32 The Rev. J. H. Todd on an Ancient Irish Missal. 



" Hanc igitur oblationem servitutis nostree ecclesite sed et cunctas familiaj 

 tuEe quam tibi offerinius in honorem Domini nostri Jesu Christi, et in comme- 

 morationem beatorum Martirum tuorum, in hac ecclesia quam famulus tuus ad 

 honorem nominis glorise tus sedificavit, queesumus Domine ut placatus suscipias, 

 eumque atque omnem populum ab idulorum cultura eripias, et ad te Dominuni 

 patrem omnipotentem convertas." 



Dr. O'CoNOR has not noticed the most remarkable peculiarity of this 

 prayer, namely, that it seems to refer to a particular church, and that it speaks of 

 the founder or builder of that church as still living, praying " that /te, as well 

 as all the people, may be delivered from the worship of idols:" — "in hac ecclesia 



quam famulus tuus . . . adificavit ;" " eumque atque omnem populum ab 



idulorum cultura eripias, et ad te Dominum Patrem omnipotentem convertas." 



This is very singular. Are we to infer that the church alluded to was 

 built by a Pagan, who continued still in idolatry ?* If so, it is strange that he 

 should be styled, as he is here, a servant of God, " famulus Tuus." But what 

 seems most remarkable is that he must evidently have been living when 

 the prayer was composed: for " ab idulorum cultura eripias," and "ad 

 Te convertas," are petitions that could not well occur in a prayer for the 

 dead. 



" The words of consecration," Dr. O'Conor adds, "follow those above men- 

 tioned, agreeing literally with the Roman, down to the Memento for the dead." 

 " But here," he says, " the Irish differs not only from the Roman, but from the 

 Galilean, German, Mozarabic, and all those that are mentioned by Martene, 

 Mabillon, Bona, and Renaudot." He gives the following extract correctly, 

 with the exception of two omissions, which I have inserted in brackets: — 



* There is a curious story in the Life of St. Euadhan of Lorrha, ■which, however, bears upou 

 the present subject only as showing that the supposition of an idolatrous chieftain building a 

 Christian church is not impossible. " Fuit vir pessimus in regione Midias, nomine Eighmea, qui 

 aliquando vicum Sancto MAo filio Brie, ut ibi cellam ledificaret, obtulit." — (Quoted by Colgan, 

 Append. 2da, ad Vit. Columbse, Part I., c. sxxix., p. 461.) This was St. Aedh Mac Brie, Bishop 

 of Killare, in Meath. The story goes on to say that the man died, and that his soul was seized 

 upon by the devils. St. Aedh, anxious to save him, invoked St. Euadhan and St. Columba, 

 both being then living, although absent, the one at Lnrrha. the other at Hy. The saints flew to 

 meet their brother St. Aedh, and all three fought the devils in the air, and delivered the captive 

 soul of the vir 2>essimus. 



