Henry Brooke - An Essay on the Antient and Modern State of Ireland

The various and most signal Blessings derived to this Nation, from the salutary Mission of this illustrious Saint, require, in Gratitude, our giving the Reader yet a further Account of the Author of such Happiness and Glory to Ireland .

He was born in the extreme Bounds of Britain , (in that Part thereof which is now comprehended within the Limits of the modern Scotland ) at a Village called Banaven , in the Territory of Tabernia , (as he himself saith in his Confession) in Vico Banaven Taberniæ , &c. He tells us that he was born of a good Family. Ingennuus fui secundum Carnem. His Father was Calphurnius , a Deacon, who was the Son of Potitus , a Priest; from whence may be clearly inferred that the Clergy were not restrained from Matrimony in that Age. He was just advanced into his sixteenth Year, when he was taken Captive, the Manner of which is thus related by St. Evin and others: His Father, Mother, Brother, and five Sisters, undertook a Voyage to Aremorick Gaul , (now called Bass Bretagne ) to visit the Relations of his Mother Couchessa . It happened about this Time, that the seven Sons of Factmude , a British Prince, were banished, and took to the Sea; that, making an Inroad into Aremorick Gaul , they took Patrick and his Sister, Lupita , (some say Tigrida also) Prisoners. They brought their Captives to the North of Ireland , and sold Patrick to Milcho Mac Huanan , a Prince of Dalaradia : Others tell the Story in a different Manner, and with a stronger Degree of Probability. That the Romans having deserted Britain , to preserve their own Country from the barbarous Incursions of the Northern Hive , the Irish made frequent Conquests, in North Britain especially, whence returning victorious, in one of those Expeditions among others brought Patrick Captive. But in this they all agree, and he himself confirms it, that he continued Prisoner in Ireland six Years; he was sold to Milcho and his three Brothers, which gave Occasion of his changing his Name into Cathraigh , or rather Ceathir-Tigh , because he served four Masters; Ceathir signifying four, and Tigh a House or Family. Milcho observing the Care and Diligence of his new Servant, bought out the Shares of his Brothers, and made him his own Property. He sent him to feed his Hogs on Sliev-Mis . And St. Patrick himself tells us his Behaviour in this Office.

“My constant Business was to feed the Hogs. I was frequent in Prayer; the Love and Fear of God more and more inflamed my Heart; my Faith was enlarged, and my Spirit augmented, so that I said an hundred Prayers by Day, and almost as many by Night. I arose before Day to my Prayers, in the Snow, in the Frost, and in the Rain, and yet I received no Damage; nor was I affected with Slothfulness; for then the Spirit of God was warm within me.” It was here he perfected himself in the Irish Language, the wonderful Providence of God visibly appearing in this Instance of his Captivity, that he should have the Opportunity in his tender Years of becoming well acquainted with the Language, Manners, and Dispositions of that People, to whom he was intended as a future Apostle. He continued six whole Years in Servitude, and in the seventh was released. There seems to have been a Law in Ireland for this Purpose, agreeable to the Institution of Moses , that a Servant should be released the seventh Year.

Having parted from his Master, after a great Variety of Distresses, he at length arrived to his Parents, who received him with extraordinary Joy; with these he remained two Years, and probably would much longer, had he not by a Vision been quickened to a more active and glorious Life. In this he thought he saw a Man coming to him from Ireland , whose Name was Victoricus , with a great Number of Letters; that he gave him one of them to read, in the Beginning of which were contained these Words, Vox-Hiberionacum , the Voice of the Irish : While he was reading this Letter, he thought the same Moment, that he heard the Voice of the Inhabitants who lived near the Wood of Foclut , in the Barony of Tyr-Awley , and County of Mayo , hard by the Western Sea, crying to him with an audible and distinct Voice, “We intreat thee, holy Youth, to come and walk among us.” He was greatly amazed at this Vision, and awoke; it animated him, however, to his future Studies and heavenly Progress; so far even, that he tells us himself, he thanked God, that after many Years he had dealt with the Irish , according to their crying out.

These early Scenes of this great Saint's Life, should, among many others, serve as lessons of Charity, Consideration, and Humility, to the Rich, the Great, the Proud, and the Wanton; who may recollect that, altho' he was well born, he was nevertheless, in the most vigorous Season of Life, a Slave and a Swine-Herd: Happy, though wretched Servitude! In which, his leisure Hours, mostly employed in Christian Confidence and Prayer, made him so signally the Favourite of Heaven, that from those cloudy Dawnings, he in Process of Time became a learned Doctor, a sanctified Missioner, a venerable Prelate, an eminent Primate, a national Apostle, and the bright Instructor of Kings! Such were the fruitful Rewards of uninterrupted unshaken Devotion, Piety, and Zeal! From this Time he formed the steady Resolution of converting the Irish ; and, the better to accomplish the heavenly Task, he undertook a laborious Journey to foreign Countries, to enrich his Mind with Learning and Experience.

He continued abroad thirty-five Years, pursuing his Studies under the Direction principally of his Mother's Uncle, St. Martin , Bishop of Tours , who had ordained him Deacon; and after his Death, partly with St. German , Bishop of Auxerre , (who ordained him a Priest, and called his Name Magonius , which was the third Name he was known by,) partly among a Colony of Hermits and Monks , in some Islands of the Tuscan Sea; and he employed a good Part of the Time in the City of Rome , among the Canons Regular of the Lateran Church: At length, having his Soul thoroughly tempered with religious Virtue, enlightened with the true Evangelical Faith, and his Understanding enlarged by the most profitable and edifying Studies, he arrived in Ireland about the 60th Year of his Age; and in the Year of our Lord 432, landed in the County of Wicklow , where he began his Ministry, by the Conversion of Sinel , a great Man in that Country, the Grandson of Finchad , who ought to be remembered, as he was the first Fruits of St. Patrick 's Mission in Ireland ; he was the 8th in lineal Descent from Cormac , King of Leinster , and came afterwards to be enumerated among the Saints of Ireland .

From this Country he sailed to an Island on the Coast of the County of Dublin , called after him Inis Phadring , and by the English , Holm Patrick at this Day, where he and his faithful Companions rested after their Fatigues. From Inis Phadring , he sailed Northward to that Part of Ulster called Ulidia , and put in at Inbherslaying Bay. When he and his Fellow Labourers landed, Dichu , the Son of Trichem , Lord of the County, being informed that they were Pirates, came out with armed Men in order to kill them: But being struck with the venerable Appearance of St. Patrick , he gave him Audience, and listened attentively to the Word of Life preached by him; he changed his wicked Purpose, believed, and was baptized, and brought over all his Family to the Faith: It is further observed of him, that he was the first Person in Ulster , who embraced Christianity. He dedicated the Land whereon his Conversion was wrought to the Service of God, where a Church was erected, changed after to an eminent Monastery. He travelled hence by Land to Clunebois in Dalaradia , to endeavour the Conversion of his old Master Milcho , whose Service he had left thirty-eight Years before; but this obstinate Prince, hearing of the great Success of St. Patrick 's preaching, and ashamed to be persuaded in his old Age, to forsake the Religion of his Ancestors, (by one especially who had been his Servant, in a most inferior Station,) made a funeral Pile of his House and Goods, and by the Instigation of the Enemy of Mankind, burned himself therein: Thus ended Milcho McHuanan .