d my death for their own
advancement. Neither these wretched men themselves nor anyone of their
nation shall be my coarb for ever, but my successors shall be of his
race through whom God has rescued me. Moreover my city shall never be
without men of the British race who will be butts and laughing-stocks
and serve no useful purpose." The person who saved Mochuda was of the
Ciarraighe race and it is of that same people that the coarbs and
successors of Mochuda have commonly been ever since. [See note 2.]

Mochuda refused for a long while, as we have already said, to accept
cattle or horses from anyone; it was the monks themselves who dug and
cultivated the land and they did all the haulage of the monastery on
their own backs. St. Fionan however who was a kinsman of Mochuda and
had just returned from Rome, came at this time on a visit to the
monastery. He reproached Mochuda saying: "Mochuda, why do you impose
the burden of brute beasts upon rational beings? Is it not for use of
the latter that all other animals have been created? Of a truth I shall
not taste food in this house till you have remedied this grievance."
Thenceforth Mochuda--in honour of Fionan--permitted his monks to accept
horses and oxen from the people and he freed them from the hardship
alluded to. Sometime later the holy abbot, Lachtaoin [St. Lachten],
compassionating Mochuda and his monks because of their lack of cattle
paid a visit to Rahen bringing with him a gift of thirty cows and a
bull, also a couple of cattlemen and two dairymaids. Coming near Rahen
he left the cattle in a secluded place, for he did not wish them to be
seen. Thereupon he went himself to the monastery and simulating illness
requested a drink of milk. The house steward went to Mochuda to tell
him that Lachtaoin was ill and required milk. Mochuda ordered the
steward to fill a pitcher with water and bring it to him--and this order
was executed. Mochuda blessed the water which immediately was changed
into sweet new milk apparently of that day's milking. He sent the milk
to Lachtaoin but the latter identified it as milk miraculously produced;
he in turn blessed it with the result that it was changed back again
into water. He complained:--"It is not water but milk I have
asked for." The messenger related this fact publicly. Lachtaoin
declared:--"Mochuda is a good monk but his successors will not be able to
change water to milk," and to the messenger he said--"Go to Moch