18. Now it came to pass that there was scarcity of corn and sustenance
in that school, so that it was necessary for a strong man of them in
turn to protect the sack of grain that was being carried to the mill.
It happened that Ciaran, in his turn, was carrying a sack of oats to
the mill. As he was opening the sack, he said, "O Lord," said he, "I
would that this were fine wheat, so that it were a great and a kindly
and a pleasant satisfaction to the elders." And so it came to pass:
the angel of God took the mill in his hands, and he [Ciaran] was
rendering his Psalms in purity of heart and mind, and the oats which
were being put in were choice wheat as they were coming out.
Now the daughter of the bailiff of the mill came, amorous for Ciaran;
and she gave her love to him, for fairer was he in form than any other
of his time. "Most hard for thee is that,"[22] said Ciaran. "Is it not
these things to which thou shouldest give heed--the passing of the
world, and the Day of Judgment, and the pains of Hell to shun them,
and the rewards of Heaven to earn them?" When the maiden went home,
she tells that tale to her father and her mother. They came and
offered the maiden to Ciaran. "If she sacrifice her virginity to God,"
said Ciaran, "and if she serve Him, I will be in union with her." Then
the maiden offered her virginity to God and to Ciaran, and her folk
offered their perpetual service and perpetual subjecthood to Ciaran
from that onward.
When they went to their house, a portion was sent to Ciaran by them,
to wit, three wheaten cakes, with their meed of suet and flesh, and
a vessel full of ale. When the servants left it, and received a
blessing, he said, "Mercy on us," said he, "it is not right for us to
eat of this, with exclusion of the other brethren." Thereafter he cast
all the food, after shredding it fine, upon the mill, and he cast the
ale likewise, so that all was turned to fine flour.
When Ciaran perceived the servant spying on him at the roof-ridge,
he spake a word against him, saying, "May the crane," said he, "take
thine eye out of thy head!"[23] And so it came to pass; for a pet
crane plucked his eye out of his head, so that it was on his cheek as
he was going home. The bailiff came straightway with the servant, and
they did obeisance to Ciaran, and he offered the mill with all its
land to Ciaran for the healing of the lad. Ciaran laid his palm on the
eye and put it in its place, and he made the sign of the cross upon it
so that it became sound.
When he finished the grinding of the corn, four full sacks of
consecrated wheat were there, by the grace of God and of Ciaran. When
he reached his house with the wheat he made cakes for the elders. Now
these cakes were the best ever given to them; for from the time when
the mystic manna was received yonder by the sons of Israel, there was
not received the like of that food. For in this wise was it, with the
taste of every food of excellence, [both bread and flesh, and of every
excellent drink][24] both wine and mead; so that it filled and healed
all of them. For every man in sickness who was in the whole city,
whosoever ate any of it was whole forthwith.
The elders did not observe the nocturn that night until prime on the
morrow.
When Findian asked of Ciaran regarding the miracle that had taken
place, Ciaran related from beginning to [end][24] how the mill and the
land with its implements, or its men, had been offered to him as a
gift; "and there for thee, Findian, is all that land," said Ciaran.
Then did Findian give his blessing fervently to Ciaran; _ut dixit_
Findian--
Ciaran my little heart,
whom for holiness I love,
Princely lands shall be thy part,
favour, dearest, from above.
Ciaran, famous all around!
wealth and wisdom on thee pour!
So may, in thy Church renowned,
knowledge grow yet more and more.
Now this blessing was given fervently to Ciaran through his great
love and spiritual exaltation.[25] So that there he left half of the
charity, and the nobility, and the wisdom, among the men of Ireland to
Ciaran and his monastery. Moreover Ciaran left wealth to him and to
his monastery, so that thence is the wealth of Findian.
That corn sufficed for the congregation of Findian for forty days with
their nights; and a third part of it was stored up for sick folk,
for it would heal every malady, and neither mouse nor worm dared to
destroy it. [It endured a long time][26] until it turned at last to
clay. And every disease for which it was given would be healed.