Preface #

¹ You urge me, brothers, to undertake the task of committing to memory and writing the virtues and deeds of the holy and blessed Brigid, virgin, in the manner of learned men. This task, which has been imposed on me and is both challenging and delicate in its subject matter, is ill-suited to my smallness, my ignorance, and my inadequate language. But God is able to make great things from small, just as He filled the house of the poor widow with a small amount of oil and a handful of flour.

² Therefore, compelled by your commands, I consider it sufficient not to have failed in my obedience. For this reason, I judge it proper to reveal, without any shadow of ambiguity, a few of the many things handed down by those who are greater and most learned, so that I may not incur the charge of disobedience. From these accounts, may it become known to all eyes how great and what kind of virgin, adorned with the flowers of good virtues, she was. Not that my memory, my mediocrity, or the rustic speech of my modest intellect is capable of conveying the task of so great an honor, but rather the blessedness of your faith and the persistence of your prayers deserve to receive what my skill in expression cannot achieve.

³ Thus, she, growing in extraordinary virtues, and through the fame of her good works, drew to herself innumerable multitudes of people from all the provinces of Ireland, from both sexes, who came together, dedicating vows to her. They voluntarily joined her monastery, which was almost the head of all the churches of the Irish and the preeminent pinnacle surpassing all the monasteries of the Scots.

⁴ Her parish spread throughout the entire land of Ireland, extending from sea to sea. In the plains of the Liffey valley, she built her monastery upon the firm foundation of faith. With prudent care, she oversaw the souls entrusted to her, governing them according to rule in all things, and taking great concern for the churches of the many provinces that adhered to her. Reflecting within herself that without a high priest to consecrate churches and ordain ecclesiastical ranks within them, the Church could not properly function, she summoned a renowned and solitary man, adorned with every virtue and through whom God had worked many miracles. She called him out of the desert and his solitary life, going to meet him herself so that he might govern the Church alongside her in the dignity of a bishop and ensure that nothing of the priestly order was lacking in her churches.

⁵ And thereafter, thus anointed as the head and principal of all bishops, alongside the most blessed leader of virgins, she established her principal church with a happy union between them and under the guidance of all virtues. By the merits of both, their episcopal and virginal seat flourished, growing as if a fruitful vine spreading its branches far and wide, taking root throughout the entire island of Ireland.

⁶ This church has always been ruled by the Archbishop of the bishops of Ireland and by the abbess, whom all the abbesses of the Scots venerate, in a happy succession and with a perpetual custom. Therefore, as I mentioned above, compelled by my brothers, I shall endeavor, with much effort and brevity, though in a somewhat disordered arrangement of virtues, to recount concisely the virtues of this blessed virgin Brigid, both those she displayed before her leadership and those she exercised during her time as leader.

Chapter 1 #

¹ Saint Brigid, therefore, whom God foreknew, made in His image, and predestined, was born of Christian and noble parents of the good and most prudent lineage of Etech in Scotland, having Dubthach as her father and Brocca as her mother. From her childhood, she was inclined to the pursuit of good things. For the girl, chosen by God, modest in her conduct, full of grace and chastity, always grew in virtue.

² And who can fully recount her deeds, which she accomplished even in this early stage of her life? However, we shall demonstrate a few examples from her innumerable works for the sake of illustration.

³ From then on, when the appropriate time came, she was sent by her mother to work at churning, to gather butter from the disturbed milk of the cows, just as other women were accustomed to practicing this task, she herself also might perform the task equally, so that, together with the others, in due time and in peaceful circumstances, she would deliver the full yield, weight, and customary measure of butter for use. But this most virtuous and hospitable virgin, preferring to “obey God rather than men”, generously gave milk to the poor and to guests, and distributed butter.

⁴ When the time came for everyone to deliver the yield from the cows, her fellow workers displayed their completed work. It came to her turn: this blessed virgin was asked that she, too, should likewise present her work. She was stricken with fear of her mother as she had nothing to show because she had given everything away to the poor. Not worrying about tomorrow, and kindled with the unquenchable flame of faith, she firmly turned to the Lord in prayer. Without delay, the Lord, hearing the voice and prayers of the virgin, through the abundance of divine grace—as He is a helper in times of need—came to her aid.

⁵ Through her trust in Him, the Lord miraculously provided an abundant supply of butter. To everyone’s amazement, at that very hour after her prayer, the most holy virgin showed that nothing was lacking from her work, but rather that it surpassed the yield of all her fellow workers, demonstrating that she had completed her task in abundance. And when this was fully revealed before the eyes of all, such a great miracle of grace became known, and they praised the Lord, who had done this, marveling that such great faith and virtue resided in the heart of a virgin.

⁶ Not long afterward, when her parents, according to human custom, wished to betroth her to a man, she, inspired by heavenly guidance and desiring to offer herself as a pure virgin to God, went to the most holy bishop of blessed memory, Macca. Seeing her heavenly desire, her chastity, and her great love for purity in such a virgin, he placed a white pallium and a bright garment upon her venerable head. She, humbly kneeling before God, the bishop, and the altar, and offering her virginity before the Lord Almighty, touched the wooden foundation that supported the altar. This wood, in remembrance of its former virtue, remains green to the present time, as though it had not been cut and stripped of its bark, but were still rooted and flourishing. Even to this day, it expels ailments and diseases from faithful people.

⁷ Nor do I think it should be omitted to recount the virtue which this most renowned servant, said to have been devoted ceaselessly to divine service, performed. For once, when she had cooked lard in a pot for guests who were arriving, she mercifully gave it to a dog that was fawning and begging. Yet, when the lard was taken from the pot and afterward distributed to the guests, it was found to be as full as if nothing had been removed. Those who witnessed this were greatly astonished, and they spread worthy praises of the girl, incomparable in the virtue of faith and deserving of good virtues.

⁸ And he summoned reapers and laborers to his harvest; and on the day of that gathering of reapers, it turned out to be a cloudy and rainy day. As abundant rains poured forth from the clouds, flowing throughout the surrounding province, and as streams of droplets ran through valleys and cracks in the earth, only his harvest remained dry, without any hindrance or disturbance from the rains. While all the reapers of the region were hindered by the rainy day, his own reapers, under the clear sky without any shadow of rainclouds, worked throughout the entire day, from sunrise to sunset, accomplishing their task by the power of God.

⁹ Behold, among his other virtues, this appears to be particularly worthy of admiration and truly marvelous. For when bishops arrived and stayed with him as guests, and he had nothing with which to feed them, he was aided by the manifold power of God. In an extraordinary manner, as necessity required, he milked a single cow three times in one day, contrary to custom. And what is typically obtained from three excellent cows, he, through this miraculous event, obtained from his one cow.

¹⁰ Behold, I consider it fitting to inform your blessedness of this virtue as well, in which the pure virgin mind and cooperative hand appear to act in unison. For while she was tending her sheep in a grassy field with pastoral care, after a heavy downpour drenched her with rain, she returned home in wet garments. As sunlight entered the house through small openings, she mistook the shadow cast within for a sturdy tree, thinking it was solid and fixed. Believing this, she placed her soaked garment upon it as though it were a large, firm tree. Miraculously, the garment hung suspended on that delicate ray of sunlight. When the neighbors and inhabitants of the house witnessed this great miracle, they were astonished and praised this incomparable marvel with fitting acclaim.

¹¹ This account, too, ought not to pass in silence. When the holy Brigid was diligently tending her flock of sheep in the field with pastoral care, a wicked young man, acting deceitfully and aware of her generosity toward the poor, stealthily stole seven of her rams in a single day and hid them in secret. When evening came and the flock was customarily gathered into the fold, it was carefully counted two or three times and, in a miraculous manner, was found to be complete, without any loss. Those who were aware of the theft marveled at the power of God manifest through the virgin. They returned the seven rams they had hidden to the flock, and its number was found to be neither greater nor less, but exactly as it had been before—whole and intact.

¹² Through these and countless other virtues, the most renowned servant of God was justly and most highly praised by all. In a wondrous event, when lepers approached the venerable Brigid asking for ale and she had none, she saw water prepared for baths. With the power of faith, she blessed it and transformed it into excellent ale, providing it abundantly for the thirsty. For the same One who turned water into wine at Cana in Galilee also, through the faith of this most blessed woman, changed water into ale.

Chapter 2 #

¹ And indeed, as all things are possible for those who believe, she performed countless miracles daily without fail.

² One day, a certain man came asking for salt, as many poor and needy people often did, seeking aid for their necessities. At that moment, the most blessed Brigid, with divine power, blessed a stone and transformed it into salt, providing abundantly for the petitioner’s need. The man, carrying the salt she had given, joyfully returned to his own home.

³ This most powerful divine work, I believe, should be added to her other miracles. In this, she imitated the Savior and performed a most exalted act of divine virtue in His name.

⁴ For, following the example of the Lord, she also opened the eyes of one born blind. Indeed, the Lord has granted His name and works to His members, for when He spoke of Himself, saying, “I am the light of the world”, He likewise said to His apostles, “You are the light of the world,” and further added, “The works that I do, they will do also, and greater works than these will they do.”

⁵ Thus, one who was born blind by natural birth had his eyes opened—simple and clear—through the faith of Brigid, working with the power of a mustard seed, akin to that faith. She, illustrious through such great virtues, with humility of heart, purity of mind, moderation in conduct, and fullness of spiritual grace, deserved to possess such authority and a renowned name above all the virgins of her time.

⁶ And one day, when a woman who was closely associated with her externally came to visit her, bringing along her twelve-year-old daughter who was mute from birth, the woman approached with fitting veneration and reverence, as was customary for all. Bowing and lowering her humble neck to receive a peaceful kiss from her, Bridget, who was gracious and blessed, spoke to her kindly with words seasoned by divine wisdom. Following the example of our Savior, who commanded children to come to Him, she took the girl’s hand in her own. Not knowing that the girl was mute, she asked her what she wished: whether she desired to remain a virgin with her head veiled or to be given in marriage. The mother, however, explained that her daughter could not answer. In response, Bridget said to the mother that she would not release the girl’s hand until she received an answer. When she questioned the girl a second time, the girl replied, saying, “I desire nothing but what you wish.” Thus, her mouth was opened, her tongue was freed, and she spoke clearly, completely healed.

⁷ And who could hear of this work of hers without feeling a stir of amazement in their hearts? For while she was absorbed in her usual heavenly meditation, raising her thoughts from earthly matters to celestial ones, she entrusted a significant portion of bacon, not a small one, to a dog. After a month had passed, when it was sought, it was found untouched and whole, not in some random place, but right where the dog usually stayed. The dog had not dared to eat what had been entrusted to it by the blessed virgin. Instead, restrained by divine power, it became a patient and trustworthy guardian of the bacon, acting against its natural instinct.

⁸ As the number of her miracles increased daily, to a point where they could scarcely be counted, how great was the mercy and compassion she displayed, particularly in her almsgiving to the poor, whether they asked at convenient or inconvenient times!

⁹ For when a poor person in need of food begged her for help, she hurried to those who were cooking meat, asking them to give something to the pauper. However, one of the cooks, an exceedingly foolish servant, thoughtlessly threw an uncooked portion of meat into the fold of her white garment. Yet, without staining the cloth or altering its pristine whiteness, she carried the meat and gave it to the poor person.

¹⁰ This too from her blessed deeds ought to inspire admiration.

¹¹ As crowds of poor and travelers flocked to her from all directions, drawn by the great reputation of her virtue and boundless generosity, there came among them an ungrateful leper. He approached her and demanded to be given the best cow from the herd along with the finest calf of all. She did not delay in granting his request but promptly and willingly gave him the finest cow of all and a beautiful, exceptional calf to accompany it. Showing great compassion, she also sent her cart along with him to ease his journey. To spare the ailing man the burden of driving the cow after a long and tiring trek, she ordered that the calf be placed in the cart behind him. Remarkably, the cow, licking the calf with her tongue and caring for it as if it were her own, followed the cart all the way to the designated destination without anyone urging her to do so.

¹² Dearest brothers, you see that even brute animals served her against their natural instincts.

¹³ At one time, some most wicked thieves, who feared neither God nor man, came from a distant province to commit robbery. Crossing a great river with ease on foot, they stole one of her oxen. However, as they attempted to return by the same route, a sudden surge of the river’s waters overwhelmed them. The river, rising like a wall, did not allow the oxen’s unjust theft to pass but instead submerged the thieves and dragged them away. Meanwhile, the oxen, freed from their hands, returned to the herd with the reins still hanging from their horns. Behold, here too the divine power is evident.

¹⁴ One day, the most holy Bridget, compelled by some necessity, set out to visit a gathering of the people. Seated in a cart drawn by two horses, she, as usual, engaged in heavenly contemplation, living a life on earth that mirrored the divine. While she was praying to her Lord, as she was accustomed to do, one of the horses, in a sudden fit of brute instinct, leaped up within the cart. Breaking free from the reins, it violently shook itself loose, and, terrified, ran wildly across the fields, leaving the yoke dangling.

¹⁵ Yet the hand of the Lord sustained the yoke, preventing any calamity. Witnessing this, the crowd followed her, astonished at this testimony of divine power. Meanwhile, Bridget, continuing her prayer, arrived unharmed at the gathering of the people, with one horse still under the cart, moving peacefully. Strengthened by this sign of divine virtue, she exhorted the people with her teachings, salutary words, and divine wisdom, seasoning her speech as with salt. This, too, must be counted among her miracles.

¹⁶ When a wild and solitary boar, frightened and fleeing, came rushing in a headlong charge, it arrived at the herd of pigs belonging to the most blessed Bridget. Seeing the boar among her animals, she blessed it. From that moment, the boar became fearless and tame, dwelling peacefully and familiarly with her herd of pigs. Behold, brothers, you see that even brute animals and wild beasts could not resist her words and will. Instead, they were subdued and made subject to her, serving her as obedient servants.

¹⁷ One day, a man, lacking any understanding, saw the king’s fox walking through the palace. Mistaken in his dull senses, he thought it was a wild beast and did not realize that this fox, trained in various arts, with its agility and cleverness, was tame and familiar in the royal court. It served as a remarkable symbol for the king and his companions. Unaware of this, he killed the fox in the sight of many.

¹⁸ Immediately, those who witnessed the act bound him and accused him, bringing him before the king. When the king, angered upon learning what had occurred, declared that unless a fox identical in every cunning ability displayed by his fox were restored to him, the man would be executed. Furthermore, the king decreed that the man’s wife, children, and all his possessions should be reduced to servitude.

¹⁹ When the holy and venerable Bridget learned of what had happened, she was deeply moved by compassion and mercy. Grieved in her heart for the unfortunate man who had been unjustly condemned, she ordered her cart to be prepared. Pouring out prayers to the Lord with heartfelt devotion, she rode across the plain toward the road that led to the king’s palace.

²⁰ Without delay, the Lord heard her unceasing prayers and commanded one of His wild foxes to come to her. The fox, running swiftly, approached her cart. Lifting itself lightly, it seated itself in the cart near Bridget. Then, placing itself under the fold of her garment, it sat calmly in the cart beside her.

²¹ But when she herself came to the king, so that he—the wretched and unwary man, who was held guilty due to his own ignorance—might go forth free and absolved from his bonds, she began to plead. And when the king refused to grant her requests, insisting that he would not release the man unless such a fox, of such gentleness and cunning as his own fox had been, were restored, she brought forth her own fox.

²² In the presence of the king and the entire crowd, this fox, displaying all the behaviors and the teachable cleverness of the other fox through various tricks, openly played in the same form as the previous one, to the amazement of all.

²³ Then the king, seeing this, was appeased, and his nobles, along with the great applause of the astonished crowd, marveled at the wondrous deed. He ordered the man, who had previously been guilty of wrongdoing, to be released and allowed to go free.

²⁴ Not long after, when Saint Brigid, having secured his release and freedom, returned to her home, the cunning fox, twisting itself among the crowds and moving craftily, fled into the wilderness and wooded areas. It cleverly eluded its pursuers, slipping away to its den, despite being chased by many horsemen and dogs. Mocking them as it fled across open fields, it escaped unharmed. And all who witnessed what had happened marveled at the event, venerating Saint Brigid, who always shone with the privilege of holiness and the distinction of many virtues, and who had accomplished yet greater deeds.

²⁵ And on another day, when Blessed Brigid saw ducks swimming with their fleshy bodies in the water and sometimes flying through the air, she commanded them to come to her. With feathery flight and the full fervor of obedience, as if accustomed to human care, they flew to her without any fear in great numbers. Touching them with her hand, embracing them, and doing so for a while, she then allowed them to return and fly away on their wings into the air. She praised the Creator of all things, to whom all living creatures are subject and for whom all things live, as indeed she said, in the fulfillment of their purpose.

²⁶ And from all these things, it can be clearly gathered that all the nature of beasts, livestock, and birds was subject to her command.

²⁷ This miracle of hers ought to be celebrated in all ages and communicated to the ears of the faithful. For when, as was her custom, she sowed the most salutary seeds of the word of the Lord for all, she saw nine men engaged in a particular form of vain and diabolical superstition. They displayed applause, a ridiculous manner of speech, and the greatest madness of mind. On their paths lay destruction and misery, and they thirsted for the shedding of blood, offering the most wicked vows and oaths to the ancient enemy who reigned in them. Before the first day of July of that month had come, they had resolved to commit the slaughter and murder of others.

²⁸ To them, the most reverent and gracious Brigid preached with a flowing abundance of honeyed words, urging them to abandon their deadly errors and erase their crimes through heartfelt contrition and true repentance. But, in the dullness of their minds, they resisted, refusing to heed her unless they first fulfilled their vain vows. Thus, they went on their way. For this reason, the venerable virgin poured out abundant prayers to God, desiring, after the example of the Lord, that all might be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.

²⁹ And those wicked men, going forth and beholding an image resembling the man they intended to kill, immediately struck him down with their spears and decapitated him with their swords. Then, as if returning in triumph over their adversary, stained with bloody weapons, they appeared to many. In a wondrous manner, although they had killed no one, it seemed to them that they had fulfilled their vows. And since no one in that region was missing who could have been their victim, the generosity of divine grace, accomplished through the most holy Brigid, became known to all. Thus, those who had formerly been murderers were converted to the Lord through repentance.

³⁰ And in this work, through Saint Brigid, the divine power was revealed in the ineffable honor of sacred religion. For a certain man named Luguid, a very strong and mighty man—capable of performing the work of twelve men by himself with the full strength of his body, and consuming in one day the food sufficient for twelve men—approached her. Just as he alone accomplished the labor of many, so too he could eat as much as all of them combined. He begged her to pray to the Almighty Lord that He would temper his gluttony, by which he consumed an excessive amount, but not before he had lost the strength of his body for this cause.

³¹ Thus, Brigid blessed him and prayed to the Lord on his behalf. From that time on, he was content with the diet of a single man. Yet, as he had done before, he continued to labor as if he were twelve workers, retaining the same strength he had previously possessed.

³² Moreover, a certain tree, large and immense, was cut down with axes by those skilled in woodworking to be used for some purpose. Because of its great weight and massive size, a gathering of strong men convened to deal with its removal. They, along with many oxen and the machinery of artisans, were assembled to drag the tree from a difficult location, where its branches had fallen with a crash, to the designated spot as necessity required.

³³ However, neither the strength of the men, the power of the oxen, nor the various skills of the artisans were able to move or drag the tree in any way. When all had abandoned their efforts, through the unshakable faith of Blessed Brigid—faith like a grain of mustard seed, by which, as the heavenly Teacher declares through the voice of the Gospel, mountains are moved—this exceedingly heavy tree, by the power of the Gospel and through divine mysteries, was lifted and carried without any assistance from mortals to the place that Saint Brigid desired, without any difficulty. The extraordinary excellence of this divine power was made known throughout all the provinces.

³⁴ And it comes to our mind not to omit this miracle in our account. A certain man, secular and of noble birth but deceitful in character, became inflamed with lust for a certain woman. Cunningly plotting how he might enjoy her company, he entrusted a valuable silver belt to her as a deposit. Deceptively, he later took it back without her knowledge and threw it into the sea.

³⁵ Then, accusing her of failing to return it, he devised a wicked plan: that unless she could restore the silver belt to him, she would become his servant, and he would use her for his embraces as he pleased. He insisted that no other restitution or redemption would satisfy him, except either the return of the silver belt or her submission to servitude to satisfy his sinful lust.

³⁶ And the chaste woman, fearing this, fled to Saint Brigid as to a most secure city of refuge. When Saint Brigid learned of the matter and considered what action to take on her behalf, before she had even finished speaking, a certain man arrived, bringing fish caught from the river. When the fish were cut open and their insides exposed, the silver belt, which the cruel man had thrown into the sea, was found inside one of the fish. The woman, now with a calm mind, took the silver belt with her and proceeded to the assembly where the tyrant had accused her of this crime.

³⁷ There, in the presence of the crowd, she displayed the silver belt to him. Many who were able to recognize it testified that it was indeed the same belt at the center of the dispute. Thus, Saint Brigid freed the chaste woman from the hands of the most cruel tyrant. The man, afterward confessing his guilt, humbly submitted himself to Saint Brigid. Then she, glorious in the eyes of all for this great miracle, gave thanks to God, doing all things for His glory, and returned to her own home.

³⁸ And with these miracles, his glorious hospitality should be joined with that of some faithful woman. Thus, making a prosperous journey in accordance with the will of God, Saint Brigid, as the day declined toward evening, came to her dwelling in the vast plain of Breg and stayed the night with her. She [the hostess], welcoming her with open hands and with joy, gave thanks to the Almighty for the blessed arrival of the most reverent Brigid, the virgin of Christ.

³⁹ And since she did not have, due to her poverty, the means to nourish such guests or provide food for them, she took apart the wooden beams of her loom, on which she worked to weave cloth, and used them as fuel for the fire. With good will, she placed her calf, which she had slaughtered, over the pile of those wooden beams and roasted it in the fire. After the meal was prepared and the night was spent in the usual vigils, at dawn, after the night had passed, the hospitable woman, who had lost her calf from her cow, found another calf in the same form as the previous one together with her cow, so that she suffered no loss from receiving and providing for Saint Brigid. She also saw that the wooden beams of the loom were restored to her, similarly repaired beyond the others, in the same form and size as they had been before.

⁴⁰ And thus, Saint Brigid, with a happy journey and a miraculous display of virtue, bid farewell to the inhabitants and, accompanied by the bishop, continued on her way.

⁴¹ And behold, among the great magnitude of her miracles, this particular deed of hers is often admired. For when three lepers asked her for some gift, she gave them a silver vessel. To prevent discord and contention among them if they were to divide it themselves, she instructed someone skilled in weighing gold and silver to measure it out into three equal parts. When he began to excuse himself, saying that he could not weigh it equally, the most blessed Brigid took the silver vessel, struck it against a stone, and broke it into three equal parts as she desired.

⁴² In a wondrous manner, when those three parts were later weighed, no part was found to be smaller or greater than another, even by a single obol, among the three portions. Thus, the poor men departed happily with their gifts, without any cause for harm or envy.

⁴³ For, following the example of the most blessed Job, she never allowed the needy to leave her empty-handed. Indeed, she even gave to the poor the overseas and foreign vestments of Bishop Conleath, a man of radiant holiness, which he used during the solemnities of the Lord and the vigils of the apostles while offering the sacred mysteries on the altar.

⁴⁴ And when the time of the solemnity arrived, according to custom, for the high bishop of the people to be clothed in his ceremonial vestments, Saint Brigid, who had previously given the bishop’s vestments to Christ in the form of the poor, presented him with other garments that were identical in every way to the former ones, both in texture and color. She had received these at that very moment from Christ, whom she had clothed through the poor, delivered to her in a chariot with two wheels. Willingly, she had offered the previous vestments to the poor, and she received these in their place at the appropriate time. For since she was a living and most blessed member of the Supreme Head, she powerfully accomplished all that she desired.

⁴⁵ Likewise, Saint Brigid shone with this miracle as well. When the decree of the king of that land where she lived prevailed among the people and provinces under his rule, it was ordered that all the people from every region and province should gather together and construct a broad and solid road. The road was to be built with tree branches, stones laid as a foundation, and certain very strong reinforcements in a deep and impassable marsh, in wet places, and in swamps where a great river flowed. This road, once constructed, was intended to support chariots, horsemen, carts, wagon wheels, the movement of the populace, and the incursions of enemies from all sides.

⁴⁶ When people from all around gathered, they divided the road they were to build into sections according to their clans and families, so that each clan and family would construct the part assigned to them. However, the most difficult and laborious section of the road, which passed through the river, fell by lot to one of the nations. Wishing to avoid the harsh labor, this nation, through its strength, compelled a weaker nation to undertake the difficult work of constructing that part of the road. Meanwhile, the cruel nation chose for itself an easier section, which it built without any disturbance from the river.

⁴⁷ And when her kinsmen according to the flesh prostrated themselves devoutly before Saint Brigid, she is said to have spoken to them with certainty: “Go, for it is the will and power of God that this river will move from the place where it now is, where you are being oppressed with harsh labor, to the part they have chosen for themselves.”

⁴⁸ And when the people rose the next morning to begin their work, they saw that the river they had complained of had left its original place and the valley where it used to flow between its banks. It had shifted to the section of the proud and powerful ones who had unjustly forced others, weaker and fewer in number than themselves, to labor. As a sign of this miracle, the traces of the river and the empty valley, where the river had once flowed and surged in ancient times, remained visible. The area left by the river dried up completely, and no flowing waters were seen there.

⁴⁹ Not only did she perform many miracles during her earthly life, before she laid down the burden of the flesh, but the abundance of divine grace has never ceased to work miracles in her monastery, where her venerable body rests. These miracles we have not only heard of but have also seen with our own eyes.

⁵⁰ The provost of the great and illustrious monastery of Saint Brigid, which we briefly mentioned at the beginning of this account, sent workers and stonecutters to search for and quarry a millstone wherever they could find one. Without giving any thought to the difficulty of the roads, they climbed a steep path and went to the summit of a rocky mountain. There, they chose a large stone at the very peak of the highest mountain. Cutting it from every side, they shaped it into a perfectly rounded and perforated millstone.

⁵¹ When the provost of the monastery, having been summoned by them, came to the mountain where the millstone had been formed, he brought oxen with him. However, due to the steep ascent of the mountain, he was unable to drive or lead the oxen up. He barely managed to climb the arduous path himself, accompanied by a few others.

⁵² He, along with all his workers, was considering how to transport that millstone from the ridge of the highest mountain. Since the oxen could not bear the yoke or the burden on that steep mountain slope, they despaired. Some of them descended, abandoning the millstone, believing that those who had shaped it had labored in vain. However, the foreman, with prudent management and counsel, faithfully said to his workers: “By no means should this happen. Instead, lift the millstone with strength and cast it down into the precipice from the summit of this high mountain, in the name and power of the most revered Saint Brigid. Because we are unable to carry this millstone through these rocky places by any skill or strength of our own, unless Brigid, for whom nothing is impossible—as it is said, ‘All things are possible for one who believes’—carries it to the place where the strength of the oxen can pull it”.

⁵³ Thus, with firm faith, he cast it into the valley. Gradually descending from the mountain, sometimes avoiding rocks, sometimes leaping over them, and running through the wet places at the mountain’s base—places where neither men nor oxen could stand due to their depth—he, with miraculous guidance, brought it to the flat ground without any damage. There, where the oxen awaited, it progressed with them and was transported to the mill. Finally, it was skillfully joined to another stone.

⁵⁴ And so that this millstone, which had been directed in the name of the blessed Brigid, might become even more widely known, another remarkable and unheard-of miracle was added. A certain pagan, living near the mill, deceitfully sent his grain to the mill through another simple man, without the knowledge of the miller who operated the machinery. When the grain was poured between the millstones and the stones were set in motion, no force of the strong current, no violence of the water, nor any effort of the workers could make the aforementioned millstone move. Those who witnessed this, struck with great astonishment, began to consider the matter. Recognizing that the grain belonged to a pagan, they had no doubt that the millstone, in which Saint Brigid had worked divine power, had refused to grind the grain of the gentile into flour. Immediately, they removed the grain of the pagan and placed their monastic grain beneath the millstone. The usual and daily operation of the mill resumed without any hindrance.

⁵⁵ After some time had passed, it happened that the mill caught fire. This too was no small miracle, for while the fire consumed the entire building and the other millstone that had been joined to the aforementioned stone, it did not dare to touch or burn this special millstone of Saint Brigid. It remained completely unharmed, without any damage from the fire, even amidst the great conflagration of the mill.

⁵⁶ After witnessing this miracle, the millstone was brought to the monastery and placed with honor near the gate of the inner stronghold surrounding the church. Many people gather there in veneration of Saint Brigid, and the stone, positioned at this gate, heals illnesses in those faithful who touch it.

⁵⁷ Nor should the miracle concerning the restoration of the church go unmentioned. Within it rest the glorious bodies of both Bishop Conleth and the holy virgin Saint Brigid, laid to the right and left of the adorned altar in ornate tombs. These tombs are decorated with various displays of gold, silver, gems, and precious stones, with golden and silver crowns hanging above them, adding to their splendor.

⁵⁸ The church, with the growing number of faithful of both sexes, was spacious in area and extended upward with imposing height. It was adorned with painted panels and contained three oratories within, spacious and divided by paneled walls, all under the single roof of the main building. In the eastern part of the church, a single wall, decorated and painted with images and covered with linens, stretched in width from one wall of the church to the other. At its extremities, this wall had two doorways. Through one of these doors, located on the outer side, the high pontiff entered the sanctuary with his regular clergy, who were assigned to the sacred ministries. There, they conducted the divine services and offered the holy sacrifices. Through the other doorway, located on the left side of the aforementioned transverse wall, the abbess, along with her faithful maidens and widows, entered to partake in the banquet of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. Another wall, dividing the floor of the church into two equal parts, extended in width from the eastern side to the transverse wall. The church contained many windows and had one decorated doorway on the right side, through which the priests and the faithful men entered. Another doorway, on the left side, was used by virgins and the congregation of faithful women.

⁵⁹ Thus, within the single grand basilica, a large congregation, organized by order, rank, sex, and separated into distinct sections, prayed to the Almighty Lord with one heart, though in diverse arrangements.

⁶⁰ When the old door of the left gate, through which Saint Brigid used to enter the church, was set in its hinges by the craftsmen, it could not entirely close the newly restored and renovated gate. A fourth part of the gate remained open, exposed, and unsealed. If this missing quarter had been added and joined to the height of the door, the entire high and restored gate could have been closed.

⁶¹ As the craftsmen deliberated whether to make a new and larger door that could fully enclose the gate or to create a panel to attach to the old door so that it might later suffice, the renowned master and leader of all Irish artisans prudently spoke: “This coming night, we must faithfully pray to the Lord near Saint Brigid so that she may provide us guidance by morning on what we should do with this work.” Thus, he spent the entire night in prayer beside the tomb of Saint Brigid.

⁶² In the morning, after offering prayer, he arose and pushed the old door into place on its hinges. To everyone’s amazement, the door fully closed the entire gate. Nothing was lacking in its dimensions, nor was there any excessive part in its size. In this way, Saint Brigid extended the door in height so that it completely enclosed the gate, leaving no open space visible—except when the door was pushed open to allow entry into the church. This miracle, wrought by the Lord’s power, was plainly evident to the eyes of all who saw it, as the door and gate perfectly matched and closed without flaw.

⁶³ Who could possibly describe in words the immense beauty of this church and the countless miracles associated with this city? If it is fitting to call it a city, it is so named because it embodies the life of many within it. This great city is both magnificent and metropolitan, and within its surrounding areas, which Saint Brigid herself marked with a sacred boundary, no physical enemy is feared, nor is there any threat of hostile incursions. The city stands as the safest refuge in all the land of the Scots (Irish), extending its protection even to its outlying suburbs. It shelters all fugitives and preserves the treasures of kings, appearing to all as the pinnacle of adorned and exalted splendor.

⁶⁴ Who can enumerate the diverse crowds and countless people coming from all provinces? Some come for the abundance of feasts, others weak from sickness seeking healing, some for the spectacle of the crowds, and others bringing great gifts to celebrate the feast of the Nativity of Saint Brigid. This feast is observed on the first of February, the day on which she peacefully laid down the burden of her flesh and followed the Lamb of God into the heavenly mansions.

⁶⁵ I ask forgiveness from the brothers and readers who are reading this, as I, compelled by obedience and not puffed up by any special knowledge, have dared to attempt, with these few rustic words, to describe the vast sea of virtues of Saint Brigid and the most valiant men, virtues that are to be feared and admired. I have attempted, however inadequately, to speak of the greatest and innumerable feats, rushing through them in a humble manner.

⁶⁶ Pray for me, the thoughtful and guilty grandson, and I beseech you to commend me to the pious Lord through your prayers. May God, who hears those who seek the peace of the Gospel, grant you peace.