_How he passed the Night Season._
And in a wondrous manner dividing the night season, thus did this
wakeful guardian and laborer in the Lord's vineyard distinguish that
also. For in the earliest part thereof having with two hundred
genuflexions and one hundred psalms praised God, then applied he unto
study and in the latter part, he plunged himself into cold water, and
raising his heart, his voice, his eyes, and his hands towards heaven,
offered he one hundred and fifty prayers. Afterward he stretched
himself on a bare stone, and of another stone making a pillow, he
rested his most sanctified body with a short sleep; or, that more
clearly we may speak, he refreshed himself unto the labor of his
continual conflict. With such rest indulging, he girded his loins with
roughest hair-cloth, the which had been dipped in cold water; lest
haply the law of the flesh, warring in his members against the law of
the Spirit, should excite any spark of the old leaven. Thus did Saint
Patrick with spare and meagre food, and with the coarsest clothing,
offer himself a holy and living sacrifice, acceptable unto God; nor
suffered he the enemy to touch in him the walls of Jerusalem, but he
inflicted on his own flesh the penance of perpetual barrenness; and
that he should not bring forth children which might hereafter be worthy
of death, made he his spirit fruitful of abundant fruit.