to Declan and his successors from himself and from every king who should
hold Cashel ever after. Upon this the glorious bishop Declan blessed
Aongus together with his city and people and returned back to his own
place.

30. One night Declan was a guest at the house of a wealthy man who dwelt
in the southern part of Magh Femhin; this is the kind of person his host
was, scil.:--a pagan who rejected the true faith, and his name was
Dercan. He resolved to amuse himself at the Christians' expense;
accordingly he ordered his servants to kill a dog secretly, to cut off
its head and feet and to bury them in the earth and then to cook the
flesh properly and to set it before Declan and his company as their meal.
Moreover he directed that the dog should be so fat that his flesh might
pass as mutton. When, in due course, it was cooked, the flesh, together
with bread and other food, was laid before Declan and his following. At
that moment Declan had fallen asleep but he was aroused by his disciples
that he might bless their meal. He observed to them:--"Indeed I see,
connected with this meat, the ministry of the devil." Whereupon he
questioned the waiters as to the meat--what kind it was and whence
procured. They replied: "Our master ordered us to kill a fat ram for
you and we have done as he commanded." Declan said, "Our Master is Jesus
Christ and may He show us what it is that connects the ministry of Satan
with this meat and preserve thy servants from eating forbidden food." As
he spoke thus Declan saw in the meat the claw of a dog, for, without
intending it, they had boiled one quarter of the dog with its paw
adhering; they thought they had buried it (the incriminating limb) with
the other paws. Declan exclaimed, "This is not a sheep's but a dog's
foot." When the attendants heard this they went at once to their master
and related the matter to him. Then Dercan came to Declan, accepted his
faith and received Baptism at his hands, giving himself and his posterity