PERIOD THE SECOND. S. PATRICK, AND THE FIRST ORDER OF IRISH SAINTS, a.d. 440(?)-543. [A.D. 440. Probable date of the mission to Ireland of S. Patrick: (who is described by himself as "Hiberione constitutus Episcopus" [Conf. S. Patric.], and by a contemporary as "Episcopus Scotorum" [Title of S. Sechnall's Hymn]; then as Archipostulus Scotorum" [Ann. Ult.]; but, in later times, as " 'Ab Eireann uile,” Abbat of all Ireland [Flann of Monasterboyce, ob. A.D. 1066, IV. Mag. in an. 432], and as "Airdeaspuc, Ceitt Priomaid, Ardapstol Ereann,” Archbishop, First Primate, and chief Apostle of Ireland [IV. Mag, in an. 493].) A.D. 445. Alleged date of the foundation of Armagh (Ann. Ult.—A.D. 457, IV. Mag.). A.D. 448. Death of S. Sechnall, or Secundinus, of Domhnach Sechnall or Dunshaughlin, co. Meath (Ann. Ult.), who “primus Episcopus sub humo Hiberniæ exivit" (V. S. Declan.). After A.D. 448. S. Fiacc made Bishop of Sletty (Queen's County). A.D. 460. Death of Auxilius (of Killossy, co. Kildare); A.D. 468, of Benignus (of c. A.D. 480. Nunnery founded at Kildare by S. Brigit. A.D. 493. "Patricius archipostulus Scotorum quievit” (Ann. Ult., so also IV. Mag.). A.D. 500. Death of S. Ibar, of Begerin, co. Wexford (Ann. Ult., &c.). A.D. 523, 5, or 7. Death of S. Brigit (Ann. Ult., IV. Mag.). A.D. 530. Clonard founded by S. Finnian of Clonard (co. Meath). A.D. 534 (535) or 536 (537). "Dormitatio Moctai" (of Louth) “discipuli Patricii" (Ann. Tigb., Ult.). A.D. 540. Maghbile (Moville, co. Down) founded by S. Finnian of Maghbile.] These dates are of course not given as more than conjectural and near the truth. Both Tillemont and Todd select A.D. 440 for S. Patrick's mission, as being at a reasonable interval after the certain date of Palladius, A.D. 431, besides its agreement with all the evidence, except the unhistorical statement of S. Patrick's own mission by Celestine. The other dates also in the above list are uncertain, being variously given in the different Annals. [CONFESSIO S. PATRICII.] 3 6 INCIPIUNT LIBRI SANCTI PATRICII a. [1. Shortly before A.D. 493 (?). INCIPIT CONFESSIO S. PATRICII.] 1. Ego Patricius, peccator rusticissimus et minimus omnium fidelium et 'contemptibilis sum' apud plurimos. Patrem habui Calpornum diaconum, filium quendam Potiti filii Odissi' presbyteri qui fuit vico Bannauem Taberniæ, villulam enim prope habuit, ubi ego capturam dedi.' Annorum eram tunc fere xui: Deum verum ignorabam, et Hyberione "in captiuitate adductus sum' cum tot 1milia hominum, secundum merita nostra quia a Deo recessimus, et precepta Eius non custodiuimus, et sacerdotibus nostris 13 non 9 1 contemptibilissimus, C.F.F.B. C.F.F.B. quondam, C.F1.F.B. margin of the Book of Armagh. 10 2 Calpornium, C.F,.B. Calpurnium, F1. 3 diaconem, om. C.F.F.B. The two words are added in the in, add. C.F.; e, add. F1.B. 7 Banauem, C.F1.F.; in capturam decidi, correxit B. 10 enim, add. C.F1.F.B. 12 milib, F. (on erasure); millibus, B. 13 inobedientes, C.F,.F.B. villam, F,F,.B. a The text of the Confessio is taken from the Book of Armagh, fol. 22 a. a, sq.: with various readings and additions from three other MSS., Cott. MS. Nero E. I. fol. 167, sq. (C.), Fell MSS. Bodl. vol. I. fol. 7 a-11 b (F1), and vol. III. fol. 158 a-164 a (F,), both of which were formerly in the library of Sarum Cathedral; and from the Acta SS., March 17, vol. II. pp. 533, sq., which follows a fourth MS., then at S. Vedast's at Noialle near Arras (B). Of these five MSS., that in the Book of Armagh was transcribed before A.D. 807, from a MS. alleged to have been written by S. Patrick himself, and at that time difficult to decipher, probably from its antiquity (so far the MS. itself states, and see for the date, Dean Graves in the Trans. of Royal Irish Academy, III. 316; Petrie, Essay on Tara, p. 107; Todd's S. Patrick, pp. 288, 346-349; Dr. Reeves, Eccl. Antiq. of Down, &c., p. 224). was also written at Armagh itself. It has therefore the strongest external evidence to the genuineness of its text. It is also marked unmistakeably by the peculiarities of early Irish Latin. On the other hand, its marginal notes, indicating uncertainty and incompleteness (see below, note 6 on p. 297), and the phrases et cetera, et reliqua, which occur in some places of it, point to its being an abridgment of the original (as Dean Graves seems rightly to argue), and also to its having a text more or less corrupt. And this is confirmed by the fact, that in the other four MSS., long passages occur in the later half It of the tract, and almost equal in length to the remainder of it, which are not in the Book of Armagh, yet bear no sign of want of genuineness, and are in sense hardly separable from the context. The text, however, of these MSS., especially that of B, has been improved in grammar, while all four, but especially C, F., and F, (of which the last is corrected throughout by a better Latinist than its original scribe), present independent copies of the same original; and that both more correct in language, and fuller, than the Armagh text. These three are of the 11th century. The title above given is from the Cotton MS. The tract was first printed in Sir J. Ware's Opuscula S. Patricio Ascripta in 1656, from the first four of the above-mentioned MSS.; next, in the Actt. SS. (as above) in 1668, from the S. Vedast MS.; then by O'Conor, Rer. Hib. Scriptt. I. cvii. in 1814, from the Cotton MS., corrected by the Book of Armagh; by Sir W. Betham, Irish Antiq. Researches, P. II. in 1827, from the Book of Armagh, but inaccurately; and by Villanueva, Opusc. S. Patricii, p. 184, in 1835, from the Actt. SS. It is also in Migne's Patrologia. The Bollandists "improve" S. Patrick's Creed, as well as his Latin, by inserting the Homoousion into it, which is absent in all the other MSS. (it is, however, in S. Sechnall's Hymn, 1. 88, below p. 326), besides other minor alterations. Several unimportant corrections of mere spelling in F,.F.. have been left unnoticed in the various readings. 5 16 [CONFESSIO S. PATRICII.] 3 8 6 4 oboedientes' fuimus, qui nostram salutem admonebant. Et Dominus induxit super nos iram 'animationis Suæ, et dispersit nos in gentibus multis, etiam usque ad ultimum terræ, ubi nunc paruitas mea esse videtur inter alenigenas; et ibi Dominus aperuit sensum incredulitatis meæ, ut vel serorem orarem dilicta' mea, et ut confirmarem toto corde ad Dominum meum, Qui respexit humilitatem meam, et missertus est adoliscentiæ ignorantiæ meæ,' 'et custodiuit me, antequam 10 scirem Eum, et antequam' saperem vel distinguerem inter bonum et malum, et "muniuit me et 12 consulatus est 13 mei, ut pater filium. Unde 14 autem tacere non possum, neque expedit 15 quidem, tanta beneficia et tantam gratiam, quam mihi dignatus" in terra captiuitatis meæ: quia hæc est retributio nostra, ut post 18 correptionem vel agnitionem 19 Dei 20 exaltare, et confiteri mirabilia Eius coram omni natione, quæ 22 est sub omni caelo. 23 Quia non' est alius Deus, nec umquam fuit, nec ante,' nec erit post hunc, præter 25 Deum, Patrem ingenitum, sine principio, a Quo est omne principium; omnia tenentem, ut " dicimus : et 28 Eius Filium Jesum Christum, 2 Qui cum Patre scilicet 30 semper fuisse testamur' ante originem saeculi spiritualiter apud Patrem, 31 inerrabiliter genitum ante omne principium, et per Ipsum facta sunt vissibilia ; 34 hominem 35 factum morte devicta' in cælis 57; et dedit Illi omnem potestatem super omne nomen cælestium 38 et terrestrium et infernorum, 39 et omnis lingua confiteatur "Ei quia Dominus "et Deus est Jesus Christus b: Quem credimus, et expectamus aduentum, 12 mox 3 futurum iudex viuorum atque mortuorum, 21 33 42 == 29 44 26 36 1 indignationis, F, F,.B. (C. om. iram i. S., et d. nos). v. e., C.F.F.B. 3 alienigenas, C.F.B.; alienienas, F1. ubi, C.F.F.B. sensus cordis mei incredulitatis, C.F.; sensus c. mee i., F.; sensum incredulitatis c. mei, B. sero rememorarem delicta, C.F,.F.B. (A mark in the margin of the Book of Armagh, notes this passage as difficult to decipher. Dr. Graves supposes it to stand for $, = SNTEîte. There is another mark also attached to some passages, indicating omission, viz. ..= dele). conuerterer, C.F,.F.; me conuerterem ex, B. adulescentie mee et ignorantie, C.F.F.; adolescentiæ et ignorantiæ meæ, B. 12 consolatus, C.F.F,.B. 13 16 Dominus prestare, add. C.F,.F.B. 19 Domini, C. 20 exaltaremur, C.F,.F.B. C.F.F.B. 22 sub celo est, B. 23 Non enim, B. 24/ om. C.F.F3. 25 Dominum, B. imus, F1. 28 Huius, C.F.F3. 27 dix 26/ o. tenens, F. B. om. from omnia to ante omne principium, by an homœoteleuton. 29 Quem, C.F.F3. 30 f. s. t., C.F.F3. 31 inenarrabiliter, 33 et inuisibilia, add. C.F.F.; et inuisibilia, Qui Filium sibi 34 Homo, F.; Hominum, C. 35 factus, F1. C.F.F. 32 om. C.F.F.B. consubstantialem genuit, add. B. C.F.F.; et victa morte, B. 36' d. m., 37 ad Patrem receptum, add. C.F.B.; ad P. receptus, add. F1. 40 Ei, om. C.F.F.B. 41' Jesus Christus in gloria est Dei Ipsius, add. C.F.F.B. 48 futurus, F3. (on erasure). 44 iudicem, B. b Phil. ii. 9-11 (not Vulg.). See, for these quotations from the Bible, above in vol. i. pp. 180, 181. [CONFESSIO S. PATRICII.] 8 12 Qui reddet unicuique secundum facta sua: et effudit in uobis habunde Spiritum Sanctum' donum et pignus immortalitatis; Qui facit credentes ac oboedientes ut sint filij Dei et coheredes Christi', Quem confitemur et adoramus unum Deum' in Trinitate sacri nominis: Ipse enim dixit per Prophetam, «Inuoca Me in die tribulationis tuæ, et liberabo te, et magnificabis Me." Et iterum inquit: "Opera autem Dei reuelare et confiteri honorificum est d." Tamen, et si in multis inperfectus sum, opto fratribus et cognatis meis' scire qualitatem meam, ut possint perficere votum animæ meæ. Non 10 ignoro testimonium Domini mei, Qui in Psalmo testatur: "Perdes "eos qui loquntur mendaciume." Et iterum inquit: "Os quod mentitur occidit animam f." Et idem Dominus 18: "Verbum otiossum quod locuti fuerint homines, reddent 14 rationem de eo' in die iudicii ." Unde 15 autem vehimenter' cum timore et tremore metuere hanc sententiam in die illa, ubi nemo se poterit subtrahere vel abscondere; sed omnes omnino reddituri sumus rationem etiam minimorum peccatorum 10 ante tribunal 17 Domini Christi. Quapropter ollim cogitaui scribere, sed 18 et usque nunc hessitaui: timui enim ne 19 incederem in' linguam hominum : quia non dedici' sicut caeteri, qui optime "itaque jure et sacras literas utroque pari modo combiberunt' et sermones illorum' ex infantia numquam motarunt; sed magis ad perfectum semper addiderunt: nam sermo et " loquela mea translata est in linguam alienam. 20 Sicut facile potest probari "exaliue scripturæ meæ qualiter 28 sum ego' in sermonibus instructus atque eruditus: quia, inquit Sapiens, "Per linguam dignoscetur et sensus, et scientia, et doctrina" veritatish." Sed quid prodest excussatio iuxta veritatem, præsertim cum præsumptione, quatinus modo ipse adpeto 1 infudit, C.F,.F.B. Christi, C.F.F.; Patris, B. 28 2/ 24 20 25 33 "Spiritus Sancti, C.F.F.B. 16 22 17 11 om. 3 et, C.F.F3. 4' Patris et c. u. D. a., B. 6 sacrosancti, B. 7 Inuocabis, B. fratres et cognatos meos. C.F.F. 9 perspicere, C.F1.F.B. 10 enim, add. B. C.; eos omnes, B. And F.F. om. inquit in the next line. 12 isdem, C.F.. 13 in Euangelio inquit, add. C.F.F.B. 147 15/ pro eo rationem, C.F,.F. autem uehementer debueram, C.F1.F.; ego deberem uehementer, B. nostrorum, add. B. 17' Christi D., C.F,.F.; Domini nostri Iesu Christi, B. om. C.F.F.B. 19' incederem, C.F.F.; inciderem in, B. 20, et quia non legi, C.F.; et qui legi, F.; quia non legi, B. 21 i. iure et s. 1. utraque p. m. cumbiberunt, C.Fi.F. (but with combiberunt in F. on erasure); sacris litteris sunt imbuti, B.Incertus liber hic, add. in marg. of Bk. of Armagh. 22/ sermonem illorum, C.F.F.; studium suum, B. 23 mutauerunt, C.F,.F.B. nostra, C.F.F,.B. 26 sed, B. 31 uarietatis, 18 27 ex saliua, C.F.F.B. C.F.F. 32 om. C.F1.F.B. c Ps. 1. 15. d Tobias xii. 7. e Ps. v. 6. 11 1 [CONFESSIO S. PATRICII.] 21 22 8 26 in senectute mea, quod in iuuentute' non comparaui; 2 quod obstiterunt vt confirmarem, quod ante perlegeram; sed si quis me 7credidit? Et si dixero, quod ante præfatus sum; adoliscens, immo pene puer inuerbis, capturam dedi, antequam scirem quid 10 peterem vel quid' " adpeterem vel quid vitare debueram. Unde 12 ergo hodie erubesco et vehimenter 13 pertimeo denudare imperitiam meam, quia "non deeritis' breuitate 15 sermone explicare 16 nequeo, sicut enim spiritus "gestit et 18 animas, et sensus 19 monstrat adfectus: sed si 20 itaque datum mihi' fuisset sicut et caeteris; verum tamen non silerem, propter retributionem. Et, si forte videtur apud aliquantos me in hoc præponere cum mea inscientia et tardiori 23 lingua, 24 sicut scriptum est 25, "Linguæ balbutientes velociter discent loqui' pacemi" quanto magis "nos adpetere debemus, qui sumus 28 nos aepistola Christi 29 in salutem' usque ad ultimum terræ, et si non deserta, sed 31ratum fortissimum scriptum' in cordibus 32 vestris, non atramento sed Spiritu Dei viui1; et iterum Spiritus testatur, et's Rusticationem ab Altissimo creata est m❞ 5 Unde 36 ego primus rusticus,' profuga, indoctus scilicet, qui nescio' in posterum prouidere. Sed illud scio' certissime, quia vtique, priusquam humiliarer, ego eram velut lapis, qui iacet in luto profundo, et venit Qui potens est, et in Sua missericordia sustulit me: et quidem scilicet sursum adleuauit, et collocauit me in "sua parte.' Et inde fortiter debueram exclamare ad retribuendam quoque aliquid Domino pro tantis beneficijs Eius, hic et in aeternum, quæ mens hominum æstimare non potest. Unde autem ammiramini, "magni et pusilli ", et vos " dominicati qui timetis Deum, rethorici : 40 $8 43 31 45 46 12 33 1' om. C. quia o., C.F.F.; and F.F,. add. peccata mea; o. enim, B. 3 quodque, C.F,.F3. 4 5 non, add. C.F.F.B. om. C.F.F,.B. 6 mihi, B. 7 credit, C.F.F.B. aduliscens, C.; adhuliscens, F.; adolescens, F.B. 9 (= imberbis); in uerbis, B. C.F.F.B. 11 adpetere, B. ego, B. 13 pertimesco, B. deeritis, in the Arm. MS.; disertis, F.; desertis, C.F.; diserti, B. B. 16 non possum, B. 17 gessit, C.F.Fs. 18 animus, om. F. non possim dễ 15 sermonis, F. (on erasure), C.F1.F.B. 19 monstrare, 22 inscitia, C. 23 lingue, C.FI. 24 sed etiam, C.F1.F2. (om. B.). 25 enim, add. C.F1.F.B. 26/ 1. d., B. 27 non, B. 28 inquit, C.; inquid, F.F.; om. B. C.F.; rata et fortissima scripta, F.; B bas scripta only, but with a blank preceding it. 32 nostris, C.F.F. $3/ om. B. 36/ 35 94 Rusticitatio, C.F.; Rusticatio, F.B. teste eodem ego p. rusticius, C..F.; ergo p. r., F.; ego primum rusticus, B. 38 præuidere, B. S9' scio illud, C.F.F.; illud, B. (om. scio). 10 veniens in the Arm. MS., with t under the i. 42 summo pariete, C.F.F. B. retribuendum, 43 humana, B. itaque, add. F1.F. qui timetis Dominum, add. Spiritu Dei uiui, add. B. $7 qui scilicet nescit, B. F2. (on erasure), B. C.B.; q. t. Deum, F1.F3. 46' domini ignari nethorici, C.F.; d. i. rethorici, F.; d. i. rhetorici, B. i Isai. xxxii. 4. k Acts xiii. 47. 1 2 Cor. iii. 2, 3. m Ecclus. vii. 15. |