Gwynn (ed.), Liber Ardmachanus (1913) — translated into English.

¹ Here begins the Book of the Angel.

² When therefore Saint Patrick had gone forth from the city of Armagh to baptize, teach, and heal multitudes of both sexes of the human race, he drew near piously to the fountain which is close by in the eastern part of the aforementioned city, and there by the clear light of faith he awaited the crowds coming together to him from many directions. Suddenly, therefore, sleep overcame him, because before that he had been worn out with long night-vigils.

³ And see, quickly an angel came to him, and gently wakened him from sleep, and the holy Patrick said: “Have I in anything sinned against you in the sight of the Most High? if it has so happened, I ask pardon.” The angel answered: “Not so; but the Almighty on high has sent me to you for the consolation of your soul after the conversion of the Irish, whom you have won for him in the faith, through a most hard labour and a great building-up of the grace of the Holy Spirit, a light most bright and fruitful for all minds; since you have ever been laborious through many times and among many dangers of the heathen, in cold and heat, hungering and thirsting, and walking tirelessly daily from place to place for the good of many peoples.

⁴ “Know therefore that the Lord your God regards this present place which we see before us set on a height, with a little narrow cell and straitened by some of the inhabitants of the region besides, and its suburbs do not suffice for the refuge of all. Therefore there is appointed by the Lord a most spacious boundary for the city of Armagh which you have loved above all the lands of the Irish, that is, from the summit of the hill of the brambles as far as Mount Miss; and from Mount Miss as far as Bri Erigi; and from Bri Erigi as far as the ridges of Breg. Truly, if you will, it shall be of this greatness.

⁵ “And moreover the Lord God has given you all the peoples of the Scots for a parish to this your city, which in the tongue of the Scots is called Ardd Machae.”

⁶ Then Saint Patrick, with face cast down in the presence of the angel, said: “I give thanks to my God, the everlasting Lord, who has deigned to grant so great glory mercifully to his little servant. Yet I know, holy Lord my God, by the Holy Spirit I foresee, that in this island through the ineffable pity of your clemency and through the labour of preaching there shall arise for me certain elect ones, dear to me as though born of my own body, devout servants and friends to me, who will seem to need something for themselves, to be assigned for the use of their necessary service to their churches or monasteries after me. Therefore I ought, in justice and equity, to leave the gift of abundance so certainly given to me in common to all the religious of Ireland, that both I and they may peacefully enjoy the riches of the goodness of God — though all things are granted to me for the sake of divine charity.”

⁷ Also he said: “This therefore suffices me: whatever Christian men from the regions shall devoutly vow and wish to offer, let it be their own offerings by the award of their own freedom. Also I am content indeed to be the apostolic teacher and chief guide for all the peoples of Ireland, seeing that I retain a special tribute rightly to be rendered. And to me also there is granted that which is fittingly due over the free churches of the provinces of this island, the provinces and all the monasteries of monks likewise, without any doubt: the decreed right shall belong in perpetuity to the rector of Armagh — except for the archbishop, heir of the cathedral of my city, with his companies in the aforementioned number; except pilgrims and the sick of various griefs, and the unworthy, and the rest. And let there be a fitting refection for each one of the same number — for it is fitting to judge by day what is assuredly likewise by night — men of both sexes.

⁸ “Now in this city of Armagh the religious Christian men seem to have lived almost inseparably from the beginning of the faith until now. To whom the three orders adhere — virgins, and penitents, and those in lawful matrimony serving the church. And to these three orders is granted to hear the word of preaching in the church of the northern part always on the Lord’s days. And in the southern basilica the bishops and presbyters and anchorites of the church and the other religious offer sweet praises.

⁹ “With special reverence for Armagh and honour to the prelate of the same city, let us say that this city has been established free and supreme, dedicated specially by an angel of God and by the apostolic man, Saint Patrick the bishop, over his own monasteries. Free therefore by a certain privilege over all the churches of all the Irish, or by the supreme authority of that high pontiff its founder; which city ought to be venerated by men with the honour of the highest martyrs — Peter and Paul, Stephen, Laurence, and the rest.

¹⁰ “And how much the more is it greatly to be venerated and diligently honoured by all with a singular admiration of the inexpressible benefit granted to us above all, in that there exists in it, by secret ordinance, the most sacred blood of Jesus Christ, redeemer of the human race, in a sacred linen cloth, together with the relics of the saints in the southern church where rest the bodies of the holy pilgrims from far away, those who came over the sea with Patrick, and of the other just.

¹¹ “On this account it is not lawful, by reason of the aforementioned authority, to set against it a consort from any church of the Scots, nor from any prelate or abbot against his heir; but it is rightly sworn above, over all churches and their rulers, if true necessity shall demand it.

¹² “Also every church free and without episcopal rank seems to be founded upon the whole island of the Scots; and every place which is called “the Lord’s” [Dominicus], by the clemency of almighty God to the holy teacher, and by the word of the angel, ought to be in the special society of Patrick the pontiff and of the heir of his see of Armagh — because God gave him the whole island, as we have said above.

¹³ “Also we must know: every monk of whatever church, if he has come to Patrick, his own monk’s vow is not denied him — most of all if he vowed it with the consent of his abbot beforehand. Therefore he is neither to be repelled nor excommunicated, whoever has gone to his church for love of him, because Patrick himself shall judge all the Irish on the great day of the terrible judgement in the presence of Christ.”

¹⁴ Also concerning the honour of the prelate of Armagh, the bishop presiding over the see of the perfect pastor:

¹⁵ If the aforementioned pontiff shall arrive at evening in the place where he has been received, let there be offered to him once a fitting refection and consoling for the aforementioned guests to the number of a hundred, with fodder for their beasts — besides guests and sick men and those who carry infants — upon the church; and the rest or unworthy, and others.

¹⁶ Also whoever shall not receive the aforementioned prelate into hospitality, and shall have shut his dwelling against him, shall be compelled to render seven ancillae or seven years of penance likewise.

¹⁷ Also whoever shall have despised or violated the consecrated insignia of the same — that is, of Patrick — shall pay double. But if for contempt of the other insignia there have been rendered seven ancillae, from the consecrated insignia of the supreme aforementioned doctor Patrick there shall be rendered five.

¹⁸ Also whoever likewise, by industry or injury or wickedness, shall have wrought any evil deed against his household or his parish, or shall have despised his aforementioned insignia, shall come to the freedom of examination by the same prelate of Armagh judging rightly for the whole matter, the judgements of all others being set aside.

¹⁹ Also whatever cause shall have arisen very difficult and unknown to all the judges of the tribes of the Scots shall be rightly referred to the examination of the cathedral of the archbishop of the Irish — that is, of Patrick — and of this his successor.

²⁰ But if in that place, with his wise men, such a cause of the aforementioned business cannot easily be healed, we have decreed that it be sent to the Apostolic See — that is, to the chair of Peter the apostle, having authority in the city of Rome.

²¹ These are they who decreed concerning this: that is, Auxilius, Patrick, Secundinus, Benignus. After the death moreover of holy Patrick their foster-father, they wrote the same books.

²² A fund of prayer on every Lord’s day in Armagh for going to the angelic martyr and returning from him: that is, “Domine clamavi ad te” to the end; “Ut quid Deus repulisti” to the end; and “Beati immaculati” to the end of the blessing; and the twelve gradual psalms.

²³ Between Saint Patrick of the Irish and Brigid there was so great a friendship of charity that they had one heart and one mind. Christ wrought many miracles through him and through her.

²⁴ The holy man then said to the Christian virgin: “O my Brigid, your parish in your province shall be reckoned to your monarchy; but in the eastern and western part my dominion shall be.”

²⁵ Here end the books of Saint Patrick the bishop.