Lives of saints, from the Book of Lismore

Description

contains the classic biographies of 1. St. Patrick (DjVu pp. 275ff.) He, unlike Pelagius, successfully converted Ireland, at the behest of Pope St. Celestine I. He was trained in theology in southeastern Italy. He celebrated the first Easter vigil in Ireland, a few days before the pagan king permitted fires to be lit! 2. [St. Brigid](https://arts.st-andrews.ac.uk/monasticmatrix/vitae/brigit-saint) (DjVu pp. 308ff.) Begins by quoting Apoc. 14:4 (in Latin)! She was born of a slave girl, and frequently used the phrases: "The Son of the Virgin" or "The God of the Elements". She supposedly was consecrated a bishop instead of a virgin! It seems the bishop veiling virgins was using the wrong ceremonial… DjVu p. 320 shows St. Brigid to be a patroness of scholars and students (something Irish Dominicans probably mention).This is vernacular work with Scriptural quotes in Latin, indicating that the literate Irish understood Latin.might help answer the question: "[Why did druidesses vow perpetual virginity?](https://isidore.co/calibre#panel=book_details&book_id=6830)"¶1478 on DjVu p. 318 is the story of St. Brigid healing a frigid wife, testimony of the fertility of virginity:> 1478\. There was a certain man biding in Lassair's church, and his wife was leaving him and would not take bit nor sleep along with him; so he came to Brigit to ask for a spell to make his wife love him. Brigit blessed water for him and said : 'Put that water over the house, and over the food, and over the drink of yourselves, and over the bed in the wife's absence.' When he had done thus, the wife gave exceeding great love to him, so that she could not keep apart from him, even on one side of the house; but she was always at one of his hands. He went one day on a journey and left the wife asleep. When the woman awoke she rose up lightly and went after the husband, and saw him afar from her, with an arm of the sea between them. She cried out to her husband and said that she would go into the sea unless he came to her.> The [Latin version in *Acta Sanctorum*](http://acta.chadwyck.com/all/fulltext?action=byid&id=Z500063683) is better:> **[44]** > Illis temporibus quidam, sua quem oderat vxor, > Venerat ad Sanctam, sacramque petiuerat vndam: > Quam pia Virgo aquulam largitur sanctificatam. > Fæmina stulta suum contempsit sæua maritum, > Oderat atque nimis, negat & consortia tecti: > Noxia nam miseræ turbant fastidia mentem. [mulierem a marito auersam,] > Inde Sacerdotem, liquidas qui spargeret vndas, > Quas pia Virgo prius proprio benedixerat ore, > Transmisit propere: tunc has præsente marito > **[Page 150]** > **[Col. 0150A]** Ædibus atque thoris, valuis, mensisque ciborum > Sparsit: & inde domum venit post ipse Sacerdos. > Fæmina quippe virum nimio dilexit amore > Posthæc illa suum, nullis temporibus illum > Liquerat. [aqua benedicta in amorem reducit,] Ante diem surrexit forte maritus, > Transieratque fretum vicinum nauibus, actus > Solus amore sali, salsisque laborat in vndis. > Vxor at illa domi, somno depressa, remansit: > Nesciuit quonam discessit, quando maritus: > Surrexit subito: rectum, loca proxima, vicos, > Compita lata satis, circum quoque fæmina currit, > Littora ad vsque maris vestigia creuit euntis, > Cum caput atque oculos tollit, [constantē, & pæne immoderatum:] conspexerat vltra > Fæmina stulta virum, solumque in littore stantem. > Feruida vada maris ventis sufflantibus Austris > Fluminis vndarum fluctus, & montibus altis, > Erexere simul crispantia verbera spumis: > Inlidunt ripas superas, & marmora mergunt, > Aëra confundunt, splendentia sidera tangunt. > Ignis amoris erat vehemens, pectuscula carpit > Illius vxoris, torsitque amentia mentem: > Et magis atque magis gliscit per viscera virus. > Si non continuo perituræ proximus vnus > Nauibus esset homo, qui raptam tolleret vndis, > **[Col. 0150B]** Et miseram manibus mergentem prenderet alto, > Protenus in mediis peritura hæc pergeret vndis. > Talis amor fortis fuerat cum pace duorum: > Coniugis atque viri dulcis dilectio mansit > Semper ad vsque diem mortis : mirabile dictu! > Pluribus hæc populis virtus comperta refertur: > Virginis ob meritum Christus firmauit amorem.This is a sort of husband version of [St. Vincent Ferrer's practical dealings with a talkative wife who angered her husband](https://isidore.co/calibre#panel=book_details&book_id=6174).Another funny story, illustrating how altar boys' sanctity required for Mass's [*valor extrinsecus*](http://www.u.arizona.edu/~aversa/modernism/Merit%20of%20the%20Mass%20\(Fr.%20Ripperger,%20F.S.S.P.\).pdf) *vel* extrinsic sanctity (¶1630, DjVu p. 322):> 1630\. Once upon a time when Brigit was going to the bishop to receive the Sacrament, a he-goat's head seemed to her to be in the mass-chalice. Brigit refused the chalice. 'Wherefore dost thou refuse it' saith the ecclesiastic. 'A he-goat's head is revealed to me therein,' saith Brigit. The bishop called the lad who had brought the credence-table, and bade him make his confession. 'I went,' said the gillie, 'into the house wherein goats are kept, and I took a fat goat thence, and I ate up my fill of him.' The lad did penance, and repented. Thereafter Brigit went to communion and saw not the semblance. Here's how her supposed episcopal consecration is described (¶1341, DjVu p. 314):> It came to pass then, through the grace of the Holy Ghost, that the form of ordaining a Bishop was read out over Brigit. Mac-caille said, that a bishop's order should not be conferred on a woman. Said Bishop Mél: ‘No power have I in this matter. That dignity hath been given by God unto Brigit, beyond every (other) woman.' Wherefore the men of Ireland from that time to this give episcopal honour to Brigit's successor. Was the [*De Benedictione Abbatisæ* ](http://www.liturgialatina.org/pontificale/036.htm)meant?