Page:The most ancient lives of Saint Patrick - O'Leary.djvu/136

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at the cross by the door of Patrick's house. What Patrick said when it was told to him was: "My debroth, there will be abundance of food and ale and prosperity in this city after us."

Once the angels went, and took from off the road the stone which was before the chariot, and its name is Lec-na-naingel. It was from that place—i.e., from Druim-Chaile—that Patrick with his two hands blessed the macha. The way in which Patrick measured the rath—i.e., the angel before him, and Patrick behind, with his people, and with the holy men of Eriu, and the Bachall Isa in Patrick's hand. And he said that great would be the crime of any one who would transgress in it, as the reward would be great of such as fulfilled the will of God in it.

The way in which Patrick measured the ferta was thus, viz., one hundred and forty feet in the lis, and twenty feet in the great house, and seventeen feet in the kitchen, and seven feet in the chamber; and it was thus he always constructed the establishment.

The angel went to Patrick in Ard-Macha. "This day," said he, "the relics of the apostles are distributed in Rome throughout the four parts of the globe; and it would be becoming in you that you should go there." And the angel bore Patrick in the air. At the southern cross, in Aenach-Macha, it was that four chariots were brought to Patrick; at the northern cross, moreover, it was that God manifested to him the form he will have in the Day of Judgment. And he went in one day to Comur-tri-nuisce. He left Sechnall in the episcopacy with the men of Eriu until the ship would come which would bear him from the shore of Letha.

Patrick went subsequently, and arrived at Ro