Chapter XVII: The Story of Ciaran's Gospel

17. Now into that school there came Ninned the Squinting, from the lochs of Erne, to read with Findian; and he had no book. "Seek a book," said Findian. Ninned went a-searching round the school, and did not obtain a book from any of them. "Hast thou gone to the gentle youth on the north side of the lawn?" said Findian. "I shall go now," said Ninned. Now when Ninned reached him, Ciaran was going over the central text of the book of Matthew: _Omnia quaecumque uultis ut faciant homines uobis, ita et uos faciatis illis._ "I have come for the loan of a book," said Ninned. "Mercy on us," said Ciaran, "for that do I read this, and this is what the text saith to me, that everything that I would that men should do to me, I should do to all. Take thou the book," said Ciaran. On the morrow his companions asked of him, at the time of the lesson, where his book was. "He gave it to me," said Ninned. "Let 'Ciaran Half-Matthew' be his name," said one of the school. "Nay," said Findian, "but Ciaran Half-Ireland; for his shall be half of Ireland, and ours the other half."[21] As Findian said--

Holy Ciaran zealously
under Findian studying pored;
Half his book he left unread,
half of Ireland his reward.

From this was the well-known saying _Non legam Marcum quousque compleueram Mattheum_ carried to Rome, to Alexander.