The Most Ancient Lives of Saint Patrick

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THE MOST ANCIENT LIVES OF SAINT PATRICK;

Including the Life by Jocelin, Hitherto Unpublished in America,
and His Extant Writings.

Illustrated with the Most Ancient Engravings
of Our Great National Saint;

With a Preface and Chronological Table.
by
Rev. James O'Leary, D.D.

Fifth Edition.

[Frontispiece: Images of Saint Columba, Saint Patrick, and Saint
Brigida, Taken from the Spicilegium Sanctorum, and engraven at Paris,
A.D. 1629, by Messingham.]

New York:
P. J. Kenedy, No. 5 Barclay Street.
1880.
Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1874, by
P. J. Kenedy,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C.

TO THE

RIGHT REV. T. W. CROKE, D.D.,

Bishop of Auckland, New Zealand,

HOPING THAT HE MAY YET BE SET DOWN AS

The St. Patrick of New Zealand,

FROM HIS FORMER PUPIL, COLABORER, AND COMPANION,

J. O'LEARY.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface

The Confession of St. Patrick

St. Patrick's Epistle to Coroticus

St. Fiech's Metrical Life of St. Patrick

Tripartite Life: Part I

Tripartite Life: Part II

Tripartite Life: Part III

The Proeme of Jocelyn

The Life and Acts of St. Patrick by Jocelin

CHAPTER

I
II How a Fountain burst forth, and how Sight
and Learning were given to the Blind.
III Of the Stone of Saint Patrick.
IV Of the Well dried up.
V How he produced Fire from Ice.
VI How the Sister of St. Patrick was healed.
VII How he restored to Life his Foster-Father.
VIII Of the Sheep released from the Wolf.
IX Of the Cow freed from an Evil Spirit,
and Five other Cows restored to Health.
X Of the Water turned into Honey, and of his Nurse
restored to Health.
XI How the Fort was Cleansed.
XII Of the Religious Conversation of Saint Patrick.
XIII How Saint Patrick was Carried into Ireland.
XIV Of Milcho's Dream, and of its Interpretation.
XV Of the Angel Victor appearing to Saint Patrick.
XVI How St. Patrick was Redeemed from Slavery.
XVII How he Relieved those who were Perishing of Hunger.
XVIII Of his Fast continued for Twenty Days.
XIX How he Overcame the Temptation of the Enemy.
XX How he was again made Captive, and released
by the Miracle of the Kettle.
XXI Of Saint Patrick's Vision.
XXII How he dwelt with the blessed Germanus, and how
he received the Habit from Saint Martin.
XXIII Of the Flesh-meat changed into Fishes.
XXIV How in his Journey to Rome he Found the Staff of Jesus.
XXV How he Journeyed unto Rome, and was made a Bishop;
and of Palladius, the Legate of Ireland.
XXVI How he Saw and Saluted the Lord.
XXVII Of the Miraculous Voyage of the Leper.
XXVIII How he beheld Devils.
XXIX Of the River sentenced to perpetual Sterility.
XXX How the Dry Land was turned into a Marsh.
XXXI Of his coming into Ulidia, and of the Prophecy
of the Magicians on his coming.
XXXII How a Fierce Dog was suddenly Tamed;
of the Conversion of Dichu; and how a Fountain
rose out of the Earth.
XXXIII Of the Evil-doer Swallowed up by the Earth.
XXXIV Of the Aged Man restored unto his Youth.
XXXV Of the Death of Rius.
XXXVI Of the Death of Milcho.
XXXVII Of the Holy Mochna.
XXXVIII Of the Hostages of Dichu which were Freed by an Angel.
XXXIX Of Saint Benignus, and of the Prophecy which was made of him.
XL The Fire that was Lighted by Patrick.
XLI Of the Holy Man named Hercus.
XLII How the Magician was Destroyed.
XLIII Of the Miraculous but Terrible Rescue of Saint Patrick.
XLIV How the Saint Escaped the Deadly Snares.
XLV Of the Poison mingled in the Wine.
XLVI Of the Fantastic Snow.
XLVII How the Darkness was Dispersed.
XLVIII How the Magician and his Garment were consumed, and
Benignus and the Garment of St. Patrick preserved unhurt.
XLIX Of Many who were Swallowed up by the Earth, and how
the rest were Converted unto God.
L Of the Sisters and the Nephews of St. Patrick.
LI How Saint Lumanus Sailed against the Wind and the Stream.
LII How Forkernus and his Parents were Converted and Baptized.
LIII Of the Prophecy of St. Patrick on Coyrbre,
and of the Unfruitfulness of a River.
LIV Of Conallus, and of the Prophecy of Patrick concerning him.
LV Of the Altar of Saint Patrick.
LVI Of the Images destroyed from Heaven, and
of the Fountain produced from the Earth.
LVII How the Darkness was Dispersed.
LVIII Of the Virgins who went unto Heaven.
LIX Of the Magician Struck by Lightning,
and of Twelve Thousand Men Converted unto Christ.
LX Of another Magician whom the Earth swallowed up.
LXI How another Magician is Sunken up to the Ears,
and again is Raised up.
LXII How a huge Stone was raised by the Saint.
LXIII How the Women were raised from Death.
LXIV Two Women who were pregnant are with their Infants
rescued from Death unto Life.
LXV How he builded a Church of Clay alone.
LXVI Of the two Rivers, Dubh and Drobhaois.
LXVII Of the Voice that issued from the Sepulchre.
LXVIII Of his Journey, and of his manifold Miracles.
LXIX The Prophecy of the Saint Concerning Dublinia;
and the Sick Man cured.
LXX A Fountain is produced out of the Earth.
LXXI The Dead are raised up; the King and the People are
converted; a Fountain is produced, and Tribute promised.
LXXII Of the Sentence pronounced on Murinus.
LXXIII Foylge is punished with a double Death, and the
deceiving Fiend is driven out of his body.
LXXIV Of the Saint's Prophecy concerning the Kings of Momonia.
LXXV How Dercardius and his Companions were destroyed.
LXXVI Of the Quarrel of the Two Brothers.
LXXVII Fourteen Thousand Men are miraculously refreshed
with the Meat of Five Animals.
LXXVIII Nineteen Men are raised by Saint Patrick from the Dead.
LXXIX The King's Daughter becomes a Nun.
LXXX The King Echu is raised from Death.
LXXXI A Man of Gigantic Stature is revived from Death.
LXXXII Of Another Man who was Buried and Raised Again.
LXXXIII Of the Boy who was torn in pieces by Swine
and restored unto Life.
LXXXIV The Prayers of the Saint confer Beauty on an Ugly Man.
LXXXV The Stature of the same Man is increased unto
a sufficient Height.
LXXXVI Of Saint Olcanus, the Teacher and Bishop,
raised out of the Earth.
LXXXVII How the Tooth of Saint Patrick shone in the River.
LXXXVIII The Saint Prophesieth of the Virgin Treha,
and a Veil is placed on her Head by an Angel.
LXXXIX Saint Patrick Prophesieth of the Sanctity
of Saint Columba.
XC The River is Divided in Twain, and Blessed.
XCI The Prophecy that Patrick made unto Connedus.
XCII Of Mannia and the other Islands Converted unto God.
XCIII Of the Saint's Prophecy concerning Six Priests,
and of a Skin which he bestowed to them.
XCIV Saint Patrick Continueth his Preaching Three Days.
XCV Of the Vision of the Blessed Brigida,
and its Explanation.
XCVI Of the Angels of God, of the Heavenly Light,
and of the Prophecy of Saint Patrick.
XCVII The Temptation of the Nun is Subdued.
XCVIII Of Saint Comhgallus, and the Monastery foreshowed
of Heaven.
XCIX The Saint Prophesieth of the Obstinate Fergus
and of his Children.
C The Malediction of the Saint is laid upon the Stones
of Usniach.
CI Of the Woman in Travail, and of her Offspring.
CII The Bishop Saint Mel catcheth Fishes on the Dry Land.
CIII The Footprints of Certain Virgins are impressed on a Stone.
CIV The Earth is raised in the midst of the Stream.
CV Of the Altar and the Four Chalices discovered under
the Earth.
CVI A Treasure is Twice discovered in the Earth by Swine.
CVII Saint Patrick prophesieth of the two Brothers.
CVIII The Penitence of Asycus the Bishop.
CIX The Tempest of the Sea is Composed.
CX The Miracle of the Waters is Repeated.
CXI Of the Cowl of Saint Patrick which remained untouched
by the Sea.
CXII Of the Veil that was sent from Heaven.
CXIII Of the Holy Leper, of the New Fountain,
of the Angelic Attendance, and the Prophecy
of Patrick thereon.
CXIV Of the Lake which was removed by Saint Patrick.
CXV Patrick understandeth the Conscience
of Saint Fiechus, and blesseth him.
CXVI The Chariot is, by the Decision of the Angel,
sent unto Fiechus.
CXVII The Several Offices of a certain Monastery are
appointed by an Angel.
CXVIII The Prophecy of Saint Patrick concerning the
Men of Callria.
CXIX Certain Cheeses are converted into Stones,
and many Wicked Men are drowned.
CXX Of the Pitfalls passed over without danger,
and the Prophecies of the Saint.
CXXI The Prophecy of the Saint on a Certain Village.
CXXII The Sentence prophetically declared.
CXXIII The Prophecy of the Saint on a Certain Bishop
and on the one who consecrated him.
CXXIV The Blind Man is restored to Sight; from him
who seeeth is Sight taken; and three are relieved
of Lameness.
CXXV Nine Evil-doers are consumed by Fire from Heaven,
and a Fountain is produced out of the Earth.
CXXVI Another Magician is in like manner Consumed.
CXXVII A Grove is cursed by the Saint.
CXXVIII The Sentence pronounced by the Saint on his Deceivers.
CXXIX A Mountain is swallowed up in the Earth,
and again it is raised.
CXXX Euchodius is cursed by the Saint, and his Son is blessed.
CXXXI Of Saint Sennachus the Bishop.
CXXXII The Miracle which is worked for Certain Hewers of Wood.
CXXXIII A Hone is divided by Saint Patrick, and the Oppressor
is drowned.
CXXXIV An Angel foretelleth to Patrick of Saint Moccheus.
CXXXV The Sentence pronounced by Patrick on Moccheus.
CXXXVI The Saint prophesieth of two Brothers,
and a Fountain is produced out of the Earth.
CXXXVII The Saint Prophesieth of a Certain Youth.
CXXXVIII Of Conallus and of his Shield.
CXXXIX A Heavenly Light shineth around Saint Patrick,
and Victor is converted unto the Faith.
CXL A Certain Cymbal of Saint Patrick is lost and
found again.
CXLI The Obedience of Saint Volchanus.
CXLII Of Saint Rodanus, the Herdsman of Patrick.
CXLIII Of Saint Kertennus, the Bishop of Clochor.
CXLIV Of a Boy who was blessed by Saint Patrick.
CXLV Of a Woman who was raised from Death.
CXLVI The Testimony of One who was revived from Death.
CXLVII The Cross that was not observed; and the Voice
which issued from the Sepulchre.
CXLVIII A Goat bleateth in the Stomach of a Thief.
CXLIX Of the Cloaks which fell from Heaven.
CL A wicked Tyrant is transformed into a Fox.
CLI The wicked Man Machaldus and his Companions
are converted unto the Faith.
CLII The Penitence of Machaldus.
CLIII A Meadow is overflowed by the Sea.
CLIV A Stone is changed into Milk, and Milk is changed
into Stones.
CLV A Wagon laden with Twigs is saved from the Fire.
CLVI The Saint is preserved untouched from the falling Rain.
CLVII The Fingers of Saint Patrick shine with Light.
CLVIII Fire is also seen to issue from his Mouth.
CLIX The holy Virgin Memhessa departeth unto God.
CLX Of the Work which was done in the Lord's Day.
CLXI A certain Man is healed, and a Horse revived,
in a place which is called Feart.
CLXII Of the Vessel which was given unto Saint Patrick,
and again taken from him.
CLXIII Ardmachia is given unto Saint Patrick; and a Fountain
is produced out of the Earth.
CLXIV The Saint beholdeth a Vision of Angels, and cureth
Sixteen Lepers.
CLXV Of the City of Ardmachia, and Twelve of its Citizens.
CLXVI At the Direction of the Angels Saint Patrick goeth
unto Rome.
CLXVII The Acts of Saint Patrick while returning from Rome.
CLXVIII The Acts of St. Patrick after he had Returned.
CLXIX Of the Threefold Plagues of Hibernia.
CLXX The Threefold Plague is driven out of Hibernia
by Saint Patrick.
CLXXI Without Earthly Food the Saint completeth a Fast
of Forty Days.
CLXXII He banisheth the Demons forth of the Island.
CLXXIII Troops of Angels appear unto the Saint.
CLXXIV The Saint titheth Hibernia and the Dwellers therein.
CLXXV The different States of Hibernia are in a Heavenly
Vision shown unto the Saint.
CLXXVI The Answer of Saint Patrick to Secundinus.
CLXXVII Secundinus composeth a Hymn in Honor of Saint Patrick.
CLXXVIII The Soul of a Certain Sinner is by Saint Patrick
freed from Demons.
CLXXIX How the Saint appeared unto Colmanus while singing
his Hymn.
CLXXX The Admirable Contemplations of the Saint.
CLXXXI Saint Patrick beholdeth the Souls of the Rich and
of the poor Man sent unto different Places.
CLXXXII Saint Vinvaloeus is miraculously stayed by Saint
Patrick from his purposed Journey.
CLXXXIII The Daily Prayers and Genuflexions of the Saint.
CLXXXIV How he passed the Night Season.
CLXXXV The Habit, the Bearing, and the Acts of Saint Patrick.
CLXXXVI Of the Sick whom he healed, and the Dead whom he
raised; and of his Disciples who recorded his Acts.
CLXXXVII The Angelic Voice showeth unto Saint Patrick of his
Death and of the Place of his Burial.
CLXXXVIII The Place of his Sepulture is foreshown by a Light
from Heaven.
CLXXXIX Saint Brigida bringeth unto Saint Patrick the Garment
which was to enshroud his Body.
CXC The Death of Saint Patrick.
CXCI The Number of the Years of his Life.
CXCII The Funeral Honors which Men and Angels paid unto
the Body of the Saint.
CXCIII The Light continueth for Twelve Days.
CXCIV The Miraculous Rising of the Sea between
the Contending People.
CXCV Two Wains appear, the which are sent by a Miracle.
CXCVI The Sepulture of Saint Patrick in the City of Dunum.

A Chronological Table to the Lives of St. Patrick

ILLUSTRATIONS

Images of Saint Columba, Saint Patrick, and Saint Brigida,
Taken from the Spicilegium Sanctorum, and engraven at Paris,
A.D. 1629, by Messingham. . . . . . . _Frontispiece_

The Saint Patrick of Ancient Ages

The Saint Patrick of Medieval Times

The Saint Patrick of Our Own Century

PREFACE.

The present volume has three objects in view: first, to present the
life of Saint Patrick without writing a history of the national church
which he founded or introducing irrelevant matter; secondly, to place
his life and character before the reader as they have been handed down
to us in the most ancient extant documents, without overcoating or
withholding anything in the originals; and, thirdly, to deliver to the
public at as low a price as possible the original documents grouped
together.

At first I had intended to present the Seven Lives of St. Patrick as
published by Colgan; but, to my knowledge, there is no copy of the
_Acta Triadis Thaumaturgae_ in this country, and the four lives which I
have omitted--that is, by Benignus, Patrick Junior, Eiselan the Wise,
and Probus--are of little consequence. The metrical life by St. Fiech
is undoubtedly the most ancient and the most removed from saintly
imaginings of miracles. The other two, that by Saint MacEvin and that
by Jocelin, appear to have been elaborate compendiums of stories
written in antecedent ages, and extant in their time, concerning Saint
Patrick. Of the life by Saint Fiech I have made a rude translation
corresponding with the original; of the Tripartite I have given
Professor Hennessy's version; and of the extraordinary biography by
Jocelin I reproduce, for the first time in this country, the rendering
from Colgan by Mr. Swift, as published by the Hibernia Press Company,
at Dublin, in 1809. Colgan's Latin version of the Life of Saint
Patrick by Jocelin is given by the Bollandists, and may be seen in many
libraries in this country; but the original Lives, as published at
Louvain, are at the Irish College in Rome and at Trinity College,
Dublin. A copy may be found elsewhere, but, if so, it is exceedingly
valuable, forasmuch as it is exceedingly rare. The Life of Saint
Patrick by Saint Fiech will convey an estimate of his character about
the time of his death; the Tripartite life by Saint MacEvin will
probably impart the notions of the eighth century; and the life by
Jocelin will communicate the exaggerations of mediaeval times in the
twelfth century. The public will thus have fairly placed before them
the thoughts of ages about Saint Patrick through seven centuries after
his death. I supply the reader with the Confession and Epistle
attributed to Saint Patrick, though I incline to the opinion that they
are the issue of an age subsequent to that of Ireland's Saint. The
Chronotaxis or Chronological Table at the end of the book I have made
out from the work by the Bollandists, which seems to have been prepared
with scholarly and judicious diligence.

Of the illustrations, it is to be stated that the one prefixed to the
life of St. Fiech has been an heirloom in the family of Counsellor
Shechan, of this city, and is taken from an old Irish prayer-book,
supposed to be between three and five hundred years old. The
frontispiece and the illustration fronting the Tripartite Life are
taken from the Spicelegium, were engraved by Messengham, with the
approbation of the French King and the Paris Archbishop, at Paris, in
1629, and were reproduced at Dublin in 1809. They are now re-engraved
for the first time in this country. The illustration prefixed to the
life by Jocelin is of ancient date, and supposed to have been suggested
by the representation of St. Patrick in the Kilkenny Cathedral.

I hold myself responsible in no way whatsoever for the statements of
St. Fiech, St. MacEvin, or Jocelin, but I present to the reader what
they asserted they had received from antiquity. Their narratives may
be pronounced fables, or legends, or inventions, or superstitions, or
histories. On their intrinsic merits I am silent, except inasmuch as
they breathe a firm belief in the omnipresence of God amongst men,
strangely at variance with the lifeless, frosty indifference of our own
day, and are, in addition, savored with a holy heat of charity and a
high moral tone. Without comment, then, from me, I present to you in
America, kind readers, Saint Patrick, the Apostle and Patron of Ireland
and the Irish race, as I received him from my ancestors. I neither
overstate, nor under-estimate, nor withheld anything. Judge for
yourselves.

REV. JAMES O'LEARY, D.D.

THE CONFESSION OF ST. PATRICK.

_THE BEGINNING OF THE BOOKS OF THE BISHOP ST. PATRICK._

I, Patrick, a sinner, the rudest and least of all the faithful, and
most contemptible to very many, had for my father Calpornius, a deacon,
the son of Potitus, a priest, who lived in Bannaven Taberniae, for he
had a small country-house close by, where I was taken captive when I
was nearly sixteen years of age. I knew not the true God, and I was
brought captive to Ireland with many thousand men, as we deserved; for
we had forsaken God, and had not kept His commandments, and were
disobedient to our priests, who admonished us for our salvation. And
the Lord brought down upon us the anger of His Spirit, and scattered us
among many nations, even to the ends of the earth, where now my
littleness may be seen amongst strangers. And there the Lord showed me
my unbelief, that at length I might remember my iniquities, and
strengthen my whole heart towards the Lord my God, who looked down upon
my humiliation, and had pity upon my youth and ignorance, and kept me
before I knew him, and before I had wisdom or could distinguish between
good and evil, and strengthened and comforted me as a father would his
son.

Therefore I cannot and ought not to be silent concerning the great
benefits and graces which the Lord has bestowed upon me in the land of
my captivity, since the only return we can make for such benefits is,
after God has reproved us, to extol and confess His wonders before
every nation under heaven.

For there is no other God, nor ever was, nor shall be hereafter, except
the Lord, the unbegotten Father, without beginning, by whom all things
have their being, who upholds all things, as we have said; and His Son,
Jesus Christ, whom, together with the Father, we testify to have always
existed before the origin of the world, spiritually with the Father,
ineffably begotten before every beginning; and by Him were the visible
things made--was made man, death being overthrown, in the heavens. And
he hath given Him all power over every name of things in heaven and
earth and hell, that every tongue should confess to Him that Jesus
Christ is Lord, and whose coming we expect ere long to judge the living
and dead; who will render to every one according to his works; who hath
poured forth abundantly on us both the gift of His Spirit and the
pledge of immortality; who makes the faithful and obedient to become
the sons of God and coheirs with Christ; whom we confess and adore one
God in the Trinity of the holy Name. For He Himself has said by the
prophet: "Call upon me in the day of thy trouble: I will deliver thee,
and thou shalt magnify me." And again he says: "It is honorable to
reveal and confess the works of God."

Although I am imperfect in many things, I wish my brothers and
acquaintances to know my dispositions, that they may be able to
understand the desire of my soul. I am not ignorant of the testimony
of my Lord, who declares in the psalm: "Thou wilt destroy all that
speak a lie." And again: "The mouth that belieth, killeth the soul."
And the same Lord: "Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall
render an account for it in the Day of Judgment." Therefore I ought,
with great fear and trembling, to dread this sentence in that day when
no one shall be able to withdraw or hide himself, but all must give an
account, even of the least sins, before the judgment-seat of the Lord
Christ.

Therefore, although I thought of writing long ago, I feared the censure
of men, because I had not learned as the others who studied the sacred
writings in the best way, and have never changed their language since
their childhood, but continually learned it more perfectly, while I
have to translate my words and speech into a foreign tongue; and it can
be easily proved from the style of my writings how I am instructed in
speech and learning, for the Wise Man says: "By the tongue wisdom is
discerned, and understanding and knowledge and learning by the word of
the wise." But what avails an excuse, however true, especially when
accompanied with presumption? For I, in my old age, strive after that
which I was hindered from learning in my youth. But who will believe
me? And if I say what I have said before, that as a mere youth, nay,
almost a boy in words, I was taken captive, before I knew what I ought
to seek and to avoid. Therefore I blush to-day and greatly dread to
expose my ignorance, because I am not able to express myself briefly,
with clear and well-arranged words, as the spirit desires and the mind
and intellect point out. But if it had been given to me as to others,
I would not have been silent for the recompense; and although it may
seem to some who think thus that I put myself forward with my ignorance
and too slow tongue, nevertheless it is written, "The tongues of
stammerers shall speak readily and plain"; how much more ought we to
undertake this who are the epistle of Christ for salvation unto the
ends of the earth, written in pure heart, if not with eloquence, yet
with power and endurance, "not written with ink, but with the Spirit of
the living God"; and again the Spirit testifies, "Husbandry, it was
ordained by the Most High."

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