Beauties and Antiquities of Ireland: Being a Tourist's Guide to Its Most Beautiful Scenery & an Archæologist's Manual for Its Most Interesting RuinsRussell, Thomas O'Neill
History
Beauties and Antiquities of Ireland: Being a Tourist's Guide to Its Most Beautiful Scenery & an Archæologist's Manual for Its Most Interesting Ruins
Russell, Thomas O'Neill
Ireland -- Antiquities; Ireland -- Description and travel
"While the most holy Caemhgen (Kevin) was as yet remaining in the house of
his parents, the Lord performed many miracles through him.... The parents
of Kevin observing so great a grace in him, committed him to the care of
the holy seniors, Eoganus, Lochanus, and Enna, in order that he might in
their cell be brought up for Christ; and St Kevin was sedulously reading
with those saints. When he was grown up in the first flower of his youth,
a young girl saw him out in a field along with the brethren, and fell
passionately in love with him, for he was exceedingly handsome. And she
began to make known her friendship for him in astute words. And she was
always laying snares for him in every way she could, by looks, by
language, and sometimes by messengers. But the holy youth rejected all
these allurements. On a certain day she sought the opportunity of finding
him alone, and on a day when the brethren were working in a wood, she
passed by them, and seeing St Kevin working by himself in the wood, she
approached him, and clasped him in her arms with fondest embrace. But the
soldier of Christ arming himself with the sacred sign, and full of the
Holy Ghost, made strong resistance against her, and rushed out of her
arms in the wood; and finding nettles, took secretly a bunch of them, and
struck her with them many times on the face, hands, and feet. And when she
was blistered with the nettles, the pleasure of her love became extinct.
And she being sorrowful of heart, asked on her bended knees pardon of St
Kevin in the name of the Lord. And the Saint praying for her to Christ,
she promised him that she would dedicate her virginity to the Lord. The
brothers finding them discussing together, wondered very much; but the
virgin related to them what had passed; and the brethren hearing such,
were confirmed in their love for chastity. And that little girl afterwards
became a prudent and holy virgin, and diligently observed the holy
admonitions of St Kevin."
The above translation has not, to the writer's knowledge, ever been
previously published. John O'Donovan, the greatest authority on such
matters that ever lived, says in his unpublished letters, while on the
Ordnance Survey of Ireland, that the above extract "is the oldest and only
authority for the story about St Kevin and the lady, and shows clearly
that the scene of it is erroneously placed at Glendaloch by oral tradition
and modern writers. It will also be sufficient evidence that this Saint
did not murder the lady Kathleen, but inflicted a somewhat mild
punishment by flogging her with a bunch of nettles!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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