Mr. Petrie on the History and Antiquities of Tara Hill. 55 



For the facts stated in the foregoing abstract it is not necessary here to quote 

 the original authorities, particularly as a sufficient agreement is found, not only 

 in all the lives of Patrick published up to Lanigan's time, but also in those 

 which have been since published from the Book of Armagh ; and though these 

 lives exhibit all the usual admixture of miraculous fables so characteristic of 

 the lives of Irish Saints, there is nothing in them which should impeach the 

 truth of the leading incidents which they record. There is, however, con- 

 nected with this important event an ancient document still preserved, though 

 hitherto unpublished, of such singular interest, whether considered as the oldest 

 imdoubted monument of the Irish language remaining, or as an illustrative 

 record of the religious doctrine inculcated by St. Patrick, that a more than 

 usually copious account of it can hardly fail of being acceptable to the readers 

 of this memoir. The document here alluded to is an ancient Irish hymn of St. 

 Patrick, which he is stated to have composed and sung with his followers when 

 approaching Tara, surrounded by his pagan enemies. The circumstances which 

 occasioned the composition of this hymn are thus detailed in the Tripartite Life 

 of St. Patrick, a compilation of the ninth or tenth century, but, as Colgan, 

 who has published a Latin translation of it from the original Irish, supposes, first 

 written by St. Evin in the sixth century, though subsequently interpolated. 



" Cum perversus Rex videret se non posse via jam excogitata sanctum virum e medio tollere, 

 excogitavit et aliam. Invitat ipsum Temoriam, promittens quod ibi coram regni proceribus facturus 

 sit publicam fidei professionem, et in Christum coram toto regno crediturus. Hsec fuit professio 

 oris, sed longe alia meditatio cordis iniqui tyranni. Per loca enim, per quae sanctus Pontifex trans- 

 iturus erat, varias instruxit insidias ad ipsum, antequam Temoriam veniret, e medio toUendum. 

 Sed licet servus Christi fidelis Domino revelante ha;c non ignoraret, in Domino tamen jaciens suum 

 cogitatum, statuit Temoriam proficisci, et discrimen imminens divinse relinquere dispositioni. Pro- 

 mittit erg5 se Regem pone secuturum : et sequitur cum octo clericis, et Benigno puero : quos sua 

 sacra benedictione et oratione contra paratas insidias, et omnia pericula raunivit. Et sic per medios 

 insidiantium cuneos transibant : quorum et oculi tenebantur, ne eos agnoseerent. Obtutibus enim 

 ipsorum solum apparuerunt octo cervi cum uno hinnulo, in cujus dorso videbatur aliqua sarcina 

 jacere. Sic ergo mirificus vir sociique cum beato puero Benigno sacrum Bibliorum codicem in 

 humcris gestante, per medios hostes salvi et incolumes Temoriam usque pervenerunt, salvifico 

 orationis viri Dei prsesidio, velut sacrS, segide, muniti. Tunc vir sanctus composuit ilium Hymnum 

 patrio idiomate conscriptum, qui vulgo Feth-fiadha, et ab aliis lorica Patridi appellatur ; et iu 

 summo abinde inter Hibernos habetur pretio : quia creditur, et multa experientia probatur, pid 

 recitantes ab imminentibus animai, et corporis praeservare periculis." — Septima Vita Tripartita 

 S. Patridi, pars I. cap. Ix. Tr. Th. p. 126. 



