196 Mr. TurnbuU on Saint Bathan. 



Baithen, a worthy follower of him who in lona planted the 

 cross and founded that glorious college, from which Scotland 

 was both to be christianised and civilised. "Hsec sunt 

 "duodecim virorum nomina qui cum sancto Columba de 

 " Scotia primo ejus transitu ad Brittanniam transnavigaverunt : 

 ^' duo filii Brenden Baithene qui et Conin, sancti successor 

 '^ Columbae, et Cobthach frater ejus; Ernaan sancti avunculus 

 " Columbae" &c.^ Boethius describes them as " Christi dog- 

 mate insigniter imbuti, sed magis longe sanctissimis decorati 

 moribus."'' 



From the energy of his character we may well believe that 

 Baithen took his full share of the labour necessary to establish 

 the monastery, and when it was finished he devoted himself 

 to missionary labours abroad, and to writing, teaching, and 

 agriculture at home. 



Chief among his home duties was that of transcribing the 

 scriptures, a work continually required by Columba of his 

 disciples, and in which he was at much pains that they 

 should be perfectly accurate. Baithen must have excelled all 

 his companions in this art, for it is recorded of him " Quadam 

 " die Baitheneus ad sanctum accedens, ait, necesse habeo ut 

 " aliquis de fratribus mecum Psalterium quod scripsi percur- 

 " reus, emendet. Quo audito sanctus sic profatur. Cur banc 

 " super nos infers sine causa, molestiam ? nam in tuo hoc, de 

 " quo dicis, Psalterio, nee una superflua reperietur litera, nee 

 " alia deesse, excepta I vocali, quae sola deest. Et sic toto 

 '^ perlecto Psalterio, sicuti sanctus prsedixerat repertum, ex- 

 "ploratus est."'= Sir Walter Scott, therefore, has done this 

 saint a grievous injustice in making him the patron of ig- 

 norance in the art of writing, when he makes the old Earl 

 of Angus exclaim 



" Thanks to St. Bothan, son of mine 

 Save Gawin ne'er could pen a line."d 



Among secular duties, agriculture principally engaged our 

 saint, and we read of his performing the several operations 

 of husbandry with his own hands, and earning his bread by 

 the sweat of his brow. It was harvest ; the brethren were en- 

 gaged in reaping and carrying home their crop; Baithen 

 being " dispensator" or steward. The air became filled with 

 a heavenly fragrance as if all the flowers in the world were 



a S. Columbae Discipuli et Cognati, Reeves p. 245. Fordoun Scotic. 26. 

 Ussheri prim. p. 694. 

 b Boece, fol. 166, § 70. 

 c Adam. i. 23. Colgan, cap. 23. 

 d Marmion. 



