IV.—THE VITA TERTIA

The Third Life given by Colgan was taken, as he tells us, from a manuscript of the convent of Biburg, in Bavaria, which Father Stephen White had sent to him. Its opening sections agree, almost word for word, with the Second Life; but this Third Life is complete, whereas the Second Life, as we now have it, does not come further than St. Patrick’s interview with King Laeghaire at Tara. But though brief, this Life is accurate and valuable, for it contains some important particulars, to be noted hereafter, not found in the Tripartite. Its author appears to be wholly unknown. Some consider the work to be merely a complete version of the Second Life, copied from the same original. Such is not our opinion. There is ample evidence that the Second and Third Lives came originally from different authors, although they adhered closely to some common authority which was before them. This Third Life may be that written by St. Lomman, or by St. Mel. It was certainly written in Ireland, and, so far as we can judge, by an Irishman.