Mr. Petrie on the History and Antiquities of Tara Hill. 177 



tnitte per ignem ; et ait Patricius, prumptus 

 sum ; at magus nolens dixit, hie homo versa 

 vice in alternos annos, nunc aquam, nunc ignem, 

 deum veneratur. Et ait Sanctus ; non sic, sed 

 tu ipse ibis, et unus ex meis pueris ibi tecum 

 in separatam et conclaussam domum, et meum 

 erga te, et tuum erga me erit vestimentum ;* 

 et sic simul incendemini. £t hoc consilium 

 insedit, et aedificata est eis domus, cujus di- 

 medium ex materia viridi, et alterum dimedium 

 ex arida facta est : et missus est magus in illam 

 domum in partem ejus viridem, et unus ex 

 pueris Sancti Patricii Bineus nomine, cum 

 veste magica in partem domus [aridam — Pro- 

 bus\. Conclussa itaque extrinsecus domus, 

 coram omni turba incensa est : et factum est 

 in ilia hora, orante Patricio, ut consumeret 

 flamma ignis magum cum dimedia domu viridi, 

 permanente cassula Sancti Patricii tantum in- 

 tacta, quia ignis non tetigit. Felix autem 

 Benineus e contrario cum dimedia domu arida, 

 secundum quod de tribus pueris dictum est, 

 non tetigit eum ignis, neque contristatus est, 

 nee quicquam molesti intulit, cassula tantum 

 magi, quae erga eum fuerat, non sine Dei nutu, 

 exusta.f Et iratus est valde rex adversus 

 Patricium de morte magi sui, et inruit poene 

 in eum, volens occidere, sed prohibuit ilium 

 Deus : ad precem enim Patricii, et ad vocem 

 ejus, discendit ira Dei in verticem suum ; et 

 timult rex vehimenter, et commotum est cor 

 ejus, et omnis civitas cum eo." 



water. And the king answering said, allow it by 

 fire : and Patrick says, I am ready ; but the ma- 

 gician, being unwilling, said, this man alternately 

 in each successive year, adores as God, water and 

 fire. And the saint says, not so, but thou thyself 

 shalt go, and one of my boys shall go with thee, 

 into a separate and closed house, and my vestment 

 shall be on thee, and thine on him ; and thus 

 together you shall be set on fire. And this coun- 

 sel was approved of, and there was a house built 

 for them, the half of which was made of green 

 wood, and the other half of dry : and the magi- 

 cian was sent into that part of the house which 

 was green, and one of the boys of St. Patrick, 

 Sineus by name, with the vest of the magician, 

 [was sent] into the dry part of the house. The 

 house then being closed outside was set on fire 

 before the whole multitude : and it came to pass 

 in that hour, by the prayers of Patrick, that the 

 flame of the fire consumed the magician with the 

 green half of the house, while the garment of St. 

 Patrick remained untouched, because the fire did 

 not touch it. But the fortunate Benineus, on 

 the contrary, together with the dry half of the 

 house, according to what is said of the three chil- 

 dren, was not touched by the fire, neither was he 

 annoyed, nor did he experience any inconvenience, 

 only the garment of the magician which he had 

 about him, was burned, not without the permis- 

 sion of God. And the king was greatly indignant 

 against Patrick on account of the death of his 

 magician, and he had almost rushed upon him, 

 desiring to slay him, but God prevented him : 

 for at the intercession of Patrick, and at his 

 entreaty, the wrath of God descended on his 

 head, and the king feared excessively, and his 

 heart was disturbed, and all the city with him." 



• Et meum apud te, et tuum apud meum puerum erit vestimentum. — Probus. 



f Non tetigit ignis, neque contristavit, nee quicquam raolestise intulit, vestimento Magi, quod circa eum fuerat, non 

 sine Dei nutu, exusto. — Probus. 



VOL. XVIII. Z 



