ON S. CARENTOCUS OR CERNATHUS
BISHOP ABBOT IN WALES AND IRELAND.
CENT. V.
PrefaceCarentocus, or Cernatus, Abbot in Wales & Ireland (S.)
BY THE AUTHOR D. P.
In Wales, formerly called Britannia secunda or Cambria, toward the South, on the British sea is a province, formerly Ceretica, now nearly called the County of Cardigan, Life drawn out by Dugdale from a Cottonian Ms. as we more fully expounded on the Kalends of March before the Life of S. David Bishop of Menevia, sprung from the royal stem there: from which also, but somewhat earlier, there arose S. Carentocus; to the Hibernians, when among them later in sanctity he flourished, Cernathus. Whose life from the Cottonian Library's MS. codices drew out, & for us to be transcribed took care, the best & most learned old man Wilhelmus Dugdale of Warwick, supreme through England King, as they call, of Arms, well having deserved of his country by the edition of the Antiquities of Warwick, & of the monuments of the Pauline among the Londinians church, & other books of this kind, but especially of the great three volumes, under the title of Monasticon Anglicanum; whose even sole frontispiece considered will appear, how well of the Catholic religion, although he not yet a Catholic, he thinks. Namely above the head of SS. Gregory
and Augustine, Apostles of England, on the one side ancient Faith & Piety is placed, to be known by the fruits; on the other Antiquity, raising her head among the clouds, receives light from old codices; below indeed on one side a suppliant before the altar a pious King, to God & the Church endows & builds monasteries; on the other an impious King, with proud mouth thundering, Thus I will, & of monasteries despoiled & desolated by his command the ruins with threatening sceptre standing displays: which moreover ought to please all more, declares the lemma taken from Ovid's Metamorphosis.
--- Not all things has greater age, Which we should flee.
The same when at the beginning of the first volume he had treated of the first institution of monks, commending the antiquity of the institute and sanctity from the opinion of the Ancients, to the same volume then he judged worth the trouble to subjoin, what about the subversion of monasteries even the Reformed Neoterics have judged, as they namely wish to be called.
[2] the contracted is in Capgrave, This Dugdale therefore, having received notice of our work and the praised proposal, in the highest & with most useful studies occupied age, first what he knew useful to us with a prolix catalogue indicated; then what we signified to be lacking from it in our Museum he caused to be transcribed, & among other various Lives of Saints, also of S. Carentocus, that very one which Ioannes of Tinmouth had transcribed somewhat more contractedly, & Ioannes Capgrave had brought to light, whence our Michael Alfordus took it & re-printed it in the Annals of the British Church on the year 480 no. 7. for what reason here it is placed. The same Camden in his Apparatus of Britain & Usher chap. 17 on the beginnings of British Churches page 847, allege: nor little do they seem to grant to it, although they were not ignorant, that itself, as nearly all other Lives of Welsh & Hibernian Saints, was written by an author of far later age, from the tradition of the people, accustomed to add not a little appearance of fabulosity even to most true things, clothing them in an utterly insipid manner & with plainly fatuous circumstances. Hence it happens that such Lives we insert into our work not otherwise, than as to be read with great indulgence toward the most simple peoples, & only so long to be tolerated, as more certain & more worthy of reading monuments are lacking, from which some notice of those Saints might be drawn; since to this at least they serve, that the public ancient veneration of them in the people, obscured by superinduced clouds of heresies, they may make to shine again with posterity, & about the place and time, in which they lived & died, sometimes the curious & pious reader they may instruct.
[3] Thus in the very beginning of this Life is said To all men believing in God a venerable solemnity, Cult on 16 May, when into heaven was assumed B. Carentocus: in the end however that he proceeded into the island of Ireland (from his native Ceretica country namely) & was buried on XVII Kalends of June: which day of his cult also assigns the Sarisburian Martyrology in Colganus, in the Appendix to the Acts of S. Patrick chap. 4 no. 8, adding that he was nephew on the sister Darerca's side, which would not easily persuade us, considering each one's birth-place, far from each other distant, & condition of family too disparate. Richardus Witfordus in the Martyrology printed in English about the year 1526 also reports Carantacus on the day XVI May; that it is wonderful that Ioannes Wilsonus in the prior edition of the English Martyrology omitted S. Carentocus, in the later deferred to the following XVII May. As regards his age, it is said in the Life that in those times, (in which namely S. Carentocus accompanied S. Patrick into Ireland) the Scotti overcame Britain thirty years before the birth of S. David, He passed into Ireland with S. Patrick not in the year 413 which since we have judged should be referred to the year 445, the consequence would be, that the said Saints' entry into the Island pertains to the year 413. But this little moves us, who in the Appendix to the Life of S. Patrick on XVII March §4, showed that not to be trusted is that XXX years' span, which in designating the Chronology of their Saints so frequently is used by the Hibernians, gratuitously assuming it convicted in many. Patrick went indeed in that year according to us into Ireland, or 433 but alone; & the barbarians stopping their ears to his preaching, he returned whence he had come, considering greater power needed by him, which before the year 433 he did not obtain. Therefore Usher refers these things hither. But neither then more than nine companions did S. Patrick lead into Ireland; Since therefore it is said about him & Carentocus in this one's Life, that many Clerics walked with them, so that it behooved both from each other to be separated; to that, rather, but 445. in which S. David was born, year I shall defer Carentocus's entry into Ireland: because then, as in the Chronotaxis of Patrician history I said, returning from the Roman excursion Patrick, preached in Western Britain, ordained monasteries, & many auxiliary companions in the Hibernian harvest drew with himself.
[4] It is to be noted furthermore, that he who reduced this life into the form of a sermon, as we have it, for the festivity of the Saint, took away its whole exordium, & composed a certain proper shorter one. The same however, or those who described the Cottonian Codex, the older exordium, lest it perish, placed at the end: which not at all to be followed by him judged the Tinmouthian, restored it again to its place, but prudently omitted the series of generations, drawn through twenty steps unto Belus son of Anna, his fabulous genealogy. which they say is cousin of Mary the Virgin. We the Tinmouthian's example shall thus follow, that neither the latter exordium do we omit, nor expunge anything, that more manifest might become the sincerity of our judgment; & better may discern the reader, what & how far is credible: who at least for amusement of mind will see a specimen of Hibernian and Welsh ingenuities in inventing genealogies; which today still their poets with such supercilium intone, as if they were pouring forth mere oracles, deceiving the ears of credulous crowd, & squeezing the purses of those, to whom it is sweet from so many ages to have their ancestors recensed, great and not at all truer reproaches of their family they shall hear from the same, if their bestowing hand they shall draw back.
LIFE
Suspect of much fabulosity.
From a MS. of the Cottonian Library at London, under the effigy Vespasian A 14. fol. 90.
Carentocus, or Cernatus, Abbot in Wales & Ireland (S.)
BHL Number: 1562, 1563
FROM A MS.
OLDER EXORDIUM.
[1] Fabulous genealogy of grandfather Cuneda At a certain time was a man by name Keredic. A King was this man, & had many sons: of whom one was Carentocus by name, son of Keredic, Mak Cuneda, Mak Ethern, Mak Patern, Pes a Ludant, Mak Tacit, Mak Kein, Mak Guorchem, Mak Doli, Mak Gurdoli, Mak Donni, Mak Guordonni, Mak Amguoloie, Mak Amguerit, Mak Omnid, Mak Dubunn, Mak Britguenin, Mak Eugen, Mak Aballath, Mak Canabeth, Mak Beli, & Anna his mother, whom they say is Cousin of Mary the Virgin. Cuneda therefore had sons: Tipipann firstborn, who died in the region b Mann Gudodin, & sons, & his father Cuneda came not here & his brothers: but Meriann his son divided the possessions of his father among his brothers. Second Ismael, third Kumann, fourth Dunann, fifth Keredic, sixth Abalach, seventh Emmann, eighth Dogmaile, ninth Etern. This is their boundary, from the river which is called c Donbyr duiu, to another river which is called Guonn: & they held very many regions in western Britain. Keredic however held Kereditia, & from him it is named. And after he had held it, came d Scotti, & fought with them, & occupied all regions. Of these one Keredik father of Carentocus: But Keredic was old. And the elders said to him, Old you are, Lord, you cannot fight, you must ordain one King from your sons. Who is the elder? He said to them Karentoc. They said; He must be King. But Karentoc loved more the heavenly King than the earthly kingdom, & his Lord's will than human favor: & he after he heard, took flight, lest they find him. But first he bought a better & came into a place which is called Guerit-Carantanc, & remained there for some time, & wished there to pray to God. And when he was there & wished to work, came a Dove, drew everything that fell from the staff daily. who having dismissed the kingdom lived in the desert. And he said; Lord, where does it draw? And he resolved in mind: I will go, & see where it draws this. And he arose, where it went, through forest, through pass. Came the Dove, descended in the place where the church is today, & dismissed there. And he saw & said: Here it behooves me to be, because God willed: & remained for some space, where to God devoted he paid thanks.
LATER EXORDIUM.
[2] Venerable is the solemnity of this day, to all men believing in God, when assumed into heaven was B. Carentocus, son of Cereticus: who was raised by parents close to Christ, according to worldly dignity: for it is easy to lead his generation to Mary mother of the Lord, than which no one among the Kings of Britons is held higher. But to earthly kingdoms to tend he did not wish.
HISTORY OF THE LIFE.
[3] From the years of childhood he had innocence, & afterwards he went into the cave Edilo, & read Canonical lessons of the new & old Law. Then he proceeded to the island of Ireland, with Patrick going before. They however met together unanimously, & f were collated unanimously, as is said, Behold how good & how delightful it is for brothers to dwell as one. Ps. 132, 1. & with S. Patrick crossing into Ireland Counsel however they made between themselves how they should act: & they said that they should be separated one to the left, & the other to the right; because many Clerics walked with them g… And Carentocus proceeded to the right side, h Patrick however to the left, & they said that they should meet one time in the year. In those times i the Scotti overcame Britain; the names of whose Leaders, k Briscus, Thubaius, Machleves, Auxatus thirty years before the birth of S. David son of l Sant. Well Carentocus was received in Ireland: for it is not difficult for God to lead His servants. The Angel of the Lord accompanied with him in the figure of a dove: he shines with miracles, & changed his name in their language to Cernath: & churches & cities were exalted under his name in the region m Legen. And wherever he went, virtues & innumerable prodigies he did. By God's nod he healed many thousands of men, filled with various pains, the blind, lame, lunatic, & similar to these: whom God enriched with the highest seats & rewards, to reign with the happy princes of the heavens.
[4] The Blessed Cernach's works n are read in Ireland
throughout the entire country, just as are read at Rome the prodigies and perfect life of B. Peter the Apostle. He is equated with the Apostles, as is read; Go, teach all nations: And the grace which was given to the Apostles, & with Apostolic virtue. in him was fulfilled. Whatever you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven, & whatever you shall bind upon earth shall be bound also in heaven. Such therefore is to be feared & adored, who is powerful in the high throne from good work, & powerful to save bodies on earth, from all languors. Strong he was & faithful, in peace ministering: for in a wonderful way he was similar to the Angels; under the presence of the sun a strong soldier, marvelous, spiritual, the highest Abbot, longanimous instructor of fidelity, announcing just things to all the just, herald of the heavenly kingdom. He lived for many years: to the unbelievers crimes of sins he forgave, that all might merit to sit in the highest of heaven, returning thanks to God: & prayers through each day & innumerable nights he poured forth, most fervent, holy, & most salutary. This is to God dear Cernacus: for the conversion of the Hibernians. helped indeed from heaven & enriched divinely with great gifts of God, of whom no death piously did to men. He found indeed grace, with great labor sought, pious & most pure, signed through the parable of a most luminous lamp; when as Pastor of the Church he wonderfully held the golden Ecclesiastical candelabra. O most light Pastor! O o Bishop, holy & most chaste, following Peter's works in the Apostolic See, & Paul in doctrine, leading many regions to the faith. Thus Carentocus led the Regions of the Hibernians, ensnared in the nets [p] of the magicians, honored by their Kings.
[5] And afterwards [q] he came again to his own Region Kereditia, Returned to Britain, to his cave with many Clerics: & there he did many virtues, which no one can enumerate. And Christ gave him an honorable altar from on high, of which no one understood the color. And afterwards he came to the Sabrina [r] river that he might sail, & cast the altar [s] into the sea, which also went before, where God willed him to come. In those times Cato [t] & Arthur were reigning in that country, dwelling in Diudraithov: & Arthur came going around to find a serpent, most powerful, huge, terrible, which had devastated twelve parts of the field [v] Carrum. And Carentocus came & saluted Arthur: he is said the noxious serpent of the fields, who rejoicing received the blessing from him. And Carentocus asked Arthur, whether he had heard, where his altar had landed. And Arthur responded: If I shall have a price, I shall announce to you. And he said, What price do you ask? He responded: That you bring forth the serpent which is near to you, & we may see if you are a servant of God. Then B. Carentocus proceeded & prayed to the Lord. And forthwith came the serpent with great noise, like a calf running to its mother; & inclined his head before the servant of God, like a servant obedient to his Lord, humble in heart & gentle in eyes. And he sent his stole around his neck, & led him as a lamb, nor did he raise his wings nor claws: & his neck was, as the neck of a bull of seven years. called to himself, Which scarcely could be encircled by the stole. Then they proceeded together to the citadel, & saluted [x] Cato. And well were they received by him. And he led that serpent into the middle of the hall, & fed him before the people, & they tried to kill him. He did not let him be killed, because he said that from the word of God he had come, that he might destroy the sinners, who in Carrum were, & that he might show the strength of God through him. And afterwards he proceeded outside the gate of the citadel, to have driven away by word, & Carentocus released him, & ordered him, that departing he should harm no one, nor return more. And he went out, & remained, just as the ordination of God before said. And he received the altar, which Arthur had thought to make into a table, but whatever was placed upon it, was thrown far. And the King asked from him, that he might receive Carrum into eternal deed [y]: & afterwards he built a church there.
[6] Afterwards came a voice to him from heaven, that he should send the altar into the sea. Then Cato sent Arthur, that he should inquire about the altar; & it was announced to them, that in the mouth [z] of Guellit it had landed, & the King said: Likewise give him twelve parts of the field, where the altar had been found. Afterwards came Carentocus, & built there a church & it was called the City [aa] Carrov. But came a voice to him from heaven & said, that he should go into exile & leave his family. Here innumerable are buried in that city, & finally died in Ireland. nor are their names named, & he alone proceeded to the island of Ireland, & was buried on XVII Kal. of June in his city preclare & best of all his cities, which is called the city [bb] Chernacli. And he migrated in peace: & peace he left, & peace he found, as is read; Blessed the peaceful, because they shall be called sons of God. And again the Prophet says: Precious in the sight of the Lord, the death of His Saints. He was mindful that the carnal substance of this world is fragile: all things, although now they are beautiful, yet corruptible. To Zabulus he was greatly contrary, gaining many men. O truly blessed life! O worthy of the gifts of God! O truly blessed man! in whom guile was not, judging no one, despising no one, returning evil to no one for evil. Often he wept for the blasphemers, who remains without stain, with joy & glory, among the troops of Angels, in ages of ages. Amen.
ANNOTATIONS.
p. Of these Magicians you will read many things in the Life of S. Patrick.
q. Alfordus in the year 489 no. 7 says, that Carentocus for thirty years sowed the faith in Ireland: & cites Capgrave's words, in which nothing else is said, than that thirty years before the birth of S. David Carentocus in Ireland began to converse.
r. Sabrina, commonly Severn, flowing through regions to the East of Wales, & between Monmouth & Gloucester Counties going under the sea.
s. So many Hibernian & Welsh Saints are praised for miracles, wrought on an altar floating on waters, that this matter cannot but be suspect.
t. Of Cato I have read nothing elsewhere: Arthur, by all writers most celebrated King of the Britons, in what time he began to reign is altogether ambiguous; his death most place in the year 542, & wish him as a youth in the year 493 to have fought at Mount Badonicum: wherefore Alfordus thinks that the beginning of his reign can be deferred to the year 508. It behooves therefore that the Britons find another Arthur, who could in Carentocus's return have reigned in some part of Wales. Since however we have above touched on the family fatuity in inventing genealogies, see also in Alfordus on the year 508 no. 8 how it is said that Arthur drew origin through his mother from that noble decurion Joseph of Arimathea, who buried the Lord: for they write, that Helanis nephew of Joseph begot Josue, Josue begot Aminadab, Aminadab begot Castellors, Castellors begot Mavael, Mavael begot Lambord son, who begot Igerna, from whom King Uterpendracon begot the noble & famous King Arthur.
v. Skinner in the latter part of his Etymological work alleges Camden, in the Paralipomena page 116 saying, that Car to the Britons signifies Marsh or Alder-grove: Car otherwise everywhere City is translated in proper names of places.
x. It seems therefore that Arthur's father was Cato: if truly these two ever reigned: therefore a little below, where the copy wrongly had, sent Cato Arthur, the correction which Dugdale had applied to the latter name, I transferred to the prior name & wrote Cato.
y. By Graphia I understand, public Instruments, or notarial as we now say.
z. Guellit mouth, is it where now is called Kidwellye in the County of Carmarthen? between the mouths of the Tobius & Logorius rivers, terminating the Kidwely hundred?
aa. Carew city, in the county of Devon is placed by Skinner; but here seems to be noted another of the same name in Wales.
bb. I would wish to learn from the Hibernians, whether such a city is known among them. Colganus in
the Appendix after the Life of S. Kieran 5 March chap. 4 from two Carnechs, whom the Hibernian fasts name, that one who is venerated 16 May, & lived in the time of S. Patrick, says in the church of Tulen in Media has his veneration, & elsewhere calls him Bishop of Tubene: then from the Calendar of Cassel adds, British by origin, in the island of S. Baithenus to be buried. But Alfordus in the Index of Saints, asserts that the same called the village Caranton, in the Somerset country.
ON SAINT NEADIUS
THE WONDER-WORKER AMONG THE GREEKS.
CommentaryNeadius the Wonder-Worker, among the Greeks (S.)
G. H.
In the most celebrated Greek MS. Synaxarium of the Church of Constantinople, which belongs to the Clermont college of the Society of Jesus at Paris, in these few words is mentioned this Saint on XVI May. And the memory of our holy Father Neadius. The same we found at Paris in MS. Menaea of the Fathers Preachers of the Congregation of S. Louis, as also in MS. Menaea preserved in the library of Cardinal Mazarin, & in these he is surnamed Wonder-Worker. Nor more hitherto about him could we draw out.