The Most Ancient Lives of Saint Patrick/The Life and Acts of St. Patrick/Chapter 184

How he passed the Night Season.

And in a wondrous manner dividing the night season, thus did this wakeful guardian and laborer in the Lord's vineyard distinguish that also. For in the earliest part thereof having with two hundred genuflexions and one hundred psalms praised God, then applied he unto study and in the latter part, he plunged himself into cold water, and raising his heart, his voice, his eyes, and his hands towards heaven, offered he one hundred and fifty prayers. Afterward he stretched himself on a bare stone, and of another stone making a pillow, he rested his most sanctified body with a short sleep; or, that more clearly we may speak, he refreshed himself unto the labor of his continual conflict. With such rest indulging, he girded his loins with roughest hair-cloth, the which had been dipped in cold water; lest haply the law of the flesh, warring in his members against the law of the Spirit, should excite any spark of the old leaven. Thus did Saint Patrick with spare and meagre food, and with the coarsest clothing, offer himself a holy and living sacrifice, acceptable unto God; nor suffered he the enemy to touch in him the walls of Jerusalem, but he inflicted on his own flesh the penance of perpetual barrenness; and that he should not bring forth children which might hereafter be worthy of death, made he his spirit fruitful of abundant fruit.