interval had not blurred his recollection of their former
companionship, from which we may infer that Gilbert's personality had
made a considerable impression upon him. Anselm also states that he
had learned (probably from the superscription of his friend's letter)
that he was now a bishop. It would seem, therefore, that Gilbert had
been consecrated recently, and not, like the contemporary bishops of
Danish sees in Ireland, by the English Primate (see the letters in
Ussher, 511, 512). He probably became bishop of Limerick about 1105.
Shortly after his correspondence with Anselm, and perhaps by his
influence, he was appointed papal legate for Ireland, the first, as
St. Bernard tells us, who had held that office. He was legate when in
1108 or 1109 he wrote his tract _De Statu Ecclesiae_ (see above, p.
xxx. ff.); and in 1110, as legate, he presided over the Synod of
Rathbreasail. In 1139 or 1140, being old and infirm, he resigned his
legatine commission and his see (Sec. 38 and p. 73, note 1). He died
in 1145. Gilbert was evidently a strong man, who had much influence on
the affairs of the Irish Church. It is therefore surprising that the
only reference to him in the native Annals is the notice of his death
in the _Chronicon Scotorum_.

[386] _Senior._ This is almost a technical word for the head of a
religious community. Malchus is called _ard senoir Gaoidheal_ (high
senior of the Irish) in _A.F.M._ 1135.

[387] His dissimulation was his disregard of the divine call in the
vision described in Sec. 21.

[388] Cp. _A.F.M._ 1132: "Mael Maedoc Ua Morgair sat in the coarbate
of Patrick _by the request of the clerics of Ireland_."

[389] Ps. lxxxiii. 12 (vg.).--See Additional Note B, p. 165.

[390] Gen. ix. 6.

[391] The diocese of Connor.

[392] Matt. xix. 2; Mark x. 2.

[393] Ezek. xxxiii. 30.

[394] Jer. l. 11.

[395] The church of Armagh.

[396] The "spouse" is primarily the diocese of Connor. His voluntary
poverty is especially associated with his episcopate there in Serm. i.
Sec. 6.

[397] It can hardly be doubted that this means the diocese of Armagh
(cp. p. 45, n. 4). Both Sec. 19 and the title "son of purity" (_A.U._
1129) imply that Cellach was not married.

[398] Rom. ix. 19.

[399] That Malachy was in 1132 recognized by many as coarb of Patrick
is confirmed by the Annals (see p. 48, n. 3). But that he exercised
his episcopal office "throughout the entire province" is inconsistent
with the fact th