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.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 4 The damsell also was instructed in the faith by saint Patrike, that preached then in those quarters, whervpon she became so religious and ripe in iudge|ment, that not onlie the multitude of people, but also a whole synod of bishops assembled néere to Dub|lin The estimatiõ wherein she was had. to heare hir aduise in weightie causes, such esti|mation they had of hir. One fact of hir being yet a child, made hir famous. The king of Leinster had giuen to hir father Dubtactius as a token of his good The king of Leinster. liking towards him for his valiant seruice, a rich sword, the furniture whereof was garnished with manie costlie iewels. And as it chanced, the damsell visiting the sicke neighbours diuerslie distressed for want of necessarie reliefe (hir father being a sterne man, and his ladie a cruell shrew) she could deuise no other shift to helpe to reléeue the want of those poore and needie people, but to impart the same iewels of that idle swoord among them. This matter was hei|noussie taken, and being brought to the kings eares, it chanced that shortlie after he came to a banket in hir fathers house, and calling the maid afore him that was not yet past nine yeres of age, he asked hir how she durst presume to deface the gift of a king in such wise as she had doon his? She answered that the same was bestowed vpon a better king than he was, whom (quoth she) finding in such extremitie, I would haue giuen all that my father hath, and all that you haue, ye a your selues too & all, were yée in my power to giue, rather than Christ should starue. She professed virginitie, and allured other noble yoong damsels vnto hir fellowship, with whome she continued in She profes|sed virginitie. hir owne monasterie, where she was first professed, vntill the yeare of our Lord 500, and then departing this life, shee was buried in Downe in saint Pa|triks An. Dom. 500. Briget depar|ted this life. toome.