The Most Ancient Lives of Saint Patrick: Including the Life by Jocelin, Hitherto Unpublished in America, and His Extant Writings
History
The Most Ancient Lives of Saint Patrick: Including the Life by Jocelin, Hitherto Unpublished in America, and His Extant Writings
Patrick, Saint, 373?-463?
A certain prince, going on a journey, heard, not without much
amazement, a voice as if the voice of an infant weeping in a sepulchre,
and, staying, he bade his people to open the sepulchre; and within he
found a living boy nigh unto the dead mother. Him, by general advice,
did the prince raise out of the chamber of death, and bear unto Saint
Patrick, who, baptizing the child, named him Olcanus, for that he had
suffered much evil, and in a fit season sent him to be instructed in
letters. And he, being arrived at good stature, and being desirous of
learning, went into Gaul; and having long abided there, and acquired
much learning, he returned to his country; and being so returned, he
instituted schools, and taught many scholars who in after-time were
holy bishops. But this renowned teacher attained the episcopal
dignity, and, at length closing his life in much sanctity, was
illustrious even for many miracles.
CHAPTER LXXXVII.
_How the Tooth of Saint Patrick shone in the River._
And on a time the saint, with his holy company, passed over a certain
river named Dabhall; and for that the day declined and the evening came
on, he prepared to pass the night near the bank, and pitched his tent
on a fair plain. And approaching the water, he washed his hands and
his mouth, and with his most pious fingers he rubbed his gums and his
teeth; but through age or infirmity one of his teeth, by chance, or
rather by the divine will, dropped out of his mouth into the water; and
his disciples sought it diligently in the stream, yet with all their
long and careful search found they it not. But in the darkness of the
night the tooth lying in the river shone as a radiant star, and the
brightness thereof attracted all who dwelled near to behold and to
admire. And the tooth so miraculously discovered is brought unto the
saint, and he and all around him offer thanks to the Almighty, who had
brought this thing to pass; and on that spot he builded a church, and
deposited the tooth beneath the altar. The which is famed for divers
miracles, and even to this day is called Cluayn Fiacal--that is, the
Church of the Tooth. And the tooth of Saint Patrick, like a radiant
star, shone by the same divine grace whereby, at the prayer of Samson,
the conqueror of the Philistines, a fountain of water streamed forth
from the jaw-bone of an ass. And this church is distant about five
miles from the metropolitan city of Ardmachia.
CHAPTER LXXXVIII.
_The Saint Prophesieth of the Virgin Treha, and a Veil is placed on her
Head by an Angel._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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