[10]     Igitur ascendentibus illīs dē nāvī et cōnsīderantibus quam partem itūrī essent, occurrit eīs senex nimiae gravitātis, capillīs niveō colōre et faciē clārus, quī tribus vicibus sē ad terram prōstrāvit antequam ōsculārētur virum Deī. [11] At vērō sānctus Brendānus et quī cum eō erant ēlevāvērunt eum dē terrā. [12] Ōsculantibus sē invicem, tenuit manum sānctī patris īdem senex, et ībat cum illō per spatium quasi ūnīus stadiī ad monastērium.

[13]     Tunc sānctus Brendānus, cum frātribus suīs, restitit ante portam monastēriī et dīxit senī: [14] “Cuius est istud monastērium? et quis praeest ibi? aut unde sunt quī commorantur illīc?” [15] Ita sānctus pater dīversīs sermōnibus senem interrogābat et numquam poterat ab illō ūllum respōnsum accipere, sed tantum, incrēdibilī mānsuētūdine, manū silentium īnsinuābat. [16] Statim, ut agnōvit sānctus pater illīus locī dēcrētum, frātrēs suōs ammōnēbat, dīcēns: “Cūstōdīte ostia vestra ā locūtiōnibus, nē polluantur istī frātrēs per nostram scurrīlitātem.”

    The monks are met by a saintly old man (the abbot), who leads them to a monastery.  Brendan asks about the personnel of the monastery, but realizes eventually that the old man has taken a vow of silence

    [10] capillīs niveō colōre: capillīs is ablative of material (AG § 403.2); niveō colōre is ablative of quality (ablative of description) (AG § 415).

    et faciē clārus: a non-parallel construction after capillīs niveō colōre

    [12] Ōsculantibus sē invicem: ablative absolute; i.e., (illīs) sē osculantibus invicem

    [14] cuius est, etc.:  The three questions concern (a) the person in charge of this and other related monasteries (b) the abbot of this particular monastery (c) the origins of this particular monastic community.

    [15] sed tantum: “but only”

    īnsinuābat: the subject is now the senex.

    [16] dēcrētum: the rules for monastic life

    istī frātrēs: the monks already on the island

    cōnsīderō cōnsīderāre cōnsīderāvī cōnsīderātus to consider 10
    gravitās gravitātis f. weight
    capillus capillī m. hair
    niveus –a –um snowy, snow-white
    vicis (gen.) f. a recurring occasion, a turn, a time
    prostrō prostrāre prostrāvī prostrātum to fall to one’s knees; fall flat on one’s face (ML; CL prosternō prosternere)
    ōsculō (1) to kiss (usually but not always deponent in CL)
    ēlevō –āre –āvī –ātum to raise, lift up 11
    invicem alternately 12
    teneō tenēre tenuī tentus to hold, keep; to reach in journeying, make [OLD 5a]
    per through; by means of [OLD 14]
    spatium spati(ī) n. space; expanse [OLD 3]
    stadium –iī n. a stade (a Greek unit of measurement, equal to 625 Roman feet); a furlong (1/8 of a mile, 660 feet)
    monastērium –ī n. a monastery
    restō restāre restitī to remain, be left; to stop, stay put 13
    monastērium –ī n. a monastery
    praesum praeesse praefuī praefutūrus to be in charge of (+ dat.) 14
    commoror commorārī commorātus to linger, stay, live (in a place)
    rēspōnsum –ī n. or
    rēsponsus –ūs m.
    an answer, response 15
    incrēdibilis incrēdibilis incrēdibile incredible
    mānsuētūdō –inis f. mildness, gentleness [OLD 2]
    silentium (silentum) silenti(ī) n. silence
    īnsinuō īnsinuāre īnsinuāvī īnsinuātus to convey information, make known [OLD 5b]; advise, recommend (ML)
    āgnōscō āgnōscere āgnōvī agnitus to recognize, acknowledge 16
    dēcrētum dēcrētī n. decision, decree, verdict
    admoneō admonēre admonuī admonitus to admonish, remind
    custōdiō custōdīre custōdīvī custōdītus to guard
    ōstium ōsti(ī) n. door
    locūtiō (loquūtiō) –ōnis f. speech, discourse
    polluō –ere –uī –ūtus to make foul, dirty, soil
    per through; by means of [OLD 14]
    scurrīlitās –ātis f. untimely humor
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