the strange land
ostentatiously. The single follower whom Mochuda had retained wishing
to remain at Clonfert, said to St. Molua: "Holy father, I should wish
to remain here with you." Molua answered:--"I shall permit you,
brother, if your pious master consents." Mochuda, having dismissed so
many, would not make any difficulty about an individual, and so he gave
the monk his freedom. Mochuda thereupon set out alone, which, Molua's
monks observing, they remark:--"It were time for that aged man to remain
in some monastery, for it is unbecoming such a (senior) monk to wander
about alone." They did not know that he, of whom they spoke, was
Mochuda, for it was not the custom of the latter to make himself known
to many. "Say not so," said Molua (to the censorious brethren), "for
the day will come when our community and city will seem but
insignificant beside his--though now he goes alone; you do not know that
he is Mochuda whom many obey and whom many more will obey in times to
come."

As Mochuda went on his lonely way he met two monks who asked him whither
he was bound. "To Colman Elo," he answered. Then said one of them to
him:--"Take us with you as monks and subjects," for they judged him from
his countenance to be a holy man. Mochuda accepted the monks and they
journeyed on together till they came to Colman's monastery [Lynally].
Mochuda said to Colman: "Father I would remain here with you." "Not
so," replied Colman, "but go you to a place called Rahen in this
vicinity; that is the place ordained by God for your dwelling and you
shall have there a large community in the service of God and from that
place you will get your first name--Mochuda of Rahen." Having said
farewell to Colman and obtained his blessing Mochuda, with his two
monks, set out for the place indicated and there in the beginning he
built a small cell and Colman and he often afterwards exchanged visits.

Colman had in the beginning--some time previous to Mochuda's advent--
contemplated establishing himself at Rahen and he had left there two or
three [bundles] of rods remarking to his disciples that another should
come after him for whom and not for himself God had destined this place.
It was with this material that Mochuda commenced to build his cell as
Colman had foretold in the first instance. He erected later a great
monastery in which he lived forty years and had eight hundred and eighty
seven religious under his guidance and rule.

Subseq