Now the daughter of the bailiff of the mill came, amorous for Ciaran; and she gave her love to him, for fairer was he in form than any other of his time.  “Most hard for thee is that,"[22] said Ciaran.  “Is it not these things to which thou shouldest give heed—­the passing of the world, and the Day of Judgment, and the pains of Hell to shun them, and the rewards of Heaven to earn them?” When the maiden went home, she tells that tale to her father and her mother.  They came and offered the maiden to Ciaran.  “If she sacrifice her virginity to God,” said Ciaran, “and if she serve Him, I will be in union with her.”  Then the maiden offered her virginity to God and to Ciaran, and her folk offered their perpetual service and perpetual subjecthood to Ciaran from that onward.

When they went to their house, a portion was sent to Ciaran by them, to wit, three wheaten cakes, with their meed of suet and flesh, and a vessel full of ale.  When the servants left it, and received a blessing, he said, “Mercy on us,” said he, “it is not right for us to eat of this, with exclusion of the other brethren.”  Thereafter he cast all the food, after shredding it fine, upon the mill, and he cast the ale likewise, so that all was turned to fine flour.

When Ciaran perceived the servant spying on him at the roof-ridge, he spake a word against him, saying, “May the crane,” said he, “take thine eye out of thy head!"[23] And so it came to pass; for a pet crane plucked his eye out of his head, so that it was on his cheek as he was going home.  The bailiff came straightway with the servant, and they did obeisance to Ciaran, and he offered the mill with all its land to Ciaran for the healing of the lad.  Ciaran laid his palm on the eye and put it in its place, and he made the sign of the cross upon it so that it became sound.

When he finished the grinding of the corn, four full sacks of consecrated wheat were there, by the grace of God and of Ciaran.  When he reached his house with the wheat he made cakes for the elders.  Now these cakes were the best ever given to them; for from the time when the mystic manna was received yonder by the sons of Israel, there was not received the like of that food.  For in this wise was it, with the taste of every food of excellence, [both bread and flesh, and of every excellent drink][24] both wine and mead; so that it filled and healed all of them.  For every man in sickness who was in the whole city, whosoever ate any of it was whole forthwith.

The elders did not observe the nocturn that night until prime on the morrow.

When Findian asked of Ciaran regarding the miracle that had taken place, Ciaran related from beginning to [end][24] how the mill and the land with its implements, or its men, had been offered to him as a gift; “and there for thee, Findian, is all that land,” said Ciaran.  Then did Findian give his blessing fervently to Ciaran; ut dixit Findian—­

  Ciaran my little heart,
    whom for holiness I love,
  Princely lands shall be thy part,
   favour, dearest, from above.