makes use of the same reason against the derivation of Britannia from Brutus yet having since consulted the learned Cambden's most accurat search into these matters though he has not a word of the Irish History of Briotan nor seems ever to have heard thereof I find nevertheless there may be very probable answers given out of him to that question put by me after Polydore and Keting And therefore I now decline it tho not the History it self of that Scythic Briotan's giving the denomination of Brittain to this whole Island otherwise and whether before or after his time first of all it matters not called Albion As for Abraham Wheloc's Saxon Annotations on Bedes Ecclesiastical History l. 〈◊〉 c. 1. pag. 25. where it is observed that this Island was called Brutaine and Brutannia from the name of Brutus I am not moved thereby because the Saxons had that name from the Britons themselves and the Britons though they write it Brutaine with u yet pronounce it Brittain with an i. as I am told by men skilful in their Tongue they commonly do in other words written with u. pronounce i. However I am content to acknowledg here that in putting the foresaid question I suppos'd more than I ought and that I pass'd over in silence for a worse the far better and more probable reasons nay the convincing reasons indeed What these are you may see at large in Buchanan and before him sufficiently enough for some part of them in Polydore who both the one and the other demonstrate the whole story of Brutus to be a meer Fiction though Henry of Huntingdon and the Author of Polychronicon otherwise reputed good Historians thought fit to recommend to all posterity the Fable out of Gâ—ffrey of Monmouth as an undoubted Truth However we are told I am sure by Geffrey for I have him by me That rutus was son to Silvius the son of Ascanius whom undoubted Monuments of Antiquity assure us to have been son to Aeneas and Founder of Alba on Tiber and Third King of the Latius That this very Brutus at the Age of sixteen having by chance in hunting the Deer kill'd his said Father King Ascanius and being therefore banish'd Italy went to Greece That here assembling together seven thousand Trojans descended from those who had been brought prisoners thither when Troy was burn'd and heading them he made War on Pandrasus the King of Greece defeated his Armies forc'd his Towns and took himself Prisoner and kept him so till by mutual agreement Ignoge the Princess Daughter to this King was given him to Wife and for a Portion with her besides a great mass of Gold and Silver a strong Fleet of three hundred and four and twenty sail well provided of all kind of necessaries That now putting to Sea with his Trojans and so great a Fleet to seek his Fortune elsewhere and coming to a desert Island by name Largecia the Oracle of Diana there admonish'd him to steer his course for Albion That in his way thither besides destroying a Fleet of Pirats that set on him at Sea and spoiling all Mauritania in Afric from end to end landing in France he first overthrew in Battel Groffarius the Pictish King of Aquitain plunder'd his Towns over-run his whole Countrey and theâ— again in a second mighty Battel defeated both the same Groffarius and all the other eleven Kings of France with their Forces That having perform'd these Wonders there he set sail for Albion which was inhabited then by Giants These were a prodigious Race of See Buchanan l. 2. page 43. Impres Amsterd anno 1643. where he gives an account of this no less ill-contrived than Monstrous Fable added by some later Author than Geoffrey of Monmouth as if Geoffrey himself had not store enough of indeed very stupendious Lyes Monsters some of them twelve Cubits high and all of them or at least their Predecessours before 'em begot by Incubi i. e. Fayery Devils on the thirty Daughters of Dioclesian King of Syria and his Wife Labana who the first night of their marriage kill'd their thirty Husbands and for that cause being forc'd to Sea by their said Father in a ship without Mariners or Pilot after long wandring and hovering arrived at last in Albion a meer Desart then Where it seems notwithstanding they were provided for by those wicked Aery Daemons that lay with them and procreated of them this horrible Race of Giants That upon his landing here at a place called Totnes where all the Giants were in a body to hinder his descent he fought them overthrew them pursued 'em all over the Island destroyed them utterly every where That having done so he divided the whole Countrey among his Followers gave them the name of Britons and to it that of Brittain from his own name both then begot Children especially three by name Locrinus Albanactus and Camber then built the famous City of new Troy since called London by corruption of the word Luds Town because one of his posterity King Lud not only repair'd it but strengthened it with a Wall and Towers and Bulwarks and then last of all before his death making three Royal Divisions of Brittain and erecting each into a Kingdom bestow'd the first of them together with the supreme sovereignty of the other two in some cases on his eldest son Locrinus called then from his name Loegria by us now England the second on his second son Albanactus from whose name 't was called Albania though Scotland after and on his third son Camber the third of those Divisions termed likewise from his name Cambria comprehending at that time not only the Countrey now called Wales but whatever is on that side of the Severn That by these brave Princes and their issue after 'em the Noble Cities of York Edenburg Carlisle Canterbury Winchester Shaftsbury Bath Leicester the Tower of London Westchester and Caer-Leon upon Vsk were from the foundations built and finish'd and the Brittish Nation and Kingdom most gloriously maintained at home and enlarg'd abroad even in the very Continent well-nigh all over Europe That not only Ebrancus the V. King of Great Brittain after Brutus and Builder of York with a numerous Fleet invaded France ransack'd it all over and return'd home triumphantly with the richest spoils thereof nor only his twenty sons which he had by twenty several Wives conquer'd all Germany under the command of one of themselves called Assaracus and possess'd it a long time after but Belinus and Brennus sons to Dunvallo Mulmutius the Nineteenth King as Belinus himself was the XX. made an absolute Conquest first of all the Kingdom of Gaul now called France and soon after of all Italy not Rome it self excepted which they took and burnt to ashes That Cassibellanus the Lxv. of the Brittish Monarchs when Julius Caesar invaded them at two several times fought him defeated him both times and the second time made him fly to France in such despair that he never more return'd That
consequence would not be govern'd not even in Ecclesiastical affairs but by some of their own without dependance on any other except only the Prelat of that See which from the beginning of Christianity had prescribed some right over them all But enough on this Subject relating to Malachias the former of those two extraordinary Saints rais'd by God in the decrepit Age of the Irish Monarchy The later of them was a Leinster man of Noble Descent his Irish name and sirname Laurace O Tuathil in English Laurence Tool his Father Muirchiortach O Tuathil Lord of Imaile and peradventure some other small adjoyning Tracts in the County of Wickloe his Mother Inghin J. Bhrian i. e. one of O Brian's Daughters and he the youngest of all their Children But for the name of Laurence a name so unusual in that Countrey then 't was given him on this occasion Being born his Father sent him to be Christened at Kildare by Donachadh Lord of that Countrey of purpose to let him know by this Gossipred he was reconciled to him for before they had been at some distance and therefore those that carried the Child were commanded by the Father to Christen him Conchabhar this being that Nobleman's surname who was to be Godfather But a person reputed in that Countrey then such an other as Merlin had been of old among the Brittans meeting them in the High-way charg'd them to call him Laurence assuring them he would himself that night excuse them to their Lord and then adding prophetically in Irish Verse This Child shall be great on Earth and glorious in Heaven he shall command over great multitudes both of rich and poor and Laurence shall be his name When he was but ten years old his Father delivered him an Hostage to Diarmuid the King of Leinster In which condition notwithstanding the innocency of his Age he suffer'd incredible miseries even to extream want of Raiment and Food in a desert place among barbarous people where he had been for two years confined At the expiration of which being return'd back in exchange of other Prisoners though not delivered to the Father himself but to the Bishop of Gleann-da-Logh and his Father coming on the twelfth day not only to see him but to desire the Bishop to learn of God by Lot which of his children he should dedicate to an Ecclesiastick Life and he taking this opportunity and telling his Father That with his leave he himself would be that Child the Father surpriz'd with joy takes him presently by the right hand and offers him up perpetually to God in that holy place dedicated to St. Keuin both Cathedral Church and Abbey the one govern'd by a Bishop the other by an Abbot Where Laurence proves in a little time so singular a proficient in all Virtue that the Abbot dying the unanimous consent both of the Monks and Nobles of the Countrey Voted him Abbot and forc'd him to accept of it in the 25th year of his Age. And now it begun to appear more eminently what spirit he was of For the more he was honour'd the more he abased himself the stricter guard he kept on all his senses and the more intent he was upon his holy ascetick Exercises Above all that Virtue which is the bond of perfection that Virtue which shall never be evacuated but after Faith and Hope are ended shall remain that Virtue which by relieving the afflictions of other mortals makes the Reliever a God to them as Pliny speaks in his Panegyrick to Trajan Charity I mean did at this time shew what power she had over the Soul of Laurence He was no sooner made Abbot than a general Famine oppressing all that Countrey four years continually he no less continually employ'd himself in relieving all that were in want especially the poorer sort with corn and cattel and all the Revenues of his Abbey Revenues that were very great yea far surpassing those of the Bishoprick Nor must we admire they should be so It was one of the most famous ancient Monasteries of the Kingdom founded at first by St. Keuin as we call him but the Irish Ceaghin the Latins Coenginus a person though illustrious for his Royal extraction yet much more celebrated as well for the admirable austerity of his Life as for his manifold prodigious Miracles which made him after his death be assumed Patron both of the Town Abbey Cathedral Church and whole Diocess of Gleann-da-Loch where he lived and died Besides none but Noblemen's children were elected Abbots and the Noblemen themselves of the whole Diocess had by ancient custom their Voices in the election of them as well as the Monks However the large Revenues of the Abbey as they came short of the necessities of the poor in that long and general Famine so they did of the charity of Laurence as may be well concluded out of what follows hereafter Much about the time this Famine had ended the Bishop of Gleann-da-Loch dying he was chosen to succeed But notwithstanding all the importunity of the Electors he declined it though pretending only his un-Canonical Age. Yet so he could not soon after the Archbishoprick of Dublin For Gregory the First Archbishop of this See being dead Laurence by the unanimous consent of the Clergy and People of Dublin says Waraeus was elected Commentar de Praesul Hiber Archbishop and being at last by continual importunities drawn to yield was consecrated at Dublin by Gelasius Primat of Ardmagh and other Bishops Anno 1162. just fourteen years after the death of Malachias in France What more Waraeus thought fit to record of him is That presently after consecration he changed the secular Canons of his Cathedral Church into Regular of the Order of Aroasia whose habit and rule of Life himself also took upon him now That about eleven years after he built the Choire and Steeple with an other addition of three new Chappels to Trinity Church in that City That in the Year 1179. he went to the General Council held then at Rome under Alexander III. That according to the Author of his Life he was there made Legat of Ireland by that Pope soon after return'd back and exercis'd his Legatin Authority in Ireland That Gerald L. 2. expugn Hib. c. 23. Barry commonly call'd Cambrensis seems to intimate he never had been permitted to return to Ireland sed ob privilegia aliqua zelo suae Gentis impetrata but for some priviledges obtain'd from the Pope in that Council for his Countrey prejudicial to the Royal power of Henry II. was detained a long time partly in England partly in France until at last falling sick in his Journey he died at Auge in Normandy the 14th of Novemb. 1180. or as others have it 1181. Finally that in the Year 1225. he was canonized by Pope Honorius III. and his Relicks translated to Trinity Church in Dublin Which being the brief account given by Waraeus of this great Servant of God he leaves us for the rest that is
other in substance than water yet his Cupbearer had orders to dash it lightly with red that he might seem to drink Wine Secondly towards the poor He never missed a day without seeing now Threescore now Forty and never less than Thirty of them fed in his own presence Besides far greater numbers of them maintain'd out of his Revenue constantly for a long time as we shall presently see As a Bishop he preach'd Repentance continually to the people of that opulent City who were prodigiously immers'd in drunkenness lust contentions rapin blood-shed and all kind of wickedness Yea and as a Prophet too he ceaâ—â—d not with Tears to warn 'em of their general destruction at hand if they did not speedily appease Heaven with unseignâ—d Repentance As a Bishop when this general calamity like the breaking in of the Sea came upon them suddenly in one day in one hour when the City was taken and sack'd and burn'd by Diarmuid na Ngall their incens'd King and his foreign Auxiliaries when their strâ—â—ts were all covered with the bodies of the slaughter'd Citizens and the Gutters ran with blood when the very Clergy were plunder'd and Churches riâ—led of all that was precious in them as a good Bishop I say it was that Laurence at this time first beholding with floods of Tears like an other Jeremy the slaughter of his people before his eyes then taking courage like the good Pastor in the Gospel thrnst himself upon the bloody swords of the Conquerors holding their Arms praying their mercy entreating them for some snatching others from their fury to Christian burial who had their Souls yet panting in their Bodies and when no more could be done by him in any other kind giving himself wholly now to that generous imitation of Tobias As a Bishop it was that although with great hazard still unto himself yet he used that Episcopal freedom with the King and his insulting Commanders that the Clergy were at last permitted their own Habitations and the Churches restor'd their Books and Ornaments As a Bishop he employ'd in the next place all his compassion and all his Revenue I mean what was left thereof unseized by the Military men or undestroy'd by fire yea and all whatever he could procure from others to relieve the few Survivors of the slaughter'd Citizens His very Bowels did yearn over them especially those whom he had so lately seen to flourish in all kind of Earthly happiness and now saw without House to lie in without Cloaths to cover their nakedness without meat or drink to preserve life without other comfort than that of miserable Captives under a most deadly Foe As a Bishop when an other general Famin had in his days lien heavy on all the Land he not only gave daily sustenance for three whole years to five hundred persons reduced before to the worst of conditions plain starving but in several parts of his Diocess provided meat and drink and cloaths and all other necessaries for three hundred more And in the same cruel season of scarcity it was that Mothers reduced to extream want laying their chrisom Babes in the night at his door and in the day also where ever they saw he was to pass he took care of them all providing Nurses from them and though two hundred in number at one time sent them to his own Stewards and Baylisâ—s to be kept on his own Land and when they were come to years of discretion and some abilities of Body recommended them about all the Province with the badg of a wooden Cross in their hands As a Bishop and a Legat too says the Author of his Life he conniv'd at no disorder in the Clergy no vice no sin and least of all at the scandalous one of Incontinency whether in Priest Deacon or sub-Deacon Which fleshly Vice he did so much abominate especially in them and found it so necessary to be proceeded against with vigour that even so great a number as a hundred and forty Priests convict thereof he sent together at one time for Penance and Absolution to Rome though he might otherwise have given them both at home by his own Authority As a Bishop yea as a Father of his Countrey in general he spent the little remainder as well of his Revenue as of his health and Life in crossing the Seas now again from Ireland to England from England to France in both Countreys following and solliciting peace from Henry II. to ease the common calamities of his Nation at this time And now the dissolution of his earthly Tabernacle being at hand how hecoming a most Christian Bishop and a most holy Apostolical Legat indeed not only his very last exemplary Ecclesiastical preparation for it but his very last answer to the Abbot of Auge on that occasion was For in his way through France to Normandy having fallen sick of a Feaver at Abbevil a Cambreusis Vit. apud Sur. gone forward nevertheless to Auge on the borders of Normandy when at a distance he saw the Church of our Lady there prophetically foretold his own departure in that place then enter'd that Church pray'd in it a little while thence gone to his Lodging and Bed sent for Osbert the religious Abbot of that Monastery confess'd his sins to him and receiv'd the holy Viaticum from him then for prosecuting his business to Henry II. dispatch'd his Chaplain David together with his own Nephew to that King on their return the fourth day with the joyful news of their success i. e. of the Peace granted by the same Henry II. to Roderick the Irish King seem'd transported with it for the sake of his Countrey how low soever he knew himself brought by his sickness upon the third day following desired of the said Abbot and his whole Monastery to be as a Member incorporated among them and this accordingly done then presently desired further and pursuant to his desire in all their presence receiv'd the last Sacrament which they call Extreme Vnction having I say pass'd through all these steps and very last Ecclesiastical preparatories for death when the good Abbot Osbertus considering him an Archbishop had according to custom minded him of making his last Will and Testament his Answer was in thâ—se few words Novit Dominus mihi ne nummum quidem sub sole relictum esse The Lord knows that I have not a penny left me under the Sun Besides how like the great Bishop of our Souls weeping over Hierusalem this Bishop of Ireland remembring and lamenting once more for all the condition of his own Countrey brake forth into these Expressions in his own mother Language Ah foolish and sottish People what will you do now who will bring you back from your strayings who will apply Balm to your wounds who will cure you or take care of you at all And this Lamentation which Nature express'd from him ended how then at last like an other Austin he behaved himself in the last moments of his Life