The rhymed life of St Patrick Written by Katharine Tynan: With pictures by L. D. Symington: And a foreword by Lieut.-General Sir William Butler |
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St Patrick banishes Snakes |
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 | The rhymed life of St Patrick |  |
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St Patrick banishes Snakes
St Patrick by his holy handBanished all snakes from Ireland;
All foul things that wriggle and crawl,
Spotted, striped, he banished them all,
Excepting only the useful worm
That opens the earth after winter's storm:
Bade them, snake and adder, that they
Come no more till the Judgement Day.
Snakes barred and snakes ringed,
Snakes hooded and snakes winged,
Came creeping and crawling from bank and byre,
Lest he give them all to the Judgement fire.
Snakes young and snakes old,
Snakes crimson and snakes gold,
All in a mighty pother and hurry,
For that deep lake in the hills of Kerry,
Which holds them all till the Judgement Day.
St Patrick, keep all evil away!
| The rhymed life of St Patrick | |