Prolicionycion [sic]

¶ De locorum prodigijs· Giraldus{us} Merueylles of Irlond / ¶ Capitulum / 35

MAny men tellen that in the northside of. Irlond is the lond of lyf. In that Ilond noman may deye but whan they ben old and be vexed with grete s••kenes· they ben born oute in to the next londe and deye there / ¶ Ther is another ylond in Irlond that no woman therin may bere a childe· but yet she may conceyue Also ther is an Ilond in whiche no dede body may roten In vltonia that is vlster is an Ilond in a lake wonderly depar¦ted in tweyne / In that one partye is grete disturbaunce and dis¦comfort of Fendes / And in that other partye grete lykyng and comforte of holy Angels· there is also seynt patriks purgatorye that was shewd at his prayers to conferme his prechyng and his lore· whan he prechyd to mysbyleued of sorow and of payne that euyl men sholde suffre for her wicked werkes / And of ioye & blysse that good men shal resseyue for her holy dedes. He telleth that who that suffreth the paynes of that purgatorye· yf it be en∣ioyed hym for penaunce. he shal neuer suffre the paynes of helle-but he dye fynally without repentaunce of synne / as the ensam∣ple is sette more fulle at this chapytres ende ¶ Treuisa / But truly noman maye be saued. but yf he be very repentaunt what sommeuer penaunce he doo / And euery man that is very repen∣taunt at his lyues ende / shal be sikerly saued / though he neuer

here of seynt patriks purgatorye / There is an Ilond in Cannacte Salo that is in the see of Conaccia halewed by seynt Brandan / that hath no myse. there dede bodyes ben not buryed but ben kept oute of therthe and roten not / In mamonia is a welle / who that wassheth hym with the water of that welle he shal wexe hore on his heede / ther is another welle in vltonia. who someuer is wes∣shen therin he shal neuer wexe hore afterward / Ther is a welle in mownstre or momonia / yf. ony man touche that welle anone shal falle grete rayne in al the prouynce / ¶ And that ray∣ne shal neuer cesse / til a preest that is a clene mayde singe a mas¦se in a chappel fast by and blesse the water and with mylke of a Cowe that is of one heer besprynge the welle / And so recon∣cyle the welle in this straunge maner At glyndalcan aboute the Oratorye of seynt keywyn withges berith apples as it were ap∣ple trees & ben more holsom than sauery / that holy seynt brought forth these apples by prayers for to heele his child that was seek Ther is a lake in vlster and moche fyssh therin whiche is .xxx myle in lengthe and xv in brede· the Ryuer ban renneth oute of that lake in to the north Occean And men saye that this lake be¦gan in this maner / there were men in that countrey that were. of euyl lyuynge / coeuntes cum brutis / And there was a welle in that londe in grete reuerence of old. tyme and alway couerd· and yf it were lefte vncouerd the welle wold ryse and drowne al the londe: & so it happed that a woman wente to that welle for to fet¦che water And hied her fast to her childe that wepte in the crad∣be and lefte the welle vncouerd / than the welle sprang so fast that it drowned the woman and her childe and made al the countre a lake & ffyssheponde· for to preue that this is soth it is a grete argu¦ment that whan the weder is cleer / Fysshers of that water see in the ground vnder the water Roūd towris and hyghe shapen as steples and chirches of that lond / In the northsyde of Irlond in the countrey of Ossiriens. euery seuen yere atte prayer of an holy abbot. tweyne that ben wedded a man and a woman must nedes be exyled and forshappen in to lykenes of wolues and a∣byde oute seuen yere / And at thende of seuen yere / yf they lyue they come home agayn and take agayn theyr owne shappe / And then shal other tweyne goo forth in theyr stede and so forshapen for other seuen yere / there is a lake in this lond yf a pool of tree be pyght and stycked therin that part of the shaft or pool that is in therthe shal torne in to yron / And that part that abydeth in

the water shal torne in to stone· And the part that abydeth aboue shal be tre in his owen kynde. Also ther is a lake that torneth ha¦sell in to asshe and asshe in to hasell yf it be don therin / ¶ Also in Irlond ben thre samon leepes· there as samons lepee ayenste a roche a longe speres lengthe / Also in lagenia is a ponde / ther be seen colmans birdes / the birdes ben cleped certelles & come homly to mannes honde. but yf men do hem wrong or harme· they gon a way and come not agayne / & the water there shal wexe bytter & stynke / And he that dyde the wronge shal not asterte withoute wreche and meschyef but yf be doo amendes / ¶ R As tou∣ching patriks purgatorye· ye shal vnderstande that the second s••int patrike that was abbot and not bisshop whyle he prechyd in Ir∣londe laboured and studyed for to torne thylke wycked men that lyued as beestes out of her euyl lyf for drede of paynes of helle· And for to conferme hem in good lyf / And they sayde they wold not torne but somme of them myght knowe somwhat of the gre¦te paynes / and also of blysse that he spak of ¶ Thenne seynt Patrik prayd to god almyghty therfore / And our lord ihesu crist appierid to seynt patrik and toke hym a staf / and ladde hym in to a wylde place and shewed hym there a Round pytte that was derke within and sayde / that yf a man were very repentaunt and stable of bileue and wente in to this pytte and walked therinne a day and a nyght he sholde see the sorowes and the paynes of euyl men and the ioye and blysse of good men / ¶ Thenne crist vanyssyhed out of patriks sight / And seynt patrik arered & bylded there a chirche· and put therin chanons Reguler· and clo¦sed the pytte about with a walle· and is now in the chirche yerd atte est ende of the chirche / and fast shytte with a stronge dore / for noman shold goo in nycely with oute leue of the bisshop or of the Priour of the place ¶ Many men went in and cam out agayn in patriks tyme· And told of paynes and ioye that they had seen· and the merueylles· that they sawe ben there yet wreton. And by couse therof many men torned & were cōuerted to right bileue· al¦so many men went in and cam neuer agayn ¶In kynge steuēs tyme kyng of Englond a knyght that hight oweyn wente in to seynt patriks purgatorye / & cam agayn & dwellyd euer after du∣ryng his lyf in the nedes of thabbay of ludensis that is of thor∣dre of cistews & he tolde many wōders that he had seen in patriks purgatorye. the place is called patriks purgatorye· & the chirch is named / Reglis / ¶ No man is enioyned for to goo in to that

purgatorye but counseylled that he sholde not come therinne But take vpon hym other penaūce / and yf / a man haue auowed and be stable and wole nede goo therinne he shal first goo to the bis∣shop / And than he shal be sent with lettres to the prioure of the place / and they bothe shal counseylle hym to leue. and yf he will nedes goo therto / he shal be in prayers and in fastyng / xv. dayes. And after .xv. dayes he shal be houseld and lad to the dore of the purgatorye with procession and letanye. and yet he shal be coun∣ceylled to leue it And yf he be stedfast and will entre the dore shal be opened: And he y blyssyd and goo on goddes name and holde forth his waye / And the dore shall be faste shette til the next daye And whan the tyme is the priour shal come and opene the dore / ¶ And yf the man be comen he ledeth hym in to the chirche with procession. And there he shal be xv / dayes in prayers and in fas∣tyng