Lwvi.oit — A'n/fis on S/. BenuinP.t Lifo of Ht. Mulachi/. 245 



Malaehy tlieu retired to his former diocese. In agreement with this 

 the I'^oiir Masters record the aiapointment of the erenach i>f JJerry 

 (i.e. Gilla mac Liag, or Gelasius) as abbot of Armagh in 1137. But though 

 our two authiirities agree in the matter of chronology, they give different 

 impressions of the course of events. The Masters clearly imply tliat Malaehy 

 gave up the contest with Niall in 1136, that Niall returned to power for a 

 while, and that Gilla mac Liag was his successor rather than Malachy's. This 

 is not tlie place to inquire whether the two accounts can be reconciled. 



Vita,ii 32-42. These sections contain an account of Malachy's pilgrimage 

 to Eome and of the events which led up to it. His great and successful 

 labours in the diocese of .Down are first related, and the impression is left 

 that they occupied a considerable period : one might suppose a year or two. 

 Then Malaehy conceived the plan of going to Eome to demand palls for the 

 Irish Archbishops. This, if we are to accept St. Bernard's statements, was 

 almost certainly not earlier than the latter part of 1138. And he is supported 

 by independent evidence. For Malaehy can scarcely have contemplated such 

 a visit to the Pope until he was assured that the papal schism, which began 

 in 1130 by the opposing elections of Innocent II and Anacletus II, had come 

 to an end. Peace was restoi'cd by the influence of St. Bernard on 29 May, 

 1138 ;i but the news seems to have been slow in coming to these islands. 

 It was announced, as Pilchard of Hexham tells us,' in a letter from Innocent II 

 borne by Alberic, Papal Legate to England and Scotland ; but Alberic did not 

 reach Scotland till shortly before Michaelmas, 1138, when the Pope's letter 

 was communicated at Carlisle to King David and his nobles. The announce- 

 ment that Innocent II was at last the undisputed successor of St. Peter may 

 have been made in Ireland the next month. Thus it is improbable that 

 Malachy's plans were made, or at any rate divulged, earlier than 1139 or the 

 end of 1138. 



When the scheme was made public, we are told, it roused mnch opposition. 

 St. Bernard goes on to say (§ 34), " It happened meanwhile [infcrea : i.e., while 

 the forces of opposition were gathering] that Malachy's brother, Christian by 

 name, died. . . . His departure . . . rendered a parting from Malaehy more 

 grievous." Now this Christian, or Gilla Criost, is commemorated on 12 June' : 

 it would appear from Bernard's story that the year of his death was 1139. 

 It seems therefore that by 12 June, 1139, consent had not been given to 

 Malachy's project. At length it was obtained when he had resorted to threats 

 of divine vengeance, and, against his will, lots had been cast to decide the 



' Bern., Ep. t!17. 



= In Chroniehs of Stephe^i , Henry II, and nkhard I. ed R. Howlett (R. S.), iii. 170. 



^ Marty rology of Gorman. 



R.I.A. PROO., VOL. XXXV, SECT. C. [34] 



