The Most Ancient Lives of Saint Patrick/The Life and Acts of St. Patrick/Chapter 109

The Tempest of the Sea is Composed.

While on a certain time Saint Patrick was preaching unto the heathens, for the sake of instructing and baptizing them, he made in that place a long stay. But his disciple Benignus was grieved thereat; and the saint declared that he would not depart until his disciples and pupils should arrive from foreign regions. And one day he beheld the sky to grow dark, and the ocean to be perturbed and shaken with a strong wind. Then the saint, covering his face for very sorrow, showed unto his attendants his sons which were born unto him in Christ laboring under grievous peril; and he was sorely afflicted for them, and feared he chiefly for his young pupil, the son of Erchus; but when every one said that the vessel could not endure so violent a storm, forthwith the saint betook himself unto prayer. And after a short space, even in the hearing of them all, he bade the winds and the waves, in the name of his God, to rest from their wrath. O wonderful event! and worthy of admiration. Forthwith the wind surceased, the ocean became silent, the tempest is appeased, and a great calm is made. And on that day the aforementioned brothers happily landed, and told unto all around what they had suffered from the elements which were turned unto their destruction, but afterward composed by the powerful prayers of the saint.