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From "The
Golden Legend," by Jacobus de Voragine, A.D. 1275
S. Patrick on a day as he preached a sermon of the patience and
sufferance of the passion of our Lord Jesu Christ to the king of the
country, he leaned upon his crook or cross, and it happed by adventure
that he set the end of the crook, or his staff, upon the king's foot,
and pierced his foot with the pike, which was sharp beneath. The king
had supposed that S. Patrick had done it wittingly, for to move him the
sooner to patience and to the faith of God, but when S. Patrick
perceived it he was much abashed, and by his prayers he healed the
king. And furthermore he impetred and gat grace of our Lord that no
venomous beast might live in all the country, and yet unto this day is
no venomous beast in all Ireland.
After it happed on a time that a man of that country stole a sheep,
which belonged to his neighbour, whereupon S. Patrick admonested the
people that whomsoever had taken it should deliver it again within
seven days. When all the people were assembled within the church, and
the man which had stolen it made no semblant to render ne deliver again
this sheep, then S. Patrick commanded, by the virtue of God, that the
sheep should bleat and cry in the belly of him that had eaten it, and
so happed it that, in the presence of all the people, the sheep cried
and bleated in the belly of him that had stolen it. And the man that
was culpable repented him of his trespass, and the others from then
forthon kept them from stealing of sheep from any other man.
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