nunc foras,
et cito moriatur. Et his dictis elevatus est magus in aera et iterum
desuper cito dejectus sparso ad lapidem cerebro comminutus et mortus
fuerat coram eis." The pagans became afraid at this. But the king was
much infuriated against Patrick, and he determined to kill him. He
told his people to slay the cleric. When Patrick observed this
thing--the rising up against him of the pagans--he cried out with a
loud voice, and said: "Et exurget Deus et dissipentur inimici ejus, et
fugiant qui oderunt eum a facie ejus, sicut defecit fumus deficit sic
deficiant sicut fluit caera a facie ignis; sic pereint peccatorus facie
Domini." Immediately darkness went over the sun, and great shaking and
trembling of the earth occurred. They thought it was heaven that fell
upon the earth; and the horses started off, frightened, and the wind
blew the chariots across the plains, and all rose against each other in
the assembly; and they were all attacking each other, so that fifty men
of them fell in this commotion through Patrick's malediction. The
Gentiles fled in all directions, so that only three remained--viz.,
Laeghaire, and his queen, and a man of his people; et timuerunt valde,
veniensque regina ad Patricium (_i.e._, Angass, daughter of Tassagh,
son of Liathan), dixit: "Ei homo juste et potens ne perdas regem. The
king will go to thee, and will submit to thee, and will kneel, and will
believe in God." Laeghaire went then, and knelt before Patrick, and
gave him a "_false peace_." Not long after this, the king beckoned
Patrick aside, and what he meditated was to kill him; but this happened
not, because God had manifested this intention to Patrick. Laeghaire
said to Patrick, "Come after me, O cleric! to Tara, that I may believe
in thee before the men of Erinn"; and he then placed men in ambush
before Patrick in every pass from Ferta-fer-fec to Tara, that they
might kill him. But God did not permit it. Patrick went, accompanied
by eight young clerics (maccleirech), and Benen as a _gilla_, along
with them; and Patrick blessed them before going, and a _dicheltair_
(garment of invisibility) went over them, so that not one of them was
seen. The Gentiles who were in the ambuscades, however, saw eight wild
deer going past them along the mountain, and a young fawn after them,
and a pouch on his shoulder--viz., Patrick, and his eight [clerics],
and Benen after them, and his (Patrick's) _polaire_ (satchel, or
epistolary) on