hodonosor
plainly prophesied the coming of Christ, and since the devils that bore
testimony to the Son of God. But when they said that he should from
his table sing forth wickedness, evidently doth it appear that he who
never stood on the truth, but who from the beginning was a liar and the
father of lies, did in his blasphemy utter these things through their
mouths.

CHAPTER XXXII.

_How a Fierce Dog was suddenly Tamed; of the Conversion of Dichu; and
how a Fountain rose out of the Earth._

But the chief King of Ireland, named Leogaire, the son of Neyll,
recollecting the prophecy, gave command unto his subjects that as soon
as Patrick should land they should forthwith expel him from the
country. And the saint, being then in the harbor called Innbherslan,
went alone out of the ship, and immediately the people, infidel and
dog-like in their manners, excited a very fierce dog to bite him even
unto death. But the dog, being at the sight of the man of God entirely
stiffened like a stone, stood fixed and without motion, plainly showing
that the worshippers of stones were like unto the gods which they
worshipped. The which, when a certain man named Dichu, who was
powerful of strength, gigantic of stature, and savage of mind, beheld,
he brandished his sword to destroy the saint. But the Lord interposed
His protecting arm, and all his strength withered in him, and he
entirely stiffened, so that he could move neither his foot to go
forward nor his hand to strike. And he, experiencing in himself such a
miracle, suddenly is changed into another man, and from proud becoming
humble, mild from fierce, from an infidel a believer, he is, with all
his household, at the preaching of Patrick, baptized in the Christian
faith. Thus he who had been in that country its first and principal
opposer became its first professor, and even to his latest age
continued its most devoted follower. And as his soul was loosed from
the chains of sin, so were his limbs loosed from their heaviness, and
all their strength was restored unto him. Behold, therefore, the
miracle which the Book of Kings relates to have been formerly wrought
on Jeroboam did Patrick more profitably renew on Dichu; for when that
king was sacrificing unto idols, and stretched out his hand to seize on
the prophet who was reproving him, forthwith his arm stiffened, which
on his repentance the prophet healed, yet did not he when healed
forsake his error; but Dichu, for