wers. Some of his early biographers have been charged with
an excess of credulity on this point. But were this the place or time
for such a discussion, it might easily be shown that miracles were to be
expected when a nation was first evangelized, and that their absence
should be rather a matter of surprise than their frequency or
marvellousness. He who alone could give the commission to preach, had
promised that "greater things" than He Himself did should be done by
those thus commissioned. And after all, what greater miracle could there
be than that one who had been enslaved, and harshly, if not cruelly
treated, should become the deliverer of his enslavers from spiritual
bondage, and should sacrifice all earthly pleasures for their eternal
gain? Nor is the conversion of the vast multitude who listened to the
preaching of the saint, less marvellous than those events which we
usually term the most supernatural.

The saint's greatest success was in the land[128] of Tirawley, near the
town of Foclut, from whence he had heard the voice of the Irish even in
his native land. As he approached this district, he learned that the
seven sons of King Amalgaidh were celebrating a great festival. Their
father had but lately died, and it was said these youths exceeded all
the princes of the land in martial courage and skill in combat. St.
Patrick advanced in solemn procession even into the very midst of the
assembly, and for his reward obtained the conversion of the seven
princes and twelve thousand of their followers. It is said that his life
was at this period in some danger, but that Endeus, one of the converted
princes, and his son Conall, protected him.[129] After seven years spent
in Connaught, he passed into Ulster; there many received the grace of
holy baptism, especially in that district now comprised in the county
Monaghan.

It was probably about this time that the saint returned to Meath, and
appointed his nephew, St. Secundinus or Sechnal, who was bishop of the
place already mentioned as Domhnach Sechnail, to preside over the
northern churches during his own absence in the southern part of
Ireland.

The saint then visited those parts of Leinster which had been already
evangelized by Palladius, and laid the foundation of many new churches.
He placed one of his companions, Bishop Auxilius, at Killossy, near
Naas, and another, Isserninus, at Kilcullen, both in the present county
of Kildare. At Leix, in the Queen's county,