And Patrick was journeying on a certain day for the wonted purpose of his preaching; and he found near the road a sepulchre of wondrous length. And his brethren who journeyed with him beheld it; but with their very admiration could they not believe that the body of any man was buried in such a tomb. But the saint affirmed that God could prove it by the resurrection of this gigantic man, so that they did not falter in the faith; for there was then no small doubting of the general resurrection. Then prayed the saint earnestly that his acts might be accorded with his words, and that thereby he might remove from their hearts every scruple of doubt. Wonderful was the event, and to past ages wholly unknown! The holy prelate, having first prayed, signed the sepulchre with the staff of Jesus, and awakened from the dust the buried man. Then stood one before them horrible in stature and in aspect; and he looked on the saint, and, bitterly weeping, said unto him: "How great thanks do I give unto thee, O beloved and chosen of God! who even for one hour hast released me from unspeakable torments and from the gates of hell!" And he besought the saint that he might go along with him; but the saint refused, for that no man for very terror could stand before his countenance. And being asked by Patrick who he had been, he replied that he was the son of Chaiis, by name Glarcus, formerly a swineherd of the King Leogaire; and that when he was an hundred years of age, he was slain in an ambush by a certain man named Fynnan Mac Con. Then the saint admonished him that he should believe in the three-in-one God, and in His name receive baptism unto salvation, so that he might escape that place of torment. And he answered that he firmly believed in the God, whom he knew to be almighty, and in his name desired to receive baptism. And he said that while he had lived he understood of the Creator from the likeness of the created; and though he knew Him not, yet loved he Him according to his ability. Therefore he was baptized by Patrick, and forthwith he expired, and was buried in his former sepulchre; and according to the word of the saint, he was freed from his punishment. And the saint, considering and commending the inestimable riches of the goodness of God, exhorted them all earnestly, faithfully, and continually to love God, and chiefly those who knew and understood Him, affirming that this man had obtained so great a mercy through the earnestness of the love which, though ignorant, he held toward God.
CHAPTER LXXXII.
Of Another Man who was Buried and Raised Again.
And a certain prince who reigned in Humestia at the preaching of Patrick believed, and, with all his people, was baptized. But when the saint would have instructed him as to the general resurrection, he could not easily bend thereto his faith, for in nowise could he believe that the body which was once reduced into dust could ever be raised again in the pristine state of its proper but improved nature. So when the man of God, that he might reclaim him from his error, showed divers testimonies of the Holy Writ, examples, signs, and miracles, he is said to have thus replied; "If, by the virtue of Christ Jesus, thou shall revive my grandfather, who has now been buried many days, then will I believe in the resurrection of the dead which thou preachest." Then the saint, being accompanied of the prince and all his people, went unto the tomb, and signed it with the staff of Jesus; and he caused the tomb to be opened, and, having prayed, to the admiration of all present, and to the confirmation of the Catholic faith, he raised to life the buried man. And he was of exceeding height and of terrible countenance, yet much inferior to the aforementioned in his stature. And him, relating the torments of hell, and devoutly asking baptism in the name of Christ, did the saint baptize, and, when baptized, gave unto his entreaty the Holy Eucharist; and placed him again, falling to sleep, but sleeping in the Lord, in his former sepulchre. Then no one of those present doubted of the resurrection of the dead, since it was proved before their eyes by a testimony so credible, a miracle so apparent. And this and the aforementioned miracle hath the saint recorded in an epistle, addressed to a certain friend who dwelled in a country beyond the sea, wherein, among other things, he sayeth: "The Lord hath given unto me, though humble, the power of working miracles among a barbarous people, such as are not recorded to have been worked by the great apostles; inasmuch as in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ I have raised from the dead bodies that have been buried for many years; but, I beseech you, let no one believe that for these or the like works I am to be at all equalled with the Apostles, or with any perfect man, since I am humble and a sinner, and worthy only to be despised." Now, let the hearer admire to what a point of perfection this man had raised his mind, who, working so many and so great works, yet thought so humbly of himself. And I truly admire in the saint his extreme humility, beyond even his raising up of the dead.
CHAPTER LXXXIII.
Of the Boy who was torn in pieces by Swine and restored unto Life.
And another prince, named Elelius, strenuously resisted the doctrine of the saint, nor ever opened his ears unto his preaching until misery gave him understanding. For on a certain day his best-beloved son was trampled on by the swine, and torn in pieces and almost devoured. Which when the father heard, he rent his garments, and cast himself at Patrick's feet, and, weeping, told unto him what had happened, and promised him to believe in his God and obey his precepts, if, in His name, the saint would revive his son. Then the saint commanded one of his disciples, by name Malachia, by nation a Briton, that he should restore unto life the dead and mangled youth. But he, disobeying and disbelieving the word of the saint from the faint-heartedness of his faith, thus answered: "Who is the man that may replace the bones which are broken in pieces, renew the nerves, and restore the flesh, recall the spirit to the body, and the life to the dead corpse? I will not endeavor it, nor will I with such rashness tempt the Lord, nor essay a work which I cannot finish." And the saint answered unto him: "Hast thou not read the promise of the Lord? If ye ask anything from my Father in my name, He will grant it unto ye: and again, If ye have faith, though but as a grain of mustard-seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Move thou hence, and cast thyself into the sea, and it shall be done." And he answering that often had he so read, the saint rejoined: "Since, as much as in thee lieth, thou hast rendered naught the word of the Lord, I prophesy unto thee that thou shalt possess on earth but a poor and slender household, and in thy church shall be the dwelling of one man only." Then commanded he two bishops, his disciples Elbeus and Hibarus, that they should revive the dead youth, adding that he would assist them with his prayers. And they obeyed the commands of their father, and, being aided by his prayers, they restored the torn and mangled boy not merely unto life, but unto his former health and unto his beauty and his strength. Therefore the prince believed, and with all his household and with all his people was baptized. And in the place where this miracle was worked he builded a church, and, in memory of Saint Patrick, and of the two bishops, and of the revived youth, he erected four very huge stones. But what the saint foretold of his disciple Malachia happened in due time. Why, however, he did not this miracle himself, but willed it to be done by his disciples, is, I confess, to me and many such as I, utterly unknown. Yet by these things a wise man will understand that as Saint Patrick, in the name of the Lord, raised this dead body and divers others, so, what is still more excellent, his disciples, when enjoined by his commands and assisted by his prayers, were enabled to work this great miracle.