The Most Ancient Lives of Saint Patrick: Including the Life by Jocelin, Hitherto Unpublished in America, and His Extant Writings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The Most Ancient Lives of Saint Patrick: Including the Life by Jocelin, Hitherto Unpublished in America, and His Extant Writings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?
The way Patrick went was into the territory of Dal-Araidhe, across
Fertais-Tuama, to Ui-Tuirtre. He was forty nights in Finnobair, and
determined to build a city there for its suitability--Loch-Nechach being
on one side of it, and Sliabh-Calland on the other. Cairthen Mor, king
of the country, went to him, and ordered him off. He (Patrick) deprived
him and his children of the sovereignty. Patrick afterwards gave the
sovereignty to Cairthend Beg, who was in exile from his brother; and
Patrick baptized him, and blessed his wife and the being that was in her
womb. "My _debroth_," said Patrick, "the being that is in thy womb shall
be full of the grace of God; and it is I that twill bless a veil upon her
head." The woman was Mogan, daughter of Fergus Mor Mac Nissi, King of
Dal-Riada; and Trea, daughter of Cairthend, was the daughter who was in
her womb; and it was Patrick who blessed a veil on her head, as he
prophesied. The angels, moreover, that brought the veil from heaven, and
placed it on her head, down over her eyes; and Patrick began to raise it
up. "Why is it not good to leave it as it was placed?" asked Trea. "It
is good indeed," answered Patrick. She never saw anything during her
life except what she saw through that veil.
Patrick had seven Domhnachs in Ui-Tuirtre--viz., Domhnach-Fainre,
Domhnach-Riascad, Domhnach-Fothirbe, Domhnach-Righduinn, Domhnach-Brain,
Domhnach-Maelain, Domhnach-Libuir.
Where Patrick went afterwards was to Feara-Gabrae, and they were not
obedient to him. Patrick said that they would go afterwards with tribute
to his church in winter-time, and that extern tribes would get their
country; _quod impletum est_. Patrick went afterwards to Fera-Imchlair,
and he baptized and blessed them; and he left with them Cruimther Colum,
and Patrick's book of orations, and his bell therewith; they are
miraculous things unto this day.
When Patrick concluded his triumphant career in the present life, as the
Apostle Paul said, "I have fought the good fight; I have finished my
course; I have kept the faith; as to the rest, there is laid up for me a
crown of justice, which the Lord the just judge will render to me in that
day," he received communion and sacrifice from Bishop Tassach. His
remains and relics are here regarded with honor and veneration by the
earthly church. Though great his honor and veneration on the earth,
greater still will they be in the Day of Judgment, when the fruit of his
preaching will be committed to him as to each other high apostle, with
the apostles and disciples of Jesus, in the union of the nine choirs of
angels, in the union of the Divinity and the Humanity of the Son of God,
in the unity which is nobler than all unity--in the unity of the Holy
Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I beseech mercy through the
intercession of Patrick. We ask that we may all ourselves obtain this
union _in soecula soeculorum_. Amen.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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