left the leaves of a bush. Olioll opened his book and turned to the
page I had told him to learn, and began to cry, and the beggar sat
beside him and comforted him until he fell asleep. When his sleep was
of the deepest the beggar knelt down and prayed aloud, and said, "O
Thou Who dwellest beyond the stars, show forth Thy power as at the
beginning, and let knowledge sent from Thee awaken in his mind,
wherein is nothing from the world, that the nine orders of angels may
glorify Thy name"; and then a light broke out of the air and wrapped
Aodh, and I smelt the breath of roses. I stirred a little in my
wonder, and the beggar turned and saw me, and, bending low, said, "O
Brother Dove, if I have done wrong, forgive me, and I will do
penance. It was my pity moved me"; but I was afraid and I ran away,
and did not stop running until I came here.' Then all the Brothers
began talking together, one saying it was such and such a saint, and
one that it was not he but another; and one that it was none of
these, for they were still in their brotherhoods, but that it was
such and such a one; and the talk was as near to quarreling as might
be in that gentle community, for each would claim so great a saint
for his native province. At last the abbot said, 'He is none that you
have named, for at Easter I had greeting from all, and each was in
his brotherhood; but he is Aengus the Lover of God, and the first of
those who have gone to live in the wild places and among the wild
beasts. Ten years ago he felt the burden of many labours in a
brotherhood under the Hill of Patrick and went into the forest that
he might labour only with song to the Lord; but the fame of his
holiness brought many thousands to his cell, so that a little pride
clung to a soul from which all else had been driven. Nine years ago
he dressed himself in rags, and from that day none has seen him,
unless, indeed, it be true that he has been seen living among the
wolves on the mountains and eating the grass of the fields. Let us go