The Most Ancient Lives of Saint Patrick: Including the Life by Jocelin, Hitherto Unpublished in America, and His Extant Writings
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The Most Ancient Lives of Saint Patrick: Including the Life by Jocelin, Hitherto Unpublished in America, and His Extant Writings
Patrick, Saint, 373?-463?
_Of the Fantastic Snow._
Then, being utterly covered with shame, did the magician more and more
grieve; and lest he should appear to be vanquished, he challenged
Patrick to bring down signs from heaven. And the saint answered that
he would not tempt the divine will; but the magician by his
enchantments sprinkled all those parts with the coldest snow, and
afflicted all the inhabitants with cold. And the saint urged him,
urging and pressing that he would remove the snow from the earth and
the cold from the inhabitants; and thus compelled, the magician
confessed that by all his enchantments he could not do that thing.
Therefore, O impious man! said the saint, out of thine own mouth will I
judge thee, and prove that thou art the worker of wickedness and
minister of Satan; thou who canst cause evil only, and canst not at all
produce good. Then raising his consecrated hand, blessed he the plain
and all the places around in the name of the Holy Trinity; and
forthwith all the fantastic snow which could not melt in the accustomed
manner vanished. And all around marvelled, confessing the hand of the
Lord working in Patrick, and detesting the deceitful works of the
magician.
CHAPTER XLVII.
_How the Darkness was Dispersed._
And the magician, beholding how his art was scorned and set at small
account, once again by his enchantments covered the places that had
been whitened with snow, even with a palpable cloud of thick darkness.
And fear and trembling came on all whom it covered, or at least they
experienced how closely it shaded them from the brightness of the true
faith. Nor let it be marvelled that strangers to the darkness of the
true light which illuminates every man entering this world should be
involved in the darkness of magicians, who, with blind and hardened
heart, worshipped the prince of darkness. And Patrick in his wonted
words addressed the magician, that he would make this cloud to pass
away; but the magician answered even as before. Then did the son of
light pour out a prayer unto the Eternal Light, the Sun of Justice, and
immediately the material sun arose and shone forth, and the darkness
was dispersed. And the people which had hitherto sat in darkness, now
beholding the great light, proclaimed their thanks and their praises,
and magnified Patrick, who was the preacher of the Eternal Light.
CHAPTER XLVIII.
_How the Magician and his Garment were consumed, and Benignus and the
Garment of St. Patrick preserved unhurt._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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