The "Confessio" of Saint Patrick translated into English blank verse by Sir Samuel Ferguson

The "Confessio" of Saint Patrick

The passages ending with (A) are from the Armagh Codex; those ending with (B) are from the Bodleian[now Salisbury Cathedral Library MS 223].

(Before A.D. 500)

[The corresponding sections of the Confessio are indicated by "|".]

I, Patrick, sinner, most unlearned of all The Faithful, and of many most despised, Had, for my father, Deacon Calphurn, son Of Presbyter Potitus, of a place Called Bannow of Tabernia, near whereto He owned his country dwelling; and 'twas there I suffered capture, then not full sixteen. I knew not the true God; and, led away Into captivity, with thousands more, Was brought to Ireland—fate too well deserved. For we from God had far withdrawn ourselves; We kept not His commandments; and our priests, Who urged salvation on us, heeded not; And God upon us justly brought the wrath Of His up-rousing, and dispersed us forth Amongst the heathen, to the world's far end, Here, where my Littleness may now be seen 'Mongst strangers; here, where God set free the sense Receptive in my heart of unbelief, That, even late, I should recall my sins, And turn myself with all my heart to Him, The Lord, who did regard my Smallness then With pity for my youth and innocence; Who, ere I knew Him, had me in His charge; Yea, ere I knew to choose 'twixt good and ill. Admonished me and gave me consolation, As father might a son. And, therefore, now I will not hide, nor could I, were it fit To hide, such boons, such graces, as my Lord Has deigned me hero in my captivity. And this my poor return; that having attained The touch and apprehension of my God, I should with high exalted heart, in face Of all that lives below all skies, confess That other God nor was, nor is, nor shall be. Save but the Lord, the Father unbegotten, Without beginning, out of whom proceeds Every beginning; He who in His hand Holds all things as aforesaid; and His Son Our Lord Christ Jesus, who, we do confess, Was with the Father ere the worlds began; Begotten of the Father spiritually, In wise unspeakable, ere aught made was. By Him were all things made, things visible And things invisible. He was made Man, And, conquering death, returned again to heaven. And God gives Him all power o'er every name Of things in earth and heaven and things in hell, That every tongue may own that Jesus Christ Is Lord and God, in whom we do believe And wait His coming when He shall be judge Of living and of dead; who shall repay To each according to his deeds; and He It is who pours on us abundantly The gift and comfort of the Holy Spirit And certain hope of immortality; Who makes the well-believing and obedient Sons of the Father, co-heirs with Himself, Christ, whom we do confess and do adore, One God in Trinity of holy name.

Now He Himself has, by His prophet, said: Call upon Me in tribulation's day, And I will free, and thou shalt sound My praise. And said again: To show forth and confess The works of God is very honourable. Therefore, though but ill-taught in many things, I would my brethren and my friends to know What kind I am, and that they may behold The very thought that rises in my soul. I not ignore the witness that my Lord Doth witness by the Psalmist: They that speak Lies shall ye lose; nor, yet again, The mouth That lies, shall lose his soul; and our said Lord Saith in the Gospel thus: The idle word Men use, for it each soul that lives shall give Account and reckoning at the Judgment Day. So me with fear and trembling it behoves To dread the doom of liars, in that same day When none can draw aside or hide himself, But all must yield account, yea, of the least Of all their faults before the chair of Christ.

Wherefore long time I've had in mind to write, But up to now abstained me; for I feared Lest I should fall in censure of men's tongues: Because I have not read as others have, Who, excellently versed in civic law "Excellently versed in Civic law:" Qui optime itaque jure et sacras literas utroque pari modo combiberunt, with the annotation in margin Incertus liber hic. And sacred letters, in a like degree, Have never since their childhood changed their speech, But rather made it perfecter by use; Whereas this speech and utterance of mine Is here transformed into another tongue; And, by the savour of the style I use, 'Tis easy to be judged how I've been taught"How I've been taught:" Sicut facile potest probari ex aliue [ex salivâ] scripturae meae qualiter sum ego in sermonibus instructus atque eruditus, would be nearer the drift of the original if expressed: "'Tis easy to be judged what kind of school I've been brought up in." Sum ego = ta me, in the Irish. And trained in diction. As the Wise One saith, Sense, knowledge, and the doctrine of the truth Show by the tongue. But what avails excuse Beside the fact? when here ye all may judge The actual way in which, in my old age, I strive at what, in youth, I never learned. For then my sins obstructed. I was still, When captured, but a lad, a beardless boy, That knew not what to seek or what to shun. Therefore to-day it shames me to disclose My ignorance; because I have not learned With brevity and elegance of speech To treat deep things, as, how the Spirit moves The soul's affections and the human mind. But were it given me, as it is to some, I would not long be slow to sing His praise, Even though to some perchance in this I seem Presumptuous, with my rude and stammering tongue. Yet it is written that the stammering tongue. Shall yet be swift to speak the words of peace. How much the more, then, lies that charge on us Who, Christ's Epistles, to the world's far ends Bear word of His salvation; not, indeed, Learned words, but words of power writ in our hearts, Not with pen-ink, but by the Spirit of God. Yea and again that Spirit testifies Unlearning also comes from the Most High. Wherefore I, chief and first of the unlearned, God's runaway, untaught, who nothing know How to provide the morrow, surely know This, that, before my happy humbling came, I was as is a stone that, in deep mire, Lies on the highway : and He came, who can, And, in His pity, thence did lift me up And set me on the wall-top. Therefore I Will now be bold and eager-prompt to pay The tribute of my praises to the Lord Who has bestowed His everlasting boons So great on me as pass the mind of man.

Wherefore all ye who fear the Lord, admire, Both great and small; and ye, ye great and learned, Lords of the land, and Rhetoricians, Hear and enquire, who was it raised me up, Me, foolish me, from midst of them esteemed Wise men and law-learned, and in power of speech, As in all else, prepotent, and inspired Me, even me, the butt of this world's scorn, Above the rest, to be what now I am Here, whilst at least with fear and reverence Faithful in heart and uncomplainingly I serve this people, to whom the charity Of Christ assigns me, for my rest of life, If I be worthy; that, with humble heart And truthful lips, I teach it, in the faith And measure of the Holy Trinity. Behoves me, therefore, fearless of rebuke Or danger, that I do set forth the gift And everlasting consolation Of God; and fearlessly declare His name Abroad where'er I be: that also, so, After my death, I leave, as my bequest "Bequest:" Ex agallias: the word divided so between end of one line and beginning of another. Exagalliae—DU CANGE. Amongst the children of my baptism, These many thousands. Not, indeed, that I Was worthy that my Lord his servant poor Should so far favor, after all the toils, The hardships heavy, and the captive years Borne 'mongst this people;—should bestow such grace As, till I came to Ireland,"'Till I came to Ireland:" quod ego in iuuentute mea nunquam speraui neque cogitaui sed postquam in hiberione deueneram: where sed, as in line 231, post, seems to be used in the sense of the Irish acht=nisi. I nor knew Nor ever hoped. But, herding daily here, And often in the day saying my prayers, Daily there more and more did grow in me The fear of God. And holy fear and faith Increased in me, that in a single day I've said as many as a hundred prayers, And in the night scarce fower; so that oft In woods and on the mountain I've remained, And risen to prayer before daylight, through snow, Through frost, through rain, and yet I took no ill, Nor was there in me then aught slow as now, For then the Spirit of God within me burned.

And there it was, one night, in sleep, I heard A voice that said to me : "Thou fastest well That soon shalt see thy land and home again." Soon after which, again, I heard the voice, And this is what it said : "Behold thy ship Is ready," but the ship lay nowise near, But nigh two hundred miles off, and where I Had never been before, and no man knew. So, thereupon, I turned myself to flight, Leaving"Leaving the man:" intermisi hominem. "I separated from the man," as if the thought expressed in this singular use of intermitto had been conceived in some form of the Irish etar-scairim, that is, inter-separo. the man whom I had served six years; And by the help of God, who showed me well"Well," ad bonum, as in the Irish go maith. The way to go, nought dreading, found the ship. But it, before I came, had left its place And lay elsewhere. I craved to go on board. My suit displeased the Master : with harsh speech He answered me, "Thou shall not come with us." Which when I heard, I left them there, to reach My hut wherein I lodged, and as I went Began to pray. Before my prayer was done, I heard one of them calling after me, "Come, for in faith we did receive thee; come, Make friendship with us in what way thou wilt." And so, that day, I did make friends with them, Out of God's fear, and for, besides, I hoped To hear them yet say, "Come, in faith, of Christ." For Heathens were they. So I clave to them. We forthwith sailed, and, in a three days' run, We took the land; and eight and twenty days We crossed a desert, after: where our food Failed, and keen hunger fell upon us all. Then one day, said the Master thus to me, "What, Christian, you who say your God is great, Good, and Almighty, why not pray for us Who perish hero of hunger, where the face Of men is hardly seen?" Then I spoke thus Before them all: "Turn ye your sinful hearts: Convert you to the Lord my God, to whom Nought is impossible, that He, this day, Send you whereof ye yet may eat your fill; For all things everywhere abound with Him." God aiding, so it was. Behold, a drove Of swine came on the road before our eyes. Many they slew; two nights we tarried there Well nourished, and our dogs filled full: for they Were semi-starved, and many left we there Half dead beside the way. Then praise to God All gave, and I much honour in their sight Obtained, and thenceforward, abundantly Fared we. Wild honey also in the wood Found they, and offered of it, and one said, "'Tis sacrificial; taste." I tasted none ; For which, thank God. On that same night I lay Sleeping, when Satan sorely troubled me, As well I shall remember, for as long As in this mortal body I shall be. He fell upon me, as a mighty mass Of rock might fall, so that in all my limbs Remained not but so much"But so much:" et nihil membrorum praeualens sed unde mihi uenit in spiritum ut heliam uocarem. Sed=acht=nisi, as in page. of power as brought Into my mind the thought to cry, "Helias." With which word in my mouth, I saw the sun Rise in the heavens; and while I cried, "Helias," With all my might, its radiance fell on me, And banished all my torpor: and I think 'Twas Christ, my Lord, who gave my cry for help, And sent His succour. Even so, I hope, 'Twill be hereafter, in the dreadful day Of my last pressure. And the Gospel says (A), In that day testifies the Lord Himself, The Spirit of the Father it is that speaks Within you (B), not yourselves. (Whereby) again I suffered bondage,"Again I suffered bondage:" sicut in euangelio inquit dominus non uos estis (A), qui loquimini sed spiritus patris uestri qui loquitur in uobis et iterum post annos (B) multos adhuc capturam dedi ea nocte prima (A). A passage of great obscurity, here brought into the apparent sequence of the narrative by the introduced "whereby." The subject, too long to discuss in a note, is examined in [Ferguson, On the Patrician Documents] par. xxix., post. after many years Continuing till this day, from that first night. And so remained I in their company, But heard the same voice I had heard before Say, "Two full months shalt thou abide with them." And so it was: for, on the very night Following the sixtieth day, the Lord me freed Out of their hands. He gave us food and fire, Daily dry weather too, till, at the last, Upon the tenth day, when we all arrived,— Days eight and twenty in the desert spent, As is above said"As is above said:" nocte illa sexagessima liberauit me dominus de manibus eorum etiam in itinere praeuidit nobis cibum et ignem et siccitatem cotidie donec x. decimo die peruenimus omnes sicut superius insinuaui xx. et viii. disertum iter fecimus et ea nocte qua peruenimus, &c. To whichever antecedent the words of reference sicut superius insinuaui relate, it is evident that the twenty-eight days in the desert were part of one continuous journey ([Ferguson, On the Patrician Documents] post, xxx.), commencing at the Irish shore, and ending at Patrick's home in Brittanis. The discrepancy in numbers is, no doubt, due to errors of transcription.—there remained to us No morsel left of food; and (so),"So," introduced as " whereby," above. once more, These few years passed, I found myself at home Amongst the Britons"Amongst the Britons:" in Britannis as in the Irish gloss on Fiacc, in bretnaib. with my family, Who all received me as they might a son, And earnestly besought me, that at length After these many perils I had borne, I never more would leave them. It was there In a night vision I beheld a man Coming as 'twere from Ireland. Victor he. Innumerable letters bore he: one He gave to me to read. I read one line, "The voices of the Irish," so it ran. And while I read, methought I heard the cry Of them that by the wood of Focluth dwell, Beside the Western Ocean, saying thus, "Come, holy youth, and walk amongst us. Come!' All with one voice. It touched me to the heart, And I could read no more; and so awoke— Thank God at last who, after many years, Has given to them according to their cry!

And, on another night, I know not, I, God knows, if 'twas within me or without, One prayed with words exceeding exquisite I could not understand, till, at the close, He spoke in this wise—"He who gave his soul For thee, is He who speaks." I woke with joy. And once I saw Him—praying, as it were Within me, and I saw myself as though Within myself, and over me, that is Over the inner man, I heard Him pray Strongly with urgent groans, myself the while Amazed, and wondering who should pray in me, Till, at the very ending of his prayer, He showed, a bishop."He showed, a bishop:" Sic effitiatus est ut sit episcopus. It might be conjectured to be mistranscription for sic effatus est ut sis episcopus; but the internal presence of the great bishop of souls seems more consistent with the context. I awoke and called To memory what His apostle says— The Spirit helps the weakness of our prayer; For when we pray, and know not as we ought What to pray for, the Spirit Himself doth pray For us with groanings inexpressible Not to be put in words. And yet again, The Lord our Advocate doth plead for us (A).

And when"And when:" Et quando temptatus sum ab aliquantis senioribus meis qui uenerunt … contra laboriosum episcopatum meum. When? Where? Whence did the seniors come? and was the episcopate prospective or subsisting? The answers to these questions depend in great measure on the terminus a quo from which the thirty years, next mentioned, are to he computed. some certain of my seniors came Against my toilsome, hard episcopate, And made impeachment of me for my sins, In that day truly I was tempted sore To fall both now and everlastingly. But the Good Lord, for His name's sake, did spare His proselyte and pilgrim, so as I Out of that treading-under came not ill With stain and shame upon me. I pray God It be not made occasion to themselves Of sin. They found me, after thirty years,"After thirty years:" Post annos triginta invenerunt me. If the terminus a quo be referred to the commission of the fault, inuenerunt must bo read as in the sense of moral detection, which is difficult. If read as in the ordinary sense of finding out topically, the terminus should apparently be referred to Patrick's departure on this Irish mission. But see post, l. 419. To charge me with one word I had confessed Before I was a deacon. In my grief And pain of mind I to my dearest friend Told what I in my boyhood, in one day, Yea, in one hour had done:—because as yet I had not strength: I know not, Heaven knows, If, at that time, I yet had fifteen years.— I had not yet believed the living God Even from my childhood; but remained in death And unbelief till sore chastised I was By hunger, nakedness, and enforced toil Daily in Ireland,—for I came not here Self-sent—until, indeed, I almost sank. Yet these were rather boons to me, because, So chastened by the Lord, I now am made What once was far from me, that I should care Or labour for the weal of others, I Who then took no thought even for myself.

On which same day when these my elder ones Rebuked me (B), in a vision of the night, I saw a script against me,"I saw a script against me:" vidi in vissu noctis scriptum erat contra facem meam sine honore et inter haec audiui responsum dicentem male audiuimus [scripto contra] faciem designati nudato nomine. A most difficult passage, not helped by the corresponding Bodleian text. Contra faciem is perhaps the Irish in aghaid "adversum :" and, in that sense, the passage may be made to bear the meaning it has in the version, by introducing the two words in brackets, but otherwise seems hopelessly obscure. For male audio, in the sense given, see the examples in Facciolati, " audio." and no name Of honor written, and, the while, I heard That voice within make answer, "We are here Ill-styled by name stripped bare of dignity." It was not ''Thou art here ill-styled," it said, But " we," as if the Speaker joined himself Incorporately with me, and the voice "Were His who once said, Whoso toucheth thee, Toucheth as 'twere the apple of mine eye. Wherefore my thanks I render unto Him Who in all things hath been my comforter, That He impeded not my going forth Whereon I had resolved, nor stayed the work Which my dear God had taught me I should do; Nay, rather felt I as from Him new strength Infused. And so before both God and man My faith was proved, wherein I boldly say My conscience reprehends me in no wise, Now, nor yet will. I take to witness God I have not lied relating what I heard In these communings (A). But I rather grieve For him, my dearest friend, that we should need To hear such answer"Hear such answer:" Cur hoc meruimus audire tale responsum, referring apparently to "we are here ill-styled," supra. given— my friend of friends To whom I did confide my very soul— And certain brethren had advertised me That he, before that inhibition made,"Before that inhibition:" ante defensionem illam. In that debate wherein I had not part Nor moved I it, nor was I then in Britain— Had in my absence battled bravely for me. Yea, he with his own mouth had said to me, "Behold, thou art deemed worthy of the grade Of Bishop;" though indeed unworthy I. Whence comes it, then, that he should afterwards, In presence of them all, both good and bad, Thus publicly degrade me, and deny What, unsolicited, of his own will, He gladly had conceded me before? But God is over all: of this enough. No; I must (not) conceal"I must (not) conceal:" Sed tamen debeo abscondere: nonomitted in text ? the gift of God Which, in this land of my captivity, He hath bestowed me, which with earnest quest I sought for and here found. He me hath saved From all unrighteousness; and I believe By reason of the indwelling comity, And trust in Him which, even to this day Doth work within me audibly,"Audibly," audienter. He knows Were these man's voices. Had they been, belike Christ's charity had made me hold my peace.

Therefore unwearied thanks I render Him Who kept me faithful in temptation's hour, That I to-day should live to offer up Myself a living sacrifice to Him, My Saviour, my Preserver. Well may I Say, Lord, what am I, or my calling what That with such favor, with such aid divine Thou hast environed and uplifted me, As daily I amongst the Gentiles rise Higher and higher, whilst I glorify Thy name where'er I be. Whate'er befalls Happy or wretched, good or ill, the same I deem; and equally for it thank Thee With thanks perpetual for that Thou hast shown Him the most sure indubitable One, In whom I may believe for ever; Him Who will for ever hear me. So, too, I, In these last days, though ignorant, may dare Address me to a work so holy-good, So wondrous, as may even make parity 'Twixt me and them, who, He himself foretold Should bear His joyful message, witnessing Him to all people, ere the world should end. And we do witness here, the Gospel now Is preached so far as no man is beyond (B). 'Twere long, in whole or part, to tell my toils, Or how the Almighty One did oft release Me from enslavement; and from perils twelve, Wherein my life was ventured; and from snares, The which I cannot put in words. 'Twere ill Too much to tax my reader where I have The Author's self within, who all things knows, Even before they happen, as He knows Me, his poor pupil. And for that it is The voice divine doth oft admonish me: Whence came this wisdom to me who had none, Nor knew the number of my days nor Him? Whence came this knowledge and this heart's delight In this His gift so great, so salutary, That, for its sake, I well contented left Country and kin? And many were the gifts They offered me with yearning and with tears. And certain of my seniors, too, made known Their disapproval;"Their disapproval." If this be the same opposition of the seniors above related (l. 297), and again in more general terms referred to, post (l. 556-60), it should be deemed to have preceded Patrick's mission, whatever difficulty that construction might entail in interpreting inuenerunt. but with the help of God In no way did I yield them my consent:— Not mine the grace; but God it was in me, Who conquered through me and withstood them all, That I might come to preach His Gospel here To the Hibernian people, that I here Should suffer the contempts of unbelievers Should hear derision of my embassage, And many persecutions, even to chains, Endure; nay, even my own patrician grade Forfeit for others' good. And if I be But worthy to do somewhat for His name, Ready I am, this hour, with all my heart, To yield Him service, even to my death, Who this grace does me that, through means of me, Much people is re-born to God, confirmed, And clerks ordained for their instruction, New coming to the faith from earth's far ends, And gathered to the Lord, even as, of old, He promised by His prophet, They shall come From outmost ends of earth; and also says, Our fathers gut them idols, and therein Had nothing profitable;and again This also: I have set thee as a light To light the Gentile, that thou shouldst make safe Even to the ends of earth. And here I wait To see fulfilled His words, who ne'er deceived, As promised in the Gospel,—They shall come From east and west, and sit down side by side With Abraham and with Isaac and with Jacob. Even so do we believe from all the world The faithful come. Behoves it, therefore, we Fish well and diligently, as the Spirit says, Come after Me that I may make of you Fishers of men; and, by His prophet, again, Behold, offishermen and hunters keen I send a multitude; so saith the Lord. Et caetera."Et caetera:" Probably an indication of abridgment ([Ferguson, On the Patrician Documents] iv. supra). Whereby it much behoves We spread our nets in such wise as a shoal And multitude be taken; and that clerks Be everywhere at hand who may baptize The hastening crowd, even as our good Lord saith In His evangel, Going, therefore, forth, Teach ye all nations, and the same baptize In name of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Teaching them to observe what things soe'er I have commanded; and, lo, I myself Am with you till the final consummation Of all things; and again says, Going forth Into the whole world, preach ye my evangel To every creature living. Who believes And is baptized, is safe. Who not believes, He shall be damnedThe words "reliqua sunt exempla" here occur in the Armagh Codex, left untranslated, as being probably the language of the scribe, indicating abridgment from a fuller text. (A). And He again says thus: The gospel of my kingdom shall be preached To the whole world; and witness shall be made To all the nations, and then comes the end. Likewise our Lord doth by His prophet say, Lo, in the latter days, thus saith the Lord, I shall pour forth my Spirit on all flesh. Your sons and daughters they shall prophesy, Your youths see visions, and old men dream dreams. And on your servants and your handmaidens In these days shall I pour my Spirit, and they Shall prophesy. And also Hosee says, Her will I call my people who was not My people, and on her will pity take On whom I took not pity; and in the place Wherein 'twas said no people of mine are ye, There shall they yet be called the sons of God (B).

Whence now the Irish, who, in former days, Had but their idols and their rites unclean, Nor aught knew of the Lord, have late become The Lord's own people. And the sons of Scots And daughters of their kings, now sons of God Are counted, and vowed handmaidens of Christ (A). And one bless'd Scotic lady nobly born, A most fair person whom myself baptized, Came, soon thereafter, making her report Of intimation by a messenger Sent her from God with His admonishment That virgin she should live and nearer Him. In six days after,—thank the Lord for it,— With excellent observance she assumed The grade desired of all Christ's handmaidens: Not at their parents' bidding. They from them Suffer reproach and persecution, Yet, notwithstanding, still the number grows Of those of our kind daily born to us I know not, I, how many they are, besides Widows and women continent; of whom They chiefly suffer who, in bondage held, Bear threats and terrors: yet they persevere, And God to many of them grants the grace That, if but in a little, earnestly They follow His example. Whence it comes Should I now care to leave them, going forth It may be into Britain,"Going forth; it may be into Britain, &c.:" ut pergens in britanniis et libentissime paratus eram quasi ad patriam et parentes non id solum sed usque gallias usitare fratres et ut uiderem faciem sanctorum dominl mei. In some of the MSS. the words are fratres meos. sure 'twere sweet To see one's country and one's kin again: Or farther yet proceeding, even to Gaul, To see the brethren, and the faces see Of my Lord's saints, God knows I were right glad, But in the Spirit am bound: and He declares I were God's recreant did I leave them so. Moreover, truth it is, I would not lose The fruit of all my labour well begun. Yet 'tis not I determine, but my Lord, He who commanded I should hither come, That here I should fulfil my rest of days In serving them: and so methinks I shall: Albeit but little trust I in myself, Clad in this body of death, for he is strong Who daily struggles to subvert my faith, And turn me from the unfeigned chastity I'll keep, God helping, till my days do end. The flesh indeed still draws us down to death, And snares of lawless pleasure; and I know In part the reason why I cannot live The perfect life His other faithful souls Achieve; but to my good Lord I avow I blush not at His searching of my heart; For since I first did know Him in my youth, His love and fear have ever grown in me, And I, He helping, still have kept the faith.

Let him who will, then, laugh: let him who will, Scoff. I shall not keep silence, nor conceal The signs and marvels ministered to me Of God, who knoweth all things many years Before they are; yea, from before all time. Wherefore ought I unintermittingly Give thanks to Him that He did so indulge My ignorance and sloth, not once but oft; And not as with an object of just wrath Dealt with me, but as with His yoke-fellow. Though slow I was to learn the part enjoined, And by the Spirit shown; who pitied me 'Mongst thousand thousands other; for He saw That I was willing-ready, but knew not In what way to bear witness : for they all"They all;" See ante l.419. Opposed my mission, and, behind my back, Did prate and say, "This one, forsooth, would put His life in jeopardy 'mongst enemies, Who of the Lord know nothing," not as though They spoke in malice: but, indeed, because My wish did not commend itself to them, By reason, I confess, of my defect In learning. And I did not recognise At once the grace that then was in me—grace Now efficacious as it then had been, Had I been as I ought. Thus simply, then, Brethren and fellow servants in the Lord Who have believed with me, I've told to you How it has come to pass that, for the sake Of strengthening and confirming you in faith, I have preached, and still do, hoping we all May yet rise higher. That be my reward! Because the wise son is his father's glory. You know, and God knows, what way from my youth I have conversed amongst you, in the faith Of truthfulness and singleness of heart: That to the people I do dwell amongst I have declared the: faith, and so do still. God knows that I no man of them in aught Have circumvened, nor, for the sake of Him And of His Church, will ever; nor provoke In them, or anyone, uncharity, Whereby the name of God may be blasphemed In me, for it is written, Wo to him By whom the name of God shall be blasphemed. And, unlearned though I be in skill of words, Yet have I striven in some poor sort to serve My Christian brethren and Christ's handmaidens, And pious women who of their free will Did oft bestow me gifts, and on mine altar Cast of their jewels, which I still returned, Though thereby they were grieved: and, for the hope Of life eternal, have so led my life, Here with them, so on guard, as none may find In any tittle of my ministry Cause of offence, nor let my smallest act Afford occasion to the infidel To sully or diminish my good fame.

Think ye, where I such thousands have baptized, I took from any of them, in recompense, But half a scruple. Tell me when, or where? I will return it. Yea, where God ordained Through my weak ministry these many Clerks, Gratis I gave them orders. If I asked Of any to the value but of my shoe, Tell me : I will repay it you and more. 'Twas rather I who spent my worldly wealth On you, amongst you, whereso'er I went, In your behalf, through perils manifold, So far as no man was beyond, nor there Had ever come who might give baptism, Ordain a clergy, or confirm the flock. God aiding, I did, with most willing mind And diligent affection to your weal, Defray it all. Sometimes I fee'd the kings, In that I fee'd their sons who gave convoy To guard us all from capture. In one day They sought, indeed, to slay me; but my time Was not yet come. But all the goods they found Upon us they bore off, and me myself Kept bound with iron, till, the fourteenth day. The Lord did lose me from their power; and all Our goods were given us back, for the Lord's sake, And sake of our conductors. You yourselves Have knowledge what gratuities I spent On them that did administer the law Throughout the regions I most visited. I think not less than fee of fifteen men I did disburse amongst them, all, that you Slight me enjoy, and I again in you Have manifold enjoyment in the Lord. Nor grudge I it, nor count it yet enough. Lo, I still spend, and still will further spend, Happy if He, who can, shall yet allow That for your sakes I even may spend my soul (B), I call to witness God I do not He, Nor write as seeking opportunity Of lucre or of flattery or reward Of praise. That honour is enough for me Which is not seen, but in the heart believed (A). But He who promised never lies (B). I see Myself, in this my generation, Beyond degree exalted by my Lord, Unworthy though I am, nor such as He Might deign so favour. For I surely know That poverty and plainness fit me more Than luxury and riches. Christ our Lord Was also poor for us. I poorer still, For should I crave for wealth, I have it not. Nor judge I now myself: for daily now I look to find my death by violence, Or, captive, to be sold to slavery, Or some such end: (A) but none of these I fear, Having assurance of His promises, For I have cast me in the hands of God Who governs all things, and his prophet saith, Cast thou thy lurden on the Lord, and He Will aid thee. Yes, I do commend my soul To my most faithful God whose embassage I here discharge, howe'er unworthily. For He respects not persons, but did choose Me to this office, that, amongst the crowd Of His ambassadors, I might be least. What shall I render back to Him for all His benefits conferred on me? What say Or promise to Him when I plainly see I nothing have unless He gives it me, Yea, though I search the heart and reins. Enough, More than enough I count it, well content, If He but give me that I drink His cup As granted other claimants of His love; But never, never let me lose the flock He pastures by me in earth's outland here! God grant me that! And that I persevere In faithful witness to my journey's end. And if, for His sake, I have ought of good Accomplished, for His love, I pray Him grant That with His captives and His proselytes, Even for His name's sake I may shed my blood, Be it without my dues of burial, Yea, though this wretched body and these limbs Be torn asunder by devouring dogs, Wild beasts, or fowls of heaven. I surely know Did this befall me, I should so enrich My soul with my poor body; and I know Clad in our bodies we shall all arise In that day, in the brightness of the sun, To wit, in glory of Lord Jesus Christ, Our dear Redeemer, rise as sons of God, And co-heirs with Himself, conformable To His own image as it then shall be.

For this sun, which we see, doth daily rise At God's commandment; but God so ordains It shall not always rise, nor shall its light Endure for ever. It shall fade, and they That worship it shall perish: but, for us We do believe and worship the true Sun, Christ, which shall never perish, nor shall He Who doth His will, but shall endure for ever, As Christ Himself, who, in the heaven of heavens, Reigns with the Father and the Holy Ghost Now and for everlastingly—Amen. Again and yet again I iterate My brief words of Confession, and declare In truth, and in uplifting of the heart, Before my God and His most holy angels, That other object never did I look to In coming back"In coming back: " Ut unquam redderem [redirem] agentem [ad gentem] illam; Unde autem prius uix euaseram. A good example of the corrupt state of the Bodleian text. again amongst this people, From whom so hardly I escaped before, Save but the Evangel and His promises (B).

And now beseech all them that do believe And fear the Lord, whoe'er they be shall deign Look on this writing or receive the same Which sinner Patrick, I, the much-unlearned, Have writ in Ireland, that no man may say My Ignorance it was dictated aught, If any aught of good be therein seen Such as may pleasure God, but rather deem For certain that it doth proceed from Him. And this is my Confession e'er I die (A).