52 CORNISH DEDICATIONS. 



That the monastery may have existed before Mancen took 

 charge of it is probable, and it is also possible that thence S. 

 Patrick drew some of the British assistants for his work. 

 Among the pupils received was a daughter of Drust a north 

 British king, who reigned from 523-28. Whether the incident 

 about to be related occurred at Ty Grwyn or at Witherne is 

 uncertain. It is told as having occurred whilst Meugint was 

 master, and Meugint is the same as Mancen. In the monastery 

 at the same time were Finnian, afterwards of Moville, Eioc a 

 reputed nephew of S. Patrick, afterwards of Inis-boiinde, and 

 Talmach, afterwards with S. Finbar. The girl Drustic fell in 

 love with Rioc, and bribed Finnian to be her go-between, by the 

 promise of transcripts of all Meugint's books. Finnian agreed, 

 but treacherously substituted Talmach for Eioc, and by him she 

 become a mother. Meugint or Mancen was highly incensed 

 when this vulgar intrigue reached his ears, and he gave a 

 serving boy a hatchet, and bade him hide behind the chapel, and 

 when Finnian came to mattins to hew at him and kill him. But 

 by some fatality the first to arrive was Meugint himself, and in 

 the dark the lad, not recognising him, struck him on the head 

 with the weapon and felled him to the ground. Happily the 

 blow was not fatal. 



In the life of S. Frigidian, of Lucca, who has been con- 

 founded with Finnian, of Moville, the same story is told, but 

 with a difference ; it is there said that Meugint was envious of 

 Finnian' s popularity as a teacher, and this caused him to plan the 

 attempt on Finnian' s life. 



. ,- It is probable that the story has suffered exaggeration, and 

 that 8,11 Meugint sought was to administer to Finnian a sound 

 thrashing, such as he richly deserved by his infamous conduct. 

 S. Non, mother of S. David and daughter of Gynyr, a princeling: 

 living hard by, was also sent to Ty Grwyn, and thence was 

 carried off by Sandde, son of the British prince Cedig. 



For how long Mancen, Meugint, or Mawgan governed the 

 college we have no means of saying. He was succeeded by 

 Paulinus, who had been for a while his disciple. 



It is remarkable that no date is given by the Irish annalists 

 for the death of a man of so great importance, and this. leads us 

 to suppose that he died out of Ireland. 



