With this Patrick took
leave of his master and returned to his flock, leaving him so
confused that he did not know whether he should punish him for what
he had announced; all which happened in the manner the saint had
predicted.
"In this way he lived some years, and our Lord, seeing that the
solitude in which His servant passed his life in the fields was very
great, sent to him as a companion his guardian angel, Victor, to whom
he could communicate his thoughts, and from whom he would receive
consolation in his slavery. But one night, being engaged in prayer,
and yielding his spirit to a divine ecstasy and rapture, he saw as in
a mirror a man of dignified appearance, whose dress gave him to
understand that he was of the same country as himself. This
personage seemed to be the bearer of a letter, the superscription of
which Patrick approaching to read, he saw these words: -- 'The voice
of the Irish people'. And as he hastened to open the letter to see
its contents, it seemed that within it were all the inhabitants of
Ireland, men, women, and children, even the little infants, all
crying out to him and saying, "Patrick, Patrick, we implore that you
will come to us and free us from this slavery." The Saint upon this
awoke, and consulting his angel, asked him to be released from his
captivity, since he had a great desire to return to his country and
assist those who had such need of him.
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