The most important sources for St. Patrick’s Life are contained in a manuscript known as the _Liber Armachanus_ (preserved in the library of Trinity College, Dublin), to which frequent reference will be made in Appendix A. For a full account of this Codex I must refer to the _Introduction_ to Dr. Gwynn’s definitive, “diplomatic” edition of all the documents which it contains. It is enough to say here that it was written in the first half of the ninth century, part of it at least before A.D. 807-8 by Ferdomnach, a scribe of Armagh, who died in A.D. 846. He wrote by the direction of the Abbot Torbach, and Dr. Gwynn has shown reasons for believing that the documents relating to Patrick were executed after Torbach’s death (A.D. 807). These documents were printed by Dr. W. Stokes in the Rolls edition of _The Tripartite Life of St. Patrick_, Part ii. (1887); and I have given my references, for the most part, to the pages of this edition because it is the most convenient and accessible. The quotations, however, are always taken from Dr. Gwynn’s reproduction of the text of the MS. Another edition of these Patrician documents by Dr. E. Hogan was published in vols. i. and ii. of the _Analecta Bollandiana_, 1882-3; see App. A, ii. 3, p. 263. The Irish parts, and the Latin passages containing Irish names, have been included in the _Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus_ of Dr. Stokes and Professor Strachan, vol. ii. 238 _sqq._, 259 _sqq._ I 1. _The Confession_ Our most important sources, the only first-hand sources we possess, for the life of St. Patrick are his own writings, two in number, namely, the document which is fitly known as his _Confession_ (from its last words, _haec est confessio mea antequam moriar_), and his _Letter_ against Coroticus. The motive and contents of the _Confession_ are dealt with in the text and in subsequent notes. Its tradition and genuineness may be considered here.