Legendary fictions of the Irish Celts

34°
Fictions of the Irish Celts.
but touched by a feeling of true penitence, he exerted
himself, and gained a boat moored near the spot. Fearing
to return, he loosed the chain and let himself drift
out to sea. The boat was driven west, and for some
days he endured hunger and loss of sleep. A violent
gale of wind upset the boat at last, and he hoped his last
hour had come. He fell into a sweet sleep, and found
himself, when he awoke, lying on the strand of an
unknown island, being unable to tell whether his lethargy
had lasted for hours or days. He returned heartfelt
thanks, and then explored his new territory. It appeared
to him that death by hunger and cold awaited him ; but
while he was humbly resigning himself to God's will, an
otter appeared before him with a fish in its mouth, and
laid it at his feet. By means of flints and dry leaves,
seaweed and sticks, he soon kindled a fire and broiled
the fish. So soon as he was enabled by natural means
to procure necessaries, he was deserted by his dumb
servant. This penitent was carried away by the monks,
and filled a vacancy that had occurred in a terrible
fashion.
In Keightley's " Fairy Mythology of Scandinavia,"
saints are frequently assisted by the trolls in the erection
of their churches, subject to be dealt with severely by
the said trolls, unless they can discover their names
before the keystone is inserted. The Patron of Ferns,
St. Aidan (or Mogue), knew better than to employ such
dangerous assistants. He raised the walls of the cathedral
to the wall-plate in one night, without any unholy aid.
The peasantry of Wexford delight to boast how a late
Protestant Bishop paid a hundred pounds to an Italian
sculptor for repairing the nose of his statue.