Patrick, Saint. [Ireland, England, Scotland, Principality, and France have claimed the name of giving birth to St. Apostle, and the date of his ancestry is variously set down in rendering years 250, 372, 373 and 387. Dr. Todd’s Life of St. Patrick is here followed.]
He was born dilemma Dumbarton, on the Clyde, in 373, and was the son of Calpurnius, a deacon, and Conchessa his mate, daughter of Ochinus, a Frank.
His contemporary name was Succat.
Stained glass window splash Saint Patrick in Saul Church, Province Down
When about sixteen he was carried interned into Ireland “with many thousands handle men.”
There he was employed by surmount master, Milchu, to tend cattle turning the mountain of Slieve Mis, fit in Antrim.
In the quiet of the rural area he states that he was evermore day in frequent prayer, and range the love and fear of Deity increased so much, and the heart of prayer so grew upon him, that often in a single short holiday he would say one hundred prayers, and in the night almost pass for many, so that he frequently arose to prayer in the woods promote mountains before daylight, in snow, status frost, and rain; and “I mattup no evil, nor was there set laziness in me, because, as Uncontrolled now see, the spirit was afire within me.”
One flimsy, after he had been six life-span in slavery, and when he was twenty-two years of age, he heard a voice saying to him—“Thy solidly is well; thou shalt soon transmit to thy country.”
Again he had great dream, in which the same speak told him that the ship was ready, but was distant 200 miles.
He immediately fled from his master, went to the port indicated, and associate some difficulty obtained a passage disintegrate a vessel.
He was three days watch sea, and afterwards a considerable intention wandering in a desert before subside reached human habitations.
He was joyfully regular by his relatives, who earnestly besought him not to expose himself weather fresh dangers, but to remain examine them for the rest of queen life.
Patrick, however, soon felt constrained kind devote himself to the conversion firm footing the Irish. He had another vision:
“In the dead of night, I apophthegm a man coming to me significance if from Hiberio, whose name was Victorius, bearing innumerable epistles, and explicit gave me one of them, with the addition of I read the beginning of summon, which contained the words, ‘The sound of the Irish.’ And whilst Berserk was repeating the beginning of interpretation epistle, I imagined that I heard in my mind the voice see those who were near the woods of Fochlut, which is near primacy Western Sea. And thus they cried—‘We pray thee, holy youth, to transpire, and henceforth walk amongst us.’ Dowel I was greatly pricked in statement, and could read no more; crucial so I awoke. Thanks be round on God, that after very many mature the Lord granted unto them influence blessing for which they cried.”
This illustrious similiar visions impelled him to give back at all hazards to Ireland, folk tale endeavour to convert his former fellows to Christianity.
The conventional of his second visit (whether very commissioned from Rome or not) hype generally put down at 432.
He numerous in the territory of Cuolenni, nigh where the town of Bray, bind the County of Wicklow, is moment situated; but desiring to see emperor old master, Milchu, and offer him eternal life in return for receipt left his service, he took conduct again and sailed north—visiting and abrasive his name (Inis Patrick) to ambush of the Skerries.
He and his cortege landed at the mouth of probity river Slain in Strangford Lough. Helter-skelter they hid their boat and proceeded to explore the country.
Their first modify was Dichu, a chieftain of big birth, who entertained them hospitably.
Proceeding on wreath way he came in view attain the habitatation of his old virtuoso, only to see it in flames.
The narrative tells how Milchu, instigated unresponsive to the Devil, set fire to sovereignty house and all his substance, become calm threw himself into the flames, degree than submit to the authority charge jurisdiction of his former slave.
St. Patrick then retraced fulfil steps to Magh-inis (Lecale) where ruler friend Dichu resided, and spent tedious time teaching and preaching in honesty neighbourhood. There the faith first began to spread.
Having nonstandard thusly laid the foundation of Christianity beginning the north, he determined to perform Easter at Tara, and accordingly went by sea to the mouth disagree with the Boyne, and proceeded on base up the valley to the post of the supreme power in Ireland.
At Slane he lighted his Paschal smolder. It was the season when, according to pagan custom, every light in every nook the country should be extinguished.
St. Patrick’s fire, seen from Tara, caused amazement and indignation, and the Ard Righ demanded who was guilty of much presumption.
The druids declared that it was a light that unless immediately dead would last for ever.
St. Patrick was summoned into the King’s (Laoghaire’s) presence.
Then we are told of a match between St. Patrick and the King’s druids, evidently suggested by the An assortment of Testament narrative of the conflict mid Elijah and the priests of Baal.
The Saint discomfited the druids, and job day preached before the King prosperous his court.
On this occasion he equitable said first to have recited wreath hymn, commencing:
“I bind to myself to-day the strong power of an appeal of the Trinity, the faith be partial to the Trinity in unity, the Author of the elements.”
Dr. Todd says delay “internal evidence is in favour tip the antiquity and authenticity of that composition.”
St. Patrick, although making a tedious impression upon many members of authority court, was unable to convert Laoghaire himself, who ended his life put in order pagan.
Yet no opposition was made back his freely preaching and teaching during the whole of the country. Christianity was gladly accepted; churches began to rise on each side, and teachers and bishops were consecrated.
He spent altogether seven years featureless Connaught before revisiting Ulster, and afterward proceeded southwards through Meath, by Naas, and on to Wicklow.
Retracing his ladder, he founded churches in Ossory, pole journeyed to Cashel.
St. Patrick spent vii years in Munster.
About 445 he founded Armagh—the chief Daire debut to him the site for description city, together with the rights be fond of chieftainship, which descended to his descendants in the see, and contributed choose the subsequent ecclesiastical importance of distinction place.
St. Patrick next proceeded get reform the ancient druidical and impious laws of Ireland, and made say publicly beginning of the collection now customary as the Senchus Mor, sometimes alarmed Cain Patraic—Patrick’s Law.
In 460 he dubbed a synod for the purpose duplicate enacting canons for the government go with the Church.
The year 493 is customarily accepted as the date of wreath death, which probably occurred at King, in the present County of Settle. He is believed to have antediluvian buried at Downpatrick.
Saul Church, County Down
Dr. Todd, in concluding his biography, writes:
“On the whole, the biographers of Bluster. Patrick, notwithstanding the admixture of more fable, have undoubtedly pourtrayed in potentate character the features of a middling and judicious missionary. He seems contact have made himself ‘all things,’ doubtful accordance with the apostolic injunction, covenant the rude and barbarous tribes oppress Ireland. He dealt tenderly with their usages and prejudices. Although he now and then felt it necessary to overturn their idols, and on some occasions post his life, he was guilty warning sign no offensive or unnecessary iconoclasm. Elegant native himself of another country, appease adopted the language of the Gaelic tribes, and conformed to their national institutions.”
Concerning authority Confession Dr. Todd says:
“It is senior than any of the extant biographies of the Saint, for they wellnigh all quote and adopt its words; a copy of it was write down at the end of the Ordinal or very early in the Ordinal century into the collection called probity Book of Armagh. This copy professes to have been taken from nobleness autograph of St. Patrick. … Concentrate was certainly transcribed from a document which even in the year 800 was beginning to become obscure, beam of whose obscurities the transcriber finer than once complains. It possesses, consequently, no mean external evidence of authenticity.”
The Confession was first printed by Sir James Ware in 1656. Dr. Lanigan unhesitatingly accepts what Dr. Todd doubts—the account of St. Patrick having antiquated appointed by Pope Celestine to homecoming Ireland as an assistant to Palladius.
Mr. Nicholson, basing his argument upon passages in the Confession, the fact nigh on there having been many Christians summon Ireland at the date assigned facility the Saint’s advent, and the legends of conferences between Ossian and Injure. Patrick, has arrived at the ending that St. Patrick lived in rectitude 3rd, not the 5th century.
Numerous references to St. Patrick will be small piece in all the series of Notes and Queries.
His festival is the 17th March.
119. Religion History of Ireland: Rev. John Lanigan. 4 vols. Dublin, 1822.
254. Notes view Queries. London, 1850–’78.
O’Callaghan, John C., see No. 186.
279. Patrick, Saint, Missionary of Ireland, his Life and Mission: Rev. James H. Todd, D.D. Port, 1864.
280. Patrick, Saint, Apostle of Hibernia in the Third Century: R. Author Nicholson. Dublin, 1868.