Volume 1

The whole works of Sir James Ware concerning Ireland : revised and improved. ... Written in Latin ... newly translated into English ... and continued ... / by Walter Harris, Esq ; in two volumes.

  • James Ware
Date:
1764
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The whole works of Sir James Ware concerning Ireland : revised and improved. ... Written in Latin ... newly translated into English ... and continued ... / by Walter Harris, Esq ; in two volumes. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    27/738 (page 3)
    THE LIFE O F St. P A T R I C K. If I be not an Apoftle unto others, yet doubtlefs I au to you ; for the Seal of mine Apoftlefhip are ye in the Lord. i Cor. Cb. 9. v. 2. HIS Primitive Bi{hop was a Perfon of fuch exemplary Piety, and Virtue ; and his Labours and Succefs, in converting this, once pagan and barbarous Nation, to Chriftianity, were fo wonderful and ufeful •, that the Adtions of his Life were v/orthy of being tranfmitted to Pofterity by the moft faithful and able Pen ; But unhappily this Talk hath fallen into the moil weak and injudicious Hands *, who have crouded it with fuch numberlefs Fidtions, and monftrous Fables ; that, like the Legends of King Arthur, they would almoft tempt one to doubt of the reality of the Perfon. It is obfervable, that (as the pureft Streams flow always neareft to the Fountain) fo, among the many Writers of the Life of this Prelate, thofe, who lived neareft to his Time, have had the greateft Re¬ gard to Truth, and have been moft fparing in recounting his Miracles. Thus Fiech, Bifhop of Sletty, * and Contemporary with our Saint, comprehended the moft material Events of his Life, in an Irifh Hymn, of thirty four Stanzas ; which, tranflated literally into Latin, hath been fince publifhed with the Irifh by John Colgan a. But in procefs of Time, as the Writers of his Life increafed, fo his Miracles were multiplied (efpecially in the dark Ages) untill at laft they exceeded all Bounds of Credibility. Thus Probus, a Writer of the iofFAge, out-did all who went before him j but he himfelf was far out-done by Joceline, a Monk of * Sletty, or, as antiently called, Slelte, is now a ruined Church, but was formerly an antient Epif- copal See, of which St. Fiech was the firft Bilhop. It Hands in the Barony of Slieu-Margie, in the Territory of Lets, now the Queen s-County, about a Mile Northward of Carlow. The Epiicopal See was tranflated from hence to Leighlin but when, I am not certain. a Trias Thaum. p. 1. A 2 Fumes3