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Dr. Graves in his valuable paper on the age of this MS., in the Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy (vol. iii. p. 316), has shown, with great probability, that the book was written A. D. 807, and that it is in the handwriting of Ferdomhnach, a celebrated scribe of Armagh, who died in the middle of the ninth century. He remarks, however, that there are indications throughout the MS., in very many places, of its having been transcribed from documents that were even then regarded as of great antiquity, and which had in several passages become obscure.

This MS. is supposed to be the book mentioned by St. Bernard as being the autograph of St. Patrick (Vit. S. Malach. c. v.), and the opinion that it was in the handwriting of the Apostle of Ireland prevailed almost to our own times. This opinion probably owed its origin to the name Canon of Patrick, by which the book was commonly known; but there is grave suspicion that some of the erasures made in the volume (although of much more recent date) were intended to prop up this fiction. The existence of the opinion, however, in the age of St. Bernard is a singular evidence of the antiquity of the MS.; and it is not improbable that the copy of the New Testament which it contains was transcribed from one of the MSS. brought to Ireland by St. Patrick. See what Dr. Petrie has said of this volume, in his learned Essay on the Ecclesiastical Architecture of Ireland (Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy, vol. xx. p. 329).

The following notice of the Hymn of St. Patrick occurs in this ancient MS., fol. 16, a. a. :—

1.

11.

111.

1111.

Gmnur Colmanalo

Patricius ser eps honorem quaternum
omnibus monasteriis & aeclessis per to-
tam hiberniam debet habere .1. est
Sollempnitate dormitationis eius hono-

rari in medio ueris per .111. dies & .111. noc-
tes omni bono cibo pri carnem āsi patricius

ueniisset in uita in hostium

Offertorium eius proprium in eodem die immolari.
Smnum eius per totum tempus cantare.
Canticum eius scotticum semper canere.

Sic omnis .. ista habere debet et red-
di a monachis suis sibi qui aeclesiam
fundauit uel monasterium & qui habet
paruchiam et regiones multas .iiii.
predicta habere debet in honore.

This curious notice is valuable from its antiquity, and proves, beyond all reasonable doubt, that the Hymn was known, and its recitation enjoined as a pious practice, as early as the close of the eighth century, in Ireland.

The manner of keeping the festival of St. Patrick for three days and three nights, "with all good food, except flesh"-omni bono cibo præter carnem-(the festival

always falling within Lent), and "as if Patrick had come in life to the door,"-quasi Patricius venisset in vita in hostium [i. e. in ostium]-reminds us of the ancient Jewish practice of reserving a seat for Elias at the ceremony of Circumcision, thus calling him to witness the exact observance of the Law, or lest he should come to announce the Advent of Messiah during the solemnity.

The second mark of respect paid to St. Patrick was a special "offertorium,” to his honour on the day of his festival. The language is peculiar, “Offertorium ejus proprium immolari"; but the meaning seems to be, that a special commemoration of him should be made in the Preface of the Mass, beginning "Vere dignum et justum est," which in the Gothic and ancient Gallican Missals was termed "Immolatio Missæ,” and in which the proper prefaces commemorative of festivals and saints' days are introduced. See Mabillon, De Liturg. Gallicana, lib. iii. p. 188, sq., and 368-9.

The distinction between the Hymnus of St. Patrick and his Scottic Canticum is remarkable. The Scottic Canticle, written in the Irish language, and attributed to St. Patrick himself, is preserved in the Liber Hymnorum, and a more fit opportunity will, therefore, occur elsewhere of speaking of it. It was published for the first time by Dr. Petrie, in his valuable paper on the History and Antiquities of Tara Hill (Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy, vol. xviii.), and is of undoubted authenticity.

It will be observed also that the writer of this ancient note speaks of the Hymn of Patrick as well known, and as needing no farther or more particular description. It can scarcely be doubted that the "Ymnus ejus" is the same which stands first in the Liber Hymnorum, a MS. of not much later date than the Book of Armagh, and which is there entitled "Ymnus Sancti Patricii episcopi Scotorum." This is a strong external evidence in favour of the antiquity and authenticity of the Hymn; and when we add to this the internal evidence of authenticity it exhibits,-viz. the style of the composition; the absence of all allusion to the more modern traditions contained in the extant lives of St. Patrick; the rude dialect of Latin in which it is composed, which, nevertheless, exhibits a certain knowledge of prosody and rhythm; the fact, also, that it attributes to its hero no miraculous powers, and does not even seem to speak of his ordinary success as a missionary, while it assumes throughout that he is

h Lest he should come.-There may, possibly, be some intimation here of an expectation that Patrick would come again to complete the deliverance of his disciples, on which may have been founded the tradition mentioned by Probus (1. ii. c. 33), that Patrick, as the Apostle of Ireland, is to be the Judge of the Irish people, according to the promise of our Lord to his Apostles, "sedebitis super sedes duodecim," &c.-See note on line 92 of the Hymn, p. 22, supra. In the margin of the MS., on the same line with the words "veniisset in uita in hostium," is

what resembles the letter g, with a dot over it. This frequently occurs in the MS., in the handwriting of the original scribe, at passages where there is something obscure, or needing emendation.

1 Immolari.-In the ancient Life of St. Patrick, in the Book of Armagh, this word is frequently used in the sense of oblation, or gift. Thus a benefactor is said "immolare regiones," fol. 16; and "immolare filium suum S. Patricio," fol. 9, 10; also "ecclesiam Deo consecratam Patricioque immolare," fol. 17; "immolare domum," fol. 11, et al. pass.

still living and in the flesh,—when, I say, we take into account all these circumstances, in conjunction with the distinct mention of the Hymn in so ancient an authority, we can scarcely doubt the truth of the tradition which ascribes its authorship to a contemporary and disciple of St. Patrick, whatever opinion we may adopt as to the exact age of Patrick himself.

It is remarkable, however, that the Latin Hymn is described as appointed to be sung "per totum tempus," that is, no doubt, during the whole time (the three days and three nights) of the festival of the Apostle, the "solempnitas dormitationis ejus." But the Scottic Canticum is to be sung semper. Are we to infer from this, that this latter Song, in the vernacular Irish, was sung daily, or at all times during the year, in the ancient Irish monasteries, whilst the other was sung only during the festival of St. Patrick "in medio veris ?" One reason of this difference may, probably, be, that the Scottic Song was the composition of St. Patrick himself, and was intended as a protection against the assaults of demons and magicians to the person of him who recited it. See what Dr. Petrie has said of the virtue ascribed to it in his Essay on the History of Tara Hill.

The concluding paragraph of the note in the Book of Armagh appears to signify that the founder of every monastery or Parochia (a word which seems used in the Book of Armagh nearly as Diocese, territorial jurisdiction, monastic appropriation, endowment) is entitled to the same honours in his respective monastery, or parish, as those which all monasteries and churches throughout all Ireland render to St. Patrick. This paragraph may be translated thus:

"In like manner every one who hath founded a church or a monastery ought to have, and there ought to be rendered unto him by his monks, the same four honours; and he who hath a parish and many regions ought to have the four aforesaid things in his honour."

In the margin of this passage, on the same line with the words "fundavit vel monasterium et qui habet," the original scribe has written

ymous Colmanalo

which may, perhaps, be an allusion to a circumstance told by Jocelin, in his Life of St. Patrick, and repeated also, with some variations, in the Tripartite Life, and in the Life of St. Colman-Ela.

Jocelin states that St. Colman-Ela was in the habit of reciting the Hymn of Patrick (viz. the Hymn composed by St. Sechnall in honour of St. Patrick), instead of the usual hours and psalms; and tells the story thus:

“Quidam abbas de discipulis S. Patricii, Colmanus nomine, prædictum hymnum crebro consuevit repetere. Qui cum conveniretur a discipulis, cur non potius horas constitutas, aut Psalmos decantaret, ac dicerent, hymnum semel cantatum sibi debere sufficere, respondit, se dum hymnum cantasset desideratum dilecti sui Patris Patricii jugiter vultum vidisse, nec tamen ex illius contemplatione satiari potuisse."— Sexta Vit. S. Patr. c. 179, p. 104

NOTE F.]

Repetition of the Hymn by St. Colman-Ela.

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The Life of St. Colman-Ela, however (see the passage quoted above, p. 32, note), and the Tripartite Life, mention the circumstance as an event that happened on one occasion only, and do not attribute to the Saint the impropriety of omitting the usual ecclesiastical hours. The Tripartite says:

"Quâdam enim vice dum S. Colmanellus curaret illum hymnum tribus vicibus a fratribus in refectorio decantari, S. Patricius in medio canentium stetit, ibique mansit donec quidam Laicus, qui adfuit, tædio affectus, dixerat, Numquid habetis alios Hymnos vel cantiones, quibus Deum laudetis, præter unicum illum sæpius repetitum? Tunc autem S. Antistes evanuit."-Part iii. c. 92, p. 166.

It is amusing to observe, that Jocelin makes the objection to proceed from the whole body of St. Colman's monks; the Life of St. Colman puts it into the mouth of one of them (the eldest of them) only, "senior ex illis;" but the Tripartite Life attributes it to a certain layman, “quidam laicus," who was present, and who was wearied with the length of the psalmody.

St. Colman-Ela was said to have been foretold by St. Patrick, and the place where his church and monastery was to be built pointed out (Jocelin, c. 96, p. 87). It is probable, therefore, that he was known as especially zealous for the honour of St. Patrick, and that the note in the Book of Armagh, as well as the legend just alluded to, may have had its origin from that circumstance; unless we understand the note in the Book of Armagh as intended to intimate that St. Colman-Ela was entitled to the same fourfold honour as that given to St. Patrick, and that a hymn to his praise was then extant.

St. Colman-Ela, so called from Fidh-ela, the name of the place where his monastery was built, died, according to the Annals of the Four Masters, A. D. 610. He is called Colmanellus, and also Columbanus, in the Latinized forms of his name,Colman and Columba being, in fact, the same name.

The following notice of him is given in the Martyrology of Donegal, at the 26th of September :

Colman eala, abb o laind eala a feraib ceall in iartair Mide. Do slioct Eacdaċ mic Muireada do fiol Eireṁoin dó, do taoib a atair, & deirbsiur do Colam ċille a matair .1. Mor ingen Feiblimið mic Fergara Cennfada, mic Conuill Gulban, mic Neill naoigiallaig, amail adeir beta Colmain fein, cap. 1. n. a aeis antan so faid a spirat dochum nime. A. T. 610.

i Fidh-ela, afterwards Lann-eala, now Lynally, near Tullamore, in the King's County.-See Ussher's Works (by Elrington), vol. vi. p. 530.

Colman-Eala, abbot of Lann-eala in Ferceall*, in west Meath. On his father's side he was of the race of Eochaidh, son of Muireadach, of the race of Herimon; and his mother was a sister of S. Columb-kille, viz. Mor, daughter of Feidhlimidh, son of Fergus Cenn-fada, son of Conall Gulban, son of Niall of the Nine Hostages, as the Life of this same Colman says, cap. i. He was fifty-two years old, when his spirit fled to heaven, A. D. 610.

Ferceall.-For the exact boundaries of this district, see Dr. O'Donovan's note, Annals of the Four Masters, A. D. 1216, p. 189.

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II. THE ALPHABETICAL HYMN IN PRAISE OF ST. BRIGID, ATTRIBUTED TO ST. ULTAN, BISHOP OF ARDBRECCAN.

THE

HE following Hymn occurs at the end of a Life of St. Brigid, first published by Colgan, and attributed by him to St. Ultan, Bishop of Ardbreccan, who died A. D. 656 or 657. This Life he has printed from a MS. of the tenth or eleventh century, preserved in the Monastery of St. Magnus, at Ratisbon, in Bavaria, collated with four other MSS.1, especially a MS. belonging to the Monastery of St. Autbert, in Cambray, and another which he received from a monastery in the county of Longford.

In all these MSS. the work appears to be anonymous, but Colgan is led to attribute it to St. Ultan, principally on the authority of the Preface to the following Hymn in the Liber Hymnorum, which states that St. Ultan composed a Life of St. Brigid, and is by some supposed to have been the author of this Hymn in her praise. It is, therefore (he argues), most probable that the Life, of which the Hymn in question appears to be an integral part, is the Life composed by St. Ultan. The author was certainly an Irishman, for he speaks (in the Hymn) of nostra Hibernia; and he lived in very early times, for (in the Life of St. Brigid) he speaks of a "parrochia" and monastery in the district of Siol-Muredhaigh, in the diocese of Elphin, as being in existence, and dedicated

1 Four other MSS.-Colgan has thus described these MSS.: "Unum exemplar hujus vitæ ex Codice Mon. S. Autberti Cameraci, ab antiquitatis magno veneratore et indagatori solerti D. Georgio Colverio, accepimus; aliud ex MS. Monast. Insula Sanctorum in Comitatu Longfordiæ in Hiberniæ; 3. ex vetustis membranis Carthusia Coloniensis; 4m. quod hic damus, ex vetustissimo codice Monast. S. Magni Ratisponæ in Bavaria, charactere

Hibernico, et ut videtur ante sexcentos vel septengentos annos exarato: quintum habetur in monasterio Dunensi [? Bruges] in Flandria. Ex quibus vel satis facile colligitur authoris vetustas, cum pleraque ex his exemplaribus sint scripta ante annos quingentos et aliqua ante septingentos."-Tr. Thaum. p.542. This Life has also been published by the Bollandists (at Feb.) from a MS. in the Church of St. Omer's.

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