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P^iMATE, Kaa APOSTLE OF tR£L ANi> f COMPILED AND ARRAKGBD FROM ■'.,'' • Original Documents of l^ngMxcs/ionfi^li^^/y. . ^ t6 II^HICil ARK ADDED^ RULES K)R A CHRISTIaI^FjE, To be oNe^ved by all ihat desire to s^irtlcT Uiemsdves a happyeternitfc ^" *, \> '.': ^ :* *■»..■<• Montreal ■ i^'" > Ti:ii.STMjfcS^\'^ ^ l« *■ ABOU .iiarie s ifound the Go some p «omew Irish V Leinsti hanach of his { cof 6ar< princip make 1 year oi The Patricl after U to who xiial pa ^f soci( /or the ences. The the pec was a 1 salvatii facilita centuri ity, his insurre withou Duri stitytei THiE THE LIFE OF ST. PATRICK, CHAP J. ABOUT the year432of the^Christian aera^when Loag- liarie was king of Irelan■'■ I' " d'stinguished for profoun.l ll.i^ ""^ """^ eminentlv •"perior to' the supStious a„d ^^.r."* '""^^quentl^ "fthe heathens. Thev Mil^^^''^ 'S""*"' pnests mortaliiy 6f the souRnd th;tli"„ Z' ^'"' V" ">e i"*" to be rewarded according tbth.^*",'*"*' *"" death, hfe Theauslferity of th!ir IWe an jt' ''""."5 ""»"»• po .cy with which therreSl^H /k^* P^**""'* and gamed th^m the veneraL^ f "Snecf I'f Jk'^" "«'*'' They had provincial conferences »^nfn °'^*''f P'-op'e- -nbieda.aco„sti.ue„t,T<:^S^^^^^^^^^^ anil'a«"n;^'b;J-J;,f l*!?.^^^^^^^ »» 'he Continent, in resist the'tyrannk Trtva^on^s orh^' ,<"'' P"'"""'-" td mans, incurred IhervSe Lnl="''''r".*""S «"- derers. Whereimn^ Tk!! '^ngPance of those nlun- to South Britain; from-Ihlrce tb No^ttr?.^"'!^""'. sea, and the Isle of Man !„T i?- / . l^>'*«'n,Angle- onlf nation which Sjedf^''7»*«lyto Irel,nd,^the perial Rome. Here thev w^. v a?*^ "*' J"''* "f i"'- i'rethren,and nraUtbT.£?h^r » '^■f*'^'^^'* ■»? their »o the stobk of nSarV ^.T" """e added much «hroughTh!^isfe,vZ' acSS'?"'!^ trades, arts, and scfencesThVttlft Pf'fesMon of those' knowledge of in the various If^^^- 'T '""^ "Cflni^ed * were e.xpelled. ^P^ntf'ss bom which tfc^^fi |The.kinghadau?rti:::^';!'a it/'S^s!';;; fritain, Dru- ^ere entrust- 1 piibJic and d influence, rdicts, were ious rites, a ciays. It is eminently nsequently rant priests in the irri- [ter death; ing mortal idence and vvn order, fie people: "I also as- version of tinent, in iotism, to sring Ro- ose plun- s first ex- indGaul, ijAngle- l«nd, the ^e of im- bv their Bd much diflTused of those' ch tfeiey oric 1^^ rmilted \y deii- icipate. rson, to SO". TATUICK. ■» prAV and sacrifice for him ; to advise him In difficul- ties ; and to determine on emergent occasions. Every 1 noble, aiso, was attended by his Druid. In all their proceedings, the Druids shewed most eminent exam- ples of integrity, honour, simplicity, and temperance. As instructors of the people ; and depositories of learning, they carefully retained it among their order, «< that the vulgar should not have an opportunity of discovering their masteries, and that the understanding of the pupils may be improved by the exercise of their memory, they committed none of their tenets," says Cffisar, " to writing, though they were acquainted with the use of letters." In their academies, all the pre- cepts were delivered in verse ; and such students as aspired to honour* in literature, were for about twenty years employed in cornmitting^didactic' composition to memory, as the same author observes. Entertaining an opinion that it was derogatory to the sublimity and immensity of the divinfi essence, to con- fine their adoration within the limits of roofed edifices, they set apart consecrated groves for celebrating their sacred rites and solemnities. As the oak Was the ob- ject of their esteem, thejr places of worship were sur- rounded with oak-trees, whencevtlieyi were called Druids, Such was the state of druidiffrti in Ireland, on our great apostle's mission thereto. His adinirabN^ management and conduct in converting them from their iiiolatrous customs to the comfnunion of Christ, will !>e shewn in its proper place, after establishing the exis- tence of our Hibernian Moses, as he is emphatically styled by his Italian biographer, against the untuuiided arguments of modern innovators. CHAP. II. : The French Jesuit, Harduin, iJi the sixteentii cTTftu- ry, acquired immortal nolori( ly an4 contempt^ l;v \ m p:^rad(>xical reveries, in strivin:^ to pirove, thai \:Mi {( the ancient medals and Koman cl missies wei e lor." li::"^ A ') 4 » -• X^^ ,/ .-^neid of ViXl' ^yj*'^ B«nedic(i„„ t, . TO mpim. (to S'L''"''"!"'' •"».?»„ ?T -uk^ahd cmmptT^ '*"** "''^'y ^"sh readerCd,-- in I-rfi^ch?s"tv2i°t!,'L\»'' contradictions to b« n, , «o»«iderin5 that i?fYi,''f ^'^i'j' accounted forTv . of the Anglo-.^J'^^^;* „">^ Dr B e .^ ^j^e f^„d^^ inspect ,nto the old fecoKilT^^ . t nolil a commission conrt f«r »► •'"* '"sh nation, and tn' tthe ap„3jle,hip o "Sdr^ fe„^t Patriclc's'title' " r^o it, as he proved iii-Qf fL .. ^^^^^ ^e had no clain, «les ascribed to'thl t^^d ^17^'"^""'^ "" ^^- W!.tina, in hi, life of CelS IT *^^ *""'' «'ence o( iniss.on to Ireland, fhoujl t" ' *'?f '^f.^t. Pat*kV St. tiermanus to, £a5J.nrtoVp»»i°r' ** "-""ion of Our ajpstle's title, hSwev -r « thJft?"" "> Scotland «yve«, though in his own Ct' ofHr*"""'"' "S^'n't .because be Was but a titulw hlh '*"?"' *"'' why ? lands glebes, advowson^ or Hth nT' .r"!!""^ *«">^'» . '''fau* the ncal poem, tn century, >me, under proved by ^^ Wdkuw was, « Dq •jecte Jike 'he early re past.'* ontradic- 1 fiimilaf ! part of Jr's ridi- for, by before, ms en- This m [riclc»3 founds ifence iry to nd to' tie to JlaiDi nira- ce of n of and, inst y? noiv §T. PATRICKS Dr. LedAvich informs us also, that one Maurice his <' Defence of Episcopacy ^ P^^^^ished about i lie ..«. 1700, declared that,*^ he was nc^ satisfied with S. Pa- trick's 365 bishops. It was probably a fable, and h.m- seU' a saint of the imaginauGii.'' Thus far has the ]>octor thrown the odium ol being, the ori-inal suggester of our Saint's nonentity from him- ■;ifHTs bird inducement for disbelieving the exis- tence oui saint is, that he is not recorded 1.1 any work of the 5th, 6th, 7th or 8th centuries, and that la S58, he is first mentioned ir. a vvlia incoherent fia^mento T^enniu5, \vhi<^h seems to have been complied from an S f-end.'' The sum tptal, then, of Dr. Ledwich'^ gc rons%ainBt St.'Palrick's existence amounts m. fait but to two arguments, the one negative and tlie ptKs UvrT negative objection that « no men- tion isCade of the saint in any work till Nenmus' n- coherenUTagment in 858, complied from an Irish e- gend » dese?ves spme degree of con^deration, n^^^^ llence of historians cotemporary with Dr. Ledwioh, may he hereafter misconstrued into an acquiescence in the validity or tlie truth of bis argumt^ntatmiv So aWurS udiculous are Ry ves' and Maurice s nbfectSraga^.Bt St. Patrick's ^-^steiKe oa a,co^^^ o the "multiplicity of miracles ascribed to him, as to ^nerc^de the necessity of a serious reply. Lest, ho w- ^^/♦h7honVstcredun^ of those of our saint s coijci- Zlln^^^^^^ candid dissenters f^m tl^ fcSic church, should be led away by the Doctor s ias been deemed necessary to^ubm.t t^y^ious^^^^^^^^^ er^s perusal, the sentimenU of Cathobc and Protestant authors on this subject in the ensuing chapter, eHAP. in. The in.leraf.iaMc and learned Hatvis, a man emi- nently dh inguilhed for hi« antipathy to tl.e Poman Ga- ?holKm,mion and its p'.ofe^sors, decl.ves, .n Hs ij- mo=i material c^'elft oThS^- '^*'-P-"e''ded1h1 «" bound:;?!?:, ark ag.s ,, ^^^y^^^':^^'! f volume, whiph l:i, . . volume of Irish „,<:■.. f»«; Of S tl:.,';;:^^"* "f ''>e au o',Vl'- '"■ venls oti everv or. -"^ •,*,'■"'>' ^^'«i, « that (h^ wJT ^^y^ O'Con venerat/»W «k -iifi': "<"•> Valiancy f.ii •T. P^^RICK. * 'This pri- ary piety, ' once Pa- seful, (hat 'ansmitted Weak and tich nuiu- e the le- pt one to servable, arest the f*e of this ^e, have Pn most 9 bishop fied the iy/nn of ch into il liish, writers ^'piied, ceeded ' tenth imself Phiiip future ig:the /hose 3bted itica! lies ; dis- nom atid other literary vindicatoisof hiihiitive country's an- cient glory ^nd tame, <' blasts his own reputatioA with the disoetning public." ila addition to the above vindication of -oursalnl^from .the imputation of such biographers aslocelin6,theread- [^v wili not be displeased with us for submitting to his perusil the following pertinent remark on the impropri- ^ety of such p. mode of writing, from the same author. I^arris's \ife of the Prince of Orange, and his various ;wriUngs against popery, evince such a zeal for the Pro^- ^estant interest of Ireland, as places him ahay,c all sus- picion of partiality tow.ardg the religion and worship of Jhe followers of S.U Pajtrick. The following remarks, Ihttrefgrc^ so immediately applicable to the present ^rw ^estigation, claim peculiar attention for the^r propriety ^nd justness. ' that has followed from such a iegendary way of writ- ing, which had ai^thors of his time foreseen, would have made them cautious in this respect. Miracles are |hings of such an extraordinary nature, that they must ))e well attested, in order to gain credit among men. But such writers, by iistroducing them on every frivo- lous occasion, without number, measure, of use, have ^called in question the truth of every thing they relate; jind in that case have brought into discredit, and even I'idicule, the real inirr.cles which, perhaps this holy man pay have wjought. The lavish use they have made pf them, serves only to oppress the faith, as a profusion pf scents overpowereth tjie brain. By this great indis- cretion, thpy have caused their writings to be generally looked upon as fabu'ous, and their unskilful manage-? fnent has only served tQ bring our great patron into con- tempt." ** As to the truth of his miracles," continues this learned antiquary, <« it may be urged, that as God in- spired him with the glorious resolution of adv^turing himselt to reclaim an infidel people to Christianity, so hf» arni^il l^m xxrith nil th fiips to ^0 thrQu,^h sq ^re£|t a work. '? »TO-;teV io THB LfFB o^ rtill " I .t.f? ^'J*? '"'?°'"'*' "'erefore," sa^s Hani* «<«, '«I shall avoi4dwWlingon his miracles.as i think •t a more profitable JasJc tarelate,his good wo'k, which »,«'»!""'' .?" •"e»P^" viz. that ofwrUinn hk lift S «w ""^^'J""""' ^ho .pend the fes»ivaf olf Z mtst abstemwM8 and inQrfified man in riot and excew .::iS;?''''' "*"- "^ ^'y ■» •'^^ %h to "jo'll dir!,f!r°'^ '"^^*^' '*«'" ■''»' t'le a''3« complete vin, io the abore sensible remarks on the evil tendencv^ ll&^'-y ''"*'"«» «"'' ""the sinful pXa,io„l our abstemious apostle's festival day, it would be W ed a most unparcfotiable omission w the writer of mI' memoirs, to neglect the famous Usher whZpUlm,i- rxWoeofth?'"'- "T"^*^ e.'tima«on, during thi are wrilten^N„rT? '''"g"»g««. i" which his work* are wntten. Notwi'hstandmir the above merited »«,./> m.ums on the Protestant primlte oflSrio WscouSi; trymenof he Catholic community, however wrsS .ng prwcip es andcrooked policyoai never beSten Our i^urtrwus apostle's determined antagonists Cl- ore, wMl not, oanno h«ve the assurance or hardihood 40 accuse h,« uf partiality towa.ds hi. popnh cplnpa^ PriiMte I'iher, in his celebrated work, '< On the Ori- gin of the Churches of the British Isies," and in a mul- tiplicity of other subordinate tracts, treats of our saint's mission and apostolical labours at large. In these va- rious essays, Dr. Usher adduce, such abundant proofs of . 3 ,T'f '"^ *"' ''.""« '''* ««• bishop of Ireland, «s must satisfy every iii.i.anial reader on that hfad. ; (xcept Jsher, )pinion j'lbseqi jaint." (aid R^ )erjuie ere. ippliec aint's 'consull of Brit Usher to hav bccas'K of Ry^ of St. swer l A s( stnicti intern] to aP his lit prbfoi] Isles. ry api ing ar iden h " Usl strono the ri work from temei catior any s nanci and < gT. PATRICK. is 1 think «, which >od man'a Aw Zi/#^ f'yinjsf our ti of thia, i excess. >f a joU J, Icte xm-^ WareX 1 refuta-^ 5ndpnc3( lation oi edfem-' r of hi^ rofouiK^" genera^ ing th« s wpikii; d encp;^^" is coun^ sraecttt-i^ rgoltenf , there « rdihood heOri^ a miil- saint'ft ese va- roofs of lebiid, t hfad. y xcept the profound and impartial Dr.Ledwich. Witli . Jsher, the British antiquary, Cambden, coincides in ^ pinion ; who, likewise, expressly declares, *< that 'ibsequent writers attKched frivolous miracles to our aint." Dr. Ledwicih records the answer to the afore - aid Ryvesjthe infamous defender of the subornation of lerjured witnesses, for upholding the English tyranny lere. "Ryves," says Ledwich, before he seriously applied to an investigation of these matters, '« our vault's reputed iiiiracles," &c. &c. «• thought proper to Consult Cambden and Usher, the two great lupimarie^ of British and Irish antiquities." ' « Unacquainted with Cambden, Ryves prevailed on Usher \o lay his letter before hirh. ^sher seems not to have acted friendly, impartially, or candidly, on this occasion ? for in his letter to Cambden, enclosing that of Ryves, he endeavours to prepossess him in favour of St. Patrick, and even to point out to him wM a^^- swer he should give." . ,. A serious charge this, equally ungramalical in con- struction as it is severe, disrespectful, indecorous, arid intemperate in.its application, from a Protestant vicar to a Protestant archbishop, venerated by all parties for his literary acquirements, but more particularly for hi§ profound knowledge in the antiquities of the British Isles. To what fitter person could the English antiqua- rv apply, than to a man " whose extraordinary h arn- ihg and soundness of judgment," according to Camb- den himself, « infinitely surpassed his years." Usher, in his letter respecting Ryves's objection, strongly observes to his correspondent Cambden," that the ridiculous miracles fastened on our saint, were fhe work of later writers." Would pot this one opinion, from such a great authqrity, prevent any man of les^ temerity than Ledwich, from the adoption and publi- cation of such inconsistent arguments. Can it excite any astonishment, then, that Ryves, «' thus discounte- nanced by the oracular 4ecisions of those eminent men, and overborne by such authority," reliuqui^hed the %iiV ^n T'HB IITK or i hishops, another ProtlVi^H-^''""'.^'- Patrick's 365: factorily replied in hk«u-,'-.^;^™<=''' •»»» salis- «hurcl.es ef 'Seat k'.^inn^!?'r?' /'•=•'»"' »f ">« century before the frcirof^th/h'""'^" *'"•"« '""^ * Earned Dr. Wm Lloyd Lh!no(% T i"'"" "^^^ know not whetlMsr U be worth Lr ? ' ^*^' '«>"« " ' and some otters that Sf p.f^- "»''""«. with Nennius, founded 365 ctt sf ird ^'e'a^'^f- f « ".Iphabets these times," continae?nr ri j*^^™?' *"»« writers of of multiplyins. used tn ».„' "jiT-T-V- """"' °» We plan - '>•- ---^ ^' . ° '*{' that things were as many of- st^ /" ?«""Se.B's life saitir. whicli no man will unirl f P?' ^f. '"^"^ ^^S monks' place." *'" anderstand Lterally that know the m^y be, «XVe°id'estKo'h'-r''T *''« »^"ani«g also ord'ained as m^y ^I^'TJI *'"' ''''' ''» :?rp-; irtt^n^b^^^^^^^^ *his suffice a^nst M\l"r!c'ercffiro\::raf^:. ''^* CHAP. IV. CaufoHcVhTvfaiwa,"/ """""'^."^ '»*™*^«' '« saints. The Bodts fe' N^";!?!' T-!^"^ disapprobation: othere, have bLTev^lffr, ' '^'"f^ont.F'ewy, and cisms,' and severe i^ ^ ^ ".""""ous in their^iriti- SAiNt PATftlck. rative perse-| vers as were] estates, of Maurice, itrkk's 365 s and disrni* 3 has satis- unt of the ibout half a [)orn. The ' ►h, says « { h Nennius, alphabets, ., or more, ! writers of •» the plau e as many life saith^ 65 monks^ know the meaning B sees, he^ ^ere rural >t or nine er." Ui tions. ( o saints, robation. ury, and sir criti- 4 legen- arianna, hus ex- 'clesias- leal annals have been corrupted with manifold bhiin- - Ihes, and that in others of our books containing our •avers, sacred rites, and ceremonies, are blended and termixed with many fables and lies. 1 must add, at sometimes in our churches, doubtful relics and ii- iligious bodies are exposed, instead of the revered re- iains of saints reigning in heaven with Christ. It is a reat misfortune that we are not able to deny what it is inworthy to acknowledge ; yet, I know not how it lappens, that the people are more frequently carried tway by feigned fabled, and preposterous and trifling lies, than by a narration of the truth with sincerity, "luch is the emptiness of our minds, that nobody dare^ discuss when this corruption has crept into tiie hurch." Melchior Canus, a learned friar, of the illustrious or- |der of St. Dominic, expresses his regret in a manner learly similar ; his words are, « with grief rather than j^eproach, 1 must affirm that the lives of the Heathen jphilosophers have been written with more accuracy and ktrict adherence to truth than the lives of the saints by ^ome Christians ; and that Sutonius hath with greater propriety and integrity set forth the lives of the C«sars, 'than some Catholics have done, I "will not say the his- tory of their emperors, but of their martyrs, virgifis^and ^onfen »o many modi, glcs and fables have been related." *^ , ■ If through zeal, credulity, or superstition, legendary ed to's?"p /-^^'"i:'' "' »"ne"«'ar>, have b'een^f,Sput to nr r' ,. ™u^' have not similar fables been ascribedl to Dr. Ledwich's enlightened St. Columbkille ? ThJ biographers of the litter seem to vie with our apostleV historian, IS th.s respect; nay, with little variaMo„7i„' some instances, they seem but imitators. Thus, wheS ' chZ T- »'^"^"'^'"«'l to St Patrick's mother, Con- cohtJi'f ..i'"".'^ her pregnancy, the venomous potion C converted into a stone, arid so kept between l^is lin^« by our young apostle, where it was found at hi°M?t? The stone also upon which he was born, partiWpS of ouryoung apostle's sanctity, possessed mLy Wonder- wwking qualities, among the test that of d'eteiUng pet- «a!l^''nf"f.^''"'f * "•* '*"%' °' Columbkille, was preg- nant of him, she was visited by St. Fer-na at Jh„l sa utatioH the unborn child she^^ed the most 'unen^vd! cal Signs of joy. « Porrecto e matrk utero S&e" Sed w'^th^'' '''", ^^' "*** °f St. Patrick's, aSpa- lous vT tues " Shi'in ^"'"«' P/"'««^^ing ^ahy mirS- lous virtues ! Should he not be esteemed a madman « rLl'llf T.'"^^}^""'^ "S^' ^°"W attempt tbMuce* i a belief that neither of the two great liihts ^as vouf ' netghbour St Averel,« apostle of Tantore;'^in fes^Ser mrfns, styles John and Charles Wesley,) noMfceir dls ciples ever existed, beca*ise in thei/Cs, « Xs '" practical dealmgs of God's Spirit, &c. &c. are rS- • ^i^'>^'1'«'='"«^e ift their journals, and in 'h"* tioned by any author nri *",• ^^^'^"^ ^ »»* «en- the fifth, JthrsevlnTh^/'J''ll°^ ''"*'=%' <<"«« answer tLt the proo& oV It V^^Af'"*^'' ?" wf strong and convSt as anv ™f V' existence are a. dence can make it! ° ^ "*'*' certainly or evf- hV. ve appeared thiZwc^rnf'"* """""•«'» """t assertion, whrsSot that th/"^"'* unqualifie'd sets bimserf up for an aWl t''®,';"'*"" "'^Aghaboe ing OD a subject aboufth°'"^.^'"'?°''' '» ^i^' than the Cathol.-cs ? T h a^ •"•'"■^ concerned chic modeof chureh „« ^^ deriving tbe hierar- statute law ia South I^r™"?/' f '"Wished by bishop of St/As-Dh »^hT ?'"' i';^!"'"'' '''■"' 'he «T. PATRICK. 17 Scotch leveller., than that "<»"="><»»»?•««" whieh he has attempted to frame and estaWish. Notw4th«tanding his po»itivene«8, however, with all deference to hh bold, arrogant and prewmp- Vuo« (because altogether unqualified) a«ertion, the Doctor must, in his turn, allow us the same liberty, not of averring, with despotic petulance, for imposing on ignorance of unsuspecting credu- m but of using our rational faculties, and mves. tiga'ting the authorities and testimonials upon which our holy apostle's existence depends. For rtill he will pardon our inBdelity in doubting of his authority and assurance, as we "'" »*»»"' partiality far ,tlxe opinion of a General Vallancey, a Guthrie, a Crawford, a Keogh, a Moshetm, a JJarris, a Ware, a Goodwin, » Warner, a Whia- ker. a Leland. a Littleton, and a CamMen.wUh other learned Protestant historians, and philoso- phers of a similar character. ... » r . ^ Neither can Dr. Ledwich be angry with us for paying more deferenc^Jthan he himself has to the Sentiments of Nieholson, bishop of Derry i Uoya. bi Am of St. Auaph, and primate Usher, Dr BUH- JiMBlet, Bavle, with many other learned doctors and pillars of his church, who, in the scale even of intellectual discrimination, will be ever held Equivalent, at least to the vicar of Aghaboe. Nor can .you blame our more than B^itic stupi- dity, still, if in accordance with the above strong phalanx of Protestant divines, pliilosophers, and Antiquarians, we should attach some consequences to the authority of our native Catholic scanachies or antiquaries, too, such as an O'Halloran, an O'Connor, of Bally nagar, a Comerford, a Colgan, a T.rnch. an O'Flahertv. a Keating, a Brodin, au /J .^ yi 18 THE MITE or I ?.'±!'i?"' f ^^r/'"?'""".. » Ho'l'e. a W« Flem rcl. eneZel^r of IrUh .miquity. that' theUe^ enemies have often acknowledeed them.pl.». ^n,.ne„tly indebted to the laboSs resTarche «nd elucida ions of these Irish pioneers. ' r«n»"i*'li^ ess numerous, but certainly not lets respectable in the repubhc of letters are thJ i; terary character? of France. Itah G^lZJ : other countries, who have? !& i'rce''„'^^S past, made our patron-saint the subject of tb"i? "nvestigation, or theme of their panegyr c^I Among these we find a Baillet, a Biroat, a Tm" e7 ro"ius"'a rT'' «. Pr'"'*""'' " Bollandus, a Bal* ronius, a Bellarmin, &c. » "» To make extracts from the works of such . multiplicity of authors, suits neithr our plan ou? ial? rn'?.'""""", ■' "^ » »>"« cataroguTof ?he names o all these who have written hi» lifein fuJI or compiled his memoirs, ormerelv recorde, ^' Lvrt!""„'"""?''° "«"'' y"'""^'' chronicles. 'pane- f/kseif ^ "" """"«'• """^^^ ^"'"^ « *»'"'»« „„Io« ""'•«P"'"« '^" no'an ideal personage, an Hpstart phantom, newly introduced Into the Irish £irr K """Ir^ '.''" '"^"''' «""» thirteenth cTn. tunes. IS abundantly evinced from the manv fo- reign writers who have recorded his life and ac- srar^'"' *""'■"•• " -«'- Among our Saint's illustrious biographer., dur- SAINT PATRICK. 19 A^arcf, 9 midable Jwledge id them id quar- eir very mselten earchei not less J the li- ny, and ^nturies Jf their yric — Fexier, > a Ba- such n in, our of the infyJI. ne- olutne gCy an ! Irish 1 cen- ny fo-- id ac- odern ) dur- jjr that interval, was Petrus iU Natalibup, who ote about the year I4»70. Saint Antonia, archbishop of Florence, gave a mmary account of our apostle's life, in his chro- -le which was written in 1459. ^ Neither did James de Varagine doubt of our ,ostle'8 existence a century before that. This il- strious doctor was bishop of Genoa, and lived 1350. r „ 1- That St. Patrick's aposlleship was fully estab- shed among foreign nations, in the eleventh cen- .ry, is abundantly manifest from his being men- oned by Vincentius, the bishop of Beauvais, in is historical mirror, written in l244'. Though Dr. Ledwich acknowledged that our ipostle was not summoned into existence by the ireative imagination of Joceline ; yet as one of our lint's principal biographers, it is necessary that ,e should be noticed here, especially as he de- ;lare8 that he only raised his superstructure on he base of the works of four ancient authors, co- emporary with our apostle ; and that upwards of jixty olher biographers preceded himself, whose Ivorks may be reasonable, presumed to have sup- lied him with some of his most authentic mate- ials. Joceline was a Welchman by birth, and edu- ated at the celebrated abbey of Furness, founded t the instigation and by the labours of some Irish aints, in 1127. This Furness is a peninsula and promontory of Lonsdale, in Lancashire ; the ex- ensive ruins of this abbey, which lie abouc a mile o the south of the town of Dalton, are unequivo- :al testimonials of its former magnificence. From^ his monastery, Joceline returned to the abbey of B • 'VJ«^3^^.*J^r^*:^ 20 THE LIFE OF the BlackfViar^, at Chester, whence lie and a grent number of his brother monks removed to Down, in Ireland, at the invitation of John De Courcy, Ihe Anglo-Norman Conqueror of the count) Down, and the adjacent territories. De Courcy placed them in the monastery of secular canons, whom he unjustly dispossessed of their property, for their patriotism in animating the army of Dun- 'avy, the legitimnte but unsuccessful chieftain of that part of Ulster, who then opposed the arms ot Du Courcy. In order to conciliate the affections of the people, and to conquer their very prejudices, De Coarcy, who before on his invading Ulster, had Columbkille's prophecies, predicting the success- ful invasion of » foreigner from Britain, proclaim- ed and published at the head of his army, by his heralds with great effect, now availed himself of the great abilities of Joceline for compiling the life of St. Patrick, the apostle of Ireland, with the consent of the time-serving Tumultack, or Thonjas O'Connor, then archbishop of Armagh. Joceline performed this ta.k in 1185, and that in a styl^ of classic elegance, far superior to the writers oi that ac^e. But he has so stuffed it with all the le- gendary tales that could be collected, either from books or tradition, respecting him or other saints, that his life of St, Patrick, seemed better 7 Ippted for gratifying the imagination of weak, 't'n, ra' t, and imbecile minds, than for forming tne neart, or informing the understanding of an enlightened Of the iuirits and evil tendency of this work, Mr Ha ^15^ vr' om we have before quoted, has so ahn'ndaiHlv sDoken, as to preclude the necessity of further 'comment ; we shall, iherelore, take a ttroaressi eniion o Cotemp lurness, t Id Barr i)pellatio This ce mpilati is Hibe and wo rotestai les he oral, ai we can ome mc d shoul ;he worl f Derrj it to b artial 1 osed o d to m mere |[|uent I %ictitioi To t charge <>i'[,-'itiia f irel efutai Att dSt. That ' entui rince Sr. PATRICK. 1* *• dagremltroaressive vie-, of other tareign authors who [) Down.lention our """• , „a.,„eraiin2 monk of Courcy, 1 Cotemporary »" J ' ;^^^"J^„"„^,y l„"„, was Ge- count, lurne., a^n^l ft;- ... .acne ^^^^^^ ^ ,^^^^^^ ^^ „^^. „pellaiion "'-''^^-S-' signalized himself by a This celebra ed auih(», ..„n ^^ ^ .^^^^.j. impilat on which he otten stylc^ o^ , , j •» eftain of l^rHiberni^.'' /'Of the wonders^ .I^e^^ad.^ ,arm.o, X.nd wondeHul -'7^^,; •^^.' e I^Ly of .!.>> fFections Protestani •>'"•!? ;\f"-'ectin.r the natural, ejudices. toleP V: has picked up, "^f P^"'" ". ' „ c„ ,),at L. had t.ral, and P^iifcfltate ;J^^ .nat - ^j^^, „at ,newonw .ijpcerves no manner 01 cre- ,f Derry*S opinion. Reserves n ^^^^ fictitious relations." ^ villainous ,v r^i J jal records, illustrative oi i-'^ ,^^,;fipc in Ins ,f Ireland, as archdeacon ^ir^li" "- pfiitaiion of Barry, entitled, caffiorewj,^* ^ ^^^" I .ui.^^ ^rniairvaux, m Burgundy ster, had success- >roclaim- y;, l>y his imself of \\\n^ the with the •Thon^as Joceline in a stylfr writers of ill the le- ther from er saints, r 3 Ippted*! tne iieart, I lightened this work, ed, has so necessity >re, take a ' At the commencement ottiie same ct:u.u.^,». .d St. Bernard, abbot ofClairvaux in Burgundy century ; to whose ja|.e ^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^.^^ nrinces, sovereign pu»»"'> - - -- Mm' 22 THE LIFE OF yielded due deference and submission, declare*, in his life of St. Malachyv archbishop of Armagh, that *• St» Pptrick was the apostle who converted *he whole Ii sh rsation to the faith of Christ." In that a^e also, or rather tov^^ard* thi^ end of the eleventh century, William of Malmsbury wroe the lives of St Patrick and St. Benignus. The monk of Malmsbury died at an extreme old ajj^o, in 1 1 4-0, that is, sixteen years before St. Bernard, Sigibert, ihe monk of Gemblours, in Flanders, who was esteemed the best poet, ^nd most uni- versal scholar of the eleventh century, makes ho- nourable mention of our saint, in his chronicle ; a work in hi^h estimation, for Us accuracy a»d exactness. Sigibert died at the commencement of the twelfth century, in U12. Our apostle, also is particularly mentioned in the martyroiogies of the eighth and ninth centu- ries. Thus, We find him recorded in that of Notr ker Le Be^ue, the learned monk of .St. Gal, who died in 871 ; of Usuardahe benediciinp aidnk of bt. Germain le Pre, who died in 860, And in the martyrology of Kaban^ the scholar of Alcuin, who being first abbot of Fulda, his na- tive place, w25 afterwards elected archbishop of Mentz, and died in 8.5G. About the middle of the ninth centurv, Eric of Auxerre, wrote the lift and miracles of St. Ger- marjus, bishop of Toure, the birth-place of our ♦saint, as shall hereafter be fully demonstrated. The following most honourable account of St, Patrick's existence, mistsion, apostolical labours, and sanctity, we, with pleasure, extract from that work, written in 850, Eric, declares, that he '\ considers it as the highest honour of that prelate ^o have I jlory of children /ho are suffice It LIDOUSi Ihe vart koly dis ;dgc iq This mi ilike di ind ste to let < Tmeyar ^Celesti \who ws .nial pf [mail, jhis aut Iset cul iifor tha I at thai now d derful Oui genui seque oihefi Bene* mart] eclares, Lrmagb, nverted ist." f end of ry wroe 5. The old ajj^o, Bernard, landers, lost uni- ikes ho- ronicle ; acy a»d icement ioned in h centU' t of* Not r lal, who monk of e scholar I, his na- 3idhop of , Eric of St. Ger- e of onr nstrated.* U of St, labours, Prom that that he kt prelate PATRICK. "^^ u.«n tfiP ms tructor of St, Patrick ; as the Sen, fro™ tbe^ .reUn*^ -^" SS iHt bSy to SonTone by far ihe n,o.t •" « the series of his actions show, Patrick, f-??" 'tt^od V divbe prlla«. considering him 5::r. nluS'ed in reli'gion. eminent for virtu. „d steadfast for doctrine ; and th.nk.ng .t absurd let one of the best labourers '"''!« Lord* • A ,«»,«;n inaciive, recommended him to r«r/st[Je theTpoJe by his presbyter. Segetius, Cele8t.ne, then roi • J f ,; gg^. a tesumo- who was to carry to inc nr ev/.i.ilpnt Uui nf the ecclesiast cal merit of this exce.ieni t? AoDroved by hie judgment, supported by Ifo that people, as their apostle, instructed them ■ . lot timo bv his doctrine and wirades, as he •now SorLd^trlrn. by displaying the .on^ derfal effects of his apostlesl.ip. Our saint is always recorded by B»d«. '" "^^ genuine copy of his mariyrology, without he sub Luent additions of sa.nis. «'«'»«»'? *'Xi.t to oil ers, as the learned Mons. (.eorgi, '^''''P''' '"^ Benedict XIV. testifies in his notes on Addo s rr^lri^it Baronius." -y» Dr-£"- - r-'^i^^b-auf^'rr-^^^^^^^ rCnyro ogy 'a.entioned by Pope Gregory the threat, at the em or iuu ^.^.,^^--^. .:^v 24 THE LIFE OF have been then dt^perfied throughout Christendom^' At Icwrih the learned Rossweide, discovered it at the head of a copy of Addo's martyrology in a monastery at Co. Jogne, and proved it to he genuine, to the satisfaction Qi all the learned, Jn this martyrology, read through- out the western church within M than one hundred years after the deatl) of St. Patrick, his pame is record- ed as below.* The next foreign testimony we hav3 of our saint's existence is Nennius or l^innius. This historian, styled « another GUdas," by many of the monkish writers, was of West Britiin, or Wales, and lived, not as Usher supposed, in 858, nor as others conjecture, in 760 ; but. according to his'last learned editor, Mr. Gale, in 620 He was the most learned Briton of his day, and was employed iq write an history of his country ; but in his pretace ai>d applogy, he has left u^ on record what St. Jflu . !.°" * "*^® occasion, declared a century before, « that there ^yere no British writers to furnish him with records ; and that the poor fragments which he collect- ed, were only materials which he was necessitated to borrow from neighbouring rations." So, that we may conclude, with the bishop of St. Asaph, that if the Bri- tons had the inclination, they wanted the means to transmit any memorials of themselves to posterity • * ^^ ^« ^[^ *o t^^ank strangers for any thing that we knfw m those more ancient times of our people, our religion, or our island.!" ^ i' ^ This acknowledgment from the two original histo- rians of Great Britain, must, with every candid reader, outweigh all the absurd and, unsupported assertions of Dr. Ledwich and his associates, in maintaining^ that Ireland was originally indebted to Britain for her learn- insr Ann nvihvDfinn. ing and civilization. • XIV. Calend. April (17 Martii) S. Patricii episc. qui pri.nus. apud Scotus praedicavit. t Vide Lloyd, bishon ofSf. Asanh'c h:c4^.:^«i _x 1 ! i^S'.'^^ government of Great Britain and Ireland. Lond. 1681, ST. PATRICK 1!5 XT \.c: w»fnrm«; im in accordance with our own in- ,^e;;r u Ca=::i':",tU Prosper, cotempon.ry wUh ^'^"Tf , ,. „ ' ,« Yvstus h s successor, that *« rai- rs'^thlKts^'oSMly sent by c'elesHne the i^„ »nl Pooe of Rome, for converting the Scots Wl?lt=ltfsh) to Christ, but the Lord prevented m bv ce ta n t.mpests ; for no man can receive any ,rna unless t be given him from heaven; whereupon, Su departing from Ireland, came into Britain, ?d dUd in the land of the Picts :" ".upon he news ot u LTth Patrick another agent is sent by Celes- ;::" c'onv'e rt h Sjot'o the'faith of Christ :" th«s ar NennTas. St. Prosper, besides menl.omng Palla- ius's Son in his chronicle as above, under the date TZ yea 431,says in another work, that "having or- aS bishop for the Scots, while he endeavours to een the Homan island, that is Brimn, Catholic, he haAalsoinade the barbarous island, that m heathen Snd, Christian." This second bishop ordained for he S mUsion, the learned protestant bishop of St Asaph, has near'a century and a half ago, proved to ''Totrnf^s^'otevWonce already adduced and that ot the most unexceptionable kind, as bemg founded on the testimony of foreign authors, we beg leave to add that our countrymaS Probus, whose indigenous nam^ s but merely conjectural, from its being metamorphosed nto a Latin appellation, a mode of proceeding which has caused great confusion both in the political and ec- rlesiasticart annals of Ireland. Probusis supposed by Father Colgan, who gave us the last edition of this author's life of St. Patrick, to be the same with Coenachir, a saint whom the four mas- ters record to have been the president of the college ot Slany, and to have been murdered by the Danes in the ''^But in this respect, more reliance is to be placed on the profoundly eruaite Doiianuus, wuu a..^cx v. .»-... -^ bus lived in the sixth century, especially, it with Dr. 26 THE LIFE OF Milner, we consider that those who with Nicholson bring down St. Patrick's biographer, Probus, to the iOth century, are presumed to be ignorant that he is named among the respectable authors^ whose works were in York cathedral in the 8th century, by Alcuin. Pr. Milner, to whom I am indebted for the above observa- tion, desires us to see De Pont, et Sanct Eborac^ apud' Gale. CHAP VI. The great scarcity of books in those days ; the la- bour in procuring materials for them ; the ditficutty of transcribing and multiplying copies, and, consequently the length of time before a work, after being composed, could have sufficient publicity for appreciating its esti- mation, except by adopting the ostentatious and extra- vagant mode of Cambrensis, (of which hereafter) au- thorize the supposition that Probus's life of St. Patrick was written a long time b,efore Egbert, archbishop ot York, obtained a transcript ot it for the library, founded by him in that city, and celebrated by his scholar Al- cuin. Egbert was promoted to that see in 705. Taking these into consideration, it may be fairly presumed, that Probus's work was composed in the sixth century, as the learned Bollandus stated it for reasons founded, no doubt, on the authority of ancient writers, whose works we have not the opportunity of seeing now, or on the comparison of old manuscripts, written in a style cha- racteristic of the age in which they were transcribed, Alcuin's testimony of Probus's work shows feeyond all contradiction or doubt, that it was a work of repute in the 7th century. St. Adamnanus also, who flourished in the 7th cen- tury, and died at the very commencement of the 8th, in 703, in his short preface to the first book of his life of Columbkille, has mentioned our apostle. Adamnanus says, that a « certain British proselvte, a holy man, and a disciple of St. Patrick, Mauctciiieus n Hye, ST PATUICK. 27 I ; the la- [ficuhy of jequently omposeJ, 5 its esli- nd extra- ifler) aii- ;. Patrick bishop ot , founded holar AI- . Taking ined, tbat ntury, as mded, no )se works )r on the tyle cha- nscribed, iyond all lepute in 7th cen- the 8th, ' his life roselvte. uctctiieus by name, prophesied thus respecting our paUon." SU ColumUsiUe. , irUhman. as well as Protas, St. Adamtianus wsan Inshmw^^^^^^ monastery of nnd was elected «^'«'' °^^SietT(m over that and all the «&' rasSS"o;lXTu™bUi.le.l.oth in North \"°^"''S!J,'?s'ided/tr advanced age, in the ihe year 660, »^ •'"J *\h\ reputation of a man emi- year of grace l^"^, witn ine f ,eaming. iently distinguished f<"^^^^^^l^^J,^, ^%-^ U held The estimation in which A°»«"°". g „, Scotland, by the modem Ph»»'»P„^r^"'*tS;'^:ra compatriot of (tithorises our "'^"t'^'ri ^fj * iSr. Pinklrton de- oars, even a™«?S f<''«l" "S life of Oolumbkille, Clares he considers Adamnanus s me ^^^ «as the r'\ ''rS'^lf^r o tolftHpim"" of Mr. jope can boast of ;" sj™. '*' '° translator of Osrian, but M'Pherson, not the ^^"^^^^'^J^^Xls of commerce, ^l7\^d'!t'S«" Mn^Ul. TOs gentleman has published at Edmnur^n, lu Adamnanus, all S,ade large e^racts from t'^^^^^'^^Yrish riv^^^^^^ *«> which shew the highest siaiewi'^ which will trusted in every thing butWie miracles. . Stl and "^^^^Zl K.XlJ'e rdT- materials for an accurate history, botn pioiane »»" materials ^/^^ "" ^ , , .- ^ the commencement of the clcsiastical, of Scotland, nomv anecdotes, fifth to the seventh ct^ntury, ny WAT ui ^ !"u„"i.„t. ( -.an it create any astonishin.'nt then, that i.;"imlit«dto mention St. Fat.ick in h,s eccies.d.u... as THE LIFE OP history of EngUnd, after many more material omissions of occurrences which more immediately appeitained Ic^ liis plan ? Tiie testimonies of Adamnanus and Probus, authors of such repute among foreigners, are by so much the more valuable as from their being Irishmen, and living in the two centuries subsequently to our apostle's death, they could labour under no mistake respecting the ex- istence and mission of the apostle of their native coun- try : moreover, they had a particular account, either written or traditional, of the principal events of his life from his disciples' writings, or from those who derived their information from his cotemporaries. Of our own countrymen, who wrote this apostle's life^ before the Commencement of the eighth century, some account must be deemed necessary in a work of this kind, notwithstanding the low estimation in which their evidence is held by Dr. Ledwich, and writers of a^si/nilar stamp. St. Aleranus, or Eteran, who died in 664, wrote the life of St. Patrick, as also an alegoiical exposition of Christ's genealogy, which >edulius acknowledged to have inserted in a collection of illustrations on St. Mat- thew, a testimony of its superior excellence in that line of writing. St. Tirechan's life of St. Patrick was in the posses- sion of Usher, who used it in compiling his Primordia, Tirechan flourished in the year t;55, which was the year of his master St. Ultan's release from mortality. Ultan was also one of our apostle's biographers ; ha was bishop of Ardbraccan. The scholiast of iS't. Fiech added so many particulars respocting our apostle's life, and saintly actions, that he may be considered in pait as his biographer also. He lived in 570. St. Evin, or Emin, according to Usher, Ware and Joceline, wrote also the life of St. Patrick, partly m Latin, and partly in Irish. This is supposed to be that denominated, *« the Tripartite life," published bv Col- ^an. Sit Kvin was abbot of Ross, (Mictreoin) in*^Lein- ster, ai)djived i?i 5lO, as Colgan more fully proves. ;t. Fiec 5ity,aiic imn part jtrick. Igiaal li ins as t iished St. Ben that be for Hid in C jat aposi Ofthes m, bish red in ' St. Bei is succe 500, St. Pa lie of St (le and St. M lephewi kvroie a St L >p of Ai Icle. Wh St. S jMeath, A ^11 hyiT ' Fcilher Thei . .■ tion : lield, c ' writtei • It n tabala tence churcl authors uch the i living 3 death, the ex- e coun- , either his life lierivect postle's enturj, work of I which iters of rote the iition of i^ed to t.Mat- n that posses- nordia, I'as the rtality. rs ; ha Fipch e's life, in part re and irtly in be that >v Col- I Lein- -'(•S. ST. PATRICK, Patrick, 20 fust bishop of jit ana aiier . ^^^ h.stnnCHl,on M. y» imn partly panegyncai, «.>« f-;.^ " " ..^ ^ ; ^^, trick. This Co^an got tr«,"s^«>;^ ''^,^;*^,^ ,{,, ^^^^ eo- Liaal Irish into Latin, and punted >"J^^ '^^.^ .;^ Z, as the first amoa^ the seven liv.s ot .-t- / ati itk, g)iished by lam at Lovam. p„. -.ck inrorms u-«, Psif Rpn'Krnus. the disciple ot M. rallies, "V ' . .u It beSe w ote the Ute of his m.ster, «>'"=>; '*th. ;,4mCoIg!n% collection there were s.x.y hve^ ot at apostle alrea>1y published. Of tUe it will be sutlicient to ment.oa tl^t bt^K.e n, bishop of Da.r.bl»i„', or Duleek, m fca»t Wleal.., I sf Ben^^nus, who after the death of St. Palr'f k;.^' ,« is s;rcces^ra^ archbishop in the see of Armagh, hved st*"patrick the younger, the brother's son and disci- le and father's lives ; he lived m 494. p_t,:,i,>s St Maol or Masl, who was another of ist. Pat"CK >• St. maoi «i ' '* > . A-,ia»h and who 'Hed m 4&'<, Sr^X'^tV-rtttfand'^ of his unele "St'Lom.n,anotberotoursaint'snj.phevvs^^^^^^^^^ „ nf Anipiin ill Meath, wrote the Ilk ot his >'<''>"" ,.r when HWi ''. Lomln lived about the year 45t . ^'^.;^:::'d. s. b.h^p ^^':::;^x^ 't:::t^^^^^^<> works of bis own co.po- .fo besides his life aivl c.nfession., h;s le W o Ki"' Carotic and his canons of two c"""';''^ "'"t ^ heW, are considered by the best criucs to have be. n :"ir,;;:7b'rLh.r obs,.rved, w,th m l-hj... of C.- nh«la that tlte dt^mon^^tralion of Si. FdliiCK ^ « x » Ifnf: 'depends not on w,;itte„ documenls^alone = ;-Jh. ch Urdus which lie bulit, tne CilOi:u&ua v»«iv.i* »^ ._t-^ ^_ 30 THE LIFK OF ed, the mona^iteries which he founded, the havens where landed, the jdaces in which he dwelt, (rrost of which edilicrs have preserved his name trum time im- JTiemorial,) the v^ry conversion ot the Irish naiion, and the universal tradition, not only of our island, hut ylso of the whole Chiistian continelit, are all so manv mo- numents of this illustrious saint, and have preserved his memory fresh and untainted, till the very hour in which Dr. Ledwich wrote his hook,- as he himself ac- knowledires. in a word, have no dilliculty in savins;-, that the proofs of there having been such a'man as Ko- mulus,or Alexandnr the Great, are not sq numerous and convincinj;, as are those of the existence of .St. Vn~ trick, and that the latter cannot he rejected without es- tablishing a uiiiversal historical scepticism. .Suppos- inj^, tor a .moment, that St Patrick, did not convert the Irish, the question then is, who did convert them ? It would be strange if they alone were ignorant of what all other nations are acquainted with, namely, who was their apostle ! If they alone had no tradition to intorm them, by whom they had been taught to aban- don idolatry, to abhor human sacrifices, to renounce the ^'ratification of their passions, and to woiship one Eter- nal Being, by the observance of his pure and sublime precepts. To conclude, when we consider, as historians foreii^n and domestic admit, that among the common people of Munster, Connaua;ht and Leinster, the faith of Christ was gaining ground manv years before the arrival of our apost'e ; wh^Mi we consider the piety, perseverance and learniiiij: of those native saints who undertook this arduous ta TBS LIFC OP Under^ It i?h" """"'*'" """t "^ ^as a Scotch h'h life, from who „•• ^^* """'' »"'=*«'" a""ior.s of his Armoric Gaul, in Francr f ftfl ^' i^*' '"'"' '» avenge taa deed, laid waste the country of /alporn in ll^eillia: gale, vi But themse that ha sions a mans \ the Isl also hi vaders this er record done, politic ."^onth ther c tcctio the in n u i ST. Patrick. 33 ,th • a. a proof of tl.is opinion, he quotes the Chroni. t. »nd Martvro)o?ies which are enumerated in a pre- t chapt'rTlbfs work, as authonties for our saint's Utencefto which the reader is referred. In most of b,l earl V writers, the word Scotia, and sometimes tea MaCor Scotia the Island, is u.e.l to denote SodTwh !• in the geographical writers o those W Scotland is particularized hy Scotia the less.- Zl Conradus, a konte Puellarum, who wrote about wn states that many men illustrious for sanctity, ^i^hed in Ireland, which was also called Scotia Ma- r to the"*™" "«■"«» ^"'*-'"' Canifi »«. C»s«"r' ^Z .mis Scotus, Orosius, Isadoras and Bede, with a tra ii fSr learned writer^, who flourished from the sixth BU he fourteenth century, designate ««' If'eby the nn Uat on of ScoKa. Nay, the Breviary, of Aab*rdeen ^ Ct land shows, beyond all ^-"t'^v^^^y'. *« f *^ «a, a Scotia Minor, as well as a ^^"t'^l^ajor. In th« uicient Breviary, it is mentioned, that St. Winnius, "m in a province of Scotia, from the illustrious race o j^eill'an Lnarcbs, was by a prosperous and propitious ^alc. wafted to Scotia Minor. r But of all the countries which have challenged to themselves the honourof ottr saint's birth, there .s none Ithat has supported \U claim with such specious preten- Ks a So7th Britain. No sooner had the A?glo-Nor^ mans possessed themselves of some partia ft'iots of the Island, with the sword, than swarms of their monk ' also be.'aa with their pens to assert the right of the in- vaders In order the more eflectually to accomplish thi send, they found it necessary to vilify the national records, as Oembrensis and others have maliciously done, and boldly to assert, that all improvemente, both political and intellectual, were oii^mallydi rived from f;otitl. Britain ; Which was accordma; to them the mo- ther eoiintrv,«o which Ireland was ever to look for pro- tection and support. Such were the ideas, and such the intention, which the monk of Farm ss entertained, n wirtinz the life of St. Patrick, at the instigation of ..#»ir SI" I THE LIFE OF De Courcy and the other countrymen. Sucli were th, motives and prfju'lices which iiKhiced the lyin^ Cam- brensis to falsify and nrjisiepresent tl^ Imh nation, for, gratifying the vanity of his sovereign, Henry, and of his rapacious countrymen. This spirit of traducing Ireland, of detracting from her honour, of debasing her ancestorial dignity, and of rendering Irishmen odious to themselves, has, notwithstanding, the extension of sci- ence and liberality over the most barbarous states of Eu- rope, remained in full vigour, even to the present day. In this unnatural conspiracy against the ancient honour of their native country, it must, with regret, be acknow- Jedged, that the British authors have been aided and abetted by Irish writers, especially of the Anglo-Irish extraction. Can we then wonder at the uniform at- tempts to make St. Patrick a Briton ? The discordance which ensued at the Babylonian confusion, however, was scarcely greater than the dis- agreements of British and Anglo-Irish authors, about iixing the place of our :Jaint's birth : all which contra- dictory conjectures incontestibly show, that their pre- tensions are equally false and inconsistent. The author of the English martyrology, i:i tre^ating of his festival on the I7ih of March, from the diversity of opinions respecting this point, considers Bristol, in England, to have been the place of his nativity ; but as this is supported by no sort of reasoning or testimony, it merits neither credit nor future notice. The scholiast on Joceline's life of St. Patrick, asserts, though with as little pretensions to veracity as the former, that he was born in Cornwall. "Thus far we have given the opinion of various au- thors respecting the certainty of the existence of our • patron saint, and shall here assert our opinion, accord- ing to St. Fieche and Bishop Colgan, and others, of .the certainty of the place of his birth. The elegant and classical Joceline seems to have culled much^of the in- formation imparted in the life of St. Patrick, written by him, from the ancient Irish or Celtic noem= written ST. PATKICK. 35 were th« in^ Cam- lation, for y, and of traducing )asing her odious to ion of sci- tes of Eu- isent day. nt honour acknow- lided and iglo-Irish ifoim at- iby Ionian fi the dis- )is, about h contra- heir pre- I treating diversity Bristol, in riiy ; but jstimony, scholiast igh with , that he rious HU- ce of our 5 accord- rs, of .the ^ant and ►f the in- 5 written I . f ci^tti/ who was cQtemporary ^Kt'StrUaSSMl:; differ respecting ■),th St. P?"'^'?'.Xhe was born. According lo ,e place in wh'f J\ ;„f„r„ed writers, our saint '« T"'n br^at^rat or r^ the city of Tours, rew his first Dreaui at i ..-^hable, as the se- ""r'n „S ^rhTderraCcfif the Divine ,el wil prove, «*";-■„ imparted to others, hrShler, Efl^chbLiop of that an- Hent and famous city. LIFE AND ACTS OF^SAINT PATRICK. CHAP.'VIil. •^nn named Calphurnius, J^^^P^itrVy rt^nTBritVliving in the son of P°"'"^>/j{,e „„uth of the Loire, m or Armor.c Gaul >^ej 'ue .^ g^i^^„„y,a„d his near the city ot ho y i ou ^^^_ habitation was nigh unto the ^^^^^ ^^^^^ ,,f ried a French .Umsel n*""?,^ .^""""rTours ; and the blessed Martin. «f ^'^J^P^ ^nd in her the d-t;t;avfnTbee brought from France manners, tor "^''"f ' ^ , , . ^\^e, command of into Britanny, was there ^od at i . e ^ ^^^ her father. Calphurnius, J^ "g P'^*> „,, ,„d at- manners, charmed w. !. ^^'^'^^^^^ j^V^a her. traded with her heauty, very juc ^^^^^ and from the ^^'''^"f \^"71^„Sn in wedlock, hold, raised her to be h«* comP»n«on ^^^_ And her s ster, having been deliyercu t^ef man. lived in the aj,rementu.ned c.ty- ^ And Oalphurnms and hi* wue ^ . before God, walking wituoui ouw;-- - •- - u^cH^^ 3e THE LIFE OP SC and ul f/, ^' ?''•'" "'''' '"'P^'''"^ '" 'heir Vh-.A- *L '"""S'l in tiifirown outward habit and ll'JJ; I }"'y '" "'«'■• a'='s -"'d their conversation for 1 n?',l""=' '" ''* '="'='•"» of Jerusalem. There- iTJi 9^ 'he earth of their flesh, heing freed from the Z K^""'^".'* '™'" "h" noxious weedf of vice'bv the iiig iruittu in the growth ol all virtues, did they as the be^t and richest fruit brin.. forth a so. , who wht^, h,! had at the ho y font put off the old ma.,, thercaus ^ mrln7±y '''''''' "^ "*'"« '"efutl're'flira;, patron of many nat|ons; of whom, even at his baptism l^^otiZlt '%^'i«'-.">-Oae,' was pleased bf U sign ot the three-fold mirac e, to declare how ni.r Siplto'fTL^Mf !;^P™^«' ■'"'' ""^"-''^ a while Xs?L^ K^!^^u^"""y- ^"^ ""'^ a little ♦holi ' u^PP^ hirth being completed, thev vowed themselves 1^ '""'"»! '"""en't unto chastUy.Ld with ^erJed'fio^ ""'r*^ '" I-"" ^?"*' 1^"' Calp.fu'r.^us ^r^t herved God a long time i.v the deaco.fshin and jt length closed bis days in the priesthood. ^' "" of th* r il^ ^"^.u'^^'fi'''' «'■*«' "P- I'f''^!""' in the 8lW,t o virtue And" /h "^ '■^'' ^'' ^''t"' "'•"' '" '"« "l-««'« hevond L nf hi^ ?1'- ''°' "^ "is merit, muliiplied ne>oni. tfte number of h.s years: the atfluenee of ■ill ^oly charitie. overflowed i./the bjeast of h h„,-, and vi t Vk'".'* ""' '"S^'her made their dwelling^i , h jouthfa body. Enuring therefore and goin/^ ward ■ IM^t tP/f,'^ paths of y„,.lh, he held^bis^ee 7ron' t.ll,ng,and t he garment that n.tuie had woven for hni I. nil n .^ ''"f ?"'' '" "'« 'P'"'- And althou-h the iJivms Unction had tau^'ht l,i,n above al' the fit tim! he.ng now come, he w.s s.nt from his paren to b. ! tmcted n, sacred learning. Therefore, he applied h mind to the study of lettHvMit chiefly' to osXs and ■ijmri;^ 4nl induced h.^ Sniad. greedy of gold, to grant unto hira hiii freedom. iTherefIre bling by the aid of Mammon, solemnly re- leased from hisirVitude, he went .bis way rejoicing and hastened towards the sea, desiring t<) r*:'"™ '» *'* Iwn country. But Milcho repented that be had dis- missed a servant so very necessary unto him./alsifymg his a .teement, pursued Petrick, that he might bring Wm blck, and reduce him to his former slavery, as Pharaoh pursued the Hebrews. But, by the Divme wfn, wandering both in his mind and in his coarse, he |vviii, ««>■ 5 ^, Polpil. therefore, m ■ .IS attempt, 'he returned with grief and with *ham. -, S7 I^HB tIFE OP and hit sorrow was much increased, for that not only Patrick having obtained his freedom, had escaped, hut the ^old which was the price of his freedom, on return- in.15 home he found not, and with this the law accords ; for to him who has served six j'ears in slavtry, the law directs that in the seventh year shall his Ireedom t»e restored. And St. Patrick, guided by Divine Providence, came unto the set of food in that fearful and wide solitude were they perishing of hunger. And Patrick, through their whole journey, was preachinsjj unto these Pagans the word of God, and disputing with them persuaded theii) unto the faith of the Holy Trinity, and the kingdom oif Heaven ; but they, even as the deaf adder that listens not to the voice tjfthe charmer charming wiselvy closed their ears against the word of God, until misery gave them understanding to hear. For hunger yet more hea- viiy assailing and oppressing them, the greater part are said to have thus spoken, ^^ Behold, 6 worshipper of Christ, how wretched are we with want and misery, aad our eye? fail us for very need; now, therefore, im- plore fo» us thy God, whom thou describestand exaltest '^3 alUpowerliil, that his bounty may relieve us, and we "wiU adore and glorify his greatness." And Saint Pa- trick answered unto them : — *< Believe in and confess the Crod who giveth food unto all flesh, and by whom when he openeth his hand ye shall be satisfied from his goodness." Aad he prayed earnestly, and behold, as he prayed for them., suddenly an herd of swine appear- «d, and they saw wild honey, and therewith they were sufficed even to fulness; nor from that day through thejr >yhole journey did ever a suppler of fopil fail unto ST. PATRIC'K. u ifli-m And thi« «reat miracle being «een, they all |?ve "thanks 4to God, and held S;. Patrick in the high- est reverence. r u- * i Bui Patrick departing from the company of his fel- low-travellers that he might prove how many are the tribulations of the just, through which they must enter into the kingdom of Heaven, fell into the hands of stranws, by whom he was taken and detained; and ShTs sp^rU was afflicted within him the Father of Mercies and God of all co,?solation sent his spirit m the wanted manner to comfort him, promising that in a short time he should be released from the hands ot his cap^ tors ; and how truly was made the angelic prom Kh«\yed to all that this miracle happened because Patrick^had been uniustly oppressed ; and forthwith they who had taken him, let him go free. Th^s by the Heavenly power b'ing released from the hands of strange childrei., wa» he, after his long eaptivitv, restored to his paicnis. And they beholding him, rejoiced with exceeding gr^t joy, and at the return of their son did their spirau re- vive, as tJie ppiriis oi pne awakcnlrij? iiois a hf avy 42 THE LIFE OF Sleep, and they besought him with iiitreaty of many prayers, and the abundance of many tears, that he would not again bereave them of his presence : there- fore, that he might show the honour and submission jue unto his parents, he abideth with them certain days.. CHAP. IX. And a short space of time being passed, the while he was settled in his father's house, he beheid in a vision of the night, a man of comely garb and countenance, bearing many letters as if from Ireland, and holding to him one of them to read ; which taking, he read, and found therein thus written : « ;/%« is the voice of the Jnsh.'^ But when he would have continued to read he seemed in the spirit to bear the Irish infants which -were yet unborn, crying unto him with a ioud voice— <\0 holyyouth, Patrick, m beseech thee cofne unto us, end abide mth usy and release usP^ And Patrick be- ing pierced therewith in his^heart, could not finish the letter, but awaking, he gave infinite thanks to God • for he Was assured by the vision, that the Lord had set him apart, even from hi^ mother's womb ; had by his graee called him to convert and save the Irish nation which seemed to desire his presence among them. And' on this consultfng the angel of great counsel, he receiv- ed the Divine command, that, quitUng his country, he should go unto France, there to learn the doctrine and the disciphne of the Christian faith. Being thus instructed and directed of Heaven, thou-h both his parents resisted and would have detained him, he, like the faithful Abraham, quitted his country anj kindred, and his father's house, and passing throiieh u ^'^l' ^! Z^""^ ''"*^ ^^«"^^- And*^lest his labour should be fruitless, or that he might not attempt to teach what he had not thoroughly learned, he attached hfhtiself to the blessed bishop Germanus, and for his greaterprogress in the Christian faith and fearnin^. aoiaeia wiin mm ior the sparp of eighteen yeat^, read- / / SAIKT PATRtCK. 43 in«r and imMbiug the Holy Scriptures, (as m the act* oflhe blessed Germanus is recorded.) And each had received the Divine command; Patrick, that he should abide with Gexm^miA, and the holy bishop, that he should retain and instruct the youth. Fpr he was a. prelate, in his descent, in his nobility, in his life, m his learning, in his office, and in his miracles most illus- trious : and from him the several degrees of the holy orders, and at length the sacerdotal dignity, according to the canons, did Patrick receive. With the like pur- pose did he some time abide with the blessed Martin, archbishop of Tours, who was the uncle of his mother Conquessa. And as this holy luminary of the pnest- hood was a monk, he gave to his nephew, Patrick, the monastic habits and rules, the which, he most devoutly assumed and adorned by his life, and persevered there- in. And bidding farewell, they departed, the one from the other ; forasmuch as Martin was enjoined by the an-el to ^o into a certain island. And tit. i'atrjck re- turning to the blessed Germanus, remained with him many days. - .. I But Patrick having; now become a monk, forgetting all thino;s that were passed, applied to the future ; and '• as if little accounting his former conversation, hastened to the heitfht of perfection. For, by incredible absti- nence, by his len-thened fasts, and by the exercise of his other virtues he afflicted himself, and continually bore in his heart and on his body, the mortification of that Cross which his habit displayed. But the njost i High Pastor, who intended to raise him to the head ot I the holy church, that he migMt learn to think humbly I of himself, to walk with the lowly, and to bear with the weak, permitted him to feel his own inferiority ; so that *he more deeply he was fixed on the founddtion of true humility, the more firmly he might stand m the height of perfection. For a desire of eating meat^came on him, until being ensnared and carried away by his desire, he obtained swine-s flesh, and concealed it m a Certai'i vr>s5ei j inniKiiig Hfy^^^rj «*»•- -'^ "'-a- 4i thf life op ti.^fy his appetite privily, which h« would become to his brethre should stone je o of offe penly f fbeir ani^tTteV M. ""ly "'»ht n strain the desire into water, when i.l .nLi • ^ ' . '*'"""" "esh-meatg "UUO d m7SdreSlH f '".'"keout, when taken of St. Patrick fiSerehyVv^e' '^^>'• '^ ^^'"^ Jearn to restrain hi* annltT 7 "^"''g'ous man will io^Ksh mvn are wont to do. " ' ""^ "-=^*^b""»aiii ana ■■^t-H^, 8T PATRICK. 45 openly Wo ii'ejice,aii(i i not Jong; 3 stood he- ld J when ully, even ! was, and Jd hehind, le servant t i behold the eyes [ behold a iy satisfy nediately ith many d it with Ity of aJl , rnouFn- rise, let ut awriy -sliding', enoiinc- Ih rough he Loid t)y some to bring 3r ; and s being 'dia!ely ften re- J desire lly un- 's-day, -meats takerr ^shcft in wiJ{ ifni at lit and And b<'ii»g desirous that his jottrney and his actt should by the a .lostolic authoritj' be sanctioned, he was earnest to tiavel unto the city of St. Peter, and there jnore thoroughly to learn the canonical institutes of the holy Roman Church. And when he had unlolded his ^purpose unto Germanus, the blessed man approved itheraof, and associated unto him that servant of Christ, ISergecius the Presbyter, as the companion of his jour- ney, the solace of his labour, and the becoming testi- fnony of his holy conversation. Proceeding, therefore, ^^ hy the Divine impulse, or by the angelic revelation, fie we»t out of his course to a solitary man, who lived in an island in the Tuscan feea ; and the solitary mau was pure in his life, and he was of great desert and es- ;teemed by all, and, in hi>« name and in his works he was just ; and alt.-r their holy greetings wen^ parsed, this jman of iM jjave unto Patrick a staff, which he declar- ed himself to have received from the Lord Jesus. And Patrick, giving thanks unto God, abode with the man of God certain days, ptotiting in God by his example yet more and more ; at length he bade him vfarewell, and went on his w«y with the staff of Jesus, which the solitary man had pi offered unto him. Oh, .^xcelle©t siift, descending from the Father of Light, eminent blessing, relief of the sick, worker of miracles, inercy seat of God, suppoit of the weary, protection of the travel If r ! For as the Lord did many miracles, by the rod in the hand of Moses, leading foith the people ■'« service is a Lord, hT anrr„',. M '' *"" "'^P" "« directed of (ho .elsofmecv rniwVh T' "^ ^'''«»/ ers ad" landing he for- iny one ite hav- and no But a certain man named Herc4i«, the son of Degha, who had heard many things of St. Patrick, rose up in the sight of all, and did him honour. Therefore the prelate blessed him, and promised eternal life unto him; and he beh'eving in God received the grace of baptism, and leading his life renowned for virtues and miracles, after a while he wan made a bishop, and died in the city of Slane, /Vnd there was in that place a certain magician, named Lochu, who was highly favoured with the king, and he uttered blasphemies Against the Lord and his Christ. And those who were desirous to be converted from idolatry, did he labour to sub- vert in the faith) and to pervert from Christ. And almost in the same manner, as Simon Magus re- sisted St. Peter, did he oppose St. Patrick, Pa- trick thus prayed unto the Lord :— «* Oh omnipo- tent God, destroy this blasphemer of thine holy name, nor let him hinder those who now return, or may hereafter return unto thee !" And he pray* ed, aftd the, magician fell to the earth, at the feet of the man of God, and his head was stricken against a stone, and bruised and wounded he ex- pired. CHAP. XIL But the king being much more grieved at the death of the magician, burned with anger, and with all the manifold multitude of his people he arose to destroy the saint. And he, beholding their violence, and singing forth in a loud voice, began this verse from the psalms ; ** Let God ai-ige, and let his enemies be scattered, and let them who hate his face be put to confusion."--^ Tlien the Lord, the protector of his choen ones ^^ THE LIFE Oy in the tim^ of need, saved from this multitude Ma faithful servant. Thus, as was said bv the Pro- phet : « The Lord shot forth his ;&rrows, and lie scattered them ; he poured forth his Ji^htning^ and he overturneth them." For he sent among them, according to the prophecy of I«aiah, the fpirit of giddiness ; and he set the idolater against the idolater, like the Egyptians against the Egyp- tians ; each man rushed on his fellow, and bro- ther fought against brother, and the chariots and their riders were cast to the ground an^ overturn- ed : and forty and nine men were slain, and hard- ly did the rest escape, llut the king trembled "a| therebuk^ of the Lord, and at the breath of the spirit of his anger," and ran into a hidjng-place >vith only four of his people; that he might con- ceal himself from the terrors of the face of the Lord. ' But the queen,' entreating for the pardon of (he kii^g, reverently approached, and bending her knee before St. Patrick, promised that her consortshpuld come unto him, and. should adore Ills God. And t{ie king, according \o her pro- jni8e,yetwitha designing h^aii, Mt his knees before the saint, and was stimulated to adore the Christ rn which he believed not. There, with a tongue of iniquity apvl a heart of falsehood, he promised, t(iat if on the morrow he woul^ voweh- safe to visit his palace, he would obev alf hrs m«- cepts. But the man offVod, though the Lord suffered not the wickedne.Ied **a^ h of the ig-place jiu con- e of the pardon sending fiat her ] adore ler pro- s knees ore the with a od, he SI. PATBICK, 59 us pi»e- e Lord Lvorthy 7 trust- I to his iivshop, places through which the saint was to pass, he laid an ambush ; and divers rivers crossed the road, which might in many parts be forded, nigh unto the shallows whereof he placed nine chariots with some of the murderous servants, that if the saint should escape one he might meet the other, 3nd so that in no wise could he pass unharmed. But on the morrow, Patrick, with eight persons * only and the boy Benignus^ going in a straight road to Teomaria, where the king then resided, passed through them who had laid snares for his iife ; and their eyes were bound, that they could jpot behold him ; but to their sight appeared eight stags with one hind passing over the mountains ; and thus, the Lord being his protector, did the saint and his companions escape the,corrti^ivers of bis destruction. Therefore, he came unto the royal city, and found the king at supper with his companions. And at his entrance no one arose, excepting a certain bard of the king, n^mecl Pubhtach, who devoutly saluted the saint, and besought and obtained of him th^t he might be niade a Christian. And Qubhtach, the first among iheni all believed in the Lord, and it wasremem-. bered to his justification, for being baptised and confirmed in the faith of Christ, the strains that erewhile he had poured forth in the praise of his false gods, now converting to ^ better use, he composed more excellent poems unto the praise of the All-powerful, and the honour of his s;aint8^ But the JCing Leogaire, fermenting with the gall of wickedness and deceit, knowing and mart veiling how often the saint had escaped his snar^»« turned himself to other inventions, and whom ho ^Quld m^ ^Uy wi^lx %\k^ m^^xi), be plotted tu ^v^* 60 TUB LIFE or stroy with poison. Therefore, by t|ie hand of a certain evil doer named Lugaich Mael, he gav3 his cup unto Patrick, wtiereofthat servant of Sa- tan, mingling poisort with the wine, bid the sain^ drink. But the m^n of God, takjng the cup and invoking the name of the Lord, bended it forward; and all th^t was deadly therein, pojar^d hp into the hollow of his hand, unmixed witji the rest of the L'qupr ; then making the sign of the Cross, vfhsLt remained he blessed, and to the confusion of the poisoner, and the admiratipq qf ^11 who eat around, drjnking'theleput, jip received nei^ ther hurt nor damage. * But the heart of Leogaire was harfjeped, as was formerly the heart or Pharaoh before Moses, jigainst the commands of the Lord, for though liiany miracle's have been wrought, he feared not to provoke the High God, and to offend hit ser- vant Patrick. He appointed general ofhispeo- pie to destroy the sajnt. And as js testified by the Holy Writ, " a wicked pripc0 always hatl^ ivicked ministers,'' :??any of his serVants put them- selves forward voluntarily. Buj: pod, the all- powerfjul protector of his oelpYpd,armed the ze^ of the creature against tliese senseless jdoJators, and ere they could effect their wickedness, he tfH^ept them froni the earth and destroyed them. Anfd they who remained, and all the dvrellers of that land, seeing or hearing of these things* fear- ed ^'ith mighty fear, and lest they should be punished, they believed in Christ, and ct-owded tog:ether on the font. And the king trembled, at»d threw himself at the fett of Patrick, and be- thought pardon, and prumiijed that he would rhenceforth ol^ey him. And the siiint forgave sure, $T» PATRICK. ai him ; yet though he a long time instructed him in the fditii oiiathQ Lord Jtsus, in no wise could he persuade liim unto baptism. Therefore he dismissed him, that following his free will, he might go on in the inven- tions of his own hear^jnar seemed to be compelled unto the faith ; yet at the revelation of the ^Spirit, what he foreknew of the k^ng and his posterity, thus was pro- phesied by the saint : '« Since thou hast always resist- ed my doctrine, nor ceased t^ afflict me beyond mea-r sure, moreover i^ince thou thought it scorn to believe in the Creator of all things, therefore art thou the child of perdition, and thou, with all that were partners in thine offence shouldst justly, even at this instant, go, into eternal pun^shmeot ; but since thou humbly be- sought of me forgiveness, and Uke the king Achab, hast humbled thyself before my (Jod, the ^.ord will not at this time bring oq thee the* evil which thou hast de^ served , yet shall none ot' thy seed ait on thy throne after thee, but they s,hall beco;](ie servants tinto thy bro- ther, who will believe in Christ, and tp his posterity for ever and ever," Biit the queen believed in Christ, and was baptized and blessed of St. Patrick, and at length with a pious end rested in^ the Lord. And he went forward witt^ his people, baptizing in the name of the Holy Trinity, al] those whp believed ; while the Lord assisted and cpnhrmed his laboiira with manifold iniracles. ' And St. Lumanus having waited more than forty days in his vessel, at the mouth of the Boinn, during which time he suffered many hardships from the barba- rians and unbelievers, he s.et wil for, and landed at Ath- trym, ^t which town he converged untp the faith of Christ, first Forkernus, the son of a certain great mail, who there ruled, then his motlier,.aBntojie88 by nation, and lastly his father, ^ethleminiis, ana in a fountain which by his prayers he produced out of the earth, even beffee their eves, did he baptize the^ ai>y many others. And these things^ being done, the holy prelate, fouoda^tior ipty year jnachia, there builded a church, to the endowment and 62 THE LIFE OF enrichment whereof, Fethleminus, that faithful servant Ot Chust, save by solenm gift Athtrym and "Midi" Th , '"ri"'!"^-' "flJ "'«" crossing the river, Niebiid- ed an habitation fpr himself and for his people «■ ♦here did he piously finish his days. An^d LifflaS roi"iLTT""*'' "'" ^''^"p "f ^W" church, srii* novice Forkernus to be instructed in letters ; Ind whV t :r^/""«='«n% learned, advanced him to \heS hood. And as the day of his death approached, he'^ went with Forkernus unto his brother Brocadius, and com marided I orkermis on his obedience, that he l^rd" alter his decease, take on himself the government o?" the church over which he presided. Burhe rrfu"inf and protestmg that it accorded neither to reason nor fa in W^'setflhl' '•r''' '" l'" <='••''«*' of his/aXr ?ake (a holdt hlrfi ^'.1f"".' "('<"''''.'"« he should seem «a nojd in heritage the fancluary af the Lord Iii« was called by the in-' 7.C- il''*' ?"""•>' ^^^" '" 'heir mothers' wombs he desrred there to evangelize the kingdom of cTd And he purposed totravel round the while " Id, ihaf he Z^'^tnT'"' '' «""> Christ; and the saint b'einJir! pared to his jojirney, blessed Conallus, and in memoriHl olstoZ "' '*" '" '"' '":<'«'-»°"tipned city.Ws XI shin"„fii*-?'°*^.l;*°^''''*'''*'n? ''^''Oted to the wor- ship of devib, with a great part Sf his people who much ' desired to please him, adi^red a pertain '^^do7ma"nifi- i^< And s maca ST PATRICK. 6^ hi 5 farm, it for tae uld build *e woui(i [ thereof, i novice, !ed there Mi?, that his staff, S whicli^ ?sed him r things pphes/: much^ ao*nifi- raised named •r that made. ■ f^f braps^ as if subject unto it. Therefore St. Patrick turned towards this place, that he might overttirn the idol, and by his preaching convert its worshippers to the worship ot the Creator. But when he could not pre- vail, neither could he recall these idplators from the folly that was fixed in their minds, be betook bimself to his accustpmed arms of prayer. And frpm a neigh- bouring hill beholding the idql, he stretchexl forth ii\ prayer, his spotless hand^ unib Upd, and lifted against \i the staff bf Jesus ; when suddenly by the power of God, the idol ft-U on its left side, and ail the silver and «,'old poured from it broken and powdered into dusl ; but on the hard stogie of the image was seen impressed the mark of the staff, though ij;' had touched it not : and the earth swallowed up the twelve inferior g Is even to their necks, and their heads continue above the ground unto thi^ day. Thu^, vvhat' human strength could not accomplish, was done by the divine power 5 and many beholding it believed in the true aiid living God, and being baptized, according ^0 the apostle, pu^ on Christ. And in that place St. l)|itrick by bis play- ers produced out of the earth a fountain of the clearest water, wheiein many werp'aftei wards baptized. And of Leod;aire were born two davightt rs, like rose s jrrowing in a rose-bed; ?ind the one yvas of riiddy com- plexion, and §he was called Ethne ;► iind the other was fair, and she was c ailed Fedelle ; and tbey were edu- Crtted by these magicians: and eaily on a certain morn- ing, the sun haying just arisien, they went to bathe in a clear fountain, on the margin whereof they found the saint sitting with other holy men ; and regarding bis countenance and garb, they were struck with wonder, and enquired of his birth and residence, taking him for an apparition. But the saiiit admonishf d them rather \o believe in his God, than to inquire of his descent or his dwelling-place. Then the damsele, desiring to know more assuredly of God, earnestly questioned about his power and riches and glory. And the saint iiTStiuci- yd them in the Patholic faith, truly afhi^ning him t(\ 68 THE LIFE OF he the Creator and ruler of the heavens and the earth, and Sea, and of all that is therein ; and that he had one iSou with hinisell'co-eiernal, co-equal, and consuhstdii- tial, everywhere reiu^ninij;, governini]; all things, pos- sessing all thiiiiTs; and premised he also unto th^in that they should ejfchange an earthly and transitory king- dom, for an heavenly and eternal kins;dom ; for that if tliey obey his counseljthey should unite with the ce- lestial King in pure and indissoluble union. And when he had thus preached linto then) with p^suaf^ive elo- quence, the damsels believed in Christ, and he baptized them in the fountain. Thus hein.1: made Christians, they besought of the saint that accordin .h«in that r>vy kiiig- ; for that h the ce- iiid when f-ive e!o- haptized hristian.'S, is profnii^e their be-* 1 :—"' Ye I of your i of your dng food, ) this jm^ Then the God, de- , and irn- Y quitted leir hen-r idled ga- days, as their sa-.^ II human u which dmachia. ;ated tue , and re- ! ; but he rto thein, he fdith, , spread - >r ci^ased miracles, tiutil all the inhabitants thereof wore converted ttnto the true faith. And in many places builded he churchf s and appointed therein priests and other ecclesiastical ministers unto the goveriiment of souls and the holy ministry. And on a time when the saint was intent on wonted work, he came unto a certain plain, which by its fair and pleasant site, was fitted unto the buildinj? of a church ; but neither wood nor stone could be found therein* For the forest was a long way distant, and no axe could he found in tho:se parts, nor even if found, did any of the inhabitants understand its uSe* There-^ fore did this holy man offer up his prayers, and being helped of Heaven, he builded there a church of clay alone, and it was fashioned for that lime, in very hartd-* some form, and it was endowed with the divine graces For well it is known to have«uffered nought, neither from the wind, nor from the Snow, nor from the hail, nor from the rain, nor from any other inclemency of the air but from thence eveft to this day, is it seen to con- tinue in its original state. And the seat of St. Patrick, ^vherein sitting he was wont to preach, is still shewn, and manifold and marvellous miracles ate repoited to* have been done there* The holy standard-bearer of the Loid was accustom^ cd to stop at the head-sio^ne of every Christian who was buried outside of the bur|al-place, there to erect a cross; for, he knew that in^hat country, then only lately cortverte^d unto the |aith, and the dead, by rea- son of the fewness of the churches, could not be buried in consecrated ground ; and therefore the good Pastof wished by that blessed token to distinguish the sheep from the goats, namely, the Christians that tvere buried from the Pagans. So might the worshippers of Christ, beholding the sign of life, understand that the servant of the faith of the cross was there buried, and so might they not delay to offer unto the Creator their prayers for his soul. Truly, a pious custom and worthy it is of general ooservance, luiiv an vv^v xr^i^ .^„-,-..^---, --- — - ileath of Christ, and are dead in his faith, should, when .■^' 68 ^HE LIFE OP buried; Have on them or near them ilia ensign bi tho death oniim. And it came to pass that Patrick coming out of Con- hactia, beheld outside of a biirying-place which was consecrated to God, the gtaves of two men who had been lately buried, and dbsetved that at the head of the one ^yas a cross erected. And sitting in his chariot, aS was then the custom; he bade hi^ charioteer to stay, and speaking to one who stdod near him he asked him, w^'y, and of what religion the dead had been ? And he answered him, that he had beeri a Pagan, altogether igilorant of the Christian faithi "Why then," said the saint, "is the cross of Christ at the head of him \vho didst never worship ct acknowledge him ?" And he answered :~« he who is buried near him was a Christian, and some one of yotlr faith coming hither placed the cross at his head»" Then the Saint descend- ed ftom- his charict, and fixed it at the head-stone o'f him who had been baptized, and prajed fOr him, and Went his way. And going but of Cdnnactia, after having confirmed that country in the Christian faith, he went toward.*? the northern part of Ireland which is Called Dalna-dia ; and the people therein dwelling, by his conversation, and by his eji!ample, and by his miracles, did he con- vert unto the faith of Christ, and the Sacraments 6( the faith. Then he passed oVer the mountain Ficoth, even to the great plain of Bregh, thus traversing through Midia into Lao^enia, and everywhere he preached the kingdom of God^ and certain of his disci- ples he.advariced in fit places unto episcopal dighitv. But by how many miracles his journey was grac^^d^ how many diseased persons he had healed, .severally to relate, not even ttie pen of the most eloquent could sulfice. For divers received health, not only by his touch or by his prayer, but even by the passing of his shadow,^as^were he another Peter, So mahy as were /io. puriueu by the healing water, did he labour to per- suade unto baptism j so many as were already baptize- J, ign bf tho •lit of Con- vhich was n who h;id lead of the chariot, aS »r to stay, isked him, ? And he altogether ben," said Bad of him 1?" And lim was a ng hither t descend- id -stone of him, and confirmed at towardi? )alna''dia ; ivfcxsation, d he con- •aments oH in Ficoth, traversing where he his disci- il dighity. ls gracf^dj ^severally lehi coul'l ily by his lina: of his y as were lur to per- SAINT PATRICK. • 69 lest their faith should be perverted by the old enemy, or subverted by heretical doctrines, did he therein con- iirm. And since faith, according to the apostle James, is « dead without workls," and since a dead faith is nd faith, this blessed preacher earnestly perstiaded the be- lievers unto an holy and sincere faith by their diligent ivorking of good works. But they who, proceeding m all the wickedness, condemned his doctrine, and rebel- lins; against God; obstinately persevered in the worship of devils, often at his prayer were they by the sudden- ness of diviile justice destroyed^ as our relation has hi- therto declared^ arid will declare in the following page^. CiHAP. xiv. And the saint departing from Midia, directed hi^ bourse toward Lagenia, for the purpose of preaching (here ; and on Ms journey he crossed a river named Finglas, to a certain hill distant about one mile from the village Athcliath, the wliichisnow called Dublinia^ and^looking on this place and on the country aroudd it, fend blessing itjthtis si^oke hfe, prophesying:— This vil- , lage, now so small, in tide shall be renowned, and it j^hall be increased iii riches and in dignity, until it be advanced the royal seat of a kingdom-" How truly he spoke, the proof of ihis time manifestly showeth. And he entered the village, and the dwellers therein, Jiaving heard of the miracles which he had wrought in the Lord, came forth joyfully to meet him 5 and the son of the Lord of that place, his only son, was even at the point of death, so ,that many said he had already fexpired. Then at the entreaty of the father and the iest who flocked around him, the saint went unto the 6ick man's hed, and bended his knees on the earth and praye(il, and blessed him then dying, and snatched him from the jaws of death, and in the t^ight of them all re- stored him. And they who beheld this miracle, be- lieved in the Author Of life, and by the holy prelate ivere baptized in his name. to tHE IJFIt OF Therefor do those things appear to me very tv6rthy of remembrance, which were done by Patrick, the il- lui^trious preacher, unto the Irish nation, the holy pre- late, who by the grace of God, in his evidence, his mi- racles, aftd his virtues, even to the gathering together of the peo'ple of Ireland, and her kings^that they mitrhi serve the Lord ; and at length he c«ime ttnto th« nobJ« city which is nOw called Dublinia. And it was inha- bited by the Norwegians, aUd by the people of the Isles, having been concede d by the king of Ireland^ under the dominion of the queen, who was the daugh- ter of the king of Norwegia ; aiid in course of time wad it one while allied to another While warring against the kings of Ireland. Hither St. Patrick comingj fottnd* the city defiled with the abominations of MoI?y and un- knowing of the true Creator. And he who hui^st asun- der the gates of death and of hellj smoothefl the path for his servant, for the king and the people, who ere- while had said unto the Lord,' « depart from us, we will riot the knowledge of thy ways ^" so cast down were they, so saddened With weefjing, and wifh lamen- tation, that all memory of their wonted fierceness, all their barbarous rudeness, and all the pride of their ido- latry was utterly subdued. Wretched was the specta- cle on that day I—The twin hope of the kingdom, the delight of the city, the solace of the old, the compa-^ nion of the young, the son of the king of Dublinia, lay in his chamber dead, and his sister, named Anna, who had gone to bathe in the neighbouring river, had that (lay perished in the mid stream :— They raise the royal maiden ffom the stream, they bear her unto the cham- ber of her brother, for her obsequies ; — and, according- to the superstition of the Pagans, the tombs are pfepar^ ed :— and a rumour gathers in the palace, that he, Pa trick of Ardmachia, who, in the name of the unkndwri God had already raised' many that we!re even deadj^hta on that day arrived in the city. This the king !^v ai- 3 deeds agreed ed and fl?"!'' I''*' "'^y ""■8''"'e unconquer fd. f I T""9;«! bMt weak and unhappy, if ever theyfalsjfy their vo^s. Which plainly w/s proved "'hen this people, becoming proud and regardless f "'? b'f «'ns of the s^inf, neglected to pay tl,e appointed tribute. ' b h "•" P<»J me wen"f,nL^ ,1 ■'"• ^k"« •''"'^^'^ ""'^ ""'dden fare- well unto the inhabitants of Dubiinia th^n hv the power of his miracles confirmed r'thefeith^ Feparmg himself for the like work, se forward on his journey. And he came into a neighbour ngtown, which is npw called the Cast f Cnoc" ^'here a certain infidel, named Murnius go^verned l"" but"4"son ^r1" r '^^-^ '"'" fCath of hkvime Ind „7^°'^^'^«'''' '"^a'-ing the fame of one could Ssfih "'V^?'!'-' *'"'-■'' ''^ ^^ared no vne coum resist, absented hnnse i from thpsamt as from the fierce enemr a „ j ''.""'. '"^ *«""• ^d him, that he wouhJ L I f *""' '^'i'"'- lu-s abu'ndance ! buTt coSliS'hir .';'•"' "' inner chamber, required o7h m th^t h * ',"/" least sufier lira to sleep Thl T ^ ^' heing oftentimes rep^^redjh^s! n't a.T"''"'?^ Nation of the spirit' understandirif- ^^ 'y" child of perdition, exdafmed "71! k^"" /" ^^ ^ Ahd] rfeigiied (laughte time to tblded t( her to d fold; th mined t lestial i the kin.£ virgin p " I had to m« a of my k success! iftherei kingdon baptism God, ev not be £ prevail, all unto requiret crated, exercise ample u her deal the saifi gin Cat had rec( placed with a f. saint hii this mor many h( And i where t that littj \, he poor tained a blessed itriarch, into the ppeareci agreed [)nqu€r- if ever proved ardless )ay the iIt; Patrick: m Ahd Patrick came unto the country of Neyll, Wherein reigned a king named £chi], and he had 6ne beloved (laughter named Cynnia,\vhom he intended at a fitting time to give in fitting marriage. And the damsel un- folded to the saint her father's purpose, alid he exhorted her to deserve the reward of virginity even anhiindred fold ; therefore rejecting Worldly nuptials she deter- mined to offer herself an undefiled offering unto her Ce-^ lestial spouse, and to cherish him in her heart. And the king beholding her thus steadily t6 preserve her virgin purity called urito him the saifit, and thus spake: " I had determined that my daughter should continue to m« a long descending progeny, for thfe codtinuatidu of my kingddm, and the solace Of mine age ; but th^ succession is cilt off, and mine hope is defeated by thee i ifthereforej thou wilt promise iinto me the heavejrfy kingdom, yet* not compel nie unwillingly to r^eive baptism, my dnughter shall becomfe the servaift of thy God, eVen ast thOu hast exhorted her ; otherwise will X not be stopped of my desire, iior shall thy preaching prevail." And the saint confiding in, and committing all unto the Lord, faithfully promised what the king required. Then the damsel being veiled ahd c6nse-» crated, and servihg the j^ord in yijginity, and in thtt exercise of all other virtdcs, brought many by her Ex- ample unto his devotion; and during her life, and after her death, she was renowned by divejrs miracles. And the saint commended her urito the care of th6 holy vir-^ gin Cathuberisj who first of all the women of Ireland had received from hhn the veil ; and to whom, being placed over the monastery of Druimdiichan, with a with a great multitude of virgins serving Christ, thei saint himself addressed an exhortafory epistle, and irt this monastery did Cynnia abide, until at length, with many holy virgins she rested in the Lord. And St. Patrick visited the country of the Terturini^ where he abided for the space of seven weeks ; and iii (K:>^ \Utlr. c^v.'>r.a Kiii I rl/i /4.K o Co t;«n rhlifrliPS. ORfi whereof 74. THE LIFE or he called the Loid^s Chuirb. For this was his custom, that wht'D'Siiever he anidfd on th.e Lord's dny, if hfi founded a chuich theic, he caliuti it Domnhach, ti at is, belonging to the Lord. AhA ov> r oih» of theso soven churches", he appointed on* ot his discipU'S named Con- nedu?5, a good and holy man, hy degree a Pieshyter, and learned in the divine law. And he undertak- ing the government of this church, rather from ohe- dieuce than from amhition, abided there onJv one week, and then quittina: it, hastened to St, FatricK, And the saint inquiring tiie cause of his so sp(^edy return, he answered, that he could not patiently endure the a'- sence of his beloved f either. '« Nor is it to be wonder- ed," replied the saint, *' since ir\ that pUice there are ftot children of life, hut lupn ot blood, and devourers of cattle, of whose svvoid thou standest in dread, and fear- est that thy blood will be poured out. R;'tuin, return securely, nor tremble before their fdce *, tor the blood of no man shall in that place be shed, even from jrene- ration to generation." Therefore, nceiving this an- swer of St. Patrick, the venerable Connedus returned ^nto the tjjovernment of his church ; and as the dwellers rn that country declare, the word of the saint has been confirmed bymany proofs. J The saint beholding in Hibernja that the harvest was great but the labourers few, jf^-ssed over intoJPri- t^in to obtain assistants in the lield of the Lord. AVd forasmuch as the pest of the Pelagian heresy, and the Arian faithlessness had in many places defiled that country, he by his preaching and working of miracles recalled the people unto the way ot truth. And many are the places therein which, even to this day, bear witness to his miracles, and are imbued with his sanc- tity. And he brouj^ht away with him many learned and religious men, thirty of whom he afterwaids ad- vanced unto the episcopal office. Returniiig to Hiber- nia, he touched at the islands of the sea, one whereof, Euhonia, that is, Mannia, now called Man, at that time subject unto Britain, he by his miracles and by hi? pr-ac miiacles, doer nan ing hims diabolicf long, an the sain nation, i placed 1: this day had the] being c bishops to Hi be; bishops, more cr should 1 faithful could I being n them tl the dw< the fait Patrick ers of islands And preachi laultiti one of head, s one sh( would is said but mi ; custom, ^^y, if h6 ich, ti at sn soveii led Con- leshyler, fldertak- om obe- \e week, And the ^turn, he ; the a'.- wonder- there arc ourers of and fear- n, return the blood )m e:ene- this a li- re turned dwellers has been harvest intojPri- rd. AVd ', and the tiled that ■ miracles ind many day, bear his sanc- y learned wards ad- to Hiber- i whereof, I, at that eg and by ST. PATHICK. 7S hi;! pr-aching, converted unto Christ, And among his n«iiacles, very coi'Spicuous whs this: a certain evil doer named Melinus, like .Sim(»n the ma^^ieian, assert- ing himself to be a God, and attempting the air with i diabolical flight, at the prayers of the saint fell head- long, and was clashed in pieces, and so perished. And the'^saiut. placed as bishop over the new church or this nation, a wise and holy man named Geimanus, who placed his episcopal seat in a ceitain promontory, nnto this day called St. Patrick's Island, for that the stiinf had there some time abided. Jnc' the other isflands being converted unto the f th, he placed ov^r them bishops from among his disciples, and then he rdurncd to Hihernia : for the saint was accustomed to appoint bishops, not only in cities hut even in towns, and the more crowded places, lest any who had been baptixfed, should be deprived of episcopal confirmation, that the faithful might always have present unto thein one who could minister the episcopal office ; while the diocege ijeing not too extended, needed not to withdr&w from them the presence and the care of their past.-r. But the dwellers in some of these islands being aliened from the faith, afterwards renounced the law of Gf>d, which Patrick preached unto them ; which through the pray- ers of Patrick freed from all venomous animals the islands that preserved their faith. CHAP. XV. And St. Patrick proce led to Ireland, where he preached and expounded the holy scriptures to a great laultitude of people :— and the blessed Bngida w^s at one of these meetings ; and atone, having tecUned her head, she slept :-and the holy prelate forbade that any one should arouse the beloved of God, until she herselt would awaken : so did it ap])ear how evidently what is said in the Canticles agreed with her :— " 1 sleep, but mine heart waketh ;" for that her heavenly fpousd, !/ 76 TUB LirE pf revealed unto her all his mysteries. Aiid wh^n th(^ holy virgin awaked, he enjoined her that she should tell unto them all, what she had heheld in her vision, '4od she obeying the command of the saint, said : <• \ beheid an assembly pf persons clothed in white raiment ; and I beheld ploughs and oxen, and ^landing corn, all white, and imrpediafely they became all spptted, aiid afterward^ they became all black ; and in the end I beheld sheep and swine, dogs and wolves fighting all, and contending together." Then St. Patrick expouud, ed the vision, and said that the whiteness pertained unto the state of the world, as it then was ; tor all the prelates and servants of the church were thei> truittul and diligent Jn faith aqd in good works, eyea according to the evangelic and apostplic doctrine : and the things* which were spotted, belonging, as he said, to the time of the succeeding generation, which would be pure m faith, but stained with evil works. 4"^ the bjackness he said, was the season of the following generation, when the world would be profaned, not only with evil works, but with the renunciation pf the Christiap taith. > fruitful according he things* the time )e pure in blackness ineiation, ^ith evil tiafi faith. tfie dogs rjy of the bad men, at length d. NoWj retaticm of no one, 1 5r endow- )wed him^ t he pene- leard him. 1 on high, ;,yet unto lody of hi? ►fsin. For the swee| nore eari)- e«t desire towards the man of God, who not nng knew ot this unhallowed flame, which hardly could she con- troulinher bosom. And the more vehemently did it burn, for that strict discipline which was instituted by St. Patrick, and the dimculty of the very attempt, pre- vented the damsel from any sacved conversation with Beni^-nus. Therefore, taught by women's cunning, fei-nedshe extreme illness, and withdrew, as unto her sick bed, and besought that from Benignus, she might receive spiritual counsel, and the holy Communion - For he had then attained the priesthood and was le d ia great veneration, as one who adorned with his holy Ue the priestly office. But St. Patrick, at the revela- ionof the spirit, was not ignoian ot that diBtemper with which the nun did labour. Whereupon he called unto him Benignus, bade him that ^« should visit the sick damsel, and minister unto her soul's health.. And he, obedient unto his spiritual father, having besought and obtained his blessing, entered the house of the com- plaining damsel, and made the sign of the cross, as was St. Pat?ick's custom at entering any house that so he should overcome the snares of the enemy ot man's sal- vation. Wonderful was the event and marvellous ; yet exceedingly profitable. The damsel raising her eyes at his entrance, beheld Benignus very terrible .n his stature, and his face as breathing forth flame ; and S . Patrick, standing nigh, and covering ^.s head with his hands. And from that hour, even unto the end of her life, was the fire of human love extinguished m her bosom, as if her body was of stone or wood, and not ot leZ' And afterwal^ds she loved St. Benignus with a pure and saintly love ; and she confessed that through Ws merits St. Patrick had snatched her from the fire of ^Ind the saint came unto Asual, which was in the territories of Midia, where it seemed good to him in a fitti^n' place to build a church. But a c journeying alona: the bank whereof the man of God rifi'et them ; and whe^i he be- held their countenances, he understood their thou-^hts, juid raising against him bis left hand, with a clear 60 THE LIFE OF voice he cried out, " Ye shall not come unto us, nor shall ye return to your own people, but in this river shall your bodies reinrain even to the day of judgment." Then according to the word of the man of God, imme- diately they sunk as lead in the mighty waters ; nor even to this day were their bodies found, though Jong and often sought. Thus, at the divine mandate, did the water punish them who conspired the death of St, Patrick, as erewhile the fire from heaven punished them which who were sent by king Achab against the prophet, and the place wherein they sunk in the wa- ters, is called even lo this day, the ford of the drowned men. A certain man named Dengo, who was wicked and perverse, snid powerful in iniquity prevented the saint Irom building a church in a convenient place : to whom the saint bLttestiag his judge, nay. prophesying, said, « In a short time shall thine house 'he destroyed, and thy substance wasted away ; and thy sons that issue from thine impioas loins, shall of the greater part defile themselves by mutual fratricide ; while the remnant of them shall never attain unto dignity or power, but shall be strangers and wanderers of the earth." And the prophecy of St. Patrick was proved by the subse- quent misery visited on the man and his children. CHAP. XVL A CERTAIN powerful man had endowed wih lands and possessions a church that he was about to build on his own estate; the which to govern, St. Patrick would have appointed one amon^ his disciples, who was able unto the gaining of souls, B^ the man refused, saying that in his own famijy he had a priest whom he willed to place over his own church. Then the saint deem- mg it unworthy to contend for such a matter, departed iiom uiC man. And he on the morrow brought unto the sp.iiit his soil; desiring that he might be consecrated ST. PATRICK. 81 nor did unto the bishopric of that church. And for that the ^aint apart from his own companions pursued in solitude bis studies and his prayers, tiie man, turning from him, went unto two of his disciples, who were elsewhere ap- pointed bishops, and addressed ihem for the eonsecratien of his son. And one of them denied his request, say- ing that he could do no such thing without the consent jBind the approbation of the saint; but the ocher induced, either by entreaty or reward, pres'imed to do what the inan required. The which havin^j; discovered, St. Pa- trick afflicting the presumer with the affliction of pen- ' niice, sulficiently severe, foretold that through all his itfe he should suffer the want of bread. And he de- clared that the bishop so censecrated, was worthy of degradation and contempt, and that his church should be exceeding! 7 poor, so that it should not be able to de- fend itself even fmm two men. And that which the ^aint foretold, unfailingly came to pass ; whefeby a prudent man may take heed, lest misled by ambition he should ever attempt the like. A certain man named Domnhaldus, who was bhnd even from his birth, hearing the saint passing by, placed himself in his way, fcr he trusted that through him should he receive the light so much desired. But for- asmuch as the darkness was before his steps, and the lii'ht was withdrawn fro.Ti his eyes, while running for- ward he fell, and when he would have arisen, no one was there who would help him with their hand. And a certain priest in the company of the saint seeing him fall, laughed and mocked the mischance of the blind man. The which St. Patrick observing, was offended, and lest any among his disciples should so agam pre- sume, he checked ihe foolishness of the scorner with reproof and with punishment, saying, " Vefily I say nnto thee, since in the. name of my God the eyes of this man which are closed in carkness shall now be AnpnAH. thp eves of thee which are open only to evil, shall now be closed." Thus he said, and making the sign of the cioss, he removed the darkness fiom the 82 THE Lite OF bimd man, and the li^ht from the bad man, who «aw the Hoy .Scriptures, CultiUed ; "that they wb.ch .e« not m,„|.t see and that they which see .ni/tre bli„d't: way t icn,;';?-^ '" '"^^ - - "-'. -^ - - te In the place which i? named Achadfobhair St Pa tnck built and endowed a church with fair no Us Lns ' setnch:^wh^^^''p?^''^.'^ '"' '=°"^**"'"^' ^^ Dennac lus, who for the innocencv of his heart mil called the Lamb of God. And he beino-so contcLT entreated of the saint, that with uncYs 0^, er h^ would labour with the Lo,d to shield him inCofce Jrom the commission of all .i„ ; and (urtheraore he' suppiiantly besought that the c'hurch ove which' he preside. , might not be called by his name, T va, in many places the custom among the Irish people And Then St 'p:,''''^ " '1;^ ^""'""S ""'ti' <-f an virtu s S?n?chu^^an th'eSS'Jh'^". T""'"^'^ "'" unto him all his 1 '^re^'S' h'L. 1 i^^^; J CS prophesied, that thereout should proceed manth!.' and e,„,,,e„t priests. And Sennac'^.n oriin/in et ceeding hohness the Holy One of ill hn'iA ,,"1 . * renowned for his miracle^ a f r is vi 'u^^ en I!:! T?'l'? '"*° "'^ '•^'"'^"'y sanctuary. ' "'""'' Itie blessed Patrick proposed to build 1 chiireh !„ . ttttshS^st^eXrir "S; 'Tl^' place shall he build and dwe "7 hnf h' 11 a" ""•" t..e.odof-ja^^b;;;^.C^-,--,;:;'j;^et:r; the nan ^lier, *'t Inhere a was wo fiertaini hey w Patrick absolut had bui that he machia did as t commei had mi icare an And prince would 1 replied, the sair at his d and pro phaltth of a lai< of a mo shall pi seed be -4nd Jesus, i Carry tt .4nd th( record, and his ^nd rud, we over wl of the s light, c( for muc SAINT PATRICIA. 8S the name of Si. Patrick. And Moccheus coming thi- ^lier, '•reeled an oratory and all places fitting, and lived Jhere a life abundant in virtue : a^d often St. Patrick was wont to vi.^it him, and confer with him on things pertaining up to God. And on a certain day, while f hey were sitting together, and commqn|ng ol God, St, Patrick received the divine command tliat he should ahsolut«^ly confer on Moccheus the place \vhich he had builded, with all matters pertaining thereunto, and that he himself should iix his cathedral seat in Ard- machia, now called Armagh. And Patrick wtliingly )did as the Lord had enjoined ; and thence retiring, he commer^ded unto Moccheus twelve lepers, to whom he had miijistered in Christ ; and Moccneus» assumed the care and custody of all these matters. And St. Patrick addressed his well-beloved, the prince Connallus ; and he inquired of him whether would he assume the habit of a monk. And the prince replied, that his heart was prepared to do whatsoever the saint would command. Then the saint rejoicuig at his devotion, said unto him, ff For the sign ot power and protection, and for the proof of thy spiritual worth, phaltthpu bear thy shield and thy gceptre ; the name of a laic shalt thpu show, but the mind and the merit of a monk shalt thou possess : inasmuch as many Faints Bhall proceed from thee, and many nations shall ir thy seed be bhssed." -4nd hf, signed his shield with the sign of the staff of Jesus, declaring that no one of bis progeny who should Carry thi8 shield in battle should ever be vanquisht d. .4nd the Chronic!*^s of Mibcrnia declare, and her bardK record, that this, the saint's piopl.< cv unto Connallus and his seed, duly came to pa'-y. And St. Patrick poming into the territory of Moglja- rud, wen' towards the town of Damnhacii Mai^hin, over whith a man named Victor rnled ; and he hearing of the saint's arrival, yet loviuic darkness rather than light, concealed himself in the shades of a thick grove ; for much he feuied,lest being driven hon} the darkuebfii |u-'ij.ii.L_.'^ Ajtijl-'.' ■.!>'.'■ j'"'.' 8^ THE LIFi; OF of his iinhelier, lie sbould, though unwiHinj?, be compelleii to believe in the true Jight. But tlie shadows of the in^ht season came on, nor did Patrick, tiie son oHight, therefore delay his jour- ney. And when the curtain of deep night had covered all tilings with surrounding darkness, it darkened not the course of Patrick, who was the precursor of light ; for unto him the night was as day, and the deep shadows were as brightness. And the light piercing tiirough the darkness poured around the man concealing himself, nor could he longer hide from before the face of tlie light. Then Victor, by so ^signal a sign being vanquished, and being bouud with the chains of the fear of the Lord, came unto St. Patrick, and devoutly entreated and received from him the holy baptism. And being, with all his house- hold, and all his people, baptized, he gave unto the saint his inheritance for the erection of a church; and among his disciples he abided. And after a* while lie increased in holiness and in the knowledge of the divine law, and being at length consecrated by St. Patrick, he received in that church the episcopal degree, and ior his vir- tues and nis merits he was very renowned. And a certain disciple of St, Patrick, named Volchanus, was eminent in faith and in religion, especially surpassing in the virtue of obedience ; and St. Patrick willing that this his piety whicli was so well known unto him and unto God> should also be known unto his fellow disciples for an ^ixampie unto them, contmanded him that he should build a church wheresoever God should \rniii<< li.j«>f £2 tf\ tixirnrtt A rirl hi -I s i i - xisivs lace5 with great labour builded there a monas- tery, and gathered together unto one holy society many sons of God, who were dispersed : and therein dwelling holily and religiously, finished he his life, and at length renowned in his virtues, and his miracles, he rested in the Lord. And Kertennus, a disciple of St. Patrick, bore the saint, novv worn with age, on his !mf» i - *. V * J V- : B6 THE LlFE OP 7/ m , mine, have from the forecast of thy bounty l-ti- ceived the refreshment of a little rest ; and mine head is covered with grey hairs, and I labour witli daily toil, and earnestly do I long for quiet, which above all thingsjjilife ! need," Therefore St Pa- trick compassiojfiating Kertennus, promised unto him a place fitted for conl;i^pJation, yet hot un- suited to the exercise of pious, duties. And as it much desired the presence ofiso''wo|^hy a dis- ciple, he provided for him k churcli j^jjet hot too' remote from the Archi-episcop^i |e^, he hact builded in Afdmachia ; nor yet too near, lest by succeeding archbishops he should be oppressed : thus was it done, that in his frequent visits to St, Patrick, the man of God should not by the dis- tance be wearied, nor his church appear con- temptible by too close a neighbourhood. And after some days he placed him over the church of Clochor, which the saint himself then ruled ; and when he had hitherto consecrated him, he gave unto him a Chrismatofy. And Saint Ker- tennus there dwelling, aind exercising within doors the office of an abbot, and abroad the office of bishop, cherished his grey hairs, and finished hi? life in holiness^ CAAP. XVII. And St. Patrick travelling into tJiidia, Where lived one Magiul, an Heathen, also called Mac- haldus ; and he was eminent in wickedness, and notorious in cruelty ; and forasmuch as like al- ways accordeth with like, he gathered Unto him- self no small company, well practised in theft, id rspaiC, tinu \\\ oiooa i ana thris iimi) pmceci on hia uhly l-ti- nd mine our widi t, which B St Pa- sed unto hot un- And as \y a dis- , hot too' he had y Jest by )res8ed : ti$ to 8t, the dis- ;ar con- J. And i church 1 ruled ; him, he int Ker- in doorg office of shed hi? sir. PATRICK. 87 , Where 3d Mac- (ss, and like al' I to him- til eft, id i Oil ai» own head and on his companions^ certain diabo- lical signs, which are called Deberth, that alt inight behold how devoted was their brotherhood ijnto the service of Satan. And it happened on a time that the blessed Patrick was journeying Hfhh his people through the place where lurked this band of evil doers, waiting and watching for any traveller on whom they might rush forth to destroy* and to despoil. And, beholding the saint, they thought at first to slay him as the se- diUcer of their souls and the destroyer of their gods ; but suddenly their purpose being changed by the divine will^ they thought it shame to shed the blood oCa peaceful, weak, and unarmed old taain ; yet, cottnsellfng to prove, or rather to rnock the power of Christ? and the holiness of Pajhict, they placed one of their companions, untried Garbanus, on a couch, and though he wa» i in perfect health, they feigned hfm as dead ; and' I they covered him with a cloak, ahd with deriding j prayers they besought the man o( God, that he | would provide the funeraJ rites, or, as he was wont, restore unto life the dead man. But the j wiint, at the revelation of the Spirit, understood <\ what they had done, and pronounced that these • scorners had deceivingly, yet not falsely declared | of their companion's death. Therefore, disregard- ing their entreaties, he prayed unto God for the jBOul of the derider, and went on his way* And the saint had not journeyed far, when tliey unco- vered the cloak from their companion ; and lo ! j they found him not feignedly, but really dead. | And they, affrighted at this tearful chance, and j dreading lest the same should happen unto them- ^ selves, followed the saint and fell at hh feet, and \ 88 THE LIFE OF acknowledged their offence, and by their contri- tion, obtained pardon. And they all believed in the Lord, and in his name were they baptized. Then did the saint at their humble entreaty, re- vived the dead man, and washing him in the holy font, associated him unto them in the faith of Christ. ' And Machaldup, their chief, falling at St, Pa- trick's feet, confessed Ins sins, and entreated Vvith many tears, that a life of penitence might be appointed unto him, whereby he might attain th^' life of eternity. And the saint inspired of hea- ven, enjoined him that he should utterly renounce his native soil, and give all his substanqe to the poor ; and he clothed Machaldus in a vile and rough garment, and chained him with chains of iron, and cast the key thereof, into the ocean. Likewise, he commanded him to enter alone, without oars, into a boat made only of hides, and tliat on whatsoever country he should land, under the guidance of the Lord, there should he serve him even unto the end of his days. And the tnanf truly repenting, did as his pastor enjoined ; for he alone chained with iron chains, bearing on his head the tonsure as the token of f)enitence, en- tered the boat ; and under the protection of God, he committed himself unto the waves, and was borne by them unto the Island Eubonia, which is called Mannia, or Man. And therein were twa bishops named Connidrius and Romulus, whom^ St. Patrick himself had consecrated and appoint- ed to rule over the people of that island, and tO^ instruct them in the faith of Christ, after the death of Germanus, the first bishoD. And thev. beholding Machaldus, marvelled much, and they ) ST PATRICK. 89 pitied liis misery ; and when they had understood the cause, received hint kindly, and retained him with themselves. And after he had for some space there ahided, a fish was one day taken in Jttie sea and brought unto their dwelling, and when the fish was opened before ihem, a key was found in its belly, and Machaldus being released from Im chains, gave th iksunto God, and went ^henceforth free ; and he increasing in holiness, after the deaths of these holy bishops attained the episcopal degree j and being eminent in his niiracfes and in his virtues, there did he re«t. And in that island vi^as a city after him named, of no small extent, the' remains of v^^hose walls may yet be seen. And in the cemetry of its church is a sarcophagus o^hollowed stone, where- out a spring continually eXudeth, nay, sufficiently floweth forth ; the which is sweet to the draught, wholesome to the taste, and healeth divers infir- 'raities; for whoso drinketh thereof, either receiy- ielh instant health, or instantly he dieth. And in |hat stone are the bones of St. Machaldus said to >est, yet therein is nothing found, save only clear water. And though many have oftentimes en- deavoured to remove the stone, and especially the king of Norici, who subdued the island, that lie might at all times have sweet water, yet have they all failed in their attempt, for the deeper they digged to raise up the stone, so much the more deeply and firmly did ;hey find it fixed 4n jthe heart of the earth. There was a noble and beautiful damsel, named Memhessifl,the daughter of a prince who reigned jrj « Qf^rt'Ain nart nf Britain. And she, being oc- cupied with'lhe grace of the holy Spirit, througli IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) // <" 1.0 I.I UilZS UJ US u •i i. 1^ 2.5 22 12.0 1.8 !.25 1.4 1 A ^ 6' »» V] <% /: ^ > ."V^ •^^ .<&< ^^ y # Photog^hic Sciences Corporation 4^ ^ 9) ^■u 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTEK.N.Y. M5S0 (716) ill73-4S03 f/j ^^ THP IIPB OP the virtues which is innate in a good dlspogitioii, and froni the divers specie^ of all created crea' tares, understood the Creator ; and hiro, beinir so understood, she affected with all her heart, and M^ith all her soul, for the love and desire of the which affection, she looked down on all the riches, ^ndall tjie delights, and all the splendours, apd n\\ the charms of this world's glorf, and she Je- spised them m her heart. Yet had she not been washed in the holy font, though in her manners A VIP*"®*®"'^ ^^^ P"*'''y ^^^^e Christian faith. And her parents being heathens, meanly endea- voured with words, and with stripes to frustrate and to shakejier purpose ; but the column of her virgin heart bein^builded on the rock ofChrist, could neither ^^'Jhdued by their persuasions, nor their threats ; nor could she by any of their evii doings at ail be moved |rom her lixed hrmness. Forasmuch as the sprinic^ time of her youth made her beautiful, and the elegahce of her form made her lovely, while in her couutem^ Jhe hhes aijd the roses of the jvarden were minded to, gether; very niany princes of loyal stock desired her in marnagft ; however, in no wise could sh« be there- unto persuadea or compelled. Wherefore, havin? a long time vainly laboured, her parents by general coft- «ent brought her unto St. Patrick, the fame of whose iioliness was proved and published through all that country, by many sig^s and miracles. Then they un- io ded unto the saint the purpose of the damsel, earn-, c'stly entreating him tLat lie would bring her unto the sight ol hjs Crod, whom she so loved, knd toward whom her heart yearned. This the saint hearing, rejoiced in the Lord, giving thanks unto him, whose breath doth hlow even whither and how he listeth : and who of- tentimes calleth unto himself, without any preaching those whom he had predestined unto life. Thea* having expounded unto the damsel the rules of I ST. PAVRIOk; »I I the Christian ifaith,he catechised her, and baptized her, conlessing her belief, and strengthened her with the sacraments of the body ai.d bldod of Christ. And shcj having received the viaticum, fell to the ground in lh'« dispute might possibly have aisefP'*"' "'«'•" ^^'h, ' And aiter a short time. the. nnhi- n • might shov^ unto the s^uTt'y t ^rea? r fav u.^! h •"" ^ h.», out of a low place unto\^lace wWch wasW' ftom a narrow dwelliuif unto one wbw^h , "'«*» ' and f.ir, which was foreshoVnto h.«\ra?''''"?-'' iniracle, at that time named Drnvm«]n ^i. T ^«'''"= * now called ArmachL An,T sf Tl *^'''' •"" "'hicl, the pleasantness an J conycnl„ce^f Ik^ considering, walking round ie, found thS a L L n ?''"^' *"'' het fawn, wfeich they who accomm^jln *i? '''^" *"'' ed to sby ; hut this the rio«r?aZ?l, M ?""" *'"- differ t, be done. And Ct he rn^^htT "^ .'u \° *'^« rt^pityrwliich he had unto God 4'cearefl.''T'^ ^^ C*w» in his armMndcaresseVanTcSci itS sing of their 5ssel, kindiv hank hinfi.'> er, when he t he said no- nius, thereat id- rudeness; commanded •k and biinsr saint, as he [1 his works, 5 demanded learins: that > « I thank. is firmnessj imate con- s most ex- gnanimous Jnance and the vessel 'er do they ^S his sei- 5 and orave Hit which, s> that he % brought vas high ; » spacious n angelic ^ut which 'Bsiderinp^ lace, and >wn with fiint wili- 1 no wi^e ^e bowels he bore p ■ » monasteries, and re- in Britain,and founded there many mo^^^^^^^ ^^^^^ builded many f he« which^ ^^ convents of holy Heathens ; and he jHea t'"'™ I" of relirion which monks, who assented »n'° f ** .So pros^perous and , he thereto appointed; ™«"y *J*" Brf'^ n. ^id ^e adverse, which ^^^^i^ecTaly he for/saw and ?'°P.''fFZ hoir.^' cfTh. blessed 'David, who was foretold the holiness ci iu« „ - then in his mother's womb, ^o' j*^* | ,;,d,,y d,ov, country places and tow^s, the inl a ita. ^^ ^^J^ ^^^^^ rr/^lieCSry^P- A Ihem the wealth and the domimon. finished, h^ con'soled And after his long journey w . oi„,edunto the bis people with h.s irr"" 5 ;V7;»P^; chosen, and LorS's field thirty bishops, which he Iw ^^^^^ ^j^;,,^^^ in loreiKU coumnt;s 9S ^UE ^IFfi pF vest vfM n^anyj and the labourers few. Therefor^ bpn, gah h^ *he mpre frequently to assemble, help synods of bishops to celebrate solemn councils, and whatsoever he found cqntrary to the ecclesiastical institutes, or the Cathqlic fai^h, that did he take away and annul, and whatsoever he found accordant to the Christian law, to justice, or p the sacrcsd canons, and consonant to good morals, tl^at did he direct and sanction. And tl^e n^ost hqjy Patrick applied all diligence untq the extirpi^tion of a i^ariety of reptile?, which were pe- culiar to (he cpuntry, and which often annoyed the in- habitants even untq death, And at length by his salu- tary doctrine and fervent prayer, he relieved Hibernia of the increasii^g mischiet. Therefore, he, the most excellent pastor, bqre in his hand the staffof Jesus, ga- tliered together from all parts of the island, all the poi- sonous creatures into one place : then compelled he them all unto a very high promontory, which then was called Cri|achanailge^but nowCrudhan-Phadruig ; and by the pqwer of his word he drove the whole pestilent swarm from the precipice of the mountain, headlono- into the Qceafi. eniinent sign ! illustrious mira- cle, even from the beginning of the world unheard ; but now experienced by tribes, by peqple, and by tongues, known un^o all natipns, but to the dwellers of Hibernia especially needful ! And at this marvellous, yet most prodtabht sight, a numerous assembly was present : many of whom had flocked from all parts to behold mi- ^r;icles, many to receive the Word of life. Then at the paschal tide, his accustomed devotions being finished, he went round the whole island with an aoly multitude of his sons, whom he had brought forth ijnto Christ ; and every where teaching the way of the Lord, he converted to, or confirmed in the faith, the dwellers therein. And all the islanders, unto whom had come, even the knowledge of his name, for this so strange and wonderous miracle, surrendered themselves to him and to his doctrine, as to an angel of light, and dcyOutly they obeyed him for their peculiar apostle. «T* PATaiCKf 6» Then.thw most excellent husbandman, seeing the hattf- , Lss of theT.rd'8 field to be softened, and the thorns, ?he th stle»,^d the tares rooted forth, aboured to Irt- tilize s^ much the more abundantly mtU the incroa«e profitable seed, that it produced good irHi^ot oMy to the increase of thirty, or sixty, but even ot an hun- dred-fold, therefore he caused the whole siand to be d vid d with a measutinK line,. and all the tnl^f ''""^ . both male and female, to be tithfid ; and every t^nth head, ^ well of hum'an kind a. of cattle, eommanded he to be sf.t apart for the portion ot the Loid. And inaWn- ai the men monks, and the women nuns, he SS many monasteries, and assigned "mo them h; the r support, the tithe of the land a.Mi ot the cattte, XrS, in a short space, so it was, that no desert ^ot n« even any corZ; o^' the island, "o^ anyj.Uoe therein, however remote, was unfilled with pfrtect Snks,'and nun, -, so tbat'Hibernia was become nglrtly distinguished by the episcopal "«"'«' ,1^ rule of St Kaints And these ived according to the rule ot bt- P^tric'k. with a con^nmpt of the world, a desire ot hea- ven an hTy mortification of the flesh, and an abandoft- rn'tqfallVa'r.' '"'"•*"'"*^f : KlwitMSi? in their meriU and n their number, so that witn in«ir convSnand example,th.y edified far^^^^^^^^^ tries And in the days of St. Patrtck, and tor many l"es'of hta uccessors no one was advanced ftnloth* eSiscopal degree, or the cure of souls, unless by the re-. Son of the Divine Spirit, or by some evident wan be was proved worthy tlieteof, and which ought to be the custom of the present day. ,„i,« „„, ,«. ■ And a certain saint named Secundinu , «h»w«8 ex- ceeding wise and learned, «'d "P'»l'- ^SX TpCedt^ write, was Fat'rick W««elf;«nd there- fore concealed he the name in silence. /I en.answer edthe saint, " Verily, it is worthy and ht, and ^^«^^^ „j At.Ua ti.nd wuh the coarsest clothing, otF.r himself a« »^«lj «"^, i');*'!^ sacrifice, acceptable unto God ; nor suffered he the ene- my to touch in him the walls of Jer-isalem, but he in- flicted on his own flesh the penance and prftu^l bar- renness ; and that he should not »>/"^§ ^°^^»^^^^^^^^^^ which mifrht hereafter be worthy of death, made be tus smrit fruitful of abundant fruit. Cd until the five-and-fiftieth y.ar of h.s »?«, whete- in he was advanced in Hibernia unto the episcopa de- ffree. did he after the manner of the apostles, conUnu- !lv travel on foot; and thenceforth, by reason oHhe difficiUv of the journey, he used a chariot, according the nianner of ti.e country. And over h» "t^' SJJ; ments he was clothed with a \^'t« "^"^''.''"i^.te. his form and the candid colour ot h.s habit, he »h»wed h s profession, and proved himself the candidate of lowli- Tss and purity. Whence, it came to pa5s, that the inonks in Hibernia followed his exampU, and ft^r manv years were contented with the simple habit wS tCwool of the sheep f'/t k ♦» ^and; tinged with any foreign dy^- Ap<) h' ^eP* *?-3^' Clear from any sift, ever -''"""^'"V J^f^^Jwas Bive than to receive : therrfore, when any gitt was 1 ven .m"o him by any rich man, he hastened so^oon M misht be to "ive it unto the poor, lightening himsrtt r^of ^ol^a-n heavy burthen, .n^h^^-ntenanc. in his speech, in lus gftn, nil klia mornKpr^. in hlA ^H MQ THE LIFE OP wh<4e bodf , did he edify the behoMers ; and his dis- course was well season»'d, and suited unto eveiy a^fp, •ex, rank, and condition. In four languages— the bri- i'uk^ the Hibernia, the Gallic, and the Latin, was he thoroughly skilled ; and the Greek language also did he partly understand. The little Book of Proverbs which he composed in the Hibernia tongue, and which is fuU of edilication, still ejfisteth ; and this great vo- liiUM called Canoin Phadruig, that is, the Canons of Patrick^ suited every person, be he secular, be he ec- clesiastic, unto the exercise of justice and the salvation III' souls. Whensoever he was addressed for the expo- ittkNii of profound questions or difficult cases, always aeeordiiig to the custom of his lowliness, did he answer, <• I know not, God knoweth :" but when gritat neces- sity oompelled him to certify the word of bis mouth, he atways affirmed by attesting his Judge. So excel- lent wtf he in the spirit of prophecy, that he foretold divers future things, even as if they were present ; Imn^ abient he well knew, and whatsoever &11 from his Ups^ without even the smallest doubt, did that come to ptts. &> evidently did he foretal of the saints which fojt m hundred years thereafter would be born in Hiber- nia^ but chiefly in Momonia and Conactia, that he showed even their names, their characters, and the phicee of their dwelling. Whomsoever he bound, them did the Divine Justice bind ; whomsoever he loosed them did the Divine Justice loose; with his right band he blessed, with his left hand he cursed ; and whom he blessed, on them came the blessing of the Lord ; whom he cursed, on them came the heavenly malediction : and the sentence which issued fwm his'lips, unshaken and fixed did it remain, even as had it gone forth of the eternal Judg:ment-seat. Whence did it plainly appear, that ttm boljr man being faithful unto God, was with him as one t^irit. Yet, thouirh in his manifold virtues, be equalled or excelled all other saints,in the virtue oC lowliness did he excel even himself; for in his epistlfs. ht w^ wont io mention hiniSfif as the lowest, the iea? ,i^ i $T. PATRICK. m ana the vilest-of all sinner;*, and little acrountin^ \\ie aiirns and. the miracles which he had wrought, he thought himsi'ir to be compared not toany perlect man; and being but of small ptature he used otien tocailhinn self a dwarf. And not seldom, alter the u'\anner of the aaostle Paul, he toiled with manual labour, fishing and m\ng the groqnd, but chiefly in building ciuuches; to which employment he tpuch urged his disciples, boil> hy exhortation and example. Nevertheless, right ear- nestly did he apply himself upto baptizing the people', and prdaining ihe ministers of the church. Three hun- dred and fifty bishops did he consecrate with hin own hand; seven hundred churches did he endow; h?^ thousand clerical men did He advance unto the priestly rank^ But of the other ministers whom he nppoiBted unto the inferior orders of the monks and the nuns, whom he dedic»l.- know^th the number. CHAP. XIX. TtfERWFQRR, under this most satiotificd rule oflifa' h aid- he shine in so ma|iy atid so gteat miraclei*, that h^ V ' ^ppearfed second to no other Saint. For the Mind, an- in the Hibernian, and paitly in the Latin tongue. From all which, whatsoever we could meet most worthy of be- lief, hav^ we deemed right to tra;ismi>\ in this our worlc, unto aftffr times. And Patrick, the beloved of the Lord, being full cf days» and of good works, and now faithfully finishing the time of hiaj appointed ministry, saw as well by Di- vine revelation as by the dissolutions of his earthly ta- bernacle, that the evening of his life was ilrawjng near. And being then nigh unto Ulydia, hastened his journey towards the metropolitan seat, Ardmachia ; for earn- estly he desired to lay in that place the remains of his sanctified body, and In the sight of his sons whom he had,brougbt forth unto Christ, to be con^ngned unto the common mother. But the event changed the purpose of the holy man ; that all might know, according to the testimony of the Scriptures ; that the way of man is nc'fc in his own power, hut that his steps are directed of God. For during his journey, he was caution- ed not to return to Ardmachia in words to th: ' t'oJlowing effect :— "Stay thou, O Patrick, thy Teet from this t'ly jjurpose, since it is not the Di- * vine Will that in Ardniachia thy life should be closed, or thy body therein be sepultured ; for Uiydia, chc first place of all Hibernia which thou didst convert, had the Lord provided that thou ^halt die, and that the city of Dunum [now Down] thou shalt be honourably buried* And there fihall be thy resurrection ; but in Ardmachia which thou so lovest, shall be the successive mi- nistry of the grace which hath been oo thee bc- Rtowed. Therefore remernher thv wordj wher^?-. with ihou gavest hoj^e unto thy first converts, the t ST PATRICK. 103 icle re- riascow. !me ihfe ' in the 'rom all f of be- r work, full cf nishinw by Di- hly ta- g near, journey r earn- 9 of his lom he nto the )U!pose ]ing to of man irected ution- to th:' :, thy »e Di- ' jld be I ; for I thou . thou )own] there lachia '6 mi- *e bc- 'lii»r*»- St the sons of Dichu, when instructed of heaven, thou did8t foretel unto them that in their land thou wGuldst die and be buried." And at the word of the angel the saint was grieved ; but quickly re- turning unto himself, embraced he the P.vme Providence with much devotion and thanksgiving, and hubmitting his own will unto the will of God, he returned into Ulydia. . . , ^m And after a few days Patrick, the most holy old man, re^ed in a place not far distant from the mother-church of the city of Dunum ; and with him was Brigida^ the spotless pearl of Hibernia, and no small assembly of religious and ecclesias- tical persons. And while the ^nt discoursed unto them\>f the glory of the 8aini|he pointedLout to them as he was instructed by m Spirit, where he should be buried, on the eastern side of the eeroe- tery, Brigida said that she would be happy if she might enshroud his holy body in a linen cloth, she had raad6 with her own handd, and woven for his obsequies. And St. Patrick understanding the desire of Brigida, and her preparation of the gar- ment ; he himself returned unto the monastery ot Saballum, which he had filled with a tair assembly of monks, and there lying on the bed of sickness, awaited lie, with an happy hope, the termfination of his life, nay, rather^of his pilgrimage, and his entrance into the life et^frnal. And the venerable virgin obey-pd the word ot her father and bishop, and went unto the monastery, and took the gar- ment, and with four virgins in her train, hastened she to return unto the saint. And rhey ofFereU him the garment, the which he kindly received, and kissing his feet and hands, tht?y obtained his bcnedicrion. .i* 104 THE Llf£ OP Now, the sickness of his *body inci^easing, age (>c6«sing onj or rather the Lord calling him unto his orown, the blessed Patrick perceived he was hastening unto the tomb ; and much he rejoiced i^mive at the post of death and the piortal of life* Therefore, being so admonished by the Spi- f\%, h^ forUiied himself with the Divine Mysteries^ from the hand of his disciple the bishop St, Tha- fiaoh,iand lifting up his eyes he beheld the hea- Wns opened, and Jesus standing in the multitude' 0f angels. Then raising his hands, and blessing ^l^8 people, and giving thanks, passed he forth of this. world ftom the faith unto the proof; from his pilgripfiage unto his country ; from transitory pairt unto eternal glory ! O hovir blessed Patrick !— O how blessed he, who beheld God face to face, whose souMs secured in salvation ! Happjr, I say, is i|ie man unto whom the heavens opened, .who penetrated into the sanctuary, who found eternal Redemption, whom the blessed Mary with the spotkss choirs of virgins welcomed, whom the bands of angels admitted into their fellowship ! Him the wise assembly of prophets attendeth, the^Jsnate of apostles embraceth, the laurelled arniy of martyrs exalteth, the white-robed com- pany of confessors acc^pteth, and the number of the elect receiveth with ail honour and glory .«- Nor wondrous was it, nomindeserved ; seeing that he was the angel of God^ though not by his birth, yet by his virtue and by his office ; he whose lipg wei-e the guard of knowledge, and declared unto the people the law of life which was reqfuired of God. Uightly was he called the prophet of th# Most Highi who knew so many things absettt, whufuretold so many and such things future, as ^pMom have ^nv of tlip nrnphr»r> nrorheslcd ! — (' ST. PATRICK* m^ ig, age n unto he was 3Joiced »rtal of le SpU , Tha- e Ilea- kuud^ les&ing Drth of om his y pairi cl— Q ) face, I say, i, .who eternal t.h the »m the vship ! ndeth, irelied I com- ber of [>ry.— ig that birth, ^e ]ip9 1 unto red of of th# bseftt, ire, as Dd !-^ (• Riksbtlv i6 heraUed,and is, the apostle^ Hiber- iHa, seeing that all the people -thereof, and Hk^ oUier islanders, are the signs of 'hi8.apostd.at« ! lightly is be called a martyr, who bearw^ conti-^ nually in his heart, and in his body, the name^of Christ, showed himself a lining sacrifice^uniOiGods who having suffered so many snares, so many^on- fiicts f»om magicians, from idoktors, from Tuiew^ and.from evil spirits, held his l^eart a'^'aysp';?- oaned to undergo any and every death I— ttigHtiy is he called the confessor of God, who contmaally preached the name of Christ, and w*ho by hi* ^ords,his example, and his miracles eXcited pco- pie, trtbfes and tongues, uiito the confession^ othij^ name, of human sin, and of Divine ^^^ '•r' Biffhily is he called a virgin, who abideth^a w- ijin in his body, in bis heart, and in hjs faith, AWl %y his three-fold virginity, pleaseth he thespouwi of virgins, and the virgin of virgins l^Rigbtlyi. lie numbered among the angehC choirs, and the assemblies of all saints, who was the sharer m aK iioly acts, arid all virtiies ! , . . , On the seventeenth day of March, irf Ui^ one Jiundredahd twentieth and third year of Irifi^ge, departed he forth of this world, and thus the ye^rs of his life are reckoned. Ere he was carried mtO Hibernia by the pirates, he had attained his six-- teenth year, oppressed beneath a most cruel sei^i- iude, six years did he <'f d/^?"^^ ^;^"^ >T?£ iie feed, with the sweet food of the Gospel, those ^ho before were swine, but who, cagtiO| ^W the filth of their idolatry, became his iOfHowers. Eiohtcen years did he study under St. G^rnianiift, SsXVhe had reached his fiftieth a.ui third vear, he was invcsiuu t .».» ^»- .i.,^-.-f- ^. % nnd rrrurnrd in'o Hibanla, therein lo preach m« 106 THS LIFE or, &C. and in lb space of thirty and five years conYerted he unto Christ all that country, artd many other islands ; and during the thirty and three years which remained unto him, abided he chiedy in Saballuro, or in the monastery which he had founded at Armachia. Nor did he wiHingly leave' tRose holy places, unless some cause of inevitable urgency called him forth ; nevertheless, once in every year did he celebrate a council, that he might bring back unto the right rule those things which he knew to need reformation. And as St. Patrick expired, the surrounding circle of toonks commended his spirit unto God, and enwrapped his body in the linen cloth which St. Brigida had pre- pared. And the multitude of the people, and of the cler- gy, gathered together and mouiiied with tears and with sighs, the dissolutioti of Patrick, their patron, even as the desolation of tht Ir country, and prayed in psalms and in hymns, the rites which unto his funeral were due* And the people of Ultonia having entered Dunum celebrated the solemnities of mass, and in the place foreshown, buried the venerable body with all due Ve- neration ; and this desirable treasure, this most precious jewel, they depositeth beneath a stone five Cubits deep nthe heart of the earth, lest by stealth it miaht be conveyed thence. But by how many and how^great miracles the bones of this most holy saint were "raced therein, we find not recorded, either because tlie pen ol the negligent preserved them not, or being written, they were destroyed by so-ne of the many Heathen pnnces who ruled in Hibernia. IN ow St. Patrick died in the four hundred and ninetieth and third year of Christ's incarnation;, Felix being then Pope, in the first year of the reigii of Anastasius the Emperor, Aurelius Ambrosms niling in Britain, Forchernus in Hibernia, Jesus Christ reigning in all things and Over all thinj^s. JJ.^^*1^^^ ^u '" ^'^ ^^^^^^ ^"^ praise, and houour, tnd .^lipjie, tiifo-tigh kfiiiite ages^foir ever and ever. Anun, averted y other e years ie% In be had Y leave' vitable >nce in hat lie : things jircle of vrrapped lad pre- lie cler- nd with even as psalms Jre due* )unum, e place lue ve- recious ts deep ight be IV great graced he pen vritteh, [eathen :k died year of he first urelius bemia, hings. ur, and Anun, I .SUIES FOR A CHRIStlAN LIFE. W^Q be observed by all who wish to secure to themielm a happy Eternity. 1. Settle in thy soul a firm resolution upon no ac- count whatever to consent to mortal sin. This resolu- tion is the very foundation of a virtuous life : whosoever is not arrived thus far, has not yet begun to serve God. Without this resolution, it is in vam for any one to Oat- Ut himself with the hopes of livmg hohly, or dying *^T'ln' order to enable thyself to keep this resolution, he diligent in flying all dangerous occasions, such as bad company, lewd or profane books, immodest plays, &c. For "he that loves danger shall perish m it. — 3 'watch all the motions of thy heart, and resUt the first impressions of evil ; keep a guard upon thy aeiises and thy imagination, that the enemy miy "<>' surp"»« thy soul by these avenues ! Contemn not small faults, lest bv desrrees thou fall into greater. ,..,., , 4 ^•l V an idle life, as the mother of all mischief; and take it for a certain truth, that an idle life >wiU never brin" a Christian to heaven. . 6 Never omit, upon any account, thy morning and evenin- prayers. In the morning remember always fo preintto God the first fruits of the day, by S"*!"? ,»»"» thv first thoughts : make an offering to himot all the actions ot- the day ; and renew this oblationat the be- Sn^n.' M every thing thou doest, » whether tt«.u^at fS," says^St. pIuI, (I Cor x.3J.) « or whatever, elsevoudo.doallfor the glory of God/ . ^. 6. In thj^ evening prayeiR, make a daily examination of thy conscience, c,Hll.ng hyself to an account how KUre thou layest thy-lI,.lo- ': t '^in^ tl knows hut uiai nigm m^y ""'•^,;"^"iV«n"w i.7th/ bed. think on the grave ; compose thyself to rtbl inaae J[08 RULKS FOR, &«. armsof thy God^and if tHrtu wajcc inv th^Ffliiiht,, false thy thought* to Aim, who is always watc/iing over tAee* tBiside^ttiii corning and evening dkvotKm^ set anidt tofhe time in the day for prayer, more particularly m§nial,by an interior conversation qf thy souL with God^ , h^Mftfme sovereign good. Intht midst of allthy^ pti^pf&ynnnfsjkeep thyself as much as posjiUein the pre- met of Gbdj and frequently aspire to htm by short 0t^htiom:' Read ({f ten spiritual hooks, as httersdt messiigit mt thee from heaten. Aitd if thy circum-, ^Mutpetimi asf'tsf dailifat the saerafice of the mass. 8. Frequent the sacrdments at leobt once a months dMt^dHeiptcial tare to prepare thyself to receive them 9. Hhis sufferings. |D. Be p(vt*icvlarly devout to his blessed mother ; take ietfirffky mot^efi and seek upon ali occasions Aw pro- M^ anii pratjtrs : but learn with aU to vmitate her ^ • W* St^ t^ find out thy predminant pmion^ am Iflt^^m Viith all tkypow>er fo root it out. n* Let not a^ dm^^mtlm^ offering tO' God some mi^dfe4mtfi{pnfQr0t4ns^ * ^ jl Beware of sdfimi as thy greatest en^mf : am ktefi«0fe violence M%sdf byself-deniats and morHJir m(h0:** Remember the kingdom ofheavenis not to be '^ mvi (Omit according to thy ability f-^' For judg- pek ii^^^ou^metfcyto him that hath uot shown mevcy- 1^^fm^^M.1^*Seta gretif value upw* spiritual alirtS'^ wA^^iiitfi^gaU thou ijfmt tomkiim unhappy ^m- nmj hdfbr that end daUy bewail their mis^.ry m th^ I j .fc etaci in dl ^te duties pf thy caUmg^ as being to gif^e m actomt one daifito that "iri^t Master^ who fiafWiftedto each on^ofittmrimi^tive sm/ipnm, Jn jLi,A^^ I,, fc - J! .«_ Li.'t 11... t^n'# ami iMfl irtAII c/iniF t ' 1 ' v.. ■ *■• ' •%1 ■^ ■0'''' ■■irt*!' •■*,.- ,4 v-'-fi t^pt.^ ,:>^^^:Jt>^^ ^ .^^ / r-t< > -^#<; '/:^^^^^^^t^^ ^'- >'/-!<. ^t^ /'^^i^ <^i^'-^l^ ^^v 'A--(-y^t^:m I '- % ZlVz^^^ /> n/U^ % h^k m^:. -'^» #=v. ••::m>-" ^'^^;?5||^^#^'l%^ .M.m:^i^^^' \,}^'^Mm.:^W >-.-5to>;.' i '?! 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