d pledged to God
and to him, his soul and body and posterity to the end of time. Then
Mochuda placed his foot upon the king's neck and measured the royal body
with his foot. Against this proceeding of Mochuda's a member of the
king's party protested in abusive and insulting terms--"It is a haughty
act of yours, laying your foot upon the king's neck, for be it known to
you the body on which you trample is worthy of respect." On hearing
this Mochuda ceased to measure the king and declared:--"The neck upon
which I have set my heel shall never be decapitated and the body which I
have measured with my foot shall not be slain and but for your
interference there would not be wanting anything to him or his seed for
ever." Addressing (specially) the interrupter, he prophesied:--"You and
your posterity will be for ever contemptible among the tribes."
Blessing the king he promised him prosperity here and heaven hereafter
and assured him:--"If any one of your posterity contemn my successors
refusing me my lawful dues he will never reign over the kingdom of
Kerry." This prophecy has been fulfilled.

Next, Mochuda, at the suggestion of his master, the bishop, and the King
Maoltuile, built a famous cell called Kiltulach [Kiltallagh] at a place
between Sliabh Mis and the River Maing in the southern part of Kerry.
Here his many miracles won him the esteem of all. In that region he
found two bishops already settled before him, scil.:--Dibhilin and
Domailgig. These became envious of the honour paid him and the fame he
acquired, and they treated him evilly. Whereupon he went to Maoltuile
and told him the state of affairs. Soon as the king heard the tale he
came with Mochuda from the place where he then was on the bank of the
Luimnech and stayed not till they reached the summit of Sliabh Mis, when
he addressed Mochuda: "Leave this confined region for the present to
the envy and jealousy of the bishops and hereafter it will become yours
and your coarbs' to the end of time." The advice commended itself to
Mochuda and he thanked the king for it. Thereupon he abandoned his cell
to the aforesaid bishops and determined to set out alone as a pilgrim to
the northern part of Ireland.

In the meantime an angel visited Comghall and repeated to him what had
been foretold him already--that there should come to him a young priest
desirous for Christ's sake of pilgrimage beyond the seas--that Comghall
should dissuade him and, instead, retain