Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Laigerius sonne of Neale the great monarch, al|though Laigerius son to Neale the great monarch of Ireland, permitteth the Irishmen to become chri|stians. he receiued not the gospell himselfe, yet per|mitted all that would to imbrace it. But sith he refu|sed to be baptised, & applie to his doctrine; the bishop denounced against him a curse from God according|lie, but tempered yet with mercie and iudgement, as thus: That during his life he should be victorious, but after him neither the kingdome should stand, nor his linage inherit. From thense he tooke his waie vnto Conill lord of Connagh, who honourablie receiued him, and was conuerted with all his people; and af|ter Conill lord of Connagh. Logan king of Leinster. sent him vnto his brother Logan king of Lein|ster, whome he likewise conuerted. In Mounster he found great friendship and fauour by means of an earle there, called the earle of Daris, who honoured The earle of Daris. him highlie, and gaue him a dwelling place in the east angle of Armagh called Sorta, where he erec|ted manie celles and monasteries, both for religious men and women. He trauelled thirtie yeares in prea|ching through the land, planting in places conueni|ent bishops and priests, whose learning and vertuous conuersation by the speciall grace and fauor of God, established the faith in that rude nation. Other thir|tie years he spent in his prouince of Armagh among his brethren, placed in those houses of religion, which by his meanes were founded, and so he liued in the whole about one hundred twentie two yeares, and lieth buried in Downe.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Of saint Patrikes purgatorie ye shall find in the S. Patrikes purgatorie. description of the countrie, and therefore we doo here omit it. But yet bicause we are entered to speake of the first foundation of churches and religious houses Religious houses & chur|ches founded. here in Ireland, in following our author in that be|halfe: we will speake somewhat of such other holie men and women as are renowmed to haue liued in Ireland, as ornaments to that Ile, more glorious than all the triumphs & victories of the world, if their zeale had béene seasoned with true knowledge of the scriptures: as it maie well be that in some of them it Mens doings mistaken. was, howsoeuer mistaken by the iudgement and re|port of the simple, which hath raised not onlie of these persons, but also of the verie apostles themselues, certeine fantasticall tales, which with the learned are out of all credit. But this matter I will leaue to di|uines to discusse, trusting that the reader will con|tent EEBO page image 54 himselfe to heare what we find recorded by old writers, which we shall set downe, and offer to their considerations to thinke thereof as reason maie best mooue them.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 Giraldus Cambrensis telleth, that in saint Pa|triks Giral. Camb. time florished saint Bride the virgine, and saint Colme, which two, with the same Patrike, were buried in Downe (as in the Scotish historie ye maie find) and (as the same Giraldus saith) their three bo|dies were found there shortlie after the conquest. Sir Iohn Conweie being president of Ulster, in viewing the sepulture, testified to haue séene thrée Sir Iohn Conweie pre|sident of [...]lster. S. Colme. principall iewels, which were then translated, as ho|nourable monuments woorthie to be preserued. Of saint Colme it is doubted in what age he liued. Bri|get, otherwise called Bride, was base daughter to one Dubtactius, a capteine in Leinster, who percei|uing the mother with child, sold hir secretlie (fearing the gealousie of his wife) to an Irish Peet, reseruing to himselfe the fruit of hir wombe. She was there de|liuered Péet, that is, Magus in Latine, or (as we may say) a magician or soothsaier in English. A [...] [...]om. 439 of this Briget, whome the Péet trained vp in learning, and vertuous education, and at length brought hir home to hir father.