Gildas, Lorica. (1899). pp. 305-313.
THE LORICA OF GILDAS.
GILDAS composed this lorica to drive away those demons which attacked him. To him an angel came, and the angel said to him: If any man repeats that lorica often, there shall be added a seven years' portion to his life, and the third part of his sins shall be blotted out. Whatever day he recites this prayer . . . men or demons, and enemies can do him no injury; death on that day touches him not. Laidcend, son of Buith the Victorious, came from him to the island of Ireland; he brought over and carried it to be placed on the altar of St. Patrick, bishop, to make us safe. Amen. The metre is of eleven syllables, which is also called bracicatalecticon, because it consists of eleven syllables; the scansion is so.
Help unity of trinity,
have pity trinity of unity;
Help me, I pray, thus placed
as in the peril of a great sea,
So that the plague of this year
draw me not with it, nor the vanity of the world.
And this very petition I make unto the high
powers of the heavenly warfare,
that they leave me not to be harried by enemies,
but defend me with their strong armour;
that, before me in the battle, go
those armies of the heavenly warfare,
Cherubim and Seraphim with their thousands,
Gabriel and Michael with like ones. |307
May thrones, powers, archangels,
principalities, dominions, angels,
defend me with their thick array,
and be strong to overthrow my enemies.
Then also the other arbiters of the strife----
patriarchs four, prophets four,
Apostles, watchmen of the ship of Christ,
And the athlete martyrs all----I ask,