n to a blind, flat-faced
man to be baptized. Gornias was the priest's name; and he had no water
out of which he could perform the baptism until he made the sign of the
cross over the ground with the infant's hand, when a fountain of water
burst forth. Gornias washed his face, and his eyes were opened to him;
and he, who had learned no letter, read the baptism. God wrought three
miracles through Patrick in this place--viz., the fountain of water
through the ground, his eyesight to the blind man, and his reading the
_ordo_ of the baptism without knowing a letter up to that time. And
Patrick was subsequently baptized. A church was founded, moreover,
over this well in which Patrick was baptized; and the well is at the
altar, and it has the form of the cross, as the learned report.

Many prodigies and miracles were wrought through Patrick in his youth,
but we shall only relate a few out of many of them. One time Patrick
was in his nurse's house, in winter time, when a great flood and rain
filled his nurse's residence, so that the vessels and furniture of the
house were floating about, and the fire was extinguished. Patrick then
cried to his nurse, as usual with children when desiring food. Then
his nurse said to him: "That is not what troubles us; there is
something else we would rather do than to prepare food for thee; even
the fire is extinguished." When Patrick heard these words, truly, he
sought a certain spot in the house to which the water had not reached;
and he dipped his hand in the water, and five drops fell from Patrick's
fingers, and they were suddenly changed into five sparks, and the fire
glowed, and the water rose not. The names of God and of Patrick were
magnified thereby. Another time, as Patrick was playing amongst his
companions, in the time of winter and cold in particular, he collected
his armful of pieces of ice, which he brought home to his nurse. Then
his nurse said: "It would be better for you to bring us withered
brambles to warm ourselves with than what you have brought." Thereupon
he said to his nurse:

"Believe thou, because God is powerful thereto, that even the sheets of
ice will burn like faggots." And no sooner were the pieces of ice
placed on the fire, and he had breathed on them, than they burned like
faggots. The names of God and Patrick were magnified through this
miracle.

One time, when Patrick and his sister (_i.e._, Lupait) were herding
sheep, the lambs came suddenly