[436] The staff of Jesus was a wooden crozier (Giraldus, _Top._ iii. 34), richly adorned. The story of its presentation by Christ to St. Patrick is found in the tenth-century _Trip._ (p. 30), no doubt taken from an earlier source. The staff was much older than the _Book of Armagh_; for we find that it was "profaned" in 789, and it was then apparently regarded as the principal relic of St. Patrick (_A.U._ 788). It seems that there was a still more ancient tradition, that St. Patrick gave it to St. Mac Cairthinn (_R.I.A._ xxxiv. 114), from which it may be inferred that it once belonged to the church of Clogher. It was removed from Armagh to Dublin in 1180, and deposited in Christ Church. It was burnt in 1538 (_A.L.C._). Apparently St. Bernard is the only authority for the statement that it was "fashioned" by Christ. It appears that the staff of Jesus, in the twelfth century, was regarded as a much more important relic than the _Book of Armagh_, and was more closely associated with the person and office of the coarb of Patrick. It is frequently mentioned in such a way as to suggest that it was one of the insignia of his authority (_A.U._ 1015, 1073, 1101, 1113, 1157, 1166, 1167; _A.F.M._ 1135, 1139, 1143, 1148, 1152). Similar references to the _Book of Armagh_ do not occur till near the close of the twelfth century, immediately after the removal of the staff from Armagh (_A.U._ 1179, 1196; Gwynn, p. civ.). A very full account of the later history of the staff may be read in _O.C.C._ pp. viii-xx. [437] Deut. xxxii. 6. [438] _Gyrovagus._ The word is commonly used of a monk who leaves his proper monastery, and wanders about from one cell to another (see, _e.g._, St. Bernard, _Ep._ 68, § 4), or to a priest who deserts his parish (Du Cange, _s.v._). [439] Job i. 6, 7; ii. 2. [440] King (_Primacy of Armagh_, p. 97) thought that this was Conor O'Loughlin. But he could hardly be described as "of the unrighteous race," or as a "prince," which would indicate a petty chieftain. Probably the conspirator was a local magnate. [441] Matt. xxvi. 4, combined with Luke xxii. 2. [442] Cp. Acts xxiii. 12 f. [443] Matt. xxvi. 48. [444] 1 Macc. i. 30. [445] Cp. 1 Cor. xi. 1. [446] Matt. x. 38, etc. [447] Acts xxv. 11. [448] 1 Pet. v. 3 (vg., inexact quotation). [449] _Formam._ The word occurs in the verse just quoted, and in the context of that which follows (Phil. ii. 7). [450] Phil. ii. 8. [451] Ps. lxxviii. 7. [452] Acts xxi. 13; John xi. 16. [453] Cp. Apuleius, _Metamorph._ xi. 23. [454] Eph. vi. 16. [455] Gen. iv. 6. [456] Exod. xv. 16. [457] Ps. xxvii. 2 (vg.). [458] John iv. 37.