t cannot, so far as I know, be checked.

8. The same remark must be made about the statements that the people
would not come to church (Sec. 16), and that Malachy's exertions at
length induced them to do so (Sec. 17), though they are sufficiently
probable.

9. That "churches were rebuilt" (Sec. 17) cannot be questioned. No doubt
the monasteries of Bangor and Saul would be counted among the number. We
have explicit and independent evidence of the fact. The foundation of
churches and re-edifying of monasteries were a conspicuous feature of
the reign of Donough O'Carroll (see p. 170). And _A.F.M._ (1148) lay
great stress on Malachy's activities in this direction. He "consecrated
many churches and cemeteries," and "founded churches and monasteries,
for by him was repaired every church in Ireland which had been consigned
to decay and neglect, and they had been neglected from time remote."

On the whole it appears that St. Bernard's strictures are at least not
without foundation in fact, in so far as they can be tested. But he can
scarcely be acquitted of some measure of exaggeration in the rhetorical
passages in which they occur.

B.--The Hereditary Succession of the Coarbs Of Patrick.

_Life_, Secs. 19. 20, 30.

The assertions of St. Bernard in _Life_, Sec. 19, concerning the coarbs
of Patrick are controlled by _A.U._ The ninth predecessor of Cellach,
Cathasach II. (+957) is described in them (_s.a._ 956) as
"coarb of Patrick, learned bishop of the Goidhil." None of the following
eight is said to have been a bishop, though all are called coarbs of
Patrick. Moreover Cellach himself was appointed abbot before he
"received holy orders," and the record of his ordination on St.
Adamnan's Day (September 23) 1105, several weeks after his
"institution," seems to indicate that it was unusual for the abbots to
be ordained. All this corroborates the statement that his eight
predecessors were "without orders." It is true, indeed, that according
to _A.F.M._ Amalgaid, one of the eight, anointed Maelsechlainn king of
Ireland, on his deathbed in 1022. But it does not follow from this that
he was a priest. In early times, as is well known, unction was
administered to the sick by laymen; and there appears to be no evidence
that this office was confined to the priesthood till well on in the
ninth century (_Dict. of Christ. Antiquities_, ii. 2004). It is at least
possible that the older usage lingered on in Ireland to a much later
dat