The Latin & Irish Lives of Ciaran Part 9

I'll speak both choice and truly, although thou now art lonely, Thou shalt rule Ireland duly, after one's day's s.p.a.ce only.

The chosen Tuathal's slaughter, a crying without glory.

Thence is it said thereafter, "That deed was of Mael-Moire."

Without a court or slaughter, great Diarmait Uisnech lifted; A hundred fanes thereafter, to G.o.d and Ciaran gifted.

Then was the post made fast; and Ciaran said in fixing it, "Be this,"

said he, "in the eye of Tren." Tren was a youth who was in the fortress of Cluain Ichtar, and who had adventured arrogance against him. Forthwith his one eye burst in his head, at the word of Ciaran.

XLIV. CIARAN AND THE WINE

36. One day the brethren were sore athirst, while they were reaping in Cluain. They send a messenger to the cleric, that water be brought to them in the field. Then Ciaran said, "If to-day they would endure thirst, it would procure great riches of the world for the brethren who would come after them." "Truly," said the brethren, "we prefer to exercise patience, whereby profit will be secured for ourselves, and advantage to the brethren who follow us; rather than to have satisfaction of our thirst to-day."

A cask full of wine was brought from the land of the Franks to the steading, to Ciaran, in reward for their patience; and a fragment of that cask remained here till recently.

When the evening was come, Ciaran blessed a vessel full of water, and it was changed to choice wine, and was divided among the monks; so that there was no feast that excelled that feast. For the folk of Colum Cille came from i, after a long time, to this city. A feast was prepared for them, and it was noised abroad through the whole city that never before or since was there a feast its equal. Then an aged man who was in the house of the elders said, "I know," said he, "a feast that was better than this feast. Better was the feast that Ciaran made for his monks when they were sore athirst,[35] so that he changed water into wine for them. That it be no story without proof for you," said the elder, "it was myself who divided that wine, and my thumb would go over the edge of the cup into the wine. Come and perceive now the savour of my thumb, which then was dipped into the wine." They came and were all satisfied with the savour of that finger. And they said, "Better," said they, "than any feast was that feast of which the savour remains after a long time on a finger.

A blessing," said they, "on Ciaran and a blessing on the Lord Who allotted every good thing to him."

XLV. THE STORY OF CRITHIR

37. Crichid [_sic_] of Cluain, a servant of Ciaran, went to Saigir and stayed there a long time. The devil tempted him to quench the sacred fire which the monks had in the kitchen. Said Ciaran of Saigir, that he would not eat food till there should come guests who would bring him fire. Crichid then went from them a short distance outside the city, and wolves slew him, but did not injure his body. When Ciaran the wright's son heard of the death of his attendant, he went to Ciaran of Saigir to seek for him. When he arrived, Ciaran of Saigir said, "First of all ye need water for your feet; but we have no fire to heat water for you. Let you as guests give us fire, for G.o.d hath decreed this for you." Then Ciaran the wright's son raised his hands to heaven, and made fervent prayer. When the prayer was finished, there came fire from heaven, and rested on his breast. He protected his breast from the fire, and carried it with him to the monastery. He cast from him the fire on to the floor, and it did not hurt so much as the fur of the robe of white linen which he was wearing.

Then he revived his servant who had died before that, and he ate food with them. The two Ciarans then made a covenant together. "The wealth of the world," said Ciaran son of the wright, "be in great Saigir."

"Knowledge and dignity incorruptible be in Cluain maccu Nois," said Ciaran of Saigir.

XLIX. THE DEATH OF CIARAN

38. The soul of Ciaran was not more than seven months in this town before he went to heaven, on the ninth day of September. When Ciaran knew that the day of his death was drawing nigh, he made a prophecy with great sorrow. He said that great would be the persecution of his city from evil men towards the end of the world. "What then shall we do in the time of that crime?" said the monks; "is it by thy relics we shall stay, or shall we go elsewhere?" "Rise," said Ciaran, "and leave my relics as the bones of a deer are left in the sun. For it is better for you to live with me in heaven than to stay here with my relics."

When the time of his death was near to Saint Ciaran in the Little Church, in the thirty-third year of his age, on the fifth of the ides of September as regards the solar month, on Sat.u.r.day as regards the day of the week, on the eighteenth day as regards the moon, he said, "Let me be carried out to the Little Height," said he. And when he looked at heaven, and the height of air above his head, he said, "Awful is this road upward." "Not for thee is it awful," said the monks. "Truly, I know not," said he, "any of the commandments of G.o.d which I have transgressed: yet even David son of Jesse, and Paul the apostle, dreaded this way."

Then the stone pillow was taken from him, to ease him. "Nay," said he, "put it under my shoulder. _Qui enim perseuerauerit usque in finem, hic saluus erit._" Then angels filled the s.p.a.ce between heaven and earth to receive his soul.

He was brought afterward into the Little Church, and he raised his hand and blessed his folk, and said to the brethren to shut the church upon him till Coemgen should come from Glenn da Locha.

L. THE VISIT OF COEMGEN

39. When Coemgen came after three days, he received no full courtesy at first from the clerics, as they were in great sadness after their head. Said Coemgen to them, "Let a doleful countenance be upon you continually!" said he. Then fear took hold of the elders, and they did the will of Coemgen, and opened the Little Church to him. The spirit of Ciaran went at once to heaven,[36] and he returned again into his body to converse with Coemgen, and welcomed him. From one canonical hour to the next they were there in converse, and making a covenant.

Thereafter Ciaran blessed Coemgen, and Coemgen blessed water and made a communion with Ciaran. And Ciaran gave his bell to Coemgen as a sign of their league and as a fee for their communion. That is what is now called the _Boban_ of Coemgen.

LII. THE ENVY OF THE SAINTS

40. The saints of Ireland were envious of Ciaran for his excellence, and they put their trust in the King of Heaven that his life might be shortened. So great was their envy against him that even his comrade Colum Cille said, "Blessed be G.o.d," said he, "Who hath taken Saint Ciaran. For had he lived to old age, there would not have been the place of two chariot-horses found in Ireland that would not have been his."

LIII. A PANEGYRIC ON CIARAN

41. Here then is Ciaran with the eight men whom I have mentioned, and many thousands of saints besides. Here are the relics of Paul and Peter, which Benen and c.u.mlach left in the hollow tree here. Here are the relics of the blind boy, the disciple of Peca. Here is the shrine of the guest Peca, whom a certain devout man saw borne by angels to the burial of Ciaran. There were three wonders here that night: the guest-house being without fire, without guest, without prayer, for Peca was sufficient of fire, and guest, and prayer.

There is not one to relate completely what G.o.d wrought of signs and wonders for this holy Ciaran; for they are more than can be told or mentioned. For after the coming of Christ in the flesh there was not one born greater in almsgiving and mercy, greater in labour and fasting and prayer, greater in humility and fervour of good-will, greater in courtesy and mildness, greater in care for the Church of G.o.d, greater in daily labour and in nightly vigil.

He it is who never put tasty food or heady drink into his body, from the time when he embraced the religious life. He it is who never drank milk or ale, till a third of it was water. He it is who never ate bread, till a third part of sand was mixed with it. He it is who never slept save with his side on the bare ground. Beneath his head was never aught save a stone for a pillow. Next his skin never came flaxen or woollen stuff.

A man with choice voluntary full offerings to the Lord, like Abel son of Adam. A man with zealous entreaties to G.o.d, like Enoch son of Jared. A steersman full-sufficient for the ark of the Church among the waves of the world, like Noah son of Lamech. A true pilgrim with strength of faith and belief, like Abraham son of Terah. A man loving, gentle, forgiving of heart, like Moses son of Amram. A man patient and steadfast in enduring suffering and trouble, like suffering Job. A psalmist full-tuneful, full-delightful to G.o.d, like David son of Jesse. A dwelling of true wisdom and knowledge like Solomon son of David. A rock immovable whereon is founded the Church, like Peter the apostle. A chief universal teacher and a chosen vessel for proclaiming truth, like Paul the apostle. A man full of the grace of the Holy Spirit and of chast.i.ty, like John the breast-fosterling.

A man full of likeness in many ways to Jesus Christ the Head of all things. For this man made wine of water for his folk and his guests in this city, as Jesus made choice wine of water at the feast of Cana of Galilee. This man is called "son of the wright," as Christ is called "Son of the wright" in the Gospel (_hic est Filius fabri_, that is, of Joseph). Thirty-three years in the age of this man, as there are thirty-three years in the age of Christ. This man arose after three days in his bed in Cluain to converse with and to comfort Coemgen, as Christ arose after three days from the grave in Jerusalem, to comfort and strengthen His mother and His disciples.

So for these good things, and for many others, is his soul among the folk of heaven. His remains and relics are here with honour and renown, with daily wonders and miracles. And though great is his honour just now in this manner, greater shall be his honour in the holy incorruptible union of his body and his soul in the great a.s.sembly of Judgment, when Saint Ciaran shall be judge of the fruit of his labour along with Christ Whom he served. So shall he be in the great a.s.sembly, in the unity of holy fathers and prophets, in the unity of apostles and disciples of the Saviour Jesus Christ, in the unity of the nine grades of angels that have transgressed not, in the unity of the G.o.dhead and Manhood of the Son of G.o.d, in the unity n.o.bler than every other unity, the Unity of the Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

I beseech the mercy of the Lofty Omnipotent G.o.d, by the intercession of Saint Ciaran, that we may reach that unity. May we dwell there, _in saecula saeculorum!_

[Footnote 1: Following the reading _cordus_ in the _Leabhar Breac_ text of the Homily from which this section is an extract, instead of the unintelligible _comhlud_ of the MSS. of the _Life_.]

[Footnote 2: This Latin extract in the Brussels MS. only.]

[Footnote 3: In this paragraph the less corrupt Brussels text is followed. In the original the Latin pa.s.sages, here printed consecutively, are interspersed sentence by sentence with the Irish translation here rendered into English.]

[Footnote 4: This is the apparent sense of the pa.s.sage: the MSS. are here corrupt.]

[Footnote 5: Only the first two words of this extract in the Lismore MS. The Brussels MS. erroneously repeats _reg[i]mina_ after _Diuulgata_.]

[Footnote 6: The last two words in the Brussels MS. only, which also adds "of the Elements" after "Lord," two lines further down.]

[Footnote 7: Following the Brussels MS.: the Lismore text is here again corrupt.]

[Footnote 8: The bracketed words in the Brussels MS. only.]

[Footnote 9: The bracketed words in the Brussels MS. only.]

[Footnote 10: The bracketed words represent the sense of a pa.s.sage that has evidently dropped out of the MSS.]

[Footnote 11: _Sic_ MSS.: we should read "Iustus."]

[Footnote 12: The Lismore text is slightly imperfect in this paragraph: it is completed with the aid of the Brussels MS.]

[Footnote 13: This represents the sense of a pa.s.sage that must have dropped out.]

[Footnote 14: _Ut dixit_ and the stanza following in the Brussels MS.

only.]

[Footnote 15: Bracketed words in the Brussels MS. only.]