Page:The most ancient lives of Saint Patrick - O'Leary.djvu/163



On a certain promontory overhanging the aforementioned town of Empthor was erected a fort, the ruins of whose walls may yet be traced. And the governor thereof had reduced the nurse of Saint Patrick under the yoke of slavery, and compelled her to be a servant unto him. And among other servile works enjoined to her, he had commanded her to clean with shovels all the offices within the fort, and to carry forth the soil from the stables. But the woman, having an ingenuous mind, and understanding that all power was from God, and that all things were ordained of God, made of her necessity a virtue, and patiently bore the servitude imposed on her. Then the boy Patrick, compassionating his nurse's affliction, besought the Lord that he would vouchsafe to set her free from the labor of this servile work; and behold, as he prayed, all the dwelling-places therein were cleansed without an human hand, and neither within nor without could any remains of the soil be found. And the governor and all who saw or heard this miracle marvelled; and the nurse was released from slavery through the merits of her foster-child. Nor is this miracle beheld only at stated seasons, or once in every year; for even to this day does it appear to be continued. And the dwellers and the neighbors bear witness that if within the precincts of the fort as many cattle as the place could hold were gathered to abide there together, not even the least portion of soil could therein be found. And the place, being in the Valley of Clud, is called in the language of that people Dunbreatan&mdash;that is, the Mountain of the Britons; and the miracle cannot be unknown to those who