But a certain man named Hercus, the son of Degha, who had heard many
things of Saint Patrick, rose up in the sight of all, and did him
honor. Therefore the prelate blessed him, and promised eternal life
unto him; and he, believing in God, received the grace of baptism, and,
leading his life renowned for virtues and for miracles, after a while
he was made a bishop, and died in the city of Slane.

CHAPTER XLII.

_How the Magician was Destroyed._

And there was in that place a certain magician named Lochu, who was
highly favored with the king, and he uttered blasphemies against the
Lord and his Christ. For being driven mad by the delusions of devils,
he declared himself to be a god; and the people, being dazzled with his
cheats, and stubbornly adhering to his pernicious doctrine, worshipped
him even as a deity. Therefore he continually blasphemed the ways of
the Lord, and those who were desirous to be converted from idolatry did
he labor to subvert in their faith, and to pervert from Christ. And
almost in the same manner as Simon Magus resisted Saint Peter did he
oppose Saint Patrick. And on a certain time, when he was raised from
the earth by the prince of darkness and the powers of the air, and the
king and the people beheld him as if ascending into the heavens, Saint
Patrick thus prayed unto the Lord: "O omnipotent God! destroy this
blasphemer of Thine holy name, nor let him hinder those who now return
or may hereafter return unto Thee!" And he prayed, and the magician
fell from the air to the earth at the feet of the man of God, and his
head was stricken against a stone, and, bruised and wounded, he
expired, and his spirit descended into hell.

CHAPTER XLIII.

_Of the Miraculous but Terrible Rescue of Saint Patrick._

But the king, being much grieved at the death of the magician, burned
with anger, and, with all the manifold multitude of his people, he
arose to destroy the saint. And he, beholding their violence, and
singing forth with a loud voice, began this verse from the Psalms: "Let
God arise, and let His enemies be scattered, and let them who hate His
face be put to confusion." Then the Lord, the protector of His chosen
ones in the time of need, saved from this multitude his faithful
servant; for, with a terrible earthquake, and with thundering and the
stroke of the thunderbolt, some he destroyed, some he smote to the
ground, and some he put to flight. Thus, as was said by the proph