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38 YORK.
drawn from the Roman source, and who followed the
practice of Augustine, Justus, and Paulinus. Another
bishop, named Finan, came from lona to succeed
Aidan, and a question was revived which led in its
final settlement to results of the utmost importance,
affecting, not the Northumbrian Church alone, but
that of the whole of England. The questions which
occupied the fore-front in the controversy were the
right time for celebrating the great Easter festival
and the proper mode of fashioning the ecclesiastical
tonsure. These questions were not new. They first
came prominently into view when Columbanus went
on a mission into Gaul, accompanied by twelve of
his followers, in 590. "They were tonsured, but in
a different manner from the Gaulish ecclesiastics.
Their heads were shaved in front from ear to ear, the
anterior half of the head being made bare, while their
hair flowed down naturally and unchecked from the
back of the head," whilst the Roman tonsure left a
circle or coronal of hair around the head, the crown
of which was closely shaven.^ As to the Paschal
question, the Roman Church had adopted the
Alexandrian cycle of nineteen years, and laid aside
the old Paschal cycle of eighty-four, which was still
adhered to by the Scotic Church. Both were unanimous
in keeping the festival on the Lord's day, but
with this difference, the latter kept it on the Sunday
which occurred from the 14th to the 20th day of the"
moon, whilst the Roman Church held their Paschal
feast on that which came between the 15th and the
2ist. To secure uniformity, the adoption of the
'
See Slcene's " Celtic Scotland," ii. p. 6.