Page:A View of the State of Ireland - 1809.djvu/353

 as forty yeares, bestoing all that time in prayer and study of eloquence and holy Scriptures. Then at the age of threescore and two yeares, being renowned through the Latine Church for his wisdome, vertue, and skill, hee came home to Rome, recommended with letters from the French Bishops, to Pope Celestine, to whom he uttered his full mind, and the secret vow which long since he had conceived touching Ireland. The Pope invested him Archbishop and Primate of the whole Hand, blessed him, commaunded publique prayer and fasting, brought him and his disciples onward on the voyage. Therefore in the twentie third yeare of Theodosius the younger, which was the yeare of our Lord 430. Patricke landed in Ireland: and because he spake the tongue plentifully, being a reverent personage, he tooke holy Bible, adding thereto diverse miracles in the Name & vertue of whom he preached: many listened unto him, namely such as in the late entertainement of Palladius and Albius the Irish Bishops his Disciples, had some little feeling in the Gospell. In continuance, hee wanne the better part of that Kingdome, except Laigirus himselfe sonne of Neale the great Monarch, who (notwithstanding hee relyed nothing to the Gospell yet) because hee stopped not the course thereof, nor forbid any that list to embrace it, the Bishop denounced to him a curse from God, accordingly tempered ith mercy and judgement, that during his life hee should bee victorious, but after him, neither the Kingdome should stand, nor