Page:The most ancient lives of Saint Patrick - O'Leary.djvu/182

 living on earth, it was given to behold the King of Glory, whom the angels desire to behold face to face, and who was permitted to declare unto men what he had been taught from the lips of the Most Highest? And the Lord promised unto Patrick that He would hear his prayers, and that He would be his assistant in all his acts to be done by him. Therefore, being by the vision and by the divine colloquy strengthened unto the ministry enjoined to him of heaven and confided to him by our lord the Pope, he vehemently longed to complete the same, and speeded his journey toward Ireland with twenty men deputed unto his assistance by the Sovereign Pontiff, and who were renowned for their lives and for their wisdom. Yet turned he out of his way unto the blessed Germanus, from whom he received chalices, and priestly vestments, and many books, and other matters unto the divine worship and ministry pertaining.

When the blessed Patrick, speeding his journey toward Ireland; was about to embark with his disciples at a British port, a certain leper standing on the shore met the holy man, beseeching in the name of the Lord Jesus that he would carry him over in his ship. The man of God, abounding with the bowels of compassion, listened to the prayers of the poor leper; but the sailors and the others that were of the ship forbade him, saying that the vessel