¹ The holy bishop Paternus, forsaking an earthly inheritance and loving exile, desired to become an heir of the heavenly kingdom. He was by nation an Armorican, that is, sprung of Lesser Britain, born of parents of noble stock — namely his father Petran and his mother Guean: who, living in a single union, begot the holy Paternus, and afterwards submitted themselves to God’s eternal service, remaining in chastity. For Petran straightway left Lesser Britain and made for Ireland, and pleased God by great abstinence of life and virtues. Gracious indeed appeared the birth of St Paternus, through whom his father was made a saint, and his mother, a handmaid of Christ, led a religious life.

² And Paternus, grown a youth, asked his mother what father he had had, whether he lived or not, and if he lived, where he was, and why he dwelt elsewhere and did not rather abide in his own inheritance. To whom his mother answered weeping: “Your father indeed lives, and more for God than for the world; but he has gone hence to Ireland, where he fasts, prays, keeps vigil, meditates, and kneels to the most high Lord.” Then the youth said: “In what better way then can a son live than by imitating a good father? For if a father be a king, the son desires to imitate him in rule. And so I shall die if I do not follow my father by the paths which he chose.”

³ Now in that time a choir of monks, forsaking Lesser Britain, were minded to seek Greater Britain: provoked by this fame the boy Paternus hastened to go with them. So when all had assembled to sail, Paternus was soon made the leader of the fourth company. For his cousins, seeing him hasten to the summit of perfection, said: “Since the Lord,” they said, “has set you over in manners, it behoves you to be set over the peoples for an example of life.” And so eight hundred and forty-seven monks, choosing Paternus as their leader and following him, by a prosperous voyage gained the shores of the island of Greater Britain.

⁴ And the saint with the saints occupied a place at the church surnamed Mauritania, and having built a monastery there, ordered it under a steward, a provost and a dean: and blessing the brethren, he sailed to Ireland, and visited and comforted his father; and they rendered thanks to God. There were then in Ireland two kings who, dissension having arisen between them, greatly disagreed; devastations are worked, spoils are seized, houses are burnt, wars arise, and many being slain by the sword, the desolated land is reduced to a wilderness. At length the merciful judge of the world, pitying with his wonted providence, sent a cause of unhoped-for peace by his angel to the bishop of each city, saying: “Unless each army shall see the face of the holy man lately come out of Britain, the malevolent kings can never be reconciled to one another.” Envoys being at once sent, they honourably summoned Paternus; and the host being called together, Paternus was set in the midst. And look, the grace of his countenance, utterly driving away the kings’ discords, confirmed perpetual peace and unity between the two provinces; and when these things had been duly performed, all as with one mouth blessed God in his servant Paternus.

⁵ So Paternus, having taken leave of his father, went to Britain and found the brethren unharmed. Among whom he found a certain man named Nymannaucus newly arrived, who, unable to live in Lesser Britain after Paternus’s departure, had come to the seashore and, finding a certain rock, stood upon it and said: “If the things I meditate are pleasing to the Lord God, and if that Paternus whom I wish to follow is truly holy, let this rock arise and swim upon the waters, let the waves be made solid, let the sea be hardened lest it sink the stone, and may I be borne unharmed to St Paternus”: and look, swifter than speech the stone, running swiftly over the sea-waves, carried him by a wondrous voyage as far as the man of God’s monastery.

⁶ Then Paternus built monasteries and churches throughout the whole Ceredigion region, which is now called Cardiganshire.

⁷ Meanwhile Maelgwn, king of the North Britons, came with his army to conquer and plunder the South Britons; and since he was ever a tempter of the saints, he ordered two thieves to go before him, that they might craftily tempt St Paternus in some wise. Who, filling certain vessels with gravel, pretended they had brought royal treasures to the saint, and told him to keep them until the king should return prosperously. The saint consented, ordered them to be deposited, and affirmed they would be found just as they had been left. So when the king had returned, his enemies being pacified, the thieves came and, searching the vessels’ interiors, deposited gravel, and cried out that the king’s treasures had been stolen away and gravel put in their stead. But St Paternus on the contrary asserted that they would be found as they had been left. Yet they threatened the ruin of the whole monastery and devastation, unless the treasures were restored. Now it had been previously decreed by the king throughout Britain that every lie should be detected by boiling water. Then Paternus ordered water in a brazen pot to be heated until it boiled; and putting in his hand, after a short space of delay drew it out white and cold. For afterwards, when the thieves, being compelled, had put their hands into the boiling water, their burnt hands declared the malice of their lying. And when they had all ended their lives burnt, the king, blinded in his eyes, fell sick, and confessed that on account of the guilt committed against St Paternus he was about to die. But the king, brought to the man of God with great difficulty, groaning and penitent, sought indulgence on bended knees: and pardon being received, his eyes and limbs were healed.

⁸ Now a heavenly messenger, coming to St David in the Vale of Roses, said: “Arise and go into Jerusalem, that you may there receive the episcopal degree, and add to yourself two worthy companions, namely Paternus and Theliau, who may be promoted to the same episcopal degree.” For at once, messengers being sent to them, they came without delay. For journeying through barbarous nations, they received from the Lord the grace of tongues, addressing every man in the own tongue in which he had been born. At length approaching the city of Jerusalem, they preached most nobly after the apostles against the Jews and the heresy arisen there: for everyone understood them speaking in his own tongue. Afterwards, by the imposition of the patriarch’s hands, they were ordained bishops and enriched with gifts: Paternus indeed was enriched with a tunic woven of gold and a staff. And returning to their country, they divided Britain into three bishoprics.

⁹ Now while Paternus was resting in the same church of Mauritania after such great labours, a certain tyrant named Arthur was ranging through the regions round about: who, coming one day to the holy bishop’s cell and addressing him, espied the same tunic, and pierced with the zeal of envy, asked for it. To whom the saint: “This tunic is not fitting for any malign person, but only for a clerk consecrated to God.” But he, indignant, went out of the monastery, and returned again to take it by force. And one of the disciples, seeing him returning in a fury, ran to St Paternus and said: “The tyrant who went out hence before is coming back raging with insults.” Paternus said: “No, let the earth swallow him.” Which said, the earth straightway opened its mouth and swallowed Arthur up to the chin. Who thereupon acknowledging his guilt, began to praise God and St Paternus; until, humbly begging pardon, the earth sent him up again. Then the saint, with a kindly countenance, granted pardon to the king imploring it on bended knees.

¹⁰ In those days Caradaucus enlarged his kingdom beyond the bounds of Britain, and coming to Lesser Britain, subdued it to his dominion. And the inhabitants of that province, coming to him, said: “Unless you recall our Paternus to us from Greater Britain, you will not be able to find us peaceable and subject to you.” Then the king, having crossed the sea prosperously, with earnest prayers asked the holy bishop to deign to hasten his steps for the instruction of Lesser Britain and the edification of the people. For the holy bishop, unwilling to resist the power according to the apostle’s precept, went there: and patiently endured great persecution from false brethren.

¹¹ Now Sampson, bishop of that province, whom all magnified as pre-eminent in holiness, was going round the parishes, ordaining that every church should pay a fixed tribute to the metropolitan church. And when he came to the neighbouring places of the city beside which St Paternus had founded his monastery, one of Sampson’s monks said: “Send to the saint lately come from Britain, that you may prove his humility; and command by the messenger that in whatever state he finds him, in the same he should hasten to you without any excuse.” And Sampson, simply accepting the counsel, sent the messenger. And the messenger, coming to the man of God, found him with a shoe on one foot, the other remaining bare. The servant delivered his message, and Paternus, foreseeing what was to come, went to the bishop without delay. That malicious monk, the author of the evil counsel, laughed at Paternus for being half-shod upon his feet: and at once seized by a demon, fell to the earth. Soon Sampson, understanding that monk to be the author of the temptation against St Paternus, greeted him peaceably, asked indulgence and received it. Then Paternus, expelling the demon, healed the wearied monk. And St Sampson ordained that, though every bishopric of the land should render him tribute, yet St Paternus’s bishopric should be free from every man. Now the city of Guenet was the see of St Paternus’s bishopric.

¹² After these things a synod being gathered, where he had been much wearied by envious and false brethren: yet when the unity of peace had at length been confirmed between him and the bishops: fearing lest through the intolerance of those men his humility should in some wise, however slight, be provoked to anger or hurt; forsaking that land he went to the Franks, and on the fifteenth day of April fell asleep in the Lord. For the inhabitants of Lesser Britain solemnly venerate and keep three feasts of his: namely the day on which the same peace with the bishops was restored, the first of November; and the day on which he received the degree of the episcopate, the twentieth of June; and the day of his death.

¹³ Now after St Paternus’s death, a black famine invaded Lesser Britain: for within the space of three years after his passing, neither dew nor rain descended from heaven upon the whole province. At length the inhabitants learned that St Paternus, afflicted by injurious and false brethren, had left the land: taking counsel, they went to the place of his burial among the Franks, that they might transfer his relics with them honourably. And when they could in no way accomplish this, one of his bones having been given them, the whole host could not carry it. All therefore being troubled and knowing not what to do, there came a certain nobleman of the city of Guenet, saying thus: “While the holy father yet lived he often begged my land of me, that he might found a church there. And so what I denied him of his petition while he lived, this after his death I freely grant. Let him arise, let him receive honour, let him obtain his petition.” This said, they lifted the same bone from the earth most lightly, and carried it with them to their land, and placed it with great honour in a church built to his honour on that rich man’s land.

¹⁴ At a certain time, while St Paternus yet lived, when one of his servants was visiting the monastery’s woods, falling among robbers he was slain. Hearing which, Paternus went to the wood and called the servant by his own name, saying: “Answer your master.” Then the head, torn from the corpse, answered: “Here I am, lord.” At which voice the bishop came to the place of the answering, and seeing the servant’s head severed from the body, lifting his eyes to heaven he blessed the corpse: and the head being suddenly joined to the body, he arose alive. A certain powerful man of that province, hearing this, came to the bishop and said: “The malicious slayers of your servant are mine; and lest divine vengeance through the commotion of your spirit should overtake me, I humbly beg mercy and pardon. And that I may render your mind peaceable towards me, I will dedicate a part of my land to you.” To whom St Paternus, kindly granting pardon, foretold this: “Before you finish your life, you shall please the Lord, and deserve burial with honour in a cemetery.”

Further Stories #

¹ [Added in the Tiberius manuscript.] When certain robbers had found St Marianus in a field and despoiled him, they left him only his cloak. Who straightway began to cry after them, saying: “Come back, my lords: look, a denarius is tied in my cloak, which will perhaps be needful for you.” Who straightway returning, received the cloak with the denarius, and left him utterly naked. And as they hastened to their hiding-places, they were found in the silence of midnight at the door of his cell. Whom he received kindly in his cell, and washing their feet, ministered to them what hospitality he could: and converted one of them to the faith.

² When blessed Germanus, bishop of Auxerre, was returning from Britain, he came to the tomb of the holy bishop Cassian. And when he asked him how he fared, he straightway from the tomb, all hearing, said: “I enjoy sweet rest, and await the coming of the Redeemer.” To whom St Germanus said: “Rest in Christ for a long time, and intercede the more earnestly for us, that we may deserve to obtain the joys of the holy resurrection.”