Part 15 (1/2)
It would, however, be an exaggeration to suppose on this account a distinct and complete antagonism to have existed between the clan and the Church, and to cla.s.s all the princes on the side of evil as opposed to the ”saints,” whom we have contemplated leading a celestial life. We know from St. Aengus that one of the glories of Ireland is that many of her saints were of princely families, whereas among other nations generally the Gospel was first accepted by the poor and lowly, and found its enemies among the higher and educated cla.s.ses. But in Ireland the great, side by side with the least of their clansmen, bowed to the yoke of Christ, and the bards and learned men became monks and bishops from the very first preaching of the Word.
The fact is, a great number of kings and chieftains made their station doubly renowned by their virtues, and find place in the chronicle of Irish saints. Who can read, for instance, the story of King Guaire without admiring his faith and true Christian spirit?
It is reported that as St. Caimine and St. c.u.main Fota were one day conversing on spiritual things with that holy king of Connaught, Caimine said to Guaire, ”O king, could this church be filled on a sudden with whatever thou shouldst wish, what would thy desire be?” ”I should wish,” replied the king, ”to have all the treasures that the church could hold, to devote them to the salvation of souls, the erection of churches, and the wants of Christ's poor.” ”And what wouldst thou ask?” said the king to Fota. ”I would,” he replied, ”have as many holy books as the church could contain, to give all who seek divine wisdom, to spread among the people the saving doctrine of Christ, and rescue souls from the bondage of Satan.” Both then turned to Caimine. ”For my part,” said he, ”were this church filled with men afflicted with every form of suffering and disease, I should ask of G.o.d to vouchsafe to a.s.semble in my wretched body all their evils, all their pains, and give me strength to support them patiently, for the love of the Saviour of the world.
”1 (1 This pa.s.sage is given in Latin by Colgan (Acts SS.). In the original Irish, translated and published by Dr. Todd--Liber Hymn--there are more details.)
Thus the most sublime and supernatural spirit of Christianity became natural to the Irish mind in the great as well as in the lowly, in the rich as well as in the poor. Women rivalled men in that respect.
”Daria was blind from birth. Once, whilst conversing with Bridget, she said: 'Bless my eyes that I may see the world, and gratify my longing.' The night was dark; it grew light for her, and the world appeared to her gaze. But when she had beheld it, she turned again to Bridget. 'Now close my eyes,' said she, 'for the more one is absent from the world, the more present he is before G.o.d.'”
Even though one may express doubt as to the reality of this miracle, one thing, at least, is beyond doubt: that the spirit of the words of Daria was congenial to the Irish mind at the time, and that none but one who had first reached the highest point of supernatural life could conceive or give utterance to such a sentiment.
That more than human life and spirit elevated, enn.o.bled, and, as it were, divinized, even the ordinary human and natural feelings, which not only ceased to become dangerous, but became, doubtless, highly pleasing to G.o.d and meritorious in his sight.
An example may better explain our meaning:
”Ninnid was a young scholar, not over-reverent, whom the influence of Bridget one day suddenly overcame, so that he afterward appeared quite a different being. Bridget announced to him that from his hand she should, for the last time, receive the body and blood of our Lord. Ninnid resolved that his hand should remain pure for so high and holy an office. He enclosed it in an iron case, and wis.h.i.+ng at the same time to postpone, as far as lay in his power, the moment that was to take Bridget from the world, he set out for Brittany, throwing the key of the box into the sea. But the designs of G.o.d are immutable. When Bridget's hour had come, Ninnid was driven by a storm on the Irish coast, and the key was miraculously given up by the deep.”
Where, except in Ireland, could such friends.h.i.+p continue for long years, without giving cause not only for the least scandal, but even for the remotest danger? In that island the natural feelings of the human heart were wholly absorbed by heavenly emotions, in which nothing earthly could be found? Hence the celebrated division of the ”three orders of the Irish saints,”
the first being so far above temptation that no regulation was imposed on the Cen.o.bites with respect to their intercourse with women.
”Women were welcome and cared for; they were admitted, so to speak, to the sanctuary; it was shared with them, occupied in common. Double, or even mixed monasteries, so near to each other as to form but one, brought the two s.e.xes together for mutual edification; men became instructors of women; women of men.”
Nothing of the kind was ever witnessed elsewhere; nothing of the kind was to be seen ever after. Robert of Arbrissel established something similar in the order, of Fontevrault in France; but there it was a strange and very uncommon exception; in Ireland for two centuries it was the rule. This alone would show how completely the Christian spirit had taken possession of the whole race from the first.
It is this which gives to Irish hagiology a peculiar character, making it appear strange even to the best men of other nations.
The elevation of human feeling to such a height of perfection is so unusual that men cannot fail to be surprised wherever they may meet it.
Yet far from appearing strange, almost inexplicable, it would have been recognized as the natural result of the working of the Christian religion, if the spirit brought on earth by our Lord had been more thoroughly diffused among men, if all had been penetrated by it to the same degree, if all had equally understood the meaning of the Gospel preached to them.
But, unfortunately, so many and so great were the obstacles opposed everywhere to the working of the Spirit of G.o.d in the souls of men, that comparatively few were capable of being altogether transformed into beings of another nature.
The great ma.s.s lagged far behind in the race of perfection. They were admitted to the fold of Christ, and lived generally at least in the practice of the commandments; but the object proposed to himself by the Saviour of mankind was imperfectly carried out on earth. The life of the world was far from being impregnated by the spirit which he brought from heaven.
In the ”island of saints” we certainly see a great number open out at once to the fulness of that divine influence. Herein we have the explanation of the deep faith which has ever since been the characteristic of the people. ”Centuries have perpetuated the alliance of Catholicity and Ireland. Revolutions have failed to shake it; persecution has not broken it; it has gained strength in blood and tears, and we may believe, after thirteen centuries of trial, that the Roman faith will disappear from Ireland only with the name of Patrick and the last Irishman.”
NOTE.-It is known that F. Colgan, a Franciscan, undertook to publish the ”Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae.” He edited only two volumes: the first under the t.i.tle of ”Trias thaumaturga ”
containing the various lives of St. Patrick, St. Columba, and St.
Bridget:-the second under the general t.i.tle of ”Acta SS.”- Barnwall, an Irishman born and educated in France, published the ”Histoire Legendaire d'Irlande,” in which he collected, without much order, a number of pa.s.sages of Colgan's ”Acta,” and Mr. J.
G. Shea translated and published it. We have taken from this translation several facts contained in this chapter, the work of the Franciscan being not accessible to us.
Dr. Todd, from Irish MSS., has given a few pages showing the accuracy of Colgan, although the good father did not scruple occasionally to condense and abridge, unless the MSS. he used differed from those of Dr. Todd. The whole is a rich mine of interesting anecdotes, and Montalembert has shown what a skilful writer can find in those pages forgotten since the sixteenth century. Mr. Froude himself has acknowledged that the eighth was the golden age of Ireland.
CHAPTER V.
THE CHRISTIAN IRISH AND THE PAGAN DANES.