weaned, and perhaps later, when Fochertach, recognising his son's promise, began to train him up for a secular career. From this purpose, however, the father was dissuaded by the prayers of Beanus, the child's cousin (‘patruelis’), who demanded that the boy should be instructed in letters, and who, finding the parents unwilling to lose the child of their old age, renewed his petition with success on the birth of the future saint's brother, Mattadanus. Accordingly, Cadroe was led by his weeping mother to St. Columba's tomb, and there formally handed over to his uncle's care (for St. Columba's tomb see Skene, ii. 326, &c., who identifies Beanus with St. Bean, patron of the church of Kirkell, on the north bank of the Earn). In his new home Cadroe appears to have studied the scriptures chiefly, but there are not wanting tokens that, as he grew older, the bent of his mind was rather to the active than the contemplative life (Vit. Cad. c. i. 8, 9). A sudden change seems, however, to have come upon him while yet a youth, and his ardour for knowledge grew so keen that his uncle despatched him to prosecute his secular studies at Armagh, which at this time (888–927) was governed by Maelbrigda, who was also abbot of Iona (Ann. Ult. 927). Here Cadroe studied poetry, oratory, and philosophy, without neglecting the exacter sciences of number, measure, weight, motion (? tactu = tractu), hearing, and astronomy.
Having thus made himself master of all the Irish learning, Cadroe returned to Scotland, and seems to have spent the next few years in imparting the knowledge he had acquired abroad to his countrymen; ‘for the Scots, though they have thousands of teachers, have not many fathers.’ ‘From the time of Cadroe's return,’ continues his biographer, ‘none of the wise men [had] crossed the sea; but they still dwelt in Ireland’ (Vit. Cad. c. xii.). This obscure, and doubtless corrupt, passage Dr. Skene connects with the first establishment of the Culdees in Scotland (cf. Chr. Scot. sub an. 921). It perhaps marks the gradual severance of the two great Celtic churches of the West (Skene, ii. 325). The effect produced by the labours of Cadroe is clearly shown by the grief of all ages and all classes of men when he announced his intention of leaving Scotland in obedience to a heavenly vision. A curious penance (Vit. Cad. c. xv.) performed in a wintry stream (? the Earn) strengthened his resolution, and he started on his journey disregarding all the efforts of King Constantine to retain him. Entering the church of St. Bridget he bade farewell to the assembled people, and then once more set out on his way under the king's guidance, with gifts of gold, vestments, and steeds. The scene of this incident seems to have been Abernethy, and the king must be Constantine, the son of Ædh, who reigned from c 900 to c 943 A.D. From Abernethy he passed on to his kinsman Dovenald or Donald, ‘rex Cumbrorum.’ This must be that Donald, king of Strathclyde, and brother to Constantine, who is called ‘rex Britannorum’ in the ‘Pictish Chronicle’ (Chr. of Picts and Scots, pp. xli, xlvi, and 9). Donald conducted Cadroe to Leeds (Loidam civitatem), whence the saint proceeded to King Eric, his kinsman by marriage, at York. This sovereign can only have been Eric, son of Harald Harfægr, whom Æthelstan had appointed king of Northumberland c. 938 A.D. (Laing, i. 315, &c.) Thence Cadroe passed on to Lugdina (London), a city which he is credited with having saved from destruction by fire, and so on to visit King ‘Egmund’ at Winchester (Edmund, 940–6). With this king he had several conversations, after which he was conducted to the port ‘qui dicitur hymen’ or ‘limen’ (? Limne, the Roman Portus Lemanis; see Hasted, Kent, iii. 435) by the archbishop Ottho (Odo, archbishop of Canterbury, 942–959). After dismissing his nephew and others of his companions Cadroe landed at Boulogne, whence he journeyed to Peronne to pray at St. Fursey's shrine. Here his fame reached the ears of Count Eilbert and his wife Hersindis, who, learning that the thirteen strangers desired a spot on which they could devote themselves to agriculture and prayer, offered them a clearing in the ‘Sylva Theorascensis,’ where a church seems to have been already dedicated to St. Michael. Once settled here the brethren elected Cadroe to be their head, an office however which he refused in favour of Macallanus. A desire soon seized upon the little community of bringing itself into closer conformity with the monastic institutions of the continent; and accordingly Macallanus went to be instructed by Abbot Agenoald at Gorzia (ob. c 968), and Cadroe to Erchembald at Fleury (abbot 942–51). Here Cadroe became a monk on the day of St. Paul's conversion (25 Jan.) Meanwhile his patrons had been building a second monastery at Walcidorus (Wassor on the Meuse, near Dinant), and now sent for the two wanderers to return home; whereupon Maccalanus finding himself unable to conduct both establishments, Cadroe was persuaded by royal compulsion to undertake the charge of Wassor. In 946 A.D. Otto I confirmed the new foundation as a ‘monasterium peregrinorum’ to be ruled by one of the ‘Scotch’ strangers so long as a single member of the original community should survive (20 Sept. see Diploma ap. A. Miræus, 278–9). Somewhat
