138 TRANSACTIONS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. [ Vou. 1aat 
The candid reader of Adamnan’s life of Columba cannot receive as 
undeniable truth all the prophecies and miracles which he ascribes to 
Columba. Even the Apostles of Jesus Christ had no higher or stronger 
supernatural gifts than are continually assigned to Colum Cille by 
Adamnan. We must assign to the credulous spirit of that age much of 
what is marvellous in the work of Adamnan. In his preface to the third 
book, he adds that in the first book, he related some of the prophetic 
revelations which were made to Columba; that in the second book, he 
recorded the powerful miracles which the blessed man wrought; and 
that in the third book he will describe the apparition of angels which 
either Columba received regarding others, or others saw regarding him. 
That the tenor of Adamnan’s life of Columba may be better understood, 
I shall make a few citations from it. Asa specimen of the prophetic 
power of the Saint, his prophecy regarding the poet Cronan may 
be cited. “At another time, says Adamnan, as the Saint was sitting one 
day with the brothers beside Loch Cé (Lough Key in Roscommon) at 
the mouth of the river called in Latin Bos (Boyle), a certain Scottish 
Poet came to them, and when he had retired after a short interview, the 
brothers said to the Saint: Why didst thou not ask the Poet Cronan 
before he went away, to sing us a song with accompaniment according to 
the rules of his profession? the Saint replied, why do you even now 
utter such idle words? how could I ask that poor man to sing a song of 
joy who has now been murdered, and thus hastily has ended his days 
at the hands of his enemies? The Saint had no sooner said these words 
“than immediately a man cried out from beyond the river. ‘The poet who 
left you in safetv a few minutes ago, has just now been met and put to 
death by his enemies.’ Then all that were present wondered much and 
looked at one another in amazement.” With regard to the miraculous 
power which St. Columba wielded, Adamnan writes, “Our belief in the 
miracles which we have recorded but which we did not ourselves see, is 
confirmed beyond doubt by the miracles of which we were eyewitnesses ; 
for on three different occasions we saw unfavourable gales of wind 
changed into propitious breezes.” As the account which Adamnan has 
given of the closing scenes in the life of Colum Cille has been very much 
admired, I shall make a few extracts from it. “In the end then of this 
same week, that is, on the day of the Sabbath, the venerable man and 
his pious attendant Diormit went to bless the barn which was near at 
hand. When the Saint had entered in and blessed it and two heaps of 
winnowed corn that were in it, he gave expression to his thanks in these 
words, saying: ‘I heartily congratulate my beloved monks that this 
year also I am obliged to depart from you. You will have a sufficient 
supply for the year.’ This day in the Holy Scriptures is called the 
