rejoicing and giving thanks, received him as the angel of peace and of
delight, and opened the ears of his hearing unto the words of
salvation, and, through the laver of the regeneration and renovation of
the Holy Spirit, deserved he to be incorporated with Christ. Whereby
are we plainly showed that the Heavenly Potter out of the same clay can
form at His will one vessel unto reproof and another unto honor. Then
Conallus, being comforted and confirmed in the Catholic verity, offered
unto the saint his dwelling-house, and his land, and his farm, and
besought of him with many prayers that for the spreading of the
Christian faith he there would build a city for him and for his people;
and he said he would build a habitation for himself on the borders
thereof. And the saint, praising so great charity in his novice, lest
he should seem to reject his entreaty, builded there a city, which is
now called Domnhach Phadruig--that is, the City of Patrick; and
touching it with his staff, he marked out the dwelling-place of
Conallus, which is now called Rathyr-tair. And the saint blessed him
in the name of the Lord; and among other things which were to happen
unto him, thus did he prophesy: "Happy and prosperous shall be this
dwelling-place, and happy shall be they who dwell therein; nor shall
the blood of any man, save only one, be shed in it; and the Lord,
giving His blessing, shall bless thee, and He shall confirm thy throne
and multiply thine empire, and the seed of thy brother shall serve thy
seed for ever and ever." And all these things which the saint
prophesied were not in the event disproved.

CHAPTER LV.

_Of the Altar of Saint Patrick._

And it was near to the heart of the saint to visit Connactia; and
chiefly for the vision which he had heretofore beheld in his sleep,
wherein he was called by the infants of that country, even in their
mothers' wombs, he desired there to evangelize the kingdom of God. And
he purposed to travel round the whole island, that he might convert it
unto Christ; and the saint, being prepared to his journey, blessed
Conallus, and in memorial of himself he left in the aforementioned city
his altar of stone, for the relieving of the sick and for the working
of miracles; but when he proceeded on his journey, the altar followed,
nor to the eyes of any man was it visible how it was carried; but, as I
account, it was carried along the path of the saint by the power and
the virtue of Him a