(St.), the apostle of Ireland, and second bishop of that country. He was born April 5th A.D. 373, of a good family, at Kirk Patric near Dumbarton, in what is now called Scotland, but then comprehended under the general name of Britain.—His baptismal name Succat, signifies, in the British language, "valiant in war." On some inroad of certain exiles from Ireland he was taken prisoner, and carried into that kingdom, where he continued six years in the service of Milcho, who had bought him of three others, when Patric acquired the new name of Cobraga, or Ceathar-Tigh, i.e. four families. In this time he made himself master of the Irish language, and at last made his escape, and returned home on board a ship. About two years after, he formed a design of converting the Irish, either in consequence of a dream, or of reflection on what he had observed during his acquaintance with them. The better to qualify himself for this undertaking, he travelled to the continent, where he continued 35 years, pursuing his studies under the direction of his mother's uncle St. Martin, bishop of Tours, who had ordained him deacon; and after his death with St German, bishop of Auxerre, who ordained him priest, and gave him his third name Maron or Maginim.

An ancient author, Henricus Antifodderensis, who wrote a book concerning the miracles of St German, considers it as the highest honour of that prelate to have been the instructor of St Patrick: "As the glory of a father shines in the government of his sons, out of the many disciples in religion who are reported to have been his sons in Christ; suffice it briefly to mention one by far the most famous, as the series of his actions shows, Patrick the particular apostle of Ireland, who being under his holy discipline 18 years, derived no little knowledge in the inspired writings from such a source. The most godly divine pontiff, considering him alike distinguished in religion, eminent for virtue, and steadfast in doctrine; and thinking it absurd to let one of the best labourers remain inactive in the Lord's vineyard, recommended him to Celestine, Pope of Rome, by his presbyter Segetius, who was to carry to the apostolic see a testimonial of ecclesiastical merit of this excellent man. Approved by his judgment, supported by his authority, and confirmed by his blessing, he set out for Ireland; and being peculiarly destined to that people as their apostle, instructed them at that time by his doctrine and miracles; and now does and will forever display the wonderful power of his apostleship." Lastly, Pope Celestine consecrated him bishop, and gave him his most familiar name Patricius, expressive of his honourable descent; and to give lustre and weight to the commission which he now charged him with to convert the Irish. Palladius had been here a year before him on the same design, but with little success: the saints Kieran, Ailbe, Declan, and Ibar, were precursors both to Palladius and Patrick. But the great office of apostle of Ireland was reserved for our prelate, who landed in the country of the Eoilein, or at Wicklow, A.D. 441. His first convert was Sinell, eighth in descent from Cormac king of Leinster; but not meeting with encouragement, he proceeded to Dublin, and thence to Ulster, where he founded a church (afterwards the famous abbey of Saul, in the county of Down), remarkable for its position, being made out of a barn, and its greatest length reaching from north to south. After labouring seven years indefatigably in his great work, he returne ed to Britain, which he delivered from the heresies of Pelagius and Arius; engaged several eminent persons to assist him; visited the Isle of Man, which he converted in 446, when the bishopric was founded; and, A.D. 448, returned to the see of Armagh (a), which he had founded three years before; and in 13 years more completed the conversion of the whole island (b). After giving an account of his commission at Rome, he once more returned hither, and spent the remainder of his life between the monasteries of Armagh and Saul, superintending and enforcing the great plan of doctrine and discipline which he had established. After having established schools, or an academy here, he closed his life and ministry at Saul abbey, in the 12th year of his age, March 17, A.D. 493, and was buried at Down afterwards, in the same grave with St Brigid and St Columba, in the same place. Respecting his burial-place, however, there have been great disputes; and it has been as great a subject of debate with the religious, as Homer's birth-place was formerly among the cities of Greece. Those of Down lay claim to it, on the authority of the following verses:

These three in Down lie in tomb one, Briget, Patricius, and Columba pious.

Those of Glastonbury in England, from the old monuments of their church: And some Scots affirm him to have been both born and buried among them at Glasgow. His genuine works were collected and printed by Sir James Ware, 1565. His immediate successor in this see was St Binen or Bagrus.

Order of St Patrick, an institution which took place in Ireland in the year 1783. On the fifth of February, in that year, the king ordered letters-patent to be passed under the great seal of the kingdom of Ireland, for creating a society or brotherhood, to be called knights of the illustrious order of St Patrick, of which his majesty, his heirs, and successors, shall perpetually be sovereigns, and his majesty's lieutenant-general and general-governor of Ireland, &c., for the time being, shall officiate as grand-masters; and also for appointing Prince Edward, and several of the prime nobility of Ireland, knights companions of the said illustrious order.

Patrick (Simon), a very learned English bishop, was born at Gainborough in Lincolnshire in 1526. In 1644 he was admitted into Queen's college, Cambridge, and entered into holy orders. After being for some time chaplain to Sir Walter St John, and vicar of the church at Battersea in Surry, he was preferred to the rectory of St Paul's, Covent-garden, in London, where he continued all the time of the plague in 1665 among his parishioners, to their great comfort. In 1668 he published his Friendly Debate between a Conformist and a Nonconformist. This was answered by the Dissenters, whom he had much exasperated by it; but by his moderation and candour toward them afterwards, they were perfectly reconciled to him, and he brought over many of them to the communion of the established church. In 1678 he was made dean of Peterborough, where he was much beloved. In 1682, Dr Lewis de Monlin, who had been a history-professor at Oxford, and written many bitter books against the church of England, sent for Dr Patrick upon his sick bed, and made a solemn declaration of his regret on that account, which he signed, and it was published after his death. During the reign of King James, the dean's behaviour showed that he had nothing more at heart than the Protestant religion; for which he ventured all that was dear to him, by preaching and writing against the errors of the church of Rome. In 1687 he published a prayer composed for that difficult time, when persecution was expected by all who stood firm to their religion. The year after the Revolution, the dean was appointed bishop of Chichester, and was employed with others of the new bishops to settle the affairs of the church in Ireland. In 1691 he was translated to the see of Ely, in the room of the deprived Bishop Turner. He died in 1737, after having published various works; among which the most distinguished are his Paraphrases and Commentaries on the Holy Scriptures, three volumes folio. These, with Lowth on the Proverbs, Arnold on the Apocrypha, and Whitby on the New Testament, make a regular continued commentary in English on all the sacred books.