_Of the Fantastic Snow._
Then, being utterly covered with shame, did the magician more and more
grieve; and lest he should appear to be vanquished, he challenged
Patrick to bring down signs from heaven. And the saint answered that
he would not tempt the divine will; but the magician by his
enchantments sprinkled all those parts with the coldest snow, and
afflicted all the inhabitants with cold. And the saint urged him,
urging and pressing that he would remove the snow from the earth and
the cold from the inhabitants; and thus compelled, the magician
confessed that by all his enchantments he could not do that thing.
Therefore, O impious man! said the saint, out of thine own mouth will I
judge thee, and prove that thou art the worker of wickedness and
minister of Satan; thou who canst cause evil only, and canst not at all
produce good. Then raising his consecrated hand, blessed he the plain
and all the places around in the name of the Holy Trinity; and
forthwith all the fantastic snow which could not melt in the accustomed
manner vanished. And all around marvelled, confessing the hand of the
Lord working in Patrick, and detesting the deceitful works of the
magician.