ON THE HOLY IRISH BISHOPS
MACALLEUS IN CRUACHAN,
AND MACHALDUS IN THE ISLE OF MAN.
FIFTH CENTURY.
CommentaryMaccalleus, Bishop of Cruachad in Ireland (St.)
Machaldus, Bishop on the Isle of Man (St.)
G. H.
We propose together two holy Bishops of Ireland, both referred to this 25 April, by some conflated into one and the same man, the truth of which matter we here inquire into, and leave it sufficiently clear to the benevolent reader. The MS Martyrology of the monastery of Tamlacht has this concerning the earlier Bishop on this day: Saint Maccalleus Bishop in Hi-Fialgia: "Maccalleus Bishop in Cruachad Brig-ele: his church is in Hi-Fialgia." What region Hi-Fialgia is, the author of the Tripartite work on the Life of Saint Patrick indicates in book 3 in Colgan num. 56, thus writing: "After these wonders the holy man bade farewell and again blessed the Munstermen, province of Leinster, and betook himself to the region of Leinster which is called Hi-Failge, situated in the County of Meath, toward Ulster," where is the See of Meath, in Apostolic letters called of Clonard, perhaps in ancient times Cruachadia. How Saint Brigid the Virgin received the veil from Saint Maccaleus is indicated in the second Life of the same Saint Brigid published by us on the Kalends of February, by the author, as is believed, Cogitosus, where in no. 5 this is read: "When Brigid's parents wished, according to human custom, to betroth her to a man, He placed the veil on Saint Brigid's head: she, inspired from heaven, wishing to show herself as a pure virgin to God, went to the most holy Bishop of blessed memory, Mackalle. Who, beholding her heavenly desire and modesty, and so great a love of chastity in such a virgin, placed a white pallium and bright garment upon her venerable head. She, bending her knees humbly before God and the Bishop and the altar, offered her virginal crown to Almighty God." So there. That this Mackalle is the same as the Maccalius recorded in the Martyrology of Tamlacht is confirmed in Colgan at the said Life of Saint Brigid no. 11 by the Calendar of Cashel, inscribed in the Irish Martyrologies. in which on this 25 April this is read: "Saint Maccaleus, who is venerated in Cruachan Brigh-ele in the region of Iffalgia, he gave the veil to Saint Brigid." Likewise Maguir in his Festilogium on this same day: "Saint Maccalleus the great Bishop, whose church is in Cruachan Brig-eile in the region of Ifalgia, and who placed the white veil upon the head of Saint Brigid." Since Mac in Irish means son, Ussher from Tirechan, writer of an as-yet unedited Life of Saint Patrick, indicates the same: who notes that Saint Patrick built a church on the head of Carmel in the plain of Teloch: in which Brigid received the pallium under the hands of the Son of Caille (that is, Maccaille) in Hujusniuch of Meath. There therefore, as Brogan's rhythm has it, Saint Maccalleus placed the veil over Saint Brigid's head. Consult § IV of our preliminary Commentary to the Life of Saint Brigid, whose chronological reckoning depends on the time of the life and death of Saint Patrick; and since we have established Patrick's death to have happened in the year 460, consequently we correct what we said before about Saint Brigid's death, which is to be referred not to the year 523 but to the year 490, namely thirty years after the death of Saint Patrick. Having reckoned that Saint Brigid lived seventy years, we judge that she received the veil before the year 440 from Saint Maccaleus then Bishop, whose death the Annals of Donegal in Colgan refer to the year of Christ 489. But since they removed the death of Saint Patrick four years beyond the death of Maccaleus, he seems to have died about the year 456. the death of this one seems rather to be referred to the year 456. The things said so far pertain to the acts, death, church, and feast day of Saint Maccaleus.
[2] The other of the Bishops proposed is Saint Machaldus, who from a Prince of robbers, converted by Saint Patrick, The Acts of Saint Machaldus from the Life of Saint Patrick. and afterward Bishop on the Isle of Man, holily dead, was illustrious with miracles: as Jocelin at length recounts in the Life of Saint Patrick illustrated by us at no. 132 and following: which the reader may find there. Nearly the same things has the author of the Tripartite Life of Saint Patrick in Colgan, book 3, no. 60 and following, in words of this kind: "There was in the time of Saint Patrick in the region of Ulster called Maginis a certain wicked robber, of most profligate life, About to mock Saint Patrick, named Maccaldus: who by continual robberies, thefts, and slaughters, both by himself and by the wicked band of robbers adhering to him, was most troublesome to the whole country. When this man one day saw Saint Patrick traveling from afar, he said to his companions: 'Behold that seducer and famous herald of false doctrine comes, who is overthrowing the dogmas and deities of our fathers, and preaches a new and unheard-of God: let us meet him, and see whether that God of his can deliver him out of our hands.' But by God's direction, they changed that decision into another counsel. For, wishing first to mock the man of God before they should kill him, they induced one of their companions, Garban by name, to feign himself dead; whom they placed on a bier lying in the likeness of a dead man, He offers a feigned dead man to be raised: and thus placed led him to Patrick, asking that he would restore him to life; so that if the holy man should assent to their petition, they would mock him as a false prophet and slay him; but if he should refuse, they would also have a handle for removing him from their midst. But the holy Bishop, knowing by the spirit revealing what had been done, said that his God was both the author of life and of death, who, according to the need and faith of believers, could easily change one state into another. And when he withdrew a little, as if about to be at leisure for prayer, But finding him truly dead, the mocking companions uncovered his face, that he might quickly become a companion in mocking and deriding the holy Bishop; and not in mockery, but truly they found him dead and rigid like a log. Wherefore struck at once and trembling, they recognize their crime, and proclaim Patrick the true servant and messenger of the true God, and quickly, falling on their knees and confessing their error, promise satisfaction and ask pardon; he is converted with his followers and baptized which the most pious father promptly granted, and baptized all who believed in the true God and promised penance: and at their supplication he raised the dead companion to life, and having dipped him in the saving fountain, joined him to the way of salvation.
[3] "Machaldus however, who had been in wickedness and perversity of life the leader and standard-bearer of these robbers, was also easily the Prince of them, now converted, in true conversion to Christ and amendment of life. Having received the form of penance, Whence from the preaching of the holy Bishop understanding that nothing defiled can enter the kingdom of heaven, and that no one can enjoy the heavenly joys without prior not only remission but also satisfaction of sins; having confessed his sins before Patrick, he asked with tears that the form of the penitential life be prescribed for him; by holding which he might wash away the infinite crimes of his former life and possess eternal life. The holy man, inspired by God, enjoined on him, that he who in the fellowship of evil company, and on his native soil had manifoldly offended God, should strive to placate him in the austerity of a solitary life, and outside his native soil, namely Ireland: since he had plundered and squandered the goods of others, let him distribute all his own to the poor; for the great blood of others that he had shed, let him render his flesh cruelly tortured as lifeless, and forever burn it as a holocaust to God. Whence he commanded that he should enter a small skiff made of one hide, and commit himself to the Ocean, to tarry in the place to which divine providence should wish to appoint him. Therefore, truly obedient and a living image of true penance, from that brief and momentary teaching, he began a great and long study without hope of any further earthly teacher; for on that very day entering the skiff, under the protection of divine mercy he commits himself to the sea, about to come wherever the sea and winds, God disposing, should drive him. He came however to Mania or Eubonia, He lands on the island of Man, once of the Druids and gentile seers, afterward from the coming of Saint Patrick noble and famous for the retreat and seat of Christ's monks and priests, an island lying opposite the aforesaid region of Maginis on the right side in the Ocean: and there he found two holy men, Conderius and Romailus; who had sown and propagated the faith and doctrine of Christ in that island. These, in bowels of mercy, received the pilgrim, tossed by winds and sea, into hospitality; and afterward, learning his state and purpose, instructed in letters, he becomes Bishop, retained him with themselves in the proposed austerity of life: and thus with time they educated him in letters and piety, until at length, excellently learned in sacred letters, the aforesaid Bishops being dead, he succeeded to the Pontificate of the same island, and turned out to be a man of most celebrated sanctity. For this Machaldus is the illustrious Bishop and Prelate of Ardeubonia, invoked by the author: whose holy intercessions may help us."
Thus far the author of the Tripartite Life, to which we add from Jocelin the things which happened after his death around his burial. "Who afterward, growing in great sanctity, after the death of the aforesaid holy Bishops, merited the Episcopal degree, illustrious with signs and wonders, and rested there. For there was in that island a city once not small, He shines with miracles after death: of whose walls the remains are still seen, named after him. There is also in the cemetery of the church of the same place a sarcophagus of hollowed stone, in which water continually sweats out, nay rather flows sufficiently; which is sweet to drink, healthful to taste, and is accustomed to heal many infirmities, and especially those infected or poisoned by venom: for either anyone after drinking the water will feel a swift recovery of health, or will end his life in a quick death. In this also the sacred bones of Saint Machaldus are reported to have rested, in which nothing is found but clear water. Many also many times have tried to move that stone from its place, even the King of the Northmen, who subjugated the island, in order to have sweet water continually on the sea: but nevertheless they were entirely frustrated in their desire. And the deeper they tried to dig to excavate the stone, the more firmly and deeper it was found fixed in the heart of the earth."
[4] Probus in book 2 of the Life of Saint Patrick no. 11 in Colgan similarly praises him and thus ends: "This is Macfail, afterward made the illustrious and holy Bishop in the city of the Eubonians, whose holy intercessions may help us." So there. He is reported to be venerated on 25 April, And just as there he is called Macfail, so in the 3rd Life in Colgan no. 73 he is called Maguil, and in the 4th Life no. 81 Demana, and everywhere is praised as having ended his life with a holy end. Colgan often asserts that he is venerated on this 25 April, and that he will then treat more fully of him. Ussher, in the Chronological Index to his Origins of the British Churches, asserts that in the year 498, Conindrius and Romulus, Bishops of the island of Man, having ended their life, and created Bishop in the year 498. Maguil or Machaldus succeeded them. Whether perhaps earlier, from what has been said above may be doubted.
[5] From these we point out, with Colgan, that there can be gathered the handle of the error, by which Hector Boece in book 9 of the history of the Scots, folio 158, and other more recent writers after him, write that Saint Brigid was in the island of Man, Wrongly Saints Maccalleus and Machaldus are held one and the same. and was covered with the sacred veil by Saint Machaldus, Bishop of Sodor (for the Church of Sodor was the See of the Bishops of Man): since he does not differ much in name from Saint Maccalleus the Bishop, and is said to be venerated on the same day. For the rest, they are sufficiently distinguished by place and time, since Saint Maccalleus in Leinster had died long before Saint Machaldus was made Bishop on the island of Man, which is situated in the Irish Sea, and is rather accustomed to be attributed to England.