The Most Ancient Lives of Saint Patrick / Including the Life by Jocelin, Hitherto Unpublished in America, and His Extant Writings

by Unknown

The divine Providence bestoweth on this transitory world the desire of letters, to the end that the human race, which when death arrives cannot long continue in the memory, may through distant ages preserve the record of great events, and recall them as if passing before their eyes. Therefore do those things appear to me very worthy of remembrance which were done by Patrick, the illustrious preacher unto the Irish nation, the holy prelate, who, by the grace of God, in his evidences, his miracles, and his virtues, became the conqueror of the old enemy, even to the gathering together the people of Ireland and her kings, that they might serve the Lord; and at length he came unto the noble city which is now called Dublinia. And it was inhabited by the Norwegians and by the people of the Isles, having been conceded by the King of Ireland unto the dominion of the queen, who was the daughter of the King of Norwegia; and in course of time was it one while allied to, and other while warring against, the kings of Ireland. Hither Saint Patrick coming, found the city defiled with the abominations of idols, and unknowing of the true Creator. And He who burst asunder the gates of death and of hell smoothed the path for his servant; for the king and the people, who erewhile had said unto the Lord, Depart Thou from us, we will not the knowledge of Thy ways, so cast down were they, so saddened with weeping and with lamentation, that all memory of their wonted fierceness, all their barbarous rudeness, and all the pride of their idolatry, were utterly subdued. Wretched was the spectacle on that day! The twin hope of the kingdom, the delight of the city, the solace of the old, the companion of the young, the son of the King of Dublinia, lay in his chamber dead; and his sister, who had gone to bathe in the neighboring river, had that day perished in the mid-stream. And a tumult arose through the whole city; and the funeral rites of the king's son being wholly neglected, all ran confusedly to the shore; some, not even casting off their garments, plunge into the river, some dive into its lowest depths, and others sail down the course of the tide, lest haply the body of the royal damsel might thitherward be hurried down. But they who had gone out to seek beheld in the water the damsel lying down, even as one sleeping. They delay not; they raise the royal maiden from the stream; they bear her unto the chamber of her brother for her obsequies; and, according to the superstition of the pagans, the tombs are prepared. And a rumor gathers in the palace that he, Patrick of Ardmachia, who in the name of the unknown God had already raised many that were even dead, had on that day arrived in the city. This the king hearing rejoiced mightily; and he caused him to come where his two children lay, and, being already full of faith, he promised that if God at the prayers of the saint would restore the children of his age, he and all his people would worship him. And all the nobles confirm the promise of the king, and the whole city yearneth toward the faith, so that the children may but be revived. Then the saint, beholding the gain of souls which was there prepared for him, poured forth his prayers, and in the sight of the king and of the people restored to life the royal children; and they, being made the assistants unto the faith, rising again in their bodies, assisted in their father and in the people the resurrection of souls. And this king was called Alphinus, and his son was called Cochadh, and his daughter Dublinia, and from her the city received its name. And he and all his people, rejecting their idols and all the abominations of the devils, were converted unto Christ, and were baptized at the fountain of Saint Patrick, at the southern side of the city, which the saint, striking the earth with the staff of Jesus, had caused to arise, to the increase of the faith of the believers; wherefore did the saint offer there the sacrifice unto salvation; and there, even to this day, is honor and reverence paid Saint Patrick and his successors, the primates of Ardmachia. And from that time the King Alphinus and all the citizens of Dublinia vowed themselves and all their posterity to the service of Saint Patrick and the primates of Ardmachia, and builded one church near this fountain, and another near the Church of the Holy Trinity, and in the city westward of the archbishop's palace. And they appointed a tribute unto Saint Patrick their patron, which was unto the Archbishop of Ardmachia from every merchant ship a sufficient cask of wine or of honey, a hook of iron, or a measure of salt; from every tavern a vessel of mead or of ale; and from every shop a gift of shoes, or gloves, or knives, or combs, with many gifts of such kind. And on that day the king and his nobles each offered unto him a talent of gold; but the people offered even as they could, the which did Patrick, the poor in Christ, give unto the poor, having retained a part unto the building of churches. Then blessed he them with the blessings of Jacob the patriarch, and of Moses the servant of God, like unto the age and spiritual bearing of whom he appeared, prophesying, and praying, if their deeds agreed with their words, that they might be unconquered and fortunate, but weak and unhappy if ever they falsified their vows. Which plainly was proved when this people, becoming proud and regardless of the blessing of the saint, neglected to pay the appointed tribute.

CHAPTER LXXII.

Of the Sentence pronounced on Murinus.

And the saint having blessed and bidden farewell unto the inhabitants of Dublinia, then by the power of his miracles confirmed in the faith, preparing himself for the like work, set forward on his journey. And he came unto a neighboring town, which is now called the Castle Cnoc, where a certain infidel named Murinus governed. Him did the saint desire to lead into the path of life; but this son of death, hearing the fame of his virtue and of his wisdom, which he feared no one could resist, absented himself from the saint, even as from a fierce enemy. And the saint required him that he would at the least give unto him of his abundance; but he, concealing himself in an inner chamber, required him that he would at the least suffer him to sleep. The which commands being of each oftentimes repeated, the saint, at the inspiration of the Spirit, understanding him to be a child of perdition, exclaimed: "Let him sleep, let him sleep; nor until the day of judgment let him awaken or arise!" Then the saint departed, and the wretched man sank into the sleep of death. Thus when the sleeper, covered with the darkness of unbelief, refused to awake at the heavenly voice which called him from the dead, that he might be illuminated of Christ, he descended into the dark grave, there to remain for ever covered with the darkness of death. Therefore, even to this day, it is among the Irish a frequent imprecation on a feigned sleeper, Mayest thou sleep, as at the word of Saint Patrick Murinus slept!

CHAPTER LXXIII.

Foylge is punished with a double Death, and the
deceiving Fiend is driven out of his body.

And in Lagenia was a certain wicked idolater named Foylge, who was an eminent adversary of Christ, so far forth as he was able; this child of Belial frequently sought occasion to lay on Patrick, the anointed of the Lord, his impious hands, for to him it was very grievous not only to see but even to hear the saint. To this inveterate malice was he urged, for that the man of God had destroyed the aforementioned idol Ceancroythi, unto the abominable worship whereof he was especially bound. But when he could not effect his wicked purpose, he one day attacked the charioteer of Saint Patrick, who was named Odranus; for he seized him sitting in the chariot, and strangled him, so that by the one act of blood his fury might be the more fiercely excited toward another. And the saint, wounded in his heart, cast the weapon of his malediction on this child of hell, who, pierced thereby, even at the moment breathed out his soul into the infernal regions. Of some it is said that Odranus, foreknowing the servant of Satan to be intent on the death of the saint, obtained that in his stead he might on that day hold the reins. And this he did, earnestly desiring to lay down his life for the saint, lest, so bright a lamp being extinguished, the people of Ireland should again walk in darkness. And the saint beheld his soul borne into heaven by the angels, and placed in the seat of the martyrs. But the old enemy, entering the dead body, showed to all a false and feigned Foylge, as if revived unto life, and dwelled therein as returned to his possessions and to his people. And after some days, as Patrick was passing nigh unto the dead man's dwelling, he called unto him certain of the family, and asked where Foylge was; and they answered that he was then within in the house, when the saint replied: "The soul of Foylge, for that he unjustly slew my chariot-driver, God justly judging and vindicating my cause, hath gone cut of his body, and descended into hell; but Satan, to the delusion and the seduction of mankind, hath entered into his corpse, and occupieth it as his own proper vessel." Then the saint forbade Satan that in that vessel he should longer abide, or deceive mankind with so wicked a phantom. And forthwith, at the command of the man of God, the deceiving spirit quitted his habitation of clay; the which, covered with worms, and raising horror and offence to all, was carried into instant sepulture. Nor let it be wondered that the devil should show himself in the visible form of his accustomed instrument, the God permitting whose judgments are an abyss; but rather let Him be feared who can destroy both body and soul in hell.