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orn in the Year .".61. Died in llieYew 4;')) MURPHY'S ENLARGED STEREOTYPE EDITION. THE LIFE O F SAINT PATRICK, APOSTLE OF IRELAND, WITH A COPIOUS APPENDIX, IN WHICH IS GIVEN A SUMMARY ACCOUNT OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL INSTITUTIONS, ic. IN IRELAND SINCE THE INTRODUCTION OF CHRISTIANITY; A CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF THE CATHOLIC PRIMATES OF IRELAND; THE CELEBRATED HYMN OF ST. FIECH, ON THE LIFE OF ST. PATRICK; AND THE PROPHECY OF ST. MALA- CHY, DESCRIBING THE POPES OF ROME TO THE END OF THE WORLD. TO WHICH ARE ADDED THE LIVES OF SAINT BRIDGET, 1) i r g t u a 11 b Abbess, AND SAINT COLUMBA, ABBOT, of Apostle tljc Northern P'tcts. BALTIMORE: PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY JOHN MURPHY, No. 178 MARKET STREET. BOSTON: P. DONAIHK. FITTSBL'RG : GEORGE QUTGLCY.' SOLD BY THE PRINCIPAL BOOKSEI.IEP.3 [N THE CMTEU 8TATI.S. 1854. PREFACE. FROM the innumerable calumnies and gross misrep- resentations of various ancient and modern authors, some, perhaps, influenced by mistaken, but more of them by viciou-s views, in relation to the patron saint of the Emerald Isle, the Editor has been Ir.d'jced to present the following to the public, with the hope that thread-bare fiction will now give place to authenticity. Throughout the work, it has been his principal design to examine critically the suggestions, to unmask the sophistry, and to expose the bare-faced calumny of several who have him and then to preceded ; present his readers with a perfect and authentic record of the Life, the virtues, and the actions of the illustrious S VINT PATRICK, with the best corroborative testimony of the verity of his detail. For centuries, it has been the habit of tne enemies of Ireland to represent her apostle as a mere "imagin- ary being" as a mere creature of traditionary legend. They have ascribed to him the performance of a train of curious miracles, which in the hands of various of them, from Probus, Joceline, and Cambrensis, down to the more recent, though truly libellous O'Halloran and Ledwich, have become so multiplied and exagge- rated, that, for ages, they have exceeded all the limits of credibility. And if there were not the most clear, nay, incontestable evidence of their inaccuracy, afforded by other authors, besides the bishop of Sletty, (in his celebrated hymn which is appended to this work,) the cause of Truth would still be sacrificed at the shrine of ridicule and error, and the spotless character of Erin's saint would still continue unredeemed. But the guardian spirits of other days have not suffered such 4 PREFACE. to triumph : the rays of their intelligence, breaking through the mist of fallacy, have irradiated and con- signed them and their authors to contempt. The following work will be found to contain a copi- ous Appendix, calculated to assist the reader to a perfect and accurate knowledge of the various Ecclesi- astical Institutions, Orders, &c. in Ireland, since the era of the introduction of Christianity by St. Patrick an invaluable Chronological Table of the Archbishops of Armagh, Dublin, Cashel, and Tuam, from the death the of Ireland to the time of Apostle present ; and a correct List of all the Roman Pontiffs who have suc- cessively filled the chair of St. Peter. The Prophecy of St. Malachy is also appended, describing all the Roman Pontiffs to the end of the world. The Editor has, in fine, endeavoured to make this a work worthy of public patronage, by excluding from it all that might be deemed, in the least, irrelevant, and by interlarding it with every thing that can be valuable to the reader. The public will judge in what degree his object is accomplished. To what has been said respecting the Leti and Le- tavia, in page 45, &,c. the Editor deems it necessary to add that Letha or JLetavia comprehended the whole of those territories from the Loire to the Rhine, com- prising the north of France, that is, Leath, or the half of Gaul, as may be seen by the Notices of the Western Empire, about the time of the Emperors Jlrcadivs and Honorius, printed in the 1st vol. of I)ibo?s' Hist. Critique de 1'etablissement de la monarchic Franchise 12mo. Amsterdam, 1735. CONTENTS. Ireland's state before Christianity Ollav Foalla's le- gislation Druidic institutions, civil and religious 9 Harduin's eccentricity Doctor Ledwich's opinions Ryve's and Maurice's doubts respecting St. Patrick's existence Ledwich's negative arguments 12 Legendary remarks of Joceline Harris, Usher, and Camden's reflections thereon Their defence of St. Patrick Bishop of St. Asaph's remarks 14 On the imputation of unnecessary miracles Catholic divine's opinion, and disapprobation Similar tales related of Columbkille 19 Mathematical demonstration Metaphysical certainty Historic evidence Foreign proofs of St. Patrick's existence, from the twelfth to the sixteenth century 21 Irish authors of the fifth and sixth centuries St. Adam- uan Curious extracts, showing the state of arts and sciences then in Ireland 30 Various opinions respecting his native country, neither Irish, Cornish, Welsh, English, nor Scotch Demp- stei's arguments refuted Scotia major Joceline's, Beiie's, Gildas', and Jerome's character of the bar- barous Uiitons 36 i i. Pauick's native country Errors from an ignorance iu ancient geography, Empthor, Tabernia, Tyrrheni- an sea, Ltatna, misunderstood by all the modern and ancient tianslators 42 Policy ot th^ Irish monarchs in aiding the Picts against uie Romans Niall's invasion of Gaul St. Patrick laken Sold as a slave in Ireland His parents and reLuions 50 St. 1'aiiick's infantine age Use and abuse of miracles Joceline s ridiculous conduct, his translators, and editors St. Patrick's own account of his infancy 56 His semiuae in Ireland, escape, retaken, enlarged, per- egrination to Ai'emoiu Gaul Italy His application to study, and pio^iess .n literature Ciaran, Ailve, Declan, Ivar, ana l\li;\ iius before him 59 1 * 6 COiNTENTS. Commences the mission success in Cornwall He lands on the Wicklow coast Converts numbers of the chieftains Queen King Fiech Dubthach, &c. 68 Visits Taltan Taltenian games Proceeds to Con- naught Ireland's exemption from venomous crea- tures Donat of Fesula's encomium Birds, bees 74 Success in Connaught Tiravailgaid TirconneJ preaching, converting, and building churches r JN iall's son converted Clogher church founded 73 Arrives at Armagh Lays the foundation of a city there Synod there Converts the Isle of Man Travels through Leinster Converts Alphin, king of Dublin, and family; also Angus king of Munster Con- ference at Cashel with Ailve, Declan, and Ivar 81 Vindication of the number of churches built by him Doctor Ledwich refuted Place of his death, not in Armagh, nor Glastonbury, but Down Courcy's in- vasion of Ulster Translation of St. Patrick's relics Deference paid to them by the primitive Christians 90 APPENDIX. Town of Trim St. Macartin Geographical ana v;<r- clesiastical state of the Isle of Man 100 Dublin city Christ-church Laurence O'Toole Can- ons regular Tithe Fish Contest about it Priors of Strongbow's monument Two Cathedrals in Dublin Deans of St. Patrick Epitaph of Swift Twenty parish churches, c. 107 St. Audeon's church St. Audeon St. Michan's St. Mary's St. Glove's St. James's St. Thomas's Catharine's La Dame Werburgh's Michael's Kevin's John's Seven churches Glendaloch-see St. Stephen's George's 116 Cistercian order Templars Suppression All Saints Trinity College Usher Lech and Bicknor University Holm-Patrick Lusk Swords Fing- lass Claudalkin Castleknock Tallagh Ireland's eye Canons regular 129 Sir Hugh de Lacy St. Victor's canons St. Wolstau - Prior of Kilmainham's heresy Crouched Friars- Kilmainham Priory Keating and Lumley's dispute Royal Hospital Chapel-Izod Dominican order Edward Bruce 141 Franciscan's Augustiuians Carmelites Jesuits St. Douloch Its holy well Ostmen Well profaned Punishment 151 The Cell and Oratory of Foure Epitaph Nunneries ' Mary de Hoggis Of Lusk Nun's cries at suppres- sion Benedictine Nunnery James II. Lady But- ler William's soldiers 157 Ancient sanctity and learning of Irisnmen St. Ber- nard's testimony St. Anselm's Davis's Baroni- us's Camden's, &c. Irish saints in France, Ger- enumerated 161 ^ many, Iceland, Carinthia, Tarento, &c. Conclusions drawn from the preceding history Ab- stract of the monasteries of Ireland The number belonging to each order Year of their introduction into Ii eland 164 8 CONTENTS. Chronological series of the Archbishops of Armagh Dublin Historic notices respecting their sufferings, &c. Archbishops of Cashel, of Tuam, &c. 1UT Hymn of St. Fiech English translation Latin do. Notes, &c. &c. 173 List of all the Roman Pontiffs, from St. Peter to the present time 189 Proob*cv of St. Malachy 19.3 THE LIFE OF ST. PATRICK. CHAPTER I. AMONG the manifold rr.sans employed by the Almighty f or extending the empire of his holy religion over the western parts of Europe, few indeed appear more singularly providential and striking than that of making the seques- tered island of EIRE the seat of art, science, and civiliza- tion thus the natives for the ; and pre-disposing receiving soul-saving truths of the Gospel. Many concurring cir- cumstances tended to promote the advancement, and facilitate the completion, of that most happy event. Since the illustrious Ollav Fola, who was nearly contemporary with Lycurgus, the renowned legislator of Sparta, institut- ed wholesome laws, for limiting the powers of the monarch, and restraining the licentiousness of the subject, the people at large became more civilized, courteous and polite.

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