A few words more will suffice to complete this too lengthy introduction. The Life of Malachy was certainly written before the Synod of Kells met in March 1152; for Christian, who attended the Synod as bishop of Lismore, is spoken of in the Life as abbot of Mellifont.[94] Its earliest possible date is a couple of months after Malachy's death. The ignorance displayed in § 69[95] of the movements of the Pope in 1148 is so inexplicable on the assumption of a later date that it may be assigned to January 1149.[96] In the following translation the text printed by de Backer[97] is used, with the exception of a few sentences which have been emended. It does not differ to any great extent from that of Mabillon.[98] Following de Backer I have divided the text into chapters, in accordance with the MSS.; but Mabillon's sections have been retained, as more convenient for reference, the numbers of de Backer's sections being added within brackets.
By way of illustration four letters of St. Bernard and his two sermons on St. Malachy have been added. They are translated from Mabillon's edition,[99] with some corrections. The dates of these documents are discussed below.[100]
St. Bernard's numerous quotations from the Bible and other sources are printed in italics, so far as I have recognized them. The scriptural allusions are given as nearly as possible in the words of the Authorized (in the Apocryphal books the Revised) Version, though at times they do not agree with the Vulgate Latin. Where it has been found necessary to depart from their renderings, the symbol "vg." follows the references in the footnotes.
I desire to make grateful acknowledgement of help received from my friends, of whom I must specially mention Dr. L. C. Purser, Senior Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin, Mr. R. I. Best, the Rev. J. E. L. Oulton, the Rev. Dr. J. M. Harden and the Rev. Canon C. P. Price. My wife assisted me in the preparation of the index.
St. Patrick's Day, 1920.
[1] See Life, §§ 6 (end), 7, 16, 17, 39 with notes, and Additional Note A.
[2] E.g. in the doctrine of the Eucharist and of Baptism. See Life, § 57, and Lanfranc's letter to Donnell in Ussher, 495; P.L. cl. 532.
[3] See p. 46, note 1, and Additional Note B.
[4] Life, § 19.