  of  Hy-km- 


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CHAP.  XVII.  OF   IRELAND.  9 

selaght  situated  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  called 
in  Irish  Suighe  Lagen^  that  is,  I  believe,  Mount 
Leinster  at  the  borders  of  the  now  counties  of  Car- 
low  and  Wexford.  (1)  Of  his  further  transactions 
or  the  year  of  his  death  we  have  no  account.  His 
memory  was  revered  at  Seanbotha  oa  the  27th  of 
October,  the  anniversary  of  his  death.  (8)  An 
uncertainty,  similar  to  that  relative  to  the  Colinan  of 
the  third  class,  occurs  also  with  regard  to  the  priest 
Failan  orFoilan,  who  also  is  reckoned  among  tbem« 
He  was  neither  Foilkn  the  brother  of  St.  Fursey, 
nor  the  Foillan,  who  is  said  to  have  accompanied  St. 
Livin  to  Brabant ;  whereas  none  of  the  Irish  saints, 
who  removed  to  the  continent,  are  named  in  that 
catalogue.  (9)  Besides  many  other  saints  of  this 
name,  (IC^  there  was  Failan  or  Foilan  son  of  Aldus 
a  Munster  prince,  (11)  perhaps  the  Aldus,  who  was 
a  young  man  in  the  time  of  St.  Senan,  (12)  and 
whose  posterity  ruled  in  Ives^h  a  part:  of  the  now 
county  of  Cork.  (IS)  If  so^  this  EtiUin  might  have 
belonged  to  the  period  of  the  third-class,  and  have 
tteen  the  Failan,  who  is  called  the  son  of  an  Irish 
dynast,  and  said  to  have  been^bap^'zed  ^xnA  ^ucated 
l^  St.  Coemgen  or  Kevin.  (14)  Bnt,  in  the  want 
of  distinctive  circumstances,  no  decisive  opinion  can 
be  formed.  -^Ir  the  same  third  class  we  meet  'witk  a 
priest  Ernan.  I  think  there  caei  he  no  doubt,  that 
lie  wa»  the  same  as  Erneiie  son  of  Cresoen,  who,  aa 
Adamnan  sayfl,  (J^)  was  ian^ous  and  ereatly/known 
throughout  all  the  churches  of  Ireland.  £maa 
was  a  servant  boy  4ii  the-monastery  of  Clonmacnois, 
when  Colmnbkill  visited  it  about  the  year  ^90.^  He 
was  endeavouring'  to  touch-  the  hem  of  his  doak, 
when  the  saint,  perceiving  wliat  he  was  about,  took 
bold  of  him  and  placed  him  before  his  &ce.  On  the 
bystanders^  observing  that  he  ought  not  to  tdke  notice 
of  ^uch  a  troublesome  boy,  he  desired  them  to  have 
patience,  -  and  giving  him  his  blessing  aaid  to  them ; 
'f4his  boy>  whraa  ye  aow  despise,  will  henceforth  be 

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4  AS  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY         CHAP«  XVII. 

very  agreeable  to  you,  and  will  improve  from  day  to 
day  in  good  conduct  and  virtue  ;  and  will  be  gifted 
by  God  with  wisdom,  learning,  and  eloquence/'  (16) 
It  is  a  misfortune,  that  very  little  is  known  concern- 
ing this  eminent  man.  He  was,  in  all  probability,  a 
native  of  the  vicinity  of  Clonmacnois.  It  was  there 
he  went  through  his  studies  and  with  great  proficiency. 
(17)  He  is  called  in  some  Irish  calendars  Emene  of 
Rathnui  in  Hi-Garchon,  tRathnew  in  the  county  of 
Wicklow)  whence  it  seems  that  he  governed  some 
establishment  in  that  place.  His  memory  was  revered 
there  on  the  18th  of  August;  (18)  and  his  death  is 
assigned  to  the  same  year  as  that  of  Fintan  Munnu, 
viz.  A,  D,  634  (635).  (19) 

<1)  SeeCh^x.  $.  13.Not.2S9. 

(^)  The  Annals  of  Innisfallen  have  A.  624.  The  4  Masters  A. 
ete./ap.  A  A.  S&  p.  2470  Us^  ^Y^  (P-  ^68  and  IruL  Chron.) 
A,  684.  I  wsped  that  634  has  been  substituted  by  mistake  for 
die  624  of  the  Innisfallen  Annals,  which  are  usually  Teiy  correct 

(3)  See  Chap.  XIV.  §.S. 

(4)  Colgan,  omitting  other  Coivawasy  mentions  (AA.  SS,p. 
247)  Cohnan  son  of  ComgeU,  who  died  in  620 ;  (but  he  was  pro- 
bably a  bishop,  see  Not.  2l2.  to  Chap,  xiv.)  Colman  Huabardan, 
abbot  of  Clonmacnois,  died  in  623 ;  Colman,  abbot  of  Glen- 
daloch,  died  in  659,  Sec  There  was  a  Colman  Cass,  abbot  of 
donmacnais,  who  died  in  664  (665).  See  AA.  SS.  p.  90.  These 
and  other  Cdmaas  belonged  to  the  period  of  the  third  class* 
Harris  has  f  Monasteries  J  a  St.  Cohnan,  who,  he  says,  founded 
the  monastery  of  Disert-Mocfaohnoc  in  the  county  of  £.  Meath, 
and  in  the  sixth  century.  Of  thi^  Cirfman  I  ean  find  no  further 
account  Aichdall  places  it  in  Westmeath,  four  miles  S.  \V.  of 
Mullingar,  and  calls  it  Dysart.  He  adds,  that  a  house  for  Con- 
ventual Franciscans  was  qflerwards  founded  there.  Mr.  Carlisle 
(Topographicai  Dictionary  of  Irdandy  ad  loc.J  makes  Archdall 
ssy,  that  this  FVanciscan  establishment  was  founded  by  St. 
Colman*  Archdall  was  not  so  ignorant  as  to  commit  such  an  un- 
chronological  blunder.  Surdy  Mr.  Carlisle  ought  to  know,  that 
there  were  no  Franciscans  for  hundreds  of  years  after  the  times, 


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CHAP,  XVn.  OP   IRELAND.  ^ 

in  which  Archdall  supposed    Disert-M ochohnoc  to  have  been 
founded  by  Colman. 

(5)  Colgan,  A  A.  SS.  p.  141.    ' 

(6)  We  read  in  the  Life  of  St  Maidoc;  {cap.  58)  ««  AHo  die 
cum  S.  Moedoc  iter  ageret,  occurrit  ei  in  via  S.  Cohnanus  filiut 
Eacrii"  Ci.  e.  de  stirpe  Racni).  « 

(7)  In  the  same  Life  it  is  stated  (cap.  96.)  that  St.  Maidoc 
was  on  some  occasiOirSf  the  monastery  of  Seanbotha.  It  is  not 
said  that  the  abbot  was  Colman ;  nor  is  any  abbot's  name  men- 
tioned. But,  as  id  our  Calendars  he  is  constantly  called  Colman  * 
of  Seanbotha  in  Hyldnselagh,  it  may  be  &irly  concluded  that  he 
was  abbbt  there ;  and,  on  comparing  the  circumstance  here  men- 
tioned  with  the  passage  just  quoted,  it  is  plain  that  he  was  there 
in  St.  Maidoc's  time,  and  that  Seanbotha  was  not  far  distant  from 
Ferns.  Archdall  (ad  loc.)  says  that  it  is  now  ^unknown.  This 
much,  however,  is,  I  tliink,  certain  that  it  was  near  Mount  Lein- 
ster,  and,  in  all  probabOity,  at  the  county  of  Wexford  side.  In 
the  chi^ter  (26)  above  referred  to  it  is  placed  "  juxta  radices 
mentis,  qui  didtur  Scotice  Suighe  Lagen,  id  est  Sessio  Laginen^ 
jium.'*  That  this  was  the  mountain  now  caUed  Mount  Letnster, 
appears  not  only  from  its  very  name,  which  corresponds  to  the 
Irish  Suighe  Lagen,  but  likewise  from  its  proximity  to  Ferns. 

(8)  AA.  SS.  p.  141. 

(9)  Ex.  e.  not  even  Columbanus  of  Luxeu,  Fiacre,  or  Fprsey, 
notwithstanding  their  great  celebrity.  Usher  says,  (p.  967)  that 
he  would  have  supposed  Foillan,  brother  of  Fursey,  to  have  been 
the  one  of  the  third  order,  were  he  not  called  a  bishop.  (See  Chapi 
XVI.  $.11.)  But,  even  were  it  certain,  that  he  was  only  a  priest, 
he  would  not  have  been  named  in  the  catalogue,  and  for  the  reason 
above  assigned. 

(10)  See  AA.  SS.  p.  104. 

(11)  Colgan  (A A.  SS.  p.  799.)  surnames  this  Aldus,  or  Hugh^ 
Daman,  aL  Bennan.  He  does  not  represent  him  as  king  oi  all 
Munster.  Keating  says,  fBook  2.  p.  35.  ed.  A.  1723.)  that 
Aodh  or  Hugh  Bennain,  king  of  Munster^  died  during  the  re^ 
of  the  monarch  Suibhne  (Sweeny)  Meann.  If  so,  he  must  have 
died  between  615  and  628.  (See  Chap.  xiv.  §.  1.)  But  theking 
of  all  Munster,  who  died  between  these  years,  was  Fingen,  the 
successor  of  Aodh  Caomh.    Fingen  died  in  619.  fNot.  89  to 

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b  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY  \    CHAP.  XVIX* 

Chap.  XIV.)  It  may  be,  however,  thfit  Aodh  Caomh  lived  untU 
the  reign  of  Suibhne  Meann.  If  Aodh  Bennam  was  king  of  all 
Mimster.  he  must,  as  far  as  I  can  find,  have  been  the  same  as 
Aodh  Caomh,  a  son  of  whom  might  without  any  anachronism  be 
placed  among  the  saints  of  the  third  dass.  Yet  die  surname 
Bennain,  as  also  that  c^  Daman^  seems  to  indicate  that  they  were 
different  persons ;  and  Aodh  Bennain  was  probably  only  a  pet^ 
king  or  dynast  Instead  of  calling  him  with  Keating,  or  his 
translator,  k^ngaf  Munster,  he  oug^t,  perhaps,  rather  be  called 
a  Munster  jmnce. 

(19)  See  I^  of  St  Seqan  at  8  March,  cap.  22. 

(13)  Jveagh  or  Ivagh  was  a  part  of  Carbery.  Smith's  Hidory  of 
Cork,  r<3}tl,j3.81. 

(14)  See  Usher,  p.  1068v 

(15)  VU.  S.C.JU  1.  f.  S.  al  % 

(16)  Adamnan,  ti.  / 

(17)  Columbill  is  introduced,  (ib.)  as  saying  of  him ;  <<  In  hac 
vestra  congrfgatk>ne  grandis  est  futurus  profectus." 

(18)  The  Martyrologiiim  Tamlact,  has  at  18  Aug.  <<  Emeneus 
filius  Gresseni  de  Rath-nui  in  regione  de  Hi-Garchon."  The  Ca- 
lendar, of  Cashd  at  the  same  day  adds,  that  his  festival  was  kept 
also  at  Kill-Droigneach  in  Idrone.  (Tr.  Th.p.  373.) 

(19)  Annals  of  Roscrea.  See  Tr.  Th.  ib.  ad  A  A.  SS,p.  8, 
an4  compare  with  'Not.  83.  to  Chap.  xv.  Usher  also  has  affixed 
his  death  to  635.  (Jnd.  Chron.  from  the  Annals  of  Ulster.)  He 
was  mistaken, -as  afaready  remarked,  {Nat.  91  to  Chap*  xv)  in  con- 
fi>undinghim  with  other  Emans. 

§•!  II.  Afler  £niaa  is  mentioned  Cronan,  who,  I 
should  be  greatly  inclined  to  suppose,  was  Cronan 
of  Roscrea,  were  there  not  some  reason  to  thinks 
that  the  latter  was  a  bishop.  (20)  Be  this  as  it  may, 
Cronan,  called  of  Roscrea,  was  a  native  of  Ele  (Ely 
O'Carrol)  in  Mu'nster.  (21)  His  father  was  Odran 
of  the  sept  of  said  territory,, and  his  mother  Coemri 
of  thatiof  Corcobaachin,  a  district  in  the  West  of  the 
now  county  of  Clare.  Cronan,  when  arrived  at  (i 
proper  age  for  embracing  the  religious  state,  taking 
along  with  him  his  maternal  cousin   Mobai,  (22) 

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CHAP.  ZTII*.  QWIBELAVJ):        >.  [      K  7 

weqt  to  Ti^it  some  holy  men' Jn   Co^saught^riaiul 
8toppe4.at  a  place  called. Puay{i,,((i3)  iwhere  W  wt3 
soon  joined  by  sieveral  pious^persoofi  with  whain  he 
led  a  monastic  life.     After  someTiime  hf  1^  that 
place;^  and  went  together,y?itfa  Mobgitp  Clpntaiacpoisi 
where  he  did  not  remain  longi     ^^\t  we  find  him 
erecting  several  religious  bouses,  in  one  of  which 
at  Lusmag  (2^)  he  spent  a  jconsiflen^  time.    Bm^ 
ing  given  up  this  est^blisjinii^at^  ito  some   moak% 
Cronan  returned  to  his.  oWn  country  ssid  erected  %. 
cell  near  the  lake  or  marsh  call^  Cree,  which  cell 
was  called  Sean-ross  or  Seanruis.    (25)     He  was  in 
this  place  ^ut  the  time  of  .the.  death  of  Su  Mokia 
of  Clonfert-molua ;  for  it  is  relatedithat  this^sai&tin 
his  latter  days  yisitad  CrouAn  at.Semnruis^andde*^ 
manded  of  hiiq  the  sacaritice^  on  holy  EucdmHst, 
which  he  might  ta|(^  with  hinu   jGmnan  gave  it  to 
hiniy  and  M^jlua  recommended  hia  mooMlery  to  his 
protection^  .  C^^)/    The.  monastery  of  Boserea  was 
not  as  yet  est^lis^^i;  .and  aoeoniingly  its  foundation 
cannot  be  9S)|ign^;tP  imiearlier  dat&than  about  6U& 
(27)    if ow  long  Crwad  remained  lat-  SeaiHrofs  is 
not  recorded.     Xhe  cauee  of  .h^  leaemig  it  i^aathia^ 
Some  strangfj^,  who  bad  come  ito  p^y  hiai.a.fiBii; 
were  not  a|)I§  ^.find  jito«it»  and  intbeir  wanderiagi 
remained  a  ^ol^    nighfc  without  £md, ou  ireof  ^to 
shelter  then^.  ...Tbis  so,  displeased  CroQaa»:  that  /  he 
determine4^QP  quiit;;ting  that  loaesowe  and  toormuch 
retired  spojt,  ,an4  rem^ye^  to  the.h^>  read^whei^  be 
erected  a^  ll^ge  ^npn^steiry^  rwhich  in :  £oimae  of  tisae 
gaveris^tp^  ^fb^^^wa  ^  Jios^x^  i{28):^  Here  he 
spent  the  r^ent^ivui^ir .  of ,  Jbis  Jife^  employed  aa  f;ood 
works  and  m^iiat  highly  eateemed*   ^Onone  occaafeon 
he  protected  by  his  prayers  the  people  of  .£le  against 
the  fury  of  the  Ossorians.    On  another  he  appeased 
Fingeui  king  of  Munster,  who  was  bent  on'  punish- 
ing most  severely  the  people  of  Meath  on  account  of 
some  horsesi  that  had  been  stolen  from  him,  and  bad 
abready  marched  with  ah  army  for  that  purpose  from 

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«  AN  ECCLBSIASTICAL  HISTORY  CHAP,  XVII, 

Cashel  9s  far  as  £le.  (29)  This  king  had  a  great 
veneration  for  the  saint,  whom  we  find,  when  very- 
old  and  blind,  on  a  visit  with  him  at  Cashel.  When 
returning  to  Roscrea,  Cronan  was  accompanied  by 
the  king  in  person  and  the  chief  nobility,  &c.  of 
the  whde  country.  Not  long  after,  having  blessed 
his  people  of  £le,  and  received  the  divine  sacrifice, 
he  died  on  a  28th  of  April  (30)  in,  acording  to  every 
appearance,  some  year  of  the  reign  of  said  king 
Fingen,  and  consequently  not  later  than  A.  D.  619, 
or,  at  the  lowest,  626.  (SI) 

(20)  Ware,  touching  on  the  Life  of  Cronan,  {Writers  L.lc. 
IS.  a/*  15.)  calls  him  bishop^  otherwise  abbot  of  Roscrea.  Yet 
Colgan 'States,  (A A  SS.  p.  303.)  that  we  do  not  read  of  his  hav- 
ing  been  a  bishop.  I  suspect  that  Ware's  motive  for  giving  him 
that  title  was,  that  Roscrea  was  formerly  an  episcopal  see,  and 
his  thence  supposing  that  it  was  such  as  early  as  Cronan's  time. 
Of  this,  however,  I  believe  he  could  not  have  adduced  any  proof. 
The  Bollandists,  who  have  published  his  Life  at  28  April,  ob- 
serve that  in  a  MS.  Uorarium  they  found  him  called  bishop. 
They  were  inclined  to  think,  that  he  really  was  one,  and  that  he 
was  the  bishop  Cronan  mentioned  by  Adamnan.  (See  Not,  182 
to  Chap.  XI.)  I  grant  them,  in  opposition  to  Colgan,  that<^ronan 
was  old  enou^  to  be  a  bishop  before  the  death  a£  Columbkill. 
But  there  are  circumstance  to  be  mentioned  lower  down,  which 
prove,  that,  if  he  ever  was  a  bishop,  he  was  not  so  until  after  it. 
The  Bollandists  feding  the  weakness  of  that  conjecture,  lay  down 
as  ahnost  certain,  that  he  was  the  priest  Cronan  of  the  third  or- 
der ;  and  in  &ct  it  is  difficult, to  suppose,  that  so  celebrated  a  saint 
vrould  haye  been  omitted  in  that  catalogue,  as  would  be  the  case, 
unless  he  was  the  Cronan  reckoned  among  the  priests.  In  his 
Life,  which  is  a  respectable  and  ^ery  circumstantial  document,  he 
is  called  only  abbots  without  the  least  allusion  to  his  ever  having 
exercised  episcopal  fiinctions.'  On  the  whole  it  appears  exceed- 
ii^y  probable,  that  his  being  called  bishop  in  after  times  was  a 
mistake  founded,  as  above  observed,  with  regard  to  Ware,  on  the 
drcumstance  of  Roscrea  having  become  an  episcopal  see. 

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CRAP.  XVII.  OF  IRELAl^D.  9 

(21)  That  district  or  at  least  a  pert  of  it,  is;  as  ofteii  ob- 
servedy  now  comprized  in  the  King^s  county. 

(22)  We  read  in  the  Life  of  Cronan ;  <<  Mater  S.  Crontini,  ec 
S.  Mobai  mater,  et^mater  S.  Mochonnae  tres  germanae  sorores 
fiierunt.*'  Of  Mobai  little  else  is  known.  As  to  Modionna,  he 
might  have  been  the  abbot  of  that  name,  who  seems  to  have  go- 
verned a  monastery  somewhere  in  Leinster  and  was  living  in  the 
time  of  St  Coemgen,  (See  A  J.  SS.  p.  665.)  But,  as  there" 
were  other  St  Mochonnas  about  that  period,  this  point  must  re- 
main undecided. 

(28)  Prope  gurgitem  Puayd.  Whether  the  author  meant  by 
gurgitem  a  pool  or  a  gu^,  I  cannot  determine ;  nor  can  I  find 
any  place  in  Connaught  called  Puayd, 

(24)  In  the  barony  of  Ganycastle,  Kin^s  county. 

(25)  '^  Cellam  itaque  prope  stagnum  Cree — aedificavit,  quae 
cella  Seanross  nominatur.'' '  (Life  of  St.  Cronan;  See  also  Usher, 
p.  969*)  I  have  observed  elsewhere,  {Not.  73  to  Chap,  xif.)  that 
this  stagnum^  or  marsh,  Cree  was  probably  what  is  now  called  the 
bog  of  Monela.  Archdall  (at  RoscreaJ  says  that  Cronan  buOt 
that  cell  in  an  island  of  Loughkee.  But  Loughkee  or  Loughkay 
is  in  the  county  of  Leitrim  &r  from-  Cronan's  countiy.  I  sup- 
pose that,  being  puzzled  by  the  name  Loughcree,  he  guessed  at 
that  of  Loughkee. 

(26)  In  the  Life  of  St.  Molua,  al.  Lugidus  or  Lugidius,  is  the 
fdlowing  passage ;  *' Venit  (Molua)  ad  S.  Cronanum  de  Ruis- 
cree,  sedentem  tunc  in  ceUa  Senruis,  et  postulayit  ab  eo  sacrifi- 
dum,  quod  secum  portaret ;  et  dedit  ei  Cronanus.  Cui  Lugidius 
ait :  Tecum  relinquo  locum  meum,  ut  eum  a  persecutoribus  de- 
fendas."  In  said  Life  Cronan  is  called  only  a  priest  r  and  hence 
it  appears  that,  if  Cronan  ever  became  a  bi^op,  it  must  have 
been  ailer  the  death  of  Molua,  and  consequently  several  years  af- 
ter that  of  ColumbkiD.  Thus  we  see  that  he  was  not  the  bishop 
Cronan  mentioned  by  Adamnan.  (Compare  with"  Not.  20.) 
Molua's  applying  to  Cronan  for  the  blessed  Eucharist,  and  taking 
it  with  him,  was  in  conformity  with  the  ancient  practice  of  holy  per- 
sons sending  it  to  each  other  in  token  of  communion  and  brotherly 
love.  Thus  as  &r  back  as  the  times  of  St.  Irenaeus,  and  earlier, 
the  Popes  used  to  send  it  to  bishops  even  of  &r  distant  churclies. 


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10  AN  £CCI.ESIAS1^ICAL  HISTORY        CHAP*  XyiU 

(See  Eusebius,  Hisi.  £ccL  X.  5.  c.  24».  and  gmgham,  OrigmeSf 
Ac  Book  XV.  ch.  4.  sed.  8.) 

.  (27)  This  »  the  earliest  date  (see  ^(rf.  100  to  Chap,  xii.) 
maiked  for  Molua's  deaths  before  which,  we  may  besure,  Roscrea 
wm  DOt  founded.  Therefore  Harris  was  wrong  in  assignii^g  said 
foundation  to  the  sixth  ceotuiy. 

(28)  In  his  Life  k  is  said,  that  <<  magnum,  monasterium  aedifi- 
cavit ;  H  ibi  crevit  dara  civitas,  quae  voeatur  Ross'^ree.** 

(29)  The  ancient  Meath  was  contiguous  to  Ele. 

(SO)  Where  did  Archdall  find,  that  Cronan  died  on  the  10th  of 
May?    The  Life  has  28  April. 

(Sl^  Cronan*s  death  is  mentioned,  just  after  the  account  of  his 
return  fiom  Cashel.  Fingen  is  said  to  have  died  in  j519.  (See 
Not.  39  to  Chap,  xiv.)  Yet,  on  comparing  what  is  there  ob- 
served concerning  the  beginning  of  tiie  reign  of  his  successor 
Failbhe  fland,  it  may  be  ooiqectured  that  he  did  not  die  until 
about  626.  Colgan  Fays,  {AA.  SS,  p.  303.)  that  Cronan  was 
alive.in  625.  The  Bollandis^  go  still  further,  pretending  that  i)e 
mi^  have  lived  until  after  640.  For  this  statement  they  had  no 
authwiQr  (Whatever,  excepts  a  veiy  unfounded  conjecture  of  thefr 
own,  that,  in  case  of  his  having  been  a  bishop,  he  might  have  . 
been,  the  bishop  Cronan  mentioned  with  Thomian  and  others  in 
the  letter  of  the  Roman  clergy  written  in  640.  We  have  already 
seen  (Not  91  to  Chap,  xv.)  who  this  Cronan  was;  nor  could 
Cronan  of  Roscrea, « even  if  then  alive^  and  whetha^  bishop  or 
priest,,  have  been  among  those  to  whom  said  letter  was  directed ; 
whereas  th^^were  aU  northerns,  and  he  »  southern.  Had  the 
BoUandists  known  the  time  of  Fingen's  reign,  they  would  not  have 
imagined  that  Cronan  coold  be  alive  in  640.  Archdall  had  no 
right  to  refer  to  Usher  as  'if  assigning  Cronan's  death  to  the  be- 
ginning of  the  seventh  century.  All  that  Usher  says  is,  that  he 
survived  Lugidus  al.  Molua. 

§•  III.  Thc^  priest  Cronan  of  the  third  class,  if 
different  from  the  saint  now  treated  of,  might  Iwve 
been  Cronan  of  Maghbile,  or  the  Cronan  son  of  Sibi, 
of  whom  as  much  as  is  kngwn  has  been  already 
touched  upon.  (32)  That  Commian,  another  priest 
of  said  class,  was  the  learned  Cummian  author  of 

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CHAP.  XVII,  OF  IRELAND.  11 

the  Paschal  epistle  (83)  is  excpedjiogly  prohaUe»  and^ 
1  should  think,  certaiti,  were  there  not  rei^Q  tojbie- 
lieve,  that  this  Cummian  was  the  same  as  Ci^min 
Fada,  who  is  said  by  some  to  hsLVfi  become  fi  bishop, 
although  on  very  doubtful  authority,  f  34)  But  thene 
were,  in  those  timet,  other  distin^isned  persons  of 
that  name,  one  or  other  of  whom  might  have  beea 
meant  by  the  author  of  that  .catal<>gvie.  (35).  /Who 
Coman  was,  whose  name  appears  just  before  that  oi) 
Coramian,  I  cannot  well  discover.  ..jtle  couH  QOt 
have  beeu  the  Coman  of  Ferns,  who  lived  until 
678,  but  was  perhaps  the  Commas  called  by  Adafn- 
nan  a  respectable  priest.  (3f>)    I  am  greatly.  iqcUned 
to  think  that,  notwithstaijiding  an  apparent  di^rence 
in  the  names,  Coman  of  the  third  class  w^  t^e  cele** 
brated  Camin  of  Iniskeltra  or  Iniskeltair..  (^7)  No- 
thing  can  agree  better  than  tbetimes ;  f<;r  Camin.flou- 
rished  in  the  first  half  of  the  seventh  century.  .  H^. 
was  of  the  princely  house  of  Hy-kinselagh  by  his/ 
father  Dima,  and  half  brother  of  Guair  )cing  of  Con- 
naught  by  his  mother  Cumania.     Little  else  19  re*, 
corded  of  him,  (38)  until  hfi  retired. to  the  isjapd  of 
Iniskeltair  in   Loughderg,   a  lake  formed,  by  tjbe. 
Shannon.     Here  he  led  a  solitary  and  very  aust$ir@ 
life,  but  after  some  time  was  obliged  to  erect,  a,  ipp- 
nastery,  on  account  of  the  numl^rs  of  p^]pM>ps^  tha|;, 
resorted  to  him  for  instruction.     Although  pf  a  .very 
sickly  constitution  he  seems  to  have  clopely  ^sj^li^d 
to  ecclesiastical  studies  and  wrote  a  commentiuy  on 
the  Psalms  collated  with  the   Hebrew  .t^^  :(^9) 
This  saint  died  in  65S,  (40)  on  the   25th,  or*  wi 
some  say,  the  S4th  of  March.     His  mempiy  was 
so  much  respected,  that  the  monastery  of  Ini^eltjair^ 
became  very  celebrated,  and  was  considered  §s  one 
of  the  principal  asylums  in  Ireland.     His  immediate 
successor,  as  abbot,  was,  I  believe,  Stellan.  (41)   Of 
the  priests  of  the  third  cllass  there  now  remain  only 
two  to  be  treated  of,  Fechin  and  Airendanus ;  but 
chronological  order  requires  our  deferring  their  his- 
tory for  a  while*  ^        i 

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12  AN   ECCLESTASTICAL  HISTORY       CHAP.  XVJU 

(32)  Not.  91  to  Chap.  xv.  (3S)  See  Chap.  xv.  §.  7-8. 

1(34)  Seei*.  Not.  54.  (35)  7J.  A^crf.  53. 

(36)  Usher  searching  for  Coman  of  the  third  clas»  says,  (p.  968) 
that  Coman  of  Ferns  was  perhaps  the  Comman  called  by  Adam^ 
nan  {L.  3.  c.  19.)  honorabilis  presbi/tery  whom  Usher  seems  to* 
have  supposed  the  same  as  Coman  of  the  class.    But,  as  Coman 
of  Ferns  did  not  die  until  678,  how  could  he  have  belonged  to  said 
class,  which  lasted  until  only  665  ?  {SeeJChap.  xiv.  §.  8.)    Sup- 
posing the  Comman  of  Adamnan  to  have  been  different  from  Co« 
man  of  Ferns,  which  is  very  probable,  he  might  have  been  the 
priest  Coman  of  the  list.    It  is  true  that  Adamnan  speaks  of  hmt 
as  having  conversed  with  him.    This  conversation  might  have  oc« 
cuired,  when  Adamnan  was  young  and  some  years  before  665'. 
Adamnan  was  bom  about  the  year  625,  and  must  have  been 
younger  than  Comman,  who,  as  he  tells  us,  was  maternal  nephew      * 
of  Virgnous,  who,  after  governing  Hy  for  25  years,  died  in  623. 
Colgan  treats  (at  18  Mart.)  of  a  Comman,  who  is  called  bishop  m 
Irish  calendars  without  any  mention  of  his  see,  and  strives  to  show 
that  he  was  the  same  as  the  priest  ap.  Adatonan.    If  so,  he  must 
have  become  a  bishop  after  Adamnan  had  written  his  work,  and* 
lived  until  after  the  death  of  Columbkill.     Colgan  has  nothing  but 
vague  conjectures  on  this  point,  and  mixed  with  such  inconsis* 
tendesy  that  it  is  not  worth  while  to  make  any  further  remark  on 
what  he  sajrs,  except  that  this  bishop  Comman,  whose  see  he  was 
not  able  to  discover,  is  said  to  have  died  in  676  (677X'     Usher,  ' 
although  he  had  spoken  of  Coman  of  Ferns  as  a  priest,  and  having 
always  remained  so,  as  appears  from  his  having  thought  he  might 
have  been  the  Conmian  of  Adamnan,  yet  in  his  Ind.  Chron.  (A. 
678)  calls  him  the  bishop  of  Ferns.    Ware  also  reckons  him  among 
the  bishops  of  Ferns,  but  places  his  death  in  675,  merely,  I  be- 
lieve, on  conjecture,  and  because  he  knew  that  in  the  year  678 
the  see  of  Ferns  was  occi^ied  by  Dirath,  who  succeeded  Maldo- 
gar  in  677.    It  is  more  than  probable  that  they  were  mistaken  in 
making  him  a  bishop,  owing  to  their  having  met  with  a  bishop  of 
that  name  (the  one  of  Colgan)  and  thence  confounding  him  with 
Coman  of  Ferns.    In  a  list  of  the  bishops  of  that  see  in  the  7th 
centMry\ap.  Tr.  TA.  jo.  564. )  no  Coman  appears,  nor  according 
to  the  succession  tliere  marked  would  there  have  been  room  for 
him. 

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CHAP.  XVII.  OF  IBELAI^D«  18 

(S7)  An  interchaDge  of  vowels  frequently  occurs  in  the  {^idling 
of  Irish  names.  Thus  we  find  Commian  for  Cumm^ni  Cummin 
at  Cumin  for  the  same,  Aedh  for  Aodh^  &c.  A  is  ofWn  ysed  for 
O,  and  vice  versa.  Fraechy  f<Mr  Froech,  FaiUan  for  FoiUany  &c. 
Thus  Camia  might  have  been  written  for  Coming  or  Cumin.  It  is< 
probable  that  this  diversity  of  spelling  arose  from  a  prpvincial 
variety  of  pronunciation^  and  was  adhered  to  in  writing  for 
the  purpose  of  distinguishing  persons,  whose  names  were  the  same, 
particularly  if  such  names  w&^  veiy  common.  Yet  I  acknowledge 
that  there  is  a  difficulty  with  regard  to  q)plying  these  observations  . 
te  the  particular  case  of  Camin  of  Iniskeltra;  lor  the  Calendar  gf 
Cashel  states^  that  he  was  otherwise  called  Catun,  a  name  truly 
different  from  Coman.  Yet  as  his  original  name  seems  to  have 
been  Camin,  and  Canin  only  a  stoname,  this  objection  is  not 
sufficient  to  overthrow  the  proposed  conjecture.  In  a  copy  of  the 
Annals  of  Innisfallen  in  the  library  of  the  Dublin  Society  his  name 
is  wattan  Cumine. 

(38)  Colgan  has  endeavoured  (at  25  Mart.)  to  give  smne  ac- 
coimt  of  Camin.  He  observes  that  there  are  some  Irish  poems  in 
praise  of  him,  but  so  intermixed  with  fables,  that  he  could  not 
make  any  use  €^  them  towaeds  clearing  up  his  history. 

(39)  Usher  says  (p.  972)  that  he  saw  a  part  of  this  work,  which 
was  veiy  carefuUy  distinguished  by  various  marks.  At  the  top  of 
eadi  page  was  the  collation  with  the  Hebrew  text,  and  at  the  out* 
ward  margin  were  added  short  scholia  or  notes.  It  was,  accord- 
ing to  general  tradition,  in  Camin's  own  handwriting.  Cdgan 
also  saw  a  part  of  it,  the  same,  I  suppose,  as  that  mentigned  by 
Wave,  Writer*  at  Camin. 

(40)  Annals  of  InnisfaUen  as  referred  to  by  Usher,  Ware,  and. 
Cdgan.  In  the  copy  above  mentioned  (N^t.  37 )  the  year  marked 
is  651.  ^ 

(41)  Cdgan  observes,  fAA.  SS.  p.  17.)  that  Stellan,  abbot 
of  Iniskdtra,  Jlourished  about  650.  Archdall  (at  IniskeUair)  by 
dsaxi^xigJhuTisked  into  dted,  makes  Stellan  die  three  years  be- 
fore St.  Camin.  This  is  not  the  only  occasion,  in  which  he  has 
substituted  <^*ff^  for^fewmAiw^. 

§•  IV.  One  of  the  most  famous  Irish  saints  is; 
Abban;  but  scarcely/ any  thing  can  be  more  con*. 


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I 


14  AN    ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY         CHAF*  XT)!. 

fused  or  unchroDoIc^ical  than  the  accounts,  that  are 
given  of  hnn.     Were  we  to  believe  what  we  read  in    . 
his  so  caUed  Life,  (42)  it  sihould  be  admitted  that 
he  was  bom  in  the  fifth  centiiry  and  lived  until  about 
tSie  middle^  df  theWenfth!     It  might  be  suspected, 
tihat  ther^  were  two  St.  Abt)ans,  one  who  lived  in  the 
fifth  and  sixth  centuries,  and  anoth^V  belonging  to  the 
sijftK  atid  seventh  ;  andlEhat  their' transactions  have 
Bfeen  CtSrifo^nded  together.     Bdf  on  considering  the 
(^ifctifiSstatid^s  i^dated  Concerning  him  in  the  Irish 
calM^ars^and  other  documents,  and  comparing  them 
wifh  said  Life,'  it  is  evident  that  our  old  writers 
faifew^ 'ofaly  of  ond  teint  Abban(43)  although  the 
c6m(Alet  drcoflipitets  of  his  Acts  did  riot  scruple  to 
make  liiih  miich  more  ancient  than  he  really  was. 
Passing  by  what  li  said  of  his  relationship  to  St. 
Ibar,  and  some  other  similar  stories,  this  much  is 
dea)r  that   Abban    was    bom  some  time   in    the 
sixth  century.     His  father  was  Lagnen  of  the  house 
of  Hiia  Cormac  or  Dal  Cormac  in  Ldinster,  derived 
from  Cucorb,  (44)  who  had  been  king  of  that  pro* 
vince.     His  mother's  name  was  Meila,  who  is  said 
to  hi^  been  a  ^iister  of  St.  Coemgen.  (45)    The 
earliest  accbunt  I  meet  with  of  Abban's  transac- 
tions, that  appears  toterabty  authentic,  is  his  having" 
f6i^ded  the  motiastery  of  Ros-mic-treoin,  or. Old 
Rbss,*3ome  time  in  the  sixth  century.  (46)    A  heap 
of  other  monasteries  is  attributed  to  nim,  particii* 
larly  in  the  now  counties  of  Wexford  and  Cork. 
(47^)    The  greatest  part  of  them  is  unknown,  and  I 
have  not  the  least  doubt,  that  several  of  them  wefe 
not  founded  by  him.  (48)  Two  nunneries  have  b^n 
alsb  akribed  to'  him,   Kill-ailbhe  in  East  Meath, 
where  he  is  said  to  have  placed  as  abbess  St.  Segnic 
or  Sincha  (49) ;  and  Bomeach,  now  Ballyyoumey, 
six  miles  W.  of  Macroomp  (co.  Cork).     This  nun- 
nery belonged  to  St.  Gobnata,  whose  memory  is  to 
this  day  greatly  venerated  in  that  country*  (50)  But 
Abban's  chief  establishment  was  at  Magharndidhe, 

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CHilPw  XVII.  OP  IRBLAKD.  15 

somewhere,  it  seems,  in  the  now  county  of  Wex- 
ford ;  (51)  and  in  this  place  he  spent  the  latter  years 
of  Ws  Kfe.  He  is  said  to  have  been,  when  a  young 
man,  m  Great  Britain.  (52)  This  is,  I  dare  say, 
as  ill  founded  b§  the  story  of  his  having  bten  three 
times  at  Rome,  and,  on  the  third,  ordained  priest 
there  by  Gregory  the  great,  (53)  Abban  is  said  to 
have  preached  in  Ely  0*Can:ol,  and  to  have  there 
obtained  a  grant  of  some  land,  wbich  he  retained 
for  religious  purposes.  (54)  Many  other  circum- 
stances are  related  ^ohqeming  him ;  but  they  are  so 
intermixed  with  fables,  that  it  would  be  a  useless 
task  to  endeavour  to  unravel  them.  'He  died  at 
Maghamoidhe  on,  as  some  say,  a  1 6th  of  March, 
or,  according  to  others,  a  27th  of  October.  (55)  As 
to  the  year  of  his  death,  it  i^  impossible  to  dis- 
cover it ;  nor  can  even  the  period  of  it  be  precisely 
ascertained, .  although  it  is  probable  that  it  Was  the 
early  part  of  the  seventh  century.  (56 

(42)  Colgan  has  published  this  femigo  at  16  Muk.  h  b  very 
lon^.  The  apparent  author  of  it  speaks  (aqh^  24.)  of  himself  as 
beii:^  the  grandson  of  a  man,  whom  St.  Abban  had  baptized. 
Hence  Colgan  concludes,  that  the  author  lived  in  the  latter  end 
of  the  seventh  century,  or  beginning  of  the  eighth.  But,  unless 
we  must  suppose  that  he  told  a  falshood,  (for 'no  author  of  that 
early  period  could  have  put  together  such  a  mass  of  intx)nsisteti- 
des)  that  passage -belonged  to  some  ancient  Life  of  AbbaA, 
whence  it  was  copied  by  the  compfler  of  the  one  now  exXasxU 
which  appears  to  be  a  sort  of  patchworic  coUected  from  Various 
sources.  Part  of  it,  at  least  the  two  first  chapters,  seems  to 
have  been  composed  somewhere  out  of  Ireland.  The  Bollandists 
have  omitted  the  Life  o£  Abban  at  16  March,  promising  to  give 
at  27  October  a  cBssertation,  in  which  they  would  inquire,  whe- 
dier  there  was  only  one  St  Abban  or  two,  viz.  a  priest  Abban 
and  an  abbot  Abban  who  lived  at  different  periods.  (See  Tom,  2. 
for  March,  p.  418.)  Their  reason  for  putting  off  that  dissertation 
fof  the  27th  of  October  was  that,  while  some  Calendars  mark  the 
festival  ot  8u  Abban  at  16  March,  others  assign  it  to  27  Octo- 


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16  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY  CHAP.  XTII. 

ber;  and  in  &ct  this  is  the  day,  on  which  k  is  said  in  his  life 
that  he  died. 

(43)  Hie  BoUandists  imagined  that  Aore  mig^  |have  been  two 
Abbans,  and  thu^  I  suppose,  (for  I  do  not  know  whether  their 
promised  dissertation  has  been  published)  thought  they  might  ex- 
plain what  is  said  a£  St.  Finnian  of  Clonard  having  been  baptized 
by  Abban,  that  is,  a  priest  Abban,  (see  Chap.  ix.  §,  8.  and  NoL 
120.)  who  might  have^been  different  from  the  abbot  Abban  of 
later  times.  But  fiom  the  manner,  in  which  this  pretended  b^ 
tism  is  mentioned  in  the  Life  of  Abban  (cap.  29.)  and  its  being 
added  that,  many  years  after,  Abban  visited  Finnian  when  the 
latter  was  an  abbot ;  together  with  the  title  of  venerable  given  to 
Abban  in  the  part  of  Finnian's  Acts  where  said  baptism  is  mo- 
tioned; it  is  plain  that  the  Abban  meant  in  that  account  was  no 
other  than  the  fiunous  abbot  Abban.  They  might  also  have 
thought,  that  said  priest  Abban  was  really  nephew  to  St.  Ibar, 
the  disciple  of  St.  Patridc,  by  his  sist^  Mella,  as  stated  in  the 
Life.  But  the  fact  is,  that  said  MeDa,  as  we  Iiave  it  on  better 
authority,  was  sister  to  St.  Coemgen,  who  flourished  in  the  sixth 
century.  But  how  could  they  have  reconcfled  what  is  said  of 
Abban  having  been  son  of  Cormac,  king  of  Leinster,  (£f/«,  cap. 
8.)  with  his  having  bi4>tized  Finnian  ?  For  this  Cormac  died  in 
555  (5S6).  Now,  if  Abban  b^tized  Finnian,  he  must  have 
been  bom,  at  the  latest,  in  450,  as  he  is  said  to  have  been  a 
priest  at  the  time,  and  Finnian  is  represented  as  having  been 
baptized  veiy  soon  after  his  birth,  which,  at  the  most  moderate 
computation,  cannot  be  placed  later  than  480.  Abban,  being 
then  a  priest,  must  have  been  at  least  SO  years  old.  Are  we  to 
believe,  that  Cormac,  who  reigned  only  9  years,  had  Abban 
bom  to  him  85  or  rather  86  years  before  his  death?  I  do  not 
make  these  remarks  as  if  I  believed  that  even  the  real  Abban  was 
son  of  that'  king  Cormac,  but  to  show  what  contradictbns  are 
contained  in  said  Life,  and  that  they  cannot  be  eiqplainedby 
the  supposition  of  two  Abbans.  I  am  surprized  that  Usher, 
who  met  with  these  contradictory  statements,  .could  have  swal- 
lowed the  stories  about  Abban  having  been  nephew  to  Ibar,  &c. 
particularly  considering  his  hypothesis  as  to  Finnian  having  been 
bom  about  460.  (See  Not.  124  to  Chap,  ix.)  For  in  this  hypo- 
thesis  Abban  shotdd  have  been  bom  not  later  than  430.    Usher 


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CHAP.  XVII.  '  OF  IRELAND.  17 

knew  only  of  one  Abban,  and  exerted  his  ingenuity  to  recon* 
cOe  those  stories  with  some  sort  €£  chronological  trudi.  For  this 
purpose  he  assigned  find.  ChronJ  to  A.  i90  what  is  said  of 
Abban  having  been  sent,  when  twelve  years  old,  to  the  school  of 
bis  unde  Ibar.  But  he  overlooked  the  drcomstance  of  Finnian's 
baptism  by  Abban,  and  indeed  so  much  so  that  he  aMxed  to 
the  same  year  490  Finnian's  departure  for  G.  Britain.  Accord^ 
ingly  he  most  have  considered  what  is  said  of  that  baptism  as  a 
&ble ;  and  he  had  an  equal  right  to  reject  other  parts  of  diat  spu- 
rious history.  The  fact  is  that  in  putting  it  together  the  author 
or  authors  wished  to  make  it  appear,  that  Abban  was  connected 
with  many  of  the  most  eminent  persons  of  the  Irish  church ;  and 
and  thus  they  brought  him  in  contact  with  Ibar  and  even  with 
St  Patridc,  with  Finnian,  ColumWU,  and  so  on  untO  they  make 
him  associate  with  St.  Molingus,  who  lived  in  the  7th  centuiy  and 
died  in  697.  Then,  tp  account  for  these  transactions  of  hn,  we 
are  told  that  he  lived  more  than  800  years! ! !  In  short  that  life 
is  a  shameful  compondon,  similar  to  the  sort  of  Life  drawn  up  for 
Kieran  of  Saigir.  There  is  not  a  word  about  Abban  in  any  do- 
cument worthy  of  credit  relative  to  the  times  of  St.  Patridc,  Ibar, 
or  St  Br^'d. 

(44)  AA.  S8.  p.  625,  seqq.  See  also  O'Flaherty,  (Ogyg.  p. 
293)  who  makes  Cormac  son  c£  Cucorb.  According  to  a  genea- 
logy ap,  Colgan  fib. J  he  was  his  grandson.  Cucoib  lived  in  the 
'second  centuiy.  In  Abban*s  Life  it  is  said  diat  he  was  son  of 
Cormac  king  of  Leinster,  that  is,  the  Cormac  who  was  king  in 
the  sixth  oentwy.  (See  A^o^.  prec.)  But  Colgan  shows  that  this 
is  a  mistatement.  Abban  was  not  the  son  of  either  a  long  or  a 
Cormac  He  was  of  the  race  €£  Hua  Cormac,  that  is,  a  de- 
scendant of  the  above  mention  Cormac.  The  compiler  of  the 
Life  changed  Hua^Cormac  into  king  Cormac. 

(45J  Maguir  ap.  A  A.  S8.  p,  626.  Colgan,  who  would  fain 
keep  up  the  fid>le  of  Abban  having  been  nephew  to  St  Ibar,  strives 
to  show  that  Maguir  was  mistaken.  But  still  he  was  not  able  to 
prove,  that  Mella  was  sister  to  Ibar,  as  said  in  the  Life.  In  other 
documents  Abban's  mother  is  called  Cooinech  Abbadk.  What  was 
her  name  is  of  very  little  consequence ;  and  it  is  sufficient  to  know, 
VOL.  III.  C 


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18  AN    ECCLESIASTICAL   HISTORY        CHAP.   XVII. 

that  there  is  no  authority  worthi  attending  ta  for  the  stoiy  of  her 
haring  been  a  sister  of  Ibar. 

(46) .  We  read  in  the  Life  of  St.  Molua  of  Clanfert-roolua,  <'  S. 
Mdua  viaitavit  &  Eviniun  abbatem  in  r^gione  Kinnselagh  non 
kmge  a  Aimine  Berhha  iq  monasteno.  Bosmactreoin,  quod  sano 
timtnus  senes  AUanus,  Jimdavitf  habitantem."  (See  also  Ab- 
ban's  Life,  cc^  96^  >  As  St.  Eviin  died  about  600,  (See  Chajr 
XIV.  §.  S.)  that  monastery  must  have  been  established  prior  to  said 
year.  In  this  passage  Abban  is  called  an  old  ipan,  and  might 
bare  been  really  so  at  the  time  of  the  foundation-  of  that  monas- 
tery, if  it  took  place  not  long  b^ore  600.  Bu(  itis  probable,  that 
se$u^  was  merely  an  q^ithet,  by  which  he  used  to  be  distinguished, 
as  he  seems  to  have  lived  to  a  great  age,  and  that  it  is  not  there 
used  as  indicating  that  he  was  actually  old,  wh^  he  founded  said 
monastery.  I  do  not  find  it  mentioned  by  Arcbdall,  although  he 
has  so  many  others,  that  neverexisted;  nor  do  I  think  it  certain, 
tfa^t  Abban  was  the  founder  of  it.    (See  Njoit^  46.  to  -C&^.^i  v^ 

(47)  Besides  Rosmactreoin,  are  mentioned  Druim-chain-cd. 
ja%h,  Camross,  Magbar-Nokihe,  f1on*naagh,  and  Disert^Cbeanan 
in  Hy-Kinsdagh,  that  is,  in  or  near  the  county  of  Wexfi>rd{ 
Kill- Abban  in  £•  Meath ;  another  Kill- Abban  in  Hua  Muiredhuig, 
al.  Hua  Mkibe  in  a  nerthecn  pact  of  Leinster,  J  suppose  the  pre- 
sent county  of  Louth,  in  which  fr9\A  a  district  eddied  Ky*Meith; 
(jee  Hanis,  Antif.  ch.  7.)  Kill-adifud-conchinn  in  Corcaduibhne 
ia  the  West  of  Muniter ;  (piv>baUy  in  Kerry  rather  than  in  the 
coimty  of  Cock,  where  it  is  plaqed  by  Harris,  MohoHJ  Kill- 
cniiipthir  in  Hy  Liathain  ;  (now  con^prisdng  the  barony  of  Bany- 
move,  Cork,  and  some  other  tracts.)  Kill*na-maibhan  near  the 
jtown  called  BriggoUiain^  now  Br$go(m  within  a  mile  of  Mitcheb- 
Jtown;  (see  Smith's  Cork,  Voi.  I.  p.  S5^)  (Cluain-ar^-Mobecoc 
and  Cluain-Findglas.  in  Muskeny,  county  of  Coik ;  Cluain-con- 
bmin  in  the  plain  of  Femin  between  Cashel  and  Clonmel ;  and 
three  more  in  one  plain  in  Comuu^t  called  Magh<e,  or  Trindh 
al.  Magh-dle,  wlucb,  Colgan  {A A.  SS^p,  622.)  places  in  the 
.county  of  Galway. 

(48  )  Except  some  of  the  monasteries  sakl  to  have  been  founded 
by  St.  Abban  in  Hy-kinsela^  (his  own  country)  and  the  two 
KiU-abbans,  I  do  not  find  sufficient  authority  for  attributing  to 
him  any  one  of  the  others  above  mentioned.  KiU-achaid-conchinn, 


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CHAP.  XVII.  OF   lASLAND.  19 

U  Mud  in  Abbvi'ft  14ft,  [cap.  90.)  to  have  been  after  its  fixiDdii- 
tion  denominated  from  an  abbot  FSnao*  Perbapi  it  was  called 
K.ilMinjpn.  Thereis  a  i^ace  in  Kerry  called  KiUfin.  AstbatikiO' 
natteiy  was  veiy  probably  in  Keny*  it  might  have  been  in  this 
fdaoe.  Who  the  Fisan  here  mendond  was,  we  are  notinfimned. 
Colgan  conjectures  that  he  was  St.  Finan  called  of  Kinhitdi; 
(Kinnitty  in  the  Kiqg^scouii^)  where  he  was  ^bpt  about  the  latter 
end  of  the  sixth  centay,  but  not  in  the  year  557,  as  ArchdaO 
states.  This  omjectuie  is  not  inaprobable,whereis  this  Fman  was 
a  native  of  CorcaduMm^  (Wan»,  ]9^riUrs  L.  I.e.  IS.  aL  15.)  the 
territory)  in  whicfa  the  monastefy  of  Kill-aehaid-conchinn  Was  si* 
tuated.  Might  the  barony  of  Ccrkaguinny  in  Keny  be  the  same 
as  Itie  ancient  CorcaduilAne^  or,  at  least,  a  part  of  it  ?  (Beau* 
ford  was  greedy  mtetaken  (A»e4  Tof^gr.  of  Ireland)  m  making 
Corcaduibhne  ik^  saane  9a^  WjrUffimn^  whic^  Wtti  in  thd  East.) 
Fmian  had  been  ^a  disciple  «f  St.  Bnsidan  of  Cloa&rt,  (TV.  Tk. 
p.  saOj  and,  k  beemsy  of  6t.  Seoan  iof  JbniscatAy»  to  whom  he  is 
said  to  ha^e  b^cn  mlalttd  (Ad.  SS.p.SSB.)  In  .Act  a  finan  is 
paitieubiiy  asaatieoed  aneog  the  dishes  of  Senan.  (i5.f».  535.) 
I  MMpaet  Aat  he,  not  Abhaoi  ixdm  the  $>imder  of  KilUdiaid' 
coocbito.  WhjsfaauU itha^,  jwstated  in  Abban'slife^  borne 
the  natae^f  ]%ao,  net  of  Abbflsi,  imi  it  b«en  fiiunded  by  the 
latter?  finao-was  ajMU»reof  theooiibtiy,  inwfaichi^ 
aeountry,  wfaick  I  doipfat  whether  Abban  ever  visited.  Astothe 
xivs^eKiUHiAa^rfimkhinnf  thatJs,  tMecMofthefiddConMnn^ 
it  was  relative  to  the  spot  ga.whieh  the  monasteiy  stood;  Uuthow 
tUsspetoMPe  to  be  odkd.Cbw&iiffi,  would  scarcdy  be  worth  in« 
quiring  into,  did  not  Colgan  say  (J A.  SS.  p.  622)  that  it  got  thia 
namefioai  a  holy  virgin  Cpncfaienfia^  •Whoae  i^eknoiy  wasreviered 
there  on  the  28th  April  But  it  was,  at  least,  or^pnu^Oy,  ajmo- 
liasteryfbrmen;  and  I  suspect  that  Cotgan  had  no  other  authori^ 
far  his  statement  than  his  having  found  a  St .  Conchenna  mariked  in 
the  Calendars  at  aaid  day,  differant  foun  two  olher  Conchennas; 
tee  of  whom  was4»lled  Uie  daughter  .qf  Kellaigk.  I  suppose  thai 
thehaving  met  with  the  name  KeOaigh  was  Archdall's  motive  for 
flanging  KUhtekad-conchinH  into  KiOeighy  and  hence  phcinf 
this  establishment  not  &r  from  You^^iall  in  East  Munster,  instead 
of  the  West,  where  it  really  was.    Then  he  ad^s^  what  is  tu>t  to 

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20  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL   HISTORY      CHAP.    XVII. 

be  found  dther  in  Abban's  Life  or  any  where  elie,  that  Abban 
placed  Conchenna  there  as  abbess. 

Next  comes  Kill-cniimthir,  which  seems  not  to  have  been 
merely  a  cell  or  church  belonging  to  a  priest,  the  name  signifying 
Prieit*s  ceil  or  church.  Colgan's  opinion  was  (A  J.  SS.  p.  622) 
that  it  got  its  name  from  a  priest  fVaech,  whose  memory  was  re- 
vered in  that  ne^hbouriiood,  particularly  at  KiU-chile>  ( Kilcully, 
I  suppose,  in  the  North  Liberty  of  Cork)  near  which  Kill-cruim- 
dm-  was  situated.  Why  then  attribute  it  to  Abban?  or  why  make 
him  the  founder  of  KiU-na-marbhan,  the  cell  or  church  of  the  dead, 
near  Brigoon?  The  tradition  of  that  district  is  that  the  church  of 
Brigoon  was  erected  by  a  saint  Flnachan,  (Smithes  Cork^  vol.  1. 
p.  S54)  whose  staff,  as  supposed  to  be,  was  kept  there.  This 
seems  to  indicate  that  this  saint  was  a  bishop,  and  Smith  says 
that,  according  to  Colgan,  Brigoon  was  once  an  episcopal  see.  I 
cannot  discover  where  Colgan  has  said  so.  He  makes  mention 
{A/1.  SS^p.  584.)  of  a  St  Finnichan  or  Finchan,  who  was  in  the 
vixth  oeutury  bishop  at  a  place  called  Druimenaich,  but  does  not 
teH  us  whereit  was.  Perhi^  it  was  in  the  now  county  of  Cork, 
where  we  find  several  places  with  names  almost  exactly  the  same^ 
ex,  c.  Dromanagh  or  Drumanagh  in  the  barony  of  DuhaOow. 
Arohdall  (at  Brigowne)  makes  Abban  the  founder  even  of  Brigoon 
itself.  But  Brigoon  was  neither  a  church  nor  a  monastery.  It 
was  a  town  at  the  time  that  Abban  is  supposed  to  have  erected 
Kill-na-marbhan.  He  misunderstood  the  foDowing  words  in  Ab* 
ban's  Life  {cap.  20.)  ^*  Justa  cvoitatem  Briggobhaion  ceDam, 
quae  dicitur  scotice  Cecdl-nainarbhan,  id  est,  Cella  tnortuorum, 
aedificavit.'' 

In  the  ease  <^  CIuain-aird-Mobedoc,  or,  as  Archdall  calls  it> 
Kilbeacan,  we  fmd  a  palpable  fimid.  The  very  name  Mobecoc^ 
that  is,  my  dear  Becoc  or  Becan,  (tike  Moedoc,  my  Edoc  or  Edan) 
shows  that  its  founder  was  the  odebrated  St.  Becan  of  the  royal 
blood  of  Munster,  of  the  Eugem'an  line,  and  brother  to  St.  Coib« 
mac,  (see  Not.  ill  to  Chap,  xii.)  St.  Evin  of  Old  Ross,  and 
other  hdy  men.  We  read  in  the  Life  of  Corbmac ;  (at  26  Mart, 
cap.  2  )  Sanctus  Becanus,  in  Mumonia  remanens,  monasterium 
de  Killbecain,  alias  Ctuain-aird-Mobecoc  erexit,  et  sanctiesime 
rexit."  The  comptlers  of  Abban's  Life  seem  to  have  been  well 
aware  of  what  is  asserted  in  this  passage ;  for,  to  patch  up  the 


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CHAP.    XVII.  OF   IRELAND.  SI 

matter,  they  allow  (cap.  2D.)  that  St.  Becan  resided  there  until  his 
death,  and  pay  him  the  highest  encomiums  for  the  extraordinary 
austerity  of  his  life,  and  the  mirades,  which  he  wrou^it.  They 
tell  us  that  he  used  to  sing  the  whole  Psalter  every  day,  whether 
diy  or  wet,  warm  or  cold,  by  the  side  of  a  stone  cross  in  the  open 
air  outside  the  monasteiy.  St.  Becan  lived  in  the  sixth  century, 
as  appears  from  his  having  been  a  brother  of  St.  Evin.  Keating 
(B.  2.  p.  22.)  makes  him  contemporary  with  Columbkill  and  the 
king  Diarmit  son  of  Cervail.  His  memory  was  revered  on  the  26th 
of  May.  {A  A.  SS.  p.  755.)  As  to  Cluain-Rndglas,  Cluain-Con- 
bruin,  and  the  three  monasteries  in  Magh-C6  or  Magh-elle,  con- 
cerning which  nothing  is  known,  it  would  be  a  waste  of  dme  to 
make  any  inquiiy  about  them. 

(49)  See  Not.  94  to  Chap.  xiv.  If  this  nunnary  was  founded 
by  Abban,  why  call  it  KUl-Ailbhe  f  The  very  name  shows,  that 
not  he  but  one  Aiibhe  was  the  founder  of  it. 

(50)  Smith,  Hist,  of  Corky  Vol.  1.  p.  193.  Colgan  treate  of  St. 
Gobnata  at  1 1  February,  the  day  on  which  her  name  appears  in 
the  Calendars,  although  Smith  says  that  her  patron  day  is  the  14th 
of  said  month.  She  is  said  to  have  been  a  descendant  of  Conar 
the  great,  a  &mous  king  of  Ireland,  some  of  whose  posterity  lived 
in  Muskerry,  (Cork)  where  St.  Gobnata  was  bom.  What  Smith 
has  about  her  having  been  said  to  be  a  daughter  of  O'Connor 
Sligo  is  contrary  to  every  statement  I  have  met  with  ;  for  she  was 
certainly  a  native  of  the  South.  At  what  time  she  lived  I  do  not 
find ;  nor  can  its  being  said  that  she  got  Bomeach  from  St.  Ab« 
ban  afford  any  help  towards  discovering  it.  What  right  had 
Abban  to  a  place  in  Muskerry,  the  tesidence,  .and,  at  least  in  great 
part,  the  property  of  Gobnata's  own  family  ?  In  the  various 
calendars,  in  which  she  is  mentioned,  and  voy  circumstantially, 
there  is  not  a  word  about  Abban,  and  the  story  of  his  having 
founded  Bomeach  is  on  a  par  with  others  already  animadverted 
on. 

(51)  Maghamoidhe,  as  it  is  called  in  Abban's  Life  (cap.  82.)  is 
otherwise  named  Maghimenina  (ib.  cap.  26.)  Afcbdall  says 
fadloc.)  I  know  not  on  what  authority,  that  it  was  near  the  river 
Barrow,  and  iHt>bably  in  the  parish  of  Whitechurch.  Elsewhere 
{Addenda,  p.  SW)  he  makes  it  the  same  as  Maudlinton  near  Wex- 


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22  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL   HISTORY      CHAP.    XVII* 

f«rd.  It  is  odd  Unt  a  f^Xeey  wiadk  is  said  to  have  been  once  a 
condderabie  town,  diouM  be  60  little  koamn  at  present. 

(52)  There  is  a  stoiy  in  the  Dfb  {cap.  12.  seqg.)  about  Abban 
having  gone  to  the  South  of  Britain  with  St.  Ibar  and  others,  and 
of  their  harring  stop^  for  some  time  at  a  city  called  Abbain^dun^ 
or  Dun^Abbdijif  m^Eming,  it  seetns,  Abingdon.  Then  we  are 
told,  that  they  there  converted  the  king,  que^a,  and  all  the  inha- 
bitants, who  until  then  h^  been  pagans.  This  is  too  siDy  a  fable 
to  merit  a  serious  refutation.  For,  supposing  fbr  a  while  that 
Abban  lived  in  Ibar^s,  time,  this  conversion  should  have  taken 
place  befbre  tlie  year  500,  in  which  Ibar  died.  The  Idngs  of  that 
period  in  South  Britain  were  Anglo-Saxons.  Now  who  has  ever 
heard  that  any  Anglo-Saxon  king  became  a  Christian  befbre  500, 
or  for  very  maiQr  years  afler  ?  This  intention  of  the  author  at  this 
fiible  seems  to  have  been  to  insinuate,  that  Abingdon  got  its 
name  from  St.  Abban ;  and  Colgan  strives  to  show,  that  such  was 
really  the  ease.  Camden  mentions  ( Vol.  1.  CoL  160.)  a  tradition, 
uocatiki^  to  which  Abingdon  was  denoonnated  fVoro  an  Irish 
hermit,  named  Abben,  that  lived  there.  Usher  quotes  (/?.  1007.) 
firom  l%mon*s  history  of  the  abbots  df  Abingdon  (published  in  the 
m^naOicon  Anglicanumj  T&m,  1.)  an  account  6f  Uie  origin  of  ita 
name^  in  which  it  is  attitibuted  to  an  Aben,  of  a  consular  family, 
who,  having  escaped  from  the  foiy  of  Hengist,  led  there  the  life 
of  a  hermit,  and  afterwards  retired  to  Ireland,  where  he  died.  (See- 
alsa/itrf.  C%ron.  flrf^.461.) 

^  (53)  ilie  first  of  these  pretended  escpeditions  to  Rome  was  in 
company  with  St  Ibar,  and  therefbre  prior  to  A.  D.  500.  As  the 
third  was  in  St.  Gr^ory^s  time,  ergo  about  600.  This  is  chrono- 
logy with  a  vengeance !  And  Abban  was  ordained  by  Gregory  at 
a  time  when,  following  these  notable  stories,  he  should  have  been, 
at  least,  120  years  old.  And  then  he  returned  to  Ireland,  and  set 
dbout  founding  monasteries.  Usher,  having  swdlowed  thesc&bles, 
endeavoured  to  give  them  some  air  o^  probability  by  aflixing 
(Ind.  Chron.)  Abban's  ddath  to  599  during  the  pontificate  of 
Gregory.  But  this  wiD  notda;  fat  according  to  the  Life,  Abban 
must  have  lived  for  many  years  after  Or^;ory's  death. 

(54)  ilie  place  said  to  have  been  granted  to  Abban  is  called 
Rath-Becain.  {Lifcy  cap.  21.)  1  cannot  find  it  Under  this  tiame. 
Colgan  thrusts  in  a  monastery  there,  akhougfa  not  mentioned  in 

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CHAP.  XnU  OF  IRELAKD.  ^  *S 

the  life.  This  pretended  monaiter^  is,  I  suppose,  that  which  is 
pkGed  under  the  name  of  Kill-Abbain»  by  Harris  in  the  Kii^s 
comity,  of  vidiich  Ely  O'Canrol  now  fimns  a  part.  He  seems  to 
hove  thought  that  Hua  Moiredhiqg*  in  which  was  a  KiU-Abban> 
n%ht  have  been  in  that  country ;  but  as  being  in  North  Lehister, 
it  must  be  placed  more  to  the  North,  perhiqi^  m  the  now  county 
of  Louth.  (See  above  Not.  47.)  Hams's  Kill-Abban  of  the 
King's  county  is  called  bf  Archdali  KMitin.  That  the  Kill- 
Abban  of  Hua-M uiredhuig  was  really  founded  by  St.  Abban  ap. 
pears  net  only  irom  iu  name,  but  likewise  from  its  being  eiqpressly 
mentioned  in  the  Calendars,  (AA.  SS.  p.  624w)  together  with 
Maghaoioidhe,  as  a  monastery,  in  whidi  his  memeiy  was  perticu« 
lariy  reirered. 

(5S  The  latter  date  is  that  given  in  his  Life  and  in  some  Calais 
dars.  It  seeihs  to  be  founded  on  better  authority  than  the  other, 
which  was  probably  the  annivenai)r  of  some  translation  of  his 
reliques. 

(56)  Allowing  that  Abban  lived  to  a  great  age,  (see  Not.  46) 
not  the  monstrous  one  mentioned  in  his  Life,  this  period  answers 
for  what  is  said  of  his  having  been  nephew  to  St.  Coemgen,  ae- 
qnainted  with  CdKunbkill,  Brendan  of  Oonfeit,  and  other  saints 
of  the  siacth  centufy,  as  also  with  Fintan  Munnu,  who  lived  in 
6S5.  As  to  his  connectidns  with  St.  Moling  of  Ferns,  who  died 
in  697,  I  beUeve  they  are  as  fi^ukms  a  posteriori,-  as  those  with 
St  Ibar  are  a  jE?norf . 

§.  V.  St.  Pulcherius  or  Mochoemoc  flourished  in 
the  sixth  and  seventh  centuries.  (57)  He  was  ne- 
phew to  St.  Ita  by  his  mother  Nessa  of  the  Nandesi 
sept^  and  son  of  Beoan  a  native  of  Conmaicne  in 
Connaught,  (58)  who  having  left  his  own  country 
was  settled  in  Hy-Conall-Gaura,  (in  the  West  of  the 
county  of  Limerick  ^59)  where  Pulcherius  was  bom. 
What  was  the  year  of  his  birth  is  not  known  j  but  it 
could  not  have  been  later  than  5.50  j  for  it  is  related 
that  he  remained  for  20  years  under  the  care  of  St. 
Ita,  who  died  in  570.  Being  well  prepared  for  the 
ecclesiastical  and  monastic  state  he  went,  with  her 
consent  and  approbation,  (60)  to  place  himself  under 

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24  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL   H15T0BT       CHAP.  XVII. 

the  direction  of  St.  Comgall  at  Bangor.  Here  he 
distiuguihhed  himself  so  much,  that  Comgall,  con- 
sidering him  fully  qualified  to  preside  over  others, 
advised  him  to  form  a  religious  establishment  for  him- 
self, wherever  the  Lord  might  direct  him.  Pulche- 
rius  then  returned  to  Munster,  and,  being  introduced 
to  the  chieftain  of  Ele,  (Ely  O'Carrol)  was  offered 
by  him  his  own  residence  for  the  purpose  of  changing 
it  into  a  monastery.  This  o£fer  was  declined  by  the 
saint ;  but  he  accepted  the  grant  of  a  lonesome  spot 
in  a  thick  forest,  to  which  he  gave  the  name  of 
Liatkmoret  (6))  The  time  of  this  foundation  is 
not  mentioned ;  but  it  was  probably  about  or  not 
long  after  the  year  5S0.  (6^)  Some  time  after,  that 
chieftain  having  died,  Ronan  his  successor  intended 
to  expel  Pulcherius  from  his  territory,  and  went  with 
a  party  of  soldiers  for  that  purpose  towards  the 
monastery  at  a  time  that  the  saint  was  offering  the 
holy  sacrifice  ;  but,  when  arrived  there  or  near  it,  he 
was  struck  by  the  hand  of  God  so  that  he  was  unable 
to  stir  from  the  spot  where  he  was.  He  then  became 
sorry  for  his  intention,  and  sent  word  to  Pulcherius, 
requesting  that  he  would  come  and  relieve  him  from 
his  situation.  This  message  was  not  delivered  to 
Pulcherius  until  he  had  finished  not  only  Mass  but 
likewise  Tierce.  He  said  that  he  would  not  go  out 
of  the  monastery  until  after  the  celebration  of  None.  / 
When  this  was  over,  he  visited  Ronan,  and  giving 
him  his  blessing  freed  him  from  the  aukward  state  he 
was  in.  Thenceforth  a  great  friendship  existed  be- 
tween them,  and,  after  Ronan's  death,  the  saint  was 
very  fervent  in  his  prayers  for  the  repose  of  his  soul. 
(63)  At  a  later  period  Failbhe  Rand,  king  of  all 
Munster,  being  displeased  with  Pulcherius  lor  not 
allowing  some  horses  of  his  to  graze  in  the  field  be- 
longing to  the  monastery,  ordered  the  chieftain  of 
Ele  to  drive  him  out  of  that  country.  Pulcherius 
went  to  Cashel  to  expostulate  with  him  on  this  sub- 
ject.    The  king  received  bin  in  a  very  insulting 


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CHAP.  XVII«  OF  IRELAND.  25 

manner,  and  was  instantly  seized  with  violent  pains 
in  one  of  his  eyes  and  deprived  of  the  use  of  it. 
The  courtiers  having  supplicated  Pulcherius  to  pro* 
cure  him  some  rel^,  ne  blessed  some  water,  on 
whici)  being  applied  to  the  eye  thejpains  ceased  while 
the  blindness  still  continued.  On  the  following 
night  the  king  had  a  vision  during  his  sleep,  in 
which  he  thought  he  saw  from  his  casue  on  the  itock 
of  Cashei  the  plains  both  to  the  North  and  South  of 
the  city  covered  with  all  the  saints  of  Ireland,  and 
was  told  by  a  venerable  looking  old  person  that  they 
had  assembled  in  defence  of  Pulcherius,  and  that 
he  and  his  posterity  would  be  destroyed  in  case  of 
his  not  complying  with  the  saint's  request.  Accord- 
ingly the  king  on  the  next  day  sent  for  him  and 
granted  him  what  he  demanded.  (64)  Pulcherius 
was  henceforth  held  by  him  in  great  veneration  ;  and 
we  have  seen  (6j)  how  he  induced  him  to  submit  in 
the  case  of  St.  Colman  of  Doiremore.  Several 
miracles  are  attributed  to  Pulcherius,  among  others 
his  iiaving  cured  of  blindness  a  holy  virgin  named 
Cainer.  {66)  The  celebrated  Dagan  was  in  his 
younger  days  a  disciple  of  Pulcherius;  (67)  as  was 
also  one  Cuanchear,  whose  history  is  very  little 
known.  (6s)  Besides  St.  Cainech  and  St.  Colman 
of  Doiremore,  Pulcherius  was  intimate  with  St. 
Molua  of  Clonfert-molua,  St.  I^achtean  pf  Achad-ur, 
a  St.  Finnbar,  and  St.  Luchern,  who  had  been  his 
fellow  students  at  Bangor,  (69)  as  likewise  with  St. 
Mofecta,  al.  Fechean  (70)  and  the  holy  bishop 
Fursaeus.  (71)  St.  Pulcherius  must  have  lived  to  a 
very  great  age,  if  it  be  true  that  he  did  not  die  until 
656.  (72)  This  much  is  certain  that  his  death  oc- 
curred on  a  liJth  of  March.  (73) 

(57)  Colgan  and,  afler  him,  the  BoUandists  have  published  the 
Life  of  St.  Pulcherius  at  IS  Mart.  It  is  acknowledged  to  be 
▼eiy  ancient  by  the  Bollandists»  who  thoogfat  it  might  have  been 
written  by  one  of  his  diidplef.    Iht  ordinal  nmae  of  this  saint 


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29  AN   £CCL£SIASTICAL   HISTORY        CHAP.  XVII. 

#88  Coemh-gkhtf  that  is,  handsome  horn  ;  but  St.  Ita  dkanged 
it  into  MochoerAoCf  my  Choem  or  Coemh,  wUch  has  been  latin* 
isedinto  Buldierim. 

(58)  Conmaicne  was  the  name  of  various  distriets  in  Connaugfat, 
f&eflj  in  tlie  county  of  Galway. 

(59)  See  Not.  6.  to  Chap.  xi. 

(60)  Life  cf  PulcheriuB,  cnp.  9.  It  is  probable  that  St  Ita 
did  not  long  iorvive  the  departure  of  Puldteritis.  She  is  noi  men- 
tioned in  tlie  sequel  as  alive. 

(61)  It  was,  as  we  read  in  the  Life,  (cap.  16.)  exactly  four 
miles  distant  ^m  bishop  Cdman's  roonasteiy  of  Doiieniore  (See 
Kot.  41  to  Chap,  xnr.)  Tliese  places  are  now  in  the  King's 
county. 

*  (62)  That  it  was  fi>unded.in  the  sixth  century  is  evident  fVom  its 
having  existed  in  the  time  of  St.  Cainech  of  Aghaboe,  who  visited 
Pulcherius  when  settled  there.  Cainedi  died  in  599.  It  existed 
ddo  in  the  time  of  St.  Fachnan,  as  appears  ^m  the  Life  of  Pul- 
dierius,  cap.  SO.  Pruning  ov^  other  argunients,  such  as  its  hav- 
ing been  founded  sA>out  die  same  tone  with  Clonfert-Mohia,  (ib. 
cap.  1I-)  we  find  Puldienus  governing  it  as  i^bot  14>  years  be- 
fore the  death  of  Cohnan/sdn  of  Penddhe,  prince  of  Ossoiy.  (ib. 
cap.  30.)  Now  this  Cohnan  died  in  602.  (See  Not.  49  to  Chap. 
XII.)  Therefbre  Harris  was  wn>ng  in  assigning  its  foundation  to 
the  seventh  cenupy. 

(65)  Life,  capp.  17-18.  (64)  Ib.  capp.  20-21. 
ifiS)  Chap.  XIV.  J.  3. 

(66)  Life,  cap^  56.  Colgan  thought  she  might  have  been  the 
St.  Cahnera,  daughter  of  Fintan,  idio  is  mentioned  in  the  Life 
of  St.  Molua  of  Cbnfert-molua  as  a  relative  of  his.  She  must 
not  be  confinmded  with  the  St.  Cannera  of  St  Senan's  time.  (See 
N(^.  19  to  Chap.  %.) 

(67)  See  Chap.  xtv.  J.  16. 

(68)  See  Not.  215  to  Chap.  xiv. 

(69)  Life,  cap.  ii.  St.  Lachteim,  al.  Lacten  or  Lactan,  is  treated 
of  by  Colgan  at  19  Mart.  He  was  of  the  illustrious  house  of 
Corpre  Muse,  of  Muskerry,  Cork,  one  of  the  sons  of  Conar  the 
second  fonperly  king  of  Ireland.  He  is  called  by  some  the  son 
of  Torben,  and^  by  others,  of  Corpse  the  son  of  Nuachar.  He 
founded  a  greii' monastery  at*  Achlid-ur,  iV  c  Green  f eld  (not 

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CHAP.   XVII.  OF  IRELAND*  87 

Oreen-firdy  as  ArcMaH  siqrs)  near  or  at  the  j^ace  where  Tredhford 
now  stands  in  the  county  of  Kflkenny.    It  is  related  In  die  Life 
of  8t  Carthag  of  Lismore,  that,   while  this  Mint  wait  sdQ  at 
Rarhen,  Lactean  moved  bj  pitj  fbr  die  distressed  state  of  his 
community,  broi^t  him  a  present  of  thirty  cows,  one  buH,  two 
herdsmen,  and  some  utensils.    H^  is  called  in  irarious  marQrrolo^ 
gies  a  bishop,  hot,  says  Oolgant  whether  at  Adiad-or  or  elsewhere 
is  not  sufficientfy  dear.    If  he  was  a  bidiop,  I  befieve  Adiad-ur 
was  his  see,  as  I  %dA  him  constantly  caUed  Lactan  of  Ackad-ur. 
He  died  on  the  19th  of  March,  A.  D.  G2S  (629.)     Harris  places 
the  monastery  of  Achad-ur  in  the  Queen's  county ;  but  Archdall, 
who  has  it  in  Kilkenny  at  Fresh/brd^  is  more  correct,  as  appears 
from  the  name  Agkour,  by  which  a  prebend  in  that  place  is  stUi 
called    Colgan  has  confounded  this  saint  with  the  abbot  Lactean, 
who  waa  a  contemporaiy  and  neighbour  of  St  Senan  d  tniscatthy. 
(See  A  A.  SS.  p,  525.)     But  this  Lactean  cannot  be  suj^KMed 
to  hare  lived  down  to  6^*    He  was  a  £fierent  person,  and  was, 
I  am  sure,  the  Lactean  or  Ladidn,  from  whom  the  church  of  Lis- 
laditin  in  Kerry,  not  far  from  Iniscatthy,  got  Hs  name.    Colgan 
has  also  confounded  him  with  Lacten,  who  succeeded  1^  Molua 
at  Clonfert-molua.    For  this  he  had  no  authori^,'except  the  mere 
similarity  of  name.    There  wete  Lactens  or  Lactans  enough  to 
succeed  Molua  widiout  removing  the  one  of  Achad-ur  to  (Clon- 
fert-molua, of  which  no  mention  occurs  in  the  calendars,  where 
treating  of  him.     St.  Finn-bar,  another  follow- student  of  Pul- 
cherius,  was  not,  as  Colgan  justly  remarks,  the  Finnbar  of  Cork, 
who,  as  is  evident  from  his  Life,  was  never  a  disdple  of  ComgaO. 
It  is  probable  that  he  was  the  Finnbarr,  who  governed  a  mo- 
nastery in  Inisdamhle  an  island  in  the  Suir,  (Little  island,  I  sup- 
pose, not  far  below  Waterford)  between,  as  C!olgan  gays,  {A A. . 
SN.  p.  6S0.    the  country  of  the  Desii  and  Hy-kinselagfa.     Of 
this  Finnbarr  I  can  fold  nothing  further  except  that  his  memory 
was  revered  on  the  4th  of  July ;  {ib.  p.    97.)  whence  it  is  plain 
that  he  was  different  from  St    Finnbar  of  Cork,  whose  festival 
was  kept  on  the  25th  of  September.     I  do  not  fold  this  monas* 
tery  of  Inisdamhle  in  Harris,  nor  even  in  ArchdalL    M^ht  Inis- 
damhle have  been  the  same  as  Inis-leamhnacta,  where  diere  was 
a  monasteiy,  in  which  Pulcherius  spent  some  time,  as  we  read 
in  his  Life,  (cap,  S^.)  ?    The  situation  fovours  this  conjecture ; 

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M  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL   HISTORY       CHAP.  XVIU 

fi>r  Inis-leainhiiacta  k  described  (ib.J  as  in  the  southern  part  of 
Osioiy  not  fo  firom  the  arm  of  the  sea,  into  which  the  Suir 
empties  itself*  Colgan  has  confounded  this  place  with  Inif»1an- 
naght,  where  a  cel^rated  Cistercian  abbey  was  founded  some 
centuries  afler  the  death  of  Pulcherius.  (See  Ware,  Ant.  can.  26 
at  Tipperary,)  Iniskumaght  lies  fo  from  Ossory  and  still  tarther 
fiom  the  sea»  beiiig  some  miles  to  the  West  of  Cionmel.  It  is 
now  called  Inislounagh  or  InUlough*  Harris  and  Archdall  have 
not  only  followed  this  mistake  <^  Colgan,  but  add,  what  he  has 
not,  that  Pulcherius  founded  a  monastery  at  Inislannaght  or  Inis* 
kmnagh.  For  this  there  is^jno  authority  whatsoever,  except  its 
being  related  that  he  passed  some  time  at  Inis^eamhnacta.  But 
might  he  not  have  been  there  on  a  visit  ?  This  is  all  that  the 
text  authorizes  us  to  admit.  I  am  greatly  inclined  to  think,  that 
he  had  gone  to  that  place  for  the  purpose  of  seeing  his  friend 
Finnbarr,  and  that  Inisleamhnacta  was  no  other  than  Inisdamhle. 
If  different  places,  they  were,  at  least,  not  Ux  asunder.  As  to 
Luchem,  Cdgan  (ib.)  makes  him  the  same  as  Luctigem  abbot 
of  Inisfymon.  But  Luchtigem  was  a  disciple  not  of  Comgall 
but  of  Ruadan  of  Lothra.  (See  Not.  21  to  Chap,  xi.} 

(70)  Life,  cap.  SI.  Colgan-  thought  that  Fediean  was  the  fa* 
roous  St.  Fechin  of  Fore,  of  whopi  hereafter.  But  the  times  do 
not  answer.  Fechean  is  stated  to  have  been  in  company  with 
Pulcherius,  Cannech,  a»d  Mdlua  of  Clonfert-molua  at  one  and 
the  same  time.  This  must  have  been  prior  to  the  dose  o£  the 
sbcth  century,  as  appears  pardculariy  from  Cannech  having  been 
one  of  the  party.  Now  Fechin  of  Fore  was  too  young  at  that 
period  to  rank  with  those  venerable  abbots.  He  lived  until  665y 
and  died  not  of  old  age  but  of  a  plague.  It  is  highly  probable, 
that  Fechean  was  the  abbot  Fechean,  who  is  spoken  of  as  hav- 
ing lived  for  some  time  with  St.  Senan  of  Inniscatthy ;  (A4.  SS. 
p.  5250  ^^^  ^^  whom  I  cannot  discover  any  precise  account. 

(71)  Life  cap.  83.    It  can  scarcely  be  doubted,  that  by  this  * 
bishop  Fursaeus  was  meant  the  great  St.  Fursey  of  Peronne.    He 
flourished  in  Ireland  in  the  early  part  of  the  seventh  century  at  the 
same  time  with  Pulcherius,  and  both  of  them  lived  in  Munster. 
This  is  an  additk>nal  aigument  in  proof  of  St.  Fursey  havmg  been 

a  bishop.    (Compare  with  Mot*  96  to  Chap,  xv.) 

(  72)  The  4  Masters  assign  his  death  to  655  (656).  Following  this 


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CHAP.  X9II.  OP   IftELAKO*  ^ 

date  he  most  have  been,  at  least,  106  yean  old  at  the  time  of 
Ins  death.  He  did  not  go  to  Bangor,  at  the  latest,  until  570 ;  for 
St.  Ita  was  still  alhre  when  he  set  out  fbr  it.  As  he  was  then  90 
years  of  age,  we  cannot  j^ace  his  birth  later  than  ^50.  Colgan 
remarks  on  a  silly  huh  verse,  in  which  he  is  said  to  have  lived  14 
years  above  400,  that  it  ou^  to  be  read  14  above  100;  and 
thuathewholeageofPulcherias  would  have  been  114  years.  The 
BoUandists  {Comment  pr.  at  Pulchmus  IS  Mart,)  approved  of 
this  conjecture,  but  sfterwards  m  a  note  to  the  Life  of  St.  Cronan 
of  Rosciea  (at  28  April)  rectracted  this  iq;yproval,  giving  us  a  con- 
jecture of  their  own,  viz.  that  in  said  verse  is  to  be  read  14  past  40; 
and  hence  they  concluded  that  he  lived  only  about  56  years,  and 
in  dienr  supposition  that  he  was  bora  in  550,  died  about  605.  Thcnr 
argument  in  &vour  of  these  fine  positions  is,  that,  as  they  say, 
they  feund  no  transaction  of  ins  life  later  than  the  sixth  century. 
But  did  they  not  find  Uiat  Failbhe  Fland  was  king  of  Munster 
during  the  Me  time  of  Pulcherius?  Now  this  prince  did  not  reign 
until,  at  the  earliest,  A.  D.  619.  (See  Nat.  39  to  Chap,  xiv.) 
Were  it  not  for  the  assertion  of  the  4  Masters  1  should  place  the 
death  of  Pulcherius  either  in  the  time  of  that  reign,  which  ended 
iD6d4,  orsomiafterit;  whereas  in  his  Life  I  meet  with  nothing, 
that  bekmgs  to  a  later  period. 

(73)  On  this  point  the  Calendars,  Annals,  fte.  agree  with  the 
Life. 

%.  vi«  St.  MochelloCy  of  whom  I  had  occaaioD  to 
make  mention  elsewhere,  (74)  belonged  to  these 
times,  having  died  very  old  in  some  year  between 
639  and  656.  He  is  usually  called  Mochelloc  of 
Cathuir-mac-Conchaidh,  once  a  town  in  the  now 
county  of  Waterford.  (75)  It  is  said  that  he  was  a 
relative  of  St.  Finan  of  Kinnity.  (76)  I  find  him 
honoured  with  the  title  of  bishop,  but,  I  suspect,  on 
weak  authority.  (77)  Besides  some  establishment 
at  Cathuir-mac-Conchaidh,  the  foundation  of  the 
church  of  Kilmallock  is  usually  attributed  to  him» 
and  the  naaie  Kilmallock  is  supposed  to  be  a  con- 
traction of  KilUmochelloc.  (78) 

St.  Manqhan  abbot  of  MenO'drochit  (70)  died  in 

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$/0  AN  ECCLEaiASTIOAIf   HISTORY        CHAP.   XTJU 

66S.  (SO)  He  wds  sornamed  the  Wise,  and 
enjcHfed  a  gieat  Ireputation.  (81)  Seme  wrkevi 
miiJte  him  the  tome  w  Mancban  ^Miiot  o£  Mohill  in 
die  tx)w  county  of  Leitdm ;  (89)  but  there  is 
reason  to  think,  that  they  were  dtmrent  persons.  (8S) 
ManChkiPthis  '»lse  was,  I  believe  the  same  as  the 
MiinchaQ^  ot,  as  Vulgarly  called,  MtmcAtla,  ¥riio  is 
inpposed  to  hate  been  the  first  bishop  of  limeridi* 
For  this  supposttioii  there  b  no  sufficient  authority ; 
(M)  and|  as  far  as  I  can  discover,  it  rests  on  ne 
otfker  fbundation  tlnm  that  Manchan  the  wUe 
fbunded^  plertia^  a  monastery  where  Limerick  now 
stands,  >or  that  the  first  church  in  tliat  plaoe  was  de- 
dicated in  his  name.  Of  the  identity  at  Mnnchin 
of  Limeridc  with  Manclum  the  wise  a  stronger  prpof 
need  hot  be  required  than  that  his  festival  is  kept  wi 
die  ^  of  January,  the  day  assigned  to  the  memory 
of  Manchan  the  wise  in  all  the  Irish  calendars.  (85) 
There  is  not  the  least  hint,  in  any  old  document 
relative  to  our  Church  history,  of  this  MandMOt 
having  been  raised  to  the  episcopal  rank;  but  the 
veneration  in  which  he  was  held  at  Limerick,  and  the 
eircumstance  of  its  oldest  dhurch  hearing  his  name, 
gave  rise  at  a  late  period  to  the  opinion  of  his  having 
been  a  bishop.  Mistakes  of  this  kind  have  occurred 
notenly  in  !^eland  but  likewise  in  other  countries. 

(74)  Chap.  I.  §.  12.  (75)  §.  SeeiS. 

(75)  AcU4)r.MoolMUoo  arSeMftrdL  Of  this  St.  Kuan  «ee 
dbove  N4t.  48. 

'  (77)  MfcheUoc  U  not  'Called  biihop  ia  aay  of  the  hith  oalea- 
da»  quoted  by  Colgan. 

(7S>  Keating  says  that  MocfaeUoo  eeeetedthe  ohurdt  of  JCflJU 
nodhdloc.  Oolgan  ciUs  ths  place  a  town,  meaning,  it  seems, 
Kiliballock.  Benoe  Hanis  and  Arobdall  ascnbe  a  nooattery  at 
KdmaUeckto  St.  Mochelloc 

(79)  It  is  wm  cflfled  Muiidrehid^tDd  is  in  the  barony  of  Up- 
per Ossory,  Queen's  county.    The  trnct,  in  which  it  lies,  was  for- 


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GHJLP.TiVlU  ^    Ojf  IBBJLAND.  .    .  31 

s^jesiSled.I>uertichiuUUn.    T^ee  wai  fa  abbot  Lmen  in  this 
plaqe,  who  died  A.  D.  600.  (Tr,  ffup.  $76.)       j  .,,.,,  ,.,, 
.   (80)  AodbU  oi  lJ]aUr,  and  U^,  jo.  970.  taoAlnd  Chrqtu 

(81)  The  author  of  the  wqtk  Dc  MirabUilmi,^  SoHptUr^^ 

of  which  hmafter,  takea  parrinilar.  nodoe  {JU  2.  e.  4.)  of  tha 

death  of  Mancban^  or,  aa  the  preaent  text  haa,  Manichaeusp  a/^ 

tme  of  the  wiae  men  of  lodand.    He  places  it  in  the  li)at  year,  of 

the  ^v^th  (yurkonipg  from  the  beginning  of  the'wcfri^)  qfd^ 

of  582  years,  which,  aoooiding  to  his  chronologicaljEn^M^lei^  vm^ 

tbe  same  as  A^.  D.  652.    (5ee  Uabei^  p.  97.0«)  •  From, t^  name 

MMnichMeits  Usber  (ii.)  seems  to  ha^e  canc^ufled» ,  that  Mao* 

Chan's  real  name  was  the  Hebcew  Men&hamf  whioh  has  been 

changed  into  flfa^chaeus.     Bup  jColgap ,  imntaii^j  (  44^  $^* J^ 

3d2*)  that  iMisiiidh^ ism  diminutive 4ift^aJb^J^^  mqidq 

andmeaosa^ft^mofiie.    He obsprvas, that theve were m^yperr 

sons  in- Ifeland  patted  Manchany  Mumxhen^^  or  Mondtffh  an^  all 

names  of  t!^  same  import*    Mankh^euf  ]%  asii^ie  J}istly;  ffe^sad^^ 

probably  «  corruption  of  M^cl^ani^;  ^^d  it.  will  be, inb,.  that 

other  Irish  names  h«ve  been  Gorrofytediitth^.  tex^  ef,t^  .w^j 

Sr«  Manchan  w^  in  aH  probability,  the  saip^.  a^  tbe  h^md^m^ 

num  named  Munchen,  who  is,n|<$ntione4  »  the  UfyjOf^^  Mtthia 

of  Clon&it-moiua  as  a.survivor  of  Us.    (S^  Ush^  J^'A990  . . 

(82)  ^sher  seems  to  haire  been  of  this  opiip^<  .  i{e:bl4{Nto 
p.969.)  a  Life  of  St.  IVfanchan  of  MohiU,  m^  p^  i^m  .beffn 
ivrittcn  by  I^phard  Fitx-Raiph,  archbishop  qf  4if!n««i^)i¥k  9^kh 
Mandian  waa  caUed  a  Ganen  regular  of  ^}A§igi^i^MA  MIfld 
IQ  haye  Boij^rished  ip  the  year  eO?.  But.tj^.  ifMD:99:lMb 
^^anons  n^pijar  in  those  times.  He  m  ihff;e^^^tl^^fmfo^,^ 
fffren  phurches.  It  isr  aaid  that  ever  since  s^  jpr  giabcff^  ;^9Ddli; 
^  tyti)^  &c.  were  grantedto  »pestaWii>b<lffnt^jMMiiBU  3%b 
fKcoont^melfe^f^  period  m^db  laterthigi  $881  jBiTfieWtaQlMi 
por^rtfaes^fliiefb^n  kmrnnii^  Ireland.  WareY^ln^ai^SS^ 
|Kt/>i^)  .pak^tw  the  same  jsa  MsMidbaa  faf  MeMdredut* 
tg^apdoea;Arcbdall»  (at  itCoisB)  im  appean  finm  Ms  asa^^g 
IkK^e^taj^^S. 

-..(9d>in  the  Idih  liUendm  ^jaoted  kf  C<4gi&  mil^^FAr. 
irtiere  ^  tmata  of  ManchUn  ofltfohiU,  they  tm  spotoenef  tt 
disMn^.pcims.  ManchMblht  mte  is ^mentiQiied  at  2  Jamafy, 
9riiaBtbeaaVi)f  Mob01at>paarsatl4Febtiiary.    insaisai 


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S2  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HI8T0ET  CHAP.  XVII. 

proof  that  tfaey  were  diierent»  ahhough,  I  wiD  allow,  the  only 
(me ;  fixr  very  little  is  known  concerning  these  Mandians,  not- 
withstanding the  great  esteem,  in  iduch  the  one,  sumamed  Wise 
was  hdd.  Colgan  says  that,  in  want  of  authentic  documents 
to  pfove  the  contrary,  be  mnst  consider  them  as  different  per- 


(84)  Ware  {Bishops  at  Limerick)  says,  that  St.  Munchin,  son  of 
Sedna,  was  the  first  bishop  of  that  d^.  He  does  not  refer  to  any  au* 
thoritj,  nor  had  he  any  except  a  passage  of  a  genealogical  hagiology, 
{ap.  AA.  SS.  p.  532.)  in  whidi  among  five  Mandums  is  reck- 
oned Manchinus  Lumniehensis  JUius  Sednae.    But  this  Manchin 
or  Mandian  is  not  called  a  bishop,  ahhoi^  a  Mandian  men* 
tkmed  just  befbre  him  is  maiked  by  that  title.  I  do  not  find  either 
in  the  Irish  calendars  or  annals  any  Mandian  bishop  of  Limeridc, 
nor  even  one  called  of  Limerick.    It  is  very  probable  that  Man- 
dian the  mse  was  son  of  Sedna,  who  is  said  to  have  been  a 
descendant  of  Cormac  Cas  king  of  Munster,  and  the  founder 
of  the  Dalcassian  line  of  princes.    As  Thomond,  in  whidi  was 
comprized  the  country  about  Limeridc,  was  the  patrimony  of  this 
race,  it  is  natural  to  suppose  that  Munchin  son  of  Sedna  was 
greatly  revered  in  that  territory,  of  which  he  was  probably  a  na- 
tive.    And  thus  it  can  be  easily  accounted  for,  why  there  was  a 
diurdi  in  Limeridc  called  by  his  name,  without  recurring  to  the 
unauthoriied  hypothesis  of  his  having  been  bishop  there.    Ware 
admowledges,  that  he  was  not  able  to  find  any  account  of  Mun- 
dihi's  successors  at  Limerick  ontfl  about  the  beginning  of  the 
tw^h  Century,  and  elsewhere  {AntiquiHeSf  cap.  29  at  Limerick) 
myBf  that  it  is  a  very  difficult  point  to  ascertain  who  Munchin  of 
Limerick  was.    He  mentions  the  opinion  of  those,  who  make  him 
the  same  as  the  Mancenus,  who,  according  to  Jocelin,  was  left  in 
Tirawley  by  St.  Fattidk.    We  have  ah-eady  seen,  {Chap,  v.  §.  19. 
and  H.  NoL  118.)  that  this  pretended  Manoenus  of  St.  Patrick's 
times  was  no  other  than  Mandian  of  Meno-drodnt    But  even 
if  he  were  diffigrent,  and  if  there  was  a  Manchaa  in  Tirawley  at 
that  eariy  period,  how  has  it  come  to  pass,  that  neither  in  Joce* 
line  nor  in  the  Tripartite  is  a  wiird  to  be  found  about  said  Man- 
dian having  become  bishop  of  Limorick,  although  the  latter  work 
is  particulariy  miniite  as  to  St.  Patrick's  proceedings  in  the  now 
ODimty  of  Linenck?  The  fiKl  is,  that  in  St.  Ptotrick*s  days  there 

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CHAP.  XVII.  OF   IRELAND.  33 

was  neither  a  town,  nor,  I  dare  say,  a  village,  nor  monastery  in  the 
place  where  Limerick  is  situated.  Ware  touches  also  on  the  opinion, 
that  Munchin  was  the  same  as  Munchan  of  Mene-drochit,  which» 
itrange  to  think,  he  supposed  to  be  less  probable  than  the  other. 
But  he  assigns  no  reason  for  his  having  thought  so.  O'Halloran 
I»etends  ( History,  Sfc,  B.  viii.  ch.  7.)  not  only  that  Manchan 
was  bishop  of  Limerick  soon  after  the  arrival  of  St.  Patrick  in 
Ireland,  and  that  he  had  been  employed  ipConnaught,  but  like- 
wise that,  before  he  became  bishop,  he  was  abbot,  and  the  first, 
of  Muingharid  (Mungret)  near  Limerick.  O'Halloran  con- 
founded Mungret  with  Mene*drochit,  notwithstanding  their  being 
most  clearly  distinguished  by  Colgan,  Harris,  Sec  &c  The  first 
abbot  of  Mungret,  at  least  on  record,  was  Nessan,  who  died  in 
552.  (See  CAa;?.  XI.  §.6.) 

(85)  See  A  A.  SS.  p.  833.  In  Ware's  Antiquities  (cap.  29.) 
the  first  of  January  is  mentioned,  by  mistake,  for  the  festival  of 
St.  Munchfai,  instead  of  the  second.  This  mistake  has  not  been 
corrected  by  Harris. 

%.  VII.  As  to  the  real  bishops  of  these  times^  be- 
sides those  of  the  third  class  of  saints,  and  Carthagh  of 
Lismore,Dagan,CoImanofDoiremore,ColmanorCo- 
lumban  of  Clonard,  Diman  of  Connor,  &c.  &c.  al- 
ready treated  of,  some  others  are  mentioned,  the 
accounts  of  whom  are^  in  general,  very  imperfect. 
St.  Aldus  or  Hugh,  sumamed  Dubh^  bishop  of  Kil. 
dare,  died  in  638.  (86)  He  is  said  to  have  been 
king  of  Leinster,  and,  on  resigning  his  kingdom,  to 
have  become  a  monk,  and  afterwards  bishop.  Yet  it 
seems  more  probable,  that  he  was  merely  of  the  blood 
royal  of  that  province.  (87)  The  day  of  his  death 
is  uncertain.  Dachua,  or  rather  Mochua  Luachra, 
a  native  of  Munster,  who  is  called  by  some  only 
abbot  of  Ferns,  and  died  on  the  ^iSd  of  June  A.  D.  ^ 
652  (65S)  (88)  was  likewise  a  bishop,  (89)  and  the 
immediate  successor  of  St.  Maidoc.  (90)  Tuenoc 
also,  who  succeeded  Dachua,  and  died  in  662  (663) 
was  not  only  abbot  but  bishop  of  Ferns.  (91)     A  St. 

VOL.  III.  D 

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34  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY  CHAP.  XVII.' 

Aldan,  who  is  said  to  have  been  maternal  brother  to 
Aidus,  son  of  Anmiraeus,  the  king  of  Ireland,  who 
was  killed  in  599,  (9^)  is  spoken  of  as  bishop  of 
Glendaloch.  (93)  If  so,  he  may  be  supposed  to 
have  succeeded  St.  Molibba  (94)  some  time  in  the 
first  half  of  the  seventh  century.  St.  Thomian, 
archbishop  of  Armagh,  died,  as  already  seen,  (95) 
in  661,  and  was  succeeded  by  Segen,  who  held  the 
see  for  27  years  (})6)  In  the  same  year  died  Co- 
nang  O'Daithil,  bishop  of  Emly.  (97)  One  or 
other  of  three  bishops  ot  Clogher  mentioned  by  Col- 
gan  might  have  been  there  in  these  times ;  but  which 
of  them  cannot  be  determined.  (98)  Bithan,  who 
succeeded  Aidhlog-Mac-Caimin,  (99)  as  abbot  of 
Clonmacnois,  is  said  to  have  been  also  a  bishop. 
(100)  He  was  of  a  family  called  Hua  Cormak^  and 
native  of  Conmaicne-mara,  in  Connaught.  (101) 
Baithan  died  in  663;  (102)  and  his  memory  was 
revered  on  the  first  of  March,  apparently  the  anni- 
versary of  his  death.  Some  other  bishops  and  holy 
men  are  mentioned  as  belonging  to  this  period ;  but 
scarcely  any  thing  is  known  concerning  them  except 
the  years  of  their  death,  (103)  further  inquiries 
would  be  useless. 

(86)  Colgan  has  eDdeavoured  to  give  some  acccnint  of  this 
bishop  at  4  January ;  but  it  is  veiy  unsatis&ctoiy. 

(87)  There  was  not  in  the  early  part  of  the  seventh  century  an 
Aldus  king  of  Leinster.  The  king  Aidus  who  died  in  591 »  ac- 
cording td  the  4  Masters,  could  not  have  been  the  bishop,  whose 
death  they  assign  to  6S8.  And  yet  they  tell  us,  that  the  bishop 
had  been  king  of  Leinster.  Colgan  strove  to  explain  tliis  contra- 
diction, but,  as  Harris  observes,  (Bishops  at  KUdareJ  with  little 
success.  It  is  therefore  probable,  that  some  mistake  has  occurred 
with  regard  to  the  title  given  to  Aidus,  and  that,  although  of  the 
royal  &mily  of  Leinster,  he  had  not  been  a  king.  Colgan  con- 
jectures that  he  was  the  bishop  Aidus  son  of  Moek)dran,  a  mem- 
ber of  that  house. 

(88)  4  Masten  and  Colgan,  A  A.  SS.  p.  ^S. 


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CHAP.  XVn.  OF   IRELAND.  35 

(89)  Colgan  speaks  of  him  (Tr.  Th.  p.  564.)  as  bishop  of 
Ferns.  A  r^;ular  see  had  been  established  there;  and  St.  Mai« 
doc»  although  raised  to  it|  still  continued  to  govern  the  monasteiy. 
The  same  system  was,  in  all  probabiliQr,  followed  by  his  suoces* 

SOCB. 

(90)  U^er  and  Warp>  as  will  be  seen  hereafter,  were  mistaken 
in  making  St.  Moling  the  second  bishop  of  Ferns.  Of  Mo- 
chuan  Luachra  more  will  be  seen,  when  treatii^  of  St.  Mo> 
ling. 

(91)  See  Tr.  Th.  p.  564?.  and  Harris  (Bishop  at  Ferns  J. 

(92)  See  Chap.xiv.  §.  1.  (93)  AA.  SS,  p.  $06. 

(94)  See  Chap.  xiv.  §.  16.  Were  we  to  believe  some  genea- 
logists, who  make  Aidaii  a  brother  of  Etchen  the  ordainer  of  Co- 
lumbkill,  we  should  rather  suppose  him  a  predecessor  of  Molibba. 
From  such  loose  materials  nothing  authentic  can  be  deduced. 

(95)  Chap.  XIV.  §.  12. 

(96)  TV.  Th.  p.  292-294.  and  Ware  at  Armagh.  It  is  proba- 
ble* that  this  prelate  was  the  Segen,  who  was  a  priest  in  the  year 
64a  (See  Nat.  91  to  Chap.  xv.). 

(97)  A  A.  SS.  p.  150.  The  Annals  referred  to  by  Colgan  have 
A.  660i  that  is,  661.  Yet  Waro  (at  Emly)  has  retained  A. 
660>  although  he  might  as  well  have  retained  it  for  Thomian  of 
Arawgh,  whose  death  is  marked  also  at  660  in  the  Irish  annals. 
Harris  was  ri^t  in  adding  "  or  661."  Conang  O'Daithil  is  men- 
tioned as  comorban  (successor  of  St.  Ailbe  in  the  Life  of  St.  Mo- 
lagga,  cap.  19.  Whether  he  was  the  person,  who  is  called  in  the 
Life  of  St  Pukherius  (cap^  35.)  archbishop  of  Emly,  I  am  not 
able  to  decide.  Ph>bably  he  was,  if  it  be  true  that  Fulcherius 
lived  umil  655.  This  title  of  archbishop  of  Endy  is  very  re- 
maikable,  as  appearing  in  a  tract  so  ancient,  and  shows  that  the 
bislu^  of  Emly  enjoyed  a  sort  of  pre-eminence  over  the  other 
bishops  of,  at  least,  Munster.  (^Con^[>are  with  Not.  67  to  Chap. 
VI.)  Colgan  says  (AA.  SS.  p.  598.)  that  some  of  our  calendarists 
place  the  Naialis  of  Conang  O'Daithil  at  the  23d  of  September. 

(96)  See  Not.  5  to  Chap.  xii. 

(99)  Aidhlog  Mac-Camain  died  in  652.     Usher,  Ind.  Chrom^ 

(100)  Colgan  in  his  short  account  of  Baitlian  (at  1  Mart.) 
refers  to  only  the  Marttfrologhim  Tamlactense  for  his  liaving  been 
a  bishop^  observing  that  in  other  calendars  he  is  called  merely 

D  2 


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36  AN  tlCCLESIASTlCAL  HISTORY         CHAP.  XVII. 

abM.    This,  however^  does  not  prevent  his  having  been  raised 

to  the  episcopacy. 

(101)  Conmaicne-mara  means  the  Conmaicne  near  the  sea. 
Harris  says,  (BUhopsy  at  Baitariy  ClonmacnoisJ  that  it  was  the 
same  as  the  barony  of  Ballynahinch  iu  the  county  of  Galway. 
Thus  he  supposed  it  to  have  been  confined  to  the  tract  now  called 
Connamara  ;  but  tlie  ancient  Conmaicne-mara  seems  to  have  ex- 
tended to  the  North  of  the  barony  of  Ballynahinch ;  for,  as  Col- 
gan  observes,  (A  A.  SS.  p.  437.)  the  island  of  Inisbofinde  (Ennis- 
bofin)  is  represented  as  lying  off  its  coast. 

(102)  This  is  the  date  assigned  by  the  4  Masters.  It^has  been 
retained  by  Ware  and  Harris,  although,  I  dare  say,  it  ought  to 
be  understood  as  664. 

(103)  Colgan  has  (Ind.  Ckran.  ad  A  A.  SSJ  from  the  4  Mas- 
ters ;  A.  658  died  St  Comin  bishop  of  Antrim,  and  on  the  17th 
of  May  in  said  year,  St.  Sillan  bishop  of  Devenish,  A.  659.  St. 
Daniel,  bishop  of  Kinngaradh,  18  January.  Instead  of  Kinn- 
garadh  we  ought,  I  believe,  to  read  Killgaradk,  now  Oran  in  the 
counQr  of  Roscommon,  where  St.  Patrick  is  said  to  have  founded 
a  church.  (See  Chap.  v.  §.  10.)  St  Laidgen,  a  monk  of  Gon- 
fert-molua,  who  had  been  educated  there  by  the  abbot  St  Lactan, 
was  a  man  of  extraordinary  sancd^,  and  his  memoiy  has  been 
most  highly  respected.  He  died  in  660  (661)  AA.  SS.  p.  57. 
Archdall  was  wrong  in  makii^  him  abbot  of  diat  house.  He  was 
only  a  monk. 

§.  VIII.  Segenius  abbot  of  Hy,  who  died  in  652, 
(104)  was  succeeded  by  Suibne  (Sweeny)  son  of 
Curthri,  of  whom  I  find  nothing  recorded  except 
that,  having  governed  for  more  than  four  years,  he 
died  in  657  (lOJ)  The  successor  of  Suibne  was 
Cumineus  Albus  or  Cuman  the  whitet  who  has  been 
often  mentioned  already,  and  who,  as  we  have  seen, 
(1()6)  must  not  be  confounded  with  Cummian  the 
author  of  the  Paschal  epistle.  Let  it  suffice  to  add 
in  this  place,  that  he  was  son  of  £man  a  brother 
of  the  above  mentioned  abbot  Segenius,  and  accord- 
ingly a  descendant  of  Fergus  the  grandfather  of  Co* 
lumbkill*  (10?)    Cumineus  died  after  an  administra- 


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CHAP.  XVII.  OF  IRELAND.  37 

tion  of  twelve  years,  on  the  24th  of  February,  A.  D. 
669(108) 

To  the  Columbian  order  is  said  to  have  belonged 
St.  Mura,  whose  name  has  been  latinized  into  Mitrus 
and  Muranus.  He  governed  the  monastery  of  Fatlien- 
Mura,  now  Fahan  in  Inishowen,  of  which  he  was 
most  probably  the  founder.  (109)  Mura  was  a  des- 
cendant of  Neill  Neigilliach  by  his  son  Eugene,  and 
great  grandson  of  another  Eugene  who  died  in  565. 
His  father's  name  was  Feradachy  and  his-  mother's 
Derinilla.  (110)  He  flourished  in  the  first  half  of 
the  seventh  century,  and  seems  to  have  died  some 
time  before  658.  (Ill)  His  memoiy,  which  is  re- 
vered on  the  1  '2th  of  March,  has  been  held  in  great 
veneration,  particularly  by  the  O'Neill  family, 
who  considered  him  as  their  patron  saint.  His 
staff,  called  Bachull  Muray  was  and  is,  perhaps, 
still  preserved  as  a  relique.  St.  Mura  wrote  a 
metrical  Life,  in  Irish,  of  Columbkill.  (112)  His 
monastery  flourished  for  many  centuries,  but  is 
at  present  only  a  parish  church  in  the  diocese 
of  Derry. 

(104)  See  Chap.  xnr.  §.  12.  The  12th  of  August  was  marked 
for  his  commemoration.    (  Tr,  Th.  p,  498.) 

(105)  Usher,  p,  702.  He  has  five  years  for  Suibne^s  adminis- 
tration. This  must  be  understood  as  reckoning  in  round  numbers. 
For  Suibne  died  on  the  1 1th  of  January,  and  accordingly,  count- 
ing from  the  12di  of  August  652  (the  day  marked  for  Segenius) 
was  abbot  only  four  years  and  nearly  five  mcmths.  Colgan  treats 
of  Suibne  at  11  January,  but  except  the  little  now  stated,  gives 
us  nothing  particular  concerning  his  history. 

(106)  Nat.  70  to  Chap.  XI. 

(107)  Acts  ofCumixieus  at  24  Febr.  The  far  greatest  part  of 
what  foBows  in  these  Acts,  which  were  patched  up  by  Colgan, 
belongs  not  to  Cumineus  Albus  but  to  Cummian  the  writer  of  the 
Epistle,  Co^an  having  confounded  them  together. 

(108)  All  the  Irish  oriendars,  quoted  by  Colgan,  agree  in  mark- 
ing the  24th  Febrqiury  as  the  day  of  his  death.    The  Ubter  An- 

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38  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL   HISTORY  CHAP.  XVII. 

iiakaDdthe4  Masters  aaeiga  it  to  A.  668,  i.  ^.  669.     See  also 
Usher,  p.  702. 

(109)  Sec  Not.  liei  to  Chap.  xi. 

(110)  Mura's  Acts  at  12  Mart. 

(111)  The  4  Masters  and  Colgan  Tr.  Th.  {p.  510.  and  A  A.  SS. 
p.  334.)  assign  the  death  of  St.  Kellach  abbot  of  Fathen-Mura 
to  A.  D.  6.\7  (65S).  Instead  of  657  Archdall  has  (at  Fahan)  by 
mistake,  637.  Kellach  must  have  been  a  successor  of  Mura,  and 
consequently,  unless  we  are  to  suppose  that  Mura  resigned  thego- 
votiment  of  the  monastery,  a  survivor  of  his. 

(112)  See  Acts,  and  Harris,  Writers. 

§•  IX.  St.  Monenna  is  reported  to  have  founded  a 
nunnery  at  Fochard  Brighde,  the  birth  place  of  St. 
Brigid,  (Faugher  in  the  county  of  Louth)  about,  as 
some  say,  the  year  630.  ( 1 13)  But  her  history  is  so 
confused  that  it  is  impossible  to  ascertain  the  precise 
time  of  this  foundation.  It  is  plain  that  Monenna 
has  been  confounded  with  another  person  of  the 
same  or  a  somewhat  similar  name.  (114)  The 
account  given  of  her,  in  a  work  called  her  Life,  is 
that  she  was  of  the  great  sept  of  the  Conalls  of 
Conail  Murthemhni  (the  coi  ntry  about  Dundalk) 
and  Clan-Conall  in  the  now  county  of  Down.  Her 
father  was  Maughteus,  prince  of  that  sept  and  ruler 
of  an  extensive  territory  stretching  from  Iveagh  to 
the  neighbourhood  of  Armagh.  (115)  Having 
governed  for  some  time  1 50  virgins  at  Fochard  she 
appointed  Orbila»  al.  Servila,  abbess  of  that  establish- 
ment! and  retired  to  near  Sliev-Cuilin  or  Sliev-GuUen 
in  the  county  of  Armagh,  where  she  erected  a 
church,  which  has  been  called  Kill-sleve-Cuilin,  that 
is,  the  cell  of  Mount-Cuilin.  (Il6)  Next  we  are 
told,  that  she  went  to  North  Britain,  and  erected 
seven  churches  in  various  parts  of  that  country,  one 
of  which  was  at  a  place  oAXeA  Lanfortin^  where  she 
died  during  the  life  time  ojf  Columbkill.  (11?)  This 
doe3  not  agree  with  the  hypothesis  of  her  having 
founded  tEe  nunnery  of  Fochard  i^ut  630^    as 


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CHAP*  XVII.  OP  IRELAND.  S9 

Columbkill  was  dead  long  before  that  time.  But 
other  accounts  bring  her  to  England,  where  she  was 
known  by  the  name  of  Movenna  or  Modwenna,  and 
greatly  distinguished  in  the  seventh,  or,  as  some 
writers  maintain,  in  the  ninth  century.  Amidst 
these  jarring  statements  I  am  not  able  to  form  any 
ctecisive  conclusion.  (118)  St.  Conchenna,  who  was 
either  abbess  or,  at  least,  a  member  of  the  nunnery 
of  Kill-sieve,  died  in  655,  and  her  memory  was  re- 
vered on  the  13th  of  March.  (119) 

There  is  good  reason  to  think,  that  the  celebrated 
St.  Athracta  or  Attracta  (120)  lived  about  these 
times,  or  somewhat  earlier.  The  statements  relative 
to  her  are  indeed  so  contradictory,  that  the  period, 
in  which  she  flourished,  cannot  be  precisely  ascer- 
tained. According  to  some  accounts  she  was  con- 
temporary with  St.  Patrick.  (1^<?1)  But  we  find  her 
spoken  of  as  living  in  the  times  of  St.  Corbmac, 
brother  of  St.  Evin,  (12^2)  and  consequently  in  the 
sixth  century.  (123)  St.  Nathy,  that  is,  according 
to  every  appearance,  Nathy  of  Achonry,  who  lived 
in  the  same  CjBntury  and  probably  during  some  part 
of  the  seventh,  is  also  mentioned  as  a  contemporary 
gf  hers.  (124)  On  these  grounds  it  may  be  fairly 
concluded,  that  St.  Athracta  belonged  to  the  same 
period.  She  is  said  to  have  been  the  daughter  of 
Talan  of  a  princely  family  of  Dalaradia  in  Ulster, 

(125)  and  brother  of  St.  Coeman  of  Aird-ne^Coem- 
liain,  a  consanguinity  which  it  would  be  difficult  to 
reconcile  with  her  having  been  a  native  of  Ulster. 

(126)  Whatever-  were  her  family  connexions,  St. 
Athracta  presided  over  a  nunnery  called  Kill-athracta 
(Kiilaraght)  nelar  the  lake  Techet,  now  Lough  Gara 
in  the  county  of  Sligo.  (1^7)  Her  memory  was 
levered  there  on  the  1  ith  of  August,  the  day  marked 
for  her  festival  in  the  Irish  calendars ;  but  in  some 
foreign  martyrologies  her  name  appears  at  the  9th  of 
February.  (12H) 


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40  AN    ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY       CHAP.  XVI1« 

(113)  Usher  says  {Ind,  Chron.)  that  the  virgin  Monenna  flou- 
rished in  630.  Hence  Harris  deduced  that  she  founded  the  nun- 
neiyof  Fochardin  that  year.  ArchdaH  has  638,  an  enatuip,  I 
suppose,  for  630.  Harris  calls  her  Monenna^  aU  Darerca*  This 
is  a  mistake.  It  was  Darerca,  who  is  said  to  have  lived  in  St.  Pa- 
trick's times,  that  was  sumamed  Moninne  or  Monenna.  (See  Not^ 
181.  to  Chap.  III.)  Usher  observes,  {Pr.  p.  824.)  that  Conchu* 
bran,  the  writer  of  Monenna's  Life,  perhaps  confounded  her  with 
Darerca,  owmg  to  the  tatter's  surname  Moninne.  This  is  indeed 
very  probable ;  for  Conchubran  (see  ib.  p.  705.)  makes  her  con- 
temporary with  St.  Patrick,  and  aflerwiirds  speaks  of  her  as  hav- 
ing been  in  Scotland  during  the  times  of  Columbkill.  Usher  thinks 
that,  instead  of  Columbkill,  it  would  have  been  more  correct  to 
have  said,  Columba  bishop  of  Dunkeld  in  Scotland,  who  lived  se- 
veral years  later. 

(IH)  The  Monenna  of  Conchubran  is  called  by  others  Mod- 
venna,  a  native  of  Ireland,  who  was,  in  the  seventh  centuiy,  fii- 
mous  in  England.  She  is  said  to  have  been  the  instructress  of  St. 
Ositha  an  English  virgin  and  saint.  From  Usher's  own  observa- 
tions (jp.  IQtJ)  concerning  the  times  of  St  Ositha  it  would  appear 
that  Monenna  or  Modvenna  did  not,  as  he  calculates,  flourish  as 
early  as  630.  On  the  other  hand  some  of  the  transactions  of  Da- 
rerca, sumamed  Monenna,  who  died  in  518,  have  been  attributed 
to  the  one  simply  called  Monenna.  To  add  to  this  perplexity, 
several  writers  maintain,  that  St.  Modvenna  lived  not  in  the  se- 
venth but  in  tha  ninth  centuiy.  Of  this  more  lower  down. 
.    (115)  See  Usher,  p.  705  and  1036. 

(116)  It  has  been  seen,  (Chap.  viii.  f  •  9.)  that  the  church  and 
nunnery  of  Kill-sleve-Cuilin  is  usually  attributed  to  Darerca,  sur- 
named  Moninne,  who  died  in  518.  This  was  also  Colgan's  opi- 
nion, while,  although  placing  this  Darerca  at  that  early  period, 
he  held  that  she  was  different  from  the  one  si^iposed  to  have  been 
sister  to  St.  Patrick.  (See  Not.  181  to  Chap,  iii.)  Usho-  was  in- 
clined to  think,  (Ind.  Chron.  ad.  A.  63a)  that  the  foundress  of 
said  establishment  was  the  Monenna  of  the  seventh  century.  But 
the  common  opinion  appears  better  supported.  Besides  the  4 
Masters,  who  call  Darerca,  that  died  in  518,  abbess  of  that  place, 
(see  A  A.  SS.  p.  190.)  there  is  a  passage  in  the  Life  of  St.  Endas 
of  Amn'(cap.  8.)  in  which  Darerca^  «/.  Moninne  is  stated  to 


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CHAP*  XVII.  OP  IR£LAKD«  41 

*bsTe  been  in  her  nunnery  of  BelMebi  (KilMeve)  during  the 
life  time  of  tfaftl  sainf .    Now  Enda  flouriihed  in  the  beginning  of 
the  sixth  century,  and,  at  most,  did  not  outfive  the  middle  of  it. 
On  the  whole  it  seems  certain  that  the  nunnery  of  KiU-dere    - 
existed  long  before  that  of  Pochard. 

(117)  Thus  far  Conchubran  ap.  Usher,  p*  706,  who  gives  the 
names  of  those  seven  churches,  and  observes  that  Lanfortin  was 
near  Dundee.  Conchubran  havmg  erroneoosly  called  Columbkill 
an  archbisbop,  Usher  remarks  that  ColundlM  the  first  bishop  of 
Dunkeld  was  probably  the  person,  in  whose  time  Moninna  died* 
Thus  her  death  might  have  been  as  late  as  about  640. 

(118)  Conchubran,  as  fiv  as  I  can  discover,  (fori  know  nothing 
of  his  work  except  finom  Usher^s  extracts)  makes  no  mention  of 
St.  Monenna  having  been  in  En^and ;  nor  does  it  appear  that 
he  thought  her  the  same  as  St.  Modwenna.  Usher  and  several 
English  writers  make  no  distinction  between  them,  and  apply  to 
Modwenna  what  Conchubran  has  concerning .  Monenna.  That 
there  was  a  celebrated  Irish  virgin  Modwenna  in  England  cannot 
be  called  in  question.  Camden  says,  {col.  618,  Gibson's  M^)that 
<<  Modwenna  an  Irish  vii^,  fiuned  for  her  wonderful  pieQr,  buiH 
a  nunneiy  near  Pollesworth"  in  Warwidohire.  And  (coL  641) 
he  q)eaks.Qf  her  as  having  been  near  Burton  on  Trent,  Staffind- 
shire.  I  do  not  find  him  stating  the  period,  at  which  she  was  in 
these  places*  Usher  thought  it  was  in  the  seventh  century,  be- 
cause Modwenna  is  said  to  have  instructed  St.  Ositha,  whom  he 
assigned  to  said  century,  as  have  also  Baronius  and  others.  He 
acknowledges  that  Ositha  flourished  in  the  latter  part  of  it;  and 
hence,'  as  observed  above  {Nat.  114)  it  may  be  collected,  that 
Modwenna  was  not  distinguished  as  early  as  630.  But  other 
writers  assert,  that  Modweima  lived  in  the  .9th  century,  and  even^ 
in  the  second  half  of  it  Their  system  is  exhibited  and  fdlowed 
by  Cressy,  (Qhurch  Historyy  &c  B.  28.  ok.  2.),  who  tells  us  1* 
that  Modwenna  was  the  daughter  of  Nangtheus  of  TirconneL  He 
mistook  the  name  Maughleus  of  Conchubran  fyr  Nangtheuu 
Another  mistake  is  that  of  Tirconnel  instead  of  the  ConalV 
country  in  Louth  and  Down.  Camden  has  fallen  into  it,  but 
was  corrected  by  Usher  (p.  1036).  2.  Cressy  has  the  nunneiy  of 
Fodiart,  &c-  and  then  sajrs,  that  Modwenna  erected  another  at 
CeDiscKne,  so  catted  from  the  muUUude  of  ceOt.    This  is  a  droH 


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42  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY         CHAP.  XVIi. 

bhmder ;  Cdliiclme  &c  inHaul  of  Kill-sieve' CuilUn,  the  cell  of 
MouDt-Cuillin.  Ai  to  the  origin  of  this  nunnery,  it  is  well  known, 
that  whoeviar  wm  the  Monenna  by  whom  founckd,  (see  Not.  1 16) 
it  exMled  Joqg  before  the  ninth  oeatory.  3.  Modweniia,  on  the 
invitation  of  EtheHrolf,  Idng  of  the  West  Saxons,  went  to  Eng^ 
land,  taking  with  her  Adiei  her  disciple  and  relative— 4s  entrusted 
wkh  the  care  of  Editha  the  king*s  sister,  and  founds  the  nunnery 
of  PoUeswortb,  4.  Leaving  the  direction  of  PoUesworth  to  Acbea 
and  Editha  ibe  wait  to  the  small  island  of  Andresey,  (Andrew's 
island)  where  she  erected  a  diurdi  in  honour  of  St.  Andrew,  and 
near  which  was  aflerwwds  founded  the  Benedictine  monastery  of 
Burton.  5*  Modwhma  bad  also  a  disciple  named  Ositha,  con- 
,  oeming  whose  timet  Grassy  here  dianges  a  former  opinion  of  his. 
For  he  had,  (B.  17.  ch>  15.)  with  Baronius,  placed  her  in  the  7th 
century,  but  now  removes  her  to  the  ninth.  6.  Modwenna  re- 
turned to  CeUisdine  in  kdand,  and  died  there  after  having  re* 
quested  that  her  body  riiould  be  interred  in  Andressey.  This  re- 
quest was  complied  with  through  the  care  of  the  great  Alfred ; 
but  the  body  was  in  a  following  age  removed  to  the  monastery  of 
Burton.  Brom  this  nanadve,  conqpared  with  Condiubran's  ac- 
count, the  reader  will  be  able  to  understand  the  epitaph  on  St. 
Modwenna's  tomb  at  Burton,  as  in  Camden  (col.  641.)  and  Usher, 
;}.1096. 

Ortum  Modwennae  dat  Hibemia,  Scotia  finem, 

Anglia  dat  tumiilum,  d^t  Deus  alta  poli. 
Prima  dedit  vitam,  sed  mortem  tarra  secunda, 

Et  terram  terrae  tertia  terra  dedit. 
Aufert  Lanfortin,  quam  Terra  ConaUea  profert ; 

Fdiz  Burtonium  Virginis  ossa  tenet. 

Su  Modwinna's  death  is  here  placed  at  Lanfortin,  where  Cen- 
cbubran  says  that  Monenna  died,  in  opposition  to  the  statement 
given  by  Cressy. 

(119)  This  is  all  that  I  can  find  worthy  of  consideration  as  to 
St.  Conchenna  in  what  Colgan  has  about  her  at  13  Mati.  The 
4  Masters  have  for  her  death  A,  654,  which,  I  suppose,  ought  io 
be  understood  655.  They  call  her  St.  Condienna  of  Killsleve, 
without  adding  the  title  of  abbess.  As  Killsleve  was  the  same 
as  Kill-sleve-Cuillin,  of  which  in  the  preceding  notes,  we  have  here 

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CHAP.  XVII. 


OF   IttELAND.  «    43 


a  proof  that  thifl  nunneiy  exiiled  long  befive  tbe  nintii  ceor' 

tury. 

(120)  Colgan  has  endeavoured  to  conqpfle  the  Acts  of  this  saint 
at  9  February.  They  consist  diiefly  of  firagmoiits  of  a  bombastic 
life,  written,  as  he  thought,  by  a  Cisterian  monk  of  the  abbey  of 
Boyle,  and  consequently  not  before  the  latter  end  of  the  twdAh 
c^tury.  He  justly  observes,  that  it  was  not  commendable  efaher 
for  style  or  dose  attention  to  truth. 

(121)  See  Chap.y.§.  10. 

(122)  Life  of  St.  Corbmac,  cap.  17.  at  26  March. 
(12S)  See  Not.  111.  to  Chap.  xii. 

(124-)  Acts  of  St.  Athracta,  cap.  13.    In  the  same  dhapte^ 
Keannfaelaid  is  said  to  have  been  king  of  Connaug^  during  her 
time.    Colgan,  not  finding  any  king  there  of  this  name  before 
about  670>  thought  that,  mstead  of  a  king  of  aU  Connaog^t 
ought  to  be  understood  a  dynast  of  some  part  of  it.    But  in  said 
Acts  Keannfaelaid  is  expressly  stated  to  have  ruled  the  whole 
province,  '*  ienens  totum  ems  (Comiadae)  principatum  unioena* 
liter.'*    The  author  certainly  meant  the  wdl-known  king  of  aU 
Connaught.    Yet  we  are  not  bound  to  bdieve,  that  Athracta  lived 
as  late  as  his  reign.     That  author  cared  so  little  about  ana^ 
chrmiisms,  that  he  places  her  also  in  the  times  of  St  Patiick. 
Concerning  Nathy  of  Aduroniy  see  Chap.  xii.  §.  S.    That  he 
he  was  the  Nathy  alluded  to  in  AtfiracU's  AcU  is  sufficiently  dear 
ifromhis  having  Hved  in  the  district,  in  which  her  numery  was  si- 
tuated, viz.  Lugne  or  Lugnia,  of  which  the  bar<my  of  Leneyin 
the  county  of  Sligo  forms  a  part.    Nathy  of  Achoniy,  which  is 
in  said  baiony,  is  the  only  saint  of  that  name,  that  flourished  in 
I-ugne. 

(125)  AA.  SS.p.2Sl. 

(126)  See  Not.  141  to  Chap.  xii.  If  Athracta  was,  whether 
sister  or  not,  contemporary  with  Coeman,  we  have  an  addition^  ar^ 
gument  in  fovour  ofher  having  lived  in  the  sixth  centuiy ;  for  Coe* 
mftyi  is  said  to  have  been  brother  to  St.  Coemhgen  of  GiendidodL 

(VSn)  See  Chap.  v.  f.  10  and  ib.  Not.  95. 

(128)  In  the  fore^  calendars  her  name  is  spelt  Tarachia  or 
Tarahaia.  No  St.  Taradita  is  mentioned  in  any  Irish  doeuasent  { 
and' hence  Colgan  justly  inferred,  that  she  was  no  other  thaa  Sc» 
Athracta.    The  BoUandipto  (at  9  Feir.)  do  not  controcvert  his 

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44  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY        CHAP.  XVII- 

opiniott.  They  have  scarcely  any  thing  about  St  Atbraeta  ex- 
cept what  they  took  from  him,  and  follow  him  even  to  her  having 
fliMffished  in  the  5th  century,  to  which  period  they  assign  also 
Coeman  of  Airdne-Coemhain.  It  appears  that  they  did  not  exa* 
minethehistory  of  either  of  these  saints  with  much  attention. 

§.  X.  Su  FecIiiD,  (129)  who  is  the  first  named 
among  the  priests  of  thp  third  class  of  Irisli  saints, 
was  a  native  of  the  territory,  in  which   St.  Athracta 
had  her  nunnery,  that  is,  of  Lugne.  (130)     Bile, 
or,  as  afterwards  called.   Bile  Fechin,  in  the  barony 
of  Leney,  is  stated  to  have  been  the  place  of  his  birth. 
His  father  was  Coelchama  a  descendant  of  Eochad 
Fionn  brother  to  the  famous  king  Con  of  the  hun- 
dred battles,  and  his  mother   I>assair  of  the   royal 
blood  of  Munster.  (ISl)     When   fit  to  be  sent  to 
school^  Fechin  was  placed  under  St.  Nathy  or  Nathi 
of  Achonry,.  in  whose  monastery  he  remained  until 
he  made  a  considerable  progress  in  learning  and 
piety.     How  long  he  continued   there  we  are   not 
correctly  informed.     According  to  one  account  he 
staid  with  Nathi,  until  he  was  ordained  priest ;  (132) 
but  according  to  another^  whiph  appears  more  con- 
sistent, he  left  that  scho6l  several  years  before  he 
was  ordained  and  went  to  that  of  some  other  holy 
man.  (ISS)     Having  finished  his  studies,  and  being 
raised  to  the  priesthood,  he  lef);  his  own  country  for 
the  purpose  of  leading  a  retired  life,  and  arriving  at 
Fobhar,   now   Fore  in   the  county  of  Westmeath, 
stopped  there,  being  very  kindly  received  by  the  pro- 
prietors of  that  jflace.    Here  he  erected  a  monastery, 
to  which  such  numbers  of  persons  were  attracted  by 
his  reputation,  that  after  some  time  his  community 
consisted  of  about  three  hundred  monks,  (1 S4)  who,  as 
well  as  their  holy  abbot,   subsisted  on  their  own 
labour,  (135)  and  were  somelimes  reduced  to  great 
penury.  (1S6)     Some  other  monasteries  or  churches 
are  iMributed  to  St.  Fechin  ;  but,  with  the  exception 
of  one  or  two  of  them,  I  greatly  doubt  whether  they 

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CHAP.  XVII.  OF  IRELAND.  45 

were  of  his  foundation.  (1S7)  That  he  established 
a  religious  house  in  the  island  of  Immagh  near  the 
coast  of  Galway  (1 38)  cannot  be  questioned.  The 
inhabitants  were  still  Pagans  when  Fechin,  taking 
with  him  some  of  his  monks  of  Fore,  undertook  their 
conversion.  At  first  he  met  with  great  opposition, 
and  the  people  were  so  obstinate  that  thej  refused  to 
supply  him  and  his  companions  with  even  the  neces- 
saries of  life,  so  that  two  of  them  died  of  want  of 
food,  whom,  however,  the  Almighty  was  pleased, 
through  the  saint's  intercession,  to  bring  again  to 
life.  But  Guaire,  king  of  Connaught,  being  ap- 
prized of  their  distress,  sent  them  abundance  of 
provisions.  (1S9)  When  setting  about  the  con- 
struction of  a  monastery,  the  islanders  threw  their, 
implements  and  utensils  into  the  sea,  which,  it  is 
said,  were  driven  back  on  land.  At  length  Fechin 
succeeded  in  bringing  all  of  them  over  to  the  Chris- 
tian faith,  and  baptized  them.  Their  zeal  became  so 
fervent,  that  they  consigned  themselves  and  their 
island  to  him  as  their  master  and  siiperior.  (140) 

(129)  Colgan  has  published  (at  20  Januaiy)  two  Lives  of  St. 
Fechin.  The  author  of  the  first  was  Augustin  MagraidiD,  who 
died  in  1405.  The  second,  which  is  more  copious  and  drcum* 
itantial  was  compiled  by  Colgan  and  his  assistants  from  three  dif. 
ferent  lives  of  Fechin  written  in  Irish. 

(180)  See  Not.  124.  (131)  A  A.  SS.p.  143. 

(1S2)  Second  Life,  cap,  8.  In  this  Life  Nathi  is  Hepresented 
as  living  for  some  tune,  iqpparently  not  inconsiderable,  after 
Fechin,  afareadj  a  priest,  had  founded  some  monasteries.  If  so, 
Nathi  must  have  lived  to  a  great  age ;  for  he  was  a  grown  up  man 
before  the  death  of  Finnian  of  Clonard,  (see  Chap,  xiu  §.  3.)  that 
is,  before  552.  Now  it  can  scarcely  be  admitted  that  Fechin, 
who  died  of  a  [^ague  in  665,  was  bom  earlier  than  between  580 
and  590,  or  that  he  could  have  been  a  priest  prior  to  between  610 
and  620.  Supposing  then  Nathi  to  have  been  alive  after  Fechin 
had  established  monasteries,  he  would  have  lived  until,  at  least, 

^;  whence  it  would  fellow  that  he  was  very  old  when  he  died. 


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46  AN   ECCI^ESIASTICAL   HISTORY  CHAP..  XVII. 

(153)  In  the  fint  Life  we  read  {cap.  6.)  that  Vedbm  was 
tUfil  a  hojf  ^  bonae  indolis  puer,"  when  he  remored  to  another 
•ehool.     Ifii  going  to  this  school  was  veiy  probablj  owing  to 

^  Nathft  deathi?  ^R^ddi  may  be  cmijectured  to  have  occunned  about 
the  beguuung  of  the  seventh  centiuy.  What  school  it  was,  oridio 
wns:  thai  odicr  holy  nian»  is  not  mentioiied  in  the  Life,  He  was. 
most  probably  Fmtan  Moddubh.  (See  NoU  174m  to  Chap,  xii.) 
Co^gpm  has  a  feble  conceniing  Fechin  having,  been  a  dkciple  of 
Kieraa  of  Clonmacnois,  as^  if  a  man,  who  Hved  until  665  oould 
haiire  been  the  sdiobur  of  one  that  died  in  549.  Yet  this  story  is  per- 
haps founded  on  truth  misunderstood.  Feclnn  might  have  been . 
at  the  great  school  of  Clonmacnois,.  which  used  to  be  called  Kie- 
ran's  s^iod  or  coU^e.  Vtom  its  having  been  said  that  he  studied 
there  it  might  have  been  imfgined  that  Kieran  himself  was  his 
master.  Whether  the  times  answered  or  not  was  a  point  not 
inquired  into. 

(154)  First  Life,  cap.  10.  Second,  cap.  9.  In  a  hymn  fer 
the  Office  of  St. Fechin  we  read; 

Dehinc  fuit  monachorum 
Dux  et  pater  trecentorum 
Quo»  instnudt  l^e  roorum 
Mums  contra  vitia.     Amen. 

Archdall  (at  Fore)  has  swelled  the  number  to  three  thousand, 
and  refers  to  Usher,   who  in  the  very  passage  referred  to  {p. 
1195.  or,  as  in  the  London  ed.  500.)  reckons  only  three  hundred, 
quoting  the  lines  now  given  from  the  hymn. 
(185)  First  Life,  cap.  10.  and  14.    > 

(136)  lb.  cap.  11.  and  Second  Life,  cap.  S6. 

(137)  It  is  said  in  the  second  Life,  {cap.  8.)  that  Fechin  p«or  to 
his  going  to  Fore  erected  a  noble  church  as  Eas-dara  (Ballysadare, 
CO.  Sligo ;)  another  at  Bile,  where  he  was  bom,  together  with  a  mo- 
nastery called  Kill-na-manach,  i.  e.  cdl  of  the  monks  ;  and  three 
diurches,  viz.  of  Druimratha,  Killgarvan,  and  Edarguidhe,  al. 
Ecdas-roog.  In  the  first  place  I  have  to  observe,  that  not  one  of 
these  foundations  is  mentioned  in  the  first  Life,  and  that  it  gives 
us  plainly  to  understand  that  the  monastery  of  Fore,  ii^  whidi  he 


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CHAP.  XVII.  OF  IRBLANIX  47 

praaded  av^  SOD  monkfl,  was  Fediio'f  fint  wtaMiihmenl.  As 
to  Eaa-datty  tbe  most  ve  are  booml  to  adisk  Is^,  that  he  built  a 
cbmch  there.  It  is  true  that  the  monasteiy  of  that  place  pQa» 
sessedsome land  called  Tearmatm  Feekm,  i» d.  tha sacrodgrowid 
of  Fedun;  but  it  does  not  feDoif  that  he  founded  the  mo* 
QMtery,  or  that  it  was  he  that  obtained  the  grants^  bjr  wbidi  it 
was  enriched.  Fechin's  system,  as  appears  fitMu  his  conduct  at 
Fore,  was  one  of  poverty  and  diffierent  from  that  of  procuna^ 
estates  fbr  his  establishments.  If  the  monastery  of  Ballysadare 
had  been  founded  by  him,  this  would  have  been  stated  in  th^ 
soeond  Life  as  weD  as  the  erection  of  the  churdi,  in  the  same  num* 
ner  as  the  monastery  at  Bile  is  ezpresdy  mentioned  besides  the 
church.  To  account  for  the  name  Tearmann  Feckin^  it  is  suQ* 
dent  Uiat  the  churdi  of  Ballysadar^  to  whidi  a  monastery  was 
afterwards  annexed,  had  been  denominated  from  St.  Fedun  as  ita 
founder ;  or  that,  what  is  at  least  equally  probaUe,  that  both  the 
church  and  monastery,  by  idiomsoever  founded,  were  dedicated 
to  him*  ^ 

That  the  church  of  Bile  and  the  monastery  of  Killnam^nach  were 
not  founded  by  Fediin  seems  almost  certain,  not  only  fiom  their 
not  being  spoken  of  in  the  flbt  Life,  but  from  its  being  equessly 
stated  dwt,  as  soon  as  he  was  ordained  priest,  he  withdrew  htnn 
his  own  country.  Had  he  formed  these  estabiishments»  among 
hn  rdathres,  would  they  not  have  been  hinted  at,  and  some  rea* 
son  assigned  for  his  leaving  them  ?  It  is  no  argument  to  say, 
that  Bile  was  called  BUe-FtttA/n  ;  for  the  draunstance  of  1^ 
having  been  bom  there  suffidently  explaina  tbaxeasoA  of  that  suiw 
name.  In  the  passage  of  the  second  Life  relative  to  these  places 
the  monastery  of  Killnamanach,  as  for  as  I  undentand  it,  is  repro* 
sented  as  at  Bile.  Colgan,  however,  seems  ( A  A*  SB.  p.  14S.) 
to  distinguish  them  as  di&rently  situated.  Perhaps  this  was  the 
case ;  for  we  fokl  a  Kilnamanagh  not  for  indeed  fixmi  Bile  but  yet 
in  a  place  distinct  foom  it.  Harris  and  Arcbdall  make  them  d|^ 
ftfent  places ;  but  th^  had  no  right  whatsoever  to  assign  a  mo; 
nastery  to  BOe,  in  the  supposition  of  Killnamanach  having  bcm 
situated  elsewhere.  In  this  case  there  remains  for  Bile  merely  a 
church,  according  to  the  second  Life,  which  is  the  only  authorily 
that  can  be  produced  for.  these  pretended  foundatioos  #f  For 
dun. 


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48  AS  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY      CHAP.  XTIL 

Tbeie  writen  Ime  dumged  abo  Druimnttha  into  a  monaiteiy, 
$iAoa^  in  Mid  Life  it  18  called  only  a  church,  nor  does  Co^ 
ipeak  of  it  othtrwise.  It  was  the  same  as  Drumratt  in  the  ba- 
rony, not,  as  Archdall  Mys^  of  Leney,  and  near  Ballysadare,  but 
of  Conran  m  the  same  county  of  S%>.  Archdall  mentions  St. 
Enan  as  having  been  at  Drunutith ;  but  this  saint,  who  wasear- 
yer  by  many  years  than  Fechin,  belonged  to  Drumrath  in  West- 
naath.    {9^  Na.  97  to  Chap,  xii.) 

In  like  manner  Harris  has  without  any  authority  placed  an  abbey 
atKilgarran,iHudi  he  supposed  to  be  in  the  county  of  Sligo.  Arch- 
dall iHio  with  Colgan  calls  it  KUnagarvan,  is  more  correct  He 
speaks  of  it  as  only  a  diurch,and  soitis  called  in  the  8econdLife,a8 
lacswise  by Cdgan,  (JA.  SS.  p.  148.)  who  says,  that  it  isaparish 
diurch  in  the  district  of  Coistealbach.  Archdall  is  right  m  phuang 
It  in  Mayo  and  in  the  barony  of  Gallon.  At  present  it  goes  by 
the  name  of  KjUgarvy.  It  is  situated  very  near  the  barony  of  Le- 
ney  in  Sligo.  Its  old  name  KiU-na-'garvan  indicates,  that  its 
founder  was  not  Fechin  but  oneGarvan. 

Edaiguidhe  is  omitted  by  Harris  and  Archdall.  All  that  Col- 
gan sqrs  of  it »,  that  it  was  an  oratory,  somewhere,  I  suf^MMe,  in 
Li^e. 

In  die  second  Life  {cap,  19.)  Fechin  is  spdcen-  <^  as  being  in 
hii  monutery  of  Cong  (in  suo  monasterio  de  Cunga)  in  the  now 
county  of  Mayo>  barony  of  Kilmaine.  I  suspect  that  suo  has 
been  inserted  without  sufficient  authority.  In  the  first  Life  there 
is  not  a  word  about  Cong,  an  omission  veiy  strange  indeed,,  if 
that  cdebrated  monastery  had  been  founded  by  Fechin.  Among 
the  many  abbots  of  Cong  I  do  not  find  one  called  luscomorban  or 
successor.  Ware  says,  {AnUq,  cap.  26.  at  Mai/o)  that  the  mo- 
niisteiy  of  Cong  was  fi)unded  by  Donald  son  of  Acd,  or  Aidus,  and 
grandson  (not  nephew,  as  in  the  En^ish  translation)  of  Anmirech, 
that  is,  Domnakl  n.  king  of  Irdand,  who  died  in  642.  (See  Chap. 
XIV.  $•  f.)  He  assigns  this  foundation  to  A.  D.  624 ;  Harrisadds, 
9r  6S5.  Whence  Ware  derived  this  information  I  cannot  disco- 
ver. fleobsOTves  that  t^umei,  that  Fechin  was  some  time  abbot 
diere.  For  this,  it  is  saidy  diere  is  no  othor  foundation  than  the 
loo  of  the  second  Life.  K^olgan  has  (  AA.  SS.  p.  151.)  a  St.  Mo- 
kxaisof  Cong,  whose  name  is  in  the  calendars  at  17  ApriL  It  is 
very  probable  that,  although  this  monasteiy  might  have  been 


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CHAP,  XVII«  OF  Ift£LAND«  49 

erected  at  the  expeitfe  of  long  Domnald,  Molocus  was  its  fim 
abbot.  He  was  the  saint,  whose  name  used  to  be  joined  to  that 
of  CoDg^as  weseeinColgan'sTapographica]  Index  {ih.)  at  Cungtu 
Such  junction  of  names  is  generally  indicatnre  of  the  saints,  who 
were  either  the  Ibunders,  or  the  first  disdngui^ed  in  Uie  nMMias- 
teries  or  churches,  to  which  their  names  are  annexed. 

In  the  same  life  (cap.  82.)  a  monastery  in  Ard-oilen,  one  of  the 
Arran  isles  off  the  coast  of  Gahray,  is  attributed  to  Fechin.  This 
is  evidendy  a  mistake ;  for  besides  its  not  being  mentioned  i(i  the 
first  Life,  it  is  weU  known  that  the  patron  saint  of  Ard-oilen  was  « 
St  Coenriiain,  insomudi  so  diat  (torn  his  name  it  was  fUiueily 
called  Ara'Coemhainy  and  its  monasteiy  and  principal  diurdi  were 
called  Ki^Chemhain.  (See  Cdgan,  AA.  SS.  p.  715.  and  above 
Not.  141.  to  Chap.  XV.)  In  what  Colgan  has  {ib.)  oonceming 
Ard-oilen,  idthougfa  he  treats  of  it  very  minutely,  the  name  of 
Fediin  is  not  even  hinted  at  Harris  however.  Mows  the  stoiy 
of  the  second  Life;  and  Ardidall,  to  compromise  the  matter,  says 
that  Kitt-Coenrfmin  was  founded  by  Fechin.  Why  rob  St.  Coendi- 
ainof  thisfeundatton?  Archdall  goes  fardier  than  the  Ufb,  whidi 
does  not  ascribe  KiIl-€oemhain  to  Fediin,  but  exhibits  him  as 
erecting  a  nameless  monastery  in  Ard-oilen,  as  if  there  might  have 
been  two  in  that  island.  Butthe^K^is,  that  there  was  mdy  one, 
the  feoaderc^  which  was  Coendiain.  Another  mistake  (perhaps  df 
the  pre88)in  his  account  of  Ard-oBen  is  the  confeuodmg  of  Coemh- 
ain  with  Cohm^. 

Another  pretended  foundation  by  Fechin,  is  that  ef  Tulach^ 
Fobhuk,  sopposedto  be  near  Naas.  Tkns  place  is  mentioned  in 
die  second  Life,  ifcop.  92.  teqq.)  but  it  is  not  stated  diat  a  mo- 
nastery was  erected  there.  Colgan,  idienMdummg  these  estaUidi- 
ments  of  Fechin,  as8^;ns  neither  a  monasteiy  nor  a  church  to 
Tulach-FoUinir.  AH  that  is  said  of  it  is,  that  a  king  of  Leinster 
made  a  grant  of  it,  together  with  its  inhitf>itant8,  miQ,  and  thead- 
Joining  district,  to  St.  Fechin.  Would  Fednn  and  his  monks  df 
Fore  have  been  poor  and  distressed,  were  diey  possessed  of  that 
fbe  estate?  TWArcA-FodAiaV  means  a  landed  property  belonging  to 
Fore,  whidi  this  monastery  acquired  in  its  days  of  splendour,  but 
certainly  not  in  Fechin's  time.  Notwithstanding  no  mention  being 
made  of  a  monastery,  Harris  has  placed  one  there,  and  has  been 

VOL.  III.  E 

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50  AN  ECCLESlASTrCAL  HISTORY  CHAP._XVII. 

followed  by  Arclidall,  who  was  not  able  to  give  any  account 
of  it- 

( 1 38)  Colgan  says  that,  instead  of  the  distinguished  monastery 
of  Imtnagh,'  in  his  time,  there  was  only  a  parish  church  there,  of 
which  St  Fechin  was  the  patron,  as  also  of  the  island.  It  was  in 
the  diocese  of  Tuam.  I  do  not  find  the  name,  Immaghy  used  at 
present.  This  island  is,  I  suppose,  that  now  called  Inismain  in 
the  bay  of  Galway,  and  a  rectory  in  said  diocese. 

(139)  Usher  fell  into  a  huge  mistake,  (p.  1195.  or,  as  in  Lon- 
don erf.  500)  with  regard  to  Guaire  or,  as  called  in  Fechin*s 
Lives,  Guari.  He  thought  that  he  was  king  only  of  tlie  island  of 
Immogh,  and  thence  placed  him  among  the  persons  converted  to 
Christianity  by  Fechin.  Usher  liad  read  in  tlie  first  Life,  {cap,  12) 
<<  Cumque  rex  terracy  Guari  nomine,  quod  factum  fuit  audisset, 
victum  copiosum  cum  suo  calice  viro  Dei  et  suis  transmisit.''  He 
supposed  that  by  rex  terrae  was  meant  the  king  of  the  island ;  a 
mighty  king  indeed !  But  that  phrase  is  relative  to  the  province  o£ 
Connaught,  in  which  Immagh  was  comprized.  Had  he  seen  the 
second  Life,  in  which  the  same  circumstance  is  related,  {cap,  22. J 
and  where  king  Guari  is  called  son  of  Colman,  Usher  would  have 
been  more  correct.  Even  the  context,  as  in  the  first  Life,  might  have 
taught  him  that  Guari  was  somewhat  more  than  king  of  Immagh; 
But,  not  being  well  versed  in  the  provincial  history  of  Ireland,  he 
seems  to  have  known  little  or  nothing  about  this  celebrated  and 
pious  king  of  Connaught,  whom  we  have  often  met  with  already^ 
ex,  c.  Chap,  XIV.  J.  11. 

(140)  Second  Life,  cap.  22.  According  to  the  first  (cap,  12.) 
it  would  seem  that  the  grant  of  the  island  was  made  by  king  Guaire* 
Be  this  as  it  may,  said  grant  must  be  understood  not  as  if  Fechin 
became  proprietor  of  the  whole  island,  but  that  he  was  considered 
as  the  chief  director,  and,  we  may  say,  magistrate  of  the  inha- 
bitants. It  is  on  Uiis  occasion  that  in  the  second  Life  Fechin  is 
introduced  as  erecting  another  monastery  in  Ard-oilen.  (See  Not, 
137.)  But  in  the  first,  although  the  transactions  in  Immagh  are 
equally  detailed,  there  is  nothing  about  liis  passing  over  to  Ard- 
oilen ;  and  he  appears  as  if  having  returned  from  Immagh  directly 
to  fore. 

§•  XL  Among  the  many  transactions,  in  which 

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CrtAP,  XVII.  OF   IBELAND.  51 

Fechin  is  said  to  have  been  engaged,  it  is  related 
that,  on  occasion  of  Domnald  11.  king  of  all  Ireland 
having  marched  with  a  great  array  into  the  country 
of  the  Southern  or  Meath  Nialls  for  the  purpose  of 
fixing  the  boundaries  of  their  principality,  they  ap- 
plied  for  protection  to  the  saint,  who  happened  to  be 
then  at  a  place  called  Tibrada,  where,  perhaps,  he 
bad  some  small  establishment.  (141)  Fechin  com- 
plied with  their  request,  and  acted  so  powerfully  on 
the  king's  mind  as  to  induce  him  to  desist  from  any 
further  proceeding  against  the  Southern  Nialls,  be- 
tween whom  and  the  king  he  procured  a  perfect  re- 
conciliation. His  influence  was  very  great  with  the 
kings  and  princes  of  his  time.  An  instance  of  it  is 
gwen  in  the  case  of  a  youn^  man  named  Erlomhan, 
wiiom  Moeoaeh,  king  of  Munster,  immediately  dis- 
charged from  prison  on  perceivii^  that  Fechin  wished 
for  this  act  of  grace.  (14@)  Erlomhan  afterwards  ' 
^embraced  the  monastic  state  under  Fechin.  In  like 
manner  he  obtained  from  the  joint  kings  of  Ireland 
Diermit  II,  and  Blaithmaic  (143)  the  liberation  of 
one  Aedus  or  Aed^n,  a  brave  military  man,  who, 
on  being  dismissed  from  prison  and  given  up  to  Fe- 
chin, wwt  with  him  to  Fore,  where  he  became  a 
monk.  Several  holy  men  are  mentioned  as  united  in 
frieudship^  with  Fechin,  for  instance  Coeman  or  Co- 
main  Breac,  abbot  of  Roseach  in  Meath,  (144)  Ultan 
of  Ardbraccan,  Fin  tan  Munnu,  Rpnan  son  of  Beracb, 

(145)  and  particularly  Mochua  abbot  of  Ardslaine. 

(146)  Fechin's  life  was  one  continued  course  of 
austerity,  and  he  was  so  fond  of  solitude  that  he  often 
used  to  retire  from  bis  monastery  either  of  Fore  or  of 
Imm^gh  to  lonesome  situations,  passing  his  time  in 
prayer,  fasting,  and  other  mortifications,  and  taking 
no  food  except  now  and  then  a  little  bread  and  wa- 
ter. Many  miracles  have  been  attributed  to  him  ; 
but  the  accounts  of  them  are,  in  general,  so  inter- 
mixed with  fables,  that  I  shall  not  attempt  to  eluci- 
date them.  (147)     This  great  saint  died  on  the  20th 

E  2 

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52  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY        CHA^.  XTII. 

of  January  A.  T>.  665,  of  the  dreadfbl  pestilence  that 
]*aged  all  over  Irelaiul.  His  memory  nas  been  most 
highly  respected,  and  the  monastery  of  Foi*e,  which 
continued  dowti  to  the  time  of  the  general  suppress 
sion,  was  greatly  celebrtited,  (148)  and  m  the  course 
of  ages  became  very  splendid  atid  wealthy.  (149) 

(IM)  This  place  is  mentioned  in  the  second  Lift^  cap,  ^, 
Harris  (at  Westmeath)  assigns  a  raonastety  there  to  Fechin,  and  so  * 
does  ArchdaO,  who  calls  it  Tippert^  in,  he  says,  the  half  baroi^  ef 
Fore.  Thus  it  woald  be  not  for  diittant  ^m  the  monasteiy  of  that 
name.  Colganalso  places  {A A.  SS.  p.  143<)  a  monastery  at  Ti- 
brada  in  Westmeath,  but,  nc^t  being  aMe  to  glme  any  accoont  of  it^ 
conjectures  (ib,  p.  242.)  that  it  might  be  TSbnUl  Ultaitt  in  tiiat 
countiy  where  a  church  existed  in  hn  times.  This  is,  I  sappose^ 
the  Tjppert  of  Ah^hdall,  who  says  diat  it  is  now  a  chapeL  But 
even  admitting  that  it  was  formerly  a  monaateiy,  wfiy  attr&>oCe  it 
to  Fechin,  radier  than  to  Ultan,  whdse  name  It  hifte?  Ther^  is 
nothing  in  the  life  to  show  that  he  had  a  monastery  at  Tibrad% 
except  the  mention  made  of  a  person  there,  who  had  the  cak^  Of 
the  proviMons.  It  may  be,  how^fmr,  lihut  ihete  was  a  cell  in  that 
place  dependent  on  the  great  monastery  of  Fore. 

(14>2)  EHomhan*s  mother  had  applied  to  Fechin  to  assist  her  in 
procuring  hh  liberation.  He  gave  her  a  gold  to^es,  which  he 
had  received  as  a  present  from  Moenacb,  for  the  purpose  of  pui^ 
diasing  firom  him  her  son's  release.  On  recogmzing  it,  and  as 
coming  from  Fediin,  Moenach  returned  it  to  her,  and  at  the  same 
thne  discharged  Eriomhan.  (Second  Liib,  cap.  57.)  Fechin  had 
spent  some  time  at  Cashel  {ib*  cap.  14<.)  probably  with  this  king, 
who  was  son  to  fmgen,  and  died,  as  Colgan  observes,  in  660. 

(14-3)  See  Chap.  xiv.  §.  1. 

(144)  A  A.  SS.  p.  140.  be  died  on  the  14t]i  of  September, 
A.  D.  614,  i.  e.6l5,  as  VAet  states*  {Index  Chron.)  Archdall 
calls  Roseach  Rosscy  and  peaces  it  at  about  a  mile  South-east  of 
Tara. 

(145)  Ronan  was  abbot  of  Drumshallon  in  the  county  of  Louth, 
and  died  of  the  great  pestilence  on  the  18th  of  November  in  665. 
(^AA.  SS.p.Ul.) 

(146)  Second  Life,  cap,  44  and  49.    Colgan  was  not  able  to 

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CHAP.  XVIiw  OF  IRELAND.  53 

give  any  account  of  this  St.  Modma  ox  of  Ardabune ;  nor  has  Har- 
ris or  Archdall  a  monasteiy  in  that  place.  I  believe  it  was  at  or 
neav  Slane  in  Meath,  Ardslaime  meaning  the  height  of  Slane, 
and  am  greatly  iucUned  to  think,  that  Mocliua  was  the  same  as 
Cvonan  son  d  SStoL  (See  Not.  91  to  Chap,  xv.)  it  is  well 
known,  and  remarked  by  Colgan,  {A A.  SS.  p.  d(H.)  that  Cronan 
was  the  same  as  Moehua.  This  alone  is  not  a  proof  of  identity ; 
but  as  Cronan  son  of  Silni  is  reckoned  among  the  illustrious  men, 
who  died  in  665 ;  (ib.  p.  160*  and  Usher,  Ind.  Chron.)  and  as,  ac- 
cording to  said  Life,  the  person,  called  Mochua  of  Ardslaine 
died  about  the  very  same  time  with  Fednn  in  that  year ;  and  as 
the  name,  Moehua^  does  not  i^)pear  in  the  list,  given  m  the  Irish 
annals,  of  the  distinguished  victims  of  the  pestilence,  it  seems  to 
me  h%h]y  probable  that  Mochua  of  Ardslaine  was  no  other  than 
Cronan,  the  son  of  Silni.  He  must  not  be  confounded  with  Mo- 
chua or  Cronan,  abbot  of  Balla  in  the  county  of  Mayo,  who  had 
beeen  a  disciple  of  Comgall  of  Bangor^  and  died  in  6S7.  (See 
Colgan  A  A.  SS.  at  SO  Mart. 

(147)  One  of  these  strange  accounts  is  relative  to  a  Tirechan, 
who  had  gone  to  Rome,  and  whose  mother  applied  to  Fechin^  who 
was  then  at  Cashel,  to  procure  his  returning  to  her.  It  is  said 
that,  through  the  saint's  command,  Tirechan  instantly  appeared 
bdbre  him  in  that  city  (Second  Life,  cap,  H )  Hiis  is  a  per- 
verted statement  of  a  probably  real  feet,  viz.  that  Fechin  sent  an 
order  to  him  to  come  back  to  his  mother,  which  Tirechan  imme- 
diately complied  with.  Colgan  thought  that  this  was  the  cele- 
brated Tirechan,  who  became  a  disciple  of  Ultan  of  Ardbraccan, 
afterwards  a  bishop,  and,  as  some  say,  Ultan's  successor  in  that 
see ;  and  who  wrote  the  Memoirs  of  St  Patrick  so  often  quoted  by 
Usher.  The  times  agree  very  well ;  for  Ultan,  who  died  in  657, 
was  contemporary  with  Fechin.  If  Colgan's  opinion  be  correct  it 
may  be  justly  supposed  that  Tirechan,  the  writer,  was  a  native  of 
Cashel  or  of  its  vicinity.  The  name  of  St  Tirechan  is  marked  at 
the  3d  of  July. 

(H8)  Usher  observes/^;?.  966.)  that  Fore  was  called  Baile^ 
Leahhair  or  the  tovon  of  books,  whence  it  appears  that  learning 
was  much  cultivated  there.  Some  of  its  abbots  were  bishops ; 
but  Harris  had  no  right  to  suppose,  that  it  was  at  any  time  a  re- 
gular epii'copal  see. 


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5if  AS  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY        CHAP.  XVII. 

(149)  See  Archdall  at  jPore. 

§.  XII.  In  the  latter  end,  viz.  on  the  29th  of  De- 
cember, of  said  year,  died  of  the  same  pestilence 
St.  Aileran  surnamed  the  Wise.  (150)  His  name 
is  sometimes  written  Hekrarij  Aireran^  or  Erevan. 
He  was  very  probably  the  priest  Airendanus  of  the 
third  class  of  saints,  (151)  and  who  alone,  of  those 
mentioned  in  it,  now  remains  to  be  sought  for. 
Very  little  is  known  relative  to  the  history  of 
Aileran,  except  as  far  as  concerns  his  writings. 
This  much  is  certain,  that  he  presided  over  the 
great  school  of  Clonard,  (1552)  not  as  abbot  or 
bishop,  but  as  principal  professor.  A  tract  written 
by  him  is  still  extant,  in  which  the  mystical  mean- 
ing of  the  names  of  our  Saviour's  progenitors,  as  in 
the  Gospel  of  St.  Matthew,  is  treated  of.  (i53) 
Although  small,  it  exhibits,  besides  a  great  share 
of  ingenuity,  very  considerable  biblical  and  theologi- 
cal learning.  Aileran  wrote  also  a  Life  of  St.  Pa- 
trick, or  at  least,  some  Memoirs  concerning  him. 
(154)  This  work  is  lost,  (155)  as  likewise  some 
treatise  of  his  on  St.  Brigid.  (156)  He  is  referred 
to  (157)  as  having  given  an  account  of  the  proceed- 
ings of  St.  Fechin  in  the  island  of  Immagh  ;  but  it 
cannot  be  hence  concluded  that  he  drew  up,  as 
some  have  thought  (158)  an  entire  Life  of  that 
saint. 

It  might  be  conjectured  that  Aileran  was  the 
author  of  the  three  books  De  Mirabilibtcs  Sacrae 
Scripturae.  ( 1 59)  The  times  agree  very  well ;  for,  by 
whomsoever  written,  he  was  employed  on  their 
composition  in  the  year  &55.  (160)  The  learning 
displayed  in  this  work  is  such  as  to  render  it  worthy 
of  being  attributed  to  Aileran.  But  it  seems  more 
probable  that  the  author  was  a  monk  either  of 
Clonmacnois  or  of  Cork.  (l6l) 

Among  the  many  persons  carried  off*  in  said  year, 
by  the  pestilence  are  reckoned  also  Ultan>  abbot  of 

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CHAP.  XVII.  OF    IRELAND.  55 

Clonard,  and  two  abbots  of  Clonmacnois,  Column 
Cass  and  Cumin.  (162) 

(150)  A  A.  SS.  p.  140.  and  Usher,  Ind.  Chron. 

(151)  Usher  having  (p.  967)  proposed  a  conjecture  whether 
Airendanus  was  the  same  person  as  Aileran,  adds,  "  or  was  he 
rather  Aired,"  who  is  mentioned  by  Capgrave  as  contemporary 
with  St.  Maidoc  of  Ferns,  Usher  says  that  Aired  lived  in  a  place 
called  Airdsinnaidh.  In  the  Life  of  Maidoc  published  by  Col- 
gan,  which,  however,  has  no  mention  of  Aired,  it  is  called  {cap, 
8)  Ardrinnyghy  and  spoken  of  as  near  Mount  Beatha,  or  Slieve- 
Beagh  in  the  part  of  Monaghan  adjoining  Fermanagh.  Colgan 
observes  (A A.  SS.  p.  216^)  that  St  Aired*s  name  is  in  some  ca- 
lendars at  26  August. 

(152)  A  A,   SS.p.  IK). 

(153)  It  has  been  published  by  Sirin  among  the  Collect a?iea 
Sacra  of  Fleming,  and  republished  in  the  Bibliotheca  patrum, 
Tom.  12.  Li/onSt  A.  1677.  Its  title  is,  Interpretatio  mystica 
progenitorum  Christi,  and  it  consists  of  two  parts,  in  the  former 
of  which  the  signification  of  the  names  is  inquired  into  and 
shown  to  contain  prophetic  allusions  to  Christ;,  for  instance 
"  Abraham,  pater  excekus.**  The  author  then  applies  the  mean- 
ing to  our  Saviour  by  referring  to  the  prophecies  concerning  him, 
such  as  that  of  Isaias ;  Vocabitur  nomen  ejus  admirabilis,  S^c, 
Thus  at  Isaac  he  writes ;  "  In  Isaac  gaudium,  dicente  Angelo 
ad  pastores,  ecce  annuntio  vobis  gaudium  magnum,  Sfc.  The  se» 
cond  part,  which  consists  of  moral  explanations  deduced  from 
said  significations,  is  imperfect  as  it  ends  with  Eliacim  and  two  or 
three  words  about  Azor.  Usher  (p.  966.)  makes  mention,  from 
Sedulius  the  youngers  CoUectaneum  on  Matihetv,  of  this  tract 
under  a  very  apposite  title ;  Typicus  ac  tropologicus  gencalogiae 
Christi  intellectus,  quera  sanctus  Aileranus  Scottorum  sapientissi- 
mus  exposuit." 

(154)  See  Chap.  iii.  §.5. 

(155)  We  have  seen,  {ib.  §.  4.)  that  Colgan  was  mistaken  in 
attributing  to  Aileran  or  Eleran  what  he  calls  the  Fourth  Life 
of  St.  Patrick. 

(156)  In  the  prologue  to  the  sixth  or  metrical  Life  of  St. 
Brigid  (See  Not.  18  to  Chap,  viii  )  we  read ; 

.Digitized  by  VjjOOQIC 


56  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY        CHAF.  XVII. 

^*  Scripserunt  multl  virtutes  virgmig  almae 
Ultanus  doctor,  atque  Eleranus  ovans,  SccJ* 

(157)  First  Life  of  Fechin,  eofh  12. 

(158)  Colgan  AA.  SS.  p.  140,  Ware  and  Harris,  (Writers 
at  Aileran.) 

(159)  This  very  learned  work,  which  had  been  eironeousiy  at- 
tributed  to  St.  Augusdn  and  printed  among  his  works  in  the 
early  editions  of  them,  may  be  seen  in  the  Appendix  to  the  third 
volume  oi  that  of  the  Benedictines.  It  is  an  abridgment  of  the 
history  of  the  Bible,  intermixed  with  a  multitude  of  theological 
and  philosophical  disquisitioiis,  tending  to  elucidate  it,  and  clear 
away  the  difficulties  that  occur.  In  the  first  book  the  sacred  his* 
tory  is  treated  of  as  far  as  it  is  given  in  the  Pentateuch ;  in  the 
second  down  to  the  end  of  the  Old  Testament ;  and  m  the  third 
that  of  the  New.  The  style  is  good  and  dear ;  and  the  author 
was  well  acquainted  with  general  history  and  the  ancient  philo- 
sophy. 

(160)  The  author  having  observed  (Ir.  2.  c.  4.)  that  Manchan 
the  Wise,  or,  as  his  name  appears  in  the  printed  text  Manichaeu$y 
died  in  the  last  year  of  the  eleventh  cyde  of  532  years,  that  is 
A.  D.  652.  (see  above  Ncft.  81.)  adds  that  the  third  year  of  the 
twelfth  cycle  was  that,  in  whidi  he  was  writing.  It  was  therefore 
665.  Hence  it  is  dear,  that  Manchan  the  Wise  of  Menodrochit 
was  not,  as  some  writers  have  imagined,  the  author  of  the  work 
De  MirabUibuSy  &c.  for  nothing  is  more  certain  than  that  he  died 
in  652.  (above  4-6.)  and  Ware  was  right  (at  Manchinan)  m  re- 
rejecting  this  opinion. 

(161)  Pk-efixed  to  the  work  is  a  dedication  beginning  with  these 
words ;  '*  Venerandissimis  urbium  et  monasteriorum  episcopis  et 
presbyteris,  maxime  Carthaginensium  Augustinus  per  omnia  sub- 
jectus  optabilem  in  Christo  salutem."  The  author  tlien  adds,  that 
he  had  been  ordered  by  his  superior  EusehitUy  who  died  in  the 
interim,  to  undertake  this  work ;  and  towards  the  end  of  said 
dedicatkm  makes  mention  of  Bathan  as  one  of  these,  apparently 
the  Cartkaginensiunh  whom  he  is  addressing,  and  a  master  of 
his.  He  mentions  also  another  of  his*  masters  Manchinanus  aL 
Manchianus  ^<  Ab  uno  enim  vesirum^  id  est,  Bathano,  post  pa- 
trem  Manchinanum  si  qoiA  mtdBgentiac  addid^"  ^re.  That  Ctir* 


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CHAP.  5^VIT.  OP  IRELAND.  SI 

tkaginensiutn  k  an  emtum  is  8ufficiea%  piaioy  unlcit  w«  sbanU 
suppoae  that  k  refers  to  LitOMve  that  is,  to  the  institutioii  of  SU 
Caitha^  But  other  drcuiiistipees  da  not  agree  with  tUa  can- 
jectura.  It  is  probably  a  mistake  either  fyt  Cluan^nrium  or  &r» 
what  comes  nearer  to  it,  Corcagienrium.  In  the  &amt  iupposh 
tion  we  have  ClonmacnQB,  of  which  the  abbot  Aidhlog  or  AadOUog 
died  m  652  (above  Not.  99),  a  time  well  corresponding  witih  thM 
of  the  injunction  to  write  laid  opon  the  author.  If  ib»  pmis 
Aedhlogus  was  in  his  text,  a  ocHitinental  transcriber  mi^  hayo 
softened  it  into  Eusebius.  As  to  Bathan,  there  is  no  di^lcuity ; 
for  the  superior  of  Clonmacnois  at  the  time  of  the  authgr^s  writing 
was  a  Bathan  or  Baithan.  (See  §  7.)  Yet  there  are  stoog  reaso^a 
for  supposing  that  this  author  belonged  rather  to  Cork.  Aiooog 
the  learned  men  of  St.  Finnbar's  sdmol  I  find  Eulangios  or^  Gokn 
gius,  and  Baithan.  (A A.  SS.  p.  630  and  750)  Evkgms  migiit 
have  been  easily  changed  into  Eusebius.  The  tines  conrespond ; 
for  these  persons  flourished  in  the  first  half  of  the  seventh  09n* 
tury.  It  may  be  some  corroboration  of  this  conjecture  that  the 
author  seems  to  have  lived  not  &r  from  the  sea.  He  <rften  speaks 
of  the  various  sorts  of  tides,  calling  the  greater  ones,  or  the 
siting  tide,  Malhay  and  the  lesser  ones  Ledo.  His  mentioning 
Manchinanus  afibrds  us  no  assistance  in  this  inquiiy ;  as  there  imo 
hint  that  he  bdonged  to  the  community  of  which  the  author  was 
a  member.  This  Mandiinanus  was  most  probably  Mancban  the 
Wisct  whose  name  appears  ebewh^re  in  the  woik«  coqrup^ 
written  Manickaeuz.  From  the  manner,  in  whidi  our  author  qpealos 
of  Manchinanus,  it  seems  that  he  had  been  a  pupil  of  hif  befixre 
he  went  to  study  under  Bathan,  or  that  Manchinttu^  had  writt^ 
something  on  the  Scriptures,  by  which  he  was  assisted  in  his  re- 
searches.  There  was  in  those  times  another  Manchanus  o^  Man- 
chinanus (for  they  are  the  same  name)  who  was  sumamed  L^h  ; 
but  nothing  is  said  of  his  learning,  and  all  that  I  find  concerning 
him,  is,  that  he  died  of  the  pestOence  in  665  {AA.  SS-  f.  352.) 
and  that  he  seems  to  have  been  abbot  of  L4ttthmarc.  (See  the 
Litany  of  Aengus,  tft.  p.  5S9.)  The  diief  difficult  in  this 
question  arises  from  the  name  Augustinut^  under  whidi  the  au- 
thor appears  in  the  printed  text.  No  person  of  that^name,  a  veiy 
rare  one  of  old  in  Ireland,  is  spoken  of  in  our  histoiy  as  living  in 
the  times  thatthe  work  waa  written.    It  is,  in  all  probaUity,,  a 

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58  AS  ECCLESIASTICAL   HISTORY  CHAP.  XVII. 

corruption  of  some  Irish  name  latinized,  perhaps  Aengussius 
or  Eugtnius.  Did  other  circumstances  agree,  I  should  suspect 
that  it  was  written  by  mistake  for  Ail^anus.  That  the  author 
was  an  Irishman  and  composed  his  work  in  Ireland  is  self  evi- 
dent. Besides  his  having  been  connected  with  Bathan  and  Man- 
chinanus,  who  were  certainly  Irishmen,  his  noticing  in  a  particu- 
lar manner  (L.  2.  c,  4.)  the  death  of  the  wise  Manichaeus  or 
Manchan,  is  a  proof  of  it.  Treating  (L.  1.  r.  7.)  of  how  cer- 
tain animals  could  have  made  their  way  into  islands,  he  asks ; 
«  Who,  for  instance,  would  have  imported  into  Ireland  wolves, 
stags,  wild  boars,  foxes,**  &c  ?  Why  mention  Ireland  preferably 
to  any  other  island,  unless  he  was  living  and  writing  there  ?  The 
Benedictine  editors  say,  that  he  was  either  an  Englishman  or  an 
Irishman.  For  his  having  been  an  Englishman  they  could  not  alledge 
a  single  argument ;  nor  does  he  ever  speak  of  England.  Had  they 
known  that  Bathan  and  Manckinan  were  downright  Irish  names, 
they  would  not  have  thrown  out  this  conjecture ;  nor,  had  they 
been  better  acquainted  with  Irish  history  and  topography,  would 
they  have  said  that,  instead  of  Cnrthaginemimn^  the  original 
word  was  perhaps  Cantuarensium,  or  Cambremiumy  or  Kilken' 
niensium.  There  was  no  monastery  at  Kilkenny  in  the  author's 
times  ;  and  as  to  the  name  it  is  much  more  unlike  Carthagi- 
nensium  than  Corcagiensiuniy  and  even  more  than  indicating 
other  names  Irish  monasteries,  ex  c,  Clonardenisum^  Clonmac- 
noisensiunif  Sec  The  conjecture  as  to  Cantuariensium  and  Cam- 
brensium  is  set  aside  by  the  feet,  that  the  author  was  addressing 
Irish  monasteries.  In  a  notice  to  the  reader  premised  to  an  edi- 
tion of  this  work  {ffp.  0pp.  S,  August.  Tom.  3.  Bas'L  A.  1569) 
it  is  ignorantly  observed,  as  if  to  show  that  the  author  was  neither, 
English  nor  Irish,  that  there  are  no  wolves,  wild  bears  or  foxes  in 
either  England  or  Ireland.  But  we  had,  in  his  days,  plenty  of 
wolves  and  wild  boars  in  Ireland,  and  we  still  have  foxes. 

(162)  A  A.  SS.  p  150.  This  pestilence  is  called  by  Irish 
writers  Buidhe  Chonnuill,  u  e.  the  yellow  jaundice,  and  a[^ared 
in  Ireland  on  the  first  of  August,  A.  D.  664.  It  seems  to  have 
begun  earlier  in  England,  where,  as  Bede  relates  (/ .  3.  c.  27.) 
having  depopulated  the  southern  parts  it  penetrated  into  the  Nor- 
thumbrian province  and  swept  away  a  vast  number  of  people. 
He  adds  that  it  raged  also  in  Ireland ;  and  it  is  said  that  only  a 
third  part  of  the  inhabitants  survived  it.     A  very  extraordinary 

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CHAF.xnu  or  Ireland.  59 

edipse  of  the  sun  hadocciirrecl  in  that  year,  not  on  the  third,  as 
Bede  says,  but  on  the  first  of  May,  as  maiked  in  the  Annids  of 
Ulster,  which  add,  that  during  the  summer  the  sky  seemed  to  be 
on  fire.  (See  Usher,  p.  948.  seqq.  and  Ind.  Chrotu  at  A.  664,  and 
also  Colgan's  Ind.  Chron.  to  A  A.  SS). 

§.xiii.  In  the  preceding  year,  that  is  664,  was 
held  the  celebrated  conference  at  Whitby  concerning 
the  Paschal  question  and  some  other  points  of  ec- 
clesiastical discipline.      Colman  had   succeeded,  in 
661,  (163)  Finan  in  the  see  of  Lindisfarne,  having 
been  sent  from  Ireland  for  that  purpose.  (164)     He 
was  very  probably  a  native  of  Connaught,  and  ap- 
pareutly  of  the  now  county  of  Mayo.  (165)     He 
was  a  monk  of  the  Columbian  order,  and  had,  we 
may  suppose,  spent  some  time  at  Hy.  (I66)     But 
at  the  period  of  his  appointment  to  Lindisfarne  he 
seems  to  have  been  living  in  Ireland.  (I67)     Not 
long  after  Colraan*8  arrival  in  Northumberland  the 
controversies  relative   to  Easter  time  and  to  some 
other  ecclesiastical  matters,  were  again  revived   and 
carried  on  with  greater  warmth  than,  they  had  been 
even  during  the  incumbency  of  Finan.  (168)     This 
was  owing  chiefly  to  the  exertions  of  Wilfrid,  who, 
after  having  spent  part  of  his  early  years  among  the 
Irish  at  Lindisfarne,  had  gone  to  Rome,  where  he 
became  perfectly  acquainted  with  the  Roman  com- 
putation and  other  practices,  and  afterwards  received 
the  tonsure  at  Lyons  according  to  the  mode  followed 
at  Rome.  (l(iy)     On  his  return  to  England  Wilfrid 
had  an  opportunity  of  displaying  his  zeal   for  the 
Roman  observances,  having  acquired  the  friendship 
of  Alchfrid,    son  of  king  Oswin,  and  who,  jointly 
with  his  father,  ruled  the  Northumbrian  kingdom. 
Alchfrid   was    instructed   by   him   in   ecclesiastical 
learning,  and  became  so  much  attached  to  him  that 
he  made  over  to   him  the   monastery  of  Rippon, 
( InhrypamJ  having  turned  out  the  monks,  to  whom 
he  had  already  granted  it,  because  they  refused  to 

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60  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  BISTORY        CHAP.  XVIL 

eh^mg^  the  Irisli  pmotices  A>r  the  Roman.  (I70) 
M^tkne  Agilbert,  bishop  of  t|ie  West  Saxons,  ( I7I ) 
accoo^ftiiied  by  a  priest  Agatbon,  came  to  Northum- 
berhuMl,  and,  at  the  I'equest  of  Alehfrid,  ordained 
Wilfrid  priest  in  his  newly  acquired  monastery.  A 
discussion  having  occurred  there  concerning  the 
Paschal  computation,  the  tonsure,  &c.  it  was  agreed 
upon  that  a  synod  or  conference  should  be  held,  for 
the  purpose  of  terminating  these  disputes,  in  the 
monastery  or  nunnery  of  Strenaeshalch,  (Whitby) 
which  was  then  governed  by  the  abbess  Uild.  It 
was  attended  by  the  two  kings,  Oswin  and  Atchftid ; 
by  Colman  with  his  Irish  clergy ;  and  by  Agilbert 
with  the  priests  Agfthon  and  Wilfrid.  This  party 
was  supported  by  ^Htcob  and  Romanus,  (17^)  while 
Hild  and  her  community,  tc^ther  with  the  venerable 
bishop  Cedd,  (173)  were  00  the  side  of  Colman. 

(163)  Usher,  Jnd.  Chron. 

(164)  Bede  writes ;  (L.  S.  Cn  25«)  <<  DeAincto  aut^m  Finaiio, 
cum  Cokdamus  in  episcc^tpm  succederet,  et  ipse  missus  a 
Scottia*\  &C.  That  by  Scottia  he  meant  Ireland,  as  he  always 
does,  is  too  dear  to  require  flirdier  demonstration,  and  will  be 
seen  from  the  sequel  His  saying  that  Cohnan  was  sent  from 
Ireland  ought  perhaps  to  be  understood  not  as  if  he  went  stiaight 
from  Ireland  to  Liodisfome ;  for  Bede  elsewhere  seems  to  state, 
that  he  proceeded  thithor  from  Hy.  On  occasion  of  mentionii^ 
his  coming  to  that  island  after  he  left  England,  he  writes,  (X.  4. 
c.  4.)  **  Venit  ad  insiilam  Hii,  unde  erat  ad  praedicandum  vcr- 
bum  Anglorum  gentt  destinatus"  But  as  Hy  was  considered  as 
an  Irish  island  and  inhabited  by  Irish  monks,  Bede  might  in  a 
general  way  have  said,  that  Cohnan  was  sent    from   Ireland. 

,  Speaking  of  Finan's  mission,  he  has;  (L.  3.  c,  17.)  <<  ab  Hii 
ScoUorum  insula  ac  iponasterio  destinatus."  Yet  his  words  undcy 
&C.  may  be  well  explained  as  relative  merely  to  the  order  for  his 
undertaking  the  care  of  Lindis£ime  having  emanated  from  the 
monastery  of  Hy»  whose  abbot  was  the  general  superior  of  the 
whole  Cdumhian  order,  of  which  Colman  was  a  member.  This, 
I  thinki  is  the  true  meaning  of  Bede,  and  it  appears  to  be  con-  - 

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CHAt».  xviu  «F  nrELAim*  61 

fiirm^  by  hk  saying  not  that  Colman  returned  to  Hy,  but  tba(t 
he  ctfm«  to  it  On  the  othcfr  haiid,  ^en  mebtkming  bis  going  to 
Ireland,  Bede  ase6  the  word,  returned;  "  in  Scottltfm  regressus 
ea — Heverso  patriam  Cohnano ;"  and  expresses  his  d^Murture 
ftom  iSngland  by  the  phrase  going  home,  aliens  autem  domunu 
(See'  L.  3.  c.  26.)  Hence  it  is  &iT  to  conclude,  that  Coknan*s 
borne,  before  he  was  senit  to  Lindisfame,  was  not  in  Hy  but 
in  Irdand. 

(165)  The  only  proof,  but  it  is  a  strong  one,  of  this  poution 
or  conjecture  is,  that  Colman,  on  his  return  to  Ireland,  went 
straight  to  Connaught,  and  formed  a  monastery  in  the  island  of 
Innisboffin  off  the  coast  of  Miiyo,  and  afterwards  another  at 
"Mayo.     Why  prefer  this  part  df  Ireland  to  any  other,  unless  he 
bad  lived  there  before  he  Went  to  England  ?  Bede,  who  men- 
tions these  establishments,  and  who  tells  lis  tbiEtt  Colman  wctU 
"homey  deems  to  point  out  that  country  as  his  home.    Colgan 
strives  (Tr.  Th.  p.  S82.)  to  make  it  appear  probable  that  Colman 
was  the  same  as  Colttmban  of  the  Briun  famOy,   who  is  spoken  of 
by  Adamnan  ( Vit.  S.  C.  L.  2.  c.  16.)  as  having  been  at  Hy  in  the 
time  of  St.  Columba,  and  then  a  young  man.    ICs  mighty  aigu- 
ment  runs  thus ;  Colman  was  a  Connaught  man ;  atqui  the  Briun 
or  Hy-briuin  race  were  of  Connaught ;  ergo^  &c.  On  this  wretched 
mode  of  arguing  he  builds  his  hypothesis,  which  elsewhere  (ib.  p. 
488.)  he  delivers  as  certain.     How  could  he  have  imagined  that 
Colman  of  Lindisfame  was  an  immediate  disciple  of  St.  Colum- 
ba  ?  Had  he  been  so,  and  the  same  as  said  <]!olumban;  he  could 
not,  in  the  most  fevourable  supposition,  have  been  less  than  20 
years  of  age  at  the  time  of  St.  Columba's  death  in  597.    Thus  he 
should  have  been  84  years^  old,  when  he  was  appointed  to  the 
arduous  duty  of  governing  the  great  diocese  of  Lindisfame,  com- 
priang  an  entire  kingdom.    If  that  Columban  of  the  Briuns  had 
been  raised  to  this  see,  would  Adamnan  have  neglected  to  record 
his  promotion  ?   Much  more  might  be  observed  on  this  strange 
bypothesis,  were  it  worthy  of  further  animadversions. 

(166)  Of  this  point  I  do  not  find  any  positive  proof.  Yet  it  is 
very  probable ;  whereas  it  is  natural  to  tbink,  that  the  abbot 
and  other  siqperiors  of  Hy  would  not  have  appointed  him  to  Lin*- 
clisiarae,  had  they  ^ot  been  personally  acquamted  with  him.    hi 


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62  AN    ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY         CHAP.  XVU. 

the  &bulous  Life  of  St  Gerald  of  Mayo  it  is  said,  that  Colman  be- 
came abbot  of  Hy.  Colgan  endeavours  ( TV.  Th.  p.  382  and 
488.)  to  support  this  absurdity,,  which,  however,  he  acknowledges 
elsewhere  {A A.  SS>  p-  602.)  to  be  very  very  doubtful.  What  time 
could  be  found  for  Colman's  abbacy  ?  The  succession  and  times  of 
the  abbots  o£  Hy  are  perfectly  well  known.  Cumineus  Albus  was 
abbot  when  Colman  was  sent  to  England,  and  since  the  year  657* 
(Above  $.  8.)  And  what  makes  the  matter  worse,  in  said  Life 
Cohnan  is  made  the  immediate  successor  of  St.  Columba,  although 
it  is  very  probable  that  he  was  not  born  4^  the  time  of  this  saint*s 
death. 

(167)  See  Not.  164.  (168)  See  Chap.  xv.  §.  IV 

(169)  Fleuiy  L.  39.  §  35.     (170)  lb.  and  Bede  L.  3.  c.  25. 

(171)  Agilbert  was  a  native  of  France,  but  for  the  sake  of  study- 
ing the  Scriptures  had  spent  a  considerable  time  in  Ireland.  Bede 
mentioning  (X.  3.  c.  7.)  his  arrival  in  Wessex  says  ;  "  Venit  in 
provindam  de  Hibenua  pontifex  quidam,  nomine  Agilberctus,  na- 
tione  quidem  Gallus,  sed  hunc  legendarum  gratia  Scripturarum  in 
Hibemia  non  parvo  tempore  demoratus.*'  Agilbert  became  afler- 
wards  bishop  of  Paris. 

(172)  See  Chap.  xv.  §.  14.  (173)  See  ib.  §.  15. 

§.  XIV,  The  debate  was  opened  by  the  king  Oswin, 
who  entertained  no  partiality  on  the  subjects  to  be 
treated  of,  and  had  been  rather  favourable  to  the 
system  of  the  Irish,  by  whom  he  had  been  instructed 
and  baptized;  He  observed  that,  as  they  all  equally 
served  God,  and  expected  the  same  kingdom  of 
heaven,  it  was  right  that  they  should,  in  like  manner 
follow  the  same  observances,  and  that  it  was  fit  to  in- 
stitute an  inquiry  which  was  the  true  tradition,  and 
that  this  should  be  adhered  to  by  them  all.  He  then 
directed  his  bishop  Colman  to  speak  first,  who  said  ; 
"  The  Easter,  which  I  observe,  I  have  received  from 
"  my  elders,  who  have  sent  me  hither  as  bishop  ;  and 
"  all  our  fathers,  men  beloved  by  God,  are  known  to 
"  have  celebrated  it  in  the  same  manner.  It  is  that, 
•*  which,  as  we  read,  was  celebrated  by  the  blessed 
*^  Evangelist  John  and  all  the  churches,  over  which 

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CHAP.  XVII.  OF   IRELAND.  63 

*•  he  presided/*     On  this  latter  point  Colman  was 
mistaken,    as   has  been   already    remarked.    (174) 
After  some  other  observations  by  Colman  the  king 
called  upon  Agilbert  to  state  his  practice,  and   on 
what  autnority  it  rested.     He  requested  that  Wilfrid, 
who  was  of  the  same  opinion  with  himself,  might  be 
allowed  to  speak  in  his  stead,  as  he  could  not  express 
his  sentiments  as  clearly  by  means  of  an  interpreter 
as  Wilfrid  could  in  his  native  tongue.     For  this  de- 
bate was  carried  on  in  Irish  and  Anglo-Saxon,  Cedd 
serving  as  interpreter  between  both  parties.     Then 
Wilfrid,  by  order  of  the  king,  thus  addressed  the 
assemby.     **  The  Easter,  which   we  hold,  we  have 
**  seen  celebrated  by  every  one  at  Rome,  where  the 
*'  blessed  apostles  Peter  and  Paul  lived,  taught,  suf- 
**  fered,  and  were  buried.     We  have  seen  it  also  in 
**  every  part  of  Italy  and  France,  that  we  have  tra- 
*\  versed.     It  is  observed,  and  at  one  and  the  same 
"  time,  in  Africa,  Asia,  Egypt,  and  Greece,  and,  in 
"  short,  by  the  whole  Christian  world,  except  by  our 
**  adversaries  and  their  accomplices,  the  Picts  and 
"  Britons.**     On  Colman's  appealing  again  to  the 
authority  of  St.  John,  Wilfrid  answered  by  allowing, 
that  St.  John  retained,  indeed,  the  Jewish  Pasch, 
whereas  in  the  commencement  of  the  church  it  was 
thought  expedient  not  to  immediately  reject  all  the 

¥ractices  of  the  Mosaic  law.  On  the  contrary,  St. 
^eter,  looking  to  our  Saviour's  resurrection  on  the 
day  next  after  the  Sabbath,  followed  a  rule  difiereiit 
from  that  of  St.  John.  "  But  after  all,**  added  Wil- 
frid,  "  what  has  your  system  to  do  with  St.  John's  ? 
"  He  celebrated  the  Pasch  on  the  14th  day  of  the 
**  first  month  without  caring  on  what  day  of  the 
"  week  it  fell ;  while  you  never  celebrate  your  Easter 
**  except  on  a  Sunday,  so  that  you  do  not  agree 
**  either  with  John  or  Peter,  nor  with  the  Law  or 
"  the  Gospel.**  Wilfrid  was  very  correct  in  these 
remarks  on  Colman's  erroneous  position  as  to  the 
practice  of  St.  John,  but  far  from  being  so  in  what 

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64  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY      CHAP.  XVII. 

he  hi«  at  some  length  concerning  the  Paschal  regula- 
tions established  by  St.  Peter.  He  supposed  that  the 
FM^hal  sjmtem  at  Rome  in  his  time  was  the  same  as 
that,  which  had  always  prevailed  there  from  the  com- 
meneement  of  its  church.  Hiis  was  a  great  mistake, 
a^  has  b^en  shown  elsewhere  ;  (175)  and  it  is  unne- 
cessaty  to  trouble  the  reader  with  this  part  of  Wil- 
firid^s  discourse. 

<174)  fM.Uto  Ckap.x\.  (175)  Chap.  xv.  poisim. 

5.  XT.  Colmaa  then  alleged  the  authority  of 
Anatolius  as  havtag  laid  down,  that  the  Paschal  days 
were  frdm  tibe  141%  inclusive,  to  the  20th  of  the 
first  itttMm*  To  this  Wilfrid  replied  that  the  day, 
called  by  Anatolius  the  14th,  was  in  reality  the  same 
OB  that,  which  the  Egyptians  reckoned  as  the  1 5th. 
But  he  would  iKUt  have  been  able  to  prove  this  aj^ 
aertion.  (176)  Colman  had  asked,  whether  it  coulr 
be  supposed  that  their  mort  revered  father  Cdumba 
and  his  holy  successors,  who  followed  the  Irish  sys- 
tem, entertained  bad  sentiments  or  acted  contrary  to 
the  Scriptures ;  men,  whose  sanctity  was  proved  by 
mirades,  andwhose  example  and  rules  he  endeavoured 
to  adhere  to  in  every  respect.  Wilfrid  acknow- 
ledged that  they  were  holy  men,  and  that,  as  they 
were  not  'acquainted  with  the  true  pasc^hal  system, 
their  iK)t  observing  it  was  of  little  detriment  to  them. 
**  And,**  he  added,  "  I  believe  that,  had  they  been 
**  rightly  informed  on  the  subject,  (177)  they  wouH 
*'  have  submitted  to  the  rules  proposed  to  them,  in 
**  the  same  mann^  as  they  are  known  to  have  ob- 
**  served  the  copfimandments  of  God,  which  they  had 
^*  learned.  But  you  and  your  associates  certainly 
**  commit  sin,  if  after  having  heard  the  decrees  of 
-••  the  Apostolic  see,  nay  df  the  universal  church,  and 
**  these  confirmed  by  the  holy  Scriptures,  (178)  you 
**  disdain  to  feHow  them.  For,  although  your  fa- 
'*  thers  were  saints,  is  their  small  number  from  acor- 

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CHAP.  XVII.  GP  IRELAND*  65 

"  ner  of  an  island  in  the  extremity  of  the  world  ( 179) 
"  to  be  preferred  to  the  whole  church  ?  And,  how- 
"  ever  holy  and  great  performer  of  miracles  your 
"  Columba  was,  could  ne  be  preferred  to  the  most 
"  blessed  prince  of  the  Apostles,  to  whom  the  Lord 
"  has  said :  Thou  art  Peter ^  and  upon  this  rock  I 
**  will  build  my  churchy  and  the  gates  of  hell  shall 
"  not  prevail  against  it 'y  and  I  mil  give  unto  thee 
**  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven  V^  The  king  . 
then  said :  "  Is  it  true,  Colman,  that  the  Lord  has 
thus  spoken  to  Peter  ?**  He  answered  that  it  was. 
The  king  added :  "  Can  you  show  that  so  great  a 
power  was  granted  to  your  Columba  ?'*  No,  replied 
Colman.  The  king  continued  :  "  Do  you  agree  on 
"  both  sides,  that  this  has  been  said  principally  to 
*'  Peter,  and  that  the  Lord  has  given  to  him  the  keys 
*'  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven  ?'*  "  Undoubtedly**  was 
the  general  answer.  The  king  then  concluded: 
**  Now  I  tell  you,  that  this  is  the  gate-keeper,  whom 
*•  I  will  ijot  contradict,  and  whose  decrees  I  wish  to 
^'  obey  as  far  as  I  know  and  am  able ;  lest  on  my 
"  arrival  at  the  gate  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven 
"  there  should  be  no  one  to  open  it  for  me,  as  he, 
^*  who  holds  the  k'^ys^ould  be  against  me.**  Thus 
the  question  was  decided,  and  the  assembly  at  lai^e 
declared  in  favour  of  Wilfrid.  (180) 

(176)  See  NoU  1.  to  Cha'p.  xv.  Smith  observes,  {jippendix 
to  Bedc,  No.  ix.  p.  703.)  that  Coknan  was  perfectly  right  Si^ what 
lie  stated  oouceming  the  rule  of  Anatolius,  and  that  Wilfrid's  an- 
swer was  unfounded  and  good  for  nothing. 

(177)  Fleury  reniariai(L.  39.  J. 36.)  that  Wilfnd  seems  not  to  have 
known,  that  St.  Colurobanus  understood  the  subject  very  well.  He 
thoMght  that  the  Columba,  whose  example  was  alleged  by  Colman, 
wasColumbanus  of  Luxeu,  who  was  certainly  fully  instructed  on 
the  state  of  the  question.  (See  Chap,  xiiu  §.  4.)  But  the  Columba 
meant  by  Colman,  as  also  by  Wilfrid,  was  Columbkill  of  Hy. 
This  is  a  mistake  very  easily  fallen  into  on  reading  Bede's  narra- 
tive, unless  particular  care  be  taken  to  recollect,  that  Colnian  had 

VOL.  III.  F 

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66  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY         CHAP.  XVII. 

been  a  monk  of  ColumbkiU's  institution.  As  Columba  and  Co^ 
Iwkbantn  were  the  same  name,  (see  Nat.  1.  to  Chap,  xiii.)  and 
as  the  latter  observed  the  Irish  method  equally  with  the  fbrmer, 
i  «m.  not  surprized  that  Fleuiy  made  this  n^istake.  1  fell  into  it 
mjTself,  in  the  hurry  of  writing  some  yean  b^  ;  {Introductian^  hy 
Irenaeus,  to  the  Protestant  Apology  for  the  Rotnam  Catholic 
Church,  p^  cx^y.  Dublin,  1809.)  but  at  that  time  I  had  no  idea 
of  undertaking,  this  work,  or  of  being  obliged  to  dip  deep4nto  the 
ecclesiastical  history  of  Ireland. 

(178)  WiHHd  here  assumes  grounds,  which  he  had  no  claim  to. 
[Where  did  he  find  it  ordered  in  the  Scriptures  to  prefer  the 
Alexandrian  cyde  of  19  years,  then  followed  by  the  Romans,  to 
that  of  84*  years  used  by  the  Irish,  and  for  a  loi^  time  by  the 
Romans  themselvesi  or  to  that  of  532  years,  which  also  had  pre- 
.▼ailed  at  Rome  ?  Or  where  have  the  Scriptures  determined  on 
what  day  of  the  first  moon  Easter  should  be  cdebrated,  or  even 
that  it  shouki  be  celebrated  at  any  thnc  ?  But,  it  may  be  said^ 
.Wilfrid's  meanii^  was,  that  the  Alexandrian,  or  new  Roman, 
rules  weie  more  conformable  to  the  account  givm  of  the  time  of 
our  Saviour^s  resurrection   inasmuch  as  it  took  place  after  the 
14th  day.    If  the  paschal  day  were  to  be  determinad  by  what  we 
Eead  ii^  the  Goqiel,  it  would  follow  that  Easter  could  nevar  be 
£*elebrated  earlio'  than  on  the  letLday,  as  had  been  the  practice 
at  Rome ;  (see  Chap*  xv.)  whereas,  the  FViday  of  the  pasoon 
having  been  the  14th,  the  Sunday  of  the  resurrectran  was  the 
16th,    Now  Wilfrid  Hoaintains  tliat  the  15tfa  was  the  first  r^;ukr 
day  for  the  solemnity  of  Easter,  (see  Bede  L.  S.  c  26.)  and  in- 
sists upon  it  ns  if  it  were  a  rule  of  fluth;  and  another  great 
stickler  iot  the  Alexasidrian^  method,  Ceolfiid  (or  rather  Bede, 
w^e  seems  to  have  been  the  chief  author  of  CedftkTi  letter)  in- 
veighs against  those,  who  waited'fbr'  the  16th  (See  Not^  ^.  to 
Chap.  XV.)    Yet  the  fact  is,  drnt,-  were  Easter  di^  to  be  fixed 
acoMrding  •  to  the  Gospel  histoiy,  the  16th  should  have  been 
waited  for ;  and  thus  W^fHd  and  his  adherents,  inttead  of  fiiDow- 
mg  the  Scriptnres.as  they  supposed,  were  acting  agamst  them 
as  much  as  the  Irish,  who  thought  that  Easter  might  be  celebrated 
on  th^  14th.  But  it  was  never  made  a  general  rule  of  the  Church 
to  make  East^  day  correspond  exactly  with  dl  die  ctrcnmstances 
of  the  time  of  the*  Resurrection ;   and  accordingly  it  was  not 


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CHAP.   XVII.  OF  IRELAND.  67 

>]thought .  neoeatary  to  attend  to  the  whole  interval^  that  dapsed 
between  it  and  the  Paaskm^ 

Wiifirid  ^>ealai  alio  of  decrees  of  the  universal  church  in 
.&voiir  ef  htt  system.  Where  did  he  find  them?  There  were 
such  decrees  against  the  Quartadeeimans,  and.  ordering  that 
Easter  shouM  be  always  celebrated  on  a  Sunday.  The  Irish 
obeerved  these  decrees,  and  were  &r  fiom  being  Quartadedmans. 
But  thare  was  no  decree  enjoining  the  whole  diurch  to  adopt  the 
Alexandrian  cycle  and  ndes.  Tliose  of  the  general  coundls  of 
Nice  aad  the  first  of  Ccmstantinople  contained  no  sudi  oider ; 
and,  if  they  had,  the  Roman  church  itself  would  have  been  long 
guilty  of  disobedience,  whereas  it  o|)posed  said  cycle  until  about 
the  middle  of  the  sixth  century.  When  the  cleigy  of  Rome  in 
their  letter  to  Thomian,  &c.  (see  Chap.  xy.  §,  11.)  Bpeska  of  a 
here^  concerning^  the  Pasch  as  reviving  in  Irdand,  it  is  plain  that 
^ey  misunderstood  the  question,  imagining  that  some  of  the  hkii 
£>Uowed  the  condemned  fffstem  of  the  Quartadedmans.  llie  prac- 
tice  mdeed  was,  in  WiUnd's  time,  very  general  tfgainst  Coknan's 
patty,  which  had  been  already  diminished  by  the  secession  of 
the.  Souj&cm  half  of  Ireland.  But  practices,  however  extensive, 
.are  not  alone  sufficient  for  constituting  an  artide  of  fidth.  (See 
:Vleroli,  Regvla  Jidei  Catholicae,  §>  4'.  No.  4.)  £vea  at  that 
time  the  whole  of  the  Alexandrian  .method  was  not  adhered 
xo  in  some  parts  of  llie  continent,  (See  Not.  27.  to  Chap,  xv.) 
-Cohtttn  and  bis  associates  were  certainly  vay  blameable 
tbt  penistmg  in  a  phusdce  so  contrary  to  that  of  the  far  gieatest 
piiH  of  Christendom^  and,  in  itself  of  so  indiflbrent  a  nature. 
Their  onfy  f^logyis  the  extreme  veneration  entertained  by 
4iiem  for  the  memory  of  CohmibldlL  On  the  other  hand  it  is  sur- 
prising, that  such  men  as  Wilfirid  and  Bede  could  have  considered 
this  qcesstion  as  one  of  doctrine,  of  &kh,  of  vital  importance.  It 
was  a  dilute  of  mere  astronomical  calculation,  similar  to  that  be> 
twfi^en  the  abettors  o£  the  Gregorian  or  new  style  and  those  of  the 
old  one.  Neither  fiiith  nor  moials  were  in  any  wise  connected  with 
it;  As'long  as  the  old  style  continued  to  be  followed  in  these 
kingdoms,  our  Cathdics  used,  with  the  Pope's  consent  and  per- 
nnskm;  to  celd>rate  Easter  and  the  other  festivab  of  the  year  at 
tiaieff  different  fiom  those,  in  which  they  were  observed  at  Rome 
and  elaevtoe.    Would  thk  have  been  allowed,  were  tlie  fixing  of 

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68  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY         CHAP.    XVII. 

of  Eagter  time,  &c  considered  as  appertaining  to  faith  ?  So  &r 
from  an  adhesion  to  the  Irish  cycle  and  niles  having  been  supposed 
at  Rome  to  be  indicative  of  heresy  or  schism,  some  of  its  greatest 
supporters,  afler  the  disputes  concerning  it  had  begun,  ex.  c. 
Columban  of  Luxeu,  and,  even  afler  admonitions  from  Rome  had 
been  received  against  it,  ex.  c.  Aidan  of  Lindisfame,  are  held 
there  as  saints ;  and  the  two  great  men  now  mentioned  are  par- 
ticularly named  in  the  Roman  martyrology. 

(179)  The  island  meant  by  Wilfrid  seems  to  be  Hy,  as  that  in 
which  Columba  and  his  successors,  the  &thers  referred  to  by  Col- 
man,  had  lived. 

(180)  Bede,  L.3.C.25. 

§.  XVI.  It  had  been  intended  to  treat  in  this 
conference  concerning  also  the  mighty  question  re- 
lative to  the  clerical  and  monastic  tonsure  ;  but  the 
king*s  declaration,  which  implied  that  he  would 
follow  the  Roman  practices  in  all  points,  prevented 
the  necessity  of  discussing  it.  Yet  there  existed 
great  disputes  about  it ;  (181)  and  Wilfrid's  party 
looked  upon  it  as  a  matter  of  primary  importance. 
The  Romans  themselves  thought  little  about  it ; 
and  I  do  not  find  that  in  any  of  the  admonitions 
from  Rome,  or  of  the  complaints  of  the  missionaries, 
the  tonsure  is  at  all  mentioned.  But  their  ultra-or- 
thodox English  converts  made  vast  noise  about  it, 
thinking  that  nothing  was  good  or  could  be  tolerated 
except  what  was  practised  at  Rome.  This  is  not 
the  place  to  enter  largely  intp  the  origin  and  varie- 
ties of  the  ecclesiastical  tonsure.  ( 1 82)  The  difference 
between  the  Roman  one,  as  used  since  the  times  of 
Gregory  the  great,  and  that  of  the  Irish,  consisted 
in  this,  that  the  Romans  shaved  or  clipped  very 
close  the  crown  of  the  head,  leaving  a  circle  of  hair 
all  around,  (183)  while  the  Irish  shaved  or  clipped 
only  the  fore  part  of  the  head  as  far  as  both  ears, 
allowing  the  hair  to  grow  at  the  back  between  them. 
The  English  advocates  for  the  Roman  tonsure 
maintained,  that  it  was  pi*actised  by  St»  Peter,  and 

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CHAP.  XVII.  OF  IRELAND.    .  69 

gravely  asserted  that  the  Irish  one  was  that  of 
Simon  magics.  Where  they  met  with  this  notable 
discovery,  I  am  not  able  to  tell ;  yet  this  was  the 
terrible  ground,  upon  which  it  was  reprobated  ; 
^(l«4)  for  as  to  various  modes  of  the  tonsure,  they 
were  allowed  to  be,  in  general,  harmless  things. 
(185)  But  the  fact  is,  that  neither  St.  Peter  nor 
Simon  magus  had  any  tonsure  either  circular  or  se- 
micircular ;  and  the  Irish  and  the  Roman  ones 
were  equally  innocent  and  blameless.  The  English 
disputants  constantly  supposed,  that  every  ecclesias- 
tical practice  observed  at  Rome  in  their  times,  had 
been  established  by  St.  Peter.  How  or  at  what 
particular  time  the  Roman  tonsure  originated,  no 
account  remains;  but  the  Irish  seem  to  have  re- 
ceived theirs  from  St.  Patrick  (186)  who  had  seen 
it  observed  by  some  monks  of  the  continent.  ( 1 87) 
And  hence  it  is  easy  to  underetand,  why  they  were 
so  strongly  attached  to  it.  Yet  it  yielded  at  last, 
although  not  as  early  as  the  period  we  are  now 
treating  of,  to  the  Roman  fashion  ;  and  its  dissolu- 
tion proceeded,  hand  in  hand,  together  with  that  of 
the  Irish  paschal  system.  For,  as  soon  as  any  party 
of  the  Irish  or  their  adherents  adopted  the  Roman 
cycle  and  rules,  they  received  at  the  same  time  the 
Roman  tonsure,  as  had  been  done  by  the  Southern 
Irish  since  about  the  year  633. 

(181)  Bede  says;  ("iLc.  26.)  "  Nam  et  dc  hoc  (the  tonsure) 
quaestio  non  minima  erat." 

(182)  Smith,  on  occasion  of  treating  of  the  tonsural  dispute 
(Append,  to  Bede,  No.  9.)  has  an  excellent  dissertation  on  the  ton- 
sure m  general.  The  reader  may  consult  also  Fleruy,  Itistitut.  au 
Droit  Eccles.  Part.  I.  ch.5.  and  Bingham,  Origines,  &c.  B,  vii. 
ch.  3. 8ect.  6.  It  is  now  universally  admitted,  that  until  some  time 
in  the  fifth  century  there  was  no  tonsure  peculiar  to  the  clergy,  and 
that  it  meant  nothing  more  than  the  clipping  of  the  hair  so  as  to 
wear  it  short,  a  practice  followed  by  all  Christians  both  lay  and 
derical.     As  the  term  corona  was,  after  the  introduction  of  the 


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70  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL   HISTORY       CHAP.   XVll. 

tonsure  now  understood,  applied  to  it  on  account  of  its  round  fbrm, 
some  writers,  for  instance  BeUarmine  (  Tom.  2.  L.  2.  De  MonachiSf 
cap.  40.)  hare  argued,  that  it  was  meant  bj  the  corona  sacerdottUis, 
which  is  often  niendoned  by  the  ancients.  St.  Jerome  writing  to 
St.  Augustin  says ;  <<  Fratres  tuos  dominum  meum  Alypium,  et 
dominum  meum  Evodium,  ut  meo  nomine  salutes,  precor.  coronam 
tuamJ*  But  this  corona  n^  usually  relative  only  to  bishops,^  and 
it  became  a  technical  phrase  to  address  them  by  coronam  hiam, 
or  vestramf  as  we  would  say,  i/our  honour.  (See  Bingham,  B,  2. 
ch.  9.  sect,  4.)  Of  the  numberless  passages,  in  which  it  occurs, 
there  is  not  one  that  indicates  an  allusion  to  the  tonsure.  This 
phrase  is  constantly  used  as  meaning  dignity  or  honour,  and  ) 
to  have  been  introduced  to  mark  the  power  of  bishops,  in  the  i 
manner  as  the  royal  crown  does  that  of  kings.  Thus  Alypius  in 
a  letter  to  P&ulinus :  "  Ad  venerandum  socium  coronae  tuae  patrem 
nostrum  Aurelium  ita  scripsimus."  Paulinus  and  AureUus  were 
both  bishops ;  and  what  can  sqcium  coronae  tuae  sigt'ify  except  a 
partnership  in  episcopal  authority  ?  Its  being  used  in  Holy  writ  as 
expressive  of  glory,  or  of  whatever  causes  respectability,  authorized 
the  ^plication  of  it  to  bishops.  We  read  in  Proverbsy  xvii.  6- 
Corona  senumJiliiJUiorum ;  and  St.  Paul  writing  to  the  Philip- 
pians  calls  them  (iv.  1.)  his  crovm,  inasmuch  as  their  good  conduct 
added  dignity  to  his  character.  That  St.  Jerome  did  not  mean  by 
corona  the  ecclesiastical  tonsure  is  evident  from  the  well  known 
passage  of  his  Commentary  <hi  Ezechiel  xliv.  20.  where  he  says, 
that  "  we  ought  neither  to  have  our  heads  shaved  as  is  done  by  the 
priests  and  worshippers  of  Isis  and  Sera|)is,  nor  on  the  other  hand 
to  wear  our  hair  long,  a  fashion  peculiar  to  luxurious  persons,  bar- 
barians, and  sokliers ;  but  the  priest's  &ce  should  indicate  a  decent 
demeanour,  without  making  the  head  bald  with  a  razor  or  cb'[^>ing 
the  hair  so  close  as  to  nuike  it  ^ipear  as  if  shaven,  allowing  our  hair 
to  grow  so  as  to  cover  the  skin.*'  This  mode,  recommended  by  St 
Jerome,  was  indeed  a  sort  of  tousmre ;  but  it  was  not  peculiar  to 
the  clei^.  That,  whidi  afterwards  became  a  distinctive  maik  of 
the  clerical  order,  originated,  in  all  appearance,  with  some  monks, 
chiefly  of  the  East,  who,  in  ngn  of  repentance  and  affliction,  had 
jtheir  heads  shaved,  either  entirely  or  in  part.  The  Gretk  monk» 
used  to  shave  the  whole  head,  or,  at  least,  to  d^  all  the  hair 
quite  dose  to  the  skin.    Julian  the  apostate  when  pretending  in 


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CHAP.  XVIJ.  OF   IRELANI).  71 

the  reign  of  Constantius  to  be  a  real  monk,  lu|d  his  hair  elii^ped 
in  this  manner.  Others  had  their  heads  only  haU*  shaved  or  shorn, 
that  is,  from  the  forehead  to  the  back  of  the  head.  St.  Paulinus 
of  Nola  says  fEp,  7.)  of  the  monks  of  his  tame,  that  th^  were 
**  casta  informitate  capillum  ad  ctdem  cofifif  H  inaequaliter  semi* 
tonsif  et  destiitda/ronie  praerasi,'*  Hence  it  appears  that,  at  least 
in  the  Western  church,  there  was  no  determined  or  pi'escribed 
form  of  the  monastic  tonsure,  tlien  the  only  one,  about  the  be* 
ginning  of ^  the  tifth  century.  From  the  monks  the  tonsure,  whe<* 
ther  of  one  sari  or  another,  gradually  passed  to  the  secular  clergy^ 
partly  through  the  circumstance  of  monks  having  been  raised  to 
high  stations  in  the  church,  yet  still  retaining  their  practicei, 
some  of  which,  were  imitated  by  their  subordiitote  dergy ;  and 
partly  owing  to  the  monasteries  having  become  seminaries  for  the 
education  of  perscms  intended  for  holy  orders,  and  who,  while  ^re- 
siding  in  them,  used  to  observe  their  regulations. 

(IBS)  lliis  tonsure  is  still  practised  by  some  religious  orders, 
and  b  much  larger  than  that  usually  observed  by  the  secular  clergy 
in  Catholic  countries.  The  surrounding  drde  of  hair  is  that, 
which  was,  strictly  speaking,  called  the  corona,  and  was,  when 
mystical  interpretrations  were  introduced,  supposed  by  some  to  re- 
present the  crown  of  thorns  placed  on  the  sacred  head,  of  our  Sa« 
viour.  Others  have  exhibited  it  as  an  embleiti  of  the  royalty  of 
the  Christian  [»iesthood.  .  j 

(184)  In  Ceotfnd's  letter  we  read ;  **  Tonsuram  eam,  quam 
Magum  ferunt  habuisse  Sunonem,  quis,  rogo,  fideltum  non  staCim 
cum  ipsa  magia  primo  detestetur  et  raerito  exsufflet  ?"  Aldhehn 
and  others  allege  the  same  tremendous  diarge.  (See  Usher,  p. 
924. )  Ceolfirid  adds  another  lamentation  on  the  Irish  tonsure  not 
exhibiting  a  perfect  corona,  being  defective  at  the  back  of  the 
head.  An  unknown  wiseacre  advanced,  that  the  author  of  the 
Irish  tonsure  was  a  swine  herd  of  king  Leogaire,  pretending  that 
St.  Patrick  had  said  so.  (Usher,  ib.)    Bravo ! 

(185)  In  the  same  letter  it  is  said,  that  ^*  tonsurae  discrimen 
non  noceat  quibus  pura  in  Deum  fides  et  charitais  in  proximum 
sincera  est ;  maxime  cum  nunquam  P&tribus  catholids,  sicut  de 
Paschae.  vd  fidei  diversitate  conflictus,  ita  etiam  de  tonsurae  dif- 
ferentia l^atur  aliqua  fuisse  CQntroversia.**  Ceolfiid  and  his  as- 
sistant fiede  knew  that  the  Greek  tonsure  difiered  fi^m  the  Ko- 

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72  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY       CHAP.    XVIf. 

man,  as  exemplified  in  the  case  of  Theodore,  aflenrards  archbishop 
of  Canterbury,  by  Bede  himtelf  (Z.  4.  c.  1) ;  for  Theodore,  while 
a  monk,  had  his  whole  head  shaved  and  wanted  the  corona, 
Bede  says  that  this  was  the  tonsure  of  St.  Paul.  I  wish  he  had 
told  us  whence  he  derived  this  piece  of  information. 

(186)  In  the  catalogue  of  Irish  saints  (ap.  Usher,  p.  913.)  it 
is  said  that  the  first  class,  which  began  with  St.  Patrick,  had  one 
only  tonsure,  fix>m  ear  to  ear,  ab  aure  usque  ad  aurem^  viz. 
which  went  over  the  fore  part  of  the  head.  The  second  class  also 
observed  it  and  no  other ;  but  the  members  of  the  third  class  had 
not  a  uniform  practice,  some  of  them  having  the  corona,  (as  tlie 
Romans  had)  and  others  the  caesarieSf  that  is,  tlieir  hair  growing 
at  the  back  of  the  head  over  the  neck.  We  ^nd  in  the  sixth 
canon  of  the  synod  called,  of  St.  Patrick,  Auxilius,  and  Iseminus, 
(see  Chnp.  vir.  §.  3.)  a  clause  ordering  that  all  clergymen  should 
be  tonsured  in  the  Roman  manner.  Admitting  that  the  remain- 
der of  said  canon  was  drawn  up  in  that  synod,  this  part  of  it  is 
evidently  an  interpolation  thrust  in  by  some  stickler  for  the  Roman 
tonsure*  It  is  easy  to  see,  that  there  was  a  contest  about  the 
form  of  the  tonsure  at  the  time  it  was  written.  Now  in  St.  Pa- 
trick's days  no  such  contest  existed  in  any  part  of  the  world ;  and 
it  is  more  than  probable,  that  during  the  pontificate  of  Cele^tin 
I.  when  our  Apostle  was  at  Rome,  the  tonsure,  called  the  Ro- 
man, was  not  used  there.  ( See  Fleury,  Instit,  au  Droit,  Sfc,  Part 
1.  ch.  5.)  It  is  strange  tliat  Usher  allowed  himself  to  be  led  astray 
by  that  spurious  clause  so  as  to  lay  down,  (p,  924.)  that  the  ton- 
sure first  introduced  by  St.  Patrick  was  really  the  one  known  by 
the  name  Roman,  Had  it  been  prescribed  by  liim,  the  Irish 
would  not  have  dared  to  substitute  another  in  place  of  it. 

(187)  It  is  a  mistake  to  suppose,  that  the  semicircular  tonsure 
was  peculiar  to  the  Irish  and  Britons.  St.  Paulinus,  who  was  a 
native  of  Gaul  and  died  in  4'31,  the  year  next  before  St.  Patrick's 
arrival  in  Ireland,  speaking  of  some  monks  whom  he  knew,  de- 
scribes their  tonsure  just  as  we  might  that  of  the  Irish.  He  says 
that  they  were  half  tonsured,  and  the  fore  parts  of  their  heads 
shaved;  semitonsi  et  destUuta  Jronte  praerasi.  (See  above  Not. 
182.) 


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CHAP.  XVIII.  OF  IRELAND.  73 


CHAPTER  XVIIL 

Colman  not  agreeing  with  the  decision  of  the  Synod 
respecting  Easter,  resigned  the  See  of  Lindis^ 
fame — is  succeeded  by  Tuda — Eata  appointed 
bishop  ofLindisfame — Colman  took  with  him  to 
Ireland  some  (ffthe  bones  of  St.  Aedan,  and  lefl 
the  rest  at  Lindisfarne—Venerable  Bede*s  testi- 
mony in  favour  of  Colman  and  his  predecessors  at 
Lindisfame — Several  of  the  nobles  and  others  of 
the  English  at  this  time  resorted  to  Ireland  Jbr 
education — Colman,  on  leaving  Lindisfame^  took 
with  him  all  the  Irish,  and  about  30  of  the  Eng- 
lish monks  qf  that  establishment^goes  to  the 
island  of  Inisbqfinde,  now  Innisbqffin — erects  a 
monastery  there^^ounds  a  Monastery  at  Maigh-eo 
or  Mayo  for  the  English  mon'(S,  and  leaves  the 
Irish  in  the  island-^  resides  in  Inisbqfinde  himself 
until  his  death  in  the  year  676 — Diermit  and 
Blathmac,  joint  monarchs  of  Ireland,  die  of  the 
pestilence  in  665,  and  are  succeeded  by  Seachna- 
sach,  who  being  killed  in  671  is  succeeded  by 
Kennfoelius^^Kennfoelius  killed  by  his  successor 
Finnacta,  who  after  a  reign  of  80  years,  was 
killed  at  the  battle  qf  Grelachdolla  in  695 — St.  Mo- 
lagga  founds  a  monastery  and  school  at  TuiacJu 
min — dies  tliere — St.  Finan  the  Leper^^goverm  a 
monastery  at  Swords — is  the  reputed  founder  qf 
those  qflmsfaUen  and  Ard-Finan — St.  Cudberet 
or  Culhbert,  said  to  be  an  Irishman — Egjrid, 
^^  of  Northumberland,  sends  an  ea^pediUon  into 
Ireland^^they  land  on  the  East  coast  between 
Dublin  and  Vrogheda — destroy  churches  and  mo- 
nasteries,  and  carry  away  many  captives^^this  in-- 
justice  done  by  Egfrid,  in  revenge  for  the  shelter 
given  to  Ms  brother  Alfrid  by  the  Irish — Al/rid 
succeeds  Egfrid  in  the  kingdom  qf  Northumber-- 
land,  and  is  called  on  by  Adamnan  abbot  qfffy 


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74  AK    ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY       CHAP.  XVIII. 

to  restore  tJte  captives  and  property  carried  off 
from  Ireland  by  E^frid's  pirates^-^Failbe^  abbot 
of  Hy — Adamnan  again  visits  Alfrid — Another 
Adamnan^  a  priest — Mailduff  or  Maildulfi  an 
Irishman^  an  eminent  teacher  at  Malme.sbury^  the 
first  name  (f  which  was  Ingebom — A  monastery 
Jbunded  here  by  Mailduf,  from  xvhich  the  place  was 
called  Maildufsburg^  since  changed  into  Malms- 
bury—Dagobert^  son  of  Sigebert  ki'ig  of  Aus- 
trasia^  educated  in  Ireland-^a/ier  ^  his  return  to 
AustroMa  patronizes  several  Irishmen^  amongst 
which  were  SS.  Arbogast  and  Florentiiis-^Theo- 
datus  or  Deodatus-^Hildulph  or  Hidulf-^Eber- 
hard  or  Erard — and  Albert— all  natives  qfJre^ 
land,  accompanied  Florentius  to  the  Continent, 
and  became  Jamons  ihere-^St.  Wiro  of  Rure- 
mondun  Iristman^^St.  Dysibod  accompanied  hy 
several  persons  leave  Ireland,  and  go  into  Ger- 
many-'^Sidonius  (SednaJ  an  Irishman  went  to 
Rome  with  St.  Audeon  or  Owen,  mxhbishop  of 

'  Rouen — St.  KiUan  Apostle  qf  Franconia — as- 
sisted in  his  labours  by  Coloman  and  Totnan  who 
accompanied  him,  from  Ireland — St  Cataldus  or 
Cathaldus,  asfUtthoe  qf  Ireland-^Benalus,  a  bro- 
ther of  St  Cataldus,  reckoned  among  the  bishops 
qf  Lttpiae  or  Aletium,  now  Lecce—Maldogar 
bishop  'qf  Ferns  (H^  and  is  succeeded  hy  Dirath 
^StCkrman  and  other  Irish  saints^^StCera  or 
Chier  and  Jive  other  virgins  apply  to  St  Fin  tan 
Mwmufor  a  sihiation  to  establish  a  nunnery — 
Tech'telle^^Killchore  or  Kilcrea  a  few  miles  from 
'  Corh-^St.^  Ossan-^revered  at  Rath-ossain,  near 
the  fVestgate  qfTrim^-^t  Becan  ofOlonard— 
Segen  archbishc^  qf  Armagh  dies,  and  is  suc- 
ceeded by  Flgn  Febhlor—'St  Moling,  otherwise 
caUedDayrchell,  bhh(^  qjt' Ferns  succeeded  by  the 
bishop  and  abbot  Killen — St  Egbert  and  several 
ecclesiastics  who  had  been  educated  in  Ireland, 

.  undertook  missions  to  the  Continent — Willibrord, 

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CHAP*  xvni;  OF  Ireland*  7^ 

or  Vilbrordj  and  Suidbert  with  several  others 
sentjrom  Ireland  to  preach  the  Gospel  in  Fries^ 
land — Adamnan^  abbot  qf  Hy'-^Synod  qf  liarf 
Febhlan  and  Adamnan-— Canons  qf  Adanrnan^-^ 
St.  Aidtis  or  Aedh  bishop  of  Sletty — Coiga  abbot 
ofLusk — 5/.  Killen  abbot  qf  Saigir^^^St.  Mos- 
acra^  founder  and  abbot  qf  Tegh^sacra,  since 
called  Tassagard,  and  now  Saggard^^^-and  St. 
Mdchonna,  all  attended  the  Synod  qf  Flan 
Febhla. 

SECT.    I. 

COLMAN,  although  silenced  by  the  king's  logic 
and  its  approval  by  the  assembly,  did  not  renounce 
his  Irish  practices,  but  resigned  the  see  of  Lindis- 
farne,  alias  York,  in  the  same  year  664,  which  was 
the  thirtieth  from  the  commencement  of  the  episco- 
pacy of  the  Irish  in  the  Northumbrian  kingdom, 
Aedan  having  governed  that  see  for  seventeen  years, 
Finian  ten,  and  Colman  three,  (l)  He  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Tuda,  who  had  studied  in  the  southern  half 
of  Ireland,  and  had  been  ordained  bishop  there.  In 
consequence  of  his  having  lived  in  that  part  of  Ire» 
land,  Tuda  observed  the  Roman  practices  as  to  the 
tonsure  (2)  and  the  Paschal  computation*  H«  had 
come  from  Ireland  during  the  administration  of  Col- 
man, whom  he  assisted  in  his  pious  labours.  After 
his  appointment  he  lived  but  a  very  short  time,'  hav- 
ing been  carried  off  by  the  great  ^stilence ;  and  after 
his  death  the  see  was  re-established  at  York.  (8) 
Yet  Lindisfarnc  was  not  quite  abandoned ;  for,  al- 
though none  of  the  Irish  monks  chose  to  remain 
there,  some  of  the  English  ones  did,  over  whom  was 
placed  an  abbot  Eata,  a  disciple  of  Aedan,  who,  it 
18  said,  had  been  recommended  for  that  purpose  by 
Colman  to  the  king  Oswin,  who  was  very  fond  of 
Colman.  Eata  was,  some  years  after,  appointed 
bishop  of  Lindisfame,  which  thenceforth  continued 

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76  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY        CHAP.  XVIH. 

to  be  an  episcopal  see  in  itself.     Colman  on  leaving 
that  place,  and  setting  out  for  his  home  in   Ireland, 
(4)  took  with  him  a  part  of  the  bones  of  St.  Aedan, 
and  left  the  remainder  in  the  church  of  Lindisfarne. 
"  How  disinterested/'  continues  Bede,  *'  and  strict 
**  in  their  conduct  he  and  his  predecessors  were,  the 
**  very  place,  which  they  governed,  testified.     On 
**  his  departure  very  few  buildings  were  found  there 
*^  except  the  church,  and  not  more  tlian  were  abso- 
**  lutely  necessary  for  civilized  life.     They  had  no 
**  money,  possessinjg  only  some  cattle.  (.5)     Jfthey 
**  received  any  money  from  the  rich,  they  immedi- 
**  ately  gave  it  to  the  poor.     For  there  was  no  ne- 
«*  cessity  of  collecting  money,  or  of  providing  habi- 
**  tations,  for  the  reception  of  the  great  of  this  world, 
**  who  never  came  to  their  church,  except  for  the 
**  purpose  of  prayer  and  hearing  the  word  of  God. 
**  The  king  himself  used,  when  occasion  required,  to 
**  come  witn  only  five  or  six  attendants,  and  to  de- 
*'  part  as  soon  as  he  had  finished  his  prayers  in  the 
**  church.     And  if  it  should  happen  that  they  took 
"  some  refreshment,  it  was  merely  that  of  the  simple 
**  and  daily  fare  of  the  brethren,  with  which  they 
"  were  content,  requiring  nothing  more.     For  the 
"  entire  solicitude  of  those   teachers  was  Xo  serve 
**  God,  not  the  world  ;  to  cultivate  the  heart,  not  the 
**  belly.     Consequently   the  religious  habit   was  at 
**  that  time  in  great  veneration,  so  that,   to  whatso- 
"  ever  place  a  clergyman  or  monk  might  come,  he 
"  was  joyfully  received  by  all  as  a  servant  of  God  ; 
"  and  should  he  be  observed  travelling  on  a  journey, 
"  the  people  used  to  run  up  to  him  and  bending  their 
"  necks  received  his  blessing  with  gladness,  and  di- 
"  ligently  listened  to  his  exhortations.     On  Sundays 
"  they  flocked  with  eagerness  to  the  church,  or  the 
**  monasteries,  for  the  sake,  not  of  refreshing  their 
"  bodies,  but  of  hearing  the  word  of  God  ;  and  if 
"  any  of  the  priests  should  arrive  in  a  village,  the  in- 
"  habitants  immediately  assembling,  took  care  to  ask 

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CHAP.  XVIII.  OF   IRELAND.  77 

"  them  for  the  word  of  life.  For  the  priests  them- 
"  selves,  and  the  clergy  in  general,  had  no  other 
"  view  in  going  to  the  villages  than  to  preach,  bap- 
"  tize,  visit  the  sick,  and,  in  short,  the  care  of  souls. 
"  And  so  little  were  they  infected  with  the  plague 
**  of  avarice,  that  they  would  not,  unless  compefied 
"  by  powerful  personages,  accept  of  lands  or  pos- 
**  sessions  for  constructing  monasteries.  This  sys- 
**  tern  was  in  all  its  parts  observed  for  some  time 
"  after  in  the  churches  of  the  Northumbrians.*'  (6) 

Puring  the  time  that  Finian  and  Colman  pre- 
sided over  this  vast  Northumbrian  diocese,  many  no- 
bles and  others  of  the  English  nation  were  living  in 
Ireland,  whither  they  Had  repaired  eitlier  to  cultivate 
the  sacred  studies,  or  to  lead  a  life  of  greater  strict- 
ness. Some  of  them  soon  became  monks ;  others 
were  better  pleased  to  apply  to  reading  and  study, 
going  about  from  school  to  school  through  the  cells 
of  the  masters  ;  and  all  of  them  were  most  cheerfully 
received  by  the  Irish,  who  supplied  them  gratis  with 
good  books,  and  instruction.  (7) 

(1)  Bede,  L.  3.  c.26.  It  is  remarked  by  Simeon  of  Duriiam 
that  the  pontificate  of  the  Northmnbrian  province,  comprizing 
York,  was  held  for  30  jears  by  the  bishop  of  Lindia&me.  Be- 
sides Aedan,  &c  he  mentions  Tuda.  See  Not  107  ^to  Chap. 

XV.) 

(2)  Bede  (i^.)  writes  of  Tuda ;  "  Habens  juxta  morem  pro* 
inndae  illius  coronam  tonsurae  ecclesiasticae,  et  Catholicam  tem- 
poris  paschalis  regulam  observans."  Fleuiy,  having  misunderstood 
this  passage,  exhibits  (JL.  39.  §•  37.)  Tuda  as  tonsured  like  the 
Irish,  but  y^  observing  the  Roman  rules  fer  Easter.  This  was 
not  the  meaning  of  Bede,  whose  words,  jiLXta  morem  provinciae 
iUiusy  are  rdative  not  only  to  the  tonsure  but  likewise  to  the  pas- 
chal computation.  By  the  cuttwn  of  that  province  he  alluded  to 
the  difference,  that  esdsted  between  the  practices  of  the  Southern 
Irish,  whom  he  calls  Scottos  AustrinoSy  and  those  of  the  Northern, 
who  still  adhered  to  the  old  Irish  modes,  which  the  former  had 
many  years  before  renounced.    And  what  renders  his  me^Euung 

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78  AH  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY         CHA^«  XVnt. 

qilit^  deir  bids  Miying,  that  Tuda  had  die  conma,  ^Mrotum  t&n- 
Wtae  eedmMiHoae^  Vot  corona  was  the  exdusave  UHnaxif  the 
'9M*aa'ti9tiiu^  iMh^i^te'  inHie  seftudrculak*  ^nth,  such  aff  prac- 
.fiMd1>]r  thenfioitlimi  Xrilh;  th^  was  no  corona.  (Compaw  with 
'JViiM.}89^l9i't6'CKap.  xVri.)  Wharton  adds j^^n^/ui  i$acra 
^TVU.  1>  fi  ^9%)  to  Bede's  ^ScoMto  Austrinas  the  wo«d8«>«^  pietof. 
Iliii  iStt  ¥eiy  unietaied  additioh.  Bede  never  oonfttoided  the 
'Pftfts^with  the^^Sooti^  Besides,  does  not  Bede. expiHtlty  state, 
^tlttt^  Tiftdtf  had^  come  from  Irdand?  The  Sceti,  among  whom 
he /W*ttM<cKed^  ftfflowed  th^  Roman  practices ;  bat  all  the  Bri- 
-dfih^  Settti^  ^  those^  times  adhiored  to  the  Irish  ones. 
-  (S)  The' long  Oirwin  placed  on  thef  see  of  York,  in  prefevence 
U  ^;rmid,'€eaddt^  a  bother  of  bishop  Cedd,  atid  a  disciple  of 
Addan  <^  Undi^ftme  as  likewise  an  inntator  of  hi»  virtues  and 
^Mbtal  zesi*  Oswin  still  i^tamed  a  great  pardaUty  Ibr  the  Irish 
ahff'tiidr  diseiples.  (See  Bede,  L.  S.  c.  28.  Eddis'  Life  of  WO- 
fi-idi  and  fleui7,'£.  89.  §.  87.) 
'     f4)  ^  AW.  164'.  to  Chap.  xvii. 

(5)  BedeTs  words  are;  **  Nilpecuniarum  absque  pecoribus  liabe- 
imd.*'  They  are  trandated  by  Fleury  (ib.)  as  if  those  holy  men 
had  neither  money  nor  cattle.  But  the  particle  absque  eonvejfi, 
I  think,  the  meaning,  whidi  I  have  given.  It  is  difficult  to  sup- 
pose, that  they  had  not,  at  least,  some  cows  and  sheep,  w^  it 
ttiet^  for  bdng  supplied  with  milk,  which  was  much  used  by  the 
Irish  mokiks,  and  yool,  ofwhich  they  made  their  garments. 
'  (6)  BMe,  L.  8.  c.  26.*  This  interesting  account  may  be  con- 
sidered as  descriptive  of  the  practices  and  rules  of  the  Irish  monks 
and  clergy  in  general,  and  hence  we  may  judge  what  little 
credit  is  due  to  the  Stories  of  some  hagiologists,  who  ttdk  of  grett 
estates  granted  to  ofUr  monasteries  and  churches  in  dM^  KAfl 

even  e&rlier  times. 

(7)  Bede  having  observed  tliat  die^grfMk  pesifleisce  aaged  Mo 

«  Kant  ibidem  eo  teadp^Mf  tfiOlti  nbbflium  skHal  et  sscdiocriuitt^ 
^^  Angl6rM,  q«ii  telh&portf  Finttii  et  Colmani .  q^aeofoniB, 
relleta  bsidil  (MiMa,  ^  dMOi^  leciidnis>  vel  contmentioria.vitaie 
gratia  ido  secesiMm^  Ee  qaiftai&  qdditera  vptx:  se  monastkae 
oen^v^^tibni  fid<jiter  mandpavMflit, '  alii  magb,  drottmeimstoper 
eiitttttiagpstratum,^  qooa  omnes 

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CHAP«  XVIII.  OF  IB£LAND.  79 

Scotd'libentissiiiie  susdpientes  victum  eis  quottdianum  line  pretb, 
Wn9»  qooque  ad  legendum,  et  magisterium  gratoitiiin  |[ffaebeie 
<mrabaiit/' 

$..iiv  Cobnaa  departing  from'  LindisfarDe  took 
akmg  witli  him  all  the  Irish  and  about  thirty  of  the 
English  monks  belonging  to  that  establishment*     On 
his  way  towards  Ireland  he  went  first  to  Hy,  where 
he  seems   to  have    remained  but  for  a  short  time. 
Thence  he  proceeded  to  the  small  island  called  Inis- 
boimde,  (8)  now  Inaisboffin,  in  the  ocean,  off  the 
barpny  of   Morisk  and  county  of  Mayo.      Hete 
Colman  erected  a  monastery,  (9)  in  which  he  placed 
the  monks,  both  Irish  and  English,  who  had  foDowed 
him  from  lindisfarne.     Some  time  after,  a  disagree- 
ment having  occurred  between    the  parties,    (10) 
Colman  thought  it  adviseable  to  separate  the  mem- 
■bers  of  the  respective  nations,  and,  having  found  a 
spot  fit  for  the  establishment   of  a  monastery  at 
Magh-eo,now  Mayo,  purchased  it  from  a  nobleman  its 
owner,  with  a  condition  annexed  that  the  monks  to 
he  placed  there  should  pray  for  him.    The  monastery 
bein^,  with  the  assistance  of  said  noblemto  and  the 
neighbouring  inhabitants,  soon  comjdeted,  Colman 
removed  the  English  monks  to  it,  (I J)  leaving'  the 
.Irish  in  the  island.     "  This  monastery,**  adduBfede, 
^*  is  still  possessed  by  English  residents.     Fof  iir^'is 
^  that,  wliich  having  become  a  large  one  is  usudly 
^'called  Miiigh-eo  (12)  and,  better  regulations  haviilig 
^  been  received  there,  contains  a  distinguished  (^on- 
**  gregation  of  monks,   who,  being  cc^eijted  from 
**  Eaglwad,  Kvi  by  their  own  labour  in  great  irtrict- 
^*  Bess  and  purity  under  a  canonical  fUte^nd  abbot.^' 
(IS)    Of  Colinan^s  further  proc^edin^  I  find  no  ad- 
count  except  that  he  seeins  to  have  resided  chiefly  in 
Inisbofinde  (14)  until  his  deith,  which  occuri^  on 
the  8th  of  August  (J  5)  in  the  year  676.  (IB) 

(a)  InisB&finik  teeabs,  aft^Bede  bu  rightly  observed,  (L.  4.  c 

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80  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL   HISTORY      CHAP.   XVIII. 

4)  the  island  of  the  tohite  cotv.  This  Inisbofinde  must  not  be 
confounded  with  an  island  of  the  same  name  in  Lough-ree  (that 
of  St.  Rioch,)  as  has  been  done  by  Smith,  {Not,  ad  lac.)  who  fol- 
lowed one  passage  of  Usher,  without  taking  notice  of  another, 
in  which  he  corrected  himself.     (See  Not.  176  to  Chap,  vin.) 

(9)  According  to  Usher  (Ind,  Chron.)  this  monastery  would 
have  been  founded  664.  Yet  the  Annals  of  Ulster,  quoted  by 
himself  (p.  964. )  assign  the  sailing  of  Colman  to  Inisbofinde, 
and  his  founding  a  church  there,  to  667,  and  are  followed  by 
Colgan,  (A  A  SS»  p  423.)  If  this  date  be  true,  we  must  sup- 
pose, that  Colman  remained  much  longer  at  Hy,  than  Bede  seems 
to  indicate,  or  than  Usher  supposed.  For  according  to  Bede, 
(L.  3.  c.  27.)  the  year  SSi:  was  that,  in  which  Colman  left 
Lindis&me,  and  it  cannot  be  believed,  that  he  was  mistaken  on 
this  point.  Either  then  the  Ulster  annals  are  wrong,  or  it  must  be 
allowed  that  Colman  and  his  companions  tarried  about  three 
years  in  Hy,  waiting  perhaps  until  the  great  pestilence  should 
totally  subside.  Archdall,  following  Colgan,  places  the  founda- 
tion of  Inisbofinde,  or,  as  he  calls  it,  Bophin  island,  in  667. 

(10)  Bede  states  that  the  Irish,  whom,  as  usual,  he  calls  Scotti, 
went  in  summer  and  harvest  time  from  the  monastery  to  variouft 
places,  which  they  were'  acquainted  with,  per  nota  sibi  loca,  and 
that  on  returning  in  winter  they  wished  to  partake  in  common  of 
the  articles  which  the  English  had  prepared  duiing  their  absence. 
This  was  thought  unfair  and  gave  rise  to  the  disagreement.  It  is 
plain  that  the  places  visited  by  the  Irish  monks  were  in  Ireland, 
and,  we  may  suppose,  chiefly  their  native  ones  as  being  well 
known  to  diem.  It  may  also  be  justly  conjectured,  that  they  were 
principaUy  in  Connaught,  the  province  nearest  to  Inisbofinde.  Will 
it  be  now  pretended,  that  the  Scotti  of  Lindisfame  were  British 
or  Albanian  Scots  ? 

(11)  Usher,  adhering,  to  his  supposition,  which  is  indeed  very 
probable,  of  Colman  having  returned  to  Ireland  soon  afler  his  de- 
parture from  Lindisfame,  assigns  {Ind.  Chron,)  tlie  foundation  of 
the  monastay  of  Mayo  to  A.  665,  and  is  followed  by  Ware 
(Antig.  cap,  26.  at  Mayo,)  Yet  it  might  have  been  at  least  a  year 
later ;  for  it  took  place  after  the  winter,  in  whicli  the  dissension 
occurred,  and  afier  the  monks  had  spent  at  least  one  summer  in 
Inisbofinde.    It  it  hard  to  think  that  they  could  have  been  well 

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CHAP.  XVIII.  OF   IRELAND.  81 

settled  there  in  that  of  661*,  and  it  seems  more  probable  that  the 
winter  next  prior  to  the  establishment  at  Mayo  was  that  of  66Sf 
coming  666.  Archdall  also  has  (at  Mayo)  followed  Usher  as  to 
A.  665,  a  very  awkward  computation  on  his  part,  whereas  he 
^aces  the  foundation  of  Inisbofinde  in  667.  (See  Not.  9.)  Did 
he  not  know,  that  this  establishment  was  prior  to  that  of 
Mayo? 

(12;  In  the  old  editions  of  Bede  we  find,  instead  of  Muigk-eo, 
Invigeo  which  Usher  has,  p.  964.  But  he  observes,  (Ind,  Chron* 
A,  665)  that  tlie  true  reading  is  Muigeo  ;  and  so  it  appears  in 
Smith's  edition.  It  is  evident,  that  Invigeo  was  an  erratum  of  a 
transcriber,  who  mistook  M  for  In  ;  and  Ardidall  had  no  right 
to  say,  that  Mayo  was  sometimes  called  Invigeo. 

(IS)  Bede  Z.  4u  c  4.  By  saying,  that  the  English  monks  of 
Mayo  had  adopted  better  reguladons  than  th^  had  at  first; 
confxrsis  jamdudum  ad  meliora  instituta  omnibus;  he  aUuded 
to  their  having  received  the  Roman  cycle,  &c.  idiich,  as  will  ap« 
pear  from  what  wfll  be  seen  hereafter,  they  did  as  early,  at  least,  as 
the  year  716.  Colgan  pretends,  (AA.  SS.  p.  605.)  that  this  mo- 
nastery was  of  the  Benedictine  order,  and  asserts,  I  am  fcnrced  to 
say,  most  ignorantly,  that  even  Cohnan  belonged  to  this  ord^r, 
and  that  the  monks  of  Hy  had  already  received  its  rule  from 
ages.  He  confounds  subsequent  ages,  in  which  Hy  adopted  Be- 
nedictiiie  regulations,  with  much  older  ones.  How  he  could  have 
imagined  that  Colraan  was  a  Benedictine  may  appear  unaccount- 
able ;  but  he  found  that  Trithemius,  Yepes,  and  some  other  Be- 
nedictine writers  had  sakl  so,  and  had  made  all  the  Columbians 
Benedictines.  This  was  enou^  for  honest  Colgan,  who  be* 
lieved  almost  every  thing  that  he  met  with  in  books,  without 
caring  whether  what  he  found  in  one  were,  or  not,  in  (^position 
to  what  he  read  in  others.  The  fact  is  that,  wherever  the  Irish 
system,  maintained  by  Coiman,  prevailed,  there  were  no  Bene- 
dictines ;  and  Wilfiid  was,  as  he  boasted  o£  it,  the  first  that  intro- 
duced the  Benedictine  rule  into^the  Northumbrian  kingdom  after 
the  departure  of  the  Irish  (See  Not.  237  to  Chap,  xii.)  If  Cd- 
man  had  been  a  Benedictine,  would  he  have  opposed  the  Roman 
practices  as  to  Easter,  &c.  whidi  were  strictly  adhered  to  by  that 
order  not  only  in  Italy,  where  it  originated,  but  in  England  and 
VOL.  III.  G 


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8fi  AN    ECCLESIASTICAL   HISTORY     CHAP.  XVIII. 

every  where  else?  Or  would  the  English  monks,  who  followed 
him  to  h«laiKl»  hore  done  so,  had  they  been  Benedictines  ? 
Poor  .^didall,  in  obedience  to  Colgaa^  has  (at  Mayo)  followed 
these  strange  mistakes. 

Usher  observes,  {p.  964)  from  the  book  of  BallymQte,  that 
itt  Adamnan's  time,  about  the  latter  end  of  the  seventh  century, 
there  were  100  Saxon  (English)  saints  at  Mayo.  From  the 
Elfish  establishment  in  that  place  it  has  been  called  Maigh-eo  na 
Sastcn^  u  e.  Mayo  of  the  English.  It  became  in  course  of  time 
a  veiy  respectable  town  and  the  see  of  a  bishop,  but  is  now  re- 
duced to  a  petty  village,  situated  a  few  miles  to  the  S.  E.  of 
Castlebar,  in  the  county  to  which  it  gives  its  name. 

(U)  In  the  Ulster  anniOs  (ap.  Usher,  p.  964)  he  is  called  bi- 
shop of  the  Island  of  the  White  cow,  that  is,  Inisbofinde,  where 
also  the  4  Masters  (dp.  Tr.  Th,  p.  S88.)  place  him  as  bishop. 

(15)  4  Masters,  ib. 

(16)  Usher,  ItuL  Chron.  from  the  Ulster  annals,  which  have 
675  (676).  The  4  Masters  (ib.)  assign  it  to  674  (675).  Arch- 
dall  in  his  Uundering  account  of  the  monasteiy  of  Maya 
speaks  of  Colman,  as  if  he  lived  until  69T.  He  confounded  the 
year  of  Colman's  death  with  that»  in  which  Usher,  and  after  him 
Golgan,  supposed,  erroneously  indeed  as  will  be  seen  hereafter, 
that  St.  Genddof  Mayo  died. 

§.  lu.  AmoDg  the  distinguished  persons^  that  died 
of  the  great  pestilence  in  665,  were  the  joint  kings 
of  all  Ireland,  Diermit  II.  and  Blathinac.  (1?) 
They  were  succeeded  by  a  son  of  the  latter,  Seach- 
nasach  who,  having  reigned  six  years,  was  killed  in 
671*  After  him  his  brother  Kennfoelius  or  Kenn- 
foelaid  wa^  raised  to  the  throne,  which  he  held  only 
four  years,  haying  &llen  in  battle,  A.  D.  675,  fighting 
against  Finnacta  his  paternal  first  cousin,  and  son  of 
Cionchad*  Finnacta  succeeded  him,  and  reigned  20 
years  until  he  was  killed  in  the  battle  of  Greallach- 
dollain695.  (18) 

One  of  the  Irish  saints,  who  survived  that  mor- 
tality»  was  St.  Molaga.  (19)  He  was  bom  in  the 
territory  of  Feramugia,  a  part  of  the  now  county  of 

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CHAP.  XVIII.      .  OF   IRELAND.  83 

Cork,  (20)  of  poor  but  pious  parents,  and  is  said  to 
have  been  baptized,  when  an  infant,  by  St.  Cummin 
Fada.  (21)  Molaga  received  his  education  in  his 
own  country  and,  having  distinguished  himself  by 
his^  piety  and  learning,  established  a  monastery  and 
school  at  a  place  there  called  Tulaehmin.  (22)  He 
is  said  to  have  afterwards  visited  other  parts  of  Ire- 
land, particularly  Connor  in  Ulster,  and  even  to 
have  passed  over  to  North  Britain,  and  thejice  pro- 
ceeded to  Wales,  where  he  spent  some  time  with  St. 
David.  But  this  visit  to  St.  David  is  quite  incon- 
sistent with  the  rest  of  his  history,  and  with  the 
respective  times,  in  which  they  lived.  (23)  Moiaga 
seems  to  have  had  some  establishment  in  the  district 
near  Dublin,  now  called  Fingall.  (24)  At  length 
he  returned  to  Tulach-rain,  where  he  died  on  a  20th 
of  January  in  some  year  subsequent  to  the  time  of 
the  great  pestilence  and  consequently  later  than  665. 
His  festival  used  to  be  celebrated  on  the  anniversary 
of  that  day  at  Tulach-min,  and  at  a  place  called 
Lann-beachaire  in  Fingall.  {25)  He  must  not  be 
confounded  with  other  saints  of  the  name  of  Moiaga 
or  Molocus.  Whether  he  was  the  Molagga,  from 
whom  Timoleague  (Teach-molaga)  in  co.  Cork  got 
its  name  1  cannot  determine,  2S  I  do  not  find  that  he 
ever  lived  in  that  ^ace.  St.  Finan,  sumamed  Lob- 
havy  or  the  Leper,  from  his  having  been  afflicted  for 
thirty  years  of  his  life  with  some  cutaneous  dis- 
temper, flourished  in  these  times.  (26)  He  was  a 
native  of  Heli,  (Ely  O'Carrol)  then  a  part  of  Mun- 
ster,  and  of  an  illustrious  family.  It  has  been 
strangely  said  that  he  was  a  disciple  of  Columbkill, 
and  placed  by  him  over  the  monastery  of  Swords.  (27) 
But  Finan  was  not,  in  all  probability,  born  until  after 
ColumbkilPs  death,  and  his  having  been  mistaken 
for  a  disciple  of  this  saint  was  caused  perhaps  by  his 
having  been,  as  may  be  conjectured,  a  monk  of  the 
Columbian  order.  He  certainly  governed  a  monas- 
tery at  Swords,  which  he  was,  most  probably,  the 

G  2 

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84  AN    ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY         CHAP.  XVIII. 

founder  of.  (28)     Two  other  monasteries  are  con- 
stantly attributed  to  him,  m.  the  celebrated  one  of 
Inisfaitblen  or  Innisfallen  (29)  in  the  lake  of  Kil- 
lamey,  and  that  of  Ardfinan,  the  high  place  ofFinan^ 
in  the  county  of  Tipperary.  (SO)     Finan  spent  some 
part  of  his  life,  apparently  as  abbot,  in  the  monas- 
tery of  Clonmore,  which  had  been  founded  by   St. 
Maidoc  of  Ferns.  ('31)     But  the  house   of  Swords 
was  that,  in  which  ne  seems  to  have  chiefly  resided, 
(32)  and  where  it  is  probable  that  he  died.  (33) 
Yet,  if  it  be  true  that  he  was  buried  at  Clonmore,  as 
one  account  states,  (34)  it  must  be  allowed  that  this 
was  the  place  of  his  death.     Be  this  as  it  may,  St. 
Finan  died  during  the  reign  of  Finnacta,  monarch 
of   Ireland,   and  accordingly  some   time   between 
C75  and  695,  [S5)     The  day  of  his  death  was  very 
probably  a  first  or  second  of  February,  {S6)  although 
m   every  martyrology,  both   Irish  and  foreign,   in 
which  he  is  mentioned,  his  name  is  affixed  to  the  l6th 
of  March.  (37) 

(17)  See  CAa;>.  XIV.  f.  1. 

(18)  Ware,  Antiq.  cap,  4.  and  O'Flaherty,  Ogyg.  Part  3.  cap. 
93.  The  English  translator  of  Ware  has  made  Finnacta  a  nephew 
of  Aldus  or  Hugh  Slani.  Bat  he  was  his  grandson  ;  for  his  &- 
ther  Donchad  was  brother  to  Diermit  II.  and  Blathmac,  and  con- 
sequatitly  son  to  Aldus  SlanL  The  translator,  instead  of  render- 
ing the  nepos  of  Ware's  original  bj  grandson^  mistook  it  for  ne* 
phexv. 

(19)  Life  of  St.  Molaga,  cap.  22.  Colgan  translated  this  Life 
from  Irish  into  Latin,  and  publish^  it  at  20  January.  He  la* 
ments  that  in  several  parts  it  is  imperfect. 

(20)  Feramugia  is  called  at  present  Roche's  and  Condon's 
country.  The  name  b  stiH  retained  in  that  of  the  town  of  Fer- 
moy. 

(21 )  Life,  cap.  7*  Concerning  Cummin  Fada  see  Chap,  xv« 
§.S. 

(22)  I  cannot  find  in  the  countiy  about  Fermoy  any  place  now 
called  by  this  name.    In  Molly's  Life  some  other  places,  which 


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CHAP.  XVIII.  OF   IRELAND.  85 

I  cannot  discover,  are  tnentioned  as  having  been  in  those  parts, 
ex.  c.  Liathmuine,  which  is  represented  as  a  ftunous  town. 

(23)  St.  David  did  not  live  later  than  A.  D.  593.  (See  Chap. 
i\^  $•  9.)  How  then  could  Molaga,  who  was  alive  after  665, 
have  been  the  abbot  of  a  monasteiy  before  David's  death  ?  And, 
what  comes  still  nearer  to  the  point,  we  are  told  that  Molaga  was 
baptized  by  Cummin  Fada,  who  was  not  bom  until  592.  {Chap 
XV.  §.  8.)  How  can  this  agree  with  Molaga's  being  acquainted 
with  St.  David? 

(24)  It  is  said  Jn  the  Life,  (cap.  17.)  that  Molaga  placed  a 
swarm  of  bees  at  a  town  in  Fingall,  and  that  said  town  was  thence 
called  Lann-beachaife,  Lann  or  Llan  means  in  Welsh  what  Klill 
does  in  Irish :  and  beach  is  the  Irish  name  for  a  bee ;  so  that  Lann- 
beachaire  is  the  same  as  Bees-church  or  Bees-cell.  It  is  added  that 
these  bees  were  derived  from  those,  which  St.  Modomnoc  had 
brought  from  Wales  to  Ireland.  (See  Chap.  xiv.  §.  5.)  Whatever 
we  may  think  of  this  stoiy,  the  memoiy  of  St.  Molagga  was  cer- 
tainly revered  at  Lann-beachaire  in  Fingall,  as  appears  not  only 
from  his  Life,  but  likewise  from  the  Calendar  of  Cashel  at  20 
Januaiy.    How  that  place  is  now  called  I  cannot  discover. 

(25)  Life,  cap.  22.  (Compare  with  Not.  prec.) 

(26)  Colgan  has  endeavoured  to  put  together  the  Acts  of  St 
Finan  at  16  March.  They  are  very  scanty  and  uncircumstantiaK 
The  BoJlandists  at  said  day  have  published  a  short  tract,  called  a 
life  of  Finan,  which  they  got^m  Fitzsimon.  It  was  written  by 
some  Englishman  afler  tlie  settlement  of  the  Englisli  in  Ireland, 
and  is,  though  praised  by  the  Bollandists,  a  wretched  little  com- 
pilation crammed  with  fables.  It  has  the  story  about  Finan  hav. 
ing  been  placed  at  Swords  by  Columbkill.  ^ 

(27)  See  Not.  109.  to  Chap.  xi. 

(28)  See  ib.  for  ArchdalFs  bungled  account  of  this  monastery. 
Ware  makes  no  mention  of  it ;  but  Harris  has  followed  the  un- 
proved opinion  of  its  having  been  founded  by  Columbkill. 

(29)  Ware,  having  been  led  astray  by  the  story  of  Finan*s  dis- 
di^eship  under  Columbkill,  assigns  the  foundation  of  Innis&llen 
to  the  sixth  centuiy,  as  does  also  Harris.  Archdall,  treating  of 
this  monastery,  hab  some  blunders  as  usual.  He  makes  Finan  a 
son  €^  Alild  king  of  Munster,  and  disciple  of  St  Drendan,  for 
which  he  refers  to  Colgan.     Now  Colgan,  following  several  old 


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86  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL   HISTORY         CHAP.  XVIII. 

writers,  constantly  caUs  Bnan  the  son  of  ConaU,  who  was  a  de- 
scendant of  the  femous  Alild  Olum,  a  king  that  lived  some  hun- 
dreds of  years  before  Finan  was  bom.  As  to  his  having  been  a 
disciple  of  Brendan,  Colgan  has  not  a  word  about  it.  It  is  men- 
tioned also  in  the  meagre  account  of  Finan  in  Butler  s  Live$  of 
Saints,  following  the  Bollandist  Life,  in  which  one  Brendan  is 
said  to  have  taught  Finan.  Archdall  adds,  that  DichuU,  son  of 
Nessan,  was  abbot  of  Innisfallen  in  640.  On  this  point  he  is  not 
quite  so  much  to  blame,  except  that  he  had  not  even  Colgan's 
authority  for  marking  any  precise  year.  Colgan  happenig  (A A. 
SS.p.  92.)  to  touch  upon  Dichull,  one  of  the  sons  of  Nessan, 
confounded  the  Inisfaithlen,  now  Ireland's  eye,  (see  Not.  61.  to 
Chap.  XI.)  with  the  Inisfiuthlen  or  Innisfellen  of  Kerry.  But  at 
15  March,  where  he  treats  expressly  of  the  sons  of  Nessan,  he 
has  guarded  against  this  mistake. 

(50)  Hams  and  Archdall,  following  the  mistake  of  Fman  hav- 
ing been  a  dkciple  of  Columbkill,  assign  this  foundation  to  the 
aiarth  century. 

(51)  See  Chap.  xiv.  §.  10.  In  the  sketch  of  Finan*s  Life,  ap* 
Butler,  it  is  strangely  stated,  that  he  built  the  monastery  of  Clon- 
m(Nre. 

(52)  The  Irish  calendarists  in  enumerating  the  monasteries  be- 
longing to  Finan  always  mention  Swords  first ;  thus  in  the  Calen- 
dar of  Cashel  at  16  March  we  read ;  <^  S;  Finanus  Lobhra  filius 
Conalli— de  Surdo,  et  de  Chiainmor  Maidod  in  Lageiiia,  et  de 
Inis-fiuthlin  in  lacu  Lenensi,  de  Ard-finain.**  In  the  account  ap. 
Butler  Swords  is  omitted ! 

(SS)  It  is  related  in  the  Life  of  St.  Maidoc,  (cap.  62.)  that 
there  was  a  man,  named  Finan,  who  had  liyed  30  years  in  the 
northern  part  of  Leinster,  and  that  on  the  day  of  his  festival  (SI 
Januaiy)  tbis  saint,  accompanied  by  St.  Brigid,  appeared  to 
Finan  in  a  vision  and  announced  to  him  that  he  was  to  be  called 
out  of  this  world  witliin  a  day  or  two.  Colgan  observes,  that  in 
an  Irish  Life  of  Maidoc  this  Finan  is  called  Finan  Lobhar,  and 
it  seems  very  probable  that  he  really  was  the  St  Finan  we  are 
treating  of.  But  Clonmore  was  not,  as  Colgan  states,  the  place 
where  the  vision  is  said  to  have  occurred,  as  it  was  situated  not  in 
the  northern  but  in  the  soutliem  part  of  Leinster.  If  Finan  the 
leper  was  the  person  meant  in  this  narrative,  as  appears  almost 


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cAaf.  xvni. 


OP    IREL.»ND.  87 


certain,  the  scene  of  the  viskm  was  undoubtedly  Swords,  a  town 
in  North  Leinster;  and  consequently,  according  to  this  accoiuit, 
it  was  there  that  St,  Rnan,  died,  and  on  the  1st  or  2d  of  Fe- 
bruaiy.  Foflowing  the  same  supposition,  viz.  that  Finan  the  le- 
per was  Uie  person  here  alluded  to,  we  have  an  additional  ail- 
ment to  show,  that  he  lived  at  a  later  period  than  that  assigned  by 
Ware  and  others ;  for  he  is  represented  as  alive  after  the  death  of 
Maidoc,  i.  e.  after  the  year  632.    (See  Chap.  xiv.  f .  10.) 

(S4)  Colgan  quotes  from  a  little  Irish  poem  on  the  church 
of  Clonmore  a  passage,   in  which    it  is    said    that   the    body 
ci  Sl  Finan   the  leper   was  resting  in  that  place.    He  attri- 
butes said  poem  to  St.  Moling  of  Ferns.    If  composed  by  this 
saint,  there  can  be  no  question  about  the  place  of  Finiah's  burial, 
and  consequently  death ;  I  say,  consequerUlt^  deaths  because,  had 
he  died  elsewhere,  ex.  c.  at  Swords,  or,  as  some  have  said,  at 
Ardfinan,  it  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  the  monks  of  these  estab- 
lishments  would  have  given  up  his  entire  remains  to  that  of  Clon- 
more.   But  what  authority  have  we  ft)r  believing  tliat  St.  Moling 
was  the  author  of  that  poem  ?  It  was,  I  dare  say,  the  composition 
ofa  mopk  of  Clonmore,  perhaps  at  a  late  period,  who,  in  honour 
of  his  monasteiy,  wished  to  make  it  appear,  that  among  the  in- 
numerable reliques  preserved  there  (see  A  A.  SS.p.  277.)  was  the 
tohole  body  of  St.  Finan.     It  is  probable  tliat  a  part  of  his  r«mains 
was  to  be  found  in  that  collection,  which  might  have  been  the  case^ 
although,  as  seems  most  probable,  he  died  and  was  buried  at 
Swords.  That  St.  Moling  was  not  the  author  of  the  poem,  i?  suffid- 
ently  plain  from  the  allusions  in  it  to  certain  dilutes  txuicerning 
the  place  where  the  reliques  collected  by  a  St.  Onchuo  were  de- 
posited.    At  what  period  this  St.  Onchuo  lived,  cannot  be  dia- 
'    covered,  at  least  from  the  vague  and  confused  account  of  him 
patched  up  by  Colgan  at  8  Februaiy.    If  he  was  oonten^Kiraiy 
with  Finan  the  leper,  as  Colgan  says,  it  would  have  been  easy  to 
know  in  St.  Moling^s  time  (the  7th  centuiy)  where  he  had  left  his 
collection  of  reliques,  and  the  di^mtes  on  this  point  could  not  have 
then  existed ;  or  if,  as  appears  much  more  probable,  he  lived  at  a 
later  period  than  either  Finan  or  Moling,  he  could  not  have  been 
mentioned  in  a  poem  written  by  the  latter. 

(35)  Colgan  says  (Finian's  Acts)  between  674  and  693,  follow- 
ing the  4  Masters,  who  mark  these  years  for  the  reign  of  Finnacta. 

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88  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY         CHAP.  XVIII, 

But  their  date  674  b  the  same  as  the  675  of  Ware  and  others ;  and 
their  693  is  the  same  as  694,  a  date  differing  only  by  one  year 
from  that  of  other  writers.  Archdall  boldly  lays  down,  (at  Clor^- 
mare  J  that  Finian  died  in  680.  Where  he  found  this  date,  he  does 
not  inform  us.  Yet  (at  Swords)  he  makes  him  die  before  563,  or, 
at  least,  before  the  dose  of  the  sixth  centuiy.  Bravo !  (See  more 
Not.  109  to  Chap,  xi.) 

(36)  See  Not.  SS. 

(37)  Colgan  justly  remaiks,  that  this  can  be  easily  accounted 
for  in  consequence  of  the  Ist  of  February  being  St.  Brigid's  day, 
and  the  2d  that  of  the  Purification  of  the  Blessed  Virgin.  We  may 
therefore  suppose  that,  to  avoid  a  collision,  the  festival  of  St.  Fi- 
nan  was  transferred  to  16  March. 

§.  IV.  The  great  St.  Cudberet,  or  Cuthbert,  bi- 
sbop  of  Lindisfarne,  was,  according  to  several  dis- 
tinguished writers,  born  in  Ireland ;  (38)  but  it  is 
very  probable,  that  he  was  rather  a  native  of  the 
Northumbrian  kingdom,  and  of  that  part  of  it  which 
is  now  comprized  in  Scotland.  ITie  name  Cudberet, 
if  however  it  was  his  original  one,  indicates  a  Nor- 
thumbrian, not  an  Irish  origin.  It  is  certain  that, 
when  a  very  }'oun^  man,  he  lived  in  a  district  to 
the  North  of  the  Tweed  at  no  great  distance  from 
the  river.  (39)  *  While  charged  with  the  care  of  a 
flock  of  sheep  and  watching  in  prayer,  Cuthbert 
had  a  vision  on  the  night  of  the  death  of  St.  Aedan 
of  Lindisfarne,  in  wliich  he  saw  the  soul  of  this 
saint  wafted  by  Angels  to  heaven.  (40)  He  imme- 
diately determined  on  retiring  into  a  monastery, 
and  chose  for  said  purpose  that  of  Mailros,  si- 
tuated  on  the  bank  of  the  Tweed,  the  prior  of 
which  was  then  Boisil,  a  very  holy  man,  and  the 
abbot  Eata,  (41)  a  disciple  of  St.  Aedan.  Cuthbert 
was  one  of  the  monks,  whom  Eata  took  along  with 
him  to  the  new  monastery  of  Inhrypum  or  Rippon, 
which  he  erected  on  ground  granted  to  him  by  the 
prince  Alchfrid,  and  from  which  they  were  ex- 
pelled some  time  after  by  the  same  prince,  because 

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CHAP.XTIII.  OF   IRELAND.  89 

they  refused  to  abandon  the  Iri^h  practices  as  to 
Easter  and  the  tonsure.  (4«)  Having  returned  to 
Mailross,  Cuthbert  was,  in  consequence  of  the  death 
of  Boisil,  which  occurred  about  o6l  (43]  appointed 
prior  of  that  monastery  in  his  stead,  and  held  that 
office  until  664  or  66d,  (44)  when  he  was  removed 
to  Lindisfaiiie  by  his  abbot  Eata,  who  was  then 
abbot  of  this  place  also.  (45)  Here  Cuthbert  was 
employed  likewise  as  prior,  and  continued  as  such 
for  several  years,  until,  wishing  for  a  solitary  life  he 
withdrew,  in  676,  to  the  small  island  of  Fame  out 
in  the  sea  some  miles  distant  from  Lindisfame. 
But  I  shall  not  encroach  further  on  the  ecclesiastical 
history  of  England,  to  which  that  of  this  great 
saint  principally  belongs,  (46)  than  to  observe  that 
he  was,  as  it  were,  dragged  out  of  that  island  in 
684  by  king  Egfrid  in  person,  bishop  Frumwine,  and 
many  others,  for  the  purpose  of  being  raised  to  the 
episcopacy  ;  consecrated  at  York  in  685  and  placed 
over  tne  see  of  Lindisfame ;  and  that  he  died  on 
the  20tb  of  March  A.  D.  687  in  the  island  of  Fame, 
to  which  he  had  again  retired  a  short  time  before 
his  death.  (47) 

In  the  same  year  that  Egfrid  king  of  Noithum- 
berland  (48)  prevailed  on  Cuthbert  to  quit  the 
island  of  Fame  he  sent,  yet  some  time  earlier  in  the 
year,  an  expedition  under  a  commander  of  the  name 
of  Beret  against  some  parts  of  the  Eastern  coast  of 
Ireland,  particularly  that  of  Bregia,  or  the  country 
extending  from  Dublin  towards  Urogheda.  These 
marauders  spared  neither  churches  nor  monasteries^ 
and  carried  away  many  captives  besides  a  consider- 
able deal  of  plunder.  It  is  difficult  to  account  for 
this  wanton  attack  upon  an  unoffending  people,  an 
attack  replete  with  ingratitude,  as  the  Irish  had  been 
exceedingly  friendly  to  the  English  and  used  to 
treat  them  with  the  utmost  kindness  and  hospitality. 
(49)  A  modern  writer,  who  stops  at  nothing  that 
may  suit  his  purpose,  says  that  Egfrid  was  urged  to 

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90  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY        CHAP*  XVIII. 

this  act  by  the  clergy,  whom  he  is  pleased  to  call 
Romshy  that  is,  the  clergy  who  had  adopted  the 
Roman  practices  as  to  Easter,  &c.  { 30)  For  this 
atrocioas  charge  there  is  not  the  least  foundation, 
and  it  is  in  direct  opposition  to  the  circumstances  of 
the  times  ;  and  to  the  conduct  and  feelings  of  the 
then  advocates  of  said  practices.  (5 1 )  The  only  rea- 
son, that  can  be  guessed  at,  which  Egfrid  might  hare 
had  for  being  displeased  with  the  Irish  nation,  was 
the  shelter  granted  in  Ireland  to  his  brother  Alfrid, 
who  having  gone  thither  after  the  death  of  king 
Oswin,  applied  himself  to  the  ecclesiastical  and  other 
studies,  and  became  very  learned  in  every  respect. 
He  remained  among  the  Irish  during  the  whole 
reign  of  Egfrid,  after  whose  death  he  was  recalled 
to  Northumberland,  raised  to  the  throne,  and  go* 
verned  his  kingdom,  for  many  years  with  consum- 
mate  wisdom  and  ability.  (52) 

(38)  Uihcr,  Ware,  Cdgan,  Hanis,  &c.  held  this  opinion. 
Bede,  beside  what  he  has  about  him  in  his  Ecclesiastical  histoiy 
(JU  4.)  has  left  us  two  Lives,  one  in  verse,  the  other  in  prose,  of 
St.  Cuthbert,  or  as  he  calls  him  Cudberet,  without  mentioning 
the  phioe  of  his  birth.  In  Capgravels  collection,  alias  that  of  John 
gf  Tinmouth,  there  is  a  Life  of  this  saint,  in  ^ich  he  is  expressly 
stated  to  have  been  an  illegitimale  son  of  an  Irish  king,  who,  hav- 
ing murdered  another  king,  called  Muriardach,  ravished  his  daugh* 
ter,  Co^an  in  a  note  to  this  Life  (A A,  SS.  ad  20  MaH.)  says, 
diat  this  Muiiardacli  was  Murchertach  Mac-Erca,  who  is  kno^'n  to 
have  suffered  a  cruel  death ;  but  is  puzzled  to  account  for  his  be- 
ing  tiie  grand&ther  of  Cuthbert,  who  was  not  bom  until  about  a 
hundred  years  later.  For  Mionchertach  Mac-Erca  was  killed,  at 
the  latest,  in  53S  or  5S4-  (See  Chap.  ix.  §.  13.)  Hence  Colgan 
conjectores,  that  Cuthbert's  mother  was  not  daughter,  but  either 
grand-daugliter  or  great  grand  daughter  of  said  Murchertacli.  Tlien 
we  are  told,  that  the  infent,  the  fruit  of  that  violation,  was  bap- 
tized by  the  Iridi  name,  NuUuheCy  diat  is,  moaning;  because,  as 
Colgan  explains  it,  his  mother  moaned  mid  wept  for  the  injury  she 
had  received.     It  is  added,  that  some  time  after  she  passed  over 

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CHAP.  XVIII.  OF  IRELAND.  91 

to  North  Britain^  taking  with  her  the  hoy,  whom  thenceforth  we 
find  called  Cuihberiy  without  being  infonned  how  he  happened  to 
get  this  name. 

Ware  (  Wnter$  at  Cuthbert)  has  a  different  statement,  accord- 
ing to  whidi  Cuthbert  was  bom  at  Kells  in  Meath,  or,  as  some 
have  said,  at  Kill-mochudrick  (KiOmacudd),  four  miles  distant 
iWnn  Dublin,  and  was  the  son  of  an  In^  petty  king.  It  is  then 
saki  that  Sabina,  the  mother  of  Culdkbert,  going  to  Romp  on  a  pil- 
grimage,  left  him  in  the  monastery  of  Mailros,  &c  thus  account* 
ing  for  his  arrival  in  Britain.  This  sUny  of  Sabina,  Ac  is  in  di- 
rect opposidou  to  Bede,  who  represents  Cuthbert  as  a  lad  tending 
sheep  on  the  mountains,  probably  of  Berwidcshire,  when,  in  con- 
sequence of  a  yiBk>n,  he  determined  on  repairing  to  that  mo- 
nasteiy.  In  the  Li&  op.  Cq>grave,  Sabina  is  said  to  have  been 
the  wife  of  king  Muriardach,  and  aooordingly  would  have  been, 
following  that  narrative,  the  grandmother,  not  the  mother,  of 
Cuthbert  But  neither  Ware's  nor  Ci^igrave's  account  rests  upon 
any  sufficient  authority,  and  it  is  easy  to  perceive  that  they  wei>e 
stmes  made  up  for  the  purpose  of  bestowing  on  the  saint  a  royal 
descent,  whDe  it  is  clear  fiom  Bede  that  he  was  not  entitled 
to  it. 

In  another  work  (Antig.  cap.  29.  at  KenUs  or  KMa)  Wave  says, 
that  the  great  ornament  of  Kells  was  Cuthbert,  who  was  bom 
there,  as  a  writer  of  his  Life  states  out  of  Irish  authorities.  (See 
also  Harris,  Bishopsy  p,  138.)  He  adds  that  this  tract  was  in  tlaa 
Cottonian  library  under  VitelliuSf  D.  xiv.  8.  We  find  it  in  Mr^ 
Planta's  catak)gue  under  7^^,  A.  ii«  134.  entitled,  **  De  ortu 
etviia  B*  patris  Cuthberti  UbMut  de  ScaHcisy  i  e  HibemicU  auo 
toribus  coUedusr  It  is  the  same  as  that,  which  Usher  call  (p.  945) 
the  Acts  of  our  Cuthbert  extracted  from  Irish  histories^  observing 
that  it  appeared  about  the  year  1 160.  I  dare  say  that  diosf  ex* 
tracts  agree  in  substance  with  the  accounts  above  given  firom  the 
life  ap.  Capgrave  and  fitnn  Ware.  But  their  bang  found  in  that 
Cottonian  tract  does  not  add  nmch  to  their  authorky.  Ware  (ib.) 
repeats,  that  some  maintain,  that  Cuthbert  was  bora  at  Kill-mo- 
cudridc  This  is  asserted  in  the  Annals,  of  St.  Maiy's-abbey  of 
Dublin,  in  which  (at  A.  684.)  the  most  Rev.  father  Cuthbert  of 
Lindisfarae,  is  mentioned  with  this  addition ;  <<  de  Hibemia  nato 
in  oppido  KUmacrohukkr    There  was  a  church  in  that  place  de- 


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92  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY         CHAP.  XVIII. 

dicated  to  his  memory,  and  whence  was  derived  the  name  Kill* 
mocudricky  that  is,  the  church  of  my  (mo)  Cudricky  or  Cudberet* 
This  circumstance  was,  I  suspect,  the  only  foundation  of  the  opi- 
nion that  he  was  born  there.  » 

It  is,  however,  remaricable  that  many  old  English  and  Irish 
writers,  treating  of  Cuthbert,  makes  him  a  native  of  Ireland  and 
that  his  name  appears  in  the  Irish  calendars,  as  if  he  had  been 
really  so,  although,  as  there  marked,  he  lived  in  Saxonia  (Eng- 
land) (See  AA.  SS.  p.  695.  segq,)  The  Bollandists,  while  at 
St.  Cuthbert  (20  March)  they  leave  this  question  undecided,  yet  at 
St,  Wiro  (8  May)  seem  to  acknowledge,  that  Cuthbert  was  bom 
in  beland. 

(39)  According  to  Bede  (Life,  &c.  cap.  4-. )  Cuthbert  was, 
beft^re  he  entered  any  monasteiy,  employed  in  tending  sheep  on 
certain  mountains,  which,  as  appears  from  the  sequel  were  in  the 
countiy,  in  which  Maikos  was  situated.  Simeon  of  Durham  adds 
(D.  ofDunelmensi  Eedena,  cap.  S.J  that  Cuthbert  was  then  near 
the  Leder,  now  Lauder,  a  river  in  Berwidcshire,  that  flows  into  the 
Tweed.  Hence  Mabillon  (Acta  Ben.  Tom.  2.  p.  882.)  and  othei^ 
deduce,  that  Cuthbert  was  a  native  of  that  neighbourhood.  This 
conclusion  may  appear  not  absolutely  justified  by  the  premises  ; 
for  from  Cuthbert's  living,  even  when  a  boy,  in  that  country,  it 
does  not  necessarily  follow  that  he  was  bom  there.  But  until 
some  stronger  arguments  than  those  we  have  seen  be  produced  to 
show,  that  he  was  in  his  boyhood  removed  thither  from  Ireland, 
the  balance  of  probability  remains  in  favour  of  Mabillon's  opinion. 
That  Cuthbert  was  a  native  of  Britain  seems  to  be  confirmed  by 
a  passage  of  Bede*s  Preface  to  the  metrical  Life,  where,  having 
mentioned  several  great  saints,  by  whom  other  countries  had  been 
enHgfatened,  coming  to  Cuthbert  the  light  of  Britain,  he  uses  tlie 
word,  genuit : 


'  hujusque  Britannia  consors 


Temporibus  genuit  fulgur  venerabile  nostris, 
Aurea  qua  Cudberetus  agens  per  sydera  vitam 
Scandere  celsa  suis  docuit  jam  passibus  Anglos. 

(40)  Bede*s  Life  of  Cuthbert,  cap.  4.  St.  Aedan  died  on  tlie 
Slst  of  August  A.  D.  651.  (See  Chap.  xv.  §,  14. 


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CHAP.  XVIII.  OF   IRELAND.  93 

(41)  Bede,  ib.  cap.  6.  and  Ecd.  Hist  L.  4.  c  27.  Concerning 
Eata  see  above  $.  1.  It  is  strange  that  Fleury  fL.  40.  §.  43) 
places  Mailros  in  the  countiy  of  the  Mercians,  notwithstanding 
Bede's  positire  assertion  that  it  was  on  the  bank  of  the  Tweed, 
and  its  being  a  well  known  place  in  Scotland  near  the  town  of 
Mehoss  about  10  miles  West  of  Kelso,  and  consequently  very  far 
distant  from  Merda,  which  comprized  the  central  parts  of  Eng- 
land. 

(42)  Bede's  Life  of  CuthbcW,  capp.  7. 8.  (Compare  with  Chap. 
XVII.  $.13.)  From  this  narrative  it  is  evident,  that  the  monks  of 
Maflros  were  of  Irish  institution  and  followed  the  Irish  system. 
Therefore  Mabillon  was  mistaken  {Acta  Ben,  Tom,  2. p. 878) 
in  asserting  that  Cuthbert  had  received  not  the  Irish  but  the 
Roman  tonsure.  This  had  been  said  before  in  an  anonymous 
Life  of  Cuthbert ;  but  the  Bollandists  justly  suspect^  that  the  pas- 
sage relative  to  it  is  an  interpolation. 

(43)  Smith  (in  a  note  to  Cuthbert's  Life,  a^,  8.)  shows,  that 
Mabillon  and  the  Bollandists  were  wrong  in  assigning  the  death  of 
Boisfl  to  664. 

(44)  Smith  fNote  to  Life,  &c.  cap.  16.)  follows  Simeon  of 
Durham,  who  says  that  Cuthbert  was  removed  to  Lindis&me  in 
664.  This  was  the  year,  in  which  Eata  became  abbot  of  Lindis* 
&me.  In  the  Life  ap.  Capgrave  (cap.  24.)  it  is  said  that  this 
removal  occurred  14  years  after  Cuthbert  had  put  on  the  monastic 
habit  in  651 .     Thus  it  should  be  assigned  to  665. 

(45)  See  above  $.  L 

(46)  Were  it  certain  that  St  Cuthbert  was  a  native  of  Ireland, 
I  should  think  myself  authorized  to  enter  more  fully,  than  I  have 
done,  into  his  history.  But  it  appears  to  me  more  probable  that  he 
was  not.  If  he  was  an  Irishman,  why  did  he  not  follow  Colman 
on  his  return  to  Ireland,  as  all  the  Irish  of  Lindisfame  did  ? 
To  this,  however^  it  may  be  rq)lied,  1.  that  Cuthbert  was  then 
not  at  Lindisfame  but  at  Maihros ;  and  2.  tluct  those,  who  make 
him  a  native  of  Ireland,  r^resent  him  as  so  very  young,  when 
carried  over  to  Britain^  that  he  could  scarcely  have  retained  a 
recollection  of  it.  Why,  *it  may  be  asked,  was  the  memory  of 
Cuthbert  so  much  celebrated  in  Ireland,  were  it  not  the  land  of 
his  birth  ?  I  answer  that  this  was  owing  to  Iiis  connexions  with 
the  Irish  of  Northumberland,  his  being  a  member  of  their  esta- 


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94  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY      CHAP.  XVIII* 

bliflhuieiiti,  hi8  having  obsenred  their  practices,  &c.  In  like 
manner  Gildaf  and  St.  David  of  Wales  were  greatly  revered  in 
Imlandoii  aooount  of  their  interooucse  with  the  Irish. 

(47)  See  Bede,  EccL  Hist.  L.^c.  28. 29. 

(.4i8)  £g6rid  succeeded  his  father  Oswin  in  670.  Bede, 
ib»  cap*  5* 

(49)  Bede'  wntes;  {ii.  cap.  2^)  <<  Anno  Dominicae  incar- 
nationis  684  Ec^gfiid  rex  Nordamhymbronini,  misso  Hibomiam  cum 
eveidta  dooe  Bereto,  vastavit  misere  gentem  mnoxiam  et  nationi 
An^crum  semper  anUmdman ;  ita  ut  ne  ecdesiis  quidem  aut 
numasteriis  manos  parcev^  hostilis.**  We  have  seen  above  (§.  1.) 
with  what  extraordinaiy  kindness  the  English,  who  went  to  Ireland 
for  their  education  or  other  purposes,  used  to  be  received  there. 
Bede's  words  with  regard  to  the  devastati<m  of  Ireland  are  not  to 
be  understood  as  if  he  meant  all  Ireland ;  nor  would  the  sh<nt 
time,  during  which  it  lasted,  have  been  sufficient  for  a  general 
overrunning  x)f  the  whole  kingdom.  The  expecUtbn  was  merely 
piratical,  and  was  confined  diiefly,  if  not  solely,  to  the  territory 
of  Bregia.  The  people  were  taken  unawares,  but  fought,  as  Bede 
(ib,)  observes,  as  well  as  they  could.  This  act  of  piracy  is  men- 
tioned in  the  Irish  aimals,  at  the  very  year  mariced  by  Bede,  and 
as  having  occurred  on  the  coast  and  plains  of  Bregia.  The  4 
Masters  have;  '<  bi  the  year  of  Christ  683  (684)  and  10th  of 
king  Finnacta,  the  territory  of  Magh-breagh  (plains  of  Bregia)  was 
laid  waste,  in  the  month  of  June,  by  the  Saxons,  ( English)  who 
^>ared  neither  the  people  nor  the  deiigy,  and  carried  off  to  their 
ships  many  captives  and  much  booty."  (See  TV.  Th,  p.  885.) 
Hence  it  is  clear  that  this  devastation  was  a  partial  one,  and  of 
short  duration,  having  taken  place  only  in  June.  Hence  also  we 
find,  that  it  was  prior  to  Cuthbert  s  leaving  the  island  of  Fames 
which,  as  is  known  fixmi  Bede,  (U>*  cap.  28.)  occurred  just  before 
the  winter  of  684. 

(50)  The  reader  will  easily  perceive,  that  this  writer  is  Dr. 
Ledwich.  These  are  his  words :  fAniiq.  Slc.  p.  66.)  ^  Not 
content  with  this  triumph  (the  result  of  the  conference  of  Whitby) 
the  Romish  clergy  urged  Egfirid,  king  of  Northumberland,  to 
wreak  their  vengeance,  a  Jm  years  ajler^  on  the  dissident  Iri^, 
an  harmless  and  innocent  peoj^e,"  &c.  Whether  the  Doctor  was 
the  invQ^tor  of  this  story  or  not,  I  am  not  able  to  decide ;  but  this 


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CHAP.  XVIII.  OF  lUBtAND.  QS 

nwditlcaostaCei  UiatttisaBhaincful  fiilflehood.  He  talks  ofa 
Jew  yean  between  the  conference  at  Whitby,  and  the  expedition 
against  the  Irish  coast.  But  the  reader  will  please  to  recoHect, 
that  the  conference  was  held  in  664^  whence  there  elapsed  full 
tw&ify  yean  until  said  expedition  took  [dace* 

(51)  The  paschal  andtonsural  disputes  had  subsided  in  Nor- 
tfaumbfflrland  long  before  684,  in  consequence  of  the  departure  of 
Colman  and  his  Irish  companions.  The  principal  ecclesiastics  of 
that  time  in  said  coimtzy  had  studied  ohiefy  under  Irish  teachers, 
fat  instance  Eata,  who  was  bishop  of  Lindisfiunaein  that  very  year. . 
Sudi  men  could  not  have  entertained  any  hostility  to  the  Iririi 
nation ;  nor  were  they  over-zealous  i^iainst  Cohnan's  party,  having 
bekMiged  to  it  themselves  in  their  younger  days.  Wilfiid,  the 
great  advocate  of  the  Roman  practices,  was  then  in  disgrace,  and 
having  been,  some  years  before,  driven  from  his  see  and  imprisoned 
by  Egfieid,  was  obliged  to  Hve  out  of  the  Northumbrian  kingdom, 
to  which  he  did  not  return  until  after  this  king's  death.  Bede,  so 
far  fi^om  hinting  that  any  clergyman  excited  EgfHd  to  this  pipceed- 
«g,  highly  oonderons  hia  conduct,  and  informs  us  that  the  veiy 
reverend  &ther  Ecgbert,  an  English  holy  priest,  who,  although 
^  living  in  Ireland,  observed  the  Roman  Easter,  &c.  bad  advised  him 
to  the  coatrary.  Egfrid's  defeat  and  death  m  the  foUowing  year, 
when  fitting  against  the  Picts,  w:»  considered  as  a  judgment  of 
God  against  him  for  his  unjust  aggression  on  Ireland.  (  See  Bede 
-LihC  26.)  Ecgbert  now  mentioned,  and  whom  we  shall  meet 
with  hereafter,  had  been  in  Ireland  since  before  the  breaking  out 
of  the  great  pestilence  in  66^,  during  which  he  resided  in  a  mo- 
nastery, called  in  Irish,  RathmdsigL  (Bede,  L.  S.  e.  27.)  Smitli 
in  a  note  to  Bede  (ib*)  makes  Rathmelsigi  the  same  as  Mellifont 
in  the  county  of  Louth,  for  no  other  reason,  it  appears,  than  that 
the  syllable  Mel  is  found  in  both  names.  But  there  is  no  account 
of  any  monastery  at  Mellifont  until  the  12th  century.  Colgan 
makes  mention  (AA.  SS.  p.  793.)  of  a  monastery  Rathmailsidhe, 
where  had  been  a  St.  Cobnan,  different  however  from  Colman  of 
Lindis&me,  and  in  his  Ind.  Tapogr.  (calling  it  RathmiUige)  places 
it  in  Connaugfat  without  telling  us  in  what  part  of  said  province. 
Mr.  Lingard  speaks  (AngU  S.  Church,  ch.  xiii.)  of  Egbert  as 
livimg  near  the  eastern  coast  of  Ireland.    His  reason  for  so  domg 


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96  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY      CHAP.  XVIII. 

was,  I  suppose^  that  he  relied  on  Smith's  authority  as  to  Rath- 
melsigi. 

(52)  This  Alfiid,  or  as  Bede  sometimes  calls  him,  Aldfrid,  was 
an  ill^dmate  son  of  Oswin,  and  older  than  Egfirid,  who  however, 
on  account  of  his  Intimate  hirth,  was  preferred  to  him  as  fit  for  the 
throne.  We  must  not,  as  some  writers  have  done,  confound  him 
with  Alchfiid,  thefiiend  of  Wilfrid,  who  ruled,  as  king,  a  part  of 
Northumberland  in  the  lifetime  of  his  father  Oswln.  (See  Chap. 
XVII.  $.13.)  The  names  are  different;  and  Alchfrid,  besides 
having  been  a  legitimate  son,  died  before  his  father.  {Note  of 
Smith  to  Bede,  L.  5.c.  19 )  On  the  accession  of  Egfirid,  Alfirid, 
either  through  compulsion  or  indignation,  went  over  to  Ireland, 
and  being  out  of  the  reach  of  his  brother,  and  enjoying  abund- 
ance of  leisure,  gave  himsdf  up  to  useful  studies,  in  which  he 
became  a  great  proficient.  William  of  Malmsbuiy  writes ;  (De 
Gestis  Regum ,  L.  1.  c.  3.)  <*  Is  (AlfHdus),  quia  nothus,  ut  dixi, 
erat  factione  optimatum,  quamvis  senior,  regno  indignus  aestimatus, 
in  Hibemiam,  seu  vi  seu  indignatione,  secesserat.  Ibi,  et  ab  odio 
germani  tutus,  et  magno  otio  literis  imbutus,  omni  philosophia 
animum  composuerat."  Bede  says  of  him,  (Life  of  Cuthbert,  cap. 
24«)  that  he  had  studied  a  long  time  among  the  Scots  (Irish)  in 
their  island^  alluding,  it  seems,  not  only  to  Ireland  but  to  various 
small  islands,  either  in  the  ocean  or  in  lakes,  in  which  they  had 
monasteries  and  schools,  and  that  he  was  very  learned  in  the 
Scriptures,  vir  in  Scripturis  doctimmuSf  (Eccl  Hist,  L.  4.  c.  26.) 
adding,  thaU  when  placed  on  the  throne,  he  nobly  re-established, 
at  least  in  great  part,  the  Northumbrian  kingdom,  which  had  been 
much  weakened  in  consequence  of  the  defeat  of  £gfrid  by  the 
Picts.  Harpsfeld,  treating  of  his  return  to  Northumberiand, 
describe  him  (Hist,  Eccl,  Angl,  Sec,  vii.  cap,  27-)  as  having 
imprpved  himself  so  much  by  his  studies,  particulariy  sacred,  in 
Ireland,  that  he  became  highly  qualified  for  being  placed  at  the 
.head  of  a  state.  (See  also  Gratianus  Lucius  (Lynch)  Camhrensis 
€versiis,  p,  128. 

§.5.  Alfrid  was  king  of  Northumberland,  when 
in  the  year  685,  or  686,  Adamnan,  then  abbot  of 
Hy,  was  sent  to  that  country  for  the  purpose  of  re- 
covering the  captives  and  property,  which  had  been 

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CHAP.  XVUI.  OP   I&ELAND.  97 

carried  off  by  Egfrid's  pirates.  His  application  was 
auccessful,  as  might  l^e  expected,  considering  that 
Alfrid  could  not  but  be  attached  to  the  Irish,  and 
was,  besides,  the  personal  friend  of  Adamnan.  (5S) 
This  great  man  was  abbot  of  Hy  since  the  year  679. 
His  predecessor  Failbe  had  succeeded  Cumineus 
Albus,  who  died  in  669.  (54)  Concerning  Failbe 
X  find  nothing  particular  related,  except  that  he  was 
a  native  of  Tircounel  (Donegal)  and  son  of  Pipan,  a 
descendant,  in  the  male  line,  of  Conall  Gulbanius 
the  ancestor  of  Columbkill ;  that,  after  his  promo- 
tion to  the  administration  of  Hy,  he  visited  Ireland 
once  or  twice ;  and  that  he  died  in  679,  on  the  22d 
of  March,  the  day  marked  for  his  festivsJ  in  the  Irish 
calendars.  (55)  Adamnan,  who  succeeded  him  in 
said  year,  (56)  was  likewise  a  descendant,  in  the 
same  line,  of  Conall  Gulbanius,  and  son  of  Ronan. 
(57)  From  his  consequently  having  been  of  the  race 
of  the  Northern  Nialls  it  may  be  fairly  concluded, 
that  he  was  a  native  of  Tirconnel,  or  of  some  district 
not  far  from  it  The  time  of  his  birth  is  doubtful ; 
but  it  was  not  later  than  the  year  6S8.  (58)  Of  his 
younger  days  I  cannot  find  any'distinct  account ;  but 
there  can  be  no  doubt  of  his  having  received  his  mo- 
nastic education  either  in  Hy,  or  in  some  other  mo- 
nastery of  the  Columbian  institution.  He  was  abbot 
of  that  of  Raphoe,  founded  perhaps  by  himself  (59) 
before  he  was~  raised  to  the  government  of  the  whole 
Columbian  order.  We  find  Adamnan  again  on  ano- 
ther visit,  two  years  later,  that  is,  about  687  to  the 
same  king  Alfrid.  (60)  He  visited  him  also  several 
years  afterwards,  as  will  be  seen  lower  down.  There 
was  another  Adamnan  in  these  times,  who,  although 
perhaps  of  Irish  origin,  lived  constantly  in  Britain, 
and  was  distinguished  for  the  sanctity  and  austerity 
of  his  life.  He  was  a  priest  and  monk  of  the  monas- 
tery of  Coludi,  now  Coldingham  in  Scotland.  (61) 

Some  time  before  the  period  we  are  now  treating 
(^Maildulf,  or  rather  Maildyf,  (63)  an   Irishman, 

VOL.  III.  H 

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98  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY        CHAP.  XVIII. 

became  eminent  as  a  teacher  in  the  place  now  called 
Malmsbury.  Its- former  name  was  Ingebbone  or  Tn- 
gebom.  Mailduf)  pleased  with  the  situation,  lived 
at  the  fiE)ot  of  the  hill  as  a  hermit,  but  afterwards,  to 
supply  his  wants,  set  up  a  school,  which  was  not 
long  after  changed  into  a  small  monastery.  At  what 
precise  time  he  formed  this  establishment,  I  do  not 
nnd  recorded;  but  it  must  have  been  several  years 
prior  to  675,  in  which  the  celebrated  Aldhelm,  the 
most  distinguished  of  his  scholars,  became  abbot  there. 
The  monastery  being  greatly  enlarged  by  Aldhelm, 
who  had  received  the  tonsure  and  habit  from  Mail- 
duf,  gave  (occasion  to  the  nalme  of  the  place  being 
soon  changed  into  Maildufsburgj  (63)  whence  has 
pMceeded  the  modem  name  Malmsbury.  Some 
wridngs  have  been  attributed  to  Maildu^  whether 
ji^itly  or  not)  I  shall  not  undertake  to  decide.  '  He 
di0d  either  in  675,  or  some  short  time  previous  to 
it.  (64)      .  • 

(53)  Adannan,  makiiig  mentkm  {VH.  S.  CoL  L.  8.  c.  46.)  of 
hit  ynsits  to  Alfiid,  calls  himhis  fiiend,  and  speeks  of  this  visit  as 
his  first  one  after  Egfirid's  war.  OTIaher^  (MS.  note  to  Adanman, 
ti.)nfcnEfeg  to  ^igcmadi's  annals  assigns  this  visit  to  A.  D.686. 
The4MaBteiBte^684sthiti8y685,andniaiiLitas  theekventfi 
yearof  therdgii  of  Bnnacta.  It  was  that,  in  whidi  the  dreadfiil 
pl^^guei  raendoned  by  them  at  said  year,  broke  out,  the  oonuneooe- 
meiit  o£  which  is  affixed  by  Florence  of  Worcester  to  685.  (See 
Tr.  Tlup.  885.)  Adanman  having  observed,  (loc.  cii. )  that  this 
plague  raged  when  he  wa&  on  thatvistt,  and  that  the  continent  of 
Europe  and  the  Uands  Scotia  let  BrHamda  (Ireland  and  Britain) 
were  hud  waste  by  k»  except  the  p^fftsof  North  Britain  inhabited 
by  the  British  Seats  imd  the  Picts,  who,  he  thought,  were  pre- 
servadfiNini  it  i>y  the  mtercession  ci  St.  Columba.  He  visited 
Alfiddvmofe  than  once  on  some  subsequent  ooca8ion8;but  this,  his 
fim  eBbass3r^  was  either  in  the  latter  end  of  685  or  in  the  beginnmg 
of  686. 

(54-)  See  CA^.  xvii;  §.S.    ' 

.(55)  At  this  dayCol^m  had  given  us  as  much  as  he  was  abla 


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CHAKXVm.  OF  IRELAND*  99 

to  collect  CDDCsroing^ndlbe.  He  rcjecU  TanooiKet  of  Dempster 
idMhe  to  him,  among  othen  that  of  his  having  written  certain 
tracts  attribtttedtahim  by  that  impostor.  Harris  might  have  saved 
himself  the  trouble  <^  drawing  up  an  article  for  Failbe  as  an  Irish 


{56)  Usher,  p.  702.  and  Ind.  Ckrm.  at  679. 

(57)  Tr.  Th.p.4M.  It  is  remaricable  that,  for  more  than 
two  centuries  from  the  foimdation  of  Hy,  almost  all  its  abbots 
were  descended  from  Conall  (jkdbanius,  dius  connected,  more  or 
less,  [^relationship  with  Columb-kill,  and  belonging  to  the  line 
of  the  northern  Nialls.  ^See  Colgan  A^.  SS.  p.  408*450-719. 

(58)  Geigan  sajns  {Tr.  n.  p.  SSS.)  that,  tfco^rding  to  the 
Roaorea  tmd  some  other  Atinals,  Adamtan  wasboni  in  624w  This, 
as  will  be  seen,  does  not  agree  with  what  is  said  of  his  age  at  the 
time  of  his  death. 

(59^  See  Not.  112.  to  Chap.  xi.  As  Adamnan  was  par^cu* 
cularly  revered  at  Rif>hoe,  as  the  patron  sauit  of  its  monastery 
and  churdi,  it  is  certain  that  he  had  been  closely  connected  with 
that  platoe,"  and  that,  if  not  absolutely  the  founder,  he  was,  at 
least,  abbot  there.  Colgan  t  Tr.  Th.  p.  506. )  expressly  caUs  him 
ifMo^  of  Raphbe^  bieftre  he  tvas  promoted  to  Hy.  Adamnan  was 
the  person, -by  whole  ikme  the  succession  at  Baphoe  used  to  be 
distingvnshed.  Thus  Malbr^id^'  who  dkd  archbishop  of  Armagh 
in-^fiSv  ^  caB^  a  tomorbdn  (successor)  not  only  of  8u  Patridc, 
but  likewise  of  AdamMm,  inasmuch' as  he  had  been  abbot  (not 
bishopras  Iforris  ItatcM,  (BUhopsy  p.  270.)  of  Raphoe,  before  he 
was  raised  to  the  see  df  Armagh.  (See  Colgan,  AA.  SS.  p.  386.) 
I  strongly  suspect  that  St.  Eunan,  who  is  usually  caHed  the 
first  bishop  of  Raphoe,  was  no  other  than  Adamnan ;  not  that 
Adarnnan  was  ever  a  bishqi;  for,  were  he  so^  he  could  not 
have  become  abbot  of  Hy ;  but  that  he  was  the  ancient 
patron  saint-  of  that  place  before  it  became  an  episcopal  seeii 
Colgan  never  mentions  this  St.  Eunan,  nor  could  Ware  discover 
any  account  of  him.  The  first  bislu^  of  Raphoe,  that  we  meet 
with,  was  Malduin  Mac  Kin&laid,  who  died  about  980.  (Tr. 
Th.p.609.)  These  observations  are  not  indeed  sufficient  to  show^ 
that  Adamnan  has  been  changed  into  St.  Eunan ;  but  it  is  a  veiy 
remadmble  circumstance  that  the  festival  of  the  samt,  called  £u- 
aani  is  kepi  on  the  2Sd  ci  September.    Now  this  was  the  very 

H  t 

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100  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY       CHAP.  XVIII. 

day>  on  which  Adamnan  died,  and  on  which  his  memory  was  re- 
vered not  only  at  R^hoe,  but  in  many  other  churches,  llie  name, 
Eunan,  is,  I  allow,  not  &vourable  to  the  conjecture  d*  his  iden- 
tity with  Adamnan  ;  but  there  might  have  been  some  reason  for 
this  variation  of  names,  and  a  person  better  versed  in  the  Irish 
language  than  I  am  might  perhaps  find  some  analogy  between 
them. 

(60)  Adanm,  FU.  S.  Col.  L.  2.  c.  46. 

(61)  Bede  treats  ci  this  Adamnan  of  Coludi,  {Hut,  EccL  L. 
4>.  C.25.)  and  afler  hun  Colgan  (A A.  SS.  SI  January)  who 
acknowledges,  that  he  was  not  able  to  decide  whether  he  was  an 
Irish  or  British  Scot.  In  fact,  there  is  nothing  to  make  it  appear, 
that  he  was  rather  the  one  than  the  other.  All  that  Bede  says  in 
regard  to  his  country  is,  that  he  was  de  genere  Scattorum.  Coludi, 
where  he  lived  about  A.  D.  679.  belonged  at  that  time  to  the 
Northumbrian  kingdom. 

(62)  The  name  is  spelled  Mailduf  by  Bede  (L.  5.  c.  18.)  and 
by  Leiand,  Collect,  iii.  158.  (See  Smith,  Not.  to  Bede  t^.)  It 
was,  I  believe,  originally  Moddubh,  a  name  not  uncommon 
among  the  ancient  Irish.  Its  being  written  Maildulf  was  owing, 
I  dare  say,  to  William  of  Malmsbury,  who  in  theXife  of  Ald- 
hdm  (ap,  Wharton,  Anglia  Sac.  Vol.  2.)  treating  of  Mailduf, 
writes ;  '*  Id  (the  monasteiy  of  Malmsbury)  qiiidam,  qui  alio  no- 
mine vocatur  Meildulfy  natione  Scotus,  eruditusque  phiiosophus, 
professione  monachus  fecerau"  Hence  Camden  has  called  him 
MaUdidf,  giving  it  a  tenmnation  rather  Saxon  than  Irish. 

(63)  The  town  of  Mailduf.  It  was  known  by  this  name  as 
early  as  the  times  of  Bede,  who  calls  it  (L.  5.  c.  18,)  Mail- 
dufi  urbem. 

(64)  It  was  soon  afler  the  death  df  Maildulf  that  Leutherius 
bi^p  of  Wmchester  gave  in  675  the  site  of  Mahnesbury  to  Ald^^ 
helm.  (See  Monastic  Angl.  Tom.  I.  p.  50.  and  Smith,  Not.  to 
Bede,  L.  5.  c  18.)  Concerning  Maildulf  see  more  in  Camden, 
{col.  108.  Gibson'*  cd.)  Usher  {Ep.  Hib.  SylLpd  Ep.  12.)  Ware 
and  Hams  {Writers  at  Maildulph). 

§.  VI.  Alfrid  was  not  tbe  only  foreign  prince,  who 
in  those  times  was  sheltered  in  Ireland.  Dagobert, 
son  of  Sigebert  II.  or  III.  king  of  Austrasia,  had 


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CMAP.XVIir,  OF  IRELAND.  101 

been  sent^  when  a  child,  to  a  monastery  in  Ireland 
after  his  father^^s  death  about  the  year  655  by 
Grimoald  mayor  of  the  palace.  (65)  The  monas- 
tery, in  which  he  was  placed,  is  said  to  have  been 
that  of  Slane.  (66)  Wheresoever  it  was,  Dagobert 
remained  in  Ireland  until  about  670,  when  he  was 
recalled  to  his  own  country,  and  received  a  nart  of 
Austrasia  from  Childeric  the  second,  (67)  On  the 
death  of  Childeric  he  became  in  674  sovereign  of  all 
Austrasia  by  the  name  of  Dagobert  the  second,  and 
ruled  that  country  until  he  was  assassinated  in  679. 
(68)  After  his  return  to  Austrasia  we  find  some 
distinguished  Irishmen  in  that  country,  particularly 
St.  Arbogast  and  St,  Florentius  ;  and  it  would  seem 
as  if  they  had  either  accompanied  him  from  Ireland 
or  went  to  Alsace  about  the  same  time  that  he  was 
recalled.  (69)  Be  this  as  it  may,  Arbogast,  who  is 
usually  called  a  Scot  or  Irishman,  (70)  was  living  re- 
tired at  Suraburg,  where  a  monastery  was  afterwards 
erected  in  honour  of  him,  (71)  when  he  was  raised 
by  this  king  Dagobert  to  the  see  of  Strasburgh  about 
674.  (72)  Asides  being  a  very  holy  man  he  is  said 
to  have  possessed  a  considerable  share  of  learning, 
and  to  have  written  some  ecclesiastical  tracts.  (73) 
He  died  on  the  Slst  of  July  in  679,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded in  the  same  year  by  his  friend  and  former 
companion  Florentius.  (74)  That  Florentius  was 
a  Scot,  or  Irishman,  is  universally  allowed.  (75)  He 
had  come  from  Ireland  together  with  Arbogast,  (76) 
and  took  up  his  abode  in  the  forest  of  Hasle  in  Alsace 
near  where  the  river  Bruscha  flows  from  the  Vosges. 
(77)  Here  was  founded  a  monastery  either  by  him, 
or  for  him  by  Ds^obert,  (78)  by  whom  he  was 
greatly  esteemed.  It  is  said  that  he  restored  her 
^ight  and  speech  to  a  daughter  of  that  king.  While 
bishop  of  Strasburgh,  he  founded,  according  to  some 
accounts,  the  monastery  of  St.  Thomas  in  that  city  for 
the  Scots  or  Irish.  (79)     Having  governed  the  see 


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lOS  AK  ECCLESIASTICAL   HISTORY      CHAP.  XVHU 

of  Strasburgh  for  eight  years^  St.  Florentius  departed 
this  life  on  the  7th  of  November,  A,  D.  687.  (80) 

Among  the  persons,  who  accompanied  St.  r  loren- 
tins  from  Ireland,  is  mentioned  a  Theodatus,  or 
Deodatus,  (81)  of  whom  I  cannot  discover  any 
authentic  account.  The  celebrated  St.  Deodatus 
bishop  of  Nevers,  who  lived  in  those  times,  and, 
having  resigned  his  see,  retired  to  Alsace  to  lead 
there  a  monastic  life,  (82)  was  indeed  a  particular 
friend  of  St.  Arbogast ;  (83)  but  there  is  no  reason 
to  think,'  that  he  was  a  native  of  Ireland.  It  may 
be  conjectured,  that  the  Peodatus,  bishop  of  Tout, 
who  by  the  direction  of  Dagobert  II.  accompanied 
St.  Wilfrid  of  York  to  Rome  in  the  summer  or 
autumn  of  679,  (84)  was  perhaps  the  one,  who  had 
come  from  Irelanil.  We  find  a  bishop  Deodatus, 
whose  memory  was  revered  in  the  monastery  of 
Latiniacum  or  Lasny,  and  who,  as  that  was  an  Irish 
establishment,  (95)  may  be  supposed  to  have  been  an 
Irishman.  (86) 

(65)  Aooordiag  to  MabiDon  (Annol.  Ben, )  Sigibert  died  in 
655;  others  say,  somewhat  earlier.  It  wasveiy  soon- after  his 
death  that  Grimoald  got  Dagobert»  then  yiefy  young,  diora  by 
IKdon  bishop  ci  PcKtiers,  and  sent  him  to  Ireland,  spreading  a 
report  of  his  death. 

(66)  Ardklall  at  Slane*  I  do  not  find  this  mention  of  Slane 
any  where  else:  ArchdaJU,  p^i^ms  tp  refer  to  Me^Beray,  Hdstmre^ 
&C.  who,  as  fiur  as  I  could  discover,  m^ve|y  saya  that  Dag^Aert 
was  placed  in  some  very  retired  aaoiiait^,.^witliout  paning  any 
one  in  particiilar.  ......  i  ;..;      .    - 

(67)  See  AbregS  Chron,  at  Dagobert  II.  Mabillon  obsenre8> 
Annat.  ^c  ad  A.  679)  that  Dagob^  bad  rtturoed.  tOf France  be- 
fore the  de^th  of  Grimoald,  u  e.  before  671  or.678«    .  j    . 

*  (68)  Accordmg  to  L'Art  de  verifier  let  «hie$  (Tom*  !•  ^ 
547.)  Dagobert  U,  .became  kmg  of  aD;  Anatfim  in.  674,faisd 
was  killed  in  679.  MabiDon  also  has  .(j(,  at  A*  68a  p^69j)iitt 
his  death  679,  and  marks  the  23d  cf  December  aa  the  dqr  of  it. 
He  adds  that  Dagobert  was  revered  as  a  mar^  at  Stenay,  the 

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CHAP.  XVIII.  OF   IBJStANiyw  lOS 

capital  <^  the  dutdiy  of  Bar.  ^t^ougb  MabOlon  in*  thfii  CDuiae 
of  his  woriL  calls  this  prince  Dagobeit  the  seeondf  jnHin  the  Ge- 
neral index  to  Tom.  1.  he  appeam  partly  as  tbeiatenH^  andL^paitly 
as  the  third.  This  mistake  of  the  finuner  of  said  index  £i  apt  to 
confuse  a  person  searching  in  it  for  the  transactions  of  this  Dago- 
•  bert.  The  long  or  half-king  called,  DagobertthoifAm^  beboged 
to  the  8th  century.  (See  L*Art,  &c  Tom.  1.  p.  548.  aad  J^g^y 
&C.  at  DagobeH  III.) 

(69)  In  the  Acts  of  St.  Florendus  {op.  Surtus  7  Ncfoember)  we 
read;  *<  Cum  Dagobertus  rex  ad  r^gnt  FVancorum  gubemacula 
sederet,  sanctus  Eorentius,  cum  beato  Arfoogasto,  Theodato,  et 
Hildulpho,  e  Sootta  venit  in  Alsatiam.**  The  Dagobett  here  aien- 
ti<med  was  the  second,  not  Di^bert  the  first  his  graodfiithery 
with  whom  he  has  been  often  confounded ;  whence,  as  MabilkHi 
remarks,  several  religious  establishments,  fiMmded  during;  the 
reign  of  the  second  Dagobert,  have  been  H8aign»d  to  that  of  the 
first.  •  .  . 

(70)  Gaspar  Bnischius  fDe  German.  Episcopat;'BpUome^  p^ 
66.)  makes  Arbogast  a  native  either  of  Aqoitain,  or  c^  Ireknd, 
<<  eUi  tint  qui  ex  Hibemia  ortum  qffirmetU."  But^&foblMta 
fAnnalf  Sfc  at  667)  speaks  of  him  positivety^as  »i  Irifehmany 
**  Arbogattus  origine  Scottus."  .      -•.  • 

(71)  Mabillon  ^ib.  at  A.  676.  p.  6S^  says  tha^  tiik  ibc^flds- 
tery  was  erected,,  ob  meritum  S.  ^Thogasti^  during  the  reign  of 
Dagobert  II.  Suraburg  was  in  the  diorase  of  Strasbur)^  and  near 
the  Sura,  or  Saur,  a  river,  that  flows  into  the  Mosdtte  iM  M  ftom 
IVeves.  •  '    .        .■-.'/  0  ' 

(72)  See  GaUia  Christiana^  Tom.  v.  coL  182,  where  it  is  stated 
that  Abrogast  flourished  about  673,  and  was  afipointed  bishop  o^ 
iStrasbnigh  by  Dagobert  II.  Hence^  and  fitmiwhat  MabiOon 
hasy  it  is  plain  that.  Bruschhi%  who.  is  IbUowed  by  Ware- and 
Harrisy  f  Writers  at  ArbogadJ  was  wrong  in  «>*igmng  Atbogaaifs 
promotion  to  646.  Bruschius,  in  whose  time  the  hktofy  of  Da- 
gobert IL  was  scarcely  known,  supposed  that  the  Dagobert^  fiiend 
of  Arbogast,  tras  the  first  king  of  die  name.  But  even  in  this 
hypothesis  he  fdl  into  another  mistake  >'  for  Dagobert  L  was  dead 
befixe  646,  and  accordingly  could  not  have  been  the  king  1^ 
whom  Arbogast  was  qypointed. 

(7S)  See  Ware  and  Harris,  loc.  cit. 


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1(H  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY  -  CHAP.  XVIII 

(74)  Gallia  Christiana,  Tom.  v.  col.  781.  782.     Bnischius  was 
•  mistaken  in  assigning  the  commencement  of  Florentius'  incum- 
bency at  Strasbuigh  to  the  year  €6S.    That  it  was  in  679,  is  clear 
firom  its  being  known  that  Florentius,  having  held  that  see  for 
eight  years,  died  in  687« 

(75)  Bruschius,  Mabillon,  and  the  Galliu  Chrisiiana  agree  on 
diis  point. 

(76)  See  Not.  69. 

(77)  Acts  of  St.  Fhrentius.  Hasle  is  now  caOed  Haselae^, 
and  lies  at  two  leagues  distance  from  Molsheim  in  BBoe  AU 
saoe. 

(78)  See  Mabillon,  dnnal.  &c.  at  A.  676.  p.  53S* 
(79>.Mabaten,  ib.' 

(80)  Gallia  Christiana,   Tom.  v«  coL  783. 

(81)  See  Not.  69.  (82)  See  Fleury,  L.  Sa  §.  45. 

(83)  MabiUon,  AnnaL  at  A4  667. 

(84)  See  Acta  Bened.  Sec  S.p.  186.  and  Eeury,  L.  40.  §.  4« 
.      (85)  See  Chap.  xvi.  §.  9-10. 

(86)  The  BoUandisto  observe^  (at  3  February)  that  they  have 
found  in  old  copies  of  Usnard*s  Mart3rrology  this  Deodatus  thus 
mentioned ;  "  Latiniaco  NaUilis  S,  Deodati  episcopi"  and  quote 
Molanus,  who  says  that  the  rellques  of  Deodatus,  Maldegarius, 
and  others  were  removed  to  that  plac6.  They  dki  not  know  who 
this  Deodatus  was,  but  thought,  and  I  believe  justly,  that  he 
was  different  fix>m  St.  Deodatus  of  Nevers.  Whether  he  was  the 
same  ^s  Deodatus  of  Toul,  I  will  not  pretend  to  decide  t  but  it  is 
veiy  probable,  that  he  was  a  native  of  Ireland. 

§.  viL  As  to  Hildulph,  or  Hidulf,  who  also  is  said 
to  have  gone  with  Florentius  from  Ireland  to  Alsace, 
(87)  it  U  exceedingly  difficult  to  ibrm  any  decided 
opinion  concerning  him.  We  have  no  account  of 
any  distinguished  person  of  this  name  at  that  period 
except  Hildulph  bishop  of  Treves,  who,,  quitting  his 
see,  is  stated  to  have  retired  about  676  to  the  Vosges 
and  there  founded  a  monastery.  (88)  He  was  ap- 
parently the  Hildulph  supposed  to  have  accompanied 
Florentius  ;  and  it  can  scarcely  be  doubted  that  tbey 
were  contemporaries.  (89)     But  it  is  very  uncertain 

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CHAP.  XVIII.  OF   IftElLAND.  105 

whether  Hildulph  of  Treves  was  a  native  of  Ireland  j 
fbr»  according  to  some  accounts,  he  was  a  Belgian^ 
and,  according  to  others,  a  Bavarian.  (90)  If  it  be 
true  that  he  was  a  brother  of  St.  Erard  of  Ratisbon, 
as  has  been  very  generally  said,  (91)  it  will  follow 
that  he  was  an  Irishman.  Hildulph  had,  perhaps,  a 
brother  named  Eberhard  or  Erhard;  but  it  may  be 
doubted  whether  he  was  the  same  as  Erard  of 
Ratisbon.  {92) 

Be  this  as  it  may,  St.  Erard,  although  younger  than 
Hildulph,  was  living  in  his  times  ;  and  accordingly  I 
may  be  allowed  to  give  some  account  of  him  in  this 
place,  (93)  notwithstanding  the  contest  that  has  been 
carried  on  as  to  the  century,  in  which  he  flourished. 
Some  old  writers  assign  his  times  to  the  seventh  and 
the  beginning  of  the  eighth,  while  others  represent 
him  as  flourishing  during  the  reign  of  Pepin  father 
of  Charlemagne,  consequently  in  the  second  half  of 
the  eighth  century.  Although  I  dare  not  pretend 
to  decide  on  a  question,  which  very  eminent  men 
have  left  undetermined,  (94)  the  former  opinion 
appears  tome  more  probable  and  better  supported  by 
such  circumstances  of  the  times  as  seem  sufficiently 
authentic.  And  I  cannot  but  think'  that  the  con- 
fusion, which  has  taken  place  on  this  point  as  well  as 
on  that  relative  to  St.  Hildulph  of  Treves,  has  pro- 
ceeded chiefly  from  Pepin  Hiristall,  mayor  of  the 
palace,  and  his  son  Charles  Martel,  having  been  mis- 
taken for  king  Pepin,  grandson  of  the  former 
Pepin,  and  his  son  Charlemagne.  That  St.  Erard 
was  a  native  of  Ireland  can  scarcely  be  called  in 

auestion,  unless  we  are  to  reject  the  authority  of 
Imost  all  the  writers,  who  have  treated  of  him.  (95) 
It  is  stated  on  respectable  authority,  that  he  was 
bishop  of  Ardagh  before  he  left  Ireland.  (96)  Hav- 
ing resigned  his  see  he  went  to  the  continent,  and 
joined  himself  to  St.  Hildulph  or  Hidulf,  who  was 
then  Kving  retired  in  the  Vosges,  (9t)  and  with 
whom  he  is  said  to  have  remained  for  a  consrderable 
time.    From  that  country  he  went  to   Bavaria  to 

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106  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORT       CHAP,  XVIII. 

preach  tke  Gospel,  without  attaching  hidiself  to  any 
see  as  bishop.  ^98)  Happening  to  be.  on  some 
occasion  near  the  Rhihe,  Erard  baptized  Odilia  the 
infant  dai»ghter  <>f  the  duke  Etico  or  Atticus,  who, 
having  been  bcHU  blind,  became  gifted  .with  sight, 
through ^tfae  prayers  of  Erard,  in  the  very  act  of  her 
baptism.'  (99;  After  this  he  returned  to  Bavaria, 
and  stopped  at  Ratisbon,  where,  after  having  led  a 
most  holy  life  and  wrought  many  miracles,  he  termi- 
nated his  earthly  career  on  an  8th  of  January.  (1 00) 
This  saint  was  canonized  by  Pope  Leo  IX.  in  1062. 

(87)  See  above,  Not.  69.  (88)  Fleury,  L.  39.  §.  ^5. 

'  (89)  Serenil  writers  assert,  that  Hildulph  d*  Treves  flourished 
in  the  seventh  century,  and  died  veiy  old  in  707*  Yet  Bj^uronius 
4uui  others,  who  are  Mowed  by  Cdlgan  (AA.  SS.  p.  S6«  stg^q,) 
.place  him  about  the  middle  of  the  eighth.  Mabillon  maintains, 
^JnnaL  &c.  at  A.  667.)  that  he  was  before  the  timesof  Charles 
Martel,  that  isy,  before  714. 

(90)  In  some  lives  of  St.  Hildulph  he  is  said  to  hf|ve  been  a 
Nervian,  Nerviorum  daro  ortus  genert.  (See  Bollapdus  at  St. 
Erard^  8  January^  and  Colgan'^^.  ^'5.  p.  37.)  The  Nerrii  - 
were  a  people  of  Bel^um,  inhabidng  the  countiy  about  Toumqr, 
or,  as  some  think,  Haynault.  In  one  of  those  Lives  BoUandus 
found  Niemioruniy  instead  of  Nerviorum^  and  thought  it  might 
have  been  a  mistake  for  Hivemiommy  i.  e.  HibemQrum.  Bat  ac« 
cording  to  a  Life  published  in  the  Acta  Ben.  Sec.  3.  Part^  S.  Hfl- 
dulph,  or,  as  there  Called,  Hidulf,  was  a  native  x^f  Bavaria,  and 
born  at  Ratisbon.  This  is,  I  am  sure,  a  mist^e.  founded  on  the 
folse  sufqposition'that  St.  Erard,  who  in  said  Life  is  represented 
as  a  brother  of  his,  was  a  native  of  that  city.  For  his  .Irish  origin 
we  have,  besides  the  Life  of  St.  Florentius,  tl>e  authpr  pf  which 
in  all  probability  aUudcd  to  the  Hildulph  of  Trev^  two  lives,  of 
St.  EnEtfd,  an<  Office  g£  this  sahit  from  the  Breyiary  of  Ratis- 
bon, and  some  Genfian  liidtoHans  quoted  by  Colgan,  A  A.  8S.  p. 
38.  If  he  was  a  nadve  of  Ireland,  his  oc^nal  name  waa»  J  jiare 
say,  HiWei/'or  Hidirf. 

(91)  That  HiMutph  of  Treves  and  Erard  were  broAers  is  posi- 
tively stated  in  the  Uv#6  of  Erard,  C^Bce,  &c.  mentioned  in  the 
preceding  note. 

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CHAP. xy;n«    3.  >    of  laEiAN©.^  ^    •-  107 

(92)  MahflloQ  obsenrei,  fAnnal.  a<UA.&7l.}  that  an  Eber- 
hard  or  EfJtmrd  was  said  to  have  been  brother  to'  Hildul|)li»  'and 
elsewhere  (i6.  ad,  A.  6ff7.)  that  he  wasp^Mi^'the  tame  as 
Erard  bishop  of  Ratisbon.  Eveihaid,  the  nqsposed  brodier  of 
Hildulphy  was  the  fimt  abbot  -of  Ebersheim  near  Sdielostad  In 
Alsace,  a  monastery  founded  by  Duke  Etico  or  AtticuSy  fitthcr  of 
St.  Odflia,  some  time  it  seems  in  the  second  htU^  o^the  ^^Vi^ndi 
centuiy.  Ebersheim  is  sup^KMed  to  hmtt  got  ita*ilamd'fiomihb 
Eifaard  or  Eberhard»  as  if  it  mcmt  the  mansi&n  ofEUrhard, 
(Mabillon,  ibj  Another  aooount  states,  thal^'EblBRihcim  b^* 
nifies  the  boar*i  habilationt  as  ibemg  ^e  t>liice  i%e#e,  lis  "^ 
are  told,  s^  wild  boar  killed  a  son  of  Dagobeit  IL^^Ho'Waa 
brou^t  to.lUeagainby  St.  Arbogast.  That  ^Bnord  of  Ratisbte 
lived  for  some  time  with  HiUulph^  vdamt  telirsd'lB  the  ToigtSy 
is  stated  in  two  breviaries  of  Aiig8bui|B)v'  aocb  kj  one-'bf  Wivis- 
burgh ;  (AA-  SS*  p.  83.)  but  nothing  is  said  oT  tfaeiriaMng  been 
brothers.  Nor  is  diere  any  thing  intlhem  ^or  ni  his'  Lives  about 
his  having  been  abbot  of  Ebersheim.  v  It  is  fedso  td  be  obkv^red, 
that  Erard  of  Ratisbim.is  never  called  Eierhard^  m  i^ipaars  from 
the  eQHEnologies  of  his  name  given  in  the  cboumeat^  in  which  fte 
is  expressly  tiea^  of.  fWwti^athaabetaliDwiaidy'it  maybe 
conjectured,  that,  if  lUduIph  had  abrotfi*  iia&ned'£»eiSUn^  he 
was  di&rent  from  Eourd  of  Ratisbeo. 

(93)  Bdlandns  had  published  threetLhres  of  St.  Erttd  at  8 
January,  two.  of  which  have  been  royMished  by 'Ool^sn'  at  said 
day,  besides. extracts. relative  .4o  hkB'fiom'i]reniunet.-He  had 
three  other  Lives,  short  ones^  which  Itt  thdi^fat  mmecrissaiy  to 
publish.  Harris  has  (Bithopt  at  Arda^)  d  good*  sumdiaiy  of 
£rard*s  Acts ;  but  he  ought.not  ic  have  odled  Coi&«d''a  Monte^ 
pudlarum,  (a  place  in  Germany)  one  of  Entnfb'^bifligiiipbnH 
Conrad  of  MontpeUier.  : 

(94)  BoUand^s  (Camm,  pg-.  ad  Vi^  S.  Erardii  8  Jutu)  has 
not  undertaken  to  fix.the> times  of  this  saint.  -  MiMten  con^kuns 
(Acta  Ben.  Sec  3*  paJit  2«/t..470.)  that  the  htstofj  of  iBrtnrd,  his 
times,  &c  is  eqqallyjcon^ased  and  intricate  te  that  of  St.  Hili 
dulph.  Yet,  ^Mioughhe  4U  net  take  the  trbuttlil  of  Inquiiid^ 
into  it,  he  mui|  have  b^en  inclined  to  thialc,*  Ihat  Eifevd  belbnged 
to  the  seventh  i^enlmy ;  ij^ifireao  he  was  of  opinion  dmt  HifafiilpR; 
jn  idiose  times JEiard  js  gfpcMU^  tallffvediirhave*iiM^odid:  not 

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106  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY      CHAP.  XVIII. 

lurvive  the  early  part  of  the  agfath.  (See  Not.  89.)  Colgan 
maintains,  {Appendix  at  St,  Erard  8  Jan»J  that  Erard  flourish- 
ed m  the  reign  of  Pepin  or  of  Charlemagne,  and  strives  to  an- 
swer the  aigwnents  to  the  contrary.  But  it  would  be  easy  to  show, 
that,  whatever  may  be  thought  of  his  proo&,  his  replies  are  very 
uDsatis&ctory. 

(95)  In  the  first  Life  of  Erard,  written  by  one  Paulus  or  Pau- 
lohis  in  the  eleventh  century,  we  read  (L.  1.  c.  1.) ;  "  £rhardus> 
qui  gloria  Jhrtis  intefpretari  potest,  Narbonensis  gentiUtate,  Ker- 
vius  civilitate,  genere  Scoticus  fuit."    Instead  of  Narbonensis  gen- 
tUitate,  alluding  to  his  having  been  of  a  family  settled  at  a  place 
called  Narbon,  some  other  Lives  or  legends,  not  published  by 
Colgan,  have,  **  Narbonae  in  Seotia  natus"    Colgan  conjectures 
that  this  place  was  the  same  as  Ardboe  or  Arboe  in  the  county  of 
Tyrone,  formerly  a  town  of  some  note«     I  suspect  that  Narbon  is 
a  comiption  of  Nardadi,  that  is,  of  Ardach  or  Ardagh,  where 
Erard  is  said  to  have  been  bi^op.    The  A^  prefixed  is  a  contrac- 
ticm  of  na,  of;  so  that  Narbonensis  signifies  ofArbon^  and  Nar^ 
dachensisf  if  it  was  the  original  reading,  would  mean  of  Ardagh,  in 
the  sarnie  manner  as  Nendrumensis  means  of  Antrim.  (See  Not. 
187  to  Chap.  VIII.)  As  to  Nervius  civilitate,  perhaps  the  author 
intended  to  say,  that  Erard  had  spent  some  time  in  the  territory 
of  the  Nervil,  (see  above  Not.  90.)  in  which  there  were  some 
Irish  establishments.    In  the  Life  written  by  Conrad  nothing  more 
is  stated  than  that  his  country  was  Scoda,  that  is  as  Conrad  ex- 
plains huns^  (cd^.  2.)  Ireland,  or  Scotia  major.    In  some  Ger- 
man calendars,  and  in  two  breviaries  of  Augsburgh  together  with 
cme  of  Wurtaburgh,  he  is  called  natione  Scotus.     According  to 
the  breviaiy  of  Ratisbon  he  was  bom  in  the  ancient  Scotia  or 
the  island  of  Ireland;  Erhardus  in  veteri  Scotia  seu  Hibemia  in- 
sula  oceani  natus.     Iladenis  f  Bavaria  Saneta,   Tom,  1.),  Bru- 
nerus  (Rerum  Boicarum  L.  5)^  and  other  German  writers,  quoted 
by  Cdgan  (AA.  SS.  p.  S8.  seqq.)  agree  on  this  point  that  Erard 
iras  not  only  a  Scot  but  a  Scot  of  Ireland.     In  opposition  to  all 
these  testimooies  there  is  no  authority  worth  mentioning  except 
that  of  St.  Hidulf 's  Life  publidied  in  the  Acta  Bened.  (see  Not. 
90.)  in  whidi  Emrd  is  said  to  have  been  bom  at  Ratisbon.    For 
this  statemei^  there  is  no  fi>undation  whatsoever,  unless  it  should 
be  aiigued,  that,  becaose  Erard  spent  ihe  last  years  of  himself  and 


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CHAP.  XVIII.  OP   IRELAND.  It)9 

died  m  that  city,  it  was  therefore  the  i^aoe  of  his  birth.  Whit 
Qoold  have  induced  so  many  German  writers  of  £rard*8  Lives, 
oompilecs  of  breviaries,  historiaiig,  &c.  to  deptke  their  country 
c£  the  honour  of  having  produced  a  saint  so  higfafy  revered  there 
as  Erard  was,  unless  they  had  incontrovertible  proofe  €£  his  hav- 
ing been  bom  elsewhere  ?  Hence  it  is  plain,  that  the  auth6r  of 
that  Life  €£  Hidulf  was  as  wrong  in  making  Erard  a  native  of 
Ratisbon  as  he  was  in  assigning  to  it  the  birth  of  even  Hididf 
himself.  BoUandus,  having  deeply  studied  this  subject,  states, 
as  the  most  probable  opinion,  that  Erard  was  an  Irishman. 

In  several  of  the  documents  now  mentioned  Erard's  name  is 
^Ued  Erhard,  following  the  genius  of  the  Grerman  language ; 
and  hence  the  author  €/[  the  first  Life  etymologizes  it  into  gloria 
forHsi  for  £r,  in  German,  signifies  honour^  and  hard^  at  hart^ 
is  Strang,  hard.  Passing  by  this  and  some  other  etymologies  of 
Erhardf  the  real  name  of  the  saint  seems  to  have  been  Erard,  a 
name,  as  Colgan  observes,  not  uncommon  in  Ireland. 

(96)  Besides  the  authority  of  the  breviary  of  Ratisbon,  Ra- 
derus,  and  Brunerus,  we  have  for  this  statement  that  also  of 
Hundius,  Catalog.  Episc.  Ratisbon.  (See  Colgan,  AA.  SS.  p. 

35.  and  39-40.) 

(97)  Firat  Life  of  Erard,  L.  1.  cap.  2.  second  Life,  ag).  2. 
Breviaries,  Sec  From  the  circumstance  ii£  Erard  having  been 
witli  Hidulf  in  the  Vosges  it  seems  almost  certain,  that  he  flou- 
rished in  the  seventh  centuiy ;  for  this  was,  in  all  i»t>bability,  the 
period,  during  which  Hidulf  retired  to  that  country,  as  appears, 
firom  its  being  stated  on  very  good  authority  that  he  arrived  there 
before  the  death  ii£  St.  Deodatus  of  Nevers,  who,  as  has  been 
seen,  had  also  retired  to  Alsace,  and  whose  death  is  universally 
allowed  to  have  occurred  about  679.    (See  Colgan  A  A,  SS.  p^ 

36.  Eeuiy,  L.  39.  $.  45.  and  compare  with  Not.  89.)  It  is  said 
in  the  Breviary  of  Ratisbon,  that  Erard  went  to  Rome  straight 
from  Ireland ;  but  this  cannot  be  reconciled  with  the  series  of  his 
transactions,  as  related  in  the  other  documents.  The  journey  to 
Rome  must  have  been  aflar  his  arrival  in  Germany. 

(98)  Several  writers  have  called  Erard  bishop  of  Ratisbon. 
This  is  denied  by  Hundius,  Raderus,  and  others,  although  they 
allow  that  he  spent  a  good  part  of  his  time  in  that  city  and  died 
there.    Mabillon  observes,  (Acta  Ben.  Sec  3.  pari  2.  p.  470.) 


Digitized  by  VjjOOQIC 


110  AK  ECCLE8IA6TJGAL  BI8T0RY      CHXP.  ZVIII. 


tho|MUpf«B«tilJbOab  miAAat^itmtL  autake^  mke'fatm  bislwp  of 
thaUMK*  ^JjLto  a  fl^qr«f  1m  banog'betnbiiiibpdrFVM^^ 

^XvAcmftda^  taiBMrtprniiB  HidnM^irai  Jdoed  wifli  Eiml 
qt  UnpliaPi  Odaii.  on>:  ti  better  hmmuy-  «t.  Odflia.  Be  diit  ai 
it jpatcf^jm^b&mJbercBnoAertfresq^  titnng  ngamealHo  Aowy  thct 
Eatd  IWed  bi&re.  the  tkoasioilnng  Pepin.  -  Bdlandus  stales 
(CbfttWil^.  1^  at  iSL  £/MnO^  that  Slioa  ww^tbe  son  of  Leudesius 
andgraQdfloii^<rfl£rQbiooaU»  (the  mayor  of-die'  palace  and  friend 
q£  Sk.f  uney)  .yhoiUcd  about  66a''  Etioo  married  Bereroinda 
dunng^tibe  «eigBL  of  Childaric,  that  is^Glulderid  the  seoolid,  king 
of  Awtrasia  andafteneards  of  all  Franee,  who  was  killed  in  67S, 
(^AbregS^ScQ^MChiUericTL)  This  king  had  made  Edco  duke 
of  GernyuD^^.niia  acoarding^y  aesidedat  Ehenheim'and  Hohembuig, 
St  OdUia  his  daughter  was  the  person  baptised  by  St.  Erard  and 
St  HiduE  Prom  these  drouasstanoea  BoUaados  justl/tondudes, 
that  tjiis  hspdsm>.  ^c  were  prior  to  die  times  of  king  Pepin  and 
Charlemagne. 

r;  (100)  AA.  SS.  p.  S5.  The  Breviary  of  Radsbbn  and  Hun- 
dius  state,  that  he  died  during  the  reign  of  Pepin  father  &f  Charie- 
magn^;  but  this  cannot  agree  with  other  difcuiBStances,'  particu- 
lariy  the  baptjsm  of  Odilia,  not.kmg  after  which  his  death  occurred. 
Pqun's  reign  ^  ppt^bcgin  until  751,  wlule,  on  the*  othUf  hand, 
tl^  birth  of  Qdjlia  was  net  lator  than-abeut  700.  Thlsrefbre  in-' 
stead  ofkmg  Pepii^  I  tliink  we  shoiadd  say,  Pepin  mayor  df  the 
palace,  Pepb  Henstalt  who  had  held  that  office  £rom'about688 
until  714,  and  was  the  ftther  of  another  Charies,  f.  a.  Charles 
MarteL  It  is  right.jto  observe,  that  this  Pepin  had  governed  Aus- 
trasia  with  ahnost  aavereign  authorily'  sinee-^aboot  680i '  (See 
AbregS,  *c^at  TAimy  IIL) 

§•  VIII,  Whatever  difference  of  opinione'  diere 
may  be  in  regard  to ,  Hildulpb  or  Midulf  ba^g 
been  a  brother  of  Erard,  there  is  scarcely  any  as  to 
his  havinffhad  a  brother  called  by  i'os^iga  writers 
Albert.  The  names  of  the  two  'brothers  St.  Erard 
and  St»  Albert  (101)  go  hand  in  hand  together^  and 
the  latter  is  not  less  coivitaiitly  stated  to  have  been  a 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


h] 


CHAP.XVIU.  OF  IRELAND.  Ill 

native  of  Ireland.  His  real  name  was  probably  Jilbef 
(102)  and  he  is  generally  said  to  have  jb^^n,  prior 
to  quitting  his  country,  archbishop  of  CaatieV  which 
must  be  understood  as  to  hi^  haying  beeii  bishop  of 
En%.  (103)  It  is  stated,  that  I^eleft  Ireland,  toge- 
ther with  Erard  and  others,  and  that. he  accompa- 
nied him  to  Germany,  /^hence  they  are  said  to  have 
gone  to  Rome.  (104)  Having  remained  there  some 
time,  Albert,  on  Erard's  returning  to  Germany, 
continuing  his  pilnimage  proceeded  to  Jerusalem, 
where  Gillapatrick,  one  of  his  companions,^  died. 
How  long  he  stayed  there  we. are  not  inCojined. 
Returning  to  Grermany  he  lost.  John,  another  jof  his 
followers,  at  Saltzburg,  and  on  arriving.  at«Raittsbon 
found  that  Erarii  had,  some  short  time  before^  de- 
parted this  life.  Not  wishing  to  survive  hnn  he 
rayed  to  God  to  take  him  out  of  this  wo^rld ;  and 
is  petition  was  listened  to  soon  after.  Albert's  re- 
mains were  deposited  at  Jlatisboil  in  a^^  tomb,,  only 
seven  feet  distant  from  that  of  his  brother  Ekard. 

To  the  times  of  Pepin  Heristall,  during  whose 
mayoralty  the  saints  now.  treated  of  seem  to.  have 
flourished,  belonged  tb  St.  Wiro,  of  whose  having 
been  a  native  of  Ireland  I  find  no  reason  to. doubt. 
(105)  Even  the  Irish  family,  of  which  ha  was  a 
member,  is  mentioned;  for  he  ia  stated. to  have 
been  the  son  of  Cuan,  son  of  Lu^id,  &e.  of  att  an- 
cient family  settled  in  Corcobaschin,  (in  thft  now 
county  of  Clare)  and  that»  from  whidi  iKas  sprang 
St.  Semin  of  Inniscatthy.  (106)  Wiro  ia  said  to 
have  travelled  to  Rome  and  to  hav^  been  there  con- 
secrated bishop.  It  is  added,  that^  on  his  return  to 
Ireland  he  governed  for  a  time  some. see  (107)  which 
he  acfterwards  resigned  for  the  purpose  of  leading  a 
more  retired  life.  He  went  to  France,  jvhere the 
was  most  graciously  received  by  Pepin  Heristall, 
(lOB)  who  held  him  in  great  veneration  and  uaed  to 
confess  to  him  barefoot.  Pepin  assigned  to  him  a  ' 
habitation  at  Mons  Pe^i,  now  OdWie-berg  in  the 

•      bigitized  by  Google 


112  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY         CHAP.  XVIII. 

diocese  of  Li^;e.  This  was  the  place  where  St. 
Wiro  died  on  an  8th  of  May ;  (109)  but  in  con- 
sequence  of  its  collegiate  church  having  been  trans- 
ferred  to  Ruremond,  the  saint's  remains  were  re- 
moved hither  in  part,  and  hence  he  is  often  called 
St.  Wiro  of  Ruremond,  while  another  part  of  them 
was  preserved  at  Utrecht.  (110) 

,  (101)  Colgan  treats  of  St.  Albert  also  at  8  January,  not  because 
he  knew  what  was  the  day  of  his  death,  or  even  what  day  his  me- 
mory was  revered,  but  on  account  of  its  being  assigned  for  St  Erard, 
with  whom  the  German  writers  usually  associate  St.  Albert,  joining 
them  together  in  tlieir  inquiries  into  the  histoiy  of  these  two  holy 
brothers.  Of  those  writers  Conrad  is  the  only  one,  who  making 
imention  (Life  of  St.  Erard,  cap.  2.)  of  Albert,  whom  he  calTs 
Adalbert,  seems  to  speak  of  him  as  not  having  been  a  brother  e/£ 
Erard.  Colgan  had  no  Life  of  this  saint,  but  has  endeavoured  to 
make  up  his  Acts  as  well  as  he  could. 

(102)  This  conjecture  of  Colgan  is  indeed  not  improbable* 
Albert  was  a  name  well  known  in  Germany,  and  the  transition  to 
it  fix)m  Ailbe,  a  name  to  which  the  Germans  were  not  accustomed, 
was  easy  and  naturaL  We  find  similar  inflections  in  the  names  of 
several  Insh  saints  and  teachers,  who  in  old  times  resorted  to  the 
Continent. 

(lOS)  The  passages  of  various  authors,  who  agree  in  calling  Al- 
bert archbishop,  or,  at  least,  bishop  of  Cashel,  may  be  seen  in 
Colgan  at  Albert.  But,  as  he  remarks,  there  was  neither  an  arch- 
bislM^  nor  bishop  of  Cashel  in  Albert's  times,  supposing  him  to  have 
flourished  even  as  late  as  the  eighth  century.  He  therefore  con* 
jectures,  that  Albert  or  Ailbe  might  have  been  originally  c^yied 
archbishop  of  Munster,  and,  if  so,  that  his  see  was  Emly,  the 
prdates  of  which  were  sometimes  called  archbishops.  ( See  Not. 
9^.  to  Chap.  XVII.)  In  this  hypothesis  Albert  or  Ailbe  would 
have  been  Ailbe  the  second  of  that  see.  He  might  have  been  there 
between  Conang  O'Daitbil,  who  died  in  661,  (see  ib.)  and  Cona- 
mail  McCarthy,  who  died  in  707.  But  as  Cashel  became  in  later 
times  the  metropolitical  see  of  Muilster,  the  writers  referred  to  sup- 
posed that  Albert  had  been  archbishq)  there. 

(104)  Conrad  says  (Life  ofErard^  cap.  2.)  that  Albert  went 

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CHAP.  XVIII.  OF   IRELAND.  H* 

with  Erard  fh>ni  the  Vosges  to  Bavaria,  and  Rodenis  states  that 
Albert  did  not  go  to  Rome  until  after  he  had  spent  some  time  in 
Germany.  (Compare  with  Not.  97*) 

(105)  The  Boliandiste  have  St.  Wiro  at  8  May.  Bollandus, 
who  wrote  the  prefixed  conmientary  was  inclieed  to  think  that  he 
might  have  been  a  native  of  North  Britain  rather  than  of  Ireland. 
But  in  Uief  Life,  published  by  his  conttnuators,  the  island  Scotia, 
that  is  Ireland,  is  expressly  called  Wiro*s  country;  "  Scotia  uber 
sanctorum patrum  insula ;'  and  we  find  it  again  called  an  island, 
ex.  c,  in  the  words,  <<  apud  incolas  ejusdem  insulae"  it  is  there 
said  that  he  imitated  Patrick,  Cuthbert,  and  Columba,  the  pil- 
lars of  his  country.  And  what  still  more  proves  this  point,  we 
find  a  bishop  Wiro  in  various  old  Irish  documents  and  calen« 
dars,  who  was  in  all  appearance  the  same  as  the  St.  Wiro  known  in 
the  continent.  (See  A  A.  SS,  p.  5^2)  Mr.  Lingardsays,  (-/^w^/* 
S,  Church,  ch.  13.  Not.  12.)  that  Alcuin  in  the  poem,  De  Pont. 
Ebor.  V.  1045.  calls  Wiro  an  Anglo-Saxon.  Now  in  said  poem, 
which,  by  the  bye,  was  not  written  by  Alcuin  (see  Nat.  12  to 
Chop.  Hi.)  there  is  not  a  word  about  Wiro  at  that  verse,  nor,  as 
fiur  as  I  can  find,  in  any  other  part  of  it. 

(106)  AA.  SS.  id. 

(107)  It  has  been  supposed  by  some  persons  unacquainted  with 
the  state  of  Ireland  in  Wiro's  times,  that  he  was  bishop  of  Dubbn. 
Suffice  it  to  say,  that  Dublin  had  no  bishops  in  those  days.  Fo- 
reigners were  very  apt,  sipce  Dublin  became  the  capital  of  Irdand, 
to  assign  to  it  some  of  our  bishops  that  had  removed  to  the  Con- 
tinent, of  whose  real  sees  they  had  no  account. 

(108)  See  Bollandus  at  St.  Wiro.  As  Pepin  was  not  invested 
with  great  power  until  about  680,  (see  Not.  100)  Wiro's  arrival 
in  France  must  have  been  later  than  this  year. 

(109)  The  year  of  his  death  is  not  known.  Harris  says  (Bishops 
o/Duhliny  at  St.  Wiro)  that  he  died  in  650.  He  took  this  date 
finom  a  marginal  note  in  Surius;  but  it  is  certainly  a  much  too 
early  one,  as  appears  firom  the  preceding  note.  Many  of  the  dates 
marked  in  Surius's  editk>n  of  the  Lives  of  Saints  are  merely  con- 
jectural. 

(110)  Bdlandus,  foe.  ci^. 

§.  IX.  We  read  in  the  chronicle  of  Marianus  Sco- 
tus,  at  the  years  '674,  and  675,  that  Ireland  was 

VOL.   III.  I  Digitized  by  VjOOgle 


1 14  AS  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY        CHAP.  XVIII. 

then  full  of  holy  men,  and  that  St.  Dysibod,  hay- 
ing given  up  his  episcopal  functions,  went,  accom- 
paiiied  by  several  persons,  from  Ireland  to  Germany. 
(Ill)  He  is  said  to  have  been  of  a  noble  family,  and 
gifted  with  great  genius.  Having  been  raised  to  the 
episcopacy,  and  officiated  as  bishop  for  some  years, 
he  left  his  own  country,  Ireland,  and  after  ten  years 
peregrination  and  preaching,  stopped  in  the  diocese 
of  Mentz.  There,  together  with  three  companions, 
he  erected  a  habitation  and  an  oratory  on  the  side  of 
a  mountain.  Several  persons  flocking  to  him,  par- 
ticularly  Benedictine  monks,  a  monastery  was  estab- 
lished there,  (1 12)  in  which  the  rule  of  St.  Benedict 
was  observed.  Dysibod  did  not  embrace  it  himself, 
as  he  led  a  stricter  life  than  it  required.  Yet  the 
monks  refused  to  submit  to  any  other  person  but  him 
as  their  abbot.  He  is  said  to  have  died  in  the  8 1st 
year  of  his  age,  on  an  8th  of  July.  (113) 

About  the  same  time  that  St.  Dysibod  went  to 
Germany  there  was  living  in  the  territory  of  Rouen 
an  Irish  monk,  named  Sidonias  (Sedna),  who  formed 
a  monastery  on  some  ground  granted  to  him  by 
Theodoric,  or  Thierry  III.  king  of  Burgundy  and 
Neustria.  He  went  afterwards  to  Rome  with  St* 
Audeon  or  Ouen,  archbishop  of  Rouen,  in  the  year 
677*  Sidonius  died  on  a  I4th  of  September,  at 
which  day  his  name  is  marked  in  the  calendars.  His 
monastery  became,  in  course  of  time,  a  cell  belong- 
ing to  the  house  of  Fontanelles,  and  the  adjoining 
village  of  St.  Saens  has  been  called  from  his  name* 
(114) 

(111)  "  Hibcnua  insula  Sanctis  vkis  plena  habeCur;  da  qua 
beatus  pater  noster  Dysibodius,  episcopatu  abdknUN  cum  plemque 
Bodis  egroisui  kunc  locum  inhabitavit,  ei  divinis  laudibus  hicse^ 
fiddibus  venerari  apud  Deum  promeniit."  Mabfllon  observes 
{AnnaL  Ben.  ad.  674.)  that  what  is  here  s^idof  Qysibod  was  per- 
haps inserted  by  Dodechin  the  continuator  oi  Marianus*  ohronide. 
This  seems  very  probable;  for  D9dechin  was  abbot  of  the  monas- 
teiy  of  St.  Dysibod,  and  could  have  used  the  phrases,  ourik$ied 

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CliAP.  XVIII.  OP  ICELAND.  1 15 

father y  thisjdace,  andhercy  with  greater  propriety  than  Marianus, 
who  did  not  belong  to  that  establishment,  although  he  spent  his 
last  years  not  &t  from  it,  as  it  was  in  the  diocese  of  Mentz.  The 
Life  of  St,  Dysibod,  which  Surius  has  at  8  July,  was  written  by 
the  abbess  St.  Hddegardis, '  and  as  if  by  revelation,  in  the  year 
1 1 70.    Much  of  it  is  mere  common  place  narrative. 

(112)  Mabillon  states  (  Annal.  Ben.  ad  A.  674)  that  this  mo- 
nastery was  in  the  diocese  of  Mentz,  and  county  of  Spanheim,  one 
mile  distant  from  the  monastery  of  Spanhcim,  and  two  fit)m  that 
of  Creutznac. 

(113)  Mabillon  observes,  fib. J  that,  according  to  the  martyr- 
ology  of  Ritbanus,  the  Natalis  of  St.  Dysibod  was  celebrated 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  Mentz  on  the  6th  of  September.  Ra* 
banus,  he  adds,  calls  him  simply  a  confessor,  without  adding  the 
title  of  bishop.  But  his  bemg  represented  as  such  in  the  chroni- 
cle of  Marianus  is  a  good  reason  for  believing  that  he  really  was 
so.  As  to  the  story  of  his  having  been  bi^op  of  Dublin,  it  ap* 
pears  no  where  except  in  Wilson's  Anglican  martyrolc^.  What 
has  been  remarked  concerning  St.  Wiro  {Not.  107)  is  i^licable 
to  this  case.  We  may  also  pass  by  Dysibod's  having  been  author 
of  a  tract  attributed  to  him  by  Dempster.  (See  Ware  and  Harris, 
Writers  at  Disibod.) 

(114)  See  Mabillon  (ib.)  and  compare  with  Fleury,  L.  39.  §. 

&i. 

%.  X.  The  celebrated  bishop  and  martyr  St  Kih'an 
the  apostle  of  Franconia,  flourished  in  these  times. 
(115)  That  he  was  a  native  of  Ireland  is  universally 
admitted;  (116)  but  we  have  no  account  of  the 
part  of  it,  to  which  he  belonged.  He  was  of  an 
illustrious  family,  and,  having  embraced  the  monastic 
life,  O  17)  is  said  to  have  governed  some  monastery, 
of  wnich,  however,  I  do  not  find  any  particular 
mention.  Having  distinguished  himself  by  bis 
sanctity  and  great  ecclesiastical  learning,  he  was 
raised  to  the  priesthood,  and  afterwards  to  the  epis- 
copacy, (lis)  Notwithstanding  his  being  very 
much  beloved  by  his  clergy  and  people,  a  wish  for 
attaining  a  greater  degree  of  perfection  induced  him 

12 

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116  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORt     CHAP.  XVIIf. 

to  visit  foreign  parts,  and  accordingly  taking  with 
him  some  companions,  among  whom  are  named 
Coloman(ll9)  a  priest  and  Totnan  a  deacon,  he 
went  over  to  the  continent  and  proceeded  on  his 
journey  until  he  arrived  at  Wurtzburg  in  Franconia. 
Liking  the  situation,  he  determined  on  fixing  his 
abode  there  ;  but,  being  anxious  to  preach  the  Gos- 
pel to  the  people  of  that  country,  who  were  still 
pagans,  he  thought  it  necessary  to  apply  to  the  Holy 
see  for  permission  to  do  so,  hoping  that  the  then 
Pope,  John  Y.  would  not  refuse  it  to  him.  (120) 
On  his  arrival  at  Rome  he  found  that  John  was  dead, 
but  was  very  kindly  received  by  bis  successor  Conon. 
This  occurred  either  late  in  the  year  686,  or  early  in 
687.  (121)  Conon  finding  him  well  qualified  for 
the  mission  both  by  the  purity  of  his  faith  and  his 
learning,  gave  him  every  requisite  faculty  for  that 
purpose.  (122)  Kilian  then  returned  to  Wurtzburg, 
accompanied  by  Coloman  and  Totnan,  who  assisted 
him  in  his  apostolical  exertions.  He  was  fortunate 
enough  to  convert  and  baptize  Gozbert,  duke  of 
that  country,  whose  conversion  was  followed  by  that 
of  a  great  number  of  his  subjects  Geilana,  to  whom 
Gozbert  was  married,  had  been  the  wife  of  hi& 
brother*  Although  Kilian  disapproved  of  his  keep« 
ing  her  as  his  wife,  he  thought  it  advisable  to  be 
silent  on  this  point,  until  Gozbert  should  be  well 
confirmed  in  the  Christian  faith.  The  time  being 
come  when  Kilian  found  the  duke  fit  for  receiving 
further  instruction,  he  told  him  that  one  thing  was 
still  requisite  for  his  being  quite  acceptable  in  the 
sight  of  God,  viz.  that  he  should  part  with  Geilana, 
whereas  their  marriage  was  unlawful.  Gozbert 
answered,  that  this  was  the  most  difiicult  point  as  yet 
proposed  to  him  by  Kilian  ;  but  that,  as  he  had  al- 
ready renounced  many  things  for  the  love  of  God^ 
*he  would  also  quit  Geilana,  although  she  was  very 
dear  to  him  ;  adding  however,  that,  being  then  hur- 
ried to  proceed  on  a  military  expedition,  he  should 

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CHAP.  XVIII.  Of    IRELAND.  117 

defer  until  his  return  the  arrangement  and  execution 
of  his  design.  After  his  departure  Geilana,  who  was 
informed  of  what  had  passed  between  him  and 
Krilian,  became  determined  on  revenge,  and  seizing 
on  a  convenient  opportunity  sent  at  night  one  of  her 
men  (123)  to  put  him  and  his  companions  to  death. 
Kilian,  (yoloman,  and  Totnan  were  singing  the 
praises  of  the  Lord,  when  the  assassin  arrived. 
They  made  no  resistance,  Kilian  exhorting  his  bre« 
thren  to  receive  the  wished  for  crown  of  martyrdom, 
and  were  immediately  beheaded.  During  the  same 
night  their  remains  were  hastily  thrown  into  the 
ground,  together  with  their  clothes  and  pontifical 
ornaments,  the  sacred  books,  cross,  &c  This  mar* 
tyrdom  occurred  in  689  on  the  8th  of  July,  at  which 
day  the  names  of  St.  Kilian  and  his  companions  are 
marked  in  the  Roman  and  other  martyrologies,  and 
Kilian  is  particularly  revered  at  Wurtzburg  as  its 
patron  saint.  (124) 

When  Gozbert  returned  to  Wurtzburg,  he  inquired 
for  the  servants  of  God.  Geilana  said  that  she  did 
not  know  what  was  become  of  them.  But  the 
whole  matter  was  soon  discovered  ^  for  the  assassin, 
running  about  in  all  directions,  complained  that 
Kilian  was  burning  him  with  a  dreadful  fire.  Gos- 
bert,  calling  together  his  Christian  subjects,  asked  of 
them  how  that  unhappy  man  should  be  treated.  A 
person  present  at  the  meeting,  who  had  been 
suborned  by  Geilana,  proposed  that  he  should  be  left 
at  liberty,  for  the  purpose  of  trying  whether  the 
God  of  the  Christians  would  avenge  the  death  of 
the  martyr,  which  if  he  do  not,  we  will,  said  this 
wiseacre,  worship  the  great  Diana  as  our  forefathers 
have  done.  This  proposal  was  agreed  to ;  and  the 
assassin,  being  let  loose,  got  into  a  phrenzy  and  tore 
himself  with  his  teeth  until  he  expir.ed.  It  is  added 
that  Geilana  was  seized  with  an  evil  spirit,  which 
tormented  her  so  much,  that  she  died  soon  after. 
TThe  remains  of  the  holy  martyrs  were  found  in  752 

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118  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTOUY       CHAP.  XVIII. 

(125)  by  St.  Burchard»  bishop  of  Wurtzburg,  and 
removed  by  him  to  a  great  cjiurcb,  which  he  had 
erected  in  that  city. 

(115)  Canisius  has  published  (Antiq.  lecL  Tom.  4.  al.  Tom.  S. 
part.  1.)  two  Lives  of  St.  Kilian ;  one  rather  large,  the  author  of 
which  he  conjectured  to  be  Egilward  a  monk  of  St  Burch^rd's 
monastery  near  Wurtzbui^,  who  lived,  according  to  some  writers, 
in  the  11th  century;  the  other  shorter,  but  more  exact,  by  an 
unknown  author.  The  former  is  also  in  Suriu?  (at  8  July) 
and  has  been  republished  by  Messingliam  (Florilegiunif  &c.)  and 
others;  the  latt«r  was  preferred  for  republication  in  the  Acta 
Beried.  Sec,  2.  /?.  991.  particularly  as  various  mterpelations  have 
been  foisted  into  the  lai^ger  one. 

(1 16)  It  would  be  useless  to  collect  the  many  testimonies,  that 
might  be  adduced  on  this  point.  In  the  large  Life  Kilian's  coun- 
try is  thus  described ;  <<  Scotia,  quae  et  Hibemia  dicitur,  insula 
est  maris  oceani,  foecunda  quidam  glebis,  sed  sancdssimis  clarior 
viris ;  ex  quibus  Columbano  gaudet  Italia,  Gallo  ditatur  Aleman- 
nia,  Kiliano  Teutonica  nobilitatur  Branda.*'  Rabanus  and  Not- 
ker,  in  their  martyrologies,  say  that  he  came  from  Hibemia  Scot' 
arum  insula  ;  Marianus  Scotus  has  Hibemia  insula.  These  and 
other  passages  to  the  same  purpose,  such  as  from  Bellarminey 
Serarius,  &q.  may  be  seen  in  Messingham,  FloriL  p.  324.  seqq^ 
Among  the  more  modem  writers  it  is  sufficient  to  mention  Mabil- 
lon  and  Fleury. 

(117)  It  is  said  in  St.  Kilian'g  Office  in  the  Benedictine  bre- 
viaiy,  that  the  monasteiy  in  which  he  professed  the  monastic 
rule  was  that  of  H^.  Trithemius  also  c#i  him  a  monk  of  Hy, 
tnon^us  Huensis  in  Hibemia  ;  but  tfiis  appeam  to  be  only  con- 
jectural. According  to  the  laige  Life  Kilian  could  not  have  beeQ. 
a  monk  of  Hy ;  ^  it  is  stated  that  he  became  superior  of  the 
very  monasteiy,  in  which  he  had  made  his  professieq.  Now  it  i« 
well  known  ihat  he  was  never  abbot  of  Hy.  THthemius'  mean- 
ing^as  perhaps,  that  Kilian  belonged  to  the  order  of  I}y,  al- 
though living  in  Ireland.  It  is  odd,  that  Burke  (Qffic^  of  St. 
Kilian)  makes  him  a  Benedictine,  which,  omitdng  other  observa- 
tions, he  could  not  have  been,  were  he  of  the  or^er  of  Hy. 

(118)  According  to  the  short  life  Kilian  was  a  biriiflpbe&reb« 


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CHAP.   XVIII.  OF  IRELAND.  HQ 

Iflft  Irdaod  And  in  an<M  chfonide,  quoCed  by  the  abbot  Tha- 
daeus  of  Ratisbon  (see  Mesaipgham,  Floril.  p.  32*.)  be  is  spoken 
of  as  a  bishof),  prior  to  bis  setting  out  for  the  Continent  This 
statement  has  bee»  followed  by  Fleuiy,  L.  40.  (.  88.  But,  as 
will  be  seen  lower  down,  other  tfceounts  re^present  him  a^  having 
been  consecrated  bishop  at  Rome. 

(119)  In  some  documents^  relative  to  St  Kilian,  Cdomsnis 
erroneously  caU^  Cohnat. 

(120)  At  this  part  of  Kilian's  transactions  the  author  of  the 
laige  Life,  or  rather  some  interpolater,  introduces  the  fiible  of 
Ireland  having  been  under*  an  apostolical  censure  on  account  of 
the  Pdagian  heresy,  and  accoidingly  of  the  necessity  Kilian  was 
tinder  of  going  to  Rome  for  the  purpose  of  being  absolved  from 
it.     To  what  has  been  ah*eady  observed  on  this  subject  (Not^ 
95  to  Chap,  XV.)    I  shall  here  add,  that  there  is  not  the  least 
allusion  to  such  a  censure  in  the  oth^  and  more  correct  Lifo 
of  Kilian ;  nor  among  the  old  authors,  ex.  c  Rabanus,  Notker, 
Marianus,  Scotus,  &c.  some  of  whom  mention  his  having  got  per- 
mission to  preach  from  the  Holy  see,  is  there  a  word  about  this 
stoiy  of  Irish  Pdagianism.    Nothing  rdative  to  any  general  cgH^ 
sure  or  interdict  laid  upon  Ireland  appears  in  Bede,  and  the  onljil 
charge  l>rought  forward,  yet  still  unaccompanied  by  ecclesiasti- 
cal censune,  against  any  considerable  portion  of  the  kish  people, 
was  on  the  ground  of  their  Paschal  and  tonsural  observances. 
How  could  the  people  or  clergy  of  Ireland  be  supposed  to  lie  im- 
der  an  interdict^  while  such  crowds  of  Irishmen  were,  as  was  wdl 
known  at  Rome,  instructing  the  continental  nations  ,*  while  Fur- 
s^,  Foillan,  Livinus,  Arbogast,  Fbrentius,  Wiro,  &c  preached 
the  Gospel  to  them  without  any  previous  absolution  from  censures  ? 
National  interdicts,  or  general  censures  of  the  kind  aDuded  to, 
were  scarcely  known  at  that  period;  nor  is  there  any  historian  or 
canonist,  who,  in  his  inquiries  into  the  origin  of  interdicts,  has  ever 
allied  this  pretended  Irish  one  as  a  q>ecimen  of  them.    (See 
Fleury  Instit.  au  Droit,  Sfc.  Part.  3.  chap.  21.)    I  shall  waste  no 
further  time  on  this  silly  fable,  except  to  observe  that  the  pas- 
sage, in  which  it  is  contained^  is  to  all  appearance  an  interpola- 
tion. 

(121)  The  death  of  John  V.  and  the  accession  o£.Conon  liave 
been  assigned  by  some  writers  to  687 ;  but  Pagi  (Critica^  Sfc.  ad 


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120  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY       CHAP.  XVIII. 

A.  6S7. )  maintains  that  John  died  in  686,  and  was  succeeded  by 
Conon  in  the  same  year  on  the  21st  of  October. 

(122)  In  the  lai^  Life  it  is  said  that  Conon  raised  Kilian  to  the 
prelacy,  in  praesulatus  qfikium  corutituU  i  so  that  he  might  ex- 
ercise functions  peculiar  to  bishops.  The  author's  meaning  seems 
indeed  to  be,  that  Kilian  was  consecrated  bishop  by  Conon,  and 
so  it  has^  been  understood  by  several  writers.  This  is  very  proba- 
bly a  mistake,  founded  on  the  circumstance  of  Kilian  having  re- 
ceived  fit)m  the  Pope  certain  extraordinary  powers,  with  which 
bishops  are  not  usually  invested,  such  as  that  of  erecting  episco- 
pal sees,  and  other  privileges  requisite  in  the  case  of  a  new  mis- 
sion, such  in  short  as  those  which  Gr^ory  the  great  had  granted 
to  Augustin  towards  the  formation  of  churches  in  England.  His 
having  obtained  sndtk  privileges  at  Rome  might  have  easily  led 
to  the  supposition,  that  it  was  there  also  that  he  was  consecrated. 
But  we  have  better  authority  for  believing,  that  Kilian  was  a  bishop 
before  he  lea  Lreland.  (See  Not.  118.) 

(128)  Some  accounts  state,  that  Geilana  sent  two  assassins. 
This  is  a  matter  of  no  consequence.  It  is  somewhat  singular,  that 
RabanuB  and  Notker,  in  opposition  to  every  other  account,  attri- 
bute the  order  for  murdering  Kilian,  &c,  to  Gozbert. 

(124)  Although  St  Kilian  is  called  the  patron  of  Wurtzbuig> 
Mabillon,  (at  Kilian's  Life,  Ada  Ben.  Sec.  2.)  Fleury,  (L.  40.  §. 
58)  and  Basnage  (Preface  to  Kilian's  Acts  in  his  edition  of  Canisius, 
Tom.  3.  Part.  1.)  deny  that  he  was  iHshop  of  that  dty,  as  its  see 
was  not  established  untfl  many  years  later  in  the  eighth  century. 
Colgan  had  said  ("A  A.  SS.  p.  331.)  that,  although  he  was  bishop 
of  all  FVancom'a,  he  was  not  of  Wurtzburg.  Yet  Marianus 
Scotus  (ad.  A.  687)  e^qnressly  calls  him  bishop  of  JVurtzburg,  and 
so  he  is  named  in  the  chronicles  of  Sigebert-  and  Rhegino,  and  by 
many  other  writers,  some  of  .whom,  ex.  c.  Notker,  add  that  he  was 
its  first  bishop.  This  quesdon  is  easily  settled ;  for  it  is  not  doubted 
by  any  one,  that  KOian  was  a  bishop,  nor  that,  although  he 
preached  and  exercised  episcopal  functions  throughout  Franconia, 
his  chief  re«dence  was  at  Wmtzburg.  He  was  not  indeed  imme- 
diately succeeded  by  any  bishop  there ;  whereas  from  the  time  of 
his  martyrdom  about  fifly  years  elapsed  until  St.  Burchard  was 
appointed  bishop  of  that  dty.  But  had  this  interval  not  taken 
place,  and  if  there  had  been  a  bishop  fixed  there  immediatdy 


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CHAP*  XVIII.  OP  IRELAND.  121 

after  the  martyrdomy  Kflian  would  have  been  imiversaUy  called 
bishop  of  Wurtzburg  and  its  first  bishop.  What  is  the  reason  why 
some  old  sees  are  considered  as  fixed  and  regular  in  preference  to 
{^loes,  in  which  bishops  have  presided  ?  It  is  no  other  than  that 
in  the  fbmier  there  has  been  an  uninterrupted  succession  of 
foishc^,  which  was  not  the  case  with  r^ard  to  the  latter.  The 
question  therefore  is  one  of  mere  words^  and  it  is  an  affectation  of 
canonistical  precision  to  say,  that  St.  Kilian  was  not  bishop  of 
Wurtdburg.  He  lived  there  not  as  a  hermit  or  ina  retired  manner^ 
as,  for  instance,  St.  Erard  had  at  Ratisbon,  but  as  a  bishop  actively 
employed  in  practising  episcopal  duties;  and  this  was  surely 
enough  to  authorize  the  old  writers,  who  treat  of  him»  to  give  hhn 
the  title  of  bishap  of  fVurizhurgy  and^rst  bishop  of  that  see^ 
whereas  no  bishop  had  ever  resided  there  befot^  him.  Serarius 
observes,  (  Notes  to  St  Kilian* s  Life  ap.  Messin^iam,  FlorU,  &c. 
p.S2S.)  that  the  ecclesistical  monuments  of  Wurtzbuig  point  him 
out  as  its  bishop,  and  joins  those,  who  call  him  its  Jirst  bishop. 
St.  Kilian  is  i^ken  of  as  also  an  author,  but,  I  suspect,  on  weak 
grounds.    (See  Ware  and  Harris,  Writers  at  KUiaru) 

(125)  SeePagi,  Critica,  &c  ad  A.  689.  and  Colgan,  A  A.  SS. 
at  14  Februaiy,  where  he  treats  of  the  translation  of  the  remains 
igfSi.  Kilian  and  c<Hnpanions. 

§.zi.  St.  Cataldiisor  Cathaldus,  (1S6)  whose  his- 
tory has  been  already  touched  upon,  (127)  flourished, 
I  believe,  in  these  times,  that  is,  in  the  latter  half  of 
the  seventh  century.  It  has  been  strangely  sup- 
posed that  he  lived  in  the  second ;  (128)  but  from 
the  accounts,  however  confused  and  mixed  with 
fables,  that  are  given  of  his  transactions,  it  is  evident, 
that  he  must  have  lived  at  a  much  later  period.  As 
to  his  having  been  a  native  of  Ireland,  there  can  be 
no  question  ;  (129)  and  Munster  is  mentioned  as 
the  province,  to  which  he  belonged.  (130)  The 
very  town,  in  which  he  was  bom,  is  spoken  of;  some 
say  it  was  Raschau,  and  others  Catandum,  (131) 
both  which  in  our  times  can  scarcely  be  guessed  at, 
except  that  they  were,  particularly  the  latter,  sup- 
posed  to  have  been  not  far  distant  from  Lismore. 

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122  AN   ECCLBSTASTICAL   HISTORY      CHAP.  XTIII. 

It  k  said  Ikat  bis  father  was  named  E^tehus  (Ecbu), 
and  htfl  mother  Achknna,  or  Athena.     He.  studied 
at   LismoFe,  where  after  some  ti«ie  be  became  a 
professor.  (\St)     His  lectvres  are  stated  to  have 
been  attended  1^  a  great  number  of  students  from 
tmrioue  eountries.    (155)      The  times/   in  which 
CataMns  was  thus  employed,  cannot  be  precisely 
ascertttined}  but  they  were   undoubtedly  later  by 
several  years  than  653,  about  wbi<{h  time  the  Lismore 
establishment  was  founded  by  St.  Carthag.    (134) 
Cataldus,  besides  instructing  others,  edified  them  by 
his  extraordinary  piety.     He  is  said  to  have  erected 
a  church  at  Lismore  in  honour  of  the  Bledsed  Virgin 
mother  o(  QoA.  (13^)     It  is  added,  that  some  how 
or  other  he  incurred  the  displeasure  of  a  king,  (156) 
who  ordered  him  to  be  thrown  into  a  dungeon.     The 
king  soon  repented  of  this  violent  measure,  and,  to 
make  some  amends  for  the  injury  Cataldus  had  sus- 
tained, is  stated  to  have  made  him  a  grant  of  a  dis- 
trict, which  had  belonged  to  a  duke  or  chieftain 
recently  dead,  whose    name  was  Meliridis.  (137) 
This  must  be  understood  with  such  limitations  aa 
the  discipline  of  those  times,  particularly  in  the  Irish 
church,  required,  and  can  mean  no  more  than  that 
the  king  assigned  to  him  some  land  £br  endowing  a 
church  at  Rachau,  of  which  place  Cataldus  was  im- 
mediately appointed  bishop.  ( 13^)     This  was  pro* 
bdt>ly  about  tne  year  670.  (139)     Having  governed 
that  see- for  some  time  he  is  said  to  have  gone  on  a 
pilgrimi^  to  Jerusalem,  and,  on  his  preparing  to 
return  thence  to  Ireland,  to  have  been  admonished 
in  a  vision  to  proceed  to  Tarentum.     According  to 
certain  strange  stories  he  found,  on  his  arrival  in 
that  city,  almost  all  the  inhaliatants  immersed  ia 
paganism ;  (140)  but  this  monstrous  assumption  ia 
quite  irreconcileable  with  the  times  of  St.  Cataldus. 
It  is,  however,  very  probable  that  vices,  although  not 
amounting  to  idolatry,  prevailed  there  at  that  period, 
in  consequence  of  th^  revolutiona  and  vicissitudes  of 


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CHAP.  XVIII.  OF   IRELAND.  1€S 

tj^at  country.  (1^1)  The  saint,  haVti^  landed  at 
80iq^  distance  from  the  city,  cured  on  his  way  to  it  a 
woman,  who  had  been  deaf  and  dumli,  and  on  enter- 
ing the  city  relieved  a  man  from  blindni^as.  He  was 
immediately  taken  notice  of,  and  preaching  U>  the 
inhabitants  was  listened  to  with  great  attention. 
Not  lon^  after  he  was  unanimously  appointed  to  the 
see  of  larentum,  which  he  governed  for  many  years 
with  great  wisdom  and  zeal.  The  year  of  hia  death 
is  not  known  ;  but  it  appears  that  the  day  was  an 
8th  of  March.  (142)  It  wouUl^he  unnecessary  to 
enlarge  on  the  extraordinary  veneration,  in  which 
this  saint  is  held  at  Tarentum  and  elsewhere,  and  on 
the  great  number  of  miracles,  which  are  said  to  have 
been  wrought  at  his  tomb.  (14S)  A  curious  pro* 
phecy  relative  to  the  sti^  of  the  kingdom  of  Naples 
about  the  latter  end  of  the  15th  century,  and  th& 
times  of  Ferdinand  of  Arragon,  the  French  invasion, 
&c.  has  been  attributed  to  St.  Cataldus ;  but  it  ia 
evidently  a  forgery  made  up  on  the  occasion  of  those 
troubles,  and  has  nothing  to  do  with  th£^  real  histpry 
of  the  saint.  (144) 

St.  Donatus,  a  brother  of  Catgldu^f  ia  reckoned 
among  the  bishops  of  Lupiae,  or  Aletium,  now 
Lecce,  (145)  a  noble  citv  of  the  kingdom  of  Naples. 
It  is  said,  that  these  holy  brothers  lived  together  as 
hermits  for  some  time  near  a  snigll  tqwn,  npvf  called 
San  C^taldo.  (146)  Conceiining  St.  Donatus  I  can 
find  nothing  further,  unless  wq  shouH  admit  the 
fiction  of  Dempster  that  h^  was  aRtUw  oC  one  or 
two  books.  (147) 

(126)  The  name  is  spelled  in  both  these  wi^  V^  Cfri^n^l 
name  of  this  saint  was,  43  Cajgan  observes,  Cathaf^at  Cs^ifialdi^. 
appd}aiion  veiy  common  in  Ireland,  now  softened  into  Cakal  or 
CahilL  According  to  our  pronunciation^  of  the  letter  t,  the.o14 
Irish  would  not  have  written  Caiald. 
K  (127)  Chap.  I.  §.$.  Cqlgan,  omitting  the  Cat^ias  of  poetical 
Ifife  of  St.  Catalans  by  Bonav^ture  Mwronii  has^publiphed  (at  % 

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124  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL   HISTORY      CHAP.  XVIII. 

A  _  .  ~ 

March)  the  prose  Life  in  two  books  by  his  brother  Bartholomevr, 
besides  a  short  account  of  him  from  Petrus  de  Natalibus,  and  an 
office  of  St.  Cataldiis  fix>m  the  breviary  of  Tarentum  or  Taranto. 
Usher  treats  lai|^ely  of  this  saint,  Prim,  p.  751.  segq.  The  ac- 
count giTcn  of  him  by  the  Bollandists  is  at  the  10th  of  May,  the 
festival  of  his  Invention  and  Translation. 

(128)  John  Juvenis  says,  in  the  pre&ce  to  his  History  of  Ta» 
rentum,  that  Cataldus  was  at  Tarentum  in  the  year  160,  but 
dsewhere  he  places  his  arrival  there  in  166.  According  to  the 
Life  by  Barth.  Maroni  his  entry  into  Tarentum  was  about  170. 
Other  writers  assign  his  times  to  about  500.  (See  Uslier,  p.  759, 
and  Colgan,  A  A.  SS.  p.  560.)  Ughelli,  in  his  account  of  St. 
Cataldus,  f  Italia  Sacra^  ad  ^arentini  Archiep.)  merely  relates 
the  stories  of  Juvenis  and  Petr.  de  Natalibus.  Hiey  are  not  worth 
the  trouble  of  refutation. 

(129)  Dempster,  wiih  his  usual  effironteiy,  pretended  that  Ca- 
taldus was  bom  in  Scotland.  His  lies  and  contradictions  on  ^ta» 
subject  have  been  well  exposed  by  Usher  {p.  75S.)  and  Colgan 
(A A.  SS.  p.  561.)  The  Bollandists,  while  they  admit  that  every 
circumstance  tends  to  show,  that  Cataldus  was  a  native  of  Ire- 
land, yet,  as  if  to  display  their  ingenuity,  throw  out  a  conjecture 
that  he  might  have  been  from  Ragusa.  And  why  ?  Because  it 
had  been  said  that  the  name  of  Uie  place,  in  which  he  was  bom, 
was  Rachau,  and  that  he  was  sometimes  called  Cataldus  Rachau, 
Then  they  ask ;  might  not  Rachau  have  been  the  same  as  Rau- 
Slum  or  Ragusium  ?  But  those,  who  thought  that  Rachau  was 
the  birth-place  of  Cataldus,  say  that  it  was  situated  in  Munster  in 
Ireland ;  and  as  to  Ragusa,  the  Bollandists  themselves  observe, 
that  Ragusa  did  not  exist  untQ  it  was  formed  out  ci  the  ruins  of 
Epidaurus,  whidi  had  been  destroyed  in  the  7th  century.  Not 
only  the  Maroni  in  their  Lives  of  Cataldus,  but  Juvenis,  Petrus  a 
Natah*bus,  I%ilip  Ferrarius,  and  many  other  writers,  besides  various 
martyrologies,  and  Offices  of  St.  Cataldus,  all  agree  in  making 
him  a  native  of  Ireland.  (See  Usher  and  Colgan,  locc.  citt,) 
And  it  is  to  be  observed,  that  in  evay  passage  relative  to  this 
point  his  country  is  called  Hibemia,  or  the  island  HibemiOf  the 
equivocal  name  of  Scotia  not  being  even  once  used. 

(180)  Barth.  Maroni  (Life,  &c  L.  1.  c  1.)  calls  it  Mononia^ 
for  whid)  Colgan  has  justly  substituted  Momonia.    In  some  old 

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CRAP.  XVIII.  OF  IRELAND.  liiS 

Offices  of  St.  Catalduf  it  is  written  Numenioy  whidi,  has  been 
corrected  in  a  Roman  edition  into  Mononia.  (See  Usher,  p. 
754.) 

(ISl)  According  to  the  Office  op.  Colgan,  and  others  refisrred 
to  by  Usher,  (t6.)  with  whkh  Juvenis  agrees,  the  saint's  native 
town  was  Catandum.  Maroni  says,  (Iqc.  cit,)  that  by  some  he  waa 
\nade  a  native  of  RachaUf  but  observes  that  the  former  is  the 
more  probable  opinion,  and  that  the  ktter  was  seemin^y  found- 
ed only  on  the  saint's  being  sumamed  Rachau,  which,  he  adds, 
ought  to  be  understood  not  as  if  Cataldos  had  been  bom  there, 
but  as  relative  to  his  having  been  bishop  of  Rachau.-  Colgan  has 
some  cm^ectures  as  to  the  situation  of  these  places ;  but  they 
are  far  from  satisfactory.  With  r^;ard  to  Catandum,  his  suppos- 
ing  ( A  A.  SS,  p.  544.)  that  it  might  have  been  a  Baile-Cathal,  or 
Cathel's-town,  in  the  county  of  Tipperaiy  might  be  admitted,  were 
It  called,  as  indeed  it  is  by  P.  de  Natalibus,  Catcddmy  so  as  that 
it  had  the  same  name  as  the  saint.  There  is  a  place  called  Bal^ 
lycahin  in  said  county  at  the  borders  of  the  baronies  of  Kilne- 
mana  and  Kinelogurty.  But,  besides  its  being  fiur  distant  from 
Lismore,  the  name  cX  the  saint's  native  qpot  is  usually  written  Ca« 
tandum.  As  to  Rachau,  which,  Monmi  sajrs,  was  formeriy  a  city 
of  some  note  in  Munster,  Colgan  thought  the  real  name  was  Ra" 
than,  observing  that  there  were  three  places  so  called  in  the 
Nandesi  country,  in  whidi  Lismore  is  situated,  and  that  one  of 
them  is  now  called  Sen'Rathan,  or  Old  Rathan.  This  must,  I 
am  sure,  be  the  same  as  Shanraghan  in  the  barony  of  Iffi!,  county 
of  Tipper^.  According  to  the  Irish  sound  of  ih^  Rathan  is  the 
same  as  Raghan  or  Rohan.  It  is  really  probable  that  Shan- 
raghan or  Old  Rathan  id  the  place  meant  by  Rachauy  particulariy 
as  it  is  within  a  short  distance  of  Lismore,  not  far  from  which 
Rachau  is  repjresented  to  have  been  atuated.  If,  instead  of  i2a- 
chaut  we  should  read  Rachan,  {u  and  n  h&Dg  oflen  interchanged 
in  MSS.)  the  probability  would  be  still  greater.  Although  Col* 
gan's  conjecture  as  to  Rathan  for  Rachau  is  worthy  of  attention, 
yet  Burke,  when  republishing  (Offkia  propria^  &c)  the  Office  of 
St.  Cataldus  from  the  A  A.  SS.  ought  not  to  have  thrust  into  the 
text  Rathan^  instead  of  Rachau,  which  Colgan  has  preserved. 
This  is  not  the  only  alteration  he  has  made  in  said  Office  matu 
proprtOf  and  without  any  sufficient  authority. 


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126  AN    ECCLE8MSTICAL  HISTORY      CHAP.  XVIII. 

(152)  Lifebj  Barth.  Moroni,  L.  I.e.  4.  add  Office. 

(183)  In  the  Office  we  read ;  "  Adolescens  (Cataldus)  liber- 
alibus  disciplinis  eruditus  ad  earn  brevi  dcx^nae  excellentlam 
penrenil,  ut  ad  ^Mum  audieodum  GaUi,  Angli,  Scoli,  Theutones, 
aliiqae  fintdmarum  aliarum  r^(ionimi  quamplurimi  Lesmoriam 
OMnrenirent/'  Donaventure  Moroni  has  described  this  conflux  in 
the  fblowing  yeraes; 

^<  Undique  conreniunt  prooeres,  quoa  ddlce  traiiebat 
Diaoendi  studium,  maior  num  cognita  virtus. 
An  laudata  ibret.   Celeres  vastissima  Rheni 
Jam  vada  Teotonid^  jam  desemere  Sicambri : 
Mittit  ab  extremo  gelidos  Aquilone  Boemos 
Albis,  et  Anremi  coeunt,  Batavique  frequentcs, 
£t  quicunque  ocAxOkt  alta  sub  nipe  Gehennas. 
Non  omnes  prospectat  Arar  Rhodanique  fluenta 
Helvetioa ;  multot  deaiderat  ultima  Thule. 
Certatin  hi  properant  dtrerso  tramite  ad  urbem 
Lemortataiy  iovenis  priinos  libi  transigit  annos.** 

(See  Usher,  p.  755.) 
•  ' 

(134)  See  Chap.  xiv.  §.  14.  Not  few  years  must  have  elapsed 
from  the  foundation  of  Lismoro  until  Cataldus  began  to  teach 
there.  He  had  studied  himself  in  that  school  and  spent  some 
yean  at  it,  before  he  became  qualified  to  be  a  professor.  In  his 
tune  LisBSore  was  well  known  in  foreign  countries,  which  its  re- 
putation could  not  have  reached  all  of  a  sudden. 

(135)  Life,  cap.  4.  Office,  &c  Colgan  observes,  {A  A.  SS.p, 
555.)  that  among  eight  churches,  th^t  were  in  Lismore  in  his 
time,  there  was  one  under  said  dtle. 

(136)  P.  de  Natalibus  makes  him  king  of  all  Ireland.  But,  if 
there  be  any  troth  in  the  matter,  he  must  have  been  rather  a  king 
of  Munster.  The  same  author  as  well  as  Moroni  an' I  <»'ier8 
assign  a  veiy  silly  cause,  not  worth  mentioning,  for  the  king's 
displeasure. 

(137)  It  cad  scarcely  be  doubted  that  Meltridis,  as  he  is  called 
by  the  ItaliMi^  writers,  was  the  same  person  as  Moek)chtride,  a 
diieftain  of  Nandesi,  who  had  granted  to  St  Carthagh  the  ground 
for  his  monasteiy  of  Lismore.    (See  Chap.  xiv.  §.  14.)    There 


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CHAP.  XVIU.  OF  IRELAND.  127 

iieferjreBton  to  think,  that  Modochtricle  sunrhred  St  Carthagfa, 
who  died  in  637)  and,  it  it  higfalj  probable,  even  hii  ow]\  to 
Bfan^nn,  who  was  killed  in  666.  (See  Colgan,  A  A.  88.  p.  561.) 
Maw  supposing  that  he  lived  until  about  670,  we  have  the  period^ 
at  whic^  Cataldus  was  raised  to  the  efNSCopacy.  The  name  Mei* 
tridis  has  been  mistaken  by  some  writers  as  that  of  the  Duke's 
tarritory.     Thc^re  was  no  principality  so  called  in  Ireland. 

(138)  In  the  saint's  Lif^,  Ac  it  is  ridkukmsly  stated  that,  hav' 
ing  obtained  this  wonderful  grant  of  a  whole  principality,  he  di<* 
vided  it  into  twelve  bishoprics,  and  raised  Rachau  to'  the  rank  of 
an  archiepiscopal  see,  Burke,  perceiving  the  absordi^  of  this 
fiible,  has,  in  his  edition  of  the  Office,  changed  the  bishoprics  into 
parishes  and  the  archiepiscopate  into  a  simple  bishopric. 

(139)  See  Soi.  137. 

(140)  This  story  might  agree  well  enough  with  the  si^yposUon 
of  Moroni  and  others,  that  St  Cataldus  arrived  at  Tarentum  about 
the  year  170.  But  as  the  hypothesis  is  fUse,  so  are  its  concomi- 
tant parts.  It  is  odd,  that  Burke  has  retained  this  tale,  whereas 
he  lays  down,  erroneously  indeed,  that  the  samt  died  about  492» 
How  could  he  have  imagined,  that  Tarentum,  or  any  other  dty 
of  southeni  Italy,  was  at  that  period  idmost  devoid  of  Christie 
ans? 

.  (141).  The  Goths  had  been  driven  out  of  Tarentum  in  the 
sixth  century  by  the  Greeks,  who  in  their  turn  were  expelled  by 
the  Lombards  under  Romoald,  duke  of  Beneventum.  (See  Peiu- 
lus  diaconus,  De  Gestis  LangobanL  L.  6.  c.  1.)  Aooordin^  to* 
BoUandus  and  Muratori,  (Rer.  haU  8crijaor.  Tom.  1,  p.  490.) 
Romoald  ruled  the  dutchy  of  Beneventum  from  671  to  687*  It 
was,  I  think,  during  this  interval  that  St.  Cataklas  arrived  at 
Tarentum. 

(142)  Some  writers  nay  it  was  on  Sth  of  May ;  but  the  archivea 
of  Uie  church  of  Tarentum  sind  other  authorities  have  the  8th  of 
March.    (See  A  A.  SS.  p.  559.) 

(143)  The  second  book,  which  is  rather  huge,  of  Basth^  Mo^ 
roni's  workis  full  of  accounts  of  these  miracles. 

(144)  Whoever  wishes  to  know  more  about  this  pretended 
prof^ecy  may  considt  the  Life  by  Barth.  Moroni,  L.  1.  and  Ware 
and  Harris,  Writers  at  Caiddtu.  Dempater,  in  bis  usod  way, 
took  it  into  his  head  to  ascribe  to  him  also  a  Book  <^  HomUiei. 

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128         AN   ECCLESIASTICAL   HISTORY       CHAP.  XVIII* 

(145)  See  Ughell^  (Italia  Sac.  ad  Aletini  me  Lupienses  EpU- 
topi)  who  quotes  J.  Ant  Ferraria  and  Jul.  Caes.  La&ntinus  for 
Donatus  having  been  bishop  of  that  city.    Following  the  fable  of 
Cataldus  having  been  at  Tar^itum  in  the  second  century,  he  ac- 
cordingly assigns  his  brother  Dcmatus  to  the  same  period.     He 
^)eaks  qS  Lu]:iiae  and  Aletium  as  one  and  the  same  place ;  but 
Baudrand  (Lexic.  Geogr,  at  Lupine)  states  that  the  ancient  La* 
piae  was  a  maritime  town  some  miles  distant  from  Aletium,  or 
Lecce,  and  that  is  now  called  Za  Roccay  although,  as  heobserves^ 
others  think  that  it  was  the  same  as  San  Cataldo,  likewise  at 
some  miles  distant  from  Lecce.     Be  this  as  it  may,  the  see, 
named  Lupiensis^  is  now  at  Lecce.    Earth.  Moroni  (Life  of  Su 
CatalduSf  L.  1.  c.  IL)  makes  mention  of  Donatus  as  being  said 
to  have  been  the  first  bishop  of  Lupiae  and  a  brother  of  St.  Ca- 
taldus.   Juvenis  also  relates  the  same  tradition ;  (see  Usher,  p. 
760.)  and  we  find  it  likewise  in  Philip  Ferrarius  (Catalog,  &c.  at 
22  October).    As  to  the  name,  DonattUy  no  object  can  be  de- 
rived from  it;   fi>r  the    Lrish    used  to  latinize    Donagh  inta 
Donatus. 

(146)  Moroni,  ib.  Juvenis  has  swelled  the  time  of  this  eremiti- 
cal life  up  to  14  years,  observing  that  San  Cataldo  lies  within  ten 
miles  of  Otranto.     (Usher,  ib.J 

(147)  See  Usher,  ib. 

§•  xiL  While  this  swarm  of  holy  and  learned 
men  were  teaching  and  edifying  foreign  nations, 
some  persons,  distinguished  tor  sanctity  or  eccle- 
siastical rank,  died  in  Ireland.  Maldogar,  bishop  of 
Ferns,  the  immediate  successor  of  Tuenoc,  (148) 
departed  this  life  in  677,  and  was  succeeded  by  Di- 
ratb,  who  held  that  see  until  691.(149)  In  the 
same  year  died  a  St.  Coman  or  Comman,  whose 
memory  was  revered  on  the  1 8th  of  March,  and 
who  is  called  a  bishop  in  various  Irish  calendars,  but 
of  what  see  is  not  mentioned.  (150)  Another  Co- 
man,  sumamed  qf  Ferris^  and  erroneously  supposed 
by  some  to  have  been  bishop  there,  {151)  died  in  the 
following  year  678.  (155?)  To  this  year  is  assigned 
the  death  of  Colman  abbot  of  Clonmacnois,  (153) 


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CHAP.   XYIU.  OF  IRELAND.  1 29 

as  also  that  of  Kennfael,  abbot  of  Bangor,  whose 
memory  was  revered  otr  the  8th  of  said  month. 
(154) 

The  holy  virgin  St.  Cera,  alias  Chief,  died  in 
680.  (155)     She  is  said  to  have  been  the  daughter 
of  one  Duibhre,    and   of   an   illustrious  family  of 
Muskerry  in  the  now  county  of  Cork.     It  is  sup- 
posed that  she  was  the  St.  Chier,  who,  together 
with  five  other  virgins,  applied  to  St.  Fintan  Munnu, 
when  residing  in  Heli  (Ely  O'Carrol)   for  a  situa- 
tion to  establish  a  nunnery,  and  to  whom  he  is  said 
to  have  assigned  the  place,  where  he  had  lived  him- 
self, afterwards  called  Tech-telle.  (156)     That  St. 
Cera  spent  some  time  in  this  place  I  do  not  find  any 
sufficient  reason  for  denying ;  (157)  but  it  is  very 
doubtful  whether  she  got  it  from  Fintan  Munnu,  or 
whether  he  had  ever  resided  there.  (158)     How 
long  she  remained  in   Heli  we  are  not  informed. 
Returning  thence  to  her  own  country  she  founded 
a  nunnery,  called,  from  her  name,  KiUckree^  now 
Kilcrea,  (159)  a  few  miles  S.  W.  from  the  city  of 
Cork,  which  she  governed  until  her  death.     The 
reputation  of  this  saint  was  very  great,  and  her  fes* 
tival  was  kept  at  Kilcrea  not  only  on  the  5th  of 
January,  the  anniversary  of  her  decease,  but  like- 
wise on  the  1 6th  of  October,  as  a  day  of  commemo- 
ration.    Russin,  son  of  Lappain,  a  comorban,  or 
successor  of  St.  Barr  of  Cork,  and  who  was  in  all 
probability  a  bishop,  departed  this  life  in  685.  (686) 
(160) 

St.  Ossan,  whose  name  is  in  the  Irish  calendars  at 
17  February,  in  some  of  which  he  is  osdled  a  bishop, 
died  in  686  (687).  He  is  said  to  have  been  a 
descendant  of  king  Leogaire  j  and  his  memory 
was  revered  at  Rath-ossain,  a  place  named  from  him 
near  the  west  gate  of  Trim.  (i6l)  The  death  of  St. 
Becan  of  Clonard  is  assigned  to  the  16th  of  April , 
A.  D.  687  (688).  (J  62)     I  do  not  find  him  stiled 

VOL.  III.  K 

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ISO         AN    ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTOUV         CHAP.  XVIII* 

bishop  or  abbot  i  but  he  was  probably  either  one  or 
the  other. 

(148)  Sec  Chap.  xriL  $.  7. 

(149)  Four  Masters  and  Colgan,  Tr.  Th.p,56if.  According 
to  their  practice  of  anticipating  the  Christian  era,  they  asugn  the 
demise  of  Maldogar  to  676,  and  that  of  Dhrath  to  690. 

(150)  See  Not.  $6.  to  Chap.  xvii.  (151)  iSec  ib. 
(152)  Usher,  p.  968,  and  Ind.  Chron. 

(155)  Archdall  at  Clonmacnois.  (1^)  Idem  at  Bangor. 

(155)  Colgan,  treating  of  this  saint  at  5  January,  has,  fix>in  the 
Irish  annals,  A.  679.  i.  e.  680  for  her  death. 

(156)  Archdall  places  Tech-Telle  or  Teaghtelle  in  die  county 
of  Westmeath,  because  Colgan  says  that,  from  having  been  in 
Hell,  it  afterwards  was  comprized  in  the  western  Meath.  But  by 
toestem  Meath  Colgan,  and  the  older  writers  whom  he  quotes, 
understood  not  only  the  present  Westmeath,  but  likewise  the 
King's  county^  in  which  Tech-Telle  ought  to  be  placed,  whereas 
no  part  of  Hefi  ever  extended  as  far  as  what  is  now  called  West* 
meath.  Tech-Tdle,  or  the  house  of  Telle,  got  its  namie  from  St 
Telle,  son  of  Segen,  who  was  cont^mporaiy  with  Fmtan  Muimu, 
and  accordingly  lived  in  the  eariy  part  of  the  sevendi  century ; 
and  whose  memory  was  revered  on  the  25th  of  June.  (See  ^A.  SS. 
p.  15. and  71S.)  Archdall  has  fbr  this  saint  another  Teach-Telie  at 
Teltown  in  the  county  of  East  Meath.  And  why  ?  Because  Col- 
gan, speaking  of  him  (at  p.  718  ib.)  places  Teach-TeUe  in  Midia,  or 
Meath  in  general.  But  he  had  elsewhere  fp.  15.)  observed,  that 
the  part  of  Midia,  in  which  Teach-TeUe  lay,  was  the  western ; 
and  we  have  just  seen  that  it  was  in  the  tract  now  called  the 
King's  county.  It  is  plain,  on  comparing  the  passages  of  Colgan, 
diat  he  knew  of  only  one  Teach-TeBe.  As  to  Teltown,  a  place 
not  &r  firom  Kelb  to  the  East,  there  is  no  reason  to  think  that  it 
owes  its  name  to  any  samt,  and  it  is  more  than  probable  that  it 
is  the  same,  at  least  in  part,  as  the  andeat  Tailten,  celebrated  for 
the  sports  held  there  in  former  times.    (See  Not.  6.  to  Chap,  v.) 

(157)  She  b  stated  to  have  been  in  that  jdace  before  it  was 
occupied  by  St  Telle.  The  only  difficulty  is  that  Telle  flouridied 
before  the  death,  m  eS5,  of  Fmtan  Munnu.  But  St  Cera  seems 
to  have  be&a  young  at  the  time  she  is  sakl  to  have  been  there. 

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CHAF.  xvin.  et  lasLANo.  ISl 

Snpporiiy  thftt  thb  was  about  625,  her  haTing  Ihred  uodl  680 
ooBtaiBS  nothing  oootndiotory  or  imcbfonokgicaL 

(158)  See  Nid.  7S.  to  Chap,  x^  - 

(159)  Colgan,  in  tho  Acts  of  tliis  saint,  which  he  has  endeavoured 
to  pMtch  up^  pretends  that  she  had  founded  the  nunnery  of  KUcrea^ 
befiN«  she  went  to  Heli*  The  only  reason,  that  appears  fi>r  this 
P9sition>  is  that  he  thought,  and  indeed  very  strangely,  that  she  was 
the  St.  Ciam  who  is  mentioned,  in  the  Life  of  St.  Brendan  of 
Clonfert^  as  a  holy  vii^gin,  contemporary  with  him,  and  living  in 
Mmcrigke  Thire.  He  confounded  Muscrighe  Thire  with  the  Mua- 
keny  of  Cork,  not  reooUecting,  as  he  often  does  elsewhere,  that  the 
former  was  the  tract  new  called  Lower  Ormond  in  Tipperary,  whereas 
the  latter  was  k4iownl>y  the  name  of  Miai:rig:AeMi^»i<.  Thisisnot 
the  worst  part  ofhis  hypothesis  {  &r  he  knew  that  St.  Brendan  was 
d«ad  since  577.  And  yet  he  would  fiiin  tnake  us  believe  that  a  per- 
son, who  lived  until  680,  was  a  distinguished  saint  in  his  days* 
To  enable  us  to  swaUow  this  antchronifoi,  he  says  she  might 
have  reached  the  i^  of  ISO.  Harris  was  so  led  astiay  by  this 
stu£^  that  be  assigned  the  foundation  of  Kika-ea  to  the  isixth 
oenttoy.  Archdall  says  nothing  (at  KUcrea)  about  the  time  of 
this  foundation ;  but  (at  Teachidk)  be  ij^troduces  St.  Cera  build- 
ing an  abbey*  as  he  calls  it  at  TeQchtelle,  before  th0  year  576* 
Passing  by  these  absurdities,  I  Shall  only  add  that,  if  there  was 
a  St«  Ciam  or  Cera  in  Brendan's  time,  she  was  different  from 
the  one  of  Kflaea,  and  that  she  bekmged  to  Lower  Ormond. 
Colgan  observes  that,  besides  the  St  Cera  of  Kilcrea,  three  other 
holy  virgina  of  th^  same  naii|e  are  mentioned  in  the  Irish  calen- 
dars. 

(160)  4  Masters,  and  Colgan,  ^j4.  iS&  p.  150*    Ware  has  not 
Russia  among  the  bishops  of  Cork,  but  Harris  has. 

(161)  See  Colgan,  A  A.  SS.p.366. 

(162)  lb.  p.  406.    As  the  date  687  is  taken  from  the  4»  Mas-    ' 
ters,  it  may  be  concluded  that  it  was  the  same  as  688.    Yet  Ware 
and  Harris  (at  Bishops  of  Meath)  have  retained  687* 

§•  xiii.  Semn,  arohbishop  of  Armagh,  having 
held  that  see  lor  «7  years,  (163)  died  on  the  S4th 
May,  A.  688.  (164)  and  was  sueoeeded  by  FUn 
Febhla,  son  of  Scanlan,  whose  incumbency  lasted 

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l32  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY        CHAP.  XVIII. 

for  the  same  number  years.  Dirath,  bishop  of  Ferns, 
whose  death  is  assigned  to  69)»  had  for  successor  St. 
Moling,  (1 65)  who  is  said  to  have  been  otherwise 
called  Dayrchell.  (l66)  He  was  a  native  of  Hy- 
kinselagh,  in  Leinster,  (1 67)  and  his  genealogy  has 
'  been  traced  to  the  royal  bouse  of  that  province.  (168) 
According  to  some  accounts  he  was  a  disciple  of  St. 
Maidoc  of  Ferns.  If  so,  he  must  have  been  very 
^ung  at  that  time,  as  St.  Maidoc  died,  at  the  latest, 
m  62^2.  Having  embraced  the  monastic  life,  he 
founded  a  monastery  at  Aghacainid,  or,  as  called 
from  his  name,  Tegh-Moling,  now  St.  Mullen's,  near 
the  Barrow  in  the  county  of  Carlow.  The  precise 
time  of  this  foundation  is  not  known,  but  it  was  pro- 
bably about  the  middle  of  the  seventh  century.  (169) 
He  governed  this  establishment  for  many  years,  part 
of  which  he  is  stated  to  have  spent  at  Glendaloch, 
until  he  was  raised  to  the  see  of  Ferns  in  691.  (170) 
We  find  him  under  the  title  of  archbishop  of  Ferns, 
inasmuch  as  the  sort  of  precedency,  which  king 
Bran-dubh  had  procured  for  that  see,  still  continued 
annexed  to  it.  (171)  In  the  year  693  he  induced 
Finnacta,  the  monarch  of  Ireland,  to  exempt  the 
province  of  Leinster  from  the  tribute  of  oxen,  with 
which  it  had  been  burdened  from  a  very  long  period 
of  time.  (17S)  Some  prophecies,  relative  to  the 
kings  and  afl^irs  of  Ireland,  have  been  attributed  to 
St.  Moling.  (173).  He  died  on  the  17th  of  June, 
697,  (174)  and  has  been  considered  as  one  of  the 
principal  saints  of  Leinster.  (1^^)  His  successor  at 
Ferns  was,  it  appears,  the  bishop  and  abbot  Killen, 
who  lived  until  714.  (I76) 

(16S)  See  Chap.  xvn.  §.  7. 

(164)  Ware  and  Hanw  (Bishops  at  Armagh  J.  Ck>1gan  hat 
from  the  mar^nN^ogj  of  Doncgail,  A*  687,  «.  e.  688.  Hairis  hat 
ftnmgdy  misrepreiented  hit  wordt (TV.  7% p.  294f)  on  thifpomt, 
ttating  that  he  places  Segen't  death  in  686,  in  contequenor  of 
bit  having  f<rikiwed  a  JwtUy  copy  of  th€  Psalter  ^  Cashd. 

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CHAP.  XVIII.  OF  IRELANP.  133 

Now  the  &ct  is  quite  the  reverse.  Colgan  fouml  the  date  686 
(687)  in  the  4  Masters,  but  preferred  that  of  687  (688) ;  and 
the  reason  he  assigns  for  this  preference  is,  that  in  the  catalogue 
of  the  archbishops  of  Armagh,  taken  from  the  Psaltor  of  Cashel, 
27  years  are  allowed  for  the  incumbency  of  Segen,  Thence  he 
concludes  that,  as  Segen  became  archbishop  in  660  (661},^his 
death  ought  to  be  placed  in  687  (688).  So  far  tlien  from  com- 
pUunii^  of  a  fauky  copy  Harris  ought  to  have  told  his  readers, 
that  one  of  the  chief  authorities  for  the  date  688  assigned  by 
Ware,  and,  before  him,  in  substance  by  CoIgan«  is  that  very 
X^ashel  catalogue,  which  may  be  seen,  ib,  p.  292. 

(165)  Usher  (IruL  Chnm.  ad  A.  670.)  calls  St.  Moling  second 
bishop  or  archbishop  of  Ferns.  This  is  a  mistake,  which  he  would 
have  avoided,  had  he  not  published  his  primordia  before  Colgan's 
works  appeared,  in  which  the  true  succession  of  the  prelates  of 
that  see  is  to  be  found  (See  A  A.  SS.  p.  223.  and  TV.  Th.  p. 
66^')  It  is  strange  that  Ware,  notwithatanding  Ins  having  these 
woiks  before  his  eyes,  followed  Usher's  mistake.  He  seems  to 
have  misunderstood  a  passage  of  St.  Moling's  Life,  in  which  we 
read  that,  being  conducted  to  Ferns,  he  was  appointed  archbishop 
<^  the  see  of  St.  Maidoc  It  adds,  that  it  had  been  determined 
by  Bran-dnbh,  king  of  Leinster,  that  the  archiepiscopacy  of  that 
province  ^M)uld  be  annexed  to  Ferns  (See  Usher,  p.  864^.) 
Ware  perhaps  imagined,  that  Bran-dubh  was  still  alive,  when  Mo- 
ling was  raised  to  the  see,  and  might  have  been  thus  induced  to 
place  him  there  next  afl^  Maidoc,  who  died  in  632.  But  Bran- 
dubh  was  deed  since  602.  (See  Chap.  xiv.  §.  10.)  But^as  I 
have  not  the  Life  of  St.  Moling,  which  Ware  had,  I  will  not  deny 
that  there  may  be  something  else  in  it,  upon  which  he  founded 
his  opmi<m.  Yet  I  find  that  Colgan,  who  also  had  a  copy  of  it, 
redcons  several  bishops  of  Ferns  between  him  and  Maidoc,  without 
even  hinting  that  in  said  Life  he  is  any  wise  spoken  of  as  Maid- 
oc*s  next  successor.  According  to  Colgan,  Maidoc  was  suc- 
ceeded inmiediately  by  Mochua  Luachra.  (See  Chap.  xvii.  §.  7.) 
Yet  he  observes  (^AA.  SS.  p.  219.)  that  in  an  Irish  Life  of  St. 
Maidoc  this  Mochua  has  been  ^confounded  with  St.  Moling. 
Co^an  proves  that  this  is  a  palpable  error.  In  the  first  place 
they  were  finom  different  parts  of  Ireland.  Moling  was  a  native 
of  Leinster,  and  Mochua  of  Munster.    2.  Mochua  died  in  652 


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134  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL   HISTORY      CHAP.  XVIII. 

(653),  and  Moling  in  697.  Next  we  BbA  their  names  marked  at 
different  days  in  the  calendars ;  diat  t^  Moling  being  at  17  June, 
whereas  Modiua's  is  at  the  22d  of  said  month*  That  Mochua 
was  the  immediate  socoessor  of  St.  Maidoc  is  evident  from  what 
is  related  in  this  saint's  Life,  cop.  S7.  It  is  there  stated,  that  St. 
Maidoc,  being  about  to  cross  a  certain  fbrd,  said  to  his  chadobeer 
that  the  person,  who  would  open  for  them  the  entrance  to  it,  would 
sit  in  his  see  after  himself.  A  nambercf  students,  among  whom 
was  Mochu»  as  he  was  afterwards  called,  were  at  that  time  amns* 
kig  themselres  near  the  ford,  when  on  the  saint's  coming  up  Mo- 
chua ran  and  opened  the  passage  to  it.  He  then  with  great  hu* 
nnlity  said  to  St.  Maidoc ;  "  O  holy  man  of  God,  I  wish  to  go 
along  with  you  and  to  live  under  your  discifJine."  The  saint 
asking  him  whence  he  was,  and  what  was  his  name,  he  an- 
swered ;  ^  I  am  fitmi  Monster*  and  of  the  people  iv^  iiJiafolt 
Luachr%  and  my  name  is  Cronan.  The  samt  then  sdid ;  **  Heace- 
ftnth  yon  shall  be  ccdled  Mochua  Luachra,  (my  Chna  or  Cronan, 
^  names  being  the  same)  come  then  and  foDow  me.**  Accord- 
ingly Mochua  went  off  with  St.  Maidoc,  and  rerauned  with  l»m 
as  long  as  the  saint  Hved.  His  progress  in  piety  and  learning 
was  so  great,  that  St-  Maidoc  appomted  him  as  his  successor  to 
the  see  of  Ferns.  We  have  already  seen,  ^AW.  84.  to  Chap* 
VI.  and  iVbf.  6.  to  Chap,  tlu)  that  Luachra  was  a  teiritory  com- 
prized in  the  now  county  of  Limerick,  and  probably  stfetdiing 
into  Kerry.  Mochua  is  sometimes  called  Dachtia  ;  but  as  Colgan 
observes,  there  is  no  difference  between  these  names. 

(166)  Ware,  Bishops  at  Ferns,  and  Writers^  L.  I.e.  18.  «/. 
15. 

(167)  Ware,  i5, 

(168)  See  A  A.  S8.  p.  S!9.  Cdgan  observes  that  the  mother 
of  St.  Moling  was  fiom  Luachra ;  and  this  he  ass^ns  as  the  rea- 
son for  his  being  sometimes  named  Moling  Luachra^ 

(169)  Harris  was  grossly  mistaken  (Monasteries)  in  assignmg 
this  foundation  to  \he  sixth  centurf.  How  could  he  have  ima- 
gined that  St.  Mci&ig,  whom  he  admits  to  have  lived  until  697, 
had  been  an  abbot  befiire  600! 

(170)  In  consequence  of  followhig  the  erroneous  hypothesis 
of  St  Moling  having  been  the  second  Ushop  of  Ferns,  Ware  assigns 
Ids  accession  to  A.  D.  682.    If  this  were  true,  bis  incumbency 

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CHAP»  XVIII.  OF  IRELAND.  135 

wmild  hftve  been  an  extraordinary  long  one>  whereas,  according 
to  Ware  himself^  he  did  not  die  untO  697«  But  how  account  for 
that  see  having  been  held  in  the  interval  by  Modioa  Luachra, 
Tuenoc,  Sec?  To  shove  off  this  difficulty,  Ware  telb  us  that  St. 
Mdling  had  resigned  the  see  long  before  his  death.  Where  he 
found  this  iDfbrmadoh  I  cannot  discover,  nor  could  he,  t  believe, 
have  adduced  any  good  authority  for  it.  He  thoi^ht,  however, 
that  such  must  have  been  the  case,  as  otherwise  it  would  be  im- 
posubte  to  reconcile  the  accession  of  St.  Moling  in  632  and  his 
death  in  697  with  thefact  of  tiiere  having  been  four  other  bishops 
of  Ferns  in  the  mean  time. 

(171)  See  Noi^  135.  to  Chap.  xir. 

(172)  See  O'Haherty,  Ogygiay  Part  S.  cap.  66. 

(173)  Wave  and  Hanis,  JVriters. 

(174)  The  4  Masters  (ap.  Colgtti,  A  A.  SS.  p.  223)  have  A. 
696.  i.  e.  697. 

(175)  lb.  p.  610-  (176)  See  i*.  p.  223. 

§.  XIV.  In  these  times  several  zealous  and  learned 
English  ecclesiastics,  who  had  studied  in  Ireland  and 
there  practised  the  monastic  life,  undertook  missions 
to  the  continent,  which  were  set  on  foot  chiefly  by 
St.  Ecgberet,  or  Egbert.  H??)  ITiis  holy  man  in- 
tended to  reach  friesland,  by  sailing  round  Great 
Britain,  for  the  purpose  of  preaching  the  Gospel  in 
that  country  ;  but,  in  consequence  of  a  violent  storm, 
which,  before  he  embarked,  drove  the  ship  on  shore, 
and  conceiving  that  he  was  ordered  by  the  Almighty 
to  proceed  to  the  monasteries  of  Columbkill's  insti- 
tution, he  desisted  from  his  enterprise,  and  remained 
in  Ireland.  In  his  st^ad  Vickberet,  who  was  to  be 
a  companion  of  his,  and  who  also  had  spent  many 
years  m  Ireland,  undertook  it  in  690,  and  preached 
for  two  years  in  Friesland,  but  with  so  little  advantage 
that  he  returned  to  his  retreat  in  Ireland,  (ns) 
St.  Egbert,  still  not  despairing  of  success,  appointed 
to  that  mission  Willibrord  or  Vilbrord,  a  very  holy 
priest,  who  was  then  in  Ireland,  where  he  had  been 
for  twelve  years,  (179)  <uid  gave  him  eleven  com- 

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136  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY     CHAF.  XVIII. 

S anions,  (180)  the  most  celebrated  of  whom  was 
uidberet.  Having  sailed  from  Ireland  in  the  year 
692,  (181)  they  preached  with  great  success  in 
Frieslandy  being  protected  by  Pepm  Heristall,  who 
had  conquered  part  of  that  country  from  its  duke 
Rathbod.  (182)  About  the  same  time,  two  English 
priests,  both  of  whom  happened  to  be  called  Hewald^ 
and  who  had  lived  many  years  in  Ireland,  went 
thence  on  a  mission  to  the  country  of  the  old  Saxons 
in  the  North  of  Germany ;  but,  soon  after  their  ar- 
rival there,  they  were  put  to  death.  (183) 

Adamnan,  abbot  of  Hy,  who  had  come  to  Ireland 
in  69^  (I84)  on  a  visitation  of  the  monasteries 
subject  to  his  jurisdiction,  returned  to  it  in  697.  (185) 
It  must  have  been  on  this  occasion  that  the  synod, 
called  that  of  Flan  Febhia,  archbishop  of  Armagh, 
and  Adamnan,  was  held.  (186)  There  are  extant 
certain  decrees,  usually  termed  the  Canons  qfAdam- 
narif  and  which  are  chiefly  relative  to  some  meats 
improper  for  food,  together  with  a  prohibition  of 
eating  such  of  them  as  contain  blood.  It  is  said 
that  they  were  passed  in  tliis  synod;  (187)  but  it 
can  scarcely  be  supposed,  that  its  labours  were  con- 
fined to  matters  of  such  little  consequence  as  these 
Canons  are  relative  to. 

(177)  See  above  Not.  51. 

(178)  Bede,  L.  5.  c.  9.  and  Fleury,  L.  40.  §.  47. 

(179)  See  Alcuin's  Life  ot  St.  WiOibrord,  and  Cdgan,  AA. 
SS.p.^SX 

(180)  Bede,  £.  5.  c  10.  Thk  nomber  of  twelve  miMioiiaries 
was  fixed  upon  in  imitation  of  several  Irish  saints,  who,  when  pro- 
ceeding on  missions,  took  along  with  them  twdve  assistants,  foK 
lowing  the  example  of  oar  Saviour,  who  appointed  twelve  i^Kistles. 
Thus  Columbkill  was  accompanied  to  Hy  by  twelve  persons,  and 
Columbanus  took  With  him  the  same  number  to  Fhmoe.  Several 
other  instances  c^this  practice  are  mentioned  by  Colgan.  A  A. 
SS.p.  436.  In  like  manner  Egbert,  the  finmerand  direct<v  of 
the  Frisian  mission^  sent  his  twelve  co-operators  to  that  oountty. 

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CHAP.  X?in.  OF  IRELAND.  187 

(181)  S€eSimlli'tA^o«0ftoB6de,i:.  5.(;.9-ia  Uaheraii%iit 
(J^  Cilnm.)  thit  expedition  to  69S»  and  Fleuiy  (£•  4a  §.  47.) 
to  690 ;  but  Smkh's  dates  are  more  conect 

(182)  Bede»  L.  5.  c  i(K  It  does  not  belong  to  me  to  inquiie 
mto  the  situation  or  present  denominationB  of  the  countij  called 
by  Bede  FrenOf  as  these  pdnts  do  not  form  any  part  (^  Irish  his* 
tory.  On  them  the  curious  reader  may  consult  Smithy  Noteiy  ib* 
For  the  same  reason  I  shall  not  enter  on  the  further  proceedings  of 
St.  Willibrord  and  his  companions* 

(183)  Bede,  ib.  Mr.  Lingard  says,  {AngL  Sax.  Chtirch,  ck. 
18.)  that  the  two  Hewalds  were  brothers.  Had  they  be»  so^ 
Bede  would  not  have  omitted  to  mark  it.  Nor  had  Mr.  Lingaid 
a  rig^  to  make  them  disciples  of  Egbert.  We  read  indeed  hi 
Bede's  martyrokgy,  (at  8  October)  that  they  came  with  St  Wil-' 
librord  to  Germany.  But  this  cannot  mean,  that  they  belonged  tO' 
the  party  of  the  eleren  assistants  given  to  him  by  Egbert ;  for 
Bede  {Histar.  &c,  ib.)  expressly  distinguishes  them  from  that  party. 
And  A&.  lingard  himself  represents  them  as  distinct  from  it,  and 
as  not  having  left  Ireland  until  after  it  had  arrived  in  Frieshmd. 
Its  being  stated  in  the  maxtyrdogyy  that  they  came  to  Germany 
with  Willibrord,  if  however  there  be  not  some  mistake  in  the  text, 
must  be  understood  as  to  their  having  come  about,  or  soon  after, 
the  time  of  his  arrival  there.  That  th^were  not  discqples  of  Eg- 
bert, is  evklem  from  the  manner  in  which  Bede  speaks  of  them  in 
bis  history,  ib.  Having  made  mention  of  Egbert  but  a  few  Imes 
before,  and  related  how  he  sent  Willibrord  and  his  ccnqianions  to 
Friesland,  he  then  states  that  certain  two  priests,  duo  quidam 
presbyieriy  named  Hewald,  foUowmg  their  exani{^.  Sec  Wouki 
he  have  written  in  this  manner,  had  they  been  disciples  of  Egbert? 
On  the  contrary,  he  speaks  of  them  as  persons  f^iparentljrunknown 
to  him.  Mr.  Lingard,  not  content  with  this  unfounded  supposi* 
uon,  tells  us  that  they  set  out  on  their  mission  iMih  the  permi$sum 
and  benediction  of  their  teacher  (Egbert.)  Now  of  this  permiitiofi, 
&c  Bede  has  not  a  word,  as  he  certainly  woidd  have  had,  were  the 
matter  true.  This  gentleman  woukl  foin  make  his  readers  bdieve^ 
that  all  the  English  clergymen,  monks,  and  students,  then  in  Ire- 
land, were  under  the  care  oi  Egbert  and  instructed  by  him.  If 
such  were  the  case,  be  should  indeed  have  had  a  monstrous  great 
establishment.    But  the  foct  is,  that  there  is  no  reason  to  sup- 


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198         AN   ECCLESIASTICAL   HISTORY         CHAP.  XVUI* 


po0C|^  tbit  Egbert  gcnremed  way  uooatteiy  m  ttUpsnm  home  in 
IrdtQcL    Bede^  who  k  tb«  best  amhoiilj  on  this  ti]hjeet>  as  hav« 
iDg  been  his  c6nteiDporiU7t  (for  he  eurYived  lust  only  About  w 
yiiiB)  ultboHgjb  he  makst  mention  of  him  Teiy  oflen,  never  calls 
hkn  en  abbot  or  head  of  an  inetitiilian.    He  rytecnta  him  as  « 
hol^jr  priest  zealous  in  teaching  and  giving  good  advice,  (see  L.  S. 
&,  27*  andlr.  5*  c.  2SU)  but  does  not  sajr  a  word  about  his  having 
be«i  8  superior  of  any  establishmenL    He  calls  Vickberet  a  oom- 
panion  of  his,  (L.  5.  c.  90  that  is,  not  a  constant  one,  whereas 
Yickbevet  led  the  life  of  a  hennit,  (see  iL)  but  as  one  iji  those, 
wbcMihe  had  induced  to  join  him  in  his  intended  missioa  to  Fries^ 
huML    Alcubaays,  (Life  ^  St.  WUUbrord)  that  not  only  Vick* 
beret  but  likewise  Egbert  spent  his  time  in  solitude,  attttidkig  to 
oenfeemphitioi^  and  tiie  service  of  Ood ;  ^  dulcissimos  supemae 
OMtemplatiDnis  fnictus  seculo  nudus,  Doo  plenus,  solitaria  quo* 
tide  faainEiel>at  ccnvenatitme."    He  adds,  that  WiUibrord,  who 
nent  to  Ireland  in  tbedOth  year  of  las  age,  because  he  heard  that 
tfV^^fm*^  erudilioD  flmnrislied  thene,  "  quia  m  Hibemia  scholat- 
iicam  6rudiliali9mmgitme  mdkfUf  attachedhimself  to  Egbert  and 
Viokbeset,  by  wliose  oonversation  he  was  greatfy  improved  in  piety 
andviitue.    But  as  to  the  learning,  whidi  he  acquired  during 
twelve  years  stndy,  Alcum  attribntes  it  to  the  instruction  not  of 
Aese  his  two  firiends,  as  Grassy  states  ( Church  hist.  &c,  B,  20. 
cft«6»)  mistxinshiting  hk  WOTds,  but  of  others^  whom  he  calls 
metUenl  nuuten  bath  ^fhofy  reUgioM  and  sacrtd  reading,  and  that 
llMSe  were  Irish  tendon  he  expressly  states  in  the  second  book  of 
saidLifey  «r.e.  just  after  the  Iwginnmgt 

^  ^uees  tSM  jam  genuit  foecunda  Britannia  mater 
DooUfue  nutrivit  studiis  sed  Hibemia  sacris. 
Nomine  WjUbrordus," 

And  again  in  ch.  Sd. 

**  \h  dadum  ceoini,  fbecundn  Britannia  mater, 
Flilria  Sootterumdara  magistra  fuit." 

Egbert's  sending  WiUibiord  and  others  on  the  Frieshmd  mission 
proves  nothing  motn  thai^  that  his  influience  was  great,  particularly 
Qvcrhis  countiyeaen:  and  as  to  WilHbrord  he  had  an  eq>ecial 


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CHAP«  XVIir.  OF   IRELAND.  13^ 

cUdm  on  him,  as  he  was  one  of  his  chief  directors  in  tlie  practice 
of  piety.  Bede  says,  (L.  S.  c  27.)  that  Egbert  was  Tery  senrioe* 
able  both  to  the  English  and  Iridi,  Ac  among  whom  he  Hved, 
(for  he  never  returned  to  Britain)  by  the  example  of  his  life,  his 
assiduity  in  giving  instruction  finstantia  dt>cendij,  his  freedom  in 
reproving,  and  his  charity  m  giving  ahns  out  of  what  he  used  to  re- 
ceive from  the  rich.  The  instantia  docendi  h  rehitive  merely  to 
his  zeal  in  preaching,  catediising,  8tc.  and  cannot  be  understood 
of  his  having  been  abbot  or  superior  of  any  particular  estabft^- 
ment ;  for  Bede  rq^tesents  him  as  then  mbdng  vifMi  the  yasAooB 
nations,  among  whom  he  reckons  even  die  Picts,  not  those  of 
Britain,  but  sudi  of  them  as  ^foert  met  with  dsewhere,  ibr  in- 
stance in  the  Western  Isles,  in  which  he  spent  a  great  part  of  his 
later  days.  For  ft  is  to  be  observed  that,  after  he  gave  up  his  ih' 
tention  of  proceeding  to  the  continent,  he  withdrew  from  his  re- 
treat, and  moved  from  place  to  place,  instructing  the  people  and 
visiting  chiefly  the  Columbian  monasteries.  (See  Bede,  L.  5.  c. 9.) 
On  the  whole  there  is  not  the  least  ftmndation  for  supposing,  dmt 
Egbert  governed  a  great  school  resorted  to  by  English  students. 
The  monks,  students,  &c  from  England  were,  exclusively  of  ^ 
establishment  formed  for  them  at  Ma3ro,  (above  $.  2.)  disperse 
throughout  various  monasteries  and  schools  in  difiSnrent  parts  of 
Ireland.  (See  $.1.)  Their  numbers  were  so  great,  that  they  ex- 
cited the  jealousy  of  Aldhelm,  and  mduced  him  to  write  his 
angry,  macaronic  and  ridiculous  letter  (No,  IS.  in  Ep.  HiB.  SyH.) 
to  Eahfrid,  or  Eadfrid,  who  had  been  one  of  them,  and  who  after- 
wards became  bishop  of  Lindisfame.  Among  other  complamts  he  ^ 
says,  that  whole  fleet-loads  of  English  students  tisdd  to  8a&  to 
Ireland.  "  Hibemia,  quo  caiervatim  isthinc  lactoret  dasribui 
advecti  conflutmtr 

(184)  Usher,  Ind.  Chroh.        (1S5)  Usher,  ib. 

(186)  Colgan8ays(i^if.  S5.  p.  473)  that  he  had  the  Acts  of 
this  synod,  and  that  it  was  attended  by  forty  arUutites,  that  is, 
bishops  or  abbots,  as  he  explains  himself  in  Tr.  Th*  p  218.  In 
die  former  place  he  assigns  it  to  A.  D.  695  (696);  but  in  the 
latter  he  states  that  it  was  held  about  said  year.  I  widi  he  had 
published  these  Acts. 

(187)  Colgan  (A A.  SS.  p.  S82.)  mentions  the  Canons  of 
Adamnan  as  part  of  the  Acts  of  said  ^^nod.    They  are  eight  in 


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140         AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY         CHAP.  XVIIL 

number,  and  may  be  seen  in  Martene's  Theasaur.  Nov.  AneaL 
(Tom.  4.  ool.  IS).  They  are  o£  very  trifling  import,  except  inas- 
mudi  as  they  show,  that  the  practice  of  abstaining  from  blood, 
according  to  the  Apostolic  precept,  {Ads  xv.  29.)  continued  to 
be  observed  in  Ireland  as  late  as  the  times  of  Adamnan.  The  se- 
cond canon  nms  thus ;  Pecora  de  rupe  cadentia,  si  sanguis  eorum 
effuius  sHf  redpienda.  Sin  vero,  sed  fracta  sunt  ossa  eorum,  fit 
sanguis  Joras  tumjluxit,  refiitanda  sunt.  Others  of  them  con- 
tain rules  with  r^ard  to  using  or  not  using  the  flesh  of  animab, 
that  had  eaten  moHidnum^  t.  ^.  the  carrion  of  animals  tliat  died  of 
themselves.  In  the  eighth  the  owner  of  a  hone  or  beast  grazing 
in  land  annexed  to  a  town,  which  may  have  wounded  or  hurt  a 
penon  belonging  to  said  town,  is  ordered  to  pay  a  fine  to  the  in- 
jured person. 

§•  XV.  Among  the  fathers,  who  couiposed  said 
synod,  I  find  the  name  of  St.  Aidus  or  Aedh»  bishop 
of  Sletty,  who  died  in  699>  (188)  and  whose  name 
is  ill  the  Irish  calendars  at  the  7th  of  February.  (1 89) 
This  was  the  Aidus,  to  whom  a  writer,  called  iV/ac* 
cuthenuSf  addressed  his  Life  of  St.  Patrick,  of  which 
only  some  fragments  remain.  ( 1 90)  Ci^lga,  abbot 
of  Lusk  was  dso  one  of  them.  (191)  Concerning 
him  nothing  further  is  recorded,  except  that  he  was 
the  son  of  one  Mpenach.  (192)  Another  of  the 
members  of  that  synod  was  St.  Killen  abbot  of 
Saigir,  who  is  called  son  of  Lubne,  and  whose 
memory  was  revered  on  the  12th  of  April.  (19S)  It 
was  attended  also  by  St.  Mosacra,  the  founder  and 
abbot  of  the  monastery  of  Tegh-Sacra,  (^ihe  house  0/* 
SacrOt  this  being  his  original  name)  which  is  stated 
to  have  been  not  far  distant  from  Tallagh  or  Tallaght 
in  the  county  of  Dublin.  It  was  afterwards  caUed 
Tassagardf  now  contracted  into  Saggard.  St. 
Sacra  or  Mo-sacra  is  said  to  have  been  of  an  illus- 
trious family,  and  the  son  of  one  Senan.  He  go- 
verned for  some  time  also  the  monastery  of  Finn- 
maffh  in  Potharta,  apparently  somewhere  near  Wex- 
ford. (194)     It  is  said,   that  he  had  been  likewise 

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CHAP.  XVin.  OP  IRELAND.  141 

abbot  of  Clonenagh;  (195)  but  I  suspect,  that  he 
has  been  confoundetl  with  another  person  of  the 
same  name.  (196)  The  year  of  his  death  is  not 
known  ;  but  he  must  have  lived  until  after  the  hoId« 
ing  of  the  synod  in  679«  The  day  marked  for  it  is 
the  third  of  March.  A  Mochonna,  who  subscribed 
the  acts  of  said  synod  under  the  title  of  Antistes 
Dorensis^  is  supposed  to  have  been  abbot  of  Derry. 
(197)  He  must  not  be  confounded  with  St.  Mg.  ' 
chonna,  called  of  Dore-BruchaisCj  who  died  in  688 
(689).  Mochonna  of  Derry  was  a  very  holy  man, 
and  lived  until  704  (705).  His  name  is  marked  in 
the  calendars  at  8  March  as  the  anniversary  of  his 
death.  (198) 

(188)  Tr.  2%. p.  218.     The 4  Masten  hame  A. 608,  i.e.699. 

(189)  AA.S8.p.9^\. 

(190)  Usher,  p.  818.  Cooceniing  this  Maoeutheniui  ColgaB 
has  (TV.  Th.p.  218.)  three  oonjectures.  1.  That  he  mi^hafe 
been  the  same  as  Mocumthemne,  one  of  the  twelve  persona  who 
aooottqpanied  Colnmbkill  to  Hy  in  the  year  568.  But  thk  can- 
Mty  as  he  admowledges,  be  reconciled  with  the  dreimMtance  of 
Maccuthenus  having  been  oontemporaiy  with  Aidus  of  Sietty. 
2.  Thathe  was Cucumneusy  somamed  the  Wiu^  who,  aoDording 
to  the  Annakof  Ulster,  died  in  746,  or,  as  the  4  Masters  stat^ 
in  724 ;  and  who  wrote  a  hynm  in  honour  of  the  blessed  Yhjgin. 
By  prefixing  the  partide  Mo  to  his  name  he  would  have  been  called 
MocttcumneuB.  Althou^  this  name  is  very  unlike  MaccuthemUf 
and  there  is  some  difficulty  as  to  the  times,  yet  Colgan  pi^efers  this 
conjectme'to  the  others,  and  it  is  the  only  one  of  them,  that 
I^mcis  relates  {WrUers  at  Maccuthenus^)  Now  the  third  conjec- 
ture ia  ftr  better  than  it,  and  I  think,  the  true  one.  It  is,  that 
Maccuthenus  is  only  another  name  for  Adamnan,  who,  it  is  well 
known,  wrote  a  Life  of  St.  Patrick.  (See  Chap.  in.  §.  5)  He 
was  the  grandson  of  one  Tenne  and  aoooidingly  was  sometimes 
called  Hua^  Tenne  or  Mac-ua-  Tenne,  a  descendant  of  T«uie«  In 
the  passages  of  the  Tripartite  histoiy  of  St.  Fiatrick,  fdiere  the 
older  writers  of  the  saint's  Acts  are  mentioned,  he  is  sumamed 
HuO'Tenne.    The  name  Maccuihenus  ib  plainly  Mac^ua^Tenne 

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14f  AN  ECCLESCAtriCAI.    MIATORT      CBAT.  XVUft. 

iarini»pd.  A*  tbgra  h  no  accoimt  «r  tcadkien  in  Iriib  histoty  ^ 
any  MaynUh<pi||  Jiyioy^iyher  of  Sl.  Palirick»  difibeot  from  Adsw 
ms^  it  apptiit  to  qm  ^lite  deir  thit  the  iml j  diffbeaoe  on  thk 
poiat  CQBflbtoki  the  $im«i«e  having  btea^iOBiet^^ 
of  tlie  pDpernanMv.  a»  was  frequently  the  oasa  among  the  ancieot 
bnk  1  need  not  remind  the  reader,  that  Adamnan  and  Aidut 
weia  cxwfteniiMnBiBB  and  aoquaiatad  with  each  other. 

(191)  Golgaa,  IntL  Oron.  A.  605.  ad  AA.  S& 

(192)  See  AA.  SB.  p.  883.  (193)  A,  p.  4fm. 
(194)  CoQOemiagFotli^rta  see  NM.  138  to  Ckap.  I. 

(196)  ArdhdaU  (at  Chnanagk)  qaotes  Cotgan  as  if  ass^ning 
the  deal(h  of  the  abbot  Moeaora  of  diat  place  to  ^.650«  Co%an 
9f^  no  sudi  thing,  nor  indeed  oouid  be^  as  he  knew  that  Mosa- 
cra  was  present  at  the  grand  synod  more  than  40  jreara  lAer 
that  date. 

{I96i  Amang  the  docnnents  fefinred  to  by  Colgan  fAA.  SS., 
ait  3  Mart,  p*  454.)  where  he  treats  of  St.  Mbsada,  are  the  Ca- 
lendlur  of  Cadiel  tmd  the  Martynlogy  of  Donegal^  in  both  of 
wihifAk  he  is  oallad  abbot  of  GIoMna^  and  Is  stated  to  have 
lived  in  the  time  of  Neill  Glandubh  king  of  Xreland.  Now  dus 
king  did  not  b^;in  to  retgn  ontii  the  10th  cratuiy.  It  is  tlnre- 
Ibre  probable^  that  the  Mosaara  of  Cknenagh  was  diiorent  fram 
the  one  of  Tegji-sacsa. 

(197)  Colgsn,  haWng  obsetwd  (  AA.  &S.  p,  5M.)  that  there 
wott  many  placae  in  Ireland,  whose  navies  bc^an  wkh  Dwe  or 
Dotr^y  from  the  aak  foreats  in  wUdi  they  were  6ituBtad>  thinks 
that  Doire^  where  this  MoAmma  was  abbot,  was  Deny,  laas* 
much  as  it  was  the  most  celebrated  of  them  all,  and  aocanlim^y 
it  waa  not  naoessaiy  to  join  to  the  signature  D^mm  ikk  add». 
iBfiXtH  natte  Ch^lguigh*  Had  Mochoona  belaogcd  to  ai^^  other 
Doire,  its  distiogmshing  name  would  hare  been  added.  Accord- 
ionjly  he  reckons  ban  (Tr.  Th.  p.  £03.)  among  the  Mmm  of 
Deny* 

(198)  AA.  SS.  p.  see.  Ydt  Calgan  dsewbere  (Tr.  3%.  p, 
f08.  and  506*)  says  that  his  raeMiy  was  rrrerod  m  the  3d  of 
May. 


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ClUP.  XJDU  OF  IBBLAN]>.  143 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

Langsech^-^CongdU  Ketmrnagnr-^Fergal,  son  qf 
Maiduifh^Fogartach  Hua  Cemach^-^Kineih  and 
Flahertaeh  successifoefy  manmvhs  qf  Ireland^^ 
SS.  Herlog  or  Hierologus^  and  Cohnan  bishops 
qf  Lismore — Theod^ric  or  Turlough  king  qf 
Thomondf  retires  from  the  "world  and  receives  the 
monastic  habit  from  St.  Colnkm-^FoundaUen  qf 
the  see  qf  Kilialoe — St.  Fkaman  itsjtrst  bishvjh^ 
Monastery  of  Kilialoe  founded  bg  St.  Moiua 
Lobkar — St.  Aidan  brother  of  St.  FUmnsm-^ 
Adamnan,  abbot  qf  Hg^  again  sent  on  an  embassgf 
to  Alfrid  king  qf  Northianberland^'^^opts  the 

'    Roman  mode  ^  observing  the  Paschal  festrmU^ 
persuades  several  qf  the  Northern  Irish  to  da 
so — Death  qf  Adarnnan-^succeeded  as  abbot  of 
Hy  by  Oman  Mac  Failbhe-'^t  Maoldobhorehm 
bishop  (f  Kildare-^Lochan  Meann^  sumamed 
the  wise-'^'Great  conflagration  at  Kildare-^-Cona'- 
mail  Mac  Cartiaig  bishop  qf  Emfy  dies^  and  is 
succeededby  Cellach^^Death  qfSt.  Caide  or  Coidin 
bishop  at   Hy  ^Succession  qf  several  abbots  qf 
Hy — The  priest  Egbert  sent  from  Ireland  toHy^ 
prevailed  on  the  monks  qf  that  establishmeni  to 
receive  the  Roman    Pasthal   Cych-^Deetk   qf 
Dtmchad  abbot  qf  Hy-^Fokhua  mac  Dorbene 
abbot  of  Hy — People  qf  Hy  expelled  by  Nectan 
or  Naitan  king  qf  the  Picts^^St.  Cale*Christus-^ 
St.  Cronan  bishop  qf  Lismore^Cohnan  6  LicUhan 
— Sfc  Adamnan  bishop  qf  Rathmmghe-^Monas- 
tery  qf  Mayo  possessed  by    ike   English— St. 
Segretia  Virgin-^^t.  Samthamuz  and  other  holy 
virgin^-^Death  qfStdbhfte  archbishop  qf  Armagh 
— ^5/.   Foeldooar  bishop  qf  Clogher^^Reign  qf 
Aodh  OUain  and  other  Irish  monareks — Deaths 
qfSS.  Mamhin  ^  Tuaim-greine,  Cormac  bishop 
qf  Trim,  S^.'-^Feargal  or   Virgilius  bishop  qf 


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144  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY        CBAP.  7L1X. 

^aUxburg^'-^St.  Alto  a  companion  qf  VirgiliuS'^ 
Deaths  qf  Moelimarchan  and  other  holy  bishops 
and  abbots.  Jrom  A.  D.  7*7  to  A.  jSL-^St. 
HemeUn^  St.  Mono,  St  Rumold  and  other  Irish 
Saints  who  flourished  in  the  Continent— Deaths  ff 
Fenjugill  Inshop  of  Clondalkin  and  others. 

SECT.    I. 

FiNNACTA,  monaroli  of  Ireland,   who  fell  in 
battle  A.  D.^5,  (l)  was  succeeded  by  Longsech, 
a  grandson  of  Domnald  the  second  (2)  by  his  son 
Aengus.     Having  reigned  nine  years  (3)  he  was 
kilted,  t(^ther  with  three  sons  of   his,   fighting 
against  KeHach,  son  of  Ragall,  king  of  Connaught. 
G>ngall   Kennmagar,  who  was  also  a  grandson  of 
Domnald  IL  bv  his  son  Fergus,  and  consequently 
a  first  cousin  of  Longsech,  was  then  raised  to  the 
throne  in  704,  and  hdd  it  for  seven  years,  when  he 
died  suddenly  in  71  !•  (4)     ComgalPs  successor  was 
Fergal,  son  of   Malduin,   and    great    grandson  of 
Aidus  Huaridni  or  Huanriodnach.   (5)    He  reigned 
eleven  years,  and  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Cath- 
Almain  by  Murchad,  son  of  Bran,  king  of  Letnster, 
on  the  1 1th  of  December,  A.  D.  722.  (6)     Next 
after  Fergal  was  Fogartach   Hua-Cernach,  son  of 
Miell,  and  great  grandSon  of  Diermit  IL  (7)     Fo- 
gartach reigned  only  one  year  and  some  months, 
having  lost  his  life  in  7^4,  fighting  a^^nst  Kineth, 
who  succeeded  him  as  monarch  of  Ireland.     Kineth 
was  a  son  of 'Irgalach,  and  grandson  of  Conang,  a 
nephew  of  Diermit  II.     After  a'  reign  of  three 
years  he  was  killed  in  the  battle  of  Drum-chorcain, 
A.  727,  (8)  by  Flahertach,  son  of  king  Longsech, 
who,  having  ruled  retired  seven  years,  (9)  for  in  784 
to  a  monastery  in  Armagh. 

St.  Hierl<^,  whose  name  has  been  hellenized  into 
HierologuSf  was  bishop  and  abbqt  of  Lismore  in 
the^latter  end  of  the  seventh  century.     I  find  no- 

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CHAP*  XIX,  OF   IRELAND.  145 

thing  further  concerning  him,  except  that  he  died 
on  the  l6th  of  January  in  699*  (10)  He  was  suc- 
ceeded, both  as  abbot  and  bishop,  by  St.  Colman, 
a  native  of  Ibh-Liathain,  (11)  and  son  of  Finbar  who 
belonged  to  the  illustrious  house  of  Hua  Beogna, 
dynasts  of  that  country.  Colman  has  been  called 
also  MocholmoCf  that  is,  mt/  Colman.  (12)  He  had 
embraced  the  monastic  life  at  Lismore,  where  he 
distinguished  himself  by  his  piety  and  learning. 
His  incumbency  lasted  only  about  four  years,  as  he 
departed  this  life  on  the  22d  of  January,  A.  D. 
-703.  (18)  St.  Colman  is  said  to  have  been  already 
bishop  of  Lismore,  when  he  was  visited  by  the 
Dalcassian  prince  Theodoric,  or  Turlough,  king  of 
Thomond.  He  was  the  son  of  Cathal,  and  grand- 
son of  Aodh  or  Aidus  Coemh,  ( 1 4)  who  had  beeu 
king  of  all  Munster  and  brother  to  St.  Molua- 
lobhar.  (15)  Theodoric  had  ruled  his  kingdom 
for  some  time,  and  was  the  father  of  several  chil- 
dren, among  whom  was  St.  Flannau  of  Killaloe, 
when  he  determined  on  retiring  into  a  monastery. 
Accordingly  he  re])aired  secretly  to  Lismore,  and 
received  tne  monastic  habit  from  St.  Colman.  As 
this  saint  was  then  a  bishop,  ( 1 6)  Theodoric  must 
have  been  far  advanced  in  years  as  that  time ;  for 
his  father  Cathal  is  said  to  have  died  in  625.  (17) 
Notwithstanding  his  age,  which,  according  to  this 
date  could  not  1^  less  than  76  years,  it  is  related,  that 
he  employed  himself  at  Lismore  in  breaking  rocks 
and  making  a  convenient  road  up  to  the  monastery. 
It  is  added,  that,  with  the  permission  of  Colman, 
he  afterwards  returned  to  hia  kingdom  for  the  pur- 
pose of  repairing  the  ravages  it  had  undergone.  (18) 
It  is  probable,  that  this  pious  prince  died  not  long 
after  Jiis  return  to  Thomond,  and  he  is  said  to  have 
been  buried  in  the  church  of  Killaloe.  (19) 

(1)  See  Chap,  xviii.  §.  3.  (2)  See  Chap.  xiv.  §.  U 

VOL.  III.  L 


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146  AN    ECCLESIASTICAL   HISTORY        CHAP.  XIX; 

(8)  0*Flaherty,  Ogyg.  Part.  3.  c.  93.  Ware,  fAniiquities  cap. 
4.)8ay^B  years. 

(4)  Thw  is  the  year  marked  by  O'Flaherty,  ib.  Ware  has  A. 
710.  But  they  agree  as  to  the  seven  years  of  CongalFs  reign, 
Ware  having  placed  its  commencement  in  703. 

(5)  See  Chap.  xiv.  §.  1. 

(6)  Ware,  ib.  This  date  comes  to  the  same  point  with  tlie 
confutation  of  0*Flaherty,  who  allows  eleven  years  from  the 
reign  of  Congall,  reckoning  from  711,  while,  according  to  that  of 
Ware,,  it  lasted  twelve- 

(7)  See  Chap.  XIV.  ^.  I, 

(8)  O'Flaherty,  ib.  Ware  has,  in  728,  thus  allowing  four  years 
for  the  reign  of  Kineth. ' 

(9)  Ware  says,  six  yeari^  His  computation  and  OTlahert/s 
agree  as  to  the  termination  of  Flahertach*s  reign  in  734,  whereas 
^e  assigns  the  beginning  of  it  to  728,  whicl]  6'Flaherty  places  in 
727. 

,  (10)  4  Masters,  and  Colgan,  A  A.  SS.  p.  155.   Their  date  698, 
f .  e.  699.    . 

(1 1)  Ibh-Liathain,  or  the  territory  of  the  O^Lehans  was,  as  al- 
ready observed  more  tlian  once,  m'Uie  now  county  of  Cork. 
Colgan,  tre^tin^  of  this  St.  Colman  at  22  January,  marks  its  si- 
tuation In  a  veiy  dear  manner  by  stating,  that  it  lay  between 
Cork  and  Youghall. 

(12)  Colgan  reniarks  that  Colman  and  Cclmoc  are  the  same 
name,  being  both  ^minutives  ctf  Cclum  (or  Colm)  contracted  for 
ColurAha.  In  lijce  manner  anodier  St.  Colman,  who  was  contem- 
porary with  the  one  of  Lismore,  and  whom  Colgan  calls  Colmaki 
of  t^ann,  got  also  the  name  of  Mocholmoc.    As  the  history  of 

'  Coknan  of  Lann  is  exceedingly  obscure,  I  shall  avail  myself  of 
this  opportunity  merely  to  mention  what  Colgan  has  endeavoured 
to  pids  up  concerning  him  at  30  March.  1.  He  was  a  native  of 
a  part  of  Ulster,  called  Hi-Gtiala  or  Gaill-Jlne,  perhaps  the  Gal- 
len  hill?  in.  tlie  county  of  Tyrone.  2.  He  governed  three  monas- 
teries or  churches,  viz*  Cambos,  now  Camus,  a  monastery  in  the 
diocese  of  Derry,  which  had  been  founded  by  St.  Comgall  of 
Bangor  (see  Not.  201.  to  Chap,  x.);  a  church,  either  in  the 
diocese  of  Down  or  in  that  of  Dromore,  at  a  place  called  Lann^ 
Mocholmoc  ;  and  another,  apparently  in  the  diocese  of  Dromore, 

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CHAP.  XIX.  OF   IRELAND.  147 

at  a  place  called  Linn-Htiachaille.    3.  He  died  on  the  SOth  of 

^arch,  A.  D.  699,  u  e,  700.    Colgan  adds,  that  he  was  maternal 

brother  of  another  St.  Colman,  son  of  Luachain,  and  known  by 

the  name  of  Colman  qf  Lann-macLuachain  in  Meath,  whoie 

name  is  in  the  calendars  at  17  June. 

.    (13)  The  4^  Masters  a^d  Colgan  have  A.  702,  the  same  as  our     ' 

703- 

(14)  Ogygia,  Part.  3.  c.  83.  p.  389. 

(15)  See  Not.  98.  to  Chap  xii. 

(16)  It  is  expressly  stated  in  the  Life  of  St*  Flannan,  quoted 
by  Colgan,  {A  A.  &S.  p.  154.)  that  Colman  was  bishop  o£  Lis- 
more  when  called  upon  by  Theodonc. 

(17)  The  4  Masters,  referred  to  by  Colgan  (ti.  p.  149)  assign 
the  death  of  king  Cathal  to  A.  624  (625.) 

(18)  See  Colgan  (tb,p.  }54.}  from  the  Life  of  St.  Flannan. 

(19)  Ware,  Antiq.  cap.  29  ai  KiUaloe ;  and  Harris,  Bishops, 
at 'said  place. 

§.  IT.  To  these  times,  that  is,  to  the  latter  part 
of  the  seventh,  or  the  hegi«ning  of  the  eighth  cen- 
tury, ought,  I  think,  to  be. assigned  the  foundation 
of  thel^e^  of  Killaloe.  Its  iir^  bishop  was  St*  Plan- 
nan,  who,  according  to  every,  account,  was  a  son  of 
the  above  mentioned  king  "Theodoric.  (20)  He 
COUI4  not  have  been  a  disciple  of  St.  Molua,  (21) 
\yIio  was.  undoubtedly  dead  before  Flannan  was  born. 
But  it  isVery  probable  that  he  studied  in  the  monas- 
tery of  Killaloe,  which"  seems  to  have  been  found- 
ed! by  the  St.  Molua  surnamed  Lobhar^  or  the  le- 
per, who  was  his  great  grand  uncle.  Hence  he 
might  have  been  ciuled  a  scholar  of  St.  Molua^  in 
consequence  of  haying  been  a  student  of  the  house, 
whfch  was  known  by  the  name  of  that  saint.  At 
what  precise  time  he  became  bishop  of  Killaloe  is 
not  known  ;  but  it  must  have  been  many  years  later 
fhan  the  period  which  scnne  writers  have  assigned 
for  it«  (22)  It  IS  said  that  Thcodoric,  the  father  of 
St.  flannan,  endowed  this  see  with  ample  revenues ; 

1-2 

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148  AN    ECCLESIASTI/CAL  HISTORY  CHAP.  XIX. 

(23)  but  whether  it  was  founded  before  that  prince 
retired  to  Lisraore,  or  after  his  return  to  his  king- 
dom, I  am  not  able  to  determine.  Nor  can  I  find 
how  long  it  was  held  by  St.  Plannan,  nor  in  what 
year  this  saint  died.  (1^4)  His  festival  is  kept  on  the 
18th  of  December.  A  St.  Aidan,  whose  history 
is  still  less  known,  is  said  to  have  been  a  brother  of 
his. 

{90)  Colgan  had  a  Life  of  St.  Flannan,  which  he  intended  to 
public  at  18  December,  as  had  also  Ware,  who  quotes  the  be- 
ginning of  it  in  his  first  book  of  Writer 8^  cap,  13.  d,  15.  They 
were  different  works,  as  i^pears  from  the  disagreement  between  the 
words  adduced  by  Ware  and  those,  wkh  which  the  Life  extant  at 
Louvain  ih  Harris's  time  b^an,  and  which  was  undoubtedly  the 
one  referred  to  by  Colgan.  These  words  are|  <<  Flannus  itaque 
ejusdem  Theodorici  regis  JUius"  (See  Harris's  addition  to  Ware, 
he.  cit)  They  are  quite  different  fit>m  those  given  by  Ware.  Yet  he^ 
calls  Flannan  son  of  king  Theodoric,  following,  we  may  be  sure, 
the  authori^  of  die  Life,  which  he  had. 

(21)  Ware  says  {Antiq.  cap.  29.  and  Bishops  at  Killaloe)  that 
Flannan  was  a  disciple  of  the  abbot  St.  Molua,  who  lived  about 
the  end  of  the  sixth  century,  for  some  time  at  Killaloe,  whidi 
frobi  him  got  its  name.  He  speaks  of  St.  Molua  in  general,  so 
that  a  person  may  thmk  that  he  meiuit  the  celebrated  Molua  of 
Clonfert-molua.  But  as  far  as  I  am  able  to  judge,  the  Molua  of 
Killaloe  was,  although  contemporaiy  with  him,  a  different  person, 
and  the  same  as  Molua  Lobhar.  (See  Chap.  xii.  §.  7.)  Flannan 
could  not  have  been  a  disciple  of  either  of  them ;  not  of  Molua 
Lobhar,  who,  as  above  seen,  was  a  grand  tmde  of  his  fiither 
Theodoric  and,  in  aD  probability,  did  not  survive  the  sixth  oen- 
tuiy;  nor  of  the  other  Molua,  who  died  soon  after  the  com- 
mencement of  the  seventh.  (See  i3.)  Nor  wasf  he  bom  before 
thiy  century  was  pretty  far  advanced ;  fbr,  as  his  &ther  was,  whai 
at  Lismore,  during  the  episcopacy  of  St.  Colman,'and  consequently 
about  A*  D.  700,  still  able  to  woric  at  making  roads,  &c  he  can* 
not  be  supposed  to  have  been  at  that  time^ore  than  eighty  years 
of  age.  Accordingly  Flannan's  birth  must,  at  the  earliest,  be  as-  . 
signed  to  between  640  and  650. 


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CHAP.  XIX.  OF   IRELAND.  149 

(22)  Aopording  to  Ware  {Bishops  at  KiUaioe)  FlannaD  was 
consecrated  at  Rome  by  Pope  John  IV.  in  6S9.     Harm  atid 
others  have  fbllovred  him  without  any  examination.      Whether 
Flannan  was  ever  at  Rome  I  shall  not  stop  to  inquire,  althoi^h 
I  must  observe,  that  Colgan  in  a  long  list  (A A.  SS,p.  900.)  of 
Irish  saints,  who  travelled  to   Rome,  hat  not  Flannan  among 
them,  as  he  certainly  would,  had  he  found  such  a  drcumstanoe 
related  in  the  Life,  which  he  had  in  his  hands.    Ware  must  have 
taken  it  from  the  other  Life ;  (see  Not.  20.)  but  it  is  to  be  recol- 
lected, that  some  of  our  hagiologists  have  sent  to  Rome  several 
Irish  saints,  who  never  were  in  that  city.     As  to  John  IV.  and 
A.  639,  I  cannot  but  suspect,  that  in  Ware's  document  no  par- 
ticular year  was  mentioned,  and  that  the  Pope  was  named  John 
in  general  without  the  addition  of  any  number.  Ware  might  have^ 
thought  that  he  was  the  fourth  of  that  name,  in  consequence  o 
his  supposition  that  St.  Flaiman  was  a  disciple  of  St.  Molua,  and 
consequently  flourished  in  the  eariy  part  of  the  seventh  century. 
As  John  the  fdurth  was  the  earliest  Pope  John  of  said  century,  he 
was  the  fittest  for  Ware  to  fix  upon.    He  then  laid  down  the  yeeur 
6S9,  thinking  tliat  John  was  then  Pope.    In  this,  by  the  bye, 
he  was  mistaken;  whereas  John  was  not  consecrated  until  veiy 
hrte  in  640.  (See  Not.  88.  to  Chap,  xv.)    Had  Ware  not  be^ 
wrong  as  to  the  period  in  which  Flannan  flourished^  he  would  have 
kM^ed  to  Pope  John  V.  in  686.  or  to  John  VL  in  701.     Whether 
Flannan  was  consecrated,  or  not,  by  a  Pope  called  John,  it  is 
certain  that  he  ooukl  not  have  been  a  bishop  either  in  or  about 
639,  a  time,  at  which  it  is  more  than  probable  he  was  not  as  yet  in 
the  world.  (See  Not.  prtc.) 

(23)  Ware,  AtUiq.  cap.  29.  and  Harris,  Bishops  at  KiUaloe. 

(24)  On  these  points  Ware  and  Harris  are  silent.  Colgan  has 
scarcely  a  word  about  St  Flannan,  except  at  AA.  SS.  p.  154. 
where  he  calls  him  bishop  of  Killaloe. 

§.  III.  Adamnan,  having  returned  to  Hy  after 
the  synod  held  in  697»  was  again  sent  by  his  Irish 
countrymen  as  legate  or  amb^sador  to  his  old  friend 
Alfrid,  king  of  Northumberland,  some  time,  it 
seems,  in  the  year  701,  or  70«.  (25)  On  this  oc- 
casion he  was  urged  by  some  persons  to  receive  the 

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150  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY         CHAP.  XIX. 

Roman  Paschal  eomputationy  &c.  (26)     Examining 
the  subjects  in  question,  and  observing  the  Roman 
practices,  he  became  persuaded  that  the  Roman  cycle 
was  preferable  to  the  old  Irish  one,  and  had  no  ob- 
jection to  whatever  other  observances  were  followed 
ill  England.  («7)     While  on  this  embassy,  Adam- 
nan  presented  to  Alfrid  his  work  on  the  places  of  the 
Holy  hndy  &c.  (^8)     On  his  return  to  Hy  he  en- 
deavoured  to  introduce  there,  and  in  othir  places 
subject  to  its  jurisdiction,  the  Roman  computation, 
but  was  not  able  to  bring  the  monks  over  to  it.     fife 
sailed  to  Ireland  apparently  in  the  latter  part  of  7(X3, 
and  exerted  himself  to  induce  the  Northern  Irish  to 
adopt  tliat  computation,  and  was  so  far  successful  as 
to  persuade  almost  all  of  them  to  do  so,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  those,  wh6  were  immediately  under  the 
eontroul  of  the  monastery  of  Hy.  (^)     Adamnan 
remained  in  Ireland  until  after  the  Easter  of  704, 
which  he  cerebrated  at  the  time  prescribed  by  the 
Roman  cycle.     Then  returning  to  Hy  he  lived  only 
for  a  short  time  after,  as  he  died  on  the  2dd  of  SeiK 
tember  in  the  course  of  said  year,  (30)  and  in  the 
77th  of  his  age.  (31 )     Adamnan  has  been  justly  con- 
sidered as  one  of  the  fathers  of  the  Irish  church,  (32) 
and  his  memory  was  held  in  great  veneration,  par- 
ticularly at  Rapboe.  (33)     Besides  th^   Life  of  St. 
Columba,  the  Treatise  on  the  Holy  knd,  and  the 
Life  of  St.  Patrick  under  the  name  of  Macciithenus, 
this  great  and  good  man  is  said  to  have  diawn  up  a 
Monastic  rule.  (34)     Some  other  tracts  have  been 
attributed  to  him,  concerning  which  I  km  not  able 
to  form  any  opinion.  {S5)     Adamnan  was  succeeded, 
as   abbot  of  Hy,  by  Conain  Mac-Faiibe,  who  go- 
verned the  order  for  six  years.  (36) 

{i&)  Bede,  who  mentions  this  embassy,  (L.  5.  c,  15.)  does  not 
mark  the  year ;  but  Smith,  foltowing  Matthew  of  Westminster, 
asoigncB  it  to  701.  Perhaps  it  was  rather  in  702,  about  two  years 
before  Adamnan'B  death. 

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CHAP.  XIX.  OF   IRELAND.  151 

(26)  The  abbot  Ceolfiid  in  his  letter  to  the  Pictish  king  Nai- 
ton  (ap,  Bede  X.  5.  c,  21.)  relates  a  conversation,  which  he  had 
at  that  time  with  Adamnan  concerning  the  tonsure,  and  praises 
)iim  as  a  man  of  admirable  prudence,  humilty,  and  reli- 
gion. -   '    . 

(27)  Bede,  (L.  5.  c.  15.)  who  observes,  that  Adamnan  was 
a  good  and  wise  man,  and  most  deeply  versed  in  biblical  know  • 
le^]ge,  scientia  Scripturarum  noBUisstme  instructus. 

(28)  Bede  (^ib,)  calls  it  De  Lods  Sanctis,  and  {fapp.  16-17.)  has 
some  extracts  from  it.  Besides  an  old  edition  of  this  tract,  (see 
Ware  and  Harris,  Writers  at  Adamnan)  there  is  a  later  owe  in 
Ad,  Benedict.  (Sec.  3.  Part,  2.)  Adamnan  composed  it  on  in- 
formation, which  he  received  from  Arculf  a  French  bishop,  who 
had  been  in  Palestine  and  oth^r  parts  of  the  East ;  and  who, 
returning  by  sea,  was  driven  by  a  storm  to  the  western  toast 
of  Britain.  Having  visited  Adamnan  he  was  very  kindly  re- 
ceived  by  him,  and  on  relating  Iiis  adventures  and  every  thin^ 
remarkable,  that  he  had  observed  in  those  countries,  was  listened 
to  with  great  pleasure  by  Adamnan,  who  put  to  paper  in  a  re- 
gular form  the  substance  of  his  narrative. 

(29)  Bede,  ib,  Dr,  Ledwich  is  very  angry  with  Adamnan  for 
havii^  recommended  the  adoption  of  the  Roman  cycle.  -  At  p, 
66y  amidst  a  heap  &£  falshoods,  he  says  that  Adamnan  aposta- 
tized, and  (at  p,  412.)  blames  him  for  having  brought  over 
most  of  the  Southern  monks  to  Itome,  whom  he  repr^ents  as  ig- 
norant and  bigotted.  What  mountains  does  this  pseudo-antiquary 
raise  out  of  trifles !  Am  I  to  tire  the  reader  with  over  dnd'oVer 
reminding  him,  that  there  was  no  question  of  religion  properl^ 
understood,  that  is,  of  faith  or  morals,  between  the'  Anglo-Ro^ 
mans  and  the  Irish,  and  that,  notwithstanding  their  not  celebra^ 
ing  Easter  at  the  same  time,  or  using  the  same  tonsure,  they 
maintained  ecclesiastical  communion  together?  Adamnan  was  as 
paufdti  in  communion  with  Ceolfrid  and  the  oiher  advocates  of  th6 
Roman  piractices  beforie  he  received  their  Paschal  cycle  as  he  was 
after  he  a^e^  to  it.  Why  then  talk  of  apostatizing  or  changing 
religion,  as  this  ignorant  Doctor  is  constantly  plaguing  us  with? 
Adamnan's  adopting  the  Roman  cycle,  which  our  Doctor  must 
allow  to  be  fer  more  correct  than  the  Irish  one,  no  more  implied 
a  change  of  i^eligion  than  the  conduct  of  the  church  of  England 


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las  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORT         CHAP.  TilX. 

ID  having,  after  too  long  a  delay,  received  the  Gregorian  style. 
Will  the  Doctor  say,  that  the  English  Protestant  churdi  by  so 
doing  voent  over  to  Rome  f  If  in  proceedings  of  this  sort  there 
be  any  going  over^  according  to  his  phraseology,  from  one  religion 
to  anotlier,  this  church  was  guilty  of  a  much  greater  apostacy 
than  Adamnan  had  been.  For  it  toent  over  to  Rome  not  only  as 
to  the  festival  of  Easter,  but  likewise  with  regard  to  those  of  the 
whole  year  round,  Christmas  day  and  its  concomitant  festivals, 
Lady  days,  the  feasts  of  Apostles,  Martyrs,  &c.  I  am  really 
weary  of  this  nonsense,  which  Usher,  Prideaux,  Smith,  and  others, 
who  have  written  on  the  Paschal  question,  would  have  been 
ashamed  to  mention  as  indicative  of  a  difference  of  reb'gion,  while 
on  the  contrary  they  show  that  the  Irish  cycle  had  been  derived 
from  Rome,  (see  Chap,  xv  )  and  which  no  learned  Ph^testant  of 
this  day  would  disgrace  himself  by  laying  any  stress  on.  The 
Doctor,  while  enforcing  these  fooleries,  was  not  content  with 
bungling  in  theology ;  but  he  must  bungle  also  in  history.  He 
says  that  the  monks,  brought  over  by  Adamnan,  were  those  of 
the  South  of  Ireland.  Now  he  ought  to  liave  known,  that  not 
only  the  monks  but  all  the  clergy  and  people  of  the  South  had 
received  the  Roman  computation  of  Easter  full  seventy  years  be- 
fore Adanman  prevailed  on  the  greatest  part  of  the  Northerns  to 
agree  with  them*  (See  Chap.  xv.  §.  6.) 

(SO)  The  Annals  of  Ulster,  Innisfallen,  and  of  the  4  Masters 
agree  in  assigning  the  death  of  Adamnan  to  A.  D.  703,  that  is, 
TO*.  Smith  was  therefore  wrong  (at  Bede,  L.  v.  c  15.)  in  mark- 
ing it  at  702.  He  reckoned  only  one  year  from  that  in  which  he 
supposed  that  he  was  on  his  last  embassy  to  Alfrid ;  (see  above 
Not.  25)  but  it  is  plain  from  Bede's  account  of  his  subsequent 
proceedings,  that  a  longer  time  roust  have  elapsed  besween  said 
embassy  and  Adamnan*8  death.  Instead  of  the  month  of  Sep- 
tember, which  the  4  Masters  and  Colgan  have,  (TV.  Th.  p.  499.) 
Usher  at  A.  704.  (Ind.  Chron.)  has  October.  This  is  probably  a 
typographical  mistake ;  for  not  only  in  the  Irish  calendars,  but 
likewise  in  the  Benedictine,  the  festival  of  St.  Adamnan  is  marked 
at  the  23d  of  September. 

(31)  4  Masters  and  Colgan  loc.  cit.  Keating  says  (History, 
Ac.  B.  2.  p.  45.  ed  A.  1723.)  that  Adamnan  died  aged  77  yeaw. 
It  is  very  probably  that  this  is  a  mis-translation  instead  of  77th 


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CHAP.  XIX.  OF   IRELAND.  I5S 

year.  Acoordiog  to  these  statements,  Adamnan' must  have  been 
bam  not  in  624,  (see  Not.  58.  to  Chap,  xviii.)  but  in  627  or 
628. 

(32)  See  Alcuin*8  lines.  Not.  56.  to  Chap.  u. 

(38)  See  Noi,  59.  to  Chap.  nyiu.         (34)  Tr.  Th.  p.  471. 

(35)  See  Ware  and  Harris,  Writers  at  Adamnan^  and  O'Fla- 
her^,  Ogygia  Vindi  atedy  cA.  10. 

(86)  Usher,  p.  702.  and  Ind.  Chron.  ad  A.  704-  Cdgan, 
(TV.  Th.  p.  499.)  calls  Conain  Conamal,  and  tells  us,  that  his  me- 
mory was  revered  on  the  11th  of  September. 

§.  IV.  St  Maoldobhorchon,  bishop  of  Kildare, 
died  in  705,  on  the  19th  of  February.  (37)  Nothing 
further  is  known,  as  faf  as  I  can  discover,  concerning 
this  prelate,  nor  of  his  predecessors  since  the  time 
of  Aedh  Dubh  or  hlack^  about  A.  D.  638,  unless  it 
may  be  supposed  that  some  persons,  who  are  called 
only  abbots  of  Kildare,  were  also  bishops,  such  as 
Lochen  Meann,  surnaraed  the  fVise^  who  died  in 
695,  and  Forannan,  whose  death  is  assigned  to  698. 
(38)  The  clergy  of  Kildare  is  said,  but  on  doubtful 
authority,  to  have  been  violently  pei*secuted  by  the 
king  Congall  Kennmagar,  for  what  cause  I  do  not 
find  mentioned.  (89)  This  is  most  probably  a  mis- 
statement founded  on  the  circumstance  of  a  great 
conflagration,  that  laid  waste  Kildare  in  709  during 
that  king's  reign,  and  in  which  we  may  suppose  that 
many  clergymen  lost  their  lives.  (40) 

In  these  times  Conamail  Mac-Cartiaig  (M*Carthy) 
was  bishop  of  Emly.  He  died  in  7^7  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Cellach  T Kelly),  who  held  that  see  until 
718.  (41)  St.  Caiae  or  Caidin,  who  was  bishop  at 
Hy,  died  in  7 1 1  ;  and  his  name  is  in  the  calendars  at 
24  October.  (4S)  To  the  preceding  year,  TIO,  is  as- 
signed the  death  of  Conain  Mac-Failbe  the  abbot, 
(43)  who  was  succeeded  by  Dorben,  sumamed  the  > 
long,  a  descendant  of  ConaU  Gulbanius.  (14)  Dorben 
governed  Hy  until  713  in  which  year  he  died  on  the 
28th  of  October.    (45)     His  immediate  successor 

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lS4f  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY         CHAP.  XIX* 

was,  I' believe,  Dunchad,  (46)  son  of  Kenfoelaid,  and 
grandson  of  the  monarch  Malcovus  or  Moelcova, 
consequently  of  the  favourite  line  of  Conall  Gul* 
banius.  (47)  Dunchad  was  superior  of  a  Columbian 
monastery  at  KilMochuir,  a  maritime  town  in  the 
S.  E.  part  of  Ulster,  (48)  before  he  was  raised  to  the 
government  of  the  whole  order.  He  was  still  abbot 
of  Hy,  when  in  the  year  716  the  holy  priest  Egbert 
(49)  went  thither  from  Ireland,  and  at  length  induced 
the  monks  of  that  establishment  to  receive  the 
Roman  paschal  cycle  and  tonsure.  (50)  Thenceforth 
Egbert  continued  to  reside  for  about  1 3  years  in  Hy 
until  729>  when  he  died  at  a  vefy  advanced  age  on 
Easter  Sunday,  the  5Mth  of  April,  after  he  had 
celebrated  the  festival  in  the  morning  together  with 
the  brethren.  (51) 

From  the  year  716  we  find  nothing  further  with 
regard  to  those  controversies,  as  far  as  the  Irish  were 
coi^oerned^  either  at  home  or  abroad. 

(37)  Tr.  Th.  p.  629.  from  the  4  Masten,  whose  date  is  704-,  i, 
e*  705.  Ware  observes  ( Bishops  at  KUdare)  that  others  place 
his  death  in  708. 

(58)  Tr.  Th.  ih.  I  have  added,  as  usual,  a  year  to  the  dates. 
See  also  Harris  (BitAo/u  at  KUdare)  and  Archdall  at  said  place. 
Lochen's  festival  waskepton  the  12th  of  January  or  12th  of  June, 
and  that  of  Forannan  on  the  15ith  of  Januaiy^ 

(59)  Keadi^  has  this  story  (for  it  probpb^  de^rves  no  better 
name)  in  his  second  book,  p>  46.  It  cannot  ^gree  with  wh^t  is 
recorded  by  old  wri^rs  as  to  the  prosperous  and  peaceable  reign 
of  Congall, '  O'FUdieBty  quote?  (0|gy^.  Part  3.  cap.  93.)  an  ^ 
Iiidi  ^ystich,  translated  by  him  into  jLatin,  ip  whiph  his  gt^rn^eojt 
over  Inis&il^  (Ireland),  is  OBpreceot^  9^  a  happy  one  pf  s^vpp 
yesm ;  ^*  Cuius  Inis/aUae  septennis  faustg.  pot^stas.*"  And 
O^Hallbran  (History^  &e.  Booh  l^.  ch-  5)  of^^^'ep,  ^t  .Cong^ 
K.  ^  called  by  Oiolla  Moduda,  a  ivnter  ^ho  di^  a)>0Mt  1 14;p,  ^ 
beneficent  prince,  during  whose  time  there  yi^as  J^tber  battle  nor 
oontest,  adding  that  he  died  in  p^ace  aft^  ft  f^ga  pf  aevep  y^^ 
Keatkig's  story  was  picked  up  %  that  jiupert^di^  writer  Cai^^^ 


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CHAP,  XIX*  OF  IRELAND,  155 

(Strictures  on  the  History  of  Ireiand,  sect,  e*  p.  98)i  who,  not 
satisfied' with  repeating  what  Keating  has,  viz,  that  Congalk  p«^ 
secuted  the  church  and  burned  the  secuku*  and  regvdttr*  cletgf  at 
Sildare,  adds  that  he  was  a  pagan.    And*  vHij^P  Because,  as  he 
sf^  <<  a  deed  so  atrocious  could  scarce  h4Te  been  pdipeefated 
by  Christian  men."    Did,  not*  to  go  beyond  irkh  iBStoiy^  Casofh 
bdl  never  hear  of  an  Earl  of  Kildare,  who,  about  dir  year,  14^5, 
set  fire  to  the  cathedral  of  Cashel  for  the  purpose  of  bt^ng  tEe 
ardibishop  Crea^,  whom  he  supposed  to  be  WkMa  it?  ^or  of 
-an  Earl  of  Inchiquin,  who  ftt  a  later  period,  ^  after  forming  said 
cathedra],  put  to  the  swotdi  Aihidst' heaps  of- oii6er  persons  wiii»li 
he  found  there,  many  clergymdi  dragged  finoih  evciEi<  imder  the 
altar  ?  Indeed  it  is  but  too  #eU  known,  th&tm^D  diOled  ChHsiian^ 
have  not  scrupled  to  bum  and^  destixi^  the  cleig]yw    Calinpbeffl 
,  wished  to  show  that  n6t  ohly  Congall  but  lfl»wiw  the  bid)^  of  the 
people,  at  least  in  Kildare,  wtsi^  then  pugans;    Ndw  sufkposiog 
that  Congall  was  guilty  of  that  cfth»city,  why  charge  the  inhabit 
ants  of  Kildare  as  his  accompliees  ?  tf  he  ever'^iMipattaied  it,  hs 
was  supported  not^  by  them  but  by  ah  Ikmijr  l>Vought  fiBOnr  d»i> 
where.    To  imagine  that  Congidl  Wds  a  pagan  is  mmnst  ricKo^us 
conceit    We  have  seen  that  his  aiieedtoi^  were,  ibr  several  gv)> 
nerations,  Christians,  and  sooie  of  them  veiy  piona  onei.    Mm 
was  a  grandson  of  king  Doninald  II.  (above  §.  1.)  the  pi^otpenMilb 
prince  who  had, been  blessed  by  C6kind)kHl«    (See  Nat.  906.  U 
Chap,  XII.  and  Not.  7  to  Chap,  xiv.)     Cdngall  WM  undoubtedly 
educated  in  the  Christian  reli^ofi,  and  to  istippose  thfit  lie  afMa- 
tadzed  to  paganism  is  a  grctos  absdrdBty,  as  if  the  people  ti  hV' 
land,  and  its  numerous  clei)|^  and  motlki  woiid  ha^e  laiaed  a 
pagan  to  the  throne,  or  quietly  submitted  to  on  Hvt^ed  infidd  «l  A 
time  when  the  whole  nation  was  Christiaik    Had  any  of  OAr  kuigl 
of  that  period  been  guilty  of  sudi  t^ostacy,  Hhe  iririi  annab  And 
histories  would  teem  with  accounis  of  it.    They  da  not  coniaiii 
a  word  of  the  kind ;  and  the  last  insance  of  pag«iDsai>  whi<A  I 
find  recorded  in  them,  is  that  of  the  island^i^  of  Inbia^^  wW 
were  converted  by  St.  Fechin.     (Scfe  Chap,  xni,  §>.  I0i\ 

(40)  This  conflc^gration  is  ass^ned  by  die  4  Masteb  {op,  Tr^ 
Th.j).'e29. )  to  A.  708.  f .  e.  709.  nterely  in  thesewarda  «  Xikkttm 
devastated  by  fire^     Ab  k  hap^^ened  during  the  irtign  ^  CcMi* 


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t36  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  •HISTORY         CUAF.  XIX. 

gaU>  tome  wiseacre  might  have  thought  tha^e  was  the  incett- 
diary. 

(41)  Ware,  Bishops  at  Emly. 

(42)  Tr.  Th.  p.  499.  from  the  4  Masters,  who  have  A.  710, 
the  same  as  711  •  Concerning  the  bishops,  that  resided  in  Hy, 
see  Notes  2S4  and  235.  to  Chap.  xi. 

(43)  Usher,  p.  702.  The  4  Masters  (ap,  Tr.  Th.  »^.)have 
708  (709). 

(44)  The  4  Masters,  and  Colgan,  Tr.  Th.  Instead  of  Dorben, 
Udier,  (p.  702.  and  Ind.  Chron.  ad  A.  710.)  places,  next  atler 
Conain  Mc  Failbhe,  Dunchad,  with  whom  he  terminates  his  list 
of  the  abbots  of  Hy.  Colgan  follows  the  4  Masters,  and  observes 
(AA.  SS.  p.  745«)  that  it  is  a  mistake  to  make  Dunchad  the  im- 
mediate successor  of  Conain.  It  seems  that  Usher  did  not  meet 
with  Dorben's  name  in  the  Annals  o^  Ulster,  by  which  he  was 
guided ;  and  consequently  he  might  not  have  known  that  he  was 
abbot  of  Hy.  The  omission  of  his  name  in  said  Annals  can  be 
easily  accounted  for,  as  nothing  remarkable  occurred  during  his 
administration.  This  Dorben  was,  in  all  probability,  the  Dorbe- 
neus,  who  wrote  a  copy  of  Adamnan's  Life  of  St.  Columba,  and 
added  at  the  end  (see  Co1gan*s  edition)  a  request,  in  which  he 
conjures  those,  who  may  wish  to  transcribe  it,  diligently  to  col- 
late tlieir  manuscript  with  that  whidi  they  took  it  from,  and  begs 
the  reader*s  prayers  for  himself. 

(45)  4  Masters  and  Colgan,  Tr.  Th.  p.  499.  Their  date  is 
718,  which  must  not  be  changed  into  714.  For,  as  OTlaherty 
remaiks,  {MS.  note,  ib.)-  Dorben's  death  was  according  to  Ti- 
gemach's  Annals,  on  a  Saturday,  on  which  day  the  28th  of  Oc- 
tober fell  in  713.  In  his  Ogygia  vindicated  0*Flaherty  says, 
((ckap.  10.)  tliat  Dorben  died  in  713.  He  adds  that  he  ruled  Hy 
only  five  months.  This  is  in  direct  opposition  to  the  4  Masters, 
and  to  every  other  authority  I  have  met  with. 

(46)  The  account  (ib.)  of  the  succession  to  Hy  after  Dorben  is 
Hftfaer  confined.  The  4  Masters  throw  in  Foelchus  between  him 
and  Dunchad.  But,  as  Colgan  observes,  some  of  their  dates 
rdathreto  the  accession  of  Foelchus,  are  evidently  wrong.  Be- 
■kkt  they  have  this  same  Foelchus  again  as  abbot  of  Hy  after 
Dunchad,  who  died  in  717,  and  assign  his  death  to  720(721.) 
Henoe  it  appears,  that  their  interposing  him  between  Dorben  and 


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CHAP.  XIX.  OF  IRELAND*  157 

Dnndiad  is  fbimded  on  some  mistake.  In  a  MS.  note  \ib.)  pro- 
bably written  by  Corny,  Dundiad  is  placed  immediate^  after 
Doiben'ft  death  in  713. 

(47)  See  Tr.  Tk.  p.  4S0.  and  A  A.  S5.  at  24  Mafi.  p.  744, 
where  Colgan  has  made  «p  some  Ads  of  Dunchad. 

(48)  A  A.  SS,  ib.  Vvom  the  4e8cription,  whidi  Colgan  ghres 
of  KDl-lochuir  as  a  place  frequented  by  mariners,  who  considered 
Dunchad  as  their  patron  saint,  its  lymg  on  the  eastern  coast,  &c. 
I  think  it  must  be  the  same  as  KiUough  in  the  county  of  Down. 

(49)  See  Chap,  xviii.  $.  13. 

(50)  BedeZ.  5*c.22.aL23.  To  what  he  has  concerning  this 
agreement  baring  taken,  place  in  716  under  the  abbot  Dunchad 
Usher  adds  (p.  702.  and  LuL  Chron,  ad  A.IIS.)  from  the  Annals 
of  Ulster,  that  it  was  entered  into  on  a  Saturday  the  29th  of  Au- 
gust. Prideaux  (Connection,  &c  Part  2.  B.  4.)  sinns  up  the  matter 
in  these  words;  <*  In  the  year  716  Ecgb&t,  a  pious  and  learned 
'<  presbyter  of  the  English  nation,  after  having  ^nt  many  years 
<<  in  his  studies  in  Ireland,  which  was  in  that  age  the  prime  seat  of 
<<  learning  in  all  Christendom,  coming  from  thence  to  the  nxnuMk 
**  tery  of  Hy  proposed  to  them  anew  the  Roman  way,  and  having 
'*  better  success  herein  than  Adamnan— brought  them  all  over 
«  to  it." 

(51)  Bede,  ib.  Having  stated  that  Easterly  in  that  year  on 
the  24th  of  April,  he  observes  that  it  was  never  before  celebrated 
at  Hy  on  the  corresponding  day  of  any  year.  In  this  he  was  right; 
for,  according  to  the  old  Irish  cyde,  it  could  not  have  been  put 
off  as  late  as  the  24th  of  Apnl.  (See  Smith's  DiueHtOum.  &c 
No.  9,  App.  to  Bede.) 

§.  v.  Dunchad  died  in  71 7  on  the  S5th  of  May, 
(5S)  the  day  on  which  his  festival  was  usually  kept, 
although  it  seems  that  his  memory  was  revered  in 
some  places  on  the  24th  of  March.  The  immediate 
successor  of  Dunchad  at  Hy  was,  as  well  as  I  can 
find,  Foelchuo  Mac-Dorbene,  who  lived  until  721. 
(53)  To  the  year  717  is  also  assigned  a  curious  cir- 
cumstance, which  has  not  as  yet  been  sufficiently  ex- 
plained. It  is  the  expulsion  qf  the  family  qf  la 
beyond  tJie  Dorsum  Britanniae  (Drum-albin)  h^  the 

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138  AN  ECCLESIAST^GAX  HISTORY         filfAP.^XlX. 

ii^  Jfi0eten..<54)..  7ajU,geiiecaUy.suppaied  to  mem 
tba  iiiattdofilly  ;^iiiid  kia^Nectm  was  certainly  the 
same  as  Naiton  the  Pictish  king,^  who  had  >  received 
ikt  JSiKSfnivJeycle,  >&c..  since  ,7J0,  and  to  v«hom  the 
abbot  C^Ifiikl.luuL«ritten..his.  learned  epistle.  (55) 
JVif  it]^e:>jreiga./ofiuM^itaa,  .al.  Jfaitan^  or  Nectm^ 
te§^n.<in  710,Attdxoii4^i^^  (56)    But  by 

tijifijmifyjqfla.  we  cannot,,  understand,  the,  monks 
resfrdi^goinHy^^  (57)  .whereas  J^ectan  had  no  juris- 
diction over  that  island,  as  it  .belonged^not  to  his  but 
ikQjthe.iSaottiah  Jkingdom  in  Briton.  (^8)  Or^if  by 
iwone  dwdce^ which  by  ihe  bye  cannot  even  be  guessed 
at».]ie  Jiad.^t.po9sesaionof  Iiy,vhow.could  it  be  said 
^at  Jie  ^extpdkd  its  monks  beyund  Drum-albin  ?  In 
H^tcase  heLWo\iLd»  insteadxif  itxpeUing  them,  have 
iwwght.  them  over  to  hia  own  kingdom,  which.lay  to 
ihe/NNdUid  mN.  £«j  of  those. mountains,,  and  was  se- 
•pan^d  lw.th€im.iromihe&»)ttish,J;o  which  Hy  was 
^aeenti  lying  ..to  the^iSouth  .and  Souths  West.  (59) 
TJMre.is..no^  old  document,  either 

Irish  or^Briti$hr  of.  .any  expulsion,  dispersion,  or.  per- 
secution of  the  resident  monks  of  Hy  in  those 
itimes  ^laod.thatithtey  remained. updisturbed  in  7 1 7, 
iuad.until«fter:ihe  reigo  of.Nectan,  is,  evident. from 
;the.<carwid8tance.aof  Egbert  having  Uv^d  auietly 
junwg  J^hem  fnxKa .  7l6  tO;  739.  TberefiMre. the  w^ 
,fnMm.  qf  the  familif  of  /a.  means  nothing  more 
than  that  Nectan  sent  out  of  his  kingdom  some 
Columbian  monks,  that  i^,  of  the  family  or  order  of 
^y,  and  made  ithem  cross  Drum-albin  on  their  way 
tOtithe  V  Scottish  terntones.  What  was  h^  reason  for 
^his  proceeding  it  is.difficult  to /conjecture.  It  has 
Jbeenjsuppoaed  that  «ome.  Columbians,  stationed  in 
cPictland,  refused  to  sul^mit.to.  the  gtoeral  oraers  he 
Jiad  issued  tor^  the.adoption  of  the  Roman ' cycle,  &c. 
4mdc  that  in  xonsawence.  he  expelled  them  from  his 
kingdonLJi(60)  ..But  .whyj  wait  until  7^7  to  thus 
jngorously  enforce  said  onlers,  which  had  been  pub- 
J^ed  in  740, .  or,  >  at.the>  latest,  early  in  711  ?    If 

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CHAP.  XIX.  OP  IRKLAND.  >  169 

the  cause  of  the  expulsmn  of  those  toqxAs  in  717 
was  their  opposition  to  the  RoiHan  praoticto8»  it  wiU 
ibilowthat  they  disobeyed  not  only  the-]ikg,  .but 
likewise  their  superiors  of  Hy,  who  iiad  tM^ioed 
them  in  the  preceding  year.  \  Timii  sudtoW^ ,  the 
case  it  is  difficult  to  believe;  (61) rand  soB»e  /^her 
teasoil  must  be  looked  for,  tvhy  Neetan  waA  disptoiised 
with  those  inonlcs.  The  prdbability  is  that.tli^y;;ar- 
raigned  bis'conduct  on  some  fiiaiteis  off  a  iliflBnmt 
nature,  and  that  he  was  dissatisfied:  witktheir  fteedom 
-of  remonstranqe.  (62)  Nectan  does  ^  Botoappeai^  to 
have  had  any  dispute  with,  the  Bbbot>  or  momstory, 
whereas  during  his  reign  and  after  it  the  iribbot-'^m- 
tinued  to  exercise  his  usual  ecclesiastical  jlitisdietion 
over  the  coimtries  inhabited  by^his'  sUbjeote  ithe 
Northern  Picts.  (63)  From  what  has  been  hi^rto 
stated  it  is  clear,  that  it  i&  a  most  abstinl  .niMtdKe>to 
suppose,  that  thd  monks  expelled  l)y  NecCan  "were 
those,  who  inhabited  the  island  of  Hy^  (64J 

(52)  4  Masters  and  Colgan,  Tr.  Th.  p,  499  and  AA.  gSi  p,  745. 
The  year  maiked  by  the  4  Masten  is  716,  which  wa»also  that  of 
Che  Ulstar  Annals  justly  changed  by  Usher  (Ind.  CkronS)  int^  717. 
Besides  such  change  being  authorized  b^r  the  usual  dironological 
system  followed  in  both  these  Annals,  there  is  a  particular  rt^a^an 
for  it  in  tins  case ;  whereas  it  is  known  from  Bed^  t&c  tfaat'lhe 
year,  in  which  the  nx>nks  of  Hy,  then  governed  by  Doochad^  i^ 
ceived  the  Roman  cycle,  &c.  was  716,  and  on  the  ^9th'  of  Au- 
gust. Now,  as  Dundiad  died  on  a  2ith  of  May,  instead  of  A. 
716,  we  must  read  J.  717.  .      1  . 

(5S)  See  4  Mastenand  Tr.  Th.  ib.  and  oomparew^  iV(».46. 
The  Annals  of  Ulster  (in  Jofanstm's  Eactracts  9&£x  Avtiq*  CeUo 
Norrn.)  after  mentiomng  the  chai^  of  Easter  9I  A,  715  (716) 
place  at^  said  time  the  accession  to  Hy  of  Faolan'  M<I>oitom,(or 

*  Fo^chus)    Thus  it  would  seem,,  that  Dunchad  resigned  the  ad- 

'  ministration  some  months  before  his  death,  as  I  find  stated  m  a 

'  MS.  note  to  Tr.  Th.  p.  499, 

-i  <54)^  Usher  p.  702,  and  Ind.  Ckron.  at  A.  717>  from  the  An- 
nals of  Ulster. 

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1(50  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY         CHAP.  XIX. 

(55)  See  Bede,  L.  5.  21.  al.  22. 

(56)  Clialmen,  Cakdonioy  voL  1.J9.206. 

(57)  Usher  seems  to  have  been  of  that  opinion ;  but  he  had  not 
niffidentty  inquired  into  the  subject 

{SS)  See  Not.  146  to  Chap.xi. 

(59)  See  Not.  151.  to  Chap.  xi. 

(60)  Of  this  opinion  is  Mr.  Chalmers,  who  says,  {Caledon.  Vol. 
I.  p.  397.)  that  Nectan  expdled  many  of  the  Columbians,  who 
officiated  among  the  Northern  Ficts,  and  adhered  to  their  ancient 
practices.  Bede  observes,  (£.  5.  c.  21.  al.  22.)  that  Nectan,  or 
Naiton,  pnmiulgated  his  command  for  the  observance  of  the  Ro» 
man  oomputadcm  of  Easter,  immediately  after  he  had  agreed  to  it 
himself,  and  accordingly  in  the  year  710,  or  very  soon  afler  it. 
(See  Smith's  notes,  ib.) 

(61)  Bede,  who  was  living  in  these  very  times,  and  is  very 
minute  in  eveiy  thing  rdative  to  the  reception  of  the  Roman  cycle, 
^c.  speaks  (ib.)  in  glowing  terms  of  the  unanimity,  with  which  it 
and  the  Roman  tonsure  were  submitted  to  by  all  die  deigy  and 
monks  throughout  the  Pictish  provinces,  withojut  as  much  as  hint- 

''  mg  at  any  opposition. 

(62)  Keadng  states  (B.  2.  p.  46.)  that  "  Nectan  expelled  from 
his  dominions  a  convent  of  monks,  who  presumed  to  reprehend 
his  conduct,  and  by  that  means  exdted  discontent  among  his  sub- 
jects." That  he  meanl  {he  same  expulsion  as  that  cf  the  Annals 
of  Ulster  is  dear  from  his  pladng  it  in  the  yeler,  in  which  was 
(ought  the  battle  of  Cloch-Mionuire  between  the  Britons  andDal- 
riadans  (of  Britain),  which  is  assigned  in  said  Annals  to  A.  D.  716. 
f.  e.  717.  (See  Johnston's  Extracts^  &c.) 

ifiS)  Bede,  who  brought  down  his  Ecclesiastical  history  to  A^ 
731,  that  is,  six  years  afler  the  death-  (^Nectan,  makes  mention 
of  this  jurisdiction  as  existing  at  the  time  he  was  writing  it.  (See 
ib,  L.S.C.  4.  and  compare  with  Not.  2S4<  to  Chap,  xii.) 

(64)  Dr.  Ledwich  says,  {Antig.  &c.  p.  66.)  *'  by  the  instiga- 
tions of  Ceolftid,  abbot  of  Girwy,  Naitan,  king  of  the  Picts,  ex- 
pdled the  Culdees  from  Hy.  This  happened  A.  D.  717."  As  to 
his  pretended  Culdees^  by  whom  he  meant  the  monks  of  Hy,  we 
shall  see  elsewhere.  Had  he  merely  stated  that  Naitan  expelled 
the  monks  from  Hy,  we  might  consida*  his  assertion  as  the  mis« 
take  of  one,  who  Imd  not  studied  the  subject.    But  his  adding 


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CHAP.  XIX.  OP   IRELAND.  l6l 

that  this  was  done  by  the  instigations  of  CeoIfHd  shows  a  peculiar' 
malignity  and  indifference  about  truth.  Upon  what  authimty 
could  he  found  this  charge  ?  The  only  account  we  have  of  any  cor- 
respondence between  Nectan  and  Ceolfrid  is  that  of  the  letter 
written  by  the  latter,  which  stfll  exists  at  full  length,  and  which 
does  not  contain  a  syllable  of  instigation  against  the  monks  of  Hy 
or  any  other  Columbians.  Is  it  because  Ceolfrid,  in  said  letter, 
instructed  Nectan  as  to  the  Roman  cycle,  &&  and  thereby  con^ 
tributed  to  his  adoption  of  them?  Was  this  a  i  >  tigation  or  insti- 
gations to  persecution  ?  If  CeoHrid  exdted  the  king  to  punish  the 
monks  of  Hy,  why  was  his  vengeance  delayed  from  710,  in  which 
the  letter  was  received,  until  717  ?  Or  will  the  Dr  pretend  that  it 
was  in  the  very  year  717  that  Ceolfrid  instigated  him  ?  He  may, 
to  be  sure,  invent  what  stories  he  thinks  fit  for  his  purposes ;  but 
he  ought,  at  least,  to  make  them  appear  not  quite  improbable. 
So  then  in  717,  the  year  marked  by  the  Dr.  himself  Ceolfrid 
prevailed  upon  Nectan  to  expell  the  monks  fix)m  Hy.  Pray,  for 
what  ?  It  could  not  be  for  the  reason  meant  by  our  antiquary,  viz. 
tlieir  adhesion  to  the  old  Irish  practices;  for,  as  Ceolfrid  well  knew, 
they  had  exchanged  them  in  716  for  his  favourite  Roman  ones. 
Wliat  then  was  their  crime  ?  Surely  the  Dr.  cannot  be  so  stupid 
as  to  think  that  Ceolfrid  and  Nectan  fell  foul  of  them,  because  they 
had  come  over  to  their  own  party.  His  moans  on  the  downfal  of 
the  seminary  of  Hy,  which,  he  says,  expired  on  this  occasion,  are 
absolutely  nonsensical.  That  seminary  neither  expired  at  that 
time,  for  it  flourished  for  centuries  after,  nor  did  it  change  its  te- 
nets, unless  the  time  of  celebrating  Easter  and  the  form  of  the 
tonsure  are  to  be  considered  as  dogmas  of  reb'gion. 

I  cannot  but  here  animadvert,  although  it  does  not  appertain  to 
Irish  history,  on  a  similar  false  assertion  of  the  Doctor,  (ib,)  viz. 
that  Aldhelm,  who  flourished  in  the  latter  part  of  the  seventh 
century  and  died  early  in  the  eighth,  "  exdted  Ina,  the  West 
Saxon  king,  against  Gerontius  prince  of  Cornwall,  because  he  and 
his  subjects  preserved  the  faith  at  first  taught  them.'*  Upon  what 
foundation  he  could  build  this  falshood  it  is  difficult  to  conceive^ 
unless  he  alluded  to  the  epistle  written  by  Aldhelm  to  Gerontius, 
in  which  he  endeavoured  to  prove  that  the  Britons  were  wrong  in 
adhering  to  their  Paschal  cycle,  &c  But  what  has  this  to  do  with 
the  wars  between  Gerontius  and  the  West  Saxons  under  their  Idi^ 

VOL.  III.  M  ^  T 

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16S  AN  ECCLE8U8TICAL  HISTORY  CHAP.  XIX. 

Im^  Orwbcxe  omit  be  fi>und,  diat  Aldhehn  excited  Ina  to 
cany  them  on?  The  Doctor,  with  unblushing  audacity  refers  to 
Onuj^  who  has  quite  the  reverse  of  his  assertion.  For  Creasy,  af- 
ter giving  a  translation  of  AMhehn's  epistle  (B.xul.  ck.  170  ob« 
aerv^  that  the  Saxons  did  not  use  any  violence  against  the  Bri- 
tons ;  and,  q>eaking  (B.  xxi.  ch.  10*  the  very  part  of  his  wor 
pointed  mit  by  Ledwich)  cf  the  war  between  Ina  and  Gerontius^ 
has  not  a  word  about  Ina's  having  been  urged  on  by  Aldhelm, 
iHiile,  on  the  contrary,  he  states  that  it  is  not  easy  to  know  the 
cauae  of  the  quarrel,  uid  that  Gerontius  was  the  aggressor,  who, 
he  adds,  perhaps  thought  he  might  take  Ina  unawares  as  being 
thenempkiyed  in  acts  of  piety.  Of  all  writers  in  the  world  the  Dr. 
should  not  on  this  occasion  have  directed  us  to  Cressy. 

§.  VI.  This  would  be  the  place  to  treat  of  St. 
Rudbert  or  Rupert,  bishop  of  Worms  and  after- 
wards of  Saltzbourg,  who  died  in  7 18,  were  there 
any  reason  to  believe  that  he  was  a  native  of  Ire- 
land. But,  as  it  is  certain  that  he  was  not,  and 
very  probable  that  he  had  no  Irish  connexions,  (65) 
I  shall  leave  an  account  of  him  to  the  ecclesiastical 
historians  of  France  and  Germany. 

St.  Cele  Christus,  or  Christicoladied  in  722.(66) 
He  was  a  native  of  Ulster,  and  is  said  to  have  belonged 
to  a  branch  of  the  Nialls.  Having  left  his  own  provincct 
he  went  to  a  western  part  of  Leinster,  called  Hi- 
donchadha,  where  he  erected  an  oratory,  which  from 
bis  name  has  been  called  KilUcele-chriost.  It  is 
said  that  he  travelled  with  some  other  persons  to 
Rome.  In  several  Irish  calendars  his  name  is 
marked  at  the  Sd  of  March  with  the  title  of  bishop 
of  KilUcele-chriost.  He  had  a  brother  named 
Comgall,  who  was  abbot  of  Both-chonais  in  Inish- 
owen,  and  whose  memory  was  revered  there  on  the 
44;h  of  September  (6?) 

In  these  times  the  archbishop  of  Aimagh  was 
Suibhne  or  Sweeny,  the  successor  of  Flan  Febhla, 
(68)  who  died  in  715  on  the  24th  of  April.  (69) 
Suibhne  was  son  of  one  Cronnmail,  and  held  the 

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CHAP.  XIX.  OP   IRELAND.  l63 

see  for  15  years,  as  he  lived  until  730.  During 
his  incumbency  some  distinguished  men  departed 
this  life  at  Armagh ;  in  7^1  Colman  surnamed 
HuamachensiSy  who  wrote  some  Acts  of  St.  Pa- 
trick ;  (70)  in  7*26  Eochod  Mac-Colgan,  ah  an- 
choret of  that  city  \  in  727  Ferdomnach,  a  sciibe 
or  writer  ;  and  in  728  Dochuma,  surnamed  Bolgan, 
an  anchoret.  (71) 

St.  Cronan,  bishop  of  Lismore;  who  was  probably 
the  immediate  successor  of  St.  Colman,  (72)  died 
in  718,  and  his  memory  was  revered  on  the  first 
of  June.  (73j  Next  after  him  we  find  in  that 
see  Colman  O'Liathain,  a  celebrated  doctor,  who 
died  in  726,  (74)  and,  1  dare  say,  on  a  25th  of 
July.  (75)  To  the  same  year  7^6  is  assigned  the 
death  of  St.  Adamnan,  bishop  of  Rathmuighe  in 
Dalrieda,  (76)  a  part  of  the  now  county  of  Antrim, 
and  also  that  of  Dachonna,  bishop  of  Connor.  (77) 
In  said  year  died  St.  Manchen  of  Leighlin,  who 
was,  in  all  probability,  at  least  abbot  there ;  a  St. 
Colman  of  Telach-uallen,  perhaps  Tujlihallen,  a 
place  in  the  county  of  Louth  ;  and  a  St.  Bree,  sur- 
named the  Wise.  (78) 

(65)  Colgan  has  (at  27  Mart.)  from  among  other  Lives  of  St.  Ru- 
pert, published  by  Canisius,  a  very  fabulous  one,  in  whicli  this 
saint  is  said  to  have  been  baptized  in  Ireland  by  St.  Patrick,  to 
have  gone  to  the  continent  with  St.  Erentrudis,  and  one  Tradbert, 
whom  it  calls  sister  and  brother  of  hid,  and  to  have  died  in  623. 
It  would  be  very  strange  that  a  person,  baptized  by  our  Apostle, 
could  have  lived  until  this  year ;  and  Colgan's  substituting  in  this 
otse  a  Patridc  junior  for  the  great  one,  is  a  pitiful  evasion  not  worth 
attending  to.  And  who  will  believe  that  Rudbert,  &c.  were  the 
names  of  persons  bom  in  Ireland  ?  The  Boilandists  not  only  re- 
jected this  Life,  but  observe  (at  said  day)  that  they  would  not 
even  mention  it,  had  it  not  led  astray  Colgan  and  Le  Cointe  in 
his  AnnaL  Eccl,  Fr.  They  have  given  us  two  other  Lives  of  St. 
Rupert,  which  appear  tolerably  correct,  and  in  which  there  is  not 
a  word  about  Irdand,  nor  of  what  is  said  in  the  faulty  one  (fol« 

M   2  /^-^  1 

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l64  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY         CHAP.  XIX. 

lovrvd  OD  tbk  pomt  by  aeveral  writers)  concerning  this  saint  hav- 
ing been  of  the  royal  blood  of  Ireland  as  well  as  of  France,  to 
which  latter  hereally  belonged.  In  the  Acta  Bened.  (Sec.  S.  Part, 
1.)  there  is  a  short  but  very  ancient  and  correct  Life,  in  which  nei- 
ther Ireland,  nor  its  blood  royal  is  even  hinted  at.  Yet  I  wiU 
not  deny  that  St  Rupert  might  by  his  maternal  line  have  been 
connected  with  some  Irish  princes ;  but  it  will  not  hence  follow 
that  he  should  be  reckoned  among  the  Irish  saints.  Mabillon  {ib* 
Elog.  Histor.)  shows  that  he  died  in  718.  The  Office  of  St.  Ru- 
pert, patched  up  by  Burke,  (Qffic.  propr.  at  27  March)  but 
which  is  not  used  in  Ireland,  is  taken  fh)m  the  fabulous  Life  and 
from  Colgan's  conjectures.  It  is  odd,  that  among  the  authorities 
mentioned  at  the  head  of  this  Office  we  find  the  name  of  Bol- 
Jandus,  t.  e.  the  Bollandista,  notwithstanding  the  scornful  man- 
ner m  which  they  speak  of  that  Life.  As  to  St.  Erentrudis.  who 
was  a  niece,  not  sister,  of  St.  Rupert,  and  to  Trudbert,  whoever 
he  was,  I  need  not  tell  the  reader,  that  their  history  has  nothing 
to  do  with  Ireland. 

(66)  4  Masters  and  Colgan  (A A,  SS.  at  S  Mart.)  where  he 
treats  of  this  saint.    Their  date-is  721,  «.  e.  722. 

(67)  See  Colgan,  Acts  of  Cele-Christus^  ib*  p.  454^ 

(68)  See  Chap,  xviii.  J.  13. 

(69)  Ware  and  Harris,  Bishops  at  Armagh. 

(70)  Tr.  Th.  p  172  and  294.  See  also  Chap.  in.  $.  5. 

(71)  lb.  p.  99^.  Colgan  prefixes  «atn^  to  all  their  names.  I 
have  added  a  year  to  each  of  his  dates. 

(72)  See  above  §.  1. 

(73)  A  A.  SS.p.  803.  Colgan  has  from  the  4  Masters  A,  717 
(718).  Ware  and  Hairis  (Bishops  at  Lismore)  have  confounded 
Cronan  of  Linnore  witli  Cronan,  son  of  Nethsemon,  of  whom 
Colgan  treats  at  9  February,  (p.  302.  seqq.)  and  who,  he  thought, 
was  the  bishop  Cronan  that  paid  a  visit  to  Colurobkill  in  Hy. 
(See  Not.  182  to  Chap,  xi.)  He  expressly  distinguishes  him  fi-om 
Cronan  of  Lismore  and  for  a  very  just  reason,  viz.  that  their  times 
were  far  different.  It  is  therefore  strange  that  Ware,  who  had  the 
A  A.  SS.  loc.  cit.  before  his  eyes,  and  where  he  found  mention 
made  of  the  son  of  Nethsemon,  could  have  fallen  into  such  a  mis- 
take, whicli  cannot  be  accounted  for  except  by  his  having  read 
too  cursorily  what  Colgan  has  about  these  Cronans.     Archdall 

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CHAP.  XIX.  OF   IRELAND.  1 65 

(at  LUmore)  has  only  a  part  of  Ware's  migtake ;  fiMr  he  does  not 
call  Cronaa  of  Lismore  son  of  Nethsemon^  hut  he  says  that  he 
died  on  the  9th  of  February.  Now  this  day  is  assigned  in  the 
calendars  not  to  his  death  but  to  that  of  the  son  of  Nethse- 
mon. 

(74)  A  A.  SS.  p.  149.  and  Ind.  Chron.  ib.  ad  A.  725.  i.  c. 
726. 

(75)  Colgan»  when  mentioning  the  death  of  Colman  0*Liathain, 
does  not  give  us  the  day  of  it,  or  of  his  commemoration.  Yet  he 
m^^  have  easily  found  either  one  or  the  other  in  the  Calendar 
of.  Cashd,  which  he  quotes  ib.  p.  155.  This  calendar  has  at  22 
Januaiy  Cohnan  Hua  Beogna  of  Lismore,  that  is,  the  older  Cd- 
man,  of  whom  above  §.  1.  Then  at  25  July  it  has  Mochohnoc 
or  Colman  O'Liathain  a  comorban  or  successor  of  St.  Mochudda 
(Carthag)  of  Lismore.  Colgan  very  oddly  imagined  that  these  two 
Colmans  were  but  one  person,  viz.  the  Colman  of  22  Jan.  and 
that  the  25th  of  July  was  a  second  festival,  perhi^  of  transla- 
tion, &c  in  honour  (^  him.  I  do  not  know  what  reason  he  could 
have  had  for  thinking  so,  except  that  the  Colman  at  25  July  was 
called  Mocholmocy  which  name  was  often  given  to  the  Met  Col* 
man.  But  surely  every  St  Colman  might  have  been  catted  Mo* 
cholmoc  (See  Not.  12.)  That  in  said  calendar  two> distinct  Col* 
mans  were  meant  is  evident  not  only  from  the  di&rence  of  the 
days  marked,  but  still  more  from  the  fbnner  being  sumamed  Hua-* 
Beogna,  and  the  latter  O'Liathain,  the  veiy  Coteoan  that  died  in 
726.  Whether  the  25th  of  July  was  his  Natalia  i.  e.  the  anni- 
versary of  his  death,  or  a  day  of  commemoration,  I  cannot  de- 
cide ;  but,  considering  the  usual  practice  in  the  calendars,  it  is 
more  probable  that  it  was  the  Natalis. 

(76)  A  A.  SS.  p.  377.  and  Ind.  Chron.  ib.  ad  A.  725  (726). 
Concerning  the  see  of  Rathmu%he,  whkfa  was  veiy  amaent,  see 
Chap.  VII.  §.  6.  Not.  58.  ttid  Not.  256.  to  Chap.  x. 

(77)  AA.  88.  Ind.  Chron.  ad  A.  725.  Ware  and  Hams 
{Bishops  at  Connor)  have  retained  this  date,  but  might  have 
safdy  dianged  it  into  726. 

(78)  4  Masteis  and  Colgan,  ib. 

§•  vu.  Foelchuoor  Faolan  Mac-Dorbene,  abbot 
of  Uy,  who,  according  to  one  account,  died  in  721, 


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166  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY  CHAP.  XIX. 

(79)  and,  according  to  another,  in  724,  was  sac* 
ceeded  by  Killen  or  Killin,  surnamed  fada  or  long. 

(80)  Concerning  this  Killen  I  can  find  nothing 
particular,  except  that  he  is  said  to  have  died  in 
726.  (81)  The  next  abbot,  whom  we  meet  with 
after  him,  was  another  Killen,  surnamed  Droich^ 
theachf  who  lived  until  about  750. 

To  the  year  7^7  is  affixed  the  death  of  Aelchu, 
abbot  of  Clonard.  (82)  It  is  not  improbable  that 
be  was  also  bishop  of  that  place.  At  least  his  pre* 
deeessor  Dubdan  0*Foclan  was,  being  expressly 
styled  bishop  and  abbot  of  Clonard,  and  who  died 
in  717.  (ss)  In  the  same  year  727  died  St.  Mure- 
dach,  bisnop  of  Mayo,  and  son  of  Indrect,  who  is 
supposed  to  have  been  one  of  the  Indreets  kings  of 
Connaught  in  those  times.  (84) 

According  to  some  writers  St.  Muredach  survived 
St.  Gerald  called  of  Mayo ;  but  it  is  mote  than  pro*- 
bable  that  he  died  before  him.  The  history  of  St. 
-  Grerald  is  extremely  confused,  Mid  interspersed  with 
monstrous  fables.  \s6)  This  much  is  certain  that 
be  was  an  Englishman,  and  superior  of  the  estab- 
lishment, which  Colman,  after  his  return  from  Lin- 
disfarne,  formed  at  Mayo  for  the  English,  who  had 
followed  him  to  Ireland.  (86)  If  Gerald  was  one 
of  those,  w|io  lefl  Lindisfame  t(^ether  with  Coknan, 
^87)  he  must  have  been  very  younff  at  that  time ; 
for  Cdman's  departure  from  that  place  was  in  664^ 
and  Gerald  lived  until  732.  Supposing  him  te  have 
been  in  664  only  about  sixteen  years  old,  it  may  be 
adffiitted  that  he  belonged  to  that  party ;  but  as  the 
persons  who  accompanied  Colman  are  spoken  of  as 
men  and  actual  monks,  (88)  it  is  mtich  aiore  proba- 
ble that  Gerald  came  over  to  Ireland  on  some  later 
occasion ;  whereas  the  monastery  of  Mayo  continued 
to  be  resorted  to  by' English  and  ^ttudenis  for  a  long 
time  afler  Colman's  death.  (89)  Gerald  is  said  to 
have,  on  his  arrival  in  Ireland,  and  before  he  was 
plaoedat  Mayo,  presided  over  sonie  monks  at  J5A7ma, 

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CHAP.  XIX.  OF   IRELAND.  Ij? 

(90)  which,  if  this  be  true,  was  probably  a  cell  be- 
longing to  the  house  of  Mayo.  According  to  this 
s1;atenient,  he  could  not  have  been  one  of  Colman's 
first  English  followers,  who,  as  is  well  known,  were 
aU  fixed  by  him  in  said  house.  At  what  time  he  be- 
came superior  at  Mayo  is  not  known ;  and  it  pro- 
bably was  not  prior  to  the  seventh  century.  (91)  His 
death  is  assigned  on  the  b^st  authority  to  A.  D.  73^, 
(92)  and,  according  to  several  concurrent  accounts, 
to  the  13th  of  March.  (93)  In  some  Irish  docu- 
ments  St.  Gerald  is  called  bishop ;  but  it  is  very 
doubtful  whether  he  was  entitled  to  this  appellation. 
(94) 

(79)  4  Masters,  as  above  Not.  5S. 

{W)  It  is  stated  in  the  Antials  of  Ulster  (Jobflsto&'s  ExtracU.) 
that  KifliB-6da  succeeded  FVu^an  Mac  Derbcne  in  72S  i.  e.  724. 

<B1)  The  4  Masters  and  Colgan  Tr.  Tk.  p.  499.  Their  date 
725  may,  as  udual,  be  sijqpposed  the  same  at  726. 

(82)  AA.8S.p.iffr. 

(8S)  lb*  I  have  added  a  year  to  the  datA  thus  gtvai. 

(84)  AA.  88.  p,  606.  The  4  Masters  assign  Muredach's 
death  feo  726,  f .  e.  7917  •  Afchdall  (at  Mayo)  without  any  authc»ity, 
inttead^of  Bishop^  calls  him  abb<a. 

(85)  Colgan  has  published  (at  IS  Mart.}  aL^  i»f  8t.  Gerald 
finom  a  MS.  of  the  monastery  of  the  Island  of  afi  saints  in  Lough- 
ree,  the  author  of  which  he  thought  w^  pevhajps  Aogustin  Ma-^ 
graidim  But  it  is  dear  from  some  gemiine  ttrabtsimttm  by-Ma- 
graidin,  he  oauld  wAbe  Che  aafihor  of  this  boibiluxitttf  stdff.  ITfae 
BolhmdiBt8,intliRrobBervatioiis(at«aklda}^dti8c.  Gerak^  }uitly 
declare  it  to  be  fuU  of  nomense  and  kiuslmhlk.  '•  Besides  many 
finkries  it  abounds  in  anadttonims. 

(86)  SeeCi^p^xmi.<f.  2. 

^7>  That  he  was  one  of  thera  is  siatedm^ieBO  called  Life  id 
St.  Oendd.  and heboe  Wake  {Aiatigf.€ap.9ldik)  plaee»him  amang 
tbem*  Blithe  mats  the  lidionloiM  ftbit  of  QtsnOd'hamg  t>een 
afabot  oT  Wincherteiv^  ats  if  there  weM  XklinxsSM^'  ln:jtiiarMri(y; 
aod of  iys hafing bvoughl along  wiflibim,  ittiC0laian^€iAfc,4Qree 
brothers  ol  lai,.aiid  diree  thooaaod  otbet  iMRhyiEkiifttsbuco* 


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168  AK   ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY         CHAP.  XIX. 

The  latter  part  of  this  nonsense  has  been  copied  by  Archdall  (at 
Mai/o.)  ,  Now  we  know  from  Bede  (see  Chap*  xviii.  f.  20 
that  Colman  was  followed  by  qvify  about  thirty  Englishmen  to 
Ireland. 

(88)  See  Bede,  L.  4.  c.  4. 

(89)  See  Bede,  ib,  and  above  Chap,  xviii.  ^.2  NU.  IS. 

(90)  Life.  cap.  7.  Colgan  observes  CAA.  SS.  p.  603.)  that 
there  was  in  the  diocese  of  Tuani,  to  which  that  of  Mayo  has  been 
annexed,  a  chapel  called  Kili-au'elUheir,  that  is  the  cell  of  the 
pilgrim  or  foreigner,  and  tliat  this  might  have  been  what  in  the 
Life  is  called  Eliteria.  It  was  perhaps  a  cell  depending  on  Mayo, 
as  was  probably  also  a  church  in  same  diocese  called  Tech-Sassony 
the  house  of  Saxons  or  Englishmen. 

(91)  If  we  could  place  any  confidence  in  the  Life,  Gerald 
would  have  been  abbot  of  Mayo  before  the  death  of  Adamnan ; 
for  jt  states  {cap.  15.)  that  he  was,  when  presiding  there,  visited 
by  him.  But,  even  admitting  that  such  a  visit  took  f^ce,  it  will 
not  foUow  that  he  was  abbot  before  the  7th  century ;  for  Adamnan 
was  in  Ireland  as  late  as  the  year  703  (see  above  §.  3.)  during 
which  he  might  have  called  upon  Gerald.  Colgan  remarks  (AA. 
SS.  p.  604.)  that  Gerald's  name  does  not  appear  among  those  of 
the  persons,  who  attended  the  synod  of  697,  (see  Chap,  xviii.  §. 
14.)  although  that  of  Egbert,  likewise  an  Englishman,  does.  His 
object  was  to  show,  that  Gerald  was  then  dead ;  but,  as  he  was 
undoubtedly  alive  at  that  time  and  for  many  years  after,  Colgan 
ought  to  have  concluded  that  Gerald  wds  not  as  yet  an  abbot  or 
much  distinguished  in  the  year  697* 

(92)  The  Annals  of  Ulster,  in  whidi  he  is  called  Geralt  pon-- 
tifex  Saxonum  Campi  Heo  (Ma^Heo),  place  his  death  in  73 U 
i.  ۥ  732,  to  whjch  year  it  is  affixed  abo  by  Tigemach  in  these 
words;  "  Pontifex  Mu%he-heo  Saxonum  Garailt  obiit.*'  It  ia 
singular  that  Usher,  having  quoted  these  authorities,  (Jnd.  Chron, 
ad  A.  697.)  has  preferred  to  them  thi^  of  the  lying  life  of  Ge- 
rald, in  which  we  mne  told  that  after  his  death  Adamnan  of  Hy 
governed  th^  church  of  Mayo  constantly  and  itukfatigMy  for 
seven  years,  until  returoiiig  to  Hy  he  died  there  himseKl  Heooe 
Usher  aigued  that,  as  Adamnan  died  in  704,  Gerald's  death 
ought  to  be  ass^ed  to  697.  But  how  could  he  have  be» 
lieved,  that  Adosmaa , totally  n^ected  the  govenunent  of  Hy 
and  of  the  whole  Columbian  order  for  seven  years,  and  confine 


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CHAP.   XiX.  OF   IR£LAND«  l69 

himself  to  the  monastcfy  of  Mayo  ?  Or  did  he  not  recollect  that 
Adamnan  spent  a  considerable  part  of  that  period  in  Northum- 
berland, and  aflerwards  in  Hy  striving  to  bring  over  his  monks  to 
the  Iloman  cyde,  &c  (above  §.  3.)  and  accordingly  could  not 
have  been  indefatigably  employed  at  Mayo  ?  Colgan,  who 
scrupled  to  doubt  of  what  the  Life  states,  followed  Usher,  adding  an 
aigument,  which  proves  nothing  more  than  that  Gerald  was  not 
abbot  of  Mayo  in  697-  ( See  Not.  prec.)  As  to  Archdall*s bung- 
ling (at  Mayo)  concerning  Gerald  having  not  died;  but  succeeded 
Colman  in  697  (See  l^ot.  16  to  Chap*  xviii.)  and  then  placing 
Adamnan  after  him,  is  too  slovenly  to  be  honoured  with  animad* 
version.  The  4  Masters  fap.  A  A.  SS.  p.  604.)  have  Gerald's 
death  at  A.  726  (727> ;  but  dieir  authority  h  not  equal  to  that  of 
Tigemach  or  of  the  Ulster  annals.  The  BoUandists,  perceiving 
that  it  was  ridiculous  to  make  Adamnan  of  Hy  successor  of 
Gerald,  suspect  that  he  might  have  been  confounded  with  another 
Adamnan.  But,  as  the  monasteiy  of  Mayo  was  in  those  times 
purely  English,  it  is  not  easy  to  believe  that  any  of  its  abbots  was 
then  an  Irishman,  as  an  Adamnan  would  have  been.  And  it  is 
useless  to  endeavour  to  prop  up  any  part  of  that  absurd  fable. 

(93)  4' Masters,  Calendare,  &c.  (ap.  A  A.  SS.p.604!. 

(94)  Some  calendars,  quoted  by  Colgan  (ibj  give  him  the  title 
of  bishop;  and  we  have  just  seen  {Not.  92)  that  he  has  been 
called  pontifex.  Yet  in  the  Life,  notwithstanding  the  great 
things  said  of  him.  he  is  styled  merely  abbot.  The  4  Masters 
say  no  more  of  him  than  St,  Gerald  of  Mayo,  According  to 
their  statements  he  could  scarcely  have  been  a  bishop ;  for  they 
place  his  death  m  727,  the  very  year  to  which  they  assign  that  df 
St.  Muredach,  whom  they  expressly  call  bishop  of  Mayo* 
Surdy  there  were  not  two  bishops  there  at. the  same  time. 
Bede,  speaking  of  the  monastery  of  Mayo,  as  it  was  circum- 
stanced when  he  was  writing  his  history,  and  accordingly  down 
to  731,  says  (L,  4.  c,  4.)  that  the  English  monks  lived  there  un- 
der a  canonical  or  regular  abbot.  He  has  nothing  about  their 
having  among  them  a  bishopr  although,  in  all  probability,  Gerald 
was  their  abbot  at  the  time  of  his  making  this  observation.  I  am 
inclined  to  think,  that  liis  having  been  called  pontifexy  pontiff 
of  the  English,  gave  rise  to  the  8U{^position  of  his  having  been  a 
bishop.     But  why  did  not  Tigemach  or  the  compilers  of  the 

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170  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY  CHAP.  XIX. 

Ulster  annals  plainly  call  him  episcapus  f  The  title,  ponfifer, 
has  been  often  used  in  an  eqinyocal  nuumer,  and  fomedmes  in  the 
Msaoe  sense  as  president  (See  Spelman,  Gloss,  and  Dpcange,  at 
Pantifes  and  Pontificium.)  It  may  be,  that>  a»  Ae  English  were 
strangers  in  Ireland,  the  abbot  of  Mayo  enjoyed  some  particular 
privfl^es  as  protector  of  his  countT3rmen. 

§•  viiL  A  holy  virgin,  named  Segretia^is  mentioned 
as  having  been  sister  of  St.  Gerald,  and  hence  some 
modem  writers  have  concluded  that  she  presided  over 
a  nunnery  at  Mayo.  Bdt  we  have  not  sufficient 
authority  for  either  of  these  statements.  (95)  That 
there  was  a  St.  Segretia  or  rather  Segnetia  in  those 
times,  somewhere  in  Ireland,  I  do  not  mean  to  deny ; 
and  we  find  some  other  holy  women,  who  were  dis- 
tinguished in  the  early  part  of  the  eighth  century, 
such  as  St.  Samthanna  abbess  of  Glonebrone  (96) 
in  the  now  county  of  Longford  ;  St.  Sebdanna  abbess 
of  Kildare,  who  died  in  727,  and  the  next  abbess 
after  her  St.  Affrica,  who  lived  until  739,  (97)  to 
which  year  is  assigned  also  the  death  of  a  St.  Con- 
cfaenna  daughter  of  one  Kellaigh  Chuallan.  (98) 
As  scarcely  any  thing  further  is,  as  far  as  I  can  dis- 
cover, known  concerning  them,  an  attempt  at  un- 
ravelling their  history  would  be  useless. 

Suibhne,  archbishop  of  Armagh,  having  died  on 
the  21st  of  June  in  730  (90)  was  succeeded  by  Con- 
gus,  who  held  the  see  for  20  years^  '  He  was  a  native 
of  a  place  or  district  called  Kinell-Anmire,  (100) 
probaoly  somewhere  in  Ulster.  Gdngus  was  a  man 
of  learning,  (101)  and,  when  archbishop,  wrote  a 
poem,  in  which  he  exhorted  Aedh  or  AidoB  OUan, 
king  of  Ireland,  whose  confessor  he  was,  to  punish 
Aedh  Rony,  king  of  Ulster,  for  having  sacrilegiously 
attacked  and  pillaged  some  (Churches  of  the  diocese 
of  Armagh.  (102) 

St.  Foeldovar,  bishop  of  Clogher,  died  in  738  on 
the  29th  of  June.  (lOS)  He  is  the  first  prelate  of 
that  ancient  see  whose  times  are  well  known  next 

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CMA^.:XfX^  OF  HUBLAND.  171 

after  St.  Tigemach.  (104)  St.  Tola,  bishop  of 
Ctonard,  died  in  734  on  the  30th  of  March,  the  day 
on  which  his  annivemry  was  ^omtnemorated.  (105) 
This  saint  was  of  the  illustrious  family  of  the 
Galengi,  (106)  and  son  of  one  Dunchad.  He  led  - 
for  many  years  the  life  of  a  hiermit  at  a  place  <^led 
from  him  Disert-Tola,  and  situated  either  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  ancient  Meath',  or  northern  part 
of  ancient  Munster,  and  consequently  in  the  n6W 
Kmg's  county.  (107)  Afterwards  he  was  raised  to 
the  see  of  Clonard,  but  in  what  year  is  not  recorded. 
It  has  been  said  that  he  was  bishop  also  of  Kildare. 
That  this  is  a  mistake  it)ay  be  safely  concluded  from 
as  much  as  is  knoWn  of  his  transactions.  (108)  In 
these  times  we  find  a  bishop  in  the  smalt  island  of 
Rechran  (Rachlinor  Raghlin)  off  the  coast  of  Antrim, 
Hann  son  of  Kellach.  He  died  in  735,  and  his 
memory  was  revered  on  the  I7th  of  July.  (109) 
During  this  period  an  Irish  bishop,  named  Ctimian,* 
who  at  a  very  advanced  stage  ef  life  had  retired 
from  Ireland  to  Bobbio,  where  he  spent  his  last  17 
years  in  the  motiastic  state>  and  in  a  tMst  exemplary 
manner  died  there  on  a  19th  of  AngUst,  aged  95 
years  arid  4  months*  He  was  buried  at  Bobbio 
during  the  reign  of  the  ILembard  king  Luitprand, 
which  lasted  somewhat  more  ihan  SI  years  until  744.' 
This  king  hadsiich  a  veneration  for  Cumian,  that  he 
got  his  tomb  adorned  with  precious  stones.  It  is  not 
knovm  to  what  part  of  Ireland  hel)eloBged.  (110) 

(95)  It  18  said  in  die  Life  of  8t.  Gerald  {nap,  15.)  that  Segie- 
tia  his  sister  died,  together  with  one  hundred  of  her  nuns,  of  the 
great  pestSence,  viz.  that  of  66#;  bat  it  is  not  stated  in  what 
ptece,  and  her  death  is  mentioned  as  teving  occurred  while  he 
was  at  BHteria,  and  bdbre  he  went  tO'  Mayo.  How  could  a 
sister  of  Gerald  have  been  an  abbess  before  A.  664,  or  is  it  to  be 
believed  that  he  was  superior  of  any  estabH^ment  in  Irekmd  at 
a  time  prior  to  his  having  set  a  foot  in  this  countiy  ?  Colgan  ob« 
serves  fNoL  ad  loc.  p.  603.)  that  he  could  discover  nothing  re- 

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172  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY  CHAP.  XIX^ 

lative  to  this  Scgretia*  unkas  she,  was  the  same  as  St.  S^» 
netia  of  a  place  called  Domnach-Keine^  whose  Natalis  was 
marked  in  some  calendars  at  18  December.  Yet  afterwards 
(fn  605.)  partly  in  comj^aisance  to  Gerald's  Life,  and  partly 
through  conjecture,  he  makes  mention  of  St.  Segretia  or  Seg^ietia, 
with  her  100  viigins>  as  havii^  died  at  Mayo  on  an  18th  De- 
cember. He  f<M!got  that  a  little  before  he  had  told  us  that  St. 
S^;netia  belonged  to  Domnach-Keine.  On  those  notable 
grounds  Harris  has  made  up  a  nunneiy  founded  at  Mayo  in^  the 
seventh  centuiy  by  St.  Segretia,  and  has  been  fdlowed  by 
Archc&ll. 

(96)  See  A  A.  SS.  p.  347. 

(97)  Tr.  Th.  p.  629.  1  have  added  a  year  to  ite  dates.  In 
the  Ulster  annals  the  death  of  St.  Affirica  or  Afireca  of  Kildaie  is 
assigned  to  to  A.  744  (745.) 

(98)  AA.  SS.  p.  607. 

(99)  Tr.  Th.  p.  29k  and  Ware,  BisAopi  at  Armagh. 

(10(Q  Ware  (id.)  has  understood  the  KinM-Anmire  of  Tr.  Th^ 
as  the  name  of  a  man,  from  whom  Congus  was  descended,  or 
as  Harris  has  it,  leaving  out  Kinellf  from  whose  stock  he  was 
^ung.  But  the  words,  "  De  KineU  Anmre  oriundus  JuU^ 
seem  to  point  rather  to  a  district  than  to  a  man ;  and  there  were 
several  tracts  in  Ireland,  whose  names  began  with  KineU.  It  is 
true  that  its  original  meaning  was  (nrogeny  or  clan ;  but  it  came 
to  be  used  for  the  territories,  in  which  such  dans  lived  ex.  c. 
Kinell-Conail,  Kinell  Enda,  &c  in  like  manner  as  the  Irish  wcNd 
Clann  (children,  frunily,  &c)  whence  Claneboys,  Clanrickard,  &€.. 
Kinell- Anmire  may  certainly  be  explained  by  Clan  of  Anmire^ 
and  I  will  not  object  to  the  siqpposition  that  Congus  was  a  mem- 
ber of  that  clan.  But  who  said  Anmire  was  1  cannot  tell,  un- 
less perhaps  was  meant  Anmiraeus  formeriy  monarch  of  Ire- 
land. 

(101 )  Congus  is  called  (Tr.  Th.  ib.)  a  scribe,  a  title  given  in 
Irdand,  as  Colgan  observes  (ib.  and  p.  631.)  to  men  of  letters, 
professors,  and  particularly  to  authors.  See  also  Ware,  Antiq. 
cap.  17. 

(102)  Tr.  Th.  p.  294*  Ware  and  Hairis»  Bishop*  at  Armagh 
and  WriUrt. 


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CHAP.  XIX.  OF  IRELAND.  178 

(lOS)  *  Maatera  and  A  A.  SS.  p.  742.  Their  date  is  731,  f.  e. 
7S2. 

|104)  We  have  seen  fNot.  5.  to  Chap,  xii.)  that  with  regard 
to  old  times,  no  attention  is  due  to  the  reigistiy  of  Clogher,  which 
has  been  followed  by  Ware. 

(105)  Colgan  treating  of  St  Tola  (at  30  March  p.  793.)  quotes 
the  4  Masters,  who  assign  his  death  to  733  (734).  As  to 
the  day  of  it,  which  was  omitted  by  them,  he  does  not  fib.)  ex- 
pressly mark  it,  only  obsenring,  that  his  monoiy  was  revered  on 
the  30th  of  March ;  but  elsewhere  fAA.  SS.  p.  407.)  we  read, 
according  to  his  printed  text,  that  Tola  died  on  the  3dt>f  March. 
This  must  be  a  typographical  error  for  30 ;  whereas  Colgan  states 
that  he  has  taken  from  the  calendars  of  all  the  obitual  days,  the 
NataUs  of  the  several  saints,  whom  he  names  in  this  part  of  the 
A  A.  Now  all  the  calendars,  referred  to  by  him  iat  p.  793,  have 
Tola's  name  only  at  the  30th  of  March,  and  it  is  plain  that  Col- 
gan considered  it  as  his  NataUs.  This  mistake  of  the  printer 
(one  of  the  thousands,  which  have  greatly  injured  Colgan*s  wofks,) 
led  astray  Ware,  (Bishops  at  Meath)  who  accordingly  assigned 
Tola's  death  to  the  3d  of  March.  Besides  this  mistake  Ware  fell 
into  another,  for  which  Colgan  is  not  to  blame,  although  he  pro- 
fessed to  follow  him ;  for,  instead  of  733,  wbich  Colgan  has  every 
where  for  the  death  of  Tola,  he,  or  bis  printer,  has  given  vm 
732. 

(106)  The  family  of  the  Galengi  inhabited,  I  suppose,  some 
of  the  districts  called  Galenga  or  Gallen.  There  was  a  Gallen  or 
Galian,  which  comprized  a  very  great  pSut  of  the  Queen's  county 
and  of  the  counties  of  Carlow  and  Kildare.  Cpnsidering  the  si- 
tuation of  the  place,  in  which,  as  will  be  just  seen,  St.  Tola  com- 
menced his  career,  it  is  not  improbable  that  he  was  a  native  of 
that  toritory. 

(107)  Colgan  observes,  that  the  Calendar  of  Cashel  places 
Disert-Tola  in  Meath,  while,  according  to  every  other  authority, 
it  was  in  upper  Dalcassia,  that  is,  the  northern  part  of  Munster. 
He  justly  remarks  that  it  lay  perhaps  at  the  boundary  of  both  pro- 
vinces. In  former  times  Meath  and  Munster  met  each  othar  in 
what  is  now  called  the  King's  county,  which  has  been  made  up 
of  districts  that  belonged  to  these  provinces.  That  Disert-Tola 
was  m  the  now  baibny  of  Ganycastle  insaid county  may,  I  thmk. 

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174  AN   XCCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY        CHAP.  XIX* 

be  idediicei  firpm  itm  circ^nstanp^  rilated  b j  the  4  M^aten  at 
^.  D.  1034,  of  Garten  lord  of  Dealbhna  having  been  killed  by 
teme  of  Ibi  fubjects  when*  entering  the  chucch  of  J^Vien-^oia. 
ThisDealbhna  was^  in  all  probability,  the  one  sur-fliuoed  £#t&ni^ 
the  M*Coghlan*s  country,  or  barony  of  Ganycastle.  (See  Hanii, 
_  4nii^ch.7>aikd8eww!^atDeaikhna.J 

(108)  In  St.  Tola'«  4cts  at  50  March^  in  which  Colgan  coN 
leot^d  every  tiling  that  he  could  find  concerning  him,  Kitddre  is 
not  even  mentioned.  In  the  passage  of  the  4'  Mastery  xdattve  to 
faui^^  th^re  quoted  at  fidl  length,  he  is  called  bifihtip  only  of 
Ci<»8«;d.  Ilie€alend8rofCa8fadfaa8<<S^.  r(^{/*.Dttryf  7^i&i/' 
Oiejwartyrolqgy  of  Don^all,  «-^  Tela  bishop  and  anchorets,  of 
Duert-TolaJ'  But  in  no  calendar  whatsoever  is  he  said  to  have 
belpqged  to  Kildare.  Yet  at  p.  407.  we  find  wd  of  KOdare^  tt 
de,  J^ilMarOf  added  to  the  words,  bishop  of  Clonard.  It  is  plain 
that,  KUl-dara  has  slipped  in,  instead  of  DUeH-Tdeu  Hence 
pseqeaded  the  mistake  of  Ware  and  Harris,  who  (Bidvops  at 
M»|A  and  KUdare)  make  him  bishop  not  only  of  Clooard,  but 
Ufiewise  of  Kildare,  To  show  still  further  that  they  wegoe  mi»- 
taken,  I  may  add  that  in  the  veiy  minute  catalogue,  which  CoI« 
gaB.ha%  (Tr.  rA.  p.  629.)  of  the  bishops,  abbots*  &c.  f^  Kil^ 
dar^from  the  beginning  down  to  the  13th  century,  no  Sl  Tda 
if  reckoned  among  them. 

(109)  Tr.   Th.  p.  509.    The  year  there  marked  from  the  4 
Masters  is  734.  r.  e.  735. 

(110)  Colgan  lia§  this  bishop  Cumian  at  12  Jaouaty.  His  rea- 
son fojf  treating  of*  him  at  said  day  was  his  having  conjectured 
tl^at'he  m%ht  have  been  Cumian  of  Antrim,  whose  name  is  in 
the  Jfiah  calendars  at  said  day,  and  whose  death  is  assigned  to 
hi  658.  Bbr  this  conjecture  he  has  not  even  the  appearance  of 
an  argument,  nor  is  it  consistent  with  Cumian's  haying  died  at 
SMirfn^  <»  a  19th  of  August,  and  during  the  leign  of  Luitprand, 
w^cfc.did  not  begin  until  many  years  after  658,  He  observes 
tb^  aipfiDg  all  the  Sl  Cumians,  bishc^  or  otlieni^ise,  not  one  of 
th^pa  Wpears  in  the  Irish  calendai^  at  19  August.  This  is  not 
to:be  wondered  at,  whereas  the  Cumian  of  Bobbio  died  &r  away 
fiom  Ireland,  ^d  all  that  is  known  of  him  h  contained  in'  the 
fdh>wing  efnt^h,  which  our  old  hagv>lagists  pnifbably  sever  heai^' 
of;  and'of  which  I  have  given  the  substance* 

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CHAP.  XIX.  OFIBELAN*     -  175 

Hie  sacra  beati  membra  Cumiaoi  adnrntur, 
CujuB  caelum  penetrans  anima  cum  Angdis  gaudet. 
Iste  fuit  magnus  dignitate,  genere,  fonna. 
Hunc  mittit  Scotia  fines  ad  Italicos  senem ; 
Locatur  et  Bobio,  Domini  constrictus  amore, 
Ubi  venerandi  dogma  Columbani  servando 
Vigilansy  ieiunans,  indefessus  sedule  orans, 
Olympiades  quatuor,  uniusque  circulo  anni. 
Sic  vixit  feliciter»  ut  felix  modo  credatur. 
Mids,  pradens^  pius  patribus  pacificus  cunctis. 
Huic  aetatis  anni  fiierunt  novies  deni, 
'     Lustrum  quoque  unum,  mensesque  quatuor  simul. 
Ac  pater  egr^^  potens  intercessor  existe 
Pro  gloriosiBsimo  Luitprando  r^;e,  qui  tuum 
IVedoso  laiHde  tumbam  decoravit  devotus. 
Sic  ut  manifestum  almum  ubi  tegitur  coipus 

est  hie  dominus  Cumianus  episcopus 

Qartodecimo  Calend*  Septemb.  fedt  Joannes  M agister. 

Colgan  would  fain  refer  the  words,  Quartodecimo  Calend.  Sep- 
temb. not  to  the  death  of  Cumian,  but  to  the  day  on  which  John 
Magister  worked  at  the  epit^h.  This  would  be  a  strange  mode 
of  explaining  the  days  marked  on  such  monuments;  nor  would  it 
have  occurred  to  Colgan,  did  he  not  think  it  odd  that  Cumian's 
name  is  not  in  the  Irish  calendars  at  19  August.  Mabillon,  touch- 
ing incidentally  on  Cumian,  (Annal.  &c.  at  A.  722.)  understood 
the  14  Calend,  Sept.  as  relative  to  his  death,  observing  at  the 
same  time  that  in  the  calendar  of  Bobbio  his  festival  was  assigned 
not  to  that  day  u  e.  19  August,  but  to  the  9th  of  June.  Hi^ 
adding  that  Cumian  spent  more  than  20  years  in  that  monasterf 
is,  I  think,  a  mistake  founded  on  his  having  redconed  the  four 
Olympiads  as  each  consisting  of  five  years,  a  mode  of  computing 
which  he  had  erroneously  followed  in  making  up  the  age  of  Sf* 
Cdumbanus.  (See  Not.  69  to  Chap^  xiii.) 

§•  IX.  Flahertachy  monarch  of  Ireland,  who,  as 
we  have  seen,  (111)  retired  in  734  to  a  monastery  in 
Armagh,  was  succeeded  by  Aedh  or  Hugh  IV.  sur- 
named  Ollain,  son  of  the  king  Fergall*     He  reigned 


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176  AN  ECCLlSlASTICAL  HISTOET  CHAP.  XIX. 

for  nine  years  until  he  was  killed  in  the  battle  of  Kells 
A.  D.  743,  fighting  against  Domnald,  who  was  then 
raised  to  the  throne.  This  Domnald,  the  third 
monarch  of  his  name,  was  son  of  M urdach  a  great 
grandson  of  Colman  prince  of  Meath,  who  was  a  son 
of  the  monarch  Diermit  I.  Having  reigned  20 
years,  Domnald  went  on  a  pilgrimage  to  Hy,  where 
he  died  late  in  763.  His  successor  was  Niell  Fras- 
sach,  or  the  cloudy^  a  brother  of  Aedh  Ollain,  who 
after  a  reign  of  seven  years  retired  to  Hy,  became  a 
monk  there,  and  lived  until  778.  The  next  monarch 
was  Donnchad,  or  Donagh,  a  son  (bom  in  733)  of 
Domnald  HI.  He  ascended  the  throne  in  770,  and 
held  it  for  27  years.  His  reign  is  remarkable  for  its 
having  been  that,  during  which  the  Danes  began  to 
infest  the  coasts  of  Scotland  and  Ireland.  (112) 

The  Church  history  of  Ireland  during  these 
reigns  presents  -us  with  a  much  smaller  number  of 
persons  distinguished  by  sanctity  or  learning,  and  of 
mteresting  facts,  than  we  have  met  with  in  former 
periods.  Yet  notwithstanding  the  scanty  accounts, 
that  remain  of  those  times,  owing  either  to  a  neglect 
in  recording  transactions  or  to  the  destruction  and 
loss  of  documents,  it  is  certain  that  ecclesiastical  dis- 
cipline and  learning  of  every  sort,  such  as  was  cul- 
tivated in  the  eighth  century,  continued  to  flourish  in 
this  country.  Detailed  accounts  of  many  holy  and 
learned  men  of  this  period  cannot  be  given ;  but 
there  is  no  doubt  of  such,  and  far  from  few,  persons 
having  adorned  it. 

A  St.  Manchin,  abbot  of  Tuaim-grene  (Tomgrany 
in  the  county  of  Clare)  died  in  735  (736).  (113) 
Aractac,  who,  although  called  only  abbot  of  Ferns, 
was  perhaps  bishop  there,  died  in  738.  (114)  To 
A.  D.  74-2  is  assigned  the  death  of  St.  Cormac 
bishop  of  Trim.  (1 15)  He  is  said  to  have  been  of 
the  royal  house  of  the  Nialls ;  and  his  name  appears 
in  various  calendars  at  the  lyth  of  February  as  the 
anniversary  of  his  death.  (116)     Three  brothers  of 

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CHAP.  XIX.  OP   IRELAND.  177 

his  are  spoken  of;  Ruraond,  a  very  wise  man  and 
deeply  skilled  in  history  and  antiquities,  who  died  in 
743 ;  Baitellach,  abbot  of  Trim,  whose  death  is  marked 
at  A.  D.  752  ;  and  Ossan  a  priest,  the  year  of  whose 
death  is  not  known.  St.  Coman,  or  Comman,  author 
of  a  Monastic  rule,  which  was  extensively  followed  in 
Connaught,  died  in  743,  or  according  to  another  ac- 
count in  746.  (11?)  I  find  him  called  bishop  of  Ros- 
common, (118)  where  an  episcopal  see  existed  during 
the  middle  ages ;  and,  as  that  place,  in  all  appearance, 
got  its  name  from  this  St.  Coman  (1 19)  it  is  highly 
probable  that  he  was  its  first  bishop.  (120)  His 
memory  was  revered  on  the  26th  of  December.  (121) 
In  these  times  there  was  a  bishop,  and  apparently  the 
first,  at  Fore,  St.  Suarle  or  Suarlech,  who,  having  sue- 
ceeded  the  abbot  Dubdaboren  in  7<>6,  was  afterwards 
raised  to  the  episcopal  rank  and  lived  until  the  27th 
of  March,  A.  D.  746.  (122) 

(111)  Above  §.  1. 

(112)  O'Flaher^,  Ogi^g.  Part.  in.  cap.  93.  See  also  Ware, 
AnHq.  cap*  4.  Their  accounts  as  to  those  kings  agree  in  sub- 
stance,  except  that  Ware  reckons  the  reign  of  Donnchad  fix>m 
the  year  778,  in  which  Niell  Frassach  died  in  Hy,  while  O'Fla- 
herty  makes  it  begin  in  770,  the  year  of  said  king's  withdrawing  to 
that  island.  And  hence  insteadof  27  years,  which  O'Flaherty  has 
for  his  re^,  Ware  counts  only  19.  1  must  here  caution  the  reader 
against  a  typographical  error  in  the  margin  fib.J  of  the  English 
tnmslation  of  Ware,  in  which,  instead  of  797,  the  year  of  Donn- 
chad's  death,  we  find  787.  The  dates  of  the  4  Masters  (ap,  Tr. 
Th.  p.  448.)  relative  to  all  those  kings  are  different  from  O'Fla- 
hert/s;  but  we  may  be  certain  that  his  are  the  most  cor- 
rect. 

(US)  A  A.  SS.  p.  3S2. 

(114)  lb.  p.  223.  I  have  changed  the  date  737  of  the  4  Mas- 
ters  into  738.  In  the  Sd  Index^  ib.  Arectach  is  called  bishop 
of  Ferns.  This  may  have  been  merely  a  mistake  of  the  com- 
piler. 

(115)  Colgan  at  17  February,  {p.  361.)  where  he  tieato  of  this 
VOL.  III.  N 

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178  AN   ECCLBSIASTICAL   HISTORY  CHAP.  XIX. 

tftint,  oalli  him  Oxtmc  junhry  as  if  there  had  been  an  older 
Cormac  bishop  of  Trim  in  the  fifth  centuiy.  That  this  is  a  mis- 
ti^  has  been  shown  already  (Chap.  viii.  §.  12.)  The  4  Mas* 
tflis,  quoted  by  Celgan  place  Cormac  s  death  in  741  (743). 

(116)  Althou^  in  said  odendars  Cormac,  hishop  of  Trim^  as 
eaqpresily  mentioned  at  17  Vebniaryf  Colgan,  in  consequence  of 
his  supposing  that  there  was  an  older  Cormac  also  bishop  there» 
has  some  doubts  as  to  which  of  them  this  date  belonged.  But, 
aa  he  was  mintaken  on  that  poii^  these  doubts  are  unfounded. 
At  said  day  (he  adendars  have  indeed  another  Cormac,  who  was 
not  bishop  of  Trim,  but  archbishc^  of  Armagh.  (See  Chap.  viii. 
§.  12.) 

(117)  The  4  Bfastars  (op.  A  A.  SS.  p.  791.)  have  A.^^  (743). 
Ware  ( IVriUrs  at  Caman)  quotes  the  Annak  of  Bojle  for  A^ 
746. 

(118)  AA.  SS.  p.  405. 

(119)  We  have  seen  (iVo^  146  to  0^9.  xif.)  that  there  is  no 
sufficient  reason  to  admit,  that  there  was  a  St.  Coman  at  Ros*- 
common  in  the  sixth  centuiy,  as  some  writers  have  supposed. 

(120)  Colgan  (A A.  SS.p.  405.)  calls  Coman  not  only  hishop, 
but  IBcewise  founder  of  the  church  of  Hoscommooi 

(121)  /*.andp.  791. 

(122)  A  A.  SS.  p.  772  at  27  Mart.  The  date  from  the  4  Mas- 
ters is  745,  I.  e.  746. 

§.  X.  Albuin,  alias  Witta  or  Wittan,  one  of  the 
fellow  labourers  of  St.  Bonifbce  in  Germany^  and 
who  in  741  Waa  appoitited  by  him  bishop  of  Bura* 
burg  near  Fritzlar  in  Hesse^  (138)  is  said  to  hare 
been  a  native  of  Ireland.  (134«)  The  only  objec- 
tion I  find  to  this  position  is,  that,  if  his  oriffinal 
name  was  Witta^  he  would  se6m  to  have  been 
rather  an  Englishman.  But  it  may  be  conjectured, 
that  his  real  name  was  Albuin^  which^  to  please  the 
German  ears,  was  changed  into  the  corresponding 
Saxon  fVittaf  wMte.  (126)  Be  this  as  it  may^ 
scarcely  any  thing  else  is  known  concerning  him, 
except  that  he  died  on  a  26th  of  October,  and  has 
been  called  the  apoMie  of  Thuringia.  (126)     It  is 

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CHAP.  XIX.  OF   HtfiLAlTD.  17t 

certain  that  there  were  at  that  period  Irish  mi^siimv 
aries  preaching  the   Gospel  in  Germany  together 
Tvith  5t.  Boniface.     One  of  them  was  the  celebrated 
Virgilius,  who  afterwards  became  bishop  of  Salter 
burg,    and   whose   real    name   was    most  probably 
Feargilj  or  perhaps  FeargaL  (137)     To  what  part 
of  Ireland  he  belonged,  pr  of  what  family  he  was, 
I  cannot  find  any  account,  except  its  being   said 
tha^  he   was  of  noble  extraction.   (L^)     Hanng 
greatly  distfnguished  himself  by  his  piety  and  leam-r 
ing,  (139)  he  was  raised  to  the  priesthood,  and,  ap* 
parently  soon  after,  set  out  for  the  continent  as  a 
missionary.     He  had  arrived  in  France  before  the 
year  746,  (130)  where  he  was  most  graciously  re- 
ceived by  Pepin,  son  of  Charles  MarteT,  and  as  yet 
only  mayor  of  the  palace.  (131)     He  is  said  to  have 
remained  with  Pepin,  who  was  greatly  attached  to 
him,  for   two  years,  at  Carisiacum,  a  princely  re* 
sidence  near  Compeigne,  on  the  Oise,  and  thence 
to  have  proceeded  to  Bavaria  then  goveme4  by  the 
duke  Otilo  or  Odilo,  to  whom  he  was  strongly  re- 
commended by  Pepin.     This  was  probably  about 
the  year  745.     Virgilius  was  in  Havana  when  his 
disputes  began  with  St.  Boniface,   whose  jurisdic- 
tion  then  extended  over  that  country,  as  well  as 
over  many  other  parts  of  Germany.      The  first 
instance  of  them  occurs  in  746,   occasioned  by   a 
theological  question,  to  which  the  ignorance  of  9 
priest  gave  rise.     This  priest,   not   understanding 
Latin,  used  in  administering  baptism  to  say  these 
words  ;  "  Baptize  te  in  nomine  Patria^  et  Fitia^ 
et  Spiritua  Sancta^^  instead  of  Patris,  Filii,  et  Spi^ 
ritus  Sancti.     Boniface,  being  informed  of  it,  or- 
dered Virgilius  and  Sidonius,  a  companion  of  his 
and  probably  also  an  Irishman,  (1^2)  to  rebaptize 
Mch  persons  as  that  priest  had  undertaken  to  bap* 
tize.     They  refused  to  obey,    justly   maintaining 
that  the  baptisms  performed  by  him' were  valid,  and, 
to  protect  themselves  against  any  exercise  of  Boni^ 

N  2 

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180  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL   HISTORY  CHAP.  XIX. 

facets  power,  gaye  a  full  account  of  the  whole  mat- 
ter in  a  letter  which  they  wrote  to  Pope  Zachary. 

(125)  See  EpistoL  Banifac.  No.  131,  1S2,  and  Fleiny,  Hist. 
EccL  L.  42.  §.  22. 

(124)  Trithemiufl  fDe  viris  iUustrihus  OrcL  Ben.  &c)  states, 
that  lie  had  been  a  monk  in  Ireland,  and  that  thence,  leaving  his 
sweet  native  oountiy,  he  passed  over  to  Gennany,  where  he  con- 
verted numbav  of  pagans,  and  became  bishop,  &c.  Arnold  Wion 
(Lign,  ViU.J  calls  Albuin  an  Irishman,  and  as  Trithemius  also 
says  in  one  place,  a  monk  of  Hy,  who  went  to  Gennany,  &c. . 
Henoe  several  other  authors,  among  whom  Serarius  (Ber,  Mty- 
guni.  L.  3.)  Usher  (Preface  to  Ep.  Hih.  SylLJ  Colgan  (AA.  SS. 
p.  610.)  Ware  and  Harris  (Writers  at  Albuin)  have  considered 
him  as  midoubtedly  a  native  of  Ireland. 

(125)  Even  admitting  that  the  original  name  was  Vittfi^  Witta 
or  Wittany  it  might  have  been  an  Irish  name,  although  not  mean- 
ing mhite  in  the  Irish  language.  His  English  compam'ons,  find- 
ing that  in  their  timgue  it  was  like  tvAf^f,  might  have  latinized  it 
into  AUfuinus. 

(126)  See  AA.  SS.  p.  6ia 

(127)  The  Irish  Fear,  sometimes  contracted  into  Fer,  has  in 
latinizing  of  names  been  not  seldom  changed  into  Vir.  For  Fear 
in  Irish  signifies  man,  as  Vir  does  in  Latin.  Thus  an.  abbot  of  Hy, 
whose  name  is  constantly  written  in  Irish  Fergna,  is  called  by 
Adamnan  Virgnous  through,  as  Colgan  observes  (A A.  SS.p.  451.) 
a  Latin  inflexion.  In  like  manner  Virgilius,  which  I  find  (ib.  p.  800) 
given  also  to  an  abbot  of  Aghaboe  in  the  8th  century,  and  (ib»  p. 
107)  to  one  of  Tirdaglas  in  the  10th,  was  no  other  than  Feargil^ 
or  probably  Feargal,  Fergal,  now  FerroL  That  the  Viigilius, 
who  was  in  Gennany  during  the  time  of  St  Boni&ce,  was  the  same 
as  the  one,  who  was  afterwards  raised  to  the  see  of  Saltzbuig  can- 
not, with  any  sufficient  degree  of  probability,  be  called  in  ques- 
tion. His  having  disagreed  with  him  on  some  points,  in  which  by 
the  bye  Virgflius  was  right,  and  his  bemg  denounced  by  him  to 
Pope  Zadiary,  is  no  proof  that  he  was  not  the  holy  and  learned 
Viigilius,  who,  after  that  Pope's  death,  was  considered  worthy  of 
being  promoted  to  the  epscopal  order.  Fleury,  however,  treate 
of  them  as  two  distinct  Virgils ;  but  Mabillon  (at  the  Life  qfSt. 


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CHAP.    XIX.  OF   IRELAND.  ISl 

VirgUy  A  A.  Ben.  Sec.  3.  part  2.  and  Anrud.  Ben^  Bit  /k  747 
and  756.)  makes  them  the  same  person,  and  so  does  Basnage  in 
his  edition  of  Canisius,  {Ant.  Lect.  Tom,  S.part  2.  p,  273.)  I 
scarcely  need  add,  that  Baronius,  Usher,  Ware,  and  a  crowd  of 
other  writers  were  of  the  same  (^pinion.  Yet  Pagi  (Critica  &c. 
ad  A.  D.  746.)  has  endeavouied  to  show,  that  the  Vii^U  with, 
whom  Boniface  had  some  disputes,  was  different  from  the  great 
bishop  of  Saltzburg.  But,  as  will  be  soon  seen,  his  arguments  are 
fiir  fix>m  conclusive. 

(128)  A  Life  of  St.  Viigilius  has  been  published:  by  Canisius 
(  Tom.  3.  part  2.  Basnage's  ed  )  and  aftennnuds  by  Messingham 
(Florilegy  &c.)  and  MabiUon  {Acta  Ben.  Sec.  S.part  2.  It  was 
written  in  the  12th  centuty,  and  consists  of  t;wo  parts;  the  first 
biographical,  but  short,  meagre,  and  inaccurate;  tlie  second  on 
miracles  wrought  at  his  tomb  in  various  times.  This  Life  begins 
with  these  words :  Beatinimus  igitur  VirgUius  in  Hibemia  inwla 
de  nobUi  ortus  prosapia,**  Sic  The  account  given  in  it  of  his 
transactions  prior  to  his  being  placed  on  the  see  <^  Saltzburg  is 
veiy  imperfect,  and  that  part  c^his  history  must  be  collected&om 
other  documents. 

(129)  All  accounts  agree,  that  besides  being  very  religious  he 
was  exceedingly  learned.  In  the  Life  it  is  said  that  he  might 
have  be^  considered  the  most  learned  among  the  learned  men  of 
his  time  and  climate,  meaning,  I  suppose,  the  western  world.  By 
Bruschius  he  is  styled  vir  pietate  et  doctrina  clarus.  He  is  qpoken 
of  in  like  mann^  by  Hundius  and  other  German  writers. 

(180)  Pagi,  Critica,  &c  ad  A.  746. 

(131)  Some  writers  have  said  that  Viigilius^  on  his  arrival  in 
France,  was  received  by  King  Pqiin.  But  this  must  be  under* 
stood  in  a  loose  sense,  inasmuch  as  Pepin,  from  being  mayor  of 
the  palace,  was  aflerwards  raised  to  the  throne  in  752.  Pagi 
(loc.  cit.)  and  Mabillon  {Anna!.  Ben.  ad  A.  756.)  took  care  to 
style  Pepin  only  mayor  of  the  palace  at  the  time  of  Virgilius'  re- 
ception at  his  court.  According  to  the  unchronological  manner, 
in  which  his  arrival  in  France  and  his  subsequent  [woceedings  until 
he  was  consecrated  bishop  of  Saltzbmg  are  related  in  the  Life,  it 
would  seem  as  if  he  had  not  been  in  that  countiy  until  afler  760. 
Not  only  Ware  and  Harris,  (fTri^^  at  Firg«0  but  likewise  Fleuiy, 
(£..  44.  $.3.)  in  ccmsequence  of  following  said  Life,  fell  into  a  great 


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182  AN    fiCCLEMASTICAL   HISTORY       CHAP.  XIX* 

mistake  cm  this  point.  Besides  casing  P^pm  king  at  the  time  of 
his  first  receiving  Vhgfltns,  they  supposed  that  the  saint  was  not  in 
the  continent  more  than  about  four  y^ars  prior  to  766,  or  767,  to 
^ch  of  which  years  his  consecration  at  Sahzbuig  has  been  most 
erroneously  assigned.  It  will  b^seen  lower  down,  that  he  was  a 
bishop  many  years  earlier.  But  from  what  is  said  in  the  Life,  and 
which  they  copied  from  it,  ocmceming  Virgitius  having  gone  fVom 
I'epin's  court  to  Saltzbuig  in  the  time  of  Otik),  duke  of  Bavaria, 
these  writers  ought  to  have  guarded  against  that  mistake ;  for,  as 
Pagi  {ibj  obsenres,  Otilo  died  in  748. 

(132)  MabiUon  says,  {Aknak,  &c.  at  A.  747)  that  Sidonius  had 
perhi^  come  from  Ireland  with  Virgiltus.  This  is  a  very  probable 
conjecture;  for  Sidonius,  latinized  iVom  Sedna,  frequently  occurs 
as  the  name  of  distinguished  Irishmen  in  those  ages.  Where  did 
Harr^  find,  (Writen  at  VirgU)  that  this  Sidonius,  the  fdk>w  la* 
bourer  of  Virgilius,  ivas  ardibishop  of  Bavaria  ?  It  is  plain  that  he 
was  only  a  priest,  and  so  he  is  titled  in  a  letter  of  Pope  Zadiaiy, 
written  in  748. 

§.  XI,  The  Pope  was  astonished  at  the  proceeding 
of  Boniface,  and  immediately  wrote  to  him,  expres- 
sing the  pain  he  felt  at  his  having  issued  an  order 
for  the  rebaptizing  of  those  persons.  He  cautions 
him  never  to  act  in  that  manner  again,  whereas,  al- 
though the  priest's  Latin  was  had,  the  baptisms  per- 
formed  by  him  were  valid,  and  utiattended  with  any 
circumstances  that  could  authorize  the  rebaptization 
of  those,  whom  he  had  baptized.  ( 1 38)  It  -seems 
that  Boniface  was  hurt  at  Virgilius*  having  written 
to  the  Pope,  and  consequently  treated  him  with 
harshness.  It  has  been  said,  but  I  suspect  without 
foundation,  that  Virgilius  went  on  this  occasion  to 
Rome.  (134)  It  is  certain  that  he  was  in  Bavaria 
in  747  and  the  following  year.  For  in  one  or  other 
of  these  years,  I  believe  the  former,  Boniface  de- 
nounced him  to  the  Pope,  alleging  various  charges, 
some  of  which  cannot  be  easily  guessed  at.  (1S5) 
The  first  was  that  he  used  to  speak  ill  of  Boniface, . 
because,  said  'Boniface,  I  have  shown  that  he  erred 


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CHAP.  XIX.  OF  IRELAND.  1 8S 

on  Catholic  doctrine.  But  on  what  point  or  points 
Virgilius  erred,  we  ^arc  not  informed.  Another 
charge  was  that,  conversing  with  the  duke  Otilo, 
he  used  to  sow  seeds  of  hatred  between  him  and  Bo- 
niface. To  these  vague  accusations  he  adds,  what 
he  must  have  picked  up  from  false  report,  that  Vir•^ 
gilius  said  that  he  was  authorized  (186)  by  the  Pope 
to  obtain  the  diocese  of  a  deceased  bishop,  one  of 
the  four  whom  Boniface  had  ordained  in  that  country. 
But  these  are  trifles,  compared  with  the  horrible 
crime,  of  which  Viiplius  was  guilty,  by  maintaining 
that  there  was  another  world  and  other  men  under 
the  earth,  that  is,  under  the  part  of  the  earth  trod- 
den by  Boniface.  Zachary  in  his  answer,  written 
in  748,  passing  over  the  two  first  charges,  denies 
that  he  had  empowered  Virgilius  to  obtain  a  diocese, 
and  says  that,  in  case  it  be  proved  that  he  held  the 
doctrine  of  there  being  another  world  and  other  men 
under  the  earth,  (187;  a  synod  should  be  convened, 
and  Vii^iKus  expelled  from  the  church.  He  adds, 
that  he  was  then  about  sending  a  letter  to  the  duke 
(Otilo)  concerning  Virgilius,  for  the  purpose  of  citing 
him  to  appear  before  himself,  arjd,  if  convicted  of 
error,  of  condemning  him  according  to  the  canons. 
Then  he  tells  Boniface,  that  he  did  not  forget  what 
he  had  written  to  him  (on  some  other  occasion)  con- 
cerning Sidonius  and  the  aforesaid  Virgilius.  (1S8) 
What  complaint  Boniface  had  made  against  them  is 
not  stated.  Perhaps  it  was  that  they  were  not  as 
obedient  to  him  as  he  would  have  wished.  2^chary 
says  that  he  had  written  a  threatening  letter  to  them, 
and  subjoins  that  Boniface  will  be  believed  preferably 
to  them,  and  that,  as  he  observed  above  (with  regard 
to  Virgilius),  he  will  summon  them  to  appear  before 
the  Apostolic  see.  Whether  either  Virgilius  or  Si- 
donius were  actuatlly  summoned  to  attend  at  Rome, 
or  went  thither,  or  which  of  the  parties  was  believed 
in  preference  to  the  other,  we  are  not  informed ;  but 
matters  must  have  been  compromised,  and  a  -recon* 

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184  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL   HISTORY         CHAP.  XIX. 

ciliation  have  taken  place,  whereas  henceforth  nolhiDg 
whatsoever  can  be  discovered  relative  to  those  dis- 
putes, v^S^)  Virgilius  was  abbot  of  St.  Peter's  mo- 
nastery at  Saltzburgh  before  the  death  of  Duke  Otilo, 
(140)  which  occurred  in  748,  and  seems  to  have 
continued  in  that  situation,  until  he  was  appointed 
bishop  of  said  city  by  Pope  Stephen  the  second  and 
the  king  Pepin  in  756.  (I4l) 

( 153)  This  letter  of  Pope  Zachaiy  is  at  No.  134.  of  the  EpuL 
Boni/ac.  and  may  be  seen  in  the  Bibl.  Pair,  of  "Lyons,  Tom.  IS. 
Usher  has  it  in  Ep^  Hi6.  Syll.  No.  16.  It  begins  thus ;  <<  Viigilius 
et  Sidonius,  religion  viriy  apud  Baioariorum  provinciam  degentes, 
suis  nos  litteris  visitarunt." 

(134)  Pagi  holds  (at  A.  746}  that  Virgilius,  t.  e.  the  one»  whom 
be  disdnguishes  from  the  bishop  of  Salubuig,  went  to  Rome  in 
said  year.  His  only  ai^gument  is  that  in  a  letter,  of  which  nnnre 
wOl  be  seen  directly,  of  Zachary  to  Boni&ce,  ¥nritten  in  748,  a 
chaige  against  Vifgilius  is  nientioned,  viz.  that  he  said  '<  quod 
a  nobis  esset  absolutus — diocesim  obtinere.  Pagi  explains  abso' 
luttu  as  signifying  dismissed  ;  whence  he  concluded  that  Viigilius 
had  been  at  Roma.  I  think  it  more  probable  that  absolutus 
must  in  that  passage  be  understood  as  meaning  empowered  or  au- 
thorized, ncyording  to  an  acceptation  introduced  in  the  middle  ages. 
Thus  we  find  mbsohUio  used  for  power,  Uberty,  licence  s  and  ah- 
sobUionem  Jacere  for  granting  power  or  faculties.  It  was  with 
rder^ice  to  this  occupation,  that  Zachaiy  made  use  of  the  phrase 
absolutus  ;  for  it  seems  dear  finom  what  we  read  in  the  same  let- 
ter a  few  lines  h%her  up>  that  he  had  not  as  yet  seen  Virgilius. 
Alhiding  to  diaiges  brought  against  him  by  Boniface,  he  says 
that  he  does  not  know  whether  said  Virgilius  was  called  a  priest, 
nescimus  si  dicatur  presbyter.  How  could  this  be,  had  Zachary 
been  acquainted  with  Viigilius  at  Rome  ?  In  a  former  letter  (see 
Not.  prec)  he  called  him  a  religiosus  vir,  that  is,  a  man  charged 
with  religious  functions,  such  as  he  mi^t  have  been  without  being 
a  priest,  for  instance,  were  he  only  a  deacon.  At  the  time,  at 
least,  when  Zachaiy  wrote  the  latter,  Virgilius  was  abbot  of  the 
monastery  of  St.  Peter  at  Saltzbuig ;  but  Boni&ce  had  not  in- 
focmed  the  Pope  of  his  rank  or  situation.    I  must  not  dissemble 

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CHAP.  XIX.  OF  IB£LAHD.  185 

that  also  MabiDon  thoi^t  {JtmaL  Ben.  ad.  A.  747.)  that  Virgilius 
f.  e.  he  who  afterwards  became  bishop,  went  to  Rome  and  re- 
turned thence  to  Bavaria  in  said  year  747.  He  likewise  must 
have  been  led  astray  by  the  word,  abiohOus. 

(135)  These  chaiges  are  known  only  from  Zaduu^s  answer  to 
Boni&ce  No.  140.  ap.  Epist.  Bontfac  and  17.  in  Usher's  SyUoge. 
Mabillon  supposed  C  Annul.  Sfc.  ad  A^  756.)  Uiat  Boni&cewas 
di^leased  with  Virgilius,  because  he  had  come  to  Bavaria  with 
recommendations  from  Pepin,  and  not  by  order  of  Boni&oe  him- 
self, and  that  ke  was  taken  great  notice  of  by  the  duke  Otilo,  to 
which  he  adds  that  perhaps  Y iigiliaB  was  not  very  submissive  to 
him.  All  this  may  be  true,  and  joined  wkh  the  opposition  of 
Viigilius  on  the  baptismal  question  is  fiilty  sufficient  to  eqdam 
why  Boni&ce  became  so  angiy  with  him. 

(136)  See  Noi.  134. 

(137)  It  is  universally  admitted  that  the  opinion  maintained  by 
Yiiplius  was  no  other  than  that  relative  to  the  Antipodes,  an  opi- 
nion founded  on  the  sphericity  of  the  earth,  and  which  in  our  ^y% 
even  school-boys  are  acquainted  with.  It  was  new  to  BonifiK^e ; 
for  in  these  times  geographical  and  philosophical  learning  was  nol 
as  much  cultivated  in  other  parts  of  the  West  as  in  Ireland.  Hn 
mode  d£  stating  that  q>iniop  mi^t  have  misled  a  Pope  even  more 
learned  than  Zachary,  and  induced  him  to  think,  that  Virgiliai 
held  that  there  was  a  second  species  of  men  inhabiting  another 
world  distinct  from  the  earth.  That  Virgilius  entertained  no  audi 
extravagant  notion  is  dear  from  there  not  having  been  any  fur^- 
ther  proceedings  on  this  subject ;  a  circumstance  which  dsimot  be 
accounted  for  except  on  this  principle,  that  Virgilius  communi- 
cated a  correct  statement  of  his  opinion  to  Zachaiy,  who  accord- 
ingly found  it  to  be  harmless. 

(138)  <<  Vto  Sidonio  autem  et  Viigilio  supradicto  presbytern, 
quod  scripsit  sanctitas  tua,  agnovimus.**  It  is  odd  that  here  he  calb 
not  only  Sidonius  but  likewise  Virgil  a  priest,  although  some  lines 
before  he  had  said,  that  he  did  not  know  whether  that  same  Vir- 
gilius was  called  one.  (See  Not.  134.)  Unless  there  be  some  er. 
ror  in  the  text,  the  reason  of  this  discrepancy  must  be  that  in  s 
letter  of  Boniface  concerning  Sidonius  and  Virgilius  jojntly,  and 
which  was  diferent  from,  that  in  which  he  brought  the  above 
mentioned  charge  against  Virgilius  in  particdar,  he  gave  them 
the  title  i^  priests,  whidi  he  omitted  in  the  other,  when  com- 

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186  ANECCLBSIAOTICAT/  HlSTOKr        CHAP.  KIX^ 

pWimig^TiigiBw  alone.  By  Viigiito  Zachaiy  meant  through- 
cttit  the  whdelettBT one  and  Uiesme  person,  asisevident  fiom 
the  vroid  mpnuOdo. 

(1S9)  One  of  Pagi'g  arguments  to  ^hoir  that  die  Viigilius,  who 

biq^  is,  that,  in  the  saint's  Life  no  mention  is  made  of  these  dig- 
pules.  But  surely  he  must  have  known  that  in  works  of  that  kind, 
pBrliculariy.8uchas  were  made  upinthedaricages,  silence  was  usu-' 
ally  observed  inA«g«d  to  quarrels  between  holy  men.  In  fact, 
the  so  called  Lives  of  saints,  written  in  those  times,  are  in  gene- 
sal  panegyrical  discourees  ntther  than  biogtaphical  tracts,  and 
every  thing  is  omitted  that  raigbt  throw  the  least  reflection  on  the 
conduct  of  the  saint  at  any  time  of  his  life.  And  as  to  that  of 
St.  VirgiHus,  Pagi  was  weH  aware  that  it  is  very  imperfect.  Among 
many  other  circumstances,  it  has  nothing  about  Viigilius  having 
been  abbot  at  Saltzburg  for  many  years  before  he  was  made 
bidiop.  It  is  oddthatPtogi,  who  aHows  that  both  his  Viipls  were 
in  Bavaria  in  746,  and  tiiencefoith  during  the  disputes  with  Boni^ 
^feoe,  did  net  CQotkier  that  the  Vilnius  engaged  in  them,  was.  as 
appears  from  Zaduvy's  letter  f>f  748,  the  confidential  fHend  of 
diAe  Otito.  Now  Phgi  hknself  states  that  Viigilius,  who  be 
came  bishop  of  Sakbuig,  was  the  one  who  had  been  recom- 
mended to  him  by  P^,  4md  who  was  aaecwards  a  great  favou- 
rite. Accoiduigto  his  hypothesis  we  i^ould  admit  that  bofli  the 
Vi^pls  weie  gieally  esteemed  by  the  duke  and  quite  intimate 
with  him.  What  necessity  is  -there  for  such  suppositions,  un- 
siqypocled  by  any  thmg  we&id  in  Pope  Zachaiy's  letters,  or  by 
the  auAorily  of  any  old  document?  Piigi  seemed  to  think,  that 
the  Viigiiius,  who^ras  accused  l>y  BonJfece,  was  an  obscure  per- 
90n  of  little  note ;  but  if  he  had  weU  examined  the  letter  of  748, 
he  would  have  found  that  he  was  considered  at  Otilo's  court  as  a 
man  of  hig^  consequence. 

(140)  Mabiflon,  Anfna.B.  ad  A.786. 

(141)  Mid>illon  f46.J  shows  t:hatthis  is  the  true  date  of  \^r. 
gBius'  appointmait  to  that  see,  and  Observes  tiiftt  he  was  the  hn- 
aeifiate  soooessor  of  John,  who  died  in  said  year  756.  Pagi 
oontends  (at  A.  746)  that  he  was  bishop  of  Siltzbuig  as  eariy  as 
about  thb  year,  ajid  it  is  on  this  supposition  that  he  chiefly,  and 


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CHAP.  ^IX.  OV  It»LAKOu  187 

Ibdeed  «o)6ly,  (for  ins  oliier  ^agnuMA  Itfe  gomi  Ar  wlkkg) 
grounds  liis«Meitk>ii  that  tiie  bsfaop  w«t  diffigmt  fixxti  theViigfc- 
fids,  who  liad  disputes  with  ^BonifiuK.  nis^honld  c»t«i%  ^ 
i^wed,  w«re  it  true  that  Us  epknpMy  b^an  «bout  746,  wtaoBB 
it  is  «elf-evident  that  the  pwmn  aocMMd  •by  Boidfiiee,  alid  mm^ 
pected  df  error  by  Zac^aiy  ia  74<8>  was  not  a  bishop.  F^'s 
only  argument  fbr  ttiaidftg  Virgiitis  a  bishop  so  early  isihtwded  od 
a  rery  ancient  «pkapll  •Mi  Mao,  ^iftach  he  WM  with  hi  MuMHim't 
Amdeeta,  T<m.  4.    In  it  we  k«ad,  wooiig  odKr  lines ; 

<*  QQi<)ue  Yegebat  oVaafe 'pmdsotitis  oohfiihia  tedis 
Fertne  qmOer^^enot  cans  con  fiwcribos  annos.'* 

Aigi  nndarstands  the  ahnost  ibity,  qutUer^d^Hos,  yMrs  here  mnh- 
tioned,  as  all  felative  to  llie  ^episoopal  iDcmnbency  Of  Vogyius  at 
•Sidtzburg.  ^dw,  as  he  died  785,  Pdgi  places  llie  dommencemeiit 
of  it  inabOiit746.  Bilt  MabiHoii,^ho  has  pobhshedwid  e^taph 
not  only  in  the  AnaUcta^  bat  likewise  in  the  AnnaL  B,  («t  if. 
785  )  has  drawn  no  such  conclusion  from  it ;  for,  as  aboye  observed, 
he  assign's  that  coHmencement  to  A.  756.  And  did  Pagi  4magine, 
that  the  old  breviaries,  ex.  c.  that  of  Passau,  and  various  writers, 
where  stating  that  VirgiHus  was  appointed  bi^op  by  Stephen  tfie 
second,  and  on  the  posttdation  of  Pepin,  when  khig  of  Ae  wliole 
Pirench  monarchy,  were  all  wrong  ?  Stephen*^  pontificate  did  not 
b^in  imtil  752,  the  very  year  in  which  Pfepin  was  crowned  kii^. 
To  return  to  the  epitaph,  the  &ct  is  that  Pagi  was  mistdcen  in  his 
inteipretation  of  it ;  for  the  quoted  lines  can  vety  well,  and,  unleii 
^ually  good  documents  are  to  >be  all  rejected,  must  be  explained 
lis  tehltive  not  only  to  the  years,  during  wliidh  Virgilius  was  bidiop 
of  Saltzburg^  but  likewise  to  theprevious  ones  wUle  he  govemdd 
St.  Peter's  monfeisteiy.  Tlius  it  is  true,  '^diat  he  was  invested  with 
ecclesiastical  authority  in  that  city  during  near  fbrb^  years,  therte 
bemg  ev^  reason  to  tUnk  that  he -was  abbot  of  St.  P^slePs  as 
early  as  746.  As  to  the  qiposite  extreme  of  those,  who  have  put 
Off  the  episcopacyof  Vfa^gflius-until  766  or  767,  it  is  scarcely  worth 
inentioning ;  and  let  it  suffice  to  observe  diat  Vope  Stephen  Jl.  by 
whom  he  had  been  instituted,  was  dead  smce  757.  Harris  (Wri- 
ters at  Virgilius  J  fell  into  a  monstrous  blunder  as  to  the  dates 
of  some  of  his  ttansactions.    Not  content  irith  following  Ware% 

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188  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL   HISTORY         CHAP.  Xix; 

mhtarice  in  ass^pg  his  coniecration  aa  bishop  of  Saltzbarg  to 
767 f  he  adds,  among  other  inaccuracies,  that  it  was  during  his 
episcopacy  that  he  had  his  controversies  with  Bonifiu:e.  Poor 
Harris  did  not  knoif ,  that  Bonifiu^e  sufiWed  martyrdom  in  755, 
and  acoordin^y  was  dead  before  even  the  real  date  (756)  of  the 
episcopacy  of  l^igilius.  Ware  himself,  although  not  diaigeable 
with  this  huge  mistake,  was  very  inconsistent  in,  on  one  side,  sup* 
posing  that  Yirgilius  had  not  left  Ireland  until  about  763,  (see  Na. 
131 )  and,  cm  the  other,  in  saying  that  he  and  Sidonius  wrote  a 
letter  to  Pope  Zachaiy  against  Boni&ce.  It  is  true,  as  we  have  seen, 
that  they  wrote  to  Zachaiy;  but  this  very  circumstance  ought  to  have 
taught  Ware,  that  Vhgilius  was  in  the  Continent  long  before  763, 
whereas  Zachaiy  died  in  752.  There  is  a  ridiculous  story,  men- 
tioned by  Usher,  (Ep.  Hih.  Sy!L  Not.  ad  No.  16)  of  Viigilius 
having  been  a  bishop  before  he  left  Ireland,  and  of  his  having  gone 
overto  Germany  at  the  same  time  with  St.  Kilian  of  Wurtzbuig. 
It  is  too  absurd  to  merit  refutation ;  and  it  is  well  known  that  St. 
Kilian  was  dead  since  689.  (See  Ckap.-xviii.  §.  10.) 

§•  XII.  It  is  said  that  Virgilius,  although '  named 
to  that  see,  and  exercising  episcopal  jurisdiction, 
deferred  his  consecration  for  almost  two  years,  until 
at  length,,  urged  by  the  other  bishops  of  the  province 
and  the  clergy  and  people  of  his  diocese,  he  submit- 
ted to  it ;  and  that  ii^  the  mean  time  Dobda,  or 
Dobdagreus,  a  bishop  who  had  accompanied  him 
from  Ireland^  exercised  the  necessary  episcopal  func- 
tions in  his  stead.  (142)  Some  writers  have  sup- 
posed that  Dobda  was  a  Greek ;  but  this  is,  I  believe, 
a  mistake  originating  in  the  name  Dobda-greus  hav- 
ing been  changed  by  a  copyist  into  Dobda  Grecus  or 
Graecus.  (14s3  According  to  some  accounts,  Dobda 
was  placed  as  bishop  at  Chiem  (Chiempsee  in  upper 
Bavaria)  by  the  duke  Otilo,  and  estabhshed  there  a 
school,  which  was  frequented  by  a  great  number  of 
students.  (144)  Of  the  further  proceedings  of  St. 
Yirgilius  we  shall  see  more  hereafter  \  but  chrono- 
logical order  does  not  allow  a  continuation  of  his 
historyvia  this  place.     About  the  same  time  that  he 

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CHAP.  XIX,  OF  UPLAND.  189 

arrived  in  Bavaria  we  find  another  distinguished 
Irishman  in  that  country,  St.  Alto,  who  has  been 
called  a  companion  of  his.  (145)  He  is  stated  to 
have  been  of  a  very  illustrious  family,  and  to  have 
arrived  in  Bavaria  about  7^3.  (l46)  There  he 
lived  for  some  years  as  a  hermit  in  a  forest  about 
midway  between  Augsburg  and  Munich.  The  fame 
of  his  sanctity  reached  the  ears  of  Pepin,  to  whom 
that  country  was  subject,  and  induced  him  to  make 
him  a  grant  of  a  part  of  the  forest,  about  the  year 
750,  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  a  church  and  mo- 
nastery. This  grant  was  very  probably  made  through 
the  interference  of  St.  Vii^ilius,  for  whom  Pepin, 
both  when  mayor  of  the  palace  and  when  king,  en- 
tertained the  highest  regard.  Alto  immediately  set 
about  clearing  the  ground,  and,  assisted  by  the  people 
of  the  neighbourhood,  succeeded  in  completing  a 
monastery  and  church,  which  was  dedicated  by  St. 
Boniface.  This  monastery  was,  from  Alto's  name, 
called  Alto-munster,  afterwards  corrupted  into  Alt- 
munster.  The  memory  of  this  holy  man  was  revered 
on  the  9th  of  February,  the  anniversary  of  his  death, 
die  year  of  which  is  not  known.  Some  tracts  have 
been  attributed  to  him,  but  on  authority  not  worth 
attending  to.  (147)  Among  other  Irish  missionaries 
of  this  period  in  Bavaria  is  reckoned  Declan,  whor 
is  said  to  have  died  at  Frisingen  on,  it  seems,  a  first  ^ 
of  December.  (148) 

(14:2)  These  particulars  are  related  in  the  Life  of  St  Viigiliaa, 
and  in  one  of  St.  Rupert.  In  the  former  the  bishop,  thatoffidated 
instead  of  Virgflius,  is  called  Dobda ;  in  the  latter,  Dobdagreui^ 
He  is  represented  as  having  come  from  Ireland  together  with  Vir- 
gilius ;  and,  if  it  be  true  that  he  got  a  bishopnc  fitMn  the  duke 
Otilo,  this  may  be  admitted,  whereas  Otilo  died  in  748. 

(145)  Hundius  in  his  Catalogue  of  the  bishops  of  SabMhufg, 
has  Dobda,  or  as  he- calls  him,  Dobdan,  a  Gredc.  fVom  him 
Usher  took  what  he  has  on  this  point,  (Ep.Hib.  SylL  Not.  ad  No* 
16.)andfiEom  Usher  others  have  picked  it  up.  Dobda  would 
have  been  a  very  odd  name  for  a  native  of  Greece,  but  it  was 

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19^         AN   ECCLESIASTICAL   HlftTORT  CH^«  XIX. 

oQounoDr  in  Ireland^  being  the  tame  an  Dubda,  of  whidi  maay 
uMtances  occur  in  old  times  partiailariy  aa  a  pait  of  cpinpou$^ 
oppdlaliona.  Wo  bave  alieadj  mel  wiith  DuMa4>oreod  abbot  of 
Forty  and  Dubdan  OToelain  bishop  of  ClonanL  There  was  ^ 
Dubda-tethe  ardibisbop  of  Armagh  in  the  latter  end  of  the 
eighth  century,  a  Dubda4ethe,  .abbot  of  Killakire,  Stc  A 
penon,  not  accustomed  to  Irish  namesi  might  han^e  easify 
changed  Dobda^greus  into  Dobdorgraecusi  and  hence  most  pro- 
bably was  derived  the  noUon  of  that  bishop  having  been  a  Greek. 
That  there  were  formerly  some  Greek  eocleskistics  in  Ireland  in 
deal  ftom  there  having  been,  as  Usher  fib,  J  observes,  a  Greek 
church  at  Trim>  and  which  was  so  called  as  late  as  his  times;  but 
there  ia  not  sufficient  proof  to  show  that  Dobda  was  one  of  thesa. 
Dr.  Ledwioh,  haviag  made  mention  (Antiq.  p.  172.)  of  ]>obda  or 
Dobdan  aa  a  Greek,  adds  to  what  Usher  touched  upon,  and  as  if 
to  outstrip  him  in  learning!  that  Vitgiliua  had  learned  the  doohin^. 
qfthe  Afdipodesy  Urc  ftom  Dobdan  and  other  lettered  Gre^  aoA 
Qnentals.  Then  he  si^  Aat  Viigilius  must  bave  read  Phitardi^ 
Diogenea  Laertius,  Pi^us,  and  Stobacus.  Yet  many  a  one  haa 
held  the  doctrine,  «s  he  terma  it,  of  Antipodos  without  havinf 
Head  Fhitarob^  ioi.  Next  ha  ebaerves  that  this  <<  deomistrateft 
the  attachment  of  the  Iridi  to  the  Greek  school  and.^l(fc^iv  d>ave 
the  B0man."  Pkay,  were  Biitaiich,*Diogenes  liMctiua,  ^  Mimn 
oftheChurdi?  Or  had  the  question  concerning  the  Antipodes  any 
diing  to  do  with  theology?  But  the  Doctor,  when  be  geibs  upoo  Ua 
hobby  herseofGredcs  and  Orientals^  knows  nobounds.  Hewasnol 
aware  that  Fbpe  Zachaiy,  who  was  so  much  attadued  to  BonifiK»» 
whom  the  Dr.  would  call  a  Romanist,  aiul  who  said  he  would 
believe  him  preferably  to  Viigilius,  was  himself  a  Greek.  How 
oonld  it  happen  tiue  he  had  not  some  partiality  for  aa  Iiidunan, 
fcr  nnetnbar  of  that  satkNi,  whkfa  psefened  the  Greek  schools  to 
thefteman?  Toheaariousylhere  wasnodiferanoeiD  thosedi^a 
taalwaen  said  aohoob  either  theological  or  phibsophica},  except 
that  the  Greeks  fuene^  in  general,  more  AiJled  in  the  phileaophy  of 
the  times.  The  Iiisb  collected  iBlennalio»iN»n  whatever  quarter 
jtcoiddbefiMmdk;^  studied  t^  weiks  of  bothGi^eks  and 
Latinain  evesy  department  of  knowle^s  and  it  is  eeftam  Aot 
ihey  were  at  d^  pMiod  veiy  wdl  versed  in  Greek  leamog,  and 
OMbobeadiy  muak  more  so  than  any  eiber  people  of  Woitem 
S«Mpe» 

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CHAP.  XIX*  OF  IBSLAND.  IQl 

(144)  HuDdiuSy  loc.  cii.  If  D»bda  was  named  to  tfaat  lee  by 
Otilo,  he  must  have  been  there  as  early  as  74?S.  Bat  Hundhis? 
i^nmology  is  pecfaaps  as  incorrect  on  this  point  as  on  that  relative 
to  ViigiliuSy  whom  also  he  makes  bishop  of  Salrxbin^  in  Otilo's 
iimey  addii^  that  he  was  consecrated  in  7679  to  which  year  he 
assigns  Hkewwe  the  opening  of  Oobda's  school  and  app^tfsntly  his 
appointment  to  Chiem. 

(145)  In  the  Acu  of  St.  Alto>  which  Colgan  has  endeavoured 
to  make  up  at  9  February/ Brunner 'is  quoted  as  statmg  (AtmaU 
Bohr.J  that  Aho  had  aocompanied  Virgilius,  "ev  einsdem  cmm* 
tatuT  This  was  perhaps  founded  merefy  on  the  oircumstanoe  of 
Alto's  having  been  in  Bavaria  at  least  as  early  as  Villus. 

(146)  Mabak>n,  Annal.  Ben.  ad  A,  743.  Coigan  obaervet 
(AAm  SS.p.  S02.)  that  Ako  was  rather  a  usual  name  in  Irehmd^ 
as  appears  fiom  old  genealogies.  St.  Brendan  of  Clonfert  waa 
grandson  of  one  Akb,  and  accordingly  was  sumamed  by  Acfsnman 
Moeu-Aki. 

(147)  Dempster,  besides  striving  to  make  Alto  a  Sootcfaman, 
becanseheis  said  to  have  been  bom  in  Seotiof  asif  the  Scotia  of 
those  times  wen  not  Ireland,  has  &rgsd  the  names  of  certain 
books  as  writtgd  by  him,  ^^licli,  observes  Cdgan,  nobody  eise  has 
Awoidaboot. 

(148)  aeaAJ.  8S.p.  S02.flDd  Usher,  Ep.  Hib.  SyU.  NpL  ad 
No.  16. 

%.  xiif.  To  the  year  747  C^^^)  ^f^  aisigned  the 
deaths  of  the  following  diatinffuished  and  pious  ec- 
desiaatics ;  MoeUmarchaD,  bishop  of  Ectrum  ;  (1^ 
Nuad  or  Niiadat,  abbot  of  Clones  i  Cuangus^  sur^ 
named  Mac-dallf  a  man  of  eminent  sanctity  and 
learning,  and  abbot  of  liethmore,  where  his  fiMtifal 
was  eeld>rated»  together  with  that  of  the  founder 
Su  Pulcberius, on  the  isth of  March;  (151)  CdnNua 
sumamed  BrUanmcus^  apparently  from  lUs  haviaig 
inpent  some  time  in  Britain  or  having  been  a  Britin 
Scot,  son  of  one  Foilan,  and  abbot  of  Siane  j  Fursey 
or  Fursa,  abbot  of  Lecan,  now  Leekin  in  Westn^ath  ; 
Losclag,  sumamed  WUe^;  Eochod  of  Ealltoma^ 
somewhere  in  said  district;    (152)    Keledulass  of 

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192  AK  fiCCL£SIA6TICAL   HISTORY        CHAP.  XIX. 

Devenish  ;  and  Macoge  of  Lismore,  who  was  perhaps 
bishop  of  that  see. 

In  the  following  year  748,  and  on  the  third  of 
July,  is  said  to  have  died  Kiilen  Droichtheach, 
abbot  of  Hy.  (15S)  He  was  succeeded  by  Faiibe, 
the  second  abbot  of  that  name,  concerning  whom  I 
find  nothing  particular,  except  that  his  death  is  as- 
signed to  the  J  0th  of  March  A.  D.  755  ;  that  he  was 
then  in  the  87th  year  of  his  age  ;  and  that  he  was 
succeeded  by  Sleben,  son  of  Congal,  of  the  race  of 
Conall  Gulbanius.  (154) 

Congus,  archbishop  of  Armagh,  having  governed 
the  see  for  20  years,  (155)  was  on  his  death  in  7^0 
succeeded  by  Kele-Petrus,  a  native  of  Hi-Bressail, 
now  Clanbrassil  in  the  county  of  Armagh,  whose 
incumbency  lasted  until  758,  when  he  died  and  had 
for  successor  Ferdachrich  son  of  one  Suibne.  (156) 
FUhertach,  who  had  been  king  of  Ireland,  and 
became  a  monk  at  Armagh,  died  there  in  76 1.  (157) 
In  the  same  year  died  Tola,  abbot,  and  perhaps  bishop, 
of  Ardbraccan ;  as  also  Folachtach,  abbot  of  Birr ; 
Loarn,  abbot  of  Clonard ;  Kellbil,  abbot  of  Cluain* 
bronich  ;  (158)  and  Alild,  abbot  of  Mungret ;  con- 
cerning all  of  whom  nothing  further  is*  known. 

In  these  times  flourished  St.  Melle  or  Mella,  the 
mother  of  two  holy  men,  Cannech,  a  priest,  and 
Tigernach,  an  abbot.  (159)  Having  lost  her  husband, 
she  determined  on  leading  a  religious  and  retired 
life.  Tigernach  had  just  erected  a  monastery,  close 
to  the  lake  Melge  (Lough-Melve  in  the  county  of 
Leitrim),  which  he  made  over  to  her,  proceeding 
himself  to  another  place.  Melle  here  collected  a 
number  of  pious  females,  whom  she  governed  as 
abbess  for  many  years.  There  is  no  account  of  the 
precise  time  of  her  death ;  but  it  appears  to  have 
been  prior,  by  some  years,  to  787.  She  is  mentioned 
twice  in  the  Calendars,  viz.  at  the  9th  and  3l8t  of 
March,  under  the  name  of  ^S/.  M^lk  qfDoire-Melle, 


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CHAP.   KIX.  OF  IRELAND.  J93 

that  is,  the  oak  grove  of  Melle,  by  which  appellation 
that  nunnery  has  been  distinguished. 

(149)  4  Masters,  and  Colgwi  Ind.  ChroiuadAA.  SS.  Their 
date  is  746,  I.e.  747. 

(150)  Colgan's  text  has  Episcopus  Ectrumensis.  I  cannot  find 
-a  place  called  Edrum.    It  is  voy  probable  that  Ectrumensis  is  an 

erratum  for  Endrumensit  or  Aendrumensii,  and  that  Antrim  was 
ihe  see  of  this  bishc^. 

(151)  Colgan  gives  a  short  account  of  St.  Congus  at  IS  Maich, 
;?.607. 

(152)  See  Archdall  at  KUtoma. 

(153)  The  4  Masters,  and  Tr.  Tk.  (p.  500)  have  747  (748). 
Smith  {Append,  to  Life  of  St.  Columba)  refers  to  the  Annals  of 
Ulster  as  placing  this  Killen's  death  in  751.  In  Johnston's  Ex- 
tracts from  said  annals  I  do  not  find  even  his  name  mentioned. 

.  (154)  4  Masters  and  Tr.  Th.  ih.  Their  date  754  (755)  fi)r 
Failbe's  death  does  not  agree  with  the  Annals  of  Ulster,  which, 
as  they  appear  in  Johnston,  make  mention  of  Suibhne  as  abbot  in 
753  (754).  It  is  also  to  be  observed,  that  according  to  hisreadmg 
thane  would  be  no  room  for  the  abbot  Sleben,  wh6m  the  4  Masters 
and  Colgan  make  the  immediate  successor  of  Faflbe  and  next 
before  Suibhne.  I  suspect  that  Johnston  mistook  the  text  of  said 
Annals,  and  that  he  confounded  Sleben  with  his  successor  Suibhne. 
Thus,  fnstead  of  Suibhne^  as  abbot  in  754,  we  ou^t  to  read 
SUhen. 

(155)  See  above,  §.%. 

(156)  4  Masters,  and  Tr.  Tk.  p.  294.  I  have  added,  as  also 
Ware  has  done,  a  year  to  their  dates. 

(157)  lb.    The  year  there  marked  is  760,  u  e.  761. 

(158)  In  the  Topognq>hical  Index  to  A  A.  SS.  Cluain^bronach 
is  marked  as  the  same  place  with  Clonbrone  in  the  county 
of  Longford.  But  Cluain^ronnch  must  have  been  difoent 
firom  it,  whereas  at  Clonbrone  there  was  only  a  nunnery. 
Cluain-bronach  was  probably  the  same  as  Cluainbraoin  near  the 
town  of  Louth,  where  the  memory  of  a  St.  Dichull  was  held  in 
veneration.  (See  Tr.  Th.  p.  115.)  Archdall  would  have  done 
better,  had  he  assigned  Kellbfl  to  this  place  rather  than  to  Clon- 
brone, wherehe  has  him  in  alist  (^  abbesses.    It  may  perhaps  be 

VOL.  III.  O 


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194  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORt         CHAP.  XIX. 

midf  Hmt  Colga&  does  not  eaq[ireB,8ly  call  htm  an  abbot ;  but,  aa  he 
uses  the  word,  abboty  just  befine^  when  naming  Loarn,  it  is  difficult 
to  suppose  that  this  title  was  not  meant  as  apj^cable  also  to  KellbiL 
In  like  manner  we  find  in  the  passage,  where  those  persons  are 
mentioned  together  (Ind.  Chran,  ad  A  A.  SS.)  as  having  died  in 
760  (761),  that  Tola  is  not  called  either  abbot  or  bishop;  yet 
elsewhere  (ift.  p.  79S*)  Colgan  gives  him  the  title  of  antUtes  of 
ArAiraccan. 

(159)  Colgan  has  a  short  and  hnpeifect  account  of  St.  Mdla  at 
51  March.  He  thinks  that  St.  Cannedi,  her  son,  was  the  same  as 
the  Cannech,  whose  name  is  in  the  Calendars  at  said  day. 

§.  XIV.  Ferdachrich,  who,  as  we  have  seen,  became 
archbishop  of  Armaeh  in  758,  held  that  see  for 
about  ten  years^  and  dying  in  768,  seemingly  in 
the  month  of  May,  (I6O)  was  succeeded  by  Foende- 
lach)  or  Foennelach,  (l6i)  the  son  of  one  Moetiach. 
Sleben,  abbot  of  Hy,  died  in  763  ;  and  his  memory 
was  revered  on  the  @d  of  March.  His  successor 
was  Suibhne  the  second,  who  governed  the  Colum- 
bian order  until  768,  or,  according  to  some,  772, 
the  year  of  his  death.  This  Suibhne^s  name  is  in 
the  calendars  at  22  June.  (t62)  He  had  been  in 
Ireland  on,  as  may  be  supposed,  a  visitation  of  the 
Columbian  monasteries  in  767  •  ( 1  ^^^  St.  Aedgen, 
bishop  of  Fore,  died  in  767  (164)  after  which  I  do 
not  find  any  bishop  named  from  that  place  until 
about  100  years  later.  .St.  Himelin,  a  native  of 
Ireland,  who  is  said  to  have  been  a  near  relative  of 
St.  Rumold  of  Mechlin,  is  supposed  to  have  died 
during  this  period  and  the  reign  of  Pepin,  which 
ended  in  768.  (l&S)  Himelin  was  returning  from 
Rome,  when  being  much  fatigued  and  very  thirsty 
he  stopped  to  rest  a  while  at  Vissenack,  a  village 
near  Thenae  (Tillemont)  in  Brabant.  It  is  related 
that  having  met  a  servant  maid  of  the  curate  of  that 
place,  who  was  bringing  water  from  a  neighbouring 
fountain,  he  asked  her  for  a  drink  of  it,  which  she 
refused  to  give  him^  because  her  master  had  en- 

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CHAP.  XIX.  OF  IRBLAKD.  19^ 

joined  her  not  to  let  any  one  put  his  lips  to  the 
Tessel  on  account  of  a  pestilence  then  raging  in  that 
vicinage^     At  length,  however,  b^ing  earnestly  <  re- 
quested by   Hinielin,    who  asfsured  her  that    her 
master  would  not  be  displeased,  she  allowed  him  to 
take  a  drink.     On  her  returning  home  and  placing 
the  vessel  before  the  curate,  he  found  that,  instead 
of  water,   it  contained  wine.     Astonished   at  this 
prodigy,  and  being  informed  by  the  servant  maid 
of  the  person   she  had  met  with,  he  immediately 
ran  in  search  of  Himelin,  who  was  continuing  his 
journey.     Having  overtaken  him,  and  knowing  him 
to  be  a  saint,  he  induced  him  after  much  solicita- 
tion to  stop  at  his  house  and  take  some  refreshment. 
When  it  was  time  to  retire  to  sleep,  Himelin  re- 
fused to  lie  on  a  comfortable  bed  prepared  for  him, 
and  stretched  himself  on  some  bare  straw  in  a  bam, 
where  being  oppressed  by  illness  he  remained  for 
two  days,    and,  having  received  the  rites  of  the 
Church  fh)m  his  host,  expired  on  the  third.      He 
was  buried  at  Vissenack,  where  his  remains  were, 
and  probably  are  to  this  day,  held  in  great  venera- 
tion.    The  anniversary  of  his  death  is  marked  in 
various  calendars  at  10  March,  and  without  any  ec- 
clesiastical title  annexed  to  his  name,  (166)  whence 
it  would  seejn  that  he  was  only  a  layman.     Yet  in 
one  account  of  this  saint  I  find  him  called  a  priest. 
(167)    St.  Mono,  who  is  styled  the  martyr  of  Nas- 
sonia  might  be  supposed  to  have  been  killed  during 
the  reign  of  Pepin.     He  went  from  Ireland  (the 
then  Scotia)  to  Ardnenna,  the  forest  of  the  Arden- 
nes, but  at  what  precise  time  I  do  not  find  recorded. 
He  lived  there  alone  for  a  long  time ;  yet  it  is  said 
that  he  was  a  disciple  of  Saints  Remacle  and  John 
Agnus,  bishops  of  Maestricht,  the  former  of  whom 
spent  the  last  years  of  his  life  in  the  iponastery  of 
Stevelo  in  the  Ardennes.     He  erected  a  church  at 
Nassonia  (as  it  is  called  in  Latin)  a  place  two  miles 
distant  from  the  monastery  of  St.  Hubert,  in  the 

o  2 

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196  AH  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY        CHAP.  XIX. 

diocese  of  li^.  ^e  wm  killed  by  robbers  on  an 
1 8th  of  October,  and  buried  in  his  own  church,  to 
which  after  his  death  king  Pepin  assigned  tithes. 
John  Agnus  placed  there  a  community  of  clergy- 
men, who  were  afterwards  called  canons«(l  68)  But, 
if  it  be  true  that  St.  Mono  was  a  disciple  of  St. 
Remacle,  perhaps  at  Stavelo,  he  must  nave  been 
killed  before  the  reign  of  Pepin,  whjch  began  in 
75S.  For  St.  Remacle  died  several  years  before  the 
end  of  the  seventh  century ;  and  it  js  difficult  to 
think,  that  a  disciple  of  his  could  have  reached  the 
times  of  king  Pepin.  Perhaps  Pepin  the  king  has 
been  confounded  with  his  grandfather  Pepin  de  He- 
ristal  mayor  of  the  palace,  who  died  in  7i4. 

(160)  Ware  and  Hanris,  Bishops  at  Armagh.  Their  ttiying 
that  Ferdachrich  died  in  May  is,  I  bdieve>  founded  only  on  Colgan*! 
stating,  (TV.  Th.p,  29^.)  that  more  would  be  seen  concerning  him 
at  18  and  SI  May.  This  is  a  matter  of  little  consequence,  and  it 
is  more  important  to  observe  that  Colgan,  following  the  4  Masten, 
assigns  his  death  to  A.  D.  771  (772).  Ware  took  his  calculation 
from  the  catalogue  of  the  Psalter  of  Cashel,  (ib.  p.  292.)  which 
allows  only  ten  years  for  the  incumbency  of  Ferdadhrich,  the 
counting  of  which  from  758  brings  us  to  768.  Its  authority  is 
certainly  the' more  respectable'^bf  the  two;  and  from  it  also  we 
know  that  Ferdachrich  was  really  archbishop  of  Armagh,  although 
the  Ulster  annals  and  the  4  Masters  call  him  merely  abbot. 

( 161 )  Ware  and  Harris  from  the  catalogue  of  the  Psalter  of 
CasheU  In  that  of  the  4>  Masters  and  Cdg^n,  instead  of  Foen- 
delach,  the  pext  marked  after  Ferdachrich  is  Cudisniscus,  whom 
the  Psalter  places  third  in  succession  after  Foendelach.  Of  the 
confusion,  that  occurs  as  to  the  succession  at  Armagh  for  several 
years  henceforth,  we  shall  see  hereailer. 

(162)  4  Masters  and  Colgan,  Tr.  Th.  p.  500.  I  have  added, 
as  usual,  a  year  to  their  date  762  for  Sleben  and  767  for  Suibhne. 
The  Annals  of  Ulster  in  Johnston's  Extracts  assign  the  death  of 
Suibhne  to  771  (772). 

(163)  Ulster  Annals  ap,  Johnston. 

( 164)  Ind.  Chron.  ad  A  A.  SS.  It  has  766,  i.  e.  767. 

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CHAP.  XIX.  OP  ia£LAND.  197 

(165)  la  one  of  the  short  accounto  of  St.  Himdin,  published 
hy  Col^an  at  10  March,  it  is  said  that  he  flourished  in  the  times 
of  Pepin,  when  king  of  France.  As  i&  death  of  Hinielin  fol- 
lowed very  soon  after  he  was  supposed  to  flourish,  that  is,  after  he 
was  known  in  Brabant,  it  may  be  fiuriy  txmcluded  that  it  oc* 
curred  during  the  reign  of  Pepin.  Molanus,  however,  states  that 
he  lived  until  that  of  Charlemagne^ 

(166)  In  said  calendars  he  is  cilled  simply  Confes*OTf  for  in* 
stance  in  the  Martyrol.  Anglic,  which  at  10  Mart,  has ;  **  De- 
foskiQ  S»  Himdini  Ctmfetnoru^  qui  in  Hibemia  natus"  &c.  Fot- 
rarius  merely  sap ;  Erat  atUetn  ncUione  HiSemus,  S.  Rumoklo 
^piicopo  Propinquus ;  without  any  allusion  to  his  having  been  in 
holy  orders. 

(167)  One  <^  the  little  tracts,  called  by  Colgan  Lives  of  St. 
Himdin^  begins  with  these  words ;  <<  Beatus  Himdinua  confessor 
et  sacerdm  Dea  dignus,  &c"  It  may  be  seen  also  in  the  BoUan- 
disU  at  }0  March. 

(168)  Molanus,  NataUs  sanctorum  Bdgii  at  18  October.  It 
is  very  strange  that  in  Ware's  Annals  (at  the  reign  of  king  Johny 
ch.  4.)  Mono  is  spoken  of,  aa  if  he  flourished  in  the  13th  century. 
Surely  the  king  Pepin  lived  some  centuries  before  that  time.  As 
Ware  refers  to  Molanus,  it  is  impossible  that  he  could  have  af- 
fixed his  account  of  St.  Mono  to  that  period ;  but  it  seems  that 
those,  who  collected  his  posthumous  papers^  having  found  it 
among  them,  and  not  knowing  where  to  place  it,  assigned  it  at 
random  to  the  reign  of  king  John.  There  is  extant  an  old  Ufk 
of  St  Mono;  but  I  have  not  been  able  to  meet  with  it.  In  But* 
ler*s  Lives  of  saints  (at  18  October)  St.  Mono  is  said  to  have 
lived  in  the  7th  century,  and  to  have  been  a  Scotdunan.  The 
former  position  is,  I  believe,  right ;  but  the  latter  must  b^  qua- 
lified according  to  the  acceptation  of  the  name  Scotus^  which  in 
those  times  generally  signified  Irishman.  As  to  there  having  been 
a  St.  Mono's  church  in  Scotland,  this  is  of  no  consequence;  fiir 
in  that  country  there  were  churches  also  of  Columba,  St.  Kieran, 
Ac.  who  were  not  Scotchmen,  as  now  understood. 

/ 

§.  XV.  St.  Rumold)  commonly  called  of  Mechlin, 
was  distinguisbed  in  these  times.  That  he  was  born 
iQ  Ireland  is  uisually  admitted,  and  there  seem^^to  be 

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198  AN    ECCLESIASnCAL   HISTORY        CHAP.  XIX. 

no  doubt  that  he  was  a  bishop  before  he  left  his  coun- 
try. ( 1 69)  It  is  a  mistake  to  say,  that  he  was  bishop 
of  Dublin;  for  that  city  had  not  as  yet  bishops  in 
those  days  ;  but,  as  has  been  already  more  than  once 
observed,  some  foreigners,  not  acquainted  with  Irish 
history,  were  wont  in  latter  times  to  give  to  some  of 
Qur  bishops,  whose  sees  were  not  known,  the  title  of 
bishop  or  archbishop  qf  Dublin^  for  instance,  in  the 
cases  of  St.  ^ivinus,  St,  Disibod,  &c,  (1 70)  Ac- 
cording to  certain  vague  accounts  Rumold  was  the 
son  of  an  Irish  prince  or  king,  and  heir  to  his 
father's  principality.  (171V  Be  this  as  it  may,  he 
embraced  the  ecclesiastical  state,  and  after  some  time 
was  raised  to  the  episcopal  rank.  Being  struck  with 
a  wish  to  visit  the  tombs  of  Apostles  and  Martyrs  he 
set  out  for  Rome,  and  travelling  through  England 
and  France  preached  on  various  occasions  during  the 
course  of  his  journey.  At  Rome  he  spent  the 
greatest  part  of  his  time  in  holy  places  amidst  the 
remains  of  saints,  and  became  inflamed  with  an  ar- 
dent thirst  for  martyrdom.  Having  been,  as  is  said, 
admonished  in  a  vision  to  return  to  the  West,  he  left 
Ronte  with  the  Pope's  benediction,  and  arriving  at 
Mechlin  was  most  kindly  received  by  Count  Ado. 
This  Count,  who  was  married  to  a  lady  named  Eliza 
and  had  as  yet  no  children,  requested  the  prayers 
of  St.  Rumold  that  God  miglit  please  to  grant  him 
one.  The  Countess  was  in  due  tiitoe  delivered  of  a 
son,  who  was  baptized  under  the  name  of  Libertus, 
and  afterwards  became  distinguished  for  sanctity.  In 
gratitude  for  this  favour  Ado  granted  to  Rumold, 
for  the  erection  of  a  monastery,  a  place  called  Ulmus, 
from  the  number  of  elms  growing  there.  The  saint, 
being  now  settled  in  that  country,  was  indefatigable 
in  preaching  the  Gospel,  not  only  at  Mechlin  buf 
likewise  throughout  the  neighbouring  districts,  and 
with  such  great  success  that  he  has  been  justly  styled 
the  Apostle  of  the  Mechlinians.  While  sedulously 
engaged  in  this  good  work,  two  assassins,  one  of 

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CHAP.  XUU  OF  IBBLAND.  199 

whom  be  had  reproved  as  guilty  of  adultery,  con- 
spired against  him,  (l?^)  and  put  him  to  death  on 
the  24th  of  June,  A.  D.  775.  (173)  To  conceal 
their  crime,  they  threw  his  body  into  a  river ;  but 
it  was  soon  discovered  and  honourably  interred  hy 
Count  Ado  in  a  church  or  chapel,  named  from  St. 
Stephen,  which  Rumold  had  erected  at  Ulmus.     In 

{process  of  time  it  was  removed  to  a  church  in  Mech- 
in,  dedicated  to  ^  his  memory,  long  since  and  still 
the  cathedral  and  metropolitan  church  of  that  city, 
where  it  is  preserved  in  a  splendid  shrine.  Akhough 
St.  Riunold  was  killed  on  the  S4th  of  June,  yet,  on 
account  of  that  being  St.  John  the  Baptist's  day,  his 
festival  has  been  affixed  to  the  first  of  July.  Many 
miracles  are  said  to  have  been  wrought  at  his  tomb ; 
and  it  is  unnecessary  to  enlarge  on  the  great  venera- 
tion in  which  his  memory  has  been  held. 

(169)  I  have  not  been  able  to  meet  with  the  Acts  of  St.  Ru^ 
mold  written  by  Hugh  Ward,  a  learned  Irish  Rand^cap  of  . 
Louvain,  and  published  after  his  death  bj  his  confirere  Sinn 
in  1662.  Could  I  have  the  perusal  of  then^  I  shoul4  hope 
to  findsoiaethingy  that  would  help  to  clear  away  the  robbiabt  that 
appeare  in  some  accounts  of  this  sainL  The  tessons  of  his  01^ 
fice  at  the  first  of  July,  compiled  bjBva^eCQfic.  Propr;6iC.) 
consist  in  great  part  of  silly  fiibles,  picked  up  heve  and  tbeve, 
some  of  which  may  be  seen  in  Hands'  account  of  ^t.  Rumold  at 
Bishops  iif  Dublin.  These  lessons  are  much  less  correct  than 
those  of  the  Office,  taken  from  the  breviary  of  St.  Joim  Lateraii> 
which  is  read  in  Ireland  The  tract,  caUed  the  Life  ^  St.  Ru" 
moldy  and  published  in  the  enlarged  editioQ  of  Surius  {Cologne^ 
A.  1618)  at  1  July,  is,  as  £ttr  a»  it  goes,  apparently  rather  ex- 
act. I  say,  as  far  as  it  goes^  because  itis  a  mere  pan^Qnnci^ 
discourse,  which  had  been  pronounced  on  the  festival  of  the 
saint  by  an  abbot  Theodoric  of  the .  monastery  <^.St«  T^do  or 
St  Troi^  who  was  living  in  the  year  1100*  .  It  omits  many  cv* 
cumstances  re^itive  to  the  history  of  8t.  Bumold^  MC^  as,  £br 
instance,  his  having  been  a  bishop,  althoi^l^it  is  univ€n^^  al* 
Wwedthat  hewas  one.  As  to  hli  Joying  been  a  n^rtivt  of  Ira- 
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200  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY         CHAP.  XIX* 

kuddy  Theodoric  is  Tery  explicit ;  for,  although  he  calk  the  saint's 
countiy  ScaUtty  he  telk  us  that  it  was  the  island  Scoda,  separated 
by  the  sea  from  Britain,  the  island  in  which  there  are  no  serpents; 
and,  to  make  the  matter  still  plains,  he  adds  the  weU  known 
words  of  Solinus  descriptive  of  Ireland.  The  Martyrology 
of  Mechlin  brings  "  St  Rumold  from  that '  part  of  Scotia^ 
'  which  is  now  caUed  Ireland,  subjoining  that  he  had  been  arch- 
bishop of  Dublm ;  and  hence  as  well  as  from  other  documents 
Molanus  justly  aigued  against  some  persons,  who  taking  advan- 
tage of  the  name  Scotia  strove  to  make  him  a  native  of  the  now 
^Scotland,  that  he  was  an  Irishman  and  a  Scot  of  the  original 
Scotia.  The  words  of  said  martyrolc^  have  been  copied  into 
the  Office  of  the  Lateran  breviary,  with  this  only  difference  that, 
histead  of  arcMmhop,  it  has  bishop.  But  we  shall  soon  see,  that 
Rumold  was  neither  one  nor  the  other  of  Dublin.  The  opmion 
of  bis  having  been  a  native  of  Ireland  was  so  universally  admit- 
ted, that  the  ^learned  Pope,  Benedict  xiv.  in  a  letter  written  to 
the  Catholic  bishops  of  Ireland,  (August  15,  1741)  redcons  him 
among  the  great  Irish  saints,  such  as  Columbanus,  Kilian,  Viigilius, 
Ac.  who  either  propagated  the  CathoUc  faith  in  fbre^  countries, 
or  illustrated  it  by  their  blood.  (See  Burice's  Hib.  Dotn.  p.  21.) 
It  is  worth  observing,  that  this  letter  was  written  many  years  af- 
ter the  Bollandist  SoUerius  {at  Si  Rumold! s  Acts)  threw  out  some 
conjectures  to  show,  as  that  Pope  was  certainly  aware  of,  that 
St.  Rumold  was  an  Anglo-saxon  who  had  embraced  the  monastic 
state  at  Mayo,  and  that  having  heard  of  the  progress  of  St.  VfVL" 
librord,  &c  in  Belgium,  he  went  to  that  countiy,  and  thence,  to 
be  qualified  for  the  mission,  to  Rome,  where  he  was  consecrated 
bishop ;  that  he  then  returned  to  Belgium,  &Cj  This  hypothesis 
may  appear  rather  ingenious ;  but  how  is  it  to  be  recondled  with 
the  constant  tradition  of  the  churdi  of  Medilin  and  the  testis 
mony  of  every  older  writer  tiiat  has  treated  of  this  saint  ?  It  is 
mentioned,  but  not  adopted,  in  the  Gallia  Christiana,  Tom.  5. 
adEcclesia  Mechliniensk. 

(170)  Ware  has  judiciously  omitted  those  pretended  bishops  of 
Dublin,  prior  to  the  deventh  century ;  but  Harris  has  foisted 
them  into  his  additions.  I  must  here  observe  that  some  modem 
writers  are  Bot  sufficiently  cautious  in  distinguishing  Ware's  ori- 
^nal  woric  from  Harris'  interpolations.  Thus  I  find  in  a  note  at 
St.  Rumold  in  Butler's  Lives  of  Saints  (1  July)  Ware's  Bishops 

Digitized  by  VjOOQ iC 


OttAP.  XIX.  OF  IRELAND.  901 

referred  to  for  an  account  of  this  saint.  Now  Ware  htm  not  gtven 
any  account  wh8t8oe¥er  of  him ;  and,  instead  of  Ware's  name^ 
that  of  Harris  should  have  appeared  in  said  note.  We  have  just 
seen,  that  the  nuurtyrology  of  Mechtitt  places  St.  Rumold  at 
Dublin.  To  this  first  mistake  has  been  added  another,  viz.  that 
he  succeeded  thare  one  Gualafer,  (meaning  perhi^  Gallagher)  by 
whom  he  is  said  to  have  been  baptized.  Molanus  has  this  stoiy, 
and  from  him  Burke  C  Office,  &c)  and  Harris  (Bishops  at  Dublin) 
have  borrowed  it.  In  the  Lateran  Office  ther^  is  no  mention  of 
this  bishop  Gualafer,  &c  Nor  is  there  any  thing  in  this  Office 
c£  what  Burke  has  concerning  St.  Rumold  having  been  conse- 
crated in  the  cathedral  of  Dublin  by  Cuthbert  ardibishop  of  Can- 
terbuiy !  What  cathedral  could  there  have  been  at  that  period 
in  Dublin?  or  who  has  ever  heard  of  an  ardibishop  of  Canterbury 
coming  over  to  consecrate  bishops  in  Ireland  ? 

(171)  Molanus  says  that  old  documents  of  the  church  of  Mech- 
Un  Hiake  him  son,  of  a  king  David,  meaning,  I  suppose,  Duthy, 
an  Irish  name,  which  by  persons  writing  in  Latin  has  been  some- 
times changed  into  David.  Burke  (»6.)  tells  us,  that  this  David 
was  king  of  Dublin,  and  that  his  queen  was  Cecilia,  a  dau^ter 
of  a  king  of  Caahd.  This  is  all  voy  fine;  but  Theodoric  and 
the  Lateran  breviary,  omitting  the  names  of  St  Rump's  parents, 
merely  state  that  he  was  of  the  royal  house  of  Ireland  and  by 
r^t  of  successwn  heir  to  a  throne. 

(172)  Theodoric  states,  that  their  motive  was  to  get  the  mo* 
ney,  which  they  thought  the  saint  possessed  of,  and  adds  that 
they  had  been  attoidants  of  his.  Ph>baUy  they  supposed  that  he 
must  have  had  some  money  about  him  towards  forwarding  the 
dbject  of  his  missions. 

(173)  This  is  the  year  assigned  for  the  martyrdom  of  SL  Ru- 
mdd  by  Mdanus,  Ushor,  Pagi,  Ac. 

%.  XVI.  During  this  period  we  meet  with  a  bishop 
at  Mayo,  St.  Aidan,  who  died  in  769,  (174)  and 
after  whom  we  do  not  find  another  there  for  some 
centuries.  Whetlier  a  Ronan,  called  of  Lismore, 
who  is  said  to  have  died  in  763,  was  bishop  or  not, 
there  does  not  appear  any  sufficient  authority  for 
determining.  (175)    If  he  was  bishop  of  Lismore, 


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S02  AN  ECCL18IASTICAL  BISTORT         GBAF.  X1X» 

he  if  the  las  t  who  appears  titiere,  as  such,  for  more  than 
200  years,  althougn  it  cannot  be  doubted  that  a 
r^uhr  succession  was  k^t  up  in  that  distinguished 
see.  To  A.  D.  775  is  Ussigned  the  death  of  Ful- 
diarta  or  Fulartach,  Ushop  of  Clonard,  (176)  who 
in  some  Irish  calendars  is  stated  to  have  been  the 
same  as  St.  Fulartach,  son  of  Brec  of  an  illustrioua 
famdy  of  Ulsteri  and  who  had  lived  as  a  hermit  at  a 
place,  called  from  him  DiserUFulartach^  in  Hi* 
flEiIgia,  now  Ophaly  in  the  county  of  Kildare.  Thia 
is  indeed  very  probable,  although  some  have  made  a 
distinction  between  them,  allowing,,  however,  that 
both  oi  them  belonged  to  the  eigh£  century.  (177) 
According  to  said  ^eqdars  the  memory  of  St.  Fu* 
lartach,  one  and  the  same,  viras  revered  on  the  29th 
of  March.  Senchai,  bishop  of  £mly,  died  in  778  ^ 
(178)  and  in  the  following  year  St.  Algnied,  bishop  of 
Ardbraecan,  whose  name  is  marked  in  some  eaten-* 
dars  at  8  March.  (179)  Ferdomnach,  whom  I  find 
reckoned  among  the  bishops  of  Tuam,  is  said  to  have 
died  in  781.  (180)  To  78S  is  affixed  the  death  of 
two  bishops  of  Kildare,  one  after  another,  Lomtul 
and  Snedbran.  (181)  In  these  times  there  was  a 
bishop  at  Cluain-dolcain  (Clondalkin)  near  Dublin, 
St.  FerfiigtU,  concerning  whom  nothing  further  is 
known  except  that  he  di^  in  785,  and  that  his  fea- 
tival  was  kept  on  the  10th  of  March.  (182)  To  the 
same  year  is  assigned  the  death  of  three  eminent 
abbots,  Murgal  of  Clonmacnois,  Virgilius  of  Aghabo, 
and  Fethach  of  Louth,  Slane,  and  Duleek.  (183) 

(174)  AA.  SS.  p.  606.  The  date  of  the  4  Masten  is  76B 
(769). 

(175)  Ware  and  Hania  have  Ranan,  {Buhopi  at  Litmore)  bttt 
wtdiout  letting  us  know  wfaeie  they  fcund  him,  or  givii^  us  voy 
proof  of  his  having  been  a  bishop. 

(176)  Ware  (Bishapt  of  Clomrd  at  Met^h)  has  omitted  this 
Fulartach  of  the  ei§^  centmy ;  but  the  4  Masters  and  CoIgan» 
(^AA.  SS.  p.  787.)  who  are  Mowed  by  Harris,  make  expiesa 

Digitized  by  VjjOOQIC 


CHAP.  XIX.  OF   IRBLAND.  S05 

mention  of  liiin,  placing  his  death  in  774  (775).  He  was,  I  be- 
lieve, led  astray  by  the  list  of  Flnnian's  successors  at  Clonard^ 
given  in  AJ.  SS.  p.  406,  where  the  bishop  FokrtlK^  is  plaeed 
next  after  Senach,  who  died  in  588»  and  omitted  where  he  .ought 
to  be,  viz.  at  A.  775.  This  is  plainly  one  of  the  innumerable 
mistakes  that  appear  in  Co1gan*s  prii^e4  text.  Ware,  bdng  not 
aware  of  it,  has  Fdartach  inunediatdy  aHer  Senach,  leaving  him 
out  elsewhere.  Harris  took  care  to  avoid  this  mbtake,  and,  in- 
stead of  mentioning  Fulartach  next  after  Senaeh,  biought  him 
down  to  his  real  times,  viz.  the  eighth  century. 

(177)  The  4  Masters,  ap.  A  A.  SS.  at  29  Maveh,  p.  787, 
where  a  short  account  is  given  of  Fulartach  son  of  Brec,  assign 
his  death  (for  their  words  cannot  be  referred  to  any  thing  dse) 
to  A.  155  (756)  while  they  place  that  of  the  bisht^  of  Cknard 
in  775.  I  am  inclined  to  tliink,  that  on  this  point  their  autho- 
rity is  inferior  to  that  of  the  old  calendars. 

(178)  Ware,  Bishops  at  Efnlt/. 

(179)  A  A.  SS.  p.  568.    The  4  Masters  have  his  death  at  778,  - 
♦.  e.  779. 

(180)  Ware  in  his  gsoeral  treatise  on  the  l^sbops  of  Irekmd 
has  FotUMnnach  at  Tuaniy  but  not  so  in  his  older  tract  on  the 
archbishops  of  Cashel  and  Tuam.  Where  he  met  witih  him  I 
cannot  tell.  Colgan  seems  to  have  known  nothing  about  him,  as 
appears  from  Tr.  Th.  P'  308.  where,  endeavouring  to  make  out 
as  many  ancient  bishops  of  Tuam  a»  he  coiuld,  he  makes  no 
mention  of  Fardomnach. 

(181)  4  Master  ap.  Tn  Th.p.  etS9.  I  have  chai^  their 
date  782  into  783.  At  the  same  year  they  have  the  death  of  Mu« 
redach  abbot  of  K^dare,  whence  we  see  that  diere^were  abbots  at 
Kildare  different  from  its  bishops. 

(182)  A  A.  SS.  p.  577.  The  date  of  the  4  Masters  is  784 
(785).  Before  this  saint's  time  there  was  a  monHstery  at  Ckm- 
dalkm. 

(188)  Xb.  p.  800.  and  JruL  Chran. 


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fOi  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL   HISTORY         CHAF.  XX« 

CHAPTER  XX. 

History  qf  St.  Fergal,  or  Virgilius,  resumed  mid 
fifiished^^Clemens  and  Albinus^  Irishmen^  arrive  in 
Prance — AWinus  sent  as  Ambassador  Jrom  the 
Emperor  Charlemagne  to  the  Pope^  a  different 
person  from  Alcuin — Monastery  qf  Verden  es^ 
tabUshedin  Saxony  for  the  Scots  or  Irish — Patto^ 
an  Irishman^  second  bishop  qf  Verden — Irish 
extend  their  missions  to  Icelandr^St.  Sedtdius  said 
to  be  bishop  qf  Dublin,  and  to  have  died  in  A.  D. 
iSG—^Colgaf  Coelchu  or  Colcu,  the  wise,  presides 
over  the  school  qf  Cluain-mac-Nois — corres- 
ponds with  Alcuin — St.  Moelruan  bishop  qf  Tol- 
lagh — Succession  qf  Archbishops  qf  Armagh, 
and  qf  other  Irish  bishops — First  invasion  qf 
Ireland  by  the  Danes — St.  Findan-'^visits  France, 
Italy  and  Switzerland — his  great  sanctity — is 
adopted  as  their  patron  by  the  monks  qfRhignau^^ 
Succession  qf  Donnchad  and  other  Irish  monarchs 
— Irish  Clergy  obtain  exemption  from  attending 
the  kings  on  military  expeditions — Fothad  lee- 
turer  (f  Armagh — Aengus  the  Hagiologist^^hrs 
Festilogium — he  is  called  Ceile-De — Became  ab- 
bot qf  Clonenagh'-^'and  was  raised  to  the  episco- 
pal rank — Various  works  qf  his — Succession  qf 
archbishops  in  Armagh — and  abbots  in  By — 
Death  of  SL  Blathmaic,  martyred  in  By  by  the 
Danes—Deathsqf  various  holy  and  distinguished 
persons  in  Ireland — Ifyingat,  an  Irishmanr-^his 
two  Epistles  to  Charlemagne — writes  against 
Claudius,  a  Spaniard,  bishop  qf  Turin,  who  had 
removed  the  images  and  crosses  Jrom  all  the 
churches  in  his  Diocese — Claudius  bishop  qf  Turin 
supposed  by  some  learned  men  to  be  an  Irishman 
—Gildas — Deaths  qf  bishops  qf  various  sees  in 
Ireland^^Metropolitical  rights  qf  the  see  qf  Ar- 
magh extended  ail  over  Irehnd — Deaths  qf  several 
learned  and  holy  men. 

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CRAP.  XX.  OF  IRELAND.  205 

SECT.   I. 

St.  VirgiiiuSy  bishop  of  Saltzburg,  (1)  soon  af);er 
his  being  in  possession  of'  the  see,  consecrated  a 
basilic  in  ihat  city  in  honour  of  St.  Stephen,  in 
which  he  placed  an  abbot  and  monks  taken  from  the 
monastery  and  church  of  St.  Peter,  which  was  still 
considered  as  the  cathedral.  (2)  Some  time  after 
he  repaired  this  monastery,  of  which  he  had  been 
abbot,  and  enlarged  the  cell  of  St.  Maximilian,  which 
had  been  built  by  St.  Rupert  the  first  bishop  of 
Saltzburg.  He  established  another  cell  at  Ottinga, 
which  was  endowed  by  Count  Gunther,  at  whose 
expense  it  had  been  erected.  But  his  chief  work  in 
this  respect  was  a  great  basilic,  which  he  got  con- 
structed and  dedicated  in  the  name  of  St.  Rupert, 
which,  having  removed  that  saint's  remains  to  it,  he 
constituted  the  cathedral.  This  holy  bishop  did  not 
confine  himself  to  accommodating  his  flock  with 
places  of  worship,  but  likewise,  as  'became  a  true 
pastor,  was  assiduous  in  preaching,  instructipg,  and 
propagating, the  Gospel.  Karastus,  a  son  of  Boruth, 
the  Sclavonian  duke  of  Carinthia,  and  Chetimar  a 
nephew  of  Boruth  were  in  those  times  detained  as 
hostages  in  Bavaria,  where,  at  his  request,  thej  were 
baptized  and  educated  as  Christians.  On  the  death 
of  Boruth,  Karastus  became  duke  of  that  country, 
and,  having  died  in  the  third  year  of  his  rule,  was 
succeeded  by  Chetimar,  who  was  very  religious  and 
had  with  him  as  instructor  Majoranus  a  priest,  who 
had  been  ordained  by  St.  Virgilius.  Chetimar  had 
a  great  respect  for  the  monastery  (St.  Peter's)  of 
Saltzburg,  owing,  in  all  appearance,  to  his  having 
studied  there  in  his  earlier  days,  under  the  direction 
of  its  learned  and  holy  abbot,  and  used  to  make  some 

E resents  to  it  every  year  as  tokens  of  a  sort  of 
omage.  Some  time  after  he  was  raised  to  the  duke- 
dom of  Carinthia  he  requested  Virgilius,  then  bishop, 
to  visit  his  territories  and  confirm  his  subjects  in  the 

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S06  AN  ECCLi;3fA3TICAL  HISTORY        CHAP*  XX* 

faith.  It  being  then  out  of  his  power  to  comply 
with  the  duke's  wish,  he  sent  to  that  country  Mo- 
tlestus,  a  bishop,  together  with  some  priests,  a  deacon, 
and  other  inferior  clerks,  authorizing  him  to  conse- 
crate churches,  perform  ordinations,  &c.  Modestus 
spent  the  remainder  of  his  life  in  Carinthia,  and 
aner  Ins  death  St.  Virgih'us  was  a^in  requested  by 
Chetimar  to  proceed  thither.  But  in  consequence 
of  intestine  troubles,  by  which  the  dutchy  wa8(  agi- 
tated, he  was  preyented  from  visiting  it,  and  sent,  in 
his  stead,  Latmus  a  priest,  who  was  soon  aftet*,'  owing 
to  ciyil  broils,  obliged  to  leave  it.  The  saint,  how- 
ever, kept  a  fixed  eye  on  Carinthia,  and  during  the 
administration  both  of  Chetimar  and  of  his  succes- 
sor Watune  supplied  it  with  priests  and  other  cler- 
gymen.  Thus  the  Carinthian  church  was  established, 
and  St.  Virgilius  has  been  justly  called  the  Apostle 
of  that  provmce. 

Towards  the  end  of  his  life  the  good  bishop  under- 
took a  general  visitation  of  his  vast  diocese,  for  the 
purpose   of   eradicating   whatever    remnants   there 
mij^tbe  of  idolatry,  and  of  strengthening  his  flock 
in  the  belief  and  observance  of  the  Christian  religi<»i. 
He  was  every  where  welcomed  and  received  with  the 
greatest  attention  by  crowds  of  all  descriptions,  and 
during  his  progress  consecrated  churches,  ordained 
clergymen,  &c.     In   this   visitation  was  comprized 
Carinthia,  through  which  he  proceeded  as  far  as  the 
frontiers  of  the   Huns,    where  the  Dmve  joins  the 
Danube.     Perceiving  that  his  dissolution  was  near  at 
.  hand,  St.  Virgilius  returned  to  Saltzburg,  where, 
having  celebrated  the  sacred  mysteries,  and  .being 
seized  with  a  gentle  illness,  he  breathed  his  last  on 
the  27th  of  November,  A.  D.  785.  (3)  Some  tracts 
have  been  attributed  to  him ;  (4)  but  whether  he 
was  an  author  or  not,  he  has  been  most  highly  cele- 
brated for  learning.     Nor  was  he  less  esteemed  for 
his  piety  and  fulfilment  of  his  pastoral  duties  y  (5) 


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CHAP.  XX.  '         OF  IRE1AM0*  207 

and  it  is  stated  that  many  miracles  have  taken  place 
at  his  tomb  in  Saltzburg.  (6) 

(1)  See  Chap.  xuL  §.  II. 

(2)  MabflloD,  JntuiL  Ben.  ad  A.  166.  He  says  that  Viigifiua 
ooDsecroted  the  basilic  of  St.  Stq>hen  in  the  first  year  of  his  or- 
dination.  This  would  have  occurred  after  the  15th  of  June,  the 
day  of  lus  ordination  or  consecration,  in  756,  or,  if  it  be  true 
that  he  deferred  his  consecration  for  some  time,  (see  Chap.  xix. 
§.  12.)  in  a  later  year. 

(3)  Mabillon,  ("ib.  ad  A.  785.)  and  Pi^  (CrUica,  &c  ad  A. 
785.)  have  proved  from  certain  Annab  of  Ratisbon  and  other  do- 
cumaits,  that  thu  was  the  real  year  of  the  saint*s  death.  Theie- 
ibie  Fleury  was  mistaken  (Hist.  Eccl.  L.  44.  §.  3.)  in  assignlngil 
to  780,  which  date  he  took  fi«om  the  Life  of  St.  Virgil^  accordmg 
to  one  editMMi ;  for  another  has  A.  784.  But  both  these  dates 
are  wrong. 

(4)  Ware  (Writers  at  Firgilius)  makes  mentioa  of  a  Discatsrse 
on  the  AntipodeSf  but  does  not  tell  us  where  it  ^dsts.  He  adds 
that  Viigilius  is  the  reputed  author  of  a  Glossary  quoted  by  Mel- 
diiorGoldast 

(6)  Alcuin,  in  his  encomium  on  St.  Viigilius  (Poem.  N0. 251.) 
has  among  other  lines ; 

**  Egregius  praesul  meritis  et  moribus  almus. 
ProtuHt  in  lucem  quern  mater  Hibemia  primum, 
Instituit,  docuit,  nutrivit 

Sed  Peregiina  petens 

Vir  pius  et  prudens,  nulli  pietate  secundus." 

(6)  The  second  part  of  his  Life  contains  an  account  of  a  great 
number  of  these  miracles. 

§.  II.  About  the  year  772»  as  far  as  I  am  able 
to  judge^  two  very  celebrated  Irishmen,  Clemens 
and  AlbinuSy  as  he  is  usually  called,  arrived  in 
France.  For  it  appears  from  good  authority,  that 
they  were  in  that  country  not  only  prior  to  the  ar- 
riyal  of  Alcuin^   but   likewise  a  snort  time  after 


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208  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY  CHAP.  XX- 

Charles,  known  by  the  name  of  Charlemagne^  be- 
came sole  sovereign  of  the  whole  French  monarchy, 
as  he  did  in  the  latter  end  of  771  by  the  death  of 
his  brother  Carloman.     The  whole  matter  is  stated 
in  a  very  clear  manner  by  a  writer  of  the  ninth  cen- 
tury, who  relating  the  transactions  of  Charlemagne 
(7)  has  the  following  narnttive  at  the  very  begin- 
ning of  his  woric.     "  Wlien  the  illustrious  Charles 
"  began  to  reign  alone  in  the  western  parts  of  the 
"  world,  and  literature  was  every  where  almost  for- 
*'  gotten,  it  happened  that  two  Scots  of  Ireland  came 
"  over  with  some  British  merchants  to  the  shores 
*^  of  France,   men  incomparably  skilled  in  human 
"  learning  and  in  the  holy  scriptures.     As  they  pro- 
**  duced  no  merchandise  for  sale,  thev  used  to  cry 
"  out  to  the  crowds  flocking  to  purchase  ;  If  any 
**  one  is  desirous  qf  wisdom^  let  him  come  to  us  and 
"  receive  it ;  for  we  have  it  to  sell.     Their  reason 
**  for  saying  that  they  had  it  for  sale  was  that,  per- 
'*  ceiving  the  people  inclined  to  deal  in  saleable  ar- 
**  tides  and  not  to  take  any  thing  gratuitously,  they 
**  might  rouse  them  to  the  acquisition  of  wisdom,  as 
*«  well  as  of  objects  for  which  they  should  give  value  ; 
**  or,  as  the  sequel  showed,  that  by  speaking  in  that 
«•  manner  they  might  excite  their  wonder  and  asto- 
^*  nishment.     They  repeated  this  declaration  so  of- 
' "  ten  that  an  account  of  them  was  conveyed  either 
"  by  their  admirers,  or  by  those  who.  thought  them 
**  insane,  to  the  king  Charles,  who,  being  a  lover 
^*  and  very  desirous  of  wisdom,  had  them  conducted 
**  with  all  expedition  before  him,  and  asked  them  if 
**  they  truly  possessed  wisdom,  as  had  been  reported 
•*  to  him.     They  answered,  that  they  did,  ana  were 
*^  ready  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  to  communicate  it 
^*  to  such  as  would  seek  for  it  worthily.     On  his  in- 
*^  quiring  of  them  what  compensation  they  would 
"expect  for  it,  they  replied  tnat  they  required  no- 
*^  thing  more  than  convenient  situations,  ingenious 
**  minds,  and,  as  being  in  a  foreign  country,  to  be 

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CHAP.  XX.  OF   IRELAND*  909 

**  supplied  with  food  and  raiment.  Charles,  havibg 
"  heai'd  their  proposals,  and  replete  with  joy,  kept 
**  them  both  with  himself  for  a  short  time.  After 
*^  some  interval,  when  obliged  to  proceed  on  a  mili- 
**  tary  expedition,  (8)  he.  ordered  oneof  them  whose 
**  name  was  Clemens^  to  remain  in  France,  entrust-- 
*^  ing  to  his  care  a  great  number  of  boys  not  only  of 
*^  the  highest  noblesse,  but  likewise  of  the  middling 
'^  and  low  ranks  of  society,  all  of  whom  were,  by 
<^  his  orders,  provided  with  victuals. and  suitable  ha- 
"  bitations.  The  other,  btf  name  Albintis^  (9)  he 
<<  directed  to  Italy,  and  assigned  to  him  the  monas* 
«  tei7  of  St.  Augustin  near  Pavia,  that  such  per* 
'^  sons,  as  chose  to  do  so,  might  there  resort  to  niai 
^'  for  instruction.  On  hearing  how  graciously  tha 
^^  most  religious  king  Charles  used  to  treat  wise  men, 
'*  Albinus  (10)  an  Englishman  took  shippi'ng  and 
"  went  over  to  him,**  ice.  (11) 

(7)  This  writer  was  a  monk  of  St.  Gall  in  Switsedand,  and 
hence  he  is  commonly  called  Monacfiw  SangaUenm.  His  two 
books,  De  gestis  Caroli  M.  are  in  Canisius'  Antiq.  Lect.  Tom,  2^ 
Part  S.  Basnage*s  ed.  They  were  addressed  to  Charles  the^^i^ 
and  consequently  written  between  884  and  888.  Melchior  Gol- 
d^tus,  Usher,  and  many  others,  have  supposed  that  he  was  the 
celebrated  Notker  Balbulus.  This,  however,  is  not  quite  certain, 
MabiUon,  a  great  judge  in  matters  of  this  kind,  calls  him  {ex.  c. 
AnnaL  B.  Tom.  2.  p*  67.)  the  anonymous  monk  of  St.  Gall,  and 
Muratori  (Annali  di  Italia)  designates  him  merely  by  the  title  of 
Monaco  di  H.  Gallo,  the  monk  of  St.  Gall,  for  instance  at  A. 
781.  But  this  question  does  not  affect  the  antiquity  or  authority 
of  this  work. 

(8)  From  what  will  be  seen  lower  down  it  appears  most  pro- 
bable that  this  was  one  of  his  expeditions  against  the  Saxons,  ei- 
ther that  of  775,  or  the  one  of  776. 

(9)  The  words,  nomine  Albinus^  (by  name  Albinus)  are  in  the 
printed  text  of  the  monk  of  St.  Gall,  as  edited  by  Canisius,  but 
are  omitted  in  Duchesne's  edition  among  the  Rerum  Francicarum 
Bcriptores.     Colgan  in  his  long  dissertation  on  Clemens  (at  20 

VOL.  III.  P 

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f  iflf  AK  ECCLS8rA0t?CAL  HISTORY  CH4P.  XX. 

Mttich)  whkltcodipiuestfMio  lioooittit  of  his  oompanion,  tayi 
tlHtttliqr  j0t  iMttOfog^ih  vttiitfusMSS.  He  contends  that  the  real 
nane  of  saidiCMipiJuAfam  was  ndt  Aibinus  bat  John  /  add  so  he  is 
oaSeA  Hjrf  YineeDdaAt  )BelIov«b&iisis  and  some  others,  whose  au- 
thoiity.isiDOt  WcmMi'  atteikding  Co>  as  appeavs  (torn  their  j<Miiing 
with  CtoseoS  alio  Alcum  «nd  even  Rabanus  Maurus.  And  thare 
is  goodi^eaMiftathinlc,  that  they  Tnistook  John  Sco(9iis  £rigena» 
^))iKlif8d-ihday';^data  Ulter,  ^  die  iXMUpanion  of  Clemens,  whom 
t^  licfedi^iA^yf  ddl«a  ^IMm  Of  might  it  be  that  the  oom- 
psaiion^of  OemeiU  had  both  names?  Buchanan  {Rer.  Scot.  L. 
5b:  •/{«:»  65.)  oalte  him  JbAannW  Jihinus,  toAd  would  foin  make 
hint  a  Stotehmika  mi  recount  of  tlie  ^ohiame  Atbmus^  He  might 
aif  well  hiM  pron6uni)ed  Alcuin  a  Sbotchman,  as-he  abw  Msumed 
<to*aikie  i9IMhM^.  I^  as  indeed  I  think  highly  probable,  Cle- 
tnen*8  poifnpanion  wM  eklled  AUinus,  this  might  faiive  been  either 
his  ori^jinaT'nahie,  'or,'if  a  saroatne,  given  to  him  on  tk^count  of 
IttiiufJhiBk;  <^  c^mple^n.-  Periiaps  his  Iiieh  niunewteJViiMiarr, 
Finath  or  Finian^  whidi,  by  retaining  its  SigHificationi  -  was  la- 
tinized into  Albinus*  As  to  the  name  John^  preyed  by  Bu- 
ehfinah  t6'  Albimi^  I  sospect  A^  he  took  it  from  Hector  Boe- 
tShitiff,  Or  sotiie  one  of  those  writers,  who  foQowed  Vm^entius  Bd- 
^vacensis.  !^6t  content  with  representing  Alblnas  as  a  British 
^ifebt,  he  thrusts  in  also  Cfemens  os  such,  notwithstanding  the 
'pBsitii^e  assertionof  the  monk  of  *5t.  Gall,  the  oldest  and  best  au- 
%6rftyi'tfiftal  he  imdWs -companion  were  Scots  (if  Ireland.  On 
these  arid  bther  pretensions  in  fkvour  of  the  British  Scots  J.  P. 
Murray*  has  justly  I'emairked,  {De  Britannia  atque  Hihemia  sec. 
tri.htix.  UtttTamn  domicdioy  in  N,  Commentar.  Soc  R-  Got- 
^ng,  Tmi  2.)  that  Buchanan  went  quite  too  fkf;  **  Sed  nimia 
*Scotike  suae  ^perte  tribuit'exiiniuS  vates,  cum  istam  litterarum  ele- 
^niJfihr,  ctimquo  Albintun  ilU  tribuerit." 

To  return  to  the  words,  nomine  Albinus,  it  is  very  probable 
tHA  they  werendt  hi  the  original  text  of  the  raoilk;  for  several 
writb*,  when  copying  his  narrative,  have  them  not,  while  they 
closely  follow  the  remainder  of  his  text.  (See  tlieir  passages  ap, 
<}<)l^an  on  Clemens,  &x:J)  Muratori  observes,  {Anndli,  &c.  at  A. 
781*  and  AnH^,  Itat.  fnedii  aeoi,  Tom.  in.  Dissert.  4S.)  that  the 
i\ame  oF  Clemen's  companion  is  not  precisely  known,  whence  k 
j9  (^ar  tiiat  he  did  not  consider  said  words  as  written  by  the  monk. 

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CHAP*  XX.  .  OriBUjMifm  ''^        7'  *«11 


But,  allcmiog theai  tolmkn  iAUMp»lation/k  ihcf .  net  ibfloir  :d»t 

•  they  «re  wrqbg ;  %9r  the  person,  Miiio  inserted  them,  muf^  dhave 
.  known  frttn  ot^er  sources  that  Mbinus  was  tfae/nafend  oCtfae  com- 

p^ion  of  CkmensJ  He  did  nol^  ebnfifund  Iiiin  iwitk  AtediUf  wifao 
alap  was  named  Albinta,  and  who  ap|>efi^timnedtateiy  nfterin  the 
(ekt  a6cleaifydi8tiiiiotfromtlieotberi/^/d}8ti&:   ".'  n\r  -  '  T  - 

(10)  He  was  the  ccdebnlted>  Alcmii^'  who  took  tfie  limre  dasti- 
c^  appdnation'of  ^/accu^  ^ttmu^,  MOt^  aa  same  ha^  otiXkd  him, 
/UhinuB  Placcml  (See  MAbjUkm,  AnnaL  ^ci  'Tcm.^]i  186.) 
In  What  the  author  adds  about  the  nhamier  of  AJouiii's  Mvirig  be- 
come acqnamted  with  the  king  ChaHM,  and'  hifi  having  been  a 
didc^e  of  Bede,,  there  are  some  mistakes,  which  it  is  not  nijr  bu- 
siness to  correct.  '  '  •  "  : 

(U)  Bnicker  {ftist.  Phil.  Torfi.  S;  p.  5^)took  it  mio  hisbeid 
to  rejec  t  as  fabulous  a  great  pait  l)f  thig  nattaChe.     Thtee  are  eek*- 

*  taialy  some  MAe&  in  the  addHi&ns  macb  to  ft  by  VindentiiiB  Bd- 
1^iK*ensiB,  Dector  Boethius,  Ahu)}d  Wii>n,  &c.  and  by  tiiQse  who 
talk  of  the  Uniyeraty  of  Ptois  as  foundetf  by  CWm^s.    But  takiitg 

-  it  as  given  by  the  monk  of  St.  Gall,  I  km  pertsefve  nothing  fiibo- 
lotij^or  inoonsiBtent,  nor  does  Brucker  gitiei  as  any  proof  of  iiis  sb- 
sertion.  Perhaps  he  thought  there  was  sam^ihg  ridicojbas  hi 
the  cry  of  those  two  learned  men  that  they  had  Wisdom  Co  sell,  ts 
if  the  stiff  and  gttaul^  style  of  our  days,  were  bbserved  at  all 
times  and  by  all  nations.     They  alluded  to  the  traffick  that  was 

'^g^hig  on  between  the  merchants  and  the  assembled  people,  and, 
hot  having  any  nsual  article  of  commerce,  announced  that  what 

•thcSy  had  U>  (Kspose  of  was  wisdom.  We  find  vefry  many  expres- 
sions of  a  similaf  kind  in  the  Scriptures,  particularly  in  Proverisy 
which  exhibit  wisdom  as  the  most  valuable  of  commodities,  and 
irf  which  people  are  invited  to  partake  of  it.  Clemens  and  his 
companion  Were  wiell  acquainted  with  such  phrases,  and  seem  to 
have  had  an  eye  to  them  in  their  manner  of  addressing  the  crowd. 
Yet  Btucker  does  not  deny  that  these  persons  came  to  France , 
and  states  {ih.  p  629.)  that  Clemens  was  of  ^reat  help  to  Alcuin, 
and  that  he  was  diluent  and  skilful  in  establishing  the  schools  of 
France  and  Italy.  Tind)06chi  goes  much  farther  than  Brudter ; 
for  he  endeavours  to  prove,  ( Storia  deUa  Leiteratura  Italiarm^ 
Tom.  S.  L.  3.  cap.  1.)  that  the  whole  business  is  a  fable,  and  that 
there  were  no  such  persons  in  existence.    He  had  laid  down  a  po- 

P  2 

Digitized  by  VjjOOQIC 


81$  'AH  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY  CHAP.  %X. 

shkm  that  no  teadien  were  Miit  by  Charlet  to  inatruct  the  Ita- 
liahs,  who,  he  9ay%ywere  not  thai  in  need  of  foreigners  for  that 
purpose.    But,  whether  they  were  or  not,  might  not  the  king 
have  gnren  literary  situations  to  foreigners  in  Lombardy  as  wdi  as 
in  France,  #here  nobody  denies  that  he  did  ?  Many  a  foreigner 
have  I  known  teaching  in  Italy  at  a  period  of  its  enjoying  high  li- 
terary splendour;  and  I  myself  have  had  the  honour  of  holding  a 
ProfesBor^s  chair  in  that  very  dty  of  Favia,  where  Tiraboschi 
would  not  allow  thai  a  Scotchman,  as  he  calls  him,  (for  he  seems 
not  to  have  knowh  that  the  Irish  were  called  Scots)  taught  in  the 
eighth  century.     He  qyposes  Gatd,  who  in  his  history  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Pbvia  adhered  to  the  monk's  narrative,  abuses  Denina 
for  having  said  that  Charles  piaced  two  Irishmen  over  schools  in 
Italy  and  France,  and  expresses  his  surprize  that  this  was  admitted 
by  Muratori.     But,  if  such  a  roan  as  MimOori  allowed  it,  Tira- 
bosdii,  who  was  vastly  his  inferior  on  points  connected  with  the 
histoiy  of  the  middle  ages,  need  not  have  been  ashamed  to  ac- 
knowledge it ;  and  it  is  but  too  true  that  literature  was  in  a  very 
low  state  at  that  period  in  Italy,  and  for  a  hundred  years  prior  to 
it,  as  is  avowed  and  lamented  in  tlie  letters  of  Pope  Agatho  and 
the  synod  of  Rome  written  in  680  to  the  emperm'  Constantine. 
(See  Fleury,  Hist.  EccU  L.  40.  §.  70     The  literary  glory  of  Italy, 
both  ancient  and  modem,  is  founded  on  so  solid  a  basis^  that  a 
native  of  that  beautiful  country  and  land  of  genius  may,  without- 
any  disparagement  to  it,  confess  that  it  has  had,  like  many  other 
'  parts,  of  the  world,  its  days  of  darkness,  owing  to  the  irruptions  of 
barbariims,  by  whom  both  they  and  Italy  have  been  desolated. 
And  it  is  a  childish  vanity  to  strive  to  uphold  a  nation's  character 
of  any  sort  at  the  expense  of  historical  truth.     Muratori  was  not 
guilty  of  it;  for  he  allows  and  proves,  (Antiq.  Ital,  Sfc,  Tom,  in. 
Dissert.  48)  that  in  Italy  learning  had  greatly  declined  in  the  time 
we  are  now  treating  of.    It  might  be  expected,  tliat  Tiraboschi 
would  have  adduced  some  proof  of  his  assertion ;  but  he  gives  us 
none  except  his  saying  that  it  would  have  been  a  strange  thing  to 
ofiPer  to  sell  learning  to  persons  who  came  to  buy  merchandize. 
This  I  have  already  explained.     He  adds,  that  the  whole  matter 
depends  on  the  authority  of  the  monk,  to  whom,  however  he 
gratuitously  pays  the  compliment  of  not  having  invented  it.    Who 
then  was  the  inventor  ?  Tiraboschi  ought  to  have  perceived,  that 

Digitized  by  VjuOOQ IC 


CHAP.  XX,  OP   IRELAND.  215 

this  supposition  strikes  agunst  himself;  for  in  this  case  the  history 
of  the  two  Irishmen  must  have  been  spoken  of  before  it  was  related 
by  the  monk.  Is  it  to  be  imaginedi  that  he  would  have  announced^ 
within  about  70  years  after  the  death  of  Charlemagne,  as  &ctSy 
circumstaiices,  which  there  were  peraons  still  ahve  to  show  the 
falshood  off  if  not  true  ?  Or,  that  he  would  have  related  them,  if 
doid)tfii],  to  a  sovereign  the  great  grandson  of  Charlemagne  ?  Or 
that  he  would  have  ventured  to  be  so  particular  as  to  state  that  tlie 
teacher  sent  to  Favia  got  the  grant  of  the  monastery  of  St.  Au- 
gustin?  He  must  have  known,  that  every  monk  of  that  celebrated 
estabUshment,  which  has  existed  for  ages,  could  have  contra^ 
dieted  him  unless  the  matter  were  universally  acknowledged.  Ti« 
raboschi  objects,  that  the  monk  o£  St.  Gall  is  the  only  writer  o^ 
those  times,  who  has  lefl  an  account  of  those  proceedings.  Be  it 
so ;  but  did  he  suppose  that  writers  were  as  numerous  in  that  pe* 
viod,  or  as  minute  in  recording  foots,  as  they  are  at  present? 
Many  facts  are  received  as  historical  upon  authority  much  les' 
contemporaiy  and  explicit  than  that  of  the  monk  of  St  Gall.  Be* 
sides,  as  will  be  seen,  he  is  not  the  only  writer  of  those  di^s,  who 
has  furnished  us  with  some  account,  at  least,  of  Clemens.  Some 
other  desultory  doubts  will  be  considered  lower  down. 

§•  3.  From  this  account  it  is  plain  that  these  two 
Irishmen  were  in  France  before  Alcuin  (the  English 
Albinus)  waited  on  King  Charles  in  that  country, 
and  consequently  prior  to  781.  (IS)  But  as  their 
arrival  is  stated  to  have  occurred  when  Charles  be- 
gan to  reign  alone,  we  may  justly  conclude  that  it 
was  earlier  by  eight  or  nine  years.  An  Ajbinus,  a 
a  favourite  of  Charles,  is  mentioned  as  one  of  the 
ambassadors^  whom  he  sent  to  Pope  Adrian  in  773, 
and  who  was  undoubtedly  different  from  Alcuin, 
with  whom  Charles  was  not  yet  acquainted.  (13)  It 
is  probable  that  he  was  the  Irish  Albinus,  who  as 
well  as  Clemens  appear,  from  the  manner  in  which 
the  king  treated  them,  to  have  become  ^reat  favou- 
rites of  his.  And  following  this  supposition,  it  may 
jalso  be  conjectured,  th^t  he  continued  as  an  inmate 
in  the  palace  until  he  was  sent  on  that  embassy.(I4) 

Digitized  by  VjOOQ IC 


214  AN    ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY  CHAP*  XX. 

But,  whether  the  companion  of  Clemens  was  the 
ambassador  or  not,  he  could  not  have  been  placed  at 
Pavia  until  either  the  latter  end  of  774,  or  after  said 
year,  it  being  that  in  which  Charles  got  possession 
of  that  city.  ( 1 5)  Concerning  his  subsequent  trans- 
actions nothing  further,  that  can  be  depended  upon, 
is  known,  except  that  he  taught  at  Pavia,  (16)  but 
how  long  we  have  no  account  of.  It  has  been  said, 
that  he  died  there ;  and  some  writings  have  been 
attributed  to  him,  which,  however,  cannot  at  present 
be  distinctly  pointed  out.  (17) 

'It  is  stated  that,  when  Charles  returned  from  his 
expeditions,  he  ordered  the  boys,  whom  he  had  left 
under  the  care  of  Clemens,  to  appear  before  him^ 
and  had  them  examined  in  their  classical  studies.' 
Finding  that  those  of  the  inferior  orders  had  made 
wonderftil  progress,  while  the  nobles  had  made  none 
at  all,  he  solemnly  declared  that  he  would  have  no 
consideration  for  the  difference  of  ranks,  and  that 
mobility  alone  should  not  be  a  road  to  preferment, 
whereas  he  was  determined  to  grant  fistvours  and 
places  solely  according  to  learning  and  merit  without 
distinction  of  persons.  (Id)  Where  Clemens  kept 
his  school,  is  not  ascertained,  although  some  writers 
have  said  that  it  was  at  Paris,  and  others  would 
fain  make  us  believe  that  he  was  the  founder  or  first 
teacher  of  its  university  (I9)  The  history  of  Cle- 
mens has  been  greatly  confused  by  the  name  of 
Claudius  being  prefixed  by  certain  late  authors  (20) 
to  his  real  name,  and  by  his  having  been  strangely 
confounded  with  Clemens,  a  bishop  of  Auxerre, 
who  was  dead  many  years  before  he  arrived  in 
France.  (21 )  He  was  alive  and  still  teaching  in  the 
year  802,  (22)  and  perhaps  survive*  Charlemagne, 
as  indeed  must  have  been  the  case,  if,  as  appears 
very  probable,  he  was  the  Clemens  who  drew  up  a 
Life  of  that  sovereign.  (23)  There  are  extant  under 
his  name  some  grailimaticaJ  collections,  but  whether 
they  have  been  printed  or  not  I  am  not  able  to  tellv 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


CHAP.   XX.  OP  IRBLAND.  2l5 

(84)  Severtl  atjier  tracts  have  been  attributed*  to 
him,  but  most,  if  not  all,  of  them,  witfaout  founda* 
tiwi.  (25) 

(12)  ThiBW«i>  aa  MafaiikH)  shows,  {jtmuL.S^  ad  A.  7dl.) 
the  jear,  m  vfaicb  Alcniii  first  stopped  in  Fidnoe;  Cfaarks  Jbad 
Briet  lank  in;  Italy;  aDdtooksoch  aJikiogfiy  Iditi,  that  heiiidii6ed 
him  to  pranase  that  hfl  would  caH  upoii.  him  od' has  reHini  fium 
.  tbatxxamtiy.  Alciiifrdid  so,  and  soon  after  his  arrival  in  Fraode 
got.fisop&thekiogagrBBt  pf  twoid>bi6s,  Soime  yean  later  fao^nxK 
oeedad  to  England,  where  he  remamed  until  79^  or.  the  bcgin-i' 
ning  of  79S,  when  he  returned  to  France  and  there:  jpent  the  re* 
mainderofkitlife.  Itk  duarefore  a.  mistake^' to  suppose,  as  seve- 
ral writers  have  done,:  diat  Alcuinwaa  not.  siattled  m  France  be* 
ftte792*'  Itwa8»  I  believe,  in  >eon^cqiicrtce  of  fhis-imstake  that 
lkheT(Iitd,.ChraM*y  aaaigi^.the  arrival  thetJe.of  Oleawnsand 
Albjniis  to  A.  2>.  791,  tfa&king  that  it  was  notlohg  prior  to  that 
ofAlcuin.  .  <  f  .  .  . : 

(IS)  See  MabiUon,  {AnnaL  &c.  ad.  773.  Anaitasios  BMo* 
tbmmhxkp  firoin:  whom  we  have  an  accoont  of  tla»embassy,  says  of 
AJkm^Jbai'hewtaddicioms^m^  that^is,  a>flivoari^to 

and  one  whom  the  king  was  ^veiyftndcCi   .  .        U 

(H>  ThfrnonkofSt.  Oallsays^iaswehaveseea,  thatCtiarlea 
kept  the  two  learned  Iri^mien  with  hhkittlffer  a  shontimtf.  Sup- 
posing, that;  thcb  arrival  in  rFkance  was  m  772,'  and  perhaps  Jateitt 
that  yeidr>  they  were  probably  fivingwitLfaim*  until  som&taae  in 

77S.  .........  •     :       .--.    :   L      .    :.  ..V:  ; 

.  ^5)  .Mnratoriy  makinginentioQ  {Annali,.^.  at  A*  781)^  tk^ 
arrival:  ^of  Clemen's .  ooriipaniob  «t  JMa,.  4loea  'not  iniirk*  ^h^'yttafi 
of  i^  merely  observiilg  that  it  was  after  7<M.  'Itvhur  Wvy  {AxA 
bal^akiiestiiBmeiEatiely^aft^*  said  year;  as- 
for  protnotkg  fitaralureaMj-be  sa|4>dsiscl  (d'haive  kist<tJo' time  b^ 
suppl^fiag  his  new  suh^s:of  1.0^^ 

that  ^binoa  is  state^ta  Ittvevbeen  stti^  to  Favk^jOffat  tfi^fiaii^ 
that> Chariidswiif  setiftigout dn a mtttai^rjiBt^tMMMi*  i^^64'4a^Ag^ 
h«vaikH»eiqMditNwWafindl>ttte.itt:7^^  la''^77§;' 

b^tfa agakist tkeSaktes.    It  maybe obj(M^'«»''^ivhte 
oanoeniiMg.CI<aacns  and  AtthuA-faavfcigawivad  in'ftaiice  aa^^irly 
as  about  7799  that  their  arrival  must  hav^i^- been  btef",  whereai^'the 

Digitized  by  VjjOOQIC 


il6  AK   ECCLESIA8TIGAL   HISTORY        CHAP.    XX, 

monk  of  St.  Gall  seeoos  to  place  Albinus'  departure  for  Pavia  just 
after  the  short  time  that  he  and  Clemens  had  spent  with  the  king 
in,  his  residence,  and  accordingly,  as  Albinus  did  not  go  to  Payia 
until  about  775,  ought  to  be  assigned  to  about  774>.  But  we  are 
not  bound  to  understand  the  monk*s  words,  as  if  he  meant  to  say  that 
they  remained  in  the  palace  until  the  very  time  that  Albinus  was 
ordered  to  proceed  to  Pavia.  He  states  indeed  that  it  was  sub- 
sequent to  that  of  their  living  with  the  king,  but  does  not  tell  us 
that  it  was  immediatdy  so ;  and  there  is  nothing .  to  prevent  our 
supposing,  that  they  had  left  the  palace,  and  were  teaching^some- 
where  in  France,  two  or  three  years  prior  to  the  departure  of  Al- 
binus for.  Pavia. 

(16)  Muratori  (ibJ)  merely  says^  that  under  this  able  master 
learning  began  to  revive  at  Pavia.  The  stoiy  of  his  having  been 
the  founder  of  the  celebrated  university  of  that  dty  is  not  worth 
the  trouble  of  inquiring  into.  M uratcN-l  was  wroi^  in  making  him 
and  Clemens  Benedictine  monks.  They  certainly  were  not  so 
before  they  arrived  in  France,  for  there  were  no  Benedictines  then 
in  Ireland ;  nor  does  it  appear,  that  they  were  monks  at  all. 
Albinus  mi^t  have  become  a  Benedictine  after  he  got  the  grant 
of  the  monasteiy  of  St.  Augustin,  so  called,  instead  of  its  former 
title,  St  Peter,  from  its  containing  the  remains  of  the  great  bishop 
of  Hippo.  But  whether  he  did  or  not  we  are  not  able  to  ascertam. 
•  (17)  Ware  (Writers  at  Albinus)  ascribes  to  him  some  epistles  as 
extant.  I  wish  he  had  told  us  where  they  are  to  be  found.  He 
was  also  inclined  to  make  him  the  author  of  certain  Rhetorical 
precepts,  which  Buchanan  says  he  saw  under  the  name  of  his  John 
Albinus.  (See  Not.  9.)  If  Buchanan  and  Ware  meant  the 
treatise  or  dialogue  on  Rhetoric  published  among  the  works  of 
Alcuin,  it  is  clear  that  they  were  mistaken ;  for  said  treatise  was 
undoubtedly  written  by  the  Englisli  Albinus,  that  is,  Alcuin  him- 
self. As  to  an  Epistle  said  by  Hoveden  (AnnaL  ad  A.  7d@) 
and  other  English  authors  to  liave  been  writt^i  by  an  Albinus 
against  the  second  Council  of  Nice  concenung  image  worship,  the 
Irish  Albinus  had  nothing  to  do  with  it ;  and  it  is  plain  that  Hove- 
den, &C.  meant  Alcuin ;  for  they  state  that  it  was  written  in  Eng- 
land, and  that  Albinus,  its  author,  brought  it  thence  to  the  king 
Charles.  By  the.bye  I  may  remark,  that  no  such  qpistle  was  writ- 
ten by  Alcuin ;  (see  Mabilldn,  Annal  Ben  ad  A*  792.)  but  it  is 


Digitized  by  VjjOOQIC 


CHAP.  XX.  09  IRELAND.  21? 

probable,  that  Hovadoi,  Ac  mistook  the  Candine  books  on  the 
question  of  images,  in  the  composition  of  wfaidi  Alcnin  was  piar- 
haps  concerned,  (Mabm<»i,  ib.  ad  A.  794s)  for  an  Epistle,  which 
they  supposed  to  have  been  drawn  up  by  him  in  England. 

(18)  See  in  the  monk's  De  Gef^,ftc.  justafterthe  above  nar- 
rative. 

(19)  Colgan  has  (at  20  Stodi)  collected  on  diese  points  a  heap 
of  rubbish,  which  is  now  exploded  by  every  man  of  learning. 
The  monk  of  St.  Gall  has  nothing  about  the  plaoe^  in  whi^ 
Clemens  tau^t.  Bat  Vincendus  Bellovacensis  and  others  have 
added  that  it  was  P^vis,  as  if  that  dty  had  been  the  usual  residence 
of  the  Idng  Charles,  whereas  it  is  well  knovm  that  it  was  not.  And 
as  to  the  foundation  of  the  university,  it  is  laughable  to  observe^ 
with  what  ardour  it  has  been  disputed  whether  the  so  called 
founder  were  Clemens  or  Alcuin.  That  the  latter  was  not  is  a 
clear  case ;  for  it  has  been  proved  not  only  by  Du  Chesne,  the 
editor  of  his  works,  but  likewise  by  Mabilkm,  {ad  A.  802)  that 
he  never  taught  at  Paris.  Whether  Clemens  had  a  school  there 
or  not,  is  of  little  consequence ;  but  this  much  is  well  known,  that 
there  was  no  such  thing  as  a  university  there  in  those  tinges,  nor 
even  the  embiyo  of  one  until  about  the  end  of  the  eleventh  cen- 
tury. (See  the  Encydapedie  at  Univcrsiii.) 

(20)  Ware  observes,  ( Writers  at  Clemeru)  that,  as  well  as  he 
could  discover.  Bale  (not  Bede  according  to  a  sliameAd  error  in 
the  English  translation,  which  Harris  has  av<Mded)  was  the  first 
who  prefixed  Claudius  to  the  name  of  Clemens.  A  Claudius,  of 
whom  we  dudl  see  elsewhere,  flourished  during  the  ceign  of  Lewis 
le  Debonnaire,  and  has  been  redomed  by  Vincentius  Bellovacensis 
and  some  followers  of  his  as  one  of  fi>ur  pretended  fi>unders  of  the 
university  of  Paris.  These  writers  have  not  Clemens  among  said 
fiiunders,  although  some  of  them  on  other  occasbns  say  that  he 
taught  at  Paris.  Other  authors  ff  this  notable  stamp,  looking  for 
those  founders,  mention  Clemens  without  naming  Claudius.  To 
patch  up  the  business,  it  occurred  to  somebody,  that  Clemens 
and  Claudius  might  be  eonsidered  as  one  and  the  same  person; 
and  thus,  sometime  in  the  16th  century,  the  learned  Irishman 
appeared  under  the  double  name  of  Claudius  Clemens.  Upon 
these  blunders  Turaboschi  buik  up  an  argument,  which  he  thought 
of  great  weight.    He  uiges  that  certain  writers  call  the  Irish 


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218  AJf  ECCLESIAOTiaftL  SI8T0RY  CAAP.3X. 

diftrattpewon.^  ergo  tbore  9rat'jM»jiich;in«i  m  GkmdniL  Tl# 
is  really  bad.iogie;  m  if  the  mistakes. iMMJ'confittedloniijwAurer  eg 
sucb  late  authors  could oveitu^  tim  assettaMBof  one  of  tfie  JUDth> 
oentufy.  If  theroodkof  StsQaU  faad.pf)i6iied  tfaebamfe  O!^ 
dius  to  Clemens f  such  a  mode  of  reasoning  would  be  allowable ; 
but  whenas  he  .has  not  done  sby  wfiy.fling  out.agaihst  h|s  autjiority 
the-noBKdee  c£  fenom  that  fivedipadreds  efyiean later ?  Then, 
adds  Tinbvnnhiy  these  viiteisi,:  wlwn  treating  of  CfemenB,  coni- 
tradict  ead>  olbar.  Well,  and.  where  is  the  harm-  of  it  ?  .  Surely 
there  can  i>e  nothing,  more  illogical  than  to  coockifc  from  the 
eontradiotiow  of  modern  writers,  thatpeiBons,  whooi  they  treat> 
of  inaoounitelyy  never  eidited.  Were  sach  a  oriikal  rule  ad^ 
antted,  iwhat  history  woifld  be  safe,  even  that  of  the  disctnguished 
Men  of  Qreeceand  Rome?  Had  Tirabosohi  been  able  Co  prove, 
which  indeed  he  has  not  attempted,  that  the  monk  contradicted 
himself  or  any-  other- writer  of  his- times,  there  wouki  be  a  ^' 
fidd  for  di^Hltatioa ;  or  if  those,  who  nudntain  that  Cltoiens  and 
his  companion  #^re  Irishmen  and  taughf  in  France  and  IeBly> 
fbunded  their  positkinfe  mei^Mi  such  late  and  confused  authority 
as  that  of  Vmoentius  Bello'vacensis,  drc.  his  objections  would  be 
worth  listening  to.  But  as  this  is  not  the  main,  authority  resorted 
to  on  the'queeti<mr«ueh  ^xoepdon^  are  quite  nugatory  and  out  of 
place;  nor  wSI  any  sort  of  quibbling  avaU  against  the  monk'ft 
narrative  untH,  what  ean  never  be-  done/it  shall  be  proved  that 
he  was  not  author  of  iti  iTet  we  nuiy  observe  that  it  would  be 
very  extraoidhiaiy,.- that,  be^ktes  Vhicentius,  a  multitude  of 
writers^  among-  whom  Wyon,  'Gagnin,' Claude  Roberti,  should 
have  said  so  much  about  Clemens  and  his  comrade,  if  they  had 
not  been  m  Fhmce  during  the  reign  of  Charlemagne. 

(21)  Co]gan'(at^  March)  hfts  endeavoured  to  support  the 
fable  of  our  Clemens  having  become  bi^iop  of  Auxerre;  but 
Ware  and  Harris,  (he,  cii.)  hav6  cautioned  the  reader  against 
it,  and  indeed  justly ';'  for,  not  to  quote  other  atithors,  Mabillon' 
{Annal.  Ac.  Tom.  2,  p.  63.)  mates  itHear,  that  Clemens  of 
Auxerre  died  aft>out  738. 

(92)  In  an  ancient  catalogue  €ft  the  abbots  of  Fiilda,  quoted' 
by  Brower  (Notes  td  the  poems  ofRabanusJ  we  read  that  Ratgar, 
who  was  one  of  them,  on  the  occasion  of  sending  Rabanus  and  ^ 

Digitized  by  VjjOOQIC 


CHAP.  XX.  «   IBBIiASD*  SQLft 

UltA  ta  Toufft  'twere  to  study  :under  '4^j(|^  dii(^(^^  0^11^1% 
among  whom  Modestus  and  Candidus,  to  Cleme^  thje  .3ofl|t  $pr, 
thepivqpoi^.of  being  intlruc^  in  Gnvtpmary,  that  is,  in  dassic 
brancboB  of  ieaming'  ibfgk  comprifled^mideif  ibalt  Mm*  RuigiMft 
became  abb^t  of  Pulda  nx  503,  atid  just  '"aniBrhii.'ac^eaaMD  sent: 
those  Btai&ntB  to  l&anoe^  (See  Md)iU9n,  4imah  S^c,  ad  A.  SM.^ 
To  a  Ibose  quastioa  of  TMioschi,  fThb  wa«:  Cimms  f  we  mi^^ 
ndw  answfsv  that,'  abhougb  we  do  not  knoiw  >fIio  w«m  his  &tiier 
a^  mother,  »he  waa  tbe  leatoed  Iiish  jScot  .mentkned  by  thai 
motk  of  St.  Gail,  luvi.wboKrepiAflJtifm'wasjo^gDedt  that  youngi 
men  were  sent  fK>m'€enBiBny  to  his-fchoQl.    ,^ 

(d8)  Wol^ang  LaadiiB  in  his  CommeoUriea  on  .tbe.  RoOHm 
oommodweafch  quotes  this  .Life  by  Cknens.  See.  Ushar,  P^re- 
ftce  to  £p.  Hih.  SyU.  and  Ware  at  Chmem. 

(24)  Usher  (t6.)  observes,  that  they  are  ^p«ted  by  Mdduor 
Goldaat. 

(%5)  IVMsevdaandothen,  whoare  fallowed  by  Colgan,  hmey 
in  consequence  cf  confounding  Clemehs  ^ith  Claudius^  made  him 
tbe  author  of  irariouB  woiks,  which  hare  been  usually  asoribed  iti 
the  latter.  Itkodd  thatX^olgeaiefersevetfto  Ware  to  seversl 
of  them  as  if  written  by  Clemens,  although'  Ware  had  distln** 
guished  hka  ihxn  Cbmdius.  It  may  be,  hdivever,  that,  ofvnng'to 
said  con&sion,  Qaudftit  has  beei^  8iiti|N)sed  !tiie  authov  -of  sMne 
tracts,  written  perhaps  by  Cl^metis. 

§•  IV*  After  tlie  >  same  kii^  Charles  bad  founded 
the  new  bishoprics  of  Minden  Bmd  Yerdea«  in  tiie 
old  Saxony,  A.  D.  786,  as  is  usually  supposed,  (26) 
a  monastery  was  established  for  the  Scots,  that  is, 
at  least  chiefly,  the  Irish,  at  a  plade  near  Verden, 
called  Amdrbmic,  over  ivkom  was  placed  ^tto  a 
eountryman  of  theirs*  (27)  Fatto isstslted to  have 
become  bishop  of  Verdemdfter  the  deeth  of  its  first 
bishop  St.  Suibert,  and  w88;nicceeded  at  Ataiarbaric 
by  Tanco,  also  a  IScot  and,  in  all  probability,  an 
Irish  one,  wholikiewise  was  raised  to  that  see  as  its 
third  In^iop.  (28)  After  him  are  mentioned-  Cor- 
tilla  or  Nortyla,  and  three  others  as  abbots  of  A  mar* 
kttric,  under* the  lastof  whom,  Harruch  of  the  ^auic 

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S^  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY  CHAP.  XX. 

nation,   that  monasteiy  is  said  to  have  been  ^e- 
4itroyed.  (29} 

Prior  to  these  times,  and  most  probably  much 
earlier,  the  Irish  had  extended  their  missions  even 
to  Iceland,  which  they  called  77mfe,  or  Tyle,  and 
which,  it  seems,  they  had  a  knowledge  of  as  far  back 
as  the  fifth  century.  (SO)  Whether  it  was  inhabited 
at  that  early  period  it  is  difficult  to  determine ;  (81) 
but  it  is  certain,  that  it  contained  inhabitants  long 
before  the  time  assigned  by  some  writers  for  its  first 
population.  (S^)  At  whatsoever  time  Irish  mission- 
aries first  visited  that  island,  there  can  be  no  doubt 
of  some  of  them  having  been  there  in  the  eighth 
century,  (33)  and  it  may  be  justly  laid  down,  that 
this  mission  was  kept  up  until  the  arrival  of  the  Nor<^ 
wegians,  who  by  expelling  the  Irish  clergy  put  a 
stop  to  it.  (34)  If  religious  men  from  Irdand  had 
got  in  those  days  as  far  as  Iceland,  we  are  not  to 
wonder  at  finding  others  of  them  settled  in  the  Ork- 
neys and  the  Shetland  isles.  (35)  I  cannot  disco- 
ver any  particular  account  of  such  of  them  as  were 
the  chiefs  of  these  northern  missions,  or  who  might 
have  been  distinguished  for  peculiar  sanctity  or  learn- 
ing; but  nothing  can  more  strongly  prove  the  zeal 
of  the  Irish  clergv  of  those  times,  for  the  conversion 
of  infidels,  than  their  proceeding  so  far  northward  for 
the  purpose  of  disseminating  the  saving  truths  of  the 
Gospel. 

(26)  Fleuiy,  L.  4A.§.  20.  The  Bdlandists  (ftt  St.  Potto  SO 
Mart.)  quote  a  chronide  of  Verden,  which  aacigiis  the  foundation 
of  that  see  to  786.  Its  first  bishop  was  Suibert  or  Suitbert,  wbo 
k  said  to  have  been  an  Englishman,  and  must  not  be  confounded 
wiUi  St.  Willebrord's  companion  the  bishop  Suitbert,  who  died 
in  713. 

(27)  Colgan,  treating  of  P^itto  (at  80  March)  matntatns  that 
be  was  an  Irish  Scot«  This  is  veiy  probable,  akhou^  in  the 
accounts  giveti  of  him,  chiefly  by  Albert  Crantz,  {Hist.  Ecd. 
Saxoniae)  he  is  called  simply  Scahu  natione.    But  as  the  Irish 

'Digitized  by  VjjOOQIC 


CHAP.  XX.  OF.  IRBLArND..  22i 

woe  more  gnamtUf  kniomm  in  diose^ times  by  the  name  SMithan 
theo?  colonistf  «f  Britain,  tke  probabiiitj-  is  iori&fnor -  of  Colgan's 
opinion.  N.  Britain  was  not  then»  nor  for  a  very  long  time  later^ 
caUed  SccUa ;  and  acoordiag|y»  when  we  find  a  Scot  or  Scots 
spoken  of  by  old  writers,  it  is  to  be  presumed  that  they  meant 
natives  of  Ireland,  unless  something  be  added  to  indicate  that 
such  persons  were  British  Scots.  Bede  was  very  particular  in 
this  respect;  for  wherever  he  touches  upon  the  affiurs  of  these 
Scots,  he  designates  them  as  the  Soot$,  voho  inhabH  Britain. 
(See  ex.  c.  Hitt.  Stt.  L.  1.  c.  S4  and  L.  5.  c^  ^  Tlie  English 
lamiKes  settled  in  Ireland  fimn  the  reign  of  Heary  II.  were  dur- 
ing inany  generations  called  English  ;  but  who^  on  finding  a 
penon  of  that  period  called  an  Engiish$nan,  woold  not  conoft'te 
that  he  was  a  native  of  England,  unless  it  were  added  that  he 
was  an  Englishman  of  Ireland.  Colgan  adduces  an  argument, 
which,  if  uncontradicted,  would  leave  no  doubt  as  to  Fatto  hsrr. 
ing  been  an  frbhrnan.  Hai^ng  found  that  he  was  said  to  have 
been  abbot  of  Amarbaric  in  his  owi  couniry  before  he  went  to 
Germany,  he  observes  that  there  was  no  sudi  place  either  in  Ira- 
land  or  Scotland,  and  that,  instead  of  Amfirbarioj  we  ought  to 
read  Atmagh.  On  this  the  Bollandists  (at  St  Suibert^  SO  AprS) 
remark,  that  Amarbaric  seems  to  have  beeii  rather  near  VerdeOL 
and  that  a  monastery  was  fiwnded  there  for  the  Scots,  of  which 
PMto  was  id>bot,  before  he  succeeded,  as  is  said,  Siiibert  in  the 
see  of  Verden.  According  to  this  supposition  it  is  a  mistake  to 
place  Amarbaric  in  the  country,  whence  Patto  camew  Mabilkm 
is  still  more  explicit  on  this  point.  He  says,  {Annal  Sfc  at  A^ 
796)  that  the  monastery  o£  Amarbaric,  not  far  fitxn  Verden,  was 
founded  by  Suibert,  who  placed  Patto  over  it,  and  that,  after  a 
succession  of  five  or  six  abbots,  it  ceased  to  exist.  MabUlon 
gives  to  the  monks  of  that  establisliment  the  general  name  of 
Scats,  by  which  the  Irish  were  then  umversally  undt^-stood.  But 
this  does  not  prevent  our  supposing,  that  some  British  Scots  migiit 
have  belonged  to  it,  as  well  as  to  the  many  other  monasteries 
founded  in  those  times  throu^^ut  Germany  by  or  for  the  Sooto- 
Irish,  who  considered  the  British  Soots  as  their  kinsmen,  and 
were  well  disposed  to  receive  them  into  their  institutions.  Who- 
ever is  tolerably  acquainted  with  the  state  of  the  British  Soots 
of  that  period,  the  nairow  limits  within  which  they  were  confined^ 

,  Digitized  by  VjjOOQIC 


22S  AN  ECCLESUATlXMLrBISTORY  XHAFt  XX* 


,#f  k«Mri^BdpkmBiiiidl/..nllfid.S(iH(^  to  the  Om- 

-tiaaiutim  Iboi^ lintesaod daring  nloBgmtfate^iiept  period,,  could 
now  gepctellyiiHlrifMiigj  bav^  oopig  ftom  the  umaU  pint  of  N. 
Solain  then  poMOiibd  by  fh^  'bid>  €olonta«,  htii  thaft,  at  Iieast, 
the grttUmajorhy  of  thtei  wem Uf^  cdd SOotn  or  Irislk  When 
WaUkid'Scrabo,  ifholnied  earijr.m  Ihe  njnijb  -o^tu];y,  observes, 
.(  VA.S*  GJU  L.'2.c.  46»)  that  the  «09t«m  of  viiitii^  fowAffi 
tOtintaiet  !^tii8  li^Mefipme  a.ioit  ;of'iecoo4  xmtHK  to  the  Scots,  he 
plainfy  DKaiife  the  Inatives  o£  Irdaad  ?  for  bel  klttoduowL  one  ^ 
ihenv  ntho  had  been  \4Si  sTgIl  in  St  Gall't  nMWMiitery,  «o4  who 
•raa.atSl  idhre  in  kb.  dnw,  te  unfiling  the  letnt,  who  appeared 
M  hi)il.i4ti  dfieaaa,  to.rtlieVe  him  as  bdrig  a  .-towitxyman  of  hfia. 
And,  wbmnrev  daein  said  wori£.Walaftid»ake«  misiatiOD  of  Septa, 
Malhid^a  te^xn adiev^  than  thq  Lctah,  m,  for  iostanc0»  Z**  1*  c. 
'^  wbet^  Su  GaUvtB^  whom  h0  ^^y  l^ere  rapr^fKi4f  as  a  na- 
(tive  ai  Ii>elEuid»  i^  ^IfiOn  of  a^  <U  getUe  Sooforunu  {See  also  his 
JPtefoCQ*)  At  tiw  pmod  we  are  now  treating  of>  the  No^wn- 
<briah  kingdom  comprizM  a  very  great  part,  and  the  best,  of  mo* 
;deni^Seotland ;  and  accordingly,  ad^the  intUibitaiits  Were  not  then 
,8cbt8, 'it  cannot  be  pretended  thai  many  of  thtf  eminent  nan, 
xailod  &;o^,  who  resorted  tb  the  Conttnent,  might  have  been  jrap* 
q^iedi  dnnt  that  oountry  after  having  hein  edbcbt^  in  the  sdiods 
(Of -Mailros,  &c.  in  said  khngdoin.  The  Picts  were^s^r  distinct 
£romibe  Scott;  and,  besides  their  having  had.iio  fean^ed  mien 
Among  ^em^  except  foreigners,  chiefly  ifishi*  (see  Pinlierftoil, 
\Pfefita  VU.  Axtiqi  SS.  Sfc.)  no  one  will  innginB,  thdt  th^ir  Otwp- 
:trj  migbt  havefiimished  some  of  those  oombeikiM  pcrBbniB,  Whott 
ifome^  under  the  tiame  of  Soats^  resounded  afl  oieer  Wesftem 
'SurapB.  WiU  it  bb  said  that  the  Scots  of  Aigyle  and  some 
aiidtghbotirii^  dbtricts  were  ^ne  numerous  and  en%htened 
jcf^^ug^  t6  send  out  sudi  crowds  of  learned,  and  hdj  meni? 
Silt  what  schools  had  they?  Except  Hy,  whkh^  as  o^n  ob- 
•served,  wiis  on  Irish  sjchool,  they  had  «ione,  I  mean  a  respectable 
isne  ;,.nor  is  there  a  trace  of  any  such  school  in  the  territory  of 
«fae  British  Scots  until  much  later  times.  Thei^  were  indeed  some 
sauin  monasteries  or  odls;  but  no  mention  occurs  of  any  learned 
establiriiment.    (See  Chalmers,  CaUdoniay  VoL  I.  chap,  xm  the 

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CHAP.  XK.  ^F  IftELANl>. 

^mr^iltcti^if^  €hfiHimify:J    Tlios^  Som  W««  ^eleouie  to 
Che  Bdu^  ^Hf»  wl^eii,  we  May  be  stire,  was  fneqcwnted  by 
4ei^ert^of  tbem ;  but  ift  it  td  be  ftuptKMwd,  that  all  the  so  Called 
Scdto,  wtMy  ^li^iited'Eviglabd,  -Bremce,  Germany,  Ac  had^  been 
Audited  ftt  Hy>  or  tbaft  I9«^'frii^  Scots,  belobgihg  to  that  hoiin^, 
itod  who,  by  th^  by^,  Were  the  fe  greater  number,  all  staid  at 
home,  wMe  noti^  Init  th^  Wfhyti  ones  went  to  foreign  paorts? 
IT  Hy  wiere  the  only  eMablishhient,  wlience  the  travelling  -Scots 
ef  either,  nation  6i6Ared  thefr  lesihimg,  it  alionkl  have  been  ten 
times  as  large  as  it  was,  considering  the  multitudes  of  them  that 
emigrated.    The  truth,  however,  is  that  a  vety  eonaideraMe  poi^- 
tbh  of  these  mssionarics,  &c.  h^  studied  in  Irelttf^,   iMc\k 
abounded  in  great  sdiools,  such  a^  Armagh,  Bangor,  wftidi  aeat 
4>ut  Columbanus,  GialTus,  ahd'their  companions ;  Lismore, -whence 
St.  Cataldos;   Clonard,  Qonrtiacnois,  Ross,  (co.  Cork,)  EmJ^ 
Klldare,  Clonenagh,  &c.  Ac.    Neithci-  St  Fursey  and  his'^eom- 
panions,  nor  St.  Livinus  and  otifiei^,  whom  it  w6idd  b^  tMitm 
to  enumerate,  had  been  members  of  the  nionasteiy  of  Hy;  ^e«t 
It  is  to  be  recoffected  that  the  great  missionaries,  who  had'  redRy 
belonged  to  it,  were  Irishmen,  stidi  as  Aidan,  FTnan,  and  CelmaA 
jOP  Lindisfkme.    In  tho^  times  the  British  Scots  were  too  vHadk 
efagaged  in  striVing  to  extend  their  Arontiers^  and  too  poor  to- apply 
much  U>  learning;  and  It  was  nbt  mitil  after  they  go( pos^^ssioft 
of  the  FSctish  krogdom  in  84d,  that  they  s^  about  estabMshiat 
religious  houses  and  schools  on  a  somewhat  extended  acale.   Th^ 
Scottish  establishment   at  Dunkeld  was  not  begun  until  849  ; 
that  of  Brechin  was  very  late  in  the  10th  cehtury ;  arid  the  sdioois 
of  Dumblane  and  Abemethy,  although  peHiaps  e&rfier,  ^h^r6  Mft 
ibrmed  until  a  late  part  bf  the  period  comprized  betweet^  843 
Imd  1097.  (See  Chalmers,  i6.  chap,  on  the  EcdeHaittical  kuMi/ 
of  said  period.  J 

1  have  been  induced  to  enlarge  on  this  subject,  in  consequence 
of  having  oibserved,  that  several  continental  writers,  some  of  wftotfi 
were  otherwise  very  learned  men,  seem  to  have  supposed,  ih#t 
such  Scots  as  distinguished  themsdves  in  ibrdgn  countries  during 
the  seventh,  and  down  to  die  eleventh  or  twdfth  centmy,  wtSfe 
generally  ^Irom  North  Briudn,  unless  some  circumstance  or  iricB- 
cadon  may  hiq^>en  to  oc^dr,  whidi  points  out  Ireland  as  d^  land 
d  their  l^rih.    Sbdi  di^guisfaing  marks  do  indeed  odtoitantiy 

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224  AN  ECCLE6U8TICAL   HISTORY  CHAP*  XX. 

occur;  and  hence  we  find  tbat  other  writers  frequently  ramind 
the  reader,  that  such  and  such  Sootr-  were  from  the  oM  Scotia, 
that  is,  Irish  Scots.     Molanus,  Philip  Ferrarius,  Sirmond,  Fleuiy, 
and  many  more,  particukriy  German  authors,  were  very  careful 
on  this  point,  while  the  writers,  above  alluded  to,  leave  the  name 
Scoff  or  ScoU,  as  they  found  it  in  old  documents,  without  cau- 
tioning the  reader  that  the  persons  so  denominated  were  really 
Irish.    And  h^ce  it  has  come  to  pass  tha(  some  late  authors  of 
a  minor  class,  writing  in  the  modem  languages  of  Europe,  and 
copying  from  the  Latin  works  of  said  writers,  are  wont  to  trans« 
late  Scotif  not  adverting  to  its  old  signification,  Scotchmen^  Ecot* 
soisy  Scozzesi,  &c  so  as  convey  to  the  uniqformed  an  idea  that 
they  were  uniformly  natives  of  N.  Britain.     But  had  the  true 
state  of  the  British  Scots  in  the  seventh,  aghth,  and  thence  to, 
at  least,  the  eleventh  century,  been  generally  known,  the  name 
ScoHf  applied  to  persons  during  that  long  period,  would  be  pre- 
sumed to  mean  Iruhment  in  case  there  do  not  appear  some  spe- 
cial reasons,  founded  on  the  context,  &c.  to  show  that  they-  were 
British  Scots.    If  the  Bollandists  had  been  well  acquainted  with 
the  history  of  these  Scots,  they  need  not  have  been  as  scrupu- 
Jtous,  as  we  sometimes  find  them,  in  their  doubts  of  whether  this 
<ir  that  Scot  of,  ex,  c,  the  eighth  century,  were  fiom  Ireland  or 
the  modem   Scotland.    What  I  have  hitherto  stated  on  these 
p<Hnts  will  help  to  elucidate  the  history  of  several  eminent  Irish- 
men, whom  we  shall  meet  with  in  our  progress. 

(28)  The  Bollandists  (at  St.  Suibert,  30  Aprd)  suspect  tbat 
Patto  was  not  bishop  of  Verden,  and  that  the  inmiediate  succes- 
sor of  Suibert  was  Tanco. 

(29)  See  Mabillon,  AnnaL  Ben.  ad  A.  796.)  There  is  no 
distinct  account  of  the  precise  times  of  those  abbots  or  oi  such 
of  them  as  became  bishops  of  Verden.  What  Colgan  has  about 
them  at  St.  Patto  (30  Mart.)  is,  as  to  the  chronological  part, 
very  incorrect ;  and  it  will  be  sufficient  to  observe,  that  all  of  them 
flourished  after  A.  D.  786. 

(SO)  See  Chap.  viii.  §.  8.  Not.  91.  Thisisnot  the  place  to  en- 
ter into  the  celebrated  question  concerning  the  Thule  so  often  men- 
tioned by  Grecian  and  Roman  writers ;  but  it  is  certain  that  Iceland 
was  the  island  which  the  Irish  called  Thyle  or  InU  ThyU^  i.  e,  die 
island  of  Tliyle.     Not  only  our  old  historians  are  unanimous  on 


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CHAP.  XX.  OP  IRELAND.  295 

this  pointy  (see  Colgan  AA.8S.  p.  242.)  but  the  geographer 
Dicuill  18  particularly  explicit  with  r^^ard  to  it,  as,  for  iQatance, 
in  what  he  says  concerning  the  length  of  the  summer  days  iii 
Thyle,  his  denying  that  it  was  surrounded  with  ice,  and  his  ob« 
serving  that  the  frozen  sea  was  one  day's  sail  more  to  the  North.    . 

(31)  Hayfeir  {Geography,  VoL  in.  p.  144)  says,  that  Iceland 
was  inhabited  as  early  as  the  5th  century;  but  6pom  wliat  is 
stated  (see  above  Chap.  viii.  ib^  of  St  Ailbe's  intention  to  pro- 
ceed thither  for  the  purpose  of  leading  a  life  unknown  to  the 
worid,  it  may  perhaps  be  conjectured  that  it  was  then  destitute  of 
inhabitants.  This,  however,  is  at  most  conjectural ;  for  St  Ailbe 
might,  notwithstanding  its  containing  some  inhabitants,  have 
found  places  enough  in  the  island,  where  he  could  have  remmned 
quite  sequestered  from  them. 

(32)  The  Icelandic  historian,  Amgrim  Jonas,  pretends  that  it 
was  not  inhabited  until  A.  D.  874,  when  it  was  occupied  by  the 
Norwegians.    Independently  of  historical  documents,  which  prove 
the  contrary,  it  is  difficult  to  suppose  that,  while  so  many  small 
islands  of  the  Northern  ocean  were  peopled  long  before  that  time, 
Icdand  should  have  remained  uninhabited,  particularly  as  its  cli- 
mate was  formerly  much  more  temperate  than  it  has  become  in  the 
course  of  ages,  and  its  soil  was  then  mud)  better  and  more  fhiit- 
ful  than  at  present,  besides  the  advantage  of  a  passage  to  it  not 
being  impeded  by  ice.      It  was  the  Thule  of  the  Romans, 
as  ther^is  good  reason  to  believe,  and  was  certainly  inhabited  at  a 
^  earlier  period.    But,  setting  aside  this  controversy,  Amgrim 
himsdf  supplies  us  with  a  proof,  that  it  was  peopled  prior  to  the 
arrival  of  the  Norw^ians;  for  he  acknowledges  the  wdl  known 
fact,  that  the  Norwegians  found  there  sacred  utensils,  which  had 
been  lefl  by  Irish  Christians,  whom,  he  sajrs,  the  ancient  Ice- 
landers caUed  Papa  or  Papa{.    Rray,  who  were  those  old  Ice- 
landers, that  were  able  to  give  some  account  of  the  Irish  Papas  ? 
He  must  have  meant  the  Norwegian  settlers  of  874.    But,  if  they 
were  the  first  inhabitanto  of  the  island,  what  could  they  have 
known  of  said  Pkipas?  Had  he  told  us  that  they  discovered  the 
name  Papa  or  Papms^  by  means  of  some  inscriptk>ns  found  there, 
or  had  he  made  mention  of  the  Irish  books  left  by  the  Papas  in 
Iceknd,  he  would  have  been  more  consistent  with  himself.    His 
saying  that  thejr  were  probably  fishermen  is  a  poor  evasion ;  for,  if 

VOL.  III.  Q 

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226  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY         CHAP.  XX. 

80,  why  should  they  have  left  those  sacred  utensils  in  an  unin- 
liahked  country  ?  Unless  he  supposed  that  said  Papas  perished 
tbere  -,  but  th^  he  tells  us  that  the  Norwegians  found  no  traces 
of  any  habitation  whatsoever.  How  could  this  have  been,  if  tlie 
Papas  had,  on  landing  there,  remained  for  som^  time  in  the 
iduid,  as  they  surely  must  have  intended  to  do  ?  Otherwise  why 
bring  on  shore  articles  necessary  for  the  celebration  of  divine 
service  ?  Pftssing  by  these  inconsistencies  of  Amgrim,  another  Ice- 
landic writer,  Ara  Multiseius  has  (  Sched.  de  hlandia^  cap.  2.)  a 
clear  account  of  tlie  whole  matter.  Having  observed  that,  when 
Ingolfr,  the  Norwegian,  amVed  in  Iceland,  it  was  in  great  part  co- 
vered with  forests,  he  adds,  <<  that  there  were  tlien  Christians 
<<  there,  whom  the  Norw^;iaiis  call  Papas^  and  tlmt  they  after* 
<*  wards  quitted  the  country,  because  they  did  not  like  to  live  with  . 
«  heathens,  and  left  behind  them  Irish  books,  bells,  and  staffs. 
<<  Thence  it  was  easy  to  pax^dve  that  they  were  Irishmen.'*  On 
this  statement  we  may  observe,  that  the  Irish*  who  were  settled 
there  at  the  time  of  the  Norwegians  taking  posoesiion  of  the 
island,  did  not,  in  all  probability,  leave  it  voluntarily,  but  were  ex- 
pelled by  those  same  pagan  Norwegians ;  for  otherwise  they  would 
have  taken  along  with  them  th^  books,  &c  Nearly  in  the 
same  manner  are  these  circumstances  stated  in  the  book,  called 
Land-namo'boc  (ap.  Johnston^  Ami.  Cdto-Scand.  p.  14.)  in  which 
we  read ;  **  Before  Iceland  waa  inhabited  by  the  Norwegians, 
<<  there  were  men  there  whom  the  Norw^ians  call  fapas^ 
"  and  who  professed  the  Christian  religkm,  and  are  thought  to 
<<  have  come  by  sea  from  the  West;  for  there  were  left  by  them 
<<  Irish  books,  bells  and  crooked  stafi,  and  several  other  things 
*<  were  found  which  seemed  to  indicate  that  they  were  West-men* 
**  These  articles  were  found  m  F^)eya  towards  the  East  and  in 
<j  PapylL**  See  also  Von  TroS,  {Onlcdond,  LeUit  IF.)  As  to 
the  crooked  staflb,  they  ware  of  that  kind,  which  the  andent 
Irish  had  a  particular  veneratkm  for,  viz.  those,  whidi^  had  be* 
longed  to  holy  bishops,  abbots,  &c  and  wfaidi  used  to  be  adorned 
with  gold,  precious  stones,  &c.  Such  was  the  fianous  staff  of  S^ 
Patrick,  that  of  St.  Mura»  and  many  others,  which  were  consH 
dered  as  most  valuable  rehcs,  so  that  it  was  usual,  even  until  a 
late  period,  to  swear  by  them. 

Accdrding  to  the  above  accounts,  those  Irishmen,  wIk)  had 

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CHAP.  XX.  OP   IRELAND.  227 

lived  in  Iceland^  were  called  Papa  or  Papas,  by  the  NOTwegians. 
This  HHght  seem  to  have  been  a  name  invented  by  the  M  Noc- 
w^ians  for  them,  because  they  were  in  communion  with  the 
Pope.  Butit  is  more  probable,  that  it  was  that,  idiich  was  usedby 
themselves,  signifying  dergymcru  Instances  occur  in  our  history 
of  not  only  bishops  but  abbots  being  called  Papa.  (See  Not* 
214.  to  Chaip.  X.)  In  a  note  to  Ara  (p.  13.)  those  Papas  are 
stated  to  have  been  ecclesiastics.  The  districts  or  places  in  Ice- 
land, bearing  the  names  Papet^  and  Papyli^  affwd  a  strong 
{m>of  of  this  sujqposidon ;  for  il  is  sij^ciently  clear,  that  they  were 
so  called  from  having  been  inhabited  by  the  Irish  P^ipas  before 
the  anrival  of  the  Norw^ans.  It  is  thus  that,  as  Barry,  ( Histoiy 
of  the  OrkneySy  p.  115.)  following  Pinkerton,  thinks  with  great 
appearance  of  truth,  the  persons  called  Papae,  whom  ihe  Scan- 
dinavians fbund  in  the  Orkney  Islands  on  their  arrival  in  the  ninth 
centmy,  were  the  Irish  clergymen  settled  there,  who,  as  they 
spoke  a  diffisrent  language,  and  were  of  an  appearance  and  man- 
ners different  fhHn  those  of  the  othar  inhabitants  of  said  islands 
might  have  been  considered  by  the  Scandinavians  as  a  disdnct 
nation.  Besides  other  indications,  he  observes  that  many  places 
in  these  islands  were  called  Papay  or  Paplay,  which,  considering 
their  retired  and  pleasant  situation,  and  the  venerable  ruins  which 
some  of  them  contain,  seeax  to  have  been  residences  of  clergy- 
men. There  are  two  whole  islands  known  by  that  name,  Papay 
Strons!^  and  Papay  Westray,  which  are  remarkable  for  ruins, 
and  bear  strong  marks  of  having  been  clerical  or  monastic  pro- 
perty. 

(33)  DicuiU,  who  has  been  mentioned  akeady,  says  m  his 
book,  (De  mensura  pravinciarum  orbk  terrae)  that  thirty 
years,  prior  to  the  time  oi  writing  it,  he  had  got  an  acoount  of 
Tbyle  (Iceland)  from  some  clergymen,  who  had  retumad  from  k 
afier  having  spent  there  from  the  first  of  Februaiy  to  the  tint  qf 
August.  (See  Usher,  p.  868.)  DicuiU  floorisbed  in  the  late  part  of 
the  eighth  and  beginning  of  the  ninth  century.  (Ware,  Writers^ 
at  DicuiU.)  Usher  [daces  him  {p.  729.)  among  the  writers 
of  the  seventh ;  but  as  he  was  Ihdng  at  the  time  of  the  North- 
mannie,  or  as  they  are  commonly  called,  Oanidi  piracies,  on  ac* 
count  of  which,  he  says,  (see  Ware,  Antiq,  cap.  24.)  seoeral  ttnatt 
islands  abmtt  our  island  of  Ireland  have  not  at  present  as  much  as 

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828  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY  CHAP.  XX. 

an  anchoret  in  them,  he  mutt  be  assigned  to  the  period,  after 
>vhich  said  piracies  began  off  the  Irish  coasts,  and  which  was. 
somewhat  later  than  790.  The  date  of  DicuilFs  work  is  now  well 
known ;  for  Mr.  Walckenaer  has  published  it  together  with  RS- 
cherches  GSograpkiques  ei  Phisiques  on  it,  Paris,  1814.  Ac- 
cording to  his  copy,  DicuiD  dates  his  work  in  S2S.  Accordingly 
the  thirtieth  previous  year,  in  which  he  had  conversed  with  the 
clergymen  returned  from  Iceland,  will  bring  us  back  to  about 
795.  Nor  is  there  any  the  least  hint  or  any  other  reason  to  make 
us  think,  that  they  were  the  first  missionaries,  who  had  gone  from 
Ireland  to  that  country.  It  seems  that  the  clerg3rmen,  who  used 
to  be  sent  on  that  missran,  were  occasionally  relieved  by  others  from 
IrekuAd  afler  a  certain  period  of  service. 

(34)  See  Not.  82. 

{35)  As  to  the  Orkneys  see  ib*  We  have  observed  almady, 
(Chap*  XI.  §,  14.)  that  Irish  missionaries  are  said  to  have  been  in 
those  islands  m  eariy  as  the  times  of  Columbkill.  Dicuil  statesi 
that  in  the  Hethlandic,  that  is,  the  Shetland  isles,  there  were  liv- 
ing Irish  hermits  since  about  1 00  years  prk>r  to  the  time  of  his 
writing.  (See  Usher,  p.  7^.) 

%.  V.  St.  Sedulius,  abbot,  and,  accorctiiig  to  some, 
bishop  at  Ath-cliath,  now  called  Dublin*  is  said  to 
have  died  in  786.  (36)  If  he  was  really  a  bishop, 
he  is  the  only  one  tnat  Dublin  can  lay  claim  to  before 
tlie  eleventh  century ;  (37)  and  it  is  dear,  that  it 
was  not  a  regular  episcopal  see  until  said  century. 
This,  however,  does  not  prevent  our  admitting,  that 
Sedulius  was  raised  to  the  episcopal  rank,  in  the  same 
manner  as  many  abbots,  disUnguished  for  their  merit, 
iv$(^  to  be  in  Ireland  without  attaching  permanent 
tsf^s  to  their  places  of  residence,  and  as  his  neighbour 
ami  contemporary,  Ferfugill,  was  at  Clondalkiu*  (38) 
Notliing  further  is  known  concerning  this  St.  Sedu- 
litis,  than  that  he  was  the  son  of  one  Luat,  and  de- 
parted this  life  ott  the  12th  of  February.  A  very 
learned  and  holy  man,  Colga,  aUas  Coelchu,  Colcu, 
(in  Latin  Colcus)  surnamed  the  Wise^  presided  in 
these  times  over  the  great -school  of  Clonmacnois. 

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CHAP.  XX,  OF    IRELAND.  229 

(39)  He  was  of  the  family  of  the  Hua-Dunechda, 
and  had,  it  seems,  studied  at  that  school.  Through 
his  great  application,  particularly  to  the  Epistles  of 
St.  Paul,  whom  he  venerated  as  his  patron,  he  acquired 
such  a  degree  of  ecclesiastical  knowledge  that  he 
was  looked  upon  as  the  most  learned  man  in  Ireland, 
and  was  styled  the  Scribe  or  doctor  of  all  the  Scots. 
His  piety  was  equally  great,  and  accordingly  he  was 
raised  to  the  priesthood.  At  what  time  he  began  to 
teach  at  Clonmacnois,  we  are  not  informed ;  but  he 
remained  there  until  his  death  in  792,  on,  it  seems, 
the  20th  February,  the  day  at  which  his*  name  is 
marked  in  the  calendars.  He  left  some  trkcts,  '^ori^ 
of  which,  of  a  devotional  kind,  has  been  preserved. 

(40)  This  distinguished  man  was  undoubtedly  the 
lecturer  and  blessed  master  Colcu,  with  whom  Alcuin 
carried  on  a  correspondence,  and  who  had  an  ex- 
traordinary  respect  for  him,  as  appears  from  one  of 
his  letters  to  Colcu,  which  is  still  extant.  (41) 
After  giving  him  some  news  relating  to  the  state 
of  the  continent,  he  styles  him  most  holy  father^ 
and  calls  himself  his  son.  (42)  He  then  men- 
tions one  Joseph  as  an  humble  servant  of  Colcu, 
who,  as  well  as  all  his  other  friends  then  living  in 
France,  was  serving  God  in  a  state  of  prosperity. 
(43)  Next  he  tells  him  that  an  unfortunate  quairel 
had  broke  out  between  king  Charles  and  the  Mercian 
king  Offa,  and  that  it  was  said  that  he  himself  was  to 
be  sent  to  England  for  the  purpose  of  negociating  a 
peace  between  them,  as  in  fact  he  was  in  790,  not 
long  after  his  writing  this  letter.  (44)  He  requests 
Colcu's  prayers,  that  God  may  protect  him,  whether 
he  shoald  go  or  not,  and  laments  that  he  had  not 
received  any  letter  from  him  for  a  considerable  time. 
Alcuin  adds  an  account  of  some  presents,  which  he 
had  forwarded  to  him,  such  as  oil,  then  a  scarce  arti- 
cle, to  be  distribated  among  the  bishops  ;  a  certain 
sum  of  money,  partly  from  the  king  Charles,  and 
partly  from  himself,  for  the  brethren  (of  Clonmacnois); 
another  sum,  not  so  large,  from  them  also,  and  from 

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2S0  AN    ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY  CHAP.  XX* 

another  person,  for  the  Southern  brethren  of  Bald- 
huninega  ;  (45)  and  some  small  sums  for  certain 
anchorets  ;  requesting  that  all  those  persons  may  pray 
for  himself  and  forking  Charles. 

(36)  Tlie  date  of  the  4  Masters  {ap.  A  A.  SS.p.  S15.)  is  785, 
t.  e.  786. 

(37)  The  4  Masters  call  Sedulius  only  abbot;  but  the  Marii/r. 
Tandoct.  and  Marian  Gorman  give  him  the  title  of  bishop.  Ware 
(Bishops  of  Dublin)  omits  him,  whereas,  according  to  the  old 
documents  of  that  duirch,  Donat,  who  lived  in  the  11th  century, 
was  its  first  bidiop.  Yet  Harris  has  admitted  him,  as  well  as 
•tfwt  Ibr  whom  there  is  much  less  foundation-  Burke  ( Office  of 
8$.  AtcmoUzM^goes  still  further,  tellingusywhat  it  would  be' hard  to 
guess  where  he  found,  that  Pope  Stephen  III.  on  St.  Rumoldus' 
reagning  into  his  hands  the  see  of  Dublin,  made  it  over  to  Se- 
dulius. This  IS  a  patched  up  story,  not  worth  refutation ;  for  how 
can  it  be  proved,  that  St.  Rumold  ever  held  said  see  ?  (See  Chap. 
XIX.  §.  IS. 

(38)  See  ib.  §.16.  It  is  not  improbable,  that  Sedulius*  pro- 
motion was  in  consequence  of  the  death  of  F^ugill  in  785,  as  it 
was  requisite  that  there  should  be  a  bishop  somewhere  in  that 
neighbourhood  to  exercise  the  necessary  episcopal  fxmctions.  Per- 
haps both  of  them  were  only  chorepiscopi, 

(39)  Colgan  has  the  Acts  of  St  Colga  at  20  Feb.p.  378.  seqq. 

(40)  Colgan  had  a  copy  of  it  under  the  title  of  Scuap  chrabhaight 
Scopa  devotioniSf  or  Stveeping  brush  of  devotion.  He  represents 
it  as  a  collection  of  most  fervent  prayers,  breathing  extraordinaiy 
piety.  Ware  f  Writers  J  has  overlooked  Colga,  but  Harris  has  not. 

(41)  This  letter  was  published  by  Usher  from  two  very  ancient 
MSS.  of  the  Cottonian  Ubraiy,  in  the  Ep.  Hib.  Si/U.  No.  18.,  and 
thence  republished  by  Colgan  among  the  Acts  of  Su  Cdga  or 
Colpu.  It  is  headed,  "  Albini  magistri  ad  Colcum  lectorem  in 
Scotia ;  then  comes  the  address,  *'  Benedicto  Magistro  etpiopoM 
ColcUf  Alcuine  humiUs  Lewta  salutemJ*  Harris  (  Writers^  p.  51 . )  Ml 
into  a  monstrous. mistake  in  attributing  this  letter  to  the  Irishman,, 
called  Albin,  the  ccnnpanion  of  Clemens,  of  whom  we  have  treated 
above.  He  might  have  learned  not  onfy  from  die  address  of  it. 
but  likewise  fix>m  Usher  and  Colgan^  to  whom  be  strangely  refers 
the  reader;  that  it  was  written  by  Alcuin. 

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CHAP.  XX.  OF   IRELAND.  231 

(42)  It  is  not  to  be  concluded  fitmi  these  and  other  similar  ex- 
pressions in  the  letter,  that  Alcuin  had  studied  under  Cdcu.  For 
it  does  not  appear,  that  he  had  ever  been  ih  Ireland.  But,  as  the 
reputation  of  both  of  them  was  v&y  great,  they  had  heard  of  each 
other,  and  entered  into  a  correspondence.  A  person  might  call 
another  Master^  or  DoUor^  and  himself  his  son,  witliout  having 
been  under  his  direction.  Mabillon  concludes  {AnnaL  Ben.  ad  A* 
790)  from  the  highly,  re^iectfid  manner,  in  which  Colcu  is  ad- 
dressed and  spoken  of  by  Alcuin,  that  he  must  have  been  a  very 
distinguished  man.  He  then  conjectures,  that  he  was  perhaps  a 
teacher  in  Hy.  Had  he  looked  into  Colgan^s  A  A.  SS.  a  work, 
which  he  seems  to  have  been  little  acquainted  with,  he  would  have 
easily  found,  that  Ckilcu  belonged  to  Clonmaqnois.  On  this  point 
Mabillon  imitated  some  older  Benedictine  writers,  who,  when  at  a 
loss  with  r^;ard  to  the  places,  whence  some  celebrated  Irishmen 
had  come,  usually  reoiu*  to  Hy,  as  if  that  were  the  greatest  of  all 
the  Irish  schools.  Now,  from  at  least  the  times  of  Adamnan,  it 
was  hg  from  being  so,  and,  although  it  did  not  cease  to  flourish^ 
seems  to  liave  been  mudi  inferior  to  some  in  Ireland,  particu- 
lariy  those  of  Armagh,  Ctonmacnois,  Lismore,  Bangor,  and 
ClonanL 

(48)  This  Joseph,  who  is  mentioned  in  Alcuin's  works,  (see 
Letter  670  ^^  been  a  scholar  of  Colcu,  as  appears  from  a  letter 
written  to  him  by  Alcuin,  which  Usher  found  in  the  MSS.  whence 
he  todc  that  to  Colcu.  (See  ^//i&.  Recens  ad.  No.  18.)  In  it  Al- 
cuin says  to  him ;  <<  Your  master  Colcu  is  wdl.**  Alcuin  had  got 
this  mfiNrmation  from  Irebttid,  and  most  probably  through  a  letter 
from  Colcu  himself.  His  adding  i^our  to  the  word  master,  plainly 
shows  that  he  meant  more  than  ghring  the  title  of  master,  in  gene« 
ral,  to  Colcu,  and  that  Josej^  had  studied  under  him#  Hence  it 
may  be  justfy  inferred,  that  Joseph  was  an  Irishman.  Colgan 
enunnnites  (A A.  SS*p*  SSL)  several  persons  of  said  name  dis- 
tinguiihed  at  that  perkidjn  Ireland.  It  was  probably  throi^h  that 
Joseph,  or  some  of  the  other  friends  of  Colcu  spoken  ofby  Alcuin, 
who  abo  appear  tolunre  been  personally  acquainted  with  him,  and 
consequently  are  to  be  presunied  natives  of  Ireland,  that  an  epis- 
tolary intercourse  took. place  between  those  two  great  men.. 

(44)  See  Mabillon,  Annal.  ^'c.  ad.  A.  790.  Accordingly  the 
letter  was  written  about  two  years  prior  to  tlie  death  of  Colcu> 


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S32  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY  CHAP.  XX» 

wliich  occurred  in  792.  For  the  date,  791,  marked  bj  Colgao 
from  the  4  Masters,  must,  following  the  usual  rule,  be  considered 
the  same  as  792. 

(45)  In  Colgan's  edition,  among  other  errata,  this  name  la 
spelled  BaUhuminegay  and,  in  a  note,  BaldhunnegOy  both  which 
have  been  copied  by^Harris  {fVriters,  p.  51.).  Colgan  conjec- 
tured that  it  ought  to  read  Bailechuinnigy  so  as  to  mean  a  town  or 
[dace  of  St.  Cannech,  peiiiaps  Kilkenny  or  Aghaboe.  But,  be- 
sides  the  great  difference  between  Baldhuinega  and  BaUechuinmgf 
or  rather  Bailecannich,  as  Colgan  in  framing  this  new  name  shouhl 
have  spelled  it,  Alcuin's  calling  the  brethren  of  that  place  sotUl^frH 
ought  naturally  to  be  understood  as  referring  to  a  part  of  Ireland 
more  to  the  south  of  Clonmacnois  than  is  either  Aghaboe  or  Kilp- 
kenny.  I  can  scarcdy  doubt  that  Baldhuninega,  ih<  town  or  place 
DhuninegOy  was  the  same  as  Lismore,  the  old  Irish  name  of  which 
was  Dunsginne,  (see  Not.  195.  to  Chap,  xiv.)  or  Dunsginna.  A 
copyist,  unacquainted  with  the  Irish  language,  might  have  easily 
made  a  mistake  in  writing  this  name.  Lismore  was  greatly  re* 
sorted  to  by  English  students;  (see  Chap.  xiv.  $.14.  Not.  197.) 
and  it  is  probable,  that  Alcuin*s  reason  for  sending  money  to  that 
establishment  was  to  show  his  gratitude  for  the  attention,  with 
which  his  countr3rmen  were  treated  there. 

%.  VI.  St.  Moelruan,  abbot  and  bishop  at  Tallaght» 
or  Tallagh,  about  five  miles  from  Dublin,  who  died 
on  the  7th  of  July  A.  D.  788,  (46)  is  also  to  be 
reckoned  among  the  learned  men  of  4hose  times,  and 
was  one,  and  probably  the  first,  of  the  authors  of  the 
celebrated  raartyrology  called  Tamlactense,  or  of 
Tallaght.  (47)  Concerning  his  transactions  1  can 
find  nothing  further  except  that  he  governed  his 
monastery  according  to  the  primitive  rules  of  monas- 
tic discipline,  and  had  for  several  years  among  his 
monks  tne  great  hagiologist  Aengus. 

Suibhne  the  second,  abbot  of  Hy,  who  died  either 
in  768  or  772,  (48)  was  succeeded  by  Bressal,  son 
of  one  Segen,  whose  administration  lasted  until  797f 
the  year  of  his  death.  (49)  During  it  died  at  Hy, 
in  787,  Artgal,  son  of  Oithald,  who  had  been  king  of 

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CHAP<  XX*  OF  IRELAND.  233 

Connau^t.  Resigning  bis  crown  in  779  he  became 
a  monk,  and  in  the  following  year  retired  to  Hy, 
where  he  piously  spent  the  remainder  of  his 
life.  (50) 

In  these  times  there  seem  to  have  been  various 
contests  for  the  see  of  Armagh.  Foendelach,  who 
is  said  to  have  become  archbishop  in  76B,  (51)  is 
stated  to  have  held  it  only  three  years,  although  we 
are  told  that  he  lived  until  795.  (5^)  Next  after 
him  is  mentioned  Dubdalethe,  whose  incumbency 
lasted  fifteen  years,  (53)  and  accordingly,  reckoning 
from  771 9  the  year  of  his  accession,  ended  in  786* 
Next  after  him  are  mentioned  Arectac,  who  ruled 
only  one  year,  (54)  and  Cudiniscus  who  held  the  see 
four  years  and  consequently  until  79 1 .  (55)  He  was 
succeeded  by  Conmach,  to  whom  are  assigned  four* 
teen  years.  (56)  As  to  the  succession  in  other  Irish 
sees  there  is  a  deplorable  vacuum  in  the  history  of 
this  period,  with  scarcely  any  exception,  saving  that 
of  £mlv.  Cuan,  who  was  bishop  there,  and  in  all 
probability  the  immediate  successor  of  Senchai,  died 
in  784  or  786 ;  (57)  and  next  after  him  we  find  in 
that  see  Sectabrat,  who  lived  until  819.  (58)  Instead 
of  a  succession  of  bishops  in  some  of  our  distinguished 
sees  we  are  furnished  with  that  of  abbots  m  said 
places,  for  instance  at  Ferns  and  Kildare,  (59) 
although  it  is  difficult  to  think  that  the  line  of  bishops 
was  interrupted.  (60) 

(46)  4>  Masters,  ap.  AA.  SS.p.  583.  I  have  added  a  year  to 
their  date  587.  Th^  call  him  hishop,  as  does  also  CQlgan,  (jtt. 
p.  741.)  although  dsewhere  he  gives  him  only  the  title  cS  abbot. 

(47)  The  title  of  this  wofk,  which  Colgan  r^nresents  as  ejLcel- 
lent,  and  the  most  copious  he  ever  met  with  of  that  kind  written 
in  any  country,  is  Marh^ologium  Aengusii  JUii  Huu'obhlenu  et 
Modruanu  Aengus,'  (^  whom  hereafter,  lived  for  some  years  in 
themonasteiy  ofXalki^  under  Modruan.  As  they  both  be- 
longed to  that  place,  Colgan  has,  with  good  reason,  called  H 
Tamlademe.  (See  A  A.  SS.  f.  5.  and  581.)    It  might  have  been 

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2S4f  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY  CHAP.  XX. 

oompoeed  jointly  by  both  of  them,  or  what  seems  more  probable, 
had  been  first  undertaken  by  MOodruan,  and  continuedby  Aengus, 
who,  from  his  name  being  placed  first,  seems  to  have  written  the 
greater  part  of  it.  He  adds  that  a  Martyrohgium  Tamlactense  is 
mentioned  by  an  old  Sdiuol^astoathe  Festilogmm  of  Marian  Gor- 
man, and  that  there  is  every  appearance  of  its  having  been  the 
same  as  that  entitled,  Aengusy  &c  Coacemingit  more  will  be 
seen  lower  down. 

(48)  See  CAd^.  xix.  §.  14.  Not.  162. 

(49)  See  Tr.  TLp.  500.  Smith  in  his  catalogue  of  the  abbots 
of  My  {Append,  to  Li/e  of  St.  Ckd.)  inserts,  between  Suibhne  and 
Bressal,  a  St.  Muredaoh  as  abbot,  because  he  fiiund  him  called  by 
the  4  Masters  prior  of  Hy.  He  ought  to  have  known  that  the 
priors  of  Hy  were  different  firom  the  abbots.  The  office  of  prior, 
which  is  kept  up  to  this  very  day  in  large  monasteries,  is  inferior  to 
that  of  abbot.  It  is  like  that  of  a  vice-president.  Muradachdied 
in  778. 

(50)  4  Maiten  ap.  Tr.  Th.  id.  1  have  added  a  year  to  their 
dates. 

r51)  See  Chaps  xix.  §.  14.  a^l  ih.  Not.  160. 161. 

(52)  The  Pulter  of  Casfael  {ap.  Tr.  Th.p.^92.)  aUowsthree 
yeartfor  the  incumbency  of  Foendelaeh.  But  the  4  Masters  (ib. 
p.  294.)  who,  instead  of  him,  make  Cudiniscus  the  imme^ate 
successor  of  Ferdadirich,  asqgn  his  death  to  A.  794  (795)  after 
observing  that  he  had  a  contest  concerning  the  see,  first  with 
Dubdaledie  and  afterwards  with  GormgaL 

(S$)  Ware  {Bishops  at  Armagh)  €tom  the  catakigue  of  the 
Ftalter  of  Caghel. 

(54)  See  said  catalogue  op.  Tr.  Th.  p.  292^  Ware  has  Affiat 
or  Arectac  But  in  the  now  menticmed  catalogue  there  is  no 
Affiat.  The  Ulster  annals  and  the  4  Masters  call  him  bishop  of 
Armagh,  and  state  that  he  died  on  the  same  night  with  Arectac 
Hoa^Fbelain  oMo^  of  Armagh,  in  79S  (794.)  According  to  this 
account,  Arectac  was  not  bishop,  unless  we  should  suppose  that, 
having  held  the  see  for  some  time,  he  was  pushed  out  by  Affiat, 
and  reduced  to  the  situation  of  abbot  As  to  his  dying  in  794, 
it  does  tiot  agree  with  the  Pkudter,  whidi  allows  him  only  one  year's 
ihcumbency,  and  consequently^  temunating  m  787,  exc^t  we  are 
to  admit  a  similar  supposition,  viz.  that  he  was  deprived  of  the  see 

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CUAP«  XZ.  OF   IRELAND.  2S5 

«ome  years  befinre  hk  death.  It  is,  however,  usidesi  to  endeavour 
to  reconcile  thece  jarring  accounts,  and  I  shall  leave  the  whole 
matter  as  it  is  given  in  said  Psalter. 

(55)  It  is  remarkable  that,  notwithstanding  the  disagreement 
wi^  regard  to  the  order  of  succession,  the  Ulster  annals  and  the 
4}  Masters  assign  the  death  of  Cudiniscus  to  A.  D.  790,  t.  e.  791, 
the  very  year  to  which  the  above  catalogue  leads  us  for  the  dose  o£ 
his  incumben<^.  Harris  in  his  additi<His  to  Ware  (at  Cudiniscut) 
has  a  strange  jumble  of  dates.  Althoi^h  he  says  with  Ware,  that 
the  Annals  of  Ulster  placehis  death  in  791,  he  assigns  his  acces- 
sion to  794,  and  his  demise  to  798.  Where  he  found  thcK  dates, 
jiobody,  I  believe,  would beable  to  tell. 

(56)  Catalogue  from  the  Psalter  of  Cashel. 

(57)  Ware,  Bishops  at  Emfy.  For  Sendiai  see  Chap.  xjx. 
$.16. 

(58)  Ware,  *.  . 

(59)  Forthe  series  ofabboto  there  and  dsewhere  see  Archdall. 
It  will  not  be  expected  Aat  I  shocdd  transcribe  them.  It  some- 
times happens,  as  often  rimaiked»  that  the  same  persons  are 
sometimes  called  aUats  and  sometimes  Uskaps  ;  but  it  is  not  to 
be  thence  presumed  that  every  cme,  who  is  called  abbot,  ex,  c.  of 
Ferns,  were  also  bishops  there.  Wehaveseen(iVo^.l60to  CAa/'. 
xix.)«n  aUot  of  Kiklare  clearly  dvtiqgutshed  from  two  Ush^ps  of 
said  place,  who  died  in  the  same  year  with  him.  Our  annalists 
were  osuafly  attentive  to  give  the  title  bishop  to  such  abbots^  as 
woEe  really  both  abbots  and  bishops. 

(60)  I  snpect,  however,  that  such  an  interruption  might  have 
occuned  in  less  distinguished  sees  or  places,  owing  to  the  singular 
pradiee  in  Ireland  of  raising  persons  to  the  episcopacy  here  and 
there  without  confining  such  promotions  to  old  established  sees, 
or  places  wheiie  there  had  been  bishops  in  fbnner  dapL  The  ap- 
pobtment  of  a  bishq>  in  a  new  spot  mi^t  have  prevented  the  re- 
gidar  continuation  of  others  in  a  contiguous  frface,  whidi  had 
bishops  before.  For  instance,  there  were  some  bishops  at  Cork 
in  the  seventh  and  e^th  eentnries.  Yet  after  Selbac,  who  died 
in  773,  we  do  not  meet  with  another  there  until  about  die  middle 
of  the  tenth.  The  succession  might  have  been  interrupted  in  con- 
sequence of  the  episcopal  digniQr  being  oon^rred  on  some  abbots 
^n  the  neighbourhood. 


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236  AN   ECCLESIASTICALr   HISTORY         GHAP.  XX. 

S  VII.  The  year  795  is  stated  by  some  writers  to 
have  been  that,  in  which  the  Scandinavian  free- 
booters, vulgarly  called  Danes,  first  infested  the 
coasts  of  Ireland,  and  particularly  the  small  island 
of  Rechrann  or  Raghlin,  which  they  laid  waste.  (61 ) 
To  that  year  I  first  assigned  the  death  of  an  abbot 
of  Rechrann,  St.  Feradach,  son  of  Segen,  (62) 
which  might  have  been  occasioned  by  the  proceed- 
ings of  those  marauders.  Inis-patrick,  now  Holm- 
patrick,  was  plundered  and  devastated  by  them  in 
798.  (63)  In  one  of  those  early  piratical  expedi- 
tions, and  probably  the  first  of  them,  a  sister  of  St. 
Findan  was  carried  off  by  a  party  of  those  North- 
men, who  had  landed  somewhere  on  the  coast  of 
Leinster.  For  Findan  was  a  native  of  that  pro- 
vince, (64)  and  it  was  there  that  his  father,  who  was 
a  military  man  in  the  service  of  a  Leinster  prince, 
resided.  (65)  On  being  ^nt  by  his  father  to  the 
Danes  for  the  purpose  of  redeeming  his  sister,  he 
was  near  being  detained  as  a  prisoner ;  but,  as  some 
of  the  party  remonstrated  on  the  unfairness  of  thus 
treating  a  person  who  had  come  on  such  an  errand, 
he  was  allowed  to  return  home.  Some  time  after, 
through  the  treachery  of  certain  enemies  of  his,  be 
was  inveigled  to  go  on  an  excursion  near  the  sea^ 
whence,  it  appears,  his  habitation  was  not  far  distaot, 
and  there  fell  into  the  hands  of  some  of  those  Nor- 
man  pirates,  and,  after  various  vicissitudes,  was  taken 
to  the  Orkneys.  Having  stopped  near  one  of  it^ 
uninhabited  islands,  several  of  the  pirates  landed 
there  and  allowed  Findan  to  accompany  them* 
Here  he  seized  an  opportunity  of  slippinff  away  from 
his  Neman  companions,  and  concealed  honseif  un- 
der a  rock,  until  the  vessel  sailed  from  that  place. 
Thinking  that  there  was  an  inhabited  OMintry  not 
far  distant,  and  having  examined  every  outlet  for 
three  days,  living  on  herbs  and  water,  he  deter- 
mined on  entrusting  himself  to  Providence,  and 
promised  that,   if  God  should   preserve  him,  ^  he 

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CHArP.  XX«  OF   IRELAND.  237 

would  renounce  all  worldly  pursuits,  and  spend  the 
remainder  of  his  Kfe  in  holy  pilgrimage*  He  then 
committed  himself  to  the  waves,  and  swam  until  he 
reached  land,  on  reconnoitring  which  he  saw  houses 
and  fires  at  no  great  distance  from  the  shore. 
This  country  was  probably  some  part  of  Caithness 
in  North  Britain.  (66)  After  two  days  he  met 
some  persons,  who  conducted  him  to  the  bishop 
of  a  neighbouring  town,  by  whom  he  was  very 
kindly  received.  This  bishop  had  [studied  in  Ire- 
land, ^understood  the  Irish  language,  and  kept  Fin- 
dan  with  him  for  two  years,  xindan,  however, 
wishing  to  proceed  on  his  intended  pilgrimage,  left 
diat  place  with  the  bishop's  permission,  and  taking 
with  him  some  companions  passed  over  to  France, 
visited  St.  Martin's  of  Tours,  and,  travelling  on 
foot,  at  length  arrived  at  Rome.  Having  remained 
there  for  some  time,  he  went  to  Switzerland,  and 
stopping  there  spent  four  years  in  a  clerical  state 
with  a  nobleman^  (6?)  on  the  expiration  of  iidiich 
his  superior  in  the  monastery  of  Rhinaugia  or  Rhin- 
gaw,  (68)  got  him  made  a  monk  in  the  51st  year  of 
his  age.  The  time  assigned  for  Findan's  monastic 
profession  is  A.  D.  800,  a  date,  which  does  not 
^ree  with  that  marked  by  some  authors  for  the  first 
Oftnish  attacka  on  the  coasts  of  Ireland,  but  which, 
howeirer,.  we  have  not  sufficient  authority  to  set 
aside.  (69)  After  five  years  of  monastic  otMe]:vance 
in  tJie  community,  he  became  a  recluse  in  a  cell 
adjoiitin^  the  chiirch  and  monastery,  where  he  re- 
mained for  22  years,  practising  the  most  extraordi- 
nary austerities,  particularly  as  to  fSuting.  These  were» 
in  ail  probability,  the  last  years  of  his  life,  and  ac- 
cordiBglv  his  dea^  ought  to  be  assigned  to  A*  D. 
85t!7  (70;  Some  remarkable  circumstanqes  are  re- 
lated as  having  occurred  to  this  saint  on  the  fes- 
tivals of  St.  Patrick,  (71)  St.  Brigid,  St.  Columba 
(Columbkitl),  and  St.  Aidan  (of  Lindisfarne)  ;  and 


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238  AN    ECCLESIASTICAL   HISTORY  CHAP^XX. 

eeftain  Irish  sentences,  which  he  heard  in  visions 
on  these  occasions,  are  repeated  |in  his  Life.  The 
sanctity  of  Findan  was  ceputed  to  be  so  very 
great,  that  the  monks  of  Rhingaw,  ahhough  the 
monaistery  was  not  founded  by  him,  adopted  him  as 
their  patron  (72)  ;  and  his  nemory  is  revered  there 
on  the  15th  of  November.  (73) 

(61)  Waie,  (Antiq,  cap.  24^  referciDg  to  the  Annals  of  Ukter. 
Usher  hai  (/ficf.  CAron.).  these  Danish  depredations  at  A.  795, 
but  does  sa^r  that  they  w^re  the  fint.  The  4  Masters  (ap.  Tr. 
Th.  p.  510.)  assign  a  devastation  of  Rechrann  to  A.  790  (791.) 
This  date  would,  in  the  supposition  that  the  Danes  attacked  other 
parts  of  the  Irish  coasts  in  the  same  year,  ogree  with  the  history 
of  St.  Fmdan,  of  which  a  little  lower  down,  better  tlian  thatof  the 
Ulster  annals.  O'Flaherty  follows  Ware,  (see  OgygiOf  Part  S. 
cup.  9S.  at  king  Donnchad)  Usher  was  mistaken  in  adding  to  the 
devastation  of  Redurann  in  795  that  of  the  graatest  part  of  Ire- 
land; a  statement,  which  he  took  fix>m  a  vague  passage  of  Camdoc 
of  Lancarvan.  (See  Pr.  p»  95S.)  E  is  dear  from  what  Ware  haa 
collected  on  this  part  of  our  histoiy,  that  the  Danes  did  not  pene- 
trate into  the  interior  of  Irdand  until  sevieral  years  kter. 

(62)  Four  Masters  and  TV.  2:^.  p.  510. 

(6S)  The  Ulster  annals  {qp.  Johnston,  App.  ftc)  have ;  A.  797 
(798)  Inu-pairick  twisted  by  the  GSU. 

(64)  In  his  Life  he  is  called  a  Soot,  and  a  dtiieii  ef  the  pns 
vince  of  Leinster,  <<  Fmdan  genere  'SoottuSf  dm  pravi$icut$  Lo* 
gmentis."  This  Life  may  be  seen  in  Melchkir  GollfiMt's  Renm 
Akmannicarum  Scriptores,  Tcwu  1.  p.  818.  $efq.  or,  aosoiding  to 
another  edition,  Towts  1.  p.  90^  uqq.  Akhongh  inyeiAet,  it 
contains  a  very  good  account  of  this  saint's  transactions,  and  is 
written  in  a  dear,  sens3)le,  and  ratkmal  manner.  The  author 
lived  not  long  after  Undan,  fiv  he  mentions  a  person  stiH  alive  in 
the  monastery  of  Fore  (in  Fovarienti  moniuteru)^  to  whom  the 
saint  had  rdated  a  vision  that  he  had.  (See  cap.  8.)  This  per- 
son must  have  seen  Findan  in  Switzeriand,  but  afterwards  re- 
turned to  Ireland.  And  it  appears  that  the  author  wa%  also  an 
Iriitoian,  although  at  tiie  time  of  his  writing,  a  monk  in  Switzer- 
land.   Besides  his  seeming  to  hint,  that  he  had  been  in  the  mo- 

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CHAP.  XX.  OF  IRELAND.  2S9 

nastery  of  Fote,  he  quelet  several  Irish  passages.  But  L  find  no 
reason  for  making  him,  as  Ware  does,  ( Writers  at  9th  oentury)  a 
companion  of  Findan. 

(65)  Colgan,  who  was  much  indined  to  mafe  our  saints  sons 
of  kings,  calls  (^AA.  SS.  p.  S55.)  Findan,  or  as  he  spells  the 
name,  Ftntan,  an  Irish  pnnce.  Ware  (ib.)  si^  that  he  was  the 
son  of  a  Leinster  prince.  This  is  a  strange  assertbn  fiv  an  au- 
thor, who  refers  the  reader  to  the  Life  publiabed  by  Goldast.  In  it 
we  find  quite  the  reverse;  for  not  mily  is  Findan  csUed  a  ct^usnt  of 
Leinster,  but  his  fiitber  is  represented  as  a  mililaiy  man,  mUetf 
under  a  prince  of  that  province,  who  was  at  variance  with  ano- 
ther Leinster  prince.  Whichof  them  was  his  master,  or  whetha- 
he  bebnged  to  North  or  South  Leinster,  we  are  not  infomied. 

(66)  There  are  some  small  islands  in  the  southern  Orkneys,  or 
in  the  fiith  of  Pentland,  wfaidi  may  also  be  oonpnied  under  the 
general  name  of  Orcades  (Orkn^),  finom  one  of  idudi  a  good 
swimmer  might  make  his  wi^  to  the  mainland  of  Scotland.  Or 
the  land,  wludi  Findan  arrived  at,  might  have  been  one  of  the 
larger  ishnds.  Yet  from  other  circumstances  it  seems  more  pro- 
bable, that  the  trael  idkided  to  was  in  Caithness. 

(67)  In  the  Life  it  is  said,  diat  he  remained  fixir  yetn  with  a 
nobleman  in  derieahu  Does  this  mean  that  Findan  acted  as 
cbqi^ain  to  a  nobleman?  If  so,  he  was  abeady  a  priest.  But  I 
think  that  the  passage  oug^  to  be  understood  of  his  leading  a  cle- 
rical life,  prepanitoiy  to  holy  orders,  or  to  the  monastic  profession, 
while  residing  witb  that  nobleman. 

(68)  Rhin^w,  oUms  Rheinau,  isan  abbey  near  Ae  town  of  said 
name  in  the  district  of  Tboigawm  Switseriand.  Ware  (WrUert^ 
at  9^  centmy)  was  wrong  in  making  Findan  the  founder  of  it. 
HewasonJy  one  of  its  first  monks.  The  feimder  was,  according 
toGoldast,  theCkMmtWolfehardof  Kyburg,  whowas,  in  all  ap- 
peasance^  that  nobleman,  under  whom  Findan  spent  four  years> 
and,  periiaps,  the  same  as  the  person  called  its  senior  or  superior. 
Mabi&on,  {Annal  S^e.  ad  A.  80a)  admitth^  that  Wolfehard  was 
the  founder,  states  that  its  first  abbots  were  Wichramn,  Wohrin, 
and  Antwart,  under  one  or  other  of  whom,  he  says,  was  placed 
Findan. 

(69)  This  difficulty  has  been  noticed  by  J.  P.  Murray,  DeJBri^ 
tan.  atque  Hibern.  Sfc.  Nov.  Canrn.  R.  S.  Goetting.  Tom.  2.  and 


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240  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL   HISTORY  CHAP.  XX. 

De  Cotoniii  ScaneUcu,  ib.  Tom.  S.    The  number  of  years,  that 
mtenreae^  between  Fmdan's  bang  carried  off  by  the  Danes  and 
hjs  becoming  a  monk  in  800,  leads  us  to  an  eailier  date  than  796. 
Not  to    reckon  the  time  that  passed  from  his  seizure  to  his 
escape  from  the  Orimeys,  he  iq>ent  two  years  with  the  good 
bishop  before  he  set  out  for  France.    For  hb  journey  thiough  that 
oountry  and  Italy  to  Rome,  his  delay  in  said  city,  and  his  journey 
thence  to  Switzerland,  another  year,  at  the  least,  most  be  aUowed. 
Add  the  four  years,  which  he  passed  with  the  worthy  nobleman 
previous  to  his  monastic  profession,  and  it  will  he  found;  that, 
supposing  the  date  800  to  be  correct,  Ftndan  was  captured  before 
795,  and  that  the  Danes  b^gan  to  infest  the  Irish  coasts  earlier 
than  is  stated  in  the  annals  of  Ulster.    Now  there  are  very  good 
reasons  for  believing,  that  said  date  is  correct.    The  writer  of  the 
Life  was  almost  contemporaiy  with  Findan ;  (see   Not.  64>.)  he 
lived  in  the  monastery  of  Rhingaw,  and  had  access  to  its  docu- 
ments, among  which  there  was  undoubtedly  a  precise  account  of 
the  holy  man's  transactimis,  time  of  profession,  &c  and  accord- 
ingly ou^t  to  be  considered  as  a  very  credible  witness  on  these 
points.    The  only  evasion,  that  may  be  guessed  at  against  the 
truth  of  the  date  800,  is,  that  a  transcriber  might'  have  mistaken 
it  for  some  other.    But  of  this  some  proof  should  be  adduced ;  and 
I  do  not  fold  that  any  one  has  undertaken  to  do  so.     Said  date  is 
followed  by  Mabillon  (JnnoL  ad  800.);  and  it  is  soBsewhat  odd 
that  Ware,  who  had  Fintan's  Lifo  before  his  eyes,  did  not  hesitate 
to  lay  down  the  year  795  as  that  of  the  oommehoement  of  the 
Danish  aggressions  on  our  coasts;  and  that  Usher,  who  also  had 
said  Life,  has  affixed  (Ind.  Chron.)  Findan's  ci^>tivity  to  that  year. 
J  am  strongly  of  opinion  that  Ireland  was  annoyed  by  the  Scandi- 
navians some  years  earlier,  alhough  the  annals  of  Innisfoflen  as- 
sign dieir  6r8t  appearance  on  our  coasts  to  said  year  795 ;  and  we 
have  seen  (NoL  61.)  that  the  4  Masters  bring  them  to  Redirann 
in  791.    If  that,  or  even  792  was  the  year  in  which  Findan  was 
taken,  no  difficulQr  will  remain  as  to  what  we  read  of  his  further 
proceedii^,  and  his  having  become  a  monk  as  early  as  A.  D. 
800. 

(70)  See  Mabiik>n,  Annal.  at  A.  827. 

(71)  What  will  Dr.  Ledwic^  say,  on  hearing  that  the  festival  of 
St.  Patrick  was  kq>t  at  Rhingaw  in  the  beginning  of  tlie  ninth 

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CHAP.   XX.  OF  IRELAMI>.  241 

century.    Wai  he  still  maintain,  that  he  had  not  been  heard  of 
untflthemtd^of  it? 

(72)  The  author  of  the  Life  calls  him  our  patron. 

(7S)  A  A.  SS.  p.  $55. 

5.   VIII.    Donnchad,   king  of  all  Ireland,   hav- 
ing reigned   27   years,  (74;  and  left  an  example 
of  great  piety  and.  repentance,  (75)  died  in  797,  (76) 
and  was  succeeded  by   Aidus,  aUas  Aedan,  alias 
Hugh,  sumamed  Ordmdhe^  a  son  of  the  king  Niell 
Frassach.     This  Aidus  was  the  fifth  monarch  of  that 
name.    (77)     During  his  reign,    which  lasted  5t2 
years,  the  ravages  by  the  Scandinavians  became  more 
frequent  and  dreadful.     In  798  they  attacked  the 
coasts  of  Ulster,    (78)   and   in  802  set  fire  to  the 
monastery  of  Hy,  (7^)  on   which  occasion  many  of 
the  monks  were  consumed  in  the  flames,      lliey 
f^in  entered  Hy  in  &06 ;  and  such  was  the  extent 
of  their  fury  that  the  number  of  its  members  was  re- 
duced  to  64.  (80)     In  807  they  efiected  a  landing 
in  Ireland,  and  penetrating  aa  far  as  Roscommon 
destroyed  it,  and  laid  waste  the  surrounding  country. 
(81)     But  in   812  they  were  defeated  with  great 
slaughter  by  the  Irish,  and  forced  to  fly  and  return 
to  their  own  country.  (82)     About  815,  or,  as  some 
say,  818,  the  famous  Norwegian  Turgesius,  of  whom 
more  will  be  seen  hereafter,  made  his  first  invasion  of 
Ireland.  (83)     The  king  Aidus  Ordnidhe,  having 
become  a  great  penitent,  (8]«)  lived  until  819,  (85) 
and  had  for  successor  Conouovar,  a  son  of  king 
Donnchad,  who  is  said  to  have  reigned  fourteen 
years.  (86)    The  next  king  was  Niell  Calne,  son  of 
Aidus  Ordnidhe,  who  after  a  reign  of  thirteen  years 
was  drowned  in  the  river  Calluin,  (87)  when  55  years 
of  age,  in  846.  (88)     He  was  succeeded  by  Mel- 
seachlain,  whose  name  has  been  latinized  into  Mala^ 
c/ri^,  a  nephew  of  kin^  Conquovar  by  his  brother 
Malronius.     His  reign  Tasted  sixteen  years  and  some 
months ;  and  his  death  is  assigned  to  A.  D.  863. 

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242  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY  CHAP.  XX. 

(89)  After  him  reigned  Aidus,  or  Aedan^  VI. 
sumamed  Firmliath,  and  son  of  king  Niell  Calne. 
He  held  the  throne  for  sixteen  years,  until  his  death 
in  the  monastery  of  Druin-iniscluinn  (Drumshallon) 
A.  879.  (90)  His  successor  was  Flan  Sinna,  son  of 
the  king  Melseachlain,  who  reigned  for  about  S? 
years,  and  accordingly  until  916.  (91) 

(74)  See  Chap.  xix.  §.9. 

(75)  Four  Masters,  and  Tr.  Th.  p.  448. 

(76)  Ware  (Antiq,  cap.  4.)  and  O'FIaherty  COgygia,  Part  m. 
cap.  93.)  Ware  says  that,  according  to  some  accounts,  he  was 
killed  in  battle  fighting  against  Aidus  or  Aedan,  his  successor,  a 
circumstance  not  mentioned  either  by  the  4  Masters  or  O*  Flaherty. 
Ware  adds  as  certain,  that  two  sons  of  Donnchad  were  afier 
wards  killed  coptending  for  the  monarchy  against  the  said  Aidus. 

(77)  Colgan  (Tr.  Th.  p.  448.)  calls  him  Aidus  the  sixth,  in 
consequence  of  his  having  added  a  unit  to  the  number  of  every 
idng  of  that  name,  beginning  with  Aidus,  son  of  Anmireus,  in  the 
sixth  century,  whom  he  caUs  Aidus  the  second^  while  by  others 
he  is  called  the  Jirst, 

(78)  Ware,  Antiq.  cap.  24.  He  says  that  in  798  they  infested 
Ulster ;  but  this  must  be  understood  as  relative  to  the  coast,  and 
to  partial  landings ;  for  from  what  follows  it  appears,  that  there 
was  no  general  landing,  and  that  they  did  not  advance  far  into 
Ireland  until  807. 

(79)  Annals  of  Ulster,  ap.  Johnston  at  A.  801  (802),  and  4 
Masters  (in  Tr.  Th.p.  500.)  who  mention  an  earlier  conflagration 
of  Hy  in  797  (798). 

(80)  Annals  of  Ulster,  ib.  ad  A.  805  (806).  Smith  (App.  to 
X^ife  of  St.  C.)  says,  that  in  this  havock  68  monks  were  killed 
by  those  foreigners  (Gals). 

(81)  Ware  Antiq.  cap.  2^.  and  Annals  of  Ulster,  ib. 

(82)  Eginliard,  who  is  quoted  by  Usher  (p.  731.),  has  at  A. 
812;  ^'  Classis  Nordmannorum  Hiberniam  Scotoram  insulam 
aggressa,  coromissoque  cum  Scotis  praelio,  parte  non  modica 
Nordmannorum  interfecta,  turpiter  fugiendo  domum  reversa  est" 
The  same  date  and  account  are  given  by  the  chroniclers  Rhe- 
gino  and  Herznannus  Contractus.     See  Ware^  ib.  who  adds,  that. 

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CHAP.  XX.  OF   IRELAND.  24S 

according  to  the  Irisih  historieft,  the  Dtuieff  ware-about  tee'  tima 
defeated  in  tvro'engagementsi  Otie  cf  them  was,  in  all'  appeaar- 
ance,  fought  in  811,  at  which  the  Ukter  Annals,  calling  it  810, 
mark,  a  slaughter  of  the  GMs  in  Ulster* 

(83)  Ware  ib.  O'Flaherty  \Ogygiu,  Part,  txu  cup.  98.)  says, 
that'  Turgesius  arrived  in  815,  and  that  thencefcMtii  the  so  called 
Danes  began  toije  settled  in  Ireland.  Usher  (/«ift  Chron.)  as- 
signs his  arrival  to  818;  for  thus  his  words  must  be  understood, 
whereas  elsewhere  (p.  860)  reckoning  the  30  years  of  the  tyranny 
of  Tuigesius  he  makes  A.  848  the  last  of  them.  But  the  date  815, 
or  about  it,  suppose  the  beginning  of  816>*  is  probably  more  cor- 
rect ;  and  Usher  seems  to  have  had  no  other  reason  for  marking 
818,  than  his  having  read  in  Giraldus  Cambrensis  that  Turgesius 
devastated  Ireland  for  abmU  30  years,  which  Usher  explained  as 
exactly  30  years.  Then  finding  that»  in  all  probabilir^^  the  last 
year  of  that  persecution  was  848,  be  vreck#ned  back  merely  to 
818.  Yet  the  about  30  years  of  Giraldlis  ihay  be  weU  supposed 
to  have  been  really  32  or  33 ;  and  Ware  and  0*Fli^erty  had,  we 
may  be  sure,  some  good  reasons  for  the  dtAe  815.  For,  although 
Ware  mentions  818  as  given,  by  some  (meaning,  I  think.  Usher), 
yet  he  first  lays  down  815,  or  about  k. 

(84)  See  Tr.  Th.  p.  US. 

(85)  Ware  Antiq.  cap.  4.  and  OFlaherty,  loc.  cit.  Ware  adds, 
that,  according  to  some,  he  lived  until  820. 

(fi^)  OTIaherty,  ib.  Ware  allows  him  only  12  years,  and 
places  his  death  in  832,  whfle  O'Flaherty  assigns  it  to  833. 

(87)  This  river,  which  flows  near  Armagh,  is  now  called  CaUen. 
The  4  Masters  (ap.  Tr.  Th.  p,  448.)  say  that,  fixmi  having  been 
^wned  in  it  Niell  was  sumamed  Calne. 

(88)  O'Flaherty,  ib.  Ware  agrees  with  him  as  to  this^  king's 
deadi  in  846. 

(89)  Ware  (Ant.  cap,  4.)  has  A.  862.  He  observes,  thatMd- 
aeachlain  was  buried  at  Clonmacnois. 

(90)  Ware,  having  placed  the  accession  of  Aldus  VI.  in  862, 
•ays  that  he  reigned  almost  17  years,  and  thus  comes  to  the  same 
point  with  O'Flaherty  m  assignmg  his  death  to  A.  879.  He  was 
mistaken  as  to  the  situation  of  Druinwniscluinn,  where  the  4 
Masters  {ap.  Tr.  Th.  p.  448.)  tell  us  diat  this  king  died.  It  waa 
not  in  Tlroonneli  as  he  says,  but  in  Conall-murtheimhne,^mdin  the 

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S44  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY         CHAP.  XX. 

noir  county  of  Louth,  about  three  miks  from  Dr^ghedo.  (See  TV. 
Tk.p.  174>.  and  Ardbdall  at  DrunuhaUon.)  Owin^  to  Um  name 
ComU  i^>peariiig  in  the  deoomuiation  of  thoae  two  tenitoriet, 
they  have  tometiniea  been  confounded  together. 

(91)  O'Flaher^  (t^.)  gives  this  king  37  years ;  Ware  (AfU.c^ 
4.)  has  86  years,  six  months,  and  five  days,  adding  that  he  died  at 
Talten(&mous  for  its  ^XMTts}  aged  6&  Yet  he  affixes  his  death,  as 
well  as  O'Flaher^,  to  A.  D.  916. 

§«  IX.  During  the  reign  of  Aldus  Ordnidhe,  and 
in  the  year  800,  the  Irish  cler^  obtained  a  ^rivHtge 
of  the  greatest  importance.  The  practice,  so  fatal 
to  ecclesiastical  discipline,  of  compelliug  bishops  and 
abbots  to  attend  kings  in  their  military  expeditions 
had  crept  into  Ireland.  Aidus  having,  on  occasion 
of  a  quarrel  with  the  people  of  Leinster,  laid  waste 
that  province,  was  determined  to  proceed  still 
further  against  them,  and  for  that  purpose  raised  in 
that  year  a  great  army  from  all  the  other  parts  of 
Ireland,  and  of  all  descriptions,  not  excepting  even 
the  clergy.  Among  others  he  was  accompanied  by 
Conmacn,  archbishop  of  Armagh,  and  Fothadius  a 
most  learned  and  holy  lecturer  and  writer  of  said 
city,  celebrated  for  his  knowledge  of  the  Canons,  on 
which  account  he  was  called  FoUiadius  de  Canombm. 
The  army  being  arrived  at  the  frontiers  of  Leinster 
and  Meath,  the  clergy  be^n  to  complain  of  their 
being  forced  to  perform  mditary  duty,  and  applied 
to  the  king  for  an  exemption  from  it.  He  answered^ 
that  he  would  agree  to  whatever  should  be  decided 
on  this  point  by  Fothadius,  who  accordingly  drew  up 
A  statement,  in  which  he  maintained  that  the  cleigy 
ought  not  to  be  charged  with  a  service  so  unbecoming 
their  profession,  and  which  produced  the  wished  for 
cflBect.  (92) 

Fothadius  is  said  to  have  presented  a  copy  of  this 
tract  to  the  ba^ologist  Aengus,  from  whom  he  had 
received  on  this  occasion  a  copy  of  one  of  his  works. 


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CHAP*  XX.  OF   IRELAND.  245 

viz.  the  Festilogium,  which  he  had  just  completed. 
This  celebrated  man,  who,  as  we  have  seen,  had 
spent  some  years  with  St.  Moelruan  of  Talla^ht,  (93) 
was  of  an  illustrious  family  descended  from  the 
ancient  princes  of  Dalaradia  in  Ulster.  His  father 
was  Aengavan,  the  son  of  Hoblen  ;  and  accordingly 
Aengus  has  been  usually  distinguished  from  others 
of  that  name  by  the  addition  oi  the  surname  son  of 
Hua- Hoblen.  He  embraced  the  monadic  state  in 
the  monastery  of  Clonenagh  (Queen's  county)  under 
the  holy  abbot  Moelatgen,  (94)  and  made  great  pro- 
gress  in  piety  and  learning.  He  was  wont  to  spend 
a  great  part  of  his  time  in  a  lonesome  spot  not  fnr 
distant  from  Clonenagh,  and  which  from  him  has 
been  called  Disert  Aengus^  where  he  occupied  him- 
self in  reading  the  psalms  and  in  constant  prayer. 
His  reputation  for  sanctity  becoming  very  great,  he 
wished  to  withdraw  from  the  scene  of  it  and  to  hide 
himself  in  some  place,  where  he  was  not  known. 
Having  heard  of  the  strict  and  exemplary  manner, 
in  which  St.  Moelruan  governed  his  monastery,,  he 
determined  on  placing  himself  under  his  direction, 
and  set  out  for  Talla^t. 

(92)  See  the  4  Masters,  at  A.  799  (800)  ap.  A  A.  SS.  p.  583, 
and  Harris,  fVriiers  at  foihadius. 

(93)  Above  §.  6.  Colgan  has  the  Ads  of  St.  Aengus  at  xi. 
March. 

(94)  Accordiiig  to  the  4  Masters,  (ap.  A  A.  SS.  p.  582.)  Moel- 
atgen  died  in  767  (768)  and  his  memory  was  revered  on  the  Slst 
oi  October. 

%.  X.  When  arrived  there  he  concealed  his  name 
and  whatever  clerical  rank  he  had  been  raised  to, 
and  requested  to  be  received  as  a  novice^  (95)  It  is 
sfiid  that  he  was  employed  for  seven  years  in  the  most 
laborious  avocations,  such  as  reaping,  threshing,  &c. 
His  humility  and  the  atisterity  of  his  life  were  so 
remarkable,  that  he  was  called  Cele-De  or  Ceik^De^ 

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246  AN    ECCLESlASTfCAI.   HJSTORt  CHAP.  XX, 

that  is»  a  servant  or  companion  of  God.  (96)  At 
Jenffth  bn  rank  and  ^  acquirements  were  discovered 
by  Moelruan  in  consequence  of  liis  having  assisted 
one  of  the  school  boys  of  the  monastery  in  preparing 
his  task,  at  which  he  had  been  either  dull  or  negli- 

fenty  and  who  was  afraid  of  being  punished  by 
ioelruan.  The  boy  bid  himself  in  the  bam,  where 
Aengus  was  workings  who»  taking  compassion  on 
him,  helped  him  so  well  that  he  was  enabled  to  go 
through  his  task  to  the  great  satisfaction  of  his 
master,  (97)  who,  sui-prized  at  this  change,  pressed 
the  boy  to  tell  him  how  it  had  come  to  pass,  and, 
although  Aengus  had  cautioned  him  to  be  silent, 
compelled  him  to  relate  the  whole  circumstance. 
Moelruan,  who  had  hitherto  considered  Aengus  as 
an  illiterate  rustic,  flew  to  the  barn  and  embracing 
him  complained  of  his  having  so  long  concealed  his 
character,  and  expressed  his  deep  regret  for  the 
humble  and  abject  manner,  in  which  he  had  been 
hitherto  treated.  Aengus,  throwing  himself  at  his 
feet,  begged  pardon  for  what  he  had  done.  Hence- 
forth he  was  held  by  him  in  the  greatest  considera- 
tion ;  and  it  is  probable  that  he  remained  at  Tallaght 
until  Moelruan's  death  in  788.  He  became  af^r- 
wards  abbot,  apparently,  of  Clonenagh  or  of  Disert- 
Aengus,  or  probably  of  both  places,  (98)  after  he  had 
returned  thither  from  Tallaght.  Aengus  was  raised 
also  to  the  episcopal  rank,  without  leaving  the  mo- 
nastery or  monasteries,  which  he  governed.  (99)  He 
died  on  a  Friday,  the  eleventh  of  March,  but  in 
what  year  is  not  recorded,  (100)  and  was  buried  at 
Clonenagh. 

Several  works  are  attributed  to  this  saint.  He  is 
named  as  one  of  the  authors  of  the  very  copious 
Marty rolc^  of  Tallaght,  (101)  which,  it  seems, 
he  began  to  labour  at  jointly  with  St.  Moelruan  after 
he  was  recognized  by  him.  Whether  he  fini^ed 
his  part  of  it  during  Moelruan's  life  time  it  is  difficult 
to  ascertain  ;  but  the  present  text  of  this  martyrology 


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CHAP.  XX.  OF   IRELAND*  247 

shows,  that  it  has  been  augmented  by  some  later 
ivriter  or  writers.  Besides  its  containing  the  festivals 
of  Aengus  himself  and  of  Moelruan,  it  has  those  of 
other  holy  persons  down  to  the  close  of  the  ninth 
century.  (102)  From  that  large  work,  as  far  as  it 
went  in  his  time,  Aengus  is  stated  to  have  extracted 
his  Festilogiunii  a  small  calendar  written  in  Irish 
verse,  in  which  he  mentions  at  each  day  only  some  i 
principal  saints,  and  which  he  used  for  his  private 
devotion  with  regard  to  them.  (lOS)  He  composed 
another  work  on  the  saints  of  Ireland,  divided  into 
five  small  books;  1.  containing  the  names  of  34> 
bishops,  299  priests  and  abbots,  and  7S  deacons;  2. 
entitled  of  Homonj/inous  saints^  or  saints  of  the  same 
names,  by  some  of  which,  ex.  c.  Colman^  an  ex- 
traordinary  niimber  was  called  ;  (104)  S.  the  Book 
of  sons  ami  daughters^  giving  an  account  of  holy 
persons  born  of  the  ^me  parents,  &c.  4 ;  the 
maternal  genealogy  of  about  210  Irish  saints  ;  5.  a 
collection  of  litanies,  in  which  are  invoked  groups  of 
saints,  among  whom  are  included  several  foreigners 
that  died  in  Ireland.  (105)  This  work  is  sometimes 
called  Saltuirna-rann^  that  is  the  Metrical  or  Mul- 
tipartite Psalter.  (I06)  There  is  another  Saltuir- 
na-rann^  a  poetical  work,  written  also  by  Aengus, 
comprizing  t-he  history  of  the  Old  Testament,  which 
he  put  into  the  form  of  prayers  and  praises  to 
God.  (107) 

(95)  Harris  (  Writers  at  Aengm)  says  that  he  was  received  «xs  a 
lay  brother.  Colgan  iDdeed»  from  whom  he  took  his  account  of 
Aengus,  seems  to  have  thought  so ;  for  he  represents  him  as  a 
conversusy  the  term  by  which  a  lay  brother  is  usually  distinguished 
from  a  clerical  one.  But,  if  this  was  Colgan's  meaning,  he  was 
certamly  mistaken*;  for  the  distinction  between  clerical  and  lay 
monks  or  brethren,  as  it  is  now  understood,  was  not  known  in 
Ireland  at  that  period,  nor,  it  seems,  any  where  until  the  eleventh 
century,  (See  Fleury,  Discmtrs  ^eptiente  sur  rHist,  EccL  and  Instit. 
au  Droit  Eccl,  PaU.  1.  ch.  25.)     In  older  times  some  monks,  it  k 

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S48  AN  £CCL£SIAST1CAL  UIStOKY         CHAP.  XX« 

true,  were  raised  more  or  lets  to  the  clerical  rank^  and  the  number 
of  such  promotions  appears  to  have  increased  with  the  oeune  of 
ages ;  but  there  was  not  as  yet  any  radical  distinjction  of  classes  in 
the  religious  institutions,  so  as  that  one  cithern  was  perpetually  de- 
barred from  any  ecclesiastical  promotion,  and  destined  to  toil  ia 
the  fields  and  elsewhere  as  subordinate  to  the  other,  and,  in  ftct* 
as  servants  of  the  clerical  or  h^er  dass. 

(96)  Toland  pretends,  (Naxarmus,  Letter  11.  9ect.  3.)  that  the 
surname  CeUe^De  given  to  Aengus  indicated  an  office  or  par- 
ticular sort  of  profession,  and  that  he  was  one  of  that  sort 
of  clergymen,  who  have  been  afterwards  called  Culdeet.  But 
Aengus  was  a  monk,  whereas  the  Culdees,  as  wDl  be  seen  else* 
whure,  were  the  secular  canons  of  cathedrals  or  coU^iate 
churches,  such  as  we  call  prebendaries.  It  is  a  palpable  mistake 
to  suppose,  that  they  were  a  monastic  orda*.  The  title  Ceile^De^ 
as  applied  to  Aengus,  had  nothing  to  do  with  them,  and  it  k 
more  than  probable,  that  in  his  time  there  was  not  as  yet  any  such 
institution  as  that  of  those  so  much  talked  of  Culdees.  Aengus's 
surname  was  peculiar  to  himself,  unless  it  should  be  supposed  that 
aD,  that  is  said  of  his  having  been  a  monk,  &c  is  fidse.  Many 
Irish  names  began  with  CfiUy  CeU^  or,  with  the  conespondiBg 
word  GUla^  followed  by  that  of  our  Saviour  or  some  saint.  Thus 
we  find  Cele-Christ,  Cele- Peter,  GiUa- Patrick,  &c  i.  e.  servant  of 
Christ,  &C. 

(97)  It  is  thus,  I  think,  that  the  anecdote  related  in  Aengus' 
Ads  ought  to  be  understood.  The  boy*s  improvement  is  indeed 
stated  as  miraculous,  and  as  a  supernatural  consequence  of  his 
having  slept  for  a  while  on  the  bosom  of  Aligns.  But  it  can  be 
well  accounted  for  without  recurring  to  a  miracle. 

(98)  Another  Aengus,  who  was  afanost-contemporary  with  this 
saint,  and  who  has  left  an  elegant  poem  in  {naise  of  him,  ftom  which 
Colgan  derived  a  great  part  of  his  AcUf  hints  that  he  was  abbot 
at  Clonena^,  and  also  at  Disert- Aengus.  Colgan  observeis,  that 
his  hints  are  stronger  as  to  the  latter  place.  But  the  matter  can 
be  easily  settled.  As  they  were  near  eadi  other,  both  lying  in 
the  barony  of  MaiylxNPOu^,  Aengus  might  have  been  abbot  of 
the  two  establishments ;  and  that  of  Disert*  Aengus,  which  com- 
menced with  himsdf,  may  be  conskkred  as  a  cell  to  the  okl  and 
great  monastery  of  Ckmenagfa.  Arcfadall(at  Cfenen^^AandDufri- 


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CHAI».  XX.  OP  INLAND.  249 

enosy  Dnert^Aengus)  has  inyerted  the  order  of  the  transactions  of 
Aengus.  Alter  making  him  found  an  abbey  at  Disert-Aengus  he 
sends'him  to  TaHaght,  where,  he  says,  he  died.  Now  it  is  dear 
from  his  jfcts,  that  he  was  no  more  than  a  simple  monk,  when  he 
removed  to  Tallaght;  and  as  to  the  place  of  his  death,  it  was  not 
TaUaght;  for,  as  we  find  in  said  ActSy  he  was  buried  at  Clone- 
nagh.  The  Aengus,  pan^yrist  of  the  saint,  seems  to  have  hem, 
as  Colgan  justly  conjectures,  the  abbot  Aengus,  sumamed  the 
JVise^  ofClonfert-molua,  who  died  in  858  (859).  (See  J  A.  SS. 
p.  582. 

(99)  In  various  Irish  calendars  he  is  expressly  styled  hiskop. 
Considering  the  Irish  practice  of  promoting  eminent  abbots  to  the 
episcopaqr,  we  need  not  look  for  any  other  see  for  him  than  one 
of  the  above  mentioned  monasteries. 

(100)  There  being  good  reason  to  tliink  that  Aengus  survived 
the  year  806,  Colgan  conjectures  that  the  year  of  his  death  was 
eithar8I9,  824,  or  8dO;  whereas  in  each  of  them  the  II th  of 
March  fell  on  a  Friday. 

(101)  See  above  iVo^  4<7. 

(102)  Dr.  Ledwich  (Antiq.  &c  p.  S65)  strives  to  show,  that  this 
martyrology  was  first  written  in  the  9th  century,  because  it  has  the 
names  of  Moefauan,  Aengus  and  other  }ater  saints.  It  is  true  that, 
considered  in  its  present  state,  it  was  not  completed  untfl  even  the 
end  of  that  century ;  but  does  it  follow  that  Aengus  and  Moebuan 
had  no  share  in  drawing  it  up  ?  He  adds,  that  in  its  second  pre- 
§ace  it  dtes  the  mwctyn^ogy  of  St.  Jerome.  Here  the  Doctor  is 
wrong;  for  this  martyrology  is  quoted  not  in  any  prc&ce  to  the 
martyrology  of  Tallaght,  alias  that  of  Aengus  and  Moelruan,  but 
in  the  second  pre&ceto  the  FestUogium  of  Aengus.  (See  A  A.  SS. 
p.  581.)  He  then  tells  us  that  the  martyrology  called  of  St.  Jt" 
rome  was  not  known  until  about  the  ninth  century ;  but  might 
not  about  the  ninth  century  be  imf^ed  to  take  in  part  of  the  eighth, 
prior  to  Aengus  having  been  engaged  in  any  of  these  works?  The 
Doctor  says  that  Launoy  has  proved,  that  this  martyrdogy  was 
fiUnricated  about  the  ninth  centuiy.  Now  in  the  passage,  which 
he  refers  to,  Launoy  has  not  even  attempted  to  prove  it ;  and  all 
that  he  says,  is  that  the  martyrology  called  of  St.  Jerome  cannot 
be  proved  to  have  been  written  by  that  saint  on  any  authority 
prior  to  the  reign  of  Charlemagne.    But  the  Doctor  cares  nothing 


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250  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY  CHAP.  Xk. 

about  maccuracies  or  misquotatioiiSy  provided  he  could  make  the 
reader  believe>  that  martyrologies  are  not  to  be  depended  upon. 
Yet  Launoy  was,  in  the  little  he  has  said,  mistaken ;  for  tb6  map- 
tyrokgy  ascribed  to  St.  Jarorae,  or  rather  to  Eusebios  and  St. 
Jerome,  as  quoted  by  AenguSy  is  mentbned  more  than  once  by 
fiede,  who  lived  many  years  before  Charlemagne.  Thus  he  cites 
(L,^*  in  Marcum,  cap.  26.^^  Mariyrologium  Eusehii  et  Hiero- 
nymi  vocabulis  insignitum ;  and  (Retract*  in  Act*  Ap.  cap.l,) 
states,  that  Euaebhis  is  said  to  have  been  the  author,  and  Jerome 
the  translator.  (See  more  in  BoUandus'  General  Preface^  cap.  4. 
$,  4u at  1  January).  That  Eusebius  compiled  a  sort  of  mar^rology 
is  certain;  (ib*  cap,  1.  $.  S.)  and  the  learned  BoUandists  Hens- 
chenius  and  Papebrochius  ( Prolog,  ad  Martyr oL  Bed.  at  March, 
Tom,  2.)  were  inclined  to  thinj^  that  it  was  not  only  translated, 
but  likewise  augmented  by  St.  Jerome.  Be  this  as  it  may,  it  is 
well  known  that  what  is  now  called  the  Martyrdogy  of  St.  Jerome 
was  not  written  by  him ;  but  it  is  supposed  to  have  been  originally 
compiled  not  long  afler  his  time,  and  is  OMisidered  by  many  very 
learned  men  to  be  the  oldest  extant.  D*Achery  has  published  it, 
fSpicileg.  Tom.  4.)  and  in  his  Monitum  states  6rom  Henry  Va- 
lois,  that  it  was  used  by  Gregory  the  great,  and  existed  many 
years  earlier.  Sinqe  those  times  some  names  have  been  added  to 
it,  such  as  that  of  Gr^goiy  himself,  which  D'Achery  has  marked 
in  Italics.  Among  them  is  that  of  St.  Patrick,  and  perhaps  the 
Doctor  had  heard  so,  on  which  account  he  wished  to  decry  its 
antiquity.  Much  more  might  be  said  on  this  subject,  were  this 
the  place  for  doing  so.  Meanwhile  the  reader  may  consult  also 
Till^mont.  Hist.  Eccl.  Tom.  xii.  at  St.  Jerome,  art.  144. 

(I OS)  Besides  the  constant  tradition  of  this  tract  having  been 
written  by  Aengus,  and  his  having  presented  a  copy  of  it  to 
Fothadius  in  800,  as  aaserted  by  the  Scholiast  on  it  (/iA.  SS.  p. 
581.)  it  is  to  be  observed,  that  in  the  fhrst  prefiioe  king  Dunnchad 
is  spoken  of  as  not  bng  dead  at  the  time  the  author  waswritif^  or 
bad  finished  it.     Dunnchad  died  in  797* 

(104)  A  A.  SS.  ib.  and  Prejmse. 

(105)  Colgan  (ib.  p.  539)  gives  a  specimen  of  these  htanies,  in 
which  Aengus  invokes  Roman,  Italian^  Gallic,  British,  Engfish, 
and  even  Egyptian  saints,  whose  remains  he  represented  as  in 
Ireland,  specifying  the  veiy  places. 


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ICHAP.  XX.  ^  OF   l^LEI-AND.  251 

(106)  Under  thia  title  Colgan  says  (ib.  p*  5S2.)  that  it  iq^»ears 
in  some  old  Imh  MSS.  and  that  he  got  a  part  of  it  with  the  in- 
scription, ^om  SaUuier^na-rann  toff^pos^d  by  Aengus  Cele^De* 
He  observes  that  the  latest  saint  mentioned  in  it  is  St.  Tigemach, 
son  of  St.  Mella,  and  founder  of  Doire^melle,  (see  Chap.  xix.  §. 
13.)  who  died  abbot  of  Kill-achad,  in  the  now  county  of  Cavtui, 
on  the  4<th  of  November,  A.  D.  805  (806).  (See  A  A.  SS.  p.  796. 
and  Archdall  at  Killachad.)  This  is  a  strong  proof  of  the  asser- 
tion that  Aengus  was  the  author  of  this  work. 

(107)  Colgan,  A  A.  SS.  p.  583.  Harris  (Writers  at  Aengus) 
says  that  some  ascribe  to  Aengus  a  PsaUer-nu'rann,  a  miscellany 
on  Irish  afl^rs.  Aengus  wrote  no  such  work,  and  his  only  Psal' 
ier^  ox  Saltuir'na-rann  were  those  above  mentioned.  Harris  got 
his  information  either  from  Toland,  or  from  some  one  who  took  it 
fix)m  him.  In  his  Nazarenus  (Letter  ii.  sect,  3.)  Toland  says  that 
Aengus  wrote  a  chronicle^  entitled  Psalter-na-rann,  This  is  a  lie 
invented  by  that  impious  writer,  who  did  not  wish  to  let  it  be 
known,  that  Aengus  was  chiefly  employed  in  treating  of  saints, 
and  that  he  used  to  invoke  them.  And  {ib.  Chap.  ii.  §.  8.)  he  tells 
a  still  more  monstrous  lie,  viz.  that  the  Irish  used  not  to  pray  to 
saints.  Now  there  is  nothing  more  dear  in  our  ecclesiastical  his- 
tory than  that  the  ancient  Irish  were  in  the  habit  of  invoking  them. 
Dungal,  a  most  learned  Irishman  of  these  times,  d^nds  this 
practice  against  Claudius,  as  will  be  seen  lower  down.  Brogan, 
who  in  the  seventh  centuiy  wrote  a  life  of  St,  Brigid  in  Irisli  verse, 
(see  Not.  18.  to  Chap,  viii.)  oflen  invokes  her  in  the  course  of  it 
concluding  with  these  words ;  '<  There  are  two  holy  viigins  in 
heaven,  who  may  undertake  my  protection,  Maiy  and  St.  Biigid, 
on  nohose  patronage  let  each  of  us  depend.'*  See  ahKS  to  omit 
many  other  proo&,  Adamnan,  Vit.  S.  CoL  L.  2.  c.  45.  The  prac- 
tice was  so  general  in  Ireland,  and  so  well  known  to  learned  men, 
who  have  dipped  into  our  history,  that  Usher  in  his  Discourse  <m 
the  Religion  of  the  ancient  Irishy  found  it  expedient  not  to  touch 
on  the  invocation  of  saints. 

(108)  Ware,  Bishops  9X  Armagh.  He  took  this  date  firom  the 
4  Masters,  {ap.  Tr.  Th.  p.  294f.)  who  have  ,4.  806,  u^e.  807, 
making  no  mention  of  tbejourteen  years,  during  which  Conmadi 
hekl  the  see  according  to  the  calalogue  of  the  Psaher.of  Cashef. 
(Above  $•  6.)  Ware's  reason  for  omitting  these  yean  must  have 

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ZSi  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL   HISTORY         CHAP.  XX^ 

been  his  'mttSky  to  reconcile  the  date  807  for  his  death  with  that 
of  791  ftr  the  death  of  CudiniacuSy  whereas  between  them  there 
were  m^«ai  yean.  And  indeed  I  do  not  know  how  thej  can  be 
reo(Hiciled« 

§•  XI.  Conmach,  archbishop  of  Armagh,  died 
suddenly  iq,  it  is  said,  the  year  807»  (108)  and 
was  sacceedieid  by  Forbach,  son  of  one  Gorman,  and 
a  scribe  and  lecturer  of  Armi^h.  He  was  a  native 
of  Kinel-TT orbach,  or  Hua-Kellach  in  the  territory 
of  the  Brejgenses,  an  eastern  part  of  Meath,  and  held 
the  see  onty  one  year.  (109)  His  successor  was  Nuad, 
(110)  called  of  Loch'tiamat  (a  lake  in  some  part 
of  Breffny)  either  from  his  having  been  born  near  it, 
or  from  his  having  led  the  life  of  an  anchoret  in  its 
neighbourhood.  (Ill)  He  afterwards  presided  over 
a  monastery  until  he  was  raised  in  808  to  the  see  of 
Armagh,  which  he  governed  for  somewhat  more 
than  three  years,  until  his  death  on  the  19th  of 
February,  A.  D.  812.  (112)  Not  long  before,  viz. 
in  811,  he  made  a  visitation  of  some  part  of  Con- 
naught,  and  on  that  occasion  relieved  some  churches 
there  firom  an  annud  offering,  which  used  to  be 
made  to  that  of  Armagh.  (113)  Next  after  him  we 
find  Flangus,  son  of  Longsech,  to  whom  thirteen 
years  are  assigned,  and  who  died  in  8^6.  ( 1 14)  Bressal 
abbot  of  Hy,  who  died  in  797>  (1 1*^  was  succeeded 
by  Conmach,  a  man  of  great  learning,  whose  death 
18  assigned  to  the  following  year  (116)  The  next 
abbot  was  Kellach,  son  of  Congal^  who  lived  until 
811.  (117)  He  was,  in  all  probability,  the  founder 
of  the  church  and  monastery  of  Kells  in  the  year 
807,  (118)  aft;er  the  dreadful  havock  caused  in  Hy 
by  the  Danes  in  806.  (119)  His  successor  Diermit 
carried  off  the  shrine  and  remains  of  St.  Columba  to 
the  mainland  of  North  Britain  in  817)  lest  it  should 
Ml  into  the  hands  of  those  pirates.  (ISO)  The  time 
of  Diermit's  death  is  not  recorded  ;  but  he  was  still 
abbot  of  Hy,  when  St.  Blaithmaic  was  killed  there 


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CHAP.  XX.  OF   IKSLAND.  253 

by  the  Danes  in  the  year  8S4.    This  saint  was  a  na- 
tive of  Irehind  and  heir  to  a  principality;  (191) 
but  in  opposition  to  his  father  and  others,  among 
whom  are  mentioned  a    bishop  and  s<Hne  abbots, 
he    withdrew  from    the    world,    and    became    a 
monk  and  afterwards  an  abbot.     Blaithmaic  had  an 
ardent  desire  to  visit  some  foreign  parts ;  but  was  ^ 
prevented  by  his  friends    and    companions    from 
leaving  Ireland.     At  length  he  passed  over  to  Hy, 
where  he  was  not  long  vmen  a  party  of  Danes  i^ 
preached  the  island.     As  he  was  anxious  to  receive 
the  crown  of  martyrdom,  he  determined  to  remain 
there,    whatever  might  come  to  pass,  and  by  his 
example  induced   some  others  to  stay  along  with 
him,  advising  those,  who  did  not  wish  to  encounter 
the  impending  danger,  to  make  their  escape.    While 
celebrating  mass,  attended  by  his  intrepid  compa- 
nions, the  Danes  rushed  into  the  church,  and,  hav- 
ing slaughtered  the  bystanders,  came  up  to  him  and 
asKcd  for  the  previous  metals,  within  which  were 
contained  the  holy  remains  of  St.  Columba.     These, 
having  been  brought  back  from  North  Britain,  had 
been  concealed  under  ground ;  but  Blaithmaic  did 
not  know  in  what  particular  spot.     Accordingly  he 
answered,  that  he  did  not  know  where  they  were, 
adding  that,  if  he  did,  he  would  not  point  th^n 
out  to  the  Danes.     They  then  put  him  to  death  on 
the  19th  of  January,  A.  D.  824.  (122) 

(109)  On  this  point  the  4  Masters  agree  with  the  Cashel  cata- 
logue. Colgan  SBLySy  (Tr.  Th.  p,  294)  that  his  memoiy  waa  le- 
vered on  the  16th  of  July,  that  is,  the  anniveraaiy  of  his  death. 
(Seei^^.  SS.  p.  S7S.) 

(110)  Wareand Harris  {Bishops  at  Armagh)  call  Nuad  son  of 
Segen.  This  is  a  mistake  founded  on  a  oursoiy  reading  of  the 
Acts  of  Nuad  of  Armagh  ap.  AA.  SS.  19  Fehr.  Colgan  happens 
to  mention  among  other  Nuads,  one  who  was  son  of  Segen,  and 
frho  was  killed  by  the  Danes  m  844,  and  observes,  what  Waie  has 


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254  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY         CHAP*  XK. 

fltnuoigeljr  evaiooked^  that  he  must  not  he  oonfaoiided  with  the 
afcbbi«hop»  who  died  nanj  jean  eailier. 

(Ill)  Nuacfs  AcUf  cap.  %  Cdgan  observes  that  the  km^  or 
lake  Vamay  u  t.  the  lake  ci  the  cave,  is  ia  Western  Breffiiy  or 
O'Reurke's  countij,  the  now  county  of  Leitrim,  and  that  it  some- 
times flows  bade  into  the  cave,  whcnceit  issues. 

(1 12>  Acts^  cap.  5.  The  catalogue  fh>m  the  Psalter  of  Cashd 
aUowH^threeyearsfbr  the  incumbency  of  Nuad;  but  these  must  be 
understood  with  the  addition  of  some  months,  reckoning  firom^  as 
Colgan  (i6.)  observe  the  death  of  Toibach  on  the  I6th  of  July, 
A.  807  (808)  to  19  February  A.  811  (812). 

(IIS)  The  date  given  by  the  4  Masters  for  Nuad's  journey  to 
Connaught  is  810,  that  is,  811.  Yet  Ware  and  Harris  have, 
without  any  motive,  retained  810.  The  English  trandator  of  Ware 
has  spoiled  his  text  by  mmpHacing  the  date,  810,  and  roakmr  him 
appear  as  Elating  that  Nuad's  incumbency  began  in  said  year. 

(114)  The  13  yeare  for  Flangus,  iUia$  Mac-Longsech,  are 
duaked  in  the  Clashel catalogue,  (Tr.  Th.  p.  292)  and  the4*  Mas- 
ten^(ib.p.  294>)  place  his  death  in  825  (826),  which  agrees  well 
enough  with  the  catalogue,  if  we  suppose  that  some  dday  occurred 
betwe^  the  death  of  Kuad  and  the  accession  of  Flangus.  But 
they  speak  (ih.)  of  Artrigius,  as  bishop  of  Armagh  in  822  (828). 
This  has  puzzled  Ware  and  Harris ;  for  how  could  Flangus  have 
governed  for  IS  years,  if  Aitrigius  was  the  bishop  m  82S?  And 
fiobi  the  manna*  in  idiich  these  prelates  are  placed  by  the  4  Mas- 
ters, it  would  seem  as  if,  according  to  them,  Artr^ius  were  bishop 
before  Flangus,  although  they  assign  his  death  to  8SS.  0*Flaherty 
(MS.  not.  ad  Tr.  Th.  p.  294.)  says  that  Artrigius  was  periu^ 
coadjutor  bishop  in  82S  to  Flangus,  who,  he  maintains,  lived  untO 


(115)  Above  §.  6.  Colgan  says  (Tr.  Th.p.  500.)  that  he  was 
commemorated  either  on  18  May  or  SO  September. 

(116)  Tr.  Th.  ib.    It  has  A.  797,  i.  e,  798.  ^  Conmach's  name 
is  in  die  Mariyrol.  Tamlact.  at  10  May. 

(fl7)  lb.  Its  date  is  810  (811).    Kellach's  memoiy  was  re- 
vered on  ^  1st  of  April. 

(lis)  See  JVcrf.  107.  to  Chap.  xi.  (119)  Above,  §.  8. 
(1$0)  Tr.  Th.  p,  500.  The  4  Masters'  date  is  816  (817.) 
(121)  The  Ads  jjiSuBlMimHiCf  written  in  verse  by  his  con- 


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CHA?«  XX.  OF  IRELAKD.  256 

temporary  Walafrid  Strabo,  may  be  seen  in  Colgan's  A  A.  SS.  at 
19  January,  Walaind  sajs^  ^<  Strabus  ego,  miait  quern  terra 
Alemannica  natu — Scribere  di^posui  de  vita  et  fine  beati — 
BlaithmaiCy  genuit  quem  dives  Hibernia  inundo/'  &c.  ■  And  al- 
luding to  hk  birth,  he  writes ;  ''  Regali  de  s|irpe  satos,  sumnnini- 
que  decorem — Nobllitatis  habens,  florebat  regiuB  heres-i-Iste  Del 
sanctus,  vitam  ducendo  pudicam."  In  the  Irish  annals  and  'xa- 
lendars  his  father  is  called  Flann ;  but  it  is  not  stated  what  princi- 
pality he  had.  Colgan  conjectures  that  he  was  one  of  the  Southern 
Niellsy  princes  of  Meath,  because  the  names  Flann  and  ElaUhmaic 
were  rather  common  in  that  family.  Walafiid  gives  the  epithet 
rieh  to  Ireland,  and  so  it  must  have  been  at  that  time,  as  appears 
from  the  various  attacks  made  upon  it  by  the  Scandinavians.  This 
has  been  noticed  by  Shnon,  Essay  on  Irish  coins j  p.  2.  where  he-^ 
observes  that  money  was  the  object  sought  for  by  the  Ostmen  and 
Nordmen,  and  that  they  used  to  enter  into  piratical  partnershipa 
for  the  purpose  of  acquiring  it. 

(128)  The  Irish  annals  agree  in  assigning  his  martyrdom  to  899 
(824).  Colgan  observes  that  his  name  is  mariced  in  some  Irish 
calendars  at  24  July,  probably  as  the  day  of  a  translation  of  his  re- 
mains. Mabillon  was  mistaken  {AnnaL  Ac  at  A.  793)  in  affixing 
his  death  to  about  sad  year,  and  in  calling  him  abboi  of  Hy.  He 
did  not  consult  Colgan's  A  A.  SS. 

§.  XII.  To  these  times  are  assigned  the  deaths  of 
some  holy  and  distinguished  persons  in  Ireland,  es.  c. 
St.  Finnia,  abbess  of  Kildare  in  801 ;  St.  Blatmac 
Hua  Muirgeavair,  abbot  of  Durrogh,  in  808  ;  Tua- 
thai,  a  scribe  or  lecturer  of  Clonmacnois,  in  811; 
Joseph,  a  scribe  of  Roscommon,  808;  St.  Aru 
bertac,  abbot  of  Kildare  in  817;  ^^d  Muredoc, 
likewise  abbot  there,  in  821.  (123)  Muredoc  i^at 
succeeded  by  Sedulius,  who  was,  in  all  probabi* 
lity,  the  author  of  the  Commentaries  on  the  Epistleft 
of  St.  Paul,  which  are  universally  allowed  to  have 
been  written  by  an  Irisbman  of  that  name.  (194) 
Some  other  works^  under  the  name  of  Sedulius,  were 
probably  written  dao  by  him.  (125)  He  i^  caited 
the  son  of  Feradach,,  and  must  not  be  confioanded 
with  Sedulius,  abbot  and  bishop  of  Roscommon,  who  t^ 

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256  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY  CHAP*  XX. 

died  in  SI 4,  (126)  whereas  the  son  of  Feradach, 
abbot  of  Kildare,  lived  until  S99.  (127) 

Contemporary  with  this  Sedulius  was  Dungal,  one 
of  the  most  learned  men  of  his  times,  an  excellent 
theologian,  poet,  and  scholar.  That  he  was  a  Scot, 
18  now  admitted  by  all  critics,  and  that  he  was  an  - 
Irish  one  will  appear  from  what  follows.  (128)  We 
find  him  in  France  ^.D.  8ll,  in  which  year  he 
wrote  his  Epistle  te  Charlemagne  on  the  two  solar 
eclipses  of  8 10.  He  seems  to  have  been  then  living 
in  tne  monastery  of  St.  Denis,  as  a  recluse.^  (129) 
But  he  did  not  lon^  remain  a  recluse ;  for  he  is  re- 
presented as  an  eminent  teacher,  instructing  persons 
of  different  ages  and  capacities.  (130)  There  is  a 
very  neat  poem  in  praise  of  Charlemagne,  while  still 
alive,  the  author  of  which  calls  himself  an  Irish  exile, 
and  is  supposed  to  have  been  Dungal.  (131)  Af- 
terwards he  went  to  Italy,  where  he  was  appointed 
teacher  at  Pavia  of  students  from  Milan,  Brescia, 
Lpdi,  Bergamo,  Novara,  Vercelli,  Tortona,  Acqui, 
Genoa,  Asti,  and  Como  by  Lotharius  the  first,  in, 
it  seems,  829,  the  year  in  which  this  prince,  having 
been  already  associated  in  the  government  of  the 
empire  with  his  father  Lewis,  was  in  Italy  enacting 
laws,  and  crowned  emperor  at  Rome.  (132) 

(I2S)  IntL  Chran.  ad.  Tr.  Th.  I  have  added  a  year  to  each 
of  Colgan's  dates. 

(IS^)  Of  these  Commentaries^  which  are  in  the  BibUotheca 
Patrumj  {Lyons,  A.  1677.  Tom,  6.)  I  have  had  occanon  to 
treatalready*  (^p.  1.  §.  8.  That  the  author  was  the  Sedulius  of 
KOdare  seems  unquestionahle,  particulariy  as  he  was  living  in  818, 
at  which  year,  as  marked  by  Hefudanus  the  monk  of  St.  Gall,  a 
Sedulius  Scoitus  (or  Irishman)  was  greatly  distinguidied.  (See  ib 
Not.  68.) 

(125)  One  of  these  works  is  the  CoUedaneim  SeduUi  in  Ma- 
thaeum  ex  divenis  Patribus  excerptum;  two  Grammadcal  books, 
attributed  to  Sedulius  by  Trithmnius,  one  in  majus  volumen  Prii' 
ciamy  and  another  in  tecundam  editionem  DonaH;  besides  a  tract 

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X:HAP.    XX.  OF  IRELAND.  257 

entitled  SeduUi  Commentariolus  in  artem  Eutychiu  (See  Usher^ 
p.  780.)  Ware  (Writers  at  Sedtdius  the  younger)  attributes  these 
tracts  rather  to  SeduUuSy  who  was  a  bishop  in  Britain  of  Scottish 
descent  {de  genere  Scottorum)  and  attended  at  a  synod  of  Rome 
in  the  year  721.  For  this  supposition  he  had  no  authority  what* 
soever,  except sudi  as  that  of  the  liars  Bale  and  Dempster;  and 
nothing  furthar  is  known  of  that  bishop,  than  what  I  have  now 
mentioned.  He  might  as  well  have  ascribed  them  to  any  one  of 
six  or  seven  other  Seduliuses,  who  lived  in  Ireland  in  the  eighth 
and  ninth  centuries.  (See  AA.  SS.  p.  815.)  But  as  we  find  a 
Sedulius,  whose  reputation  for  learning  was  great  in  818,  why  not 
suppose  that  he  was  the  author  of  them  rather  than  one,  of  whose 
learning  we  have  no  account. 

(126)  See  A  A.  SS.  i6.    The  4  Masters'  date  is  813.  (814). 

(127)  lb.  and  Tr.  Th. p.  629.  I  have  changed  the  date  828 
into  829. 

(128)  Mabillon  ( AnnaU  Ben.  ad  A.  827.)  says  that  Dungal  was 
perh^  a  Scottus,  that  is,  an  Irishman,  as  his  meaning  is  ex- 
plained by  the  Benedictine  authors  of  the  Histoire  Litteraire, 
(Tom.  4.  atl)tfir^a/)who  observes  that  in  those  times  Ireland  sent 
many  great  men  to  France.  The  very  name  Dungal,  which  was 
veiy  conunon  in  Ireland,  would  al<me  be  sufficient  to  show,  that 
he  was  a  native  of  it. 

( 129)  Muratori  thou^  (Antiq.  ltd.  Tom.  ni.  Diss.  4S.)  that 
Dungal  was  in  Italy  when  he  wrote  it  He  founds  his  aigument 
on  Dungal's  words  **  in  ista  terra,  in  qua  nunc,  Deo  donante, 
FVand  dominantur,**  as  if  they  were  applicable  to  Lombardy, 
which  then  belonged  to  Chariemagne.  But  they  answer  equally 
well  for  France,  and  fitnn  other  circumstances,  such  as  Charie- 
magne having  applied  to  the  abbot  of  St.  Denis  to  get  Dungal  to 
write  that  tract,  it  is  sufficiently  dear  that  he  was  sdll  in  FVance. 
It  has  been  published  by  D'Achoiy,  SpicUeg.  Tom.  10. 

(ISO)  Martene  has  published  [Collect  Ampliss.  Sfc.)  Tom.  vi. 
coL  811.  seqq.)  various  poems  written  at  that  period,  among 
^i^iidi  is  cme  in  praise  of  Dungal,  vulgariy  called  his  Epitaph, 
althou^  written  iHiile  he  was  alive  and  vigorous.  In  it  we  read ; 
**  Scripturas  promit  casto  de  pectore  sacras — ^Edocet  infibnos  et 
validos  pariter — ^Lacte  rigans  pueros,  et  dat  capientibus  escam— i 

VOL.  III.  S 

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258  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY  CHAP.  XX. 

Hinc  lac  ut  capiant,  inde  dbum  pariter,  &c.  Then  oomes  a  pray«r 
for  Dungal's  long  life  and  eternal  hiq>pineM. 

(131)  The  author  says;  **  Hos  Carolo  regi  versus  Hibemicus 
exsuly**  &c.  This  poem  is  the  first  in  the  collection  just  men- 
tioned, and  is  attributed  to  Dungal  by  the  authors  of  the  His- 
toire  Littcraire,  who  praise  it  as  one  of  the  best  of  those  ttmes* 
and  think  tliat  he  composed  also  some  of  the  smaller  pieces  in 
that  oollection. 

(132)  Muratori  has  published  {Rer.  Jtal.  Script.  Tom.  i.  Part. 
%  p.  152.)  a  Capitular  of  Lotharius,  entitled,  de  DoctrtnOf  part 
of  which  is  as  follows ;  '<  Primum  in  Papia  conveniant  ad  Dun- 
gallum  de  Mediolano  de  Brixia,  de  Laude,  de  Bergamo,  de  No- 
varia,  de  Vercellis,  de  Derthona,  de  Aquis,  de  Genua,  de  Haste, 
de  Cuma.  Muratori  (ib.  and  Antiq.  ltd.  Tom.  in.  Dissert.  43.) 
ass^ns  this,  capitular  to  A.  D.  823,  in  which  year  it  is  known 
that  Lotharius  issued  some  edicts  at  Cortelona,  a  place  about  ten 
miles  from  Pavia.  Yet  elaewhere  {Annali  d' Italia  at  A.  829.)  he 
seems  to  doubt  idiether  that  was  the  precise  year  of  said  capitu- 
lar. But  I  find*  no  sufficient  reason  for  calling  in  question  his 
former  opinipn;  and  fixnn  the  time,  in  which  Dungal  wrote 
against  Claudius,  it  may  be  fiurly  concluded  that  Dungal  was  at 
Payia  in  823.  He  then  observes,  that  Dungal,  who  was  settled 
at  Pavia,  was  in  all  appearance  the  same  as  the  writer  Dungal» 
who  is  mentioned  by  BeUarmbe,  Diqpin,  .Cave,  and  others,  and 
who  had  been  in  the  monastery  of  St.  Denis.  Xet  he  doubts  of 
d  his  having  been  the  Dungal,  whom  MabiUon  suqpected  to  be 
a  recluse,  and  thinks  there  might  have  been  two  DungaOsy  one  a 
recluse^  and  the  other  a  teacher  ancWnter.  This  difficulty  b  easily 
settled ;  for,  although  Dungal  might  have  been  a  recluse  when  he 
wrote  on  the  ed^Mes,  it  does  not  follow  that  he  continued  as 
such  during  the  remainder  of  «his  life;  nor  is  thece  any  necessity 
whatsoever  for  the  hypothesis  of  the  two  Dungals.  If  MabiUon 
h^d  known  that>  Dungal  removed  to  Italy,  he  would  have  been 
more  exact  in  his  account  of  him;  but  t/tm  was  first  announced  to 
the  litemy  world  by  Muratori 

§.  XIII.  Dungal  was  for  some  years  in  Italy  when 
he  set  about  writing  his  work  against  Claudius,  a 
Spaniard  and  disciple  of  Felix  of  Urgel,  and  whom 


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CUAP.  XX.  OF   IRrXAND.  gJQ 

Lewis  the  pious  had  made  bishop  of  Turin.  Clau- 
dius, who  had  enjoyed  a  great  reputation,  destroyed 
or  removed,  soon  after  his  accession  to  that  see  all 
the  images  and  crosses,  which  he  found  in  the 
ehurdhes  of  his  diocese.  Being  blamed  by  his 
friend  the  abbot  Theodimir  for  this  precipitate  pro- 
ceeding, he  wrote  a  treatise  under  the  title  of  Apo- 
logy against  Theodimir,  in  which  he  inveighed 
against  any  veneration  whatsoever  of  images  or  the 
cross,  and  against  the  invocation  of  saints  and  the 
celebration  of  their  festivals.  (133)  Dungal  had 
for  a  considerable  time  often  complained  of  the* 
proceedings  and  principles  of  Claudius  ;  but  finding 
the  people  of  the  country  where  he  then  lived,  that 
is  the  North  of  Italy,  divided,  some  for,  some 
against  Claudius,  he  thought  it  adviseable  to  publish 
a  work  in  refutation  of  his  doctrines,  which  he  en- 
titled Responsa  contra  ' perversas  Claudii  Turo- 
nenm  episcopi  S€?itentias.  ( 1 34)  It  is  usually  sup- 
posed that  he  wrote  it  In  827,  a  date  which  I  do  not 
nnd  any  sufficient  reason  for  controverting.  (135) 
In  it  he  states  that  it  had  been  agreed  upon  in'  a 
conference  held  in  the  imperial  palace,  that  nobody 
should  be  such  a  fool  as  to  pay  divine  honour  to 
angels,  saints,  or  their  images ;  but  that,  however, 
images  should  not  be  broken,  defaced,  or  destroyed  ; 
and  that  the  rules  laid  down  by  Gregory  the  great^ 
in  his  letter  to  Serenus  should  be  observed.  He  then 
shows  from  many  ancient  authorities,  particularly 
the  poems  of  St.  Paulinus  of  Nola,  that  images 
were  always  used  in  the  Church.  He  maintains 
that  Claudius,  by  denying  that  saints  ought  to  be 
honoured,  has  renewed  the  errors  of  Eunomius  and 
Vigilantius.  Then  coming  to  the  veneration  of  the 
cross,  he  says  that  Christians,  imitating  the  Apostle, 
place  their  glory  in  it  ;  that  our  Saviour  did  not 
intend  that  his  passion  should  be  concealed  from  the 
faithful  as  ignominious,  but  that  the  remembrance 
of  it  should   be  constantly  cherished  ;  and  proves, 

s  2 

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S60  AN    ECCLESIASTICAL   HISTORY         CHAP.  XX. 

from  many  authorities,  that  at  all  times  of  the 
Church  the  cross  has  been  honoured.  As  to  the 
invocation  of  saints,  on  which  he  observes  that,  **  if 
"  the  Apostles  and  Martyrs,  while  in  this  world, 
**  could  pray  for  others,  how  much  morer  so  can 
•*  they  ao  it  after  their  crowns,  victories,  and 
"  triumphs*'  ?  he  opposes  to  Claudius  several  pas- 
sages of  the  fathers  according  to  his  usual  method, 
which  is,  instead  of  much  reasoning,  to  allege  the 
tradition  and  constant  practice  of  the  Church.  He 
concludes  with  saying  that  holv  pictures,  the  cross, 
and  the  reliques  of  saints,  ought  to  be  revered  with 
the  honour  suitable  to  them,  without  sacrificing  to 
them  or  offering  them  the  worship,  which  is  due  to 
God  alone  ;  and  asserts  that  Claudius,  by  rgecting 
the  cross,  declares  himself  an  enemy  of  the  passion 
and  the  incarnation.  Accordinglv,  he  adds,  the 
Jews  praise  him  and  call  him  the  wisest  of  the 
Christians^  and  he  passes  ^reat  encomiums  on  them 
as  also  on  the  Saracens.  How,  says  Dungal,  can  a 
bishop,  who  abhors  the  cross  of  Jesus  Christ,  per- 
form the  ecclesiastical  functions,  baptize,  bless  the 
holy  chrism,  impose  hands,  give  certain  benedictions, 
or  celebrate  mass?  For,  as  St.  Augustin  observes, 
none  of  these  functions  can  be  duly  exercised 
without  making  the  sign  of  the  cross.  He  then 
makes  some  remarks  on  Claudius  not  allowing  the 
commemoration  of  saints  in  the  litanies  and  other 
offices  of  the  Church,  nor  the  celebration  of  their 
festivals ;  his  prohibiting  the  lighting  of  tapers  by 
day  in  the  churches,  and  the  turning  of  one's  eyes 
towards  the  ground  in  praj^r  ;  his  being  guilty  of 
several  other  impieties,  which  he  would  shudder  to 
mention,  although  he  was  informed  of  them  by 
persons  worthy  of  credit ;  (136)  and  his  refusing  to 
attend  at  a  council  of  bishops. 

(19S)  See  Fkuiy,  Hid.  Ecd.  L.  47.  §.  90. 

(134)  Thb  woric  it  in  the  BiUioth.  Pair,  of  Lyons,  A,  1677. 

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CHAP.  XX.  OF   IRELAND. 


261 


Tom.  xiy.  That  it  was  written  in  Italy  is  evident  from  the  Preieu:t 
ex.  c.  his  saying  that  from  the  very  time,  he  had  come  to  the 
country,  in  which  he  was  writing,  lift  had  opposed  Claudius ; 
'*  Jamdudum  ex  quo  in  hanc  ierram  adv^uerinh  occasio  mihi  co- 
"  piosa  Kdcdere  redamandi  occurrUr  That  country  could  not 
be  France,  where  Dungal  had  been  several  years  before  Claudius 
attadked  the  images,  &c.  Then  his  observing  that  the  people  of 
the  country  {regio)  in  which  he  was,  were  divided  on  those  points, 
shows  that  he  was  then  living  not  far  from  Turin,  and  assuredly 
not  at  Paris,  or  in  its  neighbouiiiood,  where  the  people  at  large 
did  not  trouble  themselves  about  Claudhis*  opinions.  MabiHon 
not  being  acquainted  with  Dungal*s  removal  to  Italy,  was  therefore 
mistaken  in  supposing  that  he  composed  this  work  in  Paris;  and 
Muratori  was  right  (locc.  ciH.)  in  stating  it  as  his  opinion,  that  it 
was  written  in  Italy,  and  apparently  at  Pavia.  It  is  added  that 
Tiraboschi  (Storia  Litteraria,  &c.  Tom.  in.  L.  3.  cap.  1.)  conjec- 
tured, that  Dungal  wrote  it  before  he  went  to  Italy.  One  would 
imagine  that  he  wished  tp  i^ypear  as  understanding  these  subjects 
better  than  Muratori  f 

(135)  See  Mabillon,  Annal.  &c.  ad  A.  827.  and  Fleuiy,  Hist. 
&c  L.  47.  §.  21.  It  was  certainly  written,  prior  to  830  ;  for 
Dungal,  speaking  in  round  numbers,  mentions  the  year  820  as 
aheady  elapsed. 

(136)  It  is  probable  that  Dungal  alluded  to  the  Arian  doc- 
trines, which,  as  was  afterwards  discovered,  were  held  by  Chui-  . 
dius.    See  Fleury,  L.  48.  §.  7. 

§.  XIV.  This  treatise  is  very  well  writteu,  and 
shows  that  Dungal  was  deeply  versed  in  theological 
studies  and  in  polite  literature,  including  a  great 
knowledge  of  the  Christian  poets.  (137)  tie  had  a 
valuable  and  large  collection  of  books,  as  appears 
from  the  catalogue  of  those,  which  he  bequeathed  to 
the  monastery  of  Bobio.  (138)  it  is  probable  that  he 
spent  the  last  part  of  his  life  in  that  monastery ;  (IS9) 
but  at  what  time  he  died  I  cannot  discover.  (140) 
.  Dungal  is  usually  called  a  deacon,  although  he  does 
not  assume  that  title  in  any  of  his  works.  As  to  the 
part  of  Ireland,  of  which  he  was  a  native,  no  ac« 

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262  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY  CHAF.  XX. 

count  remains ;  but  it  is  somewhat  probable  that  he 
belonged  to  the  community  of  Bangor,  and  that  he 
left  Ireland  in  consequence  of  that  place  being  ter- 
ribly infested  by  the  Danes.  (141) 

Claudius,  the  bishop  of  Turin,  against  whom 
Dungal  wrote,  is  supposed  by  several  very  learned 
men  to  have  been  the  same  as  the  author  of  some 
commentaries  on  various  parts  of  the  holy  Scriptures, 
whom  others  represent  as  an  Irishman  and  quite  dis. 
tinct  from  the  bishop,  who  was  a  Spaniard.  (142) 
As  the  former  opinion  seems  to  me  far  better 
founded  than  the  latter,  which,  I  believe,  originated 
chiefly  in  a  Claudius  having  been  confounded  with 
the  Irishman  Clemens;  (143)  and  as  Claudius  of 
Turin  had  applied  particularly  to  the  study  and  ex- 
planation of  the  Scriptures,  ( 1 44)  I  cannot  but  con- 
clude that  there  was  at  that  time  only  one  learned 
Claudius  in  France,  and  that  he  was  the  author  of 
those  commentaries,  and  the  person  who  was  after- 
wards raised  to  the  see  of  Turin.  (145) 

In  those  times  there  lived  in  Ireland  a  learned 
man,  named  Gildas,  who  is  said  to  have  been  born 
in  Wales,  and  the  son  of  an  Irish  Scot.  It  is  added 
that  he  studied  in  Ireland,  (146)  and  some  writers 
state ^hat  he  was  a  monk  of  Bangor  in  Down.  (147) 
He  has  left  a  work  entitled  De  Computo^  which  he 
addressed  to  the  celebrated  Raban  of  Fulda,  before 
he  became  abbot  of  this  monastery,  and  consequently 
prior  to  A.  D.  822.  (148)  Other  tracts  have  been 
attributed  to  him,  but  some  of  them  certainly,  and 
all  of  them  probably,  without  foundation.  (149) 

(137)  Muratori  in  his  note  on  Dungal,  (Berdtal^  <^c.)  above 
referred  to,  says ;  "  Cae^erum  liber  ille  DHngali  hominem  erudi- 
tom  sacrisque  etiam  litteris  omatum  prodit,  at  simul  in  grammati- 
cali  foro  ac  Prisdani  deliciis  enutritum,  ut  legenti  constabit." 

(138)  This  catalogue  has  been  published  by  Muratori,  i^Antiq. 
Itul,  Tom.  HI.  Dissert.  43.)  and  to  it  is  prefixed  a  note  stating 
that  they  are  the  books,  guos  Dungalus  praecipuui  ScQttorum  oO- 

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CHAP.  XX.  OF   IRELAND. 


263 


.  iulU  beatissimo  Columbano.  They  are  now,  at  least,  in  greaf 
part,  in  the  Ambroeian  Vbrary  of  Milan,  whither  they  were  re- 
inove4  by  Cardinal  Frederic  Borromeo.  Among  them  were 
three  Antiphonaries,  one  of  which  was  perhaps  the  Antiphonarium 
Benckorense,  or  of  Bangor  in  Ireland,  concerning  which  sc^  Chap. 
II.  ^.8.  and  also  Dungal's  work  against  Claudius. 

(139)  Muratori  (ib.)  mentions  a  JVf^.  of  the  Ambrosian  library, 
in  which  are  these  lines  ; 

'*  Sancta  Columba  tibi  Scotto  tuu&  ineola  Dungal 
Traditit  hunc  librum,  quo  fratrum  corda  beentur : 
Qui  l^is  ergOt  Deus  pretium  sit  muneris,  ora.*' 

Dungal  here  calls  Columbanus  Columba^  which  was  in  fiict  bis 
rehl  name,  (See  Nat.  1.  to  Chap,  xiii.)  and  a  Soot,  that  is  an 
Irishman ;  for  every,  one  knows  that  St.  Columbanus  of  Bobio  was 
a  native  of  Ireland.  From  his  styling  himself  an  incoia  of  this 
saint,  Muratori  thought  that  he  had  lived  for  some  time  in  his  mo- 
nastery, which,  according  to  a  usual  manner  of  speaking,  he  de«  , 
signated  by  the  name  of  the  founder.  It  is  indeed  very  probable, 
that  Dungal  retired  to  it  in  the  latter  part  of  his  life,  and  ended 
his  days  there,  which  seems  to  be  confinned  by  his  having  left  so 
many  books  to  it.  Yet  ineola  may  be  understood  of  his  having 
been  only  an  occasional  resident*  Could  it  mean  countryman  or 
compatriot  f  His  adding  Scotto  to  the  saint's  name  seems  to  point 
out  something  of  that  kind. 

(140)  I  find  his  death  marked  at  i4.  834  in  Herault's  AbregS 
Chronol.  at  the  leign  of  Lewis  the  pious.  This  means,  at  most, 
that  he  was  still  alive  in  that  year,  and  rests  on  no  foundation  ex- 
cept a  conjecture  of  Mabillon,  that  the  reduse,  to  whom  Ebbo, 
archbishop  of  Rheims  repaired  on  the  jestoration  of  Lewis  in 
said  year,  was  perhi^  Dungal.  But  Dungal  had  left  Fhmce 
many  years,  prior  to  that  date, 

(141)  If  it  could  be  proved,  that  the  AntijAonarium^  Ben" 
chorense  was,  as  Muratori  supposed,  (See  Not.  81  to  Chap,  ii.) 
presented  to  the  monastery  of  Bobio  by  Dungal,  it  might  be  in- 
ferred that  he  had  been  a  member  of  the  house  of  Bangor, 
whkh,  together  with  its  neighbourhood,  was  at  the  time  of 
his  leaving  Irdand  greatly  infested  by  the  Danes.  Dungal  ap- 
pears to  have  been  an  involuntary  absentee  from  his  country ; 

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S6ii  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY  CHAP.  XX. 

for  he  calls  himself  an  Irish  exile.  To  conclude  our  account  of 
hiniy  I  shall  add  a  few  words  concerning  some  nustakes  of  T^* 
boschi  {loc.  cU.  NoL  1S4>).  He  strives  to  distinguish  two  Dun- 
gak,  one  who  remained  in  France  and  wlto  wrote  on  the  eclipse^ 
ana  was  author  of  the  poems  (see  Not.  ISO)  ;  the  other,  who  was 
stationed  at  Pavia,  wrote  agamst  Claudius,  and  left  books  to 
Bobio.  The  former,  he  says,  was  an  Irishman,  the  Hibemicui 
exstd  ;  the  other  a  Scotchman,  because  Dungal,  that  gave  the 
books,  is  called  a  ScoUtu.  Then  Tiraboischi  allies  this  learned 
SQ^ument,  vix.  that  the  same  man  could  not  be  called  a  Hi- 
bernian exile  and  Scot,  ^'  because  Ireland  and  Scotland  could 
not  be  called  one  kingdom,  and  because  Great  Britain  was  then 
divided  into  many  small  kingdoms,  and  accordingly  the  inha* 
bitants  of  Ireland  and  Scotland  oouki  not  be  called  promiscuously 
Irish  and  Scotch/'  The  ignorance  of  the  history  of  our  islands 
displayed  in  this  passage  is  astonishing.  What  had  the  division 
of  Great  Britain  into  many  small  kingdoms  to  do  with  Ireland, 
whicfa  never  did  or  could  form  a  part  of  it  ?  And  Tjraboschi,  a 
man  who  lived  in  our  own  days,  did  not  know,  what  he  might  have 
met  with  in  hundreds  of  writers,  that  Ireland  was  known  by  two 
names,  Hibemic^  and  Scotia^  just  as  Ranee  was  by  GdlUa  and 
Franda^  and  that  the  modem  Scotland  did  not  get  the  name  of 
Scotia  until  a  period  long  subsequent  to  the  times  of  Dungal. 
The  natives  of  Ireland  were  constantly  called  Scotti^  and  scarcely 
ever  Hibemiy  at  least  in  the  times  we  are  now  treating  of.  We 
find,  however,  an  Irish  Soot,  now  and  then  named  with  the  ad- 
dition of  de  Hibemia  or  Hibemicus,  as  ex.  c  Dungal  himself 
From  the  very  lines  Tiraboschi  read  in  Muratori  (see  Not.  139) 
he  might  have  discova^  that  Irishmen  were  called  Scotti ;  for 
St.  Columbanus  appewik  there  as  a  ScoUus. 

(14/2)  Usher  has  published  (Ep.  Hib.  Syil.  Num.  19  and  20,) 
two  fragmoQts  from  Claudius*  pre&ce,  written  about  A.  D.815, 
to  his  commentary  on  St.  Matthew,  and  addressed  to  the  abbot 
Justus ;  and  from  his  prefiEice  to  his  commentaiy  on  the  Epistle  to 
the  Galatians  in  the  fi>rm  of  a  letter  to  the  abbot  Drueterann.' 
There  is  nothing  in  either  of  them  to  show  that  this  Claudius  was 
an  Irishman,  exoq>t  a  head  prefixed  to  the  former  in  these  words ; 
**  Claudii  Scoti  pfesbyteri  ad  Justum  abbatem.**  But  Scoti  waa 
in  all  prdbabili^  added  by  some  one,  who  thought,  as  some  old 


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CHAP.  XX. 


OF   IRELAND.  265 


wnters  did,  that  this  Claudius  was  au  Irishman ;  and  sudi  was 
particulariy  the  opinion  of  those,  who  confounded  him  with  Cle* 
mens.  (See  above  Not.  20.)  Mabfllon,  quoting  {Annak  Ben.  ad 
A.  815}  part  of  said  prefiu^e  or  letter  to  Justus,  has  not  Sctfth 
but  Claudius  peccator.  Ware  and  Harris  (  Writert  at  Claudius  or 
Claude)  followed  Usher  as  to  this  Claudius  having  been  a  nathre 
of  Ireland;  and:  Colgan  (AA.  SS.  p.  703.)  maintams  tho  same 
opinion.  If  he  was,  he  cannot  be  confounded  with  Claudius  of 
Turin,  who,  as  appears  from  the  work  of  Jonas,  bishop  of  Orleans, 
written  against  him,  and  as  is  universally  aduiowledged,  was  un- 
doubtedly a  Spaniard.  Labbe  undertook  {Dissert,  in  Bdlarmin. 
Sfc  De  Scriptar.  Sfc.  Tom,  1.)  to  show  that  the  author  of  the  com- 
mentaries and  pre&ces  was  much  more  probably  Claudius  of  Turin 
than  an  Irishman,  and  has  been  followed  by  the  editors  of  the 
Biblioih.  Patrum,  (Tom.  xiv.  A.  1677.)  in  a  note  prefixed  to  their 
publication  of  the  Commentary  to  the  Epistle  to  the  Galatians. 
Mabillon  (ib.)  lays  it  down  as  certain,  and,  besides  many  others, 
so  does  Fleury,  Hist.  EccL  L.  48.  §.  7. 

(143)  To  what  has  been  said  already  (^Not.  20.)  concerning  this 
confusion  I  shall  only  add,  that  the  Spaniard  Claudius,  who  after- 
wards became  bish(^  of  Turin,  had  taught  in  the  same  place  with 
Clemens.  His  department  was  to  explain  the  Scriptures,  while 
Clemens  lectured  on  the  Belles  Lettres.  (See  Fleuiy,  Hist.  S^c. 
L-  45.  ^.  18.)  As  their  names  were  accordingly  often  associated, 
it  is  no  wonder  that  some  one  mistook  them  as  one  and  the  same 
person. 

(144)  Besides  what  has  b^en  now  obsored  of  Claudius'  biblical 
pursuits,  we  have  also  the  authority  of  Jpnas  of  Orieans,  who  says 
that  he  was  endowed  With  some  scriptural  knowledge,  <*  in  expla^ 
nandis  Sacrorum  Evangdiorum  lectionibus  qtuinttilacumque  no^ 
titia." 

(145)  Colgan  {A A.  SS.  p.  703.)  adduces  a  very  unchrondo* 
gical  argument  to  show  that  Claudius  of  Turin  was  different  fSnom 
the  commentator.  He  says  that  he  lived  aftar  the  reign  of  Lewis 
the  pious,  during  which  the  commentator  flourished.  Now  the 
ftct  is  that  he  died  before  that  sovereign.  (Fleury,  L.  48.  §.  7,) 
It  is  true  that  Jonas  of  Orleans  did  not  publish  his  work  i^ainst 
him  until  some  short  time  after  the  death  of  Lewi^  and  a  still 
longer  one  after  that  of  Claudius.    Jonas  himself  died  in  843. 

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266  AN  £CCLESIASTIGAL   HISTORY  CHAP.  XX. 

{146>  See  Urfier,  Ep.  Hib.  SyU,  Not.  ad  Ep.  21.  Ware  and 
Hwrrlsy  Writers^  Book  u.ch.  1. 

(147)  See  ColgMi,  A  A.  8S.  p.  201. 

(148)  Usher  {ib.  n«m,21.)  has  published  from  the  MS.  in  the 
Cottonian  library,  consisting  of  99  chapters,  the  preface  to  it, 
wfaidi  has  been  republiriied  by  Colgan,  fib.  p.  202.)  Its  address 
u,  **  DOecto  fratri  Rabano  monacho  Gildas  peccator  in  Christo 
calotjetai.'' 

(149)  See  Cdgan,  Ware,  and  Harris,  locc.  cUi. 

§  XV.  Indrect,  bishop  of  Kilmacduach,  died  in 
S15.  (150)  He  must  not  be  confounded  with  St. 
Indrect,  who  is  said  to  have  been  the  son  of  an  Irish 
king,  and  to  have  been  killed  about  a  hundred  years 
prior  to  these  times,  together  with  his  sister  Domi- 
nica  and  some  Irish  companions,  not  far  from  Glas- 
tonbury by  some  West-Saxons  robbers.  (151)  Eocha, 
son  of  Tuathal,  anchoret,  bishop,  and  abbot  of 
Louth,  died  in  821,  and  in  824  Cuana,  surnamed 
the  mse^  who  was  also  bishop  there.  ( 1 52)  To  825  is 
assigned  the  death  of  Rutmel,  who  is  called  prince 
and  bishop  of  Clonfert,  as  likewise  of  Flan  Mac- 
Famchellaic  bishop  of  Emly.  (153)  Cormac,  son  of 
Snibhne,  abbot  ofClonard  and  a  writer  and  bishop, 
died  in  829,  (154)  as  did  Tuadear,  bishop  of  Kil- 
dare,  in  833.  {155) 

Flangus  Mac-Lonsech,  archbishop  of  Armagh, 
lived,  as  we  have  seen,  until  826.  It  is  probable  that 
he  was  assisted  during  part  of  his  administration  by 
Artrieius  as  his  coadjutor  bishop.  (156)  For  we  find 
this  Artrieius  acting  as  bishop  for  that  see  in  the 
year  8S3,  m  which,  as  related  in  the  Irish  Annals, 
**  the  law  of  St.  Patrick  was  propagated  through- 
out  Munster  by  Feidhlim,  son  of  Crimthan,  king 
of  Munster,  and  Artrigius,  bishop  of  Armagh.** 
(157)  This  was  an  archiepiscopal  visitation  of  that 
province,  in  which  the  metropolitical  rights  of  the 
see  of  Armagh,  which  at  that  time  were  extended 
all  over  Ireland,  were  enforced,  after  having  been 

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CHAP*  XX.  OF   lUBLAND.  267 

probably  disregarded  for  some  time,  owing  perhaps 
to  the  contentions  which  had  prevailed  concerning 
the  right  to  the  possessions  of  said  see.  (158)  The 
Iccw  (^  St.  Patrick  comprized  also  certain  dues,  that 
used  to  be  paid  to  the  church  of  Armagh  as  the 
chair  of  our  Apostle,  and  which  had  been  established 
in  earlier  times;  (159)  and  hence  we  understand 
why  it  was  necessary  for  the  king  Feidhlim  to  inter- 
fere on  this  occasion.  Two  years  later,  in  825,  Ar- 
trigius  went  to  Connaught,  and  enforced  the  said 
law  throughout  its  three  parts  or  territories.  (160) 
He  is  placed  as  successor  to  Flangus  for  two  years, 
after  which  Eugene,  surnamed  Monastery  (perhaps 
from  having  been  abbot  of  the  monastery  of  Ar- 
magh) is  stated  to  have  held  the  see  of  Armagh  for 
eight  years.  (l6l)  But  it  appears  very  probable, 
that  the  incumbencies  of  Artrigius  and  Eugene, 
united  together,  lasted  only  eight  years,  during  two 
of  which  Artrigius  seized  upon  the  see,  after  which 
he  was  put  out  to  make  way  for  the  legitimate  bi- 
shop Eugene.  (l62)  Artrigius,  having  lost  the  see, 
lived  until  833;  and  Eugene  died  in  834;  (163) 
in  which  year  Farannan  became  archbishop,  and  go- 
verned Armagh  for  fourteen  years,  without  being 
disturbed  by  a  competitor,  until  he  was  expelled  in 
848  by  Turgesius.  (164)  During  these  times  some 
other  distinguished  ecclesiastics  died  in  Ireland, 
among  whom,  as  scarcely  any  thing  is  known  con- 
cerning them  except  their  names,  I  need  mention 
only  two,  Aidan  Hua  Condumha,  a  scribe  ^or  learned 
man  of  Durrogh  (King's  county)  in  828  ;  and  Ka- 
themac,  a  scribe,  priest,  and  wise  man  of  Armagh  in 
830.  (165) 

(150)  AA.  SS.  p.  254,  and  Ware,  Bishops  at  KUmacduach. 
Their  date  is  814>,  f.  e.  815. 

(151)  Colgan  (ib.)  treats  of  these  saints  after  Capgrove  and 
others.  Their  histoiy  is  rather  involved  and  beset  with  chrono* 
logical  difficulties. 

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268  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY  CHAP.  XX. 

(152)  4  Masters  ap.  AA;  SS,p.  736.  I  have  added  a  year  to 
their  dates. 

(153)  Ware,  Bishops  at  Clonjert  and  Eml^. 

( 154)  4  Masters,  ap.  AA.  SS.  p.  360.  They  have  A.  828  (829.) 

(155)  Ware,  Bishops  at  KUdare. 

(156)  See  above  Not.  114. 

(157)  4  Masters,  ap.  Tr.  Th,  p.  294.  Their  date  is  822 
(823). 

(158)  It  is  odd,  that  Usher  has  been  represented  by  some 
writers,  among  others  Colgan  (ib.)  and  Harris,  (Bish^  at  Ar^ 
irigius)  as  understanding  the  law  of  St,  Patrick  a»  a.  Monastic  rule. 
Usher  says  no  such  thmg.  He  mentions  (p,  919)  a  rule  not  a 
laxn  of  St.  Patrick,  and  then  hf^)pens  to  speak  of  other  rules  (Mo- 
nastic) such  as  that  of  St.  Brendan,  concerning  which  he  says 
elsewhere,  (p.  1050.)  that  it  was  the  rule  called  the  Lato  of  Ciaran 
and  Brendan.  But  he  does  not  treat  of  die  lato  of  St.  Patrick. 
If  Colgan  had  read  Usher's  words  with  more  attention,  he  would 
not  have  fallen  into  that  mistake  nor  led  others  into  it. 

(159)  Keating  relates  (Book  2.  p.  47.)  that  an  interview  had 
been  held  at  Tirdaglas  in  Ormond  between  Hugh  OUain,  kiug  of 
all  Ireland,  and  Cathal  Mac-Fingin,  king  of  Munster,  in  which 
methods  were  concerted  for  advancing  the  annual  revenue  of  St. 
Patrick  throughout  Ireland,  and  that  they  established  a  particular 
law  for  that  purpose.  Hugh  Ollain  died  in  743.  (See  Chap.  xix. 
§.  9.)  He  makes  mention  (t^.  p.  52.)  also  of  a  similar  tax  levied 
on  Munster  by  the  king  Feidhlim  son  of  Crimthan  and  Arti%ius  of 
Armagh,  vix.  the  persons  above  ^>oken  of. 

(160)  4  Masters,  ap.  Tr.  Th  p.  294.  at  A.  824  (825.) 

(161 )  Catalogue  from  the  Psalter  of  Cai^l. 

(162)  O'Flaherty  (M5.  Not.  ad  Tr.  Th.  p.  ^4.)  states  that 
the  real  successor  of  Flangus,  who  died  in  826,  was  Eugene ;  but 
that  he  was  in  827  pushed  out  of  the  see  by  Artrigius,  who  kept 
it  for  some  time. 

(163)  4  Masters,  ap.  Tr.  Th.  p.  295. 

(164)  See  Usher,  p.  860,  and  Ind.  Chron.  ad  A.  SM  wad 
848.  The  4  Masters  at  A.  834  (835)  and  some  fdlewing  yearv, 
(^.  Tr.  Th.  p.  295)  who  have  been  followed  by  Ware,  {Bishops 
at  Farannan)  say  that  thore  were  great  disputes  from  the  begin* 
ning  concerning  the  possession  of  the  see  between  Farannan  alhd 


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CHAP,  XX.  OF   IRELAND.  269 

Diarmit  Hua  Tigemaicb,  and  that  one  held  it  fbr  a  wh3e»  and 
the  other  for  another.  O'Flaherty  (MS.  notei^  ib.)  rejecto  the 
whole  of  these  Btatements,  and  maintains  that  Fanuman  held  the 
see  without  oompetitioa  until  848.  In  fiKSt,  the  Caahdcatalogue, 
the  best  authority  on  the  subject,  allows  14  years  for  Fanuman, 
and  places  after  him  (that  is,  not  after  his  death)  Diennit  for  four 
years. 

(165)  See  Ind.  Chron.  to  Tr.  Tk.    I  have  added  a  year  to  the 
dates. 


CHAP.  XXI. 


Horrid  depredations  of  the  Scandinavian  pirates 
in  Ireland — Several  monasteries  plundered  and 
numbers  of  monks  and  others  of  the  clergy  mur- 
dered — Diermid  abbot  qf  Hy  brings  the  retiques 
of  Cohtmba  to  Ireland — is  succeeded  by  Indrecht 
'•Joseph  qfRosmor^  a  bishop  and  excellent  writer 
— Death  qfOrthanac^  bishop  ofKildare — Several 
Irish  bishops  and  priests  took  shelter  in  foreign 
countries  during  the  troubles  caused  by  the  Danish 
invasion — A  synod  held  in  England  interdicting 
the  Scottish^ priests  from  administering  the  sacra^ 
ments — Death  of  St.  Ferdomnach — and  ofFeidh^ 
lim  son  qfCrimthann  king  of  Munster — Emhf 
laid  waste — Olchobhair  bishop  qf  Emly  raised  to 
the  throne  qf  Munster — Turgesius  expels  the 
primate  Farannan  and  all  the  religious  and  stu- 
dents from  Armagh — Turgesius  killed f  and  the 
Danes  defeated  and  expelled  by  the  Irish — Maol- 
seachlin  sends  ambassadors  to  the  French  King, 
Charles  the  bald,  to  form  an  alliance  with  Mmr^ 
Return  qf  the  Danes — Fin^galls  and  Dubh^gatts. 
^^St.  Donatus  bishop  Fiesole — Brigid,  a  holy 
virgin,  sister  qf  St.  Donatus,  settles  in  Italy — 
Mark  an  Irish  bishop,  Moengal   and  others. 

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27D  AN    ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY       CHAP.  XXI. 

settle  at  St.  GaU  in  Smtzerland-^Several  other 
teamed  Irishmen  settle  m  the  Conthtent.'^Jokn 
Seotm  Erigena'^-^writes  on  predestination^^his 
'work  condemned  by  the  fftird  Council  gf  Valence 
-"^^acaount  qf  dij^rent  tracts  written  by  him — 
John  bishop  of  Mecklenburgh  an  Irishman — 
John  qf  Malmesbury — Macarius  an  Irish  philo- 
sopher in  France-^The  abbot  Patrick  of  Gtaston- 
bury — The  learned  priest  ProbuS'^Deaths  qf  va- 
rious bishops  and  abbots  in  Ireland^  and  in  Hy — 
Ireland  harassed  Vy  the  Danes  and  intestine 
Jetuls— Irish  schools  and  religious  houses  not  so 
much  disturbed  as  in  the  time  qf  TurgesiuS'^^ 
Deaths  of  many  scribes  and  learned  men — Deaths 
of  Irish  Saints  in  the  ninth  century. 

SECT.    I. 

Meanwhile  the  Scandinavian  pirates,  having 
landed  in  various  parts  of  Ireland,  were  committing 
horrid  depredations.  In  821  they  plundered  and 
laid  waste  Cork,  Lismore,  and  the  monastery  of  Inis- 
damle,  (i)and  in  823  treated  in  like  manner  that  of 
Bangor,  (2)  which,  it  seems,  they  had  already  plun- 
dered some  years  earlier.  Q^^  The  devastation  of 
823  was  probably  that,  in  which  it  is  related  that 
the  abbot  and  a  great  number  of  the  monks  were 
killed,  and  the  rich  shrine  of  St.  Comgall  broke 
open.  (4)  Whether  it  was  the  same  as  the  one,  on 
occasion  of  which  those  pirates  are  said  to  have  mur- 
dered nine  hundred  monks  of  Bangor  in  one  day, 
(5)  I  am  not  able  to  ascertain.  In  824  they  pil- 
laged  again  the  monastery  of  Inisdamle,  burned  that 
of  Maghbile,  and  in  826  ravaged  and  destroyed  that 
of  Lusk.  (6)  In  831  they  entered  Armdgh,  and 
plundered  it  three  times  in  the  course  of  one  month. 
Thid  was  the  first  time  that  Armagh  was  occupied  by 
foreigners.  (7)  In  the  same  year  they  despoiled  the 
church  of  Duleek,  the  monastery  of  Monaghan,  and 

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CHAP*  XXI.  OF   IRELAND.  271 

the:  tovmSf  &c«  of  Connor  (8)  and  Loutlu  (9)     In 
884  Glendaloch  and  Slaae  were  plundered  in  like 
manner;  (10)  and  in  the  following  year  they  ran- 
sacked and  burned  Ferns,  the  monastery  of  Clon- 
more  (in  the  county  of  Wexford),     and    several    ' 
churches  in  Munster.  (11)     In  this  year,  viz*  885, 
a  great  host  of  them,  commanded  by  Turgesius,  de« 
stroyed  almost  all  Cpnnaught,  together  with  some 
parts  of  Leinster  and  M eaui,  and  within  the  three, 
following  years  subdued  a  great  part  of  Ulster,  de« 
roolishing  churches  and  persecuting  the  fiuthfuL  (12) 
In  836  a  party  of  the  Danes  marched  from  Inver- 
dega,  or  Inverdee,  now  called,  Wicklow,  (is)  to 
Kiidai^e,  which  they  ravaged,  and  set  fire  to  the 
church,  one  half  of  which  was  consumed^  (14)  This 
happened  after  Feidhlim  Mac  Crimthann,kingof  Mun- 
ster, had  in  the  same  year  taken  forcible,  possession 
of  Kildare  and  carried  off  the  cler^  at  the  time  that 
Farannan,  archbishop  of  Armagh,  was  there  with 
some  of  his  ecclesiastics.  (15)     In  837  two  large 
fleets  of  the  Northmen  arrived  in  the  Boyne  and 
Liflfey,  who  spreading  themselves  over  the  plains, 
through  which  these  rivers  flow,  plundered  in  all  di- 
rections churches,  monasteriesi  and  the  habitations 
of  all  sorts  of  people,  carrying  off  flocks,  herds,  &c. 
(16)  In  839  they  burned  Cork,  Ferns,  and  Clonfert, 
killing  the  religious,  and  destroyed  the  church  of 
Slane;  (17)  and  in  840  a  party  of  them,  coming 
from  the  neighbourhood  of  Lough  Neagh,  plundered 
Louth,  andcaiTiedoff  many  bishops,,  wise,  learned, 
and  distinguished  men,  some  of  whom  they  put  to 
death.  (18)     In  the  same  year  they  set  fire  to  Ar- 
magh,  and  burned  its  cathedral   and  other  sacred 
edinces.  (19)     In  842  they  plundered  the  monas- 
teries of  Clonmacnois,  Birr,  Saigir,  and  the  church 
o{  Ferns ;  (20)  and  in  844  burned  Clonmacnois  and 
Lothra  (Lorragli),  besides  ravaging  the  monastery 
of  Tirdaglas.    (2i)     One  of  the  churches,  which 
Turgesius  destroyed  and  burned,  when  in  Connaught, 

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272  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY  CHAP.  XXI. 

probably  in  the  expedition  of  855,  was  that  belong- 
ing to  the  English  at  Mayo.   (92)    Many  other 
churches  and  monasteries,  such  as  Taghmon,  Tirao- 
Itn,  &c.  are  mentioned  as  having  been  pillaged  or 
ruined  during  this  period  by  those  merciless  in- 
vaders ;  and  let  it  suffice  to  say,  that  almost  every 
part  of  Ireland  suffered  more  or  less  from  their  fury. 
(£3)    Every  where  they  carried  away  sacred  uten- 
sils, destroyed  libraries,  persecuted  holy  and  learned 
men,  many  of  whom  they  killed.     Amongthese  are 
particularly  mentioned  Aidus,  abbot  of  Tirdaglas, 
whom  they  put  to  death  in  844 ;  and  Kethemac  prior 
of  Kildare,  whom  with  many  others  they  slaugh- 
tered in  said  year  at  Dunamase.  (24)     To  this  year 
is  assigned  also  the  martyrdom  of  Nuad,  son  of  Se- 
gen,  during  the  pillaging  of  the  church  of  Killachad 
(in  the  county  of  Cavan)  by  a  band  of  Northmen, 
who  had  proceeded  from  Dublin.  (^5) 

(1)  Tr.  Th.  Ind.  Ckron.  ad.  A.  820  (821),  For  Inisdamle  see 
Noi.  69  to  Chap.  x.  As  it  was  an  island  in  the  Suir,  it  was  very 
convenirat  for  an  attack  by  the  Danes,  as  were  also  Cork  and  Lis- 
mare  by  their  situation  near  the  Lee  and  Blackwater. 

(2)  lb.  p.  633.  The  date  marked  is  822  (823) ;  yet  in  the  Ind. 
Chron.  it  is  821,  owing,  I  suppose  to  a  typographical  error. 

(3)  I  find  mention  made  ci  a  devastation  of  Bangor  by  the 
Danes  in  812.    See  Archdall  at  Bangor. 

(4)  Keating  (Histoiy,  &c.  Book  2.  p.  50.)  mentions  these  cir- 
cumstances at  about  thb  period.  The  year  in  which  they  occurred 
seems  to  have  been  823,  to  which  also  the  annals  of  Ulster  affix  a 
plundering  of  Bangor,  and  the  scattering  of  the  reliques  of  St. 
Congall. 

\5)  See  St.  Bernard's  Life  of  St.  Malachy,  cap.  5. 

(6)  Tr.  Tk.  Ind.  Ckron.  ad  A.  823  (824)  and  825  (826). 

(7)  4  Masters,  ap.  Tr.  Th.p.  295.  at  AD.  830  (831).  TTie 
Ulster  Annals  have  A.  831.  What  will  Dr.  Ledwich  say  to  this  ? 
He  wished  to  persuade  us,  that  St.  Patridc  had  been  brought  to 
Armaghby  the  Danes;  (see  CAop.  II.  $.  16.)  nowitisdearfiom 
what  has  been  said  of  the  law  of  St.  Pn^ndl  as  havmg  existed  be- 
(bre  they  ever  reached  thut  city,  that  he  was  known  there  long 


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CHAP.  XXI.  OP  IRELAND.  273 

prior  to  their  depredations.     And  he  calls  himself  an  Irish  an- 
tiquary! !  ! 

(8)  Tr.  Th.  Ind.  Chron.  ad.  A.  830(831)  That  there  was  an 
old  monastery  at  Monaghan  is  well  known ;  and  Colgan  mentions 
(A A.  SS.jhllS  )  as  abbot  of  it  (perhaps  founder)  St,  Moeldod, 
a  member  of  the  great  house  of  the  dynasts  a£  Orgiel,  but  does  not 
mark  at  what  time  he  lived.  The  Annals  of  Ulster  have  a  prior 
spoliation  of  Duleek  by  the  Danes  at  A,  824. 

(9)  4  Masters,  and  Archdall  at  LotUL 

(10)  TV.  Th.  Ind.  Chron.  ad.  A.  833  (834). 

(11)  lb,  and  Annals  of  Ulster  at  A.  834  (835).  Clonmore  is 
said  to  have  been  pillaged  two  or  three  times  before.  (See  Archdall 
at  Clonmore. 

(12)  Ware,  Antiq.  cap.  24.  (13)  See  Chap.  v.§.l. 

(14)  Annals  of  Ulster,  and  4  Masters  ap.  Tr.  Th.  p,  629.  ad 
^.835(836). 

(15)  4  Masters  ap.  Tr.  Th.  p,  295,  and  629.  ad  A.  835  (836). 
Archdall  (at  Armagh)  in  his  careless  manner  says,  that  it  was  For- 
annan  and  his  clergy,  who  were  carried  off.  Keating  relates  that 
Feidhlim  being  provoked  by  certain  proceedings  of  some  of  the  more 
northern  people  of  Ireland,  laid  waste  the  country  extending  from 
Birr  to  Tarah.  Thus,  while  the  common  enemy  was  in  tlieir 
country,  the  unhappy  Irish  were  destroying  each  other.  Keating 
is  wrong  in  stating  that  Feidhlim  became  archbishop  of  Leath  Mo- 
gha,  or  the  Southern  half  of  Ireland.  Me  never  was  a  bishop,  but 
in  the  latter  part  of  hi?  life  gave  himself  up  to  piety,  and  lived  as  an 
anchoret.  He  reigned  27  years,  (see  Keating  B.  ii.  p.  54.)  the 
first  of  which  was,  accordingito  the  Annals  of  Innisfallen  (Harris* 
copy)  A.  D.  819,  but  (according  to  Mr.  O'Reilly's)  820. 

( 16)  Tr.  Th.  p,  629  ad.  A.  836  (837)  In  this  place  he  speaks 
of  these  fleets  as  consisting  of  thirty  ships  each,  and  yet,  (ib. 
p.  111.)  referring  to  the  same  authority,  (the  4 Masters)  he  telb 
us  that  each  of  them  was  of  sixty.  Then  in  the  Ind.  Chr.  instead 
of  A.  D.  836,  he  has  838.  In  both  these  positions  he  has  been 
followed  by  "Ware  (Antiq.  cap.  24:.)  But  O'Flaherty  (MS.  not.  Tr. 
Th.9t  p.  Ill)  observes,  that  the  true  date  is  836  (837).  That 
of  838  is  mentioned  by  Giraldus  Oambrensis.  The  Annals  of 
Innisfallen  have  836,  and  state  that  each  of  those  Northern  fleets 
consisted  of  sixty  ships. 

VOL.  in.  T  n  l' 

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274  AS  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTOBY  CHAP.  XXI. 

(17)  7 r.  Th.  Ind,  Chron.  ad  S3S  (839)  and  Amialft  ofjnnis- 
feUen  at  A.  839. 

(18)  AA..SS.  p.  736.  from  the  4»  Masters  at  i4.  839  (840) 
This  ikrastation,  ftc.  19  mentioiied  also  in  the  Ulster  annab  m 
said  year.  In  Johnston's  Ex^raictft  Loogh-neagh  is,  instead  of 
Loch'echoy  called  Lock'dihcaochi 

(19)  Tr.TA.  p.  295.  and  Ind.  Chron.  ad  SS9  {SiO). 

(20)  Tr.  Th.  Ind.  Chron.  ad  A,  841  (842)  and  p.  634. 

(21)  lb.  Ind.  Chron.  ad  A.  843  (844). 

(22)  See  Usher  Ind.  Chron.  at  ^.  818. 

(23)  Keating,  Book  u.p.50. 

(24)  See  A  A.  SS.  p.  370.  and  Tr.  Th.  p.  629.  The  dale 
marked  is  843  (844)  Aldus  is  called  the  son  of  Dubh-da-cbrioch, 
and  is  said  to  Irnve  been  abbot  also  of  Clonenagh.  He  was  taken 
at  Dunaraase  and  led  away  by  the  Danes  to  Miinster,  where  they 
put  him  to  death  on  the  8th  of  July.  (A A.  SS.  p.  3fi6,) 

(25)  AA.'SS.p.S^7S. 

§  II.  Diemiit,  abbot  of  Hy,  came  to  Ireland  in 
831,  bringing  with  him  the  reliqiies  of  St.  Columba. 
(26)  How  long  after  he  continued  to  govern  the 
Columbian  order  I  do  not  find  recorded  ;  but  it  ap- 
pears that  he  was  succeeded  by  Indreclit  or  Indrech- 
taigh,  who  in  849  brought  to  IrelaSnd  some  sanctified 
things  of  St.  Patrick*  (27)  Joseph  of  Rosmor^  a 
bishop,  an  excellent  writer,  and  abbot  of  Clones  and 
othei;  monasteries,  died  in  the  year  840,  (28)  to 
which  is  assigned  also  the  death  of  Oithanoc  bishop 
of  Kildare,  (29)  During  the  troubles  caused  by 
the  Danes  sevei-al  Irish  bishops  and  priests  took 
shelter  jri  foreign  countries.  In  a  council  held  at 
Chalons  sur  SaOne  in  818  a  decree  was  passed  stat- 
ing, that  there  are  in  some  parts  of  France  Scots 
(insh),  who  call  tiieraselveis  bishop^,  and  ordain 
prii^sts  and  deacons  without  the  permission  of  their 
seigneuHj  or  of  the  superioi*s  of  said  persons  ;  and 
declaring  such  ordinations  null  as  being  iiTegular 
and  nnostly  .Himaniatral.  (80)  it  seenis  that  some  of 
those  emigrant  bishops  made  use  of  their  ^ritual 

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CHAP.   XXI.  OP   IRELAND.  275 


I 


'power  as  a  means  of  livelihood.  The  practice  of 
raising  persons  to  the  episoc^acy  without  being  at- 
tached to  fixed  sees  had  been  ^rried  so  far  in  Ire- 
land, that  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  some  of 
them  might  have  made  a  trade  of  their  rank.  A 
sweeping  canon  was  passed  by  an  English  synod 
held  in  816  under  Walfred,  archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury, at  Ce-licyth,  interdicting  the  Scottish  priests 
in  general  from  administering  the  sacraments,  be- 
cause it  was  not  known  where  or  by  whom  they  were 
ordained.  (SI)  It  is  probable  that  some  Scoto  Irish 
priests  had,  in  their  flight  from  Ireland,  neglected 
to  bring  testimonials  of  their  ordination,  and  thus 
contributed  to  aflPord  an  occasion  for  that  canon. 

St.  Ferdomnach,  a  wise  and  learned  scribe  or  doc- 
tor of  the  church  of  Armagh,  died  in  845,  and  his 
memory  was  revered  on  the  10th  of  June.  {32) 
In  the  following  year  died  on  the  6th  of  August  the 
celebrated  king  of  Mun&ter  Feidhlim,  son  of  Crim- 
thann,  after  having  in  the  latter  part  of  his  life 
atoned  for  hii  violent  and  cruel  proceedings  by  a 
very  strict  xourse  of  penance  and  .great  austerities. 
(33)  In  the  saiife  year  Emly  was  L'Ud  waste  l)y  the 
Northfifiefi.  (34)  Its  abbot  dnd  bishop  Olchobair  Mac- 
Kinede,  the  immediate  successor,  in  all  appearance, 
of  Flan  Mac-Famchellaid,  contrived  on  the  death  of 
Feidhlim  son  of  Crimthann,  to  get  himself  raised  to 
the  throne  of  Cashel  or  Munster.  (85)  He  is  the 
first  of  our  princes,  at  least  of  great  rank,  in  whom 
I  find  the  mitre  and  scepter  united.  This  royal 
bishop  was  of  a  warlike  turn,  and,  being  assisted  by 
Lorcan,  king  of  Leinster^  defeated  th^  Danes  in  a 
great  battle  fought  in  848  at  Sua-naght,  in  which 
they  lost  1200  meti,  and  also  in  two  others,  same 
year,  in  which  about  1760  more  of  them  were  slain. 
(36)     Olchobair  lived  until  850.  (37) 

XS6)  Annals  of  Ukter  in  Johnstone's  ExtrapU  at  A.  830  (8S1). 
(^)  Jb.  at  A.  848  (849>    Johnstone  calls  them  <<  St  Pa-  * 

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276  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTOEY  CHAP.  XXI. 

ti^ck's  oaths  or  sanctified  Unng^*'  I  suppose  lie  mistook  a  word, 
meaning  ixnos  for  oaths.  They  were  probably  offerings,  that  had 
been  made  by  persons  resorting  to  Hy  in  honour  of  St.  Patrick. 
Smith  (App.  to  Life  of  Si,  Columboy  p.  166.)  calls  them  Co- 
lumkilles  sacred  things.  Instead  of  Indrecht  he  has  Jurasiach  ; 
but'the  abbots  real  name  was  Indrecht,    See  A  A,  SS.  p,  254. 

(28)  A  A,  SS.  p,  308-  Ware,  led  astray  by  the  blundering  com- 
piler of  the  third  index  to  this  work,  has  placed  Joseph  of  Rosmor 
at  Clonmacnois,  and  has  been  followed  by  Harris.  Archdall  has 
him  at  Clones,  and  so  far  he  was  right,  but  he  ought  not  to  have 
placed  him  likewise  at  Clonmacnois.  The  4  Masters*  da^  for  his 
death  is  839  (840). 

(29)  Tr.  Th.  p.  629. 

(30)  See  Fleury,  Hist.  Eccl.  L,  46.  §•  5. 

(31)  It  is  added  that  clergymen  are  not  allowed  by  the  canons 
to  officiate  without  the  permission  of  the  ordinar}',  and  tliat  this 
rule^ould  be  particularly  enforced  against  foreigners,  with  whom 
there  was  no  metropolitan  jurisdiction ;  alluding,  it  seems,  to  the 
Irish  sptem,  according  to  which  there  was  no  r^ular  metropolid- 
cal  see  except  the  primatial  one  of  Armagh.  Celicyth  or  Calcuth 
was  somewhere  in  the  kingdom  of  Mercia  and  in  a  central  part  of 
England, 

(32)  Tr,  TA.  p.  295  at  844  (845). 

(S3)  lb.  p,  186  and  Ind.  Chron.  ad  A.  845  (846)  from  the 
4  Masters.  The  Annals  of  Innisfallen  (Mr.  O'Reilly's  copy)  as-  . 
sign  his  death  to  847.  Ware  reckons  this  Feidlim  or  Feidlemid 
among  the  Irish  writers,  observing  that  his  works  are  lost.  The 
Ulster  annals  call  him  the  best  of  the  ScotSy  a  scribe  and  anchoret. 
Compare  with  Not.  15. 

(34 1    Tr.  Th.  Ind.  Chroiu 

(35)  Annals  of  Innisfallen,   and  Keating  B.  u,  p.  54^. 

(36)  Ware,  Antiq.  cap  24-  In  the  Annals  of  Innisfallen,  at 
A.  848.  Scia-naght  is  called  Scielh-Niachtain  in  the  Dedes,  ;'.  e. 
either  in  the  county  of  Waterford  or  southern  part  of  Tipperary, 
(Harris's  copy)  and  Ware  Bishops  at  Emli/, 

(37>  Annals  of  Innisfallen.  - 

§.  III.  Turgesius  entered  Armagh  in   848,  and 
expelled  the  primate  Forannain  together  with  all  the 

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CHAP.  XXI.  OF  lll£LAND.  277 

religious  and  students.  (38)     Taking  with  him  his 
attendants  and  the  church  reliques  he  was  sent  to 
the  Danish  sliips  at  Limerick.  (39)     But  this  year 
was  fatal  to  Turgesius ;  for  in  it  he  lost  his  life,  hav- 
ing been  defeated  and  made  prisoner  by  Melseachlain, 
king  of  Ireland,  who  drowned  him  in  Loch-vair,  (40) 
The  Irish  then  attacked  the  Northmen  in  all  direc- 
tions, and  drove  great  numbers  of  them  out  of  their 
country,    so  that  the  nation  recovered  its  liberty, 
after  a  devastation  of  about  thirty  years,  and  Mel- 
seachlain  sent  ambassadors  with  presents  to  the  French 
king,  Charles  the  bald,  for  the  purpose  of  forming 
a  bond  of  peace  and  friendship,  and  requesting  per- 
mission to  pass  through  France  on  his  way  to  Kome. 
(41)     Forannan's  place  at  Armagh  was  now  occupied 
by  Diermit  Hua-Tigernach,  who  is  said  to  have  gone 
to  Connaught  for  the  object  of  enforcing  the  law  of 
St.  Patrick.  (42)     The  Northmen,  although  broken 
and  defeated,  returned  again  in  849  with  a  powerful 
fleet,  and  renewed  the  war.    (43)     As  if  to  help 
them,  the  Irish  began  to  fight  among  themselves, 
and  their  king  Melseachlain  not  only  made  peace  with 
them  in  850,  but  was  assisted  by  them  in  gaining  a 
great  victory  over  some  enemies  of  his.  (44)    Dub- 
lin, which  was  already  in  possession  of  a  description 
of  Northmen,  called  Fin-gals^  or  wJUte-foreigners, 
was  attacked  in  851  by  another^  called  Dubh-gals, 
or  black^oreignerSy  who  made  great  havoc  of  the 
Fin-gals  and  plundered  the  city.  (45)  In  852  a  party 
of  these  pagan  Northmen  entered  Armagh,  and  laid 
it  waste  on  Faster  Sunday,  which  was  probably  the 
cause  of  the  death  of  the  primate  Diermit,  who  died 
in  the  same  year,  as  did  also  Forannan,  who  had 
held  the  see  before  him.  (46)     Dieimit,  whose  in- 
cumbency lasted  four  years,  was  succeeded  by  Fethgna, 
who  governed  the  see  for  22  years.  (47)    Olchobair, 
who  died  in  850,  was  succeeded  at  Emly  by  Maine 
son  of  Huargusd.  (48) 

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278  AN    ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY         CHAP,  XXf. 

(Sd)  Usher,  p.  860.  and  Ind.  Chron.  at  A.S^.  Tiie  4  Mas- 
ten  ap.  Tr.  Th.  p.  295,  asngii  this  expulsion  to  A.  843  (844) ; 
but  Usher's  date  is  approved  of  by  OTJaherty,  {MS.  Not,  ad  Tr. 
Th.  ib.)  and  agrees  with  the  catalogue  from  the  Psalta*  of  Cashel. 
See  Not.  164  to  Chap,  xx.)  Yet  in  Johnstone's  Extracts  fit>m  the 
Annals  of  Ulster  it  is  assigned  to  A.  8H  (845).  But  Ushers 
copy  of  them  was  probably  more  correct. 

(39)  Tr.  Tk.  loc.  cit.  D.  O'Connor,  the  wretched  translator 
of  Keating,  has  quite  misrepresented  {B.  ii.  p.  6.)  his  text  as  to 
Forannan.  He  makes  him  say,  that  Forannan,  who  was  then 
primate  of  Armagh,  retired  from  Cashel  with  his  deigy  to  £mly, 
and  that  in  this  solitude,  protected  by  bogs  and  woods,  did  this  pri- 
nute,  timber  with  them,  take  up  his  residence  during  the 
tyranny  of  tlie  Danes.  Now  Keating  says  no  such  thing,  nor  in- 
deed could  he ;  for  besides  Forannan's  having  been  sent  to  Lime- 
ride,  he  was  not  archbishop  or  bishop  of  Cashel.  The  substance 
of  Keating's  original  statement  is  as  follows.  Having,  in  oppo<^* 
tion  to  the  concurrent  testimonies  of  our  andent  writers,  taken 
into  his  head,  that  the  sec  of  Emly  was  not  marked  by  any  pecu- 
liar distinction,  and  that  Cashel  was  an  archiepiscopal  see  in 
those  times,  he  then  strives  to  show  how  it  came  to  pass  that 
Emly  was  mistaken  for  an  archbishopric  by  saying  that  the  arch- 
bishop of  Cashd  retired  thither  with  his  clergy  during  Uie  Danish 
persecution*  This  is  indeed  a  mere  supposition,  for^ere  was  at 
that  time  no  archbishop,  nor,  I  believe,  even  a  bishop  of  CasheL 
Nor  do  I  mean  to  state  that  Emly  was,  properiy  speaking,  an 
archiepiscqpal  see,  although  it  Enjoyed  a  certain  degree  of  honour 
and  preeminence.  (See  Not.  67  to  Chap,  vi.)  Besides,  there  is 
no  foundation  for  Keadng's  Hypothesis  that  the  clergy  of  Cashel 
retired,  to  Emly.  They  were  more  safe  in  the  dty  than  there, 
tmd  We  have  seen  that  Emly  was  ransacked  by  the  Danes  in  846. 
Keating,  to  prc^  up  his  story  of  the  Cashel  deigy  having  been 
driven  thence  by  the  Danes,  and  fled  to  Emly,  represents  it  as  cre- 
dible, because  Forannan  and  his  dergy  had  been  expelled  from 
Armagh.  Thia  is  truly  a  queer  sort  of  argument ;  as  if  from  the 
case  of  Forannan  having  been  certainly  driven  from  his  see  it  were 
to  foUow,  that  other  bishops,  &c.  were  also  expdled.  Enough  as  to 
Keating  himsdf ;  but  how  strangdy  have  hb  words  been  mistrans- 
latrd^so  ns  to  bring  Forannan,  &c.  to  Cashel  and  Emly  ? 

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CHAP.  XXI*  or    IRELAND.  .  279 

(40)  Usher  (p.  860.  and  Ind.  CArcm.)  at»igiis.tbe  dowpfalaiM) 
death  of  Tufgeslus  to  848.  But  the  Annals  of  Ilioia&lleii  nuak 
them  at  845>  before  Melseachlain  was  king  of  Iiidkmd^  Alsc^.  WfM^ 
(Antiq,  cap.^^.)  seems^  to  place  them  iA  845»i  while  M^f^chkun 
was  king  only  of  Meath,  and  before  he  wa»  xaboA  tnf  (Ue.  jthfone 
of  all  Ireland  in  846.  (See  Chap.  xx.  .$.  8.)  He  ntf lUions  the 
drowning  of  Tuigesius  in  Lochvaify  and;  aflti^^v&rda  atate%,  that  a 
battle  was  fought  in  848  between.  MelseRchl^ri^  when  king  of  Ire- 
land, and  the  Danes  (without  naming  Turgesius)  at  Forfe,  ii>  which 
they  were  defeated  and  lost  700  men.  The  4  Masters  (ap.  A  A, 
SS.p.  509)  assign  the  drowning  of  Tuigesius  in  that  lough  to  843 
(844)  while  Melseachlain  was  still  no  more  than  king  of  Meath. 
Neither  they  nor  the  Annals  of  Ulster  or  of  InnisfaHen.have  any 
thing  about  the  15  beardless  young  men,  who,  aecpsding  to  Gi- 
raldus  Cantf)ren6is,  killed  Turgesius.  If  it  be  true  that  Melseachlain 
was  king  only  of  Meatli  at  tlie  time  of  his  pattmg  Turgesius  to 
death,  the  statement  of  the  4^  Masteis,  or  that  of  filie.  InnislaDen 
annals,  must  be  more  correct  than  tliat  of  Usher  ;.}vhereas  it  is 
universally  allowed,  that  Melseachlain  became  king  of  all  Irdand  in 
846 ;  and  it  will  follow  that  the  expulsion  of  Forannan  from  Ar- 
magh by  Turgesius  was  prior  not  only  to  848,  but  likewise  to  846. 
(See  above  Not.  38.)  Yet  if  we  conakler,  that  Usher's  date  (848) 
'or  this  expulsion  rest^on  strong  grounds,  we^mu^^  suppose  that 
Turgesius  was  still  alive  in  said  year,  and  that  Melseachlain  was 
king  of  an  Trdand,  when  he  got  him  into  his  hands.  Giraldus 
Cambrensis,  speaking  of  the  downfal  of  Tuigesiu?  .by  means  of 
Melseachl^,  calls  the  latter  king  of  Meath  ;  and  hence  perhaps 

/was  derived  the  opinion^  that  he  was  not  ^  yet  sovereign  of  all 
Ireland.  Be  this  as  it^may>  Usher  shows  (p.  860)  Cfom  Norwe- 
gian  chronicles  that  848  was  the  year  in  whidi^tliose  invaders  wire 
greatly  humbled  in  Ireland  and  their  power  reduced.  Now  it  k 
natural  to  suppose,  that  the  death  of  Turgesius  was  immediately 
followed  by  the  destruction  and  dispersbn  of  his  followers,  and 
consequently  it  appears  most  probable  that  it  did  not  occur  until 
said  year  848.  Loehvair>  in  whleh  Turgesius  was  drowned,  is 
placed  by  Seward  (at  Loch^uar)  near  MnUingsu*. 

(41)  Usher  p,  860,  and  Ind.  Chron.  ad  A.  848. 

(42)  The  4  Masters  {ap.  Tu  Th.  p,  295)  assign  Diermit  s  tour 
to  Connaught  to  A.  835  (836)  at  a  time  when,  according  to  them> 


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280  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY         CHAP,  XXI. 

he  was  contending  against  Forannan  for  the  see  of  Armagh.  (See 
Not,  164-.  to  Chap,  xx.)  But,  as  there  was  most  probably  no  sim^ 
contention  between  them,  Diermit's  going  to  Connaught  was  after 
848;  or,  if  it  was  in  836,  he  went  thither  not  as  archbishop  but 
as  deputed  by  Forannan. 

(48)  Ware,  Antiq.  cap.  24.  The  Annals  of  Ulster  in  Johnstone's 
Extracts  state  at  il.  848  (849)  that  they  came  m  140  ships,  as  do 
also  those  of  Innis&llen  at  A.  849. 

(44;  Ware,  ib. 

(45)  Annalsof  Ulster  at  A.  850  (851),  and  Ware,  ib.  Also 
Innisfallen  Annals  at  A.  851. 

(46)  Usher,  p.  860  and  Ind.  Chron.  at  A.  852.  from  the  An- 
nals of  Ulster.  In  said  annals  these  two  prelates  are  named  heira 
(comorbans)  of  St«  Patrick,  and  Diermit  is  called  the  XMiest  of  all 
the  doctors  ofEurope^  while  to  Forannan  are  given  the  titles  of 
scribe^  bishop,  and  anchoret. 

(47)  Catalogue  from  the  Psalter  of  Cashel  in  Tr.  Th.  p.  292. 

(48)  Ware,  Bishops  at  £m/y. 

§  IV,  St  Donatus,  bishop  of  Fiesole  in  Tuscany, 
flourished  in  those  times.  (49)  He  was  a  native  of 
Ireland,  and,  it  seems,  a  bishop  before  he  undertook 
a  pilgrimage  to  Rome.  (50)  A  disciple  of  his 
named  Andrew,  of  a  very  illustrious  family,  (51) 
whom  he  had  instructed  in  Ireland,  accompanied 
him  in  this  peregrination.  They  arrived  at  Rome 
during  the  reign  of  Lewis  the  pious,  but  in  what 
year  is  uncertain.  (52)  Having  remained  there  for 
some.time,  and  obtained  the  rope's  blessing,  they 
removed  to  Tuscany,  where  they  visited  some 
churches.  On  arriving  at  Fiesole  Donatus  was  re- 
.  ceived  by  the  clergy  and  people  of  that  then  very 
respectable  city  with  great  honour ;  and,  as  the  see 
happened  to  be  vacant,  was  requested  to  undertake 
the  government  of  it.  At  length  he  complied  with 
their  wish,  and  acted,  for  a  long  time,  the  part  of  a 
good  pastor,  until  God  was  pleased  to  call  him  out 
of  this  world  on  a  22d  of  October,  some  years  after 
A.  D.  861.  (53)     Some  tracts  were  written  by  St. 

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CHAP.  XXI,  OF   IRELAND.  28 1 

Donatus,  but  none  of  them,  as  far  as  I  know,  are 
now  extant,  (54)  except  his  own  epitaph,  and  a 
pretty  little  poem,  which  is  prefixed  as  a  prologue  to 
a  poetical  life  of  St,  Brigid.  (55)  Andrew  became 
a  deacon  •  of  Fiesole,  and  remained  there  for  seve- 
ral years,  until  by  order  of  Donatus  he  re-established 
the  church  of  St.  Martin  near  the  river  Mensola, 
which  washes  the  feet  of  the  Fiesole  hills,  where  he 
formed  a  monastery,  in  which  he  piously  spent  the 
remainder  of  his  days  until  having  survived  St.  Do- 
natus, he  died  on,  it  seems,  a  22d  of  August,  but  in 
what  year  I  do  not  find  recorded.  (56)  Dempster, 
with  his  usual  effrontery,  has  forged  the  names  of 
certain  tracts  as  if  written  by  this  saint.  (57)  A 
sister  of  his,  named  Brigid,  a  very  holy  virgin, 
whom  he  was  very  anxious  to  see  before  his  death, 
left  Ireland  to  pay  him  a  visit,  and  arrived  in  time 
to  find  him  still  alive,  although  very  near  his  end. 
On  his  death  she  determined  to  remain  in  Italy,  and 
retired  to  a  forest  above  Fiesole  at  the  foot  of  the 
mountains,  where,  practising  great  austerities,  she 
led  a  solitary  life  and  lived  to  a  great  age,  most 
highly  esteemed  by  the  people  of  the  neighbourhood. 
The  year  of  her  death  is  not  known ;  the  day  is 
said  to  have  been  a  first  of  February,  the  anniversary 
of  her  great  namesake  St.  Brigid  of  Kiidare.  After 
her  death  a  church  was  erected  and  dedicated  under 
her  name  on  the  spot,  where  she  died,  called  Opa- 
cuSf  which  was,  and  perhaps  is  still  greatly  resorted 
to  on  that  day,  in  commemoration  of  her,  by  the  in- 
habitants of  the  adjoining  districts.  (58) 

(49)  In  Burke's  Officio  propria,  SfC.  there  is  at  22  October  an 
Office  of  St.  Donatus,  taken  chiefly  from  that  read  at  Fiesole. 
Colgan  had  a  very  ancient  Life  of  this  saint,  taken  from  a  collection 
of  chronicles  of  that  church.  UgheUi  treats  of  him  (Italia  Sacra, 
Tom.  3.  col.  21 S.)  and  calls  him  nobilis  Scottus, 

(.50)  That  Donatus  was  an  Irishman  is  clear  not  only  from  the 
Office,  in  which  he  w  stated  to  have  been  of  a  noble  and  orthodox 


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282  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY  CHAP.  XXI. 

fiustily  in  the  Old  Scotia  (Ireland)^  but  likewise  from  his  Life,  as 
fUQtedl>y  Colgan,  ( AA.  SS.  p.  238.)  where  we  read,  that  Ire- 
htidy  Iheialand  of  the  Scots,  sent  him  to  Fiesole;  «*  Iste,  fratres 
mei,  lifte  beatus  ille  et  \ere  praedicandus  Christi  sacerdos.  B.  Do- 
naUiMy  quern  nobis  Hibernia  Scotorum  insula  transmisit.*'  Colgan 
caUB  him  (t^.  p.  236)  a  bishop,  while  still  in  Ireland. 

(51)  A  Life  of  this  Andrew  ha^  been  written  bj  Philip  ViDani, 
who  makes  him  a  native  of  Ireland ;  <<  Fuit  liomo  Dei  Andreas 
onundoB  ex  insula  Hibernia,  quae  alio  magis  vulgari  nomine  Sco- 
tia appellatur,  &c.  (See  A  A.  SS.  p.  236.)  Colgan  fpb,  p,  237) 
mentions  also  an  anonymous  Life  of  Andrew,  or  St.  Andrew, 
upon  which  some  notes  were  written  by  Constantine  Caietano. 

(52)  In  the  anonymous  Life  of  St.  Andrew  it  is  said,  that  <Do- 
natus  and'  Andrew  came  to  Italy  in  the  time  of  Lewis  the  pious, 
and  Cajetano  marks  the  year  as  816.  (A A.  SS.  p.  237  )  But  it 
was  probably  some  years  later.  At  any  rate  the  Office  of  Dcma- 
tus  is  wrong  in  stating  that  tliey  were  at  Rome  in  802. 

(55)  Cajetano  says,  that  he  became  bishop  of  Fiei»ole  in  the 
▼eryyear  of  his  arrival  in  Italy,  vie.  Bfi  he  thouglit.  A,  D.S16. 
(See  A  A.  SS.  p.  239.)  Ughdli  also  marks  that  as  the  year  of  his 
promotion;  but  Coleti  in  a  note  observea,  that  it  must  have  been 
later  than  826 ;  for  Grusolphus  was  bishop  of  Fiesole  in  that  year 
and  attended  at  a  synod  ihen  held  at  Rome.  Donatus  was  cer- 
tainly bishop  there  before  844,  in  which  year  he  was  present  at 
the  coronation  of  Lewis,  the  son  of  Lotharius,  as  king  of  Italy. 
He  was  still  its  bishop  in  861,  whereas  he  was  present  ata  Lateran 
council  that  sat  in  this  year  under  Pope  Nicholas  I.  against  John, 
archbishop  of  Ravenna.  (See  Coletis'  addition  to  Ughelli,  id. 
Tom*  2.  col.  350.)  Hie  precise  year  of  his  death  is  not  known. 
He  was  buried  in  the  cathedral,  and  on  his  monument  were  en- 
graved the  foUowing  verses,  which  had  been  composed  by  himself; 

Hie  ego  Donatus. Scotorum  sanguine  cretus 
Solus  in  hoo  tUmUlo  pulvere,  verme,  voror. 

Regibus  Italicis  servivi  pluribus  annis, 
Lothario  magno,  Ludovicoque  bono, 

Octenis  lustrisy  septenis  insuper  annis 
Post  Fesulana  Praesul  in  urbe  fui. 


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CHAP.  XXI.  OF  IRELAND.  283 

Gratuita  discipuHd  dictabam  scripta  libellis 
Schemala  metrorum^  dicta  beata  senum. 

Parce  viator  adis,  quisquis  pro  munera  Christi 
Te  modo  non  pigeat  cemere  busta  mea, 

Atque  precare  Deum,  tesidet  qui  culmina  caeli, 
Ut  mihi  ooncedat  regna  beata  sua. 

If  the  Octenis  &c.  is  to  be  understood  of  the  duration  of  his  in- 
cumbency, as  Ughdli  understood  it,  he  was  bitiMp  of  Fiesole  for 
47  years.  But  he  wbs  dead  before  877,  in  whJdi  year,  as  Coleti 
remarks,  Zenobius  was  its  bishop.  The  BoUandists  also  ( Com- 
ment, praev.  at  the  Acts  oC  St.  Br^d  of  Fiesole,  1  Febr.)  under- 
stood the  Octenis  &c.  as  Ughelli  did.  They  conjectured,  that  Do- 
natus  did  not  become  bishop  of  Fiesole  until  84<1  or  842,  and  then, 
assigning  to  him  47  years  of  episcopacy,  concluded  that  he  lived 
until  near  890.  But  this  cannot  agree  with  what  Coleti  says  con- 
cerning Zenobius.  It  is  very  probable  that  he  was  made  bishop  of 
Fiesole  soon  after  826,  perhaps  in  827,  whence  reddening  47 
years,  his  death  may  be  affixed  to  about  873.  The  Bollandists 
observe,  that  Donatus  obtained  from  the  above  mentioned  Lewis, 
with  whom  he  was  veiy  intimate,  some  favours  and  privileges  at 
Capua,  and  that  the  year,  in  which  he  obtained  them,  was  appa- 
rently 866.  Lewis  was  at  this  time,  and  for  several  years  before 
it,  emperor,  and  is  called  Lewis  the  second.  He  was  the  Lewis, 
who  is  distinguished  in  the  epitaph  by  the  epithet  goody  and  died  in 
875,  in  which  year  he  was  succeeded,  as  emperor,  by  his  imcle 
Charles  the  bald.  In  all  probability  he  survived  St.  Donatus ;  for 
otherwise  would  not  the  name  of  Charles,  to  whom  the  empire  and 
the  kingdom  of  Italy  devolved,  have  been  mentioned  in  the  epitaph? 
In  Burke's  Office  of  St.  Donatus,  by  a  strange  anachrom'sm,  he  is 
said  to  have  died  in  840. 

From  the  epitaph  it  appears,  that  Donatus  had  been  employed 
in  teaching  gratuitously,  and  that  he  composed  some  tracts, 
Gratuita  disdpulis  dictabam  scripta  libeWsy  partly  of  -a  poetical 
kind.  Schemata  metrorum,  and  partly  theological,  dida  beata 
senum. 

(54)  Dempster  has  made  up  some  tracts  for  him,  which  are 
mentioned  by  Ware  {Writers  at  Donat)  merely  on  his  authority, 
yet  it  is  certain,  that  he  composed  some  works.  (See  Not,  prec) 


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28*  AN    ECCLESIASTICAL   HISTORY         CHAP.XXI. 

r  I^^^?!'^?*"'  «"*«'«''^«LifeofSt.  Donatus.  quoted  by 

IMotogue,  whKh  Colgan  has  prefixed  to  the  Life  of  St.  Brigid,  said 
to  have  beea  wntte..  ^y  chflien  of  Iniskeltm.    (See  a4  is  to 

r^''J"'\      '''^^''^"  apart  of  it,  P„„,.  p,  1060.  but 
with  two  or  three  variations.    It  begins  thus. 

Finibus  ocdduis  describitor  optima  tcllus 

Nomine  et  antiquis  Scotia  dicta  librig. 
Insula  dives  opum,  gemmarum,  vesUs,  ct  auri ; 

Commoda  corporibus,  acre,  sole,  solo. 
Melle  fluit  pulchris  et  lacteis  Scotia  campis 

Ve8t.bus«^^ea^nis,  fhigibus,  arte,  viris. 
Uiwum  mbies  nulla  est  ibi ;  saeva  leonun. 

Semina  nee  unquam  Scotica  terra  tulit. 
Nulla  venena  nocent,  nee  seq^ns  serpit  in  herba 

Nee  conquesta  canit  gaiTula  rana  lacu. 
In  qua  Scotorum  gentes  habitare  merentur, 

Inclyta  gens  hominum  milite,  pace,  fide. 
De  qua  nata  fiut  quondam  sanctissima  virgo 

Brigida,  Scotorum  gloria,  nomen,  honor,  &c 

Li^of'tt^f  ";"'"'"*'  it  goes  on  as  if  p,.fator,  to  a 

buted  to  Chihen  was  written  rather  by  Donatus  •  for  as  r„I«.„ 
jWo^  *«. „  in  ^  MSS.  .^'^,^„ '^'J^  ^"^ 
1^.  y«  <  M  I  »e  DO  ,«»,„  u,  d„|^  Don*™™  u,e«,lb« 

(56)  See  ^^.  SS.  p.  236,  and  238. 

ITmT'T"'"^'^"^  '^^^'ts^  Andrea,. 
(58;ihaveheregiventhe8ub8tanceoftheAct8ofth«<5.  n-   j 

I       Ao^  53 )  and  her  having  sunived  both  him  and  Andrew, 

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CHAP.  XXI.  OF   IRELAND.  285 

tbey  supposed  she  lived  until  about  900.    This  is,  I  believe,  too 
late ;  prd>ably  she  died  about  880. 

§.  V.  In  84>1  Mark,  an  Irish  bishop,  together 
with  Moengal,  alias  Marcellus,  his  sister's  son,  re- 
turning from  Rome  stopped  at  the  monastery  of  St. 
Gall,  where  the  Irish  were  always  well  received  as 
being  countrymen  of  that  saint.  And  in  fact  it  is 
stated  that  it  was  as  such  that  Mark  visited  that  mo- 
nastery. They  were  requested  to  remain  there  for 
some  time,  and  at  length  agreed  to  do  so.  Mark 
then  dismissed  his  other  companions  and  attendants, 
to  whom,  being  much  displeased  at  his  staying  there, 
he  gave  his  horses  and  mules,  some  money  &c.  re- 
serving his  books  and  some  other  articles  for  the  use 
of  the  monastery.  Moengal  was  exceedingly  learned 
in  sacred  and  human  literature,  and  after  some  time 
was  placed  over  the  interior  schools  of  the  cloister. 
(59)  It  is  probable  that  they  both  spent  the  re- 
mainder of  their  lives  at  St.  Gall's ;  (DO)  and  it  is 
said  that  Moengal  died  in  that  monastery  on  a  SOth 
of  September,  but  in  what  year  is  not  mentioned. 
(61)  Among  the  pei-sons  instructed  at  St.  Gall  by 
Moengal  are  reckoned  Notker  Balbulus,  Ratpert, 
and  Tutilo ;  (6*2)  and  to  him  is  attributed  a  certain 
tract  on  the  lessons-of  the  Gospel.  (63) 

In  the  same  year  841  another  countryman  of  St. 
Gall,  and  consequently  an  Irish  Scot,  named  Euse- 
bius,  arrived  at  tne  same  monastery  and  there  be- 
came a  monk.  (64)  Having  remained  for  some 
years  in  the  monastery,  he  retired  in  854  or  855  to 
Mount  St.  Victor,  where  there  was  a  church  dedi- 
cated to  the  martyr  of  that  name,  in  the  part  of  the 
now  Grison  country  called  Rhaetia  Curiensis.  There 
he  became  a  recluse  and  lived  for  SO  years  in  a  most 
pious,  contemplative,  and  austere  manner,  until  his 
death  on  the  SOth  of  January,  A.  D.  884.  {65) 
He  is  said  have  been  endowed  with  the  gift  of  pro- 
phecy, and  used  to  be  consulted   as  such   by  the 

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286  AN    ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY         CHAP.  XXI. 

people  of  that  country.  The  king  Charles  (66)  had 
so  great  an  esteem  for  him,  that,  on  his  reqnert,  he 
made  a  grant  of  Mount  St.  Victor  to  the  monastery 
of  St.  Gall. 

(59)  Ekkehard  (De  ceuibus  moneuterii  S.  GaUi  ap.  MdcL 
Goldast.  R.  Al  Scriplor.  Tom.  1.  p.  56.)  writes;  '*  Grimaldi 
(abbot  of  St.  Grail)  temporibus  Marcus  quidam  ScotHgena  epiacopus 
GaUum  tamquam  compatriotam  tuum  Roma  rediens  vkitat.  Co- 
mitatur  eum  sororis  filius  Moengal,  postea  a  nottris  Maroellus 
diminutive  a  Marco  avunculo  suo  sic  nominatus.  Hie  erat  in  di- 
vinis  et  humanis  rebus  eruditissimus.  Rogatur  episcopus  loco  nos- 
tro  aliquamdiu  stare/'  &c  See  also  Mabillon  (AnnaL  Ben,  ad  A. 
841).  Harris  (Writers  at  MoengalJ  makes  them  visit  the  abbot 
Grimoald  as  their  countryman,  having  misunderstood  £kkehard*s 
words,  who  calls  not  him  but  St.  Gallus-their  compatriot. 

(60)  Mabillon  (ib,)  says,  that  Mark  went,  afler  having  been 
for  some  time  at  St.  Gall's,  to  France  on  the  invitation  of  Charles 
the  bald,  and  that  he  retired  to  the  monastery  of  St.  Medard  at 
Soissons.  He  adds  that  perhaps  Moengal  also  removed  to  France. 
But  the  bishop  Mark  of  St.  Medard  must  have  been  different  fVom 
the  one  of  St  Gall,  if  we  are  to  believe  Eric  of  Auxerre,  who  tells 
us  (De  mirac.  S,  Germani,  X.  1.  c.  55*)  that  he  was  a  Briton,  al* 
though  educated  in  Ireland;  whUe  Ekkehard  positively  states, 
that  the  Mark  of  St.  Gall  was  an  Irishman.  And  Mabillon  hiqi- 
aei£  ("ib,  and  Acta  Bened.  Sec,  iv.  Part.  2.  p.  461.)  represents 
Mark  and  Moengal  as  countrymen  of  St.  Gall  and  Irishmen. 

(61)  See  Harris,   Writers  at  Moengal. 

(62)  Mabillon,  Acta  Ben,  ib.  p.  46f]. 

(63)  See  Harris  at  MoengaL 

(64)  Colgan  has  the  Acts  of  St.  Eusebius  at  30  January.  He 
thinks  that  his  real  name  was  Euchedius,  but  gives  no  reascm,  ex- 
cept that  this  was  an  usual  name  in  Ireland,  whereas  Eusebius 
was  not  so.  Be  this  as  it  may,  he  repreaents  him  a9  not  arriving  at 
St.,  Gall  until  A.  D.  854,  in  consequence  of  his  having  supposed 
that  Eusebius  became  a  recluse  vexy  .  soon  after  he  reached  that 
place.  .  For  in  that  year  or  the  following  he  withdrew  from  thf 
monaltery  and  shut  himself  up.  But  MabiUon  (Amud.  iSbi.) 
assi^  hb  anival  at  St  GaU  to  841.    Eusebius  is  called  by  Sat- 


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CHAP,  XXI.  OP   IRELAND.  287* 

pert  of  St.  Gall  (De  origine  et  casibus  S.  GalUJ  Scottgena^  and 
by  Ekkehard,  also  of  St.  Gall  (De  casibus,  &c.)  sandi  GaUi  com-* 
pairianus,  that  is  an  Irishman,  ^f 

{65)  Ratpert  (ib.'J  has  these  dates  for  his  death,  but  does  not 
mendon  his  having  died  a  martyr,  as  noted  in  the  Necrologium  of 
St.  Gall,  which  states,  as  quoted  by  Colgan  and  Bdhndus,  that 
Eusebius  was  killed  by  one  of  the  inhabitants,  when  remonstiadng 
with  some  of  them  on  their  bad  conduct.  Mabillon  {AnnaL  Ac 
at  A,SAU)  expresses  strong  doubts  as  to  this  martyrdom  and  says ; 
"  Sublestaejidei  videntur,  quae  de  ejus  martyris  referuntur  apud 
BoUandum.**  Had  it  taken  place,  would  it  not  hove  been  men- 
tioned by  Ratpert  ?  The  same  Necrologium  seems  to  make  Eusebius 
a  recluse  for  near  fifly  years ;  but,  according  to  Ratpert,  he  was 
such  only  for  thirty.  Colgan  strives  to  explain  the  words  of  the 
Necrologium  as  if  relative  t#  the  whole  life,  and  indicating  that  he 
died  in  the  50th  year  of  his  age.  This  cannot  agree  with  his  hav- 
ing arrived  at  St.  Gall  in  841,  at  which  time  he  would  have  been, 
in  this  hypothesis,  no  more  than  about  seven  years  old.  A  foolish 
story  related  in  the  Necrologium  as  to  Eusebius  after  his  death 
shows,  that  its  authority  is  not  worth  attending  to  in  what  it  has 
concerning  him* 

ipG)  This  Charles  was,  says  Mabillon,  (ib.)  the  son  and  suc- 
cessor of  king  Lewis.  He  must  have  meant  Lewis  the  Germanic. 
Consequently  Charies  was  the  one,  that  became  emperor,  and  who 
is  called  Charies  the^. 

§  VI.  Helias,  likewise  an  Irishman,  was  bishop  of 
Augouleme  during  the  reign  of  Charles  the  bald. 
He  liad  gone  to  France  in  the  early  part  of  the  ninth 
century ;  for  he  was  a  disciple  of  Theodulf  bishop 
of  Orleans,  (67)  who  died  in  841.  He  became  a 
very  learned  man  and  was  an  admirable  teacher.  (&S) 
One  of  his  scholars  was  the  celebrated  Heric  or  Eric 
of  Auxerre.  (69)  Helias  succeeded  bishop  Lau- 
nus  in  the  see  of  Angouleme,  but  in  what  year  I  do 
not  fiud  stated.  (70)  In  862  he  assisted  at  the  sy- 
nod of  Pistes,  (71)  which  had  been  summoned  by 
Ch^ies  the  bald,  and  in  866  at  that  of  Soissons,  (72) 
His  death  is  assigned  to  A.  D.  875  or  876.  ^73) 

Among  the  crowd  of  learned  Irishmen,  who  went 

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288  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY         CHAP.  XXI. 

over  to  France  in  those  times,  the  most  celebrated 
was  John  Scotus  Erigena,  (74)      He  was  of  very 
small  size,    but  gifted   with  extraordinary  genius. 
His  studies  were  chiefly  classical  and  philosophical, 
in   which   he    excelled,    considering  the  times  he 
lived  in ;    but  he  was  greatly  deficient  in  theolo- 
gical learning,  which  he  seems  to  have  scarcely  ap- 
plied to  in  his  younger  days,  as  he  was  not  intended 
for  the  church  ;  nor  was  he  ever  in  holy  orders,  nor 
even  a  monk.     He  was  a  very  good  man,  and  irre- 
proachable in  his  conduct.     His  birth  must  be  as- 
signed to  the  early  part  of  the  ninth  century ;   for 
he  was  a  grown  up  and  highly  learned  man  when  he 
removed  to  France,  which  was  before  847,  as  appears 
from  his  having  been  connected  there  witli  Pruden- 
tins  before  he  became  bishop  of  Troies.     By  his 
learning,  eloquence,  and  wit  he  became  a  singular 
favourite  with  the  king  Charles  the  bald,  who  was 
so  pleased  with  him,  that  he  kept  him  constantly 
with  himself,  and  did  him  the  honour  of  having  him 
as  a  guest  at  his  table.      Their  conversation  was 
sometimes  of  a  jocose  kind ;  and    although   John 
was  not  always   sufficiently   cautious   not    to    give 
offence  in  his  jokes,  yet  the  king  used  to  put  up 
with  whatever  he  said.     As  he  was  well  skilled  in 
Greek,  Charles  commissioned  him  to  translate  into 
Latin  the  works  attributed  to  Dionysius  the  Areo- 
pagite,  (75)  and  accordingly  Jie  translated  the  four 
books  De  caelesti  Hierarchia^  de  ecclesiastica  Hter- 
archiUf  de  Divinis  nominibus,  and  de  mystica  theo^ 
logiuy  which  he  dedicated  to  the  king.  (76)     This 
translation  was  greatly  admired  for  its  accuracy,  but 
being  too  literal  was  considered  obscure.  (77)     It 
was  published  between  858  and  867  ;  for  it  is  men- 
tfoned  in  a  letter  of  Pope  Nicholas  I.  to  Charles  the 
bald.  (78) 

(67)  In  the  chronicle  of  Ademar  (ap.  Labbe  Nova  BiUiothecoy 
8^c,  Tom,  2.  p.  159.)  there  is  at  A,  819.  a  series  of  teachers  suc- 

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CH^P.  XXI.  OF    IRELAND.  289 

ceeding  each  other,  among  whom  U  Theodulf  as  having  tau^t 
Heliam  Scotigenam  Engolismensem  episcopum^  and  then  Helias 
as  the  master  of  Heme  or  Heric  (of  Auxerre)  See  also  Sam« 
marthan.  Gattia  Christiana  ad  EccL  Engolitm,  Tom.  2.  cd, 
984. 

(68)  In  the  HistoriaponlificumSfc.  EngoUsmensium  (ap,  Labbe, 
ih.  p,25\*)  we  read;  <<  Defuncto  Launo  suscepit  Helias  Scoti- 
gena  cathedralem  Engolismensem,  qui  in  Gallia  mirifice  scholas 
rexit.  It  has  afterwards  t)ie  series  of  teachers  as  in  the  chronicle 
of  Ademar.  In  the  Gallia  Christiana  (loc.  cit,)  Helias  is  styled 
vir  doctissimus, 

(69)  The  Heiric,  as  called  in  the  chronicle  of  Ademar,  or 
Henric,  as  in  the  Histor*  Poniijl  Engolism,  was  Heric  of  Aux- 
erre, as  appears  from  its  being  added  that  Heine  tau^t  Remigius, 
Sec.  His  having  studied  for  some  time  under  Helias  helped  to 
make  him  well  acquainted  with  learned  Irishmen  then  in  France, 
and  with  that  flodc  of  philosophers,  which,  as  he  says  in  his  pre^ 
face  to  the  Acts  of  St.  Grermanus,  addressed  to  Charies  the  bald, 
had  passed  over  from  Ireland  to  France;  <'  Quid  Hibemiam  me- 
Diorem,  contempto  pelagi  discrimine,  pene  totam,  cum  grege  phi- 
losophonim,  ad  littora  nostra  migrantem  ?  Quorum  quisquis  peri- 
tior  est  ultra  sibi  indicit  exilium,  ut  Safomoni  sapientissimo  fiunu- 
letur  ad  votum."  Helias,  his  master,  was  certainly  one  of  those 
persons,  whom  Heric  had  in  view;  and  hence  it  is  plain  that  by 
Scotigena,  as  Hdias  is  called,  is  to  be  understood  a  native  of  Ire- 
land, not  of  N.  Britain ;  for,  had  he  been  a  British  Scot,  Heric 
would  not  have  mentioned  Ireland  alone. 

(70)  Claudius  Roberti  in  his  Gallia  Christiana  (at  Episc.En- 
golism.J  says,  that  he  was  bishop  of  Angouleme  during  40  years. 
If  so,  he  should  have  been  raised  to  Uie  see  in  885  or  836.  But 
he  could  not  have  been  bishop  there  before  853,  in  which  year 
Launus  was  alive.  (Sammarthan  ib.  coL  983) 

(71)  Sammarthan.  ib.  coL  984.  Pistes  was  a  place  near  the 
Sane,  where  it  is  joined  by  Uie  Andelle.  (See  Fleury,  Hist. 
Ecd.  L.  50.  §.  20.) 

(72)  CI.  Roberti,  loc.  cit.  and  Sanmiarthan.  ib. 

(73)  The  Sammarthani,  (ib.)  referring  to  the  chronicle  of 
Ademar,  place  his  death  in  875*  But  in  that  chronide,  accord- 
ing to  Labbe's  edition,  the  year  marked  fax  it  is  876.    In  the 

VOL.  III.  U  n  \ 

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200  AN    ECCLE&U&TICAl.   HISTOBT  CHAP*  XXI. 

Historia  Pontif.  Sfc.  Engolism.  it  is  said  that  Heliaa  broi^jbt  to 
Aiig«uleme  the  renmin*  of  the  martyr  St.  Benignus  at  the  time 
that^  Cliarle«  tlie  bald  ascended  the  imperial  throne.  If  thia  no- 
tation be  correct,  the  death  of  Eliaa  cannot  be  placejd  before  876. 
For  Charles  was  not  emperor  untO  the  latter  end  of  875.  Yet  tlae 
passage  may  perhaps  be  expbuMed  as  meaning  about  the  time  that 
Charles  was  crowned  emperor.  It  adds  that  Helias  died  during 
hia  reigu.  As  to  the  day  of  his  death,  a  chronide  of  Angouleme 
marks  the  22d  of  September.  But  as  it  is  wrong  with  regard  to 
the  year  of  it,  it  may  be  wrong  also  as  to  the  day. 

(74)  It  is  surprizing  that  even  at  this  day  some  writers  prctmd 
that  Erigena  was  a  native  of  Scotland,  for  instance  Ch^lmflEi,  in 
his  Biographical  Dictionary,  and  Reel*  Encydopediaytl  Etigena^ 
notwithstanding  the  general-consent  of  so  many  aaai^' veal. learn- 
ing), who  have  had  occasion  to  treat  of  him,  thft  he  was  an  Irisli- 
mfMii.  Among  the  French,  Dupin,  Fleury,  (he  authors  of  tbe 
Uistoire  Litteraire,  and  a  crowd  of  others ;  Mosheim,  J.  P.  Mur- 
raiy^  with  other  learned  Germans,  aUagreeon  this  point.  The  sur- 
name, Erigena,  ia  alone  sufficient  to  prove  it,  aa  it  means  a  native 
of  En  or  Erin,  that  is,  Ireland.  Instead  of  Erigena^  wfi  son^etunci 
find  him  called  Eringsna,  ex.  c.  in  an  old  MS.  written  about  900 
year»  ago  qontaining  hiF  translation  of  the  woria  attributed  to 
Dioqysius  the  Areopagite.  ( See  a  Dissertation  concerning  him  by 
Father  Paris  of.  St.  Genevieve  in  the  Appendix  to  PerpetuiU  de 
la  foi^  Tom,  S.  p.  20.  In  this  diisertation  he  n  positively  stated 
to  l^e  been  an  Irishman.  It  b  to  be  observed,  that  tins  surname 
was  given  to  hkh  by  others ;  by  some,  as  by  Sigebert,  he  was 
called  Erigena^  and  by  some  Eringem.  Certain  Scotch  authors, 
according  to  their  usual  mode  of  robbing  Irdand  of  many  of 
its  distinguished  men,  would  fain  make  ua  believe  that  Eng/gna 
means  a  native  of  Air  in  the  South-west  of  Scotland.  But,  if  he 
was  from  that  place,  would  the  name  not  have  been  Airgena  or 
Arigenaf  Of  how  could  he  h^ive  beem  called  Eringenaj  for 
aurely  it  will  not  be  said  that  Air  was  the  same  a^  Erin.  Besides, 
what  could  Sigebert  ot  other  continental  scholars  of  those  days 
know  about  Air  in  North  Britain,  a  place  which  perhaps  did  not 
then  exist?  These  Scotch  gentlemen  seem  to  be  unaocpiainted 
with  the  history  of  their  own  coumiy.  They  ought  to  knew,  Mult 
Air,  Airshire,  Sec.  did  n«)t,  in  the  tiroes  of  of  John  Sootus  Eri- 
gena, belong  to  the   Scots.    They  were  part  of  the  Strathcluyd 

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<iR\P.  XXU  OF   IRELAND.  2^1 

6r  Cuinbrum  kingdom  of  tbe  Bntons,  and  did  not  get  into  the 
possession  of  the  Scots  until  the  year  94^  (See  Usher,  Pr*  p. 
eSif  and  Ind.  Chran.  ad  A.  946.  also  Chahnefs,  Caledonia,  VoL  i. 
p.  953,  seqq.)  The  ceuntiy  of  the  firitish  Scots  lay  in  £rigena*s 
days,  as  well  as  from  their  first  arrival  in  Britain  to  the  Notth  of  the 
frith  of  Clyde;  (see  Usher,  p.  611,  612,  and  Lloyd  an  Church 
government,  ch.  1.  §.  9.  seqq*)  and  although  in  84S  by  conquering 
the  Picts  they  extended' their  kingdom  to  tlie  northward,  they  did 
not  enlaige  it  to  the  sooth  of  the  frith  until  above  100  years  later. 
It  is  true  that  the  Irish  Soots  are  said  to  have  seized  upon,  about 
the  b^ihning  of  the  9th  century,  the  southern  point  of  Scotland 
called  Galloway  frx>m  Gael,  Irish,  (Usher,  p,  667  and  Ind,  Chron. 
ad  A.  800.)  But  this  acquisition  did  not  by  any  means  extend  as 
fhr  as  Air.  If  Er^na  was  bom  at  Air,  he  was  a  Briton ;  but» 
itfiould  the  ancient  Britons  claim  htm  as  their  oountrymui,  or 
should  any  part  of  England^  for  diis  cdso  has  been  attempted,  do 
the  same,  die  national  epithet,  Scotus,  is  sufficient  to  decide  the 
question.  The  best  account  I  have  met  with  of  this  extraordinaiy 
man,  particulariy  of  his  woiks,  is  that  given  by  the  Benedictine 
authors  of  the  Histoire  Litter  aire,  Tom,  v.  p,  416,  seqq, 

(75)  These  works  were  at  that  thne  considered  in  France  as 
of  great  importahce,  owing  to  the  then  prevalent  opinion  that 
Dionysius  the  Areopagite  was  the  same  as  St.  Denis  the  first  bishop 
of  Pkris, 

(76)  Usher  has  published  (JEp,  Hib.^Syll.  Not.  22,  23.)  two  of 
these  decUcations,  one  in  verse,  the  other  m  prose.  Ttie  former 
begins  thus ; 

^  **  Hanc  libam,  sacn)  Graecorum  nectare  &rtam, 

Advena  Johannes  spondo  meo  Carolo. 
Maxime  Frandgenum,  cui  regui  stemmata  fiilgent, 
Mun^ra  votiferi  sint  tibi  grata  tuL** 

In  the  latter  John  gives  an  account  of  Dionyahis  and  of  the 
four  books^  concluding  with  some  venes ; 

<<  Lumine  sidereo  Dionysius  auxit  Athenas, 
Areq>agites,  magnificus^e  sophos. 
PAdo  commotus  Phaebum  subeunte  Selena^ 
Tempore  quo  stauro  fixus  erat  Dominus,"  &c. 
u  2 

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f9it  AN    ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY  CHA^.  XXI, 

Here,  according  to  bii  usual  practic«  in  his  poems,  hemte^- 
mixed  some  Greek  words. 

(77)  Anastasius  BiblioChecarius,  in  a  letter  written  to  Charicf 

the  bald,  and  published  by  Usher  (No.U.  Ep.  Hib.  S^)  says ; 

•<  It  is  wonderful  how  that  barbarous  man,"  (for  every  one  not 

a  Oraek  or  Roman  was  called  barbarous)  *^  who  placed  at  the 

«<  extremity  of  the  world  might,  in  proportion  as  he  was  remote 

«•  fiom  the  rest  of  mankind,  be  supposed  to  be  unacquainted  with 

«•  other  languages,  was  able  to  comprehoid  such  deep  things  and 

**  to  render  them  in  another  tongue.    I  mean  John  the  ScatigenOf 

•<  wiiom  I  have  heard  spoken  of  as  a  holy  man  in  every  respect 

<•  But  he  has  greatly  diminished  the  advantage,  that  might  be  de- 

«*  rived  from  such  an  undertaking,  having  been  over-cautious  in 

•(  giving  woid  for  word— which  I  think  he  had  no  other  reason 

•<  for  than  that,  as  he  was  an  humble  man,  he  did  not  presume 

«*  to  deviate  from  the  precise  meaning  of  the  words,  lest  he  migbt 

*<  b  any  wise  injure  the  truth  of  the  text    But  the  consequence 

«<  has  been,  that  he  has  involved  an  author,  sufficiently  difficult 

«<  in  himself,  in  labyrinths,  and  has  left  him,  whom  he  proposed 

*<  to  explain,  so  as  still  to  require  explanation." 

(78)  The  pontificate  of  Nicholas  I.  began  in  858,  and  ended 
in  867. 

§•  VII.  Meanwhile  John  was  engaged  in  teaching 
philosophy,  and,  it  seems,  at  least  tor  some  time, 
at  Paris.    That  which  he  explained  to  his  disciples^ 
was  of  a  mixed,  and  in  great  part,  a  very  bad  sort. 
(79)     Before  the  above  mentioned  translation  ap- 
peared, he  published  a  treatise  on  divine  "predesti- 
nation in  1 9  chapters.     At  this  period  there  were 
great  disputes  in  Trance  concerning  the  mysteries  of 
predestination  and  grace,  to  which  the  opinions  and 
writings  of  the  monk  Gothescale  had  given  rise. 
This  IS  not  the  place  to  give  an  account  of  that 
celebrated  controversy ;  and  it  will  be  sufficient  to 
observe  that,    while  Gothescale  was  defended  by 
Prudentius,  bishop  of  Troies,  Florus  a  deacon  of 
Lyons,  Lupus  of  Ferrieres,  Ratramn  of  Corbie,  and 

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CM  IP.  XXU  OF  IRELAND. 


29S 


Remigius,  archbishop  of  Lyons,  he  was  opposed  by 
Hincmar,  archbishop  of  Rheims,  Rabanus,  arch- 
bishop of  Mentz,  and  some  others.  A  party  of  his 
opponents  were  not  content  with  having  got  him  con- 
demned by  one  or  two  synods,  but,  with  the  over- 
bearing Hincmar  at  their  head,  procured  to  have 
him  cruelly  flogged  and  thrown  into  prison  in  the 
year  849.  Gothescale  was  in  this  prison,  when 
Hincmar  and  Pardulus,  bishop  of  Laon,  finding  his 
doctrine  abetted  in  tracts  written  by  Prudentius, 
Lupus,  and  Ratramn,  applied  to  John  to  draw  up  a 
treatise  on  predestination.  He  complied  with  their 
request,  ana  dedicated  the  work  to  them,  some  short 
time  before  852.  In  it  he  relied  too  much  on  logi- 
cal subtleties,  and  fell  into  various  errors.  Among 
other  strange  opinions,  which  he  is  charged  with 
having  held,  striving  to  maintain  that  there  is  only 
one  predestination,  viz.  that  of  the  elect,  he  ad- 
vanced that,  sin  and  punishment  being  mere  priva- 
tions, God  cannot  foresee  them,  nor,  in  consequence, 
predestine  to  punishment ;  that  the  pains  of  the 
damned  are  only  their  sins,  or  the  tormenting  recol- 
lection of  them ;  that  the  damned  will  at  length  en- 
joy all  natural  advantages }  that  the  irregular  move- 
ments of  the  will  can  be  punished,  but  tnat  our  na- 
ture itself  is  not  capable  of  punishment ;  and  that 
human  nature  is  not  subject  to  sin,  alluding  to  ori- 
ginal sin.  As  soon  as  this  treatise  was  published, 
Venilo,  archbishop  of  Sens,  sent  extracts  from  it  to 
Prudentius,  requesting  him  to  refute  the  errors  it 
contained.  Prudentius  was  shocked  at  finding  in 
them,  as  he  thought,  the  bad  principles  of  Pelagiua 
and  Origen.  Having  procured  the  whole  work,  he 
judged  that  it  was  of  a  downright  Pelagian  kind, 
and  in  852  set  about  refuting  it,  chapter  by  chapter^ 
and  position  by  position.  The  same  extracts  being 
sent  also  to  Lyons,  the  deacon  Florus  was  en- 
gaged by  the  ecclesiastical  authority  of  that  city  to 


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S94  AN    ECCLBSUSTICAL    HISTORY         CHIP.  XXT. 

draw  up  an  answer  to  them,  which  be  did  much  in 
the  same  manner  as  Prudentius  had.  (80)  The 
19  chapters  of  John  were  condemned  by  the  third 
council  of  Valence,  held  in  855,  which  represents 
them  as  conclusions  of  impertinent  syllogisms  con- 
taining inventions  of  the  devil  rather  than  any  pro- 
position of  faith.  (8 1 }  This  condemnation  was  con- 
firmed in  S59  by  a  council  of  Langres,  and  in  the 
same  year,  it  is  said,  by  Pope  Nicholas  I.  (82)  Be- 
sides the  errors  of  whiqh  he  was  guilty  in  this  tract, 
John  has  been  charged  with  often  contradicting  him- 
self, and  now  starting  an  assertion  and  now  unsay- 
ing it.   (83) 

(79)  Mosheim  says  (EccL  Hutory  at  9th  century,  Pari  2.  ch. 
].}  that  John  taught  the  philosophy  of  Aristotle ;  but  as  Brucker 
shows,  and  will  be  seen  lower  down,  it  was  rather  of  the  new  FJa- 
tonists  of  the  Alexandrian  sdiooL 

(80)  See  iFleury,  L.  48.  §.  58.  These  works  of  Prudentius  and 
florus,  as  also  that  of  John,  to  wliich  they  replied,  may  be  seen 
in  the  interesting  collection  (published  by  G.  Mauguin)  Veterum 
audorumy  qni  nona  seculo  de  praedestinaHone  d  gratia  scripse^ 
runt.  Usher  has  published  in  his  History  of  the  Gothescaleian 
controvery  fp.  115.  ^eqq.)   an  old  synopsis  of  John's  chapters. 

'  (81)  In  quibus  commentum  diaboU  potius  quam  argumentum 
aliquodjidei  deprehenditur.'*     See  Fleury,  JL.  49.  $.25. 

(82)  AnnaL  Bertiniani,  and  Fleury,  ib.  §,  48. 

(83)  Prudentius  states  (cap,  19.)  that  John  pronounces  eternal 
misery  to  the  damned,  to  whom  he  had  a  little  higher  up  pfx>- 
miscd  joy,  &c  at  a  certain  period;  <*  Ecce  consuetissinm  tibi 
contrarietate  miseriam  aetemam  indicts,  quibus  Paulo  ante  gau- 
diunif  pulchritudinern,  gloriamy  fulgoremque  contuleras^  Florus 
brings  the  same  duurge  against  him ;  <<  Mirandum  est  nimis,  quo- 
modo  dicat  omnium  impiorum  et  Angelorum  et  kominum  corpora 
aetemi  ignis  supplicium  perpessura,  quod  superius  tarn  aperte  et 
tarn  multipUciter  negavit;  quod  utique  in  hoc  loco  aut  fide  et  do- 
lose confessus  est;  et  abominabilis  est  Deoy qui  defide  ejus  in  corde 
tenet  mendacium,  et  in  ore  vuU  quasi  projerre  veritatem;  out  si 


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CHAP.  XXI.  OF    IRELAND.  295 

vert  ipsa  ret  veritate,  et  (rmore  ^fftmhnU  EcoUsme  si^raius  ne 
emnino  infiMis  jtuHcaretur^  hoc  oonfessw  eHy  vacua  est  ofnnino 
et  casta  talis  cmtfessiOf  quam  super ius  ianta  et  tain  tnukipiex 
praecessit  negatioJ*  He  says  alsa  that,  after  4ii^  having  laid  down 
Yhat  presdeiice  and  predestination  were  the  same^  be  afterwards 
confessed  that  they  were  different;  "  Qui  hactenus  praesdientiain 
et  praedestinationem  unum  adstruxeras,  rtunc  differref  qaamvis 
suhdoUy  confiteris"  In  fact,  John's  unork  is  written  in  such  a 
manner,  and  in  such  a  constant  run  of  syllogistica)  acuteneto,  that 
it  h  often  difficult  to  catch  at  the  real  meaning  of  his  context. 
Besides,  he  ilises  some  words  in  a  sense  peculiar  to  himself,  par- 
ticulaHy  the  term  nature.  He  lays  down  that  human  nature 
cannot  be  corrupted  by  sin,  and  accordingly  cannot  be  pun- 
ished; but  that  it  is  the  will  that  is  capable  of  sinning,  and  con* 
sequently  of  punishment.  Thus,  treating  of  original  sin,  he  says 
[cap,  17.  f.  3.)  that  in  the  first  man  the  generality  of  nature  did 
not  sin,  but  the  individul  will  of  every  one,  (for  he  states  that  th» 
individual  will  of  every  one  was  contained  in  that  of  Adam)  and 
that  it  would  be  unjust  to  punish  any  one  for  the  sin  of  another; 
"  Non  itaque  in  eo  (primo  homme)  peccavii  naturae  generalitaiSy 
sed  unicujusquc  indixndua  voluntas — in  illo  (primo  homine)  per  se 
ipsum  singulus  quisque  potuit  proprium  ( emmitt ere  delictum  s  in 
nullo  quippe  vindicatur  juste  alterius  peccatum.  It  appears  almost 
certain,  that  he  did  not  acknowledge  any  corruption  or  enfeeble- 
ment  not  only  of  human  nature,  but  even  of  the  'will  as  caused  by 
the  sin  of  Adam ;  but,  for  fear  of  being  considered  as  a  profbssed 
Pelagian,  and  a  denier  of  original  sin,  he  recurred  to  the  extra- 
vagant hypothesis,  that  every  one,  that  is,  every  descendant  of 
Adam,  committed  the  same  actual  sin,  and  at  the  same  thne,  that 
Adam  did.  Thus  the  sin  of  Adam,  as  committed  by  him  alone, 
did  not  aflPect  his  posterior;  fon  as  he  says,  it  would  be  unjust  to 
punish  any  one  for  another  peon's  sin ;  but  every  one  committed 
an  actual  sin  on  that  occasion.  Now  this  hypothesis,  if  admitted, 
might  stand  without  the  necessity  of  admitdng  what  the  Church 
has  always  considered  as  original  sin,  or  of  supposing  that  either 
human  nature  or  any  of  its  faculties  has  been  impaired  by  it.  Then 
he  adds  that  naiture  is  not  at  all  punished,  because  it  is  iVom  God, 
and  does  not  sin ;  but  that  a  voluntary  ihoveinent .  making  a  libi- 
dinous use  of  the  good  of  nature  is  justly  punished ;  "  Proinde  in 


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S96  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY         CHAP.  XXT. 

nytto  natura  punkur,  quia  ex  Deo  est  et  non  peccatf  mohu  auiem 
voluHtariut  liUdinose  uteru  naturae  dono  merito  punkur."  The 
00D8Unt  perfection  of  nature  is  one  of  liis  great  principles,  and 
another  is,  that  no  nature  can  be  punished  by  another.  Thence 
he  concludes,  that  God  has  not  made  any  punishment,  and  that 
.  the  punishment  of  sinners  are  nothing  else  than  the  sins  them' 
selves.  Accordingly  he  heads  the  16th  diapter  with  these  words; 
*<  De  eo  quod  nulla  naiuram  punit,  et  nihil  aliud  enepoenas  pee- 
catorum  nisipeccata  eorumJ* — Then,  going  on  with  his  dialectics, 
he  says ;  <*  Proculdubio  igitur  tenendum  nuUam  naturam  ah  alia 
natura  puniri,  ac  per  hoc  nuUam  poenam  a  Deo  euejactam;** 
whence  he  deduces  that  no  punishment  has  been  foreknown  or 
predestined  by  God;"  subindeque  nee  ab  eo  (poenBxti)praesciiam  nee 
praedestinatam-**  It  is  a  general  axiom  of  his  that  God  cannot 
foresee  any  tiling,  of  which  he  is  not  the  author,  and  therefore  he 
maintains  that  he  does  not  foresee  sin  or  evil  Thus,  besides  many 
other  passages  to  this  purport,  he  says  {cnp,  10.)  "  Sicut  Deus 
mali  auctor  non  est,  ita  nee  praescius  mali  nee  praedestinans  est,** 
This  is  strange  doctrine  indeed,  as  if  God  could  not  foresee  ne- 
gatJons  or  aberrations  from  liis  laws.  From  these  prindples  he 
comes  to  the  main  point,  which  he  was  endeavouring  to  prove, 
viz.  that  there  is  no  predestination  of  the  damned,  u  e,  that  the 
Almighty  has  not,  in  consequence  of  his  foreknowledge  of  sins, 
predetermined  and  prepared  punishments  for  the  perpetrators  of 
|hem ;  for,  if  he  does  not  foresee  sins,  nor  make  punishmaats,  how 
can  there  be  a  predestination  of  this  sort  He  concludes  the  work 
with,  in  a  very  audacious  and  consequential  manner,  anathema- 
tizing all  those,  who  hold  more  tlian  one  predestination,  that  of 
the  blessed ;  for,  he  says,  there  is  only  one,  viz,  as  to  things  that 
exist,  but  not  as  to  those  that  do  not.  Connected  with  tliis  theoiy 
is  his  maxim,  that  predestination  is  nothing  else  than  foreseeing ; 
|hu8  we  read  (cap,  18.^;  **  Non  aliud  igitur  praedestinare  quam 
praevidere,"  Here  and  there  we  meet  with  some  very  singular 
notions ;  for  instance,  speaking  (cap.  17.)  of  the  fire  of  the  future 
state,  he  says,  that  it  is  not  a  punishment,  and  that  in  it  will  dwell 
the  happy  as  well  as  the  miserable,  "  non  minus  habitabuni  beati 
quam  miseri-^  but  that,  as  light  is  pleasing  to  some  eyes,  and  to 
others  hurtful  and  pernicious,  as  food  is  agreeable  to  some  and  to 
others  destructive,  &c*  in  like  manner  said  fire  will  be  cheering  to 

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CHAP*. XXI.  OF    IRELAND.  297 

the  blessed  and.doleful  to  the  damned.  In  the  19th  chapter  be 
teOsuSythat  the  bodies  <^  the  saints  will  be  changed  into  an  aethe- 
real  qualify  as  lit^ewise  those  <^  the  damned  who  will  enjoy  aD 
the  goods  of  nature  except  beatitude,  which,  he  adds,  is  Grom 
gracp.  Here  he  seems  to  state,  that  there  will  be  no  diffierenca 
between  the  blessed  and  the  unblessed,  except  that  the  former 
will  enjoy  heavenly  beatitude,  whfle  the  latter  will  be  left  in  a  sort 
of  tranquil  state  of  nature.  It  does  not  appear- to  me,  that  John 
was  so  liable  to  contradict  himself  as  Prudentius  and  Flonis 
imagined ;  but  I  allow,  that  the  art,  with  which  he  manages  his 
terms  and  reasonings,  is  I4[>t  to  make  one  think,  that  he  sometimes 
&fls  into  contradictions.  On  the  whole,  his  book  is  ftiU  of  bad 
and  dangerous  opinions,  and  is  much  more  philosophical  than 
truly  theological.  And  how  could  it  be  otherwise?  He  com- 
menced it  by  announcing,  that  every  question  is  solved  by  the 
four  rules  of  philosophy;  **  Qjuadruvio  regular um  iatius  philo" 
tophiae  quatuor  omnem  guaestionem  solvu**  But  theology  is 
founded  on  revelation,  and  is  not  to  be  mangled  by  the  Qjuatlru* 
vium.  He  sometimes  quotes  the  Fathers,  particularly  St.  Au- 
gustin,  but  in  the  quibbling  and  clipping  mode  of  captious  pde- 
mical  disputants.  John  was  certainly  not  a  learned  divine^  as  Mo- 
sheim  calls  him,  (at  9th  cent^.  Part  2.  ch,  2.)  although  it  must  be 
allowed  that,  as  Mosheim  adds,  he  was  of  uncommon  sagacity  and 
genius;  and  I  agree  with  this  author  fib.  ch.  I. J  that  he  was  the 
first,  who  joined  scholastic  with  mystic  theology.  For,  the  scho* 
lasUc  theology,  which  the  world  could  have  done  veiy  well  with- 
out, had  been  practised  in  Ireland  some  time  before  John  flou- 
rished, as  Mosheim  observes,  (at  Sth  cent^.  Part.  2.  ch.  d.)  where 
he  says  that  the  Irisli,  who  were  distinguished  beyond  all  other 
European  nations  for  knowledge,  were  the  first  teachers  of  scho- 
lastic theology.  Whether  what  he  adds  concerning  their  qniraipg 
at  authority  in  theological  matters  at  that  period  be  true  or  not»  I 
shall  not  stop  to  inquire.  I  may,  however,  remark,  whatever  may 
be  thought  of  John,  that  Dungal,  who  was  not  long  prior  to  hhn^ 
and  who  was  a  real  theologian,  had  a  great  respect  for  authority 
relatively  to  theological  questions,  as  we  have  seen  (Chap.  xx. 
§.  13.)  fi^m  his  treatise  againt  Claudius  <^  Turin. 

§.  VIII.    Many  of  the   erroneous  opinions,  into 

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398  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL    HII5TORT  CHAP.  XXIi 

wfaieK  his  sort  of  philosophy   led  hitn,  are  to  be 
foaad  in  his  wwk  On  Natures,  tnpl  pvirtm,  written 
iii  &rm  of  a  dialogue,  and  divided  into  five  books. 
(84)     It  begins  with  a  division  of  natures  into  four 
sorts }  1.  'niat,  which  creates  and  is  not  created  j 
2»  Tliat,  which  ci^ates  and  is  created  ;    S    That, 
which  does  not  create   and   is  created  ;  4.  That, 
which  neither  creates  nor  is  created.     In  the  thre^ 
fiwt  books  John  ti-eats  of  the  three  first  sorts, '  and 
in  the  two  following  he  explains  the  return  of  the 
created  natures  into  the  increated  one.     He  says, 
that  God  has  created  from  all  eternity  in  his  Son 
the  primordial  causes  of  all  things,  goodness  by  itself, 
essence  by  itself,  life  by  itself,  greatness  by  itself, 
p^ace  by  itself,  and  so  on  as  to  the  other  rlatonic 
ideas.     He  teaches,  that  the  humanity  of  our  Lord 
has  been  entirely  changed  into  his  divinity  after  his 
resurrection ;  that  the  wickedness  and  punishments 
of  devils,  and  of  all  the  damned  in  general,  will  end 
at  some  time;  that  at  the  general  resurrection  all 
sensible  and  corporeal   things   will    pass   into  (he 
human  nature  ;  that  the  body  of  man  will  be  trans- 
formed into  his  soul ;  that  the  soul  will  pass  Into  the 
primordial  causes,  and  these  into  God,  so  that,  as 
before  the  existence  of  the  world  there  was  nothing 
but  God  and  the  causes  of  all  things  in  God,  there 
wfll  be  after  its  end  nothing  else  than  God  and  the 
oauses  of  all  things  in  God.     To  this  he  applies  a 
pas^e  of  Solomon,  All  that  was,  that  which  will  be, 
as  if,  he  adds,    •*  Solomon  plainly  said,  that  God 
alone  and  the  causes  of  all  things  in  him  was  before 
the  world ;  and  that  afterwards  he,  and  the  causes 
of  all  things  in  him,  will  be  alone."  (85)      On  va- 
nous  occasions  John  speaks  like  a  downright  I^an- 
tbeist,  and  a  member  of  the  schodl  of  Pseudp-Dio^ 
nysius  and  the  neW  Platonists.  He  states  that,  uiien 
it  is  said  that  God  makes  all  things,  this  means  tliat 
he  is  in  all  things,  t.  e.  that  the  essence  of  all  things 
subsists — that  in  God  there  is  no  accident,  and  that 


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CHAP.  XXI.  OF   IRELAND.  299 

therefore  it  was  Dot  an  accident  in  <jiod  to  create  die 
universe,  and  consequently  that  he  was  not  subiisttng 
before  he  did  create  it.  (86)  He  says,  tbataU  things 
are  God,  and  God  all  things — that  God  is  the 
maker  of  all  things  and  made  in  all.  (87)  Then 
we  find  him  advancing  some  strange  positions  of 
another  kind,  ex.  c.  that  the  division  of  hnmsD  na- 
ture into  sexes  was  a  consequence  of  sin,  as  fareseen 
by  God,  that  the  souls  of  beasts  cannot  perish,  &c. 
(88) 

(84)  This  work  has  been  called  by  some  ^c^i  ^vnm  ftt^trf^,  or* 
of  the  division  of  Natures,  F.  Paris  (see  above  Not.  74.)  mtpecUi 
that  i^i^tTfiM  was  added  by  some  one  that  wished  to  slffeen  the  dia. 
racter  o^  John,  as  if,  in  case  he  should  be  charged  with  the  fatre- 
sies,  in  which  the  ^n^i  ^V9%0r  abounds,  it  might  b^  answered  that 
this  was  not  his  work,  but  the  one  with  the  addition  ^if^«  This 
is  a  for  fetched  conjecture,  and,  I  believe,  quite  nnfbonded ;  fiur 
that  addition  might  have  been  made  to  the  title  on  account  of  the 
division  of  natures  being  treated  of  in  the  work,  and  aome  old 
writers  make  mention  of  it  sometimes  with  and  fometknes  witiiout 
that  addition.  F.  Paris  had  doeely  examined  it,  and  has  given 
a  summary  of  its  doctrines  in  the  first  article  of  hit  disBeitation.  I 
shall  follow  his  account  of  them,  together  with  that  given  by 
Brucker  in  his  history  of  philosophy,  as  I  have  not  at  hand  the  edt- 
tk)n  publislied  by  Thomas  Gale  at  Oxford  in  1681. 

(85)  See  the  dissertation  by  F.  Paris. 

(86)  In  Deo  non  est  acddens  ;  itaque  nan  est  Deo  aoddem 
universitatem  condere.  Non  erga  Deus  erat  subsntens  anieguam 
universitatem  crearat" 

(87)  '*  Omnia  esse  Deum,  et  Deum  esse  omnia^Deum  esse 
omnium  Jactorem,  et  in  omnibus  factum^ 

(88)  Compare  with  Brucker  Histor»  Philosoph.  Tom.  iiu  p, 
621,  seqq.  where  more  may  be  seen  concerning  his  eattratagant 
and  indeed  antichristian  doctrines.  Brucker  does  Q0t  Jhcntote  to 
call  him  a  Pantheist. 

§.  IX.  John  also  wrote  a  metaphysical  tract  On  the 
vision  of  God  i  but  what  doctrine  he  laid  down  in  it 

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aOO  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY         CHAP.  XXI* 

I  am  not  able  to  tell.  His  book  on  the  Eucharist 
appeared  before  861  or  862.  (89)  It  is  not  extant, 
the  copies  of  it  baring  disappeared  since  it  was  con* 
demned  by  the  council  or  Vercelli  in  1O50.  (90) 
Hence  it  is  impossible  to  discover  his  precise  system 
on  that  mystery ;  some  thinking  that  he  admitted 
the  real  presence,  denying  transubstantiation ;  and 
others,  that  he  denied  both.  (91)  That  this  tract 
contained,  or  was  at  that  time  supposed  to  contain, 
some  errors,  appears  from  an  answer  by  AdreTald, 
a  monk  of  Fleury,  who  in  his  treatise,  Contra  inep- 
Has,  Johannis  Scoti,  brought  forward  nassa^es  from 
the  Fathers  in  opposition  to  it.  (92)  Yet  it  seems 
that  it  was  not  easy  to  ascertain  in  what  particular 
doctrine  John  meant  to  insinuate,  or  whether  he 
really  denied  the  real  presence,  although  Ascelin, 
who  lived  in  the  eleventh  century,  and  who  had  read 
his  treatise,  thought  that  his  real  object  was  to  do  so. 
(93;  If  he  did,  which  by  the  bye  we  are  not  bound 
to  believe,  he  certainly  deviated  from  the  doctrine 
held  in  Ireland  concerning  the  holy  Eucharist, 
which  was  evidently  that  of  the  real  presence.  (94) 
Nor  is  there  any  sufficient  reason  to  think,  that  it 
was  on  account  of  this  tract  that  Pope  Nicholas  L 
in  his  letter  to  Charles  the  bald  concerning  John's 
translation  of  Dionysius  Areopagites,  which,  he  says, 
ought  to  have  been  sent  to  the  Holy  see  for  its  ap- 
probation, observes  that  John  had  been  reported  by 
many  to  have  formerly  held  some  bad  doctrines.  It 
can  scarcely  be  doubted,  that  the  errors  alluded 
to  by  the  Pope  were  those  contained  in  the  book  on 

Eredestination,  and  which  the  said  Pope  is  said  to 
avc  condemned  in  859.  (95)  The  story  of  John's 
having  left  France  in  consequence  of  being  accused 
of  heresy,  and  of  his  taking  shelter  with  Alfred  the 
great  English  king,  is  as  unfounded  as  any  thing  can 
be.  (96)  John  was  probably  never  in  England,  ex- 
cept that  perhaps  he  passed  throujrh  it  on  his  way  to 
;^Vunce.     During  the  pontificate  of  John  VII  I.  which 

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CHAP.  XXU  OF  IRELAND.  30 1 

did  not  b^a  until  the  latter  end  of  872,  he  was 
still  in  France,  as  appears  from  some  Greek  and  Latin 
verses  addressed  by  him  to  the  king  Charles,  after 
which  he  has  others,  in  which  that  rope  is  praised. 
(97)     It  is  more  than  probable,  as  will  be  soon  seen, 
that  he  was  dead  before  he  could  have  been  received 
by  Alfred.     If  there  was  any  time,  at  which  John 
would  have  gone  to  England  in  consequence  of  wish- 
ing to  shun  persecution  in  the  continent,  it  should 
have  been  during  the  pontificate  of  Nicholas  I.  after 
his  propositions  bad  been  condemned  by  the  councils 
of  Valence  and  Langres,  and   aft;er  Nicholas  had 
written  concerning  him  to  Charles  the  bald.     Now 
Alfred,  with  whom,  according  to  the  story,  he  took 
refuge,  was  not  king  until  after  the  death  of  Pope 
Nicholas;  and,  after  he  became  king,  he  was  too 
much  engaged  in  his  Danish  wars  to  set  about  pro- 
moting learning  and  encouraging  learned  men,  which 
in  fact  he  did  not  apply  to  until  about  883.     Some 
English  writers,  aware  of  this  difficulty,  have  deferred 
John's  reception  bv  Alfred  until  said  year  883 ;  (98) 
but  this  is  a  ridiculous  supposition,  for  which  there 
is  not  the  least  authority  in  the  genuine  and  coeval 
accounts  that  remain  of  Alfred's  proceedings.     As^ 
serins,  his  friend  and  biographer,  makes  no  mention 
of  John,  notwithstanding  the  pa^icular  care  he  took 
in  describing  the  literary  men,  whom  Alfred  en- 
couraged and  had  at  his  court.     He  speaks  indeed  of 
a  John,  who,  invited  by  Alfred,  went  over  to  him 
from  France  in  884.    This  John  was  quite  different 
from  John  Scotus ;  for,  as  Asserius  informs  us,  he 
was  an  Eald-Saxon,  that  is,  apparently  a  continental 
Saxon,  a  priest  and  monk,   and  became  abbot  of 
Aetbeling  or  Athelingey .  (99)    The  other  John  was 
au  Irishman,  nor  was  he  ever  either  a  priest  or  monk. 
Yet,  strange  to  say,  to  prop  up  the  fable  of  John 
Scotus  having  been  with   Alfred,  he  has  been  con- 
founded with  John  of  Aetbeling.     It  would  be  a 
waste  of  words  to  enlarge  on  this  subject,  and  I  shall 

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302  AN    ECCLBIiABVICAL.  HISTORY         mUP.  XU. 

only  add  that^thU  John  lired  in  hk  monasteiy  until 
Sft^  absut  which  yew  he  wag  killed  by  two  hired 
ataMsina  (lOO) 

(89)  Hitteire  LittecMr^^  Tmn^S^BtErigena.  Mabillon  thought 
that.it  VMS  written  bcAre  SS9,  the  jear  in  whkh  Hincmar  adU 
drfwed  hi»f€CDDd  trealoe  on  predatinadon  to  Chadea  the  bald. 
(Ste  Aetm  Ben.  Sec.  4.  Part  2.  pre/l  §.  8.) 

(90)^  Same  learned  men,  and  particulariy  F.  Pans  ( DistertaH^n, 
/|BC.).haTe  endaavoiired  lo  ptore^  that  the  fiunous  tract  De  corfnre 
et  mngtdm  Domifdf  publiahed  under  the  name  of  Bertram,  is 
the  identical  work  of  John.  It  is  strange,  that  they  could  have 
tbtught  so ;  for  there  is  amariced  diffierenoe  between  the  style  of 
Aia  treatise  and  that  of  John's  leat  writings.  His  style  is  strong, 
nci:!r«us>  and  of  a  dose,  bold,  authoritative  kind.  That  of  De 
CQfrpar€f  &c.  is  rather  diffiise>  and  withal  often  involved  and  ob* 
mme^  besides  not  being  fuite  as  correct  as  John's.  But  it  is  now 
vaiveiaally  admitted,  that  said  tract  was  written  by  BiOramn  the 
eelfdHCBted  monk  of  Corbie,  who  was  contemporary  with  Jblm. 
Thta  has  been  proved  from  writers  who  lived  above  800  yeam  ago, 
by  MaJlMUon  {An$taL  Ben.  ad  A.  858.  and  Pref.  ad  Ada  Bern. 
Bee.  4.  Par.  2.§.  6.  seqf.)  and  after  him  by  others.  (See  Nisi. 
Letter,  ih.  at  Ratramne.)  If  it  had  been  written  by  John>  he 
oonld  not  be  accused  of  having  denied  the  real  presence  in  the 
KurhaiiBt  or  even  transubstantiation.  For,  besides  JamesrBoilean 
Doetoe  of  Sorinnme,  MabiUon,  and  the  authors  of  Hiet  Letter. 
have  dearly  shown,  iJiat  it  does  not  contain  any  such  denial ;  and, 
notwithstanding  all  the  noise  raised  by  the  Calvinists  who  supposed 
that  it  fiivoured  their  S3r8tem,  the  very  Centuriators  of  Magdebuig 
stale,  that  it  contained  the  seeds  of  transubstantiation. 

(91)  See  Hist.  Letter,  ih.  at  Erigena- 

{M)  MabiUon,  AnnaL  Ben.  ad  A.  858.  It  is  a  small  tract, 
consisting  of  a  tissue  of  passages  fitnn  Samts  Jerome,  Augustinand 
Qftgoiy,  explanatory  of  the  true  doctrine  of  the  Eudiarist.  The 
author  does  not  q$iote  any  of  John's  words,  nor  does  he  enter  into 
raaaonings.  It  has  been  published  by  D'Achery,  Spieileg.  .Tom* 
12.  oL  Land  said  to  have  been  written  about  870.  * 

(93)  AsceUn  says  that  a  person  could  not  at  first  perceive  what 
was  John's  meanii^  as  to  the  mystery  of  the  Eucharist,  because. 

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CHAP.  XXI.  '      OF   IRELANP.  3Q0 


like  a  poifiooer,    be  presented  some  thii^ 
bi|t  which  would  produce  death ;  and  thU;  altho^ifh  ke  aBegad 
passages  of  the  Fathers,  he  apoiled  thaoi  by  bis  fosses,    Xhds 
having  quoted  finoa  the  Missal  of  St  Gregoiy  thfr  foBowiog 
prajreit»  **  Ptrfidant  in  nobU  tuuy  Domine^  sacranmnia  ftmi  can* 
imeaif  ut,  quae  nunc  specie  gerimus^  rerum  veriU^  cofiammtT 
On  this  John  added ;  <^  Specie  geruniur  non  H)enUttei*    ^Kx&k, 
Epist.  ad  Berengar.  in  notii  ad  ViU  Lanfr*    Hence  he  dedoced 
that  John  intended  to  show,  that  what  is  ceoaecrailed  on-  tte 
altar  is  not  truly  the  body  or  blood  of  Christ.    But  wiUi  Aicelnn^a 
leave,  John  might  have  written  these  few  words  without  taeanii^ 
to  deny  the  real  presence.    His  object  might  have  btoi  to  states 
.that  although  the  holy  Eucharist  i^ipears  under  the  9am  ci  breai 
and  wine,  yet  k  is  not  really  bread  and  wine^  but  only  appaamfly 
so.    Ratramn  quotes  the  same  pfayer,  and  makes  die  sane  ol^ 
servation  on  it  as  that  of  John ;  yet  it  is  certain,  that  in  doing  so 
did  not  mean  to  impugnt  he  real  presence*  Soneotberprooftsboidd 
be  adduced  tp  show  clearly  that  John  really  denied  that  doctriae^ 
and  I  greatly  doubt  whetlier  they  can  be  found.  ,  Hiacmar  m  his 
second  treatise  on  predestination,  addressed  to  Charies  the  bald  iii 
859,  says,  that  some  persons  in  his  time  held  various  emm,  among 
which  be  aientions  that  of  the  saCNMnent  of  the  altar  not  being  die 
true  body  and  the  true  blood  of  the  Lord,  but  only  the  memory  of 
them ;  **  quod  sacramenta  aUarit  non  verum  corpus  ei  vermesan^ 
guif  sii  Domini  ;  sed  tantum  memoria  veri  corporis  et  emngmniti*' 
It  is  usually  supposed  that  he  alluded  to  J<^,  because  some  of  die 
other  errors,  which  he  marks,  are  found  in  John  s  treatisa  on  pM^ 
destination  or  in  the  work  on  Natures.  This,  however,  is  not  oerlaiii . 
and,  even  admitting  it  was  the  case,  Hincmar  might^bave  mistindef^ 
jitood  his  meaning  in  thesamemannerasagreatnundier  of  persona 
ItavemisundefBtood  that  of  Ratramn.  John  mi^  hav^  said  in  a  very 
orthodox  sense,  that  the  sacrament  of  the  aUar  isamembry  or  oari»- 
MM^mon^on  of  the  true  body  and  blood  of  Christ,  si^pposang  at  the 
same  tikoe  that  they  were  really  present,  althoiigh  not  in  the  daaw 
fimi  or.  manner  as  they  were  during  our  Saviour's  mission  on  earth* 
aahen  he  was  visible,  and  appeared  in  human  tibapey  with  dktiiict 
Mats^  .&<%    If  it  be  true,  that  J<^n  stated  that  die  sacrament  of 
the  <akar  is  not  tb^  true  body  and  the  true  blood  of  the  Lord,  he 
might  have  undentood  the  w^rd  true  rdbtivdy  to  the  system  of 
Pascasius  Radbertus,  who  held  that  the  body  of  Christ  in  the 

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S04  AN    ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY       CHAP.  XXI. 

£llGilaris^  dthougfa  mviflible  to  U8,  is  m  the  same  form  as  it  pro^^ 
ed  fiom  his  blesMd  Mother,  as  it  suffered  on  the  cross,  and  as  it 
rose  fiom  the  dead.     According  to  him,  the  phrase  true  hodtft 
meant  a  palpable  body,  such  as  our  Saviour  had  during  his  mission' 
-on  earth,  and  such  as  he  has  in  heaven.    Now  other  learned 
men,  and  veiy  good  Catholics,  maintained  that  the  body  and  blood 
of  Christ,  although  really  and  substantiaUy  present  in  the  sacra- 
ment of  the  altar,  are  not  there  under  the  form  <^a  ^n^  body  and 
blood,  as  meant  by  Ptocasius,  but  in  a  spiritual,  and  not  in  a  cor- 
poreal or  carnal  manner.    Veron  says,  (Regula  Jidei  Caihol*  cap. 
2.  §.  IL)  **  that  the  body  of  Christ  under  the  symbols  not  only 
can  be  called  ipiritual  and  Christ  himself  Spirit^  but  l&ewise 
be  said  to  be  under  the  symbols  in  a  spiritual  manner  or  jpt- 
rituaOj^f  and  not  in  an  animal  or  corporeal  manner  or  corporeally 
mt  camaUy."    He  then  gives  his  prooft ;  **   Probatur,  quia  est 
iU  ad  modum  spiritus  mubipliciter,  scilicet  ticut  angdus  est  hie 
vel  Hi  nwiiUnUs^  impatibiUs  ;  et  totus  in  toto,  et  totus  in  gualibet 
parte  f    est  enim  imUvisibilis,  et  non  Jrangibilis :   ita  Corpus 
Chrittij  seu  Chr^tUt  est  sub  ^symbolis  invisibilis,  impatibiUSf  et 
totus  in  totOf  et  totus  sub  qualibet  parte,  quia  ibi  est  indivisibiUe  ei 
non  Jrangibilis.     Modus  vero  existendi  corporaHs,  seu  corporaU* 
ter  et  camaliter  existere,  est  existere  visUfiliter,  patibiliter  secun* 
dum  extensionem  ad  totum^  seu  totum  in  toto,  et  partem  inparte, 
etjrangibiliter ;  ergo  corpus  Christie  seu  Christus,  est  in  symbo^ 
Us  spirihudi  modo  seu  spiritualitery  et  non  corporals  seu  camali^ 
nee  corporaliter  seu  camaliter  in  dicto  sensuy  &c.  Veron  proves, 
that  this  doctrine  is  perfectly  consonant  with  that  of  the  council  of 
TVent,  seu.  13.    If  John,  speaking  ni  the  commemoration  of  the 
true  body  and  true  blood  of  the  Lord,  had  said  that  the  body  and 
blood  were  not  present  in  any  manner,  he  could  be  justly  dunged 
with  having  denied  the  real  presence.   But  Hincmar  does  not  say 
that  he  did ;  and  perhi^  Hincmar  was  a  follower  of  Pktfchasius, 
and  consequently  supposed  that  those,  who  opposed  him  as  to  the 
wunle  of  Christ's  presence  in  the  Eucharist  (for  as  to  the  substano* 
and  realiQr  of  the  presence  thane  was  no  question)  were  in  error. 
Nor  is  there  any  su£Bdent  authority  for  making  John  say,  diat  k 
the  euduuristical  conunemoration  the  body  and  blood  of  Christ 
are  absent.    This  has  been  asserted  by  Mosheim,  who  writes  {mi 
See.  nc  Part.  2.  cap.  8.  §.  20.)  that  John  taught  «  panem  ft 


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CHAP.  XXr.  OF  IRELAND.  305 

vinum  ai^en/u  corporis  et  sanguinis  Christi  esse  signajst  imagines*'* 
Mosheim  gives  us  no  voucher  for  this  position,  nor,  I  believey^ 
could  he.  Any  declaration  of  this  kind  made  by  John  would  have 
roused  the  whole  world  against  him;  for,  as  Mosheim  himself> 
when  entering  on  the  history  of  the  Pascasiau  controversy,  ob- 
serves, it  had  been  hitherto  the  unanimous  opinion  of  the  Church 
that  the  body  and  blood  of  Christ  were  administered  to  those,  who 
received  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  supper,  and  that  they  were 
reaUy  present  in  that  holy  institution ;  but  as  to  the  mode  of  this 
presence  there  were  various  opinions,  and  there  was  not  as  yet 
any  decision  of  the  Church  on  this  subject.  Now  the  question  ex- 
cited by  the  work  of  Pascasius  was  relative  merely  to  the  mode  or 
form,  in  which  the  body  and  blood  of  Christ  are  present  in  the  sa- 
crament of  the  altar,  and  not  to  the  presence  itself.  It  was  said 
work  that  gave  occasion  to  John  to  draw  up  his  treatise ;  and 
I  liave  not  as  yet  met  with  any  decisive  proof  that  he  went  farther 
in  it  than  merely  to  impugn  the  system  of  Pascasius  relative  to 
the  mode  of  Christ's  presence.  Yet,  as  the  question  was  of  a  very 
nice  and  intricate  nature,  he  probably  used  certain  expressions, 
which  some  persons  might  have  considered  as  hetax)dox. 

q94)  Tlie  very  phrases  used  by  the  old  Irish  writers,  when 
speaking  of  the  celebration  of  Mass,  are  alone  sufficient  to  show, 
what  was  the  general  belief  on  this  point.  They  call  it  the  sacri« 
iice,  the  sacrifice  of  salvation,  the  mysteries  of  the  sacrifice,  the 
sacrificial  mysteiy,  the  sacred  mysteries  of  the  Eucharist,  the  mys- 
teries of  the  sacred  Eucharist;  sacrificium  salutisy  sacrificii  mtfi* 
teria,  sacrificate  mi/sterium,  saa-a  Eucharistiae  ntysteria,  sacrae 
Euckarhtine  mysteriu  (See  St.  Gallus  ap,  WaL  Strah,  V*  S,  G. 
L.  I.e.  18.  Cumineus,  Life  of  Si.  Cotumba,  cap,  4.  and  Adam- 
nan,  L.  1.  c.  40.  L.  2.  c.  1.  Zr.  3.  c.  12.  and  17.  &c)  Strong, 
however,  as  these  expressions  are,  which  could  not  be  used  were 
the  body  and  blood  of  Christ  supposed  not  to  be  really  present, 
we  find  still  stronger  ones.  Thus,  the  celebration  of  Mass  is  ex- 
pressed by  the  making  of  the  body  of  Christ,  Adamnan  relates, 
(L.  1 .  c.  44.)  that  on  a  Sunday  St.  Columba  ordered  Cronan,  whom, 
although  a  bishop,  he  thought  to  be  only  a  priest,  ChriUi  corpus 
ex  more  conficere.  (See  above  Not.  182.  to  Chap,  zi.)  The  con- 
secration of  the  Eucharist  is  called  by  those  writers,  immolation  qf 
dhe  euti  host  or  of  the  sacred  Lord's  sacrifice;  and  thq  sacramen- 

VOL,  III,  X 

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i3G6  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY         CHAP,  XX I. 

ud  communton  it  expressed  by  the  phrase,  receiving  the  body  and 
Ubod  of  Christ  or  of  the  Lord.  In  the  ancient  Life  of  St.  Ita  we 
read  (cap.  17.)  that  on  a  sdemn  day,  wishing  to  receive  from  the 
hand  ofa  worthy  priest  the  body  and  blood  of  Christ,  she  went  to 
Clonmacnois  and  there  received  in  a  secret  manner  the  body  and 
blood  of  the  Lord.  It  is  added  that  the  clergy,  not  knowing  what 
was  become  of  the  body  and  blood  of  the  Lord,  were  greatly 
alarmed  and  fasted  together  with  the  people  until  it  was  dis- 
covered, that  Ita  liad  received  it.  Then  the  priest,  who  had  im- 
molated the  host,  {immolavit  hostiam)  which  St,  Ita  recaved, 
went  to  see  her,  &c  (See  above  Chap.  xi.  (.3.)  Cogitosus,  de- 
scribing (  Vit,  S.  BrigidaCf  cap.  S5.J  the  church  of  Kildare,  says 
that  by  one  door  the  bishop  entered  with  his  clergy  to  immolate 
the  sacred  Lord's  sacrifice,  sacra  et  Dominica  immolare  sacrijicia  / 
and  that  by  another  the  abbess  and  her  nuns  entered,  that  they 
might  enjoy  the  banquet  of  the  body  and  blood  of  Jesus  Christ, 
uf  convivio  corporis  et  sanguinis  fruantur  Jesu  Christi.  Another 
phrase  for  the  celebration  of  Mass  was,  witii  the  old  Irish,  the 
offering  of  Christ* s  body.  In  the  first  Life  of  St.  Kieran  of  Saigir 
(cap.  25.)  it  is  said,  that  on  every  Christmas  night,  afler  his  com* 
munity  had  received  the  sacrificejrom  his  handy  he  used  to  go  to 
the  nunnery  of  St.  Cocchea  there  to  ofier  the  body  of  Christ,  ut 
corpus  Christi  offerret.  Whenever  the  viaticum  received  befi)re 
death  is  mentioned  m  the  Uves  of  our  saints,  it  is  usually  called  the 
sacred  body  and  blood  of  the  Lord;  thus  we  read  of  St.  Fursey 
(Lifey  JL.  1.  c.  39.^  that  he  died  post  sacri  corporis  et  sanguinis 
sumptam  vivificationem:  and  of  St.  Fechin  (Lije,  cap.  48.)  that, 
sacresancti  corporis  et  sanguinis  Dominici  sacramentis  ntunituSp 
he  gave  up  his  spirit  to  his  Creator. 

Besides  the  use  of  these  phrases,  we  find  some  of  our  ancient 
writers  positively  asserting  that  the  body  and  blood  of  Christ  are  in 
the;^  Eucharist.  St.  Columbanus  of  Bobbio,  in  his  tract  Depoeni- 
tentiarum  mensura  taxanda,  (ap.Bibl.Patr.  Tom.  12.)  lays  down 
Ao.  42.  that  confession  be  required  deligently  before  Mass,  lest  a 
person  sliuuld  receive  unworthily ;  for,  he  says,  the  altar  is  the 
Uibui^al  of  Christ,  and  his  body,  which  is  there  with  his  blood, 
niarks  dut  those  wlio  approach  in  an  unworthy  state ;  tribunal  enim 
Christi  alfare,  et  corpus  suum  inibi  cum  sanguine  indicat  indignos 
nccedente^. '   Sedulius,  the  commentator  of  St.  Paul,  in  a  note  after 

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CHAP,    XXI.  OF  IHKI^AND.  SO? 

|he  word,  Take  and  eat;  ihu  is  my  body;  (1  Cor.  tx.  M.)  wttfi 
^  AflTif  Paol  said,  Bewail  not  to  eiie  that  boetfUDwoitl^ 
it  is  the  body  of  Chittt;  Qpuui  Patdms^  Cavate^  ne  iUmd  eorpm 
ifuUgne  comedatii^  dttm  ewput  Chruii  at.**  Usher,  endettvow- 
^ng  {Discourse  on  the  religion  of  the  ancient  Irish)  to  sqoeen 
jomethii^  against  the  real  preseneeout  of  thb  Seddiiis,  hsaveiy 
•  unhecomingly  omitted  the  now  quoted  passage,  but  gnres  us  aba- 
ther,  that  xsenaes  just  after  it,  in  which  Sedulius  reaiarics  on  t^ 
words,  in  remembrance  ofme^  Oh*)  that  ChriA  *<  lefta  merooiy  of 
lumself  unto  us,  just  as  if  one^  that  was  going  on  a  distant  jonmej% 
should  leave  some  token  with  him  whom  he  loved ;  that  as  often 
as  he  beheld  it  he  mi(^t  call  to  his  remembrance  his  benefits  and 
ftiendship."  How  dus  passage  militatet  against  the  doctrine  of  the 
real  presence  I  cannot  discover,  especially  after  Sedulraa  having 
said  what  we  have  seen  about  the  body  of  Christ.  Any  Catholie 
might  speak  in  that  manner,  if  treating  ef  the  institution  of  the 
holy  sacrament,  which  is  certainly  comnemdrative  of  Christ's 
passioo  and  the  benefits  received  through  it.  It  is  accordingly  a 
tol[;en  of  Christ's  k>ve  for  ue;  bnt  this  does  not  exclude  hit  being 
really  present  in  it,  although  in  a  manner  diffnuent  fimn  that,  in 
whidi  he  appeared  on  the  erosi.  At  this  very  day  the  Catholics 
use  ezpresskms  similar  to  that  of  Sl9duMus»  In  a  lesaan,  written 
by  St.  Thomas  of  Aqumo,  of  the  ^ftoelar  CorfUM  ChrisH  day  it 
is  stated,  that  in  the  sacEament  **  is  kept  up  tte  memory  of  that 
**  most  excellent  charity,  which  Christ  showed  in  his  passion — 
<<  and  that  in  the  last  supper,  when,  having  celebrated  the  Pasch 
<<  with  hif  discipCes,  he  was  abotit  to  pass  ftom  this  wodd  to  his 
«  Father,  he  instituted  thir  sacrament  as  a  peipietual  memorial  of 
«  his  pasiioD,  a  fiilfihnent  of  the  ancient  %iies,  the  greatest  of 
«  ibe  miracles  wniaght  by  him,  and  thus  left  a  smgular  comfort 
**  to  the  person  grieved  for  his  absence.'*  Woidd  any  one  quote 
this  {Mssage  in  opposition  to  the  doctrine  of  the  real  presence, 
onaccount  of  said  doctrine  not  being  expressly  mentioned  in  it  ? 
But,  it  may  be  said,  that  doctrine  is  lakl  down  in  a  former  lesson 
taken  from  the  said  tract  <^  St.  Thomas.  To  this  I  rqily,  that 
Sedulius  had  in  like  manner  expressed  that  doctrine  immediately 
before  the  words  quoted  by  Usher,  who,  had  he  wished  to  act 
fiuriy,  should  have  produced  both  passages.  He  allies  also  what 
Sedulius  has  concerning  <<  our  offering  daily  (in  the  Mass)  for  the 

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SOB  AN    KCCLESIASTICAt  HISTORY         CHAP,  XXI. 

oommemoratlon  of  the  Lord*s  passion,  once  petfonned,  and  our 
own  aalvadom"  What  has  this  to  do  with  the  question  ?  What- 
ever some  divines  may  have  speculated  about  the  nature  of  the 
sacrifice  of  the  Mass,  it  is  certainly  commemorative  d^  theXord's 
passim,  and  derives  all  its  virtue  from  the  one  passion  on  the  cross ; 
and  it  is  far  fit>m  being  an  article  of  Catholic  belief,  that  in  the 
odebration  of  Mass  there  is  any  such  thing  as  a  new  passion  of 
Christ.  *^  What  is/'  sayi  Bossuet,  (Hkt.  des  Variations^  L.  vi. 
$•  97»)  <'  the  sacrifice  (of  the  Mass)  except  Jesus  Christ  present 
in  the  sacrament  of  the  Eucharist,  and  representing  himself  to  his 
Father  as  the  victim,  by  which  he  has  been  a|^>eased?*'  (See  also 
ih.  §.  2S.)  For,  to  be  a  truly  commemorative  sacrifice,  it  is  neces- 
sary that  Christ  be  really  present ;  otherwise  how  could  the  Mass, 
or  the  essential  part  of  it,  have  been  called  the  sacrijice  (if the  Lordf 
as  it  has  constantly  been  ?  (See  Veron,  ReguLJidei^  Bcc  cnp^  S. 
§,  14.)  Usher  was  equally  wrong  in  appealing  to  the  poet  Se- 
dulius.  He  quotes  a  passage,  in  which  the  poet,  alluding  to  the 
offering  of  Melchisedec,  mentions  corn  and  wine,  segetis /ructtu 
€t  gaudia  vitis.  But  said  passage  is  relative  not  to  the  Lord's  sup- 
per, but  to  the  one  leper,  who,  out  of  ten,  returned  to  thank 
Christ.  Luke  xvii.  15.  Sedulius  is  very  clear  on  the  real  pre- 
sence, where  he  alludes  to  the  Eucharist.  Of  these  passages, 
which  have  been  very  uncan^ldly  omitted  by  Usher,  although  he 
had  read  them,  one  is  in  the  Carmen  Paschale,  Lib.  4.  as  ibllowB  j 

*<  Nee  Dominum  latuere  doli,  scelerisque  flituri 
Prodidit  auctorem,  panem  cui  tradidit  ipse, 
Qui  panis  tradendus  erat ;  nam  corporis  atque 
Sanguinis  ille  sui  post  quam  duo  munera  sanzit, 
Atque  dbum  potumque  dedit,  quo  perpete  nunquam 
Esuriant  sitiantqueanimae  sine  labe  fiddes." 

And  iL  another  lower  down ; 

"  Corpus,  sanguis,  aqua,  tria  vitae  munera  no^rae : 
Fonte  renascentes,  membris  et  sanguine  Christ! 
Vescimur,  atque  ideo  templum  Deitatis  habemur^ 
Quod  servare  Deus  nos  annuat  immaculatum, 
Et  &ctat  tcnues  tanto  mansore  capaces." 


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Chap.  xxi.  of  Ireland.  309 

In  the  corresponding  part  of  his  prose  work  (L.  5.  c  18.)  on 
the  same  subject  he  says ;  '<  Omnes  enim,  qui  Christo  duce  in 
aquarum  fonte  renadmur,  ejus  corpus  et  sanguinem  sunientes  edi* 
mus  et  potamus,  ut  Sancti  Spiritus  templum  esse  mereamur,  &c. 
AU  vofy  who  under  our  chief  Christ  are  bom  again  in  the 
fountain  of  voatery  taking  do  eat  and  drink  his  body  and  bloody 
that  wtf  may  deserve  to  be  the  temple  of  the  Holy  Ghost.''  Sedu- 
lius  alluded  to  tlie  practice  of  the  ancient  Church,  according  to 
which  the  Eucharist  was  given  to  persons  just  afler  their  baptism. 
This  was  observed  even  with  r^ard  to  infants,  and  continued 
down  to  as  late  as  the  9th  century.  Alcuin  says ;  **  After  an  infant 
is  baptized,  let  him  be  clothed.  If  tlie  bbhop  be  present,  he  is 
to  be  immediately  confirmed  witli  chrism,  and  then  receive  the 
communion  ;  but,  if  the  bisliop  be  absent,  let  him  receive  the 
communion  from  a  priest.**  Jesse,  bishop  of  Amiens,  in  a  letter 
de  ordine  baptismi  writes  ;  **  After  the  three  immersions  let  the  bi- 
shop confirm  the  child  with  chrism  in  the  forehead ;  and  lastly  let 
him  be  confirmed  or  communicated  wit!i  the  body  and  blood  of 
Christ  that  he  may  become  a  member  of  Christ'*  (See  Bingham, 
Originesy  &c.  B.  xir.  cA.  1 .  sect,  2.}  Usher  recurs  also  to  the  com- 
mentator Claudius,  whom  he  supposed  to  be  an  Inshman.  Butj 
as  he  was  not,  (see  Chap,  xx.  §,  14.)  we  might  overlook  what 
Usher  strove  to  extort  from  him.  The  fact  is,  that  tlie  passage, 
which  he  quotes  from  Claudius,  is  quite  opposite  to  his  theory, 
notwithstanding  the  quibbles  he  uses  to  make  liim  appear  &vour- 
able  to  it.  If  ever  there  was  an  author,  who  clearly  announced 
the  doctrine  of  the  real  presence  and  the  sacrifice  of  the  Mass, 
Claudius  was  one,  and  that  in  a  passage  quoted  by  Usher  himself 
{Ep.  HiB,  SylL  Not*  ad  No,  20.)  from  liis  commentary  on  Leviti- 
cus. These  are  his  words ;  *'  Christus  in  cruce  camem  suam  fecit 
**  nobis  esibOem.  Nisi  enim  fuisset  crudfixus,  sacnfidum  corpo- 
**  ris  ejus  minime  coroederetur.  Comeditur  autem  nunc  in  mc- 
**  moria  Dominicae  passionis.  Crucem  tamen  praeveniens  in 
*'  Coena  Apostolorum  seipsum  immolavit,  qui  post  resurrectionem 
'*  in  caeli  tabemacuium  suum  sangm'nem  introduxit,  portans  cica* 
'<  trices  passionum.  Christ  on  the  cross  made  hisjlcsh  eatable 
"  far  us.  For,  unless  he  had  been  crucified^  the  sacrificce  of  his 
"  body  would  not  be  eaten.  But  it  ii  eaten  at  present  in  memory 
**  of  the  Lords  passion.     Yet  anticipating  the  cross^  he  in  the 


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310  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY         CHAP.  XXI 

<**  Mpper  of  the  Apostles  immolated  himself,  he  loAo  after  his  re- 
**  surrection  introduced  his  Uood  iitto  the  tahemade  of  heawny 
**  Bearing  toithhim  the  scars  of  his  st^erings" 

In  the  passages,  vAash  Usher  collected  on  this  rabjecc,  and  in 
tliose  whence  he  undertook  to  prove  that  the  Irish  practised  com- 
munion under  both  kinds,  he  found  the  Eucharist  often  caHed 
the  body  and  blood  of  Christ,  To  evade  the  strength  and  plain 
meaning  of  these  expressions  he  recurs  to  dialectical  a»d  Calvin* 
isticail  quiM>les  for  the  purpose  of  showing,  that  it  would  be  ^>- 
surd  to  suppose,  that  the  body  and  blood  ar^  really  and  truly  con- 
tained under  the  appearance  of  breed  and  wine.  Here  he^leviatad 
entirely  from  the  purpose  of  his  discourse  ;  whereas  the  <)uestioii 
which  he  aflR^cted  to  discuss  was  merely  historical,  \>ix.  what  did 

^the  ancient  Irish  a<:^uaZ^' believe  as  to  the  nature  of  the  Eudm^ 
rist,  and  not  whether  what  they  believed  was  absurd  and  — tipiiilo- 
Sof^cal  or  not.  But  pressed  by  plain  words  and  fiwrts  he  took 
shelter  under  sdiolastic  wrangling,  in  whidi  he  was  well  versed, 
although  far  from  being  so  in  real  and  «taunch  theology,  great  as 

'  he  undoubtedly  was  in  history,  dironology,  and  antiquitka.  With 
considerable  art  he  takes  hold  of  the  school  opinions  of  some  di- 
^nes,  such  as  the  Rhemish  ones,  and  then  argues  as  if  they  were 
those  of  the  whole  Catholic  church ;  but  after  all  he  does  not 
cleariy  explain  his  own  doctrine,  idiich,  tliere  is  every  reason  to 
^faink,  was  rather  Cidvinistical  than  conformable  to  that  of  the 
Church  of  England.  As  to  the  communion  under  both  kinds,  be 
might  have  saved  himself  ^the  trouble  of  collecting  passages  oao* 
oemiog  it ;  for  it  is  not  denied  that  in  old  times  it  was  peaetisedin 
Ireiand  as  weU  as  every  where  else.  Yet  there  were  cases,  in 
which  that  of  the  <nip  was  withheld ;  and  we  meet  with  a  very  re- 
niarhable  one  in  the  PoenUmttiaU  of  St.  Columbamis,  which  is 
«imeiied  to  his  monastic  rule.  He  poescribes,  that  norioes  4I0  not 
appioadi  the  cup ;  novkiiy  quia  indocti  et  inexpertly  ad  adieem 
mom  mccedamt.    (See  Mabfllon,  Aanal.  Ben.  ad  A.  590.) 

JLang  aff  tins  note  abeady  is,  I  cannot  but  midce  aftsFjobservations 
ao  cectaia  notes  which  Tolmid  adduces  (NazaremttSy  Letier2.sect, 
I .)  asiUMMKed  to  a  M6.  copy  of  the  four  Gospds  wflitteB  at  Arma^. 
Hie  wnter  or  transariber  was  one  Madbiiglide,  and  it  isnowta  the 
Hflrieian'libnuy.  Toland  says  diat  Simon,  although  on  ether 
pbintR  qnite  oMstaken  as  to  this  MS.  was  ^irettty  right  in  his  By- 
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CHAP.  XXI*  OF   HIEI.AND.  311 

Uioth^ue  Critique  at  gueaiing  it  to  be  800  yaar^  oU,  which  woul4 
bring  iu  age  at  present  to  more  tbaa  900.  Bat  as  Toland  wa« 
▼ersed  both  in  the  Irish  langiuige  and  in  the  history  of  Ireland,  he 
must  have  known  that  it  is  much  more  modern^  as  appears  from 
various  facts,  dates,  and  names  of  princes,  deigymen,  &c.  men- 
tioned in  it,  and  from  which  Dr.  O'Conor,  {Prolegom.  Pari.  2.  p, 
CLXJ.  seqq,  ad  Rerum  Hibem.  Scriplores)  very  learnedly  proves^ 
that  itwas  writien  in  the  year  1138.  Now  who  is  there  so  ^oraut 
as  not  to  admit,  tbd>  the  doctrine  of  the  r^  presence  against 
which  Toland  urges  these  notes,  was  universally  held  in  thf 
Weston  Churob,  Ireland  toduded,  at  that  period  ?  Lest,  how^ 
ever,  it  may  be  said  that  the  notes  quoted  by  Toland,  wene  co*' 
pied  from  a  text  of  older  times,  I  shall  lay  them  before  th^ 
reader.  I  must  indeed  take  his  word  fin*  the  genuineness  of  them,  as 
Ihavenotaccess  tosaid  MS.  He  has  1^  out  some  parts  of  theHi» 
which  might  help  to  elucidate  the  author's  mining ;  but,  even  as 
be  has  given  them,  they  prove  nothing  against  the  belief  in  the 
real  presence  -The  first  is,  that  *<  tlie  reason  for  blessing  the 
Lord's  supper,  was,  that  it  might  m3rsti6ally  be  made  his  body  f 
after  which  occur  these  words ;  <*  This  bread  is  spiritually  the 
Church,  which  is  tlie  body  of  Christ ;  ul  myttiu^  corpus  ^U4 
fieret-^tjpiriluaUter  panis  hie  Ecclesine  est,  quae  Corpus  ChristL" 
Now  the  former  words,-  instead  of  meaning  what  Toland  wished 
to  insinuate  prove  the  reverse.  The  phrase,  io  be  tuade  kis  hodtf^ 
conveys  the  idea  of  the  real  presence.  Its  being  said  that  this  tt 
done  fnysticaUy  is  just  as  if  we  should  say  that  it  is  done  in  a 
mysterious  manner,  and  surely  this  is  held  and  spoken  of  by  eveiy 
Catholic.  Instead  of  mystieaUyy  it  is  usual  at  present,  m  e%y 
pressing  the  efiect  of  the  consecmtion  of  the  elements,  to  say 
sacrmnentaUy.  Thus  the  council  iof  Trent,  (Sess.  1$.  cap.  1.) 
after  having  laid  down  *'  that  Christ  is  truly,  really  and  sub^ 
stantially  present  in  the  sacrament  of  the  Eucharist  under  the  ap- 
pearance of  bread  and  wine,"  adds,  **  that  there  is  nothing  re« 
pugnant  in  bdieving  that  our  Saviour  himself  is  always  seated  in 
heaven  at  the  right  hand  of  the  Father  according  to  the  aatoral 
mode  of  existing,  and  that  nevertheless  he  ism  many  other  places 
sacrameutaSy  present  to  us  with  his  substance.*'  As  to  the  bttcr 
words,  This  bread  is  spirduaify^  Sfc  they  do  not  afiect  the  ques* 
tion  concerning  the  real  presence,  and  mer^  express  a  very  usual 

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31^  AN    ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY  CHAP,  XXf. 

metaphorical  allusion  to  the  Church.  Were  they  to  be  understood 
strictly,  it  would  follow  that  Christ  had  no  real  human  body.  The 
second  note  is  apparently  more  difficult,  but  probably  would  not 
be  so,  had  Toland  given  us  the  whole  of  it.  In  this  note  the  Eu- 
charist is  called  **  the  mptery  and  figure  of  the  body  of  Christ — the 
first  figure  of  the  New  Testament — this  figure  is  daily  reiterated,  is 
received  in  faith,  Ste."  Mysterium  et  figura  Corporis  ChrisH — 
prima  Novi  Testamenti  Jigura — Haec  verojigura  gtiotidie  itera' 
tury  accipitur  in  fide^  &c.  These  words  would  not  indicate  the 
least  doubt  as  to  Christ  being  really  and  substantialy  [H'esent  in  the 
Eudiarist,  were  it  not  for  the  quibbling  use  which  the  Calvinists 
made  of  the  term  ^gtire.  Many  oS  the  most  firm  abettors  of  the 
real  presence  have  not  scrupled  to  speak  in  a  similar  manner. 
Bellarmine,  who  oflen  has  such  phrases,  gives  us  a  sumnuuy  of 
them  in  his  General  Index,  where  he  says;  <'  Euchariscia  est 
**  lignum,  symbolum,  rcpraesentatio,  ac  typus  mortis  Christi,  seu 
^  c^mis  et  sanguims,  ut  visibih'ter  in  cruce  ilia  suffixa,  ille  ^uaiis 
**  eat.  The  Eucharist  it  a  sign,  symbol,  represenlation,  and  typg 
"  of  the  death  nf  Christ,  or  of  the  flesh  and  blood  according  as 
"  the  one  tww  affixed  to  the  cross  and  the  other  shed"  This  man- 
ner of  speaking  does  not  by  any  means  exclude  the  actual  pre- 
sence of  Christ*s  flesh  and  blood  in  the  Eucharist.  St.  John 
Chrysostom  says,  (Horn,  17  in  Ep.  ad  HebrJ)  that  the  Eucharist 
is  a  type  or  figure  of  the  sacrifice  of  the  cross,  and  yet  in  the 
tame  place  asserts,  that  the  same  Christ,  who  was  then  offiefed,  'm 
now  offered.  And  surely  the  whole  action,  by  which  the  sacra- 
ment of  the  altar  is  consecrated,  is  a  representation  of  the  death 
of  Christ  on  the  cross.  The  distinction  o£  the  elements  of  bread 
and  wine,  and  the  repeating  of  the  mysterious  wordB  separately 
over  them  represent  his  passion  and  death,  in  which  the  blood 
flowed  out  of  his  body ;  not  that  Christ  dies  again  in  the  sacra- 
ment, but  that  he  places  himself  in  it  as  the  victim  who  has  died, 
and  consequently  as  the  sacrifice  of  redemption  and  salvation.  It 
ii  therefore  a  veiy  silly  and  indeed  unlearned  practice  to  argue 
firom  such  phrases  as  above  against  the  doctrine  of  the  real  pre- 
aenoe.  In  the  great  woric,  PerpetuitS  de  la  Foy,  by  Amaukl 
and  Nicole,  it  is  observed  (Tom.  1.  Liv.  x.  cA.  4.)  that  such  terms 
^  fiS^^y  *&P^  ^^'  ^^^  been,  even  since  the  time  ii^  the  Beren- 
garian  controversy,  applied  to  the  Eucharist  by  writers,  who  are 


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CHAP,  XXI.  OF    IRELAND.  $13 

imivenally  alloveed  to  have  been  strenuous  supporters  of  that  doc- 
trine. No  objection  will,  I  suppose,  be  raised  from  the  words  of 
the  note,  received  in  faith  ;  for  it  is  certainly  a  mysteiy,  which 
requires  faith  both  for  believing  in  it  and  ibr  receiving  it  worthily. 
Bellannine  says  in  the  above  quoted  Index ;  <<  Hoc  mysterium 
(Eucharistia)  sola  fide  comprehenditur,  this  mystery  is  compre* 
hended  by  faith  alone*'  The  third  note,  so  far  from  favouring 
the  system  of  Toland,  is  in  direct  opposition  to  it.  Remarking  on 
the  words  of  our  Saviour,  This  is  my  body^  it  has ;  **  Et  hoc 
dixit,  ne  nostra  dubilaret  fdes  de  sacrijicio  quotidiano  in  Eccle- 
siay  quasi  corpus  Christi  esset,  quoniam  Christus  in  dextra  Dei 
sedet,**  Toland  has  translated  the  passage  in  such  a  manner  as 
to  make  it  appear  contrary  to  the  belief  of  the  real  presence.  He 
renders  it  thus;  <<  This  he  said,  lest  our  faith  should  stagger 
about  the  daily  sacrifice  in  the  Church,  as  if  it  trere  the  body  of 
Christ,  since  Christ  sits  on  the  right  hand  of  God.*'  Now  to  ex- 
press the  author's  meaning  in  English,  instead  of  xjoere  the  body^ 
the  translation  should  be  XKere  not  the  body,  or  the  whole  should 
be  be  given  as  follows ;  **  And  Christ  said  these  words,  this  is 
my  body,  lest  our  faith  might  doubt  of  the  daOy  sacrifice  in  the 
Church  being  the  body  of  Christ  in  consequence  of  Christ's  sitting 
at  the  right  hand  of  God.**  Surely  no  man  o£  couunon  sense 
would  or  could  state,  that  Christ  said  the  words,  this  is  my  body, 
for  tlie  purpose  of  cautioning  us  no^  to  believe  that  it  is  in  the  daily 
sacrifice.  Are  not,  on  the  contrary,  these  the  words,  which  have 
induced  all  antiquity  to  believe  that  it  really  is  in  said  sacrifice  ? 
The  words,  which  forced  Luther,  eager  as  he  was  to  vex  the  Ca- 
tholics, to  continue  in  that  belief,  and  to  defend  it  ?  Those,  which 
all  the  impugners  of  the  real  presence  have  never  been  able  tq 
get  over,  or  to  explain  in  any  rational  manner  different  firom  that 
of  said  doctrine  ?  The  author  s  meaning  is  perfectly  dear.  His 
object  was  to  show,  that,  whereas  Christ  sits  at  the  right  hand  of 
the  Father,,  doubts  might  arise  concerning  his  body  being  in  the 
daily  sacrifice  ;  but  that,  to  expel  such  doubts,  Christ  announced 
those  plain  and  peremptory  words,  This  is  my  body. 

I  shall  not  enlarge  further  on  these  points,  as  my  purpose  is  not 
controversy,  but  merely  to  prove  that  the  ancient  Irish  did  ac- 
tually and  unequivocally  hold  the  doctripe  of  the  real  presence,  of 
the  sacrifice  of  the  Mass,  &c.  just  as  they  are  held  at  this  day  by 

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814  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY         CHAP«  XXI. 

the  CatiiolicB.  And  indMd  it  iwuld  be  very  ttiai^  if  tbej  did 
■•ty  fyt  odicrwiie  how  couM  they  have  been  in  oonmumton  with 
the  Eogirii  Chrindaot,  wiiose  greatest  man  Bede  never  acouaed 
then  of  any  error  as  ta  t^  Eaeharist,  with  the  Roociaiis,  Ita- 
Mansy  FiKench,  &c.  aM  of  whom  undoubtedly  professed  those 
doctrines? 

(95)  See  above  $•  7-  In  the  Pope*8  letter,  wliidi,  according 
U>  Mauguin,  was  written  about  865,  we  reed ;  **  Relatum  est 
**  Apostolatui  nostiOy  quod  opus  B.  Dionysii  Areopagttae,  quod  de 
**  Dirittis  nominibusy  yel  cadestibus  ordinibus  Graeco  descrip^ 
<'  doquto,  quidam  rir  Johannes,  genere  Scotus,  super  in  Latinum 
**  transtulerit,  quod  juxta  moren^  nobis  mitti  et  nogtro  debuit 
"  judido  approbari,  praeserdm  cum  idem  Joannes,  licet  multae 
**  scientiae  essa^raedtcetur,  olim  non  sane  sapere  in  quilm^damfre- 
**  quenti  rumore  dicerehir.  Itaque  quod  hactenus  omissum  est  vestra 
"  tndustria  suppleat,  ei  nobis  praefatum  opus  sine  ulla  cuncta- 
**  tione  mittat,  quatenus,  dum  a  nostri  Apostolaius  jtklicio  fuerit 
**  approbatum,  ab  omnibus  incunctaneter  nostra  auctoritate  accep- 
**  dui  habeatur."  Some  writers  have  said  that  the  Pope  liad 
required  that  John  should  be  sent  to  Rome,  or  banished  from 
Paris,  of  whose  sduwl  he  was  the  c^pitd.  This  is  founded  on 
an  alteration  made  \n  the  Pope's  letter  afler  diceretur,  or,  as  in 
said  corrupted  letter,  dicatur.  Balaerus  {Hut.  Univers.  Paris, 
Tom.  u  p,  184.)  has  published  this  letter  in  its  altered  form  ikmi 
certain  Collectanea  of  Naudacus.  But  the  phrase  Capital  (head) 
of  the  school  of  Paris  was  not  used  until,  at  least,  300  years  after 
the  death  of  Pope  Nicholas.  Would  Anastasius  have,  a  few  yean 
after  said  letter  was  written,  spoken  in  the  gentle  manner  he  did 
concerning  John  (see  Not.  77.)  had  the  Pope  been  so  displeased 
with  him  as  that  stoiy  insinuates.  Besides,  the  Pope  himself  does 
not  positively  charge  John  with  maintauiing  errors,  merely  saying 
that  it  was  repmted  that  he  formerly  had. 

(96)  This  fable  has  been  propagated  chiefly  by  William  of 
Malmesbury,  from  whom  others  have  copied  it,  iriiich  is  indeed 
surprizing,  to  this  very  day.  We  meet  wi^  it,  among  several 
gross  mistakes  concerning  John's  transactions,  in  Rees'  Cyclo- 
poedia.  William  has  it  De  gestis  regum  jfnglorunt,  X.  ^  c.  4. 
and  De  pontificibusy  L.  5*  From  him  it  was  taken  with  other 
stories  by  Simeon  of  Durham,  Hoveden,  &c.    He  was  so  ill  in- 


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CUAP«  XXI.  OF   IBELANP.  815 

formed  of  John's  proceedingi^  that  he  makes  Flqrvm  write  against 
his  work  On  natures.  Now  we  have  seen  that  it  was  the  tireatise 
on  predestination^  which  was  answered  by  Florus. 

(97)  See  Hist.  Letter.  Tom.  5.  at  Erigena.  These  verses  haw 
hj^n  published  by  Du  Canga. 

(98;  Ex.  c  Hoveden,  AnnaU  ad*  A.  883.  Matthew  of  Weit- 
nunster,  &c.  Thus  Turner  says,  (History  of  the  An^osmxons, 
B.  12.  ch.  4.)  that  John  went  to  England  after  the  death  of  Ui% 
Charles. 

(99)  Asserius  says,  that  Alfred  diversi  generis  roonadMS  in 
eodem  mpnasterio  congregare  studuit:  primitus  Joannem  pres^ 
byterum  et  monachunty  scilicet  Eaidsaxonum  genere,  ablatem 
constiUiit.*" 

(100)  See  Mabilloa,  AnnaL  Bern,  ad  A.  895.  Strai^  Itet 
Turner  fib. J  strives  to  supfiort  thepatadox  of  Jobn  Scotus  hmk% 
been  the  same  as  John  of  Aetheling. 

§•  X.  Our  John  has  been  confounded  also  with 
another  person  of  that  lUiHie,  who  was  in  the  twelfth 
century  considered  as  a  martyr  at  Malnesbury,  and 
who  is  said  to  have  been  killed  there  by  bis  school- 
boys with  their  writing  styles.  That  such  s  circum- 
stances occurred  at  Malmesbury  is  very  doubtful ; 
but  whether  true  or  false,  it  is  an  idle  conjecture  to 
suppose,  that  this  John  cdled  martyr  was  the  same 
as  John  Scotus.  (101)  The  fact  is,  that  John 
Scotus  remained  in  France  and  died  there  previous, 
in  all  probability,  to  the  death  of  his*  protector 
Charles  the  bald,  (102)  which  occurred  in  877* 
And  it  appears  certain,  that  his  death  ivas  prior  to 
875,  the  year  in  which  Anastasius  wrote  to  Charles 
concerning  the  trandation  of  Dionysius  Areopa- 
gites.  (IDS)  For  Anastasius  speaks  ot  John  in  such 
a  manner  as  if  he  were  already  dead.  (104) 

Besides  the  works  already  mentioned,  John 
drew  up  a  translation  of,  at  least  in  part,  the 
Greek  scholia  of  St.  Maxiraus  on  difficult  passages 
of  St.  Gregory  Nazianzen.  ^105)  He  is  usually 
supposed  to  have  been  the  Jolin,  who  compiled  the 

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SI 6  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY         CHAP.  XXI. 

Excerpta  concerning  the  differences  and  agreements 
of  the  Greek  and  Latin  verbs,  which  are  found 
among  the  writings  of  Macrobius.  (106)  Seven 
Latin  poems  of  his,  mixed  with  Greek  lines,  but 
different  from  the  Greek  and  Latin  verses  above 
mentioned,  are  still  extant;  (107)  but  whether  they 
have  been  published  as  yet  I  am  not  able  to  tell. 
Some  other  works  have  been  attributed  to  him 
without  sufficient  proof  or  authority,  except  a 
homily  on  the  beginning  of  the  Gospel  of  St. 
John. (108) 

(101)  This  story  comes  also  from  William  of  Malmesbury  fib.^ 
who,  after  telling  us  that  John  Scotus  was  induced  by  the  muni- 
ficence of  Alfred  to  go  to  England,  and  that  he  taught  at  Malmes> 
buiy»  makes  him  be  killed  there  by  boys.  He  gives  the  epitaph, 
which  was  to  be  seen  in  that  place ; 

Claudiiur  hoc  tumulo  sanctui  sophista  Joannest 
Qjui  diiatus  eratjam  went  dogmate  miro* 
Mariyrio  tandem  Christi  conscendere  regnumy 
QtiOy  meruUy  sancti  regnant  per  secula  cuncti. 

What  has  this  to  do  i»ith  John  Scotus?  Would  Asscrius  have 
been  ignorant  of  John  Scotus'  martyrdom  at  Malmesbur>%  be  who 
mentions  so  particularly  the  murder  of  John  of  Aetheling?  None 
of  the  many  old  writers,  prior  to  William,  who  speak  so  often  of 
John  Scotus,  ever  call  him  a  martyr,  not  even  the  Berengarius  his 
great  admirer  and  defender.  The  fable  of  John  Scotus  having 
been  the  same  as  John  of  Malmesbuiy  is  still  kept  up  by  some 
superficial  writers ;  but,  like  certain  other  stuff  of  theirs  relative  to 
him,  it  is  not  worth  further  consideration. 

(102)  SeeMabillon,  Annal  Ben.  Tom.  3  p.  242.  and  Hist, 
Letter,  at  Erigena. 

(108)  This  letter  (see  above  Not.  77.)  is  stated  in  a  MS.  copy 
of  ity  which  was  in  the  Jesuits'  hl>rary  at  Bourges,  to  have  been 
written  on  the  23d  of  March,  8th  Indiction,  that  is  A.  D.  875, 
six  years  after  the  eighth  General  dbuncil,  which  is  mentioned  in 


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CHAP.  XXI. 


OF    IRELAND.  317 


the  totter  part  of  it,  (See  Dtssert.  on  John  Scotus  by  F.  Paris. 

Art.  6.) 

(104)  Anastasiufl  remarking  6n  John's  method  of  tranatotion 
says,  that  he  was  an  humble  man.  Were  John  then  alive,  he 
would  have  said  isy  not  was.  He  observes  that  John  would  not 
have  received  the  gift  of  tongues  had  he  not  been  burning  with  the 
6re  of  charity,  and  uses  some  other  veibs  in  past  tenses  stsongly 
indicating  that  J<^  had  ere  that  time  left  this  world.  Some 
writers  have  said,  that  he  returned  to  Ireland  in  his  latter  days  and 
died  there.  This  is  a  mere  conjecture  without  any  foundation. 
Had  he  died  in  Ireland,  there  would  be  some  mention  of  him  in 
the  Irish  annab. 

(105)  Hist*  Letter,  ib.  It  lias  been  published  by  Gale  at  the 
end  of  the  work  On  Natures, 

(106)  See  ib.  and  Usher,  Ep.  Hib.  SylL  Nat.  to  No.  28. 

(107)  Hist.  Letter.  Avertissement  to  Tom.  5.  p.  xdc 

(108)  Ib.  at  Erigena,  The  fabulous  Bale  says  that  John 
translated  Aristotelis  Moralia  de  secretis  secretorum^  seu  recto 
regimine principum  into  Chaldaic,  Arabic,  and  Latin.  He  founded 
this  nonsense  on  a  story  patched  up  by  some  old  Scotch  wiiters» 
and  still  retained  by  some  new  ones,  viz.  that  John,  when  veiy 
young,  travelled  to  Athens  and  there  studied  the  Gredc,  Chaldaic, 
and  Arabic  languages.    What  a  shame  to  advance  sudh  foderies ! 

§.  XI.  Much  has  been  said  about  John's  nsme^ 
having  been  in  the  Roman  maityrology  at  10  No- 
vember. It  would  be  very  strange  if  it  had  been 
placed  in  it  by  the  authority  of  any  Pope,  consider- 
ing that  his  book  on  the  Eucharist  had  been  con- 
demned by  the  council  of  Versalli,  and  that  his  doc- 
trines on  predestination  had  been  also  condemned 
long  before ;  to  which  may  be  added  that  there  has 
been  a  great  and  rather  general  prejudice  against  his 
character  with  regard  to  orthodoxy.  To  clear  up 
this  matter,  it  is  to  be  observed  that  the  name  of  the 
John,  who  is  said  to  have  been  killed  at  Malmes- 
bury,  was  in  some  Anglican  calendars  at  10  No- 
vember and  got  into  the  edition  of  the  Roman  Mar- 
tyrology  published  by  order  of  Pope  Gregory  xiii. 

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518  AN  ECCLEfiliffi^tCAL  HISTORY         CHAP.  XXI. 

af  Antwerp  in  15S6.  (109)  This  was  owing  to  the 
said  John  having  been  confounded  with  John  bishop 
of  Mecklenburgh,  who  ^as  a  real  martyr,  and  who 
suflfered  oh  the  IGth  of  November,  A.  D.  1065. 
This  Jobti  was  a  Scotus,  or  Irishman,  and,  having 
been  appointed  bishop  of  Mecklenburgh,  was  sent  to 
pnmh  m  Slavonia,  that  is,  the  old  81avonia  lying 
between  the  Elbe  and  the  Vistula,  wliich  was  inha- 
bited by  the  Vandals,  Vinuli,  &c.  He  was  most 
cniefiy  treated  in  that  country,  and  barbarously  put 
tK9  death  in  their  chief  town  Rethre  at  the  time 
now  mentioned.  (110)  Considering  all  these  cir- 
eunistances,  it  may  be  fairly  conchided  that  the 
matter  stood  as  follows.  There  was  buried  at  MaU 
mesbury  a  John,  snrnamed  the  Wise,  but  not  called 
martyr  by  older  writers.  (Ill)  This  surname  gave 
ri»e  to  a  notion  that  he  was  the  same  as  the  renowned 
John  Scotus ;  and  thus ,  it  became  necessary  to  sup- 
|»osse  that  John  Scotus  was  at  M almesbury.  Tlien, 
to  account  for  his  having  been  there,  was  made  up 
the  story  of  his  going  over  to  Alfred,  he.  Mean- 
white  the  cruel  death  of  John  of  Aetheling,  caused 
by  repeated  wounds  inflicted  at  the  instigation  of 
some  of  his  monks,  was  much  spoken  of  in  England. 
Some  of  the  good  people  of  Malmesbuiy  took  it  into 
their  heads,  that  this  murdered  John  was  no  other 
than  their  John  the  Wise ;  but,  as  it  would  have 
been  aukward  to  make  him  appear  as  killed  by,  or 
through  the  means  of  monks,  the  blame  of  his  death 
was  thrown  upon  the  poor  schoolboys.  (112)  One 
circumstance  was  still  wanting,  viz,  the  day  of  the 
martyrdom,  whereas  William  of  Malraesbury  and 
his  followers  had  not  marked  it.  Luckily  some  one 
found  the  martyrdom  of  John  Scotus  assigned  to  the 
lOtJh  of  November,  and  without  troubling  himself 
about  Mecklenburgh,  of  which  he  had  been  bishop^ 
or  Slavonia,  where  he  was  killed,  identified  him  wim 
John  of  Malmesbury ;  and  hence  for  this  John  the 
10th  of  November  was  marked  in  some  English  ca- 

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CHAP^   XtU  or  IRSLARD.  519 

lehdars,  &c.  Thtui  bv  putting  various  Jchhs  in  t^ 
quisition  the  history  of  .fohn  Scotns  Erigena  has  been 
egregiously  mangled  and  distorted.  (113) 

(109)  In  that  niartyrology  are  these  words;  **  Sodim  dU 
(lOth  November)  5.  Joannis  Scoth  gut  gtaphiu  puetwwm  €0^^ 

Jbsnts  martyru  coronatn  adepttu  est.**  Dapm  Stales  (at  M^oen^ 
tury  VoL  2.  p.  87«  English  ed.)  tiut  they  are  not  in  $mf  €/limt 
edition  of  the  Roman  martyrology ;  and  Mabillon  makes  meotiim 
of  only  the  Antweip  edition  of  1586  as  eontaiidng  tlie  n«ae  of 
John  Scotus.  (See  Acta  Ben.  Sec.  4.  Par,  2.  p,  BIS*)  Yet 
Fitzsimon  says  (  Catalog,  praecip.  sanctorum  HiberTtmi  Uege  A. 
1619.)  that  it  was  in  an  edition  of  158S,  and  dedkres  tiiiit  it 
was  Baronius,  who  expunged  it  from  the  Martytolegy.  *^  I 
know,**  he  adds,  *'  that  there  was  ready  an  ap^ogy  for  ^c^ 
Scotus  approved  of  by  the  suffi-ages  of  great  Popes,  Cardinals, 
&c*'  Such  an  apology  has  not  yet  seen  the  ]i^t  nor  probably 
ever  will.  As  to  the  year  1585,  mentioned  by  Fttssimon-,  eithsr 
it  is  a  mistake  ibr  1586,  or  he  confiiunded  the  Roman  Martyio* 
logy  with  an  edition  of  that  of  Usuard  published  at  Antwerp  in 
1588,  in  the  appendix  to  which  Molanus,  led  astray  by  Hector 
Boediius,  inserted  the  name  (i£  John  Scotus*  Amdd  Wion  alsd 
§Sk  into  this  tnistake.  (See  F.  Paris,  Dmertatum^  Sec  Art.  7«) 
By  the  bye,  F.  Paris  was  wroi^  indenj^,  diat  the  nameof  John 
Scotos  was  in  any  Roman  Martyrology  published  at  Antwerp  iri 
1586,  and  nudntaining  that  there  wbs  no  such  ectitnnu  But  ther^ 
certamly  was,  and  printed  by  Chr.  Hantinus.  There  is  a  copy  of 
it  m  the  fibraij  of  Trimly  College  Dublin,  with  John's  name  as 
above,  which  got  ihto  it  from  the  appendhc  to  that  of  Usokrdby 
Molanus.  Ahhough  that  Antwerp  edition  was  printed  by  order  of 
Gregory  xiii.  it  does  not  follow  that  he  approved  of  it  or  of  the 
msertion  of  John's  name;  nor  nuked  could  he,  whereas  he  was 
dead  since  the  10th  April  of  the  preceding  year  1585. 

(110)  SeeFleury  L.  61.  f.  17.  John  of  MecUenbmgh  is 
praised  more  than  once  by  Adam  of  Bremen.  See  also  Colgan> 
A  A,  SS»p,  407.  and  below  Chap.  xxv.  §,  3. 

(lll)Gotzelin,  who  Wrote  some  timebefore  WiUiom of Maihnea^ 
bury  published  his  De  gestis,  &c.  makes  mention  (CMialbguii 
qfsinnts  buried  in  England  J  of  John  the  Wise,  whose  remains^ 

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320  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL   HISTORY         OHAP.  XXI. 

as  wen  at  those  of  Aldhelm,  were  in  the  churdi  of  Malmesbuiy. 
(See  the  Dissertation  by  F.  Paris,  art.  6.) 

(112)  In  the  epitaph  (above  Not,  101.)  wliich  was  written  be&ie 
the  times  of  William  oi  Malmesbwy,  but  after  John  the  Wise  bad 
been  oonfinmded  with  John  of  Aetheling,  there  is  no  mention  of 
those  schodboys.  Were  the  martyrdom  caused  by  them,  would 
not  some  notice  have  been  taken  of  such  a  circumstance  as  greatfy 
heightening  the  account  of  the  martyr's  sufferings  ?  It  is  also  worth 
observation,  tliat  in  said  epitaph  John  is  not  called  Scotus ;  whence 
we  may  infer,  that  the  opinion  of  his  having  been  the  same  as  John 
Sootus  was  not  prevalent  at  die  time  it  was  written ;  otherwise, 
there  would  assuredly  be  something  in  it  to  indicate,  that  he  was 
the  &r  famed  John  Scotus. 

(US)  See  Mabillon  and  Dupin,  locc.  citt.  ad  Not.  9.  and  Har- 
ris, (  Writers  at  Erigena- ) 

§.  XII.  At  the  same  time  with  John,  or  perhaps 
somewhat  earlier,  there  was  another  Irish  philoso- 
pher in  France,  named  Macarius,  originally,  I  sup- 
pose Meeker  or  Meagher ^  who  disseminated  an  error, 
afterwards  maintained  by  Averroes,  viz.  that  all  men 
had  but  one  soul.  From  him  it  was  taken  by  a  monk 
of  Corbie,  against  whom  Ratramn  wrote  a  ti^atise  ob 
that  subject.  (114)  A  monk,  Columbanus,  who  from 
his  name  may  be  fairly  supposed  to  have  been  an 
Irishman, -flourished  also  in  France  in  these  times. 
By  order  of  Charles  the  bald  he  put  in  verse  an  old 
genealogy  of  emperors,  kings,  and  French  lordst 
which  had  been  drawn  up  by  that  sovereign.  (11^) 
Among  the  Capitulars  of  this  Charles  there  is  one» 
taken  from  the  Acts  of  the  council  of  Meaux  held 
in  845,  relative  to  the  hospitals  founded  by  pious 
Irishujen  in  France,  for  persons  belonging  to  their 
nation.  In  it  the  king  is  informed  that  they  were 
usurped  by  strangers,  and  reduced  to  a  state  of  de- 
solation, so  that  not  only  persons  applying  for  ad- 
mission w^ere  not  received,  but  likewise  those,  who 
had  from  their  infancy  served  God  in  them,  were 
driven  out  and  forced  to  beg  from  door  to  door. 


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CHAP.  XXI.  OF  IBfiLAMO^  SSI 

(116)  Whether  the  king  took)care  to  have  a  stop 
put  ta  this  abuse,  we  are  not  inf<mned.  To  this  pe- 
riod belonged  the  abbot  Patrick,  who  is  said  to  have 
floarished  in  850,  and  to  have  left  Ireland  about  th  at 
time,  retiring  to  Glastonbury,  where  he  died  on  a 
24th  of  August.  His  history  has  been  neatly  ob- 
scured by  liis  having  been  confounded  by  some 
Glastonian  scribblers  with  our  great  apoistle.  (117) 
It  does  not  appear  that  he  became  abbot  of  Glaston« 
bury ;  but  he  had  been  an  abbot  in  Ireland,  and 
perhaps  a  bishop.  He  was  apparently  one  of  those, 
who  ned  from  the  fury  of  tne  Northmen ;  and  it 
may  be  plausibly  conjectured,  that  he  was  the  same 
as  Moei-Patrick,  son  of  Fianchon,  a  bishop,  an- 
chorite, and  abbot  elect  of  Armagh,  who  died  in 
862,  ( 1 1  H)  There  is  no  foundation  for  the  opinion  of 
some  writers,  that  the  abbot  Patrick  was  the  insti-  ' 
tutor  of  Patrick's  Purgatory  in  Lough  Derg;  (119) 
and  as  to  some  writings  attributed  to  him,  the  autho- 
rity,  on  which  they  are,  is  such  as  to  render  them 
not  worth  inquiring  into.  (ISO) 

Among  the  Irish  emigrants  of  these  times  I  find  a 
pious  and  learned  priest,  named  Probus^  who  must 
not  be  confounded  with  Probus  the  biograj^r  of 
St.  Patrick  021)  He  retired  to  the  monasterv  of 
St.  Alban  ot  Mentz,  where  he  died  on  the  26th  of 
May,  A.  D.  859.  He  wiis  very  fond  of  classical 
stMoies,  insomuch  so  that  his  friend  Lupus  of  Fef- 
rieres  thought  that  he  applied  to  them  more  than 
became  an  ecclesiastic,  fmd  composed  many  tracts, 
several  of  which  seem  to  have  been  poetical.  Nont 
of  his  works  appear  to  be  now  extant.  He  is  praised, 
in  the  Annals  of  Fulda  as  a  man  of  pure  doctrine 
and  holy  life,  who  was  an  honour  to  the  church  of 
Mentz.  (122) 

(114)  MabtOon  says  {Armal.  Ben.  ad.  A.  SOT.)  that  Macniw, 
whose  error  was  that  there  is  but  one  soul  inall  men»  was,  pedbapa, 
the  Macariui  to  whom  Rabamis  dedicatqd  hi»  book  Dt  Camputo. 

VOL.  III.  Y  n  ] 

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SM  AN  ECCLESIAiSTrCAL  HISTORY         CI1AT..'XJII»; 

Battamn  gave  hba  the  mfdoHine  Bkccharn».  RiMinn's.iipcf 
af^QMft  ftii  diidpleof  Coriife'wai  In  »  oki  MS*  of  the  moiaBteiy 
of  St  Sai^giDftilf  Il0)fOQ*  Ham  ih  iris  ineorrect  aooMiiit«fM»- 
oiriii$  (WtHet*}  ha^ehanged  it  kito-a  tmet  wriieen  bjr  Macarkts 
bmelf.  But  ad  account  remaiiis  of  aoj  wriCingB  of  Macarin^ 
aWhough  lie  was  a  leacher* 

(115)  Ihst.  LMer.  Tewb.  v.p.  519^ 

(116)  ThvCi^HtiriarmajbeseeDin  SkMond'saoUacI^ 

the  head  of  dtk  cieqiritular.  It  is  abo  in  Baloze's  CapMarif  Tom. 
%  coL  3i.  The  hospitals  are  called  HoipUaha  SoaUorum^  l|hat  is, 
9Sj%  Sitmondy  Hibemorum^  as  he  proves  in  his  note,  wfaich.bas 
been  copied  by  Baluze,  ib.xoL  731.    See  also  Fleaiy,  ffmL  Axl. 

JU9. 46.  §.  sa 

(117)  See  Chap.  vii.  andii.  Not.  20. 

(118)  4  Masters  ap.  A  A.  &SL  p.  S66.  Their  date  is  86h  jet, 
afPatrksk  c^ GlaiAonbuiy  is  said  to  have  bdonged  to  Rosdela, 
(see  ^t.  18  and  20  lo  Chap,  vii.)  it  seems  more  probable^  thathe 
vHas  diflbrent  fiKun  Mod  Patrick. 

(119)  See  Chif*  vii.  $-14. 

:  (120)  See  Ware  and  Harris,  J^riiertaiPtarick  ahbot. 
(121)  We  have  already  seen,  (fikap,  iii.  §.  3,)  that  the  air- 
tltoir  of  the  Li&  of  St.  Pbtridc,  i^iose  tvigiiial  aame  was  Coenea* 
chiur^  lived  in  the  tenth  century.    IVoMily  that  was  abo  the 
Irish  aaoie  of  the  Pk^UB  we  ave.now  treating  o£ 

1 12t>  See  Hmtoire  iMer.  Tom,  v.  p.  209.  teqq^  at  ProbuSy 
and  Mabilloo„  Amtal,  dec.  at  A.  896* 

-  %i  xiiii  Of  the  ecclesiastical  aflbirs  of  Ireland  fob 
xMny  years  after  about  852  very  imperfect  accottnld 
renkiin.  Matie,  son  of  Huaf^usa^  who  became  bish^ 
df  Eraly  in  850,  (198)  died*  in  8^7,  and  was  sue- 
oeeded  by  Coenfeokd  who  was  also  king  of  Cashel 
Md  K?ed  antil  972«  (124)  Aed^en  sumamed  Brito^ 
a^arently  a  Briton,  scribei  anchoret,  and  bisA^p  of 
Kudare,  died  in  the  1  l6th  year  of  his  age  on  the  1 8th 
of  December,  863.  (1^5)  He  was  succeeded  by 
Momgal,  who  lived  until  870,  and  a^r  wh^m 
wa»  Uobartach  Mac-Naaerda^  who  died  in  874, 
and  whose  memoify  waa  revered  on  the  15th  of  Ja« 

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<^AP^  %XU  Olf  tn^LA^D.  SflS 

iiQ»ry<  (126)    Another  biihop  of  Kildare,  Ltttftn 
Mac-Mochtighern,  is  said  to  have  died  in  the  same 
year.     Cathald  Mac-Corbmac,  bishop  of  Clonfert,  a 
distinguished  and  eminent  man  died  in  862.  (127) 
A  nmiesake  of  his  was  in  these  times  bishop  and  ab- 
bot of  Ciondalkin,  whose  death  is  assigned  to  876 
(877).  (128)     Manchen,  bishop  of  I^igfalin,  died 
in  864.  (I29>    To  the  year  866  are  affixed  the 
deaths  of  St.  Conall  son  of  Fiachna  prince  of  East 
Meath,  and  of  the  royal  blood  of  Ireland^  and  bishop 
at  Killskire  five  miles  from  Kells  in  Meath  and  the 
only  bishop  we  meet  with  in  that  place ;  of  St.  Cor- 
mae  Hua  Uathain,  an  anchoret^  abbot,  and  bishop, 
whose  see  I  cannot  discover ;  of  Aidhechar  a  bishop 
and  chronographer  and  abbot  of  Connor  and  Lann- 
ela ;  and  of  Robertach  likewise  a  chronographer  and 
bishop  of  Finglas.  (130)     Cormac  Mac-Eladac,  a 
scribe,  abbot,  and  bishop  of  Saigir,  died  in  868,  and 
in  872  Coenchamrae,  bishop  and  abbot  of  Lonth. 
(181)    Fachtna,  or  rather  Fethgna,  who  had  suc- 
ceeded Diermit  at  Armagh  in  852,  died  on  the  12th 
of  February  or  6th  g(  October,  874.  ( 1 82)    In  some 
of  our  annals  he  is  styled  "  Comorban  (heir)  of  St. 
Patrick  and  head  of  the  religion  (primate)  of  all,  Ire- 
land,** whence  it  may  be  concluded  that,  whatever 
opposition  there  was  to  the  exercise  of  the  rights  of 
Armagh  during  the  contests  for  the  possession  of 
that  see,  they  were  universally  acknowledged  in  his 
time.     He  was  succeeded  by  Anmire,  who  held  the 
see  only  nine  months,    and  died  iii  874  or  875. 
(183)    After  him  was  Cathasach   Mac-Robertach, 
whom  we  find  called  prince  of  Armagh.     His  in- 
cumbeney  lasted  four  years,  and  he  died  some  time 
in  879,  before  the  end  of  which  year  Moelcoba 
Mae-Crannvail  was  archbishop  of  Armagh.    For  he 
is  'Styled  by  that  title,  when  in  said  year  he  was, 
together  with  Mochta  or  Mocteus,  a  lecturer  of  Ar- 
magh,   made  prisoner    by  ,the  Northmen.    (134) 
He  is  stated  to  have  held  the  see  for  .five  years, 

Y    2  T 

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SM  AN   ECCLBftfA9TICAL  HISTORY         CHAP.  XXU 

which  agrees  with  his  death  being  assigned  to  885» 
or  886.  (IS5) 

(1^)  Abore  §.  3.  (124)  Ware,  Buhopi  at  Emfy. 

(125)  Idem  at  Kildareftom  the  4  Maaten  Of).  Tr.  Th.fK  GSd. 
Their  date  i«  862  (863). 

(126)  See  Ware  i(.  and  4  Maiten,  tft.  who  add  that  Robar- 
tadi  had  been  also  a  icribe,  or  doctor,  and  abbot  of  Achoniy . 
They  observe  that  Inis^Robarladi,  or  the  idand  of  Robariack^ 
got  its  name  from  him.  Harris  says,  in  his  addition  to  Ware,  that 
he  did  not  know  the  situation  of  it.  Perhaps  it  was  the  trMt  no«r 
called  the  island  of  Allen  and  surrounded  by  the  bog  of  said  name 
in  the  county  of  Kildare.  There  is  a  place  in  it  called  Roberta- 
town  21  miles  from  Dublin. 

(127)  4  Masters  op.  A  A.  p.  544  at  if.  861  (862) 

(128)  lb. 

(129)  lb.  p.  532.  ad  A.  863  (864>  Ware  (at  Lei^ilin)  has 
i4.865. 

(130)  4  Masters  ap.  AA.  SS.  p.  784.  Besides  Cormac  Hua 
Liathain  they  have  fib.  p.  360.)  two  other  bishops  Cormac  prior 
to  him,  one  a  scribe  and  bishop  at  Kill-Fobric  (barony  of  Ibriokan, 
county  of  Clare,)  who  died  in  837  (838);  and  anodier  a  writer  and 
bishop  At  Laithrigh-briuin  in  the  country  of  the  OToelans  (see  f  ^. 
p.  541.)  and  now  county  of  Waterford,  whose  death  they  assign 
to  854  (855).  Colgan  find.  Chron.  ib.J  calls  Aidhecarabbot  of 
KilMennt;  but  this  means  the  same  as  Lann^ela^  whereas  the 
Welsh  word  Lan  or  Lianf  which  was  much  used  by  the  ancieot 
Irish,  corresponds  to  our  KiU  or  KUU.  Of  these  bishops  Conal 
is  the  only  one  particularly  treated  of  by  Cdgan,  w.  at  28  Mardi 
the  anniversaiy  of  his  death. 

(131)  4  Masters  i6.  p.  360  and  473  ad  A.  867  (868),  and  p. 
736  ad  A.  871  (872).  There  were  some  other  minor  biihops  in 
these  times;  but  the  names  of  almost  all  of  tfaem  are  unknown. 

(132)  Sec  Ware  at  Armagh  and  Tr.  Th.  p.  295  ad.  A.  873 
(874.)  Colgan  says  that  his  memory  was  revered  on  the  12th  of 
February.  (yFlaherQr  (i(f iS.  not.  ibj  remaria  that  he  should  have 
said  6th  of  October.  But  even  supposing  that  Fetl^pm  died  on 
that  day,  his  commemoration  might  have  bean  on  the  day  mariced 


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^HAF.  X«I.  .     OF  IRKLAND.  325 

by  Cdgan;    Yet  Celgan  adds,  that  Fethgna  died  on  tbe  12lh  of 
Fdbruuy. 

.  (18S)  Ware  and  Tu  Th.  locc  dU.  The  Caahel  catalogue  al- 
lowB  him  one  year,  as  it  avoids  firactioiial  parts  of  the  yean. 
.  (1S4)  U8her,/iid:  Chron.  ad.  A.  879  from  the  Annals  of  Ulster. 
(185)  4  Masters  «p.  Tr.  TA.  p.  296  at  ^.885  (886)  I  have 
here  followed  the  series  of  the  catalogue  from  the  PMdter  of  Ca- 
shel,  which  is  preferred  by  Ware  and  Col^n.  Harris  has  added 
certain  dates  for  Cathasach  and  Modcoba,  whidi  make  Ware's 
statement  appear  very  confusecl.  Tlie  Annabel  Ulster  di&r  from 
the  Cashel  catalogue  as  to  the  succession  of  Anmire,  &c  Forihey 
place  Anmire  after  Moelooba.  Then  in  the  4  Masters  we  find 
dates  disagreeing  with  those  of  other  accounts,  and  which  Co%an 
considers  as  wrong.  Not  being  able  to  reconcile  these  jairing 
.statements,  I  shall  vaadj  lay  before  the  reader  a  system  drawn  up 
by  (XFlaherty,  which  I  find  inaM&noteto  TV.  Tk.p.  292.  It 
is  this  I  Fethgna,  who  died  in  874,  was  succeeded  by  Modo^ia, 
who  having  held  the  see  until  879  was  taken  by  the  Northmen. 
In  oondequence  of  his  captivity,  Anmire  was  placed  on  the  chair  of 
Armagh,  and  after  nine  months  possession  died  in  sakl  year  879» 
in  which  he  was  succeeded  by  Cathasach,  who  ruled  for  four  years 
jud  died  in  883.  In  another  MS.  note  (ib.  p.  319.)  he  says  that 
Modooba  lived  after  his^  o^ytivity  until  888» 

§.  XIV.  Indrect,  who  was  abbot  of  Hy  in  Sl^  ( 1 36) 
and  a  very  wise  maD,  suffered  martyi*dom  through 
some  Anglo  Saxons  on  the  1 2th  of  March,  A.  D.  Si53. 
(137)  What  was  the  cause,  or  on  what  occasion,  or 
where  he  was  killed  I  cannot  discover  ;  but  it  could 
hardly  have  been  on  -account  of  his  faith,  as  the 
Anglo-Saxons  were  then  Christians.  Perhaps  be 
was  murdered  by  robbers ;  and  it  is  known  that  in 
those  times  holy  and  distinguished  men,  so  put  to 
death,  used  to  be  called  martyrs.  His  next  succes- 
sor at  Hy  was,  in  fdl  appearance,  Kellach,  son  of 
Alild,  who  was  also  abbot  of  Kildare,  and  who  died 
in  the  country  of  the  Picts  in  865.  (138)  After 
him  the  abbot  of  Hy  was  Feradach,  son  of  Cormac, 
who  lived  until  880.  (139)     During  his  administra* 

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S36  AN  ECCLEaiASnCAt  BISTORT         CHAP.  XlCt. 

tidUf  and  in  the  yetar  878,  the  shrine  and  re^ 
lies  of  St.  Columba  were  brought  to  Ireland,  lest 
these  miglrt  iaU  into  the  hands  of  the  Danes.  -(140) 
It  can  scarcely  be  doubted  that  it  was  on  Uiis  oeea* 
sion  that  the  remains  of  St.  Cirfinnba  were  depo- 
sited at  Down,  where  those  of  St.  Patridc  had  been 
from  the  banning,  and  whither  those  of  St. 
Bridget  had  been  removed  some  not  long  time  be«> 
fore.  (141) 

During  this  period  Ireland  herself  had  been 
greatly  harassed  by  the  Northmen.  In  85S  Ank- 
lave,  aUas  Aulifie  or  Olave,  a  Norwegian  mificey 
accompanied  by  two  brothers  of  his,  Sitne  and 
Ivar,  aUas  lobhar,  came  to  Ireland,  andf  all  the 
N(nthmen  submitted  to  him,  and  he  exacted  con- 
tributions  from  the  Irish.  (142)  Amlave  took  pos- 
session of  Dublin,  and  Ivar  of  Lhneriek^  which  he 
built  or  rather  enlarged  ;  ( I4d)  and  Sitric  is  said  to 
have  built  Waterford.  (144)  In  856  a  sharp  war  was 
carried  on  between  them  and  Maelseachlin,  king  of 
Ireland,  in  which  great  numbers  were  slain  on  Mth 
sides;  and  in  8^7  there  was  fighting  in  Munster» 
during  which  Carthan  Fionn  with  the  Irish  and 
Panes  of  his  party  were  defeated  by  Ivar  and  Am- 
lave, who  afterwards  in  859  ravaged  Meath.  (145) 
In  860  Maelseachlin  defeated  the  Danes  of  Dublin^ 
and  in  the  same  year  a  party  of  Danes  assisted  Aidus 
or  Aedan  Finnliath,  son  of  the  former  king  Niall 
Calne,  in  another  devastation  of  Meatlu  It  was 
through  the  assistance  of  Amlave  and  his  followers 
that  this  Aidus  was  raised  to  the  throne  of  Ireland 
in  803.  (146)  YeC  he  afterwards  quarrelled  with  the 
Northmen,  and  joined  Kieran  son  of  Ronan  and  the 
Kinel-Eogain  (the  people  of  Tyrone)  in  a  battle 
against  them  in  866,  near  Lough  Foyle,  in  which 
they  came  off  triumphant  with  the  nettds  of  240 
of  the  Northmen  chiefs.  (147)  In  869  Amlave 
plundered  Armagh,  burned  tlie  town  and  all  its 
sacred  edifices,  &c.  and  killed  or  made  prisoners 

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CHAP*  XXI*  OF  IBELAND.  327 

ttbotit  1000  persons.  (148)  While  m  the  year  670 
.  he  and  Ivar  were  abseat  in  North  Brkiiiii«  where 
they  destroyed  Aleluith  or  Dnnfatrten,  the  Irwh 
kii^  Aldus  fumliath  laid  waste  LeiAster  &em  Dub- 
Jin  to.Gowran,  and  aoon  a&er  thetr  return  to  Irelaad 
in  871,  with  200  ^hips,  Amlave  died*(14^)  Ivw 
then  became  king  of  all  the  Northmen  in  Ireland, 
bat  died  in  .873,  in  which  year,  while  Donogh,  9on 
of  DuUidavairean  king  of  Cwshel,  and  Carrol  prisce 
of  Omory^  were  devastating  Connaught,  the  Danes 
of  Dfltbliii  plundered  Munster.  (150)  Then  we  find 
the  Northmen  fightmg  among  themselves,  as  like- 
wise the  Irish,  for  instance^  the  Mo^ionjans  agaiqat 
the  people  of  Meath  in  8&0. 

.    (W6)  See  ai)ove  J.  2. 

,    (187)  A  A.  SS.  p.  254.  from,  the  4>  Masters  at  A.  852  (85^.) 

(138)  Ajoaals  of  Ul9ter  at  A.  864  (865>    Tbe  4  Mastecs  «y. 
Tr.  Tk.  p.  500.  and  629.  have  A.  863  (864). 

(139)  Annals  of  Ubijer  at  A.  $79  (880).  According  to  tha  ^ 
Ma4xw,  (Tr.  Th,  fK.  5G0.)    Feradaoh  died  in  877  (878). 

X140}  Ih.  at  A.  877  <«7«).  Tkm  4  Masters,  i^di.)  asfnga 
4kaB  removri  io  875(876).  What  I  caU  f«%Me»,  Joh«at«D«> (iS«- 
iractsy  8fc.)  calls  oaths.  See  O'Reilly  s  kish  Dictionary.  Coip- 
paie  with  A'(#.  27.  above. 

(i41)  Asvta  the  time  of  the  removal  of  St.  Brjgpd's  vaoiaias  to 
Down,  see  ^0^.  18.  to  Chap.  viii.  Colgsn  conjecturas  (Tn  Th.  p. 
566*)  that  the  person,  who  removed  them,  was  Keallach  abbot  of 
Kildare  and  Hy,  who^  as  we  have  just  see^,  died  in  865.  With 
regard  to  those  of  St  Columba,  O'Donnel  relates  [Ltfis  of  St. 
Col.  B.  3.  ch.  78.)  that  they  were  brought  to  Down  in  die  dope  of 
Mander  the  son  cf  a  Danish  king,  who  was  laying  waste  the 
noithem  parts  of  Britain  and  tbe  island  of  Hy.  He  has  a  stoiy, 
which  we  raagr  pass  l^^  about  how  the  Danes  .threw  the  sacoopha- 
gus  coBtainmg  them  into  the  sea,  and  hour  it  floated  to  Down, 
where  it^was  opened  by  the  abbot  of  that  place,  &c.  O'Raherty. 
(MS.  Not.  miioc.  Tr.  Th.  p.  446.)  marks  A.  875  as  the  year 
of  this  removal  to  Down,  meaning  the  875  (876)  of  the  4  Ma8«, 
tors,  for  the  transferring  of  the  shrine,  &c  to  Ireland,  which, 
however,  the  Annab  of  Ulster  assign  to  878. 

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338  AK  ECCJLE8IA8TICAL   HISTORY      CHAF.  XXK 

(142)  Annids  af  Ulfter  at  852  (858).  Ilie3r  call  Aidaw 
i(tii^  ^  iA«  Loehlanack.  In  the  annals  of  Innis&Uen  we  ready 
according  to  Mr.  O'Reflly's  translation ;  ^  A.  85S.  Anliffe  the 
Ung  of  Norwa/s  son  came  this  year  into  Ivelandy  acoompanied  m 
that  expedition  by  h»  two  brothers  Sitric  and  lobhar.  The 
Danes  and  Norw^;ians  sidimitted  to  him»  and  he  was  jilso  paid  tri- 
bute by  the  Irish.*" 

(148)  Were  we  to  believe  Ginddos  Cambrensis,  Sitric  was  the 
Ibiaider  of  Limeiick.  But  we  have  seen  (above  f .  8.)  that  it  ww 
abtedy  a  town  x^  at  least,  a  village^  where  Danish  shqw  were  ste- 
tioned  in  the  ^ime  of  Tuigesius.  And  hence  also  it  appears,  that 
the  Northmen  were  in  possession  of  it  before  855,  die  year  maritt^ 
bj  Femur,  History  of  Limerick^  p.  5.  He  refers  to  Ware,  who 
ssjs  nothing  about  the  year  855.  Ware  indeed  (itfx/i^.  aq^  24.  at 
A*  858.)  quotes  a  passage  from  Giraldus,  in  which  that  author 
states,  that  Amlave  built  Dublin,  Ivor,  Limerick,  ^kc<  As  to  thia 
bdldmg  of  Dublin,  Griraldus  was  quite  wrong ;  for  from  what  has 
been  seen  (dxnre  $.  1.  and  8.)  it  is  plain  that  it  was  inhabited  by 
the  Nofthmen  several  yean  previous  to  the  anrival  of  Amlavet 
and  the  Annals  of  InmiAllen  affix  their  firrt  taking  possession  of 
it  to  ^.  D.  887.  It  is,  however,  true  that  both  Dublin  and  Li- 
merick, whidi  were  inconsiderable  phK:es,  before  they  were  fint 
occiqiied  by  the  Northmaa,  were  pxibably  mudi  enhoged  by  Am- 
lave and  Ivar. 

(144)  That  Sitric  was  the  founder  of  Wateiford,~  as  GiraMus 
says,  seems  to  be  universally  allowed.  Smith  {History  ofWaier^ 
ford,  ch*  4.)  assigns  the  foundation  of  it  to  A.  853.  But  it  was 
probably  somewhat  later. 

(145)  Annals  of  Innisfollen,  and  Ware,  Antiq.  cap.  24. 

(146)  Annals  of  Innis&Uen.     Compare  with  Chap.  xx.  $.  &. 

(147)  lb.  at  A.  866. 

(148)  lb.  at  A.  869.  and  Ware  Antiq.  cap.  24.  The  Annals 
of  Ulster  (Johnstone's  Extracts)  and  the  4  Masters,  (ap.  Tr.  Tk.pi, 
295.)  assign  this  destruction  of  Armagli  to  A.  867  (868). 

(149)  See  Annals  of  InnisMen  at  870,  (871)  and  compare  with 
Ware  ib. 

(150)  lb.  at  A.  873.  Ware  assigns  the  death  of  Ivar  to 
872. 


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CHAP%  XXt.  OF  1II£LAND«  S80 

§•  XV.  While  this  miserable  state  of  affidrs  con<» 
tinned  it  might  seem  that  studies  of  every  sort. were 
neglected  in  Ireland.  But  it  does  not  appear  that, 
with  the  exception  of  Armagh  and  Hy,  the  religious 
establishments  and  schools  were  much  distuibed  or 
nearly  as  much  harassed  as  they  had  been  in  the  tinles 
of  Tui^esius.  And  in  fact,  besides  some  learned 
men  idready  mentioned,  we  find  several  others,  who 
wMre  dktinguished  in  this  period  as  scribes  or  doctors 
and  writers.  Luacharen  a  scribe  of  Clonmacnois  died 
in  864 ;  Martin  of  the  same  place  and  another  Mar- 
tin,  scribe  of  Devenish*  in  868;  (151)  Cobhtach  Mac* 
Muredachy  abbot  of  Kildare,  and  famous  for  his  wisdom, 
in  869;  (152)  Dubthach  scribe  of  Kill-achaid  (county 
1^  Cavan)  in  870 ;  Robartach,  a  monk  and  scribe  of  ' 
Dnrrow  (King's  county)  and  a  very  exact  chrono- 
mpher  in  87l ;  Aldus  scribe  of  Roscommon,  and 
Torpadius  of  Tallaght  in  87S ;  Robartach  (VKearta 
scribe  of  Kill-ach^d  in  874;  Domnald  scribe  of 
Cork  in  875 ;  Moelpatriek  scribe  of  Trevet  (Meath) 
in  885 ;  Suibhne  a  celebrated  doctor  of  Clonmacnois 
in  890,  to  whom  we  may  add  Soerbrethach  of  Cork, 
who  died  in  892.  (158)  Concerning  these  persons 
I  do  not  find  any  thing  particular  related,  and  I  have 
made  mention  of  them  merely  to  show  that,  not- 
withstanding the  misfortunes  of  that  period,  schools 
were  still  kept  up»  and  that  Ireland  could  then  boast 
not  only  of  the  learned  men,  who  removed  to  foreign 
countries,  but  likewise  of  many  others  that  remained 
at  home. 

Among  the  distinguished  persons  of  the  latter  part 
of  the  ninth  century,  marked  as  saints  in  the  Irish 
calendars,  we  meet  with  Suibhne  O'Fionnachta,  bishop 
of  Kildare,  who  died  in  879;  Scannal,  likewise 
bishop  of  Kildare,  who  died  in  882 ;  (154)  Mure- 
dach  son  of  Bran,  a  king  of  Leinster,  and  abbot  of 
Kildare,  whose  death  is  assigned  to  883,  ^56)  as 
is  also  that  of  Tulelatia,  abbess  of  its  nunnery ;  and 
Moeldar,  bishop  of  Clonmacnois,  who  died  in  887. 

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SaO  AN   ECCLESIASTICiX   HUTORT         CHAVp  XXI# 

(156)  But  the  moit  odebnted  Mint  of  this  period 
wm$  Corbre,  or  Cororeidi,  suraamed  Crom^  th^  m 
crooked  or  bent,  wlio  Bncoeeded  MoeMar  io  ike 
•ee  of  Cloniiiacnois.  His  reputation  wm  so  gi««t> 
that  he  was  called  the  head  qf  the  relightm 
^  almost  ail  ike  Irish  qf  Ms  time.  As  ao  Aeta 
of  hia  an  extant,  I  can  onlv  add,  that  lie  died 
in  900  on  the  6th  of  Mareo,  the  anniverau-y  of 
vvhich  ^va8  cdebrated  as  a  festival  at  ClonwscnoMu 
(157) 

(151)  Tr.  TL  p.  6BS.  sod  Ind.  Chrun. 

(15S)  See  li.  p.  682.  snd  Ind.  Chrtm.  I  have  sdded  a  year  Io 
t&ch  of  ite  4lale&  5u3>De  of  ClaaauuDnob  is  spoken  of  uod^ 
thtimie  of  Sadfnes  bjr  aome  EngMth  sansliate  at  A.  691,  as  the 
MOit  aldlfiil  doctor  of  the  Sood  or  lriih»  and  the  Annab  of  Ubttr, 
nsrkiag  hudeadi,  ctH  him  an  sncborot  and  an  excoUent  i^ribe^ 
(See  Uiher,  p.  7S2.)  He  ifas  in  all  sppsamnc^  the  pnwu^ 
viion  Caradoc  of  Laocarvan^  qnotiBd  by  Uaber  (f6.)  otDs  Smi* 
man  C^c^'ii,  and  who,  he  says,  bamg  the  greatest  of  tbe  doofem  of 
Sootia  (Irdmd)  died  in  889.  Caradoc  took  dm  date  irom  sdiqo- 
Irnh  document)  and  it  it  the  very  on^  giv^  for  Suibba'a  death 
fery  the  4  Matters,  whidi,  aocordiBg  to  the  usual  method,  1  have 
dianged  into  890.  It  differs  only  by  out  year  from  that  of  tbos^ 
English  annals.  Florance  of  Worcester  has  a  date  diffen»t  front 
Dothy  viz*  Am  892* 

<154)  4  Matters,  op.  Tr.  7^.  p.  629  at  A.  678  0B79)aiid8Sl 
(682).  Waie,  {Bhkops  at  /iCs2riar&)  assigns  the  death  of  Suibhoe 
0*FionnachU  to  880>  and  that  of  Scannal  to  884. 

(155)  TV.  Th.  ib.  A.  882  (883).  ArdidaO  {M<ma$t.€^  KMare) 
has  Muredach  at  A.  882 ;  but  he  had  hira  foefiire  at  A.  870,  whepe 
he  calls  hira  Moreigh  Mc.  Bro^,  without  any  authorfty,  ahhough 
he  strangely  refers  to  Tr.  Tk^  p.  629,  where  no  such  peison  is 
mentioned  at  that  year.  He  says  that  Morei^*  f .  f .  Muradach^ 
had  been  kii^  of  Lemster ;  but  thb  ia  a  mistafae  Counded  upon  a 
typographioal  error  in  7V.  Th.  id.  where  rex  appears  inatead  of 
rtgit.  .  And  It  isdear  fnmithecaftalpgueofthekingspf  ^Cftuater, 


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CHAP.  XXI.  OP  liiBMNJ).  331 

(ii.p.  696.)  tba»  ikme  wu  wo  MuiodMlvor  M0r«|iitMn4)f  BmBi 
or  BrojD)  axQ9Dg  tbem* 

(156)  Four  Mmm  up.  AA.  SS.p.B^mi8a6iBB7.) 

(157)  See  AA.  SS.ad  6  At^rt.  whm  Cdpn  treM  of  SU 
Ovpieus.  I  have  added  a  year  lo  km  dale  Aon  tte  4  IffaiiiiW 
He  relateB  a  curious  aDeedote»  wbkb  indeed  we  ane  nal  boiuid  IP 
beUeve,  of  MaelaeoWaiB,  who  had  beep  kiog  of  Iffnlewd,  aptwiug 
to  the  faini,  ami  telliog  hkn  that  be  waa  in  pivgttoiy  UigiiUat  fvi^ 
the  priest,  who  bad  been  bis  oonteicr  duriog  hit  liftriaw,  U  m 
added,  that  Cmproi^  prayed  br  the  ddmranoe  ^Ibe  Ufl(g»  wb9^ 
his  priesU  prayed  for  that  of  the  qwndaoEi  c«iBie«or>a9d  tihet  Ibey 
were  both  freed  from  poi^gatovy  ia  the  coune  of  a  year.  What- 
ever may  be  thought  of  this  nanative,  it  showa  tke  practice  of  the 
times  as  to  praying  ibr  the  dead,  wbicb  was  obaenred  in  Irdandat 
much  earlier  periods.  It  is  very  odd,  t}iat  Uober  undei^taofc  (JMs* 
course  of  the  ReUgum^  4*^  cA.  3.)  the  bopalef^  task  of  endeavour- 
ing to  prove  that  the  ancient  Irish  did  not  pray  Ant  the  daadi  £)r» 
bist<HicaUy  iqpeaking,  wh^her  th^  were  right  or  wrong,  them  ii  IM»> 
thing  nxNTe  certam  or  more  easily  deminatiatod  (Oi^ 

As  to  what  he  has  about  Patrick's  Pwgatory  in  Lough  Doig  Mt 
bei^g  as  ancient  as  some  bed  jmagi»ed»  I  agree  witii  Urn ;  bui^ 
although  he  does  not  dearfy  ese^Mxk  himself  he  must  have  knawo 
t}iat  said  Puigatory  was  not  consideied  as  a  baMtatien  er  re^ 
cqptade  of  departed  souls,  but  as  a  place  wfatfo  Hving  peraoBa 
might  be  puiged  from  their  sins.  (See  N(^  154  to  Chap,  vsl) 
Accordingly  it  has  nothiog  to  do  with  the  quesdoa  sdalive  iaaay 
future  state  o^  raanUed  or  to  pr^rars  fiv  the  dead*  The  passagi 
quoted  by  Usher  from  the  hoA  De  tri^  hniHaeuUi,  ncdiad  la 
St.  Patrick,  proves  nothing  on  either  skle  of  this  queatifln.  It 
states  that  there  are  three  regular  habitatkms  ertaWirfied  by  Gad^ 
VMS.  heSLV^xiy  earth,  and  hefl ;  that  the  just  are  {daeed  m  baaiWDi 
the  widced  in  hell,  and  that  on  the  earth  there  isanuaftuDeaffaed 
and  bad  persons,  and  that  out  of  it  the  two  other  plaoea  aia  iiqp- 
plied.  What  has  this  to  do  with  what  the  Catfa<dios  eail  Farg*- 
toiy;  whidi  not  to  enter  into  sdiool  questions  as  to  localilgry  ^ 
was  never  supposed  to  be  a  regular  or  permanent  haMtarion  ar 
state,  but  a  passage,  through  which  some  souls  should  pass  bdiae 
their  entering  the  kti^dom  of  heaven,  and  wbkii  nrilher  waa  aer 
if  visited  by  the  far  greatest  part  of  fl:iankind.    The  mdMNr  mjh 

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332  AN  £CCL£8IA8TI€AI^  HISTORY        CBAP.  XXr^^ 

tlMtthe  just  are  nMedtaheiiveiiy  but  does  not  state  that  tfiey  are 
10  immtdiirtMy  on  their  exit  from  this  life.  Now  this  ia  the  great 
point  at  iiiiia»  via.  whether  otf  the  just,  that  i8»  all  those  who  die 
b  the  state  of  graoa^  without  oonsidering  their  greater  or  lesser 
dsgsasa  of  peffectiooy  proceed  indtiscriminatelj  to  heaven  as  soon 
as  they  leave  this  world.  Concerning  this  point  there  is  nothing 
in  that  passage;  and  aoooidinj^y,  as  I  said,  it  afibrds  no  aiguroent 
on  either  side.  This  observation  equally  q)plies  to  some  diort 
paaMflni  quoted  by  Usher  from  other  writer?,  which  are  quite  irre- 
levant  to  the  question  concerning  prayers  ibr  the  dead,  and  which 
I  shaU  not  trouble  the  reader  with  examining.  It  wm  very  unfiur 
Ibr  Usher  to  refer  to  the  Gredcs  against  Rn^tory ;  for  he  wdl 
knew  thaty  although  they  do  not  admit  purgatorial  fire,  which, 
however,  cyd  not  prevent  their  union  with  the  Latms^at  the 
oouncil  of  norence,  they  have  always  priced  and  do  still  pray  for 
the  dead-  As  to  what  he  has  agiynst  Bdlarmine  concerning  an 
airgument  in  &vour  of  Purgatoiy  fivm  the  visions  of  St  Fiirsey  I 
shaH  not  dwell  on  it,  merely  observing  that  he  himself  gives  a 
passage  from  them,  whidi  certainly  seems  to  confirm  that  doctrine. 
To  get  rid  of  said  passage  he  tdls  us,  that  Grod^s  justice  was  sufB- 
dently  satisfied  by  tl)e  sufoings  of  Christ,  and  that  man  need  not 
ghre  fiirther  satisfaction  thereunto  by  penal  works  or  sufferings 
eitlMr  here,  or  in  the  other  worid.  This  is  a  glorious  doctrine  fi>r 
somen,  as  i^  because  Christ  sufiered  for  them,  they  should  not 
psake  any  atonement  fer  their  transgressions.  It  is  true,  that  every 
exertk^n  of  man  to  satisfy  the  divine  justk;e  would  be  useless,  had 
not  Christ  by  his  sufierings  appeased  his  heavenly  fiither,  and  thus 
enAled  man  to  appear  before  the  throne  of  mercy  in  the  confident 
hope  that,  through  the  merits  of  Christ,  his  works  and  peniten- 
tial fedings  and  sufferings  may  procure  fin*  him  forgiveness  firom  his 
Creator.  But  in  Ushers  system  the  sinner  may  sit  down  quiet  and 
easy,  and  do  no  more  thanjnerely  cease  to  sm,  saying  to  himsdf  ; 
C^iaitt  hoi  stffferedjor  me  f  I  am  not  bound  to  give  myself  the 
trmilU  rfany  atonement  or  penitential  task  ;  I  need  not  pray^  fmst^ 
ifc*  Why  then  has  the  Christian  churdi  fixHn  its  very  con»ience« 
■MDtoonstantty  hdd  that,  notwithstanding  all  that  our  Saviour  has 
done  for  us,  sinners  should  make  some  atonement  for  their,  trans- 
gwssionoi  whkhml^  serve  as  a  laborious  cleansing  of  their  souls; 
#pnNif  of  their  oonverskm,  and  an  antktote  against  iiehipse  ?  Why 

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CHAP.  XXI.  OF  2RBLAND.  SSS 

has  there  been  eitabliahed  during  the  whole  ooune  of  the  Church 
sudi  a  multitude  of  penitential  regulations  to  be  observed  by  re- 
pentant sinners?  Usher  was  well  acquamted  with  tkem,  but  most 
have  looked  up  to  them  as  usdess,  nay  unjust.  Foryinftctyhisprin- 
dple.was  the  monstrous  tenet  of  imptOed  righteomnesSf  that  bane 
of  true  Christianity  and  morality,  a  doctrine  which  exdudes  the 
necessity  of  any  penitential  sufeings  or  mortification  on  the  part 
of  man,  as  it  does  also  the  existenoe  of  a  state  of  purgation  after 
death.    Por,  to  ^lote  a  passage  fitmi  a  tract,  whidi  1  wrote  some 
'years  ago,  (Introduction^  by  Irtnaeuif  to  the  Protestant  Apology 
for  the  Roman  Catholic  Church)  <*  if  a  perM>n  be  reputed  just 
<<  only  by  outward  imputation,  there  can  be  no  gradation  of  sane- 
**  tity ;  whatever  may  be  the  habits  of  diffisrent  persons,  their 
*'  justification  must  be  the  same,  because  no  sentiments  or  deeds 
^'  of  their  own  are  at  all  looked  to  or  required  in  the  work  of 
*'  righteousness,  as  being  not  inherent  in  their 'souls,  but  simply 
^  an  external  remission  of  sin.    Thus  Christians  of  eveiy  MNt  are 
*^  placed  on  one  level,  and  th^  are  either  absolutely  and  uncon- 
«  ditionally  pardoned,  or  not  pardoned  at  aU.    Accordingly  after 
**  death  they  must  proceed  straight  forward  either  to  heaven  or 
^*  hell.    If  no  process  for  cleansing  the  soul,  by  penitential  suffer- 
**  ings  and  actions  indicating  real  r^ntance,  be  requisite  upon 
<<  earth,  it  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  it  will  take  place  in  the 
**  other  world.**      Usher  well  understood  the  tendency  of  this 
doctrine  towards  the  denial  of  any  purgation  of  souls  after  death ; 
for  he  Says  that  it  is  upon  the  opposite  doctrine,  viz.  that  which 
requires  penal  works  or  sufferings  fiiXMn  man,  Notwithstanding  the 
sufferings  of  Christ,  that  the  Rmnanists,  as  he  calls  them,  do  Uiy 
the  fitune  of  their  puigatory. 

He  was  obliged  to  acknowledge  that  the  ancmnt  Irish  used  to 
offer  the  sacrifice,  t.  e.  cdebrate  Mass  fiir  departed  souls ;  but  he  pre- 
tends that  this  was  done  only  for  such  soub  as  were  supposed  to  be 
in  a  state  of  bliss,  and  that  it  was  a.sacrifioe  of  thanksgiving  for 
their  salvation  rather  than  of  propitiatkm  fbr  their  sins.  If  such 
was  the  only  object  the  Irish  had  in  view,  when  offering  jhe  sa- 
crifice for  the  dead,  or  commemorating  them  in  their  ph^ers,  they 
differed  firom  all  other  Christians  in  the  worid.  For,  as  even  Bing- 
ham fOrigineSf  &c.  B.  xv.  cA.  S.)  admits,  notwithstanding  his 
evasions,  even  the  souls  of  persons  called  sinners,  that  is,  not  great 


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9S4  AN   ECCUBSIAtfnCAL   HISTORY         tHA^.  XXU 

(riamn  km  tapitfim  Hrfirrhrtfrj  wB/^ftnyid  fat  both  in  puMib 
Md  yriMltw    Tkito  St^  Mw  (SlijwMM^  (tfam.  41.  fa  I.  Cbr.) 
wWb^boled  bjr  Bici^aH,  apeii^  ^^K^^  bamoiemt wtnm 
SmibbdmA  ^mAommf^i  •*  tHj^iftnm  to  much  to  b«l«. 
>  MieMDn  ^vMi  [iMy^eiiy  Mpfifictttioni,  ^dtus,  Add 
Mr  tfaMW  fhiiAg^  w^tt  MC  denned  hi  Vidn,  neither 
«<  kJtwiliMNiimMi  that  ire  lartke  meiition  of  the  deceased  in 
**  dieMjr  Mgnftorio^  iotarcedoig  ^  them  to  the  Lamb  that  it 
<«  ilaiAl^takaiMf^rtheAia^  thowo^ld;  but  that  mxaecotm^ 
«  knion  nqr  hcoceitte  tatitom*    Neidier  is  it  in  vain  that  he, 
**  whe  itandi  at  the  akar  when  the  tremendous  mysteries  are  ce» 
<<  lebvated»  ^nca?  fVe  qffitt  utiio  theefor  all  those  that  dre  asleep 
**  in  Ckrisii  and  all  that  make  commemoratums  for  them*    For 
•^  if  there  were  no  twuwmoiaiiOflS  made  fbr  them,  these  things 
<<  wgyld  not  be  wuSl^Ij^  us  not  therefore  grow  weaiy  in  givic^ 
^  tham  our  assist snrt,  and  offering  (^mjers  for  them.    For  the 
<<  common  prefkiaHan  of  the  x$hole  world  is  now  before  os,  llyere* 
/<  fore  we  now  prnffoc  the  wh^  world  and  name  them  witli 
<<  nai^na^  with  contelors>  with  priests ;  for  we  are  an  one  body, 
**  tboiifll  one  member  be  more  excellent  than  another,  and  we 
V  may  <^btaiti  a  general  pardon  Jbr  them  hy  our  prayers^  by  our 
**  aimsy  hy  the  help  of  those  that  are  named  together  xxM  them,*' 
Wh0|  bm  a  fool,  could  inMgine  that  Chiysostom  did  not  mean  a 
iacrificeaBdpMQraflfofprO|ii€iack)n?  Or  what  is  to  be  thought  of 
the  foDafwingplaiil  wwdi  of  St  Augusthi  (Enchirid.  cap.  11(f)? 
«  Whtii  tiie  sacrifioaa  of  the  itftar  or  alms  are  offered  for  ^1  the 
**  decimedf  who  had  been  baptised,  they  are  for  the  veiy  good 
**  thanksgknngsy  and  for  those,  ^ho  were  not  very  bikd,  they  aie 
<<  propitiatians.**    St  Cyiman  distinguishes  oblations  and  sacri- 
fioeaofdwaksgifiags,  ai,  ^.  c  ibr  the  martyr8>  At>m  those  of 
sunpUcBdoDS  and  pnyers  for  the  feas  perfect  departed  soub. 
Whefc  TertidliBit  s#fs  fDe  Monogamia,  cap.  10.)  that  "  eveiy 
woman  pcaya  for  the  soul  of  her  deceased  husband,  and  meanwhile 
raquetts  rdiief  for  him  and  a  share  in  the  first  resuitection,  and 
makes  aiaiad|,s  for  him  OA  the  anniversaries  of  his  death,^  who  is 
the  pelemio  bigoted  or  sitty  enough  to  teS  us,  that  her  prayers 
and  oftrings  were  of  thanksgiving,  not  of  propitiation?  Were  I 
atguflUg  cwaivveiaiai>y^  1  couM  My  a  great  deal  moi^  on  these 
siribjecfts;  but  I  have  slated  this  much  merely  to  show,  how  Usher 

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GMAP.  XXU  OF  IftELAND^  ^3^ 

i  thjei  praefide  and  dpctvhM  of  tilt  iSMisiit  Itiflli 


Tb0trathi0tliattteIfUi)iad,  Iftd  dl  olher  CMitimv  Mdrt- 
ileetimapmjMffSy  bodiofUiinkigimgMd<^  Settie 

eftlie  tmn  icfMcd  ti>  by  Uali^weve  rdfltive  to  f  himfctgivitigf, 
iHJMw^li  not  all  of  dumy  particiilaiplyr  Itei  of  MagiHi^  eoneernfaig 
frkom  li9  quoted  thew  wofds  addruacd  by  hira  a  IMe  btforef  liis 
dMth  to  Tozao  bkbtop  of  Augsburg :;  "  Do  not  w€je{>>  reveteM 
**  pratee^  beianuO  thou  beholdeatiatlaboivk^  in  domony^MtM 
^«  of  worldly  trod>ks;  because  I  bdieve  in  tbe  nier6f  of  ^60^, 
•*  thai  my  soul  sfaatt  revoke  in  the  freedom  of  umnortfiBef .  Ya 
^  I  btseech  ihiCr  thui  ihowa^mt  esase  t&hdpme  a  nni^er  etnd 
^  nHftoul'miihihyhoty  prayers."  So  teftomUtis  passage  fbvoming 
Usher*8  thanlogiving  ^rBtem,  k  ia  evidently  against  it;  for  it  Is 
pbttn  that  Magnus  alluded  to  prayers  to  be  said  ibr  him  after  his 
deatfai  Now  the  pnTers^  which  he  feqnested,  were,  as  is  deaf 
from  the  import  of  the  wovds,  those  of  prot^tiadon;  and  indlsedit 
would  be  very  odd  were  they  not  %  for  who  would  presume  to  ceSL 
kn  athanksgiving  to  be  made  ibr  him  after  his  dead)>  a^  if  he  were 
abeolutely  certaia  of  enjoying  eternal  happiness  ?  As  to  what  oe* 
eurred  after  the  death  of  Magnus,  and  the  nature  of  the  salutary 
sflcrifioes  olihred  finr  hifn,  it  is  not  necessary  to  inquire;  fiyr,  if 
Usher  had  produced  fifty  cases  of  sacrifices  and  prayers  cftKank^ 
gMngf  they  would  not  exclude  those  abo  c^propifioHoti.  He  id*-* 
lowBy  that  prayers  for  the  dead,  and  masses  for  the  repose  of  d^ 
parted  soub>  or,  as  he  cMs  them,  Requtem  masstSy  Used  to  he 
observed  in  these  times;  and  yet  he  states  in  »  oonfidenl&I  fonc^ 
tbat  they  had  no  necessary  rdation  to  the  beHef  of  Pw^atoty. 
Hsw  he  qnftiblesy  in  his  usual  way  on  the  name  Ptirgatcnyf 
Had  he  sald^  that  tli^  had  no  relation  to  the  scho^F  questions  ^ 
oonceming  where  or  hew  Ptifgatoiy  is  or  is  not  constituted,  the  na- 
ture of  ila  punishments>  iCe  dmation,  Ac.  or  to  the  question  be^ 
t^Ween  the  Gredcs  and  Latins  as  to  purgatoria}  fire,  nobody  would 
quand  with  hhn ;  but  his  rent  intention  was  not  merely  to  reject 
thai  name^  but  likewise  whas  it'was  framed  to  signify,  viz.  astafie> 
if¥  whidi  some  souls  are  detained  before  they  are  allowed  to  enter 
the  kingdom  of  heaven.  Mow  then  could  he  have  reconciled  hb 
iidmHckig  the  practioe  of  Requiem  masses^  that  is,  Masses,  m 
which,  as  is  dear  from  the  prayers  contained  in  them,  the  refief 

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386  AN  ECCLfiSf ASTICAIc  RISTORT         OTAP*  X^;* 

of  thedeoMied  watactuaDy  ptayed  ffor,  with  hb  opiirai  Om  no 
such  rdief  was  wanted?  The  Irish  had  audi  Mtiwet  from  a  rery 
ancient  period*  and  we  find  them  spoken  of  in  the  Penitemiai  of 
Gumean,  ( Cap.  14.)  which  was  written  most  probably  in  the  se- 
venth centuiy.  (See  to  Not.  55  Chap.  xv«)    In  it  various  daysaie 
mariced  fixr  those  Masses  according  as  the  deceased  were  monks 
or  lay  pevMms.    They  are  also  in  a  very  ancient  Blissal,.  whkh 
Mabillon  finmd  at  Bobio,  and  which  he  published  in  the  first  vo- 
lume of  his  Mutaeum  Italicum.    He  calls  it  SacraineiUarniM 
Oallicanum^  although  he  acknowledges  that  it  difien  in  some  re- 
spects from  the  oki  Gallican  Missal  as  it  does  in  many,  from  the 
Roman,  Ambrosian,  &c.    He  thought  that  it  was  used  in  the  pro- 
vince, of  which  Besan9on  was  the  capital,  and  in  which  was  si- 
tuated St.  Columbanus' monastery  of  Luxeu.  There  can  scarcdy  be 
a  doubt  of  its  having  been  written  by  an  Irishman,  as  Dr.  O'Conor 
shows  (Ep.  NuncupatoTf  Sfc.  ad  Rer.  Hibem.  Scripior.  p.  cxxx. 
uqqj  from  the  orthography  and  the  form  of  the  letters  being 
exactly  the  same  as  what  we  find  in  old  MSS*  whidi  are  well 
known  to  be  Irish.    He  thinks  it  was  a  portable  Missal  for  the 
Irish  of  Luxeu  and  Bobbio.    Be  this  as  it  may,  we  may  be  sura 
from  its  having  been  copied  by  an  Irishman,  that  it  was  used  by 
Irish  priests.     Mabillon  pronounced  it  to  be  a  thousand  years  okl 
before  his  time ;  and  it  appears  very  probable  that  it  was  written 
before  the  death  of  St.  Cdumbanus,  whose  name  does  not  occur 
in  it,  as  in  all  i^ipearance  it  would  had  he  been  then  dead.    We 
find  in  it  various  prayers  contamii^  supplications  to  God  fixr  the 
pardon  of  the  deceased,  for  the  remission  of  their  sins  and  debu, 
indulgence  towards  them,  &c    Thus  in  a  Mass  for  the  dead,  en- 
titled <<  Pro  defuncHi,*'  these  words  occur  in  the  prayer,  caOed 
ConUdaHoi  **  TVibuos  ei  (famub  tuo  defuncto)  Domine  ddk?- 
torum  suorum  veniam  in  illo  secreto  receptacok)^  ubi  jam  non  est 
locus  poenitentiae — ^Tu  autem  Christe  recipe  animam  finnoli  tui 
ilL  quam  dedisti,  et  demitte  ejus  debita  magis  quam  ille  demisit 
deli^toribus  suis."    And  in  a  Mass  for  both  the  Uving  and  dead. 
Pro  vti^^c^^nc^M,  we  read  in  the  first  prayer;  <<  Concedepro- 
pitius,  ut  haec  sacra  oblatio  mortuu  prosH  ad  veniam^  et  vivia 
profidat  ad  salutem.    And  in  the  Cotdestatio  the  priest  asks,  both 
fi)r  the  dead  and  living,  <<  remissionem  peccatorum,  indulgentiam 
quam  semper  optaverunt,*'  &c.  But  of  this  Missal  sea  more  bekiw« 

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CHAP.  XXI.  OF  IRELAND.  357 

Chap.  XXXII.  §,  10.  Among  the  canons  of  the  Synod,  called  of 
St.  Patrick,  the  12th  (see  Ware's  Opusc  S.  P.  p.  34.)  is  entitled 
Of  the  oblation  for  the  dead,  and  is  thus  expressed :  <<  Hear  the 
"  Apostle  saying,  there  is  a  sin  unto  death,  I  do  not  say  that  for 
^'  it  any  one  do  pray.  And  the  Lord;  Do  not  give  the  holy  to 
*^  dogs.  For  he,  who  will  not  deserve  to  receive  the  sacrifice 
<«  during  his  life,  how  can  it  help  him  afler  his  death  ?*'  This 
canon  most  clearly  shows,  that  the  sacrifice  used  to  be  offered  as 
propitiatory  towards  the  relief  of  the  deceased,  and  of  all  such  as 
were  supposed,  while  alive,  to  be  worthy  of  being  admitted  to  the 
holy  communion.  It  was  celebrated  for  the  purpose  of  helping 
them ;  but,  according  to  the  Universal  practice  of  the  Church,  it 
was  not  offered  for  those,  whom  it  could  not  help,  that  is,  impenitent 
sinners,  who  were  unworthy  of  receiving  it  during  their  lifetime. 
Usher,  well  knowing  that  this  canon  was  directly  contrary  to  h» 
system  of  the  sacrifice  not  being  offered  for  the  dead,  except  by  way 
of  thanksgiving,  took  care  not  to  quote  it  He  understood  these 
matters  better  than  poor  Harris,  who  (Bishops,  p.  26.)  thought 
that  it  furnished  an  additional  proof  to  those  of  Usher  against 
prayers  for  the  dead.  It  certainly  furnishes  a  proof  against  pray- 
ing for  the  damned,  while  at  the  same  time  it  supplies  us  with  an 
incontrovertible  one  to  show,  that  tlie  Irish  used  to  offer  the  sa- 
crifice and  pray  for  such  deceased  persons  as  were  not  supposed  to 
be  in  helL  We  read  in  the  very  ancient  Life  of  St.  Ita,  who  lived 
in  the  sixth  century,  that  she  prayed  during  a  considerable  time 
for  the  soul  of  her  uncle,  who  was  suffering  in  the  lower  r^ons, 
while  his  sons  were  giving  alms  towards  the  same  object  (See 
Chap*  XI.  §.  2.)  Would  Usher  say,  that  these  prayers  and  alms 
were  by  way  of  thanksgiving?  When  St.  Pulcherius,  as  is  stated 
in  his  also  andent  Life,  and  who  died  in  the  seventh  centuiy,  used 
to  pray  for  the  repose  of  the  soul  of  Rooan  chieftain  of  Ele,  and 
recommend  it  to  the  prayers  of  the  people,  although,  by  the  bye, 
he  was  not  distinguished  as  a  holy  man,  (see  Chap.  xvii.  ^.  5. 
sndihe  Life  of  Pulcherius,  sap.  18.)  will  it  be  sakl  that  these 
were  prayers  of  thanksgiving?  I  might  appeal  also  to  a  Life  of  St. 
Brendan,  in  which,  as  Usher  himself  quotes,  alluding  to  the  re- 
lief of  deceased  persons  from  torments,  it  is  stated  that  the  prayer 
of  the  living  dothprqfU  much  the  dead.  As  to  said  Life  contam- 
'  'ng  some  &bles,  that  is  not  the  question ;  and  the  only  inquiry 
VOL.  III.  Z 

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338  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY        CHAP.  XXII. 

should  be,  what  was,  whether  amidst  fabulous  narratives  or  not, 
the  belief  and  practice  of  the  ancient  Irish  with  regard  to  offering 
the  sacrifice  and  praying  for  deceased  persons.  Now,  what  en- 
tirely overturns  Usher^  quibbles  with  regard  to  reducing  all  such 
prayers  to  thanksgivings,  we  have  a  canon  of  an  Irish  synod  prior 
to  the  eighth  century,  in  which  the  oblations  for  departed  souls 
are  e^qiressly  dntinguished,  according  to  the  circumstances  of  the 
souls,  into  those  of  thanksgiving  and  into  others  for  obtaining  full 
remission  for  them,  or  for  lighteniv%  their  sufferings.  This  canon 
may  be  seen  at  full  below  Chap.  xxui.  §.  12.  and  ib.  Not.  103. 
Not  wishing  to  enlaige  more  on  this  subject,  I  shall  now  leave  the 
reader  to  judge  for  himself. 


CHAR  XXII. 


Successio7i  of  kings  qfCaahel — Deaths  of  bishops  of 
different  sees  in  Ireland — and  of  abbots  ofHy — 
Emulph  and  Buo^  Irishmen^  distinguish  them- 
selves  by  their  zeal  for  religion  in  Iceland —Se- 
veral religious  houses  devastated  and  plundered 
by  the  Danes — Cormac  Mac  Cuilinan  king  and 
bishop  qfCashel — Cashel  not  an  episcopal  see  be- 
fore  the  time  of  this  prelate-^Flahertach  abbot  qf 
Iniscathy^'Cormac' s  chapel  at  Cashel — Succession 
of  the  bishops  qfEmly  still  kept  up  after  Cashel 
had  betome  a  bishop's  see-^Several  illustrious 
Irishmen  in  the'Continent — Sealbhach  secretary  to 
Cormac  Mac  Cuilionan — Succession  qf  Irish  mo- 
narchs — Deaths  qf  several  bishops^  abbots^  and 
learned  men  in  the  10/A  century — Devastations 
and  plunders  by  the  Danes  in  Ireland  in  that 
century-^^onversion  qf  the  Danes  qf  Dublin  to 
Christianihf^^Foundation  qf  the  Abbey  of  St. 
Mary's^  Dublin — Danes  d^eated  in  several  en- 
gagements  by  the  Irish — Deaths  of  more  bishops^ 
abbots^  and  learned  men^^Brian  Boroimhe  kmg 
of  Munster^-^eizes  on  Mac-Giolla-Patrick— de- 
feats the  Danes  in  several  battles-^Hy  plundered^ 
andjifteen  qfthe  elders  put  to  death  In/ the  Danes^ 

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T>1 


CHAP.  XXII.  OF   IRELAND.  339 


SECT.    I. 

COENFOELAD,  bishop  of  Emly,  and  king  of 
Cashel,  who  died  in  872,  (1 )  was  succeeded  by  Kud- 
gal  Mac-Fingail,  (^)  whose  death   is  assigned  to 

882,  and  next  after  whom  was  Concenmathair,  who 
died  in  887f  and  had  for  successor  Eugene  Mac- 
Cenfoelad,  who  is  called  prince  of  Emly  and  was 
killed  in  889.  (3)  After  him  we  must  place  Mael- 
brigid,  the  son  of  one  Prolech,  a  holy  man,  to  whom 
some  have  given  the  title  of  archbishop  of  Munster. 
His  death  is  marked  at  A.  D.  896.  (4)  ,  He  was 
succeeded  by  Miscel,  who  died  in  898.  (5)  Cormac, 
bishop  of  Duleek,  and  abbot  of  Clonard,   died  in 

883.  (6)  Largis,  bishop  of  Kildare,  was  killed  by 
the  Danes  in  886.  (7)  This  was  most  probably  the 
last  year  of  Moelcoba  Mac-Crunnvail,  archbishop  of 
Armagh,  (8)  whose  immediate  successor  was,  ac- 
cording to  some  of  our  annalists,  Mocta  ;  but  there 
is  much  better  reason  to  believe,  that  his  next  suc- 
cessor was  Maelbrigid.  (9)  This  prelate,  who  is 
reckoned  among  the  Irish  saints,  was  son  of  Tornan 
or  Dornan  of  the  royal  house  of  Niall,  and  a 
descendant  of  Conal  Gulbanius.  He  had  been  abbot, 
apparently  of  Deny,  and  abbot  also  of  Raphoe, 
before  he  was  raised  to  the  see  of  Armagh.  (10) 
A  great  riot  and  fight  having  occurred  on  Whit- 
sunday in  the  year  890(11)  between  the  Kinel- 
Eogains,  or  Tyronians,  and  the  Ulidians,  or  East 
Ulster  men,  in  the  cathedral  of  Armagh,  Maelbrigid 
had  influence  enough  to  put  a  stop  to  it,  and  to  in- 
duce both  parties  to  make  due  compensation  for  the 
crime  of  having  profaned  the  church.  It  is  related 
of  him,  that  on  a  certain  occasion  he  went  as  fiir  as 
Munster  for  the  purpose  of  procuring  the  deliverance 
of  a  British  stranger  from  prison.  liis  reputation  for 
piety  was  so  grejit,  that  he  was  called  the  head  of  re- 
Hgiorif  that  is,  the  most  religious  person,  not  only  of 

z  2 

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340        AN    ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY  CHAP.  XXII. 

all  Ireland,  but  of  the  greater  part  of  Europe.  He 
held  the  see  until  his  death,  which  occurred  on  the 
22d  of  February  in,  according  to  one  account,  926, 
and,  according  to  another  QT].  (12)  Thus  his  in- 
cumbency must  have  lasted  about  40  years.  (13) 
A  Hid,  a  scribe,  abbot,  and  bishop  of  Clogher,  died  in 
898,  (14)  as  did  in  the  very  last  year  of  the  century 
Dungal  Mac-Baithen,  abbot  and  bishop  of  Glenda- 
loch.  (15) 

(1)  See  Chap.  xxi.  §.  13. 

(2)  1  strongly  suspect  that  Rudgal  Mac-Fingail  was  eitlier  a  con- 
verted Northman  or  the  son  of  one.  Fingaily  or  White  foreigners 
was  the  well  known  appellative  of  a  certain  description  of  them, 
and  is  still  retained  in  a  tract  of  countiy  possessed  by  them  near 
Dublin.  And  the  name  Rudgal  is  much  more  Northmannic  than 
it  is  Irish.  Although  the  bulk  of  the  Northmen  settled  in  Ireland 
were  still  pagans,  yet  we  may  rationally  suppose,  that  some  of  them 
became  Christians,  were  they  no  others  than  the  sons  of  such  as 
had  been  taken  in  battle,  many  of  whom  were  most  probably  about 
Emly  and  Cashel  after  tlie  victories  of  Olchobar.  Rudgal  is  the 
6rst  person  bearing  a  Northmannic  name,  whom  I  have  met  with 
as  a  Christian  in  our  history. 

(3)  Ware,  Bishops  at  Emlj/. 

(4)  4  Masars  ap.  A  A.  SS.  p.  387,  at  A.  S95  (896).  Ware 
has  not  Maelbrigid  among  the  bishops  of  Emly,  but  Harris  has 
added  him  to  his  list.  The  4  Masters  do  not  place  him  at  Emly, 
but  by  styling  him  archbishop  ofMunsier  they  must  have  meant 
that  see,  as  in  those  times  no  other  Munster  prelates  were,  even 
by  courtesy,  ever  honoured  with  that  title  except  those  <^  Emly. 

(5)  Wareat£m/y. 

(6)  4  Masters  fl/>.  A  A.  SS.  p.  360  91  A.  882  (883.)  Hairis 
has  this  bishop  at  Meath,  p.  139. 

(7)  Tr.  Th.  p.  629.  at  A.  885  (886.)  The  Annals  of  Innis- 
fallen  assign  his  death  to  A.  888. 

(8)  See  Chap.  xxi.  f  13. 

(9)  Ware  observes,  (Bishops  at  Armagh)  that  some  Irish  an- 
nalists have  the  following  succession  after  Moelcoba;  1.  Mocta, 
who  died  in  889;  2.  Moelathgen,  who  died  in  890:  3.  Kellach 


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CHAP.  XXn.  OF  IRELAND.  341 

Mac-Saorgus,  who  died  in  898,  or,  as  others  saj,  in  903;  4. 
Moel-Kiaran  MacEogain,  who  died  in  914  or  915.  He  adds, 
that  these  are  not  reckoned  by  others  among  the  archbishops  of 
Armagh,  and  that  they  were  considered  only  as  suffragans  of 
Maelbrigid,  The  4  Masters  (ap.  Tr.  Tk.  p.  296.)  have  Mocta, 
whom  they  call  buhop,  anchoret^  and  scribe  of  Armagh.  Colgan 
leaves  the  matter  undecided;  but  O'Flaherty  in  a  MS.  note  (ib.) 
asserts,  that  Mocta  was  not  a  bishop.  This^  Mocta  was,  in  all 
appearance,  the  person  who  was  taken  by  the  Danes  together  with 
Moelcoba  Mac-Crumvail.  (See  Chap.  xxi.  $.18.  They  have  also 
Moelathgen  as  bishop  of  Armagh,  and  assign  his  death  to  890 
(891 ).  Yet  they  had  just  before  spoken  of  Maelbr^d  as  bishop 
and  comorban  of  St.  Patrick  in  889  (890)  and  hence  Colgan  con- 
cludes that  Moelathgen  was  only  a  sufiragan  or  coadjutor  i^  his. 
O'Flaherty  ( MS.  note)  holds  that  Moelathgen  was  a  real  bi^op 
of  Armagh,  and  that  he  was  the  immediate  predecessor  of  Mael- 
brigid,  placing  his  death  in  891.  The  4  Masters  next  have  Kel- 
Jach  Mac-Saorgus,  but  not  Moel-Kiaran,  and  afterwards  treat  of 
Maelbr^id.  Amidst  this  confusion  the  best  rule  to  follow  is  the 
catalogue  from  the  Ptolter  of  Cashely  which  places^  Maelbrigid 
immediately  after  Madcoba.  Colgan  himself  prefers  its  autho- 
rity to  that  of  the  annalists,  particularly  where  he  treats  of  Mael- 
brigid  or  St.  Maelbrigid^  A  A.  SS.  ad  22  Februar. 

(10)  The  4  Masters  call  Maelbrigid  comorban^  (Le.  suceesser) 
of  saints  Patrick,  Columba,  and  Adamnan;  As  to  his^  bdng  a 
successor  of  Columba,  Colgan,  at  his  AdSj  refers  it  to  Dehy^and, 
I  think,  with  good  reason.  For  it  cannot  be  supposed  that  he  was 
at  any  time  abbot  of  Hy.  We  have  seen  {Chap.  xxi.  §.  \^.)  that 
the  successor  of  Kellach  at  Hy  was  Feradach,  who  lived  untii 
880,  afler  whom  the  Annals  of  Ulster,  which  are  veiy  particular 
as  to  the  succession  at  Hy,  make  mention  of  Flan  Mac-Maoledrin> 
who  was  abbot  ih&e  untfl  891.  Now  in  this  year  Maelbrigid  was 
already  archbishop  of  Armagh,  and  being  in  that  rank  could  not  be 
invested  with  the  government  of  Hy,  which  was  always  reserved  to 
a  priest*  Nor  do  the  said  annals  exhibit  Maelbrigid  as  having  been 
there,  notwithstanding  their  also  making  him  a  comorban  of  Co- 
lumba. It  may  be  said  that  Maelbrigid,  although  he  had  not  been 
abbot  c^  Hy,  was  a  successor  of  Columba,  not  at  Deny  but  at 
Durrow,  (King's  county)  the  other  chief  monastery  of  that  saint  in 


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A 


342  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL   HISTORY       CHAP.  XXU. 

Ireland.  Yet  consideriDg  that  Maelbrigid  was  also  at  Raphoe»  it 
is  much  more  probable,  considering  its  being  Bot  far  from  Deny, 
that  this  was  the  place,  of  which  he  had  been  abbot.  It  is  odd 
that  Colgan,  in  his  account  of  the  abbots  and  other  distinguished 
penons  of  Hy,  redcons  ( TV.  Th.  p,  509.)  Maelbrigid  among  them, 
notwithstanding  what  he  says  of  him  in  his  Acts.  He  does  not 
indeed  call  him  abhai  of  Hy ;  but  he  should  not  have  placed  him 
there  at  all.  Yet  he  has  been  followed  by  Smith,  AppentL  to  Life 
of  St.  C.  p.  167.  Madbrigid's  being  called  successor  also  of 
Adanman  is  relative  to  his  having  been  abbot  of  Raphoe,  of  whose 
monastery  Adamnan  had  been  the  founder  and  was  the  patron 
saint.  Harris  had  no  right  to  make  him  bidu>p  of  Rapboe  (Bishops 
at  Armagh,  p.  46.  and  at  Raphoe  p.  270)  on  the  supposition  that 
its  monasteiy  had  been  already  raised  to  an  episcopal  see  by  St. 
Eunan.  For  this  he  had  no  authority  whatsoever ;  nor  does  any 
one  know  at  what  time  St.  Eunan  lived.  (Compare  with  Not.  59. 
to  Chap,  XVIII.)  : 

(11)  Four  Master  ap.  Tr.  Th.  p.  290.  at  A.  S89  (890).  O'Fla- 
herty  (MS.  no^f  i^.)  assigns  it  to  892.  I  wispect  that  his  only 
reason  for  this  date  was,  that  the  pIiEu:ing  of  the  riot  in  890  would 
not  agree  with  his  hypothesis  of  making  Moelathgcn  archbishop 
of  Armagh  predecessor  of  Maelbrigid.  (See  Not,  9.) 

(12)  The  4  Masters  (id.)  have  925  (926) ;  and  the  Ulster  An- 
nals (ap.  Ware  at  Armagh)  926  (927). 

(13)  Colgan,  (Acts  22  Febr.)  gives  him  exactly  40  years,  which 
he  reckoned  from  885  (886)  to  925  (926).  But  in  the  Cashel  ca-  ^ 
talogue  for  his  administrotion  we  find  marked  only  29  years.  Harris 
(Bishops  at  MadBrigid)  conjectures,  that  there  is  an  erratum  in 
the  XXIX  of  said  catalogue,  and  that,  instead  of  i,  we  should  read 
X,  thus  making  the  whole  xxxx.  This  is  certainly  a  probable  cor- 
rection. 

(14)  Ware  (at  Clogher)  from  the  annals  of  Ulster.  Yet  Colgan 
AA.  SS.  p.  742.)  places,  as  if  from  the  4  Masters,  Alild^s  death 
at  867  (868).  There  seems  to  be  some  mistake  in  in  his  printed 
text ;  for  after  Alild  we  find  the  death  of  one  Moran,  abbot  of 
Clogher,  affixed  to  A.  841  (842). 

(15)  Four  Masters  (ap.  A  A.  SS.  p.  257.)  at  A.  899  (900) ;  and 
Harris  (Bishops  at  Glendaloch). 

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CHAP.  XXII.  OF   IRELAND.  343 

§•  !!•  The  abbot  of  Hy  Feradacbi  son  of  Cortnac, 
who,  as  we  have  seen,  (16)  died  in  880,  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Flan  Mac-MaoLedrin,  who  died  in  891.  • 
(17)  He  was  a  descendant  of  Conal  Gulbanius, 
the  ancestor  of  St.  Columba ;  and  his  memory  was 
revered  on  the  24th  of  ApriL  (l8)  Aftpr  Flan  I 
find  mentioned  not  as  abbot,  but  as  coadjutor  of  the 
abbot  of  Hy,  Aengus,  son  of  Murchertach,  who  is 
styled  a  choice  anchoret,  and  wlio  died  in  936 ;  after 
whom  occurs  in  the  list  Caincomrach,  who  is  ex- 
.  pressly  called  abbot  of  Hy,  and  whose  death  is  as- 
signed to  946.  (19) 

^  In,  as  it  is  said,  the  latter  end  of  the  ninth  cen- 
tury, that  is,  after  874,  when  the  Norwegians  were 
in  possession  of  Iceland,  (20)  two  Irishmen,  Emulph 
and  Buo,  distinguished  themselves  in  that  island  by 
their  zeal  for  religion.  (21)  It  is  not  known  whe- 
ther they  were  clergymen  or  not,  and  it  is  probable 
that  they  had  been  taken  to  Iceland  as  captives  by 
some  Norwegian  pirates.  All  that  I  find  stated  con- 
cerning them  is  as  follows :  "  Helgo,  sumamed 
"  Biob,  a  descendant  of  Norwegian  barons,  whd 
•*  dwelt  in  the  province  of  Kialam,  was  not  favour- 
"  able  to  the  pagan  religion ;  for  he  received  into 
**  his  nei^bourhood  an  Irish  christian  an  exile, 
"  named  Emulph,  together  with^  his  families,  and 
"  not  only  received  him  but  allowed  him  to  erect  a 
*'  church  under  the  name  of  St.  Columbus  (Colum- 
^*  ba)  in  the  village  of  Esiuberg.  Buo,  a  young  man 
"  also  of  the  same  provincCy  burned  a  femoos  fane 
"  of  human  victims  and  all  its  gods.'*  (22) 

Three  Irishmen,  or  Scots  of  Ireland,  are  parti- 
cularly noticed  by  various  English  annaKsts  as  having 
set  out  from  Ireland  in  891  or  892  in  a  leathern 
boat  without  a  sail  or  any  equipment,  taking  with 
them  a  week's  provision,  and  as  providentially  ar- 
riving, after  seven  days,  in  Cornwall,  whence  they 
proceeded  to  pay  a  visit  to  king  Alfred,  by  whom 
they  were   most  graciously  received.     Their  flames 

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344  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY        CHAP.  XXII. 

were  Dufflan^  Macheathath  and  Magibmmen^  who 
is  represented  as  a  man  of  extraordinary  merit,  and 
a  celebrated  master  of  the  Scots  or  Irish.  (23)  Af- 
terwards they  went  to  Rome,  intending  to  proceed 
thence  to  Jerusalem.  One  of  them  died  during  their 
excursions,  and  some  miracles  are  mentioned  as  hav- 
ing been  wrought  in  consequence  of  his  death.  (24) 

(16)  Chap.  XXI.  J.  14. 

(17)  Annals  of  Ulster  in  Johnstone's  Extracts.  Tlie  4  Mas- 
terSi  who  call  him  son  of  Malduin,  assign  (op.  TV.  Th.  p.  500)  his 
death  to  A.  887  (888). 

(18)  Tr.  Th.  p.  481. 

(19)  lb.  p.  500.    I  have  added  a  year  to  the  dates.    Could 
CaiDComrach  have  been  the  immediat<>  successor  of  Flan  ?  If  8o> 
he  must  have  governed  Hy  for  55  years  from  891  to946.    Or  was 
there  between  them  an  abbot,  whose  name  has  not  reached  vm, 
and  fbr  whom  Aengus  acted  as  coadjutor?    Smith  (App.  to  Ltfe 
of  St.  C.  p.  1670  makes  mention  of  Dubhaid,  comorban  of  Co> 
lumbklll  and  Adamnan,  who  died  in  9S7*    But  his  being  called 
comorban  of  ColumbkiU,  does  not  prove,  that  he  was  abbot  of 
Hy,  no  more  than  it  does  that  of  M aolbrigid,  archbishop  of  Ar- 
magh, had  been  such ;  and  we  meet  with,  at  a  later  period,  a  Mu- 
redach,  likewise  called  comorban  of  Columbkill,  and  Adamnan, 
who  was  certainly  not  abbot  of  Hy.     By  that  title  was  meant,  I 
bdieve,.  one  who  was  abbot  both  of  Deny  and  Raphoe.    In  the 
Annals  of  Ulster  the  real  abbots  of  Hy  are  always  named  as  such. 
The  4  Masters  have  not  Dubhar^  among  them* 

(20)  See  Not.  32  to  Chap.  xx. 

(21)  Colgan  treats  <^  Emulph  at  the  2d,  and  of  Buo  at  the  5th 
of  February.  His  reason  for  treating  of  the  former  at  the  2d  was 
not,  that  he  knew  on  what  day  he  died,  or  whether  his  name  was 
in  any  calendar  or  not,  but  because  a  St.  Erlulph,  martyr,  bishop 
of  Verdun,  whom  he  thought  a  native  of  Ireland,  is  maiked  in  a 
German  calendar  at  that  day.  Accordingly,  on  account  of  the 
similarity  of  the  name,  he  has  Eraulph,  as  well  as  Eilulph  at  2d 
Febr.  As  to  Erlulph  having  been  an  Irishman,  there  is  no  suffi- 
cient proof,  although  Crantz  says  that  he  was  eitlier  a  Scot  or  an 
En^hman.  He  was  killed  by  the  Northmen  at  Ebbeckstorp,  not 


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CHAP.  XXII.  OP   IRELAND.  345 

far  €ma  Hambuigh^  in,  it  is  said,  the  year  856.  The  accounts 
given  of  him  are  rather  obscure^  and  unsupported  by  ancient  do- 
cuments. (See  the  BoUandists  at  2  Februart/.)  With  regard  to 
Emulph,  were  we  to  judge  from  the  name,  it  might  seem  that  he 
was  not  an  Irishman ;  but  he  b  expressly  so  called,  and  probably 
his  real  name  was  Emu/  or  Emubh^  which,  confonnaUy  to 
a  Northern  terminatiim,  was  dumged  into  Emulph  in  the  same 
manner  as  MaiUuff  or  MaUdMh  was  changed  into  MaUdulph. 
(See  Not.  62  to  Chap,  xviii.)  Why  Buo  should  be  marked  at  5 
February  or  styled  a  saint,  Colgan  gives  us  no  othar  authority  than 
that  of  Cameraiius  on  a  Scotch  martyrology  and  of  Dempster. 

(22)  Acts  of  Emulph  and  Buo  from  Amgrim  Jonas.  Although 
Colgan,  with  others  makes  Buo  an  Irishman,  yet  Amgrim's  wcrads, 
also  of  the  same  prootnce^  may  be  conjectured  to  refer  not  to 
Ireland  but  to  the  Icdandic  province  of  Kialam.  But  the  stress 
intimated  by  akoy  quoque,  leads  us  to  think,  that  the  author^s 
meaning  was  to  point  out  Buo  as  a  countiyman  <^  Emulph.  It 
is  going  rather  too  fiur  to  call  Emu^  and  Buo  the  AposUes  of 
Iceland.  The  little  that  is  known  ci  them  does  not  witborize  us 
to  give  them  that  title,  which  was  bestowed  on  them  by  the  above- 
mentioned  Scotch  writers,  who,  in  qute  of  Amgrim,  pretended 
that  they  were  Scotchmen.  We  have  seen  (Chap.  xx.  §.  4.)  that 
there  were  Christians  and  Irish  missionaries  in  Iceland  a  long  time 
before  either  of  them  was  bora.  And  as  to  the  re-establishment 
of  Christianity  in  Iceland  afler  its  occupation  by  the  NcMrwegians, 
Ara  states,  (Schedae^  Sfc.  ch,  7.)  that  it  was  introduced  during  the 
reign  of  Olaus  Tryggvon,  king  of  Norway,  a  great  grandson  of 
Harold  Harfagre,  by  persons,  among  whom  he  makes  no  men- 
tion either  of  Emulph  or  of  Buo.  Olaus  was  killed  in  battle  A.  2>. 
1000.  Whether  Cdgan  and  those  whom  he  foDowed  were  rig^t 
in  making  the  times  of  Emulph,  Buo,  and  Hdgo  Biola  as  early 
as  about890  it  is  not  worth  while  to  inquire.  The  BoUandists  (at 
2  Febr.)  omit  Emu^h,  and  observe  (ib.  p.  267*)  that  some  moie 
certam  information,  relative  to  him,  was  requisite  than  that  sup- 
plied by  Dempster  and  Colgan.  And  (at  5  Febr.  p,  593.)  speaking 
of  Buo,  whom  also  they  omit,  they  say  that  there  is  as  Uttle 
clear  or  authentic  known  concerning  him  as  there  is  about 
Ernulph.  Dempster,  with  his  usual^imposture,  makes  Buo  author 
of  Homiliae  ad  Islandos.     ( See  Harris.  Writers  at  Buo.) 


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346  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL   HISTORY      CHAP.  XXII. 

(2S)  It  k  thus  they  are  mentkmed  by  Fabiiu  Ethelweni^ 
{Ckron.  nd  A.  89I>  or  892)  who  says  of  Magilmunen  that  be  was^ 
'<  arHbui  yrandeuif  littera  doctus^  magi^er  insigrtU  ScoUorum" 
Florence  of  Worcester  (at  ^.  892.)  cdils  them  DuMan^  Mahbethy 
and  MulmttUn*  He  sqrs  that  they  left  Ireland  for  the  purpose 
of  leading  a  life  of  pilgrunage.  Perhaps  they  were  obliged  to  fly 
by  ihe  NorthmeD;  and  hence  we  may  acooimt  for  their  going  in 
a  sofry  boat  without  proper  equipment,  Matthew  of  Westminster 
assigns  their  departure  to  A.  891.  Ethelwerd  speaking,  in  his  bad 
Latin«  of  their  visit  to  Alfred,  says  ;  **  Adfredum  adeunt  regem^ 
in  quorum  advectum  cum  rege  pariier  sineUtus  ovtU"  Ledwich* 
wluMe  hatred  of  the  old  Irish  has  made  him  advance  so  much  non" 
sense,  pretends  {AnHq.  p.  180.)  that  the  names  of  these  three- 
Irishmen  intimate  a  Danish  or  Norwegian  extraction.  Now,  if 
there  ever  wer^  true  Irish  names,  surely  theirs  were  such.  Can^ 
any  name  be  more  Iridi  than  Dufflan,  Black  Flan?  Or  does  the 
Mac  of  the  other  names,  or  heaihatk.  Sec.  indicate  a  Danish  ori- 
gin ?  Did  the  Doctor  ever  look  into  a  Danish  dictionary  ? 

(24<)  I  have  endeavoured  to  pick  out  what  is  said  of  this  death 
fram  the  barbarous  style  of  Ethelward ;  but  I  am  not  sure  of  hav* 
ing  hit  upon  his  real  meaning. 

§•  III.  The  troubles  caused  by  the  Northmen  stil? 
continued.  In  884  they  plundered  Kildare,  and 
carried  off  to  their  ships  the  prior  Suibhne,  son  of 
Duibhdabhaireann,  besides  280  other  persons.  (25) 
In  887  they  laid  waste  and  pillaged  Ardbraccan  in 
Meath  ;  (26)  and  in  the  following  year^  as  some  say, 
or,  as  others,  in  886  a  great  battle  was  fought  be- 
tween Flan,  king  of  Ireland,  and  the  Danes  of  Dub- 
lin,  who,  it  is  said,  gained  a  bloody  victory,  while 
there  fell  on  the  part  of  the  Irish,  Aedh,  son  of 
Conor,  king  of  Connaught,  Largis,  or  Leargus,  bi- 
shop of  KMare,  aild  Donogh  son  of  Maolduin, 
prince  of  Kill-Dealga.  (S?)  Kildare  was  again  de- 
vastated  by  the  Danes  in  888  ;  and  in  the  following 
year  Clonard.  (28)  According  to  one  account,  the 
Danes  of  Dublin,  proceeded  in  891  to  Armagh, 
and^  having  plundered  the  city  and  destroyed  various 

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CHAP.  XXII.  OF  IRELAND.  34? 

sacred  buildings,  took  with  them  710  captives  ;  but 
another  account  assigns  this  transaction  to  A.  D. 
895.  (S9)  It  is  added  that  it  was  pillaged  again  in 
894  by  Northmen,  who  came  from  Lough-foyle ; 
yet  it  is  more  probable,  that  this  happened  in  898. 
(30)  In  the  year  896  the  Northmen  of  Tirconnel 
suffered  a  dregful  defeat,  in  which  two  of  their 
chiefs,  Auliffe  son  of  Ivar,  and  Gluntradna  son  of 
Gluniaran,  besides  800  of  their  followers,  were 
killed  by  the  Irish  commanded  by  Aiteid  son  of 
Laghan.  (31)  The  power  of  these  marauders  was 
gradually  diminishing,  and  would  have  declined  still 
faster,  were  not  the  Irish  quarreling  among  them- 
selves. In  902  they  were  slaughtered  by  the  people  . 
of  Leinster,  and  the  whole  of  them  were  driven  out 
of  Ireland.  (32)  Those  of  Dublin  were  expelled  by 
the  men  of  Bregh,  headed  by  Maol-Finia  (or  Fin- 
nian)  son  of  Flanagan,  who  had  been  killed  in  896, 
(3S)  and  by  the  innabitants  of  Leinster  commanded 
by  Carrol.  (34)  It  was,  in  all  probability,  after  this 
exploit  that  Maol-Finnian  became  a  monk  and  abbot 
of  Inis-Patrick  (Holmpatrick),   where  he    died  in 

treat  reputation  of  sanctity,  A.  D.  903,  (35)  on  the 
th  of  February,  at  which  day  his  name  occurs  in 
various  calendars  both  Irish  and  foreign.  (36) 

(25)  Four  Masters,  ap.  Tr.  Th.p.  629.  at  883  (884). 

(26)  U.  p.  663  and  IruL  Chron.  at  A.  886  (887). 

(27)  Annals  of  Innisfallen  at  A.  888.  They  are  followed  by 
Ware,  (Antiq.  cap  U).  The  4  Masters  {ap.  Tr.  Th.  p.  629) 
assign  this  battle  to  885  (886).  Largis  has  been  mentioned  above 
§.  1. 

(28)  Four  Masters  [1*.)  J.  887  (888).  and  in  A  A.  SS.p.  407.  at 
A.  888  (889). 

(29)  The  4  Masters  {ib.  p.  296.)  hdve  A.  890  (891)  while  the 
Annals  of  Ulster  have  A.  894  (895),  and  are  followed  by  Ware, 
{loc.  cU.)who,  however,  tells  us  elsewho^  {Bishops  of  Armagh  at 
Madbrigid)  that  Armagh  was  plundered  by  the  Danes  in  890. 
But  he  took  this  from  what  he  found  in  Colgan  from  the  4  Masters, 

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Si8  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY        CHAP.  XXI F. 

to  whose  date  I  should  prefer  those  of  the  Ulster  Annals.  As  ta 
the  710  captives,  who,  according  to  the  4  Masters,  were  taken  at 
Armagh,  the  Annals  of  Ubter  do  not  mendon  this  circumstance, 
but  state  that  in  the  year  895-  (896)  Gluniam,  a  Northman  chief, 
gained  a  victory,  but  where  we  are  not  told,  in  which  he  made 
710  prisoneiB. 

(SO)  The  4k  Masters,  ib.hKveA.  89S  (894).  Neither  in  the 
Annalt  of  Ulater,  nor  in  Ware,  {Antig.)  is  this  devastation  men- 
tioned, dthough  (al  Biihops  he.  ck.)  following  Colgan  as  before, 
he  sayi  that  Uie  Danes  plundered  Armagh  also  in  89S.  That 
some  Northmen,  who  came  from  Lough-foyle^  sacked  Armagb 
cannot  be  denied ;  but,  considering  that  this  occurred  after  the 
plundering  by  the  Dublin  Danes,  which,  in  all  probability,  was  in 
895,  it  must  be  placed  later  than  marked  by  the  4  Masters  -^  and, 
in  &ct,  the  Annals  of  Innisfallen  assign  it  to  A.  898. 

(31)  Annals  of  Innis&llen  at  A.  896.  This  victory  is  men- 
tioned also  in  the  Ulster  Annals,  whidi  have  at  895  (896);  "  The 
Gals  defeated  by  the  men  of  Tiroonnel  under  Mac-Laigur  (for 
son  of  Laghan)f  who  killed  Auliflfe  son  of  Ivar."  At  said  year 
these  annals  state,  that  Flanagan,  king  of  Bregfa  (the  country 
stretching  firom  Dublin  to  Drogheda)  was  killed  by  the  North- 


(32)  Annals  of  Innisfallen  A.  902,  and  of  Ulster  aC  A.  901 
(902.) 

(33)  SeeiVo^.31.  (34)  Annals  of  Ulster,  f& 

(35)  16.  at  ^.  902  (903). 

(36)  Colgan  touchii^  on  him  (AA.  SS.  at  6  Febr.  p.  268.) 
caUs  him  St  Finuian  or  Moelfinnian,  who,  from  prince  of  Bregh 
became  a  numk,  &c.  The  4  Masters,  whom  he  quotes,  assign 
his  death  to  898  (899) ;  but  this  cannot  agree  with  his  having 
fought  against  the  Danes  in  902.  It  is  odd  that  the  dates  of  the 
4  Masters  are  usually  earlier  by  some  years  than  those  of  the  an* 
nab  both  of  Ulster  and  InnisMen.  To  the  many  instances  we 
have  met  with  I  may  here  add  that  for  the  death  of  Bressal,  a  lec- 
turer of  Armagh,  which  (ap.  Tr.  Th,  p.  296.)  they  assign  to  A. 
894  (895) ;  whereas,  according  to  the  Ulster  Annals  {ap.  Usher, 
Pr.  p.  861.)  he  died  in  898  (899). 

§•  IV,  By  far  the  most  celebrated  man  of  these 

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CHAP.  XXII.  OF   IRELAND.  ^  349 

times  in  Ireland  was  Cormac  Mac-Culinan,  who  was 
not  only  bishop  of  Cashel,  but  likewise  king  there, 
that  is,  of  all  Munster,  of  which  that  city  was  the 
capital.     He  was  not  the  first  who  united  the  scepter 
of  that  province  with  the  episcopacy ;  for,  as  we  have 
seen,  Olchobar  and  Coenfoelad,  bishops  of  Emly,  had 
been  also  kings  of  Cashel  or  of  Munster.   Little  is 
known  concerning  the  earlier  part  of  Cormac's  life. 
I  find  that  he  was  bom  in  837  ;  (37)  and  it  is  al- 
lowed on  all  hands,  that  he  was  of  the  Eugenian 
branch  of  the  royal  house  of  Munster.     That  he 
was  educated  for  the  ecclesiastical  state  is  evident 
from  his  having  been  possessed  of  great  learning,  for 
the  acQuisition  of  which  he  must  nave  spent  a  great 
part  ot  his  time  amidst  the  tranquillity  of  college  or 
religious  establishments.     It  is  said  that  he  had  been 
instructed  by  Snegdus  a  learned  and  pious  abbot  of 
Castledermot ;  (38)  and  it  is  certain  that  he  was  a 
bishop  before  he  became  a  king.     But  how  or  where 
he  was  raised  to  the  mitre  it  is  not  easy  to  under- 
stand.    Before  his  time  Cashel  was  not  an  episcopal 
see,  having  been,  notwithstanding  some  idle  conjec- 
tures to  the  contrary,  still  comprized  in  the  diocese 
of  Emly.     How  then  did  Cormac  become  bishop  of 
Cashel?  Tlie  see  of  Emly  continued  to  exist,  as 
usual,  and  had  its  bishops,  distinct  from  those  of 
Cashel,  in  his  time  and  for  centuries  later.    There 
was  no  quarrel  or  schism  between  Emly  and  Cashel, 
and  Cormac,  while  bishop  and  king,  was  on  the  best 
terms  with  the  bishop  of  Emly.     I  think  it  probable, 
that  he  was  bishop  of  Lismore  before  he  removed  to 
Cashel.     For  a  Cormac,  son  of  Culinan,  is  stated  to 
have  been  bishop  there  in  those  times  ;  and  I  do  not 
find  any  sufficient  reason  for  supposing,  that  we  are 
to  admit  two  bishops  Cormac,  botn  sons  of  Culinans, 
and  contemporaries,  one  at  Cashel  and  the  other  at 
Lismore.  (39)     It  may  be,  however,  that  he  was 
originally  made  bishop  at  Cashel  on  account  of  his 
extraordinary  merit,  according  to  the  Irish  system  of 

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350  AK   ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY        CHAP.  XXII* 

raising  distinguished  persons  to  the  episcopal  rank 
in  places,  where  previously  there  had  been  no  bishc^s. 
Then,  in  opnsequence  of  the  gr^at  respect  in  which 
his  memory  was  held,  Cashel  probably  became  a 
pennanent  and  regular  see;  and  tnere  is  good  reason 
tothiokthat,  as  the  capital  of  Munster,  its  follow, 
ing  bishops  gradually  ac(|uired,  even  b^ore  it  be- 
came a  reaUy  metropolitical  see,  the  ascendancy 
which  had  been  formerly  enjoyed  by  the  church  of 
Emly. 

(S7)  Annals  of  Jnniafallen,  at  A.  837. 

(38)  See  0'Conor*B  Dusertatiom,  sect.  17.  and  the  4  Masten 
at  A.  885,  and  below  Not.  56. 

(39)  Cdgan(if^.  SS.  p.  360.)  has,  from  the  4  Masters,  as  dif- 
fiarent  persons  Cormac  Mao^Culinan  king  and  bishop  of  Cashel, 
whose  death  they  assign  to  903  (904),  and  Coraiac  Mac-Cutiiian, 
bishop  of  Lismore,  whom  they  call  prince  of  the  DesieB,  and  who, 
they  say,  died  in  918  (919)  If  theM  dates  were  anrrect,  it  would 
follow  that  there  were  two  distinct  Cormacs  Mac-Culinan.  But,  at 
least,,  the  former  one  is  not ;  for  the  Cormac  of  Cashel  died  in 
908  ;  and  as  to  918  for  the  one  of  Lismore  it  is  perhaps  a  mts- 
iake  for  906.  The  4  Masters,  when  searching  in  old  annak  and 
documents,  m^ht  have  found  Cormac  Mc  CuHnan  called  in  some 
bishop  of  Lismore,  and  in  others  of  Cashel,  mid  thence  supposed 
that  they  were  different.  Their  calling  Cormac  of  Lismore  prince 
<tf  the  DetUi  does  not  fomish  an  aigument  against  his  having 
been  the  same  as  Cormac  <^  Cashel ;  whereas,  in  consequence  of 
being  bishop  of  timt  great  see,  situated  in  the  Desies  country,  he 
nii^t  while  there  have  got  that  title, 'in  the  same  manner  as  some  bi- 
shops of  fanly,  ex*  c  Eugene  MacCenfoelad,  (see above  ^.  1 .)  were 
styled  princes  <^  Eml^.  I  suspect  that  the  epithet  Theasaleseop, 
which  has  been  applied  to  Cormac  (Not.  prec)  before  he  became 
Iking  of  Cashel,  alludes  to  a  see  more  southerly  than  Cashel,  such 
as  Lismore  is.  Perlu^  it  was  ustfol  to  distinguish  Lismore  by  call- 
ing it  the  southern  fHace  or  establishment  much  in  the  same  wi^ 
a9  Alcuin  spoke  of  it  in  his  letter  to  Colcu.    (See  Not,  45.  to  Chap. 

XX.) 


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CHAP.  XXII.  OF  IRELAND.  351 

§•  y.  The  greatest  part  of  what  is  known  con- 
eeming  the  transactions  of  Connac  i^  r^ative  more 
to  the  civil  than  to  the  ecclesiasticdl  history  of  Ire- 
land. The  occasion  of  his  beinff  raised  to  the  throne 
was>  that  Kinngeagan,  who  had  got  possession  of  it 
in  895  (40)  was  dethroned  in  901,  and  Connac 
was  called  to  it  by  his  opppnents.  (41)  Yet  soine 
time  elapsed  before  he  was  peaceably  seated  on  it ; 
itnd  it  is  stated,  that  Fionngaine,  who  is  called  son 
of  Gorman  king  of  Cashel,  was  killed  in  902  dur« 
ing  the  contest  by  his  own  people.  (42)  It  was  in 
90S  that  Cormac  became  king  without  o{q>osition. 
(43)  While  he  was  governing  his  kingdom  in 
peace,  Flann,  sumamed  Siorma^  king  of  all  Ireland, 
and  CearbhaK  son  of  Muregah,  king  of  Leinster, 
marched  with  an  army  towards  Munster,  and  laid 
waste  the  whole  country  between  Growran  and  Lime- 
rick. (44)  But  in  the  following  year  Cormac,  ac- 
companied by  Flatbertach  Mac-Ionmunain  abbot  of 
Inntscatthy,  a  man  of  a  very  military  disposition,  set 
out  with  the  forces  of  Munster,  and,  arriving  in  the 
plains  of  Magh-leana  in  the  now  King's  county,  gave 
battle  to  Flann  and  his  confederates  of  Leath-Cuinn 
(the  northern  half  of  Ireland)  and  defeated  them 
with  great  loss,  particularly  of  the  Nialls,  among 
whom  Maolchraobha  son  of  Cathalan  kins  of  Kinel- 
£(^ain  (Tyrone)  was  killed.  Flann  beu^  &rced 
to  submit  and  give  hostages  to  Cormac,  the  Munster 
army  advanced  to  Maigne-muCenn*adh  (apparently 
the  Kierrigia  of  Roscommon)  and  there  compelled 
the  Conacians  and  some  of  the  Nialls  to  give  hos- 
tages, after  which  they  plundered  the  islands  of 
Lough-ree  and  a  fleet  that  lay  there ;  and  then  Leath- 
x^uinn  became  tributary  to  an  ecclesiastic.  (45)  Flann 
and  his  adherents  did  n<M;  long  submit  to  this  de- 
gradation, but,  together  with  Cearbhal  of  Leinster, 
the  princes  of  Leath-cuinn,  Cathal  son  of  Conor 
king  of  Connaught,  &c.  raised  a  great  army,  which 
was  met,  in  908,  at  Beallach  Mughna  (Ballymoon 

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352  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL   HISTORY      CHAP.  XXII. 

in  Idrone,  connty  of  Carlow)  by  Cormacatthe  head 
of  the  forces  of  Munster  and  CJssory  under  their  va- 
rious chiefs  and  many  of  their  principal  nobility. 
A  desperate  battle  then  took  place,  in  which 
Cormac  was  killed  by  one  Fiacha,  and  along  with 
him  several  other  princes  and  nobles,  besides 
about  6000  of  their  followers.  (46)  This  battle 
is  said  to  have  been  fought  on  the  l6th  of  August ; 
(47)  and  some  writers  place  the  scene  of  it  at  Moy- 
albe  or  the  White  Jield,  This,  however,  does  not 
imply  any  difference  of  situation  ;  for  Moyalbe  was 
near  Beallach-Mughna,  being  in  the  vicinity  of  Old 
Leighlin.  (^48)  It  has  been  foolishly  said,  that  Cor- 
mac was  killed  not  in  this  battle  but  by  the  Danes,  a 
story  quite  in  opposition  to  the  most  respectable  au- 
thorities and  to  the  then  state  of  Ireland.  (49) 
Others  tell  us,  that  his  death  was  occasioned  bv  a 
fall  from  his  horse  during  the  heat  of  the  battle ; 
and,  according  to  another  account,  he  did  not  engage 
in  the  battle  at  al),  but  was  praying  apart  for  the 
success  of  his  army,  when  a  herdsman  coming  up  put 
him  to  death  (50) 

(40)  Annals  of  InnisMen,  as  ap.  Harris. 

(41)  lb.  at  A.  891  (Mr.  O'ReiUy's  copy). 

(42)  lb.  ad.  A.  902.  Colgan  says,  ( Tr.  Th.  p.  186.)  that 
FboogBine  was  son  of  Kinngeagan ;  but  how  will  this  agree  with 
his  being  called  in  the  Innisfidlen  annals  «efi  of  Gorman  f  (XFla- 
hatf(MS.  fiol.i6.)  asserts  that  Fionngaine  was  the  same  as  Kinn- 
geagan. If  so,  it  is  odd  that  in  th^  course  of  two  or  three  lines 
the  same  persons  should  be  called  in  those  annals  first  Khm* 
geagam  and  next  FUmngaine.  I  do  not  presume  to  judge  on  a 
matter  of  this  land,  which  I  have  toudied  upcm  merely  to  ^w, 
that  there  was  a  contest  for  the  throne  of  Cashel  after  the  nomi- 
nation of  Cormac. 

(43)  Annals  of  Innis&Uen  at  A.  903.  The  4  Masters  have 
earlier  dates  for  these  transactions ;  but  their  authority  is  not  equal, 
particularly  with  regard  to  the  afiairs  of  Munster. 

(44)  lb.  ad  A.  906.  (45)  lb.  ad  A.  907. 


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CHAP.XXir.  OF   IRELAND.  353 

(46)  lb.  ad  A.  908.  I  cannot  guess  what  reason  Dr.  Mflner 
had  (Tour  m  Ireland^  Letter  14.)  for  suspecting,  in  direct 
opposidoa  to  our  Annals,  that  Cormac  lived  at  a  much  later 
period 

(47)  Ware>  ArUiq.  cap.  21.  and  ArcMnshops  of  Cashd^  at 
Cormac. 

(48)  See  Not.  36.  to  Chap.  xv. 

(49)  The  &ble  of  Cormac  having  been  killed  by  the  Danes  is  not 
to  be  found  in  any  Irish  annals  or  document  that  I  know  of.  It 
is  in  the  chronicle  of  Caradoc  of  Lhancarvan,  who  calls  Cormac 
**  Carmotj  the  son  of  CukemaUf  king  and  bishop  of  Irelandr  The 
migh^  antiquary  Ledwich  (Antiq.  SfC  p.  148.)  follows  Caradoc  ; 
ibr»  in  fiict,  he  prefers  eveiy  authority  to  that  of  Irish  histCNy, 
which  indeed  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  as  he  knows  so  little  about 
it.  Speaking  of  Cormac,  he  says  that  **  Irish  romantic  histoiy 
tells  us  that  he  was  descended  from  OUoll  Olum  king  of  Munster 
of  the  Eugenian  race,  &c."  The  reader  will  i^ease  to  observe, 
that  he  calls  the  Irish  histoiy  of  even  the  tenth  centuiy  romantic. 
Then  to  show  his  learning  he  says  that  Olioll  Olum  was  of  the 
Eugenian  race.  Fray  how  could  that  be  ?  For  Eugenius,  from 
whom  that  race  was  denominated,  and  fiY>m  whom  the  Mac 
Carthys,  &c  descend,  was  a  son  of  Olioll  Olum,  who  was  the 
ancestor  also  of  the  Dalcassian  princes,  to  whom  the  O'Briens,  &c. 
bdonged.  If  the  Doctor  had  looked  ocdy  into  Keating's  pedi- 
grees, he  would  not  have  insulted  the  public  with  such  blunders. 
Our  antiquary  adds ;  **  I  rely  more  on  the  testimcmy  of  Caradoc 
of  Lhancarvan  for  his  (Cormac's)  existence  than  the  plausible  fic- 
tions of  national  writers ;  and  I  think  what  this  Welsh  chronicler 
relates  cS  his  bang  shun  by  the  Danes  most  likely;  for  at 
thistimetheywereravagingevery  partof  thekingdom.**  The  in- 
solence of  this  ignorant  man  is  really  intolerable.  To  represent 
what  our  annalists,  historians,  and  the  constant  tradition  of  all 
Ireland  have  concerning  the  existence  of  Cormac  as  plausible  fie* 
Hans  shows  such  a  perverse  carelessness  of  truth  with  regard  to  Irish 
history,  that  the  proposer  of  such  nonsense  is  not  worth  aiguing 
against.  What  object  could  our  national  writers  have  had  in  in- 
venting  an  account  of  Cormac^s  ^istence  ?  But  see  what  this  sage 
critic  rdles  on  for  it.    The  testimony  of  Caradoc !  a  testimony 

VOL.  III.  A   A. 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


354  AS  ECCLEStASTICAL  HISTORY        CHAP.  XXII* 

which  would  be  unintelKgible  had  not  Cormac  really  existed.  For' 
who  otherwise  could  discover,  who  was  Carmot  son  of  Cvkeman, 
&C.  ?  As  to  his  following  Caradoc  on  Cormac's  having  been  IdUed 
by  the  Danes,  it  would  have  been  more  to  the  honour  of  Ireland 
and  of  its  clergy  had  such  been  the  case ;  nor  would  our  annalists 
have  attributed  the  death  of  a  king  and  bishop,  so  highly  esteemed, 
to  his  own  countrymen,  or  liav^  so  particularly  mentioned  their 
names,  if  they  had  not  been  the  authors  of  it.  But  the  fact  is, 
that  Cormac  could  not  have  been  killed  at  that  time  by  the  Danes ; 
ibr,  although  neither  Caradoc  nor  his  humble  follower  the  Doctor 
knew  it,  there  were  no  Danes  then  in  Ireland,  against  whom  Cor- 
mac could  have  fought.  For,  as  we  have  seen  (above  §•  3.)  they 
had  been  driven  out  in  902,  and,  although  they  returned  after- 
wards, yet  they  did  not  come  back,  at  least  in  any  considerable 
force,  until  some  years  later  than  908,  the  year  in  which  Cormac 
was  killed. 

(50)  For  these  various  statements  see  Keating  B.  2.  where  he 
treats  largely  of  Cormac,  and  Ware  and  Hairb,  Archbishops  ofy 
Cashel,  at  Cormac 

§«  VI.  Cormac  was  accompanied  in  this  unfortu- 
nate expedition  by  several  ecclesiastics,  some  of 
whom  actually  fought  in  the  battle.  Among  the 
slain  are  reckoned  OlioU  Mac-Eogan,  abbot  of  Cork, 
and  Colman,  abbot  of  Kinnity.  (51)  The  chief 
fomenter  of  it  and  encourager  of  Cormac  to  meet 
the  enemy  out  of  his  own  country,  in  opposition  to 
his  wish  to  compromise  matters,  as  he  loved  peace 
and  is  said  to  have  had  a  foreknowledge  of  his  death 
in  case  of  an  engagement  taking  place,  is  stated  to 
have  been  the  furious  Flathertach  abbot  of  Innis- 
Cathy,  who  was  one  of  the  principal  commanders  in 
the  battle.  (52)  This  martial  spint,  which  unluckily^ 
insinuated  itself^  among  the  Irish  clergy,  and  which 
was  so  contrary  to  the  Mielings  and  principles  of  their 
predecessors,  (53)  originated  in  the  contests  against 
the  pagan  Northmen,  in  which  they  were  mucn  in- 
volved, and  some  of  them  almost  forced  to  take  up 
arms  to  defend  themselves  and  their  establishments 

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CHAP.  XXIK         OP  IRELAND.  355 

iBgainst  those  baiiiarous  and  savage  invaders.  But, 
whatever  apology  may  be  made  for  the  churchmen 
iwho  fought  agaui3t  tKem».  or  for  Cormac  who,  as  a 
king,  was  bound  to  protect  his  subjects^  whosoever 
the  enemies  might  be,  none  can  be  found  for  such 
conduct  as  that  of  Flathertach,  if  what  is  said  of  him 
be  true.  Tiobruide,  bishop  of  Emly,  and  who  is 
called  the  reUgious  successor  of  Ailbe^  also  accom- 
panied Cormac ;  (54)  but  whether  he  mixed  in  the 
battle  or  not  .1  do  not  fin(^  recorded.  Previous  to  the 
engagement  Cormac  made  his  confession  to  Comhgall 
his  confi^ssojTy  and  o^ade  his  will,  in  which  he  be- 
queathed various  sacred  ornaments  and  utensils,  be- 
^es:gold  md  silver,  to  divers  churches  and  religious 
placies,  such  as  of  Cashel,  Lismore,  Emly,  Armagh, 
Kildare,  Gleadaloch,  &c.  (55)  It  is  said  that  his  body 
was  brought  to.  Cashel  and  interred  there ;  hut,  ac- 
cording to  another  account,  it  has  been  supposed  that 
he  was  buried  at  Castle-dermot.  (56)  His  reputa- 
tion for  piety,  wisdom,  and  learning  was  so  great, 
that  he  has  tteen  considered  as  the  most  eminent  man 
lof  his  times  in  Ireland.  (57).  He  wrote  the  cele- 
brated work,  entitkd,  the  Psalter  of  CaslieU  (58) 
\xx  Avhiqh  h$  treated  of  the  history  and  antiquities  of 
J[jrj^}an4*  It  has  been  considered  as  of  the  highest 
^mtUorityji  ai^d  was  still  extant  entire  in  the  17th 
-century,  and  is  probably  so  somewhere  at  present, 
although  I  know  only  of  some  parts  of  it,  which  are 
to  be  tound.  (59)  To  him  is  usually  attributed  the 
(Irish  glossary  or  Etymological  dictionary,  called 
Sanasan  Cormac  j  (60)  and  he  is  said  to  have  written 
a  book  on  the  genealogies  of  the  Irish  saints.  (61) 
The  beautiful  small  church,  now  called  Cormac's 
Chapel,  on  the  rock  of  Cashel,  and  perhaps  the  oldest 
ecclei?iastial  building  of  stone  now  remaining  in  Ire- 
land, is  universally  allowed  to  have  been  erected  by 
this  king  and  bishop.  (62)  This  church  could  not 
at  any  time  have  been  the  cathedral  of    Cashel,  as 

A  A  2 


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356  AN    ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY        CHAF.  XXU. 

some  writers  have  supposed ;  for  it  was  quite  too 
small  for  that  purpose;  and  I  can  scarcely  doubt 
that  it  was  merely  a  roya(l  church  or  chapel  annexed 
to  the  kin^s  jpalace  or  castle,  which  was  situated  on 
the  summit  of  the  rock.  (63) 

(51)  Tor  Olioll  see  Annals  of  Innisfidlen  at  A.  90B,  and  for 
'Colman,  Keating.  Kinnity  is  in  that  part  of  the  Kmg's  county, 
which  formerly  belonged  to  Munster. 

(59)  Keating,  ib.  <5.S)  See  Chap.  xx.  j.9. 

(54)  Keating,  ib.  (55)  Keating,  ib. 

(56)  According  to  Ware  (loc.  cit.)  he  was  buried  at  Cashd ; 
but  Keating  (iB.)  asserts  that  he  ordered  to  have  his  remains  de* 
posited  in  Cloyne,  where  St.  Colman  son  of  Lenir  had  been 
buried,  or  if  that  could  not  be  done,  in  Disert  Dermod  (Castle- 
dermot),  where  he  had  resided  for  some  years  in  his  youth,  and 
received  his  education,  viz.  I  suppose,  under  die  abbot  Snegdus. 
But  I  do  not  find  that  Keating  makes  hSm  be  actually  interred  at 
Castledermot. 

(57)  In  the  Annals  of  Innisfiillen  (at  A.  906.)  Cormacis  styled 
the  most  learned  in  hiotoledge  and  science^  and  the  most  holy  and 
pious  in  his  time  in  Ireland.  The  4  Masters  {hp.  AA.  SS.  p. 
360,)  call  him  king^  bishop^  anchoret  a  toise  man,  and  writer. 

(55)  It  is  usually  supposed  that  thu  woric  was  called  Psalter 
on  account  of  its  having  been  written  m  verse,  in  the  san^e  man- 
ner as  there  was  the  Ptolter  of  Tara,  and  as  to  one  or  two  worics 
of  Aengus  Cele-de  was  given  the  name  of  Psalter^a-'rann*  (See 
Chap.  XX.  §.  10.)  But  my  deceased  worthy  friend  General  Val- 
lancey  informed  me  that  this  was  a  mistake^  as  the  original  title  of 
the  work  was  SaUairy  which,  he  said,  signifies  chronicle;  and  so 
he  has  stated  in  his  Prospecttis  of  a  dictionary  of  the  ancient  Irish 
at  Taireac.  Yet  Saltair  signifies  also  Psalter ^  and  the  Psalter 
or  Saltair'na-rann  was  not  a  chronicle. 

(59)  Ware  makes  mention  of  it  (Anti^.  cap^  21.  and  An^h" 
bishops  qfCashd  at  Cormac)  as  extant  in  his  time  and  in  great 
esteem.  He  says  that  he  had  some  collections  out  of  it.  Keating 
had  a  copy  of  it,  which  he  oflen  quot^,  and  speaks  of  it  more 
than  once  in.  his  Pireface  as  a  work  to  be  seen  in  his  days.  Col- 
gan  also  touches  on  it  (A A.  <SS.  /?.  5.)  as  actually  existing;  and 

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CHAP.  XXII. 


OF   IRELAND.  357 


Lhuyd  (Archaeologiih  catalogue  of  Irish  MSS.)  Nicholson 
{Irish  Histor.  Library,  ch.  2)  and  Dr.  O'Conor  {Ep.  Nuncup. 
Sfc.  p,  66.)  tells  us,  that  there  id  a  part  of  it  in  an  old  MS.  of 
the  Bodleian  libraiy  at  Oxford.  Some  writers  pretend  that  Cor- 
nac  was  not  the  author  of  it,  and  that  it  was  oompfled  after  his 
times.  In  Act,  there  are  some  circumstances  mentioned  as  taken 
from  it,  which  belong  to  a  later  period ;  for  instance,  the  latter  part 
of  the  catalogues  of  the  archbishops  of  Armagh  (ap,  Tr,  Th.  p. 
292.)  which  comes  down  to  the  latter  end  of  the  eleventh  cen- 
tury. But  this  proves  nothing  more  than  that  some  additions  have 
been  made  to  the  original  work  of  Cormac,  as  has  been  the  case 
witli  regard  to  ,numbe»  of  historical  works,  particularly  those 
written  m  the  middle  ages.  The  mighty  Ledwich,  not  content 
with  denying  (Antiq.  Sfc  p.  154.)  that  Cormac  was  the  author  of 
it,  makes  some  puny  efforts  to  undermine  the  author's  veraci^^ 
In  his  great  reading  he  foimd,  that  Stillingfleet  (Antiq,  of  the 
British  churches^  ch.  5.)  quoted  and  remarked  on  some  sflly  old 
stories  related  by  Peter  Walsh  {Prospect  of  Ireland)  from  the 
Psalter  of  CasheL  Walsh  had  copied  them  from  Keating,  to  whom 
he  refers;  but  Stillingfleet  either  had  not  Keating's  work,  or  could 
not  understand  it,  as  it  was  then  only  in  Irish.  Is  it,  however, 
because  such  stories  were  found  in  the  Psalter,  to  be.  concluded 
that  the  author  was  neglectful  of  truth,  as  the  Doctor,  distorting 
Stillingfleet*s  meaning,  insinuates?  Who  will  say  that  Keatmg 
himself  was  a  liar,  because  he  has  given  many,  foolish  things,  which 
he  did  not  wish  the  reader  to  believe,  from  certain  old  documents  ? 
Or  will  the  Doctor  question  the  veracity  of  Usher,  in  whose 
Primordia  we  meet  with  heaps  of  &bles  ?  In  like  manner  why 
bring  such  a  chaige  against  the  author  of  the  Psalter  for  having 
cqpied  matters  not  worthy  cS  belief?  Surely  no  historian  was  ever 
judged  in  this  manner,  unless  he  professed  to  make  us  consider  as 
true  every  thing  inserted  in  his  woric.  As  for  a  real  want  of  vera- 
city, the  reader  wOl  find  an  instance  in  the  Doctor's  sakl  page, 
where  he  says  that  Stillingfleet  affirms^the  Psalter  of  Cashel  to  be 
a  collection  of  poetical  fictions,  and  that  it  was  compiled  in  the 
ISth  centuiy.  Now  Stillingfleet  has  not  affirmed  nor  even  hinted 
at  such  things,  nor  has  h^  denied  that  Cormac  was  the  author  of  the 
Psalter. 
(60)  See  Harris,  Writers  at  Cormac  Mac  CuUnan,    Dt.  Led-  . 

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358  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY        CHAP.  XXtU 

wich  has  (loc,  cit.)  some  grumbling  also  aboaC  diis  GkMMry.  He 
could  not  deny  that  such  a  work  exists ;  for  General  Vallancey 
had  a  copy  of  it,  which  he  often  quotes  tinder  the  name  of  Cormac 
Mac  Culinan,  and  Lhuyd  had  one,  which  he  copied  fiom  an 
old  Irish  MS.  O'Brien  makes  mention  of  it  in  his  Dictionary  at 
Bealtinne,  where  he  calls  it  simply  an  old  glossary  c^ipied  by  Mr. 
Lhuyd.  I  believe  there  are  at  ]present  many  copies  of  it  to  be 
found.  Mr.  O'Reilly  has  one.  (See  the  Prvspedus  to  his  Dif> 
tionary  of  the  Irish  language!)  The  Doctor  says ;  •*  Sujpposing 
the  glossary  genuine,  would  it  now  be  intell^ible  ?**  Strange 
that  a  man,  who  set  up  as  an  Irish  antiquary,  should'  ask 
such  a  question,  as  if  the  Irish  of  the  9th  or  10th  cetitaiy  cooki 
not  be  understood  by  our  Irish  scholars  at  present.  Surely^  al* 
though  the  Doctor  could  not  understand  it,  he  must  have  known 
that  those,  who  are  really  versed  in  the  language,  find  scarcely  any 
difficulty  in  translating  Irish  documents  still  more  ancient  than  the 
ninth  century,  as  may  be  seen  in  Colgan^  works,  &c.  But  I  am 
going  out  of  my  way,  and  shall  only  add,  that  I  wish  some  gemiine 
Irish  scholar  and  antiquary  would  give  the  Doctor  a  bit  of  ^ood 
advice  as  to  his  meddling  with  matters,  which  he  knbWs  nothing 
about. 

\  (61 )  Colgan,  A  A.  SS.  p.  5.  Nicholson  fell  into  a  great  mist^ce  (It. 
Hist*  Libr,  Append,  No,  1.)  in  ascribing  to  Cormac  Mac  Culinan 
a  political  tract,  which  is  said  lo  have  b^n  composed  by  Cormac 
tjlfada  a  king  of  Ireland  in  the  third  cfcntury.  He  strangely  con»- 
founded  this  king,  who  lived  in  pagan  times,  with  tlie  bishop  and 
king  of  Cashel.  This  miktakc,  which  has  bech  rcmaiked  upon  by 
Harris,  (  Writers^  ch.  I .)  shows,  that  Nicholson  was  veiy  jxKMiy  ac- 
quainted with  Irish  history. 

(62)  Here  again  we  meet  with  Ledwich.  He  allows  that  thfe 
church  or  chapel  is  a  very  curious  fabric,  btit  strives  to  make  us 
befieve,  that  it  was  built  after  Cormac's  timed.  This  he  wa^  not 
able  to  prove  from  the  style  of  its  architecture,  which,  he  says,  {p. 
1 52)  was  prior  to  the  introduction  of  the  TSforman  oi*  Grothic  styles. 
He  has  some  bungling  about  a  Saxon  style,  and  teHs  tis  that  Coiu 
mac's  chapel  bears  a  great "  resemblance  to  the  churdiof  St.  Peter 
at  Oxford,  which  is  supposed  to  be  tlie  oldest  stone  chartA  in 
England,  and  said  to  be  built  by  Grymbald  about  the  end  of  tlie 
9th  century."  As  I  have  often  seen  thi^  chapelj  I  may  add  that 
the  Doctor  b  right  as  to  its  style  being  antecedent  to  that  vulgarly 

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CHAP.  XXH.  OF  IRELAND.  359 

called  Gothic,  and  that  it  is  similar  to  the  low  Roman  or  Italian 
style,  which  appears  in  some  churches  in  Italy,  particularly  at  Pavia, 
that  were  erected  in  the  7th,  8th,  or  9th  century.  But,  waving 
architecture,  let  us  see  how  he  endeavours  to  show  that  it  was 
built  after  Cormac's  times.  He  lays  down,  {p*  150.)  merely 
from  liis  own  head,  that  it  was  erected  for  the  purpose  of  re- 
ceiving Cormac  s  remains.  Then  he  says  that,  if  it  was  built 
by  Cormac  himself^  he  must  have  foreknown  that  he  was  to  be 
cannonized  and  dubbed  the  patron  saint  of  Cashel.  This  is  truly 
ridiculous  nonsense.  In  the  ^t  place,  even  supposing  that  Cor. 
mac  wished  to  be  buried  in  it,  might  he  not  have  erected  it  with- 
out presuming  to  think,  tliat  he  would  become  a  patron  saint  ? 
How  many  hun(L:eds  of  powerful  persons  have  erected  churches  or 
chapels,  in  which  their  remains  should  be  deposited,  who,  how- 
ever, never  imagined  that  they  should  be  canonized  ?  Did  Fitz- 
Adelm  de  Burgo,  when  founding  the  religious  house  of  Athasselt 
near  Cashel,  in  which  he  was  aflerwards  buried,  expect  to  be 
called  saint  ?  Next  we  have  seen,  that  doubts  have  been  enter- 
tained concerning  the  place  of  Cormac's  interment,,  which  could 
not  have  existed,  had  the  chapel  been  built  for  the  purpose  men- 
tioned by  the  Doctor.  But  who  told  him,  that  Cormac  has  been 
dubbed  the  patron  of  Cashel  ?  I  have  some  rigpht  to  know  more 
about  that  city  than  he  can,  and  I  am  able  to  tell  him  that  its  in- 
habitants, so  far  from  considering  him  as  their  patron,  do  not  give 
him  even  the  title  of  saint,  always  speaking  of  him  by  the  simple 
name  of  Cormac  Mac  Culinan ;  nor  do  they  ever  invoke  him,  or  ce- 
lebrate his  memory  in  any  manner  whatsoever  as  usual  with  re- 
gard to  persons  reputed  saints. 

I  have  said  that  Cormac*s  chapel  is  perhaps  the  oldest  ecclesi- 
astical stone  buildii^  in  Ireland.  Yet  I  will  not  contend  tlyat 
some  of  the  nuns  of  those  of  Glendaloch  and  the  small  church  of 
St.  Doulacli  in  the  barony  of  Coolock  in  the  district  of  Fingal, 
county  of  Dublin,  or  at  least  a  part  of  it,  may  not  be  of  equal 
antiquity.  By  the  bye,  the  Doctor  had  no  right  to  rob  the 
Irish  nation  of  St.  DouUch,  and  to  give  him  to  the  Danes, 
as  he  does  p.  147,  where  he  says  that  Dou^ich  is  a  corraptiqn 
of  St.  Olave,  and  thence  concludes,  that  St.  Doulach's  church 
could  not  have  been  built  before  the  11th  century.  But  St. 
Doul^h,  or  rather  Dulech,  was  an  Irishman,  son  of  Amalgad 
the  son  of  Sinell,  &c.  and  his  memory  was  revered  on  the  17th  of 

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360  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL   HISTORY      CHAP.  XJ^IU 

November  in  the  vecy  ^>oty  anciently  called  Gochar^  on  whicfa 
the  church  is  situated.  (See  A  A.  SS.  p.  598.)  The  Doctor  migiit 
have  learned  this  much  even  from  Ardidall  (at  Si.  Dtndaugk) 
without  introducing  his  favourite  Danes,  and  on  inquiry  he  could 
have  found,  that  St.  Doulach  must  have  lived  a  veiy  long  time 
befcnre  St.  Olave  was  bom.  He  refers  to  Harris,  (History  of 
DubUn,  p.  86)  who  says  that  there  was  a  St.  0]ave*s  church,  at 
the  end  of  Fishamble-street,  vulgarly  called  Si-  Tulloch*s,  or  he 
adds,  St.  DoolacKs.  But  Harris  makes  no  mention  of  St.  Dou- 
lach*s  in  Fingal,  with  which  place  the  vulgariy  named  St.  Tul- 
lodc's  had  nothing  to  do. 

(63)  Ware  speaks  of  it  {Antig.  cap.  29.)  in  such  a  manner  as 
to  seem  to  state,  that  it  was  at  some  time  the  catheAid  of  Casbel, 
and  the  same  is  hinted  by  Harris  (at  Archbuhops  of  Cashd). 
But  who  can  imagine  that  a  chapel,  the  nave  of  which  is  only  30 
feet  in  length  and  18  in  breadth,  could  have  been  a  cathedral,  par- 
ticularly of  a  dty  which  was  the  capital  of  Munster  ?  Cashel  was 
certainly  as  populous  in  Cormac's  time  as  it  was  about  260  years 
after  his  death,  when  a  new  cathedral  was  erected  on  its  rock  ad- 
joining Cormac's  chapd,  and  which  it  was  found  necessary  to  make, 
at  least,  ten  times  larger  than  the  chapel.  The  old  cathedral  must 
have  been  somewhere  in  the  city  at  the  foot  of  the  rock,  on  which 
was  the  king's  palace  or  castle  during  the  period  that  Idngs  re- 
sided at  CasheL  It  was  there  that  Faflbhe  Fland  had  his  habita- 
tion and  court.  (See  the  Life  of  St.  Pulcheriust  cap.  21.  and 
above  Chap.  xvii.  §.  5.)  The  rock  was  not  originally  applied  to 
a  religious  Christian  purpose,  however  it  mi^t  have  been  an- 
ciently to  a  Pagan  one,  although  Dr.  Lcdwich  makes  us  kuigfa 
with  telling  us,  {Ant.  p.  150.)  tliat  Cashel  (meaning  die  rock) 
was  an  ancient  Mandra^  that  is,  as  he  should  have  ex(Jained  to 
his  readers,  inhabited  by  monks.  Hear  how  he  proves  it;  "  There 
is  a  wall  surrounding  the  summit  of  the  rock ;  therefore  monks 
dwelt  there."  He  might  as  well  maintain,  that  every  dd  garden 
with  a  wall  around  it  was  a  Mandra.  The  wall  surrounding  the 
sunmiit  of  that  rock  is  &r  from  being  ancient,  and,  suf^iosing  it  to 
be  ever  so  old,  is  it  anywise  strange,  that  a  spot,  on  which  was 
the  king's  castle,  should  be  environed  by  a  wall  ?  It  is,  however, 
true  that  there  was,  as  expressly  mentioned,  a  wall  around  it  in 
ancient  times,  whereas  the  royal  residence  was  also  a  fortress. 
(See  Life  of  St.  Pulcherius,  loc.  cit.J    Another  argument  is,  that 


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CHAP.  XXn.  OF  IRELAND*  361 

the  rock  is  elevatedi  and  that  the  monastic  spirit  prevailed  in  Ire* 
land;  therefore  the  rock  of  Cashel  was  a  Mandra.  What  pro* 
digions  antiquarian  penetration !  To  follow  up  his  theory,  he  ou^ 
to  have  added,  that  evoy  high  place,  every  mountain  and  hill,  in 
Irdand  was  a  Mandra.  As  he  has  made  use  of  that  Greek  word, 
whence  has  come  the  title  of  Archimandrite,  which  we  find  given 
to  some  superiors  of  monks,  he  ou^t  to  have  previously  under- 
stood its  ecclesiastical  meaning.  For  it  was  not  on  account  of  sur- 
roundii^  walls,  or  inclosures  of  ground,  as  he  supposed,  that  cer- 
tain communities  of  monks  got  the  name  o£  Mandra.  There  were 
no  such  walls  in  the  deserts  of  Egypt,  and  yet  they  contained 
Mandras  and  Archunandrites.  But  this  is  not  the  place  to  enter 
into  these  disquisitions. 

§.  VII.  It  is  usually  supposed  that  henceforth 
Cashel  became  a  regular  episcopal  see ;  but  the 
names  of  his  successors  are  not  luiown  until  about 
180  years  after  the  death  of  Cormac.  The  succes- 
sion  at  Emly  was  still  kept  up,  and  Miscel,  who  died 
in  898,  (64)  was  succeeded  by  Flan  Mac-Conail, 
whose  death  is  assigned  to  90S,  after  whom  was 
Tiobruide,  or  Tibraid  Mac-Moelfin,  who  had  accom* 

Sanied  Cormac  in  his  last  expedition,  and  whom  we 
nd  called  prince  of  Emly.  He  died  in  912,  and 
next  after  him  is  mentioned  Edchada  Mac-Sean« 
lain,  who  lived  until  941.  ^65)  Cormac,  bishop  of 
Saigir,  died  in  908.  (66)  In  the  same  year  a  sacri- 
legius  transaction  occurred  at  Armagh.  One  Ker- 
nachan,  son  of  Dulgen,  dragged  a  captive  out  of  the 
cathedral,  where  he  had  taken  refuge,  and  drowned 
him  in  Lough  Kirr  near  the  city  to  the  West.  But 
he  was  soon  punished  by  Niell  Glundubh,  then  king 
of  Ulster,  and  aft;erwards  of  all  Ireland,  who  seized 
upon  Kernachan  and  drowned  him  in  the  same 
lou^h  (67) 

About  these  times  the  body  of  St.  Maimbodus,  who 
is  called  martyr,  because  he  was  killed  by  robbers, 
was  removed  by  order  of  Berengarius  bishop  of 
6e8an9on,  to  Monbelliard.  (68)      He  was  a  native 

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362  AN  ECCLS5IASTICAI,   HISTORY      ClUjf •  4^^« 

of*  Ireland,  (69)  of  a  distingnkhed  and  Wealthy  fiu 
miiy»  and  belonged  to  the  clerical  order*  Hayiiqj 
left  his  country  for  the  sake  of  pilgriinage,  :he  vi^ 
nted  holy  places,  aiid  led  a  very  austere  life*  Ar^ 
riving  in  Bureundy,  he  was  fentertairied  for  sotuft 
time  hy  a  nobleman,  who  conceiving  -a  great  esteem 
for  him,  on  account  of  his  sanctity,  praised  him  to 
accept  (^  some  presents.  But  Maimbodus  refused 
to  take  any  thing,  except  a  pair  of  glovecr  in  me^' 
mory  of  him,  and  blessing  him  and  his  fiuniiy  took 
his  leave.  He  stopped  to  pray  in  a  church  called  St. 
Peter's,  in  the  village  of  Domnipetra,  eight  miles  dis- 
tant from  Besan9on,  where  some  robbers,  observing 
that  he  wore  gloves,  thought  that  he  had  money  about 
him,  and  t  waylaid  him  outside  the  village.  Hiey 
attacked  him,  and  striving  to  extort  money,  which 
in  fact  he  had  not»  beat  and  wounded  him'  in  such  a 
manner  that  he  died  on  the  spot*  His  body  being 
found  by  some  faithful  was  boned  in  the  ^bove  men* 
tioned  church,  whence. after  some  time  it  was  re* 
moved  to  Monbelliard,  and  the  bishop  Berengarius 
decreed  that  ihe  memory  .of  St.  Maimbodus  ^ould 
be  celebrated  in  the  diocese  of  Besan^on  on  the  23d 
of  January,  the  anniversary  of  his  dteth,  as  it  bas 
been  since  that  time.  Sevcsul  miracles  are  said  to 
have  been  wrought  at  the  tomb  of  this  saint.  (70) 
Another  Irish  saint,  still  more  revered  in  that  dio- 
cese, but  whose  times  are  more  uncertain,  was  Ana- 
tolius  (7 1 )  Tliat  he  was  a  Spot  is  constantly  asserted 
by  the  many  writers,  who  have  touched  upon  his 
history ;  and  that  he  was  an  Irish  one  appears  from 
his  being  described  as  a  countryman  of  St.  Colum- 
banus  of  Luxeu,  St.  Deicolus,  &c.  (7^)  .  He  was 
a  bishop  before  he  left  Ireland.  (73)  Of  bis  tran^ 
actions,  until  a  short  time  before  his  death,  1  find  no- 
thing  more  recorded  than  that  returning  from  Rome 
he  stopped  at  a  mountain  or  rock  over  the  valley  and 
eity  or  Salinae  (Salins),  in  the  diocese  of  Besanfon, 
on  which  he  prayed,  in  an  oratory  called  from  St. 

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(^HAP.  XX;il4  OF  ULfilANAW  S63 

Symphdriah,  martyr  of  Auttin ;  thut^  be  liked  the 
place,  determined  on  remaining  there,  and  died  a 
few  days  after.  (74)  A8  to  the  tive  of  hia^ieadi  1 
find  nothing,  that  can  enable  us  even  to  g«ete  at  it^ 
except  that  his  naUilis^  or  the  anniversary  <rf'  it,^waa 
kept  on  the  third  of  February.  (75)  ^  Although  St^ 
Anatolitis  was  a  bishops  he  was  not  attadied  to  aiq^ 
see  in  France,  nor  does  he  appear  to  have  ^em^ 
exercised  episcopal  fbnetions  in  that  countiy*  (76) 
His  memory  is  very  famoos  for  mii^ades  said  to  have 
been  wrought  at  his  tomb^  and  has^iieen  greatly  cde* 
brated  in  the  diocese  of  Be8an9on,  particularly'  >at 
Halins.  (77)  Besides  his  festival,  on^  the  third  of 
February,  another  is  kept  on  th&iirat  of  September^ 
ib  commemoration  of  a  traiislation  of  his  i^niiiinfi 
(78) 

<64)  Above,  $•  I.  .  (65)  Ware^  Bi$hop$  at  ^m(y, 

{m)  AA.  SS.p.  4^73  ad  A.  9m  (908).  Owii^io  m  ^cmmkt 
we  theiefind997  iostdad  a£  907»  hj  whiob  Ware  was  led  iMny 
ioas to  i^ita:e\BiAaps of.  Ostotry)  ConnacV  detiUi  m  997;  boi 
tiD*  nostake  has  been' ccneoted by  Harris* 

<«7)  TV.  Tk.  p.  £96.  at  A.  .907  (908);  and  Baktisy  Aroh^ 
bmhoptof-Arfmigh  at  MaMripd^ 

((3d)  BoHafidiisha»f»bliBhed(aft2S  JaiiMiary)  the  Acts  of  St 
Maknbodus  ^m  Cfaifflet  and  a  M&  oCthe  xfaurdh  of  fiennfOfv. 
They  have  been  fepabliBhed  by  Cdgan  at  said  day;  .He  tinie 
m  whteh  the  saint  fived  n  not  nwBlioned^  andean  ontybegueaaed 
at  by  its  seenung,  that  ft  was.  net  long  before  his  reoadins  firere 
removed  by  order  of  "Berengarias,  who,  aa  BoUandns  add  others 
atate,  Ihfed  idioat  A.  D«  90a 

f6S)  Thift  it  dear  i&om  the  ScoHoy  wheaice  the  i#eto  bring  him, 
being  repredented  aa  that,  which  was  the  ooimtry  of.  St.  Cdimi- 
banua,  St.  Deiookis,  and  St«  CohunbinuB,  who  faad^diatingtiiahed  ' 
fhemaekea  in  Burgundy.  Colgan  remarica  that^  inatead  of  Afam- 
^f>dus,  tome  have  odled  him  Maingolus^  and  that  Maimgol  wBsk 
common  name  among  the  ancient  Irish* 

(70)  See  the  Acts  and  the  notes  to  them. 

(71)  Colgan  treats  of  St.  AnatoHus  at  Bd  Februa^,  ab  do  the 

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364        AN   ECCLESIASTICAL   HISTORY        CMAP.  XXIU 

BoDandiftt  inucb  more  difutdy.  They  have,  besideB  ih^  own 
obtervations,  a  thort  M  Life  by-  an  anonymoua  aatliory  and  » 
Aetdi  of  one  drawn  up  by  Father  Chifflet. 

(72)  In  the  Acti  of  Sc  Maimhodut  after  Su  ColiunbaDus  and 
other  saintB  fimn  Scotia  (Ireland),  who  had  illustrated  Buigun^yy 
if  mentioned  Aaatoliiift  from  the  Sootia.  ^  Poet  hos  vare  oele* 
benimmn  confeMorem  praedicamiiB  Anatolium  ex  Scotia  iiidem 
genkum^  Imnen  tibi  a  Domino  deftinatum." 

(7S)  In  the  anonjrmout  I^  (ap^  BoUand.)  we  read  of  him ; 
«  Foit  igitur  vir  iste  Scoticae  rtgionia  ori«radu8»  pmUfcali  qfick, 
ut  fert  priorum  aiiertio,  praeditus*** 

(74)  lb. 

(75)  Accoidkig  to  an  c^iinum  of  Chifflet  in  his  littie  8|cetch  cT 
the  Life  of  Anatoliu0»  he  riiould  have  hved  early  in  the  5tli  oeatit' 
ry ;  but  in  that  case  he  would  have  been  a  Greek  or  a  Cflidaa. 
There  was  an  Anatolius  bishop  of  Adana  in  Cilicia,  who  took  part 
with  St  John  Chiysostom  against  Theophilos  of  Alejamdria,  and 
of  whom  PaUadius  {Dialog,  de  VU.  S.  Chrys.)  says,  that  iC.was 
reported  he  had  withdrawn  to  GauL  Chifflet  took  it  inta  hk  head* 
that  he  was  the  Anatolius  so  femous  at  Salins.  And  then  to  ac- 
count for  his  having  been  univerBally  called  a  SsoimSf  he  sa^  that 
he  might  been  so  denominated  in  die  same  manner  as  all  ibicigpcrt 
were  in  old  times  vulgarly  called  Scati  in  Fhmce.  This  is  a  truly 
pitiful  evasion;  to|in  the  first  place  Chifflet  could  not  liave proved 
tins  poeiticm ;  whereas^  although  there  were  in  the  middle  i^ 
very  many  Irish  diere,  yet  we  know  feom  the  French  writers  of 
those  times  that  all  foreigners  were  not  indiscriminately  caQed 
Soo^  Were  Akuin,  Theodulf,  Claudius,  Frudentius,  Ac 
reckoned  among  the  Scoti  by  the  Frendi?  But,  whatever  vulgar 
mode  of  iqpeaking  as  to  foreigners  might  have  prevailed  after  the 
sixth  centuiy,  when  the  Irish  began  to  be  so  gemtaUy  known  ia 
France,  surely  it  cannot  be  supposed  that  an  oriental  bidhop^  who 
lived  before  St.  PRtrick  preached  in  Bndand,  would  have  been 
called  a  Scotus  by  the  inhabitants  of  Gaul.  The  BoUandistSy  wish- 
ing to  pay  a  compliment  to  Chifflet,  state  that  his  opinion  is  pro- 
bable; yet  they  lay  down  that  the  other  of  Anatolius  having  been 
a  ScotuSi  ought  not  to  be  rashly  disturbed  after  a  pos^esskm  of  a 
long  line  of  centuries.  Camerarius  fMenol.  Scot.  J  and  Dempster 
(Hist.  EcciJ  have  some  fooleries  concerning  Anatolius  of  Salins» 


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chap^  xxiu  OF  irblavout  sSs 

in  whiehhe  is ccmfmiDded  with  Anatoliiis  biihop  of  Laodicea,  who 
lived  in  the  third  centuiy  and  wrote  on  the  Pasdial  cycle»  or  with 
Anatoliua  a  petnardi  of  Constantinople  in  the  fifth.  It  may  be 
said,  that  Axatciku  is  not  an  Irish  name.  But  mi^t  not  this 
saint,  being  in  the  continent,  have  assumed  it,  as  of  more  easjr 
pronunciation,  instead  of  his  original  one,  which  perhaps  had  the 
samemeamag?  Or,  it  mig^t  have  been  inflected  by  the  foreigners^ 
amang  whom  he  lived,  fiom  his  real  name  b<ynning  perhaps  with 
AnOf  but  which  they  could  not  weB  pronounce.  We  have  already 
seen,  that  many  Iriflbmen  were  known  in  the  continent  by  names^ 
which  they  did  not  bear  in  Ireland. 

(76)  Mdanus  and  Ferrarius  thought  that  Anatolius  was  Inshop 
ofBesanfon.  C!o]gan  and  the  Bdlandists  have  shown  that  this  is 
a  mistake ;  and  it  is  dear  frcmi  the  anonymous  Life,  that  he  had 
no  see  in  France. 

(77)  The  chief  coflegiate  church  of  Salins,  of  which  he  is  the 
patron  saint,  is  called  by  his  name,  as  is  also  one  ofthe  four  parish 
diurches  of  that  city,  on  the  mountain  at  the  South  side  of  which 
is  the  hermit^eof  St.  Anatolius, 

(78)  In  the  11th  centuiy  the  body  of  St.  Anatolius  was  re* 
moived  firom  the  original  tomb  and  placed  in  the  |Nrincipal  church 
of  Salins.  About  200  years  later,  Nicholas,  who  was  bishqp  of 
Besan9on  fiom  A.  1229  to  12S5,  got  it  moved  on  a  1st  of  Sep- 
tembor  into  an  elegant  shrine  in  the  same  church. 

§  VIII.  In  the  early  part  of  the  tenth  century  is 
aaid  to  have  flourished  Sealbach,  who  is  called  secre- 
tary to  Cormac  Mac-Culinan.  He  is  represented  as 
a  mm  of  great  piety  and  learning,  and  is  said  to 
have  written  a  genealogical  tract  on  the  saints  of  Ire- 
land. (79)  Sealbach  must  have  survived  Cormac, 
if  it  be  true  that  he  wrote  an  account  of  his  death 
and  virtues,  and  even  for  many  years  after,  if  he  was 
the  author  of  that  tract,  or  if  it  has  not  been  con- 
tinued by  others.  Although  the  Northmen,  or,  at 
least,  the  ^eatest  part  of  them,  had  been  driven  out 
of  Ireland  in  90^,  (80)  yet  we  meet  with  them  again 
after  some  years.  In  914  a  party  of  them  landcHi  at 
Waterford,   but  were  slaughtered  by  a  prince  oi* 

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Se6  AN   ECCLBSIAMICAL  flISTORY       CKAP.  KXII. 

cfaieftam  wko  h  civile  of  Idpoim.  (81)^  In  9l£  tbey 
j^lundered  Cork,  Lisnudi^,  aM  j^gh«boe«  (82) 
'  Fhtmk  Slhna;  Iting  of  aU  Irerio^  having  died  ia 
m^f  (88)  was  8Uce«eded  bt  Nielt  iHiiikhibh  (6/acil. 
Mied)  soti  of  AtdaS)  or  Edsn  Fisnliath.  Hanog 
Iriiigiied  scaftiely  Chwe  yBaro^  Niell  wa^  killed  ia  a 
^reat  battle  i^iear  Dublm'  by  the  Danes  tawinwnded 
&rl^^^d  Sitrit*  111  diia  battle  &Uii  also  Cottor 
(rMaielseaeh]iii,''kiogDrMeath»  Aodlv  Aldus,  or 
Httgli,  soft  of  Eochagan  king^  o£  Ulster,  and  many 
other  princes  and  nobles*  (84«)  Previottfr  to  this 
batUe  tne  Danes  liad  sorely  afl^oked  in  916  the  peo- 
|de  of  Ldiister,  and  amo^g  iTtsny  others  killed  An- 
^nr,  son  of  OHoll  king  of  that  province*  (8fi)  But 
in  the  same  year  great  slaughter  was  nuuie  of  them 
ill  Munster;  (86)  and  in  the  fottowing  year  (917) 
they  were  defeated  at  Emly.  (87)  The  battle  in 
^ich  Niell  Glundubb  ioat  his  life,  was  fought  in 
919 ;  (88;  and  he  was  immediately  encceeded  by 
Dunchad  or  Donogh,  son  of  Flann  Sinna,  who  in 
the  next  year  routed  the  Danes  in  so  oompletev  a  man- 
ner that  a  greater  number  of  them  w^ere  slain  ^an 
had  been  of  the  Irish  in  the  former  battle  near  EMi- 
lin.  (89)  Donogh  was  the  second  monarch  of  his 
name,  and  reigned  25  years  until  he  died  suddenly 
in  944,  Next  afl6r  him  was  Congelac  or  Congal 
II.  son  of  Meimith  a  descendant  of  Congal,  who  was 
uncle  to  the  king  Cined  or  Kineth,  that  reigned  in 
724.  Congal  I  i.  was  killed,  fighting  against  the 
Danes  of  Dublin,  in  956,  after  a  reign  of  12  years. 
His  successor  was  Domnald  O' Niell,  son  of  Marcher- 
tach  and  grandson  of  Niell  Glundubb.  He  reigned 
24  ^years,  died  at  Armagh  in  980,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Maelseachlin  or  Malaehy  IL  a  grandson  of 
Dunchad  or  Donogh  II.  by  his  father  Domnald. 
(90)  This  king,  having  reigned  more  than  20  years, 
surrendered  the  kingdom  to  Brian  Boroimhe,  as  will 
be  seen  hereafter. 


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cHAP.xxii.  OP  ihbland.  367 

(79)  SeeCorgan,  A  A.  SS.p.6.aand  Harris^  Jf^'HUrtBt  Sd- 
bach.  Colgansays,  that  this  woik  is  supposed  ta  be  the  excellent 
old  metrical  Menelogium  Genealogicum  ooosistiiig  of  22  chapters, 
which  he^xften  quotes. 

(80)  Above,  §.  3. 

(81)  Annals  of  Imus&Uen  (Mr.  O'Reilly^s  copy)  at  A.  914. 
This  Iditma  could  scarcely  have  been  the  Idrone  of  the  county  of 
Cartow.  There  was  a  district  not  far  from  Waterfbrd,  odled 
Jdrona  or  Drona, 

(82)  lb.  These  plunderings  are  assigned  to  A.  91S  (914)  in  the 
Chronological  index  to  TV.  Th. 

(88)  See  Chap.  xx.  §.  S. 

(84)  Annals  of  Innisfallen  at  A.  916.  See  also  Ware,  Antiqi. 
cap.  4.  and  O'Flaherty,  Ogi/g*  Part  iii.  cap.  9S. 

(85)  Annalsof  Innis&llen  7*6.  and  Ware  Antiq.cap.^,  Col- 
gan  (2V.  Th.  p.  598)  calls  this  prince  Augurius. 

(86)  lb. 

(87)  Annals  of  Ulster,  ap.  Johnstone,  at  A.  916  (917). 

(88)  Annals  of  Innisfallen  at  A.  919.  Wara  uiys,  (Antiq,  cap, 
24)  that  tiiis  battle  occurred  in  918  on  the  l£th  of  September. 
Yet  elsewhere^t^.  cap-  4.)  he  assigns  the  death  of  Nieil  Glundubh 
to  dl9>  as  does  also  O'Eaherty,  loc.  cit. 

(89)  Annals  of  Innis&llen  at  A.  920. 

(90)  The  Annals  of  Innisfallen  (at  A.  980)  and  Ware  (Antiq. 
cap.  4.)  confound  this  Domnald  with  Donmald  O'Niell,  the  long 
who  preceded  MaelsechUn.  But  the  4  Masters  {ap.  Tr.  Th.  p. 
448)  and  (^Flaherty  (loc.  cH.)  distinguish  them. 

§  IX.  During  the  above  mentioned  devastation 
of  Leinstei'  in  916,  and  for  some  time  after,  Leigh- 
lin  was  plundered  in  917*  (91)  Kells  in  Meath 
was  ravaged  in  919>  in  which  year  died  Scanlan,  a 
scribe  or  learned  man  of  Roscrea.  (92)  In  921 
Godfrid,  king  of  the  Danes  of  Dublin,  marched 
into  Ulster,  and  plundered  Aimagfa  in  the  month  of 
November,  (93)  He  is  said,  however,  to  have  spared 
the  Churches,  the  Colidei  (the  officiating  clergy  of 
the  cathedral)  and  the  sick.  (94)  To  the  year  9*0 
is  assigned  the  death  of  a  celebrated  abbot  of  Derry 

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S68  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY        CHAP*  XXII. 

and  Dramdiff,  Kinaed  or  Kineth,  who  was  consi- 
dered as  the  great  supporter  of  religion  in  Tircoo- 
nel;  (95)    and  to  921    that  of  Paulinus  or  Mai- 
Fkidinus,  who  is  styled  a  bishop,  anchoret,  chief 
scribe  of  Leth-cuinn  (the  northern  half  of  Irehind) 
and  abbot  of  Indenen,  (96)  and  who  was,  in  all  pro- 
bability, the  Paulinus  to  whom  Probus  addressed  his 
Life  of  St.  Patrick.  (97)     In  the  same  year  9^1  died 
Cormac  Aedan  or  Mac-Aedan,  bishop  of  Clonfert(98) 
Dubliterius  of  Kill-slepte,  or  Killevey,  a  priest  of 
Armagh,  was  killed  in  922  by  the  Northmen,  and 
in  the  same  year  died  Maeltul,  a  scholastic  or  teacher 
of  Clonmacnois.  (99)     To  925  is  assigned  the  death, 
on  the  7th  of  February,  of  Colman  Mac-AIild,  a 
very  wise  doctor,   who,    besides  beinff    abbot    of 
Clonard  and  Clonmacnois,  was  also  a  bishop.     He 
erected  a  great  church  in  the  latter  place,  and  is 
said  to  have  been  of  a  family  of  the  Conals  Mur- 
themhne  in  the  now  county  of  Louth.  (100)    Next 
prior  to  him  I  find  mentioned  a  bishop  of  Clonard, 
Kumond  or  Rumold  son  of  Cathasach,  who  also  is 
praised  for    his  wisdom  or  learning,  and  is   said 
to  have  died    in  920.  (101)      Among  the  distin- 

Suished  men  of  this  period  are  likewise  reckoned 
f ainach  Mac-Siedul,  abbot  of  Bangor,  who  is  styled 
a  J^ost  skilful  writer,  and  Carpre  Mac-Feredach 
abbot  of  Disert  Dermod  (Castledermot)  to  whom  is 
given  the  title  of  anchoret  and  chief  qf  religion  in 
Leinster.  The  same  year  920  is  marked  for  the 
death  of  both  these  abbots.  Another  abbot  of  Ban- 
gor, Kelius  Dabali,  who  is  called  bishop,  writer, 
preacher,  and  celebrated  doctor,  is  said  to  have  died 
at  Rome  in  926  or  927.  (102) 

(91)  Ind.  Chron.  to  Tr.  Th.  at  A.  916  (917). 

(92)  lb.  ad  A.  918  (919) 

(93)  AnnalB  of  Ulster  at  A.  920  (921),  of  Innisfidlen  at  92U 
and  Ware,  Ant.  cap.  24.    The  4  Masters  (ap.  Tr.  Th.  p.  296.) 


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CHAP.  XXII.  OF  IRELAND.  569 

tataga  this  devastation  to  A.  919  (920);  but  the  other  now  quoted 
annals  fonn  better  authority.  Yet  Ware,  in  contradiction  to  him- 
self, foflowing  the  4  Masters  and  Colgan,  (Bishops,  Armagh^ 
MaMrigidJ  places  a  plundering  of  Armagh  in  919,  meaning  the 
one  by  Godfrid;  and  Ardidall  (at  Armagh  J  likewise  following 
them,  marked  itat  the  same  year.  A  devastation  of.Clonena^^  is 
Affixed  by  the  4  Masters  fib.  p.  6SS.J  to  said  year  919  (920)* 

(94)  4  Masters  ap.  Tr.  Th.p.  296. 

<95)  lb.  p.S03ad  A.  919  (920). 

(96)  lb.  p.  64  ad  ^  920  (921.)        (97) See  Chap.  in.  $.  3. 

(98)  Annals  of  InnisMen  (Hanris^s  copy),  and  Wave,  Bishops 
at  Clonfert, 

(99)  Fbur  Masters,  {ap.  Tr.  Th.  p.  296.  and  632.)  at  A.  921 
(922).. 

<100)  A  A.  SS.  p.  407^  at  il.  924  (925)  and  Ware,  Bishops 
at  Meath  and  Clenmacnois. 

(101)  Four  Masters  ap.  AA.  SS.p.  107.  at  919  (920>^  It  is 
4>dd,  that  Colgan  has  not  this  bishop  at  p.  407.  where  he  expressly 
gives  a  list  of  the  prelates  and  other  distinguished  ecclesiastics  of 
Clonacd.  Ware,  not  finding  him  in  said  list,  has  omitted  him  (at 
Meath) ;  but  Harris  has  added  him  to  it. 

(102)  lb.  p.  107.  at  A.  919  (920).  and  for  Kelius,  ib.  Not.  18- 

$.  X.  St.  Maelbrigid  of  Annagli»  who  died  in  996, 
or  more  probably  in  927»  (lOS)  was  succeeded  by 
Joseph,  styled  prince  qf  Armagh^  a  man  x)f  great 
learning,  who  having  held  the  see  for  nine  years, 
died  in  9S6.  (104)  In  the  Irish  annals  he  is  repre- 
sented as  a  scribe,  anchoret,  and  very  wise  man.  ilis 
successor  Patrick,  or  Moelpatrick,  a  son  of  Maoltule^ 
and  who  aUo  is  called  prince  of  Armagh  and  a  wise 
man,  died  in  the  same  year  after  an  incumbency  of 
only  fire  months  (105)  Next  after  Patrick  was  Ca- 
thasach  the  second,  son  of  one  Dulgan  of  Drumtor- 
raig,  who  governed  the  see  for  20  years  and  died  in 
OST.  (106j  In  thesp  times  I  find  three  bishops  of 
Derry,  notwithstanding  its  being  usually  supposed 
that  there  was  no  reguhr  and  permanent  see  m  that 
city  until  some  time  in  the  l2th  century.     This, 

VOJ*.  111.  B  B  n  ] 

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370  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL'HISTORY         CHAP.  Wtlf- 

however^  does  not.  prevent  there  having  been  some 
bishops  there  occasionally,  as  was  the  case  in  many 
places,    which   never  became  re^Iar  sees.     Those 
three  were,  I  •  Cainch'omrac  Mac  Maeluidhir,  bishop 
and  abbot,  who<iied  in  9^8  ;  2.  Finnachta  Mac-Ke^ 
lach,  bishop  and  abbot,  a  roan  deeply  skilled  in  Irish 
antiquities,  whose  death  is  assigned  to  9SS  ;  and  3. 
Moelfinnian,  who  is  simply  called  bishop  and  died 
in  949.  (107)     Kenfail,  son  of  Lorcan,  who  died  in 
930,  is  called  comorban  of  Clones  and  Clobber,  and 
hence  ought  to  be  reckoned  among  the  bishops  of 
those  places.    (108)     In  the  same  year  930  died 
Crunnmoel,  bishop  of  Kildare,  whose  memory  was 
revered  on  the  lltn  of  December.  (109)     Laidgnen, 
who  is  called  comorban  of  Ferns  and  Tallaght,  was, 
I  dare  say,  a  bishop,  and,  at  least,  of  Ferns.     He 
died  in  938,  (110)  and  is  the  only  person  on  record, 
who  may  with  some  degree  of  certainty  be  considered 
as  bishop  of  Ferns  between  Killen,  who  died  in  714, 
and  Diermit  Hua-Rodachan,whoIived  in  the  eleventh 
centuiy.     Yet  it  can  scarcely  be  supposed,  that  the 
episcopal  succession  was  not  kept  up  m  that  see,  not- 
withstanding all  that  it  su£Pered  from  the  North- 
mannic  devastations.    Ferns  was  not  in  those  thnes 
the  chief  see,  that  is,  ihan  honorary  degree,  of  Lein- 
ster,  whereas  that  rank  had  been  transferred  to  Kil- 
dare, as  early,  at  least,  as  the  beginning  of  the  ninth 
century,  and  the  time  in  which  Cogitosus  lived ;  (111) 
nor  does  it  seem  to  have  ever  been  restored  to  Ferns. 

(112)  About  these  times  died  Malduin  Mac-Kinn- 
falaid,  bishop  of  Raphoe,  and  the  first  of  whom  I 
find  any  cl^ar  mention  made  as  really  bishop  of  that 
see ;  and  after  him  I  meet  with  another  there,  Aengus 
Hua  Lapain,  whose  death  is  assigned  to  957  (9^^)« 

(113)  Condla  Mac-Dunecan,  who  is  called  bishop 
and  prince  of  Leighlin,  died  in  943,  as  did  in  955 
Maetbrigid  a  comorban  of  St.  Macnesse,  that  is  bishop 
of  Connor.  (114)  Besides  some  scribes,  or  men  of 
letters,  already  mentioned,  several  other3  are  named 

Digitized  by  VjOOQ IC 


CHAPfc  Jtttl.  OP  IRELAND.  871 

as  belonging  to  this  period,  ex.c.  Moelmoedoc  of 
Gleannussen  (King's  county),  who  died  in  916; 
Joseph  of  Armagh,  in  937 ;  Moelmoehta  of  Clo*- 
nard,  in  941 ;  Dubtach  of  said  place,  in  94S,  as  alsk> 
Angal  in  952  ;  Cathasach  of  Armagh,  in  946 ;  Dun^ 
gil  of  Clonmacnois  in  949  ;  Moelpatrick  Mac-Coscan 
of  Armagh,  in  952 ;  and  Moelnach,  likewise  of  Ar- 
magh, in  955.  (115)  To  these  we  may  add  Coe- 
naehair,  or  Probiis,  the  author  of  the  Life  of  S*t 
Patrick,  who  had  been  chief  master  of  the  school  of 
Slane,  and  wasr  burned  to  death  by  the  Danes  ki  949 
or  perhaps  950.  (116)  A  holy  abbess  of  Kildare, 
Muirionn,  or  Murenna  died  in  917  on  the  26th  of 
May,  or,  according  to  another  account,  of  April. 
(117) 

(103)  Above  §.\. 

(104)  The  catalogue  fh>m  the  Psalter  of  Cashel  allows  9  j^aan 
for  Jo8e{^)  and  not  imly  llie  4  Masters  but  likewise  the  Annate 
of  Ulster  place  hb  daitth  in  935  (936).  Hence  it  appears  that 
liis  accession  to  the  see  was  in  9^.         '  ' 

'    (H)5)  Tr.  Th.  p.  296.  and  Ware,  Bishops  at  Armagh. 

(106)  Ware,  ib.  Colgan  M  (Tr.  Th.  p.  297.)  into  a  great  nris;- 
fake  concerning  this  Cathasach.  Havingfound  a  Cathasach,  bishop 
of  KineI*eogan  (Tyrone),  whose  death  is  marked  at  946^  he  con- 
founded him  with  Cathasach  of  Armagh,  and  then  strove  to  eiqpkni 
why  he  was  called  bishop  of  Kinel'^ogan.  Next  he^strangely  teUs  us, 
'that  the  20  years,  allowed  by  the  Cashel  catalogue  for  Cathasach  of 
ArnUE^  ekipaed  exactly  between  986,  in  whichTatridr  died,  and 
946 ;  as  if  a  child  did  not  know  that  this  was  an  interval  of  on%^ 
t^  years.  But,  as  O'Flaherty  remarks  (MS.  Nok  ib.)  Col^tti 
overlooked  the  real  Cathasach  of  Armagh,  who  died,  according  to 
the 4  Masters,  m.957,  and  accordingly  committed  not  onfy  this 
bhmder,  bat  likewise  others  with  regard  to  the  following  aucee*- 
sfiop  and  dates;  Ware  wasso  judidousas  topassby  whatOolgaB' 
ha»  aboot  Cathasach  of  Kind-eogan ;  but  Harris  picked  it  up^  and 
althoogb  he  [daces,  with  Ware>  the deatJi  of  Cathasachof  Armagh 
ki  957>  yet  he.43onfounds  him  with  the  one  of  Kinbl-eogan,  and 
then  fblbwiColgBi)^  in.  the  silly  season  to  show  how  he  could  iie 
B  B  2 

Digitized  by  VjjOOQIC 


S79  AN  ECC1.ESIASTICAL  HISTORY       CHAP*  XXII. 

called  biihcip  of  that  district.  Y«t  Ham  had  no  r^  to  intio- 
duoe  the  4  Masters  as  makiog  the  two  Cathasachs  one  and  the 
aame  pionon  (a  mistake  to  be  left  at  Co1gan*s  door),  and  stating 
that  lie»  that  is,  the  one  ofKind-ecigain  died  in  966f  whereas  their 
jdate  for  his  death  js  9i6. 

(107)  4Ma8ter8,  ap.  Tr.  Th.  p.  50S.  I  have  added  a  year  to 
their  dates.    See  also  Ware»  Biskopi  at  Deny. 

(108)  He  b  mentioned  by  the  4  Masters,  {ap.  A  A.  SS.  p.  74^ 
«t  A.929(!^SO).  Ware  has  him  among  the  bishops  of  Ckgher. 
Clones,  ofidiidi  also  he  was  (ushop,  had  sometimes  prdates  of  its 
•wn,  and  was  at  other  times  united  with  Clogher.  We  have  seen 
{Ckap.  nu  §.  2.)  that  as  fiur  back  as  the  early  part  of  the  sixth 
century  St  Tigemach  was  bishop  of  both  these  sees ;  and  thus 
Kenfiiil  was  his  eomorkm^ar  suooessor. 

(100)  Tr.  J%.  p.  6S0.9iA.929  (9S0). 

(110)  A  A.  SS.p.  9SSadA.9y!  (9S8)  and  Harris,  BUhopi  at 
Ferm.  Wioee  has  omitted  Laidgnen,  because  he  did  not  find  htm 
expressly  s^led  buhopi  but  I  diink  that  the  title  comorban  u 
akme  suOdent  to  dioir  diat  he  was,  anddiatitwas  used  to  indi- 
cate that  he  was  m  every  lespect  a  successor  of  St.  Moedoa  Had 
he  been  only  abbot  of  Ferns,  why  not  designate  him  as  such  in  the 
same  manner  as  many  otheis  befete  and  after  him  are  in  Colgan's 
Kit  Cib.)  fimn  the  4  Masters  ?  Whether  LaMgnen  were  bishop 
also  of  Talkght  is  net  equally  probable,  because  it  was  not  a 
feguhr  see^  and  he  might  h»re  been  mecely  abbot  of  its  mo- 
nasterj\i 

(111)  See  Nai.  18.  to  C%^.  viii. 

(lis)  The  sort  of  ecdesiastksal  primacy  obsenred  in  Leinster 
was  fint  attadied  to  the  see  of  Sletty,  whence  it  was  rsmoved  to 
Perns  upon  the  ordination  of  St  Maedoc  about  the  hitter  end  of 
die  sixth  centuiy.  Next,  but  at  what  pradse  time  cannot  be  as* 
certained,  it  was  granted  to  Odare.  Colgan  tfaou^  (  Tr.  1%. 
ji.  808.  and  AA.  SS.p.^lB.)  that  it  had  been  at  Kildare  eariisr 
Aan  at  Ferns ;  but  his  only  reason  for  thb  opimon  was  his  eno- 
neous  suppositkm  that  Cog^toaus,  in  iriiose  time  it  was  certamly  at 
Kfldave^  ikHiridied  before  A.  D.  590.  According  to  his  system 
It  would  have  been  moved  ftom  Sletty  to  Kildara,  then  to  Ferns, 
and  lifterwards  back  again  to  Kfldare.  But,  as  Cogitosua  lived  a 
^Ung  time^er  St  Moedoc,  Colgan's  hypothesis  fiiHs  to  die  gnmnd. 


Digitized  by  VjjOOQIC 


CHAP.  XXII.  OW  IBfiLANO.  873 

Tbat  Mid  pnmcy  retorned  nft  any  lime  firom^  Kildare  to  Form 
thtte  k  no  authority  whateverto  prove.  It  was  stQl  at  Kildare  ia 
the  tetter  end  of  the  eleventh  centmy.  But  of  this  more  dse- 
i^iere^ 

(113)  Tr.  Th.  p.  509.    Ware  and  Harris,  Bishops  at  Rt^fhoe. 

(114)  Ware,  ib.  at  Ldghlm  for  Conala;  and  for  Maolbrvd 
see  AA.  SS.  /k  387  at  .1.  954  (S55)  and  Hairist  Bishops  at 
Cmmor. 

(US)  Tr.Th.p.69i.    I  have  added  a  year  to  eadi  date. 

(116)  See  CAop^  iii.$.  3.  and  compve  wkb bdbw  Not.l¥>. 

(117)  Cohan's  text  (i&  /?.  63a)  has  Murenna*s  death  at  919, 
as  if  ftom  the  4  Masters.  But  this  must  be  an  erratum ;  (or 
OTlaherty  (MS.  not.  ib.)  say%  that  they  assign  it  to  916  (917). 
The  di^  maiked  by  them  is  May  26  ;  but  he  observes,  that  the 
book  of  Ckmmacnois  has  the  26th  of  April.  Aocotdii^  to 
Keating,  she  was  abbes  of  Kildare  at  the  thne  of  Cormac  Mac- 
CuKnan's  death  in  906.  If  so,  there  is  a  mistake,  (ib.  p.  629.)  ^ 
where  Colgan  places  before  her  the  abbess  Cobflatia  as  dying  b 
914(915). 

§•  XI.  The  Northmen  still  continue  to*  plunder 
and  destroy  various  religious  establishments*      In 
926  Kildare  was  despoiled  firet  by  those  of  Water* 
ford,  and  afterwards  by  those  of  Dublin.  (118)  This 
town  was  a  great  object  of  their  cupidity ;   for  it 
was  plundered  a^in  in  927  by  the  Danes  of  Water- 
ford  commanded  by  a  son  of  Godfred,  and  after- 
wards in  928  on  St.  Brigid's  day  by  Godfred  hioK 
self*  (119)    Leinster  was  not  as  well  defended  a»   - 
some  other  parts  of  Ireland.    Auliffi^  a  son  of  God- 
fred»  I  suppose  the  same  as  the  one  just  mentioned^ 
was  defeated  in  926  by  Murtogh  Mac-Neill  (a  son 
of  the  king  Neill  Glundubh)  and  his  Ulster  men,  who 
kiUed  800  Northmen,  among  whom  were  three  of 
their  chiefs  Abdean,  Aufer,  and  Harold.  (120)     Yet 
they  afterwards  penetrated  into  that  province,  and 
the  same  Auliflfe,  assisted  by  the  Northmen  of  Loch* 
cuain  (Strangford-lough)  plundered  Armagh  about 
St.  Martin's  festival  9S2.  (121)    A  party  of  them 

Digitized  by  VjjOOQIC 


S74  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY       CHAP.  XXII. 

tpillaged  Clonfnacnois  ki  935 ;  and  in  the  same  year 
they  burned  the  monastery  of  Mungret.  In  937 
they  plundered  the  church  of  Kikitlieti,  and  in  the 
following  year  burned  the  monastery  of  Killachad 
and  ravaged  Clonenagh.  (122)  In  9M  they  pil- 
la^  the  church  of  Inisi-mochta,  (123)  and  in  941 
laid  waste  Ardbraccan,  at  which  year  is  marked  also 
a  plundering  of  Down  and  a  conflagration  of  Cloii- 
macnois.  (1S4)  In  the  same  year  the  celebmted 
prince  CealUchan  or  Callaghan  Cashel,  at  the  head 
of  the  forces  of  Munster,  defeated  the  North- 
men in  two  battles,  one  in  the  Desies .  eountry 
and  the  other  in  Ossory,  in  which  2000  of  their 
troops  were  killed.  (125)  In  942  Down,  Clonard, 
Kildare,  and  the  adjacent  districts,  were  overrua  by 
several  of  their  armies ;  (126)  and  in  94S  those  of 
Limerick  laid  waste  a  part  of  Ossory.  (127)  In  the 
same  year  tlie  gallant  Murt(^h  or  Murcheitach,  son 
of  Niall  Glunndubh,  and  prince  of  Aileach,  was 
killed  on  the  26th  of  March  fighting  at  Athfera 
agajnst  the  Northman  king  Blacari  a  son  of  Godfred 
and  brother  of  Auliffe,  and  consequently  on  the 
following  day  the  Northmen  plundered  Armagh. 
(1^8)  In  944  Congall  IL  king  of  all  Ireland,  at 
the  head  of  the  people  of  Bregh  (now  Fingal,  &c.), 
and  assisted  by  Bran  Mac-Madmordha  and  hk  La* 
genians,  took  Dublin,  plundered  and  exterminated 
the  Danish  inhabitants,  and  burning  the  town  car* 
ried  off  much  booty  and  treasure.  (15?9)  In  the 
following  year  Ceallachan  Cashel  pre^nted  to  the 
see  and  monastery  of  Clonfert  plunder,  which  he 
had  taken  from  the  Northmen^  and  Blaear,  having 

fotsome  reinforcements,  recovered  DuUin,  which 
e  repaired.  (ISO)  In  946  Jomhar  or  Ivar,  a  North* 
man  chieftain,  arrived  ^t  Limerick,  and,  proceediug 
on  the  Shannon  with  his  followers,  set  fire  to  the  es- 
tablishments of  Muicinis,  Iniskelira  in  Laugh»derg, 
Clonmacnois,  and  those  of  the  islands  of  Lough*nee, 
&c.  and  thence  marching  into  Meath  demstated  a 

Digitized  by  VjjOOQIC 


CHAP.   XXIU  r     ^^  IRELAND.  '375 

/great  tract  of  country.  (131)  In  947  some  North- 
men, probably  those  of  Dublin,  plundered  the 
church  of  Slane  ;  (132)  and  it  wa»  perhaps  on  this 
occasion  that  they  were  in  said  year  attacked  and 
routed  by  Cou^l  II.  (133)  This  king  defeated 
them  in  another  battle,  the  foUowing  year  948,  in 
which  their  king  Blacar  and  IQOO  of  his  men  lost 
their  lives.  {liH) 

(118)  Annals  of  Innis&Uen  at  J,  926.  The  4  Masters  (ap. 
Tr.  Th.  p.  630.)  assign  this  devastation  to  924?  (025)^ 

( 1 1 9)  4  Masters,  ib.  at  926  (927)  and  927  (928) 

(120)  Annals  o£  Innis&Ilen  at  A.  926.  and  Ware,  Antiq. 
caprU, 

(121)  Four  Masters,  ap.  Tr.  Tk.  p.  296,  at  A.  93r(932> 

(122)  Ind.  Chron.  to  Tr.  Th.  I  have  added  a  year  to  the 
dates.  The  Annak  of  Innisfallen- assign  this  devastation  of  Kil- 
lachad  and  Clonenagh>  together  with  that  of  Meath  in  general^ 
from  its .  southern  parts  to  as  far  as  Clonard,  to  the  year  639. 
They  ohaige  with  it  not  only  the  Northmen,  but  likewise  the  &- 
inous  Ceallachan  or  Callaghan  Ca^el,  who,  they  state,  was  as- 
sisted by  the  Danes.  The  Killachad  here  mentioned  could  not 
have  been  that  of  the  now  county  of  Cavan,  as  laid  down  by 
Archdall  (at  KUlachad),  because  this  Killachad  lay  far  to  the 
North  of  Clonard.  It  was  tlie  Killachad-dromfoda,  now  KiUeigh 
in  the  King's  county,  which  had  beei^  founded  by  St.  Sinell  or . 
SenchelL    (See  Chap.  ix.  §.  3.) 

(123)  Tr.  Th.  ib.  at  939  (940).  Afchdall  places  Inis-mod^ta 
in  the  county  of  Louth  for  no  other  reason,  I  suppose,  than  that 
St.  Mochteus  or  Mochta  lived  in  that  country.  But  it  is  more 
probable,  that  it  was  the  place  now  called  Inismouthy,  a  vicarage 
in  the  banonr  of  Slane,  co.  Meath.  (See  Seward  ad  loc.J 

(124)  Tr.  Th.  »A.  at  940  (941). 

( 125)  Annals  of  Innis&llen  at  ^.  941. 

(126)  Ware,  Aniiq.  cap.  24. 

(127)  Aanakoflniiif^en  at  A.  943. 

(128)  iJ.  at  ^.  943.  and  4  Masters  {ap.  Tr.  Th.p.296.j  who 
asMgn  thil  battk  co  941  (942).     Ware  says,  CAnt.  cap.  24*  at  ^. 

.  943,)  that  Muitocfa  was  killed  on  the  26th  of  February.    H^ 

Digitized  by  V^OOQIC 


J 


376  AN  KCCLE8IA8TICAL  HISTOar        CHAP«  XXlU 

En^kh  tnuiilator  hat  rendeied  fak  wctdi  m  tudi  a  maiiiier  as  to 
make  him  sean  to  81^,  that  Murtogh  was  killed  not  by  the  Daoes 
but  by  the  people  of  Ulster.  Aileach,  whence  that  bnnre  prince 
had  his  tkle,  was  a  castle  of  the  Nialls  three  miles  N.  of  Denj. 
As  to  Ath-ftrd,  it  must  have  been  not  farffrom  Annag|i»  wfaicb 
was  entered  by  the  Northmen  on  the  day  after  die  battle^ 

(129)  Annals  of  Innisfidlen  at  itf«M4. 

(ISO)  lb.  at  A.  Mf5.  and  Ware^  Ani.  cap.  24. 

(131)  lb.  at  A.  946.  Cdgan  has  {Tr.  Th.  jr.  633.)  fiom  Ag 
4  Master  at  A.  944  (945)  a  devastation  of  Clonmacnoisy  whidiy 
we  may  be^suroy  was  the  same  as  that  now  mentionedy  although 
they  place  it  a  year  earlier.  At  the  same  date  they  have  a  [^ua- 
dering,  byNorthmeny  ofthe  church  of  KflcuDen. 

(132)  Tr.  Th.  Ind.  Chran.  ad  A.  946  (947). 
(188)  See  Ware,  AnHq.  cap.  24.  at  A.  947* 
(134)  Annals  of  Innisiallen  at  A.  948. 

$•  XII.  These  disasters  o(  the  Danes  of  Dablhi 
prdxibly  contributed  in  some  degree  to  their  conyer* 
sion  to  the  Christian  religion,  which,  it  is  said,  oc- 
curred in  the  same  year  948.  (1S5)  They  were  the 
first  of  their  nation  in  Ireland,  who,  at  least  in  any 
large  body,  received  the  divine  doctrines  of  the 
Gospel,  which,  however,  did  not  prevent  them  from 
afterwards  practising  ravages  in  the  same  manner  as 
their  predecessors  had  done.  It  has  been  conjec- 
tured, that  Godfrid,  who  after  the  death  of  Blacar 
became  head  or  king  of  the  Irish  Northmen,  (136) 
was  himself  a  Christian.  He  was  the  son  of  Sitric, 
who,  according  to  this  conjecture,  was  the  Sitric 
king  of  Northumberland,  to  whom  Athelstan  king 
of  England,  gave  his  sister  lilditha  in  marriage  on 
condition  of  his  embracing  the  Christian  faidi. 
This  Sitric  had  three  sons,  Reginald,  Anlaf,  or 
Auliffe,  and  Godfrid,  the  two  latter  of  whom  are 
allowed  to  have  been  bom  of  a  former  marria^. 
Yet  it  has  been  thought  probable,  that  Godfrid,  in 
imitation  of  his  father,  also  became  a  Christian. 
(137)    Be  this  as  it  may>  I  find  no  reason  to  doubt 

Digitized  by  VjjOOQIC 


CHAP.  XXlU  OF  IKELAKD.  S77 

thst  the  Dftiiish  inhabitants  of  Dublin  received  Chris- 
tianity at  this  time,  but,  generally  speaking,  not 
earfier ;  (iS8)  yet  it  is  not  to  be  supposed,  that  the 
abbey  of  St.  Mary,  which  is  said  to  nave  been  ori- 
ginaiiy  of  the  lEtenedictine  order,  was  founded  as 
eariy  as  the  very  first  year  of  their  conversion.  089) 
These  new  converts  did  not  imbibe  the  meekness 
prescribed  by  the  Gospel ;  for  in  950  the  Danes  of 
Dublin  plundered  and  burned  Slane,  so  that  many 
person^  assembled  in  its  belfirey,  perished  in  the 
flames.  (140)  In  the  same  year  Godfrid  was  de« 
feated  at  a  pkce,  called  Mvine^Brecain^  by  Ru* 
raidhe  or  Roaeric  (yCannanain,  prince  of  Lethcuinn 
(the  northern  half  of  Ireland)  and,  having  lost  1000 
men,  was  forced  to  fly  j  but  Roderick  was  killed  in 
this  battle.  (I4l)  To  said  year  is  assigned  a  de- 
vastation of  Clonfert^  the  Northmen  ;  042)  and 
jalso  an  expedition  of  Godfrid  in  the  soutnem  parts 
of  Munster  as  far  as  Ross,  in  which  he  was  assisted 
by  a  considerable  fleet.  (143)  In  951  Godfrid  took 
Dublin,  ravaged  Kells  and  Domnach-Patrick  about 
four  mUes  distant  from  it,  Ardbraccan,  TuUen,  Kill- 
skire,  and  some  other  religious  places  in  Meath; 
but  oh  his  return  he  and  his  army  were  surprised  by 
the  Irish,  routed,  and  obliged  to  leave  their  plun* 
der  behind.  This  was  the  last  year  of  Godtrid'a 
depredations ;  for,  having  proceeded  to  the  Desies, 
he  was  killed,  together  with  500  of  his  followers 
(chiefly,  I  suppose,  the  Danes  of  Waterford,)  by  the 
united  Munstermen,  both  Eugenians  and  Dalcas- 
sians.  (144)  Other  Nordimen  still  continued  to 
launder  reli^ous  establishments.  They  pillaged 
Oonmacnois  in  952,  at  whiclfyear  is  mariced  also  a 
devastation  of  Inisdamle.  (145) 

(195)  /ft.  where  they  hare;  <<  This  year  the  Danes  of  DoMin 
reoeimi  the  Chriitian  rdigkm  and  were  bqitised.'*  Instead  of 
DmMh,  Ware  (he  dknX  A.  946.;  has  Irebmd.  Bat  dik  is  a 
miftakei  and  H  is  dear,  from  the  sobeequent  histocy  of  bdandf 

Digitized  by  VjjOOQIC 


878  AN  ECCLE^A^TICAL  HISTORY      .CHAP.  XXIU 

tintllie'CoixTerfipiiofthftJ>aDe8  varfior  from  beipg  general  qatil 
4  later  period ;.iunr. would  the  annaliit  have  confined  theamver« 
lion  in  9iS  to  tfaote  of  Dublm,  had  the  Dane^  in  other  parta  4>f 
Ijodand  become  Chrigtianiat  the  same  time. 

(136)  Ware  (ib.)  ^pealu  o£  God&id  aa  king  of  the  Danes  of 
Dublin;  but  I  think  he  ought  rather  to  be  called  kiiv;  oftboBeof 
all  Ireland*  For  we  ihall  see  him  fighting  in  Ulster  and  in  Man- 
ater,  in  which  prarmee  he  waa  kiDecL  Sudi  drcunstances  do  not 
a^neewith  his  having  been  king  onlj  <^  Dublin. 
.  (137)  See  J.  P.  Murray^  De  utomu  Scandicu  iaJnsuUs  Bri- 
iawieih  ^  mamme  in  HUemia,  §,  14^  l$*  in  Nov.  C<mm$mi^ 
Soc,  IL  GoeUimg.  VoLS. 

(138)  Keder  (Num*  in  Hibemia<Uiorum  Indagatjo^  p.  7») 
and  Mvanay  (he.  at.)  were  wrong  in  making  Ware  attribute  a 
coin  of  a  christian  king  Aidafto  Anlaf  king  ^.Dublin,  who  died 
in  941.  Waie  merdy  calls  it  (AnHq.  cap.  25.}  ^'  the  silver  coin 
of  Aulafor  Anlafkii^ofDublin>''  without  stating  which  of  the 
Anla&  he  meant.  For  there  were  other  Anlafs,  at  a  later  time, 
kir^  of  Dublin;  nor  could  Ware  hav«  alluded  to  the  Anla^  who 
^Ued  in  BUf  whereas  he  does  not  mention  any  coorvenkm  of  the 
Danes  previous  to  9iS.  The  figure  of  the  cross  in  two  or  three 
.parts  of  it  showsy  that  it  was  struck  by  order  of  an  Anlaf  a  Chris- 
tian* There,  was  an  Ai^  king  of  Dublin,  who  retired  to  Hy  in 
the  y^ar  98<;^  and  died  there.  He  was  the  &ther  of  Sitric,  king 
jo(  Dublin^  w^ose  son  Aidaf  became  king  there  in  1029.  To  either 
,0f  thesQ  Aala&  thai  coin  may  be  nefeiredi  without  reoonring,  aa 
jame  have  doney  to  an  Anlaf  of  Northamberiai^d*  For  it  is  saf- 
.fioentl^  dear,  jthat  it  was  struck  in  Dublin,  as  the  name  of  the 
mfmetarhu  or  mint-man  mari^ed  on  it  is  Farman  or  Faeremau, 
.wUch  we  find  also  on  a  coin  (with  the  cross)  of  Sitric  with  the 
additkw  Dtjlfiin*  This  Sitric  was  undoubted^  the  oi^e,  who  be- 
icanae  long  of  DubUn  m  969,  and  who  was  the  son  of  one  Anlaf, 
;aadfiitherof  another*  It  is  remarkably  that  there  is  also  a  cob 
{]i  Ethelred,  king  of  England,  with  the  sanw  additioq  and  the  name 
of  the  said  monetariotUi  having  on  one  side  Aeddred  Rex  An^, 
and|  on  the  reverse,  Foereman  Mo  Di^fii.  (lad  Ethelred  no  mint  - 
of  his  own,  and  accoidingly  was  obliged  tQ  get  money  coined  in 
f Diihlin  ?  (See  Simon  an  Imh  coin^^  p*  6,  7-  and  9.)  T^ece  b  a 
coin,  likewise  witlLA  cross,  which  iSinaon  fib.  p.  6*  J  supposes  to 

Digitized  by  VjjOOQIC     ' 


CHAP.  XXII.      ♦  OF  IRELANOt.  .  ^85© 

be <^a  king  Ivar,  and  whom  he siakes ihesame.as Jvar,  who difid 
in  872.    This  is  a  downright  mistake ;  for  this  Ivar,  who  had  come 
from  Norway  in  853  with. his  brothers  Anlaf  or  Amlaf  and  Sitiicy 
was  not  a  Christian.    The  coin  i§  so  worn,  that  it  .is  almost  impof- 
sible  to  explain  it.   Simon  thought  that  it  has  the  letters  R^  Xflify 
which  he  interprets  Rex  Dyflin.    I  cannot  perceive  them  in  this 
order.     In  what  he  calls  Yflii  I  see  no  L,  but  something  like  J* 
three  times ;  and^  instead  of  F  the  letter  is  G.  ( Con^Mure,  with 
Coin  7>  Tab.  4.  in  Camden's  Britan,  coL  cxcv.  Gibson's  ed*J 
The  wlK)Ie  word  mi^t  have  been  Largy^  tlie  dd  name  of  Wate^ 
ford.     Even  the  name  Ivar  is  not  suiOSdently  plain^  excepting  tli^ 
two  first  letters  IF.    There  was  an  Ivar  king  of  Watertbrd,  who 
died  in  1000.  (Ware,  ib.  cap.  24.)    Should  it  be  insisted  that  di|s 
coin  belonged  to  Dublin,  we  find  an  Ivar  governor  or  viceroy  of 
the  Danes  of  Dublin  in  1038,  (Annals  of  Innis&llen)  to  whom  it 
may  be  fiurly  referred.    Ware  does  not  mention  this  Ivar ;  but  whp 
will  be  seen  elsewhere.  (Below  Not.  ISO  to  Chap,  xrni.)    L^ 
wich  {Antiq,  S^c.p.  126.)  makes  mention  of  this  coin  fi:om  Simoiv 
and  with  strange  confidence  speaks  of  it,  as  if  the  words,  ^^urut 
re  Dyiflinj  were  plainly  discernible  on  it.     Now  even  hia  owi| 
figure  of  it  proves,  that  this  is  not  the  case.    He  follows  Sirnqn  19 
attributing  it  to  the  Ivar,  who  came  to  Ireland  in  853»  and  thaspe 
concludes  that,  as  the  crass  iqipears  on  it,  the  Danes  were  tiiei^ 
Christians,  and  that  Ware  was  wrong  in  dating  their  oonveraioii  ji 
hundred  years  later.     But  did  he  know  that  Ware  was  not  jthe  a(^ 
thor  of  that  date,  which  he  took  firom  the  Annals  c^  Innftftlfali? 
(See  above  Not.  135.)     Perhaps  he  did  i^>t;  for  Ware,  wMoibf 
to  a  practice,  in  which  he  indulged  too  much,  dki  not  refap  to  Jhi* 
authority;  and  on  the  other  hand  tlie  mighty  anti^puny 'diijnot 
trouble  himself  about  Irish  annals.     He  considered  this  a#  a  ttsst 
important  discovery,  and  founded  on  it  a  heap  of  rubbish,  whidh 
he  has  often  here  and  there  about  St.  Patrick  having  been  bcoiogill 
to  Armagh  by  the  Danes  or  Ostmen  in  the  dth  centuiy,  Aair  in- 
troducing reliques  in  the  9th  centuiy,  erecting  stone  duqpelA  in  th^ 
9th  tentury,  and  so  on.    Now,  independaitly  of  the  prntiyerlcs* 
timony  of  the  quoted  annals,  we  find  the  Oslmen  of  JudJabd  stfll 
called  gentiles  or  pagans  after  the  death  of  Ledwiefa's  pvelendad 
Christian  king  Ivar.    Thus  the  Ulster  annals  have ;  **  Anno  828 
(879)  MaelcodusJUius  Crum'oadi  antkitt  ArmachfinU^  et.  MpC" 

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S80  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL   tflSTORt        CHAP.  XXfU 

Aeus  UaoTf  capH  turda  GentU&ut.  {Usher,  Pr.p.  96(k9tiii  Imi. 
Chron.  orf  A.  879. 

(1S9)  Ware  tretts  df  thb  abbey,  Antiq.  cap^  21-.  at  A.  94Bp 
and  ay.  96.  but  in  a  rather  mnwtiiifiictory  manner.  Hehasastoqr 
aboutita  hafing  been  founded  by  long  Mael>ei|jd>1in  L  who  died  in 
808.  But  the  Irish  of  tfaoae  days  had  no  Benedictines.  Nor 
wis  it  founded  as  eariy  as  948;  for,  as  Ware  states,  lu  fburtfc 
dibotdiinot  die  until  April,  A.D.ltSl;  and  it  cannoi  be  sup- 
posed that  four  abbots  could  have  filled  up  the  long  interval  be< 
(ween  this  year  and  9i8.  LillS^  the  monlUorthts  house  adopted 
the  leform  of  the  Cislerclafl  institution. 

(140)  Ware,  t^.  cap.  94.  Thb  was  undoubtedly  the  confla- 
gration marked  by  C<4gan  hem  die  4  Masters  {ap.  Tr.  Tk.p. 
S19.  and  huL  Chran.)  at  il.  948  (949),  in  whidi  he  says,  thitt 
Cocnarhair,  or  Frobus,  above  mentioned  (see  Chap.  iii.  (•  2.) 
and  many  others  were  burned  to  death  in  a  tower.  Ware  men« 
tiaoii  that  they  were  burned  m  the  church;  but  he  AoM  have 
said  M  the  hetfi^^.  Coenacfaair  is  csdled  by  him  Cinauiy  and  re- 
presented as  a  learned  man  and  dnef  lecturer  of  Slane,  by  which 
title  the  4  Masters  designate  Coenadour.  Ware's  date  forthn 
oooiagration  is  more  conect  than  Colgan's;  whereas  the  Annab 
of  Ulster,  quoted  by  Dr.  O'Conor  {Rer.  Hib.  Scripiorety  1  Pr<d^. 
p.  98.)  ass^  it  to  ^.  949 1.  e.  9B0.  He  observes  abo;  that  the 
4  Bfarters  maiic  it  at  the  same  year,  so  that  there  ir  a  mistake  in 
Collgan's  reference  to  them.  Instead  of  tatoer  he  ought  to  have 
said  bel/rey^  for  the  word  used  by  the  4  Masters  and  in^  the  Ultter 
momIs  is  Clckteachy  whidi  KteraDy  means  heU-hcme.  Cofigan's 
tmoer  m^t  lead  one  to  bdieve,  that  it  was  an  edifice  of  stone, 
whidi  it  could  not  have  been ;  for  it  was  burned  itsdf,  and  ac- 
ooidiimly  was  of  wood.  According  to  both  Annals  it  was  in  said 
Ckiioteadi  that  Coenachair  and  his  companions  were  burned  to 


(141)  Aimals  of  Innisfollen  at  A.  95a  The  4  Masten  (ap. 
Tr.Th.  p.  44a)  assign  this  battle  to  948  (949).  They  swefldie 
manber  ef  die  Nordmien,  that  fdl',  to  6000,  too  great  a  muhl- 
tude,  Itfaink,  for  the  battles  of  those  times.  Where  Midne  Bre* 
oaine  was  situated!  wish  that  either  they  or  Colgan  had  informed 

(142)  Tr.Tk.  Ltd.  Chnm.  ad  A.  949  (950). 

Digitized  by  VjjOOQIC 


CHAP,  XXH,  OP  IRELAND.  881 

(liS)  Aimak  of  IimiifiiBen  at  .4^  95a 

(144)  n.  at  A.  951. 

(145)  See  Tr.  Th.  Ind.  Chron.  ad96l  {98^.    For  Inudamle 
Me  NO.  1.  to  Chap.  xzi. 

%.  13.  Edchada  Mac-Scanlun,  bishop  of  Emly, 
wlio  died  in  941,  (146)  was  succeeded  by  Huaraeh, 
who  held  the  see  until  9&3^  and  after  lum  we  find 
Mael-KeUach,  who  lived  untU  957.  (147)  MaeU 
fimm,  Ushop  of  Kildare,  died  in  949  or  950.  (148) 
A  succession  of  bishops  was  still  kept  up  at  Lontb, 
as  afypears  from  there  being  assigned  to  A.D.  949 
the  d^th  of  Finnacta  Mac-Ectigem,  who  is  styled 
bishop,  scribe,  and  abbot  of  Louth,  and  the  chief 
procurator  of  the  church  of  Armagh  in  the  southern 
parts ;  and  before  him  is  mentioned  another  Iridicp 
there,  Moelpatric  Mac^Bran,  who  died  in  987.  (149^ 
One  Cathmogan  is  named  as  bishop  of  Cork  in  these 
tim^  and  he  is  said  to  have  died  in  961.  (150) 
A  Cormac,  bishop  of  Talla^ht,  died  in  963 ;  but  a 
more  celebrated  prelate  of  uiis  period  was  Cormac 
Hua  Killene,  bishop  and  abbot  of  Clonmacnois, 
abbot  also  of  Tomgraay  (in  Clare)  and  of  Roscom- 
mon, who  erected  a  church  and  steeple  at  Tom* 
grany,  and,  having  lived  to  a  very  great  age,  died 
in  965.  (151)  St.  Adhknd,  abbot  of  Derry,  is 
greatly  praised  for  his  charity  and  liberality  to  the 
poor.  He  was  a  descendant  of  Conall  Gnlbanius  and 
died  in  951.  (152)  As  abbot  of  Derry,  he  has  been 
nlled  a  cmnorban  of  Columb-kille^  and.hence  it  has 
been  erroneously  supposed  that  he  was  abbot  of  Hy. 
(153)  After  Caincomrach,  who  died  in  946^  (154) 
the  next,  whom  I  find  strictly  called  abbot  of  Hy,  is 
ikchra  Hua-Hartaguin,  who  lived  until  j977.  (155) 
A  bishop  of  Hy,  who  must  not  be  confounded  widi  the 
abbot,  named  flngin,  and  from  his  sanctity  styled 
Ofickaretf  died  in  965,  and  his  memory  was  revered 
on  the  5th  of  March,  (156)  Kelius,  an  anchoret  of 
Armagh,  died  in  951,  to  which  year  is  assigned  also 
the  death  of  a  celelmted  Irish  chronographer  Flann 

Digitized  by  VJH^VJ vie 


iM  AN   ECCLBSrASTICAL    HISTORY       CHAP»  XXII* 

Hua  Becain,  archdeacon  of  Drameliffe ;  and  in  952 
Colga  likewise  an  anchoret  of  Armagh.  (157)     I 
shtil  close  this  series  of  distinguislied  ecclesiastics 
with  the  holy  Alild  Mac-Moenach  bishop  of  Swords 
and  Lusk,  who  died  in  966,  and  Muredach  O'Con- 
nor, bishop  and  abbot  of  Clonenagh,  who  died  in 
071  f  prior  to  whom  I  find  two  other  bishops  there, 
^prad  and  Kellach,  whose  deaths  fell  within  said 
centmry  id  9l0  and  94K  (158)     Henceforth  and 
\down  to  the  beginning  of  the  twelfth  century  the 
acconnts  of  the  succession  to  the  see  of  Armagh  afe 
greatly  confused  and  very  obscure.     It  had  weady 
got  into  the  possession  of  one  powerful  family,  the 
members  of  which  lield  it  for  about  200  years,  rec- 
koning from  the  death  of  St.  Maelforigid,  who  died 
in  920,  or  927,  until  the  accession  of  the  great  Sl 
Malachy.  (159)     This  family  was  most  probably  that 
of  the  dynasts  of  the  district  of  Armagh,  whose  an- 
fcester  Uaire  had  granted  to  St.  Patrick  the  ground^ 
on  which  the  church  and  other  religious  buildings, 
&c.  of  that  city  hafl  been  erected.  ( 1 60)     And  it  is 
remarkable,  that  the  two  first  bishops  of  this  long 
Buccession,  viz.  Joseph  and  Moelpatrick  are  styled 
^irtces  of  Armagh;  (161)   a  title,  which  strongly 
indicates,  that  they  were  really  chieftains  as  well  as 
1)ishops  of  that  city.  (162)     After  them  care  was 
taken  that  the  see  should  not  be  conferred  ekcept  ob 
members  of  that  ruling  family.     This  pernicious 
system  gradually  produced  horrid  abuses,  insomuch 
so,  that  during  this  usurpation  eight  married  men, 
who,  although  not  illiterate,  were  not  in  holy  orders, 
assumed  the  title,  rank,  and  prerogatives  of  the  arch- 
bishop of  Armagh ;  and  thus,  although  there  were 
at  times  no  clergymen  belonging  to  that  family,  yet 
it  gave  to  the  see  persons  called  bishops.  (169)    It 
seems,  however,  that  these  lay  usurpers  retained  rc^ 
gular  bishops  to  act  for  them  as  suffraguis,  while 
they  ei\joyed  the  church  livings ;  and  hence  we  find 
in  the'aubsequent  period  several  persons  odtod  by 

^  Digitized  by  VjOOQ IC 


CHAKXi'ir;  OP  IRELAND.  "3%^ 

some  writers  bishops  of  Armagh  and  omitt^'  by 
others;  whereby  it  becomes  very  difficult  and;  J 
may  say,  impossible  to  arrange  the  succession  in  a 
correct  manner ;  to  which  must  be  added  the  diver- 
sity of  dates,  that  occur  in  our  old  writers  as  to  the 
duration  of  the  incumbencies  of  said  bishops,  whether 
real  ones  or  not.  (l64) 

(146)  Above  J.  7.        (147)  Wsare  BMops  Bi  Emly. 
(liS)  Idem  tit  Kildare. 

(149)  4  Masters  ap.  A  A.  SS.  p.  736.  I  have  added  a  year  to 
their  dates. 

(150)  Ware,  Bishops  at  CorL 

(151)  4  Masters  ap.  A  A.  SS.p.  360,  at  A.  962  (963),  and  A. 
964  (965).  Ware  and  Harris  have  Cormac  Hua  KiUeme  at  Bu' 
shops  at  Clonmacnois*  He  is  called  comorban  of  Kieran  and 
Coman,  alluding  to  Clonmacnois  and  Roscommon,  and  also  of 
Cronan,  whence  Harris  deduced  that  he  seems  to  have  been 
abbot  likewise  of  Roscrea.  But  I  believe  that  he  was  so  styled 
relatively  to  Tomgrany,  of  which  he  is  expressly  called  abbot, 
without  any  mention  of  Roscrea.  And  hence  we  mt^  infer,  that 
Tomgrany,  the  origin  of  which  has  been  hitherto  obscure,  was 
founded  by  St  Cronan.  For  we  know,  (see  Chap.  xvii.  §.  2.) 
that  this  saint  had  been  on  the  West  side  of  the  Shannon,  and 
had  formed  some  religious  establishments,  before  he  had  settled 
at  Roscrea.  Harris  was  wrong  in  sa3ring,  that  Cormac  was  the 
founder  of  the  Church  of  Tomgrany.  There  was  a  church  there 
veiy  long  before  his  time,  and  all  he  did  was  to  build  a  new  one. 

(152)  Tr.  Th.  p.  480  and  503.  AA,  SS.  p.  107.  at  A.  950 
(951). 

(153)  Colgan  speaks  of  him  fTr.  Th.  p.  480.)  as  abbot  of  Hy, 
but  elsewhere  calls  him  abbot  only  of  Deny. 

(154)  Above,  f .  2. 

(155)  4  Masters(fl;t;.  Tr.  Th.p.  500.)  at  ^.976.(977).  The 
Annals  of  Ulster  have  at  958  (959)  Dubhduin  a  comoiban  of  Co- 
lumbkill ;  but  fK>m  this  title  it  does  not  follow,  that  he  was  abbot 
of  Hy.  He  was  probably  abbot  of  Derry  and  the  immediate  suc- 
cessor of  St.  Adhland. 

(156)  Tr.  Th.  ib.  at  i4.  964  (965). 


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SM  AN  ECCLEilAmCAL   HI8T0JIT       CBAP.  XXII. 

(157)  Ib^  /^*  Ckrtnu  adding  a  jmr  to  the  dates. 

(158)  ForA]ild9eet5.uKlp.509.ati4.965(966).  Aoootd- 
mg  to  lome  aooounti  we  should  admit  six  bishops  of  Lxuky  in  the 
9th  and  10th  centuries,  prior  to  Aiild.  Archdall  has  their  names 
at  LuiL  I  find  nothing  about  them  in  Cohan's  woiks.  For  the 
bishops  at  Cloneni^  see  AA.  SS.p.  $56. 

(159)  See  above  §.  la  St.  Bernard  sqw  m  the  Life  of  St. 
Maladiy  (et^  7*  aL  10.)  that  said  fianil^  retained  the  see  6r 
about  200  years,  after  having  observed  that  there  were  about  15 
genemtions  of  them.  If  this  is  to  be  underrtood,  as  seems  most 
probable^  of  natural  generati(HiSy  eadi  of  them  must  be  com- 
puted as  connsting  of  only  14  years.  Some  hare  sii^iposed  hk 
meaning  to  be»  that  there  were  15  successive  bishops,  or  persons 
calling  themsdves  bishops,  of  that  famOy.  Cdgan  has  endear 
voured  (Tr.  Th.p.  802.)  to  make  out  a  catalogue  of  15  iHsbops; 
but  his  list  does  not  exactly  agree  with  the  catalogue  finom  the 
Ptedter  of  Cashd,  as  one  of  thosci  whom  he  mendons,  k  omitted 
in  it. 

-  (160)  I  agree  with  Colgan,  (ib.p.  808.)  that  thb  is  the  most 
probable  ofMnion,  and  diat  the  chieftains  of  that  tract  seem  to  have 
claimed  a  right  to  the  see  as  if  an  advowson  of  their  finnify.  He 
observes  diat  said  fiunily  of  usuipers  could  not  hav6  been  diat  of 
the  Neillsy  or  Mac  Mahons,  or  Maguires,  or  O'Hanlons,  as  some 
had  conjectured,  whereas  St.  Bernard,  who  severely  invei^ 
against  it,  states  f  Vit.  S.  MaL  cap.  S.J  that  it  was  extinct  at  the 
time  he  was  writing. 

(161)  Above  ^0. 

(162)  A  predecessor  of  Joseph,  Oathasach  Mac-Robartach  is 
also  caDed  Prince  of  Armagh.  (See  C?ug>,  xxi.  §.  18.)  Ware 
thou^t,  diat  this  title  was  given  to  him  merdy  as  bishop.  But 
if  that  were  the  reason  of  it,  why  was  it  not  given  likewise  to 
every  other  bishop  of  that  see?  Or  if  it  was  given  to  indicate,  as 
Mac  Mahon  states*  (Jus  Prim.  Armac.§*  886.) the  primatial  pre- 
rogative^ why  has  it  been  confined  to  no  more  than  three  prdatcs 
of  Armagh?  I  think  it  much  more  probable,  that  it  meant,  ao- 
ooiding  to  its  obvious  signification,  a  person  invested  with  dril 
authority,  and  that  Cathasach,  &c.  were  reaUy  chieftains  of  Ar- 
ms^ Peter  Talbot  of  Dublin,  against  whom  Mac  Mahon  was 
aiguing^  sqrs  diat  the  title  of  prince  was  given  to  those  bishops  in 
consequence  c^  the  usurpatioo  of  15  generations,  as  St.  Bernard 

Digitized  by  VJVJi_iVlV^ 


CHAP.  XXIU  Of  IRELAND.  S85 

gbUs  it  But  this  is  a  mistake ;  for  Cathasach,  who  was  not  a 
Qsurper,  and  between  whom  and  Joseph  there  were,  at  leasts  two 
bish^  of  Annagh,  is  marked  by  the  same  title.  Nor  can  Jo- 
seph, the  first  hiahop  of  that  unintermpted  hae  and  the  suocessor 
of  St.  Madbrigid,  who  was  of  a  quite  different  fiimily,  (above  §. 
1.)  be  called  a  usurper,  if  we  consider  how  hig^  he  is  praised  in 
the  Irish  annals.  Perhaps  Madpatrick  deserves  that  appellation. 
I  may  here  observe,  that  two  bishops  of  Emly,  Eugene  Mac-€en* 
feolad  and  Tiobniide,  who  are  styled  princes  of  Emfyf  (above  §. 
I  and  7.)  were  probably  so  called  for  a  similar  reason,  i.e.  as  they 
ro%ht  have  been  temporal  lords  of  that  district, 

(163)  Sl  Bemiu^  writes;  (ib.  cap.  7.  oL  10.)  ^  £t  eo  usque 
ftrmaverat  sibi  jus  pravum,  imo  omni  morte  pmuendam  injuriam, 
generatio  mala  et  adultera,  ut,  etsi  interdum  defedssent  derid 
de  sanguine,  illo,  sed  episcopi  nunquam.  Denique  jam  octo  ex- 
titorant  ante  Celsum  viri  uxorati  et  absque  ordhtiiuSf  literati 
tamen.**  The  ardiliar  Toland,  havmg  quoted  this  passage  (Na» 
zarenHSf  Letter  2.  $.  12.)  adds,  that  the  Irish  deigy  derived 
ordination  from  those  lay,  so  called,  ardibishops.  This  he  knew  to 
be  ftdse.  And  as  they  had  no  orders  themselves,  how  oould  they 
have  confisrred  them  on  others. 

(164)  With  regard  to  the  points  now  alluded  to  the  4  Masters 
often  diffi^fiom  the  catalogue  of  the  Psalter  of  Cashd,  and  Cdgan 
himself  is  very  obscure,  Tr.  Tk.p.  297-  seqq.  Nor  do  the  Ulster 
annals  suffidently  agree  with  that  catalogue,  whidi  b  neariy  fol- 
lowed by  Ware,  yet  with  some  variations.  O'Flaberty  in  a  long 
MS  note  (opposite  to  p.  319.  Tr.  Th.)  has  a  catalogue  (£  the 
bishops  of  Armagh  taken  fixnn  his  unpublished  and,  I  am  afiraid, 
lost  work  Ogygia  Christiana.  As  to  the  series  of  the  usurping 
bishops  it  is  almost  the  same  as  that  of  Ware.  Acoording  as  we 
proceed,  I  shall  touch  upon  some  of  these  difierenoes,  without 
entering  deeply  into  them,  partly  because  they  are  scarody  worth 
the  trouble  o£  doing  so,  and  partly  because,  as  for  as  I  can  judge, 
not  one  of  said  catalogues  is  on  the  whole  correct. 

§.  xiT.  The  ^eat  abuse  of  mere  laymen  calling 
themselves  archbishops  of  Armagh  did  not  begin  in 
the  early  part  of  the  usurpation,  nor  is  there  any  ap- 
pearance of  it  until  the-<^ommencement  of  the  ele* 

VOL.  III.  c  c 

•       Digitized  by  VjjOOQIC 


386  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY        pHAP.  XXII« 

venth  century.  Cathasach  the  second,  who  died  in 
9^7,  (165)  was  a  real  bishop,  and  so  was  his  successor^ 
Mnredach  Mac- Fergus,  who  is  said  to  have  held  the 
aee  for  nine  years  ;  after  which  he  was  deposed  in 
966.  (166)  After  him  was  Dubdaletlie  tha  second, 
who  died  on  the  2d  of  June,  A.  D.  998.  in  the  83d 
year  of  his  age,  and  thirty-third  of  his  conseci*ation. 
(16?)  It  is  very  remarkable,  that  Dubdalethe  was 
elected  in  989,  by  the  Columbians  both  of  Ireland 
and  North  Britain  supreme  ruler  of  all  their  monas- 
'  teries  ;  and  hence  be  has  been  called  comorban  not 
only  of  St.  Patrick  but  likewise  of  St.  Columba. 
(168)  Hen^e  it  appears,  that  the  Columbians  roust 
have  by  this  time  departed  from,  or  at  least  dispensed 
with,  their  primitive  and  long  observed  system  of 
not  allowing  any  one,  exc^t  a  priest,  to  be  abbot  of 
Hy  or  chief  superior  of  the  order.  And  in  fact  I 
find  mentioned,  after  Fiachra  Hua  Hartagain,  who 
di^d  in  077,  a>doctor  and  bishop  Mugron,  who,  un- 
less thei*e  be  some  mistake  in  the  matter,  is  called 
abbot  qf  Hy^  and  whose  death  is  assifiped  to  A.  D. 
979.  (169)  But  neither  among  tht  rormer  abbots, 
nor  among  those  who  lived  after  Dubdalethe,  is  there 
one  to  be  found,*  who  as  long  as  he  remained  abbot 
was  abo  a  U^bp. 

St.  Moelfinnian  Mac  Huactain  was  bish(m  of 
Kells  in  the  latter  half  of  this  century.  }ie  is 
called  also  comorban  of  St.  Ultan  and  of  St.  Car- 
nech  ;  and  his  death  is  assigned  to  968.  (170)  Tua- 
thal,  bishop  and  abbot  of  Clonmacnois,  died  in  969. 

(171 )  as  did  also  Daniel,  bishop  of  Leighlio,  and 
Eugene  Mac-Cleirig,  who  is  called  bishop  of  Con- 
naught,  and  hence  supposed  to  have  been  of  Tuam. 

( 1 72)  Becan  Mac  Lachtnan, who  died  in  972,  is  styled 
comorban  of  St.  Finnian  of  Clonard  ;  but  whether  be^ 
wa^  such  as  bishop  or  only  as  abbot,  I  shall  not  pre- 
tend to  decide.  (173)  Mael-Kellach,  bishop  of 
Gmly,  having  died  in  957,  was  succeeded  by  Foelan, 
son  of  Cellaid,  who  lived  until  981  \  and  after  him 

Digitized  by  VjjOOQIC 


CHAP.  XXII.  OF  laSLAKD.  387 

we  find  Cenfada,  who  died  in  990^(174)  The 
blessed  Anmchad,  bishop  of  Kildare,  died  at  an 
advanced  age  in  981,  and  his  successor  Muredach 
Mac-Fjann  in  986.  (175)  Cohimba  Mac-Ciaracain, 
bishop  of  Cork,  and  perhaps  the  immediate  successor 
of  Cathmc^an,  who  died  in  961,  lived  until  990. 
(176)  Prior  to  these  prelates,  I  find  at  length,  a 
bishop  of  Dromore,  Maolbrigid  Mac-Cathasagh,  who 
died  in  973.  (177)  Among  the  many  ecclesiastics, 
who  were  killed  in  the  course  of  this  century  by  the 
Northmen,  are  mentioned,  besides  some  already 
spoken  of,  the  names  of  Bran  Mac-Colman,  abbot  of 
Roscrea  in  930 ;  Ardmed,  abbot  of  Coleraine,  in 
931  ;  Snibhne  Mac-Conbrettan,  abbot  of  Slane,  in 
939  ;  Tanud  Mac-Uder,  abbot  of  Bangor,  in  957  ; 
Mured  Mac-Foilan  of  the  royal  house  of  Leinster, 
and  abbot  of  Kildare,  in  966 ;  Ferdalac,  abbot  of 
the  island  of  Raghlin,  in  974  j  and  Maelkieran 
O'Maigne,  abbot  of  Derry,  who  was  cruelly  put 
to  death  in  986  by  the  garrison  consisting  of  Danes 
from  Dublin.  (178) 

(165)  Above,  §.  10.  * 

(166)  The  Caahel  catalogue,  which  is  followed  by  Ware,  allows 
9  years  for  Muredach,  and  thus  liis  incumbency  woOld  harey 
lasted  until  966.    But  CTFlaherty  says  m  the  quoted  M&  cata* 
logue,  that  he  resigned  the  see  after  seven  years,  and  accoiduigiy 
in  964,  adding  that  he  died  in  the  9th  year  of  his  conseaatian« 

(167)  Ware  at  Dubdakthe  II.  Here  again  O^flaher^,  in  con- 
sequence of  what  he  has  about  Muredacli,  di&rs  fitnn  Ware,  and 
assigns  (ib.)  the  accession  of  Dubdabthe  to  964,  yet  placing  his 
death  in  998  by  allowing  him  33  complete  years  of  incumbency. 
The  Cashel  catalogue  marks  for  him  the  number  xxxiii;.but  its 
numbers  are  not  always  complete.  The  4  Masters  (ap,  Tr,  Th. 
p.  297*)  have  in  these  times  two  Dubdalethes,  one,  who  is  named 
at  A.  988  (989),  and  appears  as  succeeded  by  two  bishops,  afier 
whom  comes  also  a  Dubdalethe,  whose  death  is  assigned  to  998. 
But  from  a  circumstance  which  they  mention  of  both  Dubdaletfaes 
being  called  comorbans  of  Columbkill  it  is  clear,  that  they  were 

C   C  ^ 

Digitized  by  VjjOOQIC 


388  All   BCCLE8IASTICAL   HISTORY      CHAP.  XXH. 

not  diicrent  peraont.  CfFiaSttaty  has  made  tome  MS.  notes  on 
chcae  confused  statanents;  but  it  18  not  wtNth  wliBe  to  touble  die 
fender  with  any  Uinig  iurdier  Aout  them. 

(168)  See  Tr.  Th.  46.  and  y.  503,  at  i4. 988  (989), 

(169)  lb.  p.  BOO  ad  A.  978  (979).  I  strongly  suspect,  that 
thefe  is  a  niist^dce  in  calling  Micron  abbot  of  Hy.  The  title 
given  to  him  in'Smith's  catalogue  (Append,  to  Lift  of  St,  Col.  J 
is  Coarb  (comoiban)  of  ColumbkiU  in  IrtUnd  mnd  SeotUruL  He 
might  hove  been  abbot  of  Deny,  and  thus  like  some  others,  styled 
comoiban  of  Columbkill ;  besides  which  place  he  might  hare 
governed  a  Colombian  house  in  the  mainland  of  Scotland*  The  title 
Ckmorban  tijf  5f.  Cb/amfo  has  been  more  than  0M»  misunderstood 
as  meaning  abbot  of  Hy,  when  m  faet  it  applied  merdy  to  dbboCs 
of  Deny,  as,  4br  instance,  in  the  cases  of  St  Maelbirigid  and  St. 
Adhland.  (See  above  Notes  10  and  153.)  If  M ugron  was  abbot 
of  Derry,  we  dudl  have,  as  he  was  likewise  a  biritop,  one  more 
to  add  to  the  three  bishops,  whom  we  have  met  with  there  in  the 
centuiy  we  are  now  treating  of.    (See  above  $.  10.) 

(170)  lb,  p.  SOS  ad  A.  967  (968).  As  to  his  beingcomorban 
of  St  Ultan,  this  must -refer  to  his  having  presided  also  over  Ard- 
braqcan  either  as  bishop  or  abbot ;  and  his  being  called  comoiban 
of  St  Camadi  shows,  that  he  was  abbot  of  Tulen,  where  a  St 
Camedi  founded  a  n^nastery  in  the  5th  or  6th  eentury.  ("AA. 
85.  p>  78S.)  Harris  has  not  this  monastery ;  but  it  certainly  ex- 
isted and  to  a  late  period.  ArdidaH,  calling  it  Tuiieimj  (where 
he  iband  this  name  I  cannot  tdl)  places  it  in  the  King's  ooun^. 
But  it  is  dear  from  the  Annals  of  Innisfellen,  that  it  was  some- 
where not'^  distant  from  Kells.  At  A.  951.  they  redcon  among 
other  religious  places,  wliich  Godfrid,  son  of  Sitric,  plundoed,  be- 
sides Kells,  &C.  Tullen  as  in  that  range  of  countiy ;  (see  abofe 
§.  12.)  and  at  A.  1170  they  make  mention  of  it  as  plundered  and 
burned,  together  with  Kdls,  Slane,  &c  by  Mao-Murrogfa  and 
Strongbow.  If  I  am  not  mistaken,  it  was  the  place  now  called 
Duleene  or  Dtdane  in  the  barony  of  Kdls,  and  lying  not  far 
from  the  town  of  Kells  on  one  side,  nor  from  Killd^yre  on  the 
other. 

(171)  Colgan,  AA,  SS.  p.  106.  from  the  Annals  of  Clonnao- 
nois,  and  Ware,  Bishops  at  Chnmacnois. 

(172)  Ware  at  Leighlin  and  Tuatn. 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


CHAP.  XXII.  OP  IRELAND.  S89 

(17S)  See  the  4  Masters  ap  AA.  SB.  p.  407.  ad  A.  971  (972)* 
Ware  (at  Meatk)  reckons  Becan  amoi^  the  bishops  of  Clonardin 
consequenoe  of  his  being  called  comorhan  of  Fumiatu  This  d^ 
duction  should  be  admitted^  were  it  certam,  as  Ware  supposed^ 
that  Finnian  had  been  a  bishop.  But  we  have  seen,  (Chap.  x. 
§.5*)  that  this  is  rather  a  doubtful  matter. 

(174)  Wareat£m/y. 

(175)  Tr.  Tk.  p.  630.  at  A.  980  (981)  and  985  (986).  Ware 
(at  Kildare)  has  changed  the  date  980  into  981,  but  for  what  rea* 
son  I  know  not,  retamed  985. 

(176)  Ware  at  Cork. 

{m)\AA.  SS.p.  387.  at  A.  972  (973.)    Ware  (at  Dromore} 
has  not  this  bishop ;  but  Harris  makes  mention  of  him. 
(178)  AA.  SS.p.  107.    I  have  added  a  year  to  each  date. 

§.  XV.  To  the  said  century  belonged  a  very  dis* 
tinguished  saint,  Dunchad  O'Braoin.  079)  He 
was  of  an  illustrious  family  of  the  Nialls,  and  bom 
in  the  district  called  Breghmutne  (now  baronyr  of 
Brawny)  in  Westmeatb.  He  embraced  the  monastic 
state  at  Clonmacnois,  where  he  made  wonderful  pro- 
gress in  piety  and  learning.  Being  very  fond  of  re- 
tirement, and  wishing  to  shun  the  applauses  of  men, 
he  secreted  himself  as  much  as  he  could,  leading  the 
life  of  an  anchoret.  But  on  the  death,  in  969f  of 
Tuathal,  who  had  been  both  abbot  and  bishop  of 
Clonmacnois,  Dunchad  was  fixed  upon  as  bis  sue* 
cessor  to  the  abbacy,  and  being  dragged  from  his 
retreat,  was  forced  to  accept  of  it.  He  was  not, 
however,  raised  to  the  episcopacy,  (180)  but  ^ 
vetned  die  monastery  for  some  time  merely  as  abbot, 
until,  longing  for  a  more  retired  state,  he  withdrew 
from  the  management  of  it,  and,  to  be  out  of  the 
way  of  the  persons,  by  whom  he  was  much  admired 
in  that  part  of  Ireland,  repaired  to  Annagh  in  the 
year  97^  there  to  remain  sequestered  and  unnoticed* 
But  his  neputation  was  soon  spread  throughout  that 
city,  and  so  much  respect  was  paid  to  him  that  he 
determined  on  leaving  it.     His  intention  being  dis- 

Digitized  by  VjjOOQIC 


390  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY.       CHAP.  XXII. 

eovered,  the  principal  inhabitants  deputed  some  ve- 
nerable persons  to  request  of  him  that  he  would  stay 
with  them  for  one  year  longer.  He  complied  with 
their  wish ;  but  when  at  the  end  of  the  yeac  he  was 
bent  on  departing,  a  similar  request  was  made,  and 
so  on  annually,  until  at  length  he  died  there  on  the 
16th  of  January,  A.  D.  987.  It  is  said  that  through 
his  prayers  the  Almighty  restored  to  life  an  infant 
son  of  a  woman,  who,  having  left  the  dead  child  at 
the  entrance  of  the  saint^s  cell,  retired  apart  so  as 
not  to  be  seen,  hoping  that  he  would  pray  for  the 
infant's  resuscitation,  as  in  fact  it  is  stated  that  he 
did.  (iSl) 

Several  lecturers  of  various  schools  are  named  in 
the  Irish  annals  as  having  died  in  the  second  half  of 
this  century,  for  instance,  Colman  of  Kildare  in 
963 }  Cronmail  of  Tallaght  in  965 ;  Conchovar  of 
Kildare  in  966 ;  Flann  of  Clonmacnois  in  978;  (182) 
Muredach  Hua  Flannagain  of  Amiagh  in  984; 
(183)  Fogartach  of  Devenish  in  985;  Lonesech  of 
Clonmacnois  in  989 ;  Diermit  of  Kildare  in  902 } 
Dunchad  O'Huactain  of  Kelts  in  993  ;  and  Odran 
of  Clonmacnois  in  995.  (184)  Hence,  and  frmn 
what  we  have  seen  heretofore,  it  is  clear  that  learn* 
ing  continued  to  be  cultivated  during  this  whole  pe- 
riod, notwithstanding  its  having  been  dreadfully 
troubled  by  almost  constant  wars  between  the  Irish 
and  the  Danes,  or  between  tlie  Irish  themselves. 
Amidst  this  havock  divers  religious  establishments 
were  plundered  by  the  Danes,  and  some  even  by  the 
Irish  while  devastating  the  places  where  they  were 
situated.  The  monastery  of  Devenish  was  pillaged 
by  the  Northmen  or  Danes  in  962 ;  (185)  andei^er 
in  the  following  year  or  in  964  those  of  Dublin  ra- 
vaged Kildare  unmercifully,  making  a  great  number 
of  ecclesiastics  and  others  captives,  of  whom  very 
many  were  ransomed  by  Neill  Oherluibh  (186)  In 
968  and  again  in  9f>9  Kells  was  plundered  by  the 
Leinster  men  and  Danes  united.  (187)     In  979  the 

Digitized  by  VjjQOQIC 


CHAP.  XXII.  OF  IRELAND.  391 

people  of  Ossory  burned  Lismbre,  and  pliuidered 
Cloyne  and  Leighlin.  (188)  Theyvrare  punished 
not  long  after  for  these  proeeedings.  Brian  Bo- 
roimhe,  then  king  of  Munster,  entered  Ossory  in 
980,  seized  upon  the  prince  Mac-gioMa-Patrick 
(Fitzpatrick),  and  compelled  all  the  chieftains  of  that 
country  to  give  him  hostages.  (189)*  Brian  had 
succeeded  in  976  his  gallant  brother  Mahon,  who 
after  having,  tc^ether  with  Brian,  defeated  the 
Danes  of  limerick,  Cork,  and  Waterford  on  many 
occasions,  particularly  in  the  great  battle  of  Sulthoid<  « 
not  far  from  Limerick  A.  D.  968,  was  murdered  in 
said  year  976  by  some  dynasts  of  the  now  county  of 
Cork,  although  he  was  under  the  protection  of  Co- 
lumba  Mac-Ciaracain,  bishop  of  Cork,  who  accord- 
ingly issued  a  malediction  against  all  those,  that  were 
concerned  in  bringing  about  the  king's  death.  (1-90) 
Another  instance  of  the  devastation  of  religious 
places  was  that  of  Hy  by  Northmen  on  Christmas 
eve  in  98G,  on  which  occasion  the  abbot,  whose 
name  is  not  recorded,  and  fifteen  of  the  elders  were 
put  to  death.  But  in  the  following  year  those  North- 
men paid  dearly  for  their  atrocities^  as  360  of  them 
were  killed,  by  whom,  however,  we  are  not  parti- 
cularly informed.  (191)  In  990  some  Northmen 
plundered  Derry,  and  again  in  997,  in  which  year 
the  Danes  of  Dublin  pillaged  Kells,  and  in  999  Also 
Kildare.  (192)  Other  instances  of  similar  d^re- 
dations  might  be  adduced ;  but  these  are  sufficient 
to  show,  with  what  calamities  Ireland  was  afflicted. 

(179)  Cc^gan  has  the  Acts  of  this  saint  at  16  January  from  a 
^ort  Life  in  the  possession  of  Mac-Carthy  Riabhach  and  from  a 
still  shorter  one  in  the  chronicle  of  Clonmacnois. 

(180)  Harris  (Bishops  at  Clonmacnois  J  thought  that  Dun- 
chad  was  also  bishop  there  For  this  opinion  there  is  no  founda- 
tion whatsoever,  and  some  words,  which  he  quotes  fiiom  Colgan, 
prove  nothing  more  than  that  Dunchad  was  placed  over  the  mo- 
nastery as  abbot.    Throughout  his  Acts,  or  wherever  else  he  is 

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392  AN  BCCLESIA8TICAL   BISTORT      CHAP.  XX1I« 

^loken  of,  Duoefaad  is  nerer  called  bishop,  but  merely  abbot  and 
aiidioret.  At  CkiiiDacnois,  as  well  asm  some  other  great  monastic 
institutions,  the  abbots  were  not  always  bishops,  nor  vice  versa 
were  the  bishops  r^uhurly  abbots.  Thus  Moeldar  and  his  suocea- 
wr  St.  Coipreus,  bishop  of  Clonmacnois,  (see  CAop.  xzi.  §.  15.) 
do  not  appear  to  have  been  abbots  there;  and  ArchdaD,  mis* 
quoting  Colgan,  was  wrong  in  giving  them  that  title,  while  he 
omitted  their  real  ones. 

(181)  This  mirade  is  aUuded  to  by  Tigemach,  author  of  the 
Annals  of  Clonmacnois,  who  lived  in  the  eleventh  centuiy*  He 
says,  that  Dunchad  was  until  his  time  the  last  of  the  Irish  saint^ 
through  whose  mtercesson  God  restored  a  dead  person  to  life. 
(See  Dunchad's  Acts.) 

(182)  Tr.  Th.p.  632.  adding  a  year  to  the  dates. 

(183)  lb.  p.  297.  at  A.  983.  (984). 

(184')  lb.  p.  632.  and  IruL  Chron.  adding  a  year,  as  usual. 

(185)  lb.  Ind.  Chron.  ad  A.  961  (962). 

(186)  lb.  p.  630.  ad  A.  962  (963)  The  Annals  of  InnisaU- 
len  assign  this  devastation  to  A.  964. 

(187)  lb. p.  508.  at  A.  967  (968)  and  968  (969). 
ri88)  Annals  of  Innis&llen  at  A.  978. 

(189)  lb.  at  A.  980. 

(190)  lb.  at  A.  976.  For  the  battle  of  Sulchoid  see  t&.  at  u4. 
968,  where  it  is  stated,  that  three  thousand  of  the  Danes  were 
killed,  and  Limerick  afterwards  burned  and  pillaged. 

(191)  See  the  4  Masters  {ap.  Tr.  Th.p.  50i)  at  .4.  985  (986) 
and  986  (987). 

(192)  lb.  p.  503,  508,  and  630.  adding  a  year  to  the  dates. 


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CHAP.  XXIII.  OF   IRELAND.  993 


CHAP.  XXIII. 

Irish  support  their  character  Jbr  pietj/  andleamingf 
notwithstanding  the  troubles  occasioned  by  the 
Danes — at  the  same  time  a  priest  could  not  be 
found  in  England  capable  qf  writing  or  translat- 
ing a  Latin  letter — For  the  restoration  of  learn' 
ing  in  England  some  erudite  Irishmen  formed  a 
community  at   Glastonbury — St.   Dunstan  edu* 
cated  by  thenh — St.  MaccaUhh  an  Irishman^  in 
France — St.  Cadroe,  a  British  Scot,  in  France 
—  Columbanus,  an  Irish  abbots  dies  in  the  monas- 
tery qf  Ghent — Duncan^  an  Irish  bishop^  distm- 
guished  in  France^'^St.  Maccallin  founder  qfthe 
monastery  qfWalciadorus — St.  Forunn^  who  had 
been  archbishop  qf  Armagh,  became  fourth  abbot 
qf  Walciodorus  and  continued  so  till  his  death  on 
30th  ApriU  A.D.  982. — Several  illustrious  Irish^ 
men  who  Jflourished  on  the  Continent  at  that  pe^ 
riod — St.  Fingen  abbot  of  St.  Felix  at  Metz^^ 
died  in  the  year  1004f^succeeded  by  his  disciple 
Richard^   dean  qf  the  diocese  qf  Rheims — St. 
Gerard,  an  Iris/nnaTi,  bishop  qf  Tout,  gave  in 
985  a  retreat  in  his  diocese  to  some  Greeks,  who, 
mixed  with  Irislunen,  performed  the  Church  ser- 
vice  in  their  awn  language — Succession  qf  bishops 
in  Ireland,  particularly  those  qf  Armagh,  Emly^ 
and  Cork'^Deaths  qf  several  remarkable  persons 
in    Ireland — tlie    Danes    defeated    in    several 
battles  by  Brian  Boroimhe-^Brian  compels  the 
Lagenians  to  give  him  hostages — Maelseaghim 
plunders  the  Dalcassians — Brian  marches  against 
him,  and  forces  him  to  acknowledge  his  save^ 
reignty  over  Leath  Mhogha — After  several  bat- 
tles with  various  success  Maelseaghlain  is  de^ 
titroned  and  Brian  becomes  monarch  qf  Ireland 
in  the  year  lOOl^^Several  acts  qf  Brian^^Total 
overthrow  of  the  Danes,  and  death  qf  Brian  at 


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384  AV  ECCLESIASTICAL   HISTORY      CHAP.  XXIII. 

the  battle  of  Chntarf  in  \0\4f~ Interment  of 
Brian  in  Armagh^— dispute  between  the  Eugenian 
and  Dakassian  tribes — Maelseachlain  restored  to 
the  Monarchy'^  Interregntmi  under  ihe  govern^ 
ment(f  Cuan  O'Leochan  the  poet,  and  Corcran 
a  clergyman — Christian  religion  gradually  spread 
over  the  remaining  Danes  of  Ireland^^Atael- 
muire  MacKEochcu^  archbishop  of  Armagh^  sue- 
ceeded  by  Amalgayi^  who  was  said  to  be  a  lay^ 
marC'^Amalgaid^s  visitation  of  Munster — Dub- 
dalethe  III.  succeeds  Amalgaid — Deaths  of  se^ 
veral  Tfishop^'— Several  learned  men  who  flou- 
rished  in^  Ireland  during  this  period — Deaths  of 
several  illustrious  persons  who  had  been  distin^ 
guished  for  their  learning,  piety,  S^v.^-^Some 
Danes  still  continue  to  commit  depredations  on 
religious  establishments  in  Ireland — Donatusfrst 
bishop  qf  Dublin — Church  qf  the  Holy  Trinity^ 
Dublin^  built-^nd  endowed  by  Sitric,  Danish 
king  of  DubRn^^No  proof  that  Donatus  was  con-- 
.  secrated  by  Lanfiranc  archbishop  of  Canterbury^ 
as  sometimes  stated^^See  of  Dublin  confined  to 
the  city  until  the  Synod  qf  Kelts  under  cardinal 
Papiro — Death  qf  St.  Gormgal,  abbot  qf  Ard- 
oilean. 

SECT.   I. 

IVHILE  the  Irish  were  struggling  at  home  against 
the  impeedimentSy  which  the  misfortunes  of  the 
times  opposed  to  the  cultivation  of  piety  and  learn- 
ing, and  while  they  upheld  their  character  in  these 
respects  even  during*  that  century,  which  is  usually 
called  obscure,  and  indeed  justly  so,  if  we  look  to 
die  corruption  of  morals  and  ecclesiastical  discipline, 
and  the  snameful  ignorance  by  which  said  century 
has  been  rendered  infamous  in  some  other  parts  of 
Europe,  many  of  them  highly  distinguished  them- 
selves  in  foreign  countries  by  their  sanctity,  Chris- 
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CHAP.  XXIII.  OF  IRELAND,  S9S 

tkn  zeal,  and  knowledge,  both  sacred  and  literary* 
In  that  age  we  find  numbers  of  them  teaching  in 
England,  where  after  the  death  of  Alfred  down  to 
the  times  of  St.  Dunstan,  learning  had  so  declined, 
owing,  it  seems,  to  the  troubles  caused  by  the 
Danes,  that  at  length  a  priest  could  not  be  found 
canable  of  either  writing  or  translating  a  Latin  letter, 
(l)  The  monastic  institutions,  which  Alfred  had 
endeavoured  partly  to  restore,  having  cea§ed  to 
exi^,  there  were  no  public  schools  established  in 
their  stead,  and  hence  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at 
that  ignorance  became  so  universal.  Some  time  be* 
fore  940  it  happened  providentially  for  the  restora- 
tion of  learning,  and  consequently  of  religious  im- 
provement, that  several  Irishmen,  rei^arkably  skilled 
in  every  department  of  science  and  erudition  sacred 
and  profane,  retired  to  Glastonbury,  and  there 
formed  a  community.  For  the  purpose  of  contri-' 
buting  towards  their  support  they  received  young 
noblemen  under  their  care,  whom  they  instructed  in 
the  liberal  studies,  and  among  others  Dunstan  the 
most  celebrated  of  their  pupus.  With  the  help  of 
these  masters  he  acquired  a  great  degree  not  only  of 
classical  and  philosophical  knowledge,  but  likewise  of 
ecclesiastical  learnings  and  remained  with  them 
until  being  well  accomplished  even  in  the  fine  arts, 
such  as  music,  painting,  &c.  he  was  introduced  by 
his  uncle  Athelm,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  to  the 
king  Ethelstan.  (3)  The  Exertions  of  this  great 
and  holy  man  were  afterwards  of  mosw  essentia^s^r- 
vice  to  religion  and  learning  in  England. 

(1)  MabilloDy  Annal.  Betted,  at  A.  940.  from  Spdrnan. 

(2)  Osbeni,  Life  of  St,  Dunstaity  ap.  Wharton,  AngUa  Sacra, 
VoL  11.  p,  91.  Having  observed  that  at  said  period  the  nxHiastic 
observances  were  scarcely  heard  of  in  England,  Osban  adds  that, 
if  any  one  wished  to  lead  a  life  of  mortification,  he  used  to  go  to 
some  fore^  country.  He  then  takes  occasion  to  state  that  it  had 
been  and  was  in  liis  time  quite  usual  and>  as  it  were,  natural  for     « 

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S96      AN  Ecclesiastical  history    chap.  xxux. 

the  Irkh  to  go  on  pflgrimages  in  fiireign  parts,  and  then  treats  of 
those  who  were  settled  at  Glastonbuiy,  &c  As  the  passi^  is 
cnriooSy  I  shall  here  quote  as  much  of  k  as  is  oonnc^rted  with  the 
present  subject;  ^  Hkque  mos  cum  plerasgue  turn  vehemenUr 
adkuc  manei  Hiberno*  ;  quia,  quod  aim  bona  votunUu  in  consme- 
iudmem,  hoc  iUis  contuetudo  vertit.  in  naturam.  QatoncM  nntUi 
atque  iOudret  viriy  divinis  ac  secularibus  Uteris  nobiliier  erudiii, 
dum  reUcta  Hibemia  in  terra  An^orum  peregrinaiwri  veniuexL^ 
locum  habitationis  suae  Glestoniam  delegerunt,  propUrea  quod 
essd  a  civili  muliitudine  sequestratuSi  et  humanis  usibus  accom- 
moduSf  et  (quod  maxime  qffectabant  peregrini)  Patricii  rdi^osa 
veneratione  gforiosus^^^Cum  ergo  hi  tales  viri  taUbus  de  casuu 
Glestoniam  venissent,  nee  tamen  quicquid  siln  necessarvtm  ertd 
si^jfficientissime  in  loco  reperissenty  suscipiunt  JUios  nobilium  U- 
beralibus  studOs  imbuendos  ;  ut^  quod  minus  ad  usum  loci  uber- 
fas.  exhiberet,  eorum  quos  docebant  liberalUate  redundaret.  Adett 
ergo  nobUisiimus  in  Christo  puer  Dunstanus,  inter  alios  unsut 
immo  prae  aliis  solus,  ubipauUo  dilgentius  quam  imbeciUa  aetas 
ferre  posset  liter  arum  studio  intentus^**  &c  Then  he  tdls  us  how 
Dunstan  fell  sick,  &c.  This,  by  the  bye,  was  not  the  &st  time, 
in  which  there  were  distinguished  Irishmen  at  Glastonbury ;  many 
of  them  had  been  there  long  befiure. 

(i)  See  Mr.  Lingard^s  Anglo'Saxon  churdh,  ch,  12» 

%.  II.  St.  Maccalliiiy  or»  as  some  call  him,  Mac^ 
caUafif  MalcalUn,  or  MakaUan^  an  Irishman,  was  in 
France,  together  with  St.  Cadroc  and  some  others^ 
in,  it  seems,  9^  or  1H6  (4)  His  history  is  much 
connected  with  that  of  St.  Cadroe,  on  which  accord- 
ingly, although  he  was  not  an  Irish  but  a  British 
Scot,  I  must^  say  a  few  words.  (5)  Cadroe  was  of 
the  royal  house  of  the  Scots  of  North  Britain,  and 
was  placed  at  ^n  early  age  under  the  direction  of  a 
very  pious  relative,  named  Bean,  who  instructed  him 
in  religion  and  watched  over  his  morals*  When 
grown  up,  it  was  thought  adviseable  to  give  him  what 
would  be, now  called  a  university  education;  and, 
as  there  were  then  no  schools  in  Scotland,  in  which 
it  could  be  acquired,  B^m  sent  him  to  Armagh.  (G) 

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pHAP.  XXin.  OF  IRELAND.  397 

There  he  applied  himself  to  the  classical  and  philo* 
sophical  studies,  including  natural  history,  astrono- 
my, &c.  and,  as  he  was  gifted  with  a  fine  genius,  be* 
<^ame  a  great  proficient  in  them.  Having  finished  his 
literary  and  scientific  course  he  recrossed  the  sea,  (7) 
and  returned  to  his  cousin  Bean.  Being  full  of  zeal 
for  the  instruction  of  his  countrymen,  he  set  about 
teaching  them  so  as  to  form  school-masters  for  every 

rof  Scotland,  all  of  whom  were  indebted  to  him 
their  knowled^,  (8)  While  Cadroe  was  thus 
employed  in  teachmg  what  are  called  the  libend  arts, 
witnout  thinking  of  retiring  from  the  world,  it  is 
said  that  both  he  and  Bean  had  visions,  in  which  it 
was  announced  that  he  should  quit  his  native  country, 
remove  to  foreign  parts,  and  exercise  himself  in  mo- 
nastic discipline,  as  it  was  the  will  of  God  that  he 
should  become  the  spiritual  father  of  others.  He 
determined  on  obeying  the  summons,  and  was  pre- 
paring to  set  out,  when  the  people  of  every  condition, 
and  even  the  king  Constantino  (9)  requested  hira 
not  to  leave  his  country,  remonstrating  with  him  on 
the  injury  which  his  depa^rture  would  cause  to  all 
Scotland,  where  he  was  doing  so  much  good.  These 
expostulations  made  such  an  impression  on  him,  that 
he  delayed  for  some  time ;  but  afterwards  returning 
to  his  former  determination  he  opposed  all  their  ex- 
ertions to  detain  him,  until  at  length  it  was  agreed 
upon  to  let  him  go  abroad  and  even  to  supply  him 
with  money,  clotnes,  horses,  and  every  thing  ne- 
cessary for  his  journey.  Having  passed  the  firontiers 
of  the  then  Scottish  kingdom,  he  entered  the 
British  one  of  Cumbria  lying  to  the  south  of  the 
Clyde,  (10)  where  he  was  very  kindly  received  by 
its  king  Dovenald,  (II)  a  relation  of  his,  who, 
having  kept  him  for  some  time  at  his  court,  con- 
duct^  him  to  the  city  of  Loida,  situated  at  the 
boundary  of  the  Cumbrians  and  Normans,  where 
Cadroe  was  received  by  Gunderic,  a  nobleman,  who 
sccompamed  him  to  York  and  introduced  him  to 


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$96         AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTOllT        CHAP*  XXII1« 

the  king  Eiic»  whose  wife  was  related  to  him.  ( 12) 
Thence  he  went  to  London,  and  proceeded  to  Win- 
chester^  where  be  was  treated  with  honour  by  king 
Edmund,  who  got  him  conducted  to  a  harbour  called 
Hymen.  After  some  delay  there  caused  by  bod 
weather,  he  sent  back  to  Scotland  some  of  his  com- 

E anions,  among  whom  was  a  nephew  of  his,  and 
aving  embarked  arrived  safely  at  Boulogne.  Thence 
he  went  to  St.  Fursey's  monastery  of  Peronne, 
where  he  prayed  to  uod  that  he  would,  Uirough 
tbe  merits  of  St.  Fursey,  point  out  to  him  a  place, 
where  he  should  stop.  On  the  following  ni^ 
the  saint  appeared  to  him  in  a  vision  and  t^d  him, 
that  he  must  go  to  some  other  spot. 

(4)  Colgan  has  made  up  loiiie  Acts  for  6u  Maccalin,  or  as  he 
names  him,  Makallan,  at  21  Januaiy.  The  BollaxKlists  treat  of 
him  at  said  day.  There  is  an  account  of  him  also  in  the  AcU 
BeneiL  Sec  v.  p.  548.  He  is  expressly  called  an  Irishman, 
MOtione  Hibemus  in  the  Appendix  to  the  chronicle  of  Frodoaid 
at  A.  978.  and  in  the  Anglican  mar^nnology;  and  that  he  was  the 
BoDandists  maintain,  hoth  at  21  Januaiy  and  6  Mardi,  in  their 
observations  on  the  Life  of  St.  Cadroe,  where  they  state  that  the 
Scotch  have  no  aigvment  in  favour  of  making  hin  thehr  country* 
man.  Yet  m  the  Benedictine  account,  either  by  Dachoiy  or  Ma> 
billon,  it  is  said  that  he  was  rather  a  Britisli  than  an  Irish  Soot, 
notwithstanding  the  authority  of  the  Appendix  to  FW)doard  there 
quoted.  For  Uiis  opinion  no  reason  is  assigned,  nor,  I  believe^ 
could  there,  exc^  that  Maccallin  happened  to  be  in  France  to- 
together  with  Cadroe,  whd  was  certainly  a  native  of  N.  Britain. 
But  this,  as  will  be  soon  seeii,  is  ftur  &om  affording  any  proof  of  it 
As  to  the  time  of  Cadroe*8  arrival  in  France,  it  is  universally  al- 
lowed that  it  was  about  945. 

,  (5)  There  is  a  rather  large  Life  of  St.  Cadroe,  or  Cathroe^  as 
Colgan  thought  he  ought  to  be  called,  written  by  one  Reiman  or 
Ousman,  seemingly  a  French  or  German  monk,  not  very  long 
aAer  tlie  saint's  death.  It  lias  been  publislied  by  Colgan  at  6 
March,  at  which  day  it  is  also  in  the  collection  of  the  BoUandists, 
who  omitted  as  useless  some  stuff  in  the  beginning  of  it  relative  to 

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CHAP.  XXni.  OP  IBfiLAMD*  399 

certam  migmtiont  of  the  priniitive  Soots.  Thenoe  it  wa«  repub- 
lished in  the  Acta  Bened.  Sec.  v.  Cc^an  Jias  kMt  his  time  in  en- 
deaTouring  to  show,  that  Cadroe  was  an  Irish  Soot,  whereas  it  b 
quite  clear  that  he  was  a  British  one;  and  accordingly  he  is  con- 
sidered as  such  by  the  BoUandists  and  Mabillon. 

(6)  It  is  remaiked  by  MabiUon,  AnnaL  Betu  ad  A.  M4.)  that 
the  reason,  why  Cadroe  was  sent  to  Armagh,  was  that  studies 
were  at  that  time  neglected  in  Scotland.  Compare  widi  Not.  ^ 
to  Chap.  XX. 

(7)  Aequore  remeruo.  (Life,  cap;  12.)  Co%an  struggles  to 
explain  these  words  as  if  meaning,  that  he  safled  on  a  lake  or  cross- 
ed  the  Shannon  on  his  return  to'  some  part  of  Ireland,  in  wtadi 
as  Colgan  imagined,  his  relatives  lived.  But  the  author  of  the 
Life  understood  Latin  sufficiently  well  not  to  caH  a  lake  or  a  river 
aeqnor. 

(8)  It  is  observed  in  the  Life,  (ib)  by  allusion  to  the  words  of 
St.  P&ul  1  Cor.  IV.  15.  that,  although  Scotland  might  have  thou- 
sands of  pedagogues  yet  it  had  not  many  fethers,  whereas  Cadroe 
was  the  person,  who  b^at  them ;  in  disdplinU  enin^  €ifiium  (tic 
iUo$  genuit ;  and  that  from  the  time  of  his  arrival  (or  return  to  his 
country)  none  ofthe  wise  men  had  crossed  the  sea  but  stiD  lived 
in  Irdand.  This  is  mariced  to  prove,  that  Cadroe  was  then  the 
<m]y  great  teacher  in  Scotland  It  is  strange,  that  Colgm  could» 
with  such  circumstances  before  his  eyes,  iiave  persisted  in  making 
Cadroe  an  Irishman,  and  living  and  teaching  in  Ireland;  as  if  there 
bad  not  been  numberiess  great  masters  or  fiithers  in  Irdand  for 
centuries  before  Cadroe  was  bom,  or  as  if  he  could  have  been 
eaUed  the  only  father  m  Ireland,  while  the  very  persons  or  fothers, 
by  whom  he  himself  had  been  tai^ht,  at  Armagh,  not  to  mention 
so  many  others  elsewhere,  were  still  alive. 

(9)  This  was  Constantine  III.  son  of  Ethus,  who,  having  re- 
agned  the  throne  in  943,  became  superior  of  the  Culdees  of  St. 
Andrews.  (Budianan,  Rer.  Scot,  ad  Reg.  75.  and  Usher,  Ind. 
Chron.  ad  A.  943.)  Colgan  strives  to  get  rid  of  this  argument  in 
&vour  of  Cadroe  having  been  a  British  Scot  by  introducing  a  Con- 
stantine O'Neill,  who  was  chieftain  (£  Inishowen  some  time  in  the 
tenth  century ;  as  if  Inishowen  could  be  supposed  to  be  a  huge 
kingdom,  such  as  the  author  of  the  Life  alludes  to. 

{ 10)  Compare  with  Not.  74  to  Chap.  xxi. 

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400        AN  BCCLX8IASTICAL   HISTORY        CHAP.  XXni. 

(11)  This  Dorenald  was  the  long,  whom  old  Eo^^  writcfs 
can  Dunnuttl,  andwhoae  countiy  the  English  long  Edmund  made 
over  to  Malcdm  L  long  of  the  British  Scots  in  946,  and  accoid- 
iogly  after  Cadroe  had  tniTdled  throu^  it  (See  Usher,  p,  664 
and  Ind.  Chron.  at  A.  946.)  What  Colgan  has  concemhig  him 
issocooAised,  that  it  is  not  worth  remarking  upon. 

(12)  Life,  tap.  17.  In  this  narrative  there  are  some  points 
weD  worthy  the  attention  c€  British  antiquaries.  As  it  is  not  xny 
business  to  enkuge  on  them,  I  dudl  only  observe  that  the  people 
called  by  the  author  Normam  were  the  Northumbriansy  who 
were  then  ruled  by  Norman  or  Danish  kings,  of  whom  Eric  was 
one. 

%.  III.  Not  far  distant  from  Peronne  there  lived 
a  pious,  wealthy,  and  noble  matron,  named  Her- 
aendis,  who  was  very  kind  to  pilgrims.    On  hearing 
that  some  such  persons  had  arrived  in  her  neigh- 
bourhood,  she  sent  to  them  requesting  that  they 
would  caU  to  see  her.     They  complied  with  her  wish, 
and  on  conversing  with  her  said  that  all  they  wanted 
was  a  retired  place,  where  living  by  their  labour 
they  might  serve  God.     She  then  ^adly  showed 
them  a  spot  in  the  forest  called  Thearascensis  near 
the  river  Oise  in  the  diocese  of  Laon  and  adjoining 
the  frontiers  of  Hainault,  (13)  and  where  there  was 
a  church  under  the  name  of  St.   Michael.     They 
liked  the  place,  and  Hersendis  got  the  church  en- 
larged and  habitations  erected  for  their  use.  Among 
these  pilgrims,  who  in  all  were  thirteen,  was  Mac- 
callin,  a  man  of  superior  goodness,  (14)  and  whose 
name  now  occurs  for  the  first  time.     Where  he  met 
with  Cadroe  we  are  not  informed,  nor  whether  he 
had  travelled  with  him  all  the  way  from  Scotland, 
although  it  is  not  impi-obable  that  he  had.  (15)  For 
there  was  a  great  intercourse  between  the  Scots  of 
Ireland  and  those  of  N.  Britain,  so  that  many  of 
the  former  were  to  be  found  in  the  latter  country, 
and  vice  versa.     Wheresoever  these  two  worthy  men 
first  met,  they  and  their  companions  being  settled 

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CHAP.  XXlir.  OF   IRELAND.  401 

at  St.  MichaePs,  it  was  proposed  to  appoint  a  supe- 
rior, and  Cadroe  was  fixed  upon  for  that  purpose^ 
But,  as  \\e  could  not  be  induced  to  accept  of  that 
office,  Maccallin  was  then  compelled  to  submit  to  it. 
Having  lived  for  some  time  in  this  manner,  assisted 
by  the  munificence  of  Hersendis,  Maccallin  and 
Cadroe  were  seized  with  a  desire  to  become  Bene- 
dictine monks.  For  the  attainment  of  this  object 
they  were  helped  by  Hersendis,  who  directed  Mac- 
callin to  Gorzia,  a  monastery  in  the  diocese  of  Metz, 
recommending  him  to  the  abbot  Agenald,  and  Ca- 
droe to  the  celebrated  monastery  of  Fleury  sur  Loire, 
then  governed  by  Erchembald  a  very  religious  man. 
When  Maccallin  had  received  the  monastic  habit, 
Hersendis  sent  to  Agenald,  requesting  that  he  would 
permit  him  to  proceed  to  the  place,  which  had  been 
already  intended  for  him.  This  place  was  Wdcio- 
dorus,  now  Vassor,  near  the  Meuse  between  Dinant 
and  Givet,  where  Eilbert,  the  husband  of  Hersen- 
dis, had  erected  a  monastery  about  A.  945,  and  about 
the  same  time  that  Hersendis  had  formed  the  estab- 
lishment of  St.  MichaePs.  (16)  Maccallin,  on  his 
return,  was  placed  as  abbot  over  Walciodorus,  still 
retaining  the  management  of  St.  Michael's.  Hav- 
ing sent  for  Cadroe,  he  appointed  him  prior  of  the 
monastery.  After  some  time  Maccallin,  finding 
that  the  direction  of  two  establishments  was  too  much 
for  his  strength,  beg^d  of  Cadroe  to  become  abbot 
of  Walciodorus.  Witn  great  difficulty  Cadroe  agreed 
to  this  proposal,  having  been  pressed  to  do  so  by 
Otho,  king  of  Germany,  who  was  afterwards  em- 
peror. This  occurred  about  950.  (17)  Cadroe  was 
afterwards  abbot  of  the  monastery  of  St.  Clement, 
alias  St.  Felix  at  Metz,  and  died  A.  J?.  975  or  976, 
afiier  llie  70th  year  of  his  age  and  30th  of  his  pere- 
grination or  abode  in  a  foreign  country.  (18)  He 
WES  buried  in  the  church  of  bis  monastery  at  Metz, 
and  his  memory  was  revered  on  the  6th  of  March. 

VOL.  III.  DD 

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402  AK  ECCLESIASTICAL   HISTORY      CHAP.  Xl^III. 

Maocallin,  having  retuitied  to  St.  Micbael's  in  the 
forest  Thearascensis^  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life 
there  until  his  death  on  the  SIst  of  January  in  the 
year  978«  He  was  buried  in  the  church  of  St. 
Michael,  and  his  name  is  mentioned  with  great  praise 
by  old  writei^  and  in  various  martyrologies.  (19) 

(IS)  See  Bollandus  at  21  January,  where  he  treats  of  St«  Mao 
callin.  (>lgan  was  mbtaken  in  assigaing  that  place  to  the  diooeas 
of  Vei^don. 

(14)  Life  of  St.  CadiDc,  cap.  20. 

(15)  Tbeautbor  of  Cadroe*s  life  calls  {ib.)  MaocaDin  a  com. 
pankm  of  Cadroe'spilgiiiBage.  Thk  faay  seem  to  insinuate,  that 
they  had  gone  together  from  Scotland.  Yet  they  mi^t  have  first 
met  in  England,  or  peihaps  in  France,  where  many  Irishmen  were 
then  to  be  found ;  and  in  either  hypothesis  Maocaliin  might  still  be 
called^  companion  of  Cadcoe*s  pilgrimage  {per€grinatio\  which, 
siricUy  spesking,  did  not  began  until  they  were  settled,  as  pious 
toKiffwn,  atSt  Midiad*s.  For,  as  fin*  as  I  have  been  able  to 
observe^  the  aocqptetion  o^  peregristaHo,  which  so  often  occurs  in 
Uvea  of  saints  aT  those  times,  is  not  so  much  traveUing  as  /fvMtg 

Jar  pious  tfwiives  in,  n  foreign  UauL  Fat  instance  in  the  paa- 
81^  from  Osbem,  (abore  Not.  2.)  the  words,  relicta  Hibemia 
tn.Uttu  Angler ttm  prsr^grinaturi  omusenl,  plainly  mean  that  the 
persons  there  alluded  to  left  Ireland  &r  the  purpose  of  leading  a  life 
of  peregrination,  that  is,  absence  from  their  own  countiy,  in  Eng- 
land. Our  Ei^lish  woid,  pUgri$nagef  does  not  exactly  cones- 
pond  with  the  peregrinatio  of  the  writers  of  the  middle  ages. 

(16)  See  the  BoUandists  at  St.  Cadroe,  6  March. 

(17)  A 

(18)  Life  of  St.  Cadroe  cap.  25.     Compare  with  Mabilloii, 
Qbserv.  praeo.  at  said  life  in  Acta  Bened,  Sec.  v. 

(19)  We  read  in  the  Appendix  to  FrodoSrd^s  dironide; 
'<  Anno  978^  Domini  Maleallinps natione  Hibeniicusin  vig& 
S.  Vinoentii  Levitae  et  marQrris  vitam  transitoriam,  quam  habebat 
cmaro,  deseruxt,  et  cum  Domino,  cui  indesinenter,  ckan  adfaue 
yivev^t,  scrrirerat,  vivere  fefioter  inchoavit.  Qui  praefiitos  abbas 
Hi  ooq>ore  humatos  qujescit  in  ecdesia  B.  Michaeiia  arohangeH* 
cujus  abbatiam,  dum  coqioraliter  in  hoc  aeculo  maneeet,  pb  mo- 
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CHAP.  XXIII.  OF  IRELAND.  403 

daanune  rexk.**  The  words  vir  Domini^  or  at  in  tile  MS.  w 
c&tf,  have  been  mistakes  for  Virduniy  and  henoe  some  have  said  . 
^lat  Macallin  was  abbot  jof  St.  MichaeFs  at  Verdun,  and  that  he 
died  in  that  town.  But  there  was  no  such  monast^  at  Verdun. 
In  a  history  of  the  foundatiim  of  Waldodorus  it  is  mentioned, 
that  he  died  in  990;  but  the  other  is  the  true  date  and  is  fol- 
lowed by  the  BoUandists  and  Benedictines. 

§.  4.  An  Iri^  abbot,  named  Columbanus,  shut 
himself  up  and  became  a  recluse  on  the  2d  of  Fe- 
bruary, A.D.  957,  in  the  cemetery  of  the  monastery 
of  Ghent,  and  i*emained  there  until  his  death  On  the 
15th  of  February  in  959.  (20)  Whether  the  mo* 
nastery,  which  he  had  governed,  was  in  Ireland  or 
in  the  continent,  is  not  sufficiently  known  ;  but  it  is 
universally  allowed  that  he  was  an  Irishman.  (21) 
His  remains  are  in  St.  Bavo's  church  at  Ghent,  and 
\m  memory  is  famous  in  Belgium,  where,  his  name 
occurs  among  those  of  other  saints  in  a  litany  of  the 
Belgic  churches.  Israel,  an  Irish  bishop,  but  I  know 
not  of  what  diocese,  (22)  lived  in  the  eastern  part  of 
France  during  the  first  half  of  the  10th  century. 
He  assisted  at  a  synod  held  at  Verdun  in  947,  (23) 
at  which  was  present  also  the  celebrated  Bruno,  bro- 
ther of  the  king,  and  afterwards  emperor  Otho. 
Bruno  was  then  abbot,  but  a  few  years  later  became 
archbishop  of  Cologne.  One  of  the  masters  of  this 
great  and  learned  prelate  was  Israel,  concerning 
whom  I  do  not  find  any  further  account.  Duncan, 
likewise  an  Irish  bishop,  was  distinguished  as  a 
teacher  in  France  some  time  in  the  said  century. 
It  is  not  known  whether  he  was  consecrated  there  or 
in  Ireland.  He  taught  in  the  monastery  of  St.  Re- 
migius  at  Rheims,  (24)  and  wrote  for  the  use  of  his 
students  a  Commentary  on  the,  nine  books  of  Mar- 
tianus  Capelia  on  the  liberal  arts,  in  the  title  of  which 
he  is  called  an  Irish  bishop.  A  copy  of  this  wwk 
was  transcribed  by  one  Gifardus,  and  was  in  the  \u 
brary  of  said  monastery,  but  is  now  among  the  royal 
D  D  2  n        \ 

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404*        AN    ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY        CHAP.  XXIII. 

MSS.  in  the  British  Museum.  Duncan  wrote  alsio 
Observations  on  the  first  book  of  Pomponius  Mela 
on  the  situation  of  the  earthy  which  likewise  are  still 
extant.  (25) 

St.  Forannan^  (26)  who  had  been  consecrated  at 
Armagh   bishop  of  a  place,  called   Domnech-mor^ 
arrived  at  Walciodorus  23  years  later  than  St.  Mac- 
callin  had  become  its  abbot,  and  accordingly  in  970, 
reckoning  from  947  the  year,  in  which,  according 
to  every  appearance,  Maccallin,  Cadroe,  and   some 
Irish  monks  began  to  live  there.  (27)     It  is  there- 
fore a  great  mistake  to  suppose,  as  some  writers  have 
done,  that  Forannan  had  been  in  that  place  before 
Maccallin,  and  that  he  was  the  founder  of  the  mo- 
nastery. (^28)     From  what  we  have  seen  above  it  is 
evident,  that  Macallin  was  the  first  abbot  of  Walcio- 
dorus, who,  on  his  resignation,  was  succeeded  by 
Cadroe  in  about  950.  On  Cadroe's  removing  to  Metz 
in  9^4  or  955  he  left  an  abbot  there,  whose  name  is 
unknown,  but  who  is  said  to  have  permitted  a  re- 
laxation of  discipline.     Afler  his  death  Forannan 
was  appointed  abbot.  (29)     Thus  Forannan  was,  in 
fact,  the  •  fourth  abbot  of  Walciodorus,  which  he 
governed  until  his  death  on  the  30th  of  April  in 
982,  (SO)  having  re-established  the  vigour  of  mo- 
nastic  discipline,   and   left   a  great  reputation  for 
sanctity. 

(20)  Colgan  treats  of  thU  St.  Columbanus  at  2  February,  and 
the  Bollandists  more  probably  at  15  of  said  month. 

(21)  Dempster,  with  his  usual  effrontery,  making  him  a  Scotch- 
man and  a  miter,  says  that  he  always  lived  in  Scotland,  and  refers 
to  Molanus,  who  has  not  a  word  of  what  that  liar  pretended  to« 
take  fixMn  him.  (See  A  A.  SS.  p.  238.)  The  Belgic  writers 
agree  that  he  was  a  native  of  Ireland.  By  them  lie  is  called 
ahbos  HihemicUf  without  telling  us  whether  in  Ireland  or  elae- 
where ;  but  Menard  understood  that  appellation  as  meaning,  that 
he  had  been  an  abbot  in  Irdand. 

(22;  Fleury  in  one  place  fHist.  Eccl.  L.  55.  §.  35.)  calls  him  a 


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CHAP.  XXIII.  OF  IRELAND.  405 

bishop  of  Great  Britain,  and  in  another  (ih.  $.  43*)  a  Scotch 
bishop,  eveqtie  EcossoU.  But  the  BenedictiDe  authors  of  the 
Hutoire  Letierairey  who  were  better  acquainted  with  the  histoiy 
of  those  times,  expressly  state,  (  Tom.  vf.  p.  305.)  that  he  was  an 
Irish  bishop. 

(23)  Fleury,  i6.  J.  35. 

(24)  Dr.  I^wich  very  learnedly  brings  (AnLSfcp.  165*)  the 
nionastery  of  St.  Remigius  to  Down,  and  makes  Duncan  teach 
there.  There  was  no  monastery  of  St  Remigius  in  Ireland.  But 
Xht  Doctor,  or  some  one  before  him,  had  stumbled  on  a  passage  in 
Usher  (Pr.  p.  910,  or  London  ed.  472.)  wliere  he  speaks  of  this 
work  of  Duncan,  alias  Dunchat,  as  being  in  the  library  of  the 
church  of  Worcester  with  the  following  title;  '*  Commentum 
Dunchat  pontificis  Hibemiensis,  quod  contulit  suis  discqnilis  in  mo- 
nasterio  S.  Remigii  dounsy  super  astrologia  Marttani  Capellae 
Varronis.**  XJsher  left  this  title,  as  he  found,  or  tliougfat  he  found 
it,  imagiriing,  as  appears  from  his  making  d  a  capital  letter,  that 
douns  was- a  local  or  proper  name.  Thence  it  was  deduced,  that 
it  oKant  Down  in  Ireland.  But  there  can  be  no  doubt,  that  doufu 
is  an  erratum  for  docensy  which  I  should  rather  ascribe  to  the 
copyist  of  said  title  tlian  to  Usher^s  being  mistaken  in  the  spelling 
of  the  words  as  he  met  with  it. 

(25)  See  Histoire  Letterairey  Totn.  vi.  p.  540.  and  Warton*8 
Historic  of  English  poetry^   Vol.  ii.  p.  75. 

(26)  The  Bollandists  have  a  Life  of  St.  Forannan  at  30  April, 
and  from  them  it  has  been  republisj^ed  in  tlie  Acta  Ben.  Sec.  v. 
p.  586  seqq. 

(Tl)  See  the  Bollandists,  Notes  at  St,  ForannaH,  ib.  p^  819, 
820. 

(28)  Among  others  Colgnn  fell  into  this  mistake,  and  promised 
to  prove  at  30  April,  that  Forannan  had  preceded  MaccaUin.  (See 
A  A.  SS.  p.  153  and  238.)  How  he  could  have  endeavoured  to 
prove  it  I  do  not  know,  as  he  did  not  live  long  enough  to  publish- 
Forannan's  Life  at  said  day. 

(29)  See  the  Bollandists,  ib.  and  p.  808.  and  at  Si.  Cadroey  6 
Mart.  p.  471. 

(30)  This  is  the  date  marked  for  it  by  MabiUon,  (Annal.  Ben. 
ad  A.  982.)  and,  as  it  is  probably  the  true  one,  flirther  inquiries; 
may  bo  omitted. 

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406  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY      CHAP.  XXIII. 

§  V.  About  these  tinies  there  was  also  an  .Irish 
monastery  at  Cologne.  Warinus,  archbishop  of  Co- 
]<^e,  built  or  repaired  a  monastery  of  the  Scots 
(Irish)  in  an  islana  of  the  Rhine  near  the  city,  over 
which  he  placed  Mimborin»  who  is  said  to  have  go- 
verned it  for  fifteen  years.  (31)  Marian  us  Scotus 
says,  that  in  975  Erberger,  archbishop  of  Cologne, 
made  over  to  the  Scots,  for  ever,  this  monastery  called 
St.  Martin's,  and  that  its  first  abbot  was  Mimborin,  a 
SeotuSj  who  presided  over  it  for  twelve  years, 
reckoning,  I  suppose,  franv  the  date  of  the  j[>erpetual 
grant  nude  by  Erberger.  Accordingly  Mimborin*s 
death,  which  occurred  on  the  18th  of  July,  must  be 
assigned  either  to  987,  or,  if  the  twelve  years  were 
not  complete,  to  986.  (32)  He  was  succeeded  by 
Kilian  likewise  an  Irishman,  after  whom,  as  it  was 
an  Irish  establishment,  we  find  it  governed  by  St» 
Hellas,  (33)  who  had  belonged  to  the  monastery  of 
Monaghan,  and  of  whom  mote  will  be  se^n  else- 
where. 

A  very  celebrated  Irish  abbot  was  Fingen,  (34) 
who  succeeded  St.  Cadroe  as  abbot  of  St^  Felix,  atias 
St.  Clement,  at  Metz,  in  about  the  year  976.     Be- 
sides the  government  of  this  monastery  he  was  in- 
vested  also  with  that  of  St.  Sj^mphorian,  likewise  at 
Metz,  in  the  year  991.  ,  This  old  abbey  was  rebuilt 
by  Adalbero  II.  then  bishop  of  Metz,  who,  having 
a  great  esteem  for  Fingen,  placed  him  over  it,  and, 
with  the  assistance  of  th6. empress  dowager  Adel- 
haid  a  protectress  of  Fingen  and  the  Irish  Benedic- 
tines, and  grandmother  of  Otho  III.  as  yet  only 
king,  obtained  from  this  sovereign  a  confirmation  of 
the  rights  and  possessions  of  this  establishment  on 
condition,  that  the  Irishman  Fingen,  its  first  abbot, 
and  his  successors,  should  not  liave  any  other  than 
Irish  monks  as  long  as  they  could  be  found,  but, 
in   case  they  could  not,  allowing  the  admittance 
of  monks  of  any   other   nation  ;  And   that  prayers 
sliould  be  constantly  offered  there  for  the  king'a 

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CHAP.  XXUl.  OF  IRELAND.  407 

soul,  those  of  his  parents,  and  of  the  then  bishop 
and  his  successors.  This  deed  was  signed  by  the 
king  at  Frankfort  on  the  25th  of  January,  A.  D. 
992,  in  the  ninth  year  of  his  reign.  (35)  Not  long 
after  Fingen  was^  sent  to  re-estabiish  the  monastery 
of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Vitonus,  now  St.  Vannes, 
at  Verdun,  where  he  fixed  some  Irish  monks,  of 
whom  seven  were  there  under  his  direction,  when 
the  celebrated  Richard,  dean  of  the  dioeese  of 
Rheims,  and  Frederic,  who  had  been  count  of  Ver- 
dun, applied  to  him  in  1 001  for  permission  to  he- 
come  members  of  this  house.  (36)  As  they  were 
persons  of  high  rank  in  the  world,  he  was  at  first 
loth  to  receive  than,  being  afraid  that  they  would 
not  pat  up  with  the  poverty  and  discipline  of  th^^ 
monastery.  At  length,  however,  he  complied  with 
their  request,  (37)  and  instructed  and  trained  thehi 
so  well,  that  tney  became,  especially  Richard,  two  of 
the  greatest  and  most  useful  men  of  their  times.  St. 
Fingen  died  in  the  year  1004,  and  was  succeeded  by 
his  holy  disciple  Richa|tl.  (38)  There  is  a  short  letter 
of  his,  still  extant,  in  the  library  of  St.  Remigius  of 
Rheims,  to  Fastnidis  a  min,  concerning  a  monk 
named  Guilier  (39) 

To  this  account  of  Irish  ecclesiastics  distinguished 
in  foreign  countries  during  the  tenth  century,.  I  shall 
add  only  a  curious  circumstance  related  of  St.  Ge- 
rard, bishop  of  Toul,  who  in  986  gave  a  retreat  in 
his  diocese  to  several  Greeks,  who,  mixed  with 
Irishmen,  performed  the  Church  service  in  their 
own  language,  and  according  to  the  Greek  rite.  (40) 
Hence  we  see,  that  the  Irish  still  continued  to  culti- 
-  vate  Greek  literature. 

(31)  Mabillon,  ib.  ad  A.  974. 

(32)  Florence  of  Worcester  places  it  in  986. 

(33)  See  Mabillon,  loc.  ct^^and  Colgan  A  A.  SS.p.  107. 

(34)  Colgan  treato  of  St.  Fineenat  5  February.  His  account  oC 
him  is  voy  imperfiBCt.    The  BolTandtoit  have  omitted  him,  placing 

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408  AN  ECCLE8IA8TICAX.  HISTORY      CHAPf  XZIII. 

him  aoiong  the  Praetermud  at  5  VAvmrf^  and  obeenring  Uiat 
Colgan  had  not  a  sufficient  reason  for  giving  him  the  title  of  bedius^ 
as  he  had  found  him  called  only  virtuastts.  But  the  Fingen,  stjled 
-viriuosuSf  was  in  all  probability  different  from  the  <me  we  are  now 
treating  of;  nor  did  Colgan  state  that  they  were  the  same^  «1- 
thoi^  the  cause  of  his  placing  St  Fingen  at  5  Fd>niary  was* 
that  the  name  of  a  Fingen,  the  virtuous  son  of  Odran  Fedhla, 
occurs  at  said  day  in  some  Irish  calendars.  Mabilkm  did  not 
scruple  to  consider  Fingen  as  a  saint,  and  often  vpeaks  of  him  as 
a  most  religious  man,  €x.  c.  AnnaL  Ben.  ad  A.  1001.  And  the 
authors  of  the  HUtoire  Letteraire  expressly  call  him  SL  Fmgen 
an  Irishman,  &c.  ( Tom,  vi.  p.  437.)  where  they  tell  us>  thai 
there  was  a  large  account  of  him  in  a  Life  of  Thienii  bishop  of 
Metz,  which  unfortunately  has  been  lost, 

(35)  Colgan,  having  got  a  copy  of  this  diploma  from  the 
archives  of  the  church  of  Mets  through  the  kindness  of  Means, 
bishop  of  that  see,  has  annexed  it  to  the  Acts  of  Fingen.  It 
begins  tlius  ;  **  In  nomine  sanctae  et  individuae  Trinkatis^  Otto 
divina  Javente  dementia  rex  J*  Afler  three  or  four  lines  it  pro- 
ceeds ;  "  Quapropter  omnium  Jldelium  nosirorum  praeseniium  sd- 
licet  etjuturorum  noverit  industria,  quomodo  Adaldero  Metensis 
ecclesiae  venerabilis  episcopus  ad  nos  venit,  dicens  quod  MaUam 
quamdam,  Jbras  muros  Metis  dvitatis  sitam,  jam  longo  tempore 
destrtictam,  pro  Dei  amore  et  sancti  Symphoriani  martifris  novi* 
ter  coepit  reaedificare,  humUiter  deprecans  nostram  excellentiam, 
id  eamdem  abhatiam  cum  siiis  pertinentiis  nostrae  authoritatis 
praeceptione  conjirmemus.  Nos  v€rax)b  interventum  dilectne  aviae 
nostrae,  Adalheidis  videlicet  imperatricis  Augustae,  piae  petitions 
illius  benignum  assensum  praebenlesy  eidem  abbatiae  S.  Sympfio- 
riani  omnia  looa  a  regibus,  vel  imperutoribus,  vel  aliis  religiosis 
personis  aniea  unqiiam  iradita,  vel  qua  iam  ipse  dilectus  Adalbero 
episcopus  illic  modemo  tempore  adauxit  et  adhuc  addere  deside^ 
rat,  aliorumque  Dei  Jidelium  bona  voluntas  adiungere  studuerii, 
regia  denuo  nostra  munijicentia  donamus,  atque  conjirmamus,  ea 
videlicet  ratione,  ut  abbas  primus  nomine  Fingenius  Hibemiensis 
natione,  quern  ipse  pradibatus  episcopus  nunc  temporis  ibi  con^ 
stituit,  suique  successores  Hibemienses  monachos,  kabeant,  quam-- 
diu  sic  esse  poterit ;  et  si  dejuerint  ibi  monachi  de  Uibemia,  de 
quibuscumque  nationiibus  semper  ibi  monachi  habeantur  ;  et  nostri 


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CHAP.  XXIII.  OF  IRELAND.  409 

nominuy  aninuieque  nottrae^  parerOumque  nostoruniy  efpraesenik 
^piscopi  succestorumque  illius  memoria  ibi  nunquam  deficiatJ* 
Then  after  a  few  words  conies  the  signature,  &c.  See  also  Ma- 
billon,  Annal.  Beru  ad  A.9Q\.  Fleury  could  not  have  seen  these 
Annate  at  the  tkne  he  was  writk^  the  history  of  those  times;  but 
it  M  odd,  that  he  seems  to  have  been  ignorant  of  the  now  quoted 
diploma,  whereas  otherwise  he  would  not  (Liv.  58.  §.  60.)  have 
cidled  Fii^en  an  Ecauois^  Scotchman.  Mabillon  adds,  that 
Otho  confirmed  also  the  possessions,  &c.  of  the  monastery  of  St. 
Felix. 

(36)  Mabillon  ib.  and  at  ^.  lOOI. 

(37)  An  anonymous  author  of  a  Life  (^Richard  pretends,  that 
on  his  and  Frederic's  first  going  to  Fingen*s  monastery  of  St. 
Vaimes  they  did  not  find  the  regular  observance,  which  they  ex- 
pected to  see,  and  that  they  went  to  Clugni  to  consult  St.  Odilo 
on  what  they  should  do,  who,  however,  advised  tliem  to  return 
thither,  as  they  accordingly  did.  MabiUon  fib.  at  A.  1001.)  re- 
jects this  story  about  the  defect  of  r^ular  observance,  and  shows 
that  Fingen  was  a  very  holy  man,  who  could  not  be  deficient  in 
enfbrdng  regularity.  'And,  in  fact,  fdlowing  the  story  itself]^ 
would  Odilo  have  counselled  them  to  place  themselves  under  Fin- 
gen, were  his  discipline  not  strict  ?  Fleury  floe,  cit,)  picked  up 
this  story  among  other  mistakes  concerning  Fingen  and  his  Irish 
monks,  whom  he  calls  Ecossois.  His  saying  that  Odilon  sent 
Ilicliard  and  Frederic  back  to  Su  Vannes  under  the  persuasion, 
that  they  would  reform  the  establishment,  is  a  poor  evasion ;  for 
how  could  they  expect  to  do  so,  while  they  remained  simple 
monks  ?  The  truth  is,  that  Richard's  and  Frederick's  reason  for 
having  consulted  Odilo  was,  that  on  their  first  going  to  Verdun 
they  found  another  monastery  there  lately  founded  by  bishop 
Wigfrid,  which  seemed  to  them  more  convenient,  although  the 
monastic  observance  was  not  as  regular  as  in  Fingen  s  of  St.  Van- 
nes, which  was  small  and  deficient  in  buildings.  On  applying  to 
Odilo  to  learn  from  him  which  tliey  should  prefer,  he  gave  them 
the  above  mentioned  advice. 

(38)  Mabillon,  ib,  ad  A.  lOOt.  Another  mistake  of  Flairy', 
(loc,  cit. J  is  his  stating,  that  Fingen  died  about  three  inonths  after 
he  had  received  Richard  into  tlie  monastery.  He  should  have 
said,  about  three  t/ears ;  for  Richard's  reception  was  in  1001.    It  is 


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410         AN  ECCLESUdTICAL  HISTORY      CHAP.  TLXUl. 


r,  that  bthe  Imb  anMli  the  denth  of  «  fii^en,  ciDed 
Abot  of  RMcrea^k  mariced  at  A.  1005.  CAA.  SS.  p.  25&)  The 
dptt  ccwoea  to  near  that  of  the  death  of  St.  Fiogen,  that  k  mi^ 
be  8Q6pQCted  thejr  were  ooe  and  the  lanie  peraoa.  Mj^  it  be 
that  Ck^en  bad  gone  from  Rotcrea  to  supecinteod  the  establish- 
■Motpf  SuF^HxatMetz?  The  df^ofhvdeaib  was  probably  the 
8tb  of  October,  at  which  he  is  praiwd  in  the  NeaxJogiumrof  St. 
Clement  of  Met2>  as  abbots  &c.  and  buried  in  its  church. 

(39)  MabiDon,  i6. 

(¥))  Hisioire  Letteraire^  Tom.  yi.  p.  658. 

§•  VI.  Cenfada,  bishop  of  £mly,  who  died  in  990, 
(41)  waa  succeeded  by  Columba  Mac-Lagenan,  who 
held  the  see  until  1003.     After  him  was  Sei-brethae, 
who  lived  until  1027.  (42)    From  these  times  for- 
ward we  find  what  appears  to  be  a  regular  account  of 
the  succession  in  the  see  of  Cork  ;  and  aiccordingly 
it  is  very  probable,  that  Columba  Mac-Ciaracain»  \^o 
died  in  990»  (4d)  had  as  immediate  successor  Cellaeh 
Hua^Sealbaign,  a  very  wise  and  learned  man,  who, 
having  lived  to  a  great  age,  died,  it  is  said,,  in  pil* 
grimage  A.  D.  1026«  (44)     Dubrdalethe  iL  arch- 
bi^op  of  Armagh,  who  died  in  998,  (45)  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Muregan,  who  after  ^three  years*  incum- 
bency, or  rather  in  the  third  year,  resigned  the  see  in 
100).  (46)     He  had  made  a  visitation  of  the  north* 
em  parts  of  Ireland,  and  in  his  stead  was  placed 
Maelmury,  that  is,  servant  of  Mary^    the  son  of 
Eochad,  while,   according  to  another  account,  the 
Maelmury,  his  immediate  successor,  was  the  son  of 
Scanlan  (47)     Be  this  as  it  may,  Maelmur,  the  son 
of  Eochad,  was   certainly  archbishop   of  Annagh, 
and  he  is  usually  said  to  have  held  the  see  for  19 
years.  (48)     His  death,  which  occurred  on  the  3d 
of  June,    A.  D.    J  020,  is  supposed  to  have  been 
caused  by  grief  for  the  destruction  of  agreat  part  of 
the  city  by  fire  in  said  year.  (49)     Tnis  prelate  is 
spoken  of  in  terms  of  high  approbation,  being  styled 
tne  head  qfthe  clergy  ^  western  Europe^  thechi^ 

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CHAP.  XXIII.  OF   IRELAND.  411 

qfthe  holy  orders  qf  the  West^  and  a  most  wise 
Doct&r.  (50)  Hence  it  is  clear  that  he  was  not,  as 
some  have  imagined,  one  of  those  lay  usurpers,  who 
arrogated  to  themselves  the  title  of  archbishop  of 
Armagh^  but  really  in  holy  orders  and  a  real  bishop. 
(50)  There  is  some  reason  to  think,  that  Amai- 
gaid,  who  is  called  his  successor,  belonged  to  that 
class ;  but  of  this  more  hereafler.  Maelbrigid,  Hua-* 
Rimed,  abbot  of  Hy,  died  in  1005,  and  was,  it 
seems,  suceeded  by  Flann*Abhra,  who  lived  until 
1025  or  1026.   (52) 

Some  persons,  eminent  for  piety  or  learning,  are 
marked  as  having  died  in  the  early  part  of  the  ele- 
venth century.  Aengus  abbot  of  Aghaboe,  who  had 
retired  to  Armagh,  died  there  in  1004.  (53)  To 
the  same  year  is  assigned  the  death  of  Eochad  O* Fla- 
nagan, the  chief  and  best  antiquary  of  Ireland ;  (54) 
but  where  he  lived  or  died  I  do  not  find  recorded. 
Aidus  or  Aedh,  abbot  of  Trefot  (Trevet  in  Meath 
not  far  from  Tara)  had  also  retired  to  Armagh.  He 
is  called  a  scholastic  or  lecturer,  bishop,  and  wise 
man.  Having  led  a  very  holy,  life  he  died  in  1005^ 
and  was  buried  there  with  great  honour.  (55)  Mu- 
redach  Mac-Crichan,  a  comorban  of  St.  Columba 
and  St.  Adamnan,  that  is,  abbot  of  Deny  and 
Raphoe,  died  also  at  Armagh  on  the  28th  of  De- 
cember, A.  D.  \0\l.m  the  74th  year  of  his  age. 
He  was  a  bishop,  and  lecturer  of  theology  at  Ar- 
magh. Owing  to  his  great  reputation,  his  remains 
were  deposited  with  great  solemnity  near  the  great 
altar  in  the  cathedral  of  that  city.  (56)  In  the  next 
year  a  great  pestilence  broke  out  at  Armagh,  which 
raged  from  All-saints  day  until  May  following,  and 
carried  off  Kennfaelad  of  Saball  or  Saul,  a  bishop 
and  anchoret,  Maelbrigid  Mac-an-Gobhann,  a  lecturer 
of  Ajmagh,  Scholag-Mac-Clerchen,  a  distinguished 
priest,  and  a  vast  number  of  elders  and  students. 
(57) 


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41 2  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTOaT      CHAP.  XXIII. 

(41)  Sec  Chap.  xxii.  $.14. 

(42)  Ware,  Bishops  at  Endy.  Harris  has  inserted  bettreeo 
Cohunba  and  Serbretliae  a  bishop  Cormac  Hua-Finn,  but  with- 
out f^Tflirw*nt  audiority.  He  is  called  by  the  4  Masters,  who  mark 
hit  death  at  1<)20,  {ap.  A  A.  SS.  p.  360.)  menlj  th^  most  erudite 
bisk&p  of  the  Monumians.  It  does  not  hence  follow,  thac  he  was 
bishop  of  £mljr»  as  the  words  seem  ta  mean  nothing  more  than 
that  he  was  a  very  learned  man  and  bishop  somewhere  in 
Munster,  or  that  he  was  the  most  learned  of  the  Momouiaiu. 
Ware*s  catalogue  of  the  prelates  of  Emlj,  whidi  is  well  kept  up, 
must  not  be  departed  from  on  slight  grounds. 

(43)  Chap.  XXII.  §.  14. 

(44)  This  is  the  date  marked  by  Ware,  Bishops  at  Cork.  In 
Co^*s  text  (AA.  SS.p.  335.)  The  dale  is,  as  if  from  the  4 
Masters  1036.  This  is  probably  a  typographical  error.  At  any 
rate  it  is  wrong ;  for  there  were  other  bishops  of  Cork  between 
CeUach's  death  and  1036.  The  4  Masters  do  not  mention  hts 
dying  in  pilgrimage,  but  call  him  bishop,  comorhan  of  St  Barvy 

(45)  Chap.  xxri.  }.  14. 

(46)  The  catalogue  from  the  Psalter  of  Cashel  allows  for  Mu- 
r^;an  three,  seemingly  incomplete,  years,  not  four  as  Harris  says 
ia  his  additions  to  Ware.  Colgan  thought  (Tr.  Tli.p.  302.)  that 
Mur^an  was  one  of  the  lay  usurpers  not  really  bishops.  (See 
Chap.  XXII.  J.  13.)  But  his  argument  is  a  very  poor  one.  He 
met  with  a  Muredacfa,  prior  of  Armagh,  who  is  called  son  of  Mu- 
regan,  and  who  died  in  982  or  983.  He  then  supposed  that  this 
Muregan  was  the  same  as  the  one  styled  archbishop.  Miglit  not 
there  have  been  divers  M uregans  ?  Or  why  suppose,  that  a  man, 
who  died  in  982,  was  the  son  of  a  person,  \dio  was  not  called 
archbishop  of  Armagh  until  998,  and  who,  after  he  had  resignedi 
lived  until  1006  ?  Or  admitting  that  the  archbishop  Muregan  was 
the  fiitlier  of  said  Muredach,  will  it  follow  that  he  was  still  a  lay- 
man in  998  ?  The  fact  is,  that  it  is  impossible  to  identify  all  those 
hiymen  so  called  archbishops.  I  believe  that  they  were  chiefly 
among  those,  whose  names  do  not  occur  in  the  Cashel  cata- 
logue, but  who  are  mentioned  by  the  4  Masiiters. 

(47)  Tiic  4  Masters  have  hollj  thcso  Maelmui>,  as  bishops  of 


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CUAP.XXUI.  of   IRELAND.  413 

Armagh,  placing  the  son  of  Scanlan  before  the  other.  (See  TV. 
TL  p.  297i  298.)  In  the  Cashel  catalogue  only  one  Maehnur  is 
mentioned  without  tlie  addition  of  his  Other's  name.  Ware  omits 
the  son  of  Scanlan,  as  does  also  OTlah^y  in  his  MS.  catalogue 
fat  Tr.  Tk,  p,  319.)  Yet  it  is  highly  probable,  that  he  was  for 
some  time  in  possession  of  the  see ;  and  perhaps  he  was  one  of 
the  lay  usurpers.  The  dates  marked  for  liim  and  for  some  others 
lUMier  the  title  of  bishops  of  Armagh  by  the  4  Masters,  are  so 
confused,  that  they  cannot  be  reconciled  with  those  of  the  Cashel 
catalogue  or  of  Ware,  &c.  They  have  also  one  Hermedac,  whom 
they  call  bishop  and  scribe  of  Armagh,  and  whom  they  assign  to. 
pert  of  the  time,  during  which,  according  to  others,  Maelmur 
son  €£  Eochad  was  the  actual  bishop. 

(48)  The  Ca<Uiel  catalogue  marks  19  years  for  Maelmur  simply 
so  called.  The  Maelmur  meant  in  it  was,  in  all  appearance,  the 
son  of  Eochad.  If  there  was  any  other  bishop,  or  person  called 
bishop  of  Armagh  during  part  of  these  19  years,  it  might  have 
overlooked  them. 

(49)  Ware  (at  Maelmur)  assigns  his  death  to  1021 ;  but  it  must 
have  been  in  1020,  whereas  it  is  mari^ed  by  the  4  Masters  (ap. 
Tr*  Tk.  p,  298.)  at  this  year,  as  haying  fallen  on  the  Friday  be- 
fore Pentecost.  Now  in  the  year  1020  Pentecost  or  Whitsunday, 
was  on  the  5th  of  June.  In  said  year  about  a  month  earlier  that 
great  fire  happened,  in  which  the  cathedral  and  some  other 
churches,  besides  a  great  number  of  houses  and  much  property, 
were  consumed.  Yet,  according  to  the  4  Masters,  it  was  not 
universal  as  Ware  says ;  for  in  one  of  the  four  quarters  of  the  city 
the  only  edifice  destroyed  was  the  library. 

(50)  4  Masters,  ib. 

(51)  Colgan  striving  fTr.  Th.  p.  S02)  to  find  tlie  eight  mar- 
ried  laymen  so  called  bishops  among  the  persons  njendoned  in  the 
Cashel  catalogue,  reckons  as  one  of  them,  Maelmutv  son  of  Eo- 
chad. And  why  ?  Because  Dubdalethe  III.  whose  accession  was 
in  1049,  is  called  son  of  one  Maelmur.  But  was  the  son  of 
Eochad  the  only  Maelmur  in  Ireland  ?  And,  supposing  that  Dub- 
dalethe III.  was  tlie  son  of  a  man  called  bishop,  might  not  his 
father  have  been  the  Maelmur  son  of  Scanlan?  (See  Not.  47.)  It 
is  odd,  that  Colgan  could  have  suj^posed  that  the  son  of  Eochad 


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414  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY      CHAP.  XXIXT. 

was  not  in  holy  orders,  notwithstanding  his  haidng  been  distin- 
guished by  the  title  of  chief  of  the  holy  orders,  Sfc.  Ware  did 
Hot  Mhw  Co^n  in  his  hypodiesis  concerning  this  Maehnur 
ahd  Dubdalethe  Uf. ;  bat  Harris  has  added  something  r^tnre 
to  it. 

(52)  Tr.  Th.p.  601.  at  A.  1004  (1005)  and  1025  the  date  of 
the  4  Masters,  not  1015  as  appears  ib.  through  an  erratum. 
SttMi  (App.  to  Life  of  St,  Columba)  has  copied  this  mistake. 
t  am  doubtful  whedier  1025  ought  to  be  changed  mto  1026 ;  for 
about  these  times  the  4  Masters  begin  not  to  differ  as  much  as 
usual  from  the  generally  received  Christian  era.  Thus  we  hare 
aeen  (Not.  49)  that  their  date  1020  for  the  death  of  bishc^  Mad- 
mur  is  conrect ;  whereas  those  of  a  few  years  earlier  are  sometimes 
not  S0|  for  mstance,  that  for  the  battle  of  Ciontarf,  which  they 
ass^  to  A.  1013,  although  it  is  certain  that  said  battle  was 
k>t^t  in  1014. 

(53)  Ih.p.  297  ad  A.  1003  (1004). 

(54)  Annals  of  InnisfaHen  at  A.  1004. 
{55)  Tr.  Xh.  p.  297  ad  A.  1004  (1005). 
{56)  lb.  and  p.  298  ad  A.  1010  (1011). 
(57)  /^.  0^^.1011(1012). 

§•  VII.  Meanwhile  a  great  political  change  had 
taken  place  in  Ireland.  Hitherto  we  have  seen  the 
monarchy  of  all  Ireland  retained  in  the  house  of 
the  Nialls  of  one  branch  or  another  down  to  Mael- 
seachlin  II.  whose  reign  began  in  080.  (58)  Be- 
tween this  sovereign  and  Brian  Boroimhe,  who 
became  king  of  Munster  in, 976,  (59)  various  wars 
had  been  ciu-ried  on,  in  which  Brian  was  generally 
victorious.  Sometimes,  however,  they  united  against 
the  Daned,  or  against  other  enemies.  Brian  was 
perpetually  engaged  in  humbling  his  opponents.  In 
977  he  defeated  the  Danes  of  Juimerick  at  Innis- 
catthy,  plundered  all  the  islands  which  they  possessed 
in  the  Shannon,  and  overthrew  with  dreadful 
slaughter  in  Hy-figente  (in  the  now  county  of  Li- 
merick) Donovan  dynast  of  that  territory  and  his 
allies  the  Danes  of  Munster.     In  this  battle  Aulifife, 


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CHAPr  XXIII.  OF  IRBLAND.  41 5 

king  of  those  Danes,  and  Donovan  were  killed.     In 
978  the   Eugenians,  who  opposed  him  as  being  a 
Dalcassian,  having  joined  against  him  under 'Maol-^ 
mbuadh  together  with  the  Munster  Danes,  he  fought 
the  great  battle  of  Beallach-Leachta,  somewhere  it 
seems  between  Mallow  and  Macroom,  in  which  the 
allies  were  worsted,  and  besides  Maolmhuadh  and  a 
great  number  of  the  Irish,   1200  Danes  lost  their 
lives.     Having  settled  matters  with  the  Eugenians, 
Brian  was  attacked  in  979  by  Donall  CFaplan, 
prince  of  the   Desies,    assisted  by  the  Danes  of 
Waterford.     He  came  up  with  them  at  a  place  called 
Fanmaccurra^  and  putting  them  to  flight  pursued 
them  into    Waterford,    where  great  slaughter  was 
made  of  the  Danes.      On   this  occasion  O'Faolan 
was  killed.     Afler  this  exploit  he  got  hostages  from 
all  the  princes  and  chiefs  of  Munster ;  and  every 
part  of  the  province  submitted  to  his  authority.  (60) 
In  980  he  made  Mac-Gilla-Patrick  prisoner,  and 
compelled  all  the  Ossorian  chieflains  to  deliver  up 
hostages  to  him.  In  said  year  the  king  Maelseachlin 
IL   defeated  at  Tara  the  Danes  of  Dublin,  com- 
manded by  the  sons  of  Auliflfe  or  Anlaf  their  king. 
In  this  battle  there  was  a  dreadful  slaughter  of  them, 
and  among  others  were  killed  Regindd  the  king's 
eldest   son,   and  Irlavra  the  governor  of  Dublm. 
This  disaster  affected  Anlaf  so  much,  that  he  retired 
to  Hy,  where  he  died  in  the  course  of  this  year.  (6 1) 
In  981   Brian   reduced  the  Lagenians  to  the  neces- 
sity of  giving  him   hostages ;  and  the  two  kings  of 
that  province  submitted  to  him.  In  98S'MaelseacfiIin 
plundered  Dalgais,  the  hereditary  property  of  Brian, 
and  cut  down  the  famous  tree  in  the  plain  of  Adair, 
under  which  the   Dalcassian    princes  nsed  to    be 
inaugurated ;  and  in  the  following  year  he  ravaged 
Leinster  then  under  the  protection  of  Brian.     In- 
censed by  these  proceedings,  Brian  marched  against 
Maelseachlin  and  farced  him  to  agree  to  a  treaty,  ^by 
which  it  was  stipulated  that  Brian  should  be  recog- 

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416  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY       CHAP.  XXIU. 

nized  king  of  Leath-Mogha;  or  the  southern  half  of 
Ireland^  the  other  half  to  be  held  by  Maelseachlin, 
and  that  Donald  Claon,  king  of  Leinster  and  the 
Danes  of  Dublin  should  be  subject  to  Brian.  (62) 

(58)  See  Chap.  xxii.  §.  8.  (59)  lb.  j.  15. 

(60)  Annals  of  Innifiaien  at  A.  977-978-979. 

(61)  lb.  at  J.  980.  and  Ware,  Antig.  cap*  24.  His  Engliah 
translator  has  greatly  confused  his  meaning,  making  him  say  that 
the  battle  of  Tara  was  not  fought  by  Maelseadilin,  but  by  the  mo- 
narch his  predecessor.  But  the  Annals  of  Innis&llen,  which  he 
follows,  expressly  state,  that  Maelseachlin  was  the  commander, 
and  when  king  of  Ireland.  For  Aniaf  compare  with  Noi.  138  to 
Chap.  22. 

(62)  Annals  of  Innisfallen  at  A.  981-982-983. 

§.  viii.  After  various  battles  and  depredations^ 
such  as  that  of  Connaught  by  Maelseachlin  in  9S5  ; 
the  defeat  of  the  Momonians  and  Danes  of  Water- 
ford  by  the  Connacians  in  988,  in  which  year  Brian 
plundered  Meath  and  part  of  Connaught ;  the  defeat 
of  the  Danes  of  Dublin  by  MaelseachHn  in  989 ;  and 
some  other  fighting  here  and  there,  Maelseachlin 
ravaged  Connaught  again  in  991,  upon  which  Brian 
at  the  head  of  the  Munster  and  Connaught  troops  laid 
waste  a  great  part  of  Meath.  Yet  in  994  Mael- 
seachlin gained  a  victory  over  Brian,  who  retaliated 
on  him  in  the  following  year  by  a  complete  one,  in 
consequence  of  which  peace  was  concluded  between 
them  m  997,  and  Maelseachlin  was  again  obliged  to 
recognize  Brian's  title  to  the  sovereignty  of  Leath- 
Mogna.  These  two  kings  then  united,  and,  having 
forced  the  Danes  of  various  parts  to  give  them 
hostages,  marched  into  Connaught  in  998,  whence 
also  tney  took  hostages,  and  then  attacked  the  Danes 
of  Dublin,  whom  they  routed  with  great  slaughter 
and  the  loss  of  their  principal  chiefs,  Artulac  son  of 
Sitric,  Harold  son  of  AuliflFe,  &c.  &c.  (63)  Not- 
withsUnding  this  defeat,  the  DubUn  Danes  assisted 

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CHAP«  XXIII.  OF  IRELAKI>.  417 

in  999  Maelmurry,  son  of  Murchard,  in  compelling 
Donogh,  king  of  Leinster,  to  resign  his  crown  to 
him,  and  plundered  Kildare  ;  upon  which  Brian 
marched  to  Dublin,  punished  them  severely,  burned 
many  of  their  houses,  banished  their  king  Sitric, 
and,  having  remaijied  there  a  week,  carried  off  much, 
booty.  (643  In  the  same  year  Maelseachlin  com- 
mitted depredations  in  Leinster,  and  this  was  pro- 
bably one  of  the  reasons  why  Brian  determined  to 
wag^a  serious  war  against  him.  Accordingly  he. 
raised  in  1000  a  very  considerable  army  composed 
of  Munstermen,  southern  Connacians,  Ossorians, 
Lagenians,  and  Dublin  Danes,  with  whom  he  marched 
towards  Tara,  havine  sent  forward  a  corps  of  Danish 
cavalry,  who  skirmished  with  the  enemy.  On  Brian's 
coming  up  with  his  main  force,  Maelseachlin  found  it 
adviseable  not  to  risk  a  battle,  and  yielding  to  Brian's 
terms  promised  to  give  him  hostages.  It  seems  that 
Maelseachlin  did  not  fulfil  his  engagements;  for 
Brian  with  the  same  army  marched  again  in  the 
following  year,  and  arriving  at  Tara  compelled  him 
not  only  to  submit  and  give  hostag^es,  but  likewise  to 
resign  the  throne  of  Ireland  to  Brian,  and  to  content 
himself  with  his  principality  of  Meath.  Thus 
Brian  became  king  of  all  Ireland  in  the  year 
1001.  (^65) 

(63)  15,  from  A.  984.  to  998. 

(64)  15.  at  A.  999.  and  Ware,  Antiq.  cap.  24. 

(65)  Sajd  Annals  at  A.  1000-1001.  The  4  Masters  also  (ap. 
Tr.  Th.  p.  448.^  assign  Brian's  accession  to  this  year.  They  say  that 
Maelseachlin  had  reigned  2S  years;  but  it  is  to  be  observed  that 
they  place  the  commencement  of  his  reign  not  in  980  but  in  978. 

%.  IX.  In  1002  Brian  proceeded  to  Connaught, 
where  he  received  hostages,  and  returning  through 
Meath  got  some  there  also  from  Maelseachlin.  He 
then  marched  at  the  head  of  his  numerous  forces, 
to  which  were  now  added  those  of  Meath  commanded 

VOL.  III.  E   E 

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418  AN    ECCL£9fAmCAL  ItltTORT      CHAP.  XXltt* 


by  Maelseachlin,  as  far  as  DvntfUlk,  where  he 
submitted  to  by  all  the  princes  aiid  cfaieftains  of 
Ulster,  who  gave  him  hostf^es.  Afterwards  we  find 
him  engaged  in  checking  some  attempts  at  revolt  or 
disobedience  particularly  in  the  North.  On  one  of 
these  occasions  he  stopped  for  a  week  at  Armagh  in 
the  year  1004,  (66)  and  left  a  gold  collar,  weighing 
20  ounces,  on  the  great  altar  of  the  cathedral  as  an 
offering.  Thence  he  went  with  his  army  to  Rath-mor- 
muighe,  the  royal  seat  of  the  Dalriedans  in  the  now 
county  of  Antrim,  whence  he  brought  hostages. 
But  it  would  be  too  long,  and  not  widiin  my  plan, 
to  follow  all  the  movements  of  this  great  long ;  yet» 
as  a  matter  belonging  to  our  eoclesiastical  history, 
I  must  ilot  forget,  that  being  in  1011  with  a  great 
army  and  a  number  of  Irish  princes  in  the  now 
county  of  Louth,  where  he  a^in  received  hostages 
from  the  chiefs  of  Ulster,  to  which  he  assigned  two 
kings,  he  and  the  assembled  princes,  &c.  granted 
glebe  lands  to  the  churches  of  Ireland,  (67)  thus 
repairing  part  of  the  ravages  committed  by  die 
Northmen.  A  great  storm  was  noW  gathering,  the 
cause  of  which  was  as  follows.  Maelmurry  Mac- 
Morogh,  or  the  son  of  Murchart,  who,  as  we  have 
seen,  usurped  the  crown  of  Leinster  in  999,  marched 
into  Meath  in  1013  at  the  head  of  a  powerful  army 
of  Lagenians  and  Danes  of  Dublin,  and  ravaged 
some  parts  of  it.  Maelseachlin,  in  retaliation,  set 
fire  to  the  neighbouring  districts  of  Leinster  as  fiir 
as  the  hill  of  Hoath,  but  being  met  by  Maelmurry 
and  Si  trie  king  of  Dublin,  was  defeated  with  con- 
siderable loss.  He  then  called  upon  Brian  at  his 
residence,  and  requested  assistance  from  him  against 
the  united  Lagenians  and  Danes,  who  were  in  the 
habit  of  plundering  his  principality.  Accordingly 
Brian  set  out  with  a  great  army,  and,  having  on  his 
way  laid  waste  Ossory,  detached  his  son  Morogh 
with  a  large  party  towards  Glendaloch,  who  pluur 
dered  the  country  as  he  went  along  and  brought 

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CBAP«  XXin.  OF   IBELAND.  419 

ram  J  prisoners  and  nnch  spoil  to  Brian  tlien  en- 
camped at  Kilmainham  near  Dublin,  where  lie  re- 
mained from  the  beginning  of  August  until  Christ- 
mas without  beiuK  able  to  bring  either  the  Danes  or 
Lagenians  to  batde^  and  consequently  returned  ^  to 
Munater.  Meanwhile  a  new  fleet  of  Northmen 
arrived  and  burned  Cork  ;  and  there  was  much  %ht- 
ing  here  and  there  between  those  foreigners  and  the 
Irish*  (68) 

(66)  lb.  at  A.  100^  The  same  year  is  txaaked  also  by  the 
4  Mastersi  and  must  not  bechanged  into  1005. 

(67)  It.  at  A.  ion.  (6S)  15.  at  J.  lOlS. 

S  X,  The  Danes  and  Lagenians,  availing  them- 
selves of  Brian's  absence,  used  the  utmost  exertions 
to  collect  troops  and  auxiliaries  from  every  quarter 
that  they  could.  A  great  number  of  Northmen 
came  to  their  assistance  from  Norway  and  other 
parts  of  Scandinavia,  from  Scotland,  the  Orkneys, 
Hebrides,  &c.  and  from  the  isle  of  Man,  who 
were  joined  also  by  Britons  from  Cornwall  and  else- 
where. Brian  marched  to  oppose  them,  taking  with 
him  Maelseachlin,  who,  however,  intended  to  betray 
him.  For  this  purpose  he  sent  to  Maelmurry,  to 
inform  him,  that  Brian  had  dispatched  his  son  Do- 
nogh,  at  the  head  of  the  Dalcassian  troops  and  of  a 
third  part  of  the  Eugenian  forces,  to  ravage  Leinster 
and  Hy-Kinselagh,  and  that  he  himself  with  his 
1000  Meath-men  would  desert  Brian  on  the  day  of 
battle.  Accordingly  it  was  determined  to  attack 
Brian  before  Donogh  could  come  up.  He  was  then 
encamped  on  the  plain  near  Dublin  with  a  smaller 
army  than  he  othei'wise  should  have-^  had.  His  op- 
ponents formed  themselves  into  three  divisions  ;  the 
first  consisting  of  1000  Northmen,'  covered-  with 
coats  of  mail,  commanded  by  two  Norwegian  princes 
Charles  and  Henry,  and  of  Dublin  Danes  under 
Dolat  and  ConmaoK     The  second  division  consisted 

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4S0  AK   ECCLESIASTICAL   HISTORY     CHAP.  XXIU. 

of  Lagenians,  aboitt  9000  strong,  commaiided  by 
their  kmg  Maelmurry,  and  under  him  bv  some  mi- 
nor princesy  such  as  Mac-Tuadial  or  Toole  of  the 
Liflfey  territory,  the  prince  of  Hy-falgy,  &c.  toge- 
ther with  a  large  body  of  Danes.  The  third  diri- 
sion  was  formed  of  the  Northmen  collected  froai  the 
islands,  from  Scotland,  &c.  and  of  Britons.  It  was 
commanded  by  Lodar,  earl  of  the  Orkneys,  and 
Bruadair  admiral  of  the  fleet,,  which  had  brought 
the  auxiliary  Northmen,  &6.  to  Ireland.  Brian  was 
not  dismayed  by  this  mighty  force,  and  depending 
on  Providence  and  the  bravery  of  his  troops,  pre- 
pared for  battle,  dividing  his  army  likewise  mto 
three  divisions ;  one  to  oppose  the  enemy's  first 
division  under  bis  son  Morogh,  who  had  along 
with  bim  bis  son  Turlogh  and  a  select  body  of  the 
brave  Dalgais,  besides  four  other  sons  of  Brian, 
Teige,  Donald,  Conor,  and  Flann,  and  various 
chieftains,  Donchuan,  Lonargan,  &c.  together 
vith  a  body  of  men  from  Conmacne-Mara,  a  wes- 
tern part  of  Connaught*  To  this  division  Mael- 
seachlin  was  ordered  to  join  his  followers.  Over  the 
division,  which  was  to  fight  the  second  of  the  ene- 
my, Brian  placed  Gian  and  Donald,  two  princes  of 
the  Eugenian  line,  under  whom  were  the  forces  of 
Desmond  and  other  parts  of  the  South  of  Ireland, 
including  the  now  county  of  Kerry,  the  most  of 
those  of  Cork  and  Limerick,  and  that  of  Waterford, 
headed  by  their  respective  chiefs.  To  this  division 
belonged  also  O 'Carrol  and  his  troops  of  Ely 
O'CarroI,  and  it  was  joined  by  another   O'Carrol 

frince  of  Orgiel  in  Ulster  and  Maguire  prince  of 
'ermanagh.  The  division  opposed  to  the  third  of 
their  antagonists  consisted  chiefly  of  Conacians,  un- 
der O'Conor  as  chief  commander,  with  whom  were 
O'Heyn,  O'Kelly,  OTlaherty,  0'Cadhh^  &c.  and 
^eir  forces,  assisted  by  various  bodies  of  men  from 
iiivers  parts  of  Tipperary,    Limerick,   Clare,   &€. 


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CHAP.  XXIII.  OJ  IRELAND.  421 

commanded  by  their  chieftains,  Fogartach,  O'Deyk, 
Mac  Donagan,  Mac  Dermot»  &c.  (69) 

(69)  lb.  at  A.  1014. 

§.  XI.  I  have  been  more  minute,  than  perham  my 
object  being  ecclesiastical  would  allow^  merely  to 
ahow  that  greater  unanimity  prevailed  among  the  Irish 
on  this  occasion  than  for  a  long  time  preceding.  In 
fact  it  was  absolutely  necessary  for  the  preservation 
both  of  the  country  and  of  religion.  For  the  inten- 
tion of  the  Northmen,  who  were  still  half  paj^ans^  was 
to  become  masters  of  all  Ireland.  (70)  Brian  and 
the  majority  of  the  Irish  princes,  who,  with  a  view 
to  the  encouragement  of  foreign  trade^  had  very  im* 

frudently  permitted  parties  of  them  to  continue  in 
)ublin.  Limerick,  Waterford,  Cork,  &c.  instead  of 
driving  them  entirely  out  of  the  country,  as  they 
might  have  done,  perceived  at  last,  that  nothing  less 
would  do  than  to  crush  them  in  such  a  manner  as 
would  prevent  their  being  afterwards  able  to  disturb 
the  tranquillity  of  Irelandl     This  they  would,  in  all 
probability,  have  been  able  to  accomplish  effectually. 
Lad  not  Maelmurry  and  the  people  of  Leinster  en- 
terred  into  an  unnatural  confederacy  with  those  fo- 
reisers.     The  Northmen  from  the  islands,  &c  who  • 
had  arrived  under  Bruadair  at  Dublin  on  Palm-sunday 
A.  D.  1014,  insisted  on  the  battle  being  fought  on 
Good  Friday,  which  fell  on  the  2dd  of  April,  a  day 
on  which,  on  account  of  its  sanctity,  Brian  would 
have  wished  to  avoid  fighting.  (71)     Yet  he  was  de* 
termined  to  defend  himself  even  on  that  day,  and 
holding  the  Crucifix  in  his  left  hand,  and  his  sword 
in  the  right,  rode  with  his   son  Morogh  through 
the  ranks,  encouraging  his  army  to  put  an  end  for 
w^T  to  the  oppressions  of  those  tyrants  and  usurpers, 
who  had  committed  so  many  cruelties  and  sacrilege^ 
in  Ireland,  so  that  the  day,  on  which  Christ  suffered 
death  for  our  sake,  should  be  the  last  of  their  power 


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432       AH  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY        CHAP«  XXIU. 

in  this  country,  and  declaring  that  He  was  willing 
to  lose  his  Ufe  in  so  just  and  honourable  a  cause.   As 
soon  as  the  engagement  began,  Maelseacblin  with  his 
Meath  men  withdrew  from  the  scene  of  action,  and 
remained  as  a  mere  looker  on.    His  defection  did  not 
disconcert  Brian  and  the  other  Irish,  who  fought 
like  heroes  from  sunrise  until  the  dusk  of  the  eveil- 
ing,  and  gained  a  complete  victory,  wl^ch  has  bees 
and  ever  will  be  memorable  in  Irish  history  under 
the  name  of  that  of  Clontarf.   (7^4)     Accoraing  to 
one  account  the  Northmen  lost  between  killed  and 
drowned  ISOOO  men,    and   the   Lagenians  dOOO. 
^78)     The  1000  men  that  wore  coats  of  mail,  are 
said  to  have  been  all  cut  to  pieces,  together  with  their 
commanders  Charles  and  Henry,  besides  Dolat  and 
ConmaoL  (74)     Among  the  slain  were  also  Bniadair 
and  two  of  the  Danish  princes  of  Dublin,  to  whom 
we  have  to  add  Maelmurry  king  of  Leinster,  the 
prince  of  Hy-falgy,  &c.  (75)     But  this  was  a  dearly 
purchased  victory  j  for,  besides  a  great  numSer  of 
the  Irish  troops,  Brian,  his  son  Morogh,  and  his 
grandson  Turlogh  fell  on  this  memorable  day,  (7^ 
together  with  many  chieftains  of  M unster  and  Con- 
naught.     Brian  was  in  the  8dth  year  of  his  age,  and 
Morogh  in   the  63d.  (77)     Although  almost  con- 
stantly engaged  in  military  expeditions,  Brian  was  of 
a  very  religious  disposition,  (78)  and  is  praised  as 
having  erected  or  rebuilt  churches,  ex.  c.  those  of 
Killaloe  and  Iniskeltra,   religious  houses,   schods, 
&c.     He  indemnified  the  institutions  and  families, 
which  had  been  plundered  by  the  Northmen,  with 
lands  of  which  he  dispossessed  them,  established  a 
system  of  just  administration,  put  a  stop  to  robberies, 
fortified  the  royal  residence  of  Cashel  and  several 
other  places,  and  improved  the  ihtemal  communica- 
tion throughout  his  kingdom  by  means  of  roadk, 
bridges,  &c.  (79) 

(70)  In  the  chronide  of  Ademar  tnonl^  of  St.  Eparchkift  of  An- 

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CHAF.  XXIIU  OF  IRBLAND#  423 

gouleme  (ap.  LabBe,  Nova  BibU  MSS.  libr.  Tom.  2.)  there  is  a 
curious  passage  (p.  177.)  relative  to  the  views  of  the  Northmen  at 
that  tiine,  in  which  it  is  stated  that  they  came  with  an  immense 
fleet,  meanhig  to  extinguish  the  Irish,  and  to  get  possession  of  that 
most  wealthy  countxy,  which  had  twelve  cities,  great  bishoprics^ 
&C.  ''  His  temporibus  Normanni  supradicti,  quod  patres  eorum 
nunquam  perpetrasse  ausi  sunt,  cum  innumem  cl^/Bse  Hibemiam 
insulam,  quae  hianda  didtur,  ingressi  sunt  unacum  uxoribus,  et 
liberis,  et  captivis  Christianis,  quos  fecerant  sibi  servos,  ut,  Hir- 
kndis  extinctis,  ipsi  pro  ipsis  inhabitarent  opulentissimam  terram, 
quae  XII  dvitates  cum  amplissiiyis  episa^MUibus  et  unum  regem 
habet,  ac  proprjiun  linguam,  sed  Latinas  Uteras;  quam  S.  Patri- 
dus  Romanus  ad  fidem  oonvertit,"  &c  Ademar,  as  Appears  from 
the  sequel,  alludes  to  the  preparations  for  the  battle  of  Clontarf, 
which  it  is  plain  was  the  one  that  he  meant ;  for  just  afler  hjs  ac- 
count of  it  heqpeaksof  Canute  the  great,  and  his  coming  to  £i^- 
land,  whidi  was  about  the  same  time.  Labbe  thinks,  that  this 
chronicle  was  writt^  before  1031 ;  if  so,  it  is  the  oldest  ducu- 
ment  I  know  of,  in  which  thejuupoe  Jrlanda^  Jrdand,  is  to  be  fiHPVid. 
Con^ai^  with  Usher,  Pr.p.  734. 

(7iy  The  Niala  Saga  in  Johnstone's  AtU.  Cdto-ScatuL  has 
{p.  120.  seqq.)  a  curious  account  of  the  battle  of  Clontarf.  In  it 
are  mentioned  the  above  circumstances,  and  it  is  stated,  that  Bma- 
dair  had  been  informed  by  a  sort  o£  pagan  orade,  that,  shoukl 
the  battle  be  fought  on  Friday,  the  Northmen  would  be  victo- 
rious. 

(72)  That  this  was  a  re^l  and  great  victory  is  attested  in  the 
Annals  of  Innisfallen  at  A.  1014.  and  m  the  best  Irish  documents* 
Yet  Ware  fAnt.  cap,  24.)  has  some  doubts  on.this  point,  as  if  to- 
wards the  end  of  it  the  Danes  became  uppermost  Without  en- 
tering into  further  particulars,  I  shall  oppose  to  these  doubts 
the  testimony  of  the  Niala  Sagay  which  represents  the  North- 
men as  flying  in  all  directions,  and  laige  parties  of  them  totall|y 
destroyed.  And  in  Ademar's  chronide,  after  the  words  quoted 
(Not.  70jy  it  is  represented  as  even  greater  than  it  really  waS; 
for  it  u  said  that  all  the  Northmen  were  killed,  and  it  is  addad  / 
that  crowds  of  their  women  threw  themsdves  into  the  sea.  Yetit 
is  true,  thatofsomeof  their  dhfisions  not  a  man  was  left,  alive. 


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424  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY        CHAP*  XXIII* 

Ademar  makes  the  battle  last  for  three  d^s ;  but  this  does  not 
agree  with  other  accounts. 

(73)  Annals  C(£  Innis&llen,  ib.  But  those  of  Ulster,  (ap.  John-* 
stone)  without  mentioning  the  loss  of  the  Lagenians,  state  that, 
besides  many  chiefs*  among  whoai  is  reckoned  Bruadairi  about 
6000  of  the  Danes  were  killed  or  drowned. 

(74)  Annals  of  Innisfallen,  ib.  In  the  Niala  Saga  a  northern 
prince  is  introduced  asking  some  time  afler  the  battle,  what  had 
become  of  his  men.  The  answer  was  that  thej  were  all  killed. 
This  seems  to  allude  to  the  dirision  In  coats  of  mail. 

(75)  See  t^.  The  Niala  Saga  states  that  not  only  Broder 
(Bruadair)  but  likewise  all  his  pirates  (the  sea-ftring  Northmen) 
were  killed. 

(76)  The  person,  who  killed  Brian,  was  Bruadair,  and  unaog 
the  various  accounts  of  how  he  chanced  to  get  the  king  into  his 
power,  the  best  is  perhaps  that  of  the  Niala  Saga^  according  to 
which  Bruadair,  who  had  fled  into  a  wood  wkh  a  par^  of  his  fol- 

'  lowers,  happened  to  see  the  king  in  a  retired  spot  attended  by 
only  a  few  men,  and  rushed  upon  him  unawares>  after  which  he 
was  soon  after  killed  himself.  Morogh  was,  say  the  Annals  of 
Iifmisfkllen,  treacherously  stabbed  by  the  Norw^ian  Heniy,  who^ 
was  lying  on  the  ground  and  in  the  act  of  being  rdieredby  Monigh. 
This  brave  prince  had  just  time  to  make  his  confessbn  and  receive 
the  holy  Viaticum. 

(77)  Annals  of  InnisBdlen  at  A.  1014. 

(78)  Marianus  Scotus,  mentioning  his  de^,  has  these  woids^ 
**  Briamis  rex  Hibemiae  Parasceve  Psischae,  sexta  feria  9  Galea* 

"  das  Maii,  manibus  et  mente  ad  Deum  inierUus  necatur." 

(79)  See  Keating,  Book  2. 

§•  XII.  After  the  battle  was  over  Teige>  son  (^ 
Brian,  withdrew  with  the  remnant  of  the  Irish  army 
to  the  camp  at  Kilmainham.  On  the  next  day,  Holy 
Saturday,  Donogh  arrived,  bringing  with  him  great 
booty  from  various  parts  of  Leinster,  and  on  the 
itme  day  the  inhabitants  of  Swords  came  up  and 
took  the  body  of  Brian  for  the  purpose  of  having  it 
interred  at  Armagh,  whither  Donogh  sent  many 
rich  offerings.     From    Swords  it  was  broufi^ht  to 

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C&AP.  Xtm.  OF   IR£tAKD«  425 

Diileejc,  and  thence  by  the  people  of  that  pkce  to 
Louth,  whither  Maelmur  Mac*£ochad,  archbishop 
of  Armagh,  came  with  his  clergy  and  many  others, 
bearing  reliques,  to  meet  it  and  convey  it  to  Ar- 
magh. (80)  Along  with  it  was  carried  also  the  body 
of  Morogh,  beside  the  head  of  Conaing,  a  nephew 
of  Brian  by  his  brother  Dunchuan,  and,  according 
to  another  account,  (81 )  that  of  Mothla  prince  of  the 
Desies.  The  funeral  obsequies  were  celebrated  with 
great  pomp,  constant  watching  and  the  exposure  of 
the  reliques  of  St.  Patrick,  during  twelve  days  and 
nights*  (83)  Brian's  remains  were  deposited  in  a 
stone  coffin  at  the  North  side  of  the  cathedral,  those 
of  Morogh,  &c.  being  placed  at  the  South  side.  (83) 
A  dispute,  of  that  kind  so  common  between  the 
Eugenian  and  Dalcassian  lines,  soon  occurred  in 
consequence  of  Brian's  demise.  The  Eugenian 
prince  Cian  claimed  a  right  to  the  throne  of  Mu&» 
ster,  in  virtue  of  the  old  compact  of  alternate  8uc« 
cession  in  those  branches  of  the  royal  house,  alleg- 
ing also  that  he  was  older  than  either  Donogh  or 
Teige.  Donogh  refused  to  acknowledge  this  claim, 
and,  as  Cian  was  not  able  to  enforce  it,  marched  off 
quietly  with  his  troops  for  Munster,  meeting  with 
no  opposition  except,  when  passing  through  Ossory, 
a  show  of  opposition  on  the  part  of  fitzpatrick. 
But  before  the  end  of  the  same  year  he  and  his 
brother  Teige  quarrelled  among  themselves,  and  a 
battle  was  fought  between  them  and  their  parties,  in 
which  Donogh  was  defeated.  (84)  Meanwhile 
Maelseachlin  was  again  saluted  king  of  all  Ireland,  a 
title  which,  as  far  as  I  can  judge,  was  not  recog- 
nized by  the  O'Brian's  and  people  of  Munsten 
This  prince,  notwithstanding  his  not  having  fought 
against  the  Danes  at  Clontarf,  was  still  a  deter- 
mined  enemy  of  theirs.  In  1015  he  attacked  the 
remnant  of  those  of  Dublin,  and  burned  almost  the 
whole  city  ^  and  in  1016,  after  predatory  and  incen- 
diary excursions  of  the  said  Danes,  commanded  by 


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426         AN  EQCLE8IASTICAL  HISTORY        CHAJP.  XXUU 

their  king  Sitric,  against  Kildare,  Glendaloch,  Clo- 
fiMidf  Swords,  and  Armagh,  he  defeated  them  witJi 
much  loss.  {86}     The  Lagenians  soon  found,  what 
little  dependance  could  be  placed  on  the  friendsh» 
of  that  people ;  for  their  Ipng  Bran,  son  of  Mael- 
murry,  had  his  eyes  put  out  in  I>ublin  by  Sitric  in 
the  year  1018.  (86)     Roused  to  a  feeling  of  patri- 
otism, Augurius  or  Ugair,   son  of  Dunluing,  and 
kii^  of  Leinster,  overthrew  Sitric  and  his  Danes 
with  ffreat  slaughter  at  Delgany  in  1021  or  IQS2. 
(87}  In  this  year  1022  Maelseachlin  died  on  the  2d  of 
S^tember,  in. the  monastery  of  the  Island  of  Inis- 
aingin,  afler  having  some  time  before  retired  from 
the  world  to  do  penance  for  his  sins  and  make  his 
peace  with  God.  (88)     After  him  there  was  no 
king  reo^nized  as  of  all  Ireland  for  many  years ; 
but  his  principality  of  Meath  and,  it  seems,  some 
ac^oining  districts  fell,  after  his  death,  under  the 
administration  of  Cuan  O'Leochain,  arch-poet  and 
chief  antiquary  of  Ireland,  and  of  Corcran  a  clei^- 
man.      Their  power  did  not  last  long,  whereas  Cuan 
was  killed  by  the  Lagenians  in  10^4,  and  Corcran 
is  said  to  have  become  an   anchoret,  and  to  have 
died  at  Lismore  in  1Q40.  (89)     With  regard  to  the 
other  parts  of  Ireland  let  it  suffice  to  mention,  that 
Donogh  O'Brian,  son  of  Brian  Boroimhe,  became 
king  of  Leth-mogha  (the  southern  half  of  Ireland) 
in  1026.   (90)  ^ 

(80)  While  the  Annals  of  Imiia&llen  repreaeat  the  archbishop 
Maelmur,  &o.  as  havhig  advanced  no  fiuther  than  Louth,  the  4 
Masters  (ap.  Tr.  Th.p.  298.)  tell  us  that  they  proceeded  all  the 
way  to  Swords.    The  other  statement  is,  I  am  sure,  the  tnie  one. 

(81)  That  of  the  4>  Masters,  ib. 

(82)  Inisfidlen  and  Ulster  Annals  at  J.  1014. 

(83)  Annals  of  Innisfallen,  ib.        (84)  16. 

(85)  /6.  at  il.  1015. 1016. 

(86)  Ib.  at  A.  1018.  Ware  (Antiq.  cap.  24.)  has  added  a 
ypar  to  this  date,  but>  I  think,  without  reajMm.    Instead  of  the 

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CHAP*  XXin.  OF  IRELAND.  427 

name  Bran,  whidi  was  the  real  one,  and  rather  usual  in  the 
royal  house  of  Leinster,  he  has  Brienus  or  BremiuSf  rendered 
Brien  hj  his  translator,  thus  causing  a  confusion  with  the  Mun- 
ster  Briens  or  rather  Brians^ 

(87)  4  Masters  ap.  AA.  SS.  p.  313.  and  Ware  loc.  cit. 

(88)  4  Masters  {ap.  Tr.  Th.  p.  298.)  and  Annals  of  Innisfidlen 
at  A.  1022>  which  have  Laugh^Ainin,  that  is,  I  think,  Iniaain* 
gin,  or  the  Island  of  All  Saints,  in  Lough-ree.  See  also  O'Fla- 
herty,  Ogyg.  Part,  iiu  cap.  93.  Ware  was  wrong  {AtU.  cap.  4.) 
in  addinga  year  to  this  date,  placing  Maelseachlin^s  death  in  1023. 

(89)  See  O'flaherty,  ib,  cap.  94.  I  very  much  doubt,  whe- 
ther he  is  right  in  making  this  Corcran  the  same  as  the  anchor^ 
and  theologian  of  LIsmore.  ^ 

(90)  Annals  of  Inmsfallen  at  1026. 

%.  XIII.  From  this  detail  of  political  occutTeiices» 
which  1  have  been  forced  to  enter  into,  it  appears 
that  a  real  revolution  took  place  in  Ireland  at  this 
period.  The  anciently  established  system  of  sue* 
cession  to  the  throne  of  the  whole  kingdom  was 
overturned,  and  there  remained  no  paramount  power 
authorized  to  controul  the  provincial  kings  or  minor 
chieftains.  Amidst  those  wars  one  good  effect  was 
obtained,  viz.  the  humiliation  of  the  Northmen, 
who,  although  numbers  of  them  still  remained  in 
various  parts  of  Ireland,  were  much  weakened,  and 
henceforth  attempted  fewer  depredations  than  in 
former  times.  But  unluckily  the  Irish  were,  during 
a  great  part  of  this  century,  the  eleventh,  engaged 
here  and  there  in  wars  between  themselves,  and  we 
find  now  and  then  one  or  other  party  of  them  as- 
sisted by  the  Danes,  as  they  are  usually  called,  set- 
tled in  Dublin  or  elsewhere.  The  ChristiAn  reli- 
gion became  no  longer  confined  to  those  of  DuUin, 
by  whom  it  b^an  to  be  better  observed,  but  |^u- 
ally  spread  among  the  other  Danes  of  Ireland. 

Maelmur  Mac-£ochad  archbishop  of  Armagh, 
who  died  in  1020,  (9l)  was  succeeded  by  Amalg»d» 
who  is  stated  to  have  visited  Munster  in  1021.  (92) 


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438  AS  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORT      CHAP.  XXIll. 

He  was  present  in  1022  at  the  death  of  k}ng  Mael- 
seachlin.  (93)  It  is  said  that  he  was  one  of  the  lay- 
men  who  assumed  the  title  of  Archbishops  of  Armac^h ; 
whereas  among  his  successors  we  find  Maelisa 
and  Domnaldi  who  are  called  sons  of  Amalgadius. 
(gA)  Yet  the  matter  is  not  certain  ;  and  if  it  be 
trucj  that  Amalgaid  administered  the  sacrament  of 
Extreme  Unction  to  Maelseachlin,  he  must  have  been 
more  than  a  layman.  (95)  It  may  also  be  objected, 
that  his  visitation  of  Munster  implied  real  archiepis- 
copal  power ;  but  it  must  be  observed,  that  it  was  pro- 
bably relative  merely  to  the  exaction  of  certain  dues, 
which  used  to  be  paid  to  the  church  of  Armagh  ac- 
cording to  the  regulation  called  the  Law  qf  St.  Pa* 
trick.  Whether  ne  was  a  real  or  nominal  archbi- 
shop, he  held  that  title  29  years  until  his  death  in 
1049*  (96)  During  his  time  Moeltule,  who  is  called 
bishop  of  Armagh,  died  in  10S2 ;  but  it  is  probable, 
that  he  was  merely  a  sufiragan  bishop ;  (97)  and  ' 
hence  an  additional  argument  may  be  deduced  to 
suppose,  that  Amalgaid  was  not  a  real  bishop,  but 
that  Moeltule  officiated  in  his  stead.  On  the  very 
day  of  Amalgaid's  death  Dubdalethe  III.  son  of  one 
Maelmur,  (98)  and  professor  of  theology  at  Ar* 
^  magh,  was  appointed  his  successor.  (99) 

(91)  Above  $-6. 

(99)  4  Masters  ap,  Tr.  Tk.  p.  298.         (9S)  lb. 

(94)  Colgan  ( Tr.  Th.  p.  S02.)  insisu  upon  this  drcumstanoe 
as  a  proof  that  the  Amalgaid  was  an  unordained  so  called  arch- 
bishop.  Bat  supposing  that  he  was  the  same  as  the  Amalgaid, 
ftther  of  Maelisa  and  Domna1d>  might  they  not  have  been  bom 
beftre  be  got  that  title  ?  Ware  has  (at  Amalgaid)  a  passage, 
whidi  seems  to  favour  Colgan*8  opinion.  It  is  taken  from  the 
Annals  of  tiie  Priory  of  the  island  of  All  Saints  at  J.  1049,  and 
runs  thus ;  **  Amalgaid,  comorban  of  St.  P&trick,  having  spent 
S9  yean  in  thh  pruicipalitif,  rested  pem'tentially  in  Christ"  The 
"wordt  prmc^lUify  seems  to  allude  to  his  having  been  rather  a 
prince  than  a  real  bishop.    The  title  c^orban  ojfSi.  Patrick^  » 

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CHAP.  XXni.  Off  lEELAKD.  429 

not  sufficient  to  dioir,  that  Amalgaid  wbb  in  holy  ordos,  fbr,  as 
wgl  be  seen  more  fully  ebewhercy  in  the  later  times  of  the  Irish 
church,  and  perhaps  from  the  period  we  are  now  treating  of,  the 
name  amorhan  was  sometimes  given  to  laymen,  who  kept  pos- 
session of  the  churdi  lands  belonging  to  sees  and  monasteries. 

(95)  To  this  Colgan  replies,  that  Maelseachlln  was  indeed 
loumited,  while  in  the  hands  or  arms  of  Amalgaid;  but  that  it  » 
not  stated,  that  the  ceremony  was  performed  by  him. 

(96)  This  is  the  date  mariced  not  only  by  the  4  masters  {ap* 
Tr.  Th.  p.  298.)  but  likewise  by  the  above  quoted  Annals  {Not. 
94.)  and  O'Flaherty  in  his  MS.  catalogue ;  and  accordingly,  as  is 
marked  in  said  authorities,  the  incumb^icy  of  Amalgaid  lasted 
29  years.  Yet  the  Cashel  catalogue  allows  for  it  thirty,  whidi  . 
loust  be  understood  of  his  having  died  in  the  30th  year ;  for  in 
said  catalogue  incom]dete  years  are  reckoned  as  conqc^ete. 

(97)  See  Tr.TLp.  298.  and  Ware,  Bishops  at  Analgmd. 
Moeltule's  name  is  not  in  the  Ca^el  catalogue. 

(98)  See  above  N(A.  51.        (99)  Tr.  Th.  p.  298. 

§ .  XIV.  With  regard  to  the  other  sees  of  Ireland, 
I  shall  here  give  Uie  names  of  such  bishops,  whose 
deaths   I  find  marked  before  about  A.  D.  1050. 
Carmacan  O'Muilcashel,    bishop  of  Killaloe,   the 
first  of  that  place,  whom  I  meet  with  after  St.  Flan- 
nan,    died  in    1019.  (100)     Neil  O'Malduibh,    of 
Cork,  the  successor  of  Ceallach  Hua-Sealbatgh,  (101) 
died  in  1027,  and  after  him  Airtri  Sairt  in  1028,  suc- 
ceeded by  Cathal,  whose  death  is  assigned  to  10S4. 
(1©2)     O'Mail-Sluaig,  bishop  pf  Liamore,  died  in 
1025,  as  did  his. successor,  Moriertach   O'Selbach 
in   1034.    (103)      Tuathal  O'Dunluing,  bishop  of 
Clonard,    died    in    1028   or    1029.    (104)       The 
death  of  Maelmartin,  of  Kildare,    was,    according 
to  one  account,  in  1028,  and  according  to  another, 
in   lOSO.     (105)     His  successor  Maelbiigid  lived 
until    1042.  (106)       Murchad    O'Nioc,  bishop    of 
Tuam,  died  in  1033.  (107)     Maelfinan  of  Emlv, 
most  probably  the  immediate  successor  of  Saerbreth- 
ach,  (108)  died  in  1040,  as  did  after  him  O'flan- 
chuain  in  1047»  and  Clothna  Muimnech  in   IO49. 

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4S0  AK  BCCLEftlASTICAL  HISTORT       CHAF*  XXIIf. 

(109)  Flahertacfa,  buhcn^of  Down,  died  in  104S, 
and  Moeknacte  of  Louth  in  104<4.  (llO)  Cleiric 
O'Muimc,  bishop  of  Leighlin»  died  in  1048,  and 
to  the  same  year  ig  assiCTed  the  death  of  Ceili,  bi- 
shop of  Arch^.  Q}^^  ^^  ^^  ^'^^  y^^  some 
place  the  death  <^  Uiennit  O'Rodachan,  bishop  of 
I'erni^  which  others  affix  to  1050.  (113)  It  can 
scarcely  be  doubted  that  Dunchad  O'Kelechuir, 
who  is  called  comorban  of  St.  Kieran  of  Saigir,  who 
died  in  1048,  was  bishop  of  that  place.  (1  IS)  From 
these  instances  it  may  be  inferred,  that  the  episcopal 
succession  was  kept  up,  as  regularly  as  the  state  of 
the  times  would  allow,  in  the  now  mentioned  sees, 
and  it  is  very  probable  that  it  was  maintained  also 
in  other  did  sees,  although  the  names  of  their  pre- 
lates are  ver^  seldom  to  he  met  with.  For  example 
Dungal,  a  bishop  of  Ross  (in  the  county  of  Cork) 
is  marked  as  the  27th  in  succession  after  St.  F^cht- 
nan,  the  founder  of  that  see,  (114)  who  lived  in  the 
sixth  century.  As  to  bishops  appointed  occasionally 
in  places,  which  were  not  permanent  sees,  we  may 
be  certain  that  there  were,  as  usual,  some  of  this  de- 
scription in  the  first  half  of  the  century  we  are  now 
treating  of.  Thus  we  find  a  bishop  at  Swords  Ma- 
rian CyCrinen,  who  is  called  a  wise  man,  and  whose 
death  is  assigned  to  10S5.  (U5) 

(100)  War^,  Bishopi  at  KiOaloe.        (101 )  Above  §.  6. 

(102)  Ware  at  Cork.        (108)  Idem  at  Lismore. 

(104)  Idem  at  Meath.    See  Harris'  addition. 

(185)  Ware  (at  KUdare)  has  1028;  the  4  Masters  (ap.  Tr. 
Th.  p.  630.)  have  1030. 

(106)  lb.  lb.        (107)  Ware  at  Tuam. 

(108)  See  above  §.  6.        (109)  Ware  at  Emfy. 

(110)  For  Flahertach,  see  Ware  at  Down.  He  was  the  first 
bishop  of  that  see  vi4ioin  Ware  met  with  from  the  times  of  St 
FeiiguSy  who  died  in  the  sixth  century.  (See  Chap.  xii.  §.  l-) 
But  Hairis,  referring  to  the  4  Masters,  adds  that  a  Flngen^  bishop 
of  Down,  is  mentiimed  as  having  died  in  962.  For  Moelmocte 
wee  A  A.  SS.  p.  796. 

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CHAK  ttm^  OF  IBBLAVD.  4S1 

<111)  Ware  at  Ldj^Aim  and  i4n^. 

(112)  Ware  at  Ferns.  The  4  Maiteitf  {ap.  A  A-  SS.  p.  223.) 
hare  A^  1050. 

(119)  See  A  A.  S8.  p.  473.  Ware  has  oimlted  hnn  at  Omry ; 
but  he  is  marked  by  Hanis. 

(114)  See  Harris,  Bi$hop$  ut  Ron. 

(115)  Tr.Th.p.509. 

§•  XV.  Learning  c(Aitinued  to  be  still  cul- 
tivated, and  many  distinguished  scholastics  or 
doctors  are  mentioned  as  havinj^  belonged  to 
this  period.  Dunchad,  scholastic  of  Clomnac- 
nois  died  in  1005  and  Coenchomrac  of  Gleann- 
ussen  in  1015.  flann  O'Tegain  of  Darrow 
(King's  county,)  a  man,  celebrated  for  bis  know- 
Ledge,  died  in  1022,  as  did  also  Cathasach,  a 
scholastic  or  teacher  at  Clonmacnois ;  and  Chris- 
tian of  Devenish  in  10^.(116)  Eocbad  Mac- 
C^tbenin,  who  is  called  comorban  of  St.  Tiger- 
nach,  and  the  wisest  doctor  in  Ireland,  died  at  Ar- 
magh in  1030.  (1 17)  Moelodar,  scholastic  of  Kil- 
lachad,  died  in  1032  5  and  Aengus  of  Clonmacnois 
in  10S4  ;  and  Macnias  O'Huactain  of  Kells  in 
1095.  (118)  Flanagan,  scholastic  of  Kildare,  Cun- 
den  of  Connor,  and  Alill  of  Durrow,  died  in  1038. 
(119)  The  death  of  Corcran,  an  anchoret  and  a 
very  eminent  and  pious  theolt^an  of  Lismore,  and 
of  Dunchad  O'Hanchanige,  a  celebrated  lecturer 
of  Armagh,  is  assigned  to  1040 ;  and  that  of  Mael- 
petrus  O'Uailecham,  likewise  a  lecturer  there  and 
chief  director  of  the  students,  to  104S.  (120) 
Longsech,  scholastic  of  Clonard,  and  Eochagan, 
archdeacon  of  Slane,  lecturer  at  Swords,  and  a 
ehronographer,  died  in  1042.  (121)  Three  scho- 
lastics of  Kells  are  mentioned  as  having  died  not 
long  after  each  other ;  Maelmartin  in  1045 ;  Cudul 
Mac-Gaithen  in  1047  ;  and  Moelan  in  1050.  (122) 
At  the  year  1046  is  marked  the  death  of  a  very  dis- 
tinguished and  holy  man  Moelpatrick  O'Beloige,  the 

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482  AH  fiCCLESMSTICAL  HISTORY      CBAF*  XXUI^ 

^hief  lecturer  and  director  of  the  schools  of  Ar- 
magh. (123)  O'BaUeOy  scholastic  of  Roscrea,  and 
GiUa-molaisse  of  Louth  died  in  1047*  (124)  There 
were  undoubtedly  in  these  times  many  odier  lec- 
turers and  teachers  in  the  other  establiwments  and 
schools  of  Ireland ;  and  to  this  period  are  assigned 
the  deaths  of  two  eminent  antiquaries.  One  was 
Mac-Liag,  who  is  called  an  Ollamh^  that  is  a  Doc* 
tor  and  man  of  letters,  and  who  wrote  some  works, 
among  which  was  a  Life  of  Brian  Boroimhe.  He 
died  in  I0I6.  (1S5)  The  other  was  Macbeth,  son 
of  Anmire,  and  chief  antiquary  of  Armagh,  who 
died  in  1041.  (126)  A  pious  prince,  Cathald,  son 
of  Roderic,  and  chieftain  of  West  Connaught, 
who  had  retired  to  Aimagh  in  1037,  for  the 
purpose  of  leading  the  life  of  a  pilgrim,  died  there 
m  i04S.  (127)  The  spirit  oi'  pilgrimage  spcead 
itself  amongthe  Danes  of  Dublin,  and  Sitric  their 
king  set  out  for  Rome  with  a  view  to  that  object, 
but  died  on  his  way  in  1099*  (128)  His  son  Amiaf, 
or  AulifFe,  also  king  of  Dublin,  undertook  a  pil- 
grimage  to  Rome  in  1035,  but  was  killed  in  Eng- 
land.  (129)  He  was  succeeded  by  another  Sitric, 
his  son,  who  went  beyond  sea,  probably  to  Rome, 
in  1036,  and  left;  the  government  of  Dublin  in 
the  hands  of  one  £achmharcach,  afler  whom  we  find 
an  Ivar  governor  of  Dublin  in  1038.  (ISO)  Sitric 
returned  to  Ireland  and  died  in  1041  or  104t. 
(131) 

(116)  lb.  Ind.  Chron. 

(1 17)  lb.  p.  298,  The  title  comorban  of  St.  Tigemack,  a  ex- 
plamed  by  Colgan'as  meaning  abbot  of  Clones.  But>  if  the  St. 
Tigcmadiy  whose  comorban  Eochad  was,  were  the  one  of  Clones, 
I  should  think  that  Eochad  was  rather  a  bishop ;  for  St.  T^er- 
nach  bad  been  bishop  of  Clones  as  well  as  of  Clogher. 

(118)  lb.  Ind.  Chron.        (119)  Ib.p.6S2. 

(120)  See  AA.  SS.  p.  206.  and  Tr.  Th.  p.  298. 

(121)  Tr.  Th.  Ind.  Chron.  and  p.  509. 

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CHAP.  XXIIl.  OP  IRELAND.  433 

(122)  lb.  p.  508-         ( 128)  lb.  p.  298. 

(124)  Ib.Ind.  Chran.. 

(125)  See  Annals  of  InniafkUen  at  A.  1016.  and  Harrisi 
Writers  at  Mac-Liag. 

(126)  TV.  Th.  p.  298-        (127)  Jb, 

(128)  Ware,  Antiq.  cap.  24*.  Yet  the  Annals  of  Innis^len, 
after  mentioning  his  departure  for  Rome  in  1028,  state  that  he 
returned  to  Ireland,  and  exhibit  him  as  plundering  Ardbraccaa 
n  1031.     ^ 

(129)  Ware,  it.  The  Annals  of  Inai^Olen,  iutead  of  loS5, 
liave  1034^  I  suspect  that  Ware  has  added  a  year  to  dates  at 
tiBMS  when  he  should  Bot  have  done  so. 

(150)  Annab  of  Innisfidlen  at  A.  1036  and  1088.  Wwe 
makes  no  mention  of  the  absence  of  Sitric,  nor  of  Eadunhareadi 
cr  Ivar.  This  b  the  Ivar,  governor  of  the  Danes  of  Dublin,  tm 
whom  I  alluded  m  a  part  of  Not.  1S8.  to  Chap.  xxu.  Wam's 
silence  concerning  those  persons  and  circumstances  forms  no  ar- 
gument munst  the  statement  of  the  Annals. 

(151)  Ware  ti- 

§•  xvi.  Notwithstanding  a  certain  progress  made 
by  the  Danes  in  piety  and  religious  practices^  yet 
we  find  them  now  and  then,  even  during  this  period, 
committing  depredations  in  religious  places.  Besides 
some  already  alluded  to,  (132)  they  plundered  Kells 
in  1018,  and  Duleek  in  1023  and  again  in  1037, 
(133)  besides  Ardbraccan  in  1031,  whence  they 
brought  much  booty  and  many  prisoners.  (134)  But 
on  the  whole  it  appears,  that  their  manners  became 
gradually  much  softened,  of  which  we  have  a  very 
strong  proof  in  the  memorable  fact  of  a  bishop  being 
for  the  first  time  appointed  for  the  Danes  of  Dublin 
about  the  year  1040.  This  bishop,  whose  real  name 
teems  to  have  been  Dunan,  or  perhaps  Donagh^ 
aldiough  it  has  been  latinized  into  Donatus,  (135) 
was,  judging  from  the  name,  most  probably  an  Irish- 
man. Sitric,  king  of  Dublin,  had  already  returned 
from  his  tour,  or  perhaps  pilgrimage,  during  which 
he  had  probably  planned  the  erection  of  this  new  see. 
VOL.  m.  F  F  n        ] 

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4M  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY        CHAP*  XXUU 

In  the  Black  book  of  the  church  of  the  Holy  Triiiity, 
commonly  called  Christ-church  in  Dublin,  there  is  a 
document;  which  runs  thus ;  "  Sitricus  king  of  Dub- 
lin, sonof  Ableb  (Anlaf)   earl  of  Dublin,  gave  to 
the  Holy  Trinity,  and  to  Donatus  first  bishop  of 
Dublin,  a  place,  where  the  arcties  or  vaults  were 
founded,  to  build  the  church  of  the   Holy  Trinity 
on,  together  with   the   following  lands ;  viz.  Beal- 
dulek,  Rechen^  Portrahem^  with  their  villains,  cat- 
tle, and  corn.     He  also  contributed  gold  and  silver 
enough,  wherewith  to  build  the  church  and  the  whole 
court  thereof/'    {\S&S     This  mnst  hare  occurred 
About  104O  (187)  before  the  d^h  of  Sitric,  and 
about  the  time  that  Donatus  was  named  to  this  see. 
{t  has  been  said,  that  Donatus  was  consecrated  by 
the  archbishop  of  Canterbury ;  but  of  this   I  meet 
with  no  proof  whatsoever,  unless  it  should  be  con- 
sidered as  such,  that  some  of  his  successors  were  con- 
secrated  in  that  city.     Now  this  system,  according  to 
which  the  bishops  of  Dublin  acknowledged  them- 
selves subject  to  the  see  of  Canterbury,  did  not,  as 
far  as  I  can  discover,  begin  until  the  time  of  the 
archbishop  Lanfranc,  who  came  over  to  England 
during  the  reign  of  William  the  Conqueror  many 
years  after  the  appointment  of  Donatus  ;  and  which 
system  was  introduced  for  two  reasons ;  first,  because 
William  and  his  Normans,  being  masters  of  England 
from  the  year  1 066,  were  considered  by  the  Irish 
Danes  as  their  countrymen;    and  second,   because 
Lanfranc's  reputation  was  so  great,  that,  when  the 
Dublin  Danes  found  it  necessary  that  their  bishq) 
sh/)uld  be  subject  to  some  metropolitan,  they  made 
choice  of  him  for  that  purpose.  (138)    .This  new  see 
was  confined  to  the  city,  and  did  not  extend  beyond 
its  walls  until  later  than  the  synod  of  Kells  under 
Cardinal  Paparo,  held  in  1152,  as  will  be  seen  in  its 
proper  place,     Donatus   having   built   the   church, 
erected  also  an  episcopal  palace  adjoining  it,  on  the 
site,  where  the  Ute  Four  Courts  stood,  and  a  chapel. 

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CHAP.  XXrtl.  OF    IRELAND.  4S5 

which  was  called  St.  Michael's.  He  lived  until 
A.  D.  1074.  (139)  I  shall  conclude  this  chapter 
with  just  mentioning  the  death  of  a  very  holy  abbot, 
who  belonged  to  the  period,  of  which  we  have  been 
now  treating.  St.  Gormgal,  abbot  of  Ardoilen,  one 
of  the  Arran  islands,  who  was  considered  the  chief 
spiritual  director  of  all  Ireland,  and  who  died  in 
1017  on  the  5th  of  August,  the  anniversary  of  which 
was  sacred  to  his  memory.  040) 

(ISfi)  Concerning  those  of  the  year  1016  see  above  §.  12. 

(13S)  Tr.  Th.  Ind.  Chron. 

(ISi)  Annals  of  Innisfallen  at  A.  1031. 

(135)  Uaher  quotes  {Not.  ad  Ep^  25.  SyUoge,  Sfc)  a  passage 
from  the  Annals  of  Dublin,  in  which  he  i^  called  Dunan.  This 
is  a  well  known  Irish  name,  and  certainly  not  Danish.  It  is 
highly  probable,  that  the  Danes  hod  as  yet  scarcely  any  cleigy- 
men  of  their  nation  in  Ireland. 

(136)  See  Ware,  Bishops  at  Dublin,  and  Anti^.  cap.  24.  and 
29.  Bealdulek,  Rechen,  and  Portrahem  were,  I  suppose,  the 
places  now  called  Baldoyle,  Ratheny,  and  Portrane,  dl  lying  at 
the  North  side  of  Dublin,  where  die  Danes  possessed  lands. 

(137)  Ware  says,  about  1038;  but  it  is  probable,  that  Sitric 
had  not  yet  returned  to  Ireland  in  said  year,  in  which  we  have 
seen  that  Ivar  was  governor  of  Dublin.  Camden  was  mistaken 
{col.  1368)  in  referring  the  erection  of  the  church,  &c  as  related 
by  Ware,  to  about  1012.  There  was  indeed  a  Sitric  son  of  An- 
laf  atthat  time;  but,  as  Donatus  held  the  see  until  1074,  is  it  to 
be  supposed  that  he  was  a  bishop  since  1012  ?  Nor,  if  that  deed 
be  genuine,  can  It  be  attributed  to  a  Sitric  later  than  the  one,  tliat 
died  in  1041  or  1042 ;  for  there  was  not  afler  him  any  other  Si- 
tric king  of  Dublin  during  the  life  time  of  Donatus. 

(138)  Usher  and  Ware,  who  are  the  best  authorities  on  the  sub- 
ject of  Donatus,  have  not  a  word  concerning  hk  having  been  con- 

'  secrated  by  an  archbishop  of  Canterbury ;  nor  isdeed  could  they, 
as  not  even  an  allusion  is  to  be  found  relative  to  such  a  circum- 
stance. And  it  will  be  seen  lower  down,  that  Patrick,  the  imme- 
diate successor  of  Donatus,  was  the  first  bishop  of  Dublin,  who  was 
consecrated  by  an  aischbishop  of  that  see,  or  who,  at  least  from  the 

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4dC  AN    ECCLESIASTICAL   HISTORY      CHAP.  XXUU 

^me  of  his  appomtment,  kad  pcomiaed  caQonical  obedienoe  to 
hioi*    To  me  it  teenit  more  than  probd>le,  that  Donatus  wss  a 
bishop,  perhaps  of  some  monastery,  before  .he  was  placed  over 
Dublin.     Usher  {Ducourse  on  the  Beligion^  SfC.  ch.  8.)  states,  that 
the  Ostmen  or  Danes  of  Ireland  did  not  begin  to  have  any  oom- 
oexion  with  Canterbury  until  after  William  the  compieror  bocwae 
possessed  of  England,  that  is,  untO  after  1066.    He  b  there  re- 
marking on  a  most  ignorant  assertion  €£  Campion,  which,  howerer* 
has  been  followed  by  other  English  writers,  vis.  that  persons  ap- 
pointed to  sees  in  Ireland  used  to  be  directed  to  the  archbishop  of 
Canterbury,  to  be  consecrated  by  him.    On  this  Usher  obsciyea 
that  it  is  wrongly  extended  by  him  to  the  bishops  of  all  Irriaod, 
whereas  it  was  peculiar  '<  to  the  Ostmann  strangers,  that  poMcased 
*<  the  three  cities  of  Dublin,  Waterford>  and  Limeridc    For  these 
''  being  a  colony  of  the  Norwegians  and  Livouians,  and  so  countiy- 
**  men  to  the  Normans,  when  they  had  seen  England  subdued  h^ 
*^  the   Conqueror^  and  Normans  advanced  to  the  chief  arch- 
**  bishopric  there^  mould  needs  nam  assume  to  themselves  the  name 
**  of  Normans  also^  and  cause  their  bishops  to  receive  their  const' 
**  crationjrom  no  other  metropolitan  but  the  archbishop  of  Con- 
**  terbury.     And  forasmuch  as  they  were  confined  within  the 
*'  walls  of  their  own  cities,  the  bishops,  which  they  made,  had 
<<  no  other  diocess  to  exercise  their  Jurisdiction  in,  but  only  the 
^<  bare  circuit  of  those  dties,**  &c    And  in  the  same  chapter  he 
attributes  the  forbearance,  for  some  time,  of  the  Irish  hieiarchy 
inth  regard  to  the  bishops  of  the  Danish  towns  being  connected 
with  Canterbury,  to  the  esteem  they  had  finr  ]|Lanfiranc  and  Anselm, 
*<  with  whom  th^  themsdves  were  desirous  to  hold  all  good  oof^ 
respondence  ;**  yet,  he  adds,  they  could  not  wi^  brook  this  sys- 
tem, which  they  considered  derogatory  to  the  digni^  of  their  own 
primate.     But  of  this  more  elsewhere.     Meanwhile  it  is  plain 
that  Usher  knew  nothii^  about  any  dependance  of  the  see  of 
Dublin  on  Canterbury  until  the  times  of  Lmifranc,  as  in  reaKty 
there  was  not. 

(139)  Ware,  Bishops  of  Dublin.    See  also  Harris's  additkna. 
f.S01. 

(140)  A  A.  SS,  p.  141.  and  715. 


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C«AP.   XXIV.  or  IRELAHD.  **7 


CHAP.  XXIV. 

Various  distinguished  Irishmen  still  continue  io  visit 
foreign  countries^-^hnan  and  others  leave  Ire- 
land xpith  intent  to  visit  Jerusakm-^taken  up  as  a 
spy  and  put  to  death— honoured  as  a  martyr^  and 
his  body  deposited  with  great  pomp  in  the  church- 
ward of  Stoekereau  in  Austria — Marianus  Scotus^ 
IfehaSi  Anmchad  and  several  other  learned  and 
pious  Irishmen  in  the  Continent — Dubhdaleithe 
III.  archbishop  of  Armagh^  said  to  have  been  a  lay- 
man— was  a  learned  nuin  afid  wrote  annals  of  Ire- 
land, and  an  account  of  the  archbishops  (^  Armagh 
down  to  his  own  time — Eight  married  bishops 
of  Armagh — Succession  and  deaths  of  bishops  in 
several  sees  in  Ireland — Ferdomnach  called 
bishop  qf  Leinster-^Domnald  O' Heine  bishop  qf 
Caskel — DeathifDonatbishopqfDubtin-^Clergy 
and  people  of  Dublin  elect  for  his  successor 
Patrick,  a  Friest,  and  send  him  to  Lanfranc  arch- 
bishop qf  Canterbury  to  be  consecrated — Letter  (f 
the  clergy  and  people  qf  Dublin  to  LarfranC'^ 
Patrick  prqfesses  obedience  to  Lanfranc,  and  is 
consecrated  by  him — this  profession  a  new  prac* 
tice— Practice  qf  giving  the  holy  Eucharist  to  in^ 
fonts  qfter  baptism — Archbishops  qf  Canterbury 
never  possessed  a  metropolitan  power  over  the 

^  Irish  church — Ireland  not  included  in  the  grant 
qf  Legatine  jurisdiction  granted  by  the  pope  to 
Augustine-^Donogh  son  of  Biian  Boroimhe^ 
king  qf  Leth-Mogha,  dethroned  by  his  nephew 
Torlogh — goes  to  Rome  and  there  dies  a  great 
penitent — Torlogh  proclaimed  king — extends  his 
kingdom — Pope  Gregory  VII  writes  to  Tori 
logh — Lanfranc^s  letter  to  Torlogh — Chorepis- 
copi  consecrated  by  a  single  bishop — Baptizing 
without  chrism— Patrick^  bishop  qf  Dublin,  sliip- 
wrecked  and    drowned — succeeded  by  Donogh 


'• 


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438  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY       CHAP«  XXIW 

CfHainglyy  who  was  elected  by  Torlogh  and  the 
people  of  Lkiblin,  and  consecrated  by  Lanfranc 
''^Death  qf  Torlogh — succeeded  by  his  son  Mor- 
togh — Mortogh  dethroned^  and  his  brother  Der- 
mod  placed  over  Munster  in  his  stead^^Mortogh 
took  holy  orders t  and  died  in  the  Monastery,  qf 
Derry — Distingtdshed  ecclesiastics  at  the  close 
of  the  nth  century^^Moeliosa  O' Brolchain-^ 
Tigemach  O^Braoin^  the  annalist'^Ireland  still 
famous  for  learning — English  resort  to  Ireland 
for  education^^Several  religious  establishments 
plundered  and  destroyed  both  by  Irish  and 
Danes. 

SBCT.  I. 

Various  distinguished  Irishm<^n  still  continued 
to  visit  foreign  countries.  Colman,  or  as  usually 
called  by  continental  writers,  Coloman,  who  is 
styled  patron  oF  Austria,  (1)  left  Ireland  early  in 
the  eleventh  centuiy,  (a)  together  with  some  other 
persons,  for  the  purpose  of  a  pious  visit  to  Jerusa- 
lem. (3)  He  arrived  A.D.  10)82.  in  the  eastern 
part  of  Norica,  now  Lower  Austria.  Its  inhabi- 
tants were  then  at  variance  with  the  neighbouring 
nations  of  Bohemians,  Moravians,  &c*  On  Col- 
man's  stopping  at  the  simll  town  of  Stockerau  he 
was  seiz^a  as  a  spy  sent  by  the  enemies  of  Austriiu 
and  thrown  into  prison.  On  the  next  day  he  wa? 
strictly  examined,  but  although  he  told  the  plain 
truth, .  would  not  be  believed.  He  was  then  most 
cruelly  tortured,  and  at  length,  on  his  persisting  in 
declaring  his  innocence,  was  hun^  from  an  old  tree 
tc^ther  with  two  robbers.  While  his  body  re- 
mained suspended  from  his  gibbet,  it  continued 
sonnd  and  entire ;  and  it  is  said  that  his  hair  and 
nails  continued  to  grow.  The  hay  or  twig  rojie,  by 
by  which  his  head  was  fastened^  and  even  the  old 
tree,  are  stated  to  have  bloomed  and  revived*    These 

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CHAP.  XXIV.  OF   IKCL.^ND.  439 

extraordinary  phenomena  -  excited  great  attention, 
which  was  much  enhanced  by  the  circumstance  of 
blood  flowing  from  his  body  on  occasion  of  a  part  of 
his  flesh  having  been  cut  off  for  the  purpose  of 
being  used  in  effecting  a  certain  cure.  It  was  now 
concluded,  that  Colman  was  a  truly  holy  man,  and 
that  he  had  been  unjustly  put  to  death.  Accord- 
ingly he  was  honored  as  a  martyr,  and  his  body  was 
taken  down  and  deposited  with  great  pomp  in  the 
churchyard  of  Stockerau.  Several  miracles  are  said 
to  have  attested  his  sanctity,  and  Henry,  marquis  of 
Austria,  was  so  moved  by  them,  that  he  had  the 
body  removed  to  his  residence  Medlicum,  aUas 
Medlica,  or  Mellica,  now  Melck.  (4)  On  its 
removal  it  was  found  entire,  and  was  placed  in  .St. 
Peter's  church  of  that  town  on  the  7th  of  October 
A.  D.  ,1015,  three  years  after  Colman  had  been 
murdered*  A  Benedictine  monastery  was  soon  es- 
tablished there  in  honour  of  this  saint,  which  has 
become  very  famous  and  still  exists  in  great  splendor. 
Erchinfrid,  who  has  written  the  Acts  of  Colnjan,(5) 
was  the  third  abbot  of  this  monastery.  He  relates,  ' 
in  addition  to  what  has  been  hitherto  stated,  several 
miracles  wrought  after  his  death,  which  it  would  be 
too  tedious  to  repeat.  He  constantly  calls  him  a 
Scotus,  by  which  appellation,  although  he  does  not 
make  mention  of  Ireland,  or  name  the  land  of  his 
birth,  it  may,  considering  that  the  Irish  were  then 
tlniversaliy  called  Scoti,  and  that  they  were  greatly 
in  the  habit  of  going  abroad  on  pilgrimages,  be  fairly 
presumed  that  Colman  was  an  Irishman.  Erchinfrid 
has  nothing  about  his  having  been  of  royal  parentage^ 
as  some  later  writers  have  announced.  (6)  The 
name  of  this  saint  as  a  martyr  is  in  the  Roman  mar- 
tyrology  at  IS  October. 

(^)  Colgian{AA.  55.  p.  105.)  calls  him  apostle  of  Awtria; 
but  there  is  no  reason  for  giving  this  title ;  for,-  besides  Austria 
having  been  a  Christian  country,  before  the  an'i\'al  ofColmfm,  it 

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440  AV  ECCLE6IA8TICAI.  HISTORY      CHAP.  XXiV* 


cbes  Dol  appev  tbat  he  pceadied  thare,  or  that  he  had  even  i 
to  do  10.  Nor  do  I  fiiid»  that  Cohnan  was  an  ecclesiastic.  The 
title  given  to  him  bj  Germaii  writen  is  that  o^painm  of  Austria. 
The  most  detaikd  aoceimt  of  him  is  that  by  the  abbot  Er€hin6id, 
who  was  ouulemyerary  with  him,  or  very  neariy  so,  and  which 
has  been  punished  by  Lambedus,  Commentariorum  de  BMiotkeca 
Cassar.  Vindobon*  Lib.  ii.  cap.  8.  Cohnan  is  treated  of  abo  by 
Ditmar  and  other  chronidersy  by  Baronius,  Annal  &c.  at  A.  1012» 
and  other  writers. 

(2)  According  to  Erchinftid's  account  Coknan*B  departure  6foni 
his  own  country  must  have  been  only  a  short  time  befixe  his  deeth» 
which  occurred  in  1012.  Colgan  says,  (jb.  p.  107.)  that  he  had 
kfl  Ireland  before  the  close  of  the  tenth  century.  I  wish  he  bad 
told  U8>  where  this  information  is  to  be  found. 

(5)  Baronius  was  mistaken  m  saying,  that  Colman  had  been 
often  at  Jerusalem^  But  he  had  not  seen  the  narrathre  of  Erchin- 
frid* 

(4)  MabiUon  wyu  (AnnoL  Ben.  ad  A.  1017.)  thMtCofann'* 
body  was  buried  at  Melcfc,  wfaidi  he  caBs  MoseKim,  by  order  of 
the  then  emperor.  Hiis  is  a  mistake,  gnwmded  od  anihoritf  in- 
ferior  to  that  of  Erchinind,  who  posithrdy  states,  that  HcMy> 
marquis  of  Austria,  was  the  prince,  by  whose  order  that  was  done^ 
He  was  also  wrong  in  ass^ing  Colman's  death  to  said  year 
1017. 

(5)  See  above  Not.  1.  The  miraculous  drcumatances  relative 
to  Colman's  remains  are  attested  also  by  Ditmar,  who  was  bishop 
of  Mersbuig  and  a  contemporary  of  his,  as  he  died  in  1019* 

(6)  Surius  has  at  13  October  an  ode  written  m  honour  of  Su 
Colman  by  John  Stabius,  historiographer  of  the  emperqic  Maximi- 
lian L    It  begins  thus : 

Austriae  sanctus  canitur  patronus, 
Fulgidum  sidus  radians  ab  Areto^ 
Scoticae  gcntis  Colomannus  acer 
Regia  proles. 
lUe  dum  sanctam  Solymorum  urbem 
Tkansiit,  dulcem  patriam  relinquens^ 
K^pos  6stuS|  trabeam,  coronam, 

Sosptraqiue  tempsit* 


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CHAP.  XXIV.  OF   IRELAND.  441 

IVopter  et  Christum  peregrinus  ezul 
Factus  in  terris  alienis  ultro 
Cadicam  pura  meditatus  aulam 
Mente  fideque. 

Then  comes  an  account  of  Colman*8  transactions  much  in  the 
manner  as  related  by  Erchinfirid ;  for  instance, 

Austriae  terras  agitabat  amens 
Tunc  furor :  fortes  Moravos,  Bohemos, 
Pannones  belio  simul  implicabat 
Inferus  hostis. 
Eigo  dum  sanctum  hospitio  recepit 
Oppidum  nostro  Stoddieran  Tocatum 
Patrio  ritUy  &c. 

It  was>  I  dare  say,  on  the  audiority  of  this  ode  that  Baronius 
said  that  Cohnan  was  of  a  royal  fomfly.  Dempster,  wishing  to 
make  Colman,  a  Scotch  prince,  fabricated  a  story  of  his  having 
been  a  son  of  Malcolm  I.  king  of  Scotland.  To  that  shamdess 
liar  it  is  sufficient  to  oppose  the  silence  of  Buchanan,  who,  al- 
though he  makes  mention  of  more  than  one  son  of  Malcolm,  has 
nothing  about  this  celebrated  St  Colman.  Harris,  ( Writers  at 
Colman  of  Lindi^farne)  remarking  on  Dempster's  assumption, 
^ell,  as  indeed  some  others  had  before  him,  into  a  strange  mistake, 
confounding  Colman  of  Austria  with  the  one  of  Lindisfame.  He 
did  not  know  that  the  former  was  killed  in  1012,  whereas  the 
latter  lived  in  the  seventh  century. 

§•  II.  St.  Helias,  or  Elias,  an  Irishman,  who  hat 
been  mentioned  already,  (7)  was  in  the  year  1022 
abbot  of  St.  Martin's  of  Cologne  and  also  of  the 
monastery  of  St.  Pantaleon  in  said  city.  He  was  the 
third  abbot  of  the  former  establishment,  and  the  fifUi 
of  the  latter.  St.  Heribert,  archbishop  of  Cologne, 
who  had  an  extraordinary  esteem  for  Ilelias,  insisted 
on  being  attended  by  him,  when  on  his  death  bed  in 
1021,  as  he  accordingly  was.  Helias  had  been  at 
Rome,  and  was  the  first  who  brought  thence  the 


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44^  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL   HISTORY       CHAP.  XXIV. 

Roman  note  or    Church  music  to  Cologne.    (8) 
Piligrin,   the  successor  of  St.  Heribert,  was  induced 
to  conceive  a  dislike  for  Helias  and  his  Irish  monks, 
and  accordingly  intended  to  expel  them,  in  the  year 
1035.     His  dislike  was  chiefly  occasioned  by  his  sup- 
posing, that  the  discipline  maintained  by  them  was 
too  strict.     Piligrin  was  then  absent  from  the  city ; 
but,  on  the  Iridi  being  informed  of  his  intention, 
Helias  and  his  companions  said  ;  '*  If  Christ  is  in  us 
foreigners,  may  Pihgrin  not  return  alive  to  Cologne." 
And  in  fact  it  turned  out  so ;  for  Piligrin  died  soon 
after.  (9)     Helias  was  a  rigid  observer  of  monastic 
discipline,  which  he  carried  so  far  that,  a  French 
monk  of  St.  Pantaleon  having  written,  without  hav- 
ing asked  permission  to  do  so,  a  neat  copy  of  the 
Missal  for  the  use  of  the  community,  he  burned  it, 
lest  others  should  presume  to  act  without  previous 
licence.  ( 1 0)     According  to  the  usage  of  that  period, 
he  is  called,  as  well  as  Col  man,  a  Scotus,   that  is, 
an  Irish  one,  as  is  clear  from  his  having  belonged  to 
the  monastery  of  Monaghan  before  he  went  to  the 
continent.     He  died  in  great  reputation  of  sanctity 
on  the  12th  of  April,  A.   D.  1042,  (11)   at  which 
day  his  name  is  marked  in  various  calendars.     His 
immediate  successor  was  probably  Molanus,  or  Molua, 
who,  according  to  Florence   of  Worcester,  died  in 
106l.     A  monastery  was   erected  for  the  Irish  at 
Erford  in  Germany  by  the  bishop  Walter  de  Glysberg 
in  1036.  (12)      In  these   times  there  were  many 
Irish  monks  at  Fulda,  ( 1 3)  the   most  celebrated  of 
whom  was  St.  Amnichad  or  rather  Annichad.  (14) 
It   is  probable,  that  he   was  of  the  family  at'  the 
Siolnanmchad  and  of  the  district  of  said  name,  now 
called  the  barony  of  Longford  in  the  county  of  Gal; 
way,  adjoining  the  Shannon.  (15)     This  district  lies 
not  far  from  the  island  of  IniskekraCin  I^ugh  Derg) 
in  which  Amnichad  was  a  monk.     The  occasion  of 
his  leaving  Ireland  was  as  follows.     Being  entrusted 
with  the  care  of  strangers,  he  happened  on  a  certain 

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CHAP.   XXIV.  OP   IR£LANI>.  44'S 

occasion  to  entertain  some  brethren  with  the  permis- 
sion of  his  superior,  whose  name  was  Corcran.  (16) 
After  they  had  taken  food,  and  some  of  them  had 
retired,  others,  who  remained  sitting  near  the  fire, 
asked  him  to  drink  something.  (17)  He  refnsed, 
alleging  that  he  could  not  without  obtaining  leaver 
At  length,  being  much  solicited  by  them,  he  con- 
sented to  do  so,  but  previously  sent  some  of  the  drink 
to  the  superior  to  be  blessed  by  him.  On,  the  next 
day  Corcran  inquired  of  him,  why  he  had  sent  him 
that  drink,  and  on  Amnichad's  telling  him  the  whole 
of  what  had  occurred  he  immediately,  slight  as  the 
transgression  might  appear,  ordered  him  to*  quit 
Ireland.  Amnichad  obeyed,  and  went  to  Fuida» 
where,  becoming  a  i*ecluse,  he  led  a  very  holy  life 
until  his  death  on  the  80th  of  January,  A.  D.  104». 
Marianus  Scotus,  from  whom  this  narrative  is  taken, 
(18)  adds  that  he  got  the  account  of  it  from  his  own 
superior  Tigemach  (19)  on  occasion  of  his  having 
committed  some  small  ^ult.  He  relates,  that  K^t» 
were  seen  and  psalmody  heard  over  Amnichad's 
tomb  in  the  monastery  of  Fulda,  and  that,  when  a 
recluse  there,  he  celebrated  mass  over  it  every  day  for 
ten  years.  He  then  states,  that  a  most  religious 
monk,  named  William,  did,  in  his  hearing,  pray  to 
Amnichad,  who  was  already  buried,  to  bless  him, 
and  that  the  saint  did  so  that  same  night  in  a  vision, 
as  the  monk  assured  him,  while  Marianus  himself 
during  that  night  felt  a  very  sweet  and  delicious 
scent.  The  reputation  of  St.  Amnichad  has  been 
very  great,  and  his  name  is  in  divers  calendars  at  30 
January, 

(7)  Chnp.  XXIII.  $.  5.     . 

(8)  See  Mabflloo,  Annal.B€ned.  ad  A.  1021*>1022. 

(9)  Marianus  Scoius  writes  at  A.  1055 ;  **  IVoptvr  ieligiaiicm 
districtam  dBCipHnamque  nimunn,  et  propter  aliquos  Scotus  quos 
secum  habebat  Helias  Scotus  abbas,  qin  monasterimn  S.  Fanta- 
leonis  et  S.  Martini  in  Colonia  pariter  r^ebat,  Piligrmus  Cakmlea- 

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444  AN   ECCLESIASTICAL   HISTORY'     CHAP.  XXIT. 

sis  aichiepisoopiiB  inTidkws  viris  insdgatus  Heluun  abbatem  to* 
hut  expellere  et  omnet  Sootos  monachos,  quos  secum  habebtf. 
Helias  Sootus  abbas  sfadaiy  cum  de  aula  regia  reiratMset,  daat 
cum  caeteris  Sootk ;  Si  Chrititu  in  nolns  peregrinis  eU^  nunfuam 
vhus  ad  Colomatn  veniat  PHigrimts.  Et  ita  Deus  oomplevk. 
See  also  Mabflkm,  ib.  ad  A.  1035. 

(10)  Eorence  of  Worcester,  at  A.  10f2. 

(11)  Marianus  Scotus  has  at  itf.  1042.  ''  Helias  Scocus  obiit 
^.u^^/rttf,  vir  prudenseireligioius.''  Fioreace  of  Worcester,  fbl- 
lowiDg  htm  as  usual,  has  thesame.  In  tarious  Irish  annals,  quoted 
by  Colgan,  (AA.  SS.p.  107.)  we  read  at  said  yeer ;  '*  Elias  or 
Elifl,  from  the  monastery  of  Monaghan,  head  of  the  Irish  nxmks, 
died  at  Cdogne.'* 

(12)  8ee  the  BoUandiaU  at  Marianus  and  Murcherat,  9  Fe- 
bruary, where  they  havcan  excdknt  dissertation  concerning  the 
Scot  or  Irish  monasteries  founded  in  Germany  in  the  11  th  and 
12th  centuries.  They  prove,  that  all  those  monasteries  were  in- 
habited by  Irishmen,  with  scarcely  an  excepdcm,  although  in  later 
tines,  when  the  bish  ceased  to  crowd  to  f^H-eign  countries,  th^  were 
uaurped  by  the  Scotch  in  consequence  of  the  equivocation  of  the 
name  iS^:o<#.    Of  this  more  hereafter. 

(13)  Marianus  Sootus,  having  mentioned  the  detth  of  RichanL 
abbot  of  Rilda,  in  1039,  adds,  <<  Htc  etiam  mubof  Scoius  seam 
habebatr 

(14)  Colgan  and  Bollandua  treat  of  this  saint  at  30  January. 

(15)  CIdgan  observes,  that  SiolnanmchadAa  signi&es  the 
race  oi  Anmchad,  a  chieAain,  from  whom  that  noble  fiunily 
descended.  Harris  si^s  (Jntiq*  eh*  7.)  that  it  was  called  dso 
SdanchiCf  and  that  the  district  was  the  country  of  the 
O'Maddens. 

(16)  This  Corcran  wrote  a  tract  eonceming  the  reMcs  and 
virtues  (^  St.  Grormgal,  who  died  in  1017>  (see  Chap,  xxiii.  $. 
16.)  which  Colgan,  who  had  a  copy  of  it,  calls  divine.-  He  tfiioks 
that  he  was  the  same  as  the  celebrated  Corcran.  who  died  at  L^ 
more  in  1040.  (See  ib.  §.  15.)  But  Corcran  of  Lismore  is  not  . 
called  an  abbot,  nor  even  a  monk.  He  is  indeed  styled  anchord  ; 
but,  considering  the  manner  in  whidi  he  is  spoken  of  as  a  dis- 
tinguished ecdetiastef  and  chief  master,  or  public  professor,  he 
was  in  all  probability  asecular  priest. 

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CHAP.  XXVr.  OF  IRELAND.  445 

(17)  Bibere  ab  fa  p€tieruwi.  Cdgan  ejcplaiat  theM  wonb  as 
il"  the  itnu^etB  had  aiked  hkn  to  take  part  of  what  they  had  be- 
fixre  them.  Yet  they  ought  be  undentood  as  meaning  that,  al- 
though the  meal  was  over,  they  applied  to  him  for  some  drink,  a 
demand  which  was  probably  not  coafbrraable  to  the  disc^fdine  of 
the  house. 

(18)  At  A.  1043.  The  whole  of  it  is  net  in  any  printed  copy 
of  Marianus'  chronidev  that  I  have  seen  ;  but  it  is  quoted  iWmi 
)m  text  by  Fkiraice  of  Worcester  at  said  year* 

(19)  Who  this  Tigemach  was  will  be  inquirtd  lower  down, 

§  ill.  Tlie  same  Marianus  relates,  that  there  was 
in  these  times  a  very  famous  man  in  Ireland,  and  of 
an  extraordinary  way  of  acting  with  r^ard  to  reK* 
gion,  AJderic,  or  rather  Aidus,  surnamed  barbosus^ 
or  the  bearded.  (20)  He  used  to  tonsure  women 
and  little  boys  like  clergymen,  and  to  announce  that 
converted  women  ought  not  to  wear  veils.  Of  them, 
and  of  girls,  boys,  and  laymen  he  had  a  great 
achooL  On  account  of  these  singularities  he  was 
obliged  to  leave  Ireland  in  1053.  (21)  Whither 
he  went  we  are  not  informed,  nor  why  some  have- 
reckoned  him  among  the  Irish  writers.  (22) 

At  the  year  1058  he  gives  us  an  account  of  the 
extraordinary  conduct  of  Patemus  a  Scot,  that  is, 
most  probably  an  Irish  monk  and  recluse  of  a  mo- 
nastery of  Paderborn.  There  were  two  monasteries 
in  that  city,  one  annexted  to  the  cathedral,  and  the 
other  consisting  merely  of  monks  (2S)  in  which  was 
Patemus,  who  had  lived  there  as  a  recluse  for  many 
years.  A  fire  broke  out  in  Paderborn  on  the 
Friday  before  Palm  Sunday,  which  was  in  said  year 
the  loth  of  April.  It  had  been  foretold  by  Pater- 
nus,  and  seems  to  have  continued  for  some  .days* 
By  it  the  whole  city  and  the  two  monasteries  were 
consumed  ;  but,  while,  it  was  raging,  Patemus  could 
not  by  any  means  be  induced  to  quit  his  cell,  and 
remained  there  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining,  as  he 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


446  AN   ECCLEBIAATICAL   HISTORY       CHAP*  XKIV. 

iiippoiod,  the  crowu  of  m«rtyrdom.  Whether  he 
was  right  in  this  notion  is  a  rerj  quegtionaUe  point  ; 
unleii  it  be  maintained,  that  the  vow^  which  he  had 
made  of  neter  leaving  his  cell,  may  be  considered 
as  an  iqMilogy  for  hts  determination  to  let  himself  be 
burned  to  death,  as  in  fact  he  was.  Be  this  as  it 
majr,  seme  persons  looked  upon  him  as  a  real  mar- 
tyr ;  and  one  of  them  was  Marianus  himself,  who 
set  out  from  Cologne  not  many  days  after,  tiz*  on 
the  M4vnday  after  Low  Sunday,  for  Paderbom,  ai^d 
having  visited  his  tomb  on  account  of  the  good 
things  Aat  were  said  of  it,  prayed  on  the  very  mat, 
on  which  Paternus  had  been  burned.  Thence  Ma- 
lianus  went  to  Fulda  together  with  the  abbot  of  that 
monastery,  who,  it  seems,  had  visited  Paderbom 
fat  a  similar  purpose.  ^24) 

Marianus,  now  referred  to,  who  is  sumamed 
SeoluSf  according  to  the  style  of  the  times,  was  a 
native  of  Ireland  and  bom  in  1038.  (35)  He  re- 
tired from  the  world  in  1059,  and  became  a  monk 
in,  as  seems  very  probable,  the  monastery  of  Clo- 
nard ;  for  he  makes  mention  of  one  Tigeraadi  as 
superior  of  the  establishment  he  belonged  to  before 
he  left  Ireland.  Clonard  was  governed  from  the 
year  1055  until  1061  by  Tigemach  Borchech,  the 
successor  of  Tuathal  O'Fellarmuin.  (26)  Tigemach 
was  a  very  holy  man,  (27)  and  there  is  great  reason 
to  think,  that  he  was  the  superior  (28)  who,  as  we 
have  seen  above,  related  to  Marianus  the  reason 
of  St.  Amnichad's  having  gone  abroad,  and  which 
probably  induced  him  also  to  quit,  his  country,  as  he 
did  in  1056,  in  which  year  he  joined  on  the  1st  of 
August,  the  Irish  monks  of  St.  Martin  at  Cologne. 
There  he  remained  until  1058,  when  he  visited  Pa- 
derbom, and  thence  went  to  Fulda.  Somewhat 
early  in  1059,  he  was  ordained  priest  at  Wurtz- 
burg,  and  not  long  afler  became  a  recluse  at 
Folda,  in  which  state  he  spent   there  ten   years. 

Digitized  by  VjjOOQIC 


CHAP.  XXIV.  OPIBBLAND*  447 

(29)     Conceiving  this    great  man  uicnre  will   be 
seen  hereafter* 

(20)  Florenoe  of  Worcestester  (at  A  1054)  calk  him  Aedd 
dfricus  barbosuSf  or  bearded  dexk.  See  also  Ware  and  Hams 
f  Writers  at  the  deventh  century). 

(21)  At  said  year  Marianus has;  ^  Atderkus*'  (an  etiatun»  it 
seemsy  for^  AidusJ  "  barbosus  in  Hibemia,  vir  valde  famgiui  «t 
mirae  religionis  ;  ^pae  enim  foeimnas  et  puendoa  more  denoo- 
mm  coronando  tondebat ;  et  coronas  et  non  velata  ouniU  Jbetm- 
nas  canvenm  debere  praedicabat ;  eenmi^ue  tcholam  et  pualU- 
nrni  et  pueronim  et  laicorum  multam  sdiolam  habebat.  Ob  id  ex 
Hibemia  [MX)jectus  est."  The  wards»  mrae  rdigumiiy  are  rather 
equivocal ;  for  it  is  difficult  to  suppose^  that  Marianus  meant  to  es- 
hibit  him  as  a  man  of  wonderful  true  reli^on.  FaiiapB  his 
meaning  was,  that  said  Aidus  led  a  very  austere  life,  or,  what 
seems  more  probable,  that  he  had  some  strange  superstkiQus  no- 
tion relative  to  the  utility  of  the  tonsure.  The  notoriaus  liar 
Bale,  quoted  by  Harris  adds,  what  Marianus  does  not  even  hint  al, 
that  he  clothed  the  fenaales  in  boys  apparel  for  the  purpose  of  cany- 
ing  on  intrigues  with  them,  ^yjbeminag  conversaSf  converted  fe- 
males, Marianus  meant  the  same  class  as  that  which  tiie  FresuAi 
call  converiieSf  and  the  Italians  convertUtt  who  wear  a  peculiar 
sort  of  dress,  and  live  retired  in  establishments  similar  to  our 
asylums.  That  there  were  uistitutions  fer  persons  of  this  sort 
in  Ireland  at  that  period  may  be  collected  from  this  narrative. 

(25)  See  Ware  and  Harris,  ib. 

(28)  Mabillon  (Annal.  Ben  ad  A,  1058.)  calls  it  manasienum 
Abdinckqferue. 

(2^)  See  Marianus*  chronicle  at  A.  1058.  and  compare  with 
Florenoe  of  Worcester  at  said  ye|r,  and  Mabillon,  foe.  o^ 

(25)  He  tells  us  himself  at  A.  1028,  that  this  was  the  year  of 
liis  bffth.  It  would  be  superfluous  to  enter  into  a  long  argument 
to  prove,  that  Marianus  was  an  Irishman.  This  is  attested  by 
his  fdlower  Florence  of  Worcester,  who  has  (CArwt.  ad  A.  1028) ; 
**  Hoc  anno  natus  est  Mariamis  Hihemenm  probabilis  Scotus ; 
cuius  studio  et  labore  haec  chronica  praecellens  est  de  diverMi  M* 
.  bris  coadunata.*"    Florence  was  partly  contemporaiy  with  Maria^^ 

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448  AN   ECCLBSlAdtlCAL  HISTORY        OHAP.  SXfV. 

nai,  lAo  diad  in  1066»  whereas  Plorenoe  did  not  live  beyond 
1118.  Uiher  quotes  (Pr.  p.  735.)  fix>m  a  chronicle  of  the  Cot- 
tonian  libraiy  -a  passage  of  the  same  import ;  <*  Anno  1028.  Ma- 
nanus  chronographus  Hibenienm  Soottus  natus  est,  qui  Chio- 
nicam  Chronioorum  composuit.''  The  Scotch  tbemsdves  for- 
merly allowed,  that  Marianus  was  an  Irish  Scot,  as  Udier  shows 
(t^  from  the  allegation  6i  John  de  Merton  in  «the  year  1301* 
But  in  fatter  times  some  Scotch  writers,  actuated  by  a  silly  natioiial 
fnnhy,  hare  pretended  that  he  was  a  British  Scot.  And  as  such 
he  istnatod  of  by  Mackenzie,  Lives  of  the  WrUerd  of  the  SeoU 
iNtfNm,  Vol  1.  p.  99,  ieqq.  in  aihapsody  not  worth  animadvert^g 
upon.  What  an  we  to  think  oi  an  author,  who  makes  even  Ra- 
banus  Maurw  a  Scotcfanan  ?  Labbe^  De  Seriphr.  Eede$.  Dupin, 
and  the  editors  of  Moreri,  not  to  mention  odiers,  hold  ^at  Ma- 
rianus was  a  native  of  Irdand. 

(96)  See  Harris  {Bithops  of  Meath,  p.  140.)  and  ArdidaU  at 
Clonard. 

(27)  In  die  Annals  of  Clonmacnois,  followed  by  the  4  Maa* 
ters,  on  occasion  of  mentioning  the  death  d  Tigemach  Bor- 
Chech  m  1061  it  is  stated,  that  he  was  a  great  spiritual  director, 
an  anchoret,  and  comorban  of  St.  Fmnian.  (See  AA.SS.  p»  906.) 
Colgan  adds,  that  his  name  is  in  some  Irish  calendars  at  13  March. 
His  being  called  comorban  of  St  Finnian  might  lead  one  to 
think,  that  he  was  bishop  of  Clonard ;  but,  as  I  have  observed 
dsewhere,  it  is  doubtful  whether  Finnian  was  a  bishop ;  and  it  is 
remaricable,  that  in  the  list  of  the  superiors  of  Ck>nard  (ib.  p.  407.) 
some  are  called  bishops  and  others  only  oomorbans.  If  those  co- 
morbanshad  been  all  bishops,  why  were  they  not  styled  so? 

(98)  It  might  be  suspected,  that  Tiganach  the  superior  of  Ma- 
rianus was  the  cdebrated  abbot  and  chronographer  oi  Clonmac- 
nois. But,  besides  his  having  outlived  Marianus,  it  is  to  be  ob- 
served that  he  was  not  abbot  befiNre  Marianus  left  Ireland. 

(99)  For  these  reqpecdve  dates,  Ac  see  his  chronide  and  that 
of  Fbrence  of  Worcester. 

S*  IV.  Dubdalethe  III.,  who  was  appointed  arch- 
bishop of  Armagh  in  1049,  (30)  was  succeeded  in 
his  professor's  chair  by  Aidus  or  Hugh  O'Fairreth. 
It  is  said,  that  Dubdalethe  was  only  a  nominal  arch- 


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CHAP.  XXIV.  OF   IRELAND.  449 

bisbop  and  one  of  the  eight  laymen,  mentioned  by 
St.  Bernard,  who  enjoyed  ^he  emoluments  of  the 
see,  although  not  in  holy  orders.  (31)  This  sup- 
position  seems  to  be  confirmed  by  the  circumstance 
of  Aidus  O'Foirreth  having  been  made  bishop,  and 
called  bishop  of  Armagh  until  his  death  on  the  18th 
of  June,  A.  D.  1056.  (32)  To  reconcile  this  with 
Dubclalethe's  being  then  in  possession  of  the  see,'  it 
must  be  supposed  tnat  Aidus  was  only  a  suffragan, 
and  acting  as  such,  prdbably,  in  consequence  of  Dub- 
iklethe's  not  being  authorized  to  exercise  spiritual 
functions.  Add,  that  Dubdalethe  is  stated  to  have 
died  a  great  penitent,  as  if  he  had  been  guilty  of  some 
serious  fault,  perhaps  the  usurpation  of  the  archie- 
piscopal  title  and  rights.  And  it  appears  certain, 
that  he  resigned,  at  least  in  part,  the  see  three  years 
before  his  death,  which  occurred  on  the  1st  of  Sep- 
tember in  1064.  (33)  For,  although  some  Irish 
annals  bring  down  his  incumbency  to  the  now  men* 
tioned  date,  thus  allowing  for  it  15  yeai*s,  another 
account  gives  him  but  twelve,  and  places  next  after 
him  Cumascachas  archbishop  of  Armagh,  to  whom  it 
assigns  three  years.  (34)  Dubdalethe  was  a  man  of 
learning,  and  wrote  certain  annals  of  the  affairs  of 
Ireland,  besides  an  account  of  the  archbishops  of  Ar- 
magh down  to  his  own  times.  (35)  On  his  death  in 
1064,  and  apparently  on  Cumascach's  withdrawing 
himself  from  the  government  of  the  diocese,  Moeliosa 
(servant  of  Jesus)  son  of  Amalgaid,  that  is,  as  usually 
supposed,  the  archbishop  of  that  name,  (36)  took 
possession  qfthe  See  according  to  the  expression  of 
the  Annals  of  Ulster.  (37)  whereby  an  allusion  seems 
to  be  made  to  his  having  been  a  merely  nominal  arch- 
bishop. And  it  can  scarely  be  doubted,  that  he  was 
one  of  the  eight  married  laymen  above  spoken  of.  (38) 
Yet  in  IO68  he  visited  Munster  and  made  a  circuit 
through  it,  the  object  of  which  must  have  been  to 
exact  the  dues  formerly  established  conformably  to 
the  so  called  Imw  qfSt.  Patrick.  He  is,  however^ 
,  VOL.  in.  00  n        ] 

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4M  AN   ECCL£«UfTXCAL  HISTORY      CHAP.  XSIT. 

eocpreagty  i  eriEoned  mnaog  the  arobbiidiofsof  Atnuigli^ 
«d  Md  th«€  trhb  fer  97 }  f WA.  (39) 

(Ml  ek^mani.i.l$. 

(my  €>l^wtt»ofthk6|fiuoa;  InH  the  <Mi)x«g«ilwiii«  wkick 
he«Mimr(7>.  2^;fc9Q2'.>ii,  ilMlDiilMMetkaww^  ath^ii^ 
pdMd^tiHitfhttr  ifoM  Aidus,  ttd^eson of  ilattui||k,  wfaftfied 
ulllO0^tMlir!iikU<yMMH  ofDiibdMledM.  Ttti  Aidot  #ai, 
bflili^liwidbflgev,  €Dq>ef«edtaberiiiedu>  the  Me.  Tbote  ar^ 
he»it»^,  MDCbectaf  theaoQpjBctUfripfoofa. 

<«)  Ta  7iL  /L  396.  AidtMO'Fdfarathiiiioi  id  the  cfeUiosue 
fiWflhcrftelMefCesfael.  Uediediii  the  7Jth  year  of  hie  i^t^ 
aairiMihufi^darAniiegh.  hi  hk  epitaph^  written  itvknh^  hvie 
•ijMm  ejCfi^tteut  elder  and  a  aiedett  hiahopu 

aW)  Ware  M«  ttlitalDeD  {Bishops  dt  DuddMletke  ill  I  ia  cfaai^ 
iilg  1054  hlU>  1095;  O  Flaherty  (MS.  tittakgue)  hae  reCainod 
thef  106*  ef  tlie  Ulster  ^nab ;  fbr  t^e  rule  of  addidg  a  yev  te 
thi^  data*  does  aot  g<dneittlly  iqppfy  to  fhfis  period.  Add,  that  the 
AllMli  of  lunii&Ilett  Mss&gb  Dubdaletiie'adea^  to  A.  1064. 

^)  The  CtMhel  catalogue  ojd.  Jr.  2^.  p.  292.  Comanaeh 
itaet  mentioned  in  the  mutals  ehher  of  Uliter  or  of  the4  MoiMs 
•laMJhhishop  of  Afifi^;  but  in  th6  latter  I  find  CamaMdi 
(yMdradhahi,  who  i»  oaUed  ahbot  of  Armagh^  aiid  died  io  1075. 
(^  IR  p.  ^a.>  O'Flftherty  also  had  )e4l  Cuimlseaoh  otit  of  lat  . 
catfed^gtM.  Yet  it  is  dHHculi  to  bofieve,  diat  his  Dame  woukl  a|K 
pM-  ifr  the  Ca^el  catalogue  withont  any  foindiUion ;  and  the 
AMaT^  of  IhHisfullen  state,  that  CumescaolC  O'Heradhain  was  in 
iM^'subatitiii^  in  |^ee  of  Dubdalethe.  The  pr6bability  is  that, 
afthc^t!^  Dubdalethe  nniglit  hare  beeti  honouied  with  the  title 
uM  his  di<irth,  Cutnascachj  acting  as  hi&  suffragan,  exercised  tudi 
extensive  powers  during  the  last  tliree  or  foor  years  of  his  incum- 
bency, that  he  might  have  been  coiisideiied  as  the  real  archbishop. 
Hams  strove  (Additions  to  Ware)  to  reconcye  the  Cashel  cata- 
logue, 89  to  the  \%  years  for  Dubdalethe,  with  the  Annals,  wliich 
allow  him  fifteen,  by  rntrcducing  oiie  Gilla-P^trick  Mac-Doiandd, 
who  died  in  1052,  and  by  making  him  archbishop  beft>re  Dubda- 
Il^e.  But  thiq  is  contrary  to  every  other  account ;  nor  do  the  4 
Mlrfsiers,  a*  Harris  as«seits,  or  Colgan,  when  expressly  treatixtg  of 
An«agr>,  rg^l  Gillar-Patrjck  crrh  bishop  of  Armagh  ;  they  give  him 

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CM4P.  XXIT.  OF  IISLAND.  451 

only  the  tkhoi  Prior  of  Armagh,  (See  Tr.  Th.  p.  289.aad  Ini. 
Ckron.)  It  k  true,  that  in  AA.  SS.p.  900  taid  Gtiia-Patridc  is 
namedl  as  arMkkop,  This  must  be  a  mistake;  for,  had  he  be«i 
such,  this  title  would  appear  somewhere  in  Tr.  Th.  ex..c  p. 
SOS. 

(35)  Bee  Ware  (Bishopi  and  tVriters  at  Duhdttlethe IIL)  and 
Co%an,  loc.  ck. 

(36)  See  Chap.  xxin.  $.13. 

'  (37)  See  Ware,  Buhopt  at  Dubdaltthe  III. 

(36)  See  Colgan,  Tr.  Th.  p.  S02.  St.  Cebus,  who  became 
at€hbishq>  <rf  Armagh  eariy  in  the  12th  oentuiy,  was  a  grandson  of 
^beliota^  and  a  Flam^an,  son  of  Moeliosa,  is  marked  as  having  cHed 
in  1113,  after,  as  was  supposed,  he  was  to  be  appointed  abbot  of 
Armagh* 

(39)  "Catalogue  from  the  Ptalter  of  Cashel,  and  Ware,  Buhops 
•t  Modtosa. 

§.  V.  As  to  the  other  old  and  regular  sees,  the 
turcounts  of  the  succession  of  their  prelates  during 
the  second  half  of  this  century  are  in  general  far 
from  being  perfect.  One  O'Gemidider,  bishq)  of 
Killaloe,  died  in  1051 ;  Mugron  O'Mutan  of  Coric 
was  murdered,  it  seems,  by  robbers  in  1057.  Mac- 
Airthir,  bishop  of  Lismore,  died  in  1064,  and 
Celecair  of  Cloiimacnois  in  1067«  (40)  Maeluiorda, 
bishop  of  Ernly  and  successor  of  Clothna  Muimnech, 
(*1)  died  m  J  07.5  and  was  succeeded  bv  Maeliosa 
O'Himictaiii,  who  lived  until  fD93.  (42)  At  length 
we  meet  with  bishops  of  Ardfert.  The  bishop 
Dermot,  son  of  Maol-Brenan,  died  in  1075,  and  hia 
successor  Mac-Craith  O'Hearodain  in  1099.  (43) 
Kellach  Ramkar,  or  the  fat,  bishop  of  Saigir  and 
abbot  of  Birr,  died  in  1079.  (44)  Another  bishop 
of  KUlaloe,^  Thady  OThady,  died  in  1083.  (45) 
The  death  of  Aidus  or  Hugh  O'Hoisin,  bishop  of 
Tuam,  is  marked  at  1085,  and  at  1086  that  of  his 
successor  Erchad  O'Maelomdr,  who  was  succeeded 
by  Cormac  O'Cairill,  who  died  in  lOJiir  (46)  The 
episcopal  succef»ton  seem£..ta  4)ave.  been  regularly 

0  o  3 

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45^2  AN    ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTOEY         CHAP.  XXIT. 

kept  Up  at  Glendalocb.  A  very  distinguished  bishop 
of  this  see  wasGilda-na-Naomh,  ( the  servant  qf  ^ 
mints)  or  Nehemias.  He  was  a  native  of  Leinster, 
and  after  some  time,  resigning  his  see,  became  abbot 
of  themcmks  (Irish)  of  Wurtzburg,  where  he  died 
on  the  7th  of  April  A.  D.  1085.  (47)  To  the  same 
year  is  assigned  the  delith  of  a  bishop  of  Cork, 
Clerech  O'Selbaic,  (4  )  and  that  of  Fin  Mac-Gussan* 
bishop  of  Kildare.  (49)  Fin  must  have  been  suc- 
ceeded by  Ferdomnach,  who  was  certainly  bishop  of 
Kildare  in  1096,  (50)  and  seems  to  have  resigned 
the  see  in  said  year.  For,  the  death  of  Moelbrigid 
O'Brolcan,  who  is  called  bishop  of  Kildare  and 
Leinster,  and  a  celebrated  man,  is  marked  at  1097» 
although  it  is  known  that  Ferdomnach  lived  until 
IJOI.  The  title  of  bishop  qf  Leinster  had  been 
assumed  also  by  Ferdomnach  in  consequence  of 
Kildare  having  been  then  considered  the  most 
respectable  see  in  that' province.  After  Moelbrigid 
O'Brolcan  the  next  bishop  was  Aidus  O'Heremoin, 
who  died  in  1]00,  and  then  is  mentioned  at  1101 
the  death  of  Ferdomnachr  (61)  Another  bishop  of 
Lismore,  Maelduin  O'Rebccain,  died  in  1091,  and 
O' Mai  vain  of  Cloyne  in  10{}5,  in  which  year  died 
also  Carbre  0*Kethernuigh  (Kearney)  bishop  of 
Ferns.  (52)  One  0*Burgus,  who  died  in  108],  is 
called  comorban  of  Inniscatthy ;  ^53)  but  I  cannot 
decide  whether  he  we'i'e  bishop  of  that  place,  as  I 
think  I  could,  were  he  styled  comorban  of  St.  Senan 
its  first  bishop  Idunan,  who -together  with  some 
others  signed,  in  1096,  a  letter,  of  which  lower  down, 
to  St.  Anselm  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  styling 
himself  bishop  of  Meath,  (54)  was  in  all  probability 
bishop  of  Clonard,  and,  it  seems,  the  first  of  that  see 
who  assumed  the  title  of  Meath,  which  after  some 
time  became  the  usual  one  of  his  successors.  (5^) 
Concerning  Idunan  I  cannot  find  any  thing  further, 
nor  even  the  year  of  his  death.  In  the  same  manner 
as  he  called  himself  bishop  of  Meath,  so  I  meet  with 

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Chap.  xxiv.  of  Ireland.  45S 

a  bishop  under  the  title  of  Leinster  in  general,  Kelius 
son  of  Donagan,  who  is  represented  as  a  distinguished 
elder  among  those  of  Ireland,  and  died  in  the  reputa- 
tion  of  sanctity  at  Glendaloch  in  1076.  (56)  It 
might  seem,  that  he  was  bishop  t)f  Kildare,  as  Fer- 
domnaeh  was  who  gave  lu'mself  said  title ;  but  it  is 
to  be  observed,  that  his  name  does  not  occur  in  the 
catalogues  expressly  drawn  up  of  the  prelates  of 
Kildare,  (5?)  and  it  is  probable  that  the  titlfe,  bishop 
of  Leinster y  means  no  more  than  that  he  was  a 
Leinster  bishop,  aud  that  he  was  so  called  in  con- 
sequence of  there  not  remaining  any  record  of  the 
particular  see  or  place,  which  he  governed. 

(40)  Ware,  Bishops  at  the  respective  sees.  Harris  ha9  added 
two  bishops  of  CIoDmacnois  in  these  times,  viz  EctigerD  O'Ergaiui 
who  died  in  1052,  and  Alild  O'Harretai^h,  who  died  in  1070.  He 
fbund  them  in  A  A,  SS.  p.  407,  under  the  title  of  comorbans  of 
St.  Kieran  of  Clonmacnois,  and  as  having  both  died  in  pilgrimage 
at  Clonard.  But  he  had  no  right  to  make  them  bishops ;  for,  cO" 
morban  of  St  Kierarty  &c.  means  only  abbot  of  Clonmacnois, 
whereas  that  St.  Kieran  had  not  been  a  bishop. 

(41)  See  Chap,  xxiv.  J.  14.        (42)  Ware  at  Em/j/, 

(43)  Annals  of  Innisfallen  at  /L  1075  and  1099;  and  Ware  at 
Ardfert,  In  said  Annals  I  find  under  ./.  1010  these  words; 
•*  The  primate  of  Ireland  in  Aghadoe  died."  Have  they  a  re- 
ference to  some  Kerry  bishop  of  that  period  ?  I  v  am  equally  at  a 
lois  to  understand  another  passage  at  said  year ;  <*  Marcan  son  of 
Kennedy,  supreme  head  of  the  clergy  of  Munster,  died."  I  find 
no  Marcan  at  Emly  during  that  period,  and  I  am  much  inclined 
to  think,  that  Marcan  was  bishop  of  Cashel,  which  see  had, 
pertly  as  the  civil  metropolis  of  Munster,  and  partly  in  memory  of 
Cormac  Mac  Culinan,  probably  acquired  an  ecclesiastical  ascen- 
dancy. Marcan*s  being  called  son  of  Kennedy  in  the  very  part 
of  those  annals,  where  Brian  (Boroimhe)  is  so  often  named  as  son 
of  Kennedy,  seems  to  indicate,  tliat  he  was  a  brother  of  his. 
(See  Chap.  xxii.  J.  4.)    For  Marcan  see  more  below,  Not,  120. 

(44)  He  is  called  comorban  of  Kieran  of  Saigir,  and   hence 


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4S4  AN    ECCLESIASTICAL    UlSTORr      CHAP.  XXir, 

may  be  cupposed  to  have  been  a  bishop.     See  J  A,  SS.  p.  47S, 
and  Harm,  BishopSy  at  Ossory^ 

(4^)  Ware  and  Harris,  BUhops  at  Kiliahe, 

(46)  lb.  at  Tuam,  and  Tr.  Th.  p.  308. 

(47)  A  A.  SS.  p.  200.  ^h&ee  Colgan  calls  him  N^iemkiy  and 
Harris,  BUhops  at  Glendaloch.  Harris  next  before  him  makea 
mention  of  Cormac,  soft  of  Pithbren,  not  Ft/^irait  as  he  has,,  who 
died  in  925.  He  doubts  whetha*  he  were  bishqp  d  Glendalodi ; 
and  inde^l  justly ;  for,  as  far  as  I  know,  all  that  is  said  of  him  i» 
wliat  the  4  Masters  liave  (ap.  A  A.  SS.  p.  S86);  Cormae  of 
Glendaloch,  son  qf  Fiihbran,  died  in  925.  Of  the  Irish  modftt^ 
tery  of  Wurtzburg  more  will  be  seen  hereafter. 

(48)  Ware  and  Harris  at  Corlc^  Ware  has  added,  but  I  be- 
lieve without  sufficient  reason,  a  year  to  the  date  1085  of  the  An* 
nals  of  Louglikee. 

(49)  Colgan  says,  (Tr.  Th,  p.  630.)  that  this  bishop  died  in 
the  church  of  Killachad.  Ware  (BUhops  at  KUdore)  hm 
Achonrtf.  I  think  that  he  should  have  rather  said  Kilieigh  (in  the 
King's  county),  where  there  was,  as  we  have  often  seen,  a  voy 
ancient  and  famous  monastery,  and  where  Ware  Wmself  tells  u» 
that  a  bishop  of  Kildarc  died  in  1 160. 

(50)  Usher,  Ind.  Chron.  ad  A,  1096. 

(51)  Tr.  TL  p.  630.  Ware  {Bishops  at  Kildare)  says,  I 
know  not  on  what  authority,  that  Ferdomnach  returned  again  to 
the  SCO,  meaning  aflcr  the  death  of  Aidus  O'Heremob.  Is  it 
because,  where  his  death  is  marked  at  1101,  he  is  called  bishop 
of  Kildare  ?  But  he  might  have  been  called  so  without  having 
resumed  the  office,  remaining,  as  we  would  say,  an  ex -bishop.  I 
suspect,  that  \Wwcc  was  mistaken  in  changing  the  date  1 101  into 
1102. 

(52)  Ware,  Bishops  at  said  sees,  and  A  A,  SS,  p,  223. 

(53)  A  A.  SS.p.  542.  and  Harris,  Bisltops  p.  502. 
(rA)  Sec  Ep.  34.  in  Usher's  Ep.  Hib.  Sytt.  . 

(ry5)  See  Ware,  Bishops  at  Meath.  Were  we  to  allow  fchat» 
persons,  called  comorbans  of  Finian  of  Clonard,  were  bishops,  we 
should  add/or  diat  see  in  those  times  Tuathal  OToIlanmuin,  w1m> 
died  in  1055,  and  one  or  two  more,  whose  names  are  mentioned 
by  Colgan,  A  A,  SS,p.  407.  and  Ware  and  Harris,  Bishops  ib. 
But  they  were  probably  only  abbots.  (See  above  Not.  27.) 

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CttAP.  XKW.  or   ULELAMD.  4fSS 

(S6)  4  Matlm  ("^p.  Tr.  Tk.  p.d08.  . 

(fit)  Jifiim  k  not  meotioDoi  in€olga«'«  teimiie  Ikt  iif  Uie  yi*- 
lnai,  «sc  of  Xildiwei,  <3rr.  TL p.  239.  segg.)  and  oonae^iieiidy  k 
ooHlrted  bj  WareAnd  Hanb. 

§.  VI.  A  very  illustrious  prelate  of  this  period  was 
Domnald  O' Heine    (58)  bisl^p,  or,  as  xme  have 
eallcd  hiai|  archbishop  of  Cashel.     He  was  of  the 
royal  house  of  the  Dalcassians,  and  is  BK>st  highly 
praised  in  our  annals  as  an  excellent  biahop,  ej&- 
ceedingly  learned,  pious,  and  eharitabk*     He  died 
on  the  1st  of  December,  A.  D.  1098,  in  the  70th 
year  of  his  age.  (59)     He  wa«  succeeded  by  Moel- 
murry  O'Dunain,    who   is    also  called  archbishop. 
But  of  this  title  more   el&ewheie.      Domnald   was 
andoubtedly  the  Irisii   bisho]>  Domnald,  to  whom 
there  is  extaut  a  letter  or  answer  of  Lanfranc^  arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury,  written  in    1081.  (80)     And 
hence  it  appears  thi^  those   were   highly  mrst^ea, 
who  thought,  that  this  I>omnakl   was  arclibishop  of 
Armagh,  as  likewise  others,  who  confounded  him 
with    Dpnatus    bishop   of   Dublin.  (61)     Domnald 
had,   together  with  some  other  persons,  written  a 
letter  to   Lanfrane,  in  which,  as  appears  from  the 
aoswer,'he  expressed  a  wish  to  know,  whether  it  were 
true  that  in  England  and  some  other  countries  an 
opinion  was  held,  that  iufanls,  althougli  baptized, 
could   not'  be    saved    witlKmt    actually    receiving 
eucharistieal  communion.      It  seems,   that,  as  the 
practice  of  giving  the  holy  Eucharist  to  infants  after 
baptism  continued  for  many  centuries,  as  was  cei  tainly 
the  case  in  some  parts  of  France  down  to  perliaps  the 
tenth,  there  was  a  question  in  the  Irish  schools  con- 
cerning the  necessity  of  that  practice  $  and  accord- 
ingly Lanfrane  was  applied  to  as  a  theologian  highly 
capable  both  of  deciding  upon  it  and  of  declaring 
the  doctrine  held  in  other  countries  on  this  point. 
His  answei',  though  ^ort,  is  excellent ;  and  he  raows, 
that  Eucharbticai   communion   is  not  in  all   cases 

I 

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456        AN    ecCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY         CHAP.  XXIV. 

whatsoever  necessary  for  eternal  salvation.  With 
regard  to  some  literary  topics,  which  Domnald  had 
|>roposed  to  him,  Lanfranc  observes  that  he  had 
given  up  studies  of  this  nature  since  he  became 
charged*  with  pastoral  duties.  Domnald  was  also, 
as  will  be  seen,  one  of  the  persons,  who  signed  the 
letter  to  St.  Anselm  in  1096. 

(58)  Ware  (at  Archbishopi  of  CashelJ  says,  that  he  was  called 
0*Hene  or  Buahein.  This  Buahein  is  a  droll  mistake  fix-  Hua' 
Heirij  or  O'Heiny  which  was  Domnald's  real  surname,  or,  as  ia 
the  Annals  of  Innisf^llen,  O^ Heine. 

(59)  The  4  Masters  (ap.  Tr.  Th,  p.  308.)  have ;  "  A,  1098. 
**  Domnald  Hua-Henne,  of  the  Dalcassian  family,  a  chief  di- 
<<  rector  of  consciences  and  a  noble  bisliop,  second  to  no  Irishman 
"  in  wisdom  or  piety,  source  oi  religion  to  Western  Europe,  die 
«  most  able  doctor  of  the  Irish  in  the  Roman  or  Canon  law, 
**  ended  this  life  on  the  1st  of  December  in  the  70th  year  of  his 
**  age."  And  at  the  same  year  we  read  in  the  annals  of  Innis* 
fallen ;  **  Donald  O'Heine,  archbishop  of  Cashel,  and  the  most 
«  celebrated  for  piety,  wisdom,  and  charity  throughout  the  whole 
«<  kingdom,  died.'*  It  is  odd,  that  Ware  assigns  his  death  to  109D 
or  1097.  I  wish  he  had  not  neglected,  as  he  too  often  does,  to 
give  us  his  authority  for  either  of  these  dates. 

(60)  This  letter  was  published  by  Usher  in  the  Ep.  Hib.  S^ 
(No,  28.)  and  afterwards  by  Dachery  among  the  woiks  of  St.  Lan- 
franc, where  it  is  marked  Ep.  33.  Usher  observes  from  the  An- 
nals of  Canterbury,  in  which  the  name  Domnald  b  expressly 
mentioned,  that  it  was  written  in  the  eleventh  year  of  Lanfranc  s 
episcopacy,  which  was  A.  D,  1081. 

(61)  Usher  himself  in  his  note  on  said  letter  fell  into  the  error 
oi  supposing,  that  Domnald,  to  whom  it  was  addressed,  was  anji^ 
bishop  of  Armagh.  He  seems  not  to  have  known,  or  to  have 
forgot,  that  Domnald  of  Armagh  was  not  archbi^op  there  until 
1091.  Even  Ware  (at  Domnald  or  Donald  of  Armagh)  has 
committed  the  same  mistake,  notwithstanding  his  having  maiked 
the  year  of  Domna]d*s  accession ;  but  he  seems  to  have  overiooked 
the  date  of  the  letter.  liarris  (ib.)  has  copied  this  mistake.  Da- 
chery says,  that  Domnald  was  either  of  Armagh  or  of  Dublin,  as 


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CHAP.  XXIV.  OF   IRELAND.  457 

m  metropolitan  of  Ireland ;  but  Lanfranc  does  not  give  him  anj 
such  title ;  nor  was  the  bisliop  of  Dublin  at  that  time  a  metropo- 
litan. ThiSy  together  with  some  other  points  touched  upon  by  Da* 
chery  in  his  note,  shows  that  he  was  veiy  little  acquainted  with 
tlie  ecclesiastical  state  of  Ireland  in  old  times.  Some  English 
writers  make  Domnald  the  same  as  Donotus  bishop  of  DubUh, 
in  consequence,  it  seems,  of  the  name  Domnald  not  being,  in  some 
MSS^  written  full  at  the  head  of  the  letter,  but,  instead  of  it, 
only  the  capital  D.  Had  they  reflected  on  what  Usher  quoted  from 
the  Annals  of  Canterbury,  they  would  have  found,  that  D.  stood 
for  Domnaldy  a  very  different  name  from  that  of  Donatus,  which 
was  originally  Dunan  or  perhaps  Donagh,  (See  Chap,  xxiii.  §,  16.) 
Next  it  is  evident  that,  as  it  was  written  in  1081,  it  could  not  have 
been  directed  to  Donatus  of  Dublin,  who  died  in  1074.  Wilkins, 
who  published  it,  {ConciL  M.  Br,  S^c.  Vol.  I./?.  361.)  as  if  ad- 
dressed to  Donatus,  has  given  it,  seemingly  to  ward  off  this  diffi- 
culty, a  wrong  date,  viz.  A.  1079.  Harris,  although  he  had  fol- 
lowed Ware  in  confounding  Domnald  with  the  one  of^Armagh, 
yet  elsewhere  (Bishops  of  Dublin  at  Donat)  joins  Wilkins  in  mak- 
ing him  the  same  as  Donatus.  All  this  bungling  would  have  been 
avoided,  had  due  attention  been  paid  to  what  the  Irisli  annals  state 
concerning  Domnald  of  Cashel.  He  was  tlie  only  bishop,  at  least 
of  any  note,  in  Ireland,  of  that  name,  in  the  year  1081. 

§.'vir.  Donatus,  or  rather  Dunan,  (6j2)  bishop  of 
Dublin,  died  on  the  6th  of  May,  A.  D,  1074,  and 
was  buried  in  his  cathedral  of  the  Holy  Trinity  near 
the  great  altar  at  the  right  side  of  it.  (63)  The 
clergy  and  people  of  Dublin  then  elected  as  his  suc- 
cessor a  priest,  named  Patrick,  who,  in  all  probability, 
was  not,  as  is  usually  said,  a  Dane  but  an  Irishman. 
(61-)  He  had  been  recommended  to  them  by  Gothric, 
then  king  of  Dublin,  (65)  who  is  supposed  to  have 
been  the  same  as  Godred,  surnamed  Crouan,  king 
of  the  Isle  of  Mann,  who,  sometime  before,  had 
conquered  Dublin  and  part  of  Leinster.  [66) 
Patrick  was  sent  by  Gothric  to  Lanfranc,  to  be 
consecrated  by  him,  bearing  a  letter  from  the  clergy 
and  people  of  Dublin  in  thes^terms  ;  (67)  "  To  t/ie 

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45S  AN   ECCLBSIASflCAL   HISTORY      CHAP.  JLUIT. 

••  venerable  melropoUtan    qf  the  holtf   ekurek   of 
"  Canterbury/  Lanfranc  the  clergy  and  people  fff 
**  (he  church  qf  Dublin  offer  due  obedience.     It  is 
"  known  to    your  paternity,    that  the  church  of 
••  Dublin,  whch  is  t/ie  metropolis  qf  the  island  qf 
*'  Irelandj  (68)  is  bereft;  of  its  pastor  and  destitute 
••  of  a  ruler.     We  have  therefore  chosen  a  priest, 
«*  named  Patrick,  very  well  known  to  us,  of  noUe 
**  birth  and  conduct,  versed  in  apostolical  and  ec- 
<*  clesiastical  discipline,  in  faith  a  Catholic,  cautions 
"  as  to  the  meaning  of  the  Scriptures,   and  well 
«*  trained  in  ecclesiastical  dogmas  ;  who,  we  request, 
**  may  be  ordained  bishop  for  us  as  soon  as  possible, 
««  that  under  the  authonty  of  God  he  may  be  able 
•*  to  preside  over  us  regularly  and  be  useful  to  tis, 
"  and  that  under  his  government  we  may  be  able  to 
**  combat  with  advantage.      For  the   integrity  of 
•*  superior    constitutes  the   safety  of  the  subjects, 
**  and,  where  there  is  the  healthfulness  of  o!)edience, 
**  there  the  form  of  instruction  is  salutary.**     On 
his  arrival  Patrick  was  examined,  as  usual,  by  Lan- 
franc, and,  being  found  well  qualified  for  the  episcopal 
office,  was  consecrated  by  him  in  St.  PauPs  church, 
L«ondon,  (69)  after  having  previously  made  the  fol- 
lowing profession   of  obedience.  (70)      "  Whoever 
**  presides   over   others  ought   not  to  scor:i  to  be 
**  subject  to  others,  but  rather  make  it  his  study  to 
'*  humbly  render,  in  God's  name,  to  his  superiors 
"  the  obedience,  which  he  expects  from  those,  who 
•*  are  placed  under  him.     On  this  account  I  Patrick, 
"  elected  prelate  to  govern  Dublin  the  metropolis  of 
"  Ireland  do,  reverend  father  Lanfranc,  primate  of 
•*  the  Britaifis^    (71)  and   archbishop  of  the  holy 
•*  church  of  Canterbury,  offer  to  thee  this  charter  of 
*•  my  profession  ;  and  I  promise  to  obey  thee  and^ 
*•  thy  successors  in  all   things  appertaining  to  the 
**  Christian  religion.**     The  preamble/ to  this  pro- 
fession  suflSciently  indicates,  that  it  was  ^  new  prac- 
tice, and  that  Patrick  %ras  the  first  bishop  of  Dublin, 

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CHAP.  XXIV.  OF   IRELAND.  450 

who,  at  least  previous  to  his  consecration,  declared 
his  obedience  to  the  archbishop  of  Canterbury. 
What  necessity  would  there  have  been  for  such 
parade  about  not  scorning  to  be  subject  to  others^ 
and  talking  of  'oflPering  a  charter  of  profession,  if 
such  a  circumstance  had  occurred  before  ?  For,  if 
it  had,  Patrick  would  have  been  obliged,  whether  he 
would  or  not,  to  declare  his  obedience  in  the  simple 
aud  positive  form  used  by  ^uch  of  his  predecessors  as 
remained  subject  to  Canterbury.  (72) 

{62)  Se©  Chap,  xxiii.  §.  16. 

(63)  Annals  of  Dublin,  op.  Usher  (S^IL  Noi.  ad  Ep.  25.)  and 
Ware  Bishops  of  Dublin  at  Donatus. 

(64)  Ware  represents  hhn  (ib.  at  Patrick)  as  an  Ostman  or 
Dane  in  like  manner  as  he  had  Donatus,  *of  whom  we  have  seen 
already.  For  this  he  had,  as  far  as  I  can  discover,  no  authodtj 
except  the  mere  supposition,  that  the  bishop  of  a  Danish  city 
must  have  been  himself  a  Dane.  But  this  would  prove  too 
much  ;  for  the  two  OUanlys,  who  succeeded  Patrick  in  die  see 
of  Dublin,  are  acknowledged  to  have  been  Irishmen,  as  their 
name  sufficiently  proves,  that  is,  of  old  Irish,  not  Danish  fkmi- 
IIcs.  And  it  is  in  this  sense  that  I  s^y,  that  both  Donatus  and 
Patrick  were  probably  Irisli ;  for  according  to  another  acceptation 
the  Danes  themselves  of  these  times,  settled  in  Ireland,  m%ht 
b^  called  Irish,  as  having  been  bom  in  this  country.  It  is  also 
to  be  observed,  that  Dublin  was  not  quite  so  mudi  a  Danish  dty 
but  that  there  were  fkmilies  of  the  old  Irish  stock  living  in  lu 
And  it  appears  to  me  highly  probable,  that  its  clergy  were /it  thfa 
period  chiefly,  if  not  universally,  Irish.  The  Danes  were  too 
much  occupied  in  commerce,  piracy,  and  wars  to  spare  persons 
for  the  ecclesiastical  state ;  and  I  believe,  that  in  the  same  man- 
ner as  in  Gaul,  Italy  and  Spain,  after  they  were  conquered 
by  the  barbarians  of  the  North,  and  after  these  barbarians  be* 
came  Christians  and  Catholics,  the  clergy  consisted  for  a  consi- 
derable time  of  members  of  the  old  &milies  of  said  countries ; 
the  clergy  also  of  Ireland  that  lived  among  the  converted  Danes, 
were  usuaHy  cliosen  in  the  early  times  of  their  conversion,  irom 
the  famifies  strictly   called  Irish.    We  shall  see  an  instance  of 


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460    "      AN   ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY       CHAP.  XXIV. 

this  practice  in  the  caae  of  Malchut,  the  first  bishop  of  Water- 
ford.  To  return  to  Patrick,  hi»  name  is  certainly  Lrish,  not 
Scandinavian;  and  to  make  it  appear  more  strongly  so,  he  is 
called  Gilla  of  Gilla-Pairick  in  the  annals  of  the  4  Masters  at 
A.  1084  ap  AA.  SS.  p.  200. 

(65)  Annals  of  DubHu  ap    Usher,  Itw.  cii, 

(66)  In  the  Chronicon  Manniaeap.  Johnstone  (A pp.  to  Antiq. 
CelUhScand.  Sfc)  Godred  Crouan  is  said  to  have  been  son  of 
Harald  the  black  of  Iceland.     He  subdued   Mann,  and  after- 
wards attadced  Dublin,  which  he  got  possession  of  together  with, 
according  to  said  chronicle,  a  great  part  of  Leinster.     His  words 
are ;  **  Godredus  tubjugavU  sibi  DubliniAm  et  magnam  partem 
de  Laynestir — Regnavit  autem  sexdecitn  annos,  et  mortuus  est  in 
insula,    quae   vacatur   Yle*\    Usher,   who   quotes    this  passage 
fSi^U,  Sfc.  Not,  ad  Ep.  26.)  places  this  conquest  of  Dublin  in 
1066,  as  does  also  Ware  (Antiq.  cap.  24.)  ^iio  however  (Bi. 
shops  of  Dubliti  at  Patrick)  assigns  it  to  1070.     There  is  some 
reason  to  think  that  Gothric,  who  was  kiog  of  Dublin  in  1074> 
was  difieient  from  Godred  Crouan,  although  Uslier  and  Ware 
thought  otherwise.    For  in  the  first  place  he  is  called  son  not  of 
Harald  but  of  Regnal,  as  the  Ulster  annals  have,  or  of  Ranold, 
as  he  is  called  in  those  of  Innisfallen.    In  the  latter  annals  we 
read,  tl:at  in  the  year  1073  Godfrey  (Gothric)  son  of  Raiiold,  and 
king  of  the  Danes  of  Dublin,  attended  at  the  residence  of  Tur- 
lough  O'Drian,  king  of  Ireland,  and  submitted  to  liim  as  his  para- 
mount sovereign,    acknowledging   himself  as    a  vassal  prince. 
Then  they  state,  that  in  1075  he  was  banished  beyond  sea  by 
Turlogh,  and  that  returning  soon  afler  to  Ireland  with  a  great 
fleet  he  died.    This  does  not  agree  witli  what  the  Clironicle  of 
Mann  has  concerning  the  death  of  Godred  Crouan,  which   it 
places  ui  Yle,  that  is,  Ilay,  an  island  of  the  Hebrides.  The  state- 
ment of  this  chronicle  as  to  Godred,  Crouan  having  reigned  16 
years,  cannot  be  understood  of  Iiis  having  reigned  so  long  over 
Dublm ;  for  he  did  not  conquer  Dublin  until  1066,  whereas  the 
Danish  king  of  said  city,  whether  the  same  as  Godred  Crouan 
or  not,  died  in  1075,  as  is  marked  also  in  the  Annals  of  Ulster, 
which,  as  above  obser\ed,  call  him  son  of  J{egnal,  alias  Ranold 
or  Ranald.     By  the  bye,  Ware  had  noYight  to  change  the  date 
J075  into   1076;  for  it  i:^  that  also  of  the  Annals  of  Innisfallen. 

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CHAP.  XXIV.         ,  OF   IRELAND.  461 

The  16  yeu%  of  Godred  Crouan's  reign  must  tberefi)re  be  under- 
Hood  of  a  reign  over  Mann  and  some  of  the  Hebrides.  And 
one  might  be'  induced  to  suspect,  that  his  conquest  of  Dublin 
and  of  a  great  part  of  Leinsto*,  as  the  Chronicle  of  Mann  men- 
tions, was  merely  temporary,  and  that  the.  permanent  king  of 
Dublin,  who  was  there  b  1074  and  died  in  1075,  was  a  dif» 
ferent  person.  A  further  inquiry  into  this  matter  may  be  worth 
the  attention  of  some  of  our  antiquaries. 

(67)  This  letter  is  the  25th  in  Usher's  Sylloge,  and  the  36th 
among  Lanfrano's  letters  in  Dachery*s  edition  of  his  worios. 

(68)  It  must  be  considered  a  great  stretch  of  jn^umption  in 
the  Danesof  those  times  to  call  Dublin  the  metropolis  of  Ireland. 
The  most  they  could  have  said  of  it  was,  that  it  was  the  chief  dtj 
of  the  Danes  in  this  country.  It  might  seem  that  these  words  are 
an  interpolation  of  some  late  transcriber  of  the  letter,  introduced 
at  a  time  when  Dublin  was  really  the  metropolis,  and  for  the  pur* 
pose  of  directing  the  reader  not  to  confound  DublinemU  with  some 
other  name,  ex.  c,  DunelmensUy  as  has  happened  on  a  certain  oc- 
casion, of  which  elsewhere.  But  we  find  a  similar  expression  in 
Patrick's  profession  of  obedience.  Yet  it  is  to  be  remariced,  that 
it  does  not  occur  in  those  of  his  successors,  in  wliich  is  merely 
said  of  Dublin,  that  U  is  situated  in  Ireland. 

(69)  See  Usher's  note  on  said  letter,  Sylloge,  &c. 

(70)  The  OTiginal  of  this  profession  may  be  seen  ib.  towards  the 
end,  together  with  other  professions  of  some  bishops  of  Dublin^ 
Waterford,  and  Limeridc,  collected  by  Usher..  It  is  also  in  Ware's 
Bishops  of  Dublin  at  Patrick,  and  in  Wharton's  Anglia  Sacra^ 
Vol  1.  p.  80. 

(71)  The  English  translator  of  Ware  (ib.)  had  no  right  to  ren- 
der  Britanniarum  by  the  British  isles  Harris  has  mistranslated 
it  in  a  similar  manner.  That  name  means  nothing  more  than 
Great  Britain,  as  is  clear  from  the  oth^  professions  ap.  Usher,  in 
which  the  archbishop  of  Canterbury  pro  tempore  is  addressed  as 
totius  Britanniae  primaSf  primate  of  all  Britain.  Now  Ireland 
was  never  considered  as  a  part  of  Britain,  although  it  has  been 
sometimes  comprized  under  the  general  denomination  of  the  Bri* 
tish  islands  ;  nor  did  the  primacy  of  Canterbury  ever  extend  to  any 

^   portion  of  Ireland,  except  the  three  Danish  towns  above  men- 
tioned.   It  was  very  usual  with  old  writers  to  call  G.  Britain  Bri- 


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4M  AN  SCCLfittAtriOAL   HiSTOaT      CHAF.  XXTT. 

iMMliv,  irilhdiilllieteMiiBitftal#Mbttd»  in  the  i 
Mdftiilwiii<!iM«dOdMiA  UkuiCatttBiMhiiSiid;  Mtm€<i4 
HmtMy  tiAierA  Brikinmatt    Dr.  Mflnef ,  who  wodd  Ibin  owbe  ifae 
h^MM  Mkfve,  tlMH  te  fi4H4e  kiih  dmrdh  wm  lA  ftvnfeer  iumm 
MA>)«St  to  the  Me  of  C!tolet^ufy»  sayi^  (/n^Vjf,  B^e,  or  Fosr  m 
/>i;^i*(4  p.  164s)  thftt  Mybitt*  and  Pw^ctij  underscwd  bf  fi^ 
AMirMtf  tof!i  O.  BH^ttn  iHid  IMaiKi.    Heeopied  thisfton  Obm^v 
B.  XIII.  dl.  14.    But  both  of  them  iffieuld  hate  nid,  that  thaf 
atfed  «hem  the  BriHA  idamU,  (pee  f^il jhus^  Hisi.  L.  S.  |».  iO» 
Citaub.  and  Ptolefny,  Gfogr.  L.  %  m/A  B.  (a  Dame  not  tobe  oan- 
ihuihded  with  Brk/irmiae,  whidi,  together  with  manj  othtii' Wf^era, 
B<!de  ft|>pHed  toG.  Bfttam  alone,  ex. c.  L.  v.  cap.  24.  wherebe  \am 
BtHdnnitu  twicie,  as  when  he  says,  that  the  emperor  Cfawdas 
<*  Brihntnias  tniHens  plurimam  inntlae  partem  tn  dedkkiDen  re- 
ttfk  f  and  he  has  {ih.)  also  Btiinnniarum  in  the  same  KmiteA 
aeeeptation,  alkdrng  to  his  baring,  more  or  lesK,  gi^en  an  account 
af  the  eecletiasticd  Instory  and  state  of  eveiy  part  of  G.  BnCaiaaB 
w^  Northern  te  Sonthem.    I  need  scarcdj  tell  the  reaiter,  that 
Ale  ^fiyfsion  of  Britain,  When  tmdi^  the  Romans,  into  provmoaB» 
andi  a*  Britannia  prima,  Britannia  aecunda,  Ac.  gare  riM  to  ihe 
phtftd  name  BrUanniae.    It  is  trne  that  Ptolemj  fin  one  pkoeddli 
Ireland  Liule  Britain,   and  that  Apnleiiffi,   transkttfing  fioln  a 
Greek  passage,  in  which  the  two  Briti!^  islands  are  mentioned^ 
hit  i^anniae  daae.  (See  Usher,  p.  739,  7£40     Mat  an  odd*  in- 
atanoe  of  this  toil  is  not  sufTictent  to  overturn  the  fiict,  that  ia 
Bede*i  thne,  and  both  long  before  it  and  ever  since,  Ireland  was 
not  eomprized  under  the  name  Britanniae.    Accordingly  Laii- 
ftanc*t  being  styled  primate  of  the  Brilains  signifies  inerely>  ^hat 
ht  was  primate  of  all  G.  Britain,  a  title  which  had  been  iypfQ§ed 
by  lliomas,  archbi^vop-of  York,  and  which  was  hitreidaeed  into 
Patridc's  profession  probably  for  no  other  reason  than  to  attest  the 
•uperiority  of  Canterbmy  over  Yoric.     It  wouM  be  ridicrilous  fa 
Mppoae,  that  Lanfhmc  was  considered  as  primate  also  of  Ireland; 
whidi  had  then,  and  for  ages  before,  a  primate  of  her  own ;  nor 
does  there  appear  in  any  of  his  transactions  even  a  hmt  at  his  daiiaD- 
h^  su<*h  a  prerogative.    Dr.  Ledwich  (ArUiq.  Spe.  p.  428}  has  iw«!. 
lowed  theTnistranslation  of  Brttanniamm  in  tlie  EngKA  text  of 
Ware. 

(72)  In  die  other  professions  (j^  obedience  to  the  archlushop  of 


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OHMF.  IUT#  OF  mfiLAND#      ,  468 


f,  oolkcted  by  VOmm  Ihe  Sjflkgtt  #•  find  mm^M 
absolute  promite  of  submission,  without  any  reason  bamg  afln§iiai 
&r  it.  We  have  seen  already,  (Not  138  to  Chap,  xxiii.)  that  tbe 
aODlflftUHttcal  oonnenion  between  the  DAned  ^Ireland  and  CaiHer- 
Itey  did  not  begin  until  aA«r  the  Noi^BOttcoiiqueatia  1M6>  An4 
m  hat  bo^couM  it  have  b^un  sooner?  Is  it  to  be  8iippo4ed»  tfan^ 
tbof  would  h«ve  placed  themselvea  under  the  prelates  of  thAsec^ 
wi^e  the  An(^  Saxonsi  a  fiatien  with  whom  they  wei«  as  uueli 
flivariaDoe  m  with  tbe  Irish,  ruled  Engktud?  Perhaps  it  taaj  be 
said,  that  they  united  themselves  with  Canterbury,  prior  to  tbe 
reigpi  t£  Edward  the  Confessor  in  1042,  while  England  was  sub* 
jeet  to  the  Danisli  kings  for  somewhat  more  than  20  year^  Bat 
of  diis  there  does  not  exist  any  proof  whatsoever,  aad  it  would  be 
idle  to  speoiilate  on  a  circumstance,  which  is  not  menfaoned  in  aoj 
dboument.  The  roost  that  may  be  conjectured  is,  that,  after  the 
conquest  in  1066>  perhups  Donatus  ^tered  into  some  engi^g^ 
nlent  wifek  the  s^o  of  Canterbury,  and  that.it  was  arranged  beiero 
his  death,  that  h»  successor  should  be  consecrated  by  ica  arcii* 
bisfaop^  But  even  for  this  no  voucher  is  to  be  found.  There  mm 
two  er  thj^  words  ia  Lanfranc  s  letter  to  Gothric,  king  of  Diib^ 
lin^  which  may  seem  to  insinuate,  that  Patrick  was  not  the  fifst 
bishop  of  Dublin  consecrated  at  Canterbury.  Having  said  that 
he  had  consecrated  Patrick*  he  adds ;  ^*  we  have  sent  him  back 
to  hi^  see  with  letters  of  attestatbn  according  to  (he  practke  of 
our  predecessors,  more  aniecessorum  nostrvrum.  One  might  itta* 
gine,  that  Lanfranc  alluded  to  similar  letters  having  been  given 
to  other  bishops  of  Dublin  by  former  archbishops  of  Canterbury; 
and,  in^  fact,  said  words  are  placed  in  the  Annals  of  Dablin  ^ap. 
Usher,  Not.  nd  ^  25.  Syll,)  so  as  appansntly  to  convey  this 
meaning.  But  this  could  not  have  been  the  intention  of  Lan- 
ivanc ;  fbr,.  where  cm  any  account  of  such  letters  be  met  with  ? 
And  then  who  were  those  predecessors,  who  could  have  given  them? 
At  most  there  should  have  been  only  one  predecessor^  whereas 
there  nvas  only  one  bishop  of  Dublin  before  Patrick.  Lanfranc's 
wardi  must  therefore  be  understood  as  signifying  that,  inasmui^ 
as  it  f^as  Ihe  practice  of  the  arcLbishops  of  Canterbury  to  fumidi 
su^  bishops,  whoever  they  were,  as  they  had  consecrated,  with 
tertkaonial  letters,  he  followed  that  practice  with  regard  to  PWrick. 
It  was  requisite  to  inform  the  Danes  of  this  aistom,  as  they  were 


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464  IN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY      CHAP.  ZXir^ 

hkherCo  unaoquainted  with  the  fiMms  obsenred  by  metropolitaat 
k  sudicaiet. 

5*  VIII.  But  this  is  a  question  of  little  impoit^ 
ance  compared  with  the  extravagant  position  laid 
down  by  some  writers,  chiefly  English,  that  the 
archbishops  of  Canterbury  possessed  a  metropolitaot 
or,  at  least,  a  legatine  jurisdiction  over  the  Irish 
church  at  large,  ever  since  the  days  of  the  monk 
Augustin  down  to  these  times  and  even  later.  It  is 
strange,  how  such  a  notion  could  have  been  enter- 
tained, whereas  in  the  whole  range  of  our  ecclesias- 
tical history  there  is  not  a  single  instance  of  the 
exercise  of  such  power  on  the  part  of  Canterbury, 
nor  even  of  a  pretension  to  such  a  claim  with  rqsard 
to  any  part  of  Ireland,  except  Dublin,  Waterford, 
and  Limerick,  when  after  the  Norman  conquest  of 
England  the  Danes  of  these  cities  subjected  their 
bishops  to  that  see.  It  was  after  that  great  event, 
that,  as  far  as  I  can  discover,  the  idea  of  Canter- 
bury having  at  any  time  enjoyed  a  metropolitan  or 
primatial  jurisdiction  over  Irelend  was  first  started 
m  England.  This  was  in  a  council  held  at  Win- 
chester A.  D.  1072,  in  the  presence  of  William  the 
conqueror,  for  the  purpose  of  deciding  on  the  ques- 
tion of  the  primacy  between  Canterbury  and  York. 
In  it  Bede's  authority  was  alleged  to  make  it  ap- 
pear, that  until  his  times  Canterbury  was  possessed 
of  a  primatial  authority  not  only  over  Great  Bri- 
tain but  likewise  over  Ireland.  (73)  This  ridiculous 
assumption,  for  which,  speaking  of  primatial  or  me- 
tropolitan power,  there  is  not  a  single  argument  or 
even  hint  in  Bede's  works,  has  been  picked  up  by 
certain  authors,  who  brought  down  that  pretended 
jurisdiction  over  Ireland  to  a  later  ))eriod,  and  have 
imposed  on  some  otherwise  learned  writers.  (74*) 
As  this  nonsense  was  found  to  be  untenable,  an  at- 
tempt has  been  made  to  uphold  some  soit  of  predo- 
minance of  the  see  of  Canterbury  over  the  whole 

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CHAP.  XXIV.  OP  IRELAND.  465^ 

Irish  church,  and  hence  has  arisen  the  fable  that  ^ 
the  archbishops  of  that  see  had  constantly  claimedt 
from  the  times  of  Augustin,  a  legatine  power  over 
Ireland.  (75)  The  chief  foundation,  on  which  it  it 
built,  is  the  supposition  that  Pope  Gregory  the 
great  had  included  Ireland  among  the  countries, 
over  which  he  conferred  a  legatine  jurisdiction 
to  the  missionary  Augustin.  (76)  Now,  admitting 
for  a  while  that  he  had  done  so,  what  has  this  to  do 
with  the  rights  of  Augustine's  successors  at  Can-' 
terbury  ?  Surely  the  legatine  power  does  not  of 
itself  descend  to  the  successors  of  such  bishops  as 
may  have  been  invested  with  it.  Every  one  any 
wav  acquainted  with  the  Canon  law  knows,  that 
it  IS  usually  a  temporary  and  not  permanent  sort  of 
power  attached  to  any  see.  Gregory  did  not  de- 
clare, that  it  was  his  intention  that  the  successors  of 
Augustin  should  be  invested  with  said  power,  nor 
in  the  words,  by  which  he  granted  it  to  him,  has  he 
even  alluded  to  them.  Accordingly,  whatsoever 
were  the  places  or  countries  comprized  in  the  Pope's 
gratit  to  Augustin,  the  legatine  jurisdiction  was  pe- 
culiar to  Augustin  himself ;  nor  could  his  successors 
claim  it  as  a  right  inseparable  from  the  archbishopric 
of  Canterbury.  Hence  it  follows  that,  supposing 
even  that  Ireland  was  included  within  the  sphere  of 
Augustin's  jurisdiction  as  legate,  his  successors  were 
not  invested  with  any  power  relative  to  it.  (77) 

(7S)  See  Fleuiy,  Hist.  EccL  L.  61  $.  51.  The  assertion  made 
in  that  council  was  &lfe  even  as  to  a  oonsidenible  part  of  Great 
Britain.  For  the  jurisdictton  of  Canterbmy  did  not  in  fiMrnMr 
tines  extend  to  sudi  parts  of  North  Britain  as  had  not  belonged 
to  the  Angto-SaatoDS.  It  was  not  recognized  bj  the  British  Scots 
or  by  die  Northern  Picts,  whose  primate  was  for  centuries  no  other 
thsn  the  abbot  of  Hy«  But  I  am  not  writing  the  Church  h^Mty 
of  SeodrnkL 

(74)  Among  the  sbettors  of  that  foolish  positioaw«r^Caapte 

VOL«   m.  H   H 

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466  AN  ECCLESTASTICAL  HISTORY        CHAP.  XXIY. 

aad  Hanmer,  the  former  of  whom  wti  wdl  chaidted  by  Uaiw 
(tee  Not.  1S8.  to  Chap,  xxiii.)  and  the  latter  endted  the-ia- 
digiuaion  of  honest  Keating  (Hisioiy,  Sfc.  B.  2.  p.  loa  DobliB 
«/)•  For  an  answer  to  siiBOar  petty  writers  I  refer  the  readrr  to 
Harris,  Biikapt,  p.  312  and  526.  Cressy  has  the  same  stuff 
(Church  kisiatyt  Sfc.  B.  xiii.  ch.  I4s)  founding  it  oo  Lanfiomc's 
letter  above  mentioned  to  Gothric,  and  on  the  letter,  relative  t# 
the  see  of  Wateiford,  written  to  Anselm  in  1096;  as  if  all  Iie- 
land  consisted  only  of  Dublin  and  Waterford.  But  I  was  gictlj 
aurpriied  to  find  so  learned  a  man  as  Dadieiy  abetting  this  ab- 
surdity.  In  a  note  to  Laniranc's  Ep^  B.  he  says,  that  tba 
Irish  bishops  were  subject  to  the  see  of  Canteibury,  and 
as  a  proof  of  it  refers  to  the  professions  of  obedienoe  ool- 
lacted  by  Usher  in  the  S^Uoge,  not  knowing  that  Uibcr 
had  shown  elesewhere,  that  such  professions  were  confined  to 
Dublin,  Waterford,  and  Limerick.  And  in  a  note  to  Ep.  SS.  he 
fiates»  that  the  metropolitan  of  Ireland  was  subject  to  that  of 
Canterbury.  How  ignorant  Dadiery  was  of  our  ecdesiastiGal 
system  appears  fitmi  his  applying  (ib,)  to  Ireknd  what  Bede  has 
(Hid.  Sfc.  L.  c.  4.)  omcerning  the  bishops  of  North  Pictland  being 
subject  to  the  abbot  of  Hy. 

(75)  Who  was  the  inventor  of  this  story  I  do  not  know ;  but 
Dr.  Milner  has  retailed  it  to  us  in  the  place  quot^  above  (Noi. 
71.)  thus  modifying  the  system  of  his  fiivourite  Cressy.  But  some 
of  his  aiguments,  being  similar  to  those  of  Cressy,  would,  if 
good  for  any  thing,  prove  that  said  supposed  jurisdiction  was  not 
BMrdy  legatine,  but  likewise  metropolitan. 

(76)  Dr.  Miber  says,  that  the  archbishops  of  Canterbuiy 
daimed  this  jurisdiction  **  ever  since  the  time  of  St.  Augustine^ 
by  virtue  of  the  authority  over  all  the  Britauuy  coofoncd  by  St. 
Orsgoiy  upon  this  our  apost^"  Instead  of  ov^  off  Ale  <8fstetai^ 
he  should  have  written,  over  all  the  biihops  of  the  Britain  ;  for 
Gregor/s  words,  as  b  Bede,  (L.  1.  c.  27.)  and  whidi  are  quoted 
by  Dr.  Milner  himself^  are ;  <<  Britanmarum  vera  omnei  epitcopoi 
mat  fiateniitati  committimus."    For  the  word  Britannimrum  see 

'  fbove  Noi.lX. 

(77)  It  is  extraordinary,  that  Dr.  Milneir  coukl  have  aigoed 
fern  the  l^gatane  power  having  hten  conforred  upon  Angnstie, 


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CHAP.   XXIV.  or   IRELAND.  467 

that  it  wa«  derived  to  ali  fais  suocessois.  He  cannot  be  ignonuit^ 
x£  the  natare  of  that  tort  of  power;  and  as  to  the  fiict  of  its 
being  exercised  or  claimed  by  all  the  furchbiBhops  of  CanCerbuiy^ 
it  would  be  a  hopeless  task  to  attempt  to  prove  it.  We  have  had 
legates  apostolic  in  Ireland,  the  first  of  whom  was  GiUebert 
bishop  of  Limerick.  Have  the  subsequent  bishops  of  Limerick 
diereftire  pretended,  that  tliey  also  were  invested  with  the  lc;ga- 
tine  jurisdiction  ?  Or  have  the  successors  of  Su  M alachy  of  Ar» 
aiagh,  or  of  St.  Lawrence  of  Dublin,  both  legates  apostolic, 
claimed  that  dignity  ?  It  is  true,  that  with  r^^  to  England^ 
whenever  a  Pope  thought  fit  to  appoint  a  legate  for  that  amntiyt 
a  traditional  rule  was  observed  that  the  archbishop  of  Canterbury 
riiould  be  the  peiaon  ;  and  hence  it  waa  that  Guy,  archbishop  of 
Vienne,  who  in  the  year  1100  came  to  Enghmd  as  legate  apoa- 
tolic,  would  not  be  received  as  such.  But  this  was  a  system 
very  d^erent  from  that,  which  would  make  every  archbishop  of 
Canterbury  an  apostolic  legate.  If  such  were  the  -case,  a  new  act 
4if  the  Pope  would  not  have  been  necessary  for  granting  the  le- 
gatme  power  to  yi  archbishop  of  that  see.  Now  it  is  certain 
that  it  was;  and  Wo-find,  that  even  Lanfiranc  did  not  enjoy  it 
imtil  about  a  year  aftar  he  was  actually  archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury, when  lie  received  it,  and  relatively  to  England  alone,  finom 
Pope  Alexander  UL    (See^Fleury,  JU  61.  §.  S6.) 

§.  IX.  The  truth,  however,  is,  that  Ireland  was 
not  included  in  the  grant  of  the  legatine  juri8dictia& 
made  by  Pope  Gregory  to  Augustine.  The  first  le* 
gate  ever  placed  over  this  country  was  Gillebert, 
bishop  of  Limerick,  who  flourished  in  the  close  of 
the  eleventh  and  the  early  nart  of  the  twelfth  cen« 
tury.  (78)  No  argument  wnatsoever  occurs  to  show, 
that  Augustin  received  such  authority  with  regard  to 
Ireland,  except  the  misinterpretation  of  one  word, 
Britarmiarumy  which,  instead  of  being  understood, 
as  it  ought,  of  Great  Britain  alone,  has  been  oMde 
to  comprehend  likewise  Ireland.  (79)  Augostin'i 
legatine  power  was  confined  to  G.  Britain,  over  all 
whose  bishops  the  Pope  gave  him  an  authoritative 
right  of  inspection  and  superintendence,  and  tbat 

II  H  2  •  n        } 

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468  AN    ECCL£SIAliTICAL   HISXORT       CHAP,  XXIT. 

for  «  %'ery  good  reason,  viz.  that,  in  consequence  of 
the  Saxon  invasion  and  devastations,  religion,  eccle- 
aiasttal  discipline,*  and  morality  had  greatly  declined 
among  the  Britons.  (80)     On  the  contrary  the  Irish 
church  was  at  that  period  in  a  most  flourishing  state, 
abounding  in  saints  and  learned  men,  as  we  have 
saen  in  the  history  of  the  sixth  and  seventh  centuries, 
and  as  must  have  been  well  known  by  Augustin,  who 
was  then  so  near  us,  and  by  Pope  Gregory  himsd^ 
had  he  even  no  further  proof  of  it  than  the  extraor- 
dinary sanctity  and  reputation  of  St.  Columbanus  and 
his  companions,  who  were  already  in  the  continent. 
The  Irish  bishops  and  clergy  of  those  days  were  so 
attentive  to  their  duties,  that  there  was  no  neeesaity 
for  placing  a  superintendent  over  them.     So  far  from 
Augustin  having  meddled  with  the  ecclesiastical  af- 
fairs of  Ireland,  it  is  clear  that  he  did  not  enter  iota 
any  communications  or  correspondence  with  the  Irish 
prelates  or  abbots,  &c.  (81)     Hadl)^  thought  him- 
self invested  with  any  jurisdiction  over  the  bishops 
of  Ireland,  he  certainly  would,  at  least,    have  ap- 
prized  them  of  his  possessing  it.     Nor,  although 
some  of  our  old  writers  have  mentioned  certain  per- 
sons as  having  been  at  early  times  apostolical  legated 
for.  Ireland,  such  as  David,  an  archbishop  of  Ar- 
SMgh,  and  St.  Laserian  of  Leighlin,  (82)  yet  not 
a  word  is  to  be  found  in  any  Irish  document  of  Au- 
gtistin  having  ever  exercised  or  thought  of  exercising 
such  jurisdiction,  or  of  his  having  been  so  styled, 
with  regard  to  Ireland. 

(78)  See  St.  Bernard,  VUa  S.  Malachiae,  cap.  7. 

(79)  AmoBg  other  Questions  Augustin  had  asked  of  the  Pope  horn 
he  thouki  act  with  regard  to  the  bishops  of  the  Gads  and  4>f  the  Bri- 
4AaM ;  "  Qwfliier  debemus  cum  GalliarumBritanniaruimque  epu' 
apis  Mgeref^  The  Pope  answers,  that  he  gives  him  no  authcdty 
«Hbataoever  oyer  the  bishops  of  the  Gauls,  but  tella  him  that^  if  he 
•hpmld  happen  to  go  to  the  Gauls,  and  that  he  find  any 
bMops  >ginltj  of  DoiaooDduot,  he  may  admooish  and  advise  Ibem 

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CHAI*.  XXir.  M  IRELAND.  469 

to  reform  cheniftelves,  without,   howevo*,   aiisumtng  any  sort  of 
jurisdiction  over  them.    For,  he  says,  if  the  exerdae  of  authority 
be  necessary  to  recal  such  bishops  to  their  duty,  you  must  treat 
With  the  bishop  of  Aries  as  the  person  invested  with  power  over  the 
Gauls,  and  excite  him  to  act  with  vigour^    <*  But  we  entvust  all 
the  bishops  of  the  Britains  (BrUanniarum  vero  omnes  eptxcfot) 
to  your  fraternity,  that  the  unlearned  may  be  instructed,  the  weak 
strengthened  by  persuasion,  and  the  perverse  corrected  by  autho- 
rity.   (See  Interrog.  vii.  op.  Bede,  L.  I.e.  27.)     Here  there  is 
not  a  MTord  relative  to  Ireland,  and  it  is  a  pitiful  quibble  to  lay 
any  stress  upon  Augustin's  and  consequently  Gr^ory*s  having 
caDed  Great  Britain  by  the  plural  name  Britanniarum  in  the 
same  manner  as  they  gave  to  Gaul  that  of  GaUiarum*     Of  what 
consequence  is  it,  that  one  or  two  writers,  touching  on  the  topo- 
graphy  of  these  islands,  may  have  in  a  loose  manner  called  them 
Bntanniaef  Tlie  question  is  what  did  Augustin,  and  accordingly 
Gregory,  mean  in  using  that  name  on  an  occasion,  in  which  particu* 
lar  precision  was  requisite.    If  they  had  Ireland  at  all  in  view^ 
surely  they  would,  according  to  the  general  phraseology  of  the 
times,  have  added  Scotiuy  or  mentioned  the  bishops  of  the  Scots 
who  inhabit  Ireland,  as  Bede  does,  (L,  2.  c.  4.)  where  he  speaks^ 
of  the  letter  of  Laurentius,  &c  to  the  bisliops  of  Scotia  dr  Ire- 
land.    And  if  there  was  any  idea  of  Ireland  being  included  under 
the  Britanniarum  of  Angustm  and  Gregory,-  Bede  would  cer- 
tainly have  made  some  observation  on  it ;  but  such  a  noticH)  neve^ 
struck  him,  and  he  himsdf  used  that  word  as  abo  Britannza$  for 
Great  ^tain  alone.    (See  above  Nat.  710 

(80)  Fleury,  who  had  no  idea  of  Dr.  Milner's  iuterpretation  of 
Brkanniarum,  having  stated,  (L.  36*  §>  38.)  that  the  Pope 
granted  a  jurisdiction  to  Augustin  over  the  bishops  of  Britain^ 
adds ;  '*  Cetoit  les  ^v^ues  des  Bretons,  anciens  habitans  de  Tile, 
Chretiens  depuis  long-temps,  mais  tomb6s  dans  Fignorance  et  la 
corriiption  des  moeurs." 

(81)  This  is  sufficiently  dear  from  the  letter  of  Laurence,  ^c 
to  the  Irish  bishops  and  abbots  ap.  Bede  L.  2.  c.  4.  (see  Not.  233 
to  Chap*  XIV.) ;  for  in  it  th^  say,  that  they  did  not  know  that  the 
Irish  followed  ecclesiastical  practices  not  difierent  from  those,  of  « 
the  Britons,  unt3  they  learned  it  through  the  bishop  Dagan  after 
his  arrival  in  Britain.    If  Augustin,  who  was  dead  at  this  time. 


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470         AN    ECCLESIASTIC  AL    HISTORY        CHAF^  ZXIT« 


laul  hftd  iny  oomtpondoice  with  the  Iriih  prdatet»  this  iniot  aT 
iafonnadon  oould  not  have  continued  until  the  interrieir  took 
place  between  Laurence  Sec  and  Dagan. 

(M)  For  David  see  Chap.  x.  §.  IS.  As  for  Laserian  having 
been  styled  legatus  apostoiicu^  it  meant  originally  nothing  mofe 
than  that  he  had  been  deputed  to  Rome  as  a  messenger  or  ageot 
nlacively  to  die  Pasduil  question.  (See  Chap.  xv.  §.  9.) 

§.  X.  Another  argument  in  favour  of  the  pretended 
power  of  the  archbishops  of  Canterbury  has  been 
squeezed  from  the  civcumstance  of  Laurence,  the 
successor  of   Augustine,    having  written,  ti^ther 
with  Mellitus  and  Justus,  to  the  bishops  and  abbots 
of  Ireland  concerning  certain  Iiish  practices,  which 
they  thought  wrong,   and  from   an  observation  of 
Beae  that  Laurence,  by  so  doing,  extended  his  pas- 
toral solicitude  to  the  people  of  Ireland.  (8^)     Boi 
neither  in  said  letter  nor  in  Bede*s  remark  is  there 
any  thing  to  make  it  appear,  that  Laurence  acted  in 
the  capacity  of  an  apostolic  legate,  or  that  he  pre- 
tended to  any  jurisdiction  over  the  Irish  church. 
From  the  little  of  it  that  remains  it  is  evident,  that 
it  was  a  letter  merely  of  exhortation   and  advice, 
such  as  every  bishop  or  number  of  bishops  might 
write  to  other  bishops  without  claiming  any  authority 
over  them.     Innumerable  letters  of  this  kind  are  to 
be  met  with  in  ecclesiastical  history,  and  many  of 
them  written  even  to  Popes.     Laurence  assumes  no 
title  indicating  a  special  power  wjth  regard  to  the 
Irish  clergy,  and  calls  himself,  Mellitus,  and  Justus^ 
simply  bishops.     Were  it  to  follow  from  the  writing 
of  the  letter  that  Laurence  was  invested  with  juris- 
diction over  the  bishops  of  Ireland,   it  should  be 
allowed  that  so  were  also  Mellitus  and  Justus.     And 
as  to  Bede*s  expression  of  ea:tending  pastoral  solicit 
tude,  it  would  be  ridiculous  to  deduce  from  it,  that 
he  alluded  to  the  exercise  or  to  an  act  of  legatine 
power ;  for,  were  such  words  to  be  understrod  in 
this  manner,  some  thousands  of  bishops,  who  have 

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CHAP*  XXIX.  ^P    IRELAND*  471 

interfered  in  a  similar  way  with  those  of  other  pro« 
vinces,  should  be  styled  legates  apostolic.  If  ^de 
meant  to  exhibit  Laurence  as  acting  in  a  legatine 
capacity^  he  would  not  have  failed  to  tell  us»  that 
he  was  invested  with  a  particular  jurisdiction  of  that 
,3ort.  (84) 

To  prop  up  this  tottering  system  an  argument  of 
a  strange  kind  has  been  patched  up»  founded  on  a 
hypothesis,  for  which  there  is  not  the  least  foundation. 
It  IS,  that  the  reason,  for  which  Pope  Eugenius  II L 
sent  four  palls  to  Ireland  by  Cardinal  Paparo  in  tha 
year  1 15^,  was  to  protect  the  Irish  church  against 
the  claims  of  the  archbishops  of  Canterbury,  and 
that  thereby  it  should  be  recognized  us  independent 
of  any  foreign  jurisdiction  except  that  of  the  see  of 
Rome.  This  must  be  the  invention  of  some  modem 
stickler  for  English  ecclesiastical  predominance  over 
Ireland  ^  for  there  is  not  even  a  hint  at  such  a 
motive  tor  palls  having  been  sent  to  Ireland  in  any 
genuine  account  of  those  times  relative  to  said 
transaction  ;  nor  are  any  pretensions  of  Canterbury 
at  all  spoken  of  as  having  had  any  thing  to  do  with 
the  granting  of  said  palls.  (85)  But  of  them,  and 
how  and  why  they  were  granted,  more  in  the  proper 
phice. 

(85)  Bede  L.  2.  c.  4.  where  the  reader  will  find  the  beginniog^ 
of  said  letter,  which  has  been  mentioned  above,  Not,  79  and 

(84)  Itmust  havebeenoo  anuBinterpretation  of  thesewoids  of 
Bede  that  the  pretended  daim  of  the  see  of  Canterbury  to  prima^ 
iitd  jurisdiction  ov^  Ireland,  allied  m  the  council  of  1072  at 
Wincfaester,  (see  above  $.  8«)  was  chiefly  founded.  Dr.  Mihier 
confines  the  meaning  of  them  to  the  legatine  pofwer  over  IrehuML 
Bat  I  think  I  have  sufficiently  shown,  that  they  do  not  mean  either 
the  one  or  the  other.  The  fact  is,  that  Laurence  &c,  in  writing 
to  the  Irish  prdates  ccmducted  themselves  in  a  manner  quite  si- 
milar to  that,  in  which  Gregory  the  great  told  Augustin  that  ho 
0i^t  act  wkh  regard  to  the  bishops  of  the  Gauls,  viz,  by  wmj  of 


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475i  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY        CHAP.  XXIV. 

•dmonkion  and  sdnoe,  wkfaout,  howeveri  pretending  to  mj  jrh 
tboritj  over  them ;  (See  Not.  79.)  and  indeed  every  biihop  may 
do  tlie  fame.  Dr.  Milner  then  brings  £)rward,  fitNo  Ctemy^  Lm- 
irtnc's  jurisdiction  over  Patrick,  bishop  of  Dublin,  and  the  letter 
to  Ansehn.  (See  Not,  74.)  But  of  these  arguments  enoi^  ha* 
been  said  already ;  and  I  shall  only  add  that,  if  they  could  prove 
any  thing  with  regard  to  a  jurisdiction  over  all  Irdand,  it  would 
be  that  Lanfhmc  and  Anselm  were  really  our  primates  as  wefl  as 
of  England* 

(65)  Dr  Milner  has  (loc.  cit,)  this  paradoxical  statement,  which 

I  coo&ss  I  never  lieard  of  before.    He  must  have  tidcen  it  trom 

some  EngKsh  writer ;  but  who  tie  was  we  are  not  informed.    Dr« 

Miber  was  answering  some  ridiculous  and  fidse  positions  of  Led- 

wioh  with  r^ard  to  Plaparo  having  come  to  Ireland,  bnx^t 

paOs,  Ac^  for  the  purpose  of  extinguidiing  our  ancient  doctrinea 

and  disdfdine.  (See  his  Antiq.  8f(u  p.  444.)    It  would  have  been 

easy  to  refute  and  expose  Ledwich's  nonsense ;  but  Dir.  Miber 

contents  himself  with  saying,  that  *<  the  bestowing  of  palls — ^was  not 

*<  in  fact,  nor  was  it  considered  any  subjection  of  the  Churdi  of 

'*  Lreland  to  that  of  Rome.     On  the  contrary,  it  was  a  dignity 

**  and  an  immunity  from  foreign  jurisdiction  conferred  qxin  it ;  ia 

'*  asmudiasthearchbishopof  Canterbury  fiw  the  time  being  had 

*^  daimed  a  legatine  jurisdiction  over  Lr^knd  ever  since  the  time 

'<  of  St.  Augustfne,"  &c    Then  he  adds;  <<  Accoidingly  the  IriA 

**  prelates,  and  St.  Malachy  in  particular,  had  earnestly  solicitecl 

**  the  court  of  Rome  to  send/certain  palls  to  the  Church  of  bdand 

*<  asthe  proof  of  her  immediate  dependance  on  the  see  apostofic'*^ 

This  is  surely  a  strange  sort  of  refutation,  to  which  poor  Ledwic^ 

might  have  made  a  puzzling  rqily,  if  he  were  acquainted  with  ther 

subject.    Where,  in  the  name  of  wonder,  did  Dr.  Milner  find, 

tbit  St.  Maladiy*s  reason  for  applying  for  the  pall  was  to  get  rid 

of  the  daima  of  Canterbury?    In  the  whole  of  his  Li&  \q  St. 

Beraaid  there  is  not  a  word  about  Canterbury  or  its  ardibishops» 

not  even  n^iere  an  account  b  gtven  (cttp.  xi.)  of  St  Makcfa/a 

conveisation  with  Pope  Itmocent  IL  concerning  the  palk,  whidt 

h^  requested  to  get  /or  Armagh  and  Cashel.    These  is  a  good 

deal  said  by  Keatii^  (B.  S.)  ami  by  Colgan  (AA.  S&  p.65^ 

and  775,  teqq.)  with  quotations  from  old  Annals,  about  the  paQ» 

brought  by  Piqr>aFo ;  but  not  oven  an  allusion  is  made  to  their 


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CHA^.  X)UV.  OF   IRBLAKD.  i7S 

hsving  been  sent  as  marks  of  pix^tectioD  agamst  Canteribuiy  m 
any  other  see  in  the  woiid.  Dr.  Mflner  tdls  us  that  Hofedatt 
complains  at  A.  1151,  that  the  granting  of  tbt  four  palls  to  Ae 
Irish  metropolitans  was  contrary  to  the  andent  custom  and  the 
dignity  of  the  diurch  of  Cantai)ury>  and  quotes^  as  fitxn  hihi) 
these  words ;  '^  Hoc  factum  est  contra  antiquam  consnetudiDom  et 
dignitatem  Cantuarensis  ecdesiae."  Now  Hoveden  has  not  made 
any  such  complaint^  nor  has  he  said  words  at  A.  1151.  All  Aat 
he  sa3rs  in  substance  at  said  year  is,  that  four  paBs  were  sent  to 
Ireland,  to  which  palls  had  never  been  brought  before.  But  he 
makes  no  observation  on  that  occuwence.  Somebody,  noraaltar 
who,  may  have  said  what  Dr.  MDner  ascribes  to  Hoveden ;  yet  hia 
meaning  might  have  been  relative  merely  to  the  churdi  of  Dublin^ 
which,  in  consequence  of  its  being  distinguished  by  the  pall,  be- 
came exempt  from  the  jurisdiction  of  Canterbuiy. 

§.  XI.  Not  to  enlarge  furtlier  on  this  subject,  tbe 
fact  is  that  the  power  exercised  by  Lanfranc,  in 
consecrating  Patrick  and  receiving  his  profession  of 
canonical  obedience,  was  not  of  the  legatine  but  of 
the  metropolitan  kind  according  to  the  then  general 
practice  of  the  church,  which  Patrick,  having  beco.me 
a  suffi^an  of  the  see  of  Canterbury,  submitted  to. 
On  his  returning  to  Ireland,  Lanfranc  gave  him 
testimonial  letters,  as  usual,  attesting  his  consecra- 
tion, (86)  together  with  two  private  Tetters,  one  for 
Gothric,  king  of  Dublin,  and  the  other  for  Ter- 
delvac,  who  is  stvled  the  magnificent  king  of  Ire- 
land. (87)  Gothric,  although  called  kingt  was  at 
this  time  a  vassal  of  Terdelvac,  or,  as  he  is  usually 
named,  Turlogh,  having  submitted  to  him  as  his 
liege  sovereign  in  1073.  (88)  Turlogh  was  son  of 
T^e,  or  Thaddaeus,  a  son  of  Brian  Boroimhe,  who* 
was  killed  in  1023  at  the  instigation  of  his  own 
brother  Donogh.  (89)  We  have  seen  that  Donogh 
became  king  of  Leth-Mogha  in  1026.  (90)  Among 
many  other  wars,  in  which  he  was  engaged  during 
his  reign,  he  had  often  to  contend  against  his  ne* 
phew  Turlogh,  who  was  a  very  valiant  prince.     His 

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4t4  AS  ECCLESIASTlCAt  HISTORY        CHAP*  XXiV. 

kingdatB  was  gimdually  reduced  to  Munster,  irhkh 
aba  he  losi  in  1064t  having  been  dethroned  ;  upon 
which  he  went  to  Rome,  where  he  died,  seemingly 
not  hmg  after,  a  great  penitent  in  the  monastery  of 
St.  Stephen.  (91)     Turlogh  was  immediately  pro- 
datmed  king  of  Munster,  and  after  some  short  time 
entered  into  a  league  with  the  celebrated  king  of 
Leinster  Dermod  Mac-Maol-na-mbo,  thus  confirming 
their  motual  power    until    107^2,  in   which  year 
Dermod  was  killed  in  the  battle  of  Odhba  iu  MeatJi, 
fighting  against  Connor  O'Maolseachlin    king  of 
Jileath,  Mac-Gilla-Patrick,  O'Ferral,  &c«  (92)  i^fier 
this  event    Turlogh    marched   into    Ossory,  Hy- 
Kinselaffh,  and  other  parts  of  Leinster,  and,  hanng 
received  hostages  from  all  parts  of  that  province, 
became  master  also   of  Dublin,  (93)  whose  king  or 
prince  Godfrey,  or  Gothric  did,  as  above  mentioned, 
m  the  following  year  acknowledge  himself  his  vassal. 
Turlogh  continued  gradually  to  add  to   his  pre- 
ponderance over  the  remaining  parts  of  Ireland.    In 
1073  and  1074  he  brought  Meath  under  his  vassal- 
age, in  1075  and  1076  Connaughtand  Breffhy,  and 
in  1079  and  1082  finally    Ulster,   (94)  so  that  by 
this  time  he  might  be  justly  styled  king  of  all  Ire- 
land, as  indeed  lie  has  been.     And  as  such  he  wts 
known  in  the  continent,  as  appears  from  a  letter 
written  to  him  by  Pope  Gr^ory  VII.  Lanfranc  in 
his  letter  to  him  praises  him  most  highly,  and  con- 
{^tulates  the  people   of   Ireland  on  their  being 
blessed  bv  God  with  so  good  a  king.     **  Our  brother 
"  and  fellow  bishop  Patrick**  he  adds,  "  has  related 
**  so  many  and  such  great  good  things  concerning^ 
"  the  pious  humility  of  your  grandeur  towards  the 
^*  good,  strict  severity  against  the  bad,  and  your 
**  most  discreet  equity  with   regard  to  every  dc- 
**  scription  of  persons,    that,   although   we  have 
"  never  seen  You,  yet  we  ^ove  You  as  if  we  had, 
**  and  wish  to  consult  your  interest  and  to  render 


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CHAP*  XXIV.  OF  lEKLANP*  475 

**  You  our  most  sincere  aeirice,  ••  if  we  had  iteii 
^*  You  and  intimately  known  You/' 

(86)  See  above  Noi.  72. 

(87)  Usher  seems  (Discourse  of  the  Religion^  Sfc.  ch.  8,)  to 
eoofound  these  two  letters  with  the  testunooial  letters  mentioned 
by  Lanfranc  in  the  one  to  Gothric  But  fixxn  the  text  of  this  letter 
k  is  plain^  that  they  were  different.  He  calk  them  oommenda^ 
tory  letters.  That  to  Gothric  is  such ;  but  the  other  to  Turlo|^ 
contains  no  direct  recommendation  of  Patrick.  Hiey  are  m  the 
SjfUoge  at  Nos.  26  and  27.  and  in  Lanfranc's  Works  under  Ep* 
87  and  88.  Harris  has  given  them  in  English  at  Patrick,  Bishops 
of  Dublin  But  he  followed  Baronius'  edition  of  them,  which  is 
not  as  correct  as  Usher's. 

(88)  ^See  Not.  66. 

(89)  Annals  of  Innisfallen  at  A.  1023. 

(90)  See  Chap,  xxiii.  ^.  12.     . 

(91)  Annals  of  Innisfallen  at  A.  1064.  I  do  not  understand, 
why  Dr.  O'Conor  (Colurnbanus  2d  Letter^p.  80.)  places  Donogh's 
dethronement  and  flight  to  Rome  in  1047>  whereas  the  Annals 
now  quoted,  which  are  allowed  to  be  the  best  authority  for  the 
afturs  of  Munster,  positively  assign  it  to  1064,  at  which  year  they 
mark  also  the  accession  of  his  successor  Turlogh.  Besides,  they 
frequently  make  mention  of  him  as  being  in  Ireland  several  yean 
later  than  1047,  and  exhibit  him  as  fighting  even  in  1063  against 
Turk>gh.  The  Dr.  says,  (ib.  p.  81.  and  85)  that  Donogh  died  in 
1064.  Perhaps^hc  did ;  but  that  was  certainly  likewise  the  year 
of  his  departure  for  Rome.  Keating  says,  (^.  2.  a  little  afler  the 
beginning)  that  about  77  years  before  the  English  invasion  Donogh 
went  to  Rome  with  a  commission  from  the  principal  nobih'ty  and 
gentry  to  offer  themselves  as  subjects  to  that  see.  His  chronology 
H  not  worth  attending  to ;  for,  at  the  time  he  mentions,  Donogh 
diould^have  been  about  100  years  of  age.  But,  passmg  by  other 
absurdities,  Donogh  had  no  such  offer  to  make,  as  if  a  man,  so 
much  disliked  as  he  was  in  Ireland,  and  who  was  expelled  from  hit 
provincial  kingdom,  would  have  been  invested  with  a  commission 
of  that  kind.  And  as  to  his  offering  all  Ireland  to  Rome,  it  is  too 
ridicuk>u8  a  story  to  be  at  all  listened  to. 


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4T6  AM  BOCLBilASTICAL   HISTOtlY      cHAP^  HXIT^ 

(M)  ftMd  Annals  at  ^.lOT^  Waie  (i^iKif.  cop.  4.)  hat  1075 
aeooRUng  to  hk  modacfadiliBgwitliout  aeoesnty  a  jtertodates. 
He  rapraaenta  Darmod  as  king  of  all  Ireland ;  but  the  quoted  an- 
-  nab  do  not,  adling  him  long  of  Leinster;  nor  does  OTIaheny, 
who  makes  mention  of  him  in  the  Ogygia  (Part.  iii.  cap.  94.)  as  a 
pAact  sometimes  called,  by  a  sort  of  courtesy,  king  of  Ireland. 
Beskfos  being  king  of  Leinster,  Dermod  was,  according  to  these 
annals  (ihj  sovereign  of  Dublin  and  of  the  Danish  isles,  wfaidi 
musty  I  suppose,  be  understood  of  his  having  possessed  a  supreme 
power  over  the  Danish  kings  or  princes  as  hia  vassals  and  de- 
pendents. 

(93)  Said  Annals,  ib. 

(94)  See  said  Annals  at  the  respective  dates. 

§•  XII.  Lanfranc   then  says,  that  among  many 
tbingSy  which  pleased  him,  he  was  informed  of  some 
that  did  not^  viz*  1  .that  in  Terdeivac's  kingdom  men 
quit  their  lawful  wives  without  any  canonical  cause, 
and  take  to  tliemselves  others,  although  near  to 
them  or  to  the  deserted  wives  in  consanguinity,  and 
even  women  who  had  been  in  like  manner  abandoned 
by  their  husbands.     He  makes  the  same  complaint 
in  his  letter  to  Gothric  as  to  hfs  kingdom,  that   is, 
Dublin ;  and  it  is  the  only  one  he  particularizes  in 
it,  where  he  further  observes  that  some  men  used  to 
exchange  wives.     There  is  every  reason  to  think, 
that  these  abuses  were  confined  chiefly  to  the  Danes, 
whose  Scandinavian  ancestors  and  brethren,  even  of 
these  times,  were  known  to  be  very  loose  in  this 
respect ;  and,   although   Lanfranc   st)eaks  of  Ter- 
delvac's  kingdom,  yet  we  may  fairly  suppose  that,  as 
to  these  abominations,  he  alluded  to  that  part  of  it, 
which  was  held  by  Gothric  under  him.  (95)     For  it 
can  hardly  be  imagined,  that  the  kings  or  clergy  of 
Ireland  at  large  would  have  tolerated  pl*actices  so 
contrary  to  the  canons  of  their  church,  which  canons, 
bein^  considered  as  enacted  by   St.  Patrick,  were 
held  in  the  greatest  respect.  (96)     Yet  with  regard 
to  one  point  touched  upon  by  Lanfranc,  riz.  mar- 

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CHAF.  XXIT«  OP   IB8LAND*  477 

rjing  within  the  prohibited  degrees  of  oonsfliiguiaity 
and  affinity,  ^some  of  the  Irish  elergy  seem  not  to 
have  extended  said  degrees  as  far  as  the  Canon  hnr 
then  generally  followed  required,  but  to  have  been 
content  with  those  laid  down  in  the  18th  chapter  ^f 
Leviticus.    ("97)    The   other  practices,   which  dis^ 
pleased  Lanfranc,   were,  '2.  That  bishops  were  eon- 
secrated  by  one  bishop.     3.  That  infants  were  bap* 
tized  without  consecrated  chrism.     4.  That   holy 
orders  were  given  by  bishops  for  money.     He  re- 
presents these,  together  with  the  abominations  under 
No.  1,  as  abuses  contrary  to  Evangelical  and  Apoa* 
tolical  authority,  to  the  injunctions  of  the  sacred 
canons,  and  to  the  institutions  of  all  the  orthodox 
Fathers.      The  fourth   is   certainly   repugnant  to 
every   authority,    divine    and   human,   and   was  a 
disgrace   to  the  Irish   churdi  as  well  as  to  many 
other  churches  of  those   times ;  but  not   so   the 
second  and  third,  which,  had  Lanfranc  known  the 
reason  of  them,  would  have  appeared  to  him  per- 
fectly   harmless.      There    is  nothing   contrary  to 
Evangelical  and  ApostoUcal  authority  in  a  bishop's 
being  comecrated  by  one  only  bishop^  a  oireum- 
stance  which  has  ofiten  occurred,  and  which  must 
kave    frequently  taken  place  in   the  times  of  the 
Apostles,  and  in  the  commencement  of  missions^ 
when  there    happened    to    be  one   bi^op  alone 
employed  in  founding  new  chunches.      But  Lan- 
franc was  not   aware,  that  the  Irish  still  retained 
the  order  of  Chorepiscopit  a  description  of  eccle- 
siastics, which  was  kept  up  longer  in  Ireland  thaa 
in  any  other  part  of  Christendom,   although '  this 
fact  was  unknown  to  many  eminent  church  hia- 
torians  and  canonists.      Now  the  persons,  called 
bishops  by  Lanfranc,  who  used  to  be  consecrated  by 
only  one  bishop,  were  in  reality  chorepiscopif  whom 
the  Irish  were  wont  to  style  bishops  in  the  same 
inanoer  as  they  called  the  ordinaries  of  r^lar  seat* 
As  kmg  as  that  order  existed^  it  was  lawful  in  virtue 

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47t         AN   ECCLESIASTICAL   HISTORY        CHAP.  KEir« 

of  ft  ftaBding  canon   of  the  Churcfat  for  a  single 
\mhop  to  consecrate  the  members  of  it*  (98)     Witk 
Tf^gard  to  baptizing  without  chrism,    Lanfiranc  was 
greatly  mistaken  in  supposing,  that  either  the  Apos- 
tles or  Evangelists,  or  all  the  Fadiers  and  canons 
had  prescribed  the  use  of  chrism  in  baptism.     In 
itself  it  is  not  a  rite  at  all  essential  to  the  validity  of 
this  sacrament.     Nor  was  it  in  early  times  practised 
in  baptism,  but  immediately  after  it  as  belonging  to 
Conmtnation,  which,  as  long  as  baptism  continued 
to  be  performed  by  bishops,   or  if  a  bishop  were 
present,  used  to  be  administered  by  them  to  the 
persons  just  baptized.  (99)     But  after  the  duty  of 
tNiptixing  devolved  chiefly,  and  almost  universally  on 
priests,  a  custom  was  gradually  introduced  into  the 
/Western  church  of  using  chrism  among  the  cere- 
monies of  baptism  itself,  as  an  imitation  of  its  use  by 
the  bishop  when  confirming  the  baptised ;  but  with 
this  difference,  that  the  priest  applies  the  chrism  to 
the  top  of  the  head,  whereas  the  bishop  used  to 
apply  It  to  the  forehead  of  the   baptized  as  a  very 
material  rite  of  the  sacrament  of  Confirmation.  ( lOO; 
It  seems,  however,  to  have  not  been  practised  in 
Ireland  at  any  time  prior  to  those  we  are  now  treating 
of ;  whereas  it  was  not  considered  as  necessary,  no 
more  than  some  other  ceremonies,  which  in  some 
churches  were  added  in  the  administration  of  baptism, 
but  which  have  since  fallen  into  disuse.  (101) 

(95)  Usher  obsares  (Nate  on  the  leUer  to  TerdehaeJ  that  the 
^ptacdce  ofdismiamng  wives  prevailed  also  among  the  Anglo-Saxons 
and  in  Scotland.  The  abooonable  custom  of  sdling  wives  8t21  kept 
«p  in  England  is  a  remnant  of  it. 

(96)  The  most  that  any  Iri^  canon  aOowed  was  the  dismisnl 
^amie  on  account  of  adultery,  and  the  injured  husband's  taking 
another.  In  the  26th  of  what  i»  called  the  Sjifnod  ofl^.  PatrM 
this  is  permitted;  "  Audi  Dominum  dicentem-— non  lioet  viro  di- 
•loittere  uxoreih  nisi  ob  cansam  fbmicationis ;  ap  si  dicat,  ob  banc 
eausam.     Unde>  si  ducat  alteram  velut  post  mortem  prions,  noi^ 

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CHAP.  IfXlV.  OF   IRELAND.  ^         470 

Teta&t;*  Yet  in  fmather,wkioh  it  the  5th  of  tfiote  attributed  to  St. 
FiBtrick  aloiM,  a  man  is  prohibited  fi-om  taking  aoother  wife  as  Umg 
as  the guil^ one  is  living.  It  isaddedthat,  if  sherepen^  he^iall 
reoeiTe  her,  and  she  shall  serve  him  as  a  handmaid,  and  do  pe- 
nance for  a  whole  year  in  bread  and  water,  and  that  by  mcasnrc; 
but  that  they  are  not  to  remain  in  ooe  bed ;  <<  Si  alieujos  uxor  for- 
**  nicata  fuerit  cum  alio  viro,  non  adducet  aUam  uxorem  q^tfitiJiM 
^  viva  fuerit  uxor  prima.  Si  forte  oonversa  fuorit  e(  agat  poeniten- 
**  tiarn,  susdpiet  earn,  et  serviet  ei  in  vicem  andllaa,  et  annuat 
^  integrum  in  pane  et  aqua  per  mensuram  poeniteat,  nee  in  uno 
**  lecto  permaneant.*'  As  to  women,  who  quitting  their  husbands 
join  themselves  to  other  men,  they  were  excommunicated,  aeeoid* 
ing  to  the  19th  canon  of  the  Sjmod  of  Patrick,  Auxilius,  and 
Isseminus;  ^*  Mulier  Christiana,  quae  aoceperk  virum  honeatv 
**  nuptiis,  et  postmodum  discesserit  a  primo,  et  junxerit  se  adttl- 
'<  terio,  quae  haec  fecit  excommunionis  sit" 

(97)  The  29th  canon  of  the  so  called  Synod  of  St  Ftdxitk  is 
entitled  Of  consanguinity  in  marriage,  and  runs  thus ;  ^'  Undsr- 
irtand  what  the  Law  speaks,  not  less  nor  moie.  But  what  is  ob- 
served among  us,  tliat  four  kinds  be  divided,  they  say  they  havte 
neither  seen  nor  read.  InUUigite  quid  lex  hquttur^  nan  mimu 
nee  plus.  Q^od  auiem  observatur  apud  nos,  ut  guahtcr  gemerm 
iividantury  nee  vidisse  dicunt  nee  legisse"  By  those  who  sa^  th4y 
have  not  seen,  &c.  are  apparently  meant  the  persons  who  compoiod 
that  synod.  What  they  caliybur  kinds  is  the  same  as  the  feur 
d^;rees  of  the  canonists ;  (although,  by  the  bye,  they  weve  matt 
than  feur  in  Lanfranc*s  time)  and  hence  it  appears,  that  the  theoiy 
of  them  was  known  in  Ireland,  and  it  looks  as  H  they  were  at- 
tended to  in  practice  by  some  persons.  This  shows,  that  St 
Patrick  had  nothing  to  do  with  said  canon ;  for  in  his  time  th^ 
prohibited  degrees  did  not  extend  so  fer.  Whoever  were  the  au- 
thors of  it,  they  seem  to  have  drawn  it  up  for  the  purpose  (^  re- 
straining the  prohibited  degrees  within  the  bounds  of  Leviticus. 

(98)  See  Not,  104.  to  Chap.  xi. 

(99)  Of  this  practke  we  have  seen  a  remaricable  instance  m. 
what  St  Pttrick  has  m  his  epistle  against  Coroticus.  (See  Chap. 
VI.  $.  10.  wodib.  Not.  102.) 

(100)  Beflarmine,  speaking  of  the  ceremonies  that  foUow  bap- 
4m,  {De  Sacramento  haptisme^  cap.  27.)  explains  this  matter 


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480  AK  ECCLE8USTICAL  BISTORT         CHAP.  XXIT« 

wywallinafcirwofds:  <<  SecandaaH,  anotio  Ghnnnatig  in rer- 
ticB;  quae  quid—  introdmcta  Tidetur,  qitk  noo  semper adeit  epk- 
capoMf  qui  ponit  ooatinuo  dare  pott  bapdmum  sacmnentum  ooa- 
ftrmatinaii  Ueo  coon  iDterim  ungitiir  baptixatm,  Don  gtiidew  m 
fionta^  aed  in  folBoe,  duianiateabepifcopoconflecfBto.'' 

(101)  h  k  ]aughid>le,  although  likewise  Texatious,  to  hear  cer- 
feain  poletmoal  pigmies  of  our  days  deducing  a  diversity  of  religiotis 
tenets  fiom  a  diffisranoe  of  practices  in  matters  not  at  all  essentiaL 
Ledwichy  who  is  constantly  teazing  the  reader  with  nonsense  of 
tUs  sort,  alleges,  {p.  4^)  as  a  proof  of  difierence  of  tenets,  thaft 
the  Romanists,  as  he  calls  them,  used  chrism,   exorcism,  and 
other  ceraflMNiies  in  baptism,  whidi  the  Irish  and  Britons  did  not* 
In  the  first  place  it  is  fidse,  that  the  Irish  and  Britons  did  not  use 
eaordsm.     And  where  did  he  find,   that  the  Britons  omitted 
Gfaiism?  Perhi^  they  did;  but  he  had  no  ri^  to  assert  it    In 
said  page  he  has  some  horrid  theological  bunding  in  certain  re- 
roarlDB  he  makes  on  Lanfianc's  letter  to  Domnald  bishop  of  Cadiel, 
(of  which  above  $•  6.)  not  Donat  of  Dublin,  as  he  sajrs.    Havii^ 
observed  that  Lanfi«nc  allows  laical  baptism  in  the  article  of  death, 
(he  should  have  said  danger  of  death)  Ledwich  pronounces,  that    . 
the  Graek  church  and  the  Irish  never  admitted  it.    As  to  the  Irish 
chwofa,  nothing  can  be  more  false,  as  appears  fimn  that  veiy  let- 
tar,  in^which  Lanfhmc  argues  fimn  the  practice  <^  lay-baptism  in 
cases  of  necessity,  as  a  matter  well  known  and  admitted  by  Dom- 
nald, that  baptism  was  considered  sufficient  fin*  the  salvation  of  in- 
fimts  without  the  eudiaristical  communion*  That  the  Greek  church 
did  not  adnnt  it  is  equally  fidse,  and  it  does  admit  it  at  present, 
although  the  Greeks  are  rath^  over-scrupukws  in  not  easily  per- 
mitting' baptism  to  be  administered  by  a  lay  person*     (See  Re* 
naudot  hi  La  PerpetuUS  de  la  Foy,  Tom.  v.  L.  S.  dl«  1,  8,  S.) 
It  was  in  mgent  cases  umversally  aUowed  in  every  part  of  the 
Christian  churdi,  as  Bingham  states,  (Origmeiy  Sfc  B,  ii.  ck.  SKK 
seeL9.  BsidB.jii.ch.  4.  sedA.)  ahhoogh  he  mentions  two  or  three 
exceptions.     Even  Calvin,  notwithstanding  his  not  ^thinking  it  ne- 
cessary, according  to  his  new  ideas  of  the  nature  of  baptism,  ac- 
knowleci^es  that  from  the  veiy  commencement  of  the  Church  it 
was  usual  for  lay  persons  to  baptize,  when  there  was  danger  of 
death,  in  cape  a  clergyman  was  not  at  hand;  ^*  Q^od  mUm  wmkk 
ahkinc  sectdii,  adeoque  ab  ipiofgre  Ecelesiae  exordio  Uiu  recei^ 


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CMAK  XXIV.  OF   IRELAND.  481 

turn  Juit,  ut  in  perictdo  mortis  laid  baptizarent,  si  minister  in  ttm- 
pare  non  adesset,**  Ac  {Instii.  L.  4.  cap,  15.  $.  20.}  So  much 
for  Dr,  Ledwich's  theological  erudition  as  to  lay  baptism.  Another 
fidse  assertion  (ib.)  is,  that  from  said  letter  <^  it  is  erident,  that 
the  Irish  believed  the  reception  of  the  Eucharist  immediately  after 
baptism  indispensably  necessary  to  salvation.**  Is  it  possible  that 
a  man  can  be  so  bareftured  as  to  advance  such  a  position  ?  Dom- 
nald  had  merely  inquired  of  Lanfranc,  whether  a  similar  opinicmy 
alluding  to  infants,  was  held  any  where  in  England  or  in  the  con- 
tinent. Surely  it  does  not  thence  follow,  that  it  was  held  by  the 
Irish  church.  Lanfranc  s  answer  is  very  mild  and  polite,  without 
the  least  insinuation  that  Dbmnald  or  the  Irish  church  erred  on  that 
point.  Ledwich  adds,  that  said  opinion  was  that  *<  of  the  primi* 
tive  church,  though  not  of  the  Roman  in  LanfTanc*s  age."  The 
Doctor,  who  knows  as  little  of  theology  as  a  Samoeide,  stops  at 
nothing,  provided  he  can  abuse  the  Roman  church.  He  refeiB 
the  reader  io  Bingham,  B,  xii.  ck.  1.  Now  Bingham  was  too 
learned  to  say  any  such  thing.  What  lie  states,  and  indeed  truly, 
is  (f^.  sect*  5.)  that  the  well  known  practice  of  giving  the  Eucharist 
to  m&nts  after  baptism  was  continued  in  the  Church  for  several 
ages.  But  he  has  not  even  a  hint  indicating,  that  this  practice  was 
fbllowed,  because  the  church  ^  believed  it  indispensably  necessaiy 
to  salvaUon."  It  is  thus  that,  as  I  can  assure  whoever  will  have 
tlie  patience  to  read  Ledwich's  book,  he  is  constantly  imposing 
on  the  public,  whensoever  the  Roman  church  falls  in  his  way. 

§.  xni.  For  the  purpose  of  putting  a  stop  to 
these  abuses  (102)  or  what  he  thought  were  such, 
Lanfranc  advises  Terdelvac  to  summon  an  assembly 
of  bishops  and  religious  men,  at  which  he  and 
his  nobles  would  attend,  that  they  might  co- 
operate in  exterminating  said  bad  practices  and  all 
others,  that  might  be  in  opposition,  to  the  sacred 
laws  of  the  Church.  Here  we  may  observe  that 
Lanfranc  does  not  speak  in  a  tone  of  authority, 
nor  did  he  issue  any  orders  to  the  Irish  bishops  or 
clergy  to  assemble  or  to  act  on  this  occasion,  as  he 
certainly  would  have  done  had  he  conceived  him- 
self invested  with  any  jurisdiction  over  them.     In 

VOL.  III.  II  n        ] 

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482  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY        CHAP.    XXIT. 

his  letter  to  Gothric  he  exhorts  him  to  exert  him- 
self in  procuring  the  correction  of  the  filthy  prac- 
tices relative  to  the  dismissal  and  changing  o£ 
wives  ;  and,  after  praising  Patrick,  advises  Gothric 
to  listen  to  him  with  attention  and  to  obey  his 
instructions.  Patrick  held  the  see  of  Dublin  for 
about  ten  years  until,  having  been  sent  on  some 
business  by  Turlogh  or  Terdalvac,  then  sole  master 
of  Dublin,  to  Lanfranc,  he  was,  on  his  way  over, 
shipwrecked  and  drowned  on  the  10th  of  October, 
A.  D.  108't.  (103)  In  the  following  year  he  was 
succeeded  by  Donat  or  Donogh  O'Haingly,  who, 
having  made  his  studies  in  his  own  country,  had 
gone  over  to  England  and  became  a  monk  in 
Lanfranc's  monastery  at  Canterbury.  He  must 
have  returned  to  Ireland  before  his  promotion, 
as  appears  from  his  having  been  elected  by  Turlc^h 
and  the  clergy  and  people  of  Dublin,  with  the 
approbation  of  some  Irisli  bishops,  to  whom  ac- 
cordingly he  must  have  been  well  known.  This 
is  still  more  clear  from  the  letter  written  on  this 
occasion  by  Turlogh  and  the  clergy  of  Dublin  to 
Lanfranc,  in  which,  amopg  other  things,  Turlogh 
states  that,  whereas  Patrick  did  not  arrive  to  give 
him  an  account  of  how  he  had  followed  Lanfranc's 
fatherly  instructions  (with  regard  to  remedying  the 
abuses,)  Donat  will  be  able  to  give  him  the 
necessary  information.  (104)  He  was  consecrated 
in  the  cathedral  of  Canteihury  by  Lanfranc,  (105) 
to  whom  he  made  his  profession  of  obedience  in 
the  following  terms  j  "I  Donatus,  prelate  of  the 
church  of  Dublin,  which  is  situated  in  Ireland, 
promise  canonical  obedience  to  thee,  O  Lanfranc 
archbishop  of  the  holy  church  of  Canterbury,  and 
to  thy  successors.'-  (106)  Lanfranc  was  much  at- 
tached  to  this  prelate,  and  gave  him,  on  his  re- 
turning to  Dublin,  some  books  and  church  orna- 
ments as  presents  for  the    church  of   the   H^ 


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CHAP.   XXIV. 


OF  IRELAND.  483 


Trinity.  Donat  lived  until  1095,  in  which  he  died 
of  the  great  plague  of  that  year  on  the  23d  of  No- 
vember,, with  the  reputation  of  a  good  and  learned 
bishop.  (107) 

(102)  Hams  in  his  translation  of  the  letter  to  Terdelvac  (see 
above  Not.  87)  has  added  another  complabt  of  Lanfiranc,  viz» 
that  m  several  cities  and  towns  there  was  more  than  one  bii^iop 
ordained.  He  took  this  from  Baronius*s  edition,  in  which  are 
these  words ;  Qjaod  in  vUlis  vel  civitaUbus  plures  ordinantur  ; 
whence  also  they  have  been  taken  by  Dacheiy  in  his  edition  of 
said  letter. 

(103)  Ware  and  Harris,  Bishops  of  Duhliriy  at  Patrick.  The 
4  Masters  [ap,  A  A.  SS.  p.  200.)  have;  «  A  1084.  Qildaor 
Gilla-Patridc,  bishop  of  Dublin,  was  drowned.'' 

(lO^)  Harris  has  this  letter  {Bishops  at  Donat  0*Haingle^) 
taken,  he  says,  from  the  Annals  of  Ulster. 

(105)  Usher  {Discorse^  Sfc.  Chap,  viii.)  quoteb  the  following 
passage  from  the  Annals  of  Dublin :  *'  Anno  Dom.  1085*  Lan- 
fi-ancus  archiepiscopus  Cantuar.  ad  regimen  Dublinensis  ecdesiae 
sacravit  Donatum  monasterii  sui  monachum  in  sede  metropoli 
Cantuan  petendbus  atque  eligentibus  eum  Terddvaco  Hiberoiae 
rege,  et  episcopis  Hibemiae  regionis,  atque  dero  et  populo  prae« 
fatae  dvitads.'* 

(106)  The  original  words  are;  ^<  Ego  Donatus,  Dublinensis 
ecdesiae  antistes,  quae  in  Hibemia  sita  est,  canonicam  obediai- 
tiam  tibi  promitto  et  successoribus  tuis,  o  Lan&ance,  sanctae 
Dorobemeasis  ecdesiae  archiepiscope."  In  this  profession  there 
is  nothing  about  Dublin  being  styled  the  metropolis  of  Ireland. 
It  is  probable,  that  Turlogh  put  a  stop  to  the  assumption  of  that 
title.  Nor  does  it  occur  in  any  of  the  subsequent  professions. 
(Compare  with  Not.  68.)  We  may  also  observe,  how  much 
more  simple  this  profession  is  than  that  of  Patrick.  (See  above 
^  7.) 

(107)  Se«  Ware  and  Harris  at  Donat  0*Haingly.  That 
terrible  j^ague  is  mentioned  in  the  Annals  of  InnisfiilleD, 
A.  1095. 

5.  XIV.  There  is  extant  a  letter  of  Pope  Gregory 
1 1  2 


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484  AN   ECCLEBFASTICAL   HISTORY       CHAP.  XX IV. 

VIL  to  the  king  Terdelvac,  and  to  the  archbishops, 
bishops,  abbots,  nobles,  and  to  all  Christians  inha- 
biting Ireland.  It  is  dated  from  Sntri  on  the  S4th 
of  February,  without  any  year  being  marked.  ( 108) 
This  letter  is  much  in  the  style  of  several  others, 
which  he  wrote  to  various  kings,  princes,  &c.  for 
the  purpose  of  claiming  not  only  a  spiritual  but 
likewise  a  temporal  and  political  superiority  over  all 
the  kingdoms  and  principalities  of  Europe.  (109) 
Having  insinuated  nis  claim  over  Ireland,  he  con- 
cludes with  giving  directions  to  Terdelvac,  &c.  to 
refer  to  him  whatever  affairs,  the  settling  of  which 
may  require  his  assistance.  (1 10)  How  Terdelvac, 
or  Turlogh,  and  the  people  of  Ireland  acted  in  con- 
sequence  of  this  letter  we  are  not  informed ;  but  this 
much  is  certain,  that  Turlogh  remained  the  inde- 
pendent king  of  Ireland  untU  1086,  when  he  died 
in  a  truly  Christian-like  manner  at  Ceanchora,  one 
of  his  chief  residences,  neaf  Killaloe,  in  the  77th 
year  of  his  age,  and  2Sd  of  his  reign  reckoning  from 
1064,  in  which  he  became  king  of  Munster.  (Ul) 
He  was  buried  at  Killaloe,  and  succeeded  by  his  son 
Muriardach,  alias  Murchardach,  or  Murtogh,  not 
as  king  of  all  Ire][and  but  as  king  of  Munster,  (112) 
his  hereditaiy  province.  Yet  Murtogh,  after  much 
fighting  against  various  enemies,  and,  among  others, 
a^nst  his  own  brother,  Dermod  O'Brian,  entailed 
his  territories,  so  that  I  find  him  called  king  also  of 
Connaught  in  1092;  (I IS)  and  in  1094  he  became 
master  of  Dublin  and  banished  the  Danish  king 
Grodfrey,  who  died  in  the  following  year.  (114)  He 
then  assumed  the  title  of  king  of  Ireland,  as  did  at 
the  same  time  also  DomnaldMac-Loghlin,an(yNeill, 
the  powerful  sovereign  of  the  northern  half,  while 
Murtogh  was  considered  as  the  sovereign  of  the 
southern.  (115)  There  were,  however,  some  al- 
terations as  to  the  extent  of  territories,  according  as 
either  of  these  princes  had  the  upper  hand,  or  as 
some  other  princes  endeavoured  to  maintain  their  in- 


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CHAP.  XXIV.  OF  IRELAND.  485 

dependence.  At  length  Murtc^h  was  dethroned  in 
1116,  and  his  brother  Dermod  placed  over  Munster 
in  his  stead.  He  then  took  holy  orders,  and  died 
at  Xtismore  a  great  penitent  on  the  festival  of  St. 
Pulcherius,  13th  March,  A.  D.  1119;  being  sur- 
vived  by  Dotnnald  Mac-Lochlin^  who  died  in  the 
monastery  of  Derry  in  1121.  (1 16)  Murtogh  was 
buried,  according  to  his  wish,  in  the  church  of  Kil- 
laloe,  to  which  he  had  been  a  benefactor.  (117) 
This  summary  of  the  history  of  these  princes,  Which 
is  here  given  by  anticipation,  will  enable  us  better 
to  understand  certain  transactions,  particularly  of 
Murtogh,  connected  with  ecclesiastical  affairs,  of 
which  hereafter. 

(108)  Usher,  who  published  this  letter;|in  the  Sj/UogCy  {No. 
29.)  having  found  it  annexed  to  the  Collection  of  Isidoms  Mcr- 
cator,  affixed  it  by  conjecture  to  A.  D.  1085»  the  last  year  of 
Grregoiy's  life.  But  it  must  have  been  written  bcfi>re  that  year, 
in  which  Gregory  was  at  Salerno,  at  least  on  the  244Ji  of  Fe- 
bruaiy.  Accordingly,  being  dated  at  Sutri,  it  was  wdtten  prior 
to  1085. 

(109)  A  summary  of  these  letters  and  pretensions  may  be  seen 
in  Fleury  {Hist.  S^c.  L.  63.  §.  11.)  who  seems  to  have  been  unac- 
quainted with  that  to  Terdelvac  or  Turlogh,  as  otherwise  he  would 
surely  have  made  mention  of  it. 

(110)  "  Si  qua  veh>  negotia  penes  vos  emerserint,  quae  noiltro 
digna  videantur  auxilio,  incunctanter  ad  nos  dirigere  studete  . 
et  quod  juste  postulaveritis,  Deo  auxiliante  impetrabitis."  Me 
had  said  before  ;  ^*  Hujus  (Domini  Jesu)  auctoritas  sanctam 
Ecclesiam  in  solida  petra  fundavit,  et  beato  Petro,  a  petra  vene- 
rabile  nomen  habenti,  ejus  jura  commisit,  quam  etiam  super 
omnia  roundi  regna  constituit  ;  aii  principaiuSf  et  potestaie^,  et 
quicquid  in  seculo  sublime  videtur  esse,  subjecit,  iilo  Isaiae  com* 
pkto  oraculo ;  Venient,  inquit,  ad  te  qui  detrahebant  tibi,  et  ado- 
rabunt  vestigia  pedum  tkorum.  Beato  igitur  Petro  ejusque  vica- 
riis,  inter  quos  dispensatio  divina  nostram  quoque  sortem  annu- 
merari  disposult,    Orbis  universuh  obedientem  similiter  et  rere- 


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486  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY         CHAP.  XXir. 

rentiam  debet,  quam  mente  devota  sanctae  Romanae  Ecdesiae 
exhibere  reminisdmiy"  &a 

(111)  Annals  of  Innis&llen  at  A.  1086.  OTIaherty,  Ogt/g. 
Part  III.  cap.  94.  Ware,  Aniiq.  cap.  4.  He  was  mistaken  in 
placing  Ceanchora  in  the  now  King's  county.  It  was  in  the  now 
county  of  Clare,  and  contained  a  palace  oi  the  ancient  princes  of 
Thomond,  of  whose  line  was  Turio^  and  is  now  called  Cancora, 
(See  Seward  at  Cancora.) 

(112)  Said  Annals,  ib.  (US)  lb. ad  A.  1092. 

(114)  Ib.  ad  A.  1094  and  1095.  This  Godfrey  was  the  one, 
whom  Ware  {Antiq.  cap.  24.  ad  A.  1095.)  calb  Godfiid  Me- 
ranagh. 

(115)  O'Flaherty,  Part  in.  cap.  9^  For  Donmald's  having 
been  an  O'Neill  see  Tr.  Th.  p.  448. 

(116)  Said  Annals  at  1116,  1119,  and  1121,  compared  with 
O'Flaherty,  loc.  cit. 

(117)  Ware,  Antiq.  cap.  29.  and  Harris,  Bishops  of  KUledoe. 
The  Annals  of  Innisfallen  also  have  Murtogh's  interment  in  that 
town.  Harris  is  wrong  in  assigning  the  death  of  Murtagh  to  the 
8th  of  March ;  for  the  festival  of  St  Puleherius  marked  by  O'Fla- 
hertyy  was  not  the  8th  but  the  13th;  and  both  he  and  Ware 
were  mistaken  in  changing  the  year  1119,  assigned  for  it,  into 
1120. 

§.  XV.  I  have  endeavoured  to  trace  a  succession 
of  Irish  bishops  down  to  about  the  close  of  the 
eleventh  century.  (118)  It  is  now  requisite  to  give 
some  account  of  other  distinguished  ecclesiastics^  of 
that  period,  although  little  more  is  known  concerning 
the  greatest  part  of  them  than  their  names.  Yet 
even  this  much  will  show,  that  our  religious  and 
learned  establishments  were  still  kept  up ;  which  is 
indeed  the  chief  object  I  had  and  have  in  view  in 
entering  into  such  details.  The  first  person,  whom 
I  find  expressly  called  abbot  of  Hy  after  Flann- 
Abhra  who  died  in  102,5,  (119)  is  Mac-Baithen, 
who  was  killed  in  IO70.  ( 1  '20)  Next  after  him  we 
meet  with  Dunchad,  son  of  Moenach,  who  died  in 
1099.  (121)     As  to  learned  clergymen  and  teachers 

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CHAP.  XXIV.  OF  IRELAND.  487 

of  this  century^  besides  those  who  flourished  in  the 
first  half  of  it,  (122)  several  others  are  mentioned, 
.  such  as  Fiann  Mainistreach,  that  vis,  of  the  monas- 
tery, who  died  in  1056,  and  is  represented  as  the 
most  celebmted  writer  among  the  Irish  of  his  time, 
both  as  an  antiquary  and  poet.  (123)  Of  Aldus 
O'Foirreth,  who  died  in  the  same  year,  we  have  seen 
already.  (124)  Mugron,  bishop  of  Cork,  who  was 
murdered  in  1057,  had  been  also  a  scholastic  or 
professor.  (125)  Kieran,  lectutei*  of  .Kells,  a  man 
famous  for  learning  and  wisdom,  died  in  1061  ; 
(126)  and  in  1063  Mac-Donngal  scholastic  of 
Kildare,  and  Eochad  of  Connor.  (127)  Colman 
O'Criochain,  professor  of  theology  at  Armagh,  died 
in  1065;  and  in  IO7I  Christian  O'Clothocain  like- 
wise professor  there,  and  styled  the  chief  doctor  of 
Ireland.  (128)  Conchobran,  scholastic  of  Gleann- 
ussen  died  in  1082 ;  (129)  and  to  the  year  1085  is 
assigned  the  death  of  Gormgal  Laigeach,  a  very 
learned  and  pious  doctor,  who  was  comorban  or 
rector  of  St.  Brigid^s  church  at  Armagh.  (130) 
In  1086  died  on  the  16th  of  January  the  very  holy 
and  learned  MoeViosR  (^senant  of  Jesus  J  O'Brolchan. 
(131)  He  was  a  native  of  Inishowen,  and  of  a  dis- 
tinguished family,  a  branch  of  the  Nialls.  He  was 
educated  in  the  monastery  of  Bothconuis  in  that 
territory,  and  became  a  great  proficient  in  piety  and 
in  every  sort  of  leaniing.  (132)  Owing  to  the  loss 
of  documents,  his  transactions  during  lifeare  involved 
in  obscurity ;  but  it  is  stated,  that  he  composed 
several  works,  many  fragments  of  which  are  still 
extant,  and  that  he  transcribed  many  others.  (133) 
In  1088  died  the  celebrated  annalist  Tigernach 
0*Braoin,  a  native  of  the  territory  of  the  Siol- 
Muireadaigh,  (134)  or  Murrays.  He  was  abbot  of 
Clonmacnois  and  also  of  Killcoman,  or  probably 
rather  Roscommon,  (135)  and  is  most  highly  and 
deservedly  praised  as  a  man  of  very  extensive  know- 
ledge and  an  excellent  teacher.     He  brought  down 


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488  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY      CHAP.  XXIV* 

the  aDnals  of  Ireland  to  the  very  year  of  his  deaths 
and  having  died  at  Clonmacnois  was  buried  there  with 
ffreat  solemnity.  (136)  Among  other  scholastics"  or 
lecturers  of  these  times  let  it  suffice  to  add  Ingnadan 
of  Clonard,  who  died  in  1090,  0*Kennedy  of 
Durrow  (King's  county),  who  died  in  1095,  and 
Aidan  of  Roscommon,  whose  death  is  marked  at 
1097.  (137) 

(118)  Above  §.  5.  seqq.  (119)  See  Chap,  xxiii.  §.  6. 

(1«0)  Tr,  Th,  p.  SOU  and  Annals  of  Ulster  ap.  Johnstone 
Md  A,  1070.    Smith   (Append,  to  Life  of  S(.  Col.)  places  at 
1057  the  death  of  one  Robhertach  Mac-Donnell,  whom  he  calls 
Coarb  (coniorban)  of  CoIumbkilL    ^\lioever  he  was,  it  does  noC 
follow  fix>m  his  being  so  styled,  that  he  was  abbot  of  Hy.    In 
like  manner  Smith  has  at  1009  another  coarb  ^  ColumkiUy  Mar- 
tan  Mac-Cineadhy  between  Maelbrigid  Hua-Rtraed  and  Flann- 
Abhra.     I  find  this  Martan  also  in  Johnstone's  Extracts  from 
the  Ulster  Annals  (at  A.  1009)  or,  as  he  calls  him,  Marcan  MaC' 
Cinach  converb^  of  lona.    If  said  passage  be  correct,  it  would 
^pear,  that  he  had  been  abbot  of  Hy.    But  Colgan  has  him 
not  in  his  list  of  those  abbots  from  the  4  Masters,  and,  as  1  have 
observed  elsewhere,  it  seems  we  ought  not  to  admit  a&  abbots  of 
Hy  any  others  than  those  who  are  expressly  called  such.    I  an^ 
convinced,  that  this  Marcan  Mac  Cineadh,  i.  e,  son  of  Kcn<» 
nedy,  wob  no  other  than  the  Marcan,  whom  the  Annals  of  In* 
nis&Uen  mention  as  supreme  head  of  the  clergy  of  Munster,  and 
whose  death  they  assign  to  A.  1010,  (see  above  Not.  43.)  the 
same  year  as  the  1009  of  the  Annals  of  Ulster,  in  which  the 
death  of  Marcan  was  marked  without,   in  all  probability,  any 
mention  of  the  place,  to  which  he  belonged.     To  supply  thi» 
ddi9iency,    some  amanuensis  or   semicritic  added  at  his  name 
comorban  of  lona  or  of  Columbkill,   because  the  successors  of 
that  saint  either  at  lona  or  elsewhere  are  usually  taken  notice  of 
in  said  annals.    Thus  Marcan  son  of  Kennedy,  and  apparently 
a  brother  of  Brian   Boroimhe,  was   removed  from  Munster  ta 
lona   or  Hy;  and   both   Johnstone  and  Smith  have  been  kd 
astray.     In  a  similar  manner  from  the  additions  of  sdM)liasts> 


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CHAP.  XXIV«  Of  IRELAND*  4i)9 

Ace  htindredf  of  emn  have  crept  into  our  H)tMMM  hii-  . 
toiy. 

(121)  Tn  2X  ib.  (182)  See  CAa|».  xxiii.  $.  15. 

(12S)  lanak  of  Innia&Ueii  at  A.  1056.  Sone  of  his  woriv  arc 
yet  extant;  see  Harris  (Writers  at  Motn^rec)  and  Dr.  O'Conor. 
(Rer.  Hib.  Scriptar.  ^  Hanc.  p.  IS.) 

(124)  Above,  §.^ 

(125)  See  Tr.  Th.p.  632.  and  above  §.  B. 

(126)  lb.  p.  506,  (127)  Ik  p.  630  and  632. 
(128)  /*.  p.  298.  (129)  IB.p.6S2. 

(130)  iJ.  p.  299. 

(131)  He  is  reckoned  among  the  Saints  m  some  Irish  calen- 
dars, and  accordin^y  Colgan  treats  of  him  at  16  January* 

(132)  He  is  greatly  praised  in  the  Irish  annals>  amor^  others  in 
those  of  Innisfkllen,  which  have  at  A.  1066 ;  "  Maoliosa  O'BroU 
lochain,  the  most  venerable  old  man  in  all  Ireland,  and  the  mqsl 
learned  in  his  time  in  wiadoni  and  science,  died  in  the  grace  of 
God." 

(133)  Colgan  says,  that  he  had  some  fragments  of  Modiosas 
works,  and  tliat  he  knew  where  several  others  were  in  Ireland. 
He  adds  that  several  books  in  his  hand  writing,  which  had  be- 
longed to  the  monasteiy  o£  Bothoonnis,  were  sdll  in  that  neigh- 
bourhood. (See  also  Harris,  Writers  at  Brokan.) 

(134)  The  4  Masters  (ap.  AA.  SS.  p.  206.)caU  liim  aBraoin, 
and  hence  Colgan  {ib.  p*  106.)  makes  him  of  the  same  fiunily  wilh 
3t.  Dunchad  O'Braoin,  of  whom  we  have  treated  Chap,  xxii*  $.* 
15.  Inthe  Annals  of  Inniafkllen  at  ^.1068,  m  which  I  find  him 
called  OBraint  he  is  said  to  have  been  of  the  Skil^Muireadhaigb, 
i.  e.  of  the  sept  s&  called,  idiose  tenitoiy  was  an  eastern  piMt  of 
Connau^t,.  chiefly,  it  seems  m,  the  now  county  of  Roscommon,  at 
appears  from  said  Annals  at  A.  1095.  (See  also  Seward  at  SioU 
Muiridh.)  This  country  was  near  that,  in  which  St.  Dunchad  had 
been  bom. 

(135)  Both  the  Annals  just  quoted  make  Tigettoach  comorban 
or  successor  ^  St.  Kieran  uxi  St.  Coman.  As  sue  cessor  of  Co- 
man,  Colgan  iAA.  SS.  p.  206.)  calls  him  abbot  of  Killootnaiv 
meaning,  perhaps,  Kilcomin  in  the  King  s  county,  (of  whkh  see 
Not,  41.  to  Chap,  xv.)  or  Killcoeman  in  the  plain  of  (lesiOe  (now 
barony  of  Geashill  in  said  county)  which  is  said  (tb*  p,  312.)  to 


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490  AN    ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY      CHAP.  XXIV. 

htvebeoifiNttdedbyaSt  Coenumm  thestehoentuiy.  Hairw^ 
(Writert  at  Tigemac)  instead  of  KiDcoinan,  has  Roscommoo; 
which  seems  more  oonrect,  as  it  does  not  appear  thai  the  establish- 
raents  of  Killoomin  and  KiUcoeman  continued  to  a  lale  period.  . 

(186)  Annals  of  Innis&llen,  ib. 

(187)  jIA.  SS.  p.  409.  and  Tr.  Tk,  Ind.  Ckrtm.  Ware  has 
among  the  Irish  writers  Moeliosa  O'Sair,  a  Munster  man,  who,  he 
saysy  wrote  some  philosophical  treatises,  and  died,  according  to 
the  Ulster  annalsy  in  1096.  Whether  he  were  an  ecclesiastic  or 
not  I  cannot  discover. 

§•  XVI.  In  fact,  Ireland  still  retained  its  reputation 
for  learning  and  good  schools^  so  that  it  was,  as  well 
as  in  former  times,  resorted  to  by  foreign  students. 
Of  this  we  have  a  remarkable  instance  in  the  case  of 
Sulgenus,  who  was  bishop  of  St.  David's  about  the 
year  1070.  In  his  youth,  excited  by  a  love  of  study, 
ne  set  out,  in  imitation  of  his  ancestors  and  coun- 
trymen, for  Ireland,  which  was  celebrated  to  a  won- 
derful degree  for  learning.  But,  while  wishing  to 
see  that  nation  so  famous  on  account  of  its  writings 
and  masters,  he  was  driven  back  by  a  storm  to  his 
country,  where  he  remained  for  five  years.  Still 
determined  on  proceeding  to  Ireland,  he  went  thither 
and  spent  there  ten  or  thirteen  years  in  the  study  of 
the  holy  Scriptures,  in  which  he  became  a  great  pro- 
ficient, and  thereby  was  afterwards  of  great  service  to 
his  countrymen.  (138)  That  English  students  con* 
tinued  to  repair  to  Armagh  may  be  collected  from 
the  account  given  of  a  great  conflagration  of  that 
city  in  1092,  in  which  it  is  stated  that  a  part  of  the  - 
Trieti'Scucon^  or  the  division  inhabited  by  the  Saxons 
r English)  was  destroyed.  (139)  This  was  an  acci- 
aental  fire,  such  as  Irish  history  gives  us  many  in- 
stances of  in  those  times,  both  of  towns  and  reli- 
gious hou^s,  owing  to  the  materials,  mostly  of 
wood,  cbiefiy  used  in  building,  as  still  practised 
in  some  parts  of  Europe.  Losses  of  this  kind 
were  eayify  repaired,    and    were    oi*  no    material 

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CHAP.  XXIV.  OF  IRELAND.  491 

injury  to  studious  pursuits,  v^hich  I  observe,  lest 
a  person,  looking  over  the  lists  of  conflagrations  in 
those  days,  mi^t  imagine  that  they  were  destruc- 
tive of  religious  establishments,  or  generally  designed 
for  that  object.  (140)  Yet  we  meet  with  burnings 
and  devastations  of  ecclesiastical  places  designe^y 
undertaken,  partly  by  the  Danes,  and  partly  by 
Irish  princes  or  chieftains^  Thus,  when  a  Sitric  of 
Dublin  was,  as  we  have  seen,  ravaging  Ardbraccan 
in  1031,  an  O'Ruairc  plundered  Ardfert,  but  was 
dreadfully  chastized  for  this  sacrilege  by  Donogh 
O' Brian  then  king  of  Leth-mogha.  (141)  Another 
O'Ruairc  and  an  O' Kelly,  both  Connaught  chief- 
tains, plundered  Clonmacnois  and  Clonfert  in  1065, 
but,  being  met  on  the  following  day  by  Hugh 
O'Conor,  were  defeated  by  him.  (142)  Clon- 
macnois was  particularly  marked  out  as  an  object  of 
pillage  for  divers  parties  in  those  times,  (143)  whence 
we  may  infer,  that  it  was  then  rich.  Gleannussen 
was  laid  waste  in  1041,  Clonard  in  1046,  and  Inis- 
clothra  (in  Loughree)in  1050.  (144)  These  devas- 
tations were  committed  chiefly  by  the  Irish  them- 
selves ;  but  in  the  year  1081  the  Danes  or  Northmen 
alone,  apparently  those  of  Limerick  or  of  some  west- 
em  part  of  Ireland,  plundered  the  isl^d  of  Arran- 
na-Naomh,  or  Arran  of  the  saints,  where  was  the 
ancient  and  celebrated  establishment  of  St.  £nda. 
In  1089  a  party  of  Danes  totally  destroyed  the  mo- 
nastery of  Inisbofinde  in  Loughree.  (145^  These 
were  probably  part  of  the  army,  with  which  the  king 
Murtogh  O'Brian  attacked  and  plundered  in  said 
year  various  islands  of  Loughree,  such  as,,  besides 
Inisbofinde,  Inisclothra  and  fnisaingen,  (or  the  island 
of  All-saints)  in  which  were  religious  houses,  tc^- 
ther  with  Cluainemhain,  where  there  was  at  least  a 
church.  (146)  Soon  after  Murtogh  and  the  people 
of  North  Munster  paid  very  dearly  for  these  depre- 
dations. (147)  In  the  same  year  Dermod  0*Brian, 
brother  of  Muitogh,  sailing  along  the  coast  landed 

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499  AN  ECCLESIASTICAL  UlSTORT      CHAPv  XXIT^ 

near  Qcyne,  which  he  plundered,  and  carried  off 
some  reliques  of  St.  Barr  fix)m  a  church  called  Kill- 
na-gCleiriogh.  (148)  In  the  preceding  year  1088 
be  had  joined  Domnald  Mac-Lochlin  and  Roderic 
0*Conor,  king  of  Connaught,  in  their  dreadful  ex- 
pedition throughout  a  great  part  of  Munster,  in 
whidi  they  destroyed  Limerick,  and  attacked  Mun- 
gret,  Eraly,  &c.  (149)  Yet,  notwithstanding  such 
and  some  other  similar  devastations,  the  ecclesiastical 
and  literary  institutions  continued,  with  very  few 
exceptions,  to  exist ;  and  we  tind  the  habitual  zeal 
for  acquiring  knowledge  still  prevalent  in  Ireland. 

(1S8)  Anteoountof  Sulgemiswasdrawnupinveraeby  hisaoit 
Joha.  Among  some  lines,  quoted  by  Usher,  (Praef,  ad  Ep,  Hib. 
S^.)  the  ibUowing  are  quite  apposite  to  our  present  subject ; 

**  Exemplo  patrum,  oommotus  amore  l^endi, 
Ivit  ad  Hft)emo6  sophia  mk^ile  dan^ 
Sed  cnmiam  cimba  yoluisset  adire  rereclu^ 
Famosam  gentem  scripturis  atque  magistris, 
Appulit  ad  patriam,  ventorum  flatibus  actus^ 
Nomine  quam  noto  periiibent  Albania  longe. 
Ac  remoratus  ibi  certe  turn  quinque  per  anno» 
Indefessus  agtt  votum,  &e. 
His  ita  d^estis  Scotprum  vititat  anra, 
Ac  mox  scnpturas  roulto  meditaniine  sacras 
Legb  divinae  scrotatinr  saepe  retractaiw. 
Ait  ibi  per  denos  trkens  jam  pladdus  annos 
Congrcgat  immensara  pretioso  pondere  massam, 
Prodnus  arguta  thesaurum  mente  recondens. 
Post  haec  ad  patriam  remeans  jam  dogmate  clarus 
Venit,  ct  inventum  multis  jam  dividit  auniiA,"  &c. 

We  raay  here  remark,  that  die  Irish  were  still  called  Scoii,  a» 
they  were  in  the  continent. 

(139)  Tr.  Tk.p.  999.  Colgan  observes,  (iS.p.  300.)  that  Ar- 
ma£^  was  divided  into  ibur  parts.  ,  The  first  was  Rath-Arunwcha, 
or  the  forti  castle,  &c.  The  three  others  were  Trian-moTy  or  the 
great  third  part ;  Trian'Massan^  or  the  third  part  called  Masian  ; 

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CHAP.   XXIV.  OF  IRELAND.  493 

and  Trian-Saxan,  the  third  part  for  the  Saxons,  by  whom^  in  all 
probability,  were  meant  the  English  students, 

(140)  The  reader  will  find  a  long  catalogue  of  such  conflagra- 
tions in  TV.  Tk.  p.  633.  seqq. 

(141)  Annals  of  InnisMen  at  A.  1031. 

(142)  lb.  at  A.  1065. 

(143)  Colgan  states  (Tr.  Th.  p.  633.)  from  the  4  Masters, 
that  Clonmacnois  was  plundered  in  1044  twice,  in  1050  three 
times,  in  1060,  1065,  1080,  1081,  1092,  1095,  1098.  He  does 
not  tell  OS  by  whom.  From  the  Annals  of  InnisfaHen  I  find  that 
the  [ullage  of  1092  was  by  a  Munster  fleet;  and  it  is  said  that 
the  one  of  1095  or  1094  was  by  the  people  of  Brawney,  the 
O'Ruaircs,  and  the  Mac*Coghlans.  (See  Archdall  at  Chnmac, 
nois.J 

(144)  Tr.  Th.  ih. 

(145)  A  A.  SS.  p.  423. 

(146)  See  the  annals  of  Innisfallen  at  A.  1089.  Colgan  says, 
A  A.  SS,  p,  339.)  that  Cluainemhain  was  in  the  county  of  Ros* 
common,  and  that  ft  had  a  church,  when  it  was  laid  waste  in 
1069.  Yet  there  had  been  a  monastery  there.  (Archdall  at 
Cluainemuin.) 

(147)  Said  Annals,  ib. 

(148)  Ib.        (149)  Said  Annals  at  A.  1088. 


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