It seemed good unto the saint to build in a certain plain a church, wherein he might gather together unto God the people of his conversion; for the which purpose he entreated from the owner of the inheritance that a place should be prepared, promising unto him the portion of eternal life. But the man, accustomed to the magicians' arts, held as naught that portion so worthy to be desired, requiring rather gold, for the which he cherished an accursed appetite. And the saint replied that at that season gold had he none, for that he had expended all which he had possessed in the building of churches and in relieving the poor. But when he could no otherwise prevail, having first prayed, he went unto a hole in the earth which had been delved up by swine, and therein found he as much gold as he required, and gave it in exchange for the land. And there was another man possessing a neighboring field, the which the saint earnestly entreated might be given unto the said church. Wherefore this man answering as even did the other, again the saint repaired unto the delved hole, and found therein an equal weight of gold, and gave it to the man for the purchase of his field. Thus did the Lord thrice show unto Saint Patrick gold in the earth delved up by swine: once for his own redemption from captivity, twice in this place for the enrichment and endowment of a church. And the latter of the two brothers, Ono by name, was touched in his heart, and not only restored the gold unto the saint, but even gave unto him for the founding and building of a church his own house, his inheritance, and all his substance; and the place is called Alfind, wherein to this day is held the seat of a bishop.
CHAPTER CVII.
Saint Patrick prophesieth of the two Brothers.
But what the saint at the revelation of the Spirit foretold of the two brothers should not be passed over in silence. For to the elder, who had preferred Mammon and gold before his prayers, he predicted that he and his seed should in a little time lose the possession of their inheritance; and to the younger, for the devotion of his soul toward him, predicted he many good things—that he should in that land be the coadjutor of kings, and that of his race the holiest priests of the Lord should be born. And none of those things which the saint foretold in anywise failed in the event.
CHAPTER CVIII.
The Penitence of Asycus the Bishop.
And over this church Saint Patrick placed one of his disciples named Asycus, who was both in habit and demeanor a monk, the first bishop. And he, at the advice of the saint, instituted therein a college of monks, the which he governed with the privileges of an abbot. But this man, on a certain time, while he ought to have spoken the truth, backsliding with a slippery tongue, uttered forth a falsehood. And immediately he set himself against his own face, and in the bitterness of his sorrow banished he himself, and, flying from human-kind, remained in solitude, and abided he there seven years beheld of none. And his monks sought him long time; and at the end of the seventh year they found him in the depth of a valley, and they strove even by force to bring him thence unto his church, and to compel him as a bridegroom unto the bosom of his spouse. But the bishop in nowise yielded unto them, accounting himself no longer worthy to exercise the priestly office; since from his mouth had issued a purposed falsehood, the which the sacred canons define to be sacrilege in the mouth of a priest. Whereby it is to be considered how deeply should they repent who of their own fault have fallen into the heaviest offences, when this holy man so deeply repented of, and so strictly atoned for, one falsehood alone. Alas! what hearts of clay do they bear unto the resistance of sin, but what hearts of stone unto repentance! For many men, wicked, sinful, abandoned in their lives (the which cannot be observed without grief), take on themselves the cure of souls, and think to wash away the guilt of others with their own denied hands; who, being themselves bound with the chain of mortal sin, desire to loose others' bonds, and thus heap on themselves increased offence. These men, being placed under the spiritual control, can repent of and atone for their own guiltiness, but, when seated in the pastoral chair, bound are they to account for the faith of all those who are entrusted to their charge. Since, then, the words of a priest must be either a truth or a sacrilege, terrible is the judgment on those priests whose tongue is defiled with falsehoods and with perjuries. Thus much let us show, as speaking by digression, how earnestly not only crimes and evil deeds, but even falsehoods, are to be avoided by all Christian men, and especially by the pastors of souls. Now let us return unto the thread of our sacred story. The aforementioned monks, unwilling to separate from Saint Asycus, continued with him even unto the end of his life; and after he was buried, building there a monastery, served they the Lord in holiness and in truth.