_Fourteen Thousand Men are miraculously refreshed with the Meat of Five
Animals._
And after that Patrick, the illustrious worker of miracles, had
fortified with his most holy admonitions the inhabitants of Momonia,
whom he had already filled with the faith, he turned to visit the
northern part of the island, the territories of the sons of Neyll, that
he might convert or confirm the dwellers therein. And the
aforementioned King Oengus, with twelve of his tributary kings, and
other of the chiefs who were subject unto him, followed the saint with
fourteen thousand men, desiring to be fed with the bread of life and of
understanding. And when they came unto the river Brosnach, where
Triamus the bishop, by birth a Roman, companion unto Saint Patrick in
his journey and his labors, dwelled in a place called Choibeach, he
desired to refresh all this multitude. Therefore he first fed them all
with spiritual food, and then bade them sit down unto supper. And
Triamus had one cow, by the milk of which he was wont to be sustained,
and he caused her to be slain for their repast. But what was this one
among so many? Then Patrick, the beloved of the Lord, addressed a
prayer unto heaven; and behold, two stags issued from one part of the
wood, and two boars issued from another part, and came unto him as
tamed and domestic. And these; giving thanks unto the most high Giver,
he in like manner bade to be killed, and, having blessed, he placed
before the multitude. And all the people ate, and were abundantly
filled; and the remnants, that nothing might be lost, were gathered up;
thus with the flesh of five animals did Patrick most plenteously feed
fourteen thousand men in the name of Him who, with five loaves and two
fishes, did feed four thousand. For he said: "He who believeth in me,
the works that I do, these shall he do, and greater than these," that
the Father may be glorified in the Son. And these miracles differ not,
though they vary in their number, for each was worked of the Lord, this
in Himself, that in His servant. Nevertheless, on the morrow was found
in that field a cow like unto the one that was killed and eaten, and it
was given unto Triamus, that he might be nourished of her milk. And
the rumor went forth among very many, affirming this to have been the
same cow revived by Saint Patrick. We, however, say that nothing is
impossible unto God, but that this was done we neither deny nor assert.