Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 1.djvu/496

 

one of the greatest patriarchs of the monastic order in Ireland, and the apostle of the Picts. To distinguish him from other saints of the same name, he was surnamed Columkille, from the great number of monastic cells, called by the Irish, killes, of which he was the founder. He was of the noble extraction of Neil, and was born at Gartan, in the county of Tyrconnel, in 521, and early learned the divine Scriptures, and the lessons of an ascetic life under the celebrated bishop of St. Ferrian, in his great school of Cluain-iraird, and esteemed nothing worthy his pursuit that did not assist him in the disengagement of his mind from the world, and the advance of religion and holiness in his heart. Being advanced to the order of priesthood in 546, he gave admirable lessons of piety, and sacred learning, and was soon attended by many disciples. He founded, about the year 550, the great monastery of Dair-magh, now called Durrogh, and Sir James Ware mentions a MS. copy of the four gospels of St. Jerome's translation, adorned with silver plates, as then extant, preserved in this abbey. He likewise founded many other monasteries of less note; and the same antiquarian observes, that a rule composed by St. Columba, theu existed in the old Irish. This rule he settled in the hundred monasteries, which he founded in Ireland and Scotland. King Dermot (like great men of more modern times) being offended at the zeal which reproved public vices, St. Columba determined on leaving his native country; and with his twelve disciples passed into Scotland, and was successful in converting the king of the northern Picts, together with his subjects. These Picts, having embraced the faith, gave St. Columba the little island of Hy, or Iona, called from him—Y-colin-kille, twelves miles from the land, in which he built the great monastery, which was for several ages the chief seminary of North Britain, and continued long the burying-place of