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ST. PATRICK.-CHAP. V. SECT. XLIV.
V In the beginning’ of this chapter I dropped a hint, that I doubted the existence of St.
Patrick. It is very certain from‘ fWare, that noione ever knew where he died, or where
he was born.
In the following extract‘ from Dr. Ledwich will be found my reasons. There is as
good evidence of the existence of ‘St. Denis as of St. Patrick: '
“ In Usuard’s and the Roman Martyrology, bishop Patrick, of Auvergne, is placed
at the 16th day of March, and on the same day the office of the Lateran canons, ap-
proved by Pius V., celebrates the festival of a Patrick, the apostle of Ireland. The 17th
of March is dedicated to Patrick,‘bishop of Nola. Had not Dr. Maurice, then, the best
reasons for supposing that Patricius Auvernensis sunk a day lower in the calendar, and
made for the Irish a Patricius Hibernensis? This seems exactly to be the case. It is
very extraordinary the 16th and 17th "of March should have three Patricks, one "of
Auvergne, another’ of Ireland,‘ and athird of Nola! The ‘antiquities of Glastonbury
record three Patricks, one of Auvergne, another Archbishop of Ireland, and a third an
abbot. The last, according to a martyrology cited by Usher, went 'on the mission to
Ireland, A.D. 8.50, but was unsuccessful ;' he returned and died at Glastonbury. If all
that is now advanced be not a fardel of‘ monkish fictions, which it certainly is, the last
Patrickdwas the man who was beatified by the bigoted Anglo-Saxons, for his endeavours
to bring the Irish to a conformity with the Romish church.”“ On this Dr. Aikinf
says, “ The author now ventures upon the bold attempt of annihilating St. Patrick. It
is an undoubted fact, that this, saint is not mentioned in any author, or in any work of
veracity, in the 5th, 6th, 7th,'or 8th centuries. His name is in Bede’s Martyrology, but
it is more than probable, that that martyrology is not Bede’s; nor can it be conceived
that Bede, in his otherworks, should never noticethe signal service rendered by Patrick
to the Roman church, and the signal miracles wrought by him in its behalf‘, if he had
ever‘ heard of them, for the oldvenerabilis was zealously devoted to that church and
its mythology.” Thus there seems to be an end of St. Patrick. ' '
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