THE WORLD'S DEBT TO THE IRISH
considered to have been Bridget’s own candidate for
the position. As we have said he is usually spoken
of in history as “Bridget’s brazier” because he was
famous as a fine worker in metals to whom Bridget
had offered the opportunity to employ his skill in
the making of beautiful objects of various kinds for
the abbey. According to tradition, he was also a
teacher of decorative art, especially in the metals in
Bridget’s school at Kildare. It was here that was
laid the foundation of that reputation for the mak-
ing of beautiful shrines, chalices, brooches and other
objects for which the Irish were so famous in suc-
ceeding centuries.
Bridget seems to have encouraged in every way
the making of beautiful things. It is the tradition so
well authenticated with regard to this that makes it
seem very likely that when Gerald Barry, Giraldus
Cambrensis, made his visit to Kildare, he was actu-
ally shown the very beautiful copy of the Scriptures
which he tells us that he saw there and which he
considered to be the most beautiful book in the
world. It was thought for a time that perhaps this
might have been the Book of Kells but we have no
historical record or even distant hint that the Book
of Kells was ever at Kildare, so it is probable that
what Gerald saw was another volume almost if not
quite equally beautiful. Indeed after recent develop-
ments in Irish archeology there are not a few schol-
ars who venture to suggest that Gerald may actually
have seen at Kildare a still more handsome copy of
the Scriptures than the Book of Kells, if such a thing
268