reformers. And this consummation was mainly due to the
wisdom and the untiring zeal of St. Malachy of Armagh.

* * * * *

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 Sec. 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._

FOOTNOTES:

[1] See _Life_, Secs. 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_, Sec. 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_, Sec. 19.