270 



remi-cymbam dediixi. Sed ne magnum de parvo videar fingere, pauca 

 hmc de muUis Sancti Patricii gestis, parva peritia, incertis auctoribus, 

 memoria lahili, attrito sensu, vili sermone, sed afFectu piissimo caritatis 

 et sanctitatis tuse et aiictoritatis imperio ohediens, carptim gravatimque 

 exp lie are aggrediar . ' ' 



[Here follow the headings of the chapters into which the first Book 

 of Muirchu's Life of St. Patrick is divided; and at the close of them is 

 the following colophon]. 



" Hsec pauca de Sancti Patricii peritia et virtutibus Muirchu Mac- 

 cumachteni, dictante Aiduo Slebtinensis civitatis episcopo, conscripsit." 



The change of the words cognito si into Cogitosi restores meaning to 

 the foregoing passage, which, in its present state, is unintelligible. 



The author's conjecture is confirmed (2) by the observation that 

 Machteni is, in its signification, exactly equivalent to Cogitosi. TTIachc- 

 naim is the word which would be chosen to represent the Latin cogito, 



II. Dr. Graves proceeds to show that the Cogitosus who was father 

 of Muirchu Maccumachteni was the author of the Life of St. Bridget, 

 edited by Colgan, in his Trias Thaumaturga," p. 518. This conclusion 

 rests mainly upon a comparison of phrases in Muirchu's prologue, given 

 above, with phrases occurring in the introduction and concluding para- 

 graph of the life of Bridget, by Cogitosus. 



The passages referred to are as follows : — 



Cogitis me fratres ut Sanctse et Beatae memorise Brigidae virginis 

 virtutes, et opera, more doctorum memorise litterisque tradere aggrediar. 

 Quod opus impositum, et delicatse materise arduum, parvitatis et igno- 

 rantise mese, et linguae minime. Sed potens est Deus de minimis magna 

 facere ; ut de exiguo oleo et farinae pugillo domum implevit pauperculae 

 viduae. lidiqpiQ jussionihus vestris coactus, satis haheo meam non defuisse 

 ohedientiam, et ideo, pauca de plurihus a majoribus et peritissimis tra- 

 dita, sine ulla ambiguitatis caligine, ne inobedientiae crimen incurram, 

 patefacere censeo. Ex quibus quanta qualisque virgo virtutum bonarum 

 florida cunctorum oculis innotescat. ^^Ton quod memoria, et medio critas, 

 et rusticus sermo ingenioli mei, tanti muneris officium explicare valeret; 

 sed fidei vestrae beatitudo et orationum vestrarum diuturnitas meretur 

 accipere, quod non valet ingenium dictantis. Ilaec ergo egregiis crescens 

 virtutibus, ubi per famam bonarum rerum ad eam de omnibus provinciis 

 Hiberniae innumerabiles populi de utroque sexu confluebant vota sibi 

 voventes voluntarie, suum monasterium caput pene omnium Hibemien- 

 sium Ecclesiarum, et culmen praecellens omnia monasteria Scotorum 

 (cujus Parrochia pertotam Hiberniensium terram diff'usa, a mari usque 

 ad mare extensa est) in campestribus campi Lifi'ei supra fund amentum 

 fidei firmum construxit ; et pradenti dispensatione de animabus eorum 

 regulariter in omnibus procurans, et de Ecclesiis multarum provinciarum 

 sibi adhaerentibus sollicitans et secum revolvens, quod sine summo sacer- 

 dote, qui ecclesias consecraret, et ecclesiasticos in eis gradus subrogaret, 

 esse non posset, illustrem virum ct solitarium, omnibus moribus orna- 



