THE IRISH

ECCLESIASTICAL RECORD.

OCTOBER, 1868.

THE LIFE AND WORKS OF ST. ANGUSIUS HAGIOGRAPHUS, OR ST. ÆNGUS THE CULDEE,

BISHOP AND ABBOT AT CLONENAGH AND DYSARTENOS, QUEEN'S

COUNTY.

I.—Introduction.—Sources of biography to illustrate the acts of St. Engus. His pedigree and early life. He studies at the monastery of Clonenagh.-Monastic training and learning.

If the life of every good man can be presented "to point a moral and adorn a tale", some account regarding the labours, learning, and life of a holy Irish monk, who flourished in the eighth and ninth centuries, may claim attention and interest, when brought before Irish readers. They serve to illustrate the habits and usages of our early monasticism. Our regards cannot be lessened towards the subject of this biographical notice, because he has deserved to rank among the host of Irish saints. As a poet, too, his life abounds in the romance of reality. Much could we desire to glean fuller particulars respecting him, and to render his name and works more popularly known and appreciated, than they have hitherto been. We can only offer some brief biographical statements, and a necessarily imperfect analysis regarding his valuable writings. The time must soon arrive, when more satisfactory and learned efforts will make the venerable name of Angus the Culdee be remembered and invoked, by every pious and enlightened Irish Catholic.

The acts of this illustrious saint, known generally to Irish scholars as Ængus the Hagiologist, have been published by

VOL. V.

1

Colgan, at the 11th of March. This latter researchful writer doubted not, that the life of Saint Angus had been written at full length, and had been accessible, at a more remote period. But Colgan complains that this life was not available, at the time he had been engaged in publishing the acts of our Irish saints. However, the virtues of Engus have been specially recorded, by some old writer, who prefixes an argument or an introduction to this saint's existing writings. Another Irish poet, likewise bearing the name of Engus, has celebrated the Culdee's praises in certain verses, sufficiently indicative of great antiquity.2

3

Engus the Culdee, sometimes named Angusius Hagiographus, or Æneas, is said to have been descended from Coelbach, king of Ireland. The name of his father was Engavan, called in Harris' Ware Oengobhan, the son of Oblein, the son of Fidhraus, according to a genealogy made out for him in our Martyrologies. He was sprung from the royal race of the Dalara

1 See Colgan's Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae, xi. Martii. Vita Engussi, pp. 579 to 583.

2 Colgan's Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae, xi. Marti. Vita S. Engussi, cap. ii. p. 579. In note 5, p. 582, Colgan remarks, the author of this metrical life, in the penultimate verse of his panegyric on the saint, prays that he may enjoy with his namesake the bliss of eternal life. He extols St. Angus with surpassing encomiums, stating that the saint was often engaged in colloquies with celestial spirits. He styles St. Angus the Sun of Western Europe. On account of those things related regarding the studies of our saint in his youthful days, his daily and wonderful exercises, his rare humility and austerity, the day of his death, being feria sexta, the place of his burial, and such like notices, Colgan is under an impression, that the writer must have been a friend of St. Ængus, and have lived contemporaneously with him. Wherefore, owing to the concurrences of time, neighbourhood, and great erudition, it is supposed, that the writer had been no other than Angus, Abbot of Cluain-fearta-Molua, who died in the year 858. See O'Donovan's Annals of the Four Masters, vol. i. pp. 492, 493. Colgan says, from the metrical panegyric, and the scholiast who wrote a preface to the Festilogy of Ængus, he derived all his materials for the life of this saint. A few particulars only are excepted, and these were drawn from other sources. See Colgan's Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae, xi. Marti, n. 5, p. 582.

3 The following is St. Engus' pedigree, as contained in a preface to his Félire, in the Leabhar Breac, R. I. A., Dublin: "Aengus, the son of Oengoba, son of Oblen, son of Fidru, son of Diarmuit, son of Ainmire, son of Cellar, son of Oengus, son of Natsluagh, son of Caelbad [of the Rudrician or Ultonian race, who was monarch of Erinn, and was slain, A.D. 357], son of Crumbadrai, son of Eochaidh Cobar". See Professor Eugene O'Curry's Lectures on the Manuscript Materials of Ancient Irish History, Lect. xvii. p. 363, and Appendix, No. cxi. p. 609.

4 Vol. ii. The Writers of Ireland. Book i. p. 51.

5 Such is an account left us by the anonymous scholiast on the Festilogium of Aengus, and to whom allusion has been made, as also in the Sanctilogium Genealogicum, cap. 23, where his genealogy is given in these words: " S. Engussius filius Engavani, F. Hobleni, F. Fidrai, F. Diermiti, F. Anmirechi, F. Cellari, F. Engussi, F Natsluagi, F. Coelbadi, F. Crunni Badhrai, F. Eochadii Cobhae, F. Lugadii, F. Rossi, F. Imchadi, F. Fethlemidii, F. Cassii, F. Fiach Aradi, a quo Dalaradiorum familia_nominatur". See Colgan's Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae, xi. Martii. Vita S. Engussii, nn. 1 et 3 p. 582.

dians in Ulster,' and he was born in Ireland, about the middle of the eighth century. Almost from infancy, he deserved the appellation Culdee, or worshipper of God, which surname he afterwards bore. From the dawning perceptions of childhood, he felt an earnest desire of devoting himself to a religious life. He practised mortification to an extraordinary degree, even in his youth; and he conceived most exalted ideas of Christian perfection, the attainment of which was an object, ever uppermost in his mind.

3

About this time, the great monastery of Clonenagh, in Ossory, under direction of the saintly Abbot Malathgenius, enjoyed a high reputation, both for the number and sanctity of its inmates. Engus preferred his suit for admission within its enclosure, and his request was favourably received. But his early noviciate, in the exercise of all virtues, had preceded the care bestowed by that holy abbot, on his youthful disciple. His daily progress in the paths of Christian sanctity, and his advancement in sacred learning, were aided by application and capacity, to such an extraordinary degree, that in a short time he bore the reputation of being one among the most sanctified and erudite men, of whom Ireland could then boast.

An ingenious and a distinguished French writer, capable from his peculiar line of study to pronounce opinions on this subject, has ably vindicated the progress made in sacred learning

1 Colgan's Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae, xi. Martii. Vita S. Engussi, cap. i.

p. 579.

2 "Toland pretends (Nazarenus, Letter ii. sect. 3) that the surname Ceile De given to Engus indicated an office or particular sort of profession, and that he was one of that sort of clergymen, who have been afterwards called Culdees. But Angus was a monk; whereas the Culdees, as will be seen elsewhere, were the secular canons of cathedral or collegiate churches, such as we call prebendaries. It is a palpable mistake to suppose, that they were a monastic order. The title, Ceile De, as applied to Engus, had nothing to do with them; and it is more than probable that in his time there was not as yet any such institution as that of those so much talked of Culdees. Engus's surname was peculiar to himself, unless it should be supposed that all that is said of his having been a monk, etc., is false. Many Irish names began with Ceile, Cele, or with the corresponding word Gilta, followed by that of our Saviour or some Saint"-Lanigan's Ecclesiastical History of Ireland, vol. iii. c. xx. § x. n. 96, p. 248.

3 The death of "Maelaithgen, Abbot of Cluain-Eidhneach", occurred in the year 767. See O'Donovan's Annals of the Four Masters, vol. i. pp. 370, 371. The feast of St. Malathgenius is observed on the 21st of October, and St. Engus must have been his disciple before the year 767. For as that other Engus, who wrote the eulogy of our Saint in elegant metre, has told us that Engus the Culdee studied from boyhood in the monastery of Clonenagh, and afterwards, when he had been celebrated for his miracles, he lived in the monastery of Tallagh, before St. Melruan's death, A.D. 787. It is supposed, therefore, to follow, that he studied in the monastery of Clonenagh under the aforesaid abbot. See Colgan's Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae, xi. Martii, n. 4, p. 582.

M. de la Villemarque, of the French Institute, has published a most interresting article on the Poetry of the Celtic Cloisters. It appeared in the November number of Le Correspondant for 1863. 1 B

and science among the pupils of our early schools. When the Celt became a Christian and a monk, his love of numbers still remained, and his conceptions becoming spiritualised by the aspirations after perfection, which he daily breathed heavenward, poetic inspiration was the happy result. Study, with manual labour, divided cloistral occupations, and through study this inspiration became fruitful. The saints of Ireland, intent only on making their disciples spiritual men, one day found to their surprise they had created poets. The genius of these poets was varied, as the crowd of strangers that thronged the schools. Their compositions may be reduced under the heads of didactic poetry, lyrical poetry, Amras or panegyrics, legends strictly so called, Felires or Festologies, visions, and navigations or voyages. All these have their special features of interest and edification. However, owing to various causes, facts were now and then changed into fictions. But M. de la Villemarque is far from agreeing with those, who consider romances regarding the saints as worthless. According to him, the portraits of saints simply underwent the fate of all heroes belonging to early ages; and yet, between the sacred and profane legends there exists a great difference. In what profane legend do we ever find an express caution to the reader, that, beside the literal and historical sense, there is also a spiritual meaning to be drawn from the narrative? That delicate and sound morality which marks the legends of the Breton and Irish saints, has been specially dwelt on by a modern critic. For freshness, richness of invention, and national characteristics, no church has aught to compare with them. And all Celtic scholars will acknowledge this high degree of praise to be fully deserved.

Accounts which are given respecting the miracles and sanctity of Engus, and the evidences of his learning that yet remain, are more than equalled by that profound humility which led him to form a most abject opinion regarding his own deserts. The manner in which he renounced this world and the applause of mankind, must deserve unbounded admiration, although it may fail to induce the imitation of all professing Christians. His mind was replenished with heavenly graces, and he was favoured with celestial visions. He combined the rare gifts of profound wisdom and singular zeal, in all his

M. de la Villemarque shows that Dante fully realized this double nature of the ancient legends.

"Ye of intellect,

Sound and entire, mark well the lore conceal'd
Under close texture of the mystic strain".

Inferno, IX., 62.- Cary's Transl.

actions and affections; while it would be a difficult question to decide, whether his virtues were greater than his miracles in sight of God and man. One thing, however, is certain, that the nobility of his descent was more than surpassed by the lustre of his virtues.

II.-St. Engus retires to Dysart Enos.-His austerities.- Reputation for sanctity.—He visits the Church of Coolbanagher.— A vision of angels.-The purpose it evoked.

A

Some six or seven miles from Clonenagh, Engus had built a cell for himself. Thither he frequently retired, to put in practice, unknown and unnoticed, those rigorous observances which he followed. The locality of this cell hence derived its name, Dysartenos, or the desert of Engus, which it yet retains. broken range of limestone hills, of romantic and rugged outline, probably suggested to him the idea of its suitableness as a place for seclusion and retreat. At the present day, the scenes of his retirement present an aspect of solitude and grandeur, the effect of which must have been considerably heightened in that early age. An extensive tract of morass and bog now intervenes between the ruins of Clonenagh's old monastery and Dysart

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1 That he built a cell for himself at Dysart Enos may be inferred, not only from the expression of Colgan, "coluit eremum", but also from a statement that he recited the first fifty psalms "in oratorio", and the second fifty, "sub diu juxta proceram arborem oratorio adjacentem". See Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae, xi. Martii, Vita S. Aengussi, cap. iii. p. 579.

2 The anonymous scholiast, already mentioned, calls it Disert Enguis: and the other Engus, who wrote our saint's eulogy, writes it down as DisertBethech. He likewise indicates that it lay very near to Clonenagh. Colgan adds, "vel forte ab ipso non esse diversum, in quatenus ait in S. Engussium esse in jam memorato deserto (et non addit quod non in Cluain-edhneach), et educatum et sepultum". Wherefore, Colgan thinks the Desert in question was identical with Cluain-edneach, or at least that Engus perchance died and had been buried in the place first named. Our annals certainly show that a Desertum Engussii differed from Cluain-edhneach. These record that Conn, son of Maelpadraig, Archinnech of Disert-Oenghusa and of Mungairit, died A.D. 1033. See Colgan's Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae, xi. Martii, n. 6, p. 582; and O'Donovan's Annals of the Four Masters, vol. ii. pp. 826, 827. In a note (y) ibid., I am certain, Dr. O'Donovan fell into an error, by identifying the latter Disert-Aengusa with Dysart-Enos, in the Queen's county. I feel satisfied the Disert-Aengussa and Mungairit, already named, were both situated within the present county of Limerick. The former lay near Ballingarry, and the latter near Limerick city.

3 Near the Dysart Hills, lies a beautiful demesne called Lamberton Park. Here, during the Wizard of the North's tour through Ireland in 1825, he was hospitably entertained by a former proprietor, the Right Hon. Judge Moore, as may be seen, by consulting Lockhart's Life of Sir Walter Scott, chap. lxiii. What Lockhart forgets to state, however, is yet traditionally remembered in this neighbourhood. Sir Walter is said to have expressed himself, as being highly gratified by the scenic beauty of all this surrounding locality; and it must be allowed, few persons had truer perceptions of taste and judgment, in reference to such matters.