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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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