The Most Ancient Lives of Saint Patrick Part 27

CHAPTER CLx.x.xVIII.

_The Place of his Sepulture is foreshown by a Light from Heaven._

And after a few days Patrick, the most holy old man, rested on a place not far distant from the mother church of the city of Dunum; and with him was Brigida, the spotless Pearl of Hibernia, and no small a.s.sembly of religious and ecclesiastical persons. And while the saint discoursed unto them of the glory of the saints, a great light descended from heaven, and poured round a certain spot on the eastern side of the cemetery; at the which marvelling, they enquired of the saint what meant that light, and the holy prelate bade the blessed Brigida to explain to them the meaning thereof. Then the virgin openly declared that the so great light denoted and sanctified the burial-place of a certain saint most ill.u.s.trious and dear unto G.o.d, who therein would shortly be buried. And the holy woman, Ethembria, who first of all the nuns in Hibernia had been consecrated by Patrick, privily enquired of Brigida who was the saint. And she answered that Saint Patrick himself, the father and apostle of Hibernia, would soon be buried in that place, but that in process of time he would be removed from thence; and further she p.r.o.nounced that she would be happy if she might enshroud his most holy body in a linen cloth, which she had made with her own hands and woven for his obsequies. This said she secretly unto her sister nun, nor deemed she her words overheard of any. Then the light which appeared from heaven was taken up from their eyes, and foreshowed the ascension of the saint unto heaven.

CHAPTER CLx.x.xIX.

_Saint Brigida bringeth unto Saint Patrick the Garment which was to enshroud his Body._

And Saint Patrick, being instructed of heaven, understood the desire of the heart of Brigida, and the words of her mouth, and her preparation of the garment, and that she would enshroud therewith his body, as the spiritual token of their mutual love in Christ. And he himself returned unto the monastery of Saballum, which he had filled with a fair a.s.sembly of monks; and there, down lying on the bed of sickness, awaited he with a happy hope the termination of his life, nay, rather of his pilgrimage, and his entrance into the life eternal. And the venerable virgin obeyed the word of her father and bishop; and she went unto the monastery, and took the garment, and with four virgins in her train hastened she to return unto the saint; but forasmuch as they were afflicted with too long abstinence and with the difficulty of the journey, for very weariness they stayed on their way, nor could they speed thereon as they had purposed. Yet the saint, while in Saballum, knew at the revelation of the Spirit the weariness of the virgin; and he commanded his charioteer to meet them on their way with four chariots, and the charioteer obeyed, and met them at the place exceeding wearied, and brought them unto the saint. And they offered unto him the garment, the which he kindly received; and kissing his feet and his hands, they obtained his benediction.

CHAPTER CXC.

The Death of Saint Patrick.

Now, the sickness of his body increasing, age pressing on, or rather the Lord calling him unto his crown, the blessed Patrick perceived he was hastening unto the tomb; and much he rejoiced to arrive at the port of death and the portal of life. Therefore, being so admonished by the angel, his guardian, he fortified himself with the divine mysteries from the hand of his disciple, the Bishop Saint Thasach, and lifting up his eyes he beheld the heavens opened, and Jesus standing in the mult.i.tude of angels. Then raising his hands, and blessing his people, and giving thanks, pa.s.sed he forth of this world, from the faith unto the proof, from his pilgrimage unto his country, from transitory pain unto eternal glory. Oh! how blessed Patrick. Oh! how blessed he, who beheld G.o.d face to face, whose soul is secured in salvation! Happy, I say, is the man, unto whom the heavens opened, who penetrated into the sanctuary, who found eternal redemption, whom the blessed Mary with the spotless choirs of virgins welcomed, whom the bands of angels admitted into their fellowship! Him the wise a.s.sembly of prophets attendeth, the venerable senate of apostles embraceth, the laurelled army of martyrs exalteth, the white-robed company of confessors accepteth, and the innumerable number of the elect receiveth with all honor and with all glory. Nor wondrous was it, nor undeserved; seeing that he was the angel of G.o.d, though not by his birth, yet by his virtue and by his office--he, whose lips were the guard of knowledge, and declared unto the people the law of life which was required of G.o.d. Rightly is he called the prophet of the Most Highest, who knew so many things absent, who foretold so many and such things future, as seldom have any of the prophets prophesied! Rightly is he called, and is, the apostle of Hibernia, seeing that all the people thereof, and the other islanders, are the signs of his apostolate! Rightly is he called a martyr, who, bearing continually in his heart and in his body the name of Christ, showed himself a living sacrifice unto G.o.d; who having suffered so many snares, so many conflicts, from magicians, from idolaters, from rulers, and from evil spirits, held his heart always prepared to undergo any and every death! Rightly is he called the confessor of G.o.d, who continually preached the name of Christ, and who by his words, his examples, and his miracles excited peoples, tribes, and tongues unto the confession of his name, of human sin, and of divine promise!

Rightly is he called a virgin, who abided a virgin in his body, in his heart, and in his faith; and by this threefold virginity pleaseth he the Spouse of virgins and the Virgin of virgins! Rightly is he numbered among the angelic choirs and the a.s.semblies of all saints, who was the sharer in all holy acts and all virtues!

CHAPTER CXCI.

_The Number of the Years of his Life._

On the seventeenth day of March, in the one hundredth and twentieth and third year of his age, departed he forth of this world; and thus the years of his life are reckoned. Ere he was carried into Hibernia by the pirates, he had attained his sixteenth year; oppressed beneath a most cruel servitude, six years did he feed swine; four years did he feed with the sweet food of the Gospel those who before were swine, but who, casting away the filth of their idolatry, became his flock of unspotted lambs; eighteen years did he study under Saint Germa.n.u.s, the Bishop of Auxerres. When he had reached his fiftieth and third year, he was invested with the episcopal dignity, and returned unto Hibernia, therein to preach; in the s.p.a.ce of thirty and five years converted he unto Christ all that country and many other islands; and during the thirty and three years which remained unto him, leading a life of contemplation, abided he chiefly in Saballum, or in the monastery which he had founded in Ardmachia. Nor did he willingly leave those holy places, unless some cause of inevitable urgency called him forth; nevertheless, once in every year did he celebrate a council, that he might bring back unto the right rule those things which he knew to need reformation.

CHAPTER CXCII.

_The Funeral Honors which Men and Angels paid unto the Body of the Saint._

And as Saint Patrick expired, the surrounding circle of monks commended his spirit unto G.o.d, and enwrapped his body in the linen cloth which Saint Brigida had prepared. And the mult.i.tude of the people and of the clergy gathered together, and mourned with tears and with sighs the dissolution of Patrick, their patron, even as the desolation of their country, and paid in psalms and in hymns the rites which unto his funeral were due. But on the following night a light-streaming choir of angels kept their heavenly watch, and waked around the body; and illumining the place and all therein with their radiance, delighting with their odor, charming with the modulation of their soft-flowing psalmody, poured they all around their spiritual sweetness. Then came the sleep of the Lord on all who had thither collected, and while the angelic rites were performed, held them in their slumber even until the morning. And when the morning came, the company of angels reascended into heaven, leaving behind them the sweet odor which excelled all perfumes; the which, when the sleepers awakened, they and all who came unto the place experienced even for twelve succeeding days. For during that time was the sanctified body preserved unsepultured, inasmuch as the controversies of the people with the clergy permitted it not to be buried in that holy place.

CHAPTER CXCIII.

_The Light continueth for Twelve Days._

And this was the reason of the controversy. A great and wondrous light appeared, such as never in any time preceding had been beheld. Over that whole country the light continued for twelve days, without any intervention of night; for the night was illuminated, and shone even as the day. Whereby was it plainly given to be understood that the darkness of night obscured not Patrick, the son of life, the inhabiter of eternal brightness, while the night was to him the illumination of his joys, while he ascended unto the light without spot, the day without night, the sun without eclipse. And this miracle seemeth like unto that ancient miracle which was wrought by Joshua in Gibeon, though much extended in its duration. For the sun, as is written, stood still over Gibeon, and the moon stood still over the valley of Ajalon, one day for the s.p.a.ce of two days, gave by the divine virtue the victory unto a faithful people; and by the same power the continued shining of twelve days' light showed the merit of Patrick, triumphant over this world and the prince of this world.

CHAPTER CXCIV.

_The Miraculous Rising of the Sea between the Contending People._

And at the sight of such a miracle, the people could not be restrained from their contention, for the fury of their wrath and the violence of their minds which governed them they imputed to their devotion toward the saint. And on the twelfth day a deadly and perilous contention arose between the two people of Ulydia and Ardmachia about the sacred body. And while arrayed in armor they rose unto arms, they heard a voice from heaven, which seemed as the voice of Saint Patrick, staying their violence; and the sea, rising above its wonted bounds, reared itself as a wall, and separated the contending people, so that they could neither behold nor attack one the other; and thus corporeally separated, united them unto the concord of mutual peace. Then the people being restrained from their fury, the waters surceased from their fury also.

CHAPTER CXCV.

_Two Wains appear, the which are sent by a Miracle._

Then, the swelling waves of the sea being reduced and returned unto themselves, two oxen appear, seeming to draw toward Dunum a wain laden with a n.o.ble burden, the holy body; the which the people and clergy of Ultonia followed with exceeding devotion, with psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs. And plainly it showed that vehicle which formerly bore the ark of the covenant from Acharon unto Getht. But by all these wonders the fury of the Ardmachians is not appeased; for still is their hand prepared unto battle, that the body of their prelate, their primate, their patron, might not be riven from them. Nevertheless, the divine Providence took heed that occasion of contest should not any more be ministered; for another wain appearing, drawn by two oxen, went before the Ardmachians, even like the former wain which had borne the sacred body unto Dunum; and they stayed not to follow its track, believing that it carried the precious burden, until it came within the borders of Ardmachia, unto a certain river which is named Caucune.

Then the visionary wain disappeared; and the people, frustrated of their hope, unsatisfied and sad, returned unto their dwellings.

CHAPTER CXCVI.

_The Sepulture of Saint Patrick in the City of Dunum._

And the people of Ultonia, having entered Dunum, celebrated the solemnities of the Ma.s.s, and in the place foreshown by the heavenly light buried the venerable body with all due veneration, and this desirable treasure, this most precious jewel, they deposited beneath a stone, five cubits deep in the heart of the earth, lest haply by stealth it might be conveyed thence. But by how many and how great miracles the bones of this most holy saint were graced therein, we find not recorded; either because the pen of the negligent preserved them not, or being written, they were destroyed by some of the many heathen princes who ruled in Hibernia. Now, Saint Patrick died in the four hundredth and ninetieth and third year of Christ's incarnation, Felix being then pope, in the first year of the reign of Anastasius the emperor, Aurelius Ambrosius ruling in Britain, Forchernus in Hibernia, Jesus Christ reigning in all things and over all things.

Now unto Him be glory, and praise, and honor, and empire, through infinite ages, for ever and ever! Amen!

HERE END THE ACTS OF SAINT PATRICK.