Page:The most ancient lives of Saint Patrick - O'Leary.djvu/206

 fire is sought out. Then with the agreement of all, and Patrick and the evil-doer consenting, in a new manner a new house is builded, whereof the one-half is made of wood which was green, the other of wood which was dry and eaten of worms; and the boy Benignus and the magician, each being bound hand and foot, are placed over against each other, the boy, arrayed in the magician's garment, is placed in the dry part of the building, and the magician, clothed in the robe of Saint Patrick, is placed in the green part, and the fire is put thereto. And behold an event marvellous and much unwonted! The fire, furiously raging, consumed the magician, even to ashes, with the green part of the building wherein he stood; and the robe of the saint wherewith he was clad was neither scorched nor soiled; but the blessed youth Benignus, standing in the dry part thereof, the fire touched not, yet reduced to a cinder the garment of the magician that wrapped him round. Behold, therefore, herein repeated the miracles which are recorded in the Holy Writ, as when the three youths were cast into the furnace, the fire burned only their bonds, and hurted not themselves; so destroyed it the magician, with the green part of the house, yet hurted not the vest of Patrick, and, leaving the boy with the dry part of the house uninjured, it consumed the garment of the evil-doer.

But the heart of Leogaire was hardened, as was formerly the heart of Pharao before Moses against the commands