Page:The most ancient lives of Saint Patrick - O'Leary.djvu/300

 besought their liberation, and once again found he him a new Pharao. Then the saint spat on a stone by chance before them lying, and for the softening, the reproving, and the confounding of his hard-heartedness, the stone immediately splitted in three parts. But Tremeus becoming the more hardened by that which should have softened him, forthwith ascended his chariot, and scorning and rejecting the prayer of the saint, commanded these slaves to be afflicted with yet severer toil. Wherefore the Lord suffering not that this insult to Patrick, the second Moses, should go unavenged, now punished the contemner of his servant, even as formerly he punished Pharao and his host; for the horses which were yoked to the chariot of Tremeus, rushing forward, plunged into a neighboring lake, and drowned in its waters the chariot and him who sat therein. Then, this child of Belial being so destroyed, Saint Patrick without hindrance freed these afflicted men brought out of the house of bondage, and gave unto them their long-desired freedom.

The blessed Patrick purposed to build a church in a place sufficiently fair and fitting, which is now called Ludha. But an angel appearing unto him, enjoined that he should desist therefrom, saying; "Soon shall a servant of the Lord arrive from Britain, named Moccheus, who for the sake of God deserting his country and his parents, shall come into Hibernia; and in this place shall he build and dwell, and finish his days in piety." Then the saint obeying the angel,