The Writings of Saint Patrick, the Apostle of Ireland

The Writings of Saint Patrick, the Apostle of Ireland (1874)
by Saint Patrick, edited by Charles Henry Hamilton Wright

Introduction

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2253313The Writings of Saint Patrick, the Apostle of Ireland1874Saint Patrick

CHRISTIAN CLASSICS SERIES

VI

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The Writings of St. Patrick

The Apostle of Ireland.

CHRISTIAN CLASSICS SERIES.

Each volume cloth boards, gilt top, uncut edges.

I.	Cur Deus Homo? by Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury. Translated, with Introduction, Analysis, and Notes, by E. S. Prout, M.A. 2s.
II.	The Enchiridion of Augustine. 2s.
III.	De Incarnatione Verbi Dei, by Athanasius, Archbishop of Alexandria. Translated, with an Introduction, Analysis, and Notes, by T. Herbert Bindley, M.A. 2s.
IV.	Basil the Great on the Holy Spirit. Translated, with an Analysis and Notes, by the Rev. George Lewis, M.A. 2s.
V.	The Obedience of a Christian Man, by William Tyndale, Translator and Martyr. Edited, with Introduction, Analysis, and Notes, by R. Lovett, M.A. 2s. 6d.
VII.	The Epistles of Polycarp and of Clement, and the Teaching of the Twelve. By the Rev. H. E. Hall. 3s.

CHRISTIAN CLASSICS SERIES

VI

THE WRITINGS
OF ST. PATRICK

The Apostle of Ireland

A REVISED TRANSLATION WITH NOTES CRITICAL AND HISTORICAL

BY THE

Rev. CHARLES H. H. WRIGHT, D.D.

Trin. Coll., Dublin. M.A. of Exeter Coll., Oxford. Ph. D. of University of Leipzig, Donnellon Lecturer (1880–81) in University of Dublin, Examiner in the University of London, Bampton Lecturer (1878), and Grinfield Lecturer on the LXX. in the University of Oxford.

Third Edition, Considerably Enlarged

RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY
56 Paternoster Row, and 164 Piccadilly

EDITORIAL NOTE.

The Committee of the Religious Tract Society have undertaken the issue of the famous theological treatises included in this Series in the hope that they will be widely read and studied, not only by professed students, but also by the thoughtful general readers of the present day.

Each treatise is complete in itself, and, as far as possible, gives the full text exactly as it came from the pen of the author, even when adherence to this principle involves variation in bulk and price, and the occasional retention of a few passages not fully in accord with the general teaching of the Society. The reader, as a rule, will easily discover these, and will not fail to see their importance in illustrating the weakness, as well as the strength, of the Christian opinion of other days. Care is taken to note such passages where there appears to be need for so doing.

ERRATUM.

The note which appears at the end of the Confession, p. 51, should stand at the end of St. Patrick's Hymn in the Ancient Irish. It was the Dublin MS. of that Hymn which was kindly collated for me by Rev. Professor Abbott, D.Litt., Trinity College, Dublin.

C. H. H. W.

Contents.

PAGE
I.	Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	7

II.	Brief Sketch of St. Patrick's Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	30

III.	Genuine Writings of Patrick.
	(a) The Hymn, or 'Breastplate' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	42
	(b) The Confession . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	46
	(c) Epistle to Coroticus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	73

IV.	Doubtful Remains.
	(a) Sayings of Patrick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	81
	(b) Proverbs of Patrick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	86
	(c) The Story of Patrick and the Royal Daughters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	90
	(d) Patrick's Vision of the Future of Ireland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	95
	(e) A Confession attributed to St. Patrick, from the Revue Celtique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	99
V.	Appendix—Poetical Versions of the Hymn.
	(a) Version of James Clarence Mangan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	110
	(b) Version of Mrs. Alexander . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	114
	(c) Version of Joseph John Murphy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	117
Notes on Patrick's Hymn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		120
Notes on„ Patrick's„ Confession . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		123
Notes on„ Patrick's„ Epistle to Coroticus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		143
Notes on„ The Confession of Tours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		148

VI.	The Ancient Irish Hymn in the Original Irish, with a Translation into Modern Irish, by the late Rev. Professor Goodman, M.A.	125

The Gresham Press,

UNWIN BROTHERS,

WOKING AND LONDON.

This work is a translation and has a separate copyright status to the applicable copyright protections of the original content.

Original:	This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago. Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse
Translation:	This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago. Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse