Download Volume 12 here

The Early Celtic Church in Scotland. 23
particularly the Psaluis, ami they weie diligent scribes. There are
repeated notices of their labours in writing—the last labour in
which St Columba was engaged was copying the psalter—and,
naturally, they became the teachers of the community. They
were also much given to hospitality, for there are frequent notices
of the guest chamber, and ol the arrival of guests, and of additions
made to the meals on account of such arrivals.
From this monastery, as a home, Columbas mission was
conducted. As we have seen, he got a gi-ant of the Island of
lona, either from the King of the Picts or the King of the Scots ;
and his method seems to have been to go in the tirst instance to
the King or Chief of the territory in which he arrived, to interest
him in his mission, then to obtain a grant of a village or rath, or
dune with surrounding land, and then to (3stablish a monastery,
under the protection and patronage of the chief : in fact, to
establish and endow his Church. Of this method we hav(j an
account in the Book of Deer, the contents of which, philologically,
were so ably dealt with by Mr Macbain last season. The
morastery of Deer was, perhaps, the very last of the Columban
foundations which retained anything of its original character, and
in this relict of it which has come down to us we have the legend
of its es^aV^lishment, which admirably illustrates St Columba's
method.
Columcille, and Drostan, son of Cosgrach, his pupil, came
from Hi, as God had shown to them, unto Abbordoboir, and Bede,
the Pict. was Mormaer of Buchan before them, and it was he that
gave them that town in freedom for ever from Mormaer and
toisech. They came after that to the otJier town, and it was
plciising to Columcille because it was full of God's grace, and he
asked of the Mormaer, to wit, Bede, that he should give it to him,
and he did not give it, and a son of his took an illness after (or
in consequence of) refusing the clerics, and he was nearly dead
(lit. he was dead, but if it were a little). After this the Mormaer
went to entreat the clerics that they should make a p)'ayer for the
son, that health should come to him ; and he gave an oti'ering to
them from Cloch in Tij)rat to Cloch pette meic Garnait. They
made the prayer, ai.d health came to him. After that Columcille
gave to Drostan that town, and blessed it, and left as (his) word
" Whosoever should come against it, let him not be many yeaied
(or) victorious." Drostan's tears came on parting from Collumcille.
Said Columcille, "Let Dear be its name henceforward."
Having thus established a community, they were placed under
tlie superintendence of a suVjject abbot to prosecute their woik of