The Most Ancient Lives of Saint Patrick: Including the Life by Jocelin, Hitherto Unpublished in America, and His Extant Writings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The Most Ancient Lives of Saint Patrick: Including the Life by Jocelin, Hitherto Unpublished in America, and His Extant Writings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?
Patrick did not visit Ard-Macha on that occasion, but went into the
territory of Hy-Cremthand, where he founded churches and residences. One
time, as Patrick was coming from Clochar, from the north, his strong
man--_i.e._, Bishop Mac Carthend--carried him across a difficult place;
and after lifting up Patrick, he said: "Uch, uch." "My _debroth_," said
Patrick, "you were not accustomed to say that word." "I am old and
infirm," said Bishop Mac Carthend, "and you have left all my early
companions in churches, whilst I am still on the road." "I will leave
thee in a church," said Patrick, "that shall not be too near us for
familiarity, that shall not be too distant for intercourse between us."
And Patrick afterwards left Bishop Mac Carthend in Clochar, and the
Domhnach-Airgid with him, which was sent to Patrick from heaven when he
was on the sea coming to Erinn.
Patrick went after that to Lemhuin. Finnabhair is the name of the hill
on which Patrick preached. Three days and three nights was he at the
preaching, and each day did not seem to them longer than one hour. Then
it was that Brigid slept at the preaching, and Patrick did not allow her
to be awakened. Patrick asked her afterwards what she had seen. She
said: "I saw fair synods and white oxen and fair cornfields; behind them
spotted oxen, and black oxen after these. I afterwards saw sheep and
pigs, and dogs and wolves, fighting amongst themselves. I saw
subsequently two stones, one little and the other big. A drop was shed
on each of them. The little stone increased at the 'drop,' and silvery
sparks burst from it. The large stone withered, moreover." "They were
the two sons of Eochaidh, son of Crimthann," said Patrick. Cairpre
Damhairgit believed, and Patrick blessed him, and blessed his seed.
Bresal, moreover, refused, and Patrick cursed him. Patrick also
explained the whole vision of Brigid in an admirable manner.
He resuscitated Eochaidh, son of Crimthann, from death. Eochaidh
possessed a daughter--_i.e._, Cinnu--whom her father wished to marry to a
man of noble family--_i.e._, to the son of Cormac, son of Cairpre Mac
Neill; she, walking along, met Patrick with his companions on the way.
Patrick preached to her that she unite herself to the spiritual prophet;
and she believed, and Patrick instructed her, and baptized her,
afterwards. When her father was subsequently seeking for her, to give
her to her man, she and Patrick went to converse with him. Patrick
requested that he would permit her to wed the Eternal Spouse; Eochaidh
agreed to this, if heaven would be given to him therefor, and he himself
not be compelled to be baptized. Patrick then promised these two
conditions, though he thought it hard. The king afterwards consented
that his daughter--_i.e._, Cinnu--should be united to Christ, and Patrick
made her a female disciple to him, and commanded a certain virgin to
instruct her _i.e._, Cechtumbar of Druim-Dubhain, in which place both
virgins rest.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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