The Most Ancient Lives of Saint Patrick: Including the Life by Jocelin, Hitherto Unpublished in America, and His Extant Writings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The Most Ancient Lives of Saint Patrick: Including the Life by Jocelin, Hitherto Unpublished in America, and His Extant Writings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?
And after a few days Patrick, the most holy old man, rested on a place
not far distant from the mother church of the city of Dunum; and with
him was Brigida, the spotless Pearl of Hibernia, and no small assembly
of religious and ecclesiastical persons. And while the saint
discoursed unto them of the glory of the saints, a great light
descended from heaven, and poured round a certain spot on the eastern
side of the cemetery; at the which marvelling, they enquired of the
saint what meant that light, and the holy prelate bade the blessed
Brigida to explain to them the meaning thereof. Then the virgin openly
declared that the so great light denoted and sanctified the
burial-place of a certain saint most illustrious and dear unto God, who
therein would shortly be buried. And the holy woman, Ethembria, who
first of all the nuns in Hibernia had been consecrated by Patrick,
privily enquired of Brigida who was the saint. And she answered that
Saint Patrick himself, the father and apostle of Hibernia, would soon
be buried in that place, but that in process of time he would be
removed from thence; and further she pronounced that she would be happy
if she might enshroud his most holy body in a linen cloth, which she
had made with her own hands and woven for his obsequies. This said she
secretly unto her sister nun, nor deemed she her words overheard of
any. Then the light which appeared from heaven was taken up from their
eyes, and foreshowed the ascension of the saint unto heaven.
CHAPTER CLXXXIX.
_Saint Brigida bringeth unto Saint Patrick the Garment which was to
enshroud his Body._
And Saint Patrick, being instructed of heaven, understood the desire of
the heart of Brigida, and the words of her mouth, and her preparation
of the garment, and that she would enshroud therewith his body, as the
spiritual token of their mutual love in Christ. And he himself
returned unto the monastery of Saballum, which he had filled with a
fair assembly of monks; and there, down lying on the bed of sickness,
awaited he with a happy hope the termination of his life, nay, rather
of his pilgrimage, and his entrance into the life eternal. And the
venerable virgin obeyed the word of her father and bishop; and she went
unto the monastery, and took the garment, and with four virgins in her
train hastened she to return unto the saint; but forasmuch as they were
afflicted with too long abstinence and with the difficulty of the
journey, for very weariness they stayed on their way, nor could they
speed thereon as they had purposed. Yet the saint, while in Saballum,
knew at the revelation of the Spirit the weariness of the virgin; and
he commanded his charioteer to meet them on their way with four
chariots, and the charioteer obeyed, and met them at the place
exceeding wearied, and brought them unto the saint. And they offered
unto him the garment, the which he kindly received; and kissing his
feet and his hands, they obtained his benediction.
CHAPTER CXC.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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