Att: Bourgès (2010) argues that Concerning Saint Ronan can plausible be attributed to Robert of Cornouaille due to its theological concerns and ecclesiastical agenda aligning with his reforming episcopate. If not Robert, then the work was written by someone within his milieu and time period.

Bourgès, A.-Y. (2010) ‘Propagande ducale, réforme grégorienne et renouveau monastique : la production hagiographique en Bretagne sous les ducs de la maison de Cornouaille’, in Le pouvoir et la foi au Moyen Âge. Rennes: Presses universitaires de Rennes, pp. 137-156.

¹ Saint Ronan, born in the region of Ireland, and in childhood handed over by his parents to the study of letters, drank in with a thirsting heart the heavenly streams of doctrine, a blameless boy; moreover, what he read and learned he understood wisely and committed faithfully to his mind. He exercised himself daily with the greatest vigilance, tirelessly practising the commandments of God. Then, with the merits of the virtues supporting him, he spread abroad as a distinguished teacher, by the grace of God humbly subject, even to the leaf and the pontifical office. Raised to the priesthood, he established for himself among the people the reputation of good works; in his days he was found just, pleasing to God, through the grace of the Holy Spirit guarding him, in all the justifications of the Lord. Afterwards, turning over in his mind that saying of the Gospel, “Whoever wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” [Matthew 16:24], and, “Everyone who has left house, or brothers and sisters, or father and mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold and shall possess eternal life” [Matthew 19:29], having likewise abandoned his homeland, friends, and paternal possessions, he crossed the ocean and was brought to Britain; and landing on the shores of Léon, he remained there, persevering day and night in the service of God. As he made his stay in that region by the will of God, he began to become known to the people through frequent miracles which the Lord continually worked through him. For by praying he restored sight to the blind and health to the sick; he cast demons out of possessed bodies. Hence a great multitude of people came to him daily, to implore help in their distress; and, having obtained healing, they returned home with joy.

² But the man of God, knowing that in that place he could not, in accordance with the Apostle’s command, devote himself to prayer without ceasing, because of the multitude of people coming to him, desired to penetrate more remote places of the wilderness; and, with an angel of God accompanying him, he came into Cornwall as far as a great forest called Nemea. Beside this forest there was a certain man, a most outstanding cultivator of the Christian faith among all who dwelt there; and when the holy man came to his house, he was received by him into hospitality with a cheerful countenance. When he had stayed for some days in the house of the said countryman, he was asked by his host to tell him from where he had come or where he was going. Saint Ronan said to him: “I indeed am a Scot by birth, a foreigner by nation, having of my own free will become needy of all the things that were my father’s, for love of him who for us, out of free mercy, became poor; I have come voluntarily into this exile, leaving small things behind, and certain of receiving greater ones from him on the day of recompense.” And when the course of a few days had passed, the often-mentioned holy man began to build a small oratory, in which he might devote himself continually to prayer, his host providing him with the necessary assistance. This oratory was built beside the forest of Nemea, that is, a grove once very extensive and a lair abounding in wild beasts; in that place the holy man gave himself over to the service of the Lord, persevering frequently in prayer and fasting.

³ As a little space of time meanwhile passed by, a happy knowledge of the holy man spread throughout that region, by the evidence of his holy activity, and this came even to the notice of the supreme ruler; for a city set upon a hill could not be hidden for long. Hence it came about that Grallon, king of the Britons, who at that time held the monarchy of that people, willingly came in person to him for the sake of converse. And when he had learned from Saint Ronan from where and for what reason he had come to those parts, having received a blessing from him he returned to his own land. Meanwhile a multitude of the common people began to frequent the holy man’s oratory, and with eager desire to seek his honey-sweet conversation. But above all the same host longed for his words; for he often remained with him from morning throughout the whole day. On account of this his wife, ill at ease, began to provoke him, calling him forgetful of her. At times she would run angrily to the man of God and accuse him that her husband was neglecting her; and the saint, as was his custom, would soothe her with pious words. One day, however, when the holy man was standing before the door, he saw a wolf carrying off a sheep and hastening towards the forest; and, trusting in heavenly help, he commanded it to let go the sheep it had seized, and no sooner was it said than the wolf released the sheep. Nor was this done by him only once or twice or three times, but as often as a similar thing happened throughout all that neighbourhood.

⁴ One day that same most wicked woman, named Queban, had placed her five-year-old daughter in a chest, giving her bread with milk so that she would not cry; and the child, choked at the first mouthful, died. Meanwhile she ran about the whole neighbourhood, pretending that her daughter, whom she herself had put in the chest, was lost; and she burst out before the cell of the holy man, crying thus: “Two-shaped monster, devourer of men and seducer! Was it not enough for you to have stolen my husband from me, unless you should also devour my daughter?” Then the holy man, looking at her, said: “O woman, why do you accuse me, a confessor of the Christian faith, of being a devourer of your daughter?” Nevertheless she went to the same King Grallon and accused Ronan of being a devourer not only of cattle but also of men, and especially of her own daughter. The king, unwilling to leave this matter unexamined, sent a messenger to the holy man of God and summoned him to come before him. Meanwhile, by revelation of the Holy Spirit, it became clearly known to the saint of God what Queban had done with her daughter, where she had hidden her, and what had happened to her.

⁵ All this the holy man related truthfully, as it had occurred, in the presence of the king and all who were there. Many therefore ran to the woman’s house and found the daughter dead in the chest; for which reason they wished to stone Queban, because she had presumed to invent so wicked a slander against the holy man of God. But the man of God, warding off the stones from their hands, restrained their anger; and, having prayed, he restored Queban’s daughter to life. When afterwards he had most holily fallen asleep in Christ, his sacred relics were brought into the church of Corisopitum.