258 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



on the other. Now we have to remember that neither of them is in the proper 

 sense of the words a literary document. St. Bernard's sermons were obviously 

 of the type which we call extempore. A general plan was no doubt laid 

 down for each before it was delivered, and some thought was given to details. 

 But, on the whole, its phrasing and even some of its matter were due to the 

 inspiration of the moment. Much the same may be said of many of his 

 letters, and, among them, of the letter of condolence to the Irish brothers. 

 Striking phrases in such documents might re-appear for a rime in other com- 

 positions of the same writer, but not, I tliink, over a very long period. I 

 cannot believe that a considerable number of plirases and even whole 

 sentences would be carried forward from the letter to the sermon, or from 

 the sermon to the letter, if tliere was an interval between them of nearly a 

 year. Since, then, we may be sure that the letter of condolence was penned 

 as soon as a messenger could be found to carry it — i.e. almost certainly in 

 November, 1148 — the Sermon cannot have been as late as 2 JTovember, 1149. 

 The only earlier date which can be assigned to it is 2 November, 1148, the day 

 of Malachy's death. 



5. Tub Date of thb Vita S. Malachiat. 



St. Malachy died on 2 November, 1148, and St. Bernard on 20 August, 

 1 153. Between those two days the Life of Malachy was written. But we 

 can draw t!ie limits of its dale a little closer together. St. Bernard under - 

 tixik the task of writing it in response to a request of Abbot Congan.' TJic 

 letter which conveyed the reiiuesl cannot have been written till after 

 St. Bernard's letter of condolence* had reached Ireland ; and it can scarcely 

 have come into St. Bernard's hands before the end of 1148. It follows that 

 the Life was not finished earlier than .Tannaiy, 1149. On the other hand, 

 Gilla Criost (Christian) is descriljed in the Life' as abbot of Melhfont. But 

 he was Bishop of Lismore and Papal Legate on 9 March, 1152, when the 

 Synod of Kells met, under the presidency of Cardinal John Paparo.* 

 Unfortunately we cannot tell when either of these offices was conferred 

 upon him. It might have been supposed that be would have been appointed 

 legate not long after Malachy's death. But though the Pope would probably 

 lose no more lime than waa necessai-y in providing a successor to Malachy, he 

 may have had difficulty in communicating with Irish ecclesiastics. Paparo 



' Vila. Pracf. 2. * R): 374. ' §} 1 ». 52. 



' Ki.iting. Ilul. (i-a. C.Miijii and Diunecii). iii. .315. Keating callw tlii» Gilla Criost 

 head of the monks of Ireland, thiis ideDtifyiog him with the alilxit of Melhfont. See 

 tAta Annals quoted by U»»her ( Works, iv, •>-l2). 



