The Most Ancient Lives of Saint Patrick/The Life and Acts of St. Patrick/Chapter 99

The Saint Prophesieth of the Obstinate Fergus and of his Children.

And the saint came unto Assul, which was within the territories of Midia, where it seemed good to him in a fitting place to build a church. But a certain wicked man, named Fergus, who therein dwelled, was to him an especial hindrance, that he might not accomplish his purpose. Then the saint, willing to express the hard-heartedness of this man rather by signs than by words, with the staff of Jesus made the sign of the cross on a stone there placed, and immediately the surface of the stone appeared divided into four parts, and showed the form of the cross thereon portrayed. Yet did this man, stiff-necked, and of heart more hard than stone, refuse to be melted unto penitence; but his wife, who was then in travail, entreated pardon of the saint, and fell at his feet. And the saint, beholding him thus hardened in perverseness, spake unto him with prophetic voice: "Even thus, had it so willed, could the power of God have dissolved thee at the word of my mouth. But since thou canst not, nay, wilt not, believe, though the long-suffering of God hath led thee unto repentance, shalt thou, according to thine impenitent heart and the hardness of thine obstinacy, treasure up stores of wrath which right soon shall come upon thee.  Quickly shall God consume thee from the face of the earth, nor shall any of thy seed reign ever in this land, nor in any other land shall they prosper, save only the infant alone which thy wife now beareth in her womb, for on him shall my blessing come." And all these things which were prophesied of the lips of the saint unto the father and unto the offspring did happen.