Lawlou — Notes on Sf. Bernard'' s Life of St. Malachy. 235 



men, and belonged to a single tribe and family. Once again he is in agree- 

 ment with the Aiinn/n of Uhler. From thciu we can construct the following 

 genealogical table, in whicli the names of comarbs of Patrick are printed in 

 italics. 



Amhalgaid. Mad Muire. 



I 1 1 1- 1 Duhhdnleithi III. Aedh. 



Mael Isa. Domnall. Eochaid (?). Diibhesu. | 



I I Aedh. 



Aedh. 



Flannacan. Mitirchcartach. 



I 1 



Cellach. Niall. 



This table demonstrates that at least five of the eight abbots referred to 

 by St. Bernard were married. It shows also that six abbots (including Cellach 

 and the two rivals of Malachy, Muircheartach and Niall) belonged to the same 

 family; and that two others were related as father and son. We have no 

 means of ascertaining the ancestors of Amhalgaid and Mael Muire; but there 

 is nothing to show that they were not closely related to eacli other. Moreover 

 Flannacan and Aedh son of Dubhdaleithi are given the title " intended abbot " 

 (AbT)Un &bb6.T)) — a fact which indicates that family connexion had some place 

 in the qualifications of an abbot. Thus St. Bernard is again confirmed by the 

 Annals of Ulster. There can be no doubt that the comarbate of Patrick was 

 for a time held by " hereditary right." 



St. Bernard adds that this abuse continued for fifteen quasi-generations. 

 Elsewhere he says that it had lasted for " well-nigh two hundred years. "^ 

 These statements can neither be proved nor disproved. It is true that we 

 know the names of the fathers of abbots earlier than Muiredach, and within 

 two centuries of the accession of Cellach, and that none of them bears the 

 name of a previous abbot. But this is in harmony with what St. Bernard says ; 

 for his assertion that the eight predecessors of Cellach were married implies 

 that the previous "metropolitans " of the " evil seed " were not. It is clear 

 however, that the " quasi-generations " of St. Bernard were much shorter than 

 the generations of human life. 1 1 has therefore been conjectured, with proba- 

 bility, that he means by that phrase the term of oHicc of a " metropolitan."' 

 If so, according to St. Bernard the abuse began with Maelcobha, the fourteenth 

 predecessor of Cellach, who died in 888, 217 years, or a little more than two 

 centuries, before the election of Cellach. Thus there is a discrepancy, though 

 not a very serious one, between the two statements as to tiie duration of the 

 hereditary succession. Almost the same result is ai'rived at if instead of the 



' } 20. 



- This suijgestion hitrmonizes with St. Beruaid's meta|)hi)r, according to which the 

 eoiisecration of a bishop "raised up seed" to his predecessor. Vita, § .S4. 



