rs of his
life; but as no less than 130 saints of this name are mentioned in
Irish ecclesiastical records, it is conceivable that their
histories have become intermixed. {29}

23--St. Boisil, Confessor, A.D. 664.

The old abbey of Melrose was not the Cistercian house whose ruins
still remain, but an earlier monastery which had been founded by
St. Aidan and followed the rule of St. Columba, which was
afterwards changed for that of St. Benedict. The Roman usage
regarding Easter was adopted there, very soon after the Synod of
Whitby. Its abbot was the holy Eata, who was given the government
of Lindisfarne Abbey also, when many of its monks followed St.
Colman to Ireland. Just before these events occurred the subject of
this notice was called to his reward. He was prior of Melrose under
Eata, and it was he, who, being a monk and priest of surpassing
merit and prophetic spirit, as St. Bede says, welcomed with joy and
gave the monastic habit to a youth in whom he saw "a servant of the
Lord"--the future St. Cuthbert. The two became devoted friends, and
Boisil, who was especially learned in the Scriptures, became
Cuthbert's master in that science, as well as his example in holy
living.

In 664 a terrible epidemic called the Yellow Plague visited
Scotland and carried off numbers {30} of the inhabitants. Boisil
and Cuthbert were both attacked by the malady, and the lives of
both were endangered. The holy prior, however, from the beginning
foretold the recovery of Cuthbert and his own death. Summoning the
latter to his bedside, he prophesied his future greatness, relating
all that was to befall him in the years to come, and especially his
elevation to the episcopal rank. Then he begged Cuthbert to assist
him during the seven days of life which remained to him to finish
the study of St. John's Gospel on which they had been engaged. In
this they occupied themselves till St. Boisil's peaceful death.

The church of St. Boswell's was dedicated to this saint, the name
is a corruption of St. Boisil's. The old town has disappeared. An
annual fair was formerly held on July 18th, in honour of the
saint. His well also was situated there.

25--St. Cumine, Abbot, A.D. 669.

He was the seventh abbot of Iona, and his learning and holiness
rank him among the most illustrious monks of that renowned
monastery. The Synod of Whitby, which was instrumental {31} in
overthrowing the ancient Celtic computation of Easter and
substituting the Rom