White — Latin Writings of St. Patrich. 



265 



Helias ? And on this I saw the sun rise in the heaven, and while I 

 was shouting "Helias, Helias," with all my might, lo, the splendour of 

 that sun fell upon me, and straightway shook all weight from off 

 me. And I believe that I was helped by Christ my Lord, and that 

 His Spirit was even then calling aloud on my behalf. And I trust 

 that it will be so in the day of my distress, as He saith in the Gospel, 

 In that day, the Lord witnesseth, it is not ye that speaJc, hut the 

 Spirit of your Father which speaheth in you. 



21. And again, after many years more, I was taken captive. And 

 so on that first night I remained with them. Moreover I heard the 

 answer of God saying to me: "For two months thou shalt be with 

 them." And so it came to pass. On the sixtieth night after, the 

 Lord delivered me out of their hands. 



22. Moreover He provided for us on our journey food and fire and 

 dry quarters every day until on the tenth day we all reached our 

 destination. As I stated above, for twenty-eight days we journeyed 

 through a desert ; and on the night on which we all reached our 

 destination we had in truth no food left. 



23. And again, after a few years, I was in Britain with my family, 

 who received me as a son and earnestly besought me that at all events 

 now, after the great tribulations which I had undergone, I would not 

 depart from them any whither. 



And there indeed I saiv in the night visions a man whose name was 

 Yictoricus coming as it were from Ireland with countless letters. 

 And he gave me one of them, and I read the beginning of the letter, 

 which was entitled. The Voice of the Irish ; and while I was reading 

 aloud the beginning of the letter I thought that at that very moment 

 I heard the voice of them who lived beside the wood of Foclut, Avhich 

 is nigh unto the AYestern Sea. And thus they cried, as luith one 

 mouth, "We beseech thee, holy youth, to come hither and walk 

 among us." 



And I was exceedingly hrohen in heart, and could read no more. 

 And so I awoke. God be thanked that after many yeai's the Lord 

 granted to them according to their cry. 



24. And another night, whether within me or beside me, / cannot 

 tell, God knoweth, in most admirable words which I heard and could 

 i not understand, except that at the end of the prayer. He spoke thus : 

 I **He who laid down His life for thee. He it is who speaketh in thee." 

 And so I awoke rejoicing. 



' K.I. A. PKOC, VOL. XXV., iSEC. c] [23] 



