Page:English Historical Review Volume 35.djvu/85

 1920 LIFE OF ST. MONENNA 77 other sources into his Vita} Their origin is probably some life of Coemgen ^ (Chevin), and by introducing them here our author manages to bring together St. Patrick (f461), St. Monenna (-f-Sn or 519), and St. Coemgen (feiS or 622). In addition he makes (i. 10) Monenna chant the hymn traditionally ascribed to St. Ultan, in praise of St. Brigid, which is certainly not earlier than the seventh century.^ In iii. 4 he relates a story of a blind poet named Brendan {Brenden MS.), who has been absurdly equated * with the well-known saint of Clonfert {■f^ll or 583). The other passages not in X present a totally different aspect. They are, i. 14, 15 ; ii. 8, 9 ; and iii. 3, 7, 8, with the first four lines of 9, and 11. The Vita from which these chapters are extracted is not otherwise known. It must have been written later than c. 950, for it uses Scotia in the modern signification. In i. 14 and 15, we are told that Alfred, son of the king of England, having an infirmity, comes to Ireland to serve King Conaldus,^ and is cured by Monenna. We have here apparently an allusion to Alfred (Aldfrith), afterwards king of Northumbria, who died in 705, and is believed ^ to have visited Ireland before the year 685. This Monenna must therefore be placed late in the seventh century. She is soon transported to England, where she builds a church at a place called Dagannus on the western coast. The account of her doings is continued in ii, 8, 9, and iii. 3, 7, 8, with the first sentence of 9, and 11. She visits Rome three times, builds three churches in the forest of Arderne or Ardert (Warwickshire), and a fourth on an island of the river Trent called AndreseieJ In Scotland ^ she founds seven churches, one at Chilnecase in Galloway (Candida Casa, Whithern), a second on the hill of Dundonald (Dundeuenel) in Ayrshire, a third on Dumbarton rock {Dunbreten), a fourth in the castle of Sterling (Strivelin), a fifth at Edinburgh {Dune- dene, qui Anglica lingua dicta Edeneburg), a sixth on the hill of 1 He expands his sources by inserting or appending reflections and illustrations drawn from the Bible (i. 5 ; ii. 6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 15, 16 ; iii. 2, where he quotes the second book of the Dialogues of Gregory the Great). He makes historical or topo- graphical additions at i. 2, 3, 5, 6 ; ii. 7, and iii. 0. In ii. 7 and 16 he interpolates references to Monenna's supposed visit to Rome. ' For the episode of the conversion of the robber Glunsalach compare Plummer, Vitae Sanctorum Hiberniae, i, p. liv n. » Ed. Blume {Analecta Hymnica, 51, 1908, pp. 317-19). 1900, p. xvii). in 701. Stubbs, vol. i, 1887, p. 57); cf. also Bede H. E. iv. 26 and Mr. Plummer's note (vol. ii. 263). ' iii. 3. This chapter presents a hopeless patching together of different sources, Scotia.
 * Wahlund (Die altfranzosische Prosaiiberseizung von Brendans Meetfahrt, Upsala,
 * The Annals of Ulster mention a certain Conall, king of Ui-Fidhgente, who died
 * On the authority of William of Malmesbury (Oesta Eegum Anglorum, i, 52, ed.
 * In iii. 7 we find Scotia = Ireland, and immediately {^terwards (iii. 8) Albania id est