Page:The most ancient lives of Saint Patrick - O'Leary.djvu/94

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which you may be; and you shall be subject to insult and contumely in every assembly in which you may be." "Arise, O Conall!" said Patrick, "that you may assume the bachall." Conall said, "If it please thee, I shall do so." "That shall not be," said Patrick; "but I will support thy valor, and will give comarbs to thy race, and thou shall be the Conall Sciath-bachall. The palm of laics and clerics shall be from thee; and every one of thy descendants in whose shield the sign of my bachall shall be will not be subdued."

All this Patrick did to him. He went eastwards into the territory of Hy-Fiachrach, by the sea. A water opposed his passage—i.e., there was an unusually large rock in it—and he cursed it. On the water there is a place, Buaile-Patrick is its name—i.e., a little mound—with a cross there, where Patrick rested a short time. Then the holy bishop, Bron of Caisel-Irra, and the holy Mac Rime of Cill-Corcaraidhe; and there he wrote an alphabet for him; and I have heard from another that in the said place he gave a tooth from his jaw to Bishop Bron, for he was dear to Patrick. Immediately on coming from the west, across the Muaidh, into Gregraighe, he met three virulent druids at Rath-Righbhaird, who were able to do nothing to him; and he said that there never would be wanting of this people a man of such magical knowledge.

Mac Erca, the son of Draighen, who is in Cill-roe-mor, in the territory of Hy-Amhalgadha. Patrick baptized the seven sons of Draighen, and he selected of them Mac Erca, and gave him to Bishop Bron to be fostered; for it would not be easy to take him far away, in consequence of the love of his father for him.

Patrick marked out the site of Caisel-Irra, and the flag