The Legends of Saint Patrick | Page 3

and Benedictus, who told him
of their master's failure, and of his death at Fordun. Succath then
obtained consecration from Amathus, a neighbouring bishop, and as
Patricius, went straight to Ireland. He landed near the town of Wicklow,
by the estuary of the River Varty, which had been the landing-place of
Palladius. In that region he was, like Palladius, opposed; but he made
some
conversions, and advanced with his work northward that he
might reach the home of his old master, Milcho, and pay him the
purchasemoney of his stolen freedom. But Milcho, it is said, burnt
himself and his goods rather than bear the shame of submission to the
growing power of his former slave.
St. Patrick addressed the ruling classes, who could bring with them
their followers, and he joined tact with his zeal; respecting ancient
prejudices, opposing nothing that was not directly hostile to the spirit of
Christianity, and handling skilfully the chiefs with whom he had to deal.
An early convert--Dichu MacTrighim--was a chief with influential
connections, who gave the ground for the religious house now known
as Saul. This chief satisfied so well the inquiries of Laeghaire, son of
Niall, King of Erin, concerning the stranger's movements, that St.
Patrick took ship for the mouth of the Boyne, and made his way
straight to the king himself. The result of his energy was that he met
successfully all the opposition of those who were concerned in the
maintenance of old heathen worship, and brought King Laeghaire to his
side.
Then Laeghaire resolved that the old laws of the country as established
by the judges, whose order was named Brehon, should be revised, and
brought into accord with the new teaching. So the Brehon laws of
Ireland were revised, with St. Patrick's assistance, and there were no
ancient customs broken or altered, except those that could not be
harmonised with Christian teaching. The good sense of St. Patrick
enabled this great work to be done without offence to the people. The
collection of laws thus made by the chief lawyers of the time, with the

assistance of St. Patrick, is known as the "Senchus Mor," and, says an
old poem -
"Laeghaire, Corc Dairi, the brave;
Patrick, Beuen, Cairnech, the just;

Rossa, Dubtach, Fergus, the wise;
These are the nine pillars of the
Senchus Mor."
This body of laws, traditions, and treatises on law is found in no
manuscript of a date earlier than the fourteenth century. It includes,
therefore, much that is of later date than the fifth century.
St. Patrick's greatest energies are said to have been put forth in Ulster
and Leinster. Among the churches or religious communities founded by
him in Ulster was that of Armagh. If he was born about the year 405,
when he was carried to Ireland as a prisoner at the age of sixteen the
date would have been 421. His age would have been twenty-two when
he escaped, after six or seven years of captivity, and the date 427. A
year at home, and four years with Germanus at Auxerre, would bring
him to the age of twenty-seven, and the year 432, when he began his
great endeavour to put Christianity into the main body of the Irish
people. That work filled all the rest of his life, which was long. If we
accept the statement, in which all the old records agree, that the time of
Patrick's labour in Ireland was not less than sixty years; sixty years
bring him to the age of eighty-eight in the year 493. And in that year he
died.
The "Letter to Coroticus," ascribed to St. Patrick, is addressed to a petty
king of Brittany who persecuted Christians, and was meant for the
encouragement of Christian soldiers who served under him. It may,
probably, be regarded as authentic. The mass of legend woven into the
life of the great missionary lies outside this piece and the "Confession."
The "Confession" only expresses heights and depths of religious feeling
haunted by impressions and dreams, through which, to the fervid nature
out of which they sprang heaven seemed to speak. St. Patrick did not
attack heresies among the Christians; he preached to those who were
not Christians the Christian faith and practice. His great influence was
not that of a writer, but of a speaker. He must have been an orator,

profoundly earnest, who could put his soul into his voice; and, when his
words bred deeds, conquered all difficulties in the way of action with
right feeling and good sense.
HENRY MORLEY.
TO THE MEMORY