The Most Ancient Lives of Saint Patrick/The Life and Acts of St. Patrick/Chapter 146

The Testimony of One who was revived from Death.

And even unto the evening of his days did the saint continue his wonted labor and his accustomed work; sowing the field of the Lord with the seed of the divine word, from the fruit whereof he might gather eternal life. This the devoted ones of Satan perceiving and envying, they gnashed with their teeth, and one to the other they said in their malice: "What shall we do? This man, the destroyer of our gods, the persecutor, nay the extirpator of our sect, worketh many miracles; if we let him go thus, all the people of Hibernia through him will believe in his God, and the Christians will come and they will remove our laws." Then took they counsel together, how they should destroy him with their snares, and under the pretence of justice bring him unto the death. And a certain woman was washing flax nigh unto the place where the saint was to pass; and her they directed to hide much of the flax in a hollow tree, and when the saint and his company passed by to accuse him as of the theft. And the woman did according as she was induced, nay rather as she was seduced; and loudly crying out, called these children of Belial, and with wicked tongue accused him thereof. And they, as before they had contrived, rushed forth from their hiding-place, and seized the saint and his disciples as robbers, and exclaimed that they were guilty unto the death. And in the place where this accursed band were gathered together, was a tomb, and therein a man was buried. Him did Saint Patrick, having first prayed, awaken from the sleep of death; and by the virtue of the truth, which is God, commanded that he should bear true witness of this their accusation. And the revived man, openly protesting the innocence of the saint and of his disciples, exposed the deceits of these wicked ones, and showed in the presence of all where they had concealed the flax. Thus was Saint Patrick and his people marvellously freed from the hands of the destroyers, and his blood was in that day preserved, and brought salvation to many which were evil-doers: for they who had contrived the death of the herald of life, were by this miracle converted unto God and obtained his mercy.