Whit^— Latin Writings of St. Patrick. 275 



EPISTLE. 



1. I, Pateick the sinner, unlearned as everybody knows : — I confess 

 that I have been appointed a bishop in Ireland. Most assuredly I 

 deem that I have received from God ivhat I am. And so I dwell in 

 the midst of barbarous heathen, a stranger and exile for the love 

 of God. He is witness if this is so. Not that I desired to utter 

 from my mouth anything so harshly and so roughly; but I am 

 compelled, roused as 1 am by zeal for God and for the truth of Christ ; 

 by love for my nearest friends and sons, for whom I have not 

 regarded my fatherland and parents, yea, and my life unto death. I 

 have vowed to my God to teach the heathen if I am worthy, though 

 I be despised by some. 



2. With mine own hand have I written and composed these words 

 to be given and delivered and sent to the soldiers of Coroticus ; — I do 

 not say to my fellow-citizens or to the fellow-citizens of the holy 

 llomans, but to those who are fellow-citizens of demons because of 

 their evil works. Behaving like enemies, they are dead while they 

 live, allies of the Scots and apostate Picts, as though wishing to gorge 

 tliemselves with the blood of innocent Christians, whom I, in countless 

 numbers, begot to God, and confirmed in Christ. 



3. On the day following that on which tlie newly-bajDtized, in 

 white array, were anointed — it was still fragrant on their foreheads, 

 while they were cruelly butchered and slaughtered with the sword by 

 the above-mentioned persons — I sent a letter with a holy presbyter, 

 whom I taught from his infancy, clergy accompanying liim, with a 

 request that they would allow us some of the booty, or of the baptized 

 captives whom they had taken. They jeered at them. 



4. Therefore I know not what I should the ratlier mourn, 

 whether those who are slain, or those whom they captured, or those 

 whom the Devil grievously ensnared. In everlasting punishment they 

 will become slaves of hell along with him, for verily whosoever 

 committeth sin is a hondservajit^ and is called a son of the Devil. 



5. Wherefore let every man that feareth God know tliat aliens 

 they are from me and from Christ my God, for ivhoni I am an ambas- 

 sador ; patricide, fratricide ! ravening ivolves eating up the people of the 



