XVIII.  THE ANGELS GRIND FOR CIARAN

16.  Now in the school of the most holy master Finnianus there were many saints of Ireland; to wit, two Saints Kiaranus, and two Saints Brendanus, Columba, and many others; and each of them on his day would grind with his own hands on the quern.  But the angels of God used to grind for Saint Kiaranus, as they did for him in his captivity.

XIX.  CIARAN AND THE KING’S DAUGHTER

17.  The daughter of the King of Temoria was conducted to Saint Finnianus that she might read the Psalms and the other Scriptures with the saint of God, and should dedicate her virginity.  And when she promised of her own free will to preserve her virginity for Christ, Father Finnianus said to Saint Kiaranus, “Son, let this virgin, Christ’s handmaid, daughter of an earthly king, read with thee in the meanwhile, till such time as a cell of virgins shall be built for her.”  Which duty Saint Kiaranus obediently accepted, and the virgin read with him the Psalms and other lections.  Now when holy Father Finnianus was establishing that virgin and other holy virgins in a cell, the blessed fathers questioned Saint Kiaranus as to her manners and her virtue.  To them Kiaranus said; “Verily, I know naught of her virtues, of manners or of body; for God hath known that never have I seen her face, nor aught of her save the lower part of her vesture, when she was coming from her parents; nor have I held any converse with her save only her reading.”  For she was wont to take her refection, and to sleep, with a certain holy widow.  And the virgin spake the like testimony of Saint Kiaranus, and many were confirmed in the true faith by other testimonies of them.

XXII.  THE STORY OF CIARAN’S GOSPEL

18.  Saint Kiaranus was reading the gospel of Matthew with holy Father Finnianus, along with others.  And when he had come to the place where, in the middle of the book, it is written “All things whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, so do ye unto them,” Saint Kiaranus said to Saint Finnianus, “Father, enough for me is this half of this book which I have read, that I may fulfil it in deed; verily this one sentence is enough for me to learn.”  Then one of the school said to them all, “Henceforth a fitting name for Kiaranus is ‘Leth-Matha’ (Half-Matthew).”  To him the holy elder Finnianus said, “Nay; a fitting name for him is ‘Leth n-Eirenn’ (Half-Ireland); for his parish shall be extended through the middle of Ireland.”  This prophecy excited much envy against Saint Kiaranus.

XXIII.  THE BLESSING OF CIARAN’S FOOD