Much could we desire to glean fuller particulars
respecting
him, and to render his name and works more popularly known and appre ciated, than they have hitherto been.
Life and Works of St Aneguissiums Hagographicus
hathitrust.
org/access_use#pd-google
We have determined this work to be in the public domain, meaning that it is not subject to copyright. Users are free to copy, use, and redistribute the work in part or in whole. It is possible that current copyright holders, heirs or the estate of the authors of individual portions of the work, such as illustrations or photographs, assert copyrights over these portions. Depending on the nature of subsequent use that is made, additional rights may need to be obtained independently of anything we can address. The digital images and OCR of this work were produced by Google, Inc. (indicated by a watermark on each page in the PageTurner). Google requests that the images and OCR not be re-hosted, redistributed or used commercially. The images are provided for educational, scholarly, non-commercial purposes.
S. S
C 7V? .
^arbaro College ILtbraru
FROM THE BEQUEST OF
HARVEY TREAT OF LAWRENCE, MASS.
JOHN
(Class of 1862)
t *
? -)?
%^^^^^^^^^^~~.
THE
L1EE AND WORKS
SAINT jENGUSSIUS HAGIOGRAPHUS.
^-v
s
y^^%^^^^s^e^
THE
LIFE AND WOEKS or
SAINT MGUSSIUS HAGIOGRAPHUS OK
SAINT ^NGUS THE bishop and &bbot
AT
CLONENAGH AND DYSARTENOS, QUEEN'S COU TTY,
EY THE
REV. JOHN O'HANLON.
M The learned in word shall find guod things ; and he that it usteth in the Lord is blessed.
" The wise in heart shall he called prudent : and he that is sweet in woi ds shall a 'tain to greater things.
" Knowledge is a fountain of life to him that possesseth it". --Proverbs, xvl. 20, 21, 22.
JOHN F.
DUBLIN :
FOWLER, 3 CROW STREET,
DAME STREET 1868,
CTTLDEE,
C
iff. *. **
JAdatr->
JBrtricatiott. Uerg Beberetft Jftonstijnore
PATRICK F.
^tofossor ai ? nsb fitstorg IN THE
CNIVEBSITY,
My Dear Dr. Moran,
You are already aware the following biographical
notices, regarding a holy and learned Irishman, had been prepared to form the substance of a lecture. It was delivered in our city under the auspices and at the request of members constituting the charitable
Society of St. John the Evangelist. * The object of this Religious Confraternity, being to promote the spiritual and corporal works of mercy, furnished motives sufficient to engage sympathy and coopera tion. It was your good pleasure, with the present
of title, form, notes, and emendations, which
* On the 10th of September, 1858, in Alderman Crotty's Great Booms, Christ Church Place. The original title of this Lecture was "The Life, Labours, and Learning of jEngus the Culdee, Irish Monk and Author of the Eighth Century".
change
CATHOLIC
MORAN, D. D. ,
VI DEDICATION.
met your kind approval, to wish a subsequent pub lication, in the Irish Ecclesiastical Record. Having appeared in successive numbers of that most useful and erudite periodical, owing so much of its interest and value to your enlightened zeal and literary ability, I have now ventured to reproduce this memoir as a separate issue, and without material alteration. I am very sensible of its many imperfec tions, and I feel altogether assured, that future his toric investigators will be able to correct the writer's various oversights and inaccuracies. However, it must be admitted, Irish Hagiology presents a difficult field in which to labour ; nor are its fruits yet suffi ciently ripe for the harvest.
To no other person than yourself could the writer more appropriately dedicate this little biographical tract. He might indeed desire to render it much more worthy of your acceptance, and much less liable to the fair strictures of a candid criticism. It is offered, however, as an humble tribute to real good
ness of disposition and to distinguished talents, com bined in just proportions. The services you have rendered to Irish ecclesiastical history and biography are destined, I fondly trust, to insure a prospective increase. They have already deserved and obtained national approbation.
With every sentiment of true esteem and respect, my dear Dr. Moran, receive assurances of obligation and regard from your faithful servant,
Dublin : SS. Michael and John, Feast of theJJnmaculate Conception, 1868.
"V
Bgr
THE AUTHOR.
se^z^
CONTENTS.
Dedication, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v Chapter I. --Introduction. --Sources of biography to illustrate the acts of
St. iEngus. --His pedigree and early life --His studies at the monas
tery of Clonenagh. --Monastic training and learning, . . . . . . 1 Chapter II. --St. iEngus retires to Dysart Enos. --His austerities. -- He visits
the Church of Coolbanagher. -- A vision of angels. -- The purpose it
evoked, -- . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -- . . . 5 Chapter III. St. iEngus proceeds to the Monastery of Tallagh. Seeks admission there in guise of a servant. --Manual labour at agricultural operations. -- His humility and mortifications. -- An accident which befel
him, and his miraculous cure, . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Chapter IV. --The incident which first discovered St. iEngus to the holy Abhot St. Melruan. -- Friendship thenceforth existing between them. -- Literary pursuits of our Saint. --Engages on the Felire or Festology. --
Presents a copy of it to Fothadius the Canonist Probable date, origin,
and object of the Felire, . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Chapter V. -- Description and analysis of St. Angus' Festology. --He resided
. . . . . . 17 at Tallaght. -- Trea
Chapter VII. --Modes of life at Tallagh until the time arrived for depar
ture. --'-t. iEngus returns to Clonenagh, where he is chosen as Abbot. -- Supposed to have been a Chorepiscopus. -- Occasional retirement to Dysart Enos. -- His death and burial. --Value of St. iEngus' hagiogra-
phical works. -- Conclusion, . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
at Dysart Bethach at the period of its completion. --Its first circulation in the reign of Aidus the Sixth. -- The Martyrology of Tallagh, and
interesting particulars regarding this composition, Chapter VI. -- St. . ffingus was probably ordained Priest
tise of St. iEngus " De Sanctis Hibernisa -- The
" Saltair-na-rann". -- Pedigrees of Irish Saints attributed to his authorship, . . . . . . 28
/
TltE
LIFE AND WOEKS or
ST. ,3ENGUSIUS HAGIOGKRAPHUS, OR
ST. iENGUS THE CULDEE,
BISHOP AND ABBOT AT CLONENAGH AND DYSARTENOS, COUNTY.
QUEEN'S
I. --Introduction. --Sources of biography to illustrate the acts of
St. *dZngus. -- Bis pedigree and early life. -- He studies at monastery of Clonenagh. -- Monastic training and learning.
the
If the life of every good man can be presented " to point a moral and adorn a tale", some account regarding the labours, learning, and life of a holy Irish monk, who flourished in the eighth and ninth centuries, may claim attention and interest, ? when brought before Irish readers. They serve to illustrate the habits and usages of our early monasticism. Our regards can not be lessened towards the subject of this biographical notice, because he has deserved to rank among the host of Irish saints. As a poet, too, his life abounds in the romance of reality.
Much could we desire to glean fuller particulars respecting him, and to render his name and works more popularly known and appre ciated, than they have hitherto been. We can only offer some brief biographical statements, and a necessarily imperfect analysis regarding his valuable writings. The time must soon arrive, when more satisfactory and learned efforts will make the vene rable name of ,3? ngus the Culdee be remembered and invoked, by every pious and enlightened Irish Catholic.
The acts of this illustrious saint, known generally to Irish scholars as JEngus the Hagiologist, have been published by
2 t The Life and Works of
Colgan, at the 11th of March. 1 This latter researchful writer doubted not, that the life of Saint _iEngus had been written at full length, and had been accessible, at a more remote period. But Colgan complains that this life was not available, at the time he had been engaged in publishing the acts of our Irish saints. However, the virtues of iEngus have been specially recorded, by some old writer, who prefixes an argument or an introduc tion to this saint's existing writings. Another Irish poet, like wise bearing the name of iEngus, has celebrated the Culdee's praises in certain verses, sufficiently indicative of great anti quity. 2
iEngus the Culdee, sometimes named ^ngusius Hagiogra- phus, or ^neas, is said to have been descended from Coelbach, king of Ireland. 3 The name of his father was iEngavan, called in Harris' Ware* Oengobhan, the son of Oblein, the son of Fid- hraus, according to a genealogy made out for him in our Mar- tyrologies. 5 He was sprung from the royal race of the Dalara
1 See Colgan's Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae, xi. Martii. Vita JEngussii, pp. 579 to 683.
2 Colgan's Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae, xi. Martii. Vita S. JEngussii, cap. ii. p. 579. In note 5, p. 582, Colgan remarks, the author of this metrical life, in the penultimate verse of his panegyric on the saiut, prays that he may enjoy with his namesake the bliss of eternal life. He extols St. iEngus with surpass ing encomiums, stating that the saint was of ten engaged in colloquies with celes
tial spirits. He styles St. iEngus the Sun of Western Europe. On account of those things related regarding the studies of our saint in his youthful days, his daily and wonderful exercises, his rare humility and austerity, the day of his death, being feria sexta, the place of his burial, and such like notices, Colgan is under an impression, that the writer must have been a friend of St. iEngus, and have lived contemporaneously with him. Wherefore, owing to the concur rences of time, neighbourhood, and great erudition, it is supposed, that the writer had been no other than iEngus, Abbot of Cluain-fearta-Molua, who died in the year 858. See O'Donovan's Annals of the Four Masters, vol. i. pp. 492, 493. Colgan says, from the metrical panegyric, and the scholiast wbo wrote a pre face to the Festilogy of iEngus, he derived all his materials for the life of this saint. A few particulars only are excepted, and these were drawn from other sources. See Colgan's Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae, xi. Martii, n. 5, p. 5S2.
3 The following is St. iEngus' pedigree, as contained in a preface to his Felire', in the Leabhar Breac, R. I. A. , Dublin : " Aengus, the son of Oengoba, son of Oblen, son of Fidru, son of Diarmuit, son of Ainmire, son of Cellar, son of Oengus, son of Naisluagh, son of Caelbad [of the Rudrician or Ultonian race, who was monarch of Erinn, and was slain, a. d. 357], son of Crumbadrai, son of Eochaidh Cobai'. See Professor Eugene O'Curry's Lectures on the Manuscript Materials of Ancient Irish History, Lect. xvii. p. 363, and Appendix, No. cxi.
p. 609.
4 Vol. ii. J7ie Writers of Ireland. Book i. p. 51.
6 Such is an account left us by the anonymous scholiast on the Festilogium of
Aengus, and to whom allusion has been made, as also in the Sanctilogium Genealogicum, cap. 23, where his genealogy is given in these words : " S. JEngus- sius alius 2Engavani, F. Hoblenii, F. Fidrai, F. Diermitii, F. Anmirechi, F. Cel- larii, F. Mngussii, F Natsluagii, F. Coelbadii, F. Crunnii Badhrai, F. Eochadii
Cobhae, F. Lugadii, F. Rossii, F. Imchadii, F. Fethlemidii, F. Cassii, F. Fiach Aradii, a quo Dalaradiorum familia nominatur". See Colgan's Acta Sancto rum Hiberniae, xi. Martii. Vita S ^Engussii, nn. 1 et 3 p- 682.
"\
St. dSngusim Hagiographus. . 3
dians in Ulster,1 and he was born in Ireland, about the middle of the eighth century. Almost from infancy, he deserved the appellation Culdee,2 or worshipper of God, which surname he afterwards bore. From the dawning perceptions of childhood, he felt an earnest desire of devoting himself to a religious life. He practised mortification to an extraordinary degree, even in bis youth ; and he conceived most exalted ideas of Christian per fection, the attainment of which was an object, ever uppermost in his mind.
About this time, the great monastery of Clonenagh, in Ossory, under direction of the saintly Abbot Malathgenius,3 enjoyed a high reputation, both for the number and sanctity of its inmates. _^Engus preferred his suit for admission within its enclosure, and his request was favourably received. But his early noviciate, in the exercise of all virtues, had preceded the care bestowed by that holy abbot, on his youthful disciple. His daily progress in the paths of Christian sanctity, and his advancement in sacred learning, were aided by application and capacity, to such an ex traordinary degree, that in a short time he bore the reputation of being one among the most sanctifiedand erudite men, of whom Ireland could then boast.
An ingenious and a distinguished French writer,4 capable from his peculiar line of study to pronounce opinions on this subject, has ably vindicated the progress made in sacred learning
1 Colgan's Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae, xi. Martii. \ Vita S. JEngussii, cap. i. p. 579.
1 " 'Poland pretends (Nazarenus, Letter ii. sect. 3) that the surname Ceile De given to iEngus indicated an office or particular sort of profession, and that ha ? was one of that sort of clergymen, who have been afterwards called Culdees. But jEngus was a monk; whereas the Culdees, as will be seen elsewhere, were
the secular canons of cathedral or collegiate churches, such as we call preben daries. It is a palpable mistake to suppose, that they were a monastic order. The title, Ceile De, as applied to . ^Engus, had nothing to do with them; and it is more than probable that in his time there was not as yet any such institution as that of those so much talked of Culdees. JEngus's surname was peculiar to himself, unless it should be supposed that all that is said of his having been a monk, etc. , is false. Many Irish names began with Ceile, Cele, or with the corres ponding word Gilta, followed by that of our Saviour or some Saint"--Lanigan's Ecclesiastical History of Ireland, vol. iii. c. xx. ? x. n. 96, p. 248.
3 The death of " Maelaithgen, Abbot of Cluain-Eidhneach", occurred in the year 767. See O'Donovan's Annals of the Four Masters, vol. i. pp. 870, 371. The feast of St. Malathgenius is observed on the 21st of October, and St. JGngus must have been his disciple before the year 767. For as that other TEngus, who wrote the eulogy of our Saint in elegant metre, has told us that JEngus the Culdee studied from boyhood in the monastery of Clonenagh, and
afterwards, when he had been celebrated for his miracles, he lived in the monas tery of Tallagh, before St. Melruan's death, a. d. 787. It is supposed, therefore, to follow, that he studied in the monastery of Clonenagh under the aforesaid abbot. See Colgan's Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae, xi. Martii, n. 4, p. 582.
4 M. de la Villemarque, of the French Institute, has published a most inter- resting article on the Poetry of the Celtic Cloisters. It appeared in the No
vember number of Le Correspondant for 1863.
IB
S
4 The Life and Works of
and science among the pupils of our early schools. When the Celt became a Christian and a monk, his love of numbers still remained, and his conceptions becoming spiritualised by the aspirations after perfection, which he daily breathed heavenward, poetic inspiration was the happy result. Study, with manual labour, divided cloistral occupations, and through study this inspiration became fruitful. The saints of Ireland, intent only on making their disciples spiritual men, one day found to their surprise they had created poets. The genius of these poets was varied, as the crowd of strangers that thronged the schools. Their compositions may be reduced under the heads of didactic poetry, lyrical poetry, Amras or panegyrics, legends strictly so called, Felires or Festologies, visions, and navigations or voyages. All these have their special features of interest and edification. However, owing to various causes, facts were now and then changed into fictions. But M. de la Villemarque is far from agreeing with those, who consider ro mances regarding the saints as worthless. According to him,
the portraits of saints simply underwent the fate of all heroes
belonging to early ages ; and yet, between the sacred and pro fane legends there exists a great difference. In what profane legend do we ever find an express caution to the reader, that, beside the literal and historical sense, there is also a spiritual meaning to be drawn from the narrative? 1 That delicate and sound morality which marks the legends of the Breton and Irish saints, has been specially dwelt on by a modern critic. For freshness, richness of invention, and national characteristics, no church has aught to compare with them. And all Celtic scholars will acknowledge this high degree of praise to be fully
deserved.
Accounts which are given respecting the miracles and
sanctity of -<Engus, and the evidences of his learning that yet remain, are more than equalled by that profound humility which led him to form a most abject opinion regarding his own
deserts. The manner in which he renounced this world and the applause of mankind, must deserve unbounded admiration, although it may fail to induce the imitation of all professing Christians. His mind was replenished with heavenly graces, and he was favoured with celestial visions. He combined the rare gifts of profound wisdom and singular zeal, in all his
1 M. de la Villemarque shows that Dante fully realized this double nature
of the ancient legends.
" Ye of intellect,
Sound and entire, mark well the lore conccal'd
Under close texture of the mystic strain".
Inferno, IX. , 62. -- Cary's Transl.
? |f St. uffingwius Hagiographus. 5
actions and affections ; while it would be a difficult question to decide, whether his virtues were greater than his miracles in sight of God and man. One thing, however, is certain, that the nobility of his descent was more than surpassed by the lustre of his virtues.
II. --St. ^Engus retires to Dysart Enos. --His austeritits --Repu tation for sanctity. -- He visits the Church of Coolbanaghtr. -- A vision of angels TJie purpose it evoked.
Some six or seven miles from Clonenagh, JEngus had built a cell1 for himself. Thither he frequently retired, to put in prac tice, unknown and unnoticed, those rigorous observances which he followed. The locality of this cell hence derived its name, Dysartenos, or the desert of JEngus,2 which it yet retains. A broken range of limestone hills, of romantic and rugged outline, probably suggested to him the idea of its suitableness as a place for seclusion and retreat. At the present day, the scenes of his retirement present an aspect of solitude and grandeur, the effect
of which must have been considerably heightened in that early
An extensive tract of morass and bog now intervenes between the ruins of Clonenagh's old monastery and Dysart
1 That he built a cell for himself at Dysart Enos may be inferred, not only from the expression of Colgan, ' ' coluit eremum", but also from a statement that he recited the first fifty psalms " in oratorio", and the second fifty, " sub diu juxta proceram arborem oratorio adjacentem". See Acta Sanctorum Miberniae, xi. Martii, Vita S. Aengussii, cap. iii. p. 579.
2 The anonymous scholiast, already mentioned, calls it Disert jEnguis : and the other . /Engus, who wrote our saint's eulogy, writes it down as Disert- Bethech. He likewise indicates that it lay very near to Clonenagh. Colgan adds, " vel forte ab ipso non esse diversum, in quatenus ait in S. jEngussiuui esse in jam memorato deserto (et non addit quod non in Cluain-edhneach), et educatum et sepultum". Wherefore, Colgan thinks the Desert in question was identical with Cluain-edneach, or at least that ^Engus perchance died and had been buried in the place first named. Our annals certainly show
that a Desertum JEngussii differed from Cluain-edhneach. These record that Conn, son of Maelpadraig, Archinnech of Disert-Oenghusa and of Mungairit, died a. d. 1033. See Colgan's Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae, xi. Martii, n. 6, p. 582 ; and O'Donovan's Annals of the Four Masters, vol. ii.
We have determined this work to be in the public domain, meaning that it is not subject to copyright. Users are free to copy, use, and redistribute the work in part or in whole. It is possible that current copyright holders, heirs or the estate of the authors of individual portions of the work, such as illustrations or photographs, assert copyrights over these portions. Depending on the nature of subsequent use that is made, additional rights may need to be obtained independently of anything we can address. The digital images and OCR of this work were produced by Google, Inc. (indicated by a watermark on each page in the PageTurner). Google requests that the images and OCR not be re-hosted, redistributed or used commercially. The images are provided for educational, scholarly, non-commercial purposes.
S. S
C 7V? .
^arbaro College ILtbraru
FROM THE BEQUEST OF
HARVEY TREAT OF LAWRENCE, MASS.
JOHN
(Class of 1862)
t *
? -)?
%^^^^^^^^^^~~.
THE
L1EE AND WORKS
SAINT jENGUSSIUS HAGIOGRAPHUS.
^-v
s
y^^%^^^^s^e^
THE
LIFE AND WOEKS or
SAINT MGUSSIUS HAGIOGRAPHUS OK
SAINT ^NGUS THE bishop and &bbot
AT
CLONENAGH AND DYSARTENOS, QUEEN'S COU TTY,
EY THE
REV. JOHN O'HANLON.
M The learned in word shall find guod things ; and he that it usteth in the Lord is blessed.
" The wise in heart shall he called prudent : and he that is sweet in woi ds shall a 'tain to greater things.
" Knowledge is a fountain of life to him that possesseth it". --Proverbs, xvl. 20, 21, 22.
JOHN F.
DUBLIN :
FOWLER, 3 CROW STREET,
DAME STREET 1868,
CTTLDEE,
C
iff. *. **
JAdatr->
JBrtricatiott. Uerg Beberetft Jftonstijnore
PATRICK F.
^tofossor ai ? nsb fitstorg IN THE
CNIVEBSITY,
My Dear Dr. Moran,
You are already aware the following biographical
notices, regarding a holy and learned Irishman, had been prepared to form the substance of a lecture. It was delivered in our city under the auspices and at the request of members constituting the charitable
Society of St. John the Evangelist. * The object of this Religious Confraternity, being to promote the spiritual and corporal works of mercy, furnished motives sufficient to engage sympathy and coopera tion. It was your good pleasure, with the present
of title, form, notes, and emendations, which
* On the 10th of September, 1858, in Alderman Crotty's Great Booms, Christ Church Place. The original title of this Lecture was "The Life, Labours, and Learning of jEngus the Culdee, Irish Monk and Author of the Eighth Century".
change
CATHOLIC
MORAN, D. D. ,
VI DEDICATION.
met your kind approval, to wish a subsequent pub lication, in the Irish Ecclesiastical Record. Having appeared in successive numbers of that most useful and erudite periodical, owing so much of its interest and value to your enlightened zeal and literary ability, I have now ventured to reproduce this memoir as a separate issue, and without material alteration. I am very sensible of its many imperfec tions, and I feel altogether assured, that future his toric investigators will be able to correct the writer's various oversights and inaccuracies. However, it must be admitted, Irish Hagiology presents a difficult field in which to labour ; nor are its fruits yet suffi ciently ripe for the harvest.
To no other person than yourself could the writer more appropriately dedicate this little biographical tract. He might indeed desire to render it much more worthy of your acceptance, and much less liable to the fair strictures of a candid criticism. It is offered, however, as an humble tribute to real good
ness of disposition and to distinguished talents, com bined in just proportions. The services you have rendered to Irish ecclesiastical history and biography are destined, I fondly trust, to insure a prospective increase. They have already deserved and obtained national approbation.
With every sentiment of true esteem and respect, my dear Dr. Moran, receive assurances of obligation and regard from your faithful servant,
Dublin : SS. Michael and John, Feast of theJJnmaculate Conception, 1868.
"V
Bgr
THE AUTHOR.
se^z^
CONTENTS.
Dedication, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v Chapter I. --Introduction. --Sources of biography to illustrate the acts of
St. iEngus. --His pedigree and early life --His studies at the monas
tery of Clonenagh. --Monastic training and learning, . . . . . . 1 Chapter II. --St. iEngus retires to Dysart Enos. --His austerities. -- He visits
the Church of Coolbanagher. -- A vision of angels. -- The purpose it
evoked, -- . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -- . . . 5 Chapter III. St. iEngus proceeds to the Monastery of Tallagh. Seeks admission there in guise of a servant. --Manual labour at agricultural operations. -- His humility and mortifications. -- An accident which befel
him, and his miraculous cure, . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Chapter IV. --The incident which first discovered St. iEngus to the holy Abhot St. Melruan. -- Friendship thenceforth existing between them. -- Literary pursuits of our Saint. --Engages on the Felire or Festology. --
Presents a copy of it to Fothadius the Canonist Probable date, origin,
and object of the Felire, . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Chapter V. -- Description and analysis of St. Angus' Festology. --He resided
. . . . . . 17 at Tallaght. -- Trea
Chapter VII. --Modes of life at Tallagh until the time arrived for depar
ture. --'-t. iEngus returns to Clonenagh, where he is chosen as Abbot. -- Supposed to have been a Chorepiscopus. -- Occasional retirement to Dysart Enos. -- His death and burial. --Value of St. iEngus' hagiogra-
phical works. -- Conclusion, . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
at Dysart Bethach at the period of its completion. --Its first circulation in the reign of Aidus the Sixth. -- The Martyrology of Tallagh, and
interesting particulars regarding this composition, Chapter VI. -- St. . ffingus was probably ordained Priest
tise of St. iEngus " De Sanctis Hibernisa -- The
" Saltair-na-rann". -- Pedigrees of Irish Saints attributed to his authorship, . . . . . . 28
/
TltE
LIFE AND WOEKS or
ST. ,3ENGUSIUS HAGIOGKRAPHUS, OR
ST. iENGUS THE CULDEE,
BISHOP AND ABBOT AT CLONENAGH AND DYSARTENOS, COUNTY.
QUEEN'S
I. --Introduction. --Sources of biography to illustrate the acts of
St. *dZngus. -- Bis pedigree and early life. -- He studies at monastery of Clonenagh. -- Monastic training and learning.
the
If the life of every good man can be presented " to point a moral and adorn a tale", some account regarding the labours, learning, and life of a holy Irish monk, who flourished in the eighth and ninth centuries, may claim attention and interest, ? when brought before Irish readers. They serve to illustrate the habits and usages of our early monasticism. Our regards can not be lessened towards the subject of this biographical notice, because he has deserved to rank among the host of Irish saints. As a poet, too, his life abounds in the romance of reality.
Much could we desire to glean fuller particulars respecting him, and to render his name and works more popularly known and appre ciated, than they have hitherto been. We can only offer some brief biographical statements, and a necessarily imperfect analysis regarding his valuable writings. The time must soon arrive, when more satisfactory and learned efforts will make the vene rable name of ,3? ngus the Culdee be remembered and invoked, by every pious and enlightened Irish Catholic.
The acts of this illustrious saint, known generally to Irish scholars as JEngus the Hagiologist, have been published by
2 t The Life and Works of
Colgan, at the 11th of March. 1 This latter researchful writer doubted not, that the life of Saint _iEngus had been written at full length, and had been accessible, at a more remote period. But Colgan complains that this life was not available, at the time he had been engaged in publishing the acts of our Irish saints. However, the virtues of iEngus have been specially recorded, by some old writer, who prefixes an argument or an introduc tion to this saint's existing writings. Another Irish poet, like wise bearing the name of iEngus, has celebrated the Culdee's praises in certain verses, sufficiently indicative of great anti quity. 2
iEngus the Culdee, sometimes named ^ngusius Hagiogra- phus, or ^neas, is said to have been descended from Coelbach, king of Ireland. 3 The name of his father was iEngavan, called in Harris' Ware* Oengobhan, the son of Oblein, the son of Fid- hraus, according to a genealogy made out for him in our Mar- tyrologies. 5 He was sprung from the royal race of the Dalara
1 See Colgan's Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae, xi. Martii. Vita JEngussii, pp. 579 to 683.
2 Colgan's Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae, xi. Martii. Vita S. JEngussii, cap. ii. p. 579. In note 5, p. 582, Colgan remarks, the author of this metrical life, in the penultimate verse of his panegyric on the saiut, prays that he may enjoy with his namesake the bliss of eternal life. He extols St. iEngus with surpass ing encomiums, stating that the saint was of ten engaged in colloquies with celes
tial spirits. He styles St. iEngus the Sun of Western Europe. On account of those things related regarding the studies of our saint in his youthful days, his daily and wonderful exercises, his rare humility and austerity, the day of his death, being feria sexta, the place of his burial, and such like notices, Colgan is under an impression, that the writer must have been a friend of St. iEngus, and have lived contemporaneously with him. Wherefore, owing to the concur rences of time, neighbourhood, and great erudition, it is supposed, that the writer had been no other than iEngus, Abbot of Cluain-fearta-Molua, who died in the year 858. See O'Donovan's Annals of the Four Masters, vol. i. pp. 492, 493. Colgan says, from the metrical panegyric, and the scholiast wbo wrote a pre face to the Festilogy of iEngus, he derived all his materials for the life of this saint. A few particulars only are excepted, and these were drawn from other sources. See Colgan's Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae, xi. Martii, n. 5, p. 5S2.
3 The following is St. iEngus' pedigree, as contained in a preface to his Felire', in the Leabhar Breac, R. I. A. , Dublin : " Aengus, the son of Oengoba, son of Oblen, son of Fidru, son of Diarmuit, son of Ainmire, son of Cellar, son of Oengus, son of Naisluagh, son of Caelbad [of the Rudrician or Ultonian race, who was monarch of Erinn, and was slain, a. d. 357], son of Crumbadrai, son of Eochaidh Cobai'. See Professor Eugene O'Curry's Lectures on the Manuscript Materials of Ancient Irish History, Lect. xvii. p. 363, and Appendix, No. cxi.
p. 609.
4 Vol. ii. J7ie Writers of Ireland. Book i. p. 51.
6 Such is an account left us by the anonymous scholiast on the Festilogium of
Aengus, and to whom allusion has been made, as also in the Sanctilogium Genealogicum, cap. 23, where his genealogy is given in these words : " S. JEngus- sius alius 2Engavani, F. Hoblenii, F. Fidrai, F. Diermitii, F. Anmirechi, F. Cel- larii, F. Mngussii, F Natsluagii, F. Coelbadii, F. Crunnii Badhrai, F. Eochadii
Cobhae, F. Lugadii, F. Rossii, F. Imchadii, F. Fethlemidii, F. Cassii, F. Fiach Aradii, a quo Dalaradiorum familia nominatur". See Colgan's Acta Sancto rum Hiberniae, xi. Martii. Vita S ^Engussii, nn. 1 et 3 p- 682.
"\
St. dSngusim Hagiographus. . 3
dians in Ulster,1 and he was born in Ireland, about the middle of the eighth century. Almost from infancy, he deserved the appellation Culdee,2 or worshipper of God, which surname he afterwards bore. From the dawning perceptions of childhood, he felt an earnest desire of devoting himself to a religious life. He practised mortification to an extraordinary degree, even in bis youth ; and he conceived most exalted ideas of Christian per fection, the attainment of which was an object, ever uppermost in his mind.
About this time, the great monastery of Clonenagh, in Ossory, under direction of the saintly Abbot Malathgenius,3 enjoyed a high reputation, both for the number and sanctity of its inmates. _^Engus preferred his suit for admission within its enclosure, and his request was favourably received. But his early noviciate, in the exercise of all virtues, had preceded the care bestowed by that holy abbot, on his youthful disciple. His daily progress in the paths of Christian sanctity, and his advancement in sacred learning, were aided by application and capacity, to such an ex traordinary degree, that in a short time he bore the reputation of being one among the most sanctifiedand erudite men, of whom Ireland could then boast.
An ingenious and a distinguished French writer,4 capable from his peculiar line of study to pronounce opinions on this subject, has ably vindicated the progress made in sacred learning
1 Colgan's Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae, xi. Martii. \ Vita S. JEngussii, cap. i. p. 579.
1 " 'Poland pretends (Nazarenus, Letter ii. sect. 3) that the surname Ceile De given to iEngus indicated an office or particular sort of profession, and that ha ? was one of that sort of clergymen, who have been afterwards called Culdees. But jEngus was a monk; whereas the Culdees, as will be seen elsewhere, were
the secular canons of cathedral or collegiate churches, such as we call preben daries. It is a palpable mistake to suppose, that they were a monastic order. The title, Ceile De, as applied to . ^Engus, had nothing to do with them; and it is more than probable that in his time there was not as yet any such institution as that of those so much talked of Culdees. JEngus's surname was peculiar to himself, unless it should be supposed that all that is said of his having been a monk, etc. , is false. Many Irish names began with Ceile, Cele, or with the corres ponding word Gilta, followed by that of our Saviour or some Saint"--Lanigan's Ecclesiastical History of Ireland, vol. iii. c. xx. ? x. n. 96, p. 248.
3 The death of " Maelaithgen, Abbot of Cluain-Eidhneach", occurred in the year 767. See O'Donovan's Annals of the Four Masters, vol. i. pp. 870, 371. The feast of St. Malathgenius is observed on the 21st of October, and St. JGngus must have been his disciple before the year 767. For as that other TEngus, who wrote the eulogy of our Saint in elegant metre, has told us that JEngus the Culdee studied from boyhood in the monastery of Clonenagh, and
afterwards, when he had been celebrated for his miracles, he lived in the monas tery of Tallagh, before St. Melruan's death, a. d. 787. It is supposed, therefore, to follow, that he studied in the monastery of Clonenagh under the aforesaid abbot. See Colgan's Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae, xi. Martii, n. 4, p. 582.
4 M. de la Villemarque, of the French Institute, has published a most inter- resting article on the Poetry of the Celtic Cloisters. It appeared in the No
vember number of Le Correspondant for 1863.
IB
S
4 The Life and Works of
and science among the pupils of our early schools. When the Celt became a Christian and a monk, his love of numbers still remained, and his conceptions becoming spiritualised by the aspirations after perfection, which he daily breathed heavenward, poetic inspiration was the happy result. Study, with manual labour, divided cloistral occupations, and through study this inspiration became fruitful. The saints of Ireland, intent only on making their disciples spiritual men, one day found to their surprise they had created poets. The genius of these poets was varied, as the crowd of strangers that thronged the schools. Their compositions may be reduced under the heads of didactic poetry, lyrical poetry, Amras or panegyrics, legends strictly so called, Felires or Festologies, visions, and navigations or voyages. All these have their special features of interest and edification. However, owing to various causes, facts were now and then changed into fictions. But M. de la Villemarque is far from agreeing with those, who consider ro mances regarding the saints as worthless. According to him,
the portraits of saints simply underwent the fate of all heroes
belonging to early ages ; and yet, between the sacred and pro fane legends there exists a great difference. In what profane legend do we ever find an express caution to the reader, that, beside the literal and historical sense, there is also a spiritual meaning to be drawn from the narrative? 1 That delicate and sound morality which marks the legends of the Breton and Irish saints, has been specially dwelt on by a modern critic. For freshness, richness of invention, and national characteristics, no church has aught to compare with them. And all Celtic scholars will acknowledge this high degree of praise to be fully
deserved.
Accounts which are given respecting the miracles and
sanctity of -<Engus, and the evidences of his learning that yet remain, are more than equalled by that profound humility which led him to form a most abject opinion regarding his own
deserts. The manner in which he renounced this world and the applause of mankind, must deserve unbounded admiration, although it may fail to induce the imitation of all professing Christians. His mind was replenished with heavenly graces, and he was favoured with celestial visions. He combined the rare gifts of profound wisdom and singular zeal, in all his
1 M. de la Villemarque shows that Dante fully realized this double nature
of the ancient legends.
" Ye of intellect,
Sound and entire, mark well the lore conccal'd
Under close texture of the mystic strain".
Inferno, IX. , 62. -- Cary's Transl.
? |f St. uffingwius Hagiographus. 5
actions and affections ; while it would be a difficult question to decide, whether his virtues were greater than his miracles in sight of God and man. One thing, however, is certain, that the nobility of his descent was more than surpassed by the lustre of his virtues.
II. --St. ^Engus retires to Dysart Enos. --His austeritits --Repu tation for sanctity. -- He visits the Church of Coolbanaghtr. -- A vision of angels TJie purpose it evoked.
Some six or seven miles from Clonenagh, JEngus had built a cell1 for himself. Thither he frequently retired, to put in prac tice, unknown and unnoticed, those rigorous observances which he followed. The locality of this cell hence derived its name, Dysartenos, or the desert of JEngus,2 which it yet retains. A broken range of limestone hills, of romantic and rugged outline, probably suggested to him the idea of its suitableness as a place for seclusion and retreat. At the present day, the scenes of his retirement present an aspect of solitude and grandeur, the effect
of which must have been considerably heightened in that early
An extensive tract of morass and bog now intervenes between the ruins of Clonenagh's old monastery and Dysart
1 That he built a cell for himself at Dysart Enos may be inferred, not only from the expression of Colgan, ' ' coluit eremum", but also from a statement that he recited the first fifty psalms " in oratorio", and the second fifty, " sub diu juxta proceram arborem oratorio adjacentem". See Acta Sanctorum Miberniae, xi. Martii, Vita S. Aengussii, cap. iii. p. 579.
2 The anonymous scholiast, already mentioned, calls it Disert jEnguis : and the other . /Engus, who wrote our saint's eulogy, writes it down as Disert- Bethech. He likewise indicates that it lay very near to Clonenagh. Colgan adds, " vel forte ab ipso non esse diversum, in quatenus ait in S. jEngussiuui esse in jam memorato deserto (et non addit quod non in Cluain-edhneach), et educatum et sepultum". Wherefore, Colgan thinks the Desert in question was identical with Cluain-edneach, or at least that ^Engus perchance died and had been buried in the place first named. Our annals certainly show
that a Desertum JEngussii differed from Cluain-edhneach. These record that Conn, son of Maelpadraig, Archinnech of Disert-Oenghusa and of Mungairit, died a. d. 1033. See Colgan's Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae, xi. Martii, n. 6, p. 582 ; and O'Donovan's Annals of the Four Masters, vol. ii.
