From "The GoldenLegend," by Jacobus de Voragine, A.D. 1275
S. Patrick on a day as he preached a sermon of the patience and sufferanceof the passion of our Lord Jesu Christ to the king of thecountry, he leaned upon his crook or cross, and it happed by adventure that he set the end of the crook, or his staff, upon the king's foot, and pierced his foot with thepike, which was sharp beneath. The king had supposed that S. Patrick haddone it wittingly, for to move him thesooner to patience and to the faith of God, but when S. Patrick perceived it hewas much abashed, and by his prayers he healed the king. Andfurthermore he impetred and gat graceofour Lord that no venomous beastmight live in all the country, and yet untothis dayis no venomous beast in all Ireland.
After it happed on a time that a man of that countrystole a sheep, which belonged to his neighbour, whereupon S. Patrick admonested thepeoplethat whomsoever had taken it should deliver it againwithin seven days. When all the people were assembled within the church, and the man which had stolen it made no semblant to render ne deliver again this sheep, then S. Patrick commanded,by the virtue of God, that the sheep should bleat andcryin the belly of him that had eaten it, and so happed it that, in the presence of all the people, the sheep cried andbleated in the belly of him that had stolen it. And the manthat was culpable repented him of his trespass, and the others fromthen forthon kept them from stealing of sheep from any other man.
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