Froissart tells us of a conversation he had with one Sir William Lisle, who had been in the Purgatory.  “I asked him of what sort was the cave that is in Ireland, called St. Patrick’s Purgatory, and if that were true which was related of it.  He replied that there certainly was such a cave, for he and another English knight had been there whilst the king was at Dublin, and said that they entered the cave, and were shut in as the sun set, and that they remained there all night and left it next morning at sunrise.  And then I asked if he had seen the strange sights and visions spoken of.  Then he said that when he and his companion had passed the gate of the Purgatory of St. Patrick, that they had descended as though into a cellar, and that a hot vapor rose towards them and so affected their heads that they were obliged to sit down on the stone steps.  And after sitting there awhile they felt heavy with sleep, and so fell asleep, and slept all night.  Then I asked if they knew where they were in their sleep, and what sort of dreams they had had; he answered that they had been oppressed with many fancies and wonderful dreams, different from those they were accustomed to in their chambers; and in the morning when they went out, in a short while they had clean forgotten their dreams and visions; wherefore he concluded that the whole matter was fancy.”

The next to give us an account of his descent into St. Patrick’s Purgatory is William Staunton of Durham, who went down into the cave on the Friday next after the feast of Holyrood, in the year 1409.

“I was put in by the Prior of St. Matthew, of the same Purgatory, with procession and devout prayers of the prior, and the convent gave me an orison to bless me with, and to write the first word in my forehead, the which prayer is this, ’Jhesu Christe, Fili Dei vivi, miserere mihi peccatori.’  And the prior taught me to say this prayer when any spirit, good or evil, appeared unto me, or when I heard any noise that I should be afraid of.”  When left in the cave, William fell asleep, and dreamed that he saw coming to him St. John of Bridlington and St. Ive, who undertook to conduct him through the scenes of mystery.  After they had proceeded a while, William was found to be guilty of a trespass against Holy Church, of which he had to be purged before he could proceed much further.  Of this trespass he was accused by his sister, who appeared in the way.  “I make my complaint unto you against my brother that here standeth; for this man that standeth hereby loved me, and I loved him, and either of us would have had the other according to God’s law, as Holy Church teaches, and I should have gotten of me three-souls to God, but my brother hindered us from marrying.”  St. John of Bridlington then turned to William, and asked him why he did not allow the two who loved one another to be married.  “I tell thee there is no man that hindereth man or woman from being united in the bond of God, though the man be a shepherd and