The Latin & Irish Lives of Ciaran Part 5

2. So when the horse of the son of the king of that territory died by accident, he saw in a vision a s.h.i.+ning man saying to him, "The holy boy Quiera.n.u.s who liveth among you, can quicken thy horse. Present him with a reward for the health of thy horse, and he shall resuscitate him." The royal youth, awakened from sleep, went to Quera.n.u.s, and prayed him on behalf of the horse. The holy boy, without delay, blessed water, and when he poured it into the mouth of the horse it was restored to its former health. And when the king saw what was done, he made over an excellent field as a reward to Saint Quiera.n.u.s.

IV. HOW CIARAN TURNED WATER INTO HONEY

3. At another time his mother upbraided him because, though the other boys collected honey for their mothers, he used to bring her no honey.

But hearkening humbly to his mother, he went to a neighbouring spring, and carrying thence a vessel full of water, he blessed it, and it was changed into excellent honey.

V. HOW CIARAN WAS DELIVERED FROM A HOUND

4. On a certain other day some men, spurred by a malignant spirit, incited a most savage dog to devour the holy man. But Kera.n.u.s trusting in the Lord, and fortifying himself with the buckler of prayer, said, "Deliver not the soul that trusteth in Thee unto beasts"; and soon the dog died.

IX. HOW CIARAN RESTORED A CALF WHICH A WOLF HAD DEVOURED

5. When at another time he was feeding the herds of his parents, as men are wont to do,[1] a cow brought forth a calf in his presence. But there came a hound consumed with leanness, seeking to fill his belly with what fell from the body of the mother along with the calf; and moved with compa.s.sion he said unto him, "Eat, poor wretch, yonder calf, for great is thy need of it." The hound fulfilled the commands of Kera.n.u.s, and ate the calf to the bones. As Kera.n.u.s returned home to the house of his parents with the herds, the cow, recalling the calf to memory, went running about lowing. The mother of Kera.n.u.s, recognising the cause of its lowing, said with indignation to the boy, "Restore the calf, Kera.n.u.s, even though it be burnt with fire or drowned in the sea." But he, obeying his mother, returned to the place where the calf had been devoured, collected the bones, and carried them with him and placed them before the mother [_father_, MS.], asking his G.o.d with diligence to hear his prayers for the resuscitation of the calf. And G.o.d hearkened to the holy one, and resuscitated the calf in the presence of his parents.

X. HOW CIARAN WAS DELIVERED FROM ROBBERS

6. At another time there came robbers to him when he was feeding the herds of his parents, wis.h.i.+ng to slay him, so that they might the more easily reave what they would. But G.o.d had regard to their attempt from on high, and so multiplied infirmities upon them that they turned in haste to G.o.d. For they were smitten with blindness, nor could they move hand or foot, till they wrought repentance, and were loosed by the merit of Saint Kera.n.u.s: recovering the light of their eyes and the vigour of their other members.

XIV. HOW CIARAN GAVE THE KING'S CAULDRON TO BEGGARS AND WAS ENSLAVED

7. It happened after this that he gave a cauldron belonging to the king, as he had nothing else to give to poor folk asking of him an alms. When the king heard what had been done, he was greatly enraged, and commanded his people to bring Saint Kera.n.u.s to him in bonds. When he was led to the king, he gave sentence that he should be reduced to servitude, and be set apart for grinding at the quern. But G.o.d, having regard to the humiliation of His servant, caused the mill to be moved of itself without human hand, and left Ciaran free to chant his Psalms. After a few days coppersmiths from the land of the Mumunienses brought three cooking-pots with them, and offered them to Saint Kera.n.u.s. Giving thanks for these to G.o.d, he was delivered from the yoke of servitude.

XXIII. THE BLESSING OF CIARAN'S FOOD

8. When on a certain day he was journeying alone, and the time of partaking of food had come, seeking one to bless for him he said "_Benedic._" And as no one answered, he departed, fasting. On the following day, seeking one to bless and finding him not, he went on fasting in like manner. On the third day he went forth fasting, and being weary with the journey he lay down; and when he asked a benediction as was customary, a voice came from heaven and blessed his meal, and so, eating and giving thanks, he completed his journey.

XV. HOW CIARAN REPROVED HIS MOTHER

9. One time when he was coming from the fields to the house certain strangers met him; and when he had asked them whence they had come, they said, "From the house of Boetius the wright." And when he had again asked them how they had been refreshed there, they answered, "Not only got we no food, but the woman of the house heaped insults and abuse upon us." But he, fired with the flames of charity, went to his father's house, and cast whatsoever of food he found there into the mud, thinking that what was not offered to Christ, and that in which the pleasure of the devil was wrought, was corrupt and unclean and should not be eaten of any.

XVI. THE BREAKING OF THE CARRIAGE-AXLE

10. At another time when with his father he was sitting in a carriage, the axle of the carriage broke in two; but yet for the whole day they continued their journey safely, without any mishap.

XVII. HOW CIARAN WENT WITH HIS COW TO THE SCHOOL OF FINDIAN

11. After these things, having heard the renown of the holiness and sound doctrine of Saint Finnia.n.u.s of Cluayn Hyrart, he desired to hasten to him as to a living fountain, and asked of his mother a cow, to yield him the food necessary to sustain life. When his mother refused his request, he went to the kine of his mother, trusting in his G.o.d, and blessed one of them in the name of G.o.d; and the cow, by the favour of G.o.d, mindful of the blessing of the man of G.o.d, followed him with her calf till he had arrived at the church of the man of G.o.d Fynnia.n.u.s. When the man of G.o.d arrived at the place of his desire, he drew a dividing-line with his rod between the cow and the calf, in the name of Him who set a boundary to the waters that they should not transgress their limit, and this they did not cross till they were permitted. The milk of that cow was sufficient for twelve men every day.

XVIII. THE ANGELS GRIND FOR CIARAN

12. At that time there were twelve very holy and reverend men reading in that school, and each of them on his day ground at the quern with his own hand, as was customary. But in the day of Saint Kera.n.u.s the angels of G.o.d used to turn the quern for him.

x.x.x. THE ADVENTURE OF THE ROBBERS OF LOCH ERNE

13. At another time, when blessed Kera.n.u.s had been in an island situated in Loch Eirne, in the school of a holy man; and it was a custom with the saints that three men should go out with an elder to bring in timber; it was the lot of Saint Kera.n.u.s to go to the forest with three monks to cut timber. And when he was praying apart and the others were cutting wood, robbers came and slew those three monks, and cut off and carried away their heads with them. Saint Kera.n.u.s, not hearing the sound of those who were hacking and hewing timber, returned from the place of prayer and found his three companions slain and decapitated. But the man of G.o.d, though first he grieved sorely over this deed, yet, recovering his power from Him Who deserteth not His own in their necessity, hastened after the murderers, and found them sweating to drag a little boat down to the water. But it was wondrously contrived that the skiff should weigh most heavily, like a s.h.i.+p, and with this their bodily strength wholly failed them. Then they turned themselves to the holy man, and begging pardon of him, they obtained it in mercy. And when as a price for their restored strength he obtained the heads of his companions from the robbers, he ran with them to the place where the bodies of the martyrs were lying, placed each of them respectively at the junction with its body, and restored them to life from death in the Name of the Holy Trinity.

And as a sign of this unwonted miracle, so long as they lived there remained a blood-marked circle round their necks, that thereby the Faithful should be strengthened in the Faith and the infidels confuted. It endeth; Amen.

[Footnote 1: _More humano_: but is this an error for _in quodam loco_?]

THE IRISH LIFE OF SAINT CIARAN

I. THE HOMILETIC INTRODUCTION

1. _Omnia quaec.u.mque uultis ut faciant homines uobis, ita et uos faciatis illis, haec est enim lex et prophetae:_ "Every good thing that ye wish to be done unto you by men, let it be likewise that ye do to them, for that is Law and Prophecy."

Now He Who prohibiteth every evil, Who proclaimeth every good, Who reconcileth G.o.d and man, Jesus Christ Son of the Living G.o.d, the Saviour of the whole world, He it is Who spake these words; to teach His apostles and His disciples and the whole Church concerning the covenant[1] of charity; that men should do of good and of charity to their neighbour as much as they would do unto themselves. To that end saith Jesus, _Omnia quaec.u.mque uultis_. Now Matthew son of Alphaeus, the eminent sage of the Hebrews, one of the four who expounded the Gospel of the Lord, he it is who wrote these words in the heart of his Gospel, saying after his Master Jesus, _Omnia quaec.u.mque_.

_Si ergo uos, c.u.m sitis mali, nostis bona data dare filiis uestris, quanto magis Pater uester celestis dabit bona petentibus Se:_[2] That is, "If ye being men _[sic]_ give good gifts to your children, much more shall the Heavenly Father give good to His children who ask Him." It is after these words that Jesus spake this counsel, _Omnia quaec.u.mque,_ etc. For Law and Prophecy command us to give love to G.o.d and to the neighbour. _Finis enim precepti caritas est, quia caritas propria et specialis uirtus est Christianorum. Nam caeterae uirtutes bonis et malis possunt esse communes; caritatem autem habere nisi perfecti non possunt. Vnde Iesus ait, "In hoc cognoscent omnes quod discipuli Mei estis, si dilexeritis inuicem."_ "For the roof and summit of divine doctrine is charity, because charity is the especial virtue of the Christians. For the other virtues may belong to good and to evil men alike; but none hath charity save good men only. Wherefore Jesus saith, 'Hereby shall all men recognise that ye are of My folk, if each of you loveth his fellow as I have loved you.'"[3] _Et iterum dixit Iesus: Hoc est preceptum meum ut diligatis inuicem sicut dilexi uos._ "And thus said Jesus further: 'This is my counsel to you, that each of you love his fellow as I have loved you.'"

Many of the children of life, apostles and disciples of the Lord, have thenceforward fulfilled with zeal and with piety the counsel that Jesus gave them as to fulfilling charity; as _he_ fulfilled and loved charity especially beyond all virtues, to wit the n.o.ble glorious apostle, the father confessor, the spark-flas.h.i.+ng, the man through whom the west of the world shone with signs and wonders, with virtues and with good deeds, _Sanctus Ciara.n.u.s sacerdos et apostolus Dei_, the archpresbyter and apostle Saint Ciaran, son of the wright. Now he was son of the Wright Who formed heaven and earth with all that in them is, according to his heavenly genealogy; and son of the wright who used to frame carriages and all other handiworks beside, according to his earthly genealogy.

The date which the Faithful honour as the feast-day of this n.o.ble one is the fifth of the ides of September according to the day of the solar month, and this day to-day according to the day of the week.

Accordingly I shall relate a short memoir of the signs and wonders of that devout one, for a delight of soul to the Faithful; and of his earthly generation, and of his mode of life,[4] and of the perfection which he gave to his victorious course in the earth. A man held greatly in honour of the Lord was this man. A man for whom G.o.d reserved his monastery, fifty years before his birth; a man whom Christ accounteth in the order of apostles in this world, as Colum Cille said--

_Quem Tu Christe apostolum mundo misisti hominem._

A lamp was he, s.h.i.+ning with the light of wisdom and doctrine, as Colum Cille said--

_Lucerna huius insulae lucens luce mirabili._

A man who established a cathedral from which was drawn the effectiveness of rule, and wisdom, and doctrine, for all the churches of Ireland, as the same man of learning said--

_Custodiantur regmina adcessione edita Diuulgata per omnia sanctorum monasteria_[5]--

that is, "Let the rules and doctrines and customs which have been received from the master, from Ciaran, be kept by the elders of these monasteries; thus, these are the rules and customs that have been distributed and received of all the monasteries of saints of Ireland."

For it is from her [Clonmacnois] that are carried rules and precepts throughout Ireland.

He is a man whom the Lord accounteth of the order of chief prophets in this world, as the same prophet said--