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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/10937-0.txt b/10937-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..229c40b --- /dev/null +++ b/10937-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1873 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 10937 *** + +LIFE OF ST. MOCHUDA OF LISMORE + +(Edited from MS. in Library of Royal Irish Academy). + +Translated from the Irish With Introduction + +by + +REV. P. POWER, M.R.I.A. University College, Cork. + + + + +PREFACE + + +It is solely the historical aspect and worth of the two tracts herewith +presented that appealed to their edition and first suggested to him +their preparation and publication. Had preparation in question depended +for its motive merely on considerations of the texts' philologic +interest or value it would, to speak frankly, never have been +undertaken. The editor, who disclaims qualification as a philologist, +regards these Lives as very valuable historical material, publication of +which may serve to light up some dark corners of our Celtic +ecclesiastical past. He is egotist enough to hope that the present +"blazing of the track," inadequate and feeble though it be, may induce +other and better equipped explorers to follow. + +The present editor was studying the Life of Declan [Project Gutenberg +Etext #823] for quite another purpose when, some years since, the +zealous Hon. Secretary of the Irish Texts Society suggested to him +publication of the tract in its present form, and addition of the Life +of Carthach [Mochuda]. Whatever credit therefore is due to originating +this work is Miss Hull's, and hers alone. + +The editor's best thanks are due, and are hereby most gratefully +tendered, to Rev. M. Sheehan, D.D., D.Ph., Rev. Paul Walsh, Rev. J. +MacErlhean, S.J., M.A., as well as to Mr. R. O'Foley, who, at much +expense of time and labour, have carefully read the proofs, and, with +unselfish prodigality of their scholarly resources, have made many +valuable suggestions and corrections. + +P.P. + + + + +INTRODUCTION--GENERAL + +A most distinctive class of ancient Irish literature, and probably the +class that is least popularly familiar, is the hagiographical. It is, +the present writer ventures to submit, as valuable as it is distinctive +and as well worthy of study as it is neglected. While annals, tales and +poetry have found editors the Lives of Irish Saints have remained +largely a mine unworked. Into the causes of this strange neglect it is +not the purpose of the present introduction to enter. Suffice it to +glance in passing at one of the reasons which has been alleged in +explanation, scil.:--that the "Lives" are uncritical and romantic, that +they abound in wild legends, chronological impossibilities and all sorts +of incredible stories, and, finally, that miracles are multiplied till +the miraculous becomes the ordinary, and that marvels are magnified till +the narrative borders on the ludicrous. The Saint as he is sketched is +sometimes a positively repulsive being--arrogant, venomous, and cruel; +he demands two eyes or more for one, and, pucklike, fairly revels in +mischief! As painted he is in fact more a pagan deity than a Christian +man. + +The foregoing charges may, or must, be admitted partially or in full, +but such admission implies no denial of the historical value of the +Lives. All archaic literature, be it remembered, is in a greater or +less degree uncritical, and it must be read in the light of the writer's +times and surroundings. That imagination should sometimes run riot and +the pen be carried beyond the boundary line of the strictly literal is +perhaps nothing much to be marvelled at in the case of the supernatural +minded Celt with religion for his theme. Did the scribe believe what he +wrote when he recounted the multiplied marvels of his holy patron's +life? Doubtless he did--and why not! To the unsophisticated monastic +and mediaeval mind, as to the mind of primitive man, the marvellous and +supernatural is almost as real and near as the commonplace and natural. +If anyone doubts this let him study the mind of the modern Irish +peasant; let him get beneath its surface and inside its guardian ring of +shrinking reserve; there he will find the same material exactly as +composed the mind of the tenth century biographers of Declan and +Mochuda. Dreamers and visionaries were of as frequent occurrence in Erin +of ages ago as they are to-day. Then as now the supernatural and +marvellous had a wondrous fascination for the Celtic mind. Sometimes the +attraction becomes so strong as seemingly to overbalance the faculty of +distinguishing fact from fancy. Of St. Bridget we are gravely told that +to dry her wet cloak she hung in out on a sunbeam! Another Saint sailed +away to a foreign land on a sod from his native hillside! More than +once we find a flagstone turned into a raft to bear a missionary band +beyond the seas! St. Fursey exchanged diseases with his friend +Magnentius, and, stranger still, the exchange was arranged and effected +by correspondence! To the saints moreover are ascribed lives of +incredible duration--to Mochta, Ibar, Seachnal, and Brendan, for +instance, three hundred years each; St. Mochaemog is credited with a +life of four hundred and thirteen years, and so on! + +Clan, or tribe, rivalry was doubtless one of the things which made for +the invention and multiplication of miracles. If the patron of the +Decies is credited with a miracle, the tribesmen of Ossory must go one +better and attribute to their tribal saint a marvel more striking still. +The hagiographers of Decies retort for their patron by a claim of yet +another miracle and so on. It is to be feared too that occasionally a +less worthy motive than tribal honour prompted the imagination of our +Irish hagiographers--the desire to exploit the saint and his honour for +worldly gain. + +The "Lives" of the Irish Saints contain an immense quantity of material +of first rate importance for the historian of the Celtic church. +Underneath the later concoction of fable is a solid substratum of fact +which no serious student can ignore. Even where the narrative is +otherwise plainly myth or fiction it sheds many a useful sidelight on +ancient manners, customs and laws as well as on the curious and often +intricate operations of the Celtic mind. + +By "Lives" are here meant the old MS. biographies which have come down +to us from ages before the invention of printing. Sometimes these +"Lives" are styled "Acts." Generally we have only one standard "Life" +of a saint and of this there are usually several copies, scattered in +various libraries and collections. Occasionally a second Life is found +differing essentially from the first, but, as a rule, the different +copies are only recensions of a single original. Some of the MSS. are +parchment but the majority are in paper; some Lives again are merely +fragments and no doubt scores if not hundreds of others have been +entirely lost. Of many hundreds of our Irish saints we have only the +meagre details supplied by the martyrologies, with perhaps occasional +reference to them in the Lives of other saints. Again, finally, the +memory of hundreds and hundreds of saints additional survives only in +place names or is entirely lost. + +There still survive probably over a hundred "Lives"--possibly one +hundred and fifty; this, however, does not imply that therefore we have +Lives of one hundred or one hundred and fifty saints, for many of the +saints whose Acts survive have really two sets of the latter--one in +Latin and the other in Irish; moreover, of a few of the Latin Lives and +of a larger number of the Irish Lives we have two or more recensions. +There are, for instance, three independent Lives of St. Mochuda and one +of these is in two recensions. + +The surviving Lives naturally divide themselves into two great classes-- +the Latin Lives and the Irish,--written in Latin and Irish respectively. +We have a Latin Life only of some saints, and Irish Life only of others, +and of others again we have a Latin Life and an Irish. It may be +necessary to add the Acts which have been translated into Latin by +Colgan or the Bollandists do not of course rank as Latin Lives. Whether +the Latin Lives proper are free translations of the Irish Lives or the +Irish Lives translations of Latin originals remains still, to a large +extent, an open question. Plummer ("Vitae SSm. Hib.," Introd.) seems to +favour the Latin Lives as the originals. His reasoning here however +leaves one rather unconvinced. This is not the place to go into the +matter at length, but a new bit of evidence which makes against the +theory of Latin originals may be quoted; it is furnished by the well +known collection of Latin Lives known as the Codex Salmanticensis, to +which are appended brief marginal notes in mixed middle Irish and Latin. +One such note to the Life of St. Cuangus of Lismore (recte Liathmore) +requests a prayer for him who has translated the Life out of the Irish +into Latin. If one of the Lives, and this a typical or characteristic +Life, be a translation, we may perhaps assume that the others, or most +of them, are translations also. In any case we may assume as certain +that there were original Irish materials or data from which the formal +Lives (Irish or Latin) were compiled. + +The Latin Lives are contained mainly in four great collections. The +first and probably the most important of these is in the Royal Library +at Brussels, included chiefly in a large MS. known as 'Codex +Salmanticensis' from the fact that it belonged in the seventeenth +century to the Irish College of Salamanca. The second collection is in +Marsh's Library, Dublin, and the third in Trinity College Library. The +two latter may for practical purposes be regarded as one, for they are +sister MSS.--copied from the same original. The Marsh's Library +collection is almost certainly, teste Plummer, the document referred to +by Colgan as Codex Kilkenniensis and it is quite certainly the Codex +Ardmachanus of Fleming. The fourth collection (or the third, if we take +as one the two last mentioned,) is in the Bodleian at Oxford amongst +what are known as the Rawlinson MSS. Of minor importance, for one +reason or another, are the collections of the Franciscan Library, +Merchants' Quay, Dublin, and in Maynooth College respectively. The +first of the enumerated collections was published 'in extenso,' about +twenty-five years since, by the Marquis of Bute, while recently the gist +of all the Latin collections has been edited with rare scholarship by +Rev. Charles Plummer of Oxford. Incidentally may be noted the one +defect in Mr. Plummer's great work--its author's almost irritating +insistence on pagan origins, nature myths, and heathen survivals. +Besides the Marquis of Bute and Plummer, Colgan and the Bollandists have +published some Latin Lives, and a few isolated "Lives" have been +published from time to time by other more or less competent editors. + +The Irish Lives, though more numerous than the Latin, are less +accessible. The chief repertorium of the former is the Burgundian or +Royal Library, Brussels. The MS. collection at Brussels appears to have +originally belonged to the Irish Franciscans of Louvain and much of it +is in the well-known handwriting of Michael O'Clery. There are also +several collections of Irish Lives in Ireland--in the Royal Irish +Academy, for instance, and Trinity College Libraries. Finally, there +are a few Irish Lives at Oxford and Cambridge, in the British Museum, +Marsh's Library, &c., and in addition there are many Lives in private +hands. In this connection it can be no harm, and may do some good, to +note that an apparently brisk, if unpatriotic, trade in Irish MSS. +(including of course "Lives" of Saints) is carried on with the United +States. Wealthy, often ignorant, Irish-Americans, who are unable to +read them, are making collections of Irish MSS. and rare Irish books, to +Ireland's loss. Some Irish MSS. too, including Lives of Saints, have +been carried away as mementoes of the old land by departing emigrants. + +The date or period at which the Lives (Latin and Irish) were written is +manifestly, for half a dozen good reasons, a question of the utmost +importance to the student of the subject. Alas, that the question has +to some extent successfully defied quite satisfactory solution. We can, +so far, only conjecture--though the probabilities seem strong and the +grounds solid. The probabilities are that the Latin Lives date as a +rule from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, when they were put into +something like their present form for reading (perhaps in the refectory) +in the great religious houses. They were copied and re-copied during +the succeeding centuries and the scribes according to their knowledge, +devotion or caprice made various additions, subtractions and occasional +multiplications. The Irish Lives are almost certainly of a somewhat +earlier date than the Latin and are based partly (i.e. as regards the +bulk of the miracles) on local tradition, and partly (i.e. as regards +the purely historical element) on the authority of written materials. +They too were, no doubt, copied and interpolated much as were the Latin +Lives. The present copies of Irish Lives date as a rule from the +sixteenth and seventeenth centuries only, and the fact that the Latin +and the Irish Life (where there is this double biography) sometimes +agree very perfectly may indicate that the Latin translation or Life is +very late. + +The chief published collections of Irish Saints' Lives may be set down +as seven, scil.:--five in Latin and one each in Irish and English. The +Latin collections are the Bollandists', Colgan's, Messingham's, +Fleming's, and Plummer's; the Irish collection is Stokes' ("Lives of +Saints from the Book of Lismore") and the English is of course +O'Hanlon's. + +Most striking, probably, of the characteristics of the "Lives" is their +very evident effort to exalt and glorify the saint at any cost. With +this end of glorification in view the hagiographer is prepared to +swallow everything and record anything. He has, in fact, no critical +sense and possibly he would regard possession of such a sense as rather +an evil thing and use of it as irreverent. He does not, as a +consequence, succeed in presenting us with a very life-like or +convincing portrait of either the man or the saint. Indeed the saint, +as drawn in the Lives, is, as already hinted, a very unsaintlike +individual--almost as ready to curse as to pray and certainly very much +more likely to smite the aggressor than to present to him the other +cheek. In the text we shall see St. Mochuda, whose Life is a specially +sane piece of work, cursing on the same occasion, first, King Blathmac +and the Prince of Cluain, then, the rich man Cronan who sympathised with +the eviction, next an individual named Dubhsulach who winked insolently +at him, and finally the people of St. Columba's holy city of Durrow who +had stirred up hostile feeling against him. Even gentle female saints +can hurl an imprecation too. St. Laisrech, for instance, condemned the +lands of those who refused her tribute, to--nettles, elder shrub, and +corncrakes! It is pretty plain that the compilers of the lives had some +prerogatives, claims or rights to uphold--hence this frequent insistence +on the evil of resisting the Saint and presumably his successors. + +One characteristic of the Irish ascetics appears very clear through all +the exaggeration and all the biographical absurdity; it is their spirit +of intense mortification. To understand this we have only to study one +of the ancient Irish Monastic Rules or one of the Irish Penitentials as +edited by D'Achery ("Spicilegium") or Wasserschleben ("Irische +Kanonensamerlung"). Severest fasting, unquestioning obedience and +perpetual self renunciation were inculcated by the Rules and we have +ample evidence that they were observed with extraordinary fidelity. The +Rule of Maelruin absolutely forbade the use of meat or of beer. Such a +prohibition a thousand years ago was an immensely more grievous thing +than it would sound to-day. Wheaten bread might partially supply the +place of meat to-day, but meat was easier to procure than bread in the +eighth century. Again, a thousand years ago, tea or coffee there was +none and even milk was often difficult or impossible to procure in +winter. So severe in fact was the fast that religious sometimes died of +it. Bread and water being found insufficient to sustain life and health, +gruel was substituted in some monasteries and of this monastic gruel +there were three varieties:--(a) "gruel upon water" in which the liquid +was so thick that the meal reached the surface, (b) "gruel between two +waters" in which the meal, while it did not rise to the surface, did not +quite fall to the bottom, and (c) "gruel under water" which was so weak +and so badly boiled that he meal easily fell to the bottom. In the case +of penitents the first brand of gruel was prescribed for light offences, +the second kind for sins of ordinary gravity, and the "gruel under +water" for extraordinary crimes (vid. Messrs. Gwynne and Purton on the +Rule of Maelruin, &c.) The most implicit, exact and prompt obedience +was prescribed and observed. An overseer of Mochuda's monastery at +Rahen had occasion to order by name a young monk called Colman to do +something which involved his wading into a river. Instantly a dozen +Colmans plunged into the water. Instances of extraordinary penance +abound, beside which the austerities of Simon Stylites almost pale. The +Irish saints' love of solitude was also a very marked characteristic. +Desert places and solitary islands of the ocean possessed an apparently +wonderful fascination for them. The more inaccessible or forbidding the +island the more it was in request as a penitential retreat. There is +hardly one of the hundred islands around the Irish coast which, one time +or another, did not harbour some saint or solitary upon its rocky bosom. + +The testimony of the "Lives" to the saints' love and practice of prayer +is borne out by the evidence of more trustworthy documents. Besides +private prayers, the whole psalter seems to have been recited each day, +in three parts of fifty psalms each. In addition, an immense number of +Pater Nosters was prescribed. The office and prayers were generally +pretty liberally interspersed with genuflexions or prostrations, of +which a certain anchorite performed as many as seven hundred daily. +Another penitential action which accompanied prayer was the +'cros-figul.' This was an extension of the arms in the shape of a +cross; if anyone wants to know how difficult a practice this is let him +try it for, say, fifteen minutes. Regarding recitation of the Divine +Office it was of counsel, and probably of precept, that is should not be +from memory merely, but that the psalms should all be read. For this a +good reason was given by Maelruin, i.e. that the recitation might engage +the eye as well as the tongue and thought. An Irish homily refers to +the mortification of the saints and religious of the time as martyrdom, +of which it distinguishes three kinds--red, white, and blue. Red +martyrdom was death for the faith; white martyrdom was the discipline of +fasting, labour and bodily austerities; while blue martyrdom was +abnegation of the will and heartfelt sorrow for sin. + +One of the puzzles of Irish hagiology is the great age attributed to +certain saints--periods of two hundred, three hundred, and even four +hundred years. Did the original compilers of the Life intend this? +Whatever the full explanation be the writers of the Lives were clearly +animated by a desire to make their saint cotemporary and, if possible, a +disciple, of one or other of the great monastic founders, or at any rate +to prove him a pupil of one of the great schools of Erin. There was +special anxiety to connect the saint with Bangor or Clonard. To effect +the connection in question it was sometimes necessary to carry the life +backwards, at other times to carry it forwards, and occasionally to +lengthen it both backwards and forwards. Dr. Chas. O'Connor gives a not +very convincing explanation of the three-hundred-year "Lives," scil.:-- +that the saint lived in three centuries--during the whole of one century +and in the end and beginning respectively of the preceding and +succeeding centuries. This explanation, even if satisfactory for the +three-hundred-year Lives, would not help at all towards the Lives of +four hundred years. A common explanation is that the scribe mistook +numerals in the MS. before him and wrote the wrong figures. There is no +doubt that copying is a fruitful source of error as regards numerals. +It is much more easy to make a mistake in a numeral than in a letter; +the context will enable one to correct the letter, while it will give +him no clue as regards a numeral. On the subject of the alleged +longevity of Irish Saints Anscombe has recently been elaborating in +'Eriu' a new and very ingenious theory. Somewhat unfortunately the +author happens to be a rather frequent propounder of ingenious theories. +His explanation is briefly--the use and confusion of different systems +of chronology. He alleges that the original writers used what is called +the Diocletian Era or the "Era of the Martyrs" as the 'terminus a quo' +of their chronological system and, in support of his position, he +adduces the fact that this, which was the most ancient of all +ecclesiastical eras, was the era used by the schismatics in Britain and +that it was introduced by St. Patrick. + +As against the contradiction, anachronisms and extravagances of the +Lives we have to put the fact that generally speaking the latter +corroborate one another, and that they receive extern corroboration from +the annals. Such disagreements as occur are only what one would expect +to find in documents dealing with times so remote. To the credit side +too must go the fact that references to Celtic geography and to local +history are all as a rule accurate. Of continental geography and +history however the writers of the Lives show much ignorance, but +scarcely quite as much as the corresponding ignorance shown by +Continental writers about Ireland. + +The missionary methods of the early Irish Church and its monastic or +semi-monastic system are frequently referred to as peculiar, if not +unique. A missionary system more or less similar must however have +prevailed generally in that age. What other system could have been +nearly as successful amongst a pagan people circumstanced as the Irish +were? The community system alone afforded the necessary mutual +encouragement and protection to the missionaries. Each monastic station +became a base of operations. The numerous diminutive dioceses, +quasi-dioceses, or tribal churches, were little more than extensive +parishes and the missionary bishops were little more in jurisdiction +than glorified parish priests. The bishop's 'muintir,' that is the +members of his household, were his assistant clergy. Having converted +the chieftain or head of the tribe the missionary had but to instruct +and baptise the tribesmen and to erect churches for them. Land and +materials for the church were provided by the Clan or the Clan's head, +and lands for support of the missioner or of the missionary community +were allotted just as they had been previously allotted to the pagan +priesthood; in fact there can be but little doubt that the lands of the +pagan priests became in many cases the endowment of the Christian +establishment. It is not necessary, by the way, to assume that the +Church in Ireland as Patrick left it, was formally monastic. The clergy +lived in community, it is true, but it was under a somewhat elastic +rule, which was really rather a series of Christian and Religious +counsels. A more formal monasticism had developed by the time of +Mochuda; this was evidently influenced by the spread of St. Benedict's +Rule, as Patrick's quasi-monasticism, nearly two centuries previously, +had been influenced by Pachomius and St. Basil, through Lerins. The +real peculiarity in Ireland was that when the community-missionary +system was no longer necessary it was not abandoned as in other lands +but was rather developed and emphasised. + + + +INTRODUCTION--ST. MOCHUDA + + +"It was he (Mochuda) that had the famous congregation +consisting of seven hundred and ten persons; an angel +used to address every third man of them." +(Martyrology of Donegal). + +In some respects the Life of Mochuda here presented is in sharp contrast +to the corresponding Life of Declan. The former document is in all +essentials a very sober historical narrative--accurate wherever we can +test it, credible and harmonious on the whole. Philologically, to be +sure, it is of little value,--certainly a much less valuable Life than +Declan's; historically, however (and question of the pre-Patrician +mission apart) it is immensely the more important document. On one +point do we feel inclined to quarrel with its author, scil.: that he +has not given us more specifically the motives underlying Mochuda's +expulsion from Rahen--one of the three worst counsels ever given in +Erin. Reading between his lines we spell, jealousy--'invidia +religiosorum.' Another jealousy too is suggested--the mutual distrust +of north and south which has been the canker-worm of Irish political +life for fifteen hundred years, making intelligible if not justifying +the indignation of a certain distinguished Irishman who wanted to know +the man's name, in order to curse its owner, who first divided Ireland +into two provinces. + +Three different Lives of Mochuda are known to the present writer. Two of +them are contained in a MS. at Brussels (C/r. Bindon, p. 8, 13) and of +one of these there is a copy in a MS. of Dineen's in the Royal Irish +Academy (Stowe Collection, A. IV, I.) Dineen appears to have been a +Cork or Kerry man and to have worked under the patronage of the rather +noted Franciscan Father Francis Matthew (O'Mahony), who was put to death +at Cork by Inchiquin in 1644. The bald text of Dineen's "Life" was +published a few years since, without translation, in the 'Irish Rosary.' +The corresponding Brussels copy is in Michael O'Clery's familiar hand. +In it occurs the strange pagan-flavoured story of the British Monk +Constantine. O'Clery's copy was made in January, 1627, at the Friary of +Drouish from the Book of Tadhg O'Ceanan and it is immediately followed +by a tract entitled--"Do Macaib Ua Suanac." The bell of Mochuda, by the +way, which the saint rang against Blathmac, was called the 'glassan' of +Hui Suanaig in later times. + +The "Life" here printed, which follows the Latin Life so closely that +one seems a late translation of the other, is as far as the editor is +aware, contained in a single MS. only. This is M. 23, 50, R.I.A., in +the handwriting of John Murphy, "na Raheenach." Murphy was a Co. Cork +schoolmaster, scribe, and poet, of whom a biographical sketch will be +found prefixed by Mr. R. A. Foley to a collection of Murphy's poems that +he has edited. The sobriquet, "na Raheenach," is really a kind of +tribal designation. The "Life" is very full but is in its present form +a comparatively late production; it was transcribed by Murphy between +1740 and 1750. It is much to be regretted that the scribe tells us +nothing of his original. Murphy, but the way, seems to have specialised +to some extent in saint's Lives and to have imbued his disciples with +something of the same taste. One of his pupils was Maurice O'Connor, a +scribe and shipwright of Cove, to whom we owe the Life of St. Ciaran of +Saighir printed in "Silva Gadelica." The reasons of choice for +publication here of the present Life are avowedly non-philological; the +motive for preference is that it is the longest of the three Lives and +for historical purposes the most important. + +The Life presents considerable evidence of historical reliability; its +geography is detailed and correct; its references to contemporaries of +Mochuda are accurate on the whole and there are few inconsistencies or +none. Moreover it sheds some new light on that chronic puzzle-- +organisation of the Celtic Church of Ireland. Mochuda, head of a great +monastery at Rahen, is likewise a kind of pluralist Parish Priest with a +parish in Kerry, administered in his name by deputed ecclesiastics, and +other parishes similarly administered in Kerrycurrihy, Rostellan, West +Muskerry, and Spike Island, Co. Cork. When a chief parishioner lies +seriously ill in distant Corca Duibhne, Mochuda himself comes all the +way from the centre of Ireland to administer the last rites to the dying +man, and so on. + +The relations of the people to the Church and its ministers are in many +respects not at all easy to understand. Oblations, for instance, of +themselves and their territory, &c., by chieftains are frequent. +Oblations of monasteries are made in a similar way. Probably this +signifies no more than that the chief region or monastery put itself +under the saint's jurisdiction or rule or both. That there were other +churches too than the purely monastic appears from offerings to Mochuda +of already existing churches, v.g. from the Clanna Ruadhan in Decies, +&c. + +Lismore, the most famous of Mochuda's foundations, became within a +century of the saint's death, one of the great monastic schools of Erin, +attracting to his halls, or rather to its boothies, students from all +Ireland and even--so it is claimed--from lands beyond the seas. King +Alfrid [Aldfrith] of Northumbria, for instance, is said to have partaken +of Lismore's hospitality, and certainly Cormac of Cashel, Malachy and +Celsus of Armagh and many others of the most distinguished of the Scots +partook thereof. The roll of Lismore's calendared saints would require, +did the matter fall within our immediate province, more than one page to +itself. Some interesting reference to Mochuda and his holy city occur +in the Life of one of his disciples, St. Colman Maic Luachain, edited +for the R.I.A. by Professor Kuno Meyer. + +There are many indications in the present Life that, at one period, and +in the time of Carthach, the western boundary of Decies extended far +beyond the line at present recognised. Similar indications are furnished +by the martyrologies, &c.; for instance, the martyrology of Donegal +under November 28th records of "the three sons of Bochra" that "they are +of Archadh Raithin in Ui Mic Caille in Deisi Mumhan" and Ibid, p. +xxxvii, it is stated "i ccondae Corcaige ataid na Desi Muman." Not only +Imokilly but all Co. Cork, east of Queenstown [Cobh] and north to the +Blackwater, seems to have acknowledged Mochuda's jurisdiction. At +Rathbreasail accordingly (teste Keating, on the authority of the Book of +Cloneneigh) the Diocese of Lismore is made to extend to Cork,--probably +over the present baronies of Imokilly, Kinatallon, and Barrymore. That +part, at least, of Condons and Clangibbon was likewise included is +inferrible from the fact that, as late as the sixteenth century +visitations, Kilworth, founded by Colman Maic Luachain, ranked as a +parish in the diocese of Lismore. Further evidence pointing in the same +direction is furnished by Clondulane, &c., represented in the present +Life as within Carthach's jurisdiction. + +The Rule of St. Carthach is one of the few ancient Irish so-called +monastic Rules surviving. It is in reality less a "rule," as the latter +is now understood, than a series of Christian and religious counsels +drawn up by a spiritual master for his disciples. It must not be +understood from this that each religious house did not have it formal +regulations. The latter however seem to have depended largely upon the +abbot's spirit, will or discretion. The existing "Rules" abound in +allusions to forgotten practices and customs and, to add to their +obscurity, their language is very difficult--sometimes, like the +language of the Brehon Laws, unintelligible. The rule ascribed to +Mochuda is certainly a document of great antiquity and may well have +emanated from the seventh century and from the author whose name it +bears. The tradition of Lismore and indeed of the Irish Church is +constant in attributing it to him. Copies of the Rule are found in +numerous MSS. but many of them are worthless owing to the incompetence +of the scribes to whom the difficult Irish of the text was +unintelligible. The text in the Leabhar Breac has been made the basis +of his edition of the Rule by Mac Eaglaise, a writer in the 'Irish +Ecclesiastical Record' (1910). Mac Eaglaise's edition, though it is not +all that could be desired, is far the most satisfactory which has yet +appeared. Previous editions of the Rule or part of it comprise one by +Dr. Reeves in his tract on the Culdees, one by Kuno Meyer in the 'Gaelic +Journal' (Vol. V.) and another in 'Archiv fuer C.L.' (3 Bund. 1905), and +another again in 'Eriu' (Vol. 2, p. 172), besides a free translation of +the whole rule by O'Curry in the 'I. R. Record' for 1864. The text of +the 'Record' edition of 1910 is from Leabhar Breac collated with other +MSS. The order in the various copies is not the same and some copies +contain material which is wanting in others. The "Rule" commences with +the Ten Commandments, then it enumerates the obligations respectively of +bishops, abbots, priests, monks, and culdees [anchorites]. Finally there +is a section on the order of meals and on the refectory and another on +the obligations of a king. The following excerpt on the duties of an +abbot ('I. E. Record' translation) will illustrate the style and spirit +of the Rule: + +"Of the Abbot of a Church. + 1.--If you be the head man of a Church noble is the power, +better for you that you be just who take the heirship of the +king. + 2.--If you are the head man of a Church noble is the +obligation, preservation of the rights of the Church from the +small to the great. + 3.--What Holy Church commands preach then with diligence; +what you order to each one do it yourself. + 4.--As you love your own soul love the souls of all. Yours +the magnification of every good [and] banishment of every evil. + 5.--Be not a candle under a bushel [Luke 11:33]. Your +learning without a cloud over it. Yours the healing of every +host both strong and weak. + 6.--Yours to judge each one according to grade and according +to deed; he will advise you at judgment before the king. +. . . . . . . . . . . . . + 10.--Yours to rebuke the foolish, to punish the hosts, +turning disorder into order [restraint] of the stubborn, +obstinate, wretched." + +Reservation of the Coarbship of Mochuda at Lismore in favour of Kerrymen +is an extremely curious if not unique provision. How long it continued +in force we do not know. Probably it endured to the twelfth century and +possibly the rule was not of strict interpretation. Christian +O'Connarchy, who was bishop of Lismore in the twelfth century, is +regarded as a native of Decies, though the contrary is slightly +suggested by his final retirement to Kerry. The alleged prophecy +concerning Kerry men and the coarbship points to some rule, regulation +or law of Mochuda. + + + + +LIFE OF ST. MOCHUDA +or +"BEATA MOCUDA" + +The renowned bishop, Carthach, commonly called Mochuda, was of the +territory of Ciarraighe Luachra [North Kerry] and of the race of Fergus +Mac Roigh. + +The illustrious bishop, who is generally known as Mochuda, was of the +Ciarraighe Luachra; to be exact--he was of the line of Fergus Mac Roigh, +who held the kingship of Ulster, till the time that he gave the kingship +to a woman for a year and did not get it back when the year was over. +His descendants are now to be found throughout various provinces of +Ireland. He fell himself, through the treachery of Oilioll, king of +Connaght, and the latter's jealousy of his wife, Meadbh, daughter of +Eochaid Feidhleach. Finghen Mac Gnaoi of Ciarraighe Luachra was father +of Mochuda, and his mother was Mead, daughter of Finghin, of Corca +Duibhne, in the vicinity of the stream called Laune in the western part +of Ireland. The forthcoming birth of Mochuda was revealed to St. +Comhghall by an angel, announcing--"There will be conceived a child in +the western part of Erin, and Carthach will be his baptismal name and he +will be beloved of God and men--in heaven and on earth. He will come to +you seeking direction as to a proposed pilgrimage to Rome--but you must +not permit the journey for the Lord has assigned him to you; but let him +remain with you a whole year." All this came to pass, as foretold. In +similar manner the future Mochuda was foretold to St. Brendan by an +angel who declared: "There will come to you a wonder-working brother +who will be the patron of you and your kindred for ever; the region of +Ciarraighe will be divided between you and him, and Carthach will be his +name; to multitudes his advent will be cause for joy and he will gain +multitudes for heaven. His first city will be Raithen [Rahen or Rahan] +in the region of Fircheall, territory of Meath and central plain of +Ireland; this will become a place revered of men, and revered and famous +will be his second city and church, scil.:--Lismore, which shall possess +lordship and great pre-eminence." + +One day when there was a large meeting of people at a certain place in +Kerry, the men and women who were present saw descending a fiery globe, +which rested on the head of Mochuda's mother, at that time pregnant of +the future saint. The ball of fire did no one any injury but +disappeared before it did injury to anyone. All those who beheld this +marvel wondered thereat and speculated what it could portend. This is +what it did mean:--that the graces of the Holy Spirit had visited this +woman and her holy child unborn. + +Mochuda's father was a rich and powerful chieftain owning two strong +lioses--one, on the south side of Slieve Mish, and the other, in which +Mochuda first saw the light, beside the River Maing [Maine]. Both +places were blessed for sake of the Saint, who was conceived in one of +them and born in the other; it is even said that no evil disposed or +vicious person can live in either. Carthage in due course was sent to +be baptised, and, on the way, the servant who bore the infant, meeting a +saintly man named Aodhgan, asked him to perform the ceremony. There was +however no water in the place, but a beautiful well, which burst forth +for the occasion and still remains, yielded a supply. With the water of +this well the infant was baptised and Carthach, as the angel had +foretold, was the name given him. Nevertheless 'Mochuda' is the name by +which he was commonly known, because he was so called, through affection +and regard, by his master (St. Carthach Senior). Many scarcely know +that he has any other name than Mochuda and it is lawful to write either +Mochuda or Carthach. Speaking prophetically Aodhgan said of him:--"This +child whom I have baptised will become famous and he will be beloved by +God and men." That prophecy has been fulfilled, for Mochuda was +graceful of figure and handsome of features as David, he was master of +his passions as Daniel, and mild and gentle like Moses. His parents +however despised him because he valued not earthly vanities and in his +regard were verified the words of David:--"Pater meus et mater mea +derliquerunt me, Dominus autem assumpsit me [Psalm 26(27):10] (For my +father and my mother have left me and the Lord hath taken me up)." Like +David too--who kept the sheep of his father--Mochuda, with other youths, +herded his father's swine in his boyhood. + +On a certain day as Mochuda, with his companion swineherds and their +charges, was in the vicinity of the River Maing, he heard that the king +of Ciarraighe Luachra was at his residence called Achadh-di; he waited +on the king by whom he was kindly and politely received. The king, +whose name was Maoltuile and who wished to see Mochuda frequently, +invited the youth to come every day to the royal lios and to bring with +him his companions, who would be made welcome for his sake. One evening +as Mochuda sate in the king's presence Maoltuile gazed so long and so +intently at the youth that the queen (Dand, daughter of Maolduin Mac +Aodha Beannan, king of Munster) reproved her husband asking why he +stared every evening at the boy. "O wife," answered the king, "if you +but saw what I see, you would never gaze at anything else, for I behold +a wondrous golden chain about his neck and a column of fire reaching +from his head to the heavens, and since I first beheld these marvels my +affection for the boy has largely increased." "Then," said the queen, +"let him sit there beside you." Thenceforth the youth sate as +suggested. Sometimes Mochuda herded the swine in the woods and at other +times he remained with the king in his court. + +One day as Mochuda was keeping his herd as usual beside the river +already alluded to, he heard the bishop and his clerics pass by, +chanting psalms as they went along. The Spirit of God touched the boy's +heart and leaving his pigs Mochuda followed the procession as far as the +monastery called Tuaim [Druim Fertain] [into which the clerics entered]. +And as the bishop and his household sate down to eat, Mochuda, unknown +to them, concealed himself--sitting in the shadow of the doorway. +Meanwhile the king, Maoltuile, was troubled about the boy, noticing his +absence [from the homestead at Achaddi] that evening and not knowing the +cause thereof. He immediately sent messengers to seek the youth +throughout the country, and one of these found him sitting, as +indicated, in the shadow of the doorway of the bishop's house. The +messenger took Mochuda with him back to the king. The latter questioned +him:--"My child, why have you stayed away in this manner?" Mochuda +replied, "Sire, this is why I have stayed away--through attraction of +the holy chant of the bishop and clergy; I have never heard anything so +beautiful as this; the clerics sang as they went along the whole way +before me; they sang until they arrived at their house, and thenceforth +they sang till they went to sleep. The bishop however remained by +himself far into the night praying by himself when the others had +retired. And I wish, O king, that I might learn [their psalms and +ritual]." Hearing this the king at once sent a message to the bishop +requesting the latter to come to him. + +About this time Mochuda's father gave a feast in the king's honour and +as the company were at supper the king calling Mochuda before him +offered him a shield, sword, javelin, and princely robe, saying: "Take +these and be henceforth a knight to me as your father has been." But +Mochuda declined the offer. "What is it," asked the king, "that you +will accept, so that [whatever it be] I may give it to you?" Mochuda +answered:--"I do not long for anything of earth--only that I be allowed +to learn the psalms of the clerics which I heard them sing." In this +answer the king discerned the working of divine grace, whereupon he +promised the youth the favour he asked for. Shortly afterwards the +bishop, Carthach, whom we have mentioned as sent for by the king, +arrived, and to him the latter entrusted Mochuda to be instructed in +reading and writing. With great joy the bishop undertook his charge for +he saw that his pupil was marked by grace, and under the bishop's +guidance and tutelage Mochuda remained till his promotion to the +priesthood. + +Mochuda was very handsome of features with the result that at different +times during his youth maidens to the number of thirty were so enamoured +of him that they could not conceal their feeling. But Mochuda prayed +for them, and obtained for them by his prayers that their carnal love +should be turned into a spiritual. They afterwards became consecrated +religious and within what to-day is his parish he built them cells and +monasteries which the holy virgins placed under his protection and +jurisdiction. + +Finntan Mac Cartan, bringing with him an infant for baptism came to +Bishop Carthach. The latter said to him:--"Let the young priest there +who was ordained to-day baptise the child." Whereupon Finntan handed the +infant to the young priest. Mochuda enquired the name he was to impose, +and the father answered--Fodhran. Having administered baptism Mochuda +taking the infant's hand prophesied concerning the babe--"This hand will +be strong in battle and will win hostages and submission of the Clan +Torna whose country lies in mid-Kerry from Sliabh Luachra [Slieve +Lougher] to the sea. From his seed, moreover, will spring kings to the +end of time, unless indeed they refuse me due allegiance, and if, at any +time, they incur displeasure of my successors their kingship and +dominion will come to an end." This prophecy has been fulfilled. + +Sometime afterwards Mochuda with his master, Carthach, visited King +Maoltuile, whom they found at a place called Feorainn, near Tralee, from +which the lords and kings of Kerry take their name. Said Bishop +Carthach:--"Here, Sire, is the youth you gave me to train; he is a good +scholar and he has studied the holy writings with much success. I have +ordained him a priest and (his) grace is manifest in many ways." "What +recompense do you desire for your labour?" asked the king. "Only," +replied Carthach, "that you would place yourself and your posterity +under the spiritual jurisdiction of this young priest, the servant of +God." The king, however, hesitated--because of Mochuda's youth. Soon +as Carthach perceived this he himself inclined to Mochuda and bending +his knee before him exclaimed:--"I hereby give myself, my parish and +monastery to God and to Mochuda for ever." Touched by the bishop's +example the king prostrated himself before Mochuda and pledged to God +and to him, his soul and body and posterity to the end of time. Then +Mochuda placed his foot upon the king's neck and measured the royal body +with his foot. Against this proceeding of Mochuda's a member of the +king's party protested in abusive and insulting terms--"It is a haughty +act of yours, laying your foot upon the king's neck, for be it known to +you the body on which you trample is worthy of respect." On hearing +this Mochuda ceased to measure the king and declared:--"The neck upon +which I have set my heel shall never be decapitated and the body which I +have measured with my foot shall not be slain and but for your +interference there would not be wanting anything to him or his seed for +ever." Addressing (specially) the interrupter, he prophesied:--"You and +your posterity will be for ever contemptible among the tribes." +Blessing the king he promised him prosperity here and heaven hereafter +and assured him:--"If any one of your posterity contemn my successors +refusing me my lawful dues he will never reign over the kingdom of +Kerry." This prophecy has been fulfilled. + +Next, Mochuda, at the suggestion of his master, the bishop, and the King +Maoltuile, built a famous cell called Kiltulach [Kiltallagh] at a place +between Sliabh Mis and the River Maing in the southern part of Kerry. +Here his many miracles won him the esteem of all. In that region he +found two bishops already settled before him, scil.:--Dibhilin and +Domailgig. These became envious of the honour paid him and the fame he +acquired, and they treated him evilly. Whereupon he went to Maoltuile +and told him the state of affairs. Soon as the king heard the tale he +came with Mochuda from the place where he then was on the bank of the +Luimnech and stayed not till they reached the summit of Sliabh Mis, when +he addressed Mochuda: "Leave this confined region for the present to +the envy and jealousy of the bishops and hereafter it will become yours +and your coarbs' to the end of time." The advice commended itself to +Mochuda and he thanked the king for it. Thereupon he abandoned his cell +to the aforesaid bishops and determined to set out alone as a pilgrim to +the northern part of Ireland. + +In the meantime an angel visited Comghall and repeated to him what had +been foretold him already--that there should come to him a young priest +desirous for Christ's sake of pilgrimage beyond the seas--that Comghall +should dissuade him and, instead, retain the stranger with him for a +year at Bangor. "And how am I to recognise him?" asked Comghall. The +angel answered:--"Whom you shall see going from the church to the +guest-house" (for it was Mochuda's custom to visit the church first). +[See note 1.] Comghall announced to his household that there was coming +to them a distinguished stranger, well-beloved of God, of whose advent +an angel had twice foretold him. Some time later Mochuda arrived at +Comghall's establishment, and he went first to the monastery and +Comghall recognised him and bade him welcome. In that place Mochuda +remained a whole year, as the angel had said, and at the end of the year +he returned to his own country where he built many cells and churches +and worked many wonders, winning many souls to religion and to good +works. Many persons moreover placed themselves, their children, and +their kindred under his jurisdiction, and the great parishes of their +own territory were assigned to him, and finally the episcopate of Kerry +became his. + +Subsequent to this Mochuda, having committed the care of his cell and +parish to certain pious and suitable persons, set out himself, +accompanied by a few disciples, through the south of Munster to visit +the Monastery of Ciaran Mac Fionntan at Rosgiallan [Rostellan]. From +Ciaran Mochuda enquired, where--in south Munster (as the angel had +mentioned to Comghall)--the chief and most distinguished of these +churches should be. Ciaran, who possessed the spirit of prophecy, +replied--"You shall go first to Meath where you will found a famous +church in the territory of Ibh Neill and there you will remain for forty +years. You shall be driven thence into exile and you will return to +Munster wherein will be your greatest and most renowned church." +Mochuda offered to place himself under the patronage and jurisdiction of +Ciaran: "Not so, shall it be," said Ciaran, "but rather do I put myself +and my church under you, for ever, reserving only that my son, Fuadhran, +be my successor in this place." This Mochuda assented to and Fuadhran +governed the monastic city for twenty years as Ciaran's successor in the +abbacy. + +Next, Mochuda entered the territory of the Munster Decies where dwelt +the Clanna Ruadhain who placed themselves and all their churches under +him, and one Colman Mac Cobhthaigh a wealthy magnate of the region +donated extensive lands to Mochuda who placed them under devout persons +--to hold for him. Proceeding thence Mochuda took his way across Sliabh +Gua looking back from the summit of which he saw by the bank of the Nemh +[Blackwater] angels ascending towards heaven and descending thence. And +they took up with them to heaven a silver chair with a golden image +thereon. This was the place in which long afterwards he founded his +famous church and whence he departed himself to glory. + +Hence Mochuda travelled to Molua Mac Coinche's monastery of Clonfert +[Kyle], on the confines of Leinster and Munster. He found Molua in the +harvest field in the midst of a 'meitheal' [team] of reapers. Before +setting out on this present journey of his Mochuda had, with one +exception, dismissed all his disciples to their various homes for he, +but with a single companion, did not wish to enter the strange land +ostentatiously. The single follower whom Mochuda had retained wishing +to remain at Clonfert, said to St. Molua: "Holy father, I should wish +to remain here with you." Molua answered:--"I shall permit you, +brother, if your pious master consents." Mochuda, having dismissed so +many, would not make any difficulty about an individual, and so he gave +the monk his freedom. Mochuda thereupon set out alone, which, Molua's +monks observing, they remark:--"It were time for that aged man to remain +in some monastery, for it is unbecoming such a (senior) monk to wander +about alone." They did not know that he, of whom they spoke, was +Mochuda, for it was not the custom of the latter to make himself known +to many. "Say not so," said Molua (to the censorious brethren), "for +the day will come when our community and city will seem but +insignificant beside his--though now he goes alone; you do not know that +he is Mochuda whom many obey and whom many more will obey in times to +come." + +As Mochuda went on his lonely way he met two monks who asked him whither +he was bound. "To Colman Elo," he answered. Then said one of them to +him:--"Take us with you as monks and subjects," for they judged him from +his countenance to be a holy man. Mochuda accepted the monks and they +journeyed on together till they came to Colman's monastery [Lynally]. +Mochuda said to Colman: "Father I would remain here with you." "Not +so," replied Colman, "but go you to a place called Rahen in this +vicinity; that is the place ordained by God for your dwelling and you +shall have there a large community in the service of God and from that +place you will get your first name--Mochuda of Rahen." Having said +farewell to Colman and obtained his blessing Mochuda, with his two +monks, set out for the place indicated and there in the beginning he +built a small cell and Colman and he often afterwards exchanged visits. + +Colman had in the beginning--some time previous to Mochuda's advent-- +contemplated establishing himself at Rahen and he had left there two or +three [bundles] of rods remarking to his disciples that another should +come after him for whom and not for himself God had destined this place. +It was with this material that Mochuda commenced to build his cell as +Colman had foretold in the first instance. He erected later a great +monastery in which he lived forty years and had eight hundred and eighty +seven religious under his guidance and rule. + +Subsequent to Mochuda's foundation of Rahen his miracles and the marvels +he wrought spread his fame far and wide through Ireland and through +Britain, and multitudes came to him from various parts of those +countries to give themselves to the service of God under his guidance. +In the beginning he refused worldly gifts from others although his +church was honoured and patronised by neighbouring kings and chieftains +who offered him lands and cattle and money and many other things. +Mochuda kept his monks employed in hard labour and in ploughing the +ground for he wanted them to be always humble. Others, however, of the +Saints of Erin did not force their monks to servile labour in this +fashion. + +Mochuda was consecrated bishop by many saints and from time to time he +visited his parish in Kerry, but as a rule he remained at Rahen with his +monks, for it is monks he had with him not clerics. + +On a certain day in the (early) springtime there came to tempt him a +druid who said to him:--"In the name of your God cause this apple-tree +branch to produce foliage." Mochuda knew that it was in contempt for +divine power the druid proposed this, and the branch put forth leaves on +the instant. The druid demanded "In the name of your God, put blossom +on it." Mochuda made the sign of the cross [over the twig] and it +blossomed presently. The druid persisted:--"What profits blossom +without fruit?" [said the druid]. Mochuda, for the third time, blessed +the branch and it produced a quantity of fruit. The druid said:-- +"Follower of Christ, cause the fruit to ripen." Mochuda blessed the +tree and the fruit, fully ripe, fell to the earth. The druid picked up +an apple off the ground and examining it he saw it was quite sour, +whereupon he objected:--"Such miracles as these are worthless since it +leaves the fruit uneatable." Mochuda blessed the apples and they all +became sweet as honey, and in punishment of his opposition the magician +was deprived for a year of his eyesight. At the end of a year he came to +Mochuda and did penance, whereupon he received his sight back again and +he returned home rejoicing. + +On another occasion there came to Mochuda a secular who brought with him +his deaf and dumb son whom he besought the saint to heal. Mochuda +prayed to God for him and said, "My son, hear and speak." The boy +answered immediately and said, "Man of God, I give myself and my +inheritance to you for ever," and thenceforth he possessed the use of +all his senses and members. + +Another day a young man who had contracted leprosy came to Mochuda +showing him his misery and his wretched condition. The saint prayed for +him and he was restored to health. + +At another time there came to Mochuda a man whose face was deformed. He +besought the saint's aid and his face was healed upon the spot. + +On yet another occasion in the springtime a poor man who dwelt some +distance from the monastery of Rahen, came to Mochuda, and asked the +loan of two oxen and a ploughman to do a day's ploughing for him. But +Mochuda, as we have already said, had no cattle, for it was the monks +themselves who dug and tilled the soil. Mochuda summoned one of his +labourers named Aodhan whom he ordered to go into the nearest wood to +bring back thence a pair of deer with him and go along with them to the +poor man to do the spring work for him. Aodhan did dutifully all that +Mochuda bade him--he found the two deer, went with the poor man and +ploughed for him till the work was completed when the deer returned to +their habitat and Aodhan to Mochuda. + +On another day there came to Mochuda a man troubled by the devil. +Mochuda cured him at once, driving the demons from him and the man went +his way thanking God and Mochuda. + +Once, when the brethren were at work in the fields and in the kitchen, +Mochuda went to the mill to grind meal for the monk's use, and nine +robbers, who hated him, followed with the intention of murdering him. +The chief of the band sent each member of the gang to the mill in turn. +Not one of them however could enter the mill because of a violent flame +of fire which encircled the building round about, through the goodness +of God protecting Mochuda from the robbers. The latter, through the +mill door, watched Mochuda who slept portion of the time and was awake +another portion. And while he slept the mill stopped of itself, and +while he was awake it went of its own accord. The gang thereupon +returned to the chief and told him all they had seen, which, when he +heard, he became enraged. Then he hastened himself to the mill to kill +Mochuda. But he experienced the same things as all the others and he +was unable to hurt Mochuda. He returned to his followers and said to +them--"Let us stay here till he comes out of the mill, for we need not +fear that he will call help nor need we fear his arm." Shortly +afterwards Mochuda came out carrying his load. The robbers rushed on +him, but they were unable to do him any injury for as each man of them +tried to draw his weapon his hands became powerless, so he was unable to +use them. Mochuda requested them to allow him pass with his burden and +he promised them on his credit and his word that he should return to +them when he had deposited the sack in safety. They took his word and he +went, deposited his bag of meal in the kitchen, and returned meekly to +martyrdom. The brethren imagined he had gone to a quiet place for +prayer as was his custom. When he returned to the robbers they drew +their weapons several times to kill him but they were unable to do so. +Seeing this wonder they were moved to repentance and they gave +themselves to God and to Mochuda for ever and, till the time of their +death, they remained under his guidance and rule and many subsequent +edifying and famous acts of theirs are recorded. + +An angel came to Mochuda at Rahen on another occasion announcing to him +the command of God that he should go that same day to Mac Fhiodaig, king +of his own region of Kerry Luachra, and administer to him Holy Communion +and Confession as he was on the point of death. Mochuda asked the angel +how he could reach Kerry that day from Rahen. The angel thereupon (for +reply) took him up through the air in a fiery chariot until they arrived +at the king's residence. Mochuda administered Holy Communion and +Confession and the king having bestowed generous alms upon him departed +hence to glory. Mochuda returned that same day to Rahen where he found +the community singing vespers. + +On another occasion Mochuda visited Colman Elo at the latter's monastery +of Lynally and requested Colman to come with him to consecrate for him +his cemetery at Rahen, for Colman, assisted by angels, was in the habit +of consecrating cemeteries and God gave him the privilege that no one +should go to hell who was interred in a grave consecrated by him. +Colman said to him:--"Return home and on the fifth day from now I shall +follow." Mochuda returned home, where he remained till the fifth day, +when, seeing that Colman had not arrived he came again to the latter. +"Father," said he, "why have you not kept your promise?" To which +Colman replied, "I came and an angel with me that day and consecrated +your cemetery. Return now and you will find it marked (consecrated) on +the south side of your own cell. Lay it out as it is there indicated +and think not that its area is too small, because a larger will be +consecrated for you later, by the angels, in the southern part of Erin, +namely--in Lismore." Mochuda returned and found the cemetery duly marked +as Colman had indicated. + +About the same time clerics came across Slieve Luachra in the territory +of Kerry to the church of Ita, honoured [abbess] of Conall Gabhra. They +had with them a child upon seeing whom Ita wept bitterly. The clerics +demanded why she cried at seeing them. "Blessed," she answered, "is the +hour in which that youth in your company was born, for no one shall ever +go to hell from the cemetery in which he will be buried, but, alas, for +me, that I cannot be buried therein." The clerics asked what cemetery +it was in which he should be buried. "In Mochuda's cemetery," said she, +"which though it be as yet unconsecrated will be honoured and famous in +times to come." This all came to pass, for the youth afterwards became +a monk under Mochuda and he is buried in the monastic cemetery of +Lismore as Ita had foretold. + +A child on another occasion fell off the bridge of Rahen into the river +and was drowned. The body was a day and a night in the water before it +was recovered. Then it was brought to Mochuda who, moved with +compassion for the father in his loss of an only son, restored the boy +to life. Moreover he himself fostered the child for a considerable time +afterwards and when the youth had grown up, he sent him back to his own +country of Delbhna. Mochuda's foster son begat sons and daughters and he +gave himself and them, as well as his inheritance, to God and Mochuda, +and his descendants are to this day servile tenants of the monastery. + +Once as Mochuda, with large offerings, was returning from Kerry to Rahen +he passed through the confines of Delbhna [Lemanaghan?] by the lake +called Muincine [Lough Gur?] where he and his party were overtaken by +night. They found here before them by the roadside revolving wheels, +which an artisan, who was erecting a mill on the stream from the lake, +had set up for a joke. As the wheels revolved they made a terrific +noise which was heard by the whole neighbourhood. Many of the +inhabitants of the neighbouring villages aroused by the noise rushed +out, with appeals for help and loud cries, to investigate the matter. +Mochuda's people were frightened by the din and their pack and riding +horses stampeded and lost their loads and it was not without difficulty +that they were caught again. Mochuda knew what caused the noise and he +told the workmen who had played this mischievous trick that they should +be scattered throughout the different provinces of Ireland, that they +should be always worthless and unprofitable, that the mill they were +engaged on should never be finished and that their progeny after them +should be valueless race of mischief-makers. The latter are called the +Hi-Enna [Ui Enna Aine Aulium] to-day. + +One day Mochuda came to a place called Cluain-Breanainn where apples +abounded. His followers asked some apples for him but the orchard owner +refused them. Said Mochuda:--"From this day forward no fruit shall grow +in you orchard for ever," and that prophecy has been fulfilled. + +Mochuda had in his monastery twelve exceedingly perfect disciples, +scil.:--Caoinche Mac Mellain [Mochua Mac Mellain or Cronan], who was the +first monk to enter Rahen; Mucoinog [Mochoemog]; the three sons of +Nascainn--Goban, Srafan, and Laisren; Mulua [Molua]; Lugair; Mochomog +Eile; Aodhan [Aedhan]; Fachtna Coinceann [Fiachna or Fiochrae]; Fionnlog +and Mochomog who became a bishop later. The virtue of these monks +surpassed belief and Mochuda wished to mitigate their austerities before +their death. He therefore built separate cells for them that they might +have some comfort in their old age as a reward for their virtue in +youth; moreover he predicted blessings for them. He made [a prophecy] +for one of them, mentioned above, scil.:--Mochua Mac Mellain, for whom +he had built a comfortable cell at a place called Cluain-Da-Chrann. He +said to him: "Your place of resurrection will not be here but in +another place which God has given you." That prediction has been +verified. To a second disciple, scil.:--Fiachna, Mochuda said:--"Your +resurrection will not be in this place though I have made you a cell +here; you will have three further abiding places, nevertheless it will +be with your own companion, Aodhan, that your remains will rest and your +resurrection will be in the territory of Ui Torna, and it is from you +that the place will get its name." For this Aodhan alluded to Mochuda +likewise built another cell in the land of Ui Torna close by Slieve +Luachra, and speaking prophetically he said to him: "The remains of +your fellow-disciple, Fiachna, will be carried to you hither and from +him will this place be named." That statement has been verified, for +the church is now called Cill-Fiachna and it was first called +Cill-Aeghain. Concerning other persons, Mochuda prophesied various +other things, all of them have come to pass. + +A child born of secret adultery was abandoned close by the monastery of +Rahen and Mochuda fostered the child until he became a bishop, though no +one knew his name or his progenitors. Mochuda said:--"This child's name +is Dioma and his father is Cormac of the race of Eochaidh Eachach." All +thereupon magnified the foreknowledge of Mochuda, which he had from no +other than the Holy Spirit. Having consecrated him bishop, Mochuda +instructed him: "Go in haste to your own native region of Hy-Eachach in +the southern confines of Munster for there will your resurrection be. +War and domestic strife shall arise among your race and kinsfolk unless +you arrive there soon to prevent it." Dioma set out, accompanied by +another bishop, Cuana by name, who was also a disciple of Mochuda's. +They travelled into Ibh Eachach and Dioma preached the word of God to +his brethren and tribesmen. He made peace between them and they built a +monastery for him and he placed himself, his kindred, and parish under +his chosen master, Mochuda, and he ended his life (there) in peace. + +On another occasion Mochuda travelled from Rahen to the provinces of +Munster and entered Ciarraighe Corca. It happened that Cairbre Mac +Criomhthain, who was king of Munster, was at that time in Magh-Cuirce, +the place to which Mochuda came. At the same time there fell a fire +ball which destroyed one of the king's residences, killing his wife, +many of his people and his son, Aodh Mac Cairbre, who were buried in the +falling ruin. There were killed there moreover two good carriage horses +of the king's. Cairbre besought Mochuda that he would restore the queen +and his son to life, and when the saint saw the king's faith he prayed +for him to God and then addressing the dead he said,--"Arise." They +arose thereupon and he gave them safe to the king and they all gave +glory and thanks to God and Mochuda. The king moreover made large +offerings of land and servile tenants to Mochuda. But one of the +tenants, through pride and jealousy, refused to obey Mochuda, +notwithstanding the king's command. Mochuda said: "Your posterity will +die out and their inheritance, for sake of which you (mis)behave towards +me, shall become mine for ever; whosoever takes from me that which +another has given me shall be deprived of heaven and earth." That man +and his posterity soon came to nought. + +On another occasion Mochuda sent a golden belt to Fergus Mac Criomhthan +who suffered from uncleanness of skin arising from kidney disease and +upon application of the girdle, by the blessing of Mochuda he recovered. + +Another time again a king of Munster, Cathal Mac Aodha, in the region of +Cuirche, was a sufferer from a combination of complaints--he was deaf, +lame, and blind, and when Mochuda came to see him the king and his +friends prayed the saint to cure him. Mochuda therefore prayed for him +and made the sign of the cross on his eyes and ears and immediately he +was healed of all his maladies--he heard and saw perfectly, and Cathal +gave extensive lands to God and Mochuda for ever, scil:--Oilean Cathail +and Ros-Beg and Ros-Mor and Inis-Pic [Spike Island]. Mochuda placed a +religious community in Ros-Beg to build there a church in honour of God. +Mochuda himself commenced to build a church on Inis-Pic and he remained +there a whole year. [On his departure] Mochuda left there--in the +monastery of Inis-Pic--to watch over it, in his stead, and to keep it in +perfect order--the three disciples whom we have already named (scil:-- +the three sons of Nascon, i.e. Goban a bishop, Srafan a priest, and holy +Laisren) together with the saintly bishop, Dardomaighen [Domangenum], +(who had conferred orders on them in presence of Mochuda) and forty +monks. Thereupon Mochuda returned to Rahen. That island we have +mentioned, scil.:--Inis-Pic, is a most holy place in which an +exceedingly devout community constantly dwell. + +Mochuda next directed his steps eastward through Munster and he crossed +the river then called Nemh, and now named the Abhainn More. As he +crossed he saw a large apple floating in the middle of the ford. This +he took up and carried away with him in his hand. Hence (that ford is +named) Ath-Ubhla in Fermoy [Ballyhooley]. His attendant asked Mochuda +for the apple, but the latter refused to give it saying--"God will work +a miracle by that apple and through me to-day: we shall meet Cuana Mac +Cailcin's daughter whose right hand is powerless so that she cannot move +it from her side. But she shall be cured by the power of God through +this apple." This was accomplished. Mochuda espied the child playing a +game with the other girls in the faithche [lawn] of the Lios. He +approached and said to her:--"Take this apple." She, as usual, put +forth her left hand for the fruit. "You shall not get it in that hand, +but take it in the other." The girl full of faith tried to put out the +right hand, and on the instant the hand became full of strength and +blood and motion so that she took the apple in it. All rejoiced thereat +and were amazed at the wonder wrought. That night Cuana said to his +daughter: "Choose yourself which you prefer of the royal youths of +Munster and whomsoever your choice be I shall obtain in marriage for +you." "The only spouse I shall have," said she, "is the man who cured +my hand." "Do you hear what she says O Mochuda?" said the king. +"Entrust the child to me," answered Mochuda, "I shall present her as a +bride to God who has healed her hand." Whereupon Cuana gave his +daughter Flandnait, together with her dowry and lands on the bank of +Nemh, to God and to Mochuda for ever. Cuana was almost incredibly +generous. Mochuda took the maiden with him to Rahen where she passed her +years happily with the religious women there till Mochuda was expelled +by the kings of Tara as you may hear. He took Flandnait with him (from +Rahen) in his party to her own native region that she might build +herself a cell there. She did build a famous cell at Cluain Dallain in +Mochuda's own parish. + +Previous to his expulsion (from Rahen) Mochuda visited the place where +(later) he built Lismore and he heard the voice of persons reading at +Rahen, wherefore he said to his followers: "I know that this is the +place where God will permit us to build our monastery." This prophecy +was subsequently verified. + +On a certain occasion Columcille came to Rahen where Mochuda was and +asked him:--"Is this place in which you now are dear to you?" "It is, +indeed," answered Mochuda. Columcille said: "Let not what I say to you +trouble you--this will not be the place of your resurrection, for the +king of Erin and his family will grow jealous of you owing to +machinations of some of the Irish clergy, and they shall eventually +drive you hence." Mochuda questioned Columcille who had a true +prophetic gift--"In what other place then will my resurrection be?" +Columcille told him--"The place where from the summit of Slieve Gua you +saw the host of angels building a chair of silver with a statue of gold +therein on the bank of the Nemh--there will your resurrection be, and +the chair of silver is your church in the midst of them [,and you are +truly the golden statue in its midst]." Mochuda believing what he heard +thanked and glorified God. + +As Mochuda on another day was at Rahen there came to him a priest and +monk of his own community from the northern part of Munster; he made a +reverence as was the custom of the monks, in Mochuda's presence and said +to him, "Father, I have complied with all your commands and the precepts +of God from the day I left Rahen till now--except this--that, without +your permission, I have taken my brother from the secular life." +"Verily I say to you," answered Mochuda, "if you were to go to the top +of a high hill and to shout as loudly as you could and were to bring to +me all who heard the cry I should not refuse the habit of religion to +one of them." Hearing these words all realised the character and extent +of Mochuda's charity and returned thanks to God for it. + +On a certain day about vesper time, because of the holiness of the hour, +Mochuda said to his monks:--"We shall not eat to-day till each one of +you has made his confession," for he knew that some one of them had ill +will in his heart against another. All the brethren thereupon confessed +to him. One of them in the course of his confession stated: "I love +not your miller and the cause of my lack of charity towards him is this, +that when I come to the mill he will not lift the loads off the horses +and he will neither help me to fill the meal sacks nor to load them on +the horse when filled. And not this alone but he does everything that +is disagreeable to me; moreover I cannot tell, but God knows, why he so +acts. Often I have thought of striking him or even beating him to +death." Mochuda replied, "Brother dear, the prophet says--'Declina a +malo et fac bonum' [Psalm 36(37):27]. Avoid evil and do good. Following +this precept let you act kindly towards the miller and that charity of +yours will move him to charity towards you and ye shall yet be steadfast +friends." Things went on thus for three days--the monk doing all he +could to placate the miller. Nevertheless the miller did not cease his +persecution, nor the brother his hate of the miller. On the third day +Mochuda directed the brother to confess to him again. The brother said: +--"This is my confession, Father, I do not yet love the miller." Mochuda +observed:--"He will change to-night, and to-morrow he will not break +fast till you meet him and you shall sit on the same seat, at the same +table, and you shall remain fast friends for the rest of your lives." +All this came to pass; for that monk was, through the instruction of +Mochuda, filled with the grace of the Divine Spirit. And he glorified +and praised Mochuda, for he recognised him as a man favoured by the Holy +Ghost. + +On another occasion two British monks of Mochuda's monastery had a +conversation in secret. Mochuda, they said, is very old though there is +no immediate appearance of approaching death--and there is no doubt that +his equal in virtue or good works will never be found--therefore if he +were out of the way one of us might succeed him. Let us then kill him +as there is no likelihood of his natural death within a reasonable time. +They resolved therefore to drown him in the river towards close of the +following night and to conceal all traces so that the crime could never +be discovered. They found him subsequently in a lonely place where he +was accustomed to pray. They bound him tightly and carried him between +them on their shoulders to the water. On their way to the river they +met one of the monks who used to walk around the cemetery every night. +He said to them: "What is that you carry?" They replied that it was +portion of the monastic washing which they were taking to the river. He +however, under the insistent suggestion of the Holy Spirit, believed +them not. He said: "Put down your load till we examine it." They were +constrained to obey and the burden proved to be--Mochuda. The monk who +detected [the proposed murder] was the overseer of the homestead. He +said mournfully, "My God, it is a dreadful work you are about." Mochuda +said gently:--"Son, it were well for me had that been done to me for I +should now be numbered among the holy martyrs. And it were bad for them +(the two wicked monks) for it is with Judas the betrayer of his Lord +they should be tortured for ever, who had desired my death for their own +advancement. Neither these wretched men themselves nor anyone of their +nation shall be my coarb for ever, but my successors shall be of his +race through whom God has rescued me. Moreover my city shall never be +without men of the British race who will be butts and laughing-stocks +and serve no useful purpose." The person who saved Mochuda was of the +Ciarraighe race and it is of that same people that the coarbs and +successors of Mochuda have commonly been ever since. [See note 2.] + +Mochuda refused for a long while, as we have already said, to accept +cattle or horses from anyone; it was the monks themselves who dug and +cultivated the land and they did all the haulage of the monastery on +their own backs. St. Fionan however who was a kinsman of Mochuda and +had just returned from Rome, came at this time on a visit to the +monastery. He reproached Mochuda saying: "Mochuda, why do you impose +the burden of brute beasts upon rational beings? Is it not for use of +the latter that all other animals have been created? Of a truth I shall +not taste food in this house till you have remedied this grievance." +Thenceforth Mochuda--in honour of Fionan--permitted his monks to accept +horses and oxen from the people and he freed them from the hardship +alluded to. Sometime later the holy abbot, Lachtaoin [St. Lachten], +compassionating Mochuda and his monks because of their lack of cattle +paid a visit to Rahen bringing with him a gift of thirty cows and a +bull, also a couple of cattlemen and two dairymaids. Coming near Rahen +he left the cattle in a secluded place, for he did not wish them to be +seen. Thereupon he went himself to the monastery and simulating illness +requested a drink of milk. The house steward went to Mochuda to tell +him that Lachtaoin was ill and required milk. Mochuda ordered the +steward to fill a pitcher with water and bring it to him--and this order +was executed. Mochuda blessed the water which immediately was changed +into sweet new milk apparently of that day's milking. He sent the milk +to Lachtaoin but the latter identified it as milk miraculously produced; +he in turn blessed it with the result that it was changed back again +into water. He complained:--"It is not water but milk I have asked +for." The messenger related this fact publicly. Lachtaoin declared:-- +"Mochuda is a good monk but his successors will not be able to change +water to milk," and to the messenger he said--"Go to Mochuda and tell +him that I shall not break bread in this house until he accept the alms +which I have brought to the community." On Mochuda agreeing to accept +them he handed over the cattle and dairymen to the monks of Rahen and +the stewards took charge of them. Mochuda said thereupon, that he +should not have accepted the cattle but as a compliment to Lachtaoin. +Lachtaoin replied:--"From this day forward there will be plenty cattle +and worldly substance in your dwelling-place and there will be a +multitude of holy people in the other place whence you are to depart to +heaven (for you will be exiled from your present home)." After they had +mutually blessed and taken leave and pledged friendship Lachtaoin +departed. + +Once, at harvest time, the farm steward came to Mochuda complaining +that, though the crop was dead ripe, a sufficient number of harvesters +could not be found. Mochuda answered: "Go in peace, dear brother, and +God will send you satisfactory reapers." This promise was fulfilled, +for a band of angels came to the ripest and largest fields, reaped and +bound a great deal quickly, and gathered the crop into one place. The +monks marvelled, though they knew it was God's work and they praised and +thanked Him and Mochuda. + +The spirit of obedience amongst Mochuda's monks was such that if any +senior member of the community ordered another to lie in the fire he +would be obeyed. As an instance of this,--some of the brethren were on +one occasion baking bread in an oven when one the monks said to another +younger than himself, "The bread is burning: take it out instantly." +There was an iron shovel for drawing out the bread but the brother could +not find it on the instant. He heeded not the flames which shot out of +the oven's mouth but caught the hot bread and shifted it with his hands +and suffered no hurt whatever. On another day the monks were engaged in +labour beside the river which runs through the monastery. One of the +senior monks called upon a young monk named Colman to do a certain piece +of work. Immediately, as he had not named any particular Colman, twelve +monks of the name rushed into the water. The readiness and exactness of +the obedience practised was displayed in this incident. + +Great moreover was their meekness and patience in sickness or ill-health +as appears from the case of the monk out of the wounds of whose body +maggots fell as he walked; yet he never complained or told anyone or +left his work for two moments although it was plain from his appearance +that his health was declining, and he was growing thinner from day to +day. The brothers pitied him very much. At length Mochuda questioned +him--putting him under obedience to tell the truth--as to the cause of +his decline. The monk thereupon showed him his sides which were torn by +a twig tied fast around them. Mochuda asked him who had done that +barbarous and intolerable thing to him. The monk answered:--"One day +while we were drawing logs of timber from the wood my girdle broke from +the strain, so that my clothes hung loose. A monk behind me saw this +and cutting a twig tied it so tightly around my sides that it has caused +my flesh to mortify." Mochuda asked--"And why did you not loosen the +twig?" The monk replied--"Because my body in not my own and he who tied +it (the withe) has never loosed it." It was a whole year since the +withe had been fastened around him. Mochuda said to him:--"Brother, you +have suffered great pain; as a reward thereof take now you choice--your +restoration to bodily health or spiritual health by immediate departure +hence to eternal life." He answered, deciding to go to heaven:--"Why +should I desire to remain in this life?" Having received the Sacrament +and the Holy Communion he departed hence to glory. + +There came to Mochuda on another occasion with her husband, a woman +named Brigh whose hand lay withered and useless by her side: she +besought the saint to cure her hand. Moreover she was pregnant at the +time. Mochuda held out an apple in his hand to her as he had done +before to Flandnait, the daughter of Cuana, saying--"Alleluia, put forth +your nerveless hand to take this apple." She did as she was told and +took the apple from his hand and was cured; moreover as she tasted the +fruit parturition came on--without pain or inconvenience, after which +[the pair] returned to their home rejoicing. + +In fulfilment of the prophecy of Columcille and other holy men that +Mochuda should be expelled from Rahen the king of Tara, Blathmac, the +son of Aodh Slaine, and his brother Diarmuid came, together with some +clergy of the Cluain Earaird [Clonard] community, to carry out the +eviction [in A.D. 635]. They said to him, "Leave this monastery and +region and seek a place for yourself elsewhere." Mochuda replied--"In +this place I have desired to end my days. Here I have been many years +serving God and have almost reached the end of my life. Therefore I +shall not depart unless I am dragged hence by the hands against my will, +for it is not becoming an old man to abandon easily the place in which +he has spent great part of his life." Then the nobles returned to +Blathmac and they made various complaints of Mochuda, accusing him +falsely of many things; finally they asked the king to undertake the +expulsion personally, for they were themselves unequal to the task. The +king thereupon came to the place accompanied by a large retinue. +Alluding prophetically to the king's coming, previous to that event, +Mochuda said, addressing the monks:--"Beloved brothers, get ready and +gather your belongings, for violence and eviction are close at hand: the +chieftains of this land are about to expel and banish you from your own +home." Then the king, with his brothers and many of the chief men, +arrived on the scene. They encamped near Rahen and the king sent his +brother Diarmuid with some others to expel Mochuda and to put him out by +force--which Diarmuid pledged his word he should do. It was in the +choir at prayer that Diarmuid found Mochuda. Mochuda, though he knew +his mission, asked Diarmuid why he was come and what he sought. +Diarmuid replied that he came by order of King Blathmac to take him by +the hand and put him out of that establishment and to banish him from +Meath. "Do as you please," said Mochuda, "for we are prepared to +undergo all things for Christ's sake." "By my word," answered Diarmuid, +"I shall never be guilty of such a crime; let him who chooses do it." +Mochuda said:--"You shall possess the kingdom of God and you shall reign +in your brother's stead and your face which you have turned from me +shall never be turned from your enemies. Moreover the reproaches which +the king will presently cast upon you for not doing the work he has set +you, will be your praise and your pride. At the same time as a penalty +for your evil designs toward me and your greater readiness to drive me +out, your son shall not succeed you in the sovereignty." Diarmuid +returned to the king and told him that he could do no injury to Mochuda. +The king retorted [sarcastically and] in anger, "What a valiant man you +are, Diarmuid." Diarmuid replied:--"That is just what Mochuda promised +--that I should be a warrior of God." He was known as Diarmuid Ruanaidh +thenceforth, for the whole assembly cried out with one voice--truly he +is Valiant (Ruanaidh). + +Next, the nobles present cast lots to decide which one of them should go +with the king to lay hands on Mochuda and expel him from the monastery. +The lot fell upon the Herenach [hereditary steward] of Cluain Earaird. +He and the king accompanied by armed men went to the monastery where +they found Mochuda and all the brethren in the church. Cronan, a +certain rich man in the company, shouted out, "Make haste with the +business on which you are come." Mochuda answered him--"You shall die +immediately, but on account of the alms which you gave me for the love +of Christ and on account of your uniform piety heretofore your progeny +shall prosper for ever." That prophecy has been fulfilled. Another man, +Dulach by name, winked mockingly with one of his eyes; moreover he +laughed and behaved irreverently towards Mochuda. Mochuda said to him: +--"Thus shall you be--with one eye closed and a grin on your countenance +--to the end of your life; and of your descendants many will be similarly +afflicted." Yet another member of the company, one Cailche, +scurrilously abused and cursed Mochuda. To him Mochuda said:-- +"Dysentery will attack you immediately and murrain that will cause your +death." The misfortune foretold befell him and indeed woeful misfortune +and ill luck pursued many of them for their part in the wrong doing. +When the king saw these things he became furious and, advancing--himself +and the abbot of Cluain Earaird--they took each a hand of Mochuda and in +a disrespectful, uncivil manner, they led him forth out of the monastery +while their followers did the same with Mochuda's community. Throughout +the city and in the country around there was among both sexes weeping, +mourning, and wailing over their humiliating expulsion from their own +home and monastery. Even amongst the soldiers of the king were many who +were moved to pity and compassion for Mochuda and his people. + +One of Mochuda's monks had gout in his foot and for him Mochuda besought +the king and his following that he, as he was unable to travel, might be +allowed to remain in the monastery; the request was, however, refused. +Mochuda called the monk to him and, in the name of Christ, he commanded +the pain to leave the foot and to betake itself to the foot of Colman +[Colman mac hua Telduib, abbot, or perhaps erenach only, of Cluain +Earaird], the chieftain who was most unrelenting towards him. That +soreness remained in Colman's foot as long as he lived. The monk +however rose up and walked and was able to proceed on his way with his +master. + +There was an aged monk who wished to be buried at Rahen; Mochuda granted +the request, and he received Holy Communion and sacred rites at the +saint's hands. Then he departed to heaven in the presence of all and +his body was buried at Rahen as he had himself chosen that it should be. + +Leaving Rahen Mochuda paid a visit to the monastic cemetery weeping as +he looked upon it; he blessed those interred there and prayed for them. +By the permission of God it happened that the grave of a long deceased +monk opened so that all saw it, and, putting his head out of the grave, +the tenant of the tomb cried out in a loud voice: "O holy man and +servant of God, bless us that through thy blessing we may rise and go +with you whither you go." Mochuda replied:--"So novel a thing I shall +not do, for it behoves not to raise so large a number of people before +the general resurrection." The monk asked--"Why then father, do you +leave us, though we have promised union with you in one place for ever?" +Mochuda answered:--"Brother, have you ever heard the proverb--necessity +is its own law [necessitas movet decretum et consilium]? Remain ye +therefore in your resting places and on the day of general resurrection +I shall come with all my brethren and we shall all assemble before the +great cross called 'Cross of the Angels' at the church door and go +together for judgement." When Mochuda had finished, the monk lay back in +his grave and the coffin closed. + +Mochuda, with his following, next visited the cross already mentioned +and here, turning to the king, he thus addressed him:--"Behold the +heavens above you and the earth below." The king looked at them: then +Mochuda continued:--"Heaven may you not possess and even from your +earthly principality may you soon be driven and your brother whom you +have reproached, because he would not lay hands on me, shall possess it +instead of you, and in your lifetime. You shall be despised by all--so +much so that in your brother's house they shall forget to supply you +with food. Moreover yourself and your children shall come to an evil +end and in a little while there shall not be one of your seed +remaining." Then Mochuda cursed him and he rang his small bell against +him and against his race, whence the bell has since been known as "The +Bell of Blathmac's Extinguishing," or "The Bell of Blathmac's Drowning," +because it drowned or extinguished Blathmac with his posterity. +Blathmac had a large family of sons and daughters but, owing to +Mochuda's curse, their race became extinct. Next to the prince of +Cluain Earaird who also had seized him by the hand, he said: "You shall +be a servant and a bondman ere you die and you shall lose your territory +and your race will be a servile one." To another of those who led him +by the hand he said:--"What moved you to drag me by the hand from my own +monastery?" The other replied:--"It pleased me not that a Munster man +should have such honour in Meath." "I wish," said Mochuda, "that the +hand you laid on me may be accursed and that the face you turned against +me to expel me from my home may be repulsive and scrofulous for the +remainder of your life." This curse was effective for the man's eye was +thereupon destroyed in his head. Mochuda noticed that some of +Columcille's successors and people from Durrow, which was one of +Columcille's foundations, had taken part in his eviction. He thus +addressed them:--"Contention and quarrelling shall be yours for ever to +work evil and schism amongst you--for you have had a prominent part in +exciting opposition to me." And so it fell out. + +The king and his people thereupon compelled Mochuda to proceed on his +way. Mochuda did proceed with his disciples, eight hundred and sixty +seven in number (and as many more they left buried in Rahen). Moreover, +many more living disciples of his who had lived in various parts of +Ireland were already dead. All the community abounded in grace: many +of its members became bishops and abbots in after years and they erected +many churches to the glory of God. + +Understand, moreover, that great was the charity of the holy bishop, as +the following fact will prove:--in a cell without the city of Rahen he +maintained in comfort and respectability a multitude of lepers. He +frequently visited them and ministered to them himself--entrusting that +office to no one else. It was known to all the lepers of Ireland how +Mochuda made their fellow-sufferers his special care and family, and the +result was that an immense number of lepers from all parts flocked to +him and he took charge and care of them. These on his departure from +Rahen he took with him to Lismore where he prepared suitable quarters +for them and there they have been ever since in comfort and in honour +according to Mochuda's command. + +As Mochuda and his people journeyed along with their vehicles they found +the way blocked by a large tree which lay across it. Owing to the +density of underwood at either side they were unable to proceed. Some +one announced:--"There is a tree across the road before us, so that we +cannot advance." Mochuda said: "In the name of Christ I command thee, +tree, to rise up and stand again in thy former place." At the command +of Mochuda the tree stood erect as it was originally and it still +retains its former appearance, and there is a pile of stones there at +its base to commemorate the miracle. + +It was necessary to proceed; the first night after Mochuda's departure +from Rahen the place that he came to was a cell called Drum Cuilinn +[Drumcullen], on the confines of Munster, Leinster, and Clanna Neill, +but actually within Clanna Neill, scil.:--in the territory of Fearceall +in which also is Rahen. In Drum Cuilinn dwelt the holy abbot, +Barrfhinn, renowned for miracles. On the morrow Mochuda arrived at +Saighir Chiarain [Seirkieran] and the following night at the +establishment where Cronan is now, scil.:--Roscrea. That night Mochuda +remained without entertainment although it was offered to them by Cronan +who had prepared supper for him. Mochuda refused however to go to it +saying that he would not go out of his way to visit a man who avoids +guests and builds his cell in a wild bog far from men and that such a +man's proper guests are creatures of the wilderness instead of human +beings. When Cronan heard this saying of Mochuda he came to the latter, +by whose advice he abandoned his hermitage in the bog and he, with +Mochuda, marked out the site of a new monastery and church at Roscrea. +There he founded a great establishment and there he is himself buried. +Mochuda took leave of Cronan and, travelling through Eile [Ely +O'Carroll], came to the royal city named Cashel. On the following day +the king, scil.:--Failbhe [Failbhe Flann], came to Mochuda offering him +a place whereon to found a church. Mochuda replied:--"It is not +permitted us by God to stay our journey anywhere till we come to the +place promised to us by the holy men." + +About the same time there came messengers from the king of Leinster to +the king of Munster praying the latter, by virtue of league and +alliance, to come to his assistance as Leath-Chuinn and the north were +advancing in great force to ravage Leinster. This is how Failbhe was +situated at the time: he had lost one of his eyes and he was ashamed to +go half-blind into a strange territory. As soon as Mochuda realised the +extent of the king's diffidence he blessed the eye making on it the sign +of the cross and it was immediately healed in the presence of all. The +king and Mochuda took leave of one another and went each his own way. +The king and his hosting went to the aid of Leinster in the latter's +necessity. + +Mochuda journeyed on through Muscraige Oirthir the chief of which +territory received him with great honour. Aodhan was the chief's name +and he bestowed his homestead called Isiol [Athassel] on Mochuda, who +blessed him and his seed. Next he came into the Decies. He travelled +through Magh Femin where he broke his journey at Ard Breanuinn +[Ardfinnan] on the bank of the Suir. There came to him here Maolochtair, +king of the Decies, and the other nobles [or one noble, Suibhne] of his +nation who were at variance with him concerning land. Mochuda by the +grace of God made peace amongst them, and dismissed them in amity. +Maolochtair gave that land to Mochuda who marked out a cell there where +is now the city of Ardfinnnan, attached to which is a large parish +subject to Mochuda and bearing his name. The wife of Maolochtair, +scil:--Cuciniceas, daughter of Failbhe Flann, king of Munster, had a +vision, viz.:--a flock of very beautiful birds flying above her head and +one bird was more beautiful and larger than the rest. The other birds +followed this one and it nestled in the king's bosom. Soon as she awoke +she related the vision to the king; the king observed: "Woman you have +dreamed a good dream and soon it will be realised; the flock of birds +you have seen is Mochuda with his monks coming from Rahen and the most +distinguished bird is Mochuda himself. And the settling in my bosom +means that the place of his resurrection will be in my territory. Many +blessings will come to us and our territory through him." That vision +of the faithful woman was realised as the faithful king had explained +it. + +Subsequently Mochuda came to Maolochtair requesting from him a place +where he might erect a monastery. Maolochtair replied: "So large a +community cannot dwell in such a narrow place." Mochuda said: "God, who +sent us to you, will show you a place suited to us." The king +answered:--"I have a place, convenient for fish and wood, beside Slieve +Gua on the bank of the Nemh but I fear it will not be large enough." +Mochuda said:--"It will not be narrow; there is a river and fish and +that it shall be the place of our resurrection." Thereupon, in the +presence of many witnesses, the king handed over the land, scil.:-- +Lismore, to God and Mochuda and it is in that place Mochuda afterwards +founded his famous city. Mochuda blessed the king and his wife as well +as the nobles and all the people and taking leave of them and receiving +their homage he journeyed across Slieve Gua till he came to the church +called Ceall Clochair [Kilcloher]. The saint of that church, scil.:-- +Mochua Mianain, prepared a supper for Mochuda to the best of his +ability, but he had only a single barrel of ale for them all. Although +Mochuda with his people remained there three days and three nights and +although the holy abbot (Mochua) continued to draw the ale into small +vessels to serve the company, according to their needs, the quantity in +the barrel grew no less but increased after the manner of the oil +blessed by Elias [3 Kings 17:16]. Then one of the monks said to +Mochuda, "If you remain in this place till the feast ends your stay will +be a long one for it (the entertainment) grows no smaller for all the +consumption." "That is true, brother," said Mochuda, "and it is fitting +for us to depart now." They started therefore on their way and Mochua +Mianain gave himself and his place to God and Mochuda for ever. On +Mochuda's departure the ale barrel drained out to the lees. + +Mochuda proceeded till he reached the river Nemh at a ford called +Ath-Mheadhon [Affane] which no one could cross except a swimmer or a very +strong person at low water in a dry season of summer heat, for the tide +flows against the stream far as Lismore, five miles further up. On this +particular occasion it happened to be high tide. The two first of +Mochuda's people to reach the ford were the monks Molua and Colman, +while Mochuda himself came last. They turned round to him and said that +it was not possible to cross the river till the ebb. Mochuda answered: +--"Advance through the water before the others in the name of your Lord +Jesus Christ for He is the way the truth and the life" [John 14:6]. As +soon as they heard this command of Mochuda's Molua said to Colman, +"Which of the two will you hold back--the stream above or the sea +below?" Colman answered:--"Let each restrain that which is nearest to +him"--for Molua was on the upper, or stream, side and Colman on the +lower, or sea, side. Molua said to Colman--"Forbid you the sea side to +flow naturally and I shall forbid the stream side." Then with great +faith they proceeded to cross the river; they signed the river with the +sign of Christ's cross and the waters stood on either hand and apart, so +that the dry earth appeared between. The side banks of water rose high +because there was no passage up or down, so that the ridges were very +elevated on both the sea and stream sides. The waters remained thus +till such time as all Mochuda's people had crossed. Mochuda himself was +the last to pass over and the path across was so level that it offered +no obstacle to foot-passengers or chariots but was like a level plain so +that they crossed dryshod, as the Jordan fell back for Josue the son of +Nun [Josue 3:17]. Soon as Mochuda had crossed over he blessed the waters +and commanded them to resume their natural course. On the reuniting +again of the waters they made a noise like thunder, and the name of the +place is The Place of Benedictions, from the blessings of Mochuda and +his people. + +Next the glorious bishop, Mochuda, proceeded to the place promised to +him by God and the prophets, which place is the plain called +Magh-Sciath. Mochuda, with the holy men, blessed the place and +dedicated there the site of a church in circular form. There came to +them a holy woman named Caimell who had a cell there and she asked, +"What do you propose doing here, ye servants of God?" "We propose," +answered Mochuda, "building here a little 'Lios' [enclosure] around our +possession." Caimell observed, "Not a little Lios will it be but a +great ['mor'] one (Lis-mor)." "True indeed, virgin," responded Mochuda, +"Lismore will be its name for ever." The virgin offered herself and her +cell to God and Mochuda for ever, where the convent of women is now +established in the city of Lismore. + +As Colman Elo, alluded to already, promised, Mochuda found his burial +place marked out (consecrated?) by angels; there he and a multitude of +his disciples are buried and it was made known to him by divine wisdom +the number of holy persons that to the end of the world would be buried +therein. Lismore is a renowned city, for there is one portion of it +which no woman may enter and there are within it many chapels and +monasteries, and in which there are always multitudes of devout people +not from Ireland alone but from the land of the Saxons and from Britain +and from other lands as well. This is its situation--on the south bank +of the Avonmore in the Decies territory. + +On a certain day there came a druid to Mochuda to argue and contend with +him. He said:--"If you be a servant of God cause natural fruit to grow +on this withered branch." Mochuda knew that it was to throw contempt on +the power of God that the druid had come. He blessed the branch and it +produced first living skin, then, as the druid had asked--leaves, +blossom and fruit in succession. The druid marvelled exceedingly and +went his way. + +A poor man came to Mochuda on another occasion with an ill timed request +for milk, and beer along with it. Mochuda was at the time close by the +well which is known as "Mochuda's Well" at the present time; this he +blessed changing it first into milk then into beer and finally to wine. +Then he told the poor man to take away whatever quantity of each of +these liquids he required. The well remained thus till at Mochuda's +prayer it returned to its original condition again. An angel came from +heaven to Mochuda at the time and told him that the well should remain a +source of health and virtues and of marvels, and it still, like every +well originally blessed by Mochuda, possesses power of healing from +every malady. + +Mochuda, now grown old and of failing powers and strength, was wearied +and worried by the incessant clamour of building operations--the +dressing of stones and timber--carried on by the multitude of monks and +artisans. He therefore by consent and counsel of the brethren retired +to a remote, lonely place situated in a glen called "Mochuda's Inch" +below the great monastery. He took with him there a few monks and built +a resplendent monastery; he remained in that place a year and six months +more leading a hermitical life. The brethren and seniors of the +community visited him (from time to time) and he gave them sound, +sweetly-reasoned advice. He received a vow from each to follow his +Rule, for he was the support of the aged, the health-giver to the weak, +the consoler of the afflicted, the hope-giver to the hopeless, the +faith-giver to the doubting, the moderator and uniter of the young. + +As soon as Mochuda saw the hardship to the visiting brothers and elders +of the descent from Lismore and the ascent thereto again--knowing at the +same time that his end was approaching--he ordered himself to be carried +up to the monastery so that the monks might be saved the fatigue of the +descent to him. Then it pleased God to call to Himself His devoted +servant from the troubles of life and to render to him the reward of his +good works. He opened the gates of heaven then and sent to him a host +of angels, in glory and majesty unspeakable. When Mochuda saw the +heavens open above him and the angel band approaching, he ordered that +he be set down in the middle of the glen and he related to the seniors +the things that he had seen and he asked to receive the Body of Christ +and he gave his last instruction to the monks--to observe the Law of God +and keep His commands. The place was by the cross called "Crux +Migrationis," or the cross from which Mochuda departed to Glory. Having +received the Body and Blood of Christ, having taught them divine +doctrines, in the midst of holy choirs and of many brethren and monks to +whom in turn he gave his blessing and the kiss of peace according to the +rule, the glorious and holy bishop departed to heaven accompanied by +hosts of angels on the day before the Ides of May [May 14], in his union +with the Holy Trinity--Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, for ever and ever. +Amen. + +Finit 7ber [September] 4th, 1741. + + + +NOTE 1 + +One of our scribe's predecessors omitted a word or two from the text +here, with disastrous results to the sense. The Latin Life comes to our +aid however and enables us to make good the omission; the latter, by the +way, puzzles our scribe who is like a man fighting an invisible enemy-- +correcting a text of which he does not know the defect. Insertion of +the words "walking backwards" immediately after "church," in the angel's +answer, will enable us to see the original writer's meaning. The text +should probably read: + +The angel answered:--"Whom you shall see going from the church walking +backwards to the guest-house" (for it was Mochuda's custom to walk +backwards from the door of the church). Comghall announced to his +household that there was coming to them a distinguished stranger, +well-beloved of God, of whose advent an angel had twice foretold him. +Some time later Mochuda arrived at Comghall's establishment, and he went +to the monastery first and he did just as the angel foretold of him and +Comghall recognised him and bade him welcome. + + + +NOTE 2 + + +The obits of Mochuda's successors, down to Christian O'Conarchy, +are chronicled as follows:-- + +A.D. 650. Cuanan, maternal uncle and immediate successor of +Mochuda (Lanigan). +A.D. 698. Iarnla, surnamed Hierologus (Four Masters). In his +time King Alfrid was a student in Lismore. +A.D. 702. Colman, son of Finnbhar (Acta Sanctorum). During his +reign the abbey of Lismore reached the zenith of its fame. +A.D. 716. Cronan Ua Eoan (F. Masters). +A.D. 719. Colman O'Liathain (Annals of Inisfallen). +A.D. 741. Finghal (F. Masters). +A.D. 746. Mac hUige (Ibid). +A.D. 747. Ihrichmech (A. of Inisf.) +A.D. 748. Maccoigeth (F. M.) +A.D. 752. Sinchu (F. M.) +A.D. 755. Condath (Ibid). +A.D. 756. Fincon (Annals of Ulster). +A.D. 761. Aedhan (F. M.) +A.D. 763. Ronan (Ware). +A.D. 769. Soairleach Ua Concuarain (F. M.) +A.D. 771. Eoghan (Ibid). +A.D. 776. Orach (Ibid). +A.D. 799. Carabran (Ibid). +A.D. 801. Aedhan Ua Raichlich (A. of Inisf.) +A.D. 823. Flann (F. M.) +A.D. 849. Tibrade Ua Baethlanaigh (F. M.) At this period the +town was plundered and burned by the Danes who had sailed up +thither on the Blackwater. +A.D. 849. Daniel (A. of Inisf.) +A.D. 854. Suibne Ua Roichlech (F. M. and A. of Ulster). What is +probably his gravestone is one of five Irish-inscribed slabs +built into the west gable of the Cathedral. +A.D. 861. Daniel Ua Liaithidhe (F. M.) +A.D. 878. Martin Ua Roichligh (Ibid). Another of the inscribed +stones above referred to asks "A prayer for Martan." +A.D. 880. Flann Mac Forbasaich (A. I.) +A.D. 899. Maelbrighte Mac Maeldomnaich (Ibid). +A.D. 918. Cormac Mac Cuilennan (A. I.) He is to be +distinguished from his more famous namesake of Cashel. +A.D. 936. Ciaran (F. M.) +A.D. 951. Diarmuid (Ibid). +A.D. 957. Maenach Mac Cormaic (Ibid). +A.D. 958. Cathmog (Ibid). He was also bishop of Cork. +A.D. 963. Cinaedh (F. M.) +A.D. 1025. Omaelsluaig (Cotton's "Fasti"). +A.D. 1034. Moriertach O'Selbach, bishop of Lismore (Cotton). +A.D. 1064. Mac Airthir, bishop (Cotton). +A.D. 1090. Maelduin O'Rebhacain (Ibid). +A.D. 1112. Gilla Mochuda O'Rebhacain (A. of I.) +A.D. 1113. Nial Macgettigan. His episcopal staff, possibly +enclosing the venerable oaken staff of the founder of the abbey, +is still preserved at Lismore Castle. [Also known as the +'Lismore Crozier,' in 2004 it is housed in 'The Treasury' exhibit +at the National Museum of Ireland, Kildare St., Dublin 2.] +A.D. 1134. Malchus. Most probably he is identical with the +first bishop of Waterford. During his term both St. Malachy and +King Cormac MacCarthy dwelt as fugitives, guests or pilgrims, at +Lismore. +A.D. 1142. Ua Rebhacain. +A.D. 1186. St. Christian. He had however resigned the +bishopric. + + + + ++-------------------------------------------+ +| | +| __ __---_ | +| ,-~~~ ~\/ ~\ | +| ,_/ | | +| /,_ / | +| _ _/ ~\ | +| /~~ ~\/~-_| / | +| \ /~ | +| \ _ _\/ | +| ,' | | +| /~ Tara \ | +| \ * | | +| '~|__- Rahen / | +| .- ,/~ * \ | +| | / | +| / | | +| /_,_/~ | | +| / Cashel / | +| ,--~ * | | +| /--- Lismore __|_-_/ | +| ,-~ *-,-~ | +| \_-~/ \ /~ | +| ,-~/= _/~ | +| --~/_-_-/~'~ | +| | ++-------------------------------------------+ +| MAP OF IRELAND | ++-------------------------------------------+ + + + + +TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE + + +The source for this text includes the Irish text & English translation +on facing pages and notes. The notes are quite lengthy and should take +longer to transcribe than the English text. Except for a few notes +transplanted in brackets to the body of the text I have not transcribed +them. Due to inexperience with the Irish language and its script I have +decided not to attempt to transcribe the Irish text. Hopefully someone +with the appropriate talent and interest will undertake that task some +day. I have corrected the errata as indicated in the source and a few +obvious printer errors. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Life of St. Mochuda of Lismore +by Saint Mochuda + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 10937 *** diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..718e627 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #10937 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10937) diff --git a/old/10937.txt b/old/10937.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ee42841 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/10937.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2291 @@ +Project Gutenberg's The Life of St. Mochuda of Lismore, by Saint Mochuda + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Life of St. Mochuda of Lismore + +Author: Saint Mochuda + +Release Date: February 4, 2004 [EBook #10937] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LIFE OF ST. MOCHUDA OF LISMORE *** + + + + +Produced by Dennis McCarthy + + + + +LIFE OF ST. MOCHUDA OF LISMORE + +(Edited from MS. in Library of Royal Irish Academy). + +Translated from the Irish With Introduction + +by + +REV. P. POWER, M.R.I.A. University College, Cork. + + + + +PREFACE + + +It is solely the historical aspect and worth of the two tracts herewith +presented that appealed to their edition and first suggested to him +their preparation and publication. Had preparation in question depended +for its motive merely on considerations of the texts' philologic +interest or value it would, to speak frankly, never have been +undertaken. The editor, who disclaims qualification as a philologist, +regards these Lives as very valuable historical material, publication of +which may serve to light up some dark corners of our Celtic +ecclesiastical past. He is egotist enough to hope that the present +"blazing of the track," inadequate and feeble though it be, may induce +other and better equipped explorers to follow. + +The present editor was studying the Life of Declan [Project Gutenberg +Etext #823] for quite another purpose when, some years since, the +zealous Hon. Secretary of the Irish Texts Society suggested to him +publication of the tract in its present form, and addition of the Life +of Carthach [Mochuda]. Whatever credit therefore is due to originating +this work is Miss Hull's, and hers alone. + +The editor's best thanks are due, and are hereby most gratefully +tendered, to Rev. M. Sheehan, D.D., D.Ph., Rev. Paul Walsh, Rev. J. +MacErlhean, S.J., M.A., as well as to Mr. R. O'Foley, who, at much +expense of time and labour, have carefully read the proofs, and, with +unselfish prodigality of their scholarly resources, have made many +valuable suggestions and corrections. + +P.P. + + + + +INTRODUCTION--GENERAL + +A most distinctive class of ancient Irish literature, and probably the +class that is least popularly familiar, is the hagiographical. It is, +the present writer ventures to submit, as valuable as it is distinctive +and as well worthy of study as it is neglected. While annals, tales and +poetry have found editors the Lives of Irish Saints have remained +largely a mine unworked. Into the causes of this strange neglect it is +not the purpose of the present introduction to enter. Suffice it to +glance in passing at one of the reasons which has been alleged in +explanation, scil.:--that the "Lives" are uncritical and romantic, that +they abound in wild legends, chronological impossibilities and all sorts +of incredible stories, and, finally, that miracles are multiplied till +the miraculous becomes the ordinary, and that marvels are magnified till +the narrative borders on the ludicrous. The Saint as he is sketched is +sometimes a positively repulsive being--arrogant, venomous, and cruel; +he demands two eyes or more for one, and, pucklike, fairly revels in +mischief! As painted he is in fact more a pagan deity than a Christian +man. + +The foregoing charges may, or must, be admitted partially or in full, +but such admission implies no denial of the historical value of the +Lives. All archaic literature, be it remembered, is in a greater or +less degree uncritical, and it must be read in the light of the writer's +times and surroundings. That imagination should sometimes run riot and +the pen be carried beyond the boundary line of the strictly literal is +perhaps nothing much to be marvelled at in the case of the supernatural +minded Celt with religion for his theme. Did the scribe believe what he +wrote when he recounted the multiplied marvels of his holy patron's +life? Doubtless he did--and why not! To the unsophisticated monastic +and mediaeval mind, as to the mind of primitive man, the marvellous and +supernatural is almost as real and near as the commonplace and natural. +If anyone doubts this let him study the mind of the modern Irish +peasant; let him get beneath its surface and inside its guardian ring of +shrinking reserve; there he will find the same material exactly as +composed the mind of the tenth century biographers of Declan and +Mochuda. Dreamers and visionaries were of as frequent occurrence in Erin +of ages ago as they are to-day. Then as now the supernatural and +marvellous had a wondrous fascination for the Celtic mind. Sometimes the +attraction becomes so strong as seemingly to overbalance the faculty of +distinguishing fact from fancy. Of St. Bridget we are gravely told that +to dry her wet cloak she hung in out on a sunbeam! Another Saint sailed +away to a foreign land on a sod from his native hillside! More than +once we find a flagstone turned into a raft to bear a missionary band +beyond the seas! St. Fursey exchanged diseases with his friend +Magnentius, and, stranger still, the exchange was arranged and effected +by correspondence! To the saints moreover are ascribed lives of +incredible duration--to Mochta, Ibar, Seachnal, and Brendan, for +instance, three hundred years each; St. Mochaemog is credited with a +life of four hundred and thirteen years, and so on! + +Clan, or tribe, rivalry was doubtless one of the things which made for +the invention and multiplication of miracles. If the patron of the +Decies is credited with a miracle, the tribesmen of Ossory must go one +better and attribute to their tribal saint a marvel more striking still. +The hagiographers of Decies retort for their patron by a claim of yet +another miracle and so on. It is to be feared too that occasionally a +less worthy motive than tribal honour prompted the imagination of our +Irish hagiographers--the desire to exploit the saint and his honour for +worldly gain. + +The "Lives" of the Irish Saints contain an immense quantity of material +of first rate importance for the historian of the Celtic church. +Underneath the later concoction of fable is a solid substratum of fact +which no serious student can ignore. Even where the narrative is +otherwise plainly myth or fiction it sheds many a useful sidelight on +ancient manners, customs and laws as well as on the curious and often +intricate operations of the Celtic mind. + +By "Lives" are here meant the old MS. biographies which have come down +to us from ages before the invention of printing. Sometimes these +"Lives" are styled "Acts." Generally we have only one standard "Life" +of a saint and of this there are usually several copies, scattered in +various libraries and collections. Occasionally a second Life is found +differing essentially from the first, but, as a rule, the different +copies are only recensions of a single original. Some of the MSS. are +parchment but the majority are in paper; some Lives again are merely +fragments and no doubt scores if not hundreds of others have been +entirely lost. Of many hundreds of our Irish saints we have only the +meagre details supplied by the martyrologies, with perhaps occasional +reference to them in the Lives of other saints. Again, finally, the +memory of hundreds and hundreds of saints additional survives only in +place names or is entirely lost. + +There still survive probably over a hundred "Lives"--possibly one +hundred and fifty; this, however, does not imply that therefore we have +Lives of one hundred or one hundred and fifty saints, for many of the +saints whose Acts survive have really two sets of the latter--one in +Latin and the other in Irish; moreover, of a few of the Latin Lives and +of a larger number of the Irish Lives we have two or more recensions. +There are, for instance, three independent Lives of St. Mochuda and one +of these is in two recensions. + +The surviving Lives naturally divide themselves into two great classes-- +the Latin Lives and the Irish,--written in Latin and Irish respectively. +We have a Latin Life only of some saints, and Irish Life only of others, +and of others again we have a Latin Life and an Irish. It may be +necessary to add the Acts which have been translated into Latin by +Colgan or the Bollandists do not of course rank as Latin Lives. Whether +the Latin Lives proper are free translations of the Irish Lives or the +Irish Lives translations of Latin originals remains still, to a large +extent, an open question. Plummer ("Vitae SSm. Hib.," Introd.) seems to +favour the Latin Lives as the originals. His reasoning here however +leaves one rather unconvinced. This is not the place to go into the +matter at length, but a new bit of evidence which makes against the +theory of Latin originals may be quoted; it is furnished by the well +known collection of Latin Lives known as the Codex Salmanticensis, to +which are appended brief marginal notes in mixed middle Irish and Latin. +One such note to the Life of St. Cuangus of Lismore (recte Liathmore) +requests a prayer for him who has translated the Life out of the Irish +into Latin. If one of the Lives, and this a typical or characteristic +Life, be a translation, we may perhaps assume that the others, or most +of them, are translations also. In any case we may assume as certain +that there were original Irish materials or data from which the formal +Lives (Irish or Latin) were compiled. + +The Latin Lives are contained mainly in four great collections. The +first and probably the most important of these is in the Royal Library +at Brussels, included chiefly in a large MS. known as 'Codex +Salmanticensis' from the fact that it belonged in the seventeenth +century to the Irish College of Salamanca. The second collection is in +Marsh's Library, Dublin, and the third in Trinity College Library. The +two latter may for practical purposes be regarded as one, for they are +sister MSS.--copied from the same original. The Marsh's Library +collection is almost certainly, teste Plummer, the document referred to +by Colgan as Codex Kilkenniensis and it is quite certainly the Codex +Ardmachanus of Fleming. The fourth collection (or the third, if we take +as one the two last mentioned,) is in the Bodleian at Oxford amongst +what are known as the Rawlinson MSS. Of minor importance, for one +reason or another, are the collections of the Franciscan Library, +Merchants' Quay, Dublin, and in Maynooth College respectively. The +first of the enumerated collections was published 'in extenso,' about +twenty-five years since, by the Marquis of Bute, while recently the gist +of all the Latin collections has been edited with rare scholarship by +Rev. Charles Plummer of Oxford. Incidentally may be noted the one +defect in Mr. Plummer's great work--its author's almost irritating +insistence on pagan origins, nature myths, and heathen survivals. +Besides the Marquis of Bute and Plummer, Colgan and the Bollandists have +published some Latin Lives, and a few isolated "Lives" have been +published from time to time by other more or less competent editors. + +The Irish Lives, though more numerous than the Latin, are less +accessible. The chief repertorium of the former is the Burgundian or +Royal Library, Brussels. The MS. collection at Brussels appears to have +originally belonged to the Irish Franciscans of Louvain and much of it +is in the well-known handwriting of Michael O'Clery. There are also +several collections of Irish Lives in Ireland--in the Royal Irish +Academy, for instance, and Trinity College Libraries. Finally, there +are a few Irish Lives at Oxford and Cambridge, in the British Museum, +Marsh's Library, &c., and in addition there are many Lives in private +hands. In this connection it can be no harm, and may do some good, to +note that an apparently brisk, if unpatriotic, trade in Irish MSS. +(including of course "Lives" of Saints) is carried on with the United +States. Wealthy, often ignorant, Irish-Americans, who are unable to +read them, are making collections of Irish MSS. and rare Irish books, to +Ireland's loss. Some Irish MSS. too, including Lives of Saints, have +been carried away as mementoes of the old land by departing emigrants. + +The date or period at which the Lives (Latin and Irish) were written is +manifestly, for half a dozen good reasons, a question of the utmost +importance to the student of the subject. Alas, that the question has +to some extent successfully defied quite satisfactory solution. We can, +so far, only conjecture--though the probabilities seem strong and the +grounds solid. The probabilities are that the Latin Lives date as a +rule from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, when they were put into +something like their present form for reading (perhaps in the refectory) +in the great religious houses. They were copied and re-copied during +the succeeding centuries and the scribes according to their knowledge, +devotion or caprice made various additions, subtractions and occasional +multiplications. The Irish Lives are almost certainly of a somewhat +earlier date than the Latin and are based partly (i.e. as regards the +bulk of the miracles) on local tradition, and partly (i.e. as regards +the purely historical element) on the authority of written materials. +They too were, no doubt, copied and interpolated much as were the Latin +Lives. The present copies of Irish Lives date as a rule from the +sixteenth and seventeenth centuries only, and the fact that the Latin +and the Irish Life (where there is this double biography) sometimes +agree very perfectly may indicate that the Latin translation or Life is +very late. + +The chief published collections of Irish Saints' Lives may be set down +as seven, scil.:--five in Latin and one each in Irish and English. The +Latin collections are the Bollandists', Colgan's, Messingham's, +Fleming's, and Plummer's; the Irish collection is Stokes' ("Lives of +Saints from the Book of Lismore") and the English is of course +O'Hanlon's. + +Most striking, probably, of the characteristics of the "Lives" is their +very evident effort to exalt and glorify the saint at any cost. With +this end of glorification in view the hagiographer is prepared to +swallow everything and record anything. He has, in fact, no critical +sense and possibly he would regard possession of such a sense as rather +an evil thing and use of it as irreverent. He does not, as a +consequence, succeed in presenting us with a very life-like or +convincing portrait of either the man or the saint. Indeed the saint, +as drawn in the Lives, is, as already hinted, a very unsaintlike +individual--almost as ready to curse as to pray and certainly very much +more likely to smite the aggressor than to present to him the other +cheek. In the text we shall see St. Mochuda, whose Life is a specially +sane piece of work, cursing on the same occasion, first, King Blathmac +and the Prince of Cluain, then, the rich man Cronan who sympathised with +the eviction, next an individual named Dubhsulach who winked insolently +at him, and finally the people of St. Columba's holy city of Durrow who +had stirred up hostile feeling against him. Even gentle female saints +can hurl an imprecation too. St. Laisrech, for instance, condemned the +lands of those who refused her tribute, to--nettles, elder shrub, and +corncrakes! It is pretty plain that the compilers of the lives had some +prerogatives, claims or rights to uphold--hence this frequent insistence +on the evil of resisting the Saint and presumably his successors. + +One characteristic of the Irish ascetics appears very clear through all +the exaggeration and all the biographical absurdity; it is their spirit +of intense mortification. To understand this we have only to study one +of the ancient Irish Monastic Rules or one of the Irish Penitentials as +edited by D'Achery ("Spicilegium") or Wasserschleben ("Irische +Kanonensamerlung"). Severest fasting, unquestioning obedience and +perpetual self renunciation were inculcated by the Rules and we have +ample evidence that they were observed with extraordinary fidelity. The +Rule of Maelruin absolutely forbade the use of meat or of beer. Such a +prohibition a thousand years ago was an immensely more grievous thing +than it would sound to-day. Wheaten bread might partially supply the +place of meat to-day, but meat was easier to procure than bread in the +eighth century. Again, a thousand years ago, tea or coffee there was +none and even milk was often difficult or impossible to procure in +winter. So severe in fact was the fast that religious sometimes died of +it. Bread and water being found insufficient to sustain life and health, +gruel was substituted in some monasteries and of this monastic gruel +there were three varieties:--(a) "gruel upon water" in which the liquid +was so thick that the meal reached the surface, (b) "gruel between two +waters" in which the meal, while it did not rise to the surface, did not +quite fall to the bottom, and (c) "gruel under water" which was so weak +and so badly boiled that he meal easily fell to the bottom. In the case +of penitents the first brand of gruel was prescribed for light offences, +the second kind for sins of ordinary gravity, and the "gruel under +water" for extraordinary crimes (vid. Messrs. Gwynne and Purton on the +Rule of Maelruin, &c.) The most implicit, exact and prompt obedience +was prescribed and observed. An overseer of Mochuda's monastery at +Rahen had occasion to order by name a young monk called Colman to do +something which involved his wading into a river. Instantly a dozen +Colmans plunged into the water. Instances of extraordinary penance +abound, beside which the austerities of Simon Stylites almost pale. The +Irish saints' love of solitude was also a very marked characteristic. +Desert places and solitary islands of the ocean possessed an apparently +wonderful fascination for them. The more inaccessible or forbidding the +island the more it was in request as a penitential retreat. There is +hardly one of the hundred islands around the Irish coast which, one time +or another, did not harbour some saint or solitary upon its rocky bosom. + +The testimony of the "Lives" to the saints' love and practice of prayer +is borne out by the evidence of more trustworthy documents. Besides +private prayers, the whole psalter seems to have been recited each day, +in three parts of fifty psalms each. In addition, an immense number of +Pater Nosters was prescribed. The office and prayers were generally +pretty liberally interspersed with genuflexions or prostrations, of +which a certain anchorite performed as many as seven hundred daily. +Another penitential action which accompanied prayer was the +'cros-figul.' This was an extension of the arms in the shape of a +cross; if anyone wants to know how difficult a practice this is let him +try it for, say, fifteen minutes. Regarding recitation of the Divine +Office it was of counsel, and probably of precept, that is should not be +from memory merely, but that the psalms should all be read. For this a +good reason was given by Maelruin, i.e. that the recitation might engage +the eye as well as the tongue and thought. An Irish homily refers to +the mortification of the saints and religious of the time as martyrdom, +of which it distinguishes three kinds--red, white, and blue. Red +martyrdom was death for the faith; white martyrdom was the discipline of +fasting, labour and bodily austerities; while blue martyrdom was +abnegation of the will and heartfelt sorrow for sin. + +One of the puzzles of Irish hagiology is the great age attributed to +certain saints--periods of two hundred, three hundred, and even four +hundred years. Did the original compilers of the Life intend this? +Whatever the full explanation be the writers of the Lives were clearly +animated by a desire to make their saint cotemporary and, if possible, a +disciple, of one or other of the great monastic founders, or at any rate +to prove him a pupil of one of the great schools of Erin. There was +special anxiety to connect the saint with Bangor or Clonard. To effect +the connection in question it was sometimes necessary to carry the life +backwards, at other times to carry it forwards, and occasionally to +lengthen it both backwards and forwards. Dr. Chas. O'Connor gives a not +very convincing explanation of the three-hundred-year "Lives," scil.:-- +that the saint lived in three centuries--during the whole of one century +and in the end and beginning respectively of the preceding and +succeeding centuries. This explanation, even if satisfactory for the +three-hundred-year Lives, would not help at all towards the Lives of +four hundred years. A common explanation is that the scribe mistook +numerals in the MS. before him and wrote the wrong figures. There is no +doubt that copying is a fruitful source of error as regards numerals. +It is much more easy to make a mistake in a numeral than in a letter; +the context will enable one to correct the letter, while it will give +him no clue as regards a numeral. On the subject of the alleged +longevity of Irish Saints Anscombe has recently been elaborating in +'Eriu' a new and very ingenious theory. Somewhat unfortunately the +author happens to be a rather frequent propounder of ingenious theories. +His explanation is briefly--the use and confusion of different systems +of chronology. He alleges that the original writers used what is called +the Diocletian Era or the "Era of the Martyrs" as the 'terminus a quo' +of their chronological system and, in support of his position, he +adduces the fact that this, which was the most ancient of all +ecclesiastical eras, was the era used by the schismatics in Britain and +that it was introduced by St. Patrick. + +As against the contradiction, anachronisms and extravagances of the +Lives we have to put the fact that generally speaking the latter +corroborate one another, and that they receive extern corroboration from +the annals. Such disagreements as occur are only what one would expect +to find in documents dealing with times so remote. To the credit side +too must go the fact that references to Celtic geography and to local +history are all as a rule accurate. Of continental geography and +history however the writers of the Lives show much ignorance, but +scarcely quite as much as the corresponding ignorance shown by +Continental writers about Ireland. + +The missionary methods of the early Irish Church and its monastic or +semi-monastic system are frequently referred to as peculiar, if not +unique. A missionary system more or less similar must however have +prevailed generally in that age. What other system could have been +nearly as successful amongst a pagan people circumstanced as the Irish +were? The community system alone afforded the necessary mutual +encouragement and protection to the missionaries. Each monastic station +became a base of operations. The numerous diminutive dioceses, +quasi-dioceses, or tribal churches, were little more than extensive +parishes and the missionary bishops were little more in jurisdiction +than glorified parish priests. The bishop's 'muintir,' that is the +members of his household, were his assistant clergy. Having converted +the chieftain or head of the tribe the missionary had but to instruct +and baptise the tribesmen and to erect churches for them. Land and +materials for the church were provided by the Clan or the Clan's head, +and lands for support of the missioner or of the missionary community +were allotted just as they had been previously allotted to the pagan +priesthood; in fact there can be but little doubt that the lands of the +pagan priests became in many cases the endowment of the Christian +establishment. It is not necessary, by the way, to assume that the +Church in Ireland as Patrick left it, was formally monastic. The clergy +lived in community, it is true, but it was under a somewhat elastic +rule, which was really rather a series of Christian and Religious +counsels. A more formal monasticism had developed by the time of +Mochuda; this was evidently influenced by the spread of St. Benedict's +Rule, as Patrick's quasi-monasticism, nearly two centuries previously, +had been influenced by Pachomius and St. Basil, through Lerins. The +real peculiarity in Ireland was that when the community-missionary +system was no longer necessary it was not abandoned as in other lands +but was rather developed and emphasised. + + + +INTRODUCTION--ST. MOCHUDA + + +"It was he (Mochuda) that had the famous congregation +consisting of seven hundred and ten persons; an angel +used to address every third man of them." +(Martyrology of Donegal). + +In some respects the Life of Mochuda here presented is in sharp contrast +to the corresponding Life of Declan. The former document is in all +essentials a very sober historical narrative--accurate wherever we can +test it, credible and harmonious on the whole. Philologically, to be +sure, it is of little value,--certainly a much less valuable Life than +Declan's; historically, however (and question of the pre-Patrician +mission apart) it is immensely the more important document. On one +point do we feel inclined to quarrel with its author, scil.: that he +has not given us more specifically the motives underlying Mochuda's +expulsion from Rahen--one of the three worst counsels ever given in +Erin. Reading between his lines we spell, jealousy--'invidia +religiosorum.' Another jealousy too is suggested--the mutual distrust +of north and south which has been the canker-worm of Irish political +life for fifteen hundred years, making intelligible if not justifying +the indignation of a certain distinguished Irishman who wanted to know +the man's name, in order to curse its owner, who first divided Ireland +into two provinces. + +Three different Lives of Mochuda are known to the present writer. Two of +them are contained in a MS. at Brussels (C/r. Bindon, p. 8, 13) and of +one of these there is a copy in a MS. of Dineen's in the Royal Irish +Academy (Stowe Collection, A. IV, I.) Dineen appears to have been a +Cork or Kerry man and to have worked under the patronage of the rather +noted Franciscan Father Francis Matthew (O'Mahony), who was put to death +at Cork by Inchiquin in 1644. The bald text of Dineen's "Life" was +published a few years since, without translation, in the 'Irish Rosary.' +The corresponding Brussels copy is in Michael O'Clery's familiar hand. +In it occurs the strange pagan-flavoured story of the British Monk +Constantine. O'Clery's copy was made in January, 1627, at the Friary of +Drouish from the Book of Tadhg O'Ceanan and it is immediately followed +by a tract entitled--"Do Macaib Ua Suanac." The bell of Mochuda, by the +way, which the saint rang against Blathmac, was called the 'glassan' of +Hui Suanaig in later times. + +The "Life" here printed, which follows the Latin Life so closely that +one seems a late translation of the other, is as far as the editor is +aware, contained in a single MS. only. This is M. 23, 50, R.I.A., in +the handwriting of John Murphy, "na Raheenach." Murphy was a Co. Cork +schoolmaster, scribe, and poet, of whom a biographical sketch will be +found prefixed by Mr. R. A. Foley to a collection of Murphy's poems that +he has edited. The sobriquet, "na Raheenach," is really a kind of +tribal designation. The "Life" is very full but is in its present form +a comparatively late production; it was transcribed by Murphy between +1740 and 1750. It is much to be regretted that the scribe tells us +nothing of his original. Murphy, but the way, seems to have specialised +to some extent in saint's Lives and to have imbued his disciples with +something of the same taste. One of his pupils was Maurice O'Connor, a +scribe and shipwright of Cove, to whom we owe the Life of St. Ciaran of +Saighir printed in "Silva Gadelica." The reasons of choice for +publication here of the present Life are avowedly non-philological; the +motive for preference is that it is the longest of the three Lives and +for historical purposes the most important. + +The Life presents considerable evidence of historical reliability; its +geography is detailed and correct; its references to contemporaries of +Mochuda are accurate on the whole and there are few inconsistencies or +none. Moreover it sheds some new light on that chronic puzzle-- +organisation of the Celtic Church of Ireland. Mochuda, head of a great +monastery at Rahen, is likewise a kind of pluralist Parish Priest with a +parish in Kerry, administered in his name by deputed ecclesiastics, and +other parishes similarly administered in Kerrycurrihy, Rostellan, West +Muskerry, and Spike Island, Co. Cork. When a chief parishioner lies +seriously ill in distant Corca Duibhne, Mochuda himself comes all the +way from the centre of Ireland to administer the last rites to the dying +man, and so on. + +The relations of the people to the Church and its ministers are in many +respects not at all easy to understand. Oblations, for instance, of +themselves and their territory, &c., by chieftains are frequent. +Oblations of monasteries are made in a similar way. Probably this +signifies no more than that the chief region or monastery put itself +under the saint's jurisdiction or rule or both. That there were other +churches too than the purely monastic appears from offerings to Mochuda +of already existing churches, v.g. from the Clanna Ruadhan in Decies, +&c. + +Lismore, the most famous of Mochuda's foundations, became within a +century of the saint's death, one of the great monastic schools of Erin, +attracting to his halls, or rather to its boothies, students from all +Ireland and even--so it is claimed--from lands beyond the seas. King +Alfrid [Aldfrith] of Northumbria, for instance, is said to have partaken +of Lismore's hospitality, and certainly Cormac of Cashel, Malachy and +Celsus of Armagh and many others of the most distinguished of the Scots +partook thereof. The roll of Lismore's calendared saints would require, +did the matter fall within our immediate province, more than one page to +itself. Some interesting reference to Mochuda and his holy city occur +in the Life of one of his disciples, St. Colman Maic Luachain, edited +for the R.I.A. by Professor Kuno Meyer. + +There are many indications in the present Life that, at one period, and +in the time of Carthach, the western boundary of Decies extended far +beyond the line at present recognised. Similar indications are furnished +by the martyrologies, &c.; for instance, the martyrology of Donegal +under November 28th records of "the three sons of Bochra" that "they are +of Archadh Raithin in Ui Mic Caille in Deisi Mumhan" and Ibid, p. +xxxvii, it is stated "i ccondae Corcaige ataid na Desi Muman." Not only +Imokilly but all Co. Cork, east of Queenstown [Cobh] and north to the +Blackwater, seems to have acknowledged Mochuda's jurisdiction. At +Rathbreasail accordingly (teste Keating, on the authority of the Book of +Cloneneigh) the Diocese of Lismore is made to extend to Cork,--probably +over the present baronies of Imokilly, Kinatallon, and Barrymore. That +part, at least, of Condons and Clangibbon was likewise included is +inferrible from the fact that, as late as the sixteenth century +visitations, Kilworth, founded by Colman Maic Luachain, ranked as a +parish in the diocese of Lismore. Further evidence pointing in the same +direction is furnished by Clondulane, &c., represented in the present +Life as within Carthach's jurisdiction. + +The Rule of St. Carthach is one of the few ancient Irish so-called +monastic Rules surviving. It is in reality less a "rule," as the latter +is now understood, than a series of Christian and religious counsels +drawn up by a spiritual master for his disciples. It must not be +understood from this that each religious house did not have it formal +regulations. The latter however seem to have depended largely upon the +abbot's spirit, will or discretion. The existing "Rules" abound in +allusions to forgotten practices and customs and, to add to their +obscurity, their language is very difficult--sometimes, like the +language of the Brehon Laws, unintelligible. The rule ascribed to +Mochuda is certainly a document of great antiquity and may well have +emanated from the seventh century and from the author whose name it +bears. The tradition of Lismore and indeed of the Irish Church is +constant in attributing it to him. Copies of the Rule are found in +numerous MSS. but many of them are worthless owing to the incompetence +of the scribes to whom the difficult Irish of the text was +unintelligible. The text in the Leabhar Breac has been made the basis +of his edition of the Rule by Mac Eaglaise, a writer in the 'Irish +Ecclesiastical Record' (1910). Mac Eaglaise's edition, though it is not +all that could be desired, is far the most satisfactory which has yet +appeared. Previous editions of the Rule or part of it comprise one by +Dr. Reeves in his tract on the Culdees, one by Kuno Meyer in the 'Gaelic +Journal' (Vol. V.) and another in 'Archiv fuer C.L.' (3 Bund. 1905), and +another again in 'Eriu' (Vol. 2, p. 172), besides a free translation of +the whole rule by O'Curry in the 'I. R. Record' for 1864. The text of +the 'Record' edition of 1910 is from Leabhar Breac collated with other +MSS. The order in the various copies is not the same and some copies +contain material which is wanting in others. The "Rule" commences with +the Ten Commandments, then it enumerates the obligations respectively of +bishops, abbots, priests, monks, and culdees [anchorites]. Finally there +is a section on the order of meals and on the refectory and another on +the obligations of a king. The following excerpt on the duties of an +abbot ('I. E. Record' translation) will illustrate the style and spirit +of the Rule: + +"Of the Abbot of a Church. + 1.--If you be the head man of a Church noble is the power, +better for you that you be just who take the heirship of the +king. + 2.--If you are the head man of a Church noble is the +obligation, preservation of the rights of the Church from the +small to the great. + 3.--What Holy Church commands preach then with diligence; +what you order to each one do it yourself. + 4.--As you love your own soul love the souls of all. Yours +the magnification of every good [and] banishment of every evil. + 5.--Be not a candle under a bushel [Luke 11:33]. Your +learning without a cloud over it. Yours the healing of every +host both strong and weak. + 6.--Yours to judge each one according to grade and according +to deed; he will advise you at judgment before the king. +. . . . . . . . . . . . . + 10.--Yours to rebuke the foolish, to punish the hosts, +turning disorder into order [restraint] of the stubborn, +obstinate, wretched." + +Reservation of the Coarbship of Mochuda at Lismore in favour of Kerrymen +is an extremely curious if not unique provision. How long it continued +in force we do not know. Probably it endured to the twelfth century and +possibly the rule was not of strict interpretation. Christian +O'Connarchy, who was bishop of Lismore in the twelfth century, is +regarded as a native of Decies, though the contrary is slightly +suggested by his final retirement to Kerry. The alleged prophecy +concerning Kerry men and the coarbship points to some rule, regulation +or law of Mochuda. + + + + +LIFE OF ST. MOCHUDA +or +"BEATA MOCUDA" + +The renowned bishop, Carthach, commonly called Mochuda, was of the +territory of Ciarraighe Luachra [North Kerry] and of the race of Fergus +Mac Roigh. + +The illustrious bishop, who is generally known as Mochuda, was of the +Ciarraighe Luachra; to be exact--he was of the line of Fergus Mac Roigh, +who held the kingship of Ulster, till the time that he gave the kingship +to a woman for a year and did not get it back when the year was over. +His descendants are now to be found throughout various provinces of +Ireland. He fell himself, through the treachery of Oilioll, king of +Connaght, and the latter's jealousy of his wife, Meadbh, daughter of +Eochaid Feidhleach. Finghen Mac Gnaoi of Ciarraighe Luachra was father +of Mochuda, and his mother was Mead, daughter of Finghin, of Corca +Duibhne, in the vicinity of the stream called Laune in the western part +of Ireland. The forthcoming birth of Mochuda was revealed to St. +Comhghall by an angel, announcing--"There will be conceived a child in +the western part of Erin, and Carthach will be his baptismal name and he +will be beloved of God and men--in heaven and on earth. He will come to +you seeking direction as to a proposed pilgrimage to Rome--but you must +not permit the journey for the Lord has assigned him to you; but let him +remain with you a whole year." All this came to pass, as foretold. In +similar manner the future Mochuda was foretold to St. Brendan by an +angel who declared: "There will come to you a wonder-working brother +who will be the patron of you and your kindred for ever; the region of +Ciarraighe will be divided between you and him, and Carthach will be his +name; to multitudes his advent will be cause for joy and he will gain +multitudes for heaven. His first city will be Raithen [Rahen or Rahan] +in the region of Fircheall, territory of Meath and central plain of +Ireland; this will become a place revered of men, and revered and famous +will be his second city and church, scil.:--Lismore, which shall possess +lordship and great pre-eminence." + +One day when there was a large meeting of people at a certain place in +Kerry, the men and women who were present saw descending a fiery globe, +which rested on the head of Mochuda's mother, at that time pregnant of +the future saint. The ball of fire did no one any injury but +disappeared before it did injury to anyone. All those who beheld this +marvel wondered thereat and speculated what it could portend. This is +what it did mean:--that the graces of the Holy Spirit had visited this +woman and her holy child unborn. + +Mochuda's father was a rich and powerful chieftain owning two strong +lioses--one, on the south side of Slieve Mish, and the other, in which +Mochuda first saw the light, beside the River Maing [Maine]. Both +places were blessed for sake of the Saint, who was conceived in one of +them and born in the other; it is even said that no evil disposed or +vicious person can live in either. Carthage in due course was sent to +be baptised, and, on the way, the servant who bore the infant, meeting a +saintly man named Aodhgan, asked him to perform the ceremony. There was +however no water in the place, but a beautiful well, which burst forth +for the occasion and still remains, yielded a supply. With the water of +this well the infant was baptised and Carthach, as the angel had +foretold, was the name given him. Nevertheless 'Mochuda' is the name by +which he was commonly known, because he was so called, through affection +and regard, by his master (St. Carthach Senior). Many scarcely know +that he has any other name than Mochuda and it is lawful to write either +Mochuda or Carthach. Speaking prophetically Aodhgan said of him:--"This +child whom I have baptised will become famous and he will be beloved by +God and men." That prophecy has been fulfilled, for Mochuda was +graceful of figure and handsome of features as David, he was master of +his passions as Daniel, and mild and gentle like Moses. His parents +however despised him because he valued not earthly vanities and in his +regard were verified the words of David:--"Pater meus et mater mea +derliquerunt me, Dominus autem assumpsit me [Psalm 26(27):10] (For my +father and my mother have left me and the Lord hath taken me up)." Like +David too--who kept the sheep of his father--Mochuda, with other youths, +herded his father's swine in his boyhood. + +On a certain day as Mochuda, with his companion swineherds and their +charges, was in the vicinity of the River Maing, he heard that the king +of Ciarraighe Luachra was at his residence called Achadh-di; he waited +on the king by whom he was kindly and politely received. The king, +whose name was Maoltuile and who wished to see Mochuda frequently, +invited the youth to come every day to the royal lios and to bring with +him his companions, who would be made welcome for his sake. One evening +as Mochuda sate in the king's presence Maoltuile gazed so long and so +intently at the youth that the queen (Dand, daughter of Maolduin Mac +Aodha Beannan, king of Munster) reproved her husband asking why he +stared every evening at the boy. "O wife," answered the king, "if you +but saw what I see, you would never gaze at anything else, for I behold +a wondrous golden chain about his neck and a column of fire reaching +from his head to the heavens, and since I first beheld these marvels my +affection for the boy has largely increased." "Then," said the queen, +"let him sit there beside you." Thenceforth the youth sate as +suggested. Sometimes Mochuda herded the swine in the woods and at other +times he remained with the king in his court. + +One day as Mochuda was keeping his herd as usual beside the river +already alluded to, he heard the bishop and his clerics pass by, +chanting psalms as they went along. The Spirit of God touched the boy's +heart and leaving his pigs Mochuda followed the procession as far as the +monastery called Tuaim [Druim Fertain] [into which the clerics entered]. +And as the bishop and his household sate down to eat, Mochuda, unknown +to them, concealed himself--sitting in the shadow of the doorway. +Meanwhile the king, Maoltuile, was troubled about the boy, noticing his +absence [from the homestead at Achaddi] that evening and not knowing the +cause thereof. He immediately sent messengers to seek the youth +throughout the country, and one of these found him sitting, as +indicated, in the shadow of the doorway of the bishop's house. The +messenger took Mochuda with him back to the king. The latter questioned +him:--"My child, why have you stayed away in this manner?" Mochuda +replied, "Sire, this is why I have stayed away--through attraction of +the holy chant of the bishop and clergy; I have never heard anything so +beautiful as this; the clerics sang as they went along the whole way +before me; they sang until they arrived at their house, and thenceforth +they sang till they went to sleep. The bishop however remained by +himself far into the night praying by himself when the others had +retired. And I wish, O king, that I might learn [their psalms and +ritual]." Hearing this the king at once sent a message to the bishop +requesting the latter to come to him. + +About this time Mochuda's father gave a feast in the king's honour and +as the company were at supper the king calling Mochuda before him +offered him a shield, sword, javelin, and princely robe, saying: "Take +these and be henceforth a knight to me as your father has been." But +Mochuda declined the offer. "What is it," asked the king, "that you +will accept, so that [whatever it be] I may give it to you?" Mochuda +answered:--"I do not long for anything of earth--only that I be allowed +to learn the psalms of the clerics which I heard them sing." In this +answer the king discerned the working of divine grace, whereupon he +promised the youth the favour he asked for. Shortly afterwards the +bishop, Carthach, whom we have mentioned as sent for by the king, +arrived, and to him the latter entrusted Mochuda to be instructed in +reading and writing. With great joy the bishop undertook his charge for +he saw that his pupil was marked by grace, and under the bishop's +guidance and tutelage Mochuda remained till his promotion to the +priesthood. + +Mochuda was very handsome of features with the result that at different +times during his youth maidens to the number of thirty were so enamoured +of him that they could not conceal their feeling. But Mochuda prayed +for them, and obtained for them by his prayers that their carnal love +should be turned into a spiritual. They afterwards became consecrated +religious and within what to-day is his parish he built them cells and +monasteries which the holy virgins placed under his protection and +jurisdiction. + +Finntan Mac Cartan, bringing with him an infant for baptism came to +Bishop Carthach. The latter said to him:--"Let the young priest there +who was ordained to-day baptise the child." Whereupon Finntan handed the +infant to the young priest. Mochuda enquired the name he was to impose, +and the father answered--Fodhran. Having administered baptism Mochuda +taking the infant's hand prophesied concerning the babe--"This hand will +be strong in battle and will win hostages and submission of the Clan +Torna whose country lies in mid-Kerry from Sliabh Luachra [Slieve +Lougher] to the sea. From his seed, moreover, will spring kings to the +end of time, unless indeed they refuse me due allegiance, and if, at any +time, they incur displeasure of my successors their kingship and +dominion will come to an end." This prophecy has been fulfilled. + +Sometime afterwards Mochuda with his master, Carthach, visited King +Maoltuile, whom they found at a place called Feorainn, near Tralee, from +which the lords and kings of Kerry take their name. Said Bishop +Carthach:--"Here, Sire, is the youth you gave me to train; he is a good +scholar and he has studied the holy writings with much success. I have +ordained him a priest and (his) grace is manifest in many ways." "What +recompense do you desire for your labour?" asked the king. "Only," +replied Carthach, "that you would place yourself and your posterity +under the spiritual jurisdiction of this young priest, the servant of +God." The king, however, hesitated--because of Mochuda's youth. Soon +as Carthach perceived this he himself inclined to Mochuda and bending +his knee before him exclaimed:--"I hereby give myself, my parish and +monastery to God and to Mochuda for ever." Touched by the bishop's +example the king prostrated himself before Mochuda and pledged to God +and to him, his soul and body and posterity to the end of time. Then +Mochuda placed his foot upon the king's neck and measured the royal body +with his foot. Against this proceeding of Mochuda's a member of the +king's party protested in abusive and insulting terms--"It is a haughty +act of yours, laying your foot upon the king's neck, for be it known to +you the body on which you trample is worthy of respect." On hearing +this Mochuda ceased to measure the king and declared:--"The neck upon +which I have set my heel shall never be decapitated and the body which I +have measured with my foot shall not be slain and but for your +interference there would not be wanting anything to him or his seed for +ever." Addressing (specially) the interrupter, he prophesied:--"You and +your posterity will be for ever contemptible among the tribes." +Blessing the king he promised him prosperity here and heaven hereafter +and assured him:--"If any one of your posterity contemn my successors +refusing me my lawful dues he will never reign over the kingdom of +Kerry." This prophecy has been fulfilled. + +Next, Mochuda, at the suggestion of his master, the bishop, and the King +Maoltuile, built a famous cell called Kiltulach [Kiltallagh] at a place +between Sliabh Mis and the River Maing in the southern part of Kerry. +Here his many miracles won him the esteem of all. In that region he +found two bishops already settled before him, scil.:--Dibhilin and +Domailgig. These became envious of the honour paid him and the fame he +acquired, and they treated him evilly. Whereupon he went to Maoltuile +and told him the state of affairs. Soon as the king heard the tale he +came with Mochuda from the place where he then was on the bank of the +Luimnech and stayed not till they reached the summit of Sliabh Mis, when +he addressed Mochuda: "Leave this confined region for the present to +the envy and jealousy of the bishops and hereafter it will become yours +and your coarbs' to the end of time." The advice commended itself to +Mochuda and he thanked the king for it. Thereupon he abandoned his cell +to the aforesaid bishops and determined to set out alone as a pilgrim to +the northern part of Ireland. + +In the meantime an angel visited Comghall and repeated to him what had +been foretold him already--that there should come to him a young priest +desirous for Christ's sake of pilgrimage beyond the seas--that Comghall +should dissuade him and, instead, retain the stranger with him for a +year at Bangor. "And how am I to recognise him?" asked Comghall. The +angel answered:--"Whom you shall see going from the church to the +guest-house" (for it was Mochuda's custom to visit the church first). +[See note 1.] Comghall announced to his household that there was coming +to them a distinguished stranger, well-beloved of God, of whose advent +an angel had twice foretold him. Some time later Mochuda arrived at +Comghall's establishment, and he went first to the monastery and +Comghall recognised him and bade him welcome. In that place Mochuda +remained a whole year, as the angel had said, and at the end of the year +he returned to his own country where he built many cells and churches +and worked many wonders, winning many souls to religion and to good +works. Many persons moreover placed themselves, their children, and +their kindred under his jurisdiction, and the great parishes of their +own territory were assigned to him, and finally the episcopate of Kerry +became his. + +Subsequent to this Mochuda, having committed the care of his cell and +parish to certain pious and suitable persons, set out himself, +accompanied by a few disciples, through the south of Munster to visit +the Monastery of Ciaran Mac Fionntan at Rosgiallan [Rostellan]. From +Ciaran Mochuda enquired, where--in south Munster (as the angel had +mentioned to Comghall)--the chief and most distinguished of these +churches should be. Ciaran, who possessed the spirit of prophecy, +replied--"You shall go first to Meath where you will found a famous +church in the territory of Ibh Neill and there you will remain for forty +years. You shall be driven thence into exile and you will return to +Munster wherein will be your greatest and most renowned church." +Mochuda offered to place himself under the patronage and jurisdiction of +Ciaran: "Not so, shall it be," said Ciaran, "but rather do I put myself +and my church under you, for ever, reserving only that my son, Fuadhran, +be my successor in this place." This Mochuda assented to and Fuadhran +governed the monastic city for twenty years as Ciaran's successor in the +abbacy. + +Next, Mochuda entered the territory of the Munster Decies where dwelt +the Clanna Ruadhain who placed themselves and all their churches under +him, and one Colman Mac Cobhthaigh a wealthy magnate of the region +donated extensive lands to Mochuda who placed them under devout persons +--to hold for him. Proceeding thence Mochuda took his way across Sliabh +Gua looking back from the summit of which he saw by the bank of the Nemh +[Blackwater] angels ascending towards heaven and descending thence. And +they took up with them to heaven a silver chair with a golden image +thereon. This was the place in which long afterwards he founded his +famous church and whence he departed himself to glory. + +Hence Mochuda travelled to Molua Mac Coinche's monastery of Clonfert +[Kyle], on the confines of Leinster and Munster. He found Molua in the +harvest field in the midst of a 'meitheal' [team] of reapers. Before +setting out on this present journey of his Mochuda had, with one +exception, dismissed all his disciples to their various homes for he, +but with a single companion, did not wish to enter the strange land +ostentatiously. The single follower whom Mochuda had retained wishing +to remain at Clonfert, said to St. Molua: "Holy father, I should wish +to remain here with you." Molua answered:--"I shall permit you, +brother, if your pious master consents." Mochuda, having dismissed so +many, would not make any difficulty about an individual, and so he gave +the monk his freedom. Mochuda thereupon set out alone, which, Molua's +monks observing, they remark:--"It were time for that aged man to remain +in some monastery, for it is unbecoming such a (senior) monk to wander +about alone." They did not know that he, of whom they spoke, was +Mochuda, for it was not the custom of the latter to make himself known +to many. "Say not so," said Molua (to the censorious brethren), "for +the day will come when our community and city will seem but +insignificant beside his--though now he goes alone; you do not know that +he is Mochuda whom many obey and whom many more will obey in times to +come." + +As Mochuda went on his lonely way he met two monks who asked him whither +he was bound. "To Colman Elo," he answered. Then said one of them to +him:--"Take us with you as monks and subjects," for they judged him from +his countenance to be a holy man. Mochuda accepted the monks and they +journeyed on together till they came to Colman's monastery [Lynally]. +Mochuda said to Colman: "Father I would remain here with you." "Not +so," replied Colman, "but go you to a place called Rahen in this +vicinity; that is the place ordained by God for your dwelling and you +shall have there a large community in the service of God and from that +place you will get your first name--Mochuda of Rahen." Having said +farewell to Colman and obtained his blessing Mochuda, with his two +monks, set out for the place indicated and there in the beginning he +built a small cell and Colman and he often afterwards exchanged visits. + +Colman had in the beginning--some time previous to Mochuda's advent-- +contemplated establishing himself at Rahen and he had left there two or +three [bundles] of rods remarking to his disciples that another should +come after him for whom and not for himself God had destined this place. +It was with this material that Mochuda commenced to build his cell as +Colman had foretold in the first instance. He erected later a great +monastery in which he lived forty years and had eight hundred and eighty +seven religious under his guidance and rule. + +Subsequent to Mochuda's foundation of Rahen his miracles and the marvels +he wrought spread his fame far and wide through Ireland and through +Britain, and multitudes came to him from various parts of those +countries to give themselves to the service of God under his guidance. +In the beginning he refused worldly gifts from others although his +church was honoured and patronised by neighbouring kings and chieftains +who offered him lands and cattle and money and many other things. +Mochuda kept his monks employed in hard labour and in ploughing the +ground for he wanted them to be always humble. Others, however, of the +Saints of Erin did not force their monks to servile labour in this +fashion. + +Mochuda was consecrated bishop by many saints and from time to time he +visited his parish in Kerry, but as a rule he remained at Rahen with his +monks, for it is monks he had with him not clerics. + +On a certain day in the (early) springtime there came to tempt him a +druid who said to him:--"In the name of your God cause this apple-tree +branch to produce foliage." Mochuda knew that it was in contempt for +divine power the druid proposed this, and the branch put forth leaves on +the instant. The druid demanded "In the name of your God, put blossom +on it." Mochuda made the sign of the cross [over the twig] and it +blossomed presently. The druid persisted:--"What profits blossom +without fruit?" [said the druid]. Mochuda, for the third time, blessed +the branch and it produced a quantity of fruit. The druid said:-- +"Follower of Christ, cause the fruit to ripen." Mochuda blessed the +tree and the fruit, fully ripe, fell to the earth. The druid picked up +an apple off the ground and examining it he saw it was quite sour, +whereupon he objected:--"Such miracles as these are worthless since it +leaves the fruit uneatable." Mochuda blessed the apples and they all +became sweet as honey, and in punishment of his opposition the magician +was deprived for a year of his eyesight. At the end of a year he came to +Mochuda and did penance, whereupon he received his sight back again and +he returned home rejoicing. + +On another occasion there came to Mochuda a secular who brought with him +his deaf and dumb son whom he besought the saint to heal. Mochuda +prayed to God for him and said, "My son, hear and speak." The boy +answered immediately and said, "Man of God, I give myself and my +inheritance to you for ever," and thenceforth he possessed the use of +all his senses and members. + +Another day a young man who had contracted leprosy came to Mochuda +showing him his misery and his wretched condition. The saint prayed for +him and he was restored to health. + +At another time there came to Mochuda a man whose face was deformed. He +besought the saint's aid and his face was healed upon the spot. + +On yet another occasion in the springtime a poor man who dwelt some +distance from the monastery of Rahen, came to Mochuda, and asked the +loan of two oxen and a ploughman to do a day's ploughing for him. But +Mochuda, as we have already said, had no cattle, for it was the monks +themselves who dug and tilled the soil. Mochuda summoned one of his +labourers named Aodhan whom he ordered to go into the nearest wood to +bring back thence a pair of deer with him and go along with them to the +poor man to do the spring work for him. Aodhan did dutifully all that +Mochuda bade him--he found the two deer, went with the poor man and +ploughed for him till the work was completed when the deer returned to +their habitat and Aodhan to Mochuda. + +On another day there came to Mochuda a man troubled by the devil. +Mochuda cured him at once, driving the demons from him and the man went +his way thanking God and Mochuda. + +Once, when the brethren were at work in the fields and in the kitchen, +Mochuda went to the mill to grind meal for the monk's use, and nine +robbers, who hated him, followed with the intention of murdering him. +The chief of the band sent each member of the gang to the mill in turn. +Not one of them however could enter the mill because of a violent flame +of fire which encircled the building round about, through the goodness +of God protecting Mochuda from the robbers. The latter, through the +mill door, watched Mochuda who slept portion of the time and was awake +another portion. And while he slept the mill stopped of itself, and +while he was awake it went of its own accord. The gang thereupon +returned to the chief and told him all they had seen, which, when he +heard, he became enraged. Then he hastened himself to the mill to kill +Mochuda. But he experienced the same things as all the others and he +was unable to hurt Mochuda. He returned to his followers and said to +them--"Let us stay here till he comes out of the mill, for we need not +fear that he will call help nor need we fear his arm." Shortly +afterwards Mochuda came out carrying his load. The robbers rushed on +him, but they were unable to do him any injury for as each man of them +tried to draw his weapon his hands became powerless, so he was unable to +use them. Mochuda requested them to allow him pass with his burden and +he promised them on his credit and his word that he should return to +them when he had deposited the sack in safety. They took his word and he +went, deposited his bag of meal in the kitchen, and returned meekly to +martyrdom. The brethren imagined he had gone to a quiet place for +prayer as was his custom. When he returned to the robbers they drew +their weapons several times to kill him but they were unable to do so. +Seeing this wonder they were moved to repentance and they gave +themselves to God and to Mochuda for ever and, till the time of their +death, they remained under his guidance and rule and many subsequent +edifying and famous acts of theirs are recorded. + +An angel came to Mochuda at Rahen on another occasion announcing to him +the command of God that he should go that same day to Mac Fhiodaig, king +of his own region of Kerry Luachra, and administer to him Holy Communion +and Confession as he was on the point of death. Mochuda asked the angel +how he could reach Kerry that day from Rahen. The angel thereupon (for +reply) took him up through the air in a fiery chariot until they arrived +at the king's residence. Mochuda administered Holy Communion and +Confession and the king having bestowed generous alms upon him departed +hence to glory. Mochuda returned that same day to Rahen where he found +the community singing vespers. + +On another occasion Mochuda visited Colman Elo at the latter's monastery +of Lynally and requested Colman to come with him to consecrate for him +his cemetery at Rahen, for Colman, assisted by angels, was in the habit +of consecrating cemeteries and God gave him the privilege that no one +should go to hell who was interred in a grave consecrated by him. +Colman said to him:--"Return home and on the fifth day from now I shall +follow." Mochuda returned home, where he remained till the fifth day, +when, seeing that Colman had not arrived he came again to the latter. +"Father," said he, "why have you not kept your promise?" To which +Colman replied, "I came and an angel with me that day and consecrated +your cemetery. Return now and you will find it marked (consecrated) on +the south side of your own cell. Lay it out as it is there indicated +and think not that its area is too small, because a larger will be +consecrated for you later, by the angels, in the southern part of Erin, +namely--in Lismore." Mochuda returned and found the cemetery duly marked +as Colman had indicated. + +About the same time clerics came across Slieve Luachra in the territory +of Kerry to the church of Ita, honoured [abbess] of Conall Gabhra. They +had with them a child upon seeing whom Ita wept bitterly. The clerics +demanded why she cried at seeing them. "Blessed," she answered, "is the +hour in which that youth in your company was born, for no one shall ever +go to hell from the cemetery in which he will be buried, but, alas, for +me, that I cannot be buried therein." The clerics asked what cemetery +it was in which he should be buried. "In Mochuda's cemetery," said she, +"which though it be as yet unconsecrated will be honoured and famous in +times to come." This all came to pass, for the youth afterwards became +a monk under Mochuda and he is buried in the monastic cemetery of +Lismore as Ita had foretold. + +A child on another occasion fell off the bridge of Rahen into the river +and was drowned. The body was a day and a night in the water before it +was recovered. Then it was brought to Mochuda who, moved with +compassion for the father in his loss of an only son, restored the boy +to life. Moreover he himself fostered the child for a considerable time +afterwards and when the youth had grown up, he sent him back to his own +country of Delbhna. Mochuda's foster son begat sons and daughters and he +gave himself and them, as well as his inheritance, to God and Mochuda, +and his descendants are to this day servile tenants of the monastery. + +Once as Mochuda, with large offerings, was returning from Kerry to Rahen +he passed through the confines of Delbhna [Lemanaghan?] by the lake +called Muincine [Lough Gur?] where he and his party were overtaken by +night. They found here before them by the roadside revolving wheels, +which an artisan, who was erecting a mill on the stream from the lake, +had set up for a joke. As the wheels revolved they made a terrific +noise which was heard by the whole neighbourhood. Many of the +inhabitants of the neighbouring villages aroused by the noise rushed +out, with appeals for help and loud cries, to investigate the matter. +Mochuda's people were frightened by the din and their pack and riding +horses stampeded and lost their loads and it was not without difficulty +that they were caught again. Mochuda knew what caused the noise and he +told the workmen who had played this mischievous trick that they should +be scattered throughout the different provinces of Ireland, that they +should be always worthless and unprofitable, that the mill they were +engaged on should never be finished and that their progeny after them +should be valueless race of mischief-makers. The latter are called the +Hi-Enna [Ui Enna Aine Aulium] to-day. + +One day Mochuda came to a place called Cluain-Breanainn where apples +abounded. His followers asked some apples for him but the orchard owner +refused them. Said Mochuda:--"From this day forward no fruit shall grow +in you orchard for ever," and that prophecy has been fulfilled. + +Mochuda had in his monastery twelve exceedingly perfect disciples, +scil.:--Caoinche Mac Mellain [Mochua Mac Mellain or Cronan], who was the +first monk to enter Rahen; Mucoinog [Mochoemog]; the three sons of +Nascainn--Goban, Srafan, and Laisren; Mulua [Molua]; Lugair; Mochomog +Eile; Aodhan [Aedhan]; Fachtna Coinceann [Fiachna or Fiochrae]; Fionnlog +and Mochomog who became a bishop later. The virtue of these monks +surpassed belief and Mochuda wished to mitigate their austerities before +their death. He therefore built separate cells for them that they might +have some comfort in their old age as a reward for their virtue in +youth; moreover he predicted blessings for them. He made [a prophecy] +for one of them, mentioned above, scil.:--Mochua Mac Mellain, for whom +he had built a comfortable cell at a place called Cluain-Da-Chrann. He +said to him: "Your place of resurrection will not be here but in +another place which God has given you." That prediction has been +verified. To a second disciple, scil.:--Fiachna, Mochuda said:--"Your +resurrection will not be in this place though I have made you a cell +here; you will have three further abiding places, nevertheless it will +be with your own companion, Aodhan, that your remains will rest and your +resurrection will be in the territory of Ui Torna, and it is from you +that the place will get its name." For this Aodhan alluded to Mochuda +likewise built another cell in the land of Ui Torna close by Slieve +Luachra, and speaking prophetically he said to him: "The remains of +your fellow-disciple, Fiachna, will be carried to you hither and from +him will this place be named." That statement has been verified, for +the church is now called Cill-Fiachna and it was first called +Cill-Aeghain. Concerning other persons, Mochuda prophesied various +other things, all of them have come to pass. + +A child born of secret adultery was abandoned close by the monastery of +Rahen and Mochuda fostered the child until he became a bishop, though no +one knew his name or his progenitors. Mochuda said:--"This child's name +is Dioma and his father is Cormac of the race of Eochaidh Eachach." All +thereupon magnified the foreknowledge of Mochuda, which he had from no +other than the Holy Spirit. Having consecrated him bishop, Mochuda +instructed him: "Go in haste to your own native region of Hy-Eachach in +the southern confines of Munster for there will your resurrection be. +War and domestic strife shall arise among your race and kinsfolk unless +you arrive there soon to prevent it." Dioma set out, accompanied by +another bishop, Cuana by name, who was also a disciple of Mochuda's. +They travelled into Ibh Eachach and Dioma preached the word of God to +his brethren and tribesmen. He made peace between them and they built a +monastery for him and he placed himself, his kindred, and parish under +his chosen master, Mochuda, and he ended his life (there) in peace. + +On another occasion Mochuda travelled from Rahen to the provinces of +Munster and entered Ciarraighe Corca. It happened that Cairbre Mac +Criomhthain, who was king of Munster, was at that time in Magh-Cuirce, +the place to which Mochuda came. At the same time there fell a fire +ball which destroyed one of the king's residences, killing his wife, +many of his people and his son, Aodh Mac Cairbre, who were buried in the +falling ruin. There were killed there moreover two good carriage horses +of the king's. Cairbre besought Mochuda that he would restore the queen +and his son to life, and when the saint saw the king's faith he prayed +for him to God and then addressing the dead he said,--"Arise." They +arose thereupon and he gave them safe to the king and they all gave +glory and thanks to God and Mochuda. The king moreover made large +offerings of land and servile tenants to Mochuda. But one of the +tenants, through pride and jealousy, refused to obey Mochuda, +notwithstanding the king's command. Mochuda said: "Your posterity will +die out and their inheritance, for sake of which you (mis)behave towards +me, shall become mine for ever; whosoever takes from me that which +another has given me shall be deprived of heaven and earth." That man +and his posterity soon came to nought. + +On another occasion Mochuda sent a golden belt to Fergus Mac Criomhthan +who suffered from uncleanness of skin arising from kidney disease and +upon application of the girdle, by the blessing of Mochuda he recovered. + +Another time again a king of Munster, Cathal Mac Aodha, in the region of +Cuirche, was a sufferer from a combination of complaints--he was deaf, +lame, and blind, and when Mochuda came to see him the king and his +friends prayed the saint to cure him. Mochuda therefore prayed for him +and made the sign of the cross on his eyes and ears and immediately he +was healed of all his maladies--he heard and saw perfectly, and Cathal +gave extensive lands to God and Mochuda for ever, scil:--Oilean Cathail +and Ros-Beg and Ros-Mor and Inis-Pic [Spike Island]. Mochuda placed a +religious community in Ros-Beg to build there a church in honour of God. +Mochuda himself commenced to build a church on Inis-Pic and he remained +there a whole year. [On his departure] Mochuda left there--in the +monastery of Inis-Pic--to watch over it, in his stead, and to keep it in +perfect order--the three disciples whom we have already named (scil:-- +the three sons of Nascon, i.e. Goban a bishop, Srafan a priest, and holy +Laisren) together with the saintly bishop, Dardomaighen [Domangenum], +(who had conferred orders on them in presence of Mochuda) and forty +monks. Thereupon Mochuda returned to Rahen. That island we have +mentioned, scil.:--Inis-Pic, is a most holy place in which an +exceedingly devout community constantly dwell. + +Mochuda next directed his steps eastward through Munster and he crossed +the river then called Nemh, and now named the Abhainn More. As he +crossed he saw a large apple floating in the middle of the ford. This +he took up and carried away with him in his hand. Hence (that ford is +named) Ath-Ubhla in Fermoy [Ballyhooley]. His attendant asked Mochuda +for the apple, but the latter refused to give it saying--"God will work +a miracle by that apple and through me to-day: we shall meet Cuana Mac +Cailcin's daughter whose right hand is powerless so that she cannot move +it from her side. But she shall be cured by the power of God through +this apple." This was accomplished. Mochuda espied the child playing a +game with the other girls in the faithche [lawn] of the Lios. He +approached and said to her:--"Take this apple." She, as usual, put +forth her left hand for the fruit. "You shall not get it in that hand, +but take it in the other." The girl full of faith tried to put out the +right hand, and on the instant the hand became full of strength and +blood and motion so that she took the apple in it. All rejoiced thereat +and were amazed at the wonder wrought. That night Cuana said to his +daughter: "Choose yourself which you prefer of the royal youths of +Munster and whomsoever your choice be I shall obtain in marriage for +you." "The only spouse I shall have," said she, "is the man who cured +my hand." "Do you hear what she says O Mochuda?" said the king. +"Entrust the child to me," answered Mochuda, "I shall present her as a +bride to God who has healed her hand." Whereupon Cuana gave his +daughter Flandnait, together with her dowry and lands on the bank of +Nemh, to God and to Mochuda for ever. Cuana was almost incredibly +generous. Mochuda took the maiden with him to Rahen where she passed her +years happily with the religious women there till Mochuda was expelled +by the kings of Tara as you may hear. He took Flandnait with him (from +Rahen) in his party to her own native region that she might build +herself a cell there. She did build a famous cell at Cluain Dallain in +Mochuda's own parish. + +Previous to his expulsion (from Rahen) Mochuda visited the place where +(later) he built Lismore and he heard the voice of persons reading at +Rahen, wherefore he said to his followers: "I know that this is the +place where God will permit us to build our monastery." This prophecy +was subsequently verified. + +On a certain occasion Columcille came to Rahen where Mochuda was and +asked him:--"Is this place in which you now are dear to you?" "It is, +indeed," answered Mochuda. Columcille said: "Let not what I say to you +trouble you--this will not be the place of your resurrection, for the +king of Erin and his family will grow jealous of you owing to +machinations of some of the Irish clergy, and they shall eventually +drive you hence." Mochuda questioned Columcille who had a true +prophetic gift--"In what other place then will my resurrection be?" +Columcille told him--"The place where from the summit of Slieve Gua you +saw the host of angels building a chair of silver with a statue of gold +therein on the bank of the Nemh--there will your resurrection be, and +the chair of silver is your church in the midst of them [,and you are +truly the golden statue in its midst]." Mochuda believing what he heard +thanked and glorified God. + +As Mochuda on another day was at Rahen there came to him a priest and +monk of his own community from the northern part of Munster; he made a +reverence as was the custom of the monks, in Mochuda's presence and said +to him, "Father, I have complied with all your commands and the precepts +of God from the day I left Rahen till now--except this--that, without +your permission, I have taken my brother from the secular life." +"Verily I say to you," answered Mochuda, "if you were to go to the top +of a high hill and to shout as loudly as you could and were to bring to +me all who heard the cry I should not refuse the habit of religion to +one of them." Hearing these words all realised the character and extent +of Mochuda's charity and returned thanks to God for it. + +On a certain day about vesper time, because of the holiness of the hour, +Mochuda said to his monks:--"We shall not eat to-day till each one of +you has made his confession," for he knew that some one of them had ill +will in his heart against another. All the brethren thereupon confessed +to him. One of them in the course of his confession stated: "I love +not your miller and the cause of my lack of charity towards him is this, +that when I come to the mill he will not lift the loads off the horses +and he will neither help me to fill the meal sacks nor to load them on +the horse when filled. And not this alone but he does everything that +is disagreeable to me; moreover I cannot tell, but God knows, why he so +acts. Often I have thought of striking him or even beating him to +death." Mochuda replied, "Brother dear, the prophet says--'Declina a +malo et fac bonum' [Psalm 36(37):27]. Avoid evil and do good. Following +this precept let you act kindly towards the miller and that charity of +yours will move him to charity towards you and ye shall yet be steadfast +friends." Things went on thus for three days--the monk doing all he +could to placate the miller. Nevertheless the miller did not cease his +persecution, nor the brother his hate of the miller. On the third day +Mochuda directed the brother to confess to him again. The brother said: +--"This is my confession, Father, I do not yet love the miller." Mochuda +observed:--"He will change to-night, and to-morrow he will not break +fast till you meet him and you shall sit on the same seat, at the same +table, and you shall remain fast friends for the rest of your lives." +All this came to pass; for that monk was, through the instruction of +Mochuda, filled with the grace of the Divine Spirit. And he glorified +and praised Mochuda, for he recognised him as a man favoured by the Holy +Ghost. + +On another occasion two British monks of Mochuda's monastery had a +conversation in secret. Mochuda, they said, is very old though there is +no immediate appearance of approaching death--and there is no doubt that +his equal in virtue or good works will never be found--therefore if he +were out of the way one of us might succeed him. Let us then kill him +as there is no likelihood of his natural death within a reasonable time. +They resolved therefore to drown him in the river towards close of the +following night and to conceal all traces so that the crime could never +be discovered. They found him subsequently in a lonely place where he +was accustomed to pray. They bound him tightly and carried him between +them on their shoulders to the water. On their way to the river they +met one of the monks who used to walk around the cemetery every night. +He said to them: "What is that you carry?" They replied that it was +portion of the monastic washing which they were taking to the river. He +however, under the insistent suggestion of the Holy Spirit, believed +them not. He said: "Put down your load till we examine it." They were +constrained to obey and the burden proved to be--Mochuda. The monk who +detected [the proposed murder] was the overseer of the homestead. He +said mournfully, "My God, it is a dreadful work you are about." Mochuda +said gently:--"Son, it were well for me had that been done to me for I +should now be numbered among the holy martyrs. And it were bad for them +(the two wicked monks) for it is with Judas the betrayer of his Lord +they should be tortured for ever, who had desired my death for their own +advancement. Neither these wretched men themselves nor anyone of their +nation shall be my coarb for ever, but my successors shall be of his +race through whom God has rescued me. Moreover my city shall never be +without men of the British race who will be butts and laughing-stocks +and serve no useful purpose." The person who saved Mochuda was of the +Ciarraighe race and it is of that same people that the coarbs and +successors of Mochuda have commonly been ever since. [See note 2.] + +Mochuda refused for a long while, as we have already said, to accept +cattle or horses from anyone; it was the monks themselves who dug and +cultivated the land and they did all the haulage of the monastery on +their own backs. St. Fionan however who was a kinsman of Mochuda and +had just returned from Rome, came at this time on a visit to the +monastery. He reproached Mochuda saying: "Mochuda, why do you impose +the burden of brute beasts upon rational beings? Is it not for use of +the latter that all other animals have been created? Of a truth I shall +not taste food in this house till you have remedied this grievance." +Thenceforth Mochuda--in honour of Fionan--permitted his monks to accept +horses and oxen from the people and he freed them from the hardship +alluded to. Sometime later the holy abbot, Lachtaoin [St. Lachten], +compassionating Mochuda and his monks because of their lack of cattle +paid a visit to Rahen bringing with him a gift of thirty cows and a +bull, also a couple of cattlemen and two dairymaids. Coming near Rahen +he left the cattle in a secluded place, for he did not wish them to be +seen. Thereupon he went himself to the monastery and simulating illness +requested a drink of milk. The house steward went to Mochuda to tell +him that Lachtaoin was ill and required milk. Mochuda ordered the +steward to fill a pitcher with water and bring it to him--and this order +was executed. Mochuda blessed the water which immediately was changed +into sweet new milk apparently of that day's milking. He sent the milk +to Lachtaoin but the latter identified it as milk miraculously produced; +he in turn blessed it with the result that it was changed back again +into water. He complained:--"It is not water but milk I have asked +for." The messenger related this fact publicly. Lachtaoin declared:-- +"Mochuda is a good monk but his successors will not be able to change +water to milk," and to the messenger he said--"Go to Mochuda and tell +him that I shall not break bread in this house until he accept the alms +which I have brought to the community." On Mochuda agreeing to accept +them he handed over the cattle and dairymen to the monks of Rahen and +the stewards took charge of them. Mochuda said thereupon, that he +should not have accepted the cattle but as a compliment to Lachtaoin. +Lachtaoin replied:--"From this day forward there will be plenty cattle +and worldly substance in your dwelling-place and there will be a +multitude of holy people in the other place whence you are to depart to +heaven (for you will be exiled from your present home)." After they had +mutually blessed and taken leave and pledged friendship Lachtaoin +departed. + +Once, at harvest time, the farm steward came to Mochuda complaining +that, though the crop was dead ripe, a sufficient number of harvesters +could not be found. Mochuda answered: "Go in peace, dear brother, and +God will send you satisfactory reapers." This promise was fulfilled, +for a band of angels came to the ripest and largest fields, reaped and +bound a great deal quickly, and gathered the crop into one place. The +monks marvelled, though they knew it was God's work and they praised and +thanked Him and Mochuda. + +The spirit of obedience amongst Mochuda's monks was such that if any +senior member of the community ordered another to lie in the fire he +would be obeyed. As an instance of this,--some of the brethren were on +one occasion baking bread in an oven when one the monks said to another +younger than himself, "The bread is burning: take it out instantly." +There was an iron shovel for drawing out the bread but the brother could +not find it on the instant. He heeded not the flames which shot out of +the oven's mouth but caught the hot bread and shifted it with his hands +and suffered no hurt whatever. On another day the monks were engaged in +labour beside the river which runs through the monastery. One of the +senior monks called upon a young monk named Colman to do a certain piece +of work. Immediately, as he had not named any particular Colman, twelve +monks of the name rushed into the water. The readiness and exactness of +the obedience practised was displayed in this incident. + +Great moreover was their meekness and patience in sickness or ill-health +as appears from the case of the monk out of the wounds of whose body +maggots fell as he walked; yet he never complained or told anyone or +left his work for two moments although it was plain from his appearance +that his health was declining, and he was growing thinner from day to +day. The brothers pitied him very much. At length Mochuda questioned +him--putting him under obedience to tell the truth--as to the cause of +his decline. The monk thereupon showed him his sides which were torn by +a twig tied fast around them. Mochuda asked him who had done that +barbarous and intolerable thing to him. The monk answered:--"One day +while we were drawing logs of timber from the wood my girdle broke from +the strain, so that my clothes hung loose. A monk behind me saw this +and cutting a twig tied it so tightly around my sides that it has caused +my flesh to mortify." Mochuda asked--"And why did you not loosen the +twig?" The monk replied--"Because my body in not my own and he who tied +it (the withe) has never loosed it." It was a whole year since the +withe had been fastened around him. Mochuda said to him:--"Brother, you +have suffered great pain; as a reward thereof take now you choice--your +restoration to bodily health or spiritual health by immediate departure +hence to eternal life." He answered, deciding to go to heaven:--"Why +should I desire to remain in this life?" Having received the Sacrament +and the Holy Communion he departed hence to glory. + +There came to Mochuda on another occasion with her husband, a woman +named Brigh whose hand lay withered and useless by her side: she +besought the saint to cure her hand. Moreover she was pregnant at the +time. Mochuda held out an apple in his hand to her as he had done +before to Flandnait, the daughter of Cuana, saying--"Alleluia, put forth +your nerveless hand to take this apple." She did as she was told and +took the apple from his hand and was cured; moreover as she tasted the +fruit parturition came on--without pain or inconvenience, after which +[the pair] returned to their home rejoicing. + +In fulfilment of the prophecy of Columcille and other holy men that +Mochuda should be expelled from Rahen the king of Tara, Blathmac, the +son of Aodh Slaine, and his brother Diarmuid came, together with some +clergy of the Cluain Earaird [Clonard] community, to carry out the +eviction [in A.D. 635]. They said to him, "Leave this monastery and +region and seek a place for yourself elsewhere." Mochuda replied--"In +this place I have desired to end my days. Here I have been many years +serving God and have almost reached the end of my life. Therefore I +shall not depart unless I am dragged hence by the hands against my will, +for it is not becoming an old man to abandon easily the place in which +he has spent great part of his life." Then the nobles returned to +Blathmac and they made various complaints of Mochuda, accusing him +falsely of many things; finally they asked the king to undertake the +expulsion personally, for they were themselves unequal to the task. The +king thereupon came to the place accompanied by a large retinue. +Alluding prophetically to the king's coming, previous to that event, +Mochuda said, addressing the monks:--"Beloved brothers, get ready and +gather your belongings, for violence and eviction are close at hand: the +chieftains of this land are about to expel and banish you from your own +home." Then the king, with his brothers and many of the chief men, +arrived on the scene. They encamped near Rahen and the king sent his +brother Diarmuid with some others to expel Mochuda and to put him out by +force--which Diarmuid pledged his word he should do. It was in the +choir at prayer that Diarmuid found Mochuda. Mochuda, though he knew +his mission, asked Diarmuid why he was come and what he sought. +Diarmuid replied that he came by order of King Blathmac to take him by +the hand and put him out of that establishment and to banish him from +Meath. "Do as you please," said Mochuda, "for we are prepared to +undergo all things for Christ's sake." "By my word," answered Diarmuid, +"I shall never be guilty of such a crime; let him who chooses do it." +Mochuda said:--"You shall possess the kingdom of God and you shall reign +in your brother's stead and your face which you have turned from me +shall never be turned from your enemies. Moreover the reproaches which +the king will presently cast upon you for not doing the work he has set +you, will be your praise and your pride. At the same time as a penalty +for your evil designs toward me and your greater readiness to drive me +out, your son shall not succeed you in the sovereignty." Diarmuid +returned to the king and told him that he could do no injury to Mochuda. +The king retorted [sarcastically and] in anger, "What a valiant man you +are, Diarmuid." Diarmuid replied:--"That is just what Mochuda promised +--that I should be a warrior of God." He was known as Diarmuid Ruanaidh +thenceforth, for the whole assembly cried out with one voice--truly he +is Valiant (Ruanaidh). + +Next, the nobles present cast lots to decide which one of them should go +with the king to lay hands on Mochuda and expel him from the monastery. +The lot fell upon the Herenach [hereditary steward] of Cluain Earaird. +He and the king accompanied by armed men went to the monastery where +they found Mochuda and all the brethren in the church. Cronan, a +certain rich man in the company, shouted out, "Make haste with the +business on which you are come." Mochuda answered him--"You shall die +immediately, but on account of the alms which you gave me for the love +of Christ and on account of your uniform piety heretofore your progeny +shall prosper for ever." That prophecy has been fulfilled. Another man, +Dulach by name, winked mockingly with one of his eyes; moreover he +laughed and behaved irreverently towards Mochuda. Mochuda said to him: +--"Thus shall you be--with one eye closed and a grin on your countenance +--to the end of your life; and of your descendants many will be similarly +afflicted." Yet another member of the company, one Cailche, +scurrilously abused and cursed Mochuda. To him Mochuda said:-- +"Dysentery will attack you immediately and murrain that will cause your +death." The misfortune foretold befell him and indeed woeful misfortune +and ill luck pursued many of them for their part in the wrong doing. +When the king saw these things he became furious and, advancing--himself +and the abbot of Cluain Earaird--they took each a hand of Mochuda and in +a disrespectful, uncivil manner, they led him forth out of the monastery +while their followers did the same with Mochuda's community. Throughout +the city and in the country around there was among both sexes weeping, +mourning, and wailing over their humiliating expulsion from their own +home and monastery. Even amongst the soldiers of the king were many who +were moved to pity and compassion for Mochuda and his people. + +One of Mochuda's monks had gout in his foot and for him Mochuda besought +the king and his following that he, as he was unable to travel, might be +allowed to remain in the monastery; the request was, however, refused. +Mochuda called the monk to him and, in the name of Christ, he commanded +the pain to leave the foot and to betake itself to the foot of Colman +[Colman mac hua Telduib, abbot, or perhaps erenach only, of Cluain +Earaird], the chieftain who was most unrelenting towards him. That +soreness remained in Colman's foot as long as he lived. The monk +however rose up and walked and was able to proceed on his way with his +master. + +There was an aged monk who wished to be buried at Rahen; Mochuda granted +the request, and he received Holy Communion and sacred rites at the +saint's hands. Then he departed to heaven in the presence of all and +his body was buried at Rahen as he had himself chosen that it should be. + +Leaving Rahen Mochuda paid a visit to the monastic cemetery weeping as +he looked upon it; he blessed those interred there and prayed for them. +By the permission of God it happened that the grave of a long deceased +monk opened so that all saw it, and, putting his head out of the grave, +the tenant of the tomb cried out in a loud voice: "O holy man and +servant of God, bless us that through thy blessing we may rise and go +with you whither you go." Mochuda replied:--"So novel a thing I shall +not do, for it behoves not to raise so large a number of people before +the general resurrection." The monk asked--"Why then father, do you +leave us, though we have promised union with you in one place for ever?" +Mochuda answered:--"Brother, have you ever heard the proverb--necessity +is its own law [necessitas movet decretum et consilium]? Remain ye +therefore in your resting places and on the day of general resurrection +I shall come with all my brethren and we shall all assemble before the +great cross called 'Cross of the Angels' at the church door and go +together for judgement." When Mochuda had finished, the monk lay back in +his grave and the coffin closed. + +Mochuda, with his following, next visited the cross already mentioned +and here, turning to the king, he thus addressed him:--"Behold the +heavens above you and the earth below." The king looked at them: then +Mochuda continued:--"Heaven may you not possess and even from your +earthly principality may you soon be driven and your brother whom you +have reproached, because he would not lay hands on me, shall possess it +instead of you, and in your lifetime. You shall be despised by all--so +much so that in your brother's house they shall forget to supply you +with food. Moreover yourself and your children shall come to an evil +end and in a little while there shall not be one of your seed +remaining." Then Mochuda cursed him and he rang his small bell against +him and against his race, whence the bell has since been known as "The +Bell of Blathmac's Extinguishing," or "The Bell of Blathmac's Drowning," +because it drowned or extinguished Blathmac with his posterity. +Blathmac had a large family of sons and daughters but, owing to +Mochuda's curse, their race became extinct. Next to the prince of +Cluain Earaird who also had seized him by the hand, he said: "You shall +be a servant and a bondman ere you die and you shall lose your territory +and your race will be a servile one." To another of those who led him +by the hand he said:--"What moved you to drag me by the hand from my own +monastery?" The other replied:--"It pleased me not that a Munster man +should have such honour in Meath." "I wish," said Mochuda, "that the +hand you laid on me may be accursed and that the face you turned against +me to expel me from my home may be repulsive and scrofulous for the +remainder of your life." This curse was effective for the man's eye was +thereupon destroyed in his head. Mochuda noticed that some of +Columcille's successors and people from Durrow, which was one of +Columcille's foundations, had taken part in his eviction. He thus +addressed them:--"Contention and quarrelling shall be yours for ever to +work evil and schism amongst you--for you have had a prominent part in +exciting opposition to me." And so it fell out. + +The king and his people thereupon compelled Mochuda to proceed on his +way. Mochuda did proceed with his disciples, eight hundred and sixty +seven in number (and as many more they left buried in Rahen). Moreover, +many more living disciples of his who had lived in various parts of +Ireland were already dead. All the community abounded in grace: many +of its members became bishops and abbots in after years and they erected +many churches to the glory of God. + +Understand, moreover, that great was the charity of the holy bishop, as +the following fact will prove:--in a cell without the city of Rahen he +maintained in comfort and respectability a multitude of lepers. He +frequently visited them and ministered to them himself--entrusting that +office to no one else. It was known to all the lepers of Ireland how +Mochuda made their fellow-sufferers his special care and family, and the +result was that an immense number of lepers from all parts flocked to +him and he took charge and care of them. These on his departure from +Rahen he took with him to Lismore where he prepared suitable quarters +for them and there they have been ever since in comfort and in honour +according to Mochuda's command. + +As Mochuda and his people journeyed along with their vehicles they found +the way blocked by a large tree which lay across it. Owing to the +density of underwood at either side they were unable to proceed. Some +one announced:--"There is a tree across the road before us, so that we +cannot advance." Mochuda said: "In the name of Christ I command thee, +tree, to rise up and stand again in thy former place." At the command +of Mochuda the tree stood erect as it was originally and it still +retains its former appearance, and there is a pile of stones there at +its base to commemorate the miracle. + +It was necessary to proceed; the first night after Mochuda's departure +from Rahen the place that he came to was a cell called Drum Cuilinn +[Drumcullen], on the confines of Munster, Leinster, and Clanna Neill, +but actually within Clanna Neill, scil.:--in the territory of Fearceall +in which also is Rahen. In Drum Cuilinn dwelt the holy abbot, +Barrfhinn, renowned for miracles. On the morrow Mochuda arrived at +Saighir Chiarain [Seirkieran] and the following night at the +establishment where Cronan is now, scil.:--Roscrea. That night Mochuda +remained without entertainment although it was offered to them by Cronan +who had prepared supper for him. Mochuda refused however to go to it +saying that he would not go out of his way to visit a man who avoids +guests and builds his cell in a wild bog far from men and that such a +man's proper guests are creatures of the wilderness instead of human +beings. When Cronan heard this saying of Mochuda he came to the latter, +by whose advice he abandoned his hermitage in the bog and he, with +Mochuda, marked out the site of a new monastery and church at Roscrea. +There he founded a great establishment and there he is himself buried. +Mochuda took leave of Cronan and, travelling through Eile [Ely +O'Carroll], came to the royal city named Cashel. On the following day +the king, scil.:--Failbhe [Failbhe Flann], came to Mochuda offering him +a place whereon to found a church. Mochuda replied:--"It is not +permitted us by God to stay our journey anywhere till we come to the +place promised to us by the holy men." + +About the same time there came messengers from the king of Leinster to +the king of Munster praying the latter, by virtue of league and +alliance, to come to his assistance as Leath-Chuinn and the north were +advancing in great force to ravage Leinster. This is how Failbhe was +situated at the time: he had lost one of his eyes and he was ashamed to +go half-blind into a strange territory. As soon as Mochuda realised the +extent of the king's diffidence he blessed the eye making on it the sign +of the cross and it was immediately healed in the presence of all. The +king and Mochuda took leave of one another and went each his own way. +The king and his hosting went to the aid of Leinster in the latter's +necessity. + +Mochuda journeyed on through Muscraige Oirthir the chief of which +territory received him with great honour. Aodhan was the chief's name +and he bestowed his homestead called Isiol [Athassel] on Mochuda, who +blessed him and his seed. Next he came into the Decies. He travelled +through Magh Femin where he broke his journey at Ard Breanuinn +[Ardfinnan] on the bank of the Suir. There came to him here Maolochtair, +king of the Decies, and the other nobles [or one noble, Suibhne] of his +nation who were at variance with him concerning land. Mochuda by the +grace of God made peace amongst them, and dismissed them in amity. +Maolochtair gave that land to Mochuda who marked out a cell there where +is now the city of Ardfinnnan, attached to which is a large parish +subject to Mochuda and bearing his name. The wife of Maolochtair, +scil:--Cuciniceas, daughter of Failbhe Flann, king of Munster, had a +vision, viz.:--a flock of very beautiful birds flying above her head and +one bird was more beautiful and larger than the rest. The other birds +followed this one and it nestled in the king's bosom. Soon as she awoke +she related the vision to the king; the king observed: "Woman you have +dreamed a good dream and soon it will be realised; the flock of birds +you have seen is Mochuda with his monks coming from Rahen and the most +distinguished bird is Mochuda himself. And the settling in my bosom +means that the place of his resurrection will be in my territory. Many +blessings will come to us and our territory through him." That vision +of the faithful woman was realised as the faithful king had explained +it. + +Subsequently Mochuda came to Maolochtair requesting from him a place +where he might erect a monastery. Maolochtair replied: "So large a +community cannot dwell in such a narrow place." Mochuda said: "God, who +sent us to you, will show you a place suited to us." The king +answered:--"I have a place, convenient for fish and wood, beside Slieve +Gua on the bank of the Nemh but I fear it will not be large enough." +Mochuda said:--"It will not be narrow; there is a river and fish and +that it shall be the place of our resurrection." Thereupon, in the +presence of many witnesses, the king handed over the land, scil.:-- +Lismore, to God and Mochuda and it is in that place Mochuda afterwards +founded his famous city. Mochuda blessed the king and his wife as well +as the nobles and all the people and taking leave of them and receiving +their homage he journeyed across Slieve Gua till he came to the church +called Ceall Clochair [Kilcloher]. The saint of that church, scil.:-- +Mochua Mianain, prepared a supper for Mochuda to the best of his +ability, but he had only a single barrel of ale for them all. Although +Mochuda with his people remained there three days and three nights and +although the holy abbot (Mochua) continued to draw the ale into small +vessels to serve the company, according to their needs, the quantity in +the barrel grew no less but increased after the manner of the oil +blessed by Elias [3 Kings 17:16]. Then one of the monks said to +Mochuda, "If you remain in this place till the feast ends your stay will +be a long one for it (the entertainment) grows no smaller for all the +consumption." "That is true, brother," said Mochuda, "and it is fitting +for us to depart now." They started therefore on their way and Mochua +Mianain gave himself and his place to God and Mochuda for ever. On +Mochuda's departure the ale barrel drained out to the lees. + +Mochuda proceeded till he reached the river Nemh at a ford called +Ath-Mheadhon [Affane] which no one could cross except a swimmer or a very +strong person at low water in a dry season of summer heat, for the tide +flows against the stream far as Lismore, five miles further up. On this +particular occasion it happened to be high tide. The two first of +Mochuda's people to reach the ford were the monks Molua and Colman, +while Mochuda himself came last. They turned round to him and said that +it was not possible to cross the river till the ebb. Mochuda answered: +--"Advance through the water before the others in the name of your Lord +Jesus Christ for He is the way the truth and the life" [John 14:6]. As +soon as they heard this command of Mochuda's Molua said to Colman, +"Which of the two will you hold back--the stream above or the sea +below?" Colman answered:--"Let each restrain that which is nearest to +him"--for Molua was on the upper, or stream, side and Colman on the +lower, or sea, side. Molua said to Colman--"Forbid you the sea side to +flow naturally and I shall forbid the stream side." Then with great +faith they proceeded to cross the river; they signed the river with the +sign of Christ's cross and the waters stood on either hand and apart, so +that the dry earth appeared between. The side banks of water rose high +because there was no passage up or down, so that the ridges were very +elevated on both the sea and stream sides. The waters remained thus +till such time as all Mochuda's people had crossed. Mochuda himself was +the last to pass over and the path across was so level that it offered +no obstacle to foot-passengers or chariots but was like a level plain so +that they crossed dryshod, as the Jordan fell back for Josue the son of +Nun [Josue 3:17]. Soon as Mochuda had crossed over he blessed the waters +and commanded them to resume their natural course. On the reuniting +again of the waters they made a noise like thunder, and the name of the +place is The Place of Benedictions, from the blessings of Mochuda and +his people. + +Next the glorious bishop, Mochuda, proceeded to the place promised to +him by God and the prophets, which place is the plain called +Magh-Sciath. Mochuda, with the holy men, blessed the place and +dedicated there the site of a church in circular form. There came to +them a holy woman named Caimell who had a cell there and she asked, +"What do you propose doing here, ye servants of God?" "We propose," +answered Mochuda, "building here a little 'Lios' [enclosure] around our +possession." Caimell observed, "Not a little Lios will it be but a +great ['mor'] one (Lis-mor)." "True indeed, virgin," responded Mochuda, +"Lismore will be its name for ever." The virgin offered herself and her +cell to God and Mochuda for ever, where the convent of women is now +established in the city of Lismore. + +As Colman Elo, alluded to already, promised, Mochuda found his burial +place marked out (consecrated?) by angels; there he and a multitude of +his disciples are buried and it was made known to him by divine wisdom +the number of holy persons that to the end of the world would be buried +therein. Lismore is a renowned city, for there is one portion of it +which no woman may enter and there are within it many chapels and +monasteries, and in which there are always multitudes of devout people +not from Ireland alone but from the land of the Saxons and from Britain +and from other lands as well. This is its situation--on the south bank +of the Avonmore in the Decies territory. + +On a certain day there came a druid to Mochuda to argue and contend with +him. He said:--"If you be a servant of God cause natural fruit to grow +on this withered branch." Mochuda knew that it was to throw contempt on +the power of God that the druid had come. He blessed the branch and it +produced first living skin, then, as the druid had asked--leaves, +blossom and fruit in succession. The druid marvelled exceedingly and +went his way. + +A poor man came to Mochuda on another occasion with an ill timed request +for milk, and beer along with it. Mochuda was at the time close by the +well which is known as "Mochuda's Well" at the present time; this he +blessed changing it first into milk then into beer and finally to wine. +Then he told the poor man to take away whatever quantity of each of +these liquids he required. The well remained thus till at Mochuda's +prayer it returned to its original condition again. An angel came from +heaven to Mochuda at the time and told him that the well should remain a +source of health and virtues and of marvels, and it still, like every +well originally blessed by Mochuda, possesses power of healing from +every malady. + +Mochuda, now grown old and of failing powers and strength, was wearied +and worried by the incessant clamour of building operations--the +dressing of stones and timber--carried on by the multitude of monks and +artisans. He therefore by consent and counsel of the brethren retired +to a remote, lonely place situated in a glen called "Mochuda's Inch" +below the great monastery. He took with him there a few monks and built +a resplendent monastery; he remained in that place a year and six months +more leading a hermitical life. The brethren and seniors of the +community visited him (from time to time) and he gave them sound, +sweetly-reasoned advice. He received a vow from each to follow his +Rule, for he was the support of the aged, the health-giver to the weak, +the consoler of the afflicted, the hope-giver to the hopeless, the +faith-giver to the doubting, the moderator and uniter of the young. + +As soon as Mochuda saw the hardship to the visiting brothers and elders +of the descent from Lismore and the ascent thereto again--knowing at the +same time that his end was approaching--he ordered himself to be carried +up to the monastery so that the monks might be saved the fatigue of the +descent to him. Then it pleased God to call to Himself His devoted +servant from the troubles of life and to render to him the reward of his +good works. He opened the gates of heaven then and sent to him a host +of angels, in glory and majesty unspeakable. When Mochuda saw the +heavens open above him and the angel band approaching, he ordered that +he be set down in the middle of the glen and he related to the seniors +the things that he had seen and he asked to receive the Body of Christ +and he gave his last instruction to the monks--to observe the Law of God +and keep His commands. The place was by the cross called "Crux +Migrationis," or the cross from which Mochuda departed to Glory. Having +received the Body and Blood of Christ, having taught them divine +doctrines, in the midst of holy choirs and of many brethren and monks to +whom in turn he gave his blessing and the kiss of peace according to the +rule, the glorious and holy bishop departed to heaven accompanied by +hosts of angels on the day before the Ides of May [May 14], in his union +with the Holy Trinity--Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, for ever and ever. +Amen. + +Finit 7ber [September] 4th, 1741. + + + +NOTE 1 + +One of our scribe's predecessors omitted a word or two from the text +here, with disastrous results to the sense. The Latin Life comes to our +aid however and enables us to make good the omission; the latter, by the +way, puzzles our scribe who is like a man fighting an invisible enemy-- +correcting a text of which he does not know the defect. Insertion of +the words "walking backwards" immediately after "church," in the angel's +answer, will enable us to see the original writer's meaning. The text +should probably read: + +The angel answered:--"Whom you shall see going from the church walking +backwards to the guest-house" (for it was Mochuda's custom to walk +backwards from the door of the church). Comghall announced to his +household that there was coming to them a distinguished stranger, +well-beloved of God, of whose advent an angel had twice foretold him. +Some time later Mochuda arrived at Comghall's establishment, and he went +to the monastery first and he did just as the angel foretold of him and +Comghall recognised him and bade him welcome. + + + +NOTE 2 + + +The obits of Mochuda's successors, down to Christian O'Conarchy, +are chronicled as follows:-- + +A.D. 650. Cuanan, maternal uncle and immediate successor of +Mochuda (Lanigan). +A.D. 698. Iarnla, surnamed Hierologus (Four Masters). In his +time King Alfrid was a student in Lismore. +A.D. 702. Colman, son of Finnbhar (Acta Sanctorum). During his +reign the abbey of Lismore reached the zenith of its fame. +A.D. 716. Cronan Ua Eoan (F. Masters). +A.D. 719. Colman O'Liathain (Annals of Inisfallen). +A.D. 741. Finghal (F. Masters). +A.D. 746. Mac hUige (Ibid). +A.D. 747. Ihrichmech (A. of Inisf.) +A.D. 748. Maccoigeth (F. M.) +A.D. 752. Sinchu (F. M.) +A.D. 755. Condath (Ibid). +A.D. 756. Fincon (Annals of Ulster). +A.D. 761. Aedhan (F. M.) +A.D. 763. Ronan (Ware). +A.D. 769. Soairleach Ua Concuarain (F. M.) +A.D. 771. Eoghan (Ibid). +A.D. 776. Orach (Ibid). +A.D. 799. Carabran (Ibid). +A.D. 801. Aedhan Ua Raichlich (A. of Inisf.) +A.D. 823. Flann (F. M.) +A.D. 849. Tibrade Ua Baethlanaigh (F. M.) At this period the +town was plundered and burned by the Danes who had sailed up +thither on the Blackwater. +A.D. 849. Daniel (A. of Inisf.) +A.D. 854. Suibne Ua Roichlech (F. M. and A. of Ulster). What is +probably his gravestone is one of five Irish-inscribed slabs +built into the west gable of the Cathedral. +A.D. 861. Daniel Ua Liaithidhe (F. M.) +A.D. 878. Martin Ua Roichligh (Ibid). Another of the inscribed +stones above referred to asks "A prayer for Martan." +A.D. 880. Flann Mac Forbasaich (A. I.) +A.D. 899. Maelbrighte Mac Maeldomnaich (Ibid). +A.D. 918. Cormac Mac Cuilennan (A. I.) He is to be +distinguished from his more famous namesake of Cashel. +A.D. 936. Ciaran (F. M.) +A.D. 951. Diarmuid (Ibid). +A.D. 957. Maenach Mac Cormaic (Ibid). +A.D. 958. Cathmog (Ibid). He was also bishop of Cork. +A.D. 963. Cinaedh (F. M.) +A.D. 1025. Omaelsluaig (Cotton's "Fasti"). +A.D. 1034. Moriertach O'Selbach, bishop of Lismore (Cotton). +A.D. 1064. Mac Airthir, bishop (Cotton). +A.D. 1090. Maelduin O'Rebhacain (Ibid). +A.D. 1112. Gilla Mochuda O'Rebhacain (A. of I.) +A.D. 1113. Nial Macgettigan. His episcopal staff, possibly +enclosing the venerable oaken staff of the founder of the abbey, +is still preserved at Lismore Castle. [Also known as the +'Lismore Crozier,' in 2004 it is housed in 'The Treasury' exhibit +at the National Museum of Ireland, Kildare St., Dublin 2.] +A.D. 1134. Malchus. Most probably he is identical with the +first bishop of Waterford. During his term both St. Malachy and +King Cormac MacCarthy dwelt as fugitives, guests or pilgrims, at +Lismore. +A.D. 1142. Ua Rebhacain. +A.D. 1186. St. Christian. He had however resigned the +bishopric. + + + + ++-------------------------------------------+ +| | +| __ __---_ | +| ,-~~~ ~\/ ~\ | +| ,_/ | | +| /,_ / | +| _ _/ ~\ | +| /~~ ~\/~-_| / | +| \ /~ | +| \ _ _\/ | +| ,' | | +| /~ Tara \ | +| \ * | | +| '~|__- Rahen / | +| .- ,/~ * \ | +| | / | +| / | | +| /_,_/~ | | +| / Cashel / | +| ,--~ * | | +| /--- Lismore __|_-_/ | +| ,-~ *-,-~ | +| \_-~/ \ /~ | +| ,-~/= _/~ | +| --~/_-_-/~'~ | +| | ++-------------------------------------------+ +| MAP OF IRELAND | ++-------------------------------------------+ + + + + +TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE + + +The source for this text includes the Irish text & English translation +on facing pages and notes. The notes are quite lengthy and should take +longer to transcribe than the English text. Except for a few notes +transplanted in brackets to the body of the text I have not transcribed +them. Due to inexperience with the Irish language and its script I have +decided not to attempt to transcribe the Irish text. Hopefully someone +with the appropriate talent and interest will undertake that task some +day. I have corrected the errata as indicated in the source and a few +obvious printer errors. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Life of St. Mochuda of Lismore +by Saint Mochuda + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LIFE OF ST. MOCHUDA OF LISMORE *** + +***** This file should be named 10937.txt or 10937.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/1/0/9/3/10937/ + +Produced by Dennis McCarthy + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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