tediousnes 2. The ouerseer of Saint Bridgits great and famous monastery sent workemen and stone-hewers to prouide a mill stone they neither reflecting vpon the difficulty of the way nor yet regarding that there was no meanes of getting downe the stone went vp to the topp of a most high and craggy mountayne where they hewed out a great stone forming it into a mill stone the Ouerseer came with oxen and horses to carry it away but seeing it impossible with oxen and horses to go where it was in regard of the steepe and craggy ascent all begūne to despaire of euer getting it downe and so were ready to departe But the prudent Ouerseer said Not so but let vs in the name of God and S. Bridgit to whome nothing is impossible rowle it downe and so conceauing a firme faith of the holie virgins asistance they cast it downe and loe tho stone rowling amongst the rocky stony cragges trunled downe without any detriment from the mountaine and thence was carried to the mill To which mill a certaine pagan sent his corne by an ignorāt simple man to be groūd when the corne was laid betweene the stones the aforesaid stone being the vppermost stood irremoueable neither could the violent current of the great riuer nor yet the paynfull industry of men whele it about at last knowing that the corne belonged to a pagan Magitian and therefore S. Bridgits mill would not grinde it they remoued and put it away powring other graine insteede therof and then the stone without any impediment kept its ordinary wonted course in grinding 3. It hapned within a while after that the mill by some chaunce or other tooke fire which consumed the howse and the other stone to that was ioyned to this but as for this stone that was particulerly dedicated to S. Bridgit the fire did not presume to touch neither was it branded with any signe or marke of burning which made them to bring the stone away and to place it neare to S. Bridgits church doore where many diseased meeting by the only touch of this stone were deliuered from their maladies Here our author by occasion of this insueing miracle enlargeth himself in describing the magnificence of Saint Bridgits church the sumptuousnes of the oratories the curiosity of anticke workes and variety of curious portratures with many other remarkable particulers worthy the reading which we to continue our intended course of breuity do wittingly passe ouer and will content our selues with the bare succinct relation of the miracle it selfe which was this 4. The gate of Saint Bridgits oratory thorough which she and her holy virgins passed when they went to receaue the delicious viand of our Sauiours sacred and pure body being broken downe made wider the carpenters setting the former doore vpon the hinges which was found was lesse by a fourth part or quarter wherupon they resolued either to add another peece to the ould doore or to make another al of new and as they were debating the busines the principall worke maister sayd Wee ought this next night to watch and pray at S. Bridgits monument to the end that she may direct vs in the morning what is best to be done in this matter so passing al the night ouer at her shrine and rysing the next morning after saying some prayers setting the ould doore vpon the hinges it fitted all the gate so iust that it nether wanted nor yet exceeded any thing in conuenient bignes and in this manner was the doore by the merits of Saint Bridgit extended to an equall commensuratiue proportion with the gate of the church Who can expresse sayth our author here the admirable beauty of this Church or how can we declare the marueiles of this Citty Or who may recount the innumerable thronges and infinit multitudes of people flocking thither from all countryes Some come to delight them selues with plentifull diuersity of banquets some to solace themselues with variety of pleasant showes and spectacles others to obtayne the cure of their diseases and others with rich and great donaryes to solemnise Saint Bridgits natalitiall feast which falleth vpon the first of February vpon which day in the yeare of Christ 518. as we haue touched aboue in the first paragraffe of this present chapter the holy virgin passed from the miseries of this mortal life to the immortall ioyes of paradise Whither God of his infinit grace conduct vs all to him to his all immaculate mother and to the two glorious patrones of Ireland Saint Patricke and Saint Bridgit be all honour glory and prayse world without end Amen FINIS THE LIFE OF THE GLORIOVS ABBOT S. COLVMBE THE GREAT PATRON OF IRELAND AND APOSTLE OF THE PICTS Abridged out of the Latin written by S. Adamnanus The first booke of S. COLVMBS propheticall Reuelations Of S. Columbs Parents Nauigation into Brittany and of his prophecy touching S. Fintenus CHAP. I. SAINT Columbe the Great was borne of noble and illustrious parents his Father was named the sonne of Fergusus and his Mother Aethnea The second yeare after the warre of Culedreiune and the two and forty of his age he passed ouer into Britanny being desirous for the loue of Christ to goe thither in pilgrimage From his youth he was trained vp in Christian discipline and in the study of wisedome his integrity of body and purity of soule he kept alwayes vnblemished and though he liued on earth yet his conuersation was in heauen His countenance was sweet and angelicall his talke cleane and chast his carriage holy and saint-like his wit quicke and excellent and his councell graue and mature no part of his tyme not so much as the space of one houre did he euer mispend for he was alwayes imployed eyther in prayer in writting in reading or in some good exercise His abstinēce was so great and his watchinges so longe in which he exercised himselfe day and night without intermission that they went beyond the course of humane ability and yet in the midst of all these austerityes he alwayes showed a cheerefull countenance representing thereby the Saint like ioy of his hart 2. S. Fintenus who after became so famous ouer all the Churches of Ireland conceaued in his younger yeares an earnest desire of forsaking Ireland and visiting our Saint Columbe Being inflamed with this desire he went to a certaine friend of his a very wise and venerable man named Columbus to take his aduice in the matter who liked well of his holy resolution thither at the same tyme came two of S. Columbes monkes who being demanded touching their iourney answerd We are newly come out of Brittany and this day from the monastery of the Oaken-field Roboretum is your holy father S. Colomb wel and in good health sayth Columb With that they sheding teares aboundantly replyed truly our father and Patron is well for a few dayes past he departed to Christ. Vpon knowledge whereof Fintenus Columbus and the rest that were
most sure and soueraigne refuge in all distresse At the same tyme S. Columbe was present in spirit with Cormacus he caused therefore a signe to be made for to call the Monkes to the Oratory where prophecying after his wonted manner he sayd Deere brethren pray most earnestly for Cormacus who now sustaineth monstruous affrightments neuer seene before we ought therefore to conceaue a tender compassion on our deare commembers being in such manifest danger and to pray to God for their comfort and safety After speaking this much more in this kind he fell downe prostrate on his knees before the Altar and with a pensiue hart and doleful voice besought the Omnipotent moderator of windes and waues for them After prayer he rose vp refrayning teares he ioyfully sayd Let vs reioyce with our deere brethren for God hath conuerted the south wind into a Northren gale that wil deliuer them out of all danger and bring them safe hither And incontinently the south-wind ceased and the north began to blow After many dayes Cormacus arriued safe gladded all the company with his presence By this the Reader may coniecture how great the holy Abbot was in Gods eyes who could by inuocating on Christs name command the blustring windes and swelling billowes Let this much suffice touching the miracls the Saint wrought in this present life Let the Reader further know that we haue omitted many more to auoyd tediousnes THE III BOOKE OF S. COLVMBES ANGELICAL APPARITIONS Of the apparition made to S. Columbes mother before his birth Of the visions S. Bredan and S. Finnian had touching him And how according to a vision he had he ordayned Aydan King CHAP. I. IN the first booke we haue treated succinctly of S. Columbes admirable reuelations In the seconde we haue discoursed of his stupēdious miracles In this third booke we meane to set downe the Angelicall visions that appeared to him or to others of him One day betwixt the conception and natiuity of the Saint an Angell appeared to his mother who brought her a wounderful rich robe and tooke it away presently she being very pensiue thereat sayd to the Angell appearing in the likenes of a very graue venerable man Why do you so soone withdraw this delightful mantle Because answeared he that it appertaines to me whome you cannot long detaine with you with that the woman saw the robe to be drawen longer and longer from her and to stretch so out in bredth as to surpasse the latitude of the fields with its ouerlarge dimensions to couer mountaines and forests and heard moreouer such a voice as this directed to her VVoman be not agrieued for you shall beare your husband so happy a sonne who as one of the Prophets of God shall be rāked among them and is predestinated by God to be the captaine to conduct infinit soules to heauen VVith which voyce the woman awaked Another night the childs foster-father a Priest of a very Religious life comming after masse out of the church found all the house illustrated with an immense splendour For he saw a globe of fire standing on the holy infants face at which strange sight he trembled and was strucken with astonishment at last he vnderstood thereby the copious effusion of the grace of the holy Ghost on the sweet suckling 2. VVhen the saint had beene excommunicated by a certaine synod for light and pardonable causes as it was euidēt in the end he came to the foresayd Synod whome when S. Brendan the founder of the monastery of Birra saw comming a farre of he rose vp in haste and embraced him For which being reprehēded by some of the ancientest of the assembly who asked him Why do not you feare to rise to honour an excōmunicated person and to embrace him He answered Had you knowne the thinges our Lord hath vouchafed to manifest to me touching this his faythfull seruant you would neuer haue excommunicated him whome our Lord doth not only not excommunicate but doth alwayes magnify him more and more And added further I saw a firy and brightsome piller going before this man of God whome you contemne and the Angels accompanying him along the fields I dare not therefore to contemne this man whome I see preordayned by God to be the Captaine of many that shall attaine to the immortall life of glory These things being sayd by him al the assembly honoured the Saint very much As S. Finnian the Saints master saw him one day approaching to the place where himselfe resided he sayd to some that were present Loe you see S. Columbe comming who hath merited to haue an Angell for the companion of his iourney About the same tyme the Saint with twelue of his disciples sayled into Brittany 3. Whilest the Saint liued in the Iland of Himbria he fell into an extasis wherein he saw an Angell of our Lord sent to him who held in his hand the booke contayning the ceremonyes of the enstalling of Kinges which he offered to the Saint commanding him to read it but when he would not ordayne Aydanus King as it was commended and commanded in the booke in regard he loued Iogenan Aydans younger brother better the Angell suddainly stretching out his hand strucke the Saint with a whip whose blew print or whaile remayned on his side all the dayes of his life and added further Know for certaine that I am sent to you to cause you according as is set downe in the booke to ordayne Aydanus King and if you doe not not obey I will strike you againe The Saint thereupon obeyed the iniunction of our Lord and for that end embarked himselfe for Hoy where he crowned Aydanus King who came thither about that tyme of whome of his posterity the Saint prophecied in manner following as recordeth Commeneus Albus I beleeue without all question O King Aydan that none of your ennemyes shal be able to make head against you vntill you vse some fraud and vniust deportement towards me and my posterity commend you this seriously to your sonnes and let them do the same to their sonnes and nephewes fearing otherwise that the scepter of the kingdome should be wrested out of their handes For at what tyme soeuer they shal work any harme to me or to my kinsmen in Ireland the scourge I haue sustayned for your sake shal be turned on them by the hand of our Lord and they will leese the harts of men and their ennemyes shall insult ouer them This prophecy hath beene fullfilled in our dayes by Belleroth Daniel Breco Aydans nephew who without any iust cause wasted and destroyed O Doainails country How the Saint saw the soule of one of his Monkes to be saued How with a word he killed a wicked man How he fought with the Diuels chased them away by help of the Angels CHAP. II. ONE of the Saints monkes a Britton by byrth a man much giuen to the exercise of good workes fell sicke to
Oengus being attended vpon with twelue of his Princes and 1400. of his subiects followed the Saint whē he came as farr as Coiueach a towne lying vpon a riuer Prosnach where a holy Bishop named Frianus a Romā by nation kept his residence by diuine prouidence it fell out that noe victuals could be had for that great company the blessed Bishop being desirous to giue the multitude a spirituall and corporall refection commanded a Cow by whose milke S. Frianus liued to be made ready for supper but what was it among so great a company The Saint therfore directed his prayers to the heauenly sanctuary loe there ranne out to the adioyning wood two great Stagges and two great Hogges which presented themselues before the Saint who commāded that they should be likewise made ready so al the company being set to supper that little prouision was layd before them which by vertue of the Saints sacred benediction serued to satisfy all the company so plentifully that a great deale of reuersion was gathered vp and carryed thence which need not seeme incredible to any who will reflect with the eye of their consideration vpon our Sauiours promise He that beleeueth in me the miracles that I doe he shall also doe and greater then these shall he doe 5. This miraculous refection was seconded by as miraculous a signe for the holy Saint to remoue and roote out of their harts the tares of infidelity in presence of that great assembly restored to life 19. dead bodyes at once all those who were so miraculously restored to the number of the liuing rehearsed in the hearing of all the assembly what they had seen touching the torments of hel proclayming Patrickes God to be the true and liuing God King Oengus and his subiects magnifyed God and honoured the Saint as their proper Apostle the men who were reuiued were christned became Monkes vnder the obedience of S. Frianus Of S. Patrickes returne into the North of the resuscitation of King Echu and of his prophecy touching the sanctity of S. Columba CHAP. X. THE holy Bishop came againe vnto the North where King Echu reigned who had a daughter named Cynnia whome he loued most tenderly This young Princesse imbraced S. Patrickes doctrine and against her Fathers will loathing a carnall wedlocke she resolued to dedicate her virginity to her heauenly spouse her Father seeing the loue of chastity soe deeply rooted in her hart sent for the Saint and spoke to him as followeth The hope I had by my daughter to be blessed with a copious posterity of Nephueus is cut off by your meanes if then for the want of so great a blessing you promise me the kingdome of heauen without compelling me to receaue Baptisme she shall serue her Creator as you shall thinke good otherwise you shall misse of your desire The Saint full of confidence in God leauing all the matter to his diuine disposition yeilded to the Kinges request The young Lady being vayled consecrated by the Saint led a life so excelling with many ornaments of vertue that she by her example drew many to the seruice of Christ both in this life after her death shined aboundantly with the glory of miracles The Saint commended her to the care of S. Cethuberis who was the first of all the Irish Virgins that receaued the veyle of virginity from the Saint to her being Superiour of the Monastry of Druimduchan where a great number of sacred virgins liued the Saint wrote a letter of exhortation 2. Within a few dayes King Echu departed this life who before his death commanded that his buriall should be deferred vntill such tyme as the Saint came who knowing by reuelation all what happened made al hast possible to the kings court where arriuing he offered his feruēt prayers to Almighty God in the behalfe of his resurrection The King being reuiued rehearsed what he had seene touching the glory of heauen and the torments of the damned and further added that he saw the place which the Saint promised him in the heauenly glory whereof he could not take possession because he was not baptised after baptisme the Saint put the King to his choice eyther of prolonging his dayes in this life or going speedily to heauen the King misprising al the glory of this world in comparison of the celestial felicity did choose to be dissolued and to be with Christ so taking the diuine Viaticum of the holy Eucharist he was translated to an immortall life 3. The Blessed Saint by occasion of difficultyes and doubtes which in some places where he preached the Ghospell were obiected against the last generall resurrection of the dead brought to life againe men whose bodyes were resolued into cinders many yeares before as himselfe in an epistle directed to a deare friend of his beyonde the seas deposeth in these tearmes Our Lord imparted to me his vnworthy little one the vertue of doing such signes among this Pagan people as we reade neuer the like to haue beene wrought euen by the Apostles themselues so that in the name of our Lord Iesus I haue reuoked from the dead bodyes turned into ashes many yeares before yet notwithstanding I pray that none esteeme me for these or other like miracles worthy to stand in comparison with the Apostles or any men of perfection considering I am a wretched sinner and contemptible Stay thy selfe heere courteous Reader and obserue to what height of perfection this B. Bishop had attained who working such and so great miracles was so abiect and so contemptible in his owne eyes for my part I admire more this profound humility in him thē the raysing of the cad 4. My intended course of breuity makes me not to set down at large how the Saint reclaymed from idolatry a petty King called Elelius with all his kingdome by reuiuing the kings sonne whō swine had torne in peeces As also a noble man who was very hard fauoured and contemptible in his person by vertue of S. Patrickes prayers became very faire of complexion and very personable of stature to the great astonishment of all that knew him A tender suckeling found in the tombe where his mother lay buryed was brought to S. Patricke who named him Olcanus and set him to his booke being come to riper yeares he passed into France where he attayned to great learning Afterward comming into Ireland he taught in publick schooles and was master of many a holy Bishop and himselfe became a Bishop of great merit and vertue 5. A certaine Prince named Conallus sought and obtayned S. Patrickes blessing his younger brother named Fergusus came to the Saint with the like intention the Saint hauing first prayed blessed Fergusus with great attention Conallus seeing what diligence and deuotion the Saint vsed in in blessing his younger brother aboue him selfe was not a little astonished and troubled thereat S. Patricke obseruing that alteration in the Princes countenance declared what moued him to vse
land by reason of the marueilous dilatation of their mind Though the saint seemeth to report this of others for the auoidance of all vaine glory and selfe esteeme yet that he meant it of himself indirectly is cleare to any that hath perused the vessell of election S. Paul in his 2. to the Corinthians For he discoursing of visions and rapts happening to himself wrote not I know of my selfe but I know such a man that he was rapt into paradise which though he seeme to recount of another yet none can doubt but he spoke of himselfe 5. It fell out another tyme that one of the brothers came to the place where the faint was writting and sayd to him I beseech you blesse this Iron I hould in my hand the saint stretched out his hand holding the pen blessed the Iron according to the brothers request in the meane tyme he held his face towards the book he wrot the brother being gone away the saint asked What Iron he had blessed for the Brother Diarmitius his familiar tender answered A knife wherewith Beeues are killed then the saint replyed I trust firmely in our Lord that this weapon I haue blessed will neuer do hurt to man nor beast The truth of which sentence of the Saint was showen in effect the selfe same houre For the brother going out of the monastery with an intent to kill a Cow endeauoured thrice therunto and yet could not so much as pierce her skinne Another tyme the Saints faythfull tender Diarmitius sickened euen to death the Saint came to visit him in that extremity and standing by the beds side prayed after this manner I beseech thee O Lord be fauourable to me and let not the soule of my pious tender be takē out of this mortal life before I end the course of my dayes After praying thus he held his peace for a little space then opening his sacred mouth he sayd This my louing child shal not only escape the danger of this present infirmity but shall moreouer liue for many yeares after my death Diarmitius was deliuered incontinently of his disease and suruiued the Saint many a longe yeare How S. Columbe discouered a Bishop that would not haue himselfe knowne how he foretould the comming of a Crane out of Ireland and how by the presents that were offered to him to be blessed he knew the sinnes of the owners CHAP. V. THERE came out of the Prouince of the Numinenses a certaine proselit to visit the saint this man being a Bishop dissembled al that he could his degree and estate yet could he not keep it hidden from the saints al-piercing knowledge For the proselit being to consecrate the next sunday our Sauiours holy body the saint sayd to him Since you are a Bishop breake this dominicall bread after the manner and with the same solēnity a Bishop ought to breake it now we know ful wel that you are a Bishop why did you conceale your selfe from vs by occasion wherof we did not demean our selues towards you with that respect veneration your place and calling requires The humble harted pilgrim hearing him speake in this kind glorifyed Christ in his holy seruant Columbe Another time the venerable Abbot sent his vncle Ernanus to gouerne the monastery of Humba of whome at his departure he pronounced this prophecy This my friend whome I now send away I neuer hope to see him liuing againe in this world Within a few dayes Ernanus fell sicke and would haue himselfe caryed backe to the saint who was very glad thereof and went forth to meet him Ernanus though he were very weake and sickly yet would he needes go on his feet and loe in the way he gaue vp his ghost suddainly before the saint could haue a sight of him 2. The saint tould a certaine Peasant that came to his monastery Loe the barbarous ennemies sacke and spoile all the Prouince you inhabit VVhich dolefull newes made the poore fellow fall into pittiful lamentatiōs for his wife children The saint seeing him drowned in sorrow anguish sayd to him your wife and family haue escaped to the mountaines but you goods and cattle the ennemy hath taken away the man going home found all to be true as the saint had tould him A certaine valiant and strong man named Gorens would faine learne of the saint what kind of death himselfe should dy of The saint told him You shall not be slaine in the field nor drowned in the sea but the companion of your way whom you lest distrust or suspect shall be the cause of your death within some years after the foresayd Gorens seeing men fighting at mortal debate ran in haste to separate them in the meane tyme by some chance or other he let his knife fall carelessely which wounded him in the knee of which wounde after the sickenesse of some moneths he dyed and so the prophecy of the Saint was fullfilled 3. Another tyme likewise the saint being in the often mentioned Iland of Hoy he called one of the monkes to him and commanded him as followeth The third day next ensuing you shall goe to the Weast part of this I le and shall expect the comming of a certaine Crane from the North part of Ireland which Crane being driuen by the force of the blustering windes through the spacious Regions of the ayre all weary and turmoyld shal arriue there after the ninth houre and hauing all her forces and vigour consumed she will fall downe on the shoare before you forget not to take her vp mercifully and to bring her to the next house where you shall entertaine her liberally and feed her carefully for three dayes by which tyme her strength shall be well repayred and her selfe being vnwilling to soiourne with vs any longer will returne backe to Scotland her sweet country where she was borne and my motiue of commending her so seriously to your care is because she is of one country with vs. The brother obeyed willingly and the third day at the place and tyme appointed expected the arriuall of the new guest whome he tooke vp of the shoare and brought her weake and faint to the lodging where he fed her carefully to whome after his comming to the monastery in the euening the Saint sayd Gods blessing haue you my child for tending so carefully the strange guest who will make no long delay in her pilgrimage but will returne back to her natiue soyle after three dayes abode What the saint pronounced the euent showed to be true for the Crane after three dayes charitable entertaynement winded her selfe gently vp into the ayre in presence of her officious ministre and after kept her course directly towardes Ireland 4. On a certaine tyme many presents were layd in the street that leadeth to the Saints monastery to be blessed of him as he passed by wher poynting at the guift of a rich man and naming the party he sayd The mercy of God accompanieth the bestower