nd is mentioned may be even as
late as the age of Columbanus, when Irish monks set up their churches at
Wuerzburg and on the shores of the Lake of Constance, or illuminated their
manuscripts at Bobbio under the protection of Theodolind and her
successors in Lombardy. A wandering philosopher is represented as
visiting the northern regions: he remained for a while in the Isle of
Saints and turned over the painted volumes; but he despised the native
churchmen and called them 'Doctors of Ignorance.' 'Here am I in Ireland,
at the world's end, with much toil and little ease; with such unskilled
labourers in the field the place is too doleful, and is absolutely of no
good to me.'

Palladius came with twelve men to preach to the Gael, and we are told
that he 'left his books' at Cellfine. The legendary St. Patrick is made
to pass into Ulster, and he finds a King who burns himself and his home
'that he may not believe in Patrick.' The Saint proceeds to Tara with
eight men and a little page carrying the book-wallet; 'it was like eight
deer with one fawn following, and a white bird on its shoulder.'

The King and his chief Druid proposed a trial by ordeal. The King said,
'Put your books into the water.' 'I am ready for that,' said Patrick. But
the Druid said, 'A god of water this man adores, and I will not take
part in the ordeal.' The King said, 'Put your books into the fire.' 'I am
ready for that,' said Patrick. 'A god of fire once in two years this man
adores, and I will not do that,' said the Druid.

In the church by the oak-tree at Kildare St. Brigit had a marvellous
book, or so her nuns supposed. The Kildare Gospels may have been
illuminated as early as Columba's time. Gerard de Barri saw the book in
the year 1185, and said that it was so brilliant in colouring, so
delicate and finely drawn, and with such enlacements of intertwining
lines that it seemed to be a work beyond the powers of mortal man, and to
be worthy of an angel's skill; and, indeed, there was a strong belief
that miraculous help had been given to the artist in his dreams.

The 'Book of Durrow' called _The Gospels of St. Columba_, almost rivals
the famous 'Book of Kells' with which Mr. Madan will doubtless deal in
his forthcoming volume on Manuscripts. A native poet declared that when
the Saint died in 597 he had illuminated 'three hundred bright noble
books'; and he added that 'however long under water any book of the
Saint's writing should be, not one sing