Pagina-afbeeldingen
PDF
ePub

and therein they, with fitting solemnities, deposited his osseus remains, namely, the three fingers of his right hand, his arm from the elbow to the shoulder joint, the pan of his knee, and the only tooth which had escaped the keen search of the relique-hunting Constantine.*

According to Boece, Lesly, Hollinshed, Spottiswood, M'Kenzie, and others, the memorable event above recited, occurred in the reign of Hergustus, and, as will be observed, these historians vary in the date they assign to this transaction, though all concur in placing it in the fourth century. It is evident that the writer of the "Historia Sti. Reguli" has ascribed to one monarch what should properly be given to two, and he may have had interested motives for so doing, which I leave to Mr. Pinkerton to discover, and with whom I also leave the task of completing his series of Pictish Monarchs, by the insertion of this Hergustus, and whom I beg, for the sake both of us have for truth, that he do not confound him with Ungust II. son of Vergust. I believe Mr. Pinkerton's reason for not crediting the preceding account, has its origin in the fact that Hungust II. circa 821, was a great benefactor to the church of St. Andrews, and indeed to him Mr. P. ascribes its foundation. But if Winton's words have any meaning, or if many other authors' words have any truth, it would appear that this Hungust only enlarged and enriched it by various munificent donations. By Winton it appears he had erected the church lands of St. Andrews into a Regality, and probably built a new chapel, to which the Saint's reliques were transferred :

Than fwrth in hys devotyowne,
Ekyd the Dotatyowne,

*There is a little difference in the Catalogues given of these bones among authors. Boethius, in addition to the above account, gives three toes of the left foot, but says not a word about the tooth, lib. VI. fol. CVIII.; and Major speaks nothing of the toes, but gives Regulus the credit of carrying off the whole set of the apostle's teeth in place of one solitary tusk, Lib. I. Cap. XV.

[blocks in formation]

In this justling of dates then we may exercise a discretionary power, and place Saint Mirenus in that era, which, in our judgment, appears to be the most eligible for the scene of his activity. For my own part much would I incline to fix the period of his arrival in Scotland about the time when

Wes Saynt Martyn in his flowris,
And other sundry Confessowris,
Til hym were contemporane.

And, by extending his life to a comfortable length of days, he would thereby be made a companion and coadjutor to St. Ninian, St. Patrick, Palladius, and other devout men of celebrity.

But I need not perplex myself, or the reader, with fruitless conjectures on this topic, but shall follow the thread of my narrative as smoothly as I can, without entering upon any debateable ground, where hard blows are rife, and honour is scant. When Regulus had established himself at St. Andrews, those of his followers most eminent for their piety and gift of speech, were sent on missions to divers parts of Scotland, to preach the gospel. Saint Miren was appointed to the West, and after long travail he arrived at the place where Paisley now stands. It had been recently evacuated by the Romans, and was then in the possession of a potent chief, whose name hath not descended to posterity, but who, being much captivated by the winning manners of the Saint, allotted him a small field on the south side of the town, by the brink of a clear and pleasant rivulet, which field, though

*Winton, Buke VI,

now built on, was long known by the name of St. Miren's croft, and which rivulet still bears the name of the Devotee who lived on its banks. Here St. Miren passed his latter days, distinguished for his innocency and piety, working many miracles, and enlightening the natives wonderfully by his conversation. It is reported, that of all those who flocked to his cell, none more frequently came than Merlin the prophet, or shewed more delight in his company. Merlin then lived betwixt Renfrew and Govan, on the banks of the Clyde, at that spot which is still called Merlin's ford, but, notwithstanding the singular pains which the Confessor took with that Visionary, it is believed that he died wedded to all his superstitious and heathen idolatry. There were, however, four holy men who became his disciples, namely, Barchanus, Malcolmus, Petrus, and Alanus; these throve wonderfully under his eye, increasing in all manner of profitable and pious knowledge; and, after his death, they erected the Chapels of Kilbarchan, Kilmalcolm, Kilpeter, (now called Houstoun,) and Kilallan; where they respectively abode, to the great comfort and commodity of the people of those parts, who, to this day, possess some slight smack of the austere virtues ingrafted among them by these venerable Culdees. Though marriage, in those primitive days of the church, was not forbidden to ecclesiastics, it does not appear that Mirenus ever united himself to a wife, nor does it appear that he much affected the society of Saintly Virgins, like St. Patrick and St. Cuthbert; and in his voluntary seclusion from the vanities of the world, it does not overpass the bonds of conjecture to suppose that he would solace his spirits by perusing the works of eminent authors, and even employ much of his laborious leisure in composing others himself. Indeed, from the catalogue of his numerous works which hath miraculously reached our days,* it appears

* In the old Charter Chest of the Abbey, which has furnished our much esteemed friend, Mr. R. A. Smith, with some fine reliques of ancient psalmody, we also discovered this curious muniment. The list is long and interesting, but we have not room to mention any of his works, except the

that he was a man of universal acquirements, and well skilled in sundry languages- of rare eloquence, singular industry, and profound and various erudition.

When he departed this life, it is hard to say, and where his bones are deposited, it would require a second Sir Thomas Browne to discover. Probable, however, it is, that he would be buried within the precincts of his cell, and when the Monastery of Paisley was built, such of his reliques as were then unconsumed, would be removed there, and enshrined in a coffer of some precious metal. But the pains taken for their preservation, has belike been the innocent cause of their too premature decay; for now, nought is known of their fate, and the place where they once lay, is blotted from the page of authentic history, and the voice of tradition whispers nought of them. In his person, Mirenus was somewhat above the middle size, of a slender make, but clean limbed and active withal. His eyes, methinks, would be of a piercing gray, somewhat large, for the most part looking upwards to Heaven, in fits of contemplation and prayer. His hair would be of a comely brown, and it would cluster about his brow, which was high and commanding. His aspect was noble and somewhat saddened by deep thought, but there was ever a winning and

following, viz. Libellus de Virtutibus præstantissimis Trottelli Radicis, and which we notice because the famous Trottel Root, (which grows in great abundance in the neighbourhood of Greenock,) would appear to have been as well known in those early days as in the present, and consequently cannot be considered as a newly discovered article of economical food, as announced in various Magazines and Newspapers. From an experienced agricultural chemist, we learn that the best compost manure for the Trottel is this: To cne bushel of Snail Shells, such as some while ago, showered from the skies upon, and swamped a vessel near the coast of Newfoundland, add half a bushel of dried Frogs, well impregnated with Gourock Copper Ore, and two bushels and a half (if such a quantity can be found) of a lately discovered mineral, entitled Thomsonite; the whole to be calcined in the furnace of the Tremendous American Frigate, named, on account of its horrible instrument of warfare, the Devil, (by the by, this nautical Gorgon is now blockading the principal port of the Isle of Utopia,) and then to be well slaked in an Innerkip Thunder Plump.

gracious smile upon his lips. For this description of Saint Miren's outward appearance, I am indebted to the seal of the Abbey of Paisley, where his true effigies is most lively insculped, and which may be consulted with advantage by any one, who shall hereafter undertake to write his life. He there appears, grasping in his right hand a pilgrim's staff, which is topped with a cross, while his left hand is resting on his side, immediately above the scrip which is slung across his shoulders. He is rising a little on one foot, as if to give additional height to his figure, and greater majesty and solemnity to the address which he seems about to deliver, his whole countenance, in the meanwhile, beaming with unutterable intelligence. On the right and left of the Saint, and immediately above the respective coats armour of the Steward of Scotland, and Earls of Lennox of old, may be seen the cross of St. Andrew floating in the firmament, such as it appeared in the eyes of Hungustus II. previous to his victory over Athelstane, and which is there engraven, as commemorative of the share which the holy Confessor had in the custody and safe conduct of the Apostle's bones.

I have now finished all I meant to say regarding the blessed Confessor St. Miren, but I cannot conclude without noticing another devout man who lived somewhile after him. This was Convallus, one of the two disciples of the blessed St. Kentigern.* Convallus resided in Inchenan, where a famous monument was erected to his memory, and which was long visited by the religious.† The large stone, which is now called Argyle's stone, was the pediment of a cross erected to the memory of that Saint, and near to the site of

* The other was named Baldredus, a worthy and pious man, but as he betook himself to the Bass, he does not concern us at present.

Et Convallus divi Kentigerni discipulus, cuius reliquiæ celebri monumento in Inchennan haud procul a Glasguensi civitate a Christiano populo hactenus magna habentur veneratione. Boece Lib. IX. Fol, CLXXVII.

« VorigeDoorgaan »