Picts, and to a considerable extent among the Scots and Irish also; by training up men of promise to become afterwards efficient labourers in the Lord's vineyard; and by watching over the interests of the rising community under his care, and thus helping to bring forward to maturity so noble a seminary of religion and learning.

Columba's extensive labours, and their widespread influence in the Church, are abundantly borne witness to by the various writers who have had occasion to make mention of him. Bede, for instance, tells us that from the two monasteries of Dearmach and Iona great numbers of others were planted by his followers throughout Britain and Ireland. Joceline, in his Life of St. Patrick, calls him the founder of a hundred monasteries. A later author of Columba's own life, says that above three hundred churches and monasteries had been established by him; and the valuable ancient record called the "Annals of Ulster," describe him as being "next after St. Patrick the principal promoter of religion throughout the greater part of Ireland and Scotland." *

* See Smith's Life of St. Columba, a very useful work, from which I have borrowed much in this and the following section.

$8.

CHARACTER OF ST. COLUMBA AND HIS
SUCCESSORS.

Having thus far considered the principal transactions of Columba's life, from infancy to old age, it will be desirable for us here to rest a little and contemplate the character of this eminent saint, whom God was pleased to make use of for so signal an instrument of his own glory. We shall thus have an opportunity of noticing many interesting particulars connected with him, which could not have been introduced before, without interrupting too much the order of the narrative; and we shall be able to discern in the memoirs of him which have been handed down to us, abundant evidences of the many graces which combined to fit him for his great undertakings. Had we indeed time to give this subject the attention it merits, we should surely arrive at this conclusion, that Columba was the most exalted saint to whom our native land ever gave birth; and that there is not to be met with in the annals of our Irish Church another instance of one so eminently holy and heavenlyminded in his disposition; so devout and prayerful, and at the same time so constantly engaged in the

affairs of active life; so bold, and at the same time so successful in his undertakings; so laborious and diligent in his employments; so influential with men of noble rank, and so gentle, affectionate and condescending to those of low degree; so mortified and self-denying in his habits; so dead to earthly affections, and so full of spiritual life and devotedness to the service of his heavenly Master.

We need not so much wonder that the blossoms of all spiritual graces budded forth in Columba with such vigour, when we observe how constantly prayer, the nurse of them all, was his employment and delight. He indeed, if any one, might be truly said to pray without ceasing, and the spirit of prayer seemed to be the spirit of his life: every circumstance, every friend, every hour, gave him occasion thus to rise in spirit to his God; and he would engage in no business, undertake no work, without having first invoked His aid. Whether he went abroad, or travelled by sea or land himself, or knew of any of his friends being thus engaged in their journeying; or received ordinary mercies at home; or administered to others medicine, or counsel and advice; or was about to perform any

office of his ministry; prayer was with him the accompaniment of all. The daily supply of milk as it passed his door, and the annual store of corn that lay in the granary to form a provision for the coming year, were alike the subjects of a blessing: thus his food and all the creatures of God were sanctified to him by the use of prayer and thanksgiving.

He also exhibited in his life the greatest mortification and self-denial, sometimes fasting for whole days, and watching for whole nights; and at the advanced age of seventy-seven we read of his using the bare flag for his bed, and like the patriarch Jacob, a stone for his pillow. We must not however judge of such austerities by the state of things in our own day, nor suppose it extravagant conduct in a monk to act thus, at a time when the luxury of the rich could afford perhaps but a little straw. Columba's life was indeed mortified, but not irrational: it had nothing in it of superstitious penance or unmeaning hardships.

His diligence and industry were such that he would be always engaged in doing something; so that, as Adamnanus tells us, "he could never

allow the space of a single hour to pass in which he did not apply himself to prayer, or reading, or writing, or else some work." Sometimes he heard his disciples read; sometimes he read himself; sometimes he would copy out books, and sometimes read over what others had copied. We are to remember that in St. Columba's day there was no such thing as printing known, and the largest books in use were all written from one end to the other with a pen; nor could one have a Bible nor any other book, excepting what were so provided. This work of copying books was much attended to by the ancient monks, and many specimens still exist of the care and elegance with which they performed it. By such means the sacred oracles of the Word of God, as well as other valuable ancient records, were preserved to us for the first fourteen centuries after the birth of Christ, printing not having been invented till about A.D. 1450. In Columba's history mention is made of various books written or copied by him, and as he wished to continue his usefulness in this way to the last, we find him engaged in transcribing a part of the Psalter on the very day which he knew was to close his