the children grew sick, and died soon after baptism, which they at once proclaimed to be the punishment of its parents' apostacy, and a certain proof of the superiority of the potency of their gods, over the God of the Christians. Columba being apprized of this circumstance, and fearing for the faith of his neophytes, repaired without delay to their abode. On arriving there, he first endeavored to console the sorrowing parents by enlarging on the Divine power, and by exhorting them to look with confidence for relief to the one true God, and next proceeded to the room where the body of the deceased lay, whence he obliged all to withdraw while he poured forth his prayer to God for the restoration to life of the departed child. At the close of his fervent orison, directing his eyes towards the lifeless remains, he exclaimed, "In the name of the Lord Jesus, arise, and stand upon thy feet!" The command was obeyed, the child was instantly restored to life, and the saint taking him by the hand led him to the apartment in which his parents disconsolately remained. We may guess at, but cannot speak their joy, their gratitude. Surely now they blessed the hour in which they embraced Christianity, and were more strongly confirmed in the belief of its mysteries: the people, too, assembled in crowds to witness the wonder which Columba had wrought, testified by their acclamations their grateful acknowledgments to him, and their faith in the omnipotence of the God whom he came to preach unto them.

The interests of his monastery at Hy, required that the saint should occasionally interrupt his apostolic labors in Pictland, in order to revisit it. However, his stay was very short, being prolonged only as much as was absolutely necessary for the infant establishment; for as soon as it was possible he tore himself from his dear religious to resume his mission. And what a sacrifice of self, even in its minimum, and apparently lawful form, was not here! That Columba would have preferred communing with God in the seclusion of the cloister, and governing that little and most peaceful flock committed to his care was but natural; but like all saintly "hooded men," he only thought of subjecting nature to grace, and knowing full well that when we leave God for God, we are most certain of finding Him.

It cannot be doubted that St. Columba's zealous exertions were crowned with great success, the vast majority of the inhabitants of Pictland being gained over to the belief and practice of the Gospel. Even during his first visit there, he was enabled to erect some few churches and religious houses, and appointed spiritual instructors to provide for the religious wants of the new converts, and propagate during his occasional absence the holy Catholic faith. Who these were we are not aware, the event being but imperfectly recorded, no less than the history of these first ecclesiastical foundations.

It is said, that our saint penetrated into the Orkney Isles, and with some success, but of his proceedings there we know little. Of those which took place in the Hebrides or Western Islands, which he also blessed with his presence, frequently visiting them, indefatigably preaching in them, supplying them with missionaries, erecting churches, and founding religious communities, there is more extant. Among these Islands, Hymba, where he established a monastery, over which, after some years, he placed his maternal uncle Erwan, seems to have been his favorite retreat, just as Sabhal, or Saul, in our own green isle was of his glorious and saintly progenitor in the faith, St. Patrick. On various occasions, and at different intervals, he made it his abode. There it was that he was visited by four holy founders of monasticism in Ireland—by Comgall, Cainnech or Canice, Brendan of Clonfert, and Cormac Hua Liathain;—there while celebrating mass for them, Brendan saw a very bright flame like a burning pillar, as if rising from his head, which continued from the moment of the consecration to the termination of the sacred mysteries. It was there also that, on another occasion, he had some extraordinary celestial visitations, which lasted for three days and three nights consecutively. There were several monasteries also, founded by himself, or in virtue of his obedience by his disciples, in an island called Ethica, one of which was governed by Baithen, who subsequently succeeded him in the abbacy of Hy. While thus engaged, the saint was at times obliged to exert himself in defence of the new converts against certain marauders, who, though nominally Christian, practised the illicit trade of plundering. On one occasion, he proceeded to excommunicate some of the leaders, who were members of the royal house of the British Scots, but at the risk of his life, one of their partizans having rushed upon him with a spear, but providentially without effect. Adamnan says, that the name of this assassin was Lamh-dess or Right hand, and that on his advancing against Columba, Findulgan, a monk of Hymba, where this transaction occurred, being clothed in an outer garment of the saint, threw himself between him and Lamh-dess, who, notwithstanding he used all his might, was not able to transfix it.

The apostolic labors of St. Columba were not confined to the territories of the Picts and Western Islanders, he superintended also the ecclesiastical affairs of the British Scots, and formed some religious establishments in their kingdom; one of them, near Loch-Awe in Argyle, was governed by one of his monks named Cailten, of whom it is related, that he died at Hy, the parent-house, if we may so call it. The holy abbot Columba, foreseeing that the death of this monk was nigh, sent for him that he might give him his blessing, as being in some sort necessary to his terminating his course in the true spirit of monastic obedience. In traversing the southern part of this kingdom, our saint visited St. Kentigern, bishop of Glasgow, and spent with him a few days. Nor is it improbable that he visited South Britain, then possessed by the Anglo-Saxons, for there were Christians of that nation in Hy before his death, converted in all probability by himself or his disciples. Meantime, he did not neglect to watch vigilantly over his other monasteries, not only in Scotland and the Isles, but also those which he had founded in his own dear and more cherished land. Thither did he often send messengers on business connected with his monasteries, or with other pious objects. On one occasion he dispatched to Clogher, in all haste, Lugaid Laithir, one of his monks, (whom Adamnan calls his legate by excellence,) with a box containing a benediction, which, when dipped in water, was to cure the saintly virgin Mangina, whose limb was broken at her returning from the holy mysteries; which it did most effectually instantly on its application. ^[2]

St. Columba was frequently visited by persons from Ireland, who were either his former friends, or who wished to become so, or who desired to receive his advice on various matters; and these, with all other strangers, he received with the greatest kindness, and treated most hospitably. Besides the holy men already mentioned, Columbanus, bishop in the province of Leinster, ^[3] came to see him. The holy abbot conceived a great friendship for this prelate, so that, being apprized of his death by revelation, he gave orders in the morning that the monks who were preparing for their respective occupations should refrain from work on that day; and when all was ready for the holy mysteries, the whole community, clothed in white garments as on a Sunday or other solemnity, proceeded to the church along with the saint. When the choir had come to a part of the service in which the name of St. Martin used to be commemorated, the