Ancient lives of Scottish saints

Front matter

ie Awe es ae nd te a a an

Stas as"

= Sree e

Contents

PAGE INTRODUCTION, - - - . - ix, S. NINIAN BY AILRED OF RIEVAUX, - . I S. COLUMBA BY CUIMINE THE FAIR,_~— - - 29 S. COLUMBA BY ADAMNAN, - : . 46 S. KENTIGERN BY JOCELIN, A MONK OF FURNESS, 175 S. SERVANUS, - - - - - 281 S. MARGARET, QUEEN OF SCOTLAND, BY TURGOT, 295 S. MAGNUS, - - - - - 323 INDEX, - - : - - : 307 ERRATA.

Page 51, line 11 from bottom, for ‘‘ thing” read ‘‘ things.”

pea teret 5 6 a », ‘‘of hewn,” etc., read ‘* hewn out of pine and oak trees.”

Prologue

M ANY wise men of the past have endeavoured to commit

to writing the words, manners, and lives of the Saints, more especially of those who were illustrious in their own day, in order to preserve the example of their more perfect life from oblivion, and perpetuate their memory for the edification of posterity. Those who were distinguished by their ability, copious diction and splendid eloquence did this the more profitably in proportion as they gratified the ears of their hearers with the charms of a graceful style. And even those from whom, by reason of the barbarism in which they lived, the faculty of writing ina graceful and elegant manner was withheld, did not fail, though in a more simple style, to communicate to posterity some account of those who ought to be imitated. Hence it is, that the life of the most holy Ninian, commended to us by the sanctity of his ways and his well-known miracles, was obscured by a barbarous language, and the less it pleased the reader the less it edified him. It has therefore pleased your reverence to lay upon me, insignificant though I am, the task of rescuing the life of this most renowned man, written truthfully enough by my predecessors, but in too barbarous a style, from a rustic dialect, as from darkness, and of bringing it forth into the clear light of the Latin tongue. I esteem your devotion, approve your desire, and applaud your zeal; but I am conscious of my inability, and fear I may only strip him of the coarse garment in which he has hitherto been hid, and not be able to array him in a more comely garb.

But since I am unable to refuse that which you enjoin, I shall endeavour to obey your command, preferring that you should deem me incompetent rather than obstinate. For it may be that what incompetence denies, your faith will supply, your prayer obtain, your sanctity secure. He also, for whose honour and love you desire me to do this work, will himself assist your pious vows and aspirations, and aid me in my study and endeavour. Moreover, by his merits you trust that there may be given to me the tongue of the learned and facility of speech. To this must be added your assurance that the clergy and people of your holy Church, who are moved with great affection for this holy one of God, and live beneath his protection, will receive with the greatest reverence whatever I may write, because, as you say, they have unanimously desired that you should assign this work to me. Therefore that which you lay upon me, I undertake, moved indeed by your prayers, but animated by faith; and as far as He who maketh the the tongues of infants eloquent will deign to aid me, I shall endeavour so to temper my style that no offensive rudeness may obscure so high a theme, and that the simplicity of those who are unacquainted with the profuseness of rhetoric may not be defrauded of the desired fruit of my labour by a prolixity of speech more wearisome than eloquent. May the grace of the Saviour breathe upon the undertaking now begun ; may He who bestows upon His Saint the virtues whereby he is deemed meet to be held in everlasting remembrance, make us who record them worthy ; may He render unto us the reward of our labour, that in the way by which we hasten to our fatherland, his prayer may always be with us: and in the hour of our departure, when we look for the end of the way and the beginning of life, may his consolation be near us, and — for the sake of his holy merits may we attain at last to the eternal reward of the good things in heaven.

Preface

Lestimony of Bede Concerning Ninian, with the Observations of Aitred.

THE glorious life of the most holy Ninian is commended to us by that same divine authority which from the beginning is acknowledged to have made the holy patriarch Abraham the father of many nations and a prince of the faith predestinated from of old by such an oracle as this: “Get thee out from thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house unto a land that I will show thee, and I will make of thee a creat nation.” In like manner the most blessed Ninian, having left the country and home of his father, learned in a foreign land that which he afterwards taught in his own, and was set by the ‘Lord over nations and kingdoms, to overthrow and destroy, to plant and to build. Of this most blessed man, when commending to us in the fewest words the sacred beginnings of his life and the signs of his holiness, the dignity of his office and the fruit of his ministry, his most excellent end and the reward of his labour, the Venerable Bede, in his Ecclesiastical History of his own nation, writes as follows: “In the year of the Incarnation of our Lord, 565, at the time when Justin the Less had, after Justinian, received the government of the Roman Empire, there came to Britain from Ireland a presbyter and abbot, remarkable for his habit and rule, by name Columba, to preach the Word of God in the provinces of the Northern Picts ; that is, to those who were separated from the Southern regions by lofty and rugged mountains. For the southern Picts, who have their dwellings among the same mountains, had long before abandoned the error of idolatry and received the faith in the truth at the preaching of the Word by Ninian, a most reverend bishop and a most holy man, of the nation of the Britons, who had been regularly instructed at Rome in the faith and mysteries of the truth, the seat of whose bishopric, dedicated to the Bishop S. Martin, and a remarkable church, where he rests in the body with many saints, is now in the possession of the nation of the Angles. That place which belongs to the province of the Bernicii, is commonly called Ad Candidam Casam (At the White House), because he there built a church of stone, a thing unusual among the Britons.” What Bede here briefly narrates, I will now (God willing) more fully set forth.

On the trustworthy authority of so great a writer, we are informed : first, as to the origin of this man, inasmuch as he states that he was of the race of the Britons and was instructed in the rules of faith in the Holy Roman Church; secondly, as to his office, because he declares that he was a bishop and a preacher of the Word of God ; thirdly, as to the fruit of his labours, because he proves that by his labours the Southern Picts were converted from idolatry to the true faith; and finally, as to his end, inasmuch as he testifies that he rests along with many saints in the Church of S. Martin. But what the Venerable Bede here, as the character of his History seemed to require, appears to have touched upon but briefly, a book of the Life and Miracles of S. Ninian, written in a barbarous tongue, sets forth in greater detail ; which book, never varying from the foundation of this testimony, has recorded after the manner of history, the way in which he made a beginning, how he merited such fruit, and how he attained so worthy an end.

GHAPRTER A: Birth and Education of Ninian.

BLESSED NINIAN was born in an island, which is said to have received its name of Britain from Brutus, among a people of the same name, and of a not ignoble family, The district in which he is supposed to have been born, is on the western side of the island, where the ocean, stretching out as an arm, and making, as it were, on either side two angles, divides the Kingdom of the Scots from the Kingdom of the Angles. This region, until the most recent times, belonged to the Angles, as is proved not only by the records of history but also by the actual memory of individuals, and had a King of its own. S. Ninian’s father was a King and by religion a Christian. He was of such faith and merit towards God that he was deemed worthy to have an offspring by whom the things lacking in the faith of his people might be supplied, and by whom a nation of another race, who knew not the sacraments of the faith, might be imbued with the mysteries of our holy religion. Even in his infancy Ninian, being born again by the water of holy baptism, preserved the nuptial robe which he received when clad in white, immaculate, and a conqueror of vices presented it in the presence of Christ. That Holy Spirit whom he first received for his purification, he merited by his most holy life to retain as the enlightener of his holy heart. For while yet a boy, though not with the thoughts of a boy, whatever was contrary to religion, adverse to chastity, opposed to good manners, or at variance with the laws of truth, he, through His guidance, shunned. But whatsoever was of the law of grace, or of good report, whatsoever was of use to man, or acceptable before God, he did not cease to follow with a mind already matured. Happy was he whose delight was in the law of the Lord day and night, who, as a tree planted by rivers of water, brought forth his fruit in due season, when in the vigour of manhood, he strenuously fulfilled that which he had learned with the greatest zeal. His devotion towards the churches was wonderful; wonderful also was his love to the brethren. He was sparing in food, few in words, diligent in reading, and agreeable in manners; but jesting he avoided, and continually subjected the flesh to the spirit. Accordingly, directing his mind to the Holy Scriptures, when he had learned from certain of the more learned men of his own race the rules of Faith according to their way, the young man came, by reason of his quick intelligence, to understand, through the divine inspiration he had gathered from the Scriptures, that there were many things wanting to the perfection of these rules. At this his mind began to be troubled, and not enduring that he should be less than perfect, he was greatly afflicted and sighed; “his heart was hot within him, and while he mused the fire burned.”

g LIFE OF

“ And what,” he said, “what shall Ido? In mine own land I have sought Him whom my soul loveth, and have found Him not. I will arise and compass sea and land ; I will seek the truth which my soul loveth. Surely it needeth such toil as this? Was it not said to Peter: ‘Thou art Peter, and on this rock will I build my Church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it?’ Therefore, in the faith of Peter there is nothing wanting, nothing obscure, nothing imperfect, nothing against which false doctrine, nor perverse opinions, any more than the gates of Hell, can prevail. And where is the faith of Peter but in the See of Peter? Thither, thither must I go, that going out from my country, and from my kindred, and from my father’s house, I may be deemed meet in the land of vision to behold the will of the Lord, and to be sheltered in His temple. The false prosperity of the age smiles upon me, the vanity of the world entices me, the love of kindred allures me, toil and the weariness of the flesh deter me. ‘But he who loveth father and mother more than me,’ saith the Lord, ‘is not worthy of me.’ ‘ And he who taketh not up his cross and followeth me is not worthy of me.’ I have learned, moreover, that they who despise the royal court shall attain to the kingdom of heaven.” Wherefore animated by the impulse of the Holy Spirit, spurning riches, and treading down all earthly affections, this noble youth set out on his pilgrimage, crossed the Britannic sea, and entering Italy by the Gallican Alps, arrived, after a prosperous journey, at the city of Rome.

Chapter II

fle arrives at Rome and is consecrated Bishop by the Pope. His Intercourse with §. Martin and his Return to his Native Land.

HAVING arrived at Rome, this most blessed young man, when he had shed tears, the signs of his devotion, before the sacred relics of the Apostles, and commended the desire of his heart with many prayers to their protection, presented himself before the Bishop of the Supreme See, by whom, when he had explained the reason of his journey, his devotion was accepted, and he himself received into the greatest affection and treated asason. Soon the Pope placed him under teachers of the truth, to be instructed in the disciplines of the faith and in the sound doctrines of Scripture. But the young man, full of God, observed that he had not laboured in vain, nor to no purpose; he learnt, also, that he and many of his countrymen had been imbued by unskilful teachers with many things contrary to sound doctrine, Therefore with all eagerness, with open mouth, receiving the word of God, like a bee, he formed for himself the honeycombs of wisdom by arguments drawn from the opinions of different teachers, as from flowers of many kinds, And hiding them in the recesses of his heart, he preserved them to be inwardly digested, and afterwards brought forward for the instruction of his own inner man, and for the comfort of many others. Truly, it was a worthy recompense, that he who for love of truth despised country, wealth, and pleasures, brought, as I may say, into the secret chambers of the truth and admitted to the very treasuries of wisdom and knowledge, should receive for things carnal things spiritual, for things earthly things heavenly, and for benefits temporal eternal blessings. Meantime, being spoken of by all as chaste in body, prudent in mind, sagacious in counsel, and circumspect in every word and deed, it came to pass that he rose to the favour and friendship of the Supreme Pontiff himself. Accordingly, having lived after a praiseworthy manner for many years in the City, and having been sufficiently instructed in the Sacred Scriptures, he attained to the height of virtue, and, borne on the wings of love, was raised to the contemplation of celestial things. Then the Roman Pontiff hearing that some in the western parts of Britain had not yet received the faith of our Saviour, and that others had heard the word of the Gospel either from heretics or from men insufficiently acquainted with the law of God, and moved by the Spirit of God, did, with his own hands, consecrate the said man of God to the Episcopate, and, having bestowed upon

10 UO Ge nei Deals © Ri him his benediction, appointed him an Apostle to the promised people.

There flourished at this time the most blessed Martin Bishop of the city of Tours, whose life, resplendent with miracles, and already described by that most learned and holy man, Sulpicius, had illumined the whole world. When returning, therefore, from the city, Ninian, full of the Spirit of God, was touched with the desire of seeing him, and turned aside to the city of Tours. With what joy, devotion, and affection he was received, who shall easily tell? For verily by grace, as of prophetic illumination, the virtue of the new Bishop was not hid from the holy Bishop of Tours. God having revealed it to him, he knew that he was sanctified by the Spirit, and was about to be set forth for the salvation of many. These pillars in the tabernacle of the Lord are joined together, and the two cherubim, expanding their wings, touch each other ; sometimes raised on the wings of virtue they soar to God ; sometimes standing and folding their wings, they edify one another. But withdrawing from these exalted things to what is earthly, the blessed Ninian desired of the Saint masons, saying that, as in faith so also in the manner of constructing churches and in the ordering of ecclesiastical institutions, he proposed to himself to imitate the holy Roman Church. The most blessed man yielded to his request ; and so, satisfied with their mutual intercourse as with heavenly feasts, after embraces and kisses, and tears shed by each, S. Martin remained in his own see, and Ninian hastendd, with Christ as his leader, to the work whereto he was sent by the Spirit. On reaching his own country a great multitude of the people went out to meet him. Great was the joy of all, wonderful the devotion ; everywhere resounded the praise df Christ, for all regarded him as a prophet. Straightway this diligent husbandman, having entered upon the field of his ord, began to root out that which had been wrongly planted, to scatter that which had been wrongly collected, and to destroy that which had been wrongly built, Then, the minds of the faithful being purged of every error, he began to lay in them the foundations of the true faith, building thereon the

NINIAN. II gold of wisdom, and the silver of knowledge, and the stones of good works ; and all the things requiring to be done by the faithful, he both taught by word and illustrated by examples, and likewise confirmed with many and great miracles,

COAPTEREITE The Foundation of the Church of Whithorn.

HE chose a site for himself in the place which is now called Whithorn. This place is situated on the shore of the ocean, and, running far out into the sea, is enclosed by the sea itself on the east, west, and south, the way being open to those who would approach it only on the north. Here, therefore, by the command of the man of God, the masons, whom he had brought with him, built a church, before which, they say, no other had been built in Britain of stone. And, inasmuch as he learned that the most holy Martin, whom he always venerated with wondrous affection, had now passed away from the earth to the heavens, he was careful to dedicate it to his honour.

CHAPTER IV. fle Heals and Converts King Tudvallus.

THEREFORE this light set upon a candlestick began to shine forth with heavenly signs, and with the radiant flames of virtue, upon those who were in the house of God, to enlighten darkened minds with the clear and burning word of the Lord, © and to kindle those who were cold in heart. There was a certain king in that region (for the whole island was divided and subject to divers kings) by name Tudvallus, whom riches, power and honour had excited to pride; for the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes, and the riches of the world, incite to pride and haughtiness, inasmuch as the more anyone has, the more he thinks he is able to do, and the

12 LTR ENO more he believes is permitted to him. This man, despising the warnings of the man of God, both depreciated his doctrines and manners in secret and opposed his sound teaching to his face, so that the earth seemed rejected and nigh to being accursed, seeing that, though often drinking in the rain which came upon it, it brought forth thorns and thistles, and not wholesome herbs. But on a certain occasion when he had troubled the man of God more than usual, the Heavenly Judge suffered the injury of his servant to go unavenged no longer, but struck the haughty one on the head with an intolerable disease, and broke the crown of the head of him who was walking in his sins. And so much did his sickness increase that blindness suddenly darkened those proud eyes, and he who had fought against the light of truth, lost the light of the body ; but not in vain nor to the increase of his folly. For as the. wretched man lay oppressed with pain and deprived of sight, he was illumined within, though in darkness without, and when he came to himself, he confessed his sin, seeking a remedy from him alone whom he had always oppressed. At last, having summoned his kindred and taken their advice, since he was himself unable to go, being detained by his infirmity, he sent messengers to the man of God, beseeching him not to enter into judgment with his servant, neither to reward him according to his deeds, but, as an imitator of the Divine benignity, to return him good for evil, and love for hate. Hearing this, the most blessed man, not elated with human pride, but abounding, as always, in the bowels of compassion, having first prayed to God, went straight to the sick man with the greatest humility and devotion. At first he corrected him with gentle reproof, then he touched the head of the sick man with healing hand and impressed on the blind eyes the sign of: saving life. What more shall I say? Pain fled, blindness was driven away by the incoming light. And so it came to pass that sickness of the body cured the sickness of the soul, and the sickness of the body was expelled by the virtue which proceeded from the man of God. Healed therefore in both, in body and soul, the king began with all affection to revere and venerate the man of God, knowing by experience both that the

Lord was with him, directing all his ways and giving him power over every one who exalted himself against the knowledge of Christ, and that He would speedily avenge every act of disobedience and every injury done to the servants of Christ. If, therefore, this contemptuous and proud man, by the grace of humility and penitence was deemed meet to be healed by the most holy man, who shall doubt that he who with an unfeigned faith and a sincere and humble heart, implores the aid of so great a man for the healing of the wounds of his spirit, shall not also receive a speedy remedy through his holy merits? But let us now pass to other matters, which seem to be so much the greater in proportion as they are proved to be contrary to nature.

CHAPTER V. fie Vindicates the Innocence of a Presbyter accused of Violation.

IN the service of one of the noblemen there was a certain girl, who according to the sinful flesh, was of a beautiful countenance and goodly to look upon. There was also an unchaste youth who, when he had cast his eyes upon hers, was seized with a blind passion of love ; and, being unable to subdue the flame of the lust he had conceived, he began to urge her to consent to sin. At length, either by solicitation or gifts, he so wrought that she conceived sorrow and brought forth iniquity. The wretched woman yielded herself to the other’s lust, little thinking of the judgment of God, though hoping to escape the eyesofmen. But her crime was betrayed, and soon laughter was turned into weeping, joy into sorrow, pleasure into punishment. What could she do? Whither should she turn? The law, her parents, and her master were feared. Wherefore the unhappy woman made a covenant with death, and placed her hope in a lie, believing that she would appear less guilty if she said that she had been deceived or forced by some man of position. When therefore she was compelled by the elders to confess the name of her paramour, she laid the crime of her violation at the door of the presbyter to whom the bishop had entrusted the care of the parish. All who heard her confession were astonished to think that the crime should have been committed by a man in such a position, and absolved her. Accordingly the good were scandalized, the evil-disposed made merry, the common people laughed, the sacred order was scoffed at by the impious, and sorrow seized the presbyter, whose reputation was assailed.

But the innocence of the priest was not hid from the beloved soldier of God, since it was revealed to him by the Spirit. Nevertheless he did not lightly bear the scandal which had befallen the Church and the injury done to holy religion. At length the days of the woman were accomplished that she should bring forth, and she brought forth a son, not, as was supposed, to the shame of the priest, but to that of the father and her shameless self. For when the bishop, having summoned the clergy and all the people to the church, had exhorted them in a sermon and laid his hands on those who had been baptized, this wanton woman, casting aside all shame, pushed herself forward along with those who belonged to her among the people, thrust the child into the face of the presbyter, and shouted in the ears of all the congregation, that he was the father of the child, her violator and deceiver. Clamour arose among the people ; among the good, shame; among the wicked, laughter; but the Saint commanding the people to be silent, directed the child, which was then but one night old, to be brought to him; and being inspired by the Spirit of God, fixed his eyes upon him, and said: “ Hearken, O child! in the name of Jesus Christ, say here, in the presence of the people, whether this presbyter begat thee.” O marvel! O worthy of all admiration! O the marvellous clemency of God! O the ineffable power of the Christian faith! Verily, to him that believeth, all things are possible! But what doI say? To the faith of Ninian what was not possible? Truly, nature yieldeth to faith, and age to virtue. And why should not nature yield to the Lord of Nature? Age was not needed for an instrument, nor teaching for an office, nor time for practice, but by the effectual working of faith the Divine Power made the tongue of the infant eloquent, and out of the mouth of a babe and suckling confounded the guilty, convicted the liar, and absolved the innocent. Accordingly, out of the body of an infant there proceeded the voice of man; an untaught tongue framed intelligent words, and stretching forth his right hand, the child singled out among the people his real father, saying : “ That is my father ; he begat me; he committed the crime which is laid against the priest. Of a truth, O bishop, thy presbyter is innocent of this offence; between him and me there is naught save community in the same nature.” This was enough. The child then became silent, to speak afterwards according to the law of nature and in the process of increasing years. Immediately there resound in the mouth of all thanksgiving and the voice of praise. All the people exulted with joy, seeing that a great prophet had arisen among them, and because God had visited his people.

CHAR LER VI. fle undertakes the Conversion of the Picts. He returns Home.

MEANWHILE the most blessed man, grieved that the devil, who had been driven out of the region beside the ocean, had found for himself a dwelling place in a corner of the island in the hearts of the Picts, girded himself as a strong wrestler to overthrow his kingdom, and put on, moreover, the shield of faith, the _ helmet of salvation, the breast-plate of charity, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Equipped with such arms and surrounded by a company of his holy brethren, as by a heavenly host, he invaded the empire of the strong man armed, to rescue from his power innumerable vessels of captivity. Wherefore going to the Southern Picts, among whom the error of the Gentiles still prevailed, compelling them to venerate and worship idols deaf and dumb, he preached the truth of the Gospel and the purity of the Christian Faith, the Lord working with him and confirming his word with signs following. The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the oppressed of the devil are delivered. A door is opened for the Word of God ; by the grace of the Holy Spirit faith is received, error abandoned, temples cast down, and churches built. To the font of the saving laver, rich and poor, young men and maidens, old and young, and mothers with their children hasten, and renouncing Satan with all his works and pomps, are joined to the body of the believers by faith, confession, and the sacraments. They give thanks to the most merciful God, that in the isles which are afar off he had revealed His name, sending to them a preacher of the truth, a lamp of salvation, and calling them His people which were not His people, and them beloved which were not beloved, and them as having obtained mercy which had not obtained mercy. Then the holy bishop began to ordain presbyters, to consecrate bishops, to distribute the other dignities of the ecclesiastical orders, and to divide the whole land into parishes with fixed bounds. Finally, having confirmed, in faith and good works, his children whom he had begotten in Christ, and having set in order all things which seemed to be necessary to the honour of God and for the salvation of souls, he bade farewell to the brethren, and returned to his own church, where in great tranquillity of soul, he spent a life perfect in all sanctity and glorious in miracles.