dangers of the sea to these our shores with whole troupes of Philosophers and the more skillfull any of them is so much the more willing is he to vndertake a voluntary banishment that he might serue our most sage Salomon at will And Iocelinus beneath in this volume sayth Within a short space there was not a wildernesse noe nor scarce any corner nor place in all the Iland but was replenished with perfect Monkes and holy Nunnes so that Ireland by a peculiar name was iustly called all the world ouer The Iland of Saints They liued according to the prescript and tenour of life which S. Patricke set thē down for contempt of the world desire of heauenly thinges mortification of the flesh abdication of selfe will they matched the monkes of Egipt both in merit and number Many forraine regions were by them illustrated with doctrine and religion Theodorus Abbot sayth This iland as it surpasseth all the world for fertility of soyle so is it more blessed for the glorious simplicity of Saints Gaufridus likewise testifyeth Scotland which is also called Ireland is a fertile I le of Saints and equalling almost the number of starres with the patronages of Saints Marianus Scotus sayth Ireland is an Iland full of saints and very wounderfull men Gulimanus Ireland is the shoppe of most holy and learned men Ionas Abbot sayth Ireland for fayth excelleth all the Neighbour Countryes Baronius Ireland is most constant in the Catholike Religion Doctor Sanders The people of that Country are farre more Catholike then many other Nations Flodoardus sayth Ireland for fayth surpasseth all the neighbour Nations Ioannes Maginus The Irish maint aine the Christian religion purely These then be the testimonyes deere Country men that learned and graue Authors giue to the sanctity fayth and learning of Ireland But perchance your pious curiosity will not be satisfyed with these generall notions therefore I will descend to some particulers and giue a sight of a few of the many trompets of truth preachers of the ghospell and mirors of sanctity which Ireland hath dispersed all Europe ouer as witnes Ioannes Mōlanus Antonius Yepes Venerable Bede Wyon the English martyrologe Cambden and others Ireland hath sent S. Columbe the Great with his twelue holy companions into Scotland S. Columban with his twelue companions into France S. Clement with his twelue companions into Almaine S. Buan into Island S. Kilian into Franconia S. Scruan into the Orcades S. Brendan into the fortunate Iles. S. Aydan into Northumberland S. Finian into Marcia or the kingdome of the middle Englishmen S. Albuin into Lorraine S. Gallus into Switzerland S. Virgile into Carinthia S. Cathald into Tarentum Ireland hath giuen the Diocesse of Cambray S. Etton Adalgisus Mombulus And the Archbishop of Rhemes S. Abel She hath giuen to the Diocesse of Mecklin S. Pumold Archbishop of Dubline and King of Irelands sonne and S. Hiniclin To the Diocesse of Liedge S. Moman Martyr S. Foylan Vltan and Bertuin To the Diocesse of S. Omers S. Luglius King of Ireland and S. Luglianus Archbishop To the Diocesse of Gaunt S. Liuin and Columban To the Diocesse of Antwerp S. Fredegand To the Diocesse of Namures S. Foranan and S. Eloquius To the Diocesse of Bruges S. Guthagon To the Diocesse of Harlem S. Geron. To the Diocesse of Ruremond S. Wiron and Plechelmon To the Diocesse of Balduke S. Dymphna and Oda Martyrs and Virgins of roiall blood and S. Gereberne These were the masters of fayth the Embassadors of Religion the Euangelistés of peace Ireland emploied in illustrating forraine Countryes not to speak of Iliades millions that shined at home like so many meridian sunnes Pastors and Bishops to vse S. Augustines phrase who were graue learned holy earnest defendors of the truth who sucked the Catholicke fayth with their milke and tooke it with their meate whose milke and meate they ministred to the little and great Hitherto deere Countrymen I haue exhibited Ireland to your consideration giuing you rather a transitory sight then a full vieu of the beauty and maiesty the finger of the Almighty hath imprinted on her face Now it resteth that I present to your fauourable aspects another no lesse gratefull and eysome an obiect S. Patricke your glorious Abbot from whom Ireland receaued fayth religion piety and whatsoeuer els in this kind she holdeth glorious deemeth deere or accounteth honorable I doe not deny that S. Iames the Great came long before S. Patricke to plant the Christian Religion in Ireland as Flauius Dexter an anciēt Author liuing in the same age with Ierom Ioannes Gill and Vincentius Bellouacensis teach Grant S. Mansuetus an Irish man by birth and disciple to S. Peter the Apostle was sent by S. Peter himselfe in the yeare of our Lord 49. to preach the Ghospell in Ireland as it pleaseth Fisingrēnsis Admit Palladius suppose Cataldius grant Derlanus Ytarus Riaranus Hildebertus for the reduction of Irelād from paganisme this notwithstanding the full reclaime and entiere conuersion of Irelād was reserued for S. Patricke who won her to the detestation of Idols and worshipp of one true and liuing God and this none will controll or gayne stand but such as are possessed with the spirit of contradiction and who are more earnest to iangle thē desirous to be informed of the truth His life which heere we offer you will aboundantly teach how stupendious he was in perpetrating of miracles how admirable in al kind of sanctimony and how enflamed with the zeale of gayning soules He wrote as Pitseus witnesseth many workes Of the future life of the Elect one booke Of the three habitacles one booke A Iournall of Confession one booke The history of Ireland one booke Offermons one booke One booke of Epistles against the superstitions of the Gentils An epistle to the inhabitants of Aualon Seuerall epistles to the Brittons Seuerall epistles to the Churches of Ireland Hodeoporicon or Itinetarium of Ireland one booke He liued an hundred and two and twenty yeares most part of which tyme he spent in reclayming the Irish from idolatry to the agnition of one true God during the course of so many yeares so fruitfully spent among vs his pen neuer deliuered his tongue neuer vttered nor himselfe neuer practifed indeed any thing that might haue the least colour of fauouring or establishing that Religion which the preachers of the fift Ghospel proudly vaunt and vainely boast to be the doctrine and fayth of the Primitiue Church And since they obtrude their new found Ghospell on you vnder the specious vizard of venerable antiquity loe we offer heere S. Patrickes life written by a learned pen 400. yeares agoe and extracted out of the seuerall volumes S. Luman S. Benignus S. Mel S. Patricke the yonger and S. Leuinus haue compiled of his famous acts and stupēdious signes Loe I say we offer them Saint Patrickes life who liued in the
purer times of christianity let them examine it let them search it point vs out what they shall find in it to couÌ„tenance their cause or to aduance their religion but sure I am they will shrincke from such a disquisition as would turne to their notable preiudice and open confusion by discouering the fondnes and nouelty of their religion For nothing will occure heere but quires of sacred virgins cap. 17. § 2. and cap. 18. § 4. and troupes of holy monkes ibid. c. 13. § 5. cap. 12. § 3. They will admire at the frequent mention of holy Vayles cap. 10. § 1. c. 13. § 5. and Ecclesiasticall tonsure cap. 4. § 1. Holy water cap. 16. § 5. Vessels of holy oyles cap. 15. § 4. Hallowed fire cap. 5. § 2. The signe of the Crosse cap. 18. § 2. alibi sound very harshly in Protestants eares Our wiuing Ghospellers hold no commerce or society with a contineÌ„t and chast Monke cap. 20. § 3. cap. 22. § 1. The refined Ritualists of Geneua will neuer acknowledge our glorious Prelate walking in the maiesty of a Romaine Pallium These delicate reformers wil neuer challenge a religious consumed with fasts and weakned with hayre-cloath cap. 1. § 7. cap. 20. § 3. as a disciple of their sensuall Palenesse comming of long standing in cold water cap. 20. § 3. a thing neuer practised by our tender â—olifidians Short and broken sleepes taken all alone on a hard flint cap. 20. § 3. seeme strange and absurd in the Theology of our libidinous Ministers who lie immersed in beds of downe not alone but embracing their sweet harts with greater deuotion then euer any Genua Bible This rigid tenor of life sauoureth much of Martin and German those austere old men whome S. Patricke glorieth to haue been his masters instructors c. 3. § 1. This child of grace glorieth to haue had so worthy educators whose liues if any list to peruse he shal quickly discerne how far they were from impressing in his hart any thing that relisheth to Lutheranisme or Caluinisme But what need I run so far into these proportionles parales WheÌ„ as the monasteries our glorious Apostle erected the Churches he fouÌ„ded the Cloisters he gouerned the Bishops he coÌ„secrated the Priests he ordained the Virgins he vayled the pennance he preached the mortificatioÌ„ he exersiced the progeny froÌ„ him descended proclaime to the world that he aduaÌ„ced no other colors of religioÌ„ theÌ„ those vnder which Christs militant spouse the Catholike Roman Church marcheth at this present day And though the whole body of the reformed religioÌ„ lyeth a bleeding at al her veynes and had been long since buryed in the cenders of obliuioÌ„ did it receaue no more support from the teÌ„poral sword then it doth froÌ„ the sword of the spirit being so deeply lanced cruelly wounded by the irresistable weapons wherwith Ekius Castro Bellarminus Baronius FeuardeÌ„tius Becanus Cano Stapleton Panagaroll other valiant chaÌ„pions of the Catholike cause haue copiously stored the Arsenals of their famous writings yet wil I here to remoue all ambiguity in behalfe of S. Partrick furnish the scrip of your memoryes with fiue most bright stons taken vp out of the torrent of our glorious Apostles life wherwith if you charge the sling of your tongues the weakest among you shal be able to encounter cast downe any temerarious Goliah-harted protestant that should vndertake to renew the lost field or to recouer the gayned breach or to breath life a new into these fiue for exaÌ„ples sake death-sicke members of the fift Ghospell Euery King teÌ„porall Prince is head of the Church within his own dominions and signeories The holy SacrameÌ„t of the Eucharist is but a bare type naked figure no religious worship is to be exhibited to the sacred reliques of Saints the Masse deserueth not the honour or name of a sacrifyce it being but a phantastical stage-show fraught with ridiculous gesticulatioÌ„s sole naked fayth is able to traÌ„port vs to the hauen of interminable happines What is this the symbole that Patricke hath planted with infatigable paynes roborated with stupendious miracles Is this the forme of belief that hath ingendred in our worthy Ancestors such contempt of sublunar felicity such detestation of sensuall blandishments such thirst of heauenly beatitudes Why then did Patrike seeke and accept of his mission from the Roman chaire c. 3. § 2. 4 Why did he procure her priuiledges and indults c. 17. § 2 Why did he not misprize the title of Apostle the office of Legat the Pallium of Bishop she bestowed of him c. 17. § 33 Where doth he treate with Kinges touching the vndergoing this care of preaching Or where is the least mentioÌ„ to be fouÌ„d that he was emploied by them in this charge We find in this volume c. 10 § 2. 4. that he reuoked to life enspirited againe the dead bodyes of Kinges but neuer that he entituled them heads of the Church surely he was no lesse faythful in designing of these liuing vnder one supreme and soueraigne Pastour then he was fortunate in reuiuing them By S. Patrickes verdict then not Kings but Bishops are gouernors of the Church Presidents of fayth The moderne sect masters depriue you of the substaÌ„ce and substitute but a bare shadow of Christs body in the holy Eucharist But more liberall is Patricke who confidently teacheth q the bloud body of our spouse to be shrouded vnder these visible symbols c. 6. § 6. c. 16. § 5. and stileth it a diuine Viaticum c. 10. § 2. These pure Gospellers daigne not scarce the honor of sepulture to sacred bodies of whose cinders S. Patrick deliuereth magnificent eulogies prophecieth gloriously c. 12 § 5. and brought himselfe froÌ„ Rome reliques of the Apostles Martyrs togeather with a sheet died with our Sauiours bloud causing theÌ„ to be shrined sumptuously worshiped religiously c. 17. § 3. Calum Luthers progeny are so incensed against the holy sacrifice of masse that they are not only coÌ„tent to abrogat the vse therof but they would haue the very name obliterated But S. Patrike was a most earnest establisher of the Masse by the coÌ„fessioÌ„ of protestants theÌ„selues so that with the bare instrumeÌ„ts used in that misterious oblatioÌ„ he wrought stupeÌ„dious signes c. 11. § 2. deliuered many honorable encomioms of it Now as for saluatioÌ„ attained by sole fayth the Proto-patriark of the fift gospell is so serious to establish this wicked Theorem that in fauour of it he shameth not to discard canonicall Scripture thinking perchance that himselfe being the Apostle of a god goddes Bacbus Venus might by authority down waigh ouer the Apostle of Iesus Christ. S. Patricke was so farre from allowing of this exoticall and vnchristian paradoxe the sluce to all flagitiousnesse that he tearmeth with S. Iames Fayth that is not animated by good workee a dead and life-lesse fayth nay no fayth
at all that in any wise auailes towardes our finall happinesse By this Antithesis of these fiue articles in debate betweene vs and Protestants not to enterlarge me any more in a cause so perspicuous in any dispassionate eye the Antinomy or opposition of the fift ghospell and S. Patrickes religion is rendred so luculent and manifest that the proudest Achilles of the Protestant side vnlesse he be moone-sicke wil neuer presume to accept of the combat on the open playne of S. Patrickes life Now to declare the triall of so indifferent and vnpartiall a barre and to flinche from the vnpreiudicate verdict of Saint Patricke who liued within the compasse of the fiue prime ages of the confessed purity of fayth and religion cannot but put all Catholikes and especially Irishmen in suspicion of their fraudulent dēportement and foule wracking impostures since it was Patrike that brought to them the brightsome light of true and neuer fayling fayth if euer she blazed her glorious beames on the face of Ireland and I suppose none will be soe impudent as to deny she did since it was Patricke that planted Ireland a Paradise of pleasures whether Elias would not disdaine to be transported in his fiery Caoch to glut his mind with her marueilous delights since it was he that consecrated her as it were a third heauen whether S. Paul would willingly be rauished to contemplate her delightfull maruayles since it was he that disimpestered her by the soueraigne influxion of his sacred benediction of the encombrance of serpents scorpions other venemous animals since it was he that beautifyeth her with the stately structures of religious monasteries garnished her with many miriades of renowned Saints enriched her with copious treasures of sacred priuiledges so that scarce any corner can be found in Ireland that is not sanctifyed with some worthy monument of his holy benediction What hitherto we haue instanced in a more ample and diffuse manner concerning S. Patricke our chiefe patron and Apostle the same we may auouch no lesse of S. Bridgit the seconde in the number of our holy patrons how farre she was from houlding with Protestants or breaking with Catholikes her life will giue ample testimony The same we may as well auerre of S. Columbe who is the third in the glory of patronizing Ireland for he taught no other religion in Brittany or the lesser Scotland then that himselfe learned in Ireland or the greater Scotland What this religion was Protestant or Papisticall I leaue it to the arbittement of any that wil with conscience peruse his life which heere we haue compendiously set downe Heare then O worthy childrē with an obsequious eare the doctrin of your thrice worthy Father S. Patricke and of your two other holy Patrōs bind it on your fingers and write it in the tables of your hartes to preuent that you sincke not so deepe in the gulfe of true misery as you haue soared high in the ayre of Christian glory to preuent that the world that hitherto hath proclaymed your impregnable fidelity declayme not against your damnable perfidie If sinners entise you do not condescend to them for their feete do run to euill What greater euill can they runne into then to varnish their nouuell religion with the graue colours of venerable antiquity Or what greater imposture can they impose on you then to father their protestant paradoxes on the primitiue Christians Can any conceaue that our moderne sect-masters after the reuolution of so many ages see more clearely or practise more faithfully the religion that flourished in the first fiue centuryes after our redemption then S. Patricke who liued within the compasse of the sayd tymes O no! This bragge then of their pretensed concordance with the Christians of these purer tymes is a vaine flourish a painted shew a mere collusiō who is meanly conuersant in the Epistles of Anacletus the first Sixtus the first Euaristus the first Alexander the first or in Dionysius Eusebius Syluester Damasus or Anastasius but knowes what to hould and embrace concerning the primacy and headship of the Roman sea Who euer perused Tertullian S. Cyprian S. Hilary S. Ambrose S. Hierome S. Augustine but see how patently they confesse the reall presence of our Sauiours bloud body in the holy Eucharist There is none so little versed in Alexander Telesphorus Anacletus S. Cyprian Euseb Syluester S. Hilary S. Hierome but can tell that they acknowledge the masse to be a true and perfect sacrifice Who is so alphabeticall a Controuertist but can beare witnesse that Basil the Great Gregory Nissen Nazianzen S. Ambrose S. Cyrill of Hierusalem S. Chrisostome S. Hierome allow of religious honour done to Saints reliques Euery yesterday-reader of the famous monumēts of the holy Fathers can tel you that h Origen i Didimus Alexandrinus k Cyril of Hierusalem l Nazianzen m S. Gregory Nyssen n Theophilus Alexandrinus o S. Hierome p S. Austin q Sedulius r Saluianus openly teach and publikly professe the necessity of good works and generally declaime against the Lutheran iustification by sole fayth By these points insisted vpon and instanced by vs you may learne the sympathy between vs moderne Catholikes and S. Patricke betweene S. Patrike and the Primitiue Christiās and on the contrary discouer the discrepancy of the Protestāts not only with S. Patcrike whome I am sure they wil discard for a very superstitious papist but from all the current of the anciēt Catholiks hauing no more alliance with thē then truth with falshood light with darkenes or Christ with Belial And to returne home deere Contrymen it is not they that conuerted Ireland being a pagan Kingdome but rather peruerted her being a Catholike country they haue not illuminated her faythlesse with the light of faith but on the contrary obscured her faythfull with the fogge of heresy For which respect that remarkable censure of Tertullian may be deseruedly pronounced of them Of the administration of the word what shall I say Since it is their study not to conuert the Ethnicks but to peruert ours and this glory they ayme at if they may procure the ruine of such as stand and not the erection of them that are prostrate for their worke consists not of their owne proper building but of the destruction of the truth they digge vp our workes to build their owne so it comes to passe that they contriue more easily the ruine of stāding houses then the structure of ruinous buildings Sinc it is so deer Contrymen perseuer constantly to the end in that fayth our glorious Apostle S. Patricke hath denounced preached to you keep your selues intrenched within the strong impregnable fortresse of the Catholick Roman Churche which the fraud of heretiks shall neuer vndermine nor the force of Tyrants could neuer ouerthrow and to the new and late borne-ghospellers
grace of regeneration and leading a life conspicuous both for miracles and vertues being after made Bishop departed to a better life in the citty of Slane 3. A certaine Magician that was in great fauour with the King whome the King honoured as a God opposed himself against S. Patrike euen in the same kind that Simon Magus resisted the Apostle S. Peter the miserable wretch being eleuated in the ayre by the ministery of Diuels the King and the people looked after him as if he were to scale the heauens but the glorious Saint with the force of his feruent prayers cast him downe vnto the ground where dashing his head against a hard flint he rēdred vp his wicked soule as a pray to the infernall Fiendes 4. The Magitians death put the King in a great rage so that with a great troup well appointed for so cruell a masacre he attempted to kill the Saint Who perceiuing their desperate intention began to sing that verse of the Psalme Let God arise and let his ennemyes be dispersed let them that hate him fly from his face Almighty God in whose protection the Saint was with thunder and lightning stroke some of them downe starke dead and the rest he put to flight The King hauing but foure in his company hid himselfe in a close roome from the fury of God the Queene falling prostrate before the Saint vndertooke in the behalfe of her husbād that he would adore the true God submit himselfe to the Saints directions who praying to Almighty God the vehement storme ceased The King came as the Queen had promised couering with the vaile of humility the obstinate malice of his hart in shew and outward adoration acknowledging the soueraigne maiesty of God he intreated the Saint that he would be pleased to come to his court promising that he would be wholy directed gouerned by the St. wherto he condescended albeit he were not ignorant of the Kinges deep wicked dissimulations 5. But the wicked King being obdurate in his malice beset al the way wherby the Saint was to passe with armed chariots for euery seuerall passage he belayd with nine chariots to the end if he escaped one passage he should be intrapt in another But the malice of man cannot preuaile against the goodnes of God who conducted his true seruant Patricke with eight more and the holy youth Benignus inuisible through the midst of their blood-thirsting ennemyes to Tarach where the King kept court When the Saint entred the Kings pallace none did exhibite him any honor or reuerence excepting the Kings Poet who with great submission saluted him which was reputed in him to iustice for he receaued the grace of baptisme the poems which before he sung in honor of the false Gods thence forwards he imploied in praysing the true and liuing God 6. The wicked King seeing he could not by force cut off the Saint attempted to make him away by fraude for by the hand of his Magitiā he offered the Saint a poysoned cuppe which to the great astonishment of all the company he drunke off without receauing any dommage thereby but the Magitian fearing to be ouercome with his diabolicall spels caused a fantasticall snow to fall ouer all the adioyning country in like manner by force of his magical charmes he ouercast all the land with a palpable darknes the one or other he was not able to remoue as himselfe publikely cōfessed But S. Patricke the child of light offering his deuout prayers to the Sunne of iustice chased away both the fantasticall snow and diabolicall darknes the people of that Region who sat in darknes now seeing this great light praysed the true God magnifyed his holy seruāt S. Patricke 7. All this could not bring the child of Belliall the Magitian to any good therefore to discerne the light of fayth from the darkenes of idolatry the verity of true doctrine from the vanity of magical leuity a new course of tryal was set down for by the appointment of al the company S. Pawicke and the Magitian according thereunto a new house was built after a strange extraordinary manner the one halfe being made of greene Oake the other of dry and withered Timber then binding both Saint Benignus and the Magician they placed them in the house opposite one against another S. Benignus attyred in the Magitians apparell was placed in the part that was made of dry wood and the Magitian with S. Patrickes vestement was placed in the part that was built of greene Timber this being done fire was put to the house O strange and vnheard euent the fire burnt the Magitian with the greene part of the house euen to ashes leauing not so much as the least signe of burning in the Saintes vestement But the holy youth Benignus was not touched by the fire nor receaued any harme by it the Magitians garment being consumed into ashes Behold then the renouation of the miracle of the three Childrē in the Babylonian furnace registred by Daniel in his booke of prophecyes 8. For all this King Leogarius relented not from his wicked malice but rather hardned his hart like another Pharaoe for in reuenge of the Magitians death he contriued by al meanes possible the Saints vtter destruction finding many of his subiects willing prompt to execute his blody purpose but Almighty God the powerful protector of his seruant armed the zeale of senseles creatures to fight against those senceles idolaters for the earth gaping horribly swallowed downe to the bottomles pit of hell those officers of malice and many of the Cittizens of Tarach who had any hand in this wicked designe This seuere reuenge strooke such a terrour in their mindes that all the people of the Country thereabout fearing to incurre the like danger became Christians receaued the grace of Baptisme but the wicked King he could not reclaime therefore he thūdred out his malediction against him denoūcing prophetically that none of his progeny should raigne after him in the kingdome but that it should descend to his yoūger brother But the Queene imbraced the Christian Religiō receaued Baptisme at the Saints hands and ended her dayes happily After this he went ouer al the coūtrey preaching the Gospel our Lord working withall dayly confirming his doctrine with sundry miracles Of S. Patrickes sisters Tygridia Darercha Lupita and of S. Patrickes iourney into Meath and Connacke CHAP. VI. SAINT Patricke had three sisters of remarkeable sanctity perfection whose names were Tygridia Darercha and Lupita Tygridia was the happy mother of seauentene sonnes and three daughters all the sonnes were eyther Bishops of renowned sanctity or els Priests and Monkes of great perfection The daughters became Nunns ended their dayes in great sāctity The Bishops names were Brochaduis Brochanus Mogenochus Lumanus who came with their Oncle into Ireland and laboured diligently in cultiuating the field of our Lord. Darercha his youngest sister was mother to the
vp euen to the eares for attempting some mischeefe against the Saint to the detestation of Idolatry and how by rowling a stone which a hundred men could not stirre he drew a grat multitude to beleeue in the corner stone our deare Sauiour Iesus Christ. 2. The glorious bishop S. Patricke ceased not in all places to enlighten the hartes of such as were blinded with Idolatry so that the number of the faythfull increased dayly One day cōming to a place called Fearta he found two womē dead ouer whom inuocating the name of Christ he restored them againe to life who being reuiued exclaymed against the Idols panyme Gods in the hearing of all the company proclaymed Christ to be the true and only God all who were present gaue glory to God deuoutly receaued the sacrament of Baptisme A certaine woman named Fidelina dyed in trauayle of child birth her friendes brought her dead corps layd it before the glorious Bishop requesting him with teares in their eyes to restore her to the number of the liuing which the B. Saint did by vertue of his feruent prayers the woman after her restoring to life againe was deliuered of a sonne both of them were christned within a few dayes The woman relating what she had seene of the glory of heauen and paynes of hell excited many thousands to become Christian this miracle the Saint reiterated in another woman 3. The holy Saint trauailed about all Connact neuer ceasing from preaching or working of miracles vntill such tyme as he brought all the coūtrey to imbrace the fayth of Christ. In many places he builded Churches appointed Priests other ecclesiasticall persons to direct them in the way of saluation to sing the diuine office In a fayre and spatious field farre distant from woods quarryes he built by miracle a fayre Church which standeth to this day Of two riuers that were in those quarters one called Dubh aboūding with fish another called Drobhois which wanted that commodity the holy Bishop requested some Fishers who drew in their nets full of Fish to help him to some but the Fisher men deuoyd of all charity dismissed the faythfull seruant of our Lord empty but God the louer and author of charity depriued Dubh of that benefit bestowed it vpon Drobhois which vntill that tyme had beene barren Hereby the prudent Reader may learne how meete it is to entertaine with all charity the true members of Christ and faythful seruants of Almighty God 4. In regard of the great scarsity of Churches in Ireland in the infancy of Christian Religion the Blessed Saint ordained that at the sepulcher of euery Christian who could not be buryed in a Church-yeard a Crosse should be erected the better thereby to distinguish the faythfull sheep from the vnbeleeuers as also to excite the faythfull who suruiued to impart their charitable suffrages to their deceased Brethren It happened that at what tyme the Saint departed Connact he saw the head of one at the tombes of two lately interred a crosse standing The Saint bid his coach man make a stand then turning himselfe to the graue where the crosse was he questioned with the dead What sect or Religion he was Who answered that he was a Pagan ignorant of the Christian Religion To whome the Saint replyed what then haue you to doe with the Crosse of Christ The dead man answered He that is buried neere vnto me was a Christian one of your Religion bringing a crosse by mistaking fixed it ouer our graue The Saint without delay descended out of his coach to put the Crosse ouer the Christians graue and after departed Of S. Patrickes iourney into Leinster of his prophecy of Dublin and conuersion of that Citty CHAP. VIII SAINT Patricke hauing confirmed the inhabitants of Connact in the Christian Religion made a iourney into Dalnardia in the North wher with his doctrine example miracls he brought the inhabitants of that Country to the profession of Christianity thence he departed and passing through Meath Leinster in all places he preached the Ghospell kingdome of heauen in places cōuenient he ordayned Bishops It would be a worke able to blunt the penne of the most eloquent Oratour to set downe the stupendious miracles which he wrought in that iourney for euen like another S. Peter with the very shadow of his body did he worke miraculous cures so many as he receaued to Baptisme knowing that our aduersary would labour to entangle them in his snares he endeauoured to confirme in fayth fearing their relapse into infidelity And because as witnesseth S. Iames the Apostle Faith without good workes is dead yea which is more that a dead fayth is not fayth The glorious Saint laboured to excite in them that pure and sincere fayth which through loue performeth good workes 2. When S. Patricke came in his iourney so farre as Finglas a place distant a mile from Dublin being then but a little village and contemplating the place territory there about blessing it he prophetically broke forth into these wordes That village which now is very small shal be hereafter very eminent it shal be enlardged in riches and dignity neyther will it cease to increase vntill such tyme as it become the principall seate of all the kingdome The inhabitants of that village hearing what great miracles and signes God had wrought by the meanes of his faythfull seruant Patricke went forth with great ioy to meet him The Lord of that places only sonne lay sicke euen ready to yeild vp his Ghost the Saint being intreated by his father and all the assembly thereunto went to the place where the sicke was and by prayer restored him to perfect health the people seeing this miracle beleeued in the author of life our Sauiour Iesus 3. In that village an honest matron in whose house then the Saint lodged complained to him of the penury of fresh water The B. Bishop taking pitty of her as also what the whole multitude newly regenerated there suffered that he might inkindle their thirst after the fountaine of life our dearest Sauiour he deemed it expediēt to mainfest his vertue and power The next day in the presence of many he went to a commodious place where stricking the earth with the end of the staffe of IESVS and making his prayer he produced thence a faire Well full of sweet and pleasant water and soueraigne in curing many diseases which well to this day is called S. Patrickes Well 4. Here the course of my history requires that I declare how the glorious Bishop S. Patricke came to the famous citty of Dublin which he foūd lying in the suddes of Paganisme and Idolatry but the Saint washed it with the pure waters of euangelicall doctrine and that with great facility by reason of a memorable accidēt that happened the which was this The King and all the Cittizēs were drowned in sorrow anguish for the death of the two flourishing