the transition as easy, from darkness into the light, as
Nature makes the transition from night to morning. He
seven times visited in person every mission in the kingdom,
performing the six first "circuits" on foot, but the
seventh, on account of his extreme age, he was borne in
a chariot. The pious munificence of the successors of
Leary, had surrounded him with a household of princely
proportions. Twenty-four persons, mostly ecclesiastics,
were chosen for this purpose: a bell-ringer, a psalmist,
a cook, a brewer, a chamberlain, three smiths, three
artificers, and three embroiderers are reckoned of the
number. These last must be considered as employed in
furnishing the interior of the new churches. A scribe,
a shepherd to guard his flocks, and a charioteer are also
mentioned, and their proper names given. How different
this following from the little boat's crew, he had left
waiting tidings from Tara, in such painful apprehension,
at the mouth of the Boyne, in 432. Apostolic zeal, and
unrelaxed discipline had wrought these wonders, during
a lifetime prolonged far beyond the ordinary age of man.

The fifth century was drawing to a close, and the days
of Patrick were numbered. Pharamond and the Franks had
sway on the Netherlands; Hengist and the Saxons on South
Britain; Clovis had led his countrymen across the Rhine
into Gaul; the Vandals had established themselves in
Spain and North Africa; the Ostrogoths were supreme in
Italy. The empire of barbarism had succeeded to the empire
of Polytheism; dense darkness covered the semi-Christian
countries of the old Roman empire, but happily daylight