that blood flows from our hands." Patrick blessed the irons, so that
they could easily cut with them; and he went to the king, to Trian's
fort. Patrick fasts on him. He disobeyed. He returns on the morrow
from the fort. He spat on the rock which was there on his way, so that
it broke into three pieces; one third part was cast to a distance of one
thousand paces. Patrick said: "Two-thirds of the fast on the rock,
another third on the fort and king, and on the district. There will not
be a king nor _roydamhna_ of the children of Trian. He shall die
prematurely himself, and shall go down to a bitter hell." The wife of
the king came, following Patrick. She performed penance, and knelt.
Patrick blessed her womb and the beings in it--_i.e._, Setna, son of
Trian, and Iarlaid, son of Trian. Sechnall that baptized Setna, Patrick
that baptized Iarlaid, and Patrick said that he would be his successor
afterwards. Trian himself proceeded to bind and maltreat the slaves who
reported him. His horses bore him off in the chariot, and his driver, so
that they went into the lake. Loch-Trena is its name. This was his last
fall. He will not arise out of the lake till the vespers of judgment;
and it will not be to happiness even then. There was a certain wicked
man in the country of Uladh--_i.e._, Magh-Inis--at that time, an impious
man, and a son of death--_i.e._, Mac Cuill--who was plundering and
killing the people. On one occasion Patrick and his companions passed by
him a certain day, and he desired to kill Patrick. This is what he (Mac
Cuill) said to his followers: "Behold the _tailcenn_ and false prophet,
who is deceiving every one; let us arise and make an attack on him, to
see if perhaps his God will assist him." This is what they planned
afterwards: to bring one of their people on a bier, as if dead, to be
resuscitated by Patrick, and to deceive Patrick; and they threw a cover
over his body and over his face. "Cure," said they to Patrick, "our
companion for us, and beseech your God to awake him from death." "My
_debroth_," said Patrick, "I would not wonder if he were dead." Garban