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Life of St Columba
St Adamnán of Iona, tr. Reeves, 1874
Book 1, 30. Concerning a Rich Man Named Lugud Clodus
Concerning a rich man named Lugud Clodus
AT another time, when the saint was staying some days in Scotia (Ireland), he saw a cleric mounted on a chariot, and driving pleasantly along the plain of Breg (Magh Bregh, in Meath). On asking who the person was, the cleric’s friend made this reply regarding him: “This is Lugud Clodus, who is rich, and much respected by the people.” The saint immediately answered, “He does not seem so to me, but a poor wretched creature, who on the day of his death shall have within his own walled enclosure three of his neighbour’s cattle which have strayed on to his property. The best of the strayed cows he shall order to be killed for his own use, and a part of the meat he shall direct to be cooked and served up to him at the very time that he is lying on the same couch with a prostitute, but by the first morsel that he eats shall he be choked and die immediately.” Now all these things, as we heard from well-informed persons, afterwards happened according to the saint’s prophecy.