(1) Patrick reads with Germanus; (2) is tonsured by Martin; (3) visits a cave, in the Tyrrhenian sea, “between mountain and sea,” where there were three other Patricks, and a beast infested a fountain; (4) Victor bids him go to Ireland, and Germanus sends Segitius with him; (5) Patrick goes to sea, with nine, and visits an island, where he found a young married couple who had lived there since the time of Christ; and (6) goes thence to Mount Hermon, near the island, where the Lord gives him the staff of Jesus and grants him three requests; (7) goes to Rome. In these three documents we have the same matter differently combined, variously modified and augmented. Probus presents it in a more advanced stage than the _Vita Tertia_, the _Tripartite_ in a more advanced stage than Probus. The matter, however, is not homogeneous. The visit to Pope Celestine at Rome has no legendary superstructure, and is found in the W document (V₂ and V₄) which does not contain any of the other incidents. The rest of the common material depends on three motives: (1) the association of Patrick with Martin; (2) the staff of Jesus; (3) converse with the Lord. The _Vita Tertia_ presents these motives in their simplest form: (1) it is not stated that Patrick was tonsured by Martin; (2) the staff of Jesus is received from a hermit, not from the Lord; (3) there is no account of the conversation, we are simply told _salutavit Dominum ut Moyses_. The _Tripartite Life_ brings the second and third motives into the same setting. In this legendary material the only thing which, for our purpose, requires investigation is the description of the place in or near which Patrick saluted the Lord. In the _Vita Tertia_ it is designated: _montem Amon ar mair Lethe supra petram maris Tyrreni in civitate quae vocatur Capua_, where the Irish words, _ar mair Lethe_ are equivalent to _super mare Latinum_, that is, _super mare Tyrrhenum_. Probus has _in monte Hermon in dextro latere maris Oceani et vallata est civitas septem muris_. The _Tripartite_ has _hisliab Hermóin_, “to mount Hermon.” What was the name of the mountain? The MSS. of the _Vita Tertia_ give _Arnon_, Probus and _Trip. Hermon_. As the form Hermon may well have had a scriptural motive, we might suppose that the original name was Arnon. But the description in the _Vita Tertia_ points in another direction. _Supra petram maris Tyrrheni_ is clearly intended to represent the Irish words preceding. But why _petram_? It points to _montem ar maen ar mair Lethe_. And so, in view of _Hermon_, _Hermóin_ in the other sources, it looks as if _Arnon_ is a corruption of _Armóin_ or _Armain_, which the writer took to mean the Irish _ar maen_ = _supra petram_.[328]