White — Latin Writings of St. Patrick, 297 



autem per epistolam ad uiam ueritatis reuocare temptauit : cuius 

 salutaria deridebat monita. Cum autem ista [ita] nuntiarentur 

 Patricio, orauit Dominum et dixit : Deus, si fieri potest^ expelle liunc 

 perfidum de presenti seculoque futiiro. iN'on grande postea tempus 

 effluxerat [effluxuat], et musicam artem audiuit a quodam cantare quod 

 breui [om. breui] de solio regali transiret. Omnesque karissimi eius 

 uiri in banc proruperunt uocem. Tunc ille, cum esset in medio foro 

 ilico uulpeculae [uel ficuli] miserabiliter arepta forma, profectus in 

 suorum presentia, ex illo die illaque hora uelut fluxus aquae [quae] 

 transiens nusquam conparuit." 



Hogan notes that uulpeculae is the reading of Probus, and that for 

 et musicam — cantare Probus has, magicam artem a quodam sihi praecan- 

 tari fecit, a quo audiuit. 



The interest for us in this legend lies in the fact that it proves 

 Muirchu's knowledge of the existence of the Epistola. The story is 

 repeated in four of the Lives. The name is given as Coritic in iii. 72 ; 

 Chairtic in Probus ii. 27; Cereticus mZocQlin 150; and Coirtech in 

 Trip., p. 248. 



P. 254, 1. 2. Fateor. — There is possibly a slight touch of irony in 

 this passage : "I am only bishop to the despised Irish ; consequently 

 my lot is cast amongst barbarous heathens, i.e. the Scottic allies of 

 Coroticus." 



P. 254, 1, 12. Sanctorum Romanorum. — The best comment on 

 St. Patrick's use oi Romani here and in § 14 is one of the Dicta Patricii, 

 Aeclessia Scotorum, immo Romanorum ; ut Christiani ita ut Romani 

 sitis." He is thinking more of the see of Rome than of the empire. 

 It is probable that in his time the two conceptions were somewhat 

 confused in men's minds. 



P. 254, 1. 13. In morte uiuunt. — Cf. 1 Tim. v. 6, " Uiuens mortua 

 est." 



P. 254, 1. 14. Pictorum apostatarum. — The same epithet is applied to 

 the Picts in§ 15. St. jS'inian, of AVhitherne, is commonly said to have 

 converted the southern Picts about the year 412 a.d. See Introd., 

 p. 223. 



P. 254, 1. 16, Crismati is the past part, of crismare^ ' to anoint.' 



P. 254, 1. 16. Flagrahat. — Flagrare = fragrare in Low Latin. 



P. 254, 1. 18. Sancto presbgtero. — W ave conjectm'es thatttiis may 

 refer to Penignus, who, according to Ti'rechaii, was St. Patrick's 

 successor in the See of Armagh. 



P. 254, 1. 22. Zahulus inlaqueauit. — Zahulus is a Low Latin form of 

 diaholus: cf. Hymn of St. Seclmall, 1. 81 Innumeros de Zabuli 



R.I. A. PROC, VOL. XXV., SEC. c] [25] 



