the sea. Then they remembered it and on remembrance they were
much distressed. Declan was very sorrowful that the gift sent him by the
Lord from heaven should have been forgotten in a place where he never
expected to find it again. Thereupon raising his eyes heavenward he
prayed to God within his heart and he said to his followers:--"Lay aside
your sorrow for it is possible with God who sent that bell in the
beginning to send it now again by some marvellous ship." Very fully and
wonderfully and beautifully the creature without reason or understanding
obeyed its creator, for the very heavy unwieldy rock floated buoyantly
and without deviation, so that in a short time they beheld it in their
rear with the bell upon it. And when his people saw this wondrous thing
it filled them with love for God and reverence for their master. Declan
thereupon addressed them prophetically:--"Permit the bell to precede you
and follow it exactly and whatsoever haven it will enter into it is there
my city and my bishopric will be whence I shall go to paradise and there
my resurrection will be." Meantime the bell preceded the ship, and it
eased down its great speed remaining slightly in advance of the ship, so
that it could be seen from and not overtaken by the latter. The bell
directed its course to Ireland until it reached a harbour on the south
coast, scil.:--in the Decies of Munster, at an island called, at that
time, High Sheep Island [Aird na gCcaorac] and the ship made the same
port, as Declan declared. The holy man went ashore and gave thanks and
praise to God that he had reached the place of his resurrection. Now, in
that island depastured the sheep belonging to the wife of the chieftain
of Decies and it is thence that it derives its Irish name--Ard-na-
Ccaorac, scil.:--there was in it a high hill and it was a promontory
beautiful to behold. One of the party, ascending the summit of the hill,
said to Declan:--"How can this little height support your people?"
Declan replied:--"Do not call it little hill, beloved son, but 'great
height' [ard mor]," and that name has adhered to the city ever since,
scil.:--Ardmore-Declain. After this Declan went to the king of the Desii
and asked of him the aforesaid island. Whereupon the king gave it to
him.

20. Declan next returned to Ait-mBreasail where, in a haven at the north
side, were the shipping and boats of the island, plying thither and
backwards. The people of the island hid al