lso St. Patrick was wont for to worship and do reverence unto all the
crosses devoutly that he might see, but on a time tofore the sepulchre
of a Paynim stood a fair cross, which he passed and went forth by as he
had not seen it, and he was demanded of his fellows why he saw not that
cross. And then he prayed to God he said for to know whose it was, and
he said he heard a voice under the earth saying: Thou sawest it not
because I am a Paynim that am buried here, and am unworthy that the sign
of the cross should stand there, wherefore he made the sign of the cross
to be taken thence. On a time as St. Patrick preached in Ireland the
faith of Jesu Christ, and did but little profit by his predication, for
he could not convert the evil, rude and wild people, he prayed to our
Lord Jesu Christ that he would show them some sign openly, fearful and
ghastful, by which they might be converted and be repentant of their
sins. Then, by the commandment of God, St. Patrick made in the earth a
great circle with his staff, and anon the earth after the quantity of
the circle opened and there appeared a great pit and a deep, and St.
Patrick by the revelation of God understood that there was a place of
purgatory, in to which whomsoever entered therein he should never have
other penance ne feel none other pain, and there was showed to him that
many should enter which should never return ne come again. And they that
should return should abide but from one morn to another, and no more,
and many entered that came not again. As touching this pit or hole which
is named St. Patrick's purgatory, some hold opinion that the second
Patrick, which was an abbot and no bishop, that God showed to him this
place of purgatory; but certainly such a place there is in Ireland
wherein many men have been, and yet daily go in and come again, and some
have had there marvellous visions and seen grisly and horrible pains, of
whom there be books made as of Tundale and others. Then this holy man
St. Patrick, the bishop, lived till he was one hundred and twenty-two
years old, and was the first that was bishop in Ireland, and died in
Aurelius Ambrose's time that was king of Britain. In his time was the
Abbot Columba, otherwise named Colinkillus, and St. Bride whom St.
Patrick professed and veiled, and she over-lived him forty years. All
these three holy saints were buried in Ulster, in the city of Dunence,
as it were in a cave with three chambers. Their bodies were found a