Page:The ancient Irish church.djvu/22

 language, and two short works in Latin said to have been written by this famous man. In one of these, his Confession, he gives a short epitome of his life. In the other, his Epistle to Coroticus, he pleads with a Welsh prince for the liberation of some slaves who had been carried into captivity on the very day of their baptism. The Latin of these two documents is rude and archaic. The quotations from Scripture are numerous, and they show that the writer was not acquainted with Jerome's translation, but employed one of those older Latin versions which were in use before the so-called Vulgate had obtained general acceptance. Both these considerations form a strong presumption in favour of the age and authenticity of these writings; and the presumption is further strengthened by the fact that they differ most essentially from the compositions of succeeding centuries, in the entire absence of the miraculous and the marvellous. These works, therefore, must be our principal guide in ascertaining the facts of Patrick's life.

We learn from the Confession that the hardships of his captivity were regarded by him as a just punishment for his sins, 'I knew not the true God,' he says, 'and was led away captive into Ireland with many thousand men, according to our deserts; because we had gone back from God, and had not kept His commandments, and were not obedient to our priests, who used to admonish us for our salvation; and the Lord brought upon us the anger of His indignation, and scattered us among many nations, even to the ends of the earth.'