St. Patrick and tJie Bishop. 7 



taken they would give him some, but 

 they " wholly refused him even one fish " ; 

 so the Saint deprived the Dubh of its 

 perpetual abundance of fishes, and en- 

 riched another river therewith, called the 

 Drabhaois ; " and this river, as being more 

 fruitful, so is it clearer than all the other 

 rivers in Ireland." 



Another fish story connected with St. 

 Patrick relates how one of his assistant 

 preachers, Bishop St. Mel, having fallen 

 under unjust suspicion, proved his inno- 

 cence by "ploughing up the earth on a 

 certain hill, and took by the ploughshare 

 many and large fishes out of the dry land." 

 St. Patrick accepted the ^miracle as a 

 proof of his bishop's innocence, but " bade 

 him that he should thenceforth plough on 

 the land and fish in the water." 



How ST. PATRICK RID IRELAND OF 

 SNAKES AND OTHER POISONOUS 

 CREATURES. 



"Even from the time of its original 

 inhabitants did Hybernia labour under a 

 threefold Plague : a swarm of poisonous 

 creatures, whereof the number could not 

 be counted ; a great concourse of Daemons 

 visibly appearing; and a multitude of 

 Evil-doers and Magicians. And these 



