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diff --git a/11168-h/11168-h.htm b/11168-h/11168-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..cd6826c --- /dev/null +++ b/11168-h/11168-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,3917 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"> +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> +<head> +<meta name="generator" content= +"HTML Tidy for Linux/x86 (vers 1st November 2003), see www.w3.org" /> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content= +"text/html; charset=us-ascii" /> +<title>Lives of SS. Declan and Mochuda</title> + +</head> +<body bgcolor="white"> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Lives of SS. Declan and Mochuda, Anonymous + +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: Lives of SS. Declan and Mochuda + +Author: Anonymous + +Release Date: February 19, 2004 [EBook #11168] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: US-ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LIVES OF SS. DECLAN AND MOCHUDA *** + + + + +Produced by Dennis McCarthy + + + + + +</pre> + + +<center> +<h1>Irish Texts Society.</h1> +<h1><i>Comann na Sgríbeann Gaedilge.</i></h1> +<img src="a-front.gif" width="258" alt="Celtic Weave Graphic" /> +<h3>Vol. XVI.</h3> +<p>[1914.]</p> +<hr width="50%" /> +<h1>Life of St. Declan of Ardmore,</h1> +(Edited from MS. in Bibliotheque Royale, Brussels), +<h3>AND</h3> +<h1>Life of St. Mochuda of Lismore,</h1> +(Edited from MS. in the Library of Royal Irish Academy), +<h2>With Introduction, Translation, and Notes,</h2> +<h3>BY</h3> +<h2>Rev. P. Power, M.R.I.A.,</h2> +University College, Cork. + +<p>1914.</p> + + +<hr width="50%" /> +<h2>CONTENTS.</h2> +</center> +<ul> +<li><a href="#preface"><b>Preface</b></a></li> +<li><b>Introduction</b> +<ul> +<li><a href="#intro-g">General</a></li> +<li><a href="#intro-d">St. Declan</a></li> +<li><a href="#intro-m">St. Mochuda</a></li> +<li><a href="#map">Maps</a></li> +</ul> +</li> +<li><a href="#declan"><b>Life of Declan</b></a></li> +<li><a href="#mochuda"><b>Life of Mochuda</b></a></li> +<li>[<a href="#2004_note">Transcriber's Note</a>]</li> +</ul> +<center> +<p><img src="b-oclery.jpg" width="508" height="700" alt= +"Page of Life of Declan, MS. 4190-4200, Royal (Burgundian) Library, Brussels. +[Handwriting of Brother Michael O'Clery.]" /></p> +<p><a name="preface" id="preface"></a></p> +<hr width="50%" /> +<h2>PREFACE.</h2> +</center> +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. +<p>    The present editor was studying the Life of Declan 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.</p> +<p>    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>    P.P.</p> +<p><a name="intro-g" id="intro-g"></a></p> +<hr width="50%" /> +<center> +<h2>INTRODUCTION.</h2> +<h3><i>I.—GENERAL.</i></h3> +</center> +<p>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.</p> +<p>    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!</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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 (<i>"Vitae SSm. Hib.," Introd.</i>) +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 (<i>recte</i> 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.</p> +<p>    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 <i>Codex Salmanticensis</i> 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, <i>teste</i> 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 <i>in extenso,</i> 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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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>i.e.</i> as regards the bulk of +the miracles) on local tradition, and partly (<i>i.e.</i> 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.</p> +<p>    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' (<i>"Lives of Saints from the Book of +Lismore"</i>) and the English is of course O'Hanlon's.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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 (<i>"Spicilegium"</i>) or Wasserschleben (<i>"Irische +Kanonensamerlung"</i>).  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:—(<i>a</i>) +"gruel upon water" in which the liquid was so thick that the meal +reached the surface, (<i>b</i>) "gruel between two waters" in which +the meal, while it did not rise to the surface, did not quite fall +to the bottom, and (<i>c</i>) "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 (<i>vid.</i> +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.</p> +<p>    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 <i>cros-figul.</i>  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>i.e.</i> 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.</p> +<p>    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 <i>Eriu</i> 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 <i>terminus a quo</i> 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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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 <i>muintir,</i> 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.</p> +<p><a name="intro-d" id="intro-d"></a></p> +<hr width="25%" /> +<center> +<h3><i>II.—ST. DECLAN.</i></h3> +</center> +<blockquote><font size="-1">"If thou hast the right, O Erin, to a +champion of battle to aid thee thou hast the head of a hundred +thousand, Declan of Ardmore."  <cite>(Martyrology of +Oengus).</cite></font></blockquote> +<p>Five miles or less to the east of Youghal Harbour, on the +southern Irish coast, a short, rocky and rather elevated promontory +juts, with a south-easterly trend, into the ocean.  Maps and +admiralty charts call it Ram +Head, but the real name is Ceann-a-Rama and popularly it is often +styled Ardmore Head.  The material of this inhospitable coast is +a hard metamorphic schist which bids defiance to time and +weather.  Landwards the shore curves in clay cliffs to the +north-east, leaving, between it and the iron headland beyond, a +shallow exposed bay wherein many a proud ship has met her doom.  +Nestling at the north side of the headland and sheltered by the +latter from Atlantic storms stands one of the most remarkable +groups of ancient ecclesiastical remains in Ireland—all that +has survived of St. Declan's holy city of Ardmore.  This embraces +a beautiful and perfect round tower, a singularly interesting +ruined church commonly called the cathedral, the ruins of a second +church beside a holy well, a primitive oratory, a couple of ogham +inscribed pillar stones, &c., &c.</p> +<p>    No Irish saint perhaps has so strong a local hold as +Declan or has left so abiding a popular memory.  Nevertheless his +period is one of the great disputed questions of early Irish +history.  According to the express testimony of his Life, +corroborated by testimony of the Lives of SS. Ailbhe and Ciaran, he +preceded St. Patrick in the Irish mission and was a co-temporary of +the national apostle.  Objection, exception or opposition to the +theory of Declan's early period is based less on any inherent +improbability in the theory itself than on contradictions and +inconsistencies in the Life.  Beyond any doubt the Life does +actually contradict itself; it makes Declan a cotemporary of +Patrick in the fifth century and a cotemporary likewise of St. +David a century later.  In any attempted solution of the +difficulty involved it may be helpful to remember a special motive +likely to animate a tribal histrographer, scil.:—the family +relationship, if we may so call it, of the two saints; David was +bishop of the Deisi colony in Wales as Declan was bishop of their +kinsmen of southern Ireland.  It was very probably part of the +writer's purpose to call attention to the links of kindred which +bound the separated Deisi; witness his allusion later to the +alleged visit of Declan to his kinsmen of Bregia.  Possibly there +were several Declans, as there were scores of Colmans, Finians, +&c., and hence perhaps the confusion and some of the apparent +inconsistencies.  There was certainly a second Declan, a disciple +of St. Virgilius, to whom the latter committed care of a church in +Austria where he died towards close of eighth century.  Again we +find mention of a St. Declan who was a foster son of Mogue of +Ferns, and so on.  It is too much, as Delehaye (<i>"Legendes +Hagiographiques"</i>) remarks, to expect the populace to +distinguish between namesakes.  Great men are so rare!  Is it +likely there should have lived two saints of the same name in the +same country!</p> +<p>    The latest commentators on the question of St. Declan's +period—and they happen to be amongst the most +weighty—argue strongly in favour of the pre-Patrician mission +(<i>Cfr.</i> Prof. Kuno Meyer, <i>"Learning Ireland in the Fifth +Century"</i>).  Discussing the <i>way</i> in which letters first +reached our distant island of the west and the <i>causes</i> which +led to the proficiency of sixth-century Ireland in classical +learning Zimmer and Meyer contend that the seeds of that literary +culture, which flourished in Ireland of the sixth century, had been +sown therein in the first and second decades of the preceding +century by Gaulish scholars who had fled from their own country +owing to invasion of the latter by Goths and other barbarians.  +The fact that these scholars, who were mostly Christians, sought +asylum in Ireland indicates that Christianity had already +penetrated thither, or at any rate that it was known and tolerated +there.  Dr. Meyer answers the objection that if so large and so +important an invasion of scholars took place we ought have some +reference to the fact in the Irish annals.  The annals, he +replies, are of local origin and they rarely refer in their oldest +parts to national events:  moreover they are very meagre in their +information about the fifth century.  One Irish reference to the +Gaulish scholars is, however, adduced in corroboration; it occurs +in that well known passage in St. Patrick's "Confessio" where the +saint cries out against certain "rhetoricians" in Ireland who were +hostile to him and pagan,—"You rhetoricians who do not know +the Lord, hear and search Who it was that called me up, fool though +I be, from the midst of those who think themselves wise and skilled +in the law and mighty orators and powerful in everything."  Who +were these "rhetorici" that have made this passage so difficult for +commentators and have caused so various constructions to be put +upon it?  It is clear, the professor maintains, that the +reference is to pagan rhetors from Gaul whose arrogant presumption, +founded on their learning, made them regard with disdain the +comparatively illiterate apostle of the Scots.  Everyone is +familiar with the classic passage of Tacitus wherein he alludes to +the harbours of Ireland as being more familiar to continental +mariners than those of Britain.  We have references moreover to +refugee Christians who fled to Ireland from the persecutions of +Diocletian more than a century before St. Patrick's day; in +addition it is abundantly evident that many +Irishmen—Christians like Celestius the lieutenant of +Pelagius, and possibly Pelagius himself, amongst them—had +risen to distinction or notoriety abroad before middle of the fifth +century.</p> +<p>    Possibly the best way to present the question of +Declan's age is to put in tabulated form the arguments of the +pre-Patrician advocates against the counter contentions of those +who claim that Declan's period is later than Patrick's:—</p> +<center> +<table border="0" cellspacing="3" cellpadding="3" width="100%" +summary="Pro and Con"> +<tr> +<td valign="top" align="left"> +<center><font size="-1">For the Pre-Patrician +Mission.</font></center> +   I.—Positive statement of Life, corroborated by Lives +of SS. Ciaran and Ailbhe.<br /> +   II.—Patrick's apparent avoidance of the Principality +of Decies.<br /> +   III.—The peculiar Declan cult and the strong local +hold which Declan has maintained.</td> +<td valign="top" align="left"> +<center><font size="-1">Against Theory of Early Fifth Century +period.</font></center> +   I.—Contradictions, anachronisms, &c., of +Life.<br /> +   II.—Lack of allusion to Declan in the Lives of St. +Patrick.<br /> +   III.—Prosper's testimony to the mission of Palladius +as first bishop to the believing Scots.<br /> +   IV.—Alleged motives for later invention of +Pre-Patrician story.</td> +</tr> +</table> +</center> +<p>    In this matter and at this hour it is hardly worth +appealing to the authority of Lanigan and the scholars of the +past.  Much evidence not available in Lanigan's day is now at the +service of scholars.  We are to look rather at the reasoning of +Colgan, Ussher, and Lanigan than to the mere weight of their +names.</p> +<p>    Referring in order to our tabulated grounds of argument, +<i>pro</i> and <i>con,</i> and taking the <i>pro</i> arguments +first, we may (I.) discard as evidence for our purpose the Life of +St. Ibar which is very fragmentary and otherwise a rather +unsatisfactory document.  The Lives of Ailbhe, Ciaran, and Declan +are however mutually corroborative and consistent.  The Roman +visit and the alleged tutelage under Hilarius are probably +embellishments; they look like inventions to explain something and +they may contain more than a kernel of truth.  At any rate they +are matters requiring further investigation and elucidation.  In +this connection it may be useful to recall that the Life (Latin) of +St. Ciaran has been attributed by Colgan to Evinus the disciple and +panegyrist of St. Patrick.</p> +<p>    Patrick's apparent neglect of the Decies (II.) may have +no special significance.  At best it is but negative evidence:  +taken, however, in connection with (I.) and its consectaria it is +suggestive.  We can hardly help speculating why the +apostle—passing as it were by its front door—should +have given the go-bye to a region so important as the Munster +Decies.  Perhaps he sent preachers into it; perhaps there was no +special necessity for a formal mission, as the faith had already +found entrance.  It is a little noteworthy too that we do not +find St. Patrick's name surviving in any ecclesiastical connection +with the Decies, if we except Patrick's Well, near Clonmel, and +this Well is within a mile or so of the territorial frontier.  +Moreover the southern portion of the present Tipperary County had +been ceded by Aengus to the Deisi, only just previous to Patrick's +advent, and had hardly yet had sufficient time to become +absorbed.  The whole story of Declan's alleged relations with +Patrick undoubtedly suggests some irregularity in Declan's +mission—an irregularity which was capable of rectification +through Patrick and which <i>de facto</i> was finally so +rectified.</p> +<p>    (III.) No one in Eastern Munster requires to be told how +strong is the cult of St. Declan throughout Decies and the adjacent +territory.  It is hardly too much to say that the Declan +tradition in Waterford and Cork is a spiritual actuality, +extraordinary and unique, even in a land which till recently paid +special popular honour to its local saints.  In traditional +popular regard Declan in the Decies has ever stood first, foremost, +and pioneer.  Carthage, founder of the tribal see, has held and +holds in the imagination of the people only a secondary place.  +Declan, whencesoever or whenever he came, is regarded as the +spiritual father to whom the Deisi owe the gift of faith.  How +far this tradition and the implied belief in Declan's priority and +independent mission are derived from circulation of the "Life" +throughout Munster in the last few centuries it is difficult to +gauge, but the tradition seems to have flourished as vigorously in +the days of Colgan as it does to-day.  Declan's "pattern" at +Ardmore continues to be still the most noted celebration of its +kind in Ireland.  A few years ago it was participated in by as +many as fourteen thousand people from all parts of Waterford, Cork, +and Tipperary.  The scenes and ceremonies have been so frequently +described that it is not necessary to recount them +here—suffice it to say that the devotional practices and, in +fact, the whole celebration is of a purely popular character +receiving no approbation, and but bare toleration, from church or +clergy.  Even to the present day Declan's name is borne as their +prænomen by hundreds of Waterford men, and, before +introduction of the modern practice of christening with foolish +foreign names, its use was far more common, as the ancient +baptismal registers of Ardmore, Old Parish, and Clashmore +attest.  On the other hand Declan's name is associated with +comparatively few places in the Decies.  Of these the best known +is Relig Deaglain, a disused graveyard and early church site on the +townland of Drumroe, near Cappoquin.  There was also an ancient +church called Killdeglain, near Stradbally.</p> +<p>    Against the theory of the pre-Patrician or +citra-Patrician mission we have first the objection, which really +has no weight, and which we shall not stop to discuss, that it is +impossible for Christianity at that early date to have found its +way to this distant island, beyond the boundary of the world.  An +argument on a different plane is (I.), the undoubtedly +contradictory and inconsistent character of the Life.  It is easy +however to exaggerate the importance of this point.  Modern +critical methods were undreamed of in the days of our hagiographer, +who wrote, moreover, for edification only in a credulous age.  +Most of the historical documents of the period are in a greater or +less degree uncritical but that does not discredit their testimony +however much it may confuse their editors.  It can be urged +moreover that two mutually incompatible genealogies of the saint +are given.  The genealogy given by MacFirbisigh seems in fact to +disagree in almost every possible detail with the genealogy in 23 +M. 50 R.I.A.  That however is like an argument that Declan never +existed.  It really suggests and almost postulates the existence +of a second Declan whose Acts and those of <i>our</i> Declan have +become mutually confused.</p> +<p>    (II.) Absence of Declan's name from the Acts of Patrick +is a negative argument.  It is explicable perhaps by the supposed +irregularity of Declan's preaching.  Declan was certainly earlier +than Mochuda and yet there is no reference to him in the Life of +the latter saint.  Ailbhe however is referred to in the +Tripartite Life of Patrick and the cases of Ailbhe and Declan are +<i>a pari;</i> the two saints stand or fall together.</p> +<p>    (IV.) Motives for invention of the pre-Patrician myth +are alleged, scil.:—to rebut certain claims to jurisdiction, +tribute or visitation advanced by Armagh in after ages.  It is +hard to see however how resistance to the claims in question could +be better justified on the theory of a pre-Patrician Declan, who +admittedly acknowledged Patrick's supremacy, than on the admission +of a post-Patrician mission.</p> +<p>    That in Declan we have to deal with a very early +Christian teacher of the Decies there can be no doubt.  If not +anterior to Patrick he must have been the latter's cotemporary.  +Declan however had failed to convert the chieftain of his race and +for this—reading between the lines of the "Life"—we +seem to hear Patrick blaming him.</p> +<p>    The monuments proper of Declan remaining at Ardmore are +(<i>a</i>) his <i>oratory</i> near the Cathedral and Round Tower in +the graveyard, (<i>b</i>) his <i>stone</i> on the beach, (<i>c</i>) +his <i>well</i> on the cliff, and (<i>d</i>) <i>another stone</i> +said to have been found in his tomb and preserved at Ardmore for +long ages with great reveration.  The "Life" refers moreover to +the saint's pastoral staff and his bell but these have disappeared +for centuries.</p> +<p>    The "Oratory" is simply a primitive church of the usual +sixth century type:  it stands 13' 4" x 8' 9" in the clear, and +has, or had, the usual high-pitched gables and square-headed west +doorway with inclining jambs.  Another characteristic feature of +the early oratory is seen in the curious antae or prolongation of +the side walls.  Locally the little building is known as the +<i>beannacán,</i> in allusion, most likely, to its high gables +or the finials which once, no doubt, in Irish fashion, adorned its +roof.  Though somewhat later than Declan's time this primitive +building is very intimately connected with the Saint.  Popularly +it is supposed to be his grave and within it is a hollow space +scooped out, wherein it is said his ashes once reposed.  It is +highly probable that tradition is quite correct as to the saint's +grave, over which the little church was erected in the century +following Declan's death.  The oratory was furnished with a roof +of slate by Bishop Mills in 1716.</p> +<p>    "St. Declan's Stone" is a glacial boulder of very hard +conglomerate which lies on a rocky ledge of beach beneath the +village of Ardmore.  It measures some 8' 6" x 4' 6" x 4' 0" and +reposes upon two slightly jutting points of the underlying +metamorphic rock.  Wonderful virtues are attributed to St. +Declan's Stone, which, on the occasion of the patronal feast, is +visited by hundreds of devotees who, to participate in its healing +efficacy and beneficence, crawl laboriously on face and hands +through the narrow space between the boulder and the underlying +rock.  Near by, at foot of a new storm-wall, are two similar but +somewhat smaller boulders which, like their venerated and more +famous neighbour, were all wrenched originally by a glacier from +their home in the Comeragh Mountains twenty miles away.</p> +<p>    "St. Declan's Well," beside some remains of a rather +large and apparently twelfth century church on the cliff, in the +townland of Dysert is diverted into a shallow basin in which +pilgrims bathe feet and hands.  Set in some comparatively modern +masonry over the well are a carved crucifixion and other figures of +apparently late mediaeval character.  Some malicious interference +with this well led, nearly a hundred years since, to much popular +indignation and excitement.</p> +<p>    The second "St. Declan's Stone" was a small, +cross-inscribed jet-black piece of slate or marble, +approximately—2" or 3" x 1½".  Formerly it seems to +have had a small silver cross inset and was in great demand locally +as an amulet for cattle curing.  It disappeared however, some +fifty years or so since, but very probably it could still be +recovered in Dungarvan.</p> +<p>    Far the most striking of all the monuments at Ardmore +is, of course, the Round Tower which, in an excellent state of +preservation, stands with its conical cap of stone nearly a hundred +feet high.  Two remarkable, if not unique, features of the tower +are the series of sculptured corbels which project between the +floors on the inside, and the four projecting belts or zones of +masonry which divide the tower into storeys externally.  The +tower's architectural anomalies are paralleled by its history which +is correspondingly unique:  it stood a regular siege in 1642, +when ordnance was brought to bear on it and it was defended by +forty confederates against the English under Lords Dungarvan and +Broghil.</p> +<p>    A few yards to north of the Round Tower stands "The +Cathedral" illustrating almost every phase of ecclesiastical +architecture which flourished in Ireland from St. Patrick to the +Reformation—Cyclopean, Celtic-Romanesque, Transitional and +Pointed.  The chancel arch is possibly the most remarkable and +beautiful illustration of the Transitional that we have.  An +extraordinary feature of the church is the wonderful series of +Celtic arcades and panels filled with archaic sculptures in relief +which occupy the whole external face of the west gable.</p> +<p>    St. Declan's foundation at Ardmore seems (<i>teste</i> +Moran's Archdall) to have been one of the Irish religious houses +which accepted the reform of Pope Innocent at the Lateran Council +and to have transformed itself into a Regular Canonry.  It would +however be possible to hold, on the evidence, that it degenerated +into a mere parochial church.  We hear indeed of two or three +episcopal successors of the saint, scil.:—Ultan who +immediately followed him, Eugene who witnessed a charter to the +abbey of Cork in 1174, and Moelettrim Ô Duibhe-rathre who died +in 1303 after he had, according to the annals of Inisfallen, +"erected and finished the Church" of Ardmore.  The <i>"Wars of +the Gaedhil and Gall"</i> have reference, circa 824 or 825, to +plunder by the Northmen of Disert Tipraite which is almost +certainly the church of Dysert by the Holy Well at Ardmore.  The +same fleet, on the same expedition, plundered Dunderrow (near +Kinsale), Inisshannon (Bandon River), Lismore, and Kilmolash.</p> +<p>    Regarding the age of our "Life" it is difficult with the +data at hand to say anything very definite.  While dogmatism +however is dangerous indefiniteness is unsatisfying.  True, we +cannot trace the genealogy of the present version beyond middle of +the sixteenth century, but its references to ancient monuments +existing at date of its compilation show it to be many centuries +older.  Its language proves little or nothing, for, being a +popular work, it would be modernised to date by each successive +scribe.  Colgan was of opinion it was a composition of the eighth +century.  Ussher and Ware, who had the Life in very ancient +codices, also thought it of great antiquity.  Papebrach, the +Bollandist, on the other hand, considered the Life could not be +older than the twelfth century, but this opinion of his seems to +have been based on a misapprehension.  In the absence of all +diocesan colour or allusion one feels constrained to assign the +production to some period previous to Rathbreasail.  We should +not perhaps be far wrong in assigning the first collection of +materials to somewhere in the eighth century or in the century +succeeding.  The very vigorous ecclesiastical revival of the +eleventh century, at conclusion of the Danish wars, must have led +to some revision of the country's religious literature.  The +introduction, a century and-a-half later, of the great religious +orders most probably led to translation of the Life into Latin and +its casting into shape for reading in refectory or choir.</p> +<p>    Only three surviving copies of the Irish Life are known +to the writer:  one in the Royal Library at Brussels, the second +in the Royal Irish Academy Collection (M. 23, 50, pp. 109-120), and +the third in possession of Professor Hyde.  As the second and +third enumerated are copies of one imperfect exemplar it has not +been thought necessary to collate both with the Brussels MS. which +has furnished the text here printed.  M. 23, 50 (R.I.A.) has +however been so collated and the marginal references initialled B +are to that imperfect copy.  The latter, by the way, is in the +handwriting of John Murphy "na Raheenach," and is dated 1740.  It +has not been thought necessary to give more than the important +variants.</p> +<p>    The present text is a reproduction of the Brussels MS. +plus lengthening of contractions.  As regards lengthening in +question it is to be noted that the well known contraction for +<i>ea</i> or <i>e</i> has been uniformly transliterated +<i>e.</i>  Otherwise orthography of the MS. has been scrupulously +followed—even where inconsistent or incorrect.  For the +division into paragraphs the editor is not responsible; he has +merely followed the division originated, or adopted, by the +scribe.  The Life herewith presented was copied in 1629 by +Brother Michael O'Clery of the Four Masters' staff from an older +MS. of Eochy O'Heffernan's dated 1582.  The MS. of O'Heffernan is +referred to by our scribe as <i>seinleabar,</i> but his reference +is rather to the contents than to the copy.  Apparently O'Clery +did more than transcribe; he re-edited, as was his wont, into the +literary Irish of his day.  A page of the Brussels MS., +reproduced in facsimile as a frontispiece to the present volume, +will give the student a good idea of O'Clery's script and +style.</p> +<p>    Occasional notes on Declan in the martyrologies and +elsewhere give some further information about our saint.  +Unfortunately however the alleged facts are not always capable of +reconciliation with statements of our "Life," and again the +existence of a second, otherwise unknown, Declan is suggested.  +The introduction of rye is attributed to him in the Calendar of +Oengus, as introduction of wheat is credited to St. Finan Camm, and +introduction of bees to St. Modomnoc,—"It was the full of his +shoe that Declan brought, the full of his shoe likewise Finan, but +the full of his bell Modomnoc" (<i>Cal. Oeng.,</i> April 7th).  +More puzzling is the note in the same Calendar which makes Declan a +foster son of Mogue of Ferns!  This entry illustrates the way in +which errors originate.  A former scribe inadvertently copied in, +after Declan's name, portion of the entry immediately following +which relates to Colman Hua Liathain.  Successive scribes +re-copied the error without discovering it and so it became +stereotyped.</p> +<p><a name="intro-m" id="intro-m"></a></p> +<hr width="25%" /> +<center> +<h3><i>III.—ST. MOCHUDA.</i></h3> +</center> +<blockquote><font size="-1">"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.  +<cite>(Martyrology of Donegal).</cite></font></blockquote> +<p>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—<i>invidia religiosorum.</i>  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.</p> +<p>    Three different Lives of Mochuda are known to the +present writer.  Two of them are contained in a MS. at Brussels +(<i>C/r.</i> 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 <i>Irish +Rosary.</i>  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—<i>"Do Macaib Ua Suanac."</i>  The bell of +Mochuda, by the way, which the saint rang against Blathmac, was +called the <i>glassan</i> of Hui Suanaig in later times.</p> +<p>    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 +<i>"Silva Gadelica."</i>  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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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, <i>v.g.</i> from the Clanna Ruadhan in +Decies, &c.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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>"i ccondae Corcaige ataid na Desi Múman."</i>  +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 (<i>teste</i> 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.</p> +<p>    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 <i>Mac Eaglaise,</i> a +writer in the <i>Irish Ecclesiastical Record</i> (1910).  <i>Mac +Eaglaise's</i> 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 <i>Gaelic +Journal</i> (<i>Vol. V.</i>) and another in <i>Archiv für +C.L.</i> (3 <i>Bund.</i> 1905), and another again in <i>Eriu</i> +(<i>Vol.</i> 2, <i>p.</i> 172), besides a free translation of the +whole rule by O'Curry in the <i>I. R. Record</i> for 1864.  The +text of the <i>Record</i> 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>I. E. Record</i> translation) will illustrate the +style and spirit of the Rule:</p> +<center>"Of the Abbot of a Church.</center> +    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.<br /> +    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.<br /> +    3.—What Holy Church commands preach then with +diligence; what you order to each one do it yourself.<br /> +    4.—As you love your own soul love the souls of +all.  Yours the magnification of every good [and] banishment of +every evil.<br /> +    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.<br /> +    6.—Yours to judge each one according to grade and +according to deed; he will advise you at judgment before the king. +<center>.    .    .    .    .    .    .  +  .    .    .    .    .    .</center> +    10.—Yours to rebuke the foolish, to punish the hosts, +turning disorder into order [restraint] of the stubborn, obstinate, +wretched." +<p>    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.</p> +<p><a name="map" id="map"></a></p> +<hr width="25%" /> +<center> +<h3><i>MAP OF IRELAND.</i></h3> +<pre> + ++-------------------------------------------+ +| | +| __ __---_ | +| ,-~~~ ~\/ ~\ | +| ,_/ | | +| /,_ / | +| _ _/ ~\ | +| /~~ ~\/~-_| / | +| \ /~ | +| \ _ _\/ | +| ,' | | +| /~ Tara \ | +| \ * | | +| '~|__- Rahen / | +| .- ,/~ * \ | +| | / | +| / | | +| /_,_/~ | | +| / Cashel / | +| ,--~ * | | +| /--- Lismore __|_-_/ | +| ,-~ *-,-~ | +| \_-~/ \ /~ * | +| ,-~/= _/~ Ardmore | +| --~/_-_-/~'~ | +| | ++-------------------------------------------+ +</pre> +<h3><i>MAP OF DECIES.</i></h3> +<img src="c-map.jpg" width="529" height="900" border="1" alt= +"Principality of Decies. +To Illustrate Lives of Declan and Mochuda." /></center> +<p><a name="declan" id="declan"></a></p> +<hr width="50%" /> +<center> +<h1>Life of St. Declan.</h1> +<h1><i>Betha Decclain.</i></h1> +</center> +1.  The most blessed Bishop Declan of the most noble race of the +kings of Ireland, <i>i.e.,</i> the holy bishop who is called Declan +was of the most noble royal family of Ireland—a family which +held the sceptre and exacted tribute from all Ireland at Tara for +ages.  Declan was by birth of noble blood as will appear from his +origin and genealogy, for it was from Eochaidh Feidhleach, the +powerful Ardrigh of Ireland for twelve years, that he sprang.  +Eochaidh aforesaid, had three sons, scil.:—Breas, Nar, and +Lothola, who are called the three Finneavna; there reigned one +hundred and seven kings of their race and kindred before and after +them, <i>i.e.</i> of the race of Eremon, king of +Ireland,—before the introduction of Christianity and +since.  These three youths lay one day with their own sister +Clothra, daughter of the same father, and she conceived of them.  +The son she brought forth as a consequence of that intercourse was +marked by three red wavy lines which indicated his descent from the +three youths aforesaid.  He was named Lugaidh Sriabhdearg from +the three lines [<i>sriabaib</i>] in question, and he was beautiful +to behold and of greater bodily strength in infancy than is usual +with children of his age.  He commenced his reign as king of +Ireland the year in which Caius Caesar [Caligula] died and he +reigned for twenty-six years.  His son was named Criomthan +Nianair who reigned but sixteen years.  Criomthan's son was named +Fearadach Finnfechtnach whose son was Fiacha Finnolaidh whose son +again was Tuathal Teachtmhar.  This Tuathal had a son Felimidh +Reachtmhar who had in turn three sons—Conn Ceadcathach, +Eochaidh Finn, and Fiacha Suighde.  Conn was king of Ireland for +twenty years and the productiveness of crops and soil and of +dairies in the time of Conn are worthy of commemoration and of fame +to the end of time.  Conn was killed in Magh Cobha by the +Ulstermen, scil.:—by Tiopruid Tireach and it is principally +his seed which has held the kingship of Ireland ever since.  +Eochaidh Finn was second son to Felimidh Reachtmhar and he migrated +to the latter's province of Leinster, and it is in that province +his race and progeny have remained since then.  They are called +Leinstermen, and there are many chieftains and powerful persons of +them in Leinster.  Fiacha Suighde moreover, although he died +before he succeeded to the chief sovereignty, possessed land around +Tara.  He left three sons—Ross, Oengus, and Eoghan who were +renowned for martial deeds—valiant and heroic in battle and +in conflict.  Of the three, Oengus excelled in all gallant deeds +so that he came to be styled Oengus of the poisonous javelin.  +Cormac Mac Art Mac Conn it was who reigned in Ireland at this +time.  Cormac had a son named Ceallach who took by force the +daughter of Eoghan Mac Fiacha Suighde to dwell with him, +<i>i.e.</i> Credhe the daughter of Eoghan.  When Oengus +Gaebuaibhtheach ("of the poisonous javelin") heard this, viz., that +the daughter of his brother had been abducted by Ceallach he was +roused to fury and he followed Ceallach to Tara taking with him his +foster child, scil.:—Corc Duibhne, the son of Cairbre, son of +Conaire, son of Mogha Lamha whom Cormac held as a hostage from the +Munstermen, and whom he had given for safe custody to Oengus.  +When Oengus reached Tara he beheld Ceallach sitting behind +Cormac.  He thrust his spear at Ceallach and pierced him through +from front to back.  However as he was withdrawing the spear the +handle struck Cormac's eye and knocked it out and then, striking +the steward, killed him.  He himself (Oengus) with his foster +child escaped safely.  After a time Cormac, grieving for the loss +of his son, his eye and his steward at the hands of Oengus of the +poisonous javelin and of his kinsmen, ordered their expulsion from +their tribal territory, <i>i.e.</i> from the Decies of Tara, and +not alone from these, but from whole northern half of Ireland.  +However, seven battles were fought in which tremendous loss was +inflicted on Cormac and his followers before Oengus and his people, +<i>i.e.</i> the three sons of Fiacha Suighde, namely, Ross and +Oengus and Eoghan, as we have already said, were eventually +defeated, and obliged to fly the country and to suffer exile.  +Consequent on their banishment as above by the king of Ireland they +sought hospitality from the king of Munster, Oilill Olum, because +Sadhbh, daughter of Conn Ceadcathach was his wife.  They got land +from him, scil.:  the Decies of Munster, and it is to that race, +<i>i.e.</i> the race of Eoghan Mac Fiacha Suighde that the kings +and country of the Decies belong ever since. +<p>    2.  Of this same race of Eoghan was the holy bishop +Declan of whom I shall speak later scil.:  Declan son of Eirc, +son of Trein, son of Lughaidh, son of Miaich, son of Brian, son of +Eoghan, son of Art Corp, son of Moscorb, son of Mesgeadra, son of +Measfore, son of Cuana Cainbhreathaigh, son of Conaire +Cathbuadhaigh, son of Cairbre, son of Eoghan, son of Fiacha +Suighde, son of Felimidh Reachtmhar, son of Tuathal Teachtmhar.  +The father of Declan was therefore Erc Mac Trein.  He and his +wife Deithin went on a visit to the house of his kinsman Dobhran +about the time that Declan's birth was due.  The child she bore +was Declan, whom she brought forth without sickness, pain or +difficulty but in being lifted up afterwards he struck his head +against a great stone.  Let it be mentioned that Declan showed +proofs of sanctification and power of miracle-working in his +mother's womb, as the prophet writes:—<i>"De vulva +sanctificavi te et prophetam in gentibus dedi te"</i> [Jeremias +1:5] (Before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee +and made thee a prophet unto the nations).  Thus it is that +Declan was sanctified in his mother's womb and was given by God as +a prophet to the pagans for the conversion of multitudes of them +from heathenism and the misery of unbelief to the worship of Christ +and to the Catholic faith, as we shall see later on.  The very +soft apex of his head struck against a hard stone, as we have said, +and where the head came in contact with the stone it made therein a +hollow and cavity of its own form and shape, without injury of any +kind to him.  Great wonder thereupon seized all who witnessed +this, for Ireland was at this time without the true faith and it +was rarely that any one (therein) had shown heavenly Christian +signs.  "Declan's Rock" is the name of the stone with which the +Saint's head came into contact.  The water or rain which falls +into the before-mentioned cavity (the place of Declan's head) +dispels sickness and infirmity, by the grace of God, as proof of +Declan's sanctity.</p> +<p>    3.  On the night of Declan's birth a wondrous sign was +revealed to all, that is to the people who were in the +neighbourhood of the birthplace; this was a ball of fire which was +seen blazing on summit of the house in which the child lay, until +it reached up to heaven and down again, and it was surrounded by a +multitude of angels.  It assumed the shape of a ladder such as +the Patriarch, Jacob saw [Genesis 28:12].  The persons who saw +and heard these things wondered at them.  They did not know (for +the true faith had not yet been preached to them or in this region) +that it was God who (thus) manifested His wondrous power (works) in +the infant, His chosen child.  Upon the foregoing manifestation a +certain true Christian, scil.:—Colman, at that time a priest +and afterwards a holy bishop, came, rejoicing greatly and filled +with the spirit of prophecy, to the place where Declan was; he +preached the faith of Christ to the parents and made known to them +that the child was full of the grace of God.  He moreover +revealed to them the height of glory and honour to which the infant +should attain before God and men, and it was revealed to him that +he (Declan) should spend his life in sanctity and devotion.  +Through the grace of God, these, <i>i.e.</i> Erc and Deithin, +believed in God and Colman, and they delivered the child for +baptism to Colman who baptised him thereupon, giving him the name +of Declan.  When, in the presence of all, he had administered +Baptism, Colman spoke this prophecy concerning the infant:  +"Truly, beloved child and lord you will be in heaven and on earth +most high and holy, and your good deeds, fame, and sanctity will +fill all (the four quarters of) Ireland and you will convert your +own nation and the Decies from paganism to Christianity.  On that +account I bind myself to you by the tie of brotherhood and I +commend myself to your sanctity."</p> +<p>    4.  Colman thereupon returned to his own abode; he +commanded that Declan should be brought up with due care, that he +should be well trained, and be set to study at the age of seven +years if there could be found in his neighbourhood a competent +Christian scholar to undertake his tuition.  Even at the period +of his baptism grace and surpassing charity manifested themselves +in the countenance of Declan so that it was understood of all that +great should be the goodness and the spiritual charm of his mature +age.  When Dobhran had heard and seen these things concerning his +kinsman Erc he requested the latter and Deithin to give him the +child to foster, and with this request Erc complied.  The name of +the locality was "Dobhran's Place" at that time, but since then it +has been "Declan's Place."  Dobhran presented the homestead to +Declan and removed his own dwelling thence to another place.  In +after years, when Declan had become a bishop, he erected there a +celebrated cell in honour of God, and this is the situation of the +cell in question:—In the southern part of the Decies, on the +east side of Magh Sgiath and not far from the city of Mochuda +<i>i.e.</i> Lismore.  For the space of seven years Declan was +fostered with great care by Dobhran (his father's brother) and was +much loved by him.  God wrought many striking miracles through +Declan's instrumentality during those years.  By aid of the Holy +Spirit dwelling in him he (Declan)—discreet Christian man +that he was—avoided every fault and every unlawful desire +during that time.</p> +<p>    5.  On the completion of seven years Declan was taken +from his parents and friends and fosterers to be sent to study as +Colman had ordained.  It was to Dioma they sent him, a certain +devout man perfect in the faith, who had come at that time by God's +design into Ireland having spent a long period abroad in acquiring +learning.  He (Dioma) built in that place a small cell wherein he +might instruct Declan and dwell himself.  There was given him +also, to instruct, together with Declan, another child, scil., +Cairbre Mac Colmain, who became afterwards a holy learned +bishop.  Both these were for a considerable period pursuing their +studies together.</p> +<p>    6.  There were seven men dwelling in Magh Sgiath, who +frequently saw the fiery globe which it has been already told they +first beheld at the time of Declan's birth.  It happened by the +Grace of God that they were the first persons to reveal and +describe that lightning.  These seven came to the place where +Declan abode and took him for their director and master.  They +made known publicly in the presence of all that, later on, he +should be a bishop and they spoke prophetically:—"The day, O +beloved child and servant of God, will come when we shall commit +ourselves and our lands to thee."  And it fell out thus (as they +foretold), for, upon believing, they were baptised and became wise, +devout (and) attentive and erected seven churches in honour of God +around Magh Sgiath.</p> +<p>    7.  Declan remained a long time with Dioma, the holy +man we have named, and acquired science and sanctity and diversity +of learning and doctrine, and he was prudent, mild, and capable so +that many who knew his nobility of blood came when they had heard +of the fullness of his sanctity and grace.  Moreover they +submitted themselves to him and accepted his religious rule.  +Declan judged it proper that he should visit Rome to study +discipline and ecclesiastical system, to secure for himself esteem +and approbation thence, and obtain authority to preach to the +(Irish) people and to bring back with him the rules of Rome as +these obtained in Rome itself.  He set out with his followers and +he tarried not till he arrived in Rome where they remained some +time.</p> +<p>    8.  At the same period there was a holy bishop, +<i>i.e.</i> Ailbe, who had been in Rome for a number of years +before this and was in the household of Pope Hilary by whom he had +been made a bishop.  When Declan with his disciples arrived in +Rome Ailbe received him with great affection and gladness and he +bore testimony before the Roman people to his (Declan's) sanctity +of life and nobility of blood.  He (Declan) therefore received +marks of honour and sincere affection from the people and clergy of +Rome when they came to understand how worthy he was, for he was +comely, of good appearance, humble in act, sweet in speech, prudent +in counsel, frank in conversation, virtuous in mien, generous in +gifts, holy in life and resplendent in miracles.</p> +<p>    9.  When Declan had spent a considerable time in Rome +he was ordained a bishop by the Pope, who gave him church-books and +rules and orders and sent him to Ireland that he might preach +there.  Having bidden farewell to the Pope and received the +latter's blessing Declan commenced his journey to Ireland.  Many +Romans followed him to Ireland to perform their pilgrimage and to +spend their lives there under the yoke and rule of Bishop Declan, +and amongst those who accompanied him was Runan, son of the king of +Rome; he was dear to Declan.</p> +<p>    10.  On the road through Italy Bishop Declan and +Patrick met.  Patrick was not a bishop at that time, though he +was (made a bishop) subsequently by Pope Celestinus, who sent him +to preach to the Irish.  Patrick was truly chief bishop of the +Irish island.  They bade farewell to one another and they made a +league and bond of mutual fraternity and kissed in token of +peace.  They departed thereupon each on his own journey, +scil.:—Declan to Ireland and Patrick to Rome.</p> +<p>    11.  Declan was beginning mass one day in a church +which lay in his road, when there was sent him from heaven a little +black bell, (which came) in through the window of the church and +remained on the altar before Declan.  Declan greatly rejoiced +thereat and gave thanks and glory to Christ on account of it, and +it filled him with much courage to combat the error and false +teaching of heathendom.  He gave the bell for safe keeping and +carriage, to Runan aforesaid, <i>i.e.</i> son of the king of Rome, +and this is its name in Ireland—"The Duibhin Declain," and it +is from its colour it derives its name, for its colour is black +[<i>dub</i>].  There were manifested, by grace of God and +Declan's merits, many miracles through its agency and it is still +preserved in Declan's church.</p> +<p>    12.  When Declan and his holy companions arrived at +the Sea of Icht [English Channel] he failed, owing to lack of +money, to find a ship, for he did not have the amount demanded, and +every ship was refused him on that account.  He therefore struck +his bell and prayed to God for help in this extremity.  In a +short time after this they saw coming towards them on the crest of +the waves an empty, sailless ship and no man therein.  Thereupon +Declan said:—"Let us enter the ship in the name of Christ, +and He who has sent it to us will direct it skilfully to what +harbour soever He wishes we should go."  At the word of Declan +they entered in, and the ship floated tranquilly and safely until +it reached harbour in England.  Upon its abandonment by Declan +and his disciples the ship turned back and went again to the place +from which it had come and the people who saw the miracles and +heard of them magnified the name of the Lord and Declan, and the +words of the prophet David were verified:—<i>"Mirabilis Deus +in Sanctis Suis"</i> [Psalm 67(68):36] (God is wonderful in His +Saints).</p> +<p>    13.  After this Declan came to Ireland.  Declan was +wise like a serpent and gentle like a dove and industrious like the +bee, for as the bee gathers honey and avoids the poisonous herbs so +did Declan, for he gathered the sweet sap of grace and Holy +Scripture till he was filled therewith.  There were in Ireland +before Patrick came thither four holy bishops with their followers +who evangelized and sowed the word of God there; these are the +four:—Ailbe, Bishop Ibar, Declan, and Ciaran.  They drew +multitudes from error to the faith of Christ, although it was +Patrick who sowed the faith throughout Ireland and it is he who +turned chiefs and kings of Ireland to the way of baptism, faith and +sacrifice and everlasting judgment.</p> +<p>    14.  These three, scil.:—Declan, Ailbe and +Bishop Ibar made a bond of friendship and a league amongst +themselves and their spiritual posterity in heaven and on earth for +ever and they loved one another.  SS. Ailbe and Declan, +especially, loved one another as if they were brothers so that, on +account of their mutual affection they did not like to be separated +from one another—except when their followers threatened to +separate them by force if they did not go apart for a very short +time.  After this Declan returned to his own country—to the +Decies of Munster—where he preached, and baptized, in the +name of Christ, many whom he turned to the Catholic faith from the +power of the devil.  He built numerous churches in which he +placed many of his own followers to serve and worship God and to +draw people to God from the wiles of Satan.</p> +<p>    15.  Once on a time Declan came on a visit to the +place of his birth, where he remained forty days there and +established a religious house in which devout men have dwelt ever +since.  Then came the seven men we have already mentioned as +having made their abode around Magh Sgiath and as having prophesied +concerning Declan.  They now dedicated themselves and their +establishment to him as they had promised and these are their +names:—Mocellac and Riadan, Colman, Lactain, Finnlaoc, Kevin, +&c. [Mobi].  These therefore were under the rule and +spiritual sway of bishop Declan thenceforward, and they spent their +lives devoutly there and wrought many wonders afterwards.</p> +<p>    16.  After some time Declan set out to visit Aongus +MacNatfrich, king of Cashel, to preach to him and to convert him to +the faith of Christ.  Declan however had two uterine brothers, +sons of Aongus, scil.:  Colman and Eoghan.  The grace of the +Holy Ghost inspiring him Colman went to Ailbe of Emly and received +baptism and the religious habit at the latter's hands, and he +remained for a space sedulously studying science until he became a +saintly and perfect man.  Eochaid however remained as he was (at +home)—expecting the kingdom of Munster on his father's death, +and he besought his father to show due honour to his brother +Declan.  The king did so and put no obstacle in the way of +Declan's preaching but was pleased with Declan's religion and +doctrine, although he neither believed nor accepted baptism +himself.  It is said that refusal (of baptism) was based on this +ground:  Declan was of the Decies and of Conn's Half, while +Aongus himself was of the Eoghanacht of Cashel of +Munster—always hostile to the Desii.  It was not therefore +through ill will to the faith that he believed not, as is proved +from this that, when the king heard of the coming to him of +Patrick, the archbishop of Ireland, a man who was of British race +against which the Irish cherished no hate, not only did he believe +but he went from his own city of Cashel to meet him, professed +Christianity and was immediately baptised.</p> +<p>    17.  After this Declan, having sown the word of God +and preached to the king (although the latter did not assent to his +doctrines), proceeded to his own country and they (the Desii) +believed and received baptism except the king alone and the people +of his household who were every day promising to believe and be +baptised.  It however came about through the Devil's agency that +they hesitated continually and procrastinated.</p> +<p>    18.  Other authorities declare that Declan went many +times to Rome, but we have no written testimony from the ancient +biographers that he went there more than three times.  On one of +these occasions Declan paid a visit to the holy bishop of the +Britons whose name was David at the church which is called +Killmuine [Menevia] where the bishop dwelt beside the shore of the +sea which divides Ireland from Britain.  The bishop received +Declan with honour and he remained there forty days, in affection +and joy, and they sang Mass each day and they entered into a bond +of charity which continued between themselves and their successors +for ever afterwards.  On the expiration of the forty days Declan +took leave of David giving him a kiss in token of peace and set out +himself and his followers to the shore of the sea to take ship for +Ireland.</p> +<p>    19.  Now the bell which we have alluded to as sent +from heaven to Declan, was, at that time, in the custody of Runan +to carry as we have said, for Declan did not wish, on any account, +to part with it.  On this particular day as they were proceeding +towards the ship Runan entrusted it to another member of the +company.  On reaching the shore however the latter laid the bell +on a rock by the shore and forgot it till they were half way across +the sea.  Then they remembered it and on remembrance they were +much distressed.  Declan was very sorrowful that the gift sent +him by the Lord from heaven should have been forgotten in a place +where he never expected to find it again.  Thereupon raising his +eyes heavenward he prayed to God within his heart and he said to +his followers:—"Lay aside your sorrow for it is possible with +God who sent that bell in the beginning to send it now again by +some marvellous ship."  Very fully and wonderfully and +beautifully the creature without reason or understanding obeyed its +creator, for the very heavy unwieldy rock floated buoyantly and +without deviation, so that in a short time they beheld it in their +rear with the bell upon it.  And when his people saw this +wondrous thing it filled them with love for God and reverence for +their master.  Declan thereupon addressed them +prophetically:—"Permit the bell to precede you and follow it +exactly and whatsoever haven it will enter into it is there my city +and my bishopric will be whence I shall go to paradise and there my +resurrection will be."  Meantime the bell preceded the ship, and +it eased down its great speed remaining slightly in advance of the +ship, so that it could be seen from and not overtaken by the +latter.  The bell directed its course to Ireland until it reached +a harbour on the south coast, scil.:—in the Decies of +Munster, at an island called, at that time, High Sheep Island +[<i>Aird na gCcaorac</i>] and the ship made the same port, as +Declan declared.  The holy man went ashore and gave thanks and +praise to God that he had reached the place of his resurrection.  +Now, in that island depastured the sheep [<i>cáoirigh</i>] +belonging to the wife of the chieftain of Decies and it is thence +that it derives its Irish name—Ard-na-Ccaorac, +scil.:—there was in it a high hill and it was a promontory +beautiful to behold.  One of the party, ascending the summit of +the hill, said to Declan:—"How can this little height support +your people?"  Declan replied:—"Do not call it little hill, +beloved son, but 'great height' [<i>ard mór</i>]," and that +name has adhered to the city ever since, +scil.:—Ardmore-Declain.  After this Declan went to the king +of the Desii and asked of him the aforesaid island.  Whereupon +the king gave it to him.</p> +<p>    20.  Declan next returned to Ait-mBreasail where, in a +haven at the north side, were the shipping and boats of the island, +plying thither and backwards.  The people of the island hid all +their boats not willing that Declan should settle there; they +dreaded greatly that if Declan came to dwell there they themselves +should be expelled.  Whereupon his disciples addressed +Declan:—"Father," said they, "Many things are required +(scil.:  from the mainland) and we must often go by boat to this +island and there will be (crossing) more frequently when you have +gone to heaven and we pray thee to abandon the place or else to +obtain from God that the sea recede from the land so that it can be +entered dry shod, for Christ has said:—'Whatsoever you shall +ask of the Father in my name He will give it to you' [John 15:16]; +the place cannot be easily inhabited unless the sea recede from it +and on that account you cannot establish your city in it."  +Declan answered them and said:—"How can I abandon the place +ordained by God and in which He has promised that my burial and +resurrection shall be?  As to the alleged inconvenience of +dwelling therein, do you wish me to pray to God (for things) +contrary to His will—to deprive the sea of its natural +domain?  Nevertheless in compliance with your request I shall +pray to God and whatever thing be God's will, let it be done."  +Declan's community thereupon rose up and said:—"Father, take +your crosier as Moses took the rod [Exodus 14:16] and strike the +sea therewith and God will thus show His will to you."  His +disciples prayed therefore to him because they were tried and holy +men.  They put Declan's crosier in his hand and he struck the +water in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy +Ghost and made the sign of the cross over the water and +immediately, by command and permission of God, the sea commenced to +move out from its accustomed place—so swiftly too that the +monsters of the sea were swimming and running and that it was with +difficulty they escaped with the sea.  However, many fishes were +left behind on the dry strand owing to the suddenness of the +ebb.  Declan, his crosier in his hand, pursued the receding tide +and his disciples followed after him.  Moreover the sea and the +departing monsters made much din and commotion and when Declan +arrived at the place where is now the margin of the sea a stripling +whose name was Mainchin, frightened at the thunder of the waves and +the cry of the unknown monsters with gaping mouths following the +(receding) water, exclaimed:—"Father, you have driven out the +sea far enough; for I am afraid of those horrid monsters."  When +Declan heard this and (saw) the sea standing still at the word of +the youth it displeased him and turning round he struck him a +slight blow on the nose.  Three drops of blood flowed from the +wound on to the ground in three separate places at the feet of +Declan.  Thereupon Declan blessed the nose and the blood ceased +immediately (to flow).  Then Declan declared:—"It was not I +who drove out the sea but God in His own great power who expelled +it and He would have done still more had you not spoken the words +you have said."  Three little wells of clear sweet water burst +forth in the place where fell the three drops of blood at the feet +of Declan, and these wells are there still and the colour of blood +is seen in them occasionally as a memorial of this miracle.  The +shore, rescued from the sea, is a mile in width and is of great +length around (the island) and it is good and fertile land for +tillage and pasture—lying beneath the monastery of Declan.  +As to the crosier which was in Declan's hand while he wrought this +miracle, this is its name—the Feartach Declain, from the +miracles and marvels [<i>fertaib</i>] wrought through it.  I +shall in another, subsequent, place relate some of these miracles +(narrated).</p> +<p>    21.  After the expulsion of the sea by this famous +Saint, scil.:  Declan, whose name and renown spread throughout +Erin because of his great and diverse miracles, he commenced to +build a great monastery by the south side of the stream which flows +through the island into the sea.  This monastery is illustrious +and beautiful and its name is Ardmor Declain, as we have said.  +After this came many persons to Declan, drawn from the uttermost +parts of Ireland, by the fame of his holy living; they devoted +themselves, soul and body to God and Declan, binding themselves +beneath his yoke and his rule.  Moreover he built himself in +every place throughout the territory of the Decies, churches and +monasteries and not alone in his own territory (did he build) but +in other regions of Ireland under tribute to him.  Great too were +the multitudes (thousands) of men and women who were under his +spiritual sway and rule, in the places we have referred to, +throughout Ireland, where happily they passed their lives.  He +ordained some of his disciples bishops and appointed them in these +places to sow the seed of faith and religion therein.  Gentleness +and charity manifested themselves in Declan to such an extent that +his disciples preferred to live under his immediate control and +under his direction as subjects than to be in authority in another +monastery.</p> +<p>    22.  After this the holy renowned bishop, head of +justice and faith in the Gaelic island came into Ireland, +<i>i.e.</i> Patrick sent by Celestinus, the Pope.  Aongus Mac +Nathfrich went to meet him soon as he heard the account of his +coming.  He conducted him (Patrick) with reverence and great +honour to his own royal city—to Cashel.  Then Patrick +baptised him and blessed himself and his people and his city.  +Patrick heard that the prince of the Decies had not been baptised +and did not believe, that there was a disagreement between the +prince and Declan and that the former refused to receive +instruction from the latter.  Patrick thereupon set out to preach +to the prince aforesaid.  Next, as to the four bishops we have +named who had been in Rome:  Except Declan alone they were not in +perfect agreement with Patrick.  It is true that subsequently to +this they did enter into a league of peace and harmonious actions +with Patrick and paid him fealty.  Ciaran, however, paid him all +respect and reverence and was of one mind with him present or +absent.  Ailbe then, when he saw the kings and rulers of Ireland +paying homage to Patrick and going out to meet him, came himself to +Cashel, to wait on him and he also paid homage to him (Patrick) and +submitted to his jurisdiction, in presence of the king and all +others.  Bear in mind it was Ailbe whom the other holy bishops +had elected their superior.  He therefore came first to Patrick, +lest the others, on his account, should offer opposition to +Patrick, and also that by his example the others might be more +easily drawn to his jurisdiction and rule.  Bishop Ibar however +would on no account consent to be subject to Patrick, for it was +displeasing to him that a foreigner should be patron of Ireland.  +It happened that Patrick in his origin was of the Britons and he +was nurtured in Ireland having been sold to bondage in his +boyhood.  There arose misunderstanding and dissension between +Patrick and Bishop Ibar at first, although (eventually), by +intervention of the angel of peace, they formed a mutual fellowship +and brotherly compact and they remained in agreement for ever +after.  But Declan did not wish to disagree at all with Patrick +for they had formed a mutual bond of friendship on the Italian +highway and it is thus the angel commanded him to go to Patrick and +obey him:—</p> +<p>    23.  The angel of God came to Declan and said to him, +"Go quickly to Patrick and prevent him cursing your kindred and +country, for to-night, in the plain which is called Inneoin, he is +fasting against the king, and if he curses your people they shall +be accursed for ever."  Thereupon Declan set out in haste by +direction of the angel to Inneoin, <i>i.e.</i> the place which is +in the centre of the plain of Femhin in the northern part of the +Decies.  He crossed Slieve Gua [Knockmaeldown] and over the Suir +and arrived on the following morning at the place where Patrick +was.  When Patrick and his disciples heard that Declan was there +they welcomed him warmly for they had been told he would not +come.  Moreover Patrick and his people received him with great +honour.  But Declan made obeisance to Patrick and besought him +earnestly that he should not execrate his people and that he should +not curse them nor the land in which they dwelt, and he promised to +allow Patrick do as he pleased.  And Patrick replied:—"On +account of your prayer not only shall I not curse them but I shall +give them a blessing."  Declan went thereupon to the place where +was the king of Decies who was a neighbour of his.  But he +contemned Patrick and he would not believe him even at the request +of Declan.  Moreover Declan promised rewards to him if he would +go to Patrick to receive baptism at his hands and assent to the +faith.  But he would not assent on any account.  When Declan +saw this, scil.:—that the king of the Decies, who was named +Ledban, was obstinate in his infidelity and in his +devilry—through fear lest Patrick should curse his race and +country—he (Declan) turned to the assembly and addressed +them:—"Separate yourselves from this accursed man lest you +become yourselves accursed on his account, for I have myself +baptised and blessed you, but come you," said he, "with us, to +Patrick, whom God has sent to bless you, for he has been chosen +Archbishop and chief Patron of all Erin; moreover, I have a right +to my own patrimony and to be king over you as that man (Ledban) +has been."  At this speech they all arose and followed Declan who +brought them into the presence of Patrick and said to the +latter:—"See how the whole people of the Deisi have come with +me as their Lord to thee and they have left the accursed prince +whose subjects they have been, and behold they are ready to +reverence you and to obey you for it is from me they have received +baptism."  At this Patrick rose up with his followers and he +blessed the people of the Deisi and not them alone, but their woods +and water and land.  Whereupon the chiefs and nobles of the Deisi +said:—"Who will be King or Lord over us now?"  And Declan +replied:—"I am your lord and whomsoever I shall appoint offer +you as lord, Patrick and all of us will bless, and he shall be king +over you all."  And he whom Declan appointed was Feargal Mac +Cormac a certain young man of the nation of the Deisi who was a +kinsman of Declan himself.  He (Declan) set him in the midst of +the assembly in the king's place and he was pleasing to all.  +Whereupon Patrick and Declan blessed him and each of them apart +proclaimed him chieftain.  Patrick moreover promised the young +man that he should be brave and strong in battle, that the land +should be fruitful during his reign.  Thus have the kings of the +Deisi always been.</p> +<p>    24.  After these things Declan and Feargal Mac Cormac +(king of the Deisi) and his people gave a large area of land to +Patrick in the neighbourhood of Magh Feimhin and this belongs to +his successors ever since and great lordship there.  And the +place which was given over to him is not far from the Suir.  +There is a great very clear fountain there which is called +"Patrick's Well" and this was dear to Patrick.  After this, with +blessing, they took leave of one another and Patrick returned to +Cashel to Aongus Mac Natfrich and Declan went with him.</p> +<p>    25.  A miracle was wrought at that time on Declan +through the intercession and prayers of Patrick for as Declan was +walking carelessly along he trod upon a piece of sharp iron which +cut his foot so that blood flowed freely and Declan began to +limp.  Ailbe of Emly was present at this miracle and Sechnall a +bishop of Patrick's and a holy and wise man, and he is said to be +the first bishop buried in Ireland.  The wound which Declan had +received grieved them very much.  Patrick was informed of the +accident and was grieved thereat.  He said:—"Heal, O Master +(<i>i.e.</i> God), the foot of your own servant who bears much toil +and hardship on your account."  Patrick laid his hand on the +wounded foot and made over it the sign of the cross when +immediately the flow of blood ceased, the lips of the wound united, +a cicatrix formed upon it and a cure was effected.  Then Declan +rose up with his foot healed and joined in praising God.  The +soldiers and fighting men who were present cried out loudly, +blessing God and the saints.</p> +<p>    26.  As Patrick and the saints were in Cashel, +<i>i.e.</i> Ailbe and Declan with their disciples, in the territory +of Aongus Mac Nathfrich, they made much progress against paganism +and errors in faith and they converted them (the pagans) to +Christianity.  It was ordained by Patrick and Aongus Mac Natfrich +in presence of the assembly, that the Archbishopric of Munster +should belong to Ailbe, and to Declan, in like manner, was ordained +(committed) his own race, <i>i.e.</i> the Deisi, whom he had +converted to be his parish and his episcopate.  As the Irish +should serve Patrick, so should the Deisi serve Declan as their +patron, and Patrick made the <i>rann:—</i></p> +<blockquote>"Humble Ailbe the Patrick of Munster, greater than any +saying,<br /> +Declan, Patrick of the Deisi—the Decies to Declan for +ever."</blockquote> +This is equivalent to saying that Ailbe was a second Patrick and +that Declan was a second Patrick of the Decies.  After that, when +the king had bidden them farewell and they had all taken leave of +one another, the saints returned to their respective territories to +sow therein the seed of faith. +<p>    27.  Declan and Ferghal Mac Cormac, king of the Deisi, +with his army and followers, met one another at Indeoin and they +made still more strong on the people the bond of Christian +obligation.  The king we have already mentioned, +scil.:—Ledban, the recusant to the Christian name, was +rejected of all and he came to nothing, leaving no knowledge +(memory) of his history, as is written of the enemies of the +faith:—"Their memory perisheth like a sound" [Psalm 9:7].  +Moreover Declan and Fergal and the chief men of the Deisi decreed +this as the place where the king of the Deisi should be inaugurated +for ever thenceforward, because it was there Patrick and Declan +blessed the king, Fergal; moreover tradition states that it was +there the kings were crowned and ruled over the Deisi in pagan +times.</p> +<p>    28.  At that time there broke out a dreadful plague in +Munster and it was more deadly in Cashel than elsewhere.  Thus it +affected those whom it attacked:  it first changed their colour +to yellow and then killed them.  Now Aongus had, in a stone fort +called "Rath na nIrlann," on the western side of Cashel, seven +noble hostages.  It happened that in one and the same night they +all died of the plague.  The king was much affected thereat and +he gave orders to have the fact concealed lest it should bring +disgrace or even war upon him, for the hostages were scions of the +strongest and most powerful families in Munster.  On the morrow +however Declan came to Cashel and talked with Aonghus.  The king +welcomed him heartily and addressing him said to him in presence of +persons of his court, "I pray you, Declan, servant of God, that in +the name of Christ you would raise to life for me the seven +hostages whom I held in bondage from the chieftains of Munster.  +They have died from the plague of which you hear, and I fear their +fathers will raise war and rebellion against me, for they are men +of strength and power, and indeed we are ashamed of their death, +for they will say that it is we ourselves who killed them."  +Declan answered the king, saying to him:—"Such a matter as +this—to raise one to life from death—belongs to +Omnipotence alone—but I shall do whatever is in my power.  +I go where the bodies lie and pray to God for them and let Him do +in their regard what seems best to Him."  Next, Declan, with a +multitude and his disciples together with the king's councillors, +went to the place where the corpses of the young men lay.  The +king followed after them until he came in sight of the bodies.  +Declan, full of divine faith, entered the house wherein they lay +and he sprinkled holy water over them and prayed for them in the +presence of all, saying:—"O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of +the living God, for thine own name's sake wake the dead that they +may be strengthened in the Catholic faith through our +instrumentality."  Thereupon, at Declan's prayer, the group (of +corpses) revived and they moved their eyelids and Declan said to +them "In the name of Christ, our Saviour, stand up and bless and +glorify God."  And at his words they rose up immediately and +spoke to all.  Declan then announced to the king that they were +alive and well.  When people saw this remarkable miracle they all +gave glory and praise to God.  The fame of Declan thereupon +spread throughout Erin and the king rejoiced for restoration of his +hostages.</p> +<p>    29.  After this the people of Cashel besought Bishop +Declan to bless their city and banish the plague from them and to +intercede with God for those stricken with sickness who could not +escape from its toils.  Declan seeing the people's faith prayed +to God and signed with the sign of Redemption the four points of +the compass.  As he concluded, there was verified the saying of +Christ to His disciples when leaving them and going to +heaven:—<i>"Super aegros imponent manus et bene habebunt"</i> +[Mark 16:18] (I shall place my hands on the sick and they shall be +healed).  Soon as Declan had made the sign of the cross each one +who was ill became well and not alone were <i>these</i> restored to +health but (all the sick) of the whole region round about in +whatsoever place there were persons ailing.  Moreover the plague +was banished from every place and all rejoiced greatly thereat as +well as on account of the resurrection of the dead men we have +narrated.  The king thereupon ordered tribute and honour to +Declan and his successors from himself and from every king who +should hold Cashel ever after.  Upon this the glorious bishop +Declan blessed Aongus together with his city and people and +returned back to his own place.</p> +<p>    30.  One night Declan was a guest at the house of a +wealthy man who dwelt in the southern part of Magh Femhin; this is +the kind of person his host was, scil.:—a pagan who rejected +the true faith, and his name was Dercan.  He resolved to amuse +himself at the Christians' expense; accordingly he ordered his +servants to kill a dog secretly, to cut off its head and feet and +to bury them in the earth and then to cook the flesh properly and +to set it before Declan and his company as their meal.  Moreover +he directed that the dog should be so fat that his flesh might pass +as mutton.  When, in due course, it was cooked, the flesh, +together with bread and other food, was laid before Declan and his +following.  At that moment Declan had fallen asleep but he was +aroused by his disciples that he might bless their meal.  He +observed to them:—"Indeed I see, connected with this meat, +the ministry of the devil."  Whereupon he questioned the waiters +as to the meat—what kind it was and whence procured.  They +replied:  "Our master ordered us to kill a fat ram for you and we +have done as he commanded."  Declan said, "Our Master is Jesus +Christ and may He show us what it is that connects the ministry of +Satan with this meat and preserve thy servants from eating +forbidden food."  As he spoke thus Declan saw in the meat the +claw of a dog, for, without intending it, they had boiled one +quarter of the dog with its paw adhering; they thought they had +buried it (the incriminating limb) with the other paws.  Declan +exclaimed, "This is not a sheep's but a dog's foot."  When the +attendants heard this they went at once to their master and related +the matter to him.  Then Dercan came to Declan, accepted his +faith and received Baptism at his hands, giving himself and his +posterity to Declan for ever.  Moreover he gave his homestead to +Declan and his people were baptised.  After this Dercan requested +that Declan should bless something in his homestead which might +remain as a memorial of him (Dercan) for ever.  Then Declan +blessed a bell which he perceived there and its name is +Clog-Dhercain ("Dercan's Bell"); moreover, he declared:  "I endow +it with this virtue (power) that if the king of Decies march around +it when going to battle, against his enemies, or to punish +violation of his rights, he shall return safely and with +victory."  This promise has been frequently fulfilled, but proud +(men) undertaking battle or conflict unjustly even if they march +around it do not obtain victory but success remains with the +enemy.  The name of that homestead was Teach-Dhercain ("Dercain's +House") and its name now is Coningean, from the claw [<i>con</i>] +of the hound or dog aforesaid.  To this place came the saintly +concourse, scil:—Coman and Ultan, MacErc and Mocoba and +Maclaisren, who dedicated themselves to (the service of) God and +placed themselves under the spiritual rule and sway of Declan.</p> +<p>    31.  Thereupon Declan established a monastery in that +place, scil.—in Coningin—and he placed there this holy +community with a further band of disciples.  Ultan however he +took away with him to the place whither he went.</p> +<p>    32.  On another (subsequent) occasion Declan visited +Bregia, <i>i.e.</i> the original territory which belonged to his +race previous to the expulsion of his ancestors.  There he was +treated with particular honour by the king of Tara and by the +chieftains of Meath by whom he was beloved, since it was from +themselves (their tribe and territory) that his forbears had gone +out, for that region was the patrimony of his race and within it +lies Tara.  Declan instituted therein a monastery of Canons, on +land which he received from the king, and it is from him the place +is named.  Moreover he left therein a relic or illuminated book +and a famous gospel which he was accustomed to carry always with +him.  The gospel is still preserved with much honour in the place +and miracles are wrought through it.  After this again he turned +towards Munster.</p> +<p>    33.  Declan was once travelling through Ossory when he +wished to remain for the night in a certain village.  But the +villagers not only did not receive him but actually drove him forth +by force of arms.  The saint however prayed to God that it might +happen to them what the Sacred Scripture says, "Vengeance is mine I +will repay" [Deuteronomy 32:35].  The dwellers in the village, +who numbered sixty, died that same night with the exception of two +men and ten women to whom the conduct of the others towards the +saint had been displeasing.  On the morrow these men and women +came humbly to the place where Declan was and they told +him—what he himself foreknew—how miserably the others +had died.  They themselves did penance and they bestowed on +Declan a suitable site whereon he built a monastery and he got +another piece of land and had the dead buried where he built the +monastery.  The name of that monastery is Cill-Colm-Dearg.  +This Colm-Dearg was a kind, holy man and a disciple of Declan.  +He was of East Leinster, <i>i.e.</i> of the Dal Meiscorb, and it is +from him that the monastery is named.  When he (Declan) had +completed that place he came to his own territory again, +<i>i.e.</i> to the Decies.</p> +<p>    34.  On a certain day Declan came to a place called +Ait-Breasail and the dwellers therein would not allow him to enter +their village; moreover they hid all their boats so that he could +not go into his own island, for they hated him very much.  In +consideration however of the sanctity of his servant, who prayed in +patience, God the All-Powerful turned the sea into dry land as you +have already heard.  Declan passed the night in an empty stable +out in the plain and the people of the village did not give him +even a fire.  Whereupon, appropriately the anger of God fell on +them, who had not compassion enough to supply the disciple of God +with a fire.  There came fire from heaven on them to consume them +all [together with their] homestead and village, so that the place +has been ever since a wilderness accursed, as the prophet +writes:  <i>"civitates eorum destruxisti"</i> [Psalm 9:7] (the +dwellings of the unmerciful are laid waste).</p> +<p>    35.  On yet another occasion Declan was in his own +region—travelling over Slieve Gua in the Decies, when his +horse from some cause got lame so that he could proceed no +further.  Declan however, seeing a herd of deer roaming the +mountain close to him, said to one of his people:  "Go, and bring +me for my chariot one of these deer to replace my horse and take +with you this halter for him."  Without any misgiving the +disciple went on till he reached the deer which waited quietly for +him.  He chose the animal which was largest and therefore +strongest, and, bringing him back, yoked him to the chariot.  The +deer thereupon obediently and without effort carried Bishop Declan +till he came to Magh Femhin, where, when he reached a house of +entertainment, the saint unloosed the stag and bade him to go free +as was his nature.  Accordingly, at the command of the saintly +man and in the presence of all, the stag returned on the same road +back (to the mountain).  Dormanach is the name of the man +aforesaid who brought the stag to Declan and him Declan blessed and +gave him a piece of land on the north of Decies close by the +Eoghanacht and his posterity live till now in that place.</p> +<p>    36.  On another occasion, Declan, accompanied, as +usual, by a large following, was travelling, when one member of the +party fell on the road and broke his shin bone in twain.  Declan +saw the accident and, pitying the injured man, he directed an +individual of the company to bandage the broken limb so that the +sufferer might not die through excess of pain and loss of blood.  +All replied that they could not endure to dress the wound owing to +their horror thereof.  But there was one of the company, Daluadh +by name, who faced the wound boldly and confidently and said:  +"In the name of Christ and of Declan our patron I shall be surgeon +to this foot"; and he said that jestingly.  Nevertheless he +bandaged the foot carefully and blessed it aright in the name of +God and Declan, and in a little while the wound healed and they all +gave praise to God.  Then Declan said to Daluadh:  "You +promised to be surgeon to that foot in Christ's name and in mine +and God has vouchsafed to heal it at these words:  on this +account you will be a true physician for ever and your children and +your seed after you for ever shall also possess the healing art, +and whomsoever they shall practise healing upon in God's name and +mine, provided there be no hatred [in their hearts] nor too great +covetousness of a physician's fee to him, God and myself shall send +relief."  This promise of Declan has been fulfilled in the case +of that family.</p> +<p>    37.  On another occasion, as Declan was travelling in +the northern part of Magh Femhin beside the Suir, he met there a +man who was carrying a little infant to get it baptised.  Declan +said to the people [his <i>muinntear,</i> or following]:  "Wait +here till I baptise yonder child," for it was revealed by the Holy +Ghost to him that he [the babe] should serve God.  The attendant +replied to him that they had neither a vessel nor salt for the +baptism.  Declan said:  "We have a wide vessel, the Suir, and +God will send us salt, for this child is destined to become holy +and wonderful [in his works]."  Thereupon Declan took up a +fistful of earth and, making prayer in his heart to God, he signed +the clay with the sign of the cross of redemption.  It (the +handful of earth) became white, dry salt, and all, on seeing it, +gave thanks and honour to God and Declan.  The infant was +baptised there and the name of Ciaran given him.  Declan said:  +"Bring up my spiritual son carefully and send him, at a fitting +age, for education to a holy man who is well instructed in the +faith for he will become a shining bright pillar in the Church."  +And it was this child, Ciaran Mac Eochaidh, who founded in after +years a famous monastery (from which he migrated to heaven) and +another place (monastery) besides.  He worked many miracles and +holy signs and this is the name of his monastery Tiprut [Tubrid] +and this is where it is:—in the western part of the Decies in +Ui Faithe between Slieve Grot [Galtee] and Sieve Cua and it is +within the bishopric of Declan.</p> +<p>    38.  On another day there came a woman to Declan's +monastery not far from the city where she dwelt.  She committed a +theft that day in Declan's monastery as she had often done +previously, and this is the thing she stole—a <i>habellum</i> +[possibly an item of tribute]; she departed homewards taking it +with her and there met her a group of people on the highway, and +the earth, in their presence, swallowed her up, and she cast out +the tabellum from her bosom and it was quickly turned into a stone +which the wayfarers took and brought with them to Declan.  Declan +himself had in supernatural vision seen all that happened to the +woman in punishment of her theft, and the name of Declan was +magnified owing to those marvels so that fear took possession of +all-those present and those absent.  The stone in question +remains still in Declan's graveyard in his own town of +Ardmore-Declain, where it stands on an elevated place in memory of +this miracle.</p> +<p>    39.  A rich man named Fintan was childless, for his +wife was barren for many years.  He himself, with his wife, +visited Declan and promised large alms and performance of good +works provided he (Declan) would pray that they might have +children:  they held it as certain that if Declan but prayed for +them God would grant them children.  Declan therefore, praying to +God and blessing the pair, said:  "Proceed to your home and +through God's bounty you shall have offspring."  The couple +returned home, with great joy for the blessing and for the promise +of the offspring.  The following night, Fintan lay with his wife +and she conceived and brought forth twin sons, scil.:  Fiacha and +Aodh, who, together with their children and descendants were under +tribute and service to God and Declan.</p> +<p>    40.  When it was made known to a certain holy man, +scil.:—Ailbe of Emly Iubar, chief bishop of Munster, that his +last days had come, he said to his disciples:  "Beloved brethren, +I wish, before I die, to visit my very dear fellow worker, +scil.:—Declan."  After this Ailbe set out on the journey +and an angel of God came to Declan notifying him that Ailbe was on +his way to visit him.  On the angel's notification Declan ordered +his disciples to prepare the house for Ailbe's coming.  He +himself went to meet Ailbe as far as the place which is called +Druim Luctraidh [Luchluachra].  Thence they came home together +and Ailbe, treated with great honour by Declan and his people, +stayed fourteen pleasant days.  After that the aged saint +returned home again to his own city, scil.:—to Emly Iubar.  +Declan came and many of his people, escorting Ailbe, to Druim +Luchtradh, and Ailbe bade him return to his own city.  The two +knew they should not see one another in this world ever again.  +In taking leave of one another, therefore, they shed plentiful +tears of sorrow and they instituted an everlasting compact and +league between their successors in that place.  Ailbe moreover +blessed the city of Declan, his clergy and people and Declan did +the same for Ailbe and they kissed one another in token of love and +peace and each returned to his own city.</p> +<p>    41.  On a certain day the Castle of Cinaedh, King of +the Deisi, took fire and it burned violently.  It happened +however that Declan was proceeding towards the castle on some +business and he was grieved to see it burning; he flung towards it +the staff to which we have referred in connection with the drying +up of the sea, and it (the staff) flew hovering in the air with +heavenly wings till it reached the midst of the flame and the fire +was immediately extinguished of its own accord through the grace of +God and virtue of the staff and of Declan to whom it belonged.  +The place from which Declan cast the staff was a long mile distant +from the castle and when the king, <i>i.e.</i> Cinaedh, and all the +others witnessed this miracle they were filled with amazement and +gave thanks to God and to Declan when they came to know that it was +he who wrought it.  Now the place where the castle stands is not +far from the Suir, <i>i.e.</i> on the south side of it and the +place from which Declan cast the staff is beside a ford which is in +the Suir or a stream which flows beside the monastery called Mag +Laca [Molough] which the holy virgins, daughters of the king of +Decies, have built in honour of God.  There is a pile of stones +and a cross in the place to commemorate this miracle.</p> +<p>    42.  On another occasion there approached a foreign +fleet towards Declan's city and this was their design—to +destroy and to plunder it of persons and of cattle, because they +(the foreigners) were people hostile to the faith.  Many members +of the community ran with great haste to tell Declan of the fleet +which threatened the town and to request him to beg the assistance +of God against the invaders.  Declan knew the man amongst his own +disciples who was holiest and most abounding in grace, scil., +Ultan, already mentioned, and him he ordered to pray to God against +the fleet.  Ultan had pity on the Christian people and he went +instantly, at the command of Declan, in front of the fleet and he +held his left hand against it, and, on the spot, the sea swallowed +them like sacks full of lead, and the drowned sailors were changed +into large rocks which stand not far from the mouth of the haven +where they are visible (standing) high out of the sea from that +time till now.  All Christians who witnessed this rejoiced and +were glad and they gave great praise and glory to God and to Declan +their own patron who caused the working of this miracle and of many +other miracles besides.  Next there arose a contention between +Ultan and Declan concerning this miracle, for Ultan attributed it +to Declan and Declan credited it to Ultan; and it has become a +proverb since in Ireland when people hear of danger or +jeopardy:—"The left hand of Ultan against you (the +danger)."  Ultan became, after the death of Declan, a +miracle-working abbot of many other holy monks.</p> +<p>    43.  The holy and glorious archbishop, <i>i.e.</i> +Patrick, sent one of his own followers to Declan with power and +authority (delegation) from the archbishop.  And proceeding +through the southern part of Decies he was drowned in a river [the +Lickey] there, two miles from the city of Declan.  When Declan +heard this he was grieved and he said:  "Indeed it grieves me +that a servant of God and of Patrick who sent him to visit me, +having travelled all over Ireland, should be drowned in a river of +my own territory.  Get my chariot for me that I may go in haste +to see his corpse, so that Patrick may come to hear of the worry +and the grief I have undergone because of his disciple's death."  +The body had been recovered before the arrival of Declan by others +who were close at hand and it had been placed on a bier to be +carried to Ciaran for interment.  Declan however met them on the +way, when he ordered the body to be laid down on the ground.  +They supposed he was about to recite the Office for the Dead.  He +(Declan) advanced to the place where the bier was and lifted the +sheet covering the face.  It (the face) looked dark and deformed +as is usual in the case of the drowned.  He prayed to God and +shed tears, but no one heard aught of what he said.  After this +he commanded:—"In the name of the Trinity, in the name of the +Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost whose religious yoke I +bear myself, arise to us for God has given your life to me."  He +(the dead man) rose up immediately at the command and he greeted +Declan and all the others.  Whereupon Declan and his disciples +received him with honour.  At first he was not completely cured +but (was) like one convalescent until (complete) health returned to +him by degrees again.  He however accompanied Declan and remained +some time with him and there was much rejoicing in Declan's city on +account of the miracle and his (Declan's) name and fame extended +over the country generally.  This disciple of Patrick was named +Ballin; he returned with great joy and he told him (Patrick) that +Declan had raised him from the dead.  To many others likewise he +related what had happened to him.  Patrick, in presence of many +persons, hearing of the miracle gave glory and thanks to God and +the name of Declan was magnified.</p> +<p>    44.  With this extraordinary miracle wrought by Declan +we wish to conclude our discourse.  The number of miracles he +wrought, but which are not written here, you are to judge and +gather from what we have written.  And we wish moreover that you +would understand that he healed the infirm, that he gave sight to +the eyes of the blind, cleansed lepers, and gave "their walk" to +cripples; that he obtained hearing for the deaf, and that he healed +many and various diseases in many different places throughout +Ireland—(things) which are not written here because of their +length and because they are so numerous to record, for fear it +should tire readers to hear so much said of one particular +person.  On that account we shall pass them by.</p> +<p>    45.  When Declan realised that his last days were at +hand and that the time remaining to him was very short he summoned +to him his own spiritual son, scil., MacLiag (residing) in the +monastery which is on the eastern side of the Decies close to the +Leinstermen in order that, at the hour of death, he might receive +the Body and Blood of Christ and the Sacraments of the Church from +his hands.  Thereupon he foretold to his disciples the day of his +death and he commanded them to bring him to his own city, for it +was not there he dwelt at the time but in a small venerable cell +which he had ordered to be built for him between the hill called +Ardmore Declain and the ocean—in a narrow place at the brink +of the sea by which there flows down from the hill above a small +shining stream about which are trees and bushes all around, and it +is called Disert Declain.  Thence to the city it is a short mile +and the reason why Declan used go there was to avoid turmoil and +noise so that he might be able to read and pray and fast there.  +Indeed it was not easy for him to stay even there because of the +multitude of disciples and paupers and pilgrims and beggars who +followed him thither.  Declan was however generous and very +sympathetic and on that account it is recorded by tradition that a +great following (of poor, &c.), generally accompanied him and +that moreover the little cell was very dear to him for the reason +we have given, and many devout people have made it their practice +to dwell therein.</p> +<p>    46.  When Declan fell ill and became weak in body, but +still strong in hope and faith and love of God, he returned to his +own city—his people and disciples and clergy surrounding +him.  He discoursed to them on the commands of God and he +enjoined on them to live holily after his death, to be submissive +to authority and to follow as closely as possible the way he had +marked out and to preserve his city in a state of piety and under +religious rule.  And when they had all heard the discourse it +grieved them greatly to perceive, from what he had said, he +realised that in a short time he would go away to heaven from +them.  But they were consoled by his gentle words and then there +came to him the holy man, to wit, MacLiag, at his own request, +already referred to.  He [Declan] received the Body and Blood of +Christ and the Sacraments of the Church from his [MacLiag's] +hand—surrounded by holy men and his disciples, and he blessed +his people and his dependents and his poor, and he kissed them in +token of love and peace.  Thus, having banished images and the +sacrifices to idols, having converted multitudes to the true faith, +having established monasteries and ecclesiastical orders in various +places, having spent his whole life profitably and holily, this +glorious bishop went with the angels to heaven on the ninth day of +the Kalends of August [July 24] and his body was blessed and +honoured with Masses and chanting by holy men and by the people of +the Decies and by his own monks and disciples collected from every +quarter at the time of his death.  He was buried with honour in +his own city—in Declan's High-Place—in the tomb which +by direction of an angel he had himself indicated—which +moreover has wrought wonders and holy signs from that time to +now.  He departed to the Unity of the Father and the Son and the +Holy Ghost in <i>Saecula Saeculorum; Amen.</i>  FINIS.</p> +<hr width="10%" /> +<p>    The poor brother, Michael O'Clery originally copied this +life of Declan in Cashel, from the book of Eochy O'Heffernan.  +The date, A.D., at which that ancient book of Eochy was written is +1582.  And the same life has now been re-written in the Convent +of the Friars at Druiske, the date, A.D., 27th February, 1629.</p> +<hr width="25%" /> +<h4>Note</h4> +The Irish text of the <i>rann</i> from paragraph 26 reads: +<blockquote><i>Ailbe umal; Patraicc Muman, mó gacrath,<br /> +Déclan, Patraicc na nDéisi:  na Déisi ag Declan +gan brat.</i></blockquote> +And the Latin rendering: +<blockquote><i>Albeus est humilis dixit Caephurnia proles;<br /> +Patriciusque esto hinc Ailbee Momonia.<br /> +Declanus pariter patronus Desius esto;<br /> +Inter Desenses Patriciusque suos.</i></blockquote> +<center> +<p><img src="d-mid.gif" width="176" height="222" alt= +"Cross Graphic" /></p> +<p><a name="mochuda" id="mochuda"></a></p> +<hr width="50%" /> +<h1>Life of St. Mochuda.</h1> +<h1><i>Beata Mocuda.</i></h1> +</center> +The renowned bishop, Carthach, commonly called Mochuda, was of the +territory of Ciarraighe Luachra [North Kerry] and of the race of +Fergus Mac Roigh. +<p>    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."</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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 +<i>Mochuda</i> 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:—<i>"Pater meus et mater mea +derliquerunt me, Dominus autem assumpsit me"</i> [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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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 <i>meitheal</i> +[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."</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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 [Uí +Énna Áine Aulium] to-day.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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>i.e.</i> 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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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—<i>'Declina a malo et fac bonum'</i> +[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.</p> +<p>    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.]</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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 +(<i>Ruanaidh</i>).</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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—<i>'necessitas movet decretum et +consilium'</i> (necessity is its own law)?  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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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."</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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 <i>Lios</i> [enclosure] around our possession."  Caimell +observed, "Not a little Lios will it be but a great [<i>mor</i>] +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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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.</p> +<p>    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 <i>"Crux +Migrationis,"</i> 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.</p> +<p>Finit 7ber [September] 4th, 1741.</p> +<hr width="25%" /> +<h4>NOTE 1</h4> +<p>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:</p> +<blockquote>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.</blockquote> +<h4>NOTE 2</h4> +The obits of Mochuda's successors, down to Christian O'Conarchy, +are chronicled as follows:— +<ul> +<li>A.D. 650.  Cuanan, maternal uncle and immediate successor of +Mochuda (Lanigan).</li> +<li>A.D. 698.  Iarnla, surnamed Hierologus (Four Masters).  In +his time King Alfrid was a student in Lismore.</li> +<li>A.D. 702.  Colman, son of Finnbhar (Acta Sanctorum).  +During his reign the abbey of Lismore reached the zenith of its +fame.</li> +<li>A.D. 716.  Cronan Ua Eoan (F. Masters).</li> +<li>A.D. 719.  Colman O'Liathain (Annals of Inisfallen).</li> +<li>A.D. 741.  Finghal (F. Masters).</li> +<li>A.D. 746.  Mac hUige (Ibid).</li> +<li>A.D. 747.  Ihrichmech (A. of Inisf.)</li> +<li>A.D. 748.  Maccoigeth (F. M.)</li> +<li>A.D. 752.  Sinchu (F. M.)</li> +<li>A.D. 755.  Condath (Ibid).</li> +<li>A.D. 756.  Fincon (Annals of Ulster).</li> +<li>A.D. 761.  Aedhan (F. M.)</li> +<li>A.D. 763.  Ronan (Ware).</li> +<li>A.D. 769.  Soairleach Ua Concuarain (F. M.)</li> +<li>A.D. 771.  Eoghan (Ibid).</li> +<li>A.D. 776.  Orach (Ibid).</li> +<li>A.D. 799.  Carabran (Ibid).</li> +<li>A.D. 801.  Aedhan Ua Raichlich (A. of Inisf.)</li> +<li>A.D. 823.  Flann (F. M.)</li> +<li>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.</li> +<li>A.D. 849.  Daniel (A. of Inisf.)</li> +<li>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.</li> +<li>A.D. 861.  Daniel Ua Liaithidhe (F. M.)</li> +<li>A.D. 878.  Martin Ua Roichligh (Ibid).  Another of the +inscribed stones above referred to asks "A prayer for Martan."</li> +<li>A.D. 880.  Flann Mac Forbasaich (A. I.)</li> +<li>A.D. 899.  Maelbrighte Mac Maeldomnaich (Ibid).</li> +<li>A.D. 918.  Cormac Mac Cuilennan (A. I.)  He is to be +distinguished from his more famous namesake of Cashel.</li> +<li>A.D. 936.  Ciaran (F. M.)</li> +<li>A.D. 951.  Diarmuid (Ibid).</li> +<li>A.D. 957.  Maenach Mac Cormaic (Ibid).</li> +<li>A.D. 958.  Cathmog (Ibid).  He was also bishop of +Cork.</li> +<li>A.D. 963.  Cinaedh (F. M.)</li> +<li>A.D. 1025.  Omaelsluaig (Cotton's "Fasti").</li> +<li>A.D. 1034.  Moriertach O'Selbach, bishop of Lismore +(Cotton).</li> +<li>A.D. 1064.  Mac Airthir, bishop (Cotton).</li> +<li>A.D. 1090.  Maelduin O'Rebhacain (Ibid).</li> +<li>A.D. 1112.  Gilla Mochuda O'Rebhacain (A. of I.)</li> +<li>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.]</li> +<li>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.</li> +<li>A.D. 1142.  Ua Rebhacain.</li> +<li>A.D. 1186.  St. Christian.  He had however resigned the +bishopric.</li> +</ul> +<center><img src="e-back.gif" width="323" height="90" alt= +"Shamrock Graphic" /></center> +<p><a name="2004_note"></a></p> +<hr width="75%" /> +<h4>Transcriber's Note</h4> +<p>The source for this +text includes the Irish text and 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.  Please note that this text contains variant spellings of +names and words sometimes inconsistently applied. +</p> + + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Lives of SS. 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