Page:Faoistin naoṁ-Ṗadraig (1906).djvu/87

Rh help of God it so happened. Lo, a herd of swine appeared in the way before our eyes, and they slew many of them, and they remained there two nights, and they were well fed, and their dogs got their fill, for many of them were left half dead by the way. And after this they gave highest thanks to God, and I was honoured in their sight, and from that day they had food in abundance. They also found wild honey and offered me a portion thereof. And one of them said, This is offered in sacrifice. Thank God I tasted none of it.

20. Now, on that same night I lay sleeping and Satan tempted me strongly, so that I shall remember it as long as I am in this body. And there fell upon me, as it were, a huge rock, and I had no power over my limbs. But whence did it come into my mind to call out "Elias"? And thereupon I saw the sun rise in the heavens, and while I was crying out "Elias" with all my strentghstrength [sic], lo, the splendour of that sun fell upon me, and immediately shook all weight from off me. And I believe that I was assisted by Christ my Lord, and that His spirit was even then crying aloud on my behalf. And I hope that so it will be in the day of my distress as He saith in the Gospel: In that day, the Lord testifies, it is not ye that speak hut the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.

21. And again, after many years, I was taken captive. And so on that first night I remained with them. Now I heard a Divine response saying to me: "Thou shalt be with them for two months." And so it fell out. On the sixtieth night after that the Lord delivered me out of their hands.

22. And lo, He provided for us, on the way, food and fire and dry resting place daily, until, on the tenth day, we came to where people were. As I mentioned above, we travelled through a desert for twenty-eight