Frrcuson—On the Legend of Dathi. 177 
the guidance of a dove, he transferred his operations to the height 
above Ragatz. Bucelin also, in his Rhetia Etrusca,” has got the 
same story, but in a form which helps the inquiry only so far as it 
implies that Pirmin’s first erection at Pfeffers was a wooden structure, 
and so the less likely to be the same as that referred to in the Irish 
legend. He gives it with the addition that, some of the workmen 
having cut their fingers, the dove showed the way by carrying off the 
bloodied chips to the opposite bank of the river; whence the dove in 
the armorial shield of Pieffers. It may be observed that in Irish yup 
and uy signify ‘“‘ down” and ‘‘up’’ respectively, and are often liable 
to transposition through errors of transcription. 
Up to this point, therefore, continental inquiry has supplied nothing 
corroborative of the Irish story which would not also be consistent 
with a post-eighth century origin; and, if the matter rested here, the 
substantial part of the legend, detailing events of the fifth century, 
would probably be regarded as resting only on the precarious autho- 
rity of Irish bardic romance. The period in question is one of the 
darkest in European history. It is too late for the western writers, 
Ammianus Marcellinus, and Orosius, and too early for Paul Deacon. 
It falls, however, within the range of the cotemporary ecclesiastical 
historians, Socrates and Theodoret, and these writers both record mat- 
ter so pertinent to the subject that some surprise may be felt at its not 
having hitherto been noticed in this connexion. Socrates begins his 
history at a.p. 309, where Eusebius ended, and brings down his nar- 
rative to a.p. 440. Having related the occurrences which took place 
after the death of Honorius and the attempt of the Secretary John to 
usurp the succession, for which purpose he had cultivated the good 
will of the Hunnish tribes settled in Pannonia, as also John’s defeat 
and death in a.p. 425, he proceeds to state: ‘‘ After the death of the 
tyrant, the barbarians, whom he had called to his assistance against 
the Romans, made preparations for ravaging the Roman province. 
The emperor, being informed of this, immediately, as his custom was, 
committed the management of the matter to God, and, continuing in 
earnest prayer, speedily obtained what he sought ; for the following 
disasters befel the barbarians :—Rougas, their chief, was struck dead 
by a thunderbolt. Then a plague followed which destroyed most of 
those who were under him; and, as if this was not sufficient, fire 
came down from heaven and consumed many of the survivors... .. 
35 Bucelin was Prior at Feldkirch, and likely to be well acquainted with the local 
traditions. His account is as follows:—Pirminio hortante, . .. . fervide opus 
agitur.—Dum fabri lignarii, utrumque cauti, cayere tamen satis vulnera nequeunt, 
dum trabas scindere et aptare conarentur, nec sine prodigio comperentibus niveo 
candore columbis quae non alias assulas ac fragmenta cum sanguine fabrili tincta 
collegere, et congeminato sepius volatu atque ablatis sanguine notatis assulis trans 
Rhenum in editi montis sinum eyolare, eademque uno loco deponere deprehense 
sunt. Quo prodigio S. Perminius moveri se sensit non Marsclinii sed notato pro- 
digiose loco Deum sibi condendo ccenobio aream eligisse . . . . eo sumptibus et 
labore conyersis, &c. (Bucelini, Rhetia Etrusea, 4°, Augsburg, 1666, p. 148.) 
R.1.A. PROC., SER. II. VOL. II.—POL. LIT. AND ANTIQ. oO 
