_A Mountain is swallowed up in the Earth, and again it is raised._
And among the chiefs of Momonia was a certain wicked man named
Cearbhallus, and he always hindered Saint Patrick, so that a church
could not be builded in the lands of his inheritance. And not far from
this man's dwelling was a lake which was fair and pleasing to the eye,
but a lofty mountain which stood between intercepted all the delight
from his view. Him did the saint address for the building of a church,
exhorting and entreating; but long time he resisted. And on a certain
day this wicked man, endeavoring with subtle argument to circumvent the
saint, said unto him: "If in the name of the Lord thy God thou wilt
remove yonder mountain, so that mine eyes may be freely satisfied with
this desired lake, then shall thou build a church on my land
wheresoever thou mayest please." This he required, because he deemed
it impossible to be done. Then the saint having prayed raised his eyes
of faith and love unto the prepared Mountain which is exalted on the
top of the mountains; and forthwith the mountain was laid low, and
swallowed in the earth, and permitted unto the man a free view of the
lake. But when Saint Patrick began to build the church, this man of
hardened heart would not suffer it to be finished, for he feared where
no fear was, and dreaded lest thereby he should be deprived of his
inheritance. Then the saint prayed again unto the Lord, and the
mountain was lifted up unto its former height. And he foretold that
the wicked man should in a short space lose the possession of his land,
and that no one of his race should ever be a prince or a bishop. And
the prophecy of the saint was fulfilled, for as his eyes were prevented
from the sight of the lake, so was his life closed by death.