4 CHRONICLES OF CORNISH SAINTS. II. — S. PETROCK. 



Thirty years of Finian's early life had been spent in Britain. He 

 is mentioned as an associate of the famous S. David at Menevia, 

 and he was the founder of the Church of Llanffinan in Anglesey. 

 On his return to his native land, he was accompanied by many 

 British Christians, who were afterwards held in great veneration 

 for their sanctity, by the Church in Ireland. As the time of his 

 return corresponds with the time of Petrock's migration to Ire- 

 land, we may suppose that our saint was one of the companions 

 of Finian alluded to, or, at all events, that he was attracted to 

 Ireland by him, and pursued his studies under his guidance at 

 Clonard. 



II. During the twenty years which Petrock spent in Ireland, 

 we catch but one glimpse of him, — a glimpse however which is 

 very suggestive, and which enables us to form some ojoinion of his 

 character and position. In the Life of S. Coemgen, one of the 

 most illustrious among the Irish Saints, we read that his parents, 

 who were Christians and of princely birth in Leinster, committed 

 their son to S. Petrock for instruction when he was seven years 

 of age, and that he remained with him five years.* The mon- 

 astery at Clonard had at that time many teachers and students, 

 famous in their generation for sanctity and learning. It is said 

 that no less than 3000 scholars studied there in the course of S. 

 Finian's presidency.t The selection therefore of Petrock to be 

 the teacher of such a pupil stamps him as a man of mark amongst 

 his contemporaries in Ireland. 



III. The next incident which Leland mentions is Petrock's 

 return from Eome to his monastery in Cornwall. Ussher and 

 Capgrave, following the memoir attributed to John of Tinmouth, 

 place the visit to Eome after he had returned to Cornwall and 

 spent thirty years there ; they speak also of his making a pilgrim- 

 age to Jerusalem at the same time. But it seems more likely 



* Ussher, Be Primordiis. 



t " Trium virorum millium 



' ' Sorte fit doctor liumilis ; 

 " Verbi his fiidit fluvinm, 

 " Ut fons emanens rivnlis." 



From the HjTun " Ad Laudes " in the 

 office of S. Finiau. Colgan, 401. 



