Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
The birth and life of St Mo Ling (Author: [unknown])

chapter 19

CHAPTER XIX

59

Moling then came along from the south, and told the kings of the Húi Néill that it was his errand to ask for the remission of the Boroma. That was not pleasing to the Húi Néill, and they all said that no one should rise up before him in the house.60 Then the cleric entered the house and found no rising before him until Murchad son of Airmedach, Domnall's father, rose up before him. Where upon Moling said: ‘Let the lordship be thine and thy seed's for ever.’ And then Moling sat down and was asking them for the respite.

60

‘What is the length of the respite?’ they say. ‘A year,’ quoth he. ‘Not so,’ they answer. ‘Half of it,’ says he. ‘Nay,’ they say. ‘Then grant a quarter,’ saith he. ‘ Nay,’ they say. ‘ A respite till Luan, Monday,’ saith he. ‘It shall be granted,’ says Finachta.


p.49

61

Then he bound his covenants on Finachta himself and on one of the kings of Bregia, Braen by name, for he was feeble in sickness. And Moling went to him, and prays for him, and he recovers at once.

62

He afterwards went to Tara, and the doorward did not let him in, for the doorward had been told not to do so. ‘Let me in,’ says Moling. ‘I cannot,’ says the doorward, ‘for the king is in grief after his son's death.’61 Says Moling, ‘The son has leave to die if God permits it.’ The boy died at once.

63

Moling sat down on the flagstone outside, so that it is (now) called Moling's Flag. ‘Assuredly,’ says everyone, ‘it is Moling that killed the son; so let his own desire be given him if he brings the boy (back) to life.’

64

Then Moling was taken to the boy, and they promised him his complete desire if he would heal the child. The cleric prayed, and the boy at once recovered. Said Moling: ‘Have ye given me a truce till Monday?’ ‘We have,’ say they. ‘Tis to Monday of Doomsday, I have bound (you),’ says Moling. ‘It is not I that will contravene it,’ says Finachta.
Whereupon Moling said:

    1. Finachta over the Húi Néill, etc.62
Thereafter Moling went away to his home.