FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76  
77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   >>   >|  
s no fence, and the cow used to lick the calf and neither of them transgressed the mark. Now the milk of that cow used to be divided between the twelve bishops with their folk and their guests, and it was sufficient for them; _ut dixit_, Ciaran's Dun was wont to feed, three times fifty men in all; Guests and sick folk in their need, in soller and in dining-hall. The hide of the Dun is in Clonmacnois, and whatsoever soul parteth from its body from that hide [hath no portion in hell, and][18] dwelleth in eternal life. XVIII. THE ANGELS GRIND FOR CIARAN 13. Now there were the twelve bishops[19] of Ireland in the school of Findian in Cluain Iraird, _ut dixit_, Two Findians, holy Colums two, Ciaran, Cainnech, Comgall fair; Two Brenainns, Ruadan bright of hue, Ninned, Mo-Bi, Mac Natfraeich there. This was their rule, that every bishop[19] should grind at the quern on his day. But angels used to grind at the quern for Ciaran's sake on the day that was his. XIX. CIARAN AND THE KING'S DAUGHTER 14. The daughter of the King of Cualu was brought once upon a time to Findian to read her Psalms, after offering her virginity to God. Findian committed the maiden to Ciaran, so that it was with him that she used to read her Psalms. Now Ciaran saw naught of the body of the maiden, so long as they were together, save her feet only. As is verified in the stanza-- A maid, rich in stateliness with Ciaran there was reading; Of her form or shapeliness, he was all unheeding.[20] XX. HOW CIARAN HEALED THE LEPERS 15. There came then twelve lepers to Findian for their healing. Findian sent them to Ciaran. Ciaran welcomed them, and went with them westward from the cell, and tears a sod from the ground, so that a stream of pure water breaks forth from thence. He poured three waves of the water over each of them, so that they were healed forthwith. XXI. CIARAN AND THE STAG 16. Further, into that school there used to come a stag to Ciaran, and he would place his book on the horns of the stag. One day there Ciaran heard the bell. He arose suddenly at the sound of the bell, but still swifter was the arising of the stag, and it went off, with his book on its horns. Though that day and the following night were wet, and though the book was open, not a letter in it was moistened. The cleric arose on the morrow, and the stag came to him with his book uninjured. XVII. THE STORY O
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76  
77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Ciaran

 

Findian

 

CIARAN

 

twelve

 

school

 

Psalms

 
maiden
 

bishops

 

welcomed

 

healing


lepers
 

westward

 

transgressed

 

breaks

 

stream

 

verified

 

ground

 

stanza

 
shapeliness
 

reading


unheeding

 
LEPERS
 

stateliness

 

HEALED

 

poured

 
Though
 

arising

 
swifter
 

uninjured

 

morrow


cleric

 

letter

 

moistened

 

suddenly

 

healed

 

forthwith

 

Further

 
Colums
 

Cainnech

 

Findians


Guests
 
Cluain
 

Iraird

 
Comgall
 
Ninned
 
Brenainns
 

Ruadan

 

bright

 

Ireland

 

dwelleth