d the ship floated tranquilly and safely until it reached harbour
in England. Upon its abandonment by Declan and his disciples the ship
turned back and went again to the place from which it had come and the
people who saw the miracles and heard of them magnified the name of
the Lord and Declan, and the words of the prophet David were
verified:--"Mirabilis Deus in Sanctis Suis [Psalm 67(68):36] (God is
wonderful in His Saints)."

13. After this Declan came to Ireland. Declan was wise like a serpent
and gentle like a dove and industrious like the bee, for as the bee
gathers honey and avoids the poisonous herbs so did Declan, for he
gathered the sweet sap of grace and Holy Scripture till he was filled
therewith. There were in Ireland before Patrick came thither four holy
bishops with their followers who evangelized and sowed the word of God
there; these are the four:--Ailbe, Bishop Ibar, Declan, and Ciaran.
They drew multitudes from error to the faith of Christ, although it was
Patrick who sowed the faith throughout Ireland and it is he who turned
chiefs and kings of Ireland to the way of baptism, faith and sacrifice
and everlasting judgment.

14. These three, scil.:--Declan, Ailbe and Bishop Ibar made a bond of
friendship and a league amongst themselves and their spiritual posterity
in heaven and on earth for ever and they loved one another. SS. Ailbe
and Declan, especially, loved one another as if they were brothers
so that, on account of their mutual affection they did not like to be
separated from one another--except when their followers threatened to
separate them by force if they did not go apart for a very short
time. After this Declan returned to his own country--to the Decies of
Munster--where he preached, and baptized, in the name of Christ, many
whom he turned to the Catholic faith from the power of the devil. He
built numerous churches in which he placed many of his own followers to
serve and worship God and to draw people to God from the wiles of Satan.

15. Once on a time Declan came on a visit to the place of his birth,
where he remained forty days there and established a religious house in
which devout men have dwelt ever since. Then came the seven men we have
already mentioned as having made their abode around Magh Sgiath and as
having prophesied concerning Declan. They now dedicated themselves and
their establishment to him as they had promised and these are their
names:--Mocellac and Riadan, Colman, La