o attack those with whom
they had made peace, so as to destroy them; and behold there was _a
lying spirit in the mouth of_ certain men to _deceive_ them.[732] And
these men met them in the way announcing that a raid had been made into
their lands by their adversaries, that all things were being consumed
_with the edge of the sword_,[733] and that their goods were being laid
waste, and their wives and children taken and led away. When they heard
this they returned in haste. The hindmost followed the first, _not
knowing whither they went_[734] or what had happened; for they had not
all heard the men who spoke. And when they came and found none of those
things which had been told them they were confounded, taken in their own
wickedness;[735] and they _knew_ that they had been given up to _the
spirit of error_,[736] on account of the messenger of Malachy whom they
deceived and his _name_ which _they despised_.[737] Further, the bishop,
when he heard that the traitors were foiled in the iniquity which they
had devised, returned with joy to Malachy and told him all things in
order which had happened to him.

59. Malachy, knowing that by such an event the peace was disturbed,
taking suitable opportunity was at pains in his own person to restore
peace once more between them, and to confirm it when restored by the
giving and receiving of security and an oath on both sides. But those
who before had suffered from the violation of peace, mindful of the
injury, and ignoring the agreement and the command of Malachy, took in
hand to make reprisals. And all coming together, they set out to take
their enemies unprepared and to return upon their own head the evil
which they had thought to do to them.[738] And when they had very easily
forded a great river which lay between them, they were stopped by a
rivulet to which they came, not far from it. For indeed now it was not a
rivulet, but appeared clearly to be a huge river, denying passage in
every part of it to those who desired to cross it. All wondered that it
was now so great, knowing how small it had been before, and they said
among themselves, "What has caused this inundation? The air is clear,
there are no rains, and we do not remember that there have been any
lately; and even if there had been much rain, which of us remembers
that, to however great a flood it swelled, it ever before covered the
land, spreading over sown ground and meadow? _This is the finger of
God_,[739] and the L