the Protestant equivalents to votive offerings
at the shrine.

At Forres, in Moray, an annual fair was held on this day, as also at
Fordyce, Pitlessie (Fife), and Lairg (Sutherland) at the latter place
under the name of St. Murie. Keith in Banffshire was formerly known
as Kethmalruf, or "Keith of Maelrubha." At Contin, near Dingwall, the
ancient church was dedicated to the saint; its annual fair called
_Feille Maree_, and familiarly known as the "August Market," was
transferred to Dingwall. Many other memorials of this saint are to be
found in Ross-shire. It is worthy of note that many dedications
formerly supposed to be in honour of Our Lady are now identified as
those of St. Maelrubha under the title of Maree; this is proved by
the traditional pronunciation of their respective names.

St. Maelrubha is one of the Scottish saints whose _cultus_ was approved
by Rome in 1898, {71} and whose feast has been consequently restored
in many of the Scottish dioceses. It was formerly observed in
Scotland on August 27, but has been always kept in Ireland on this
day.

21--St. Egbert, Priest and Monk, A.D. 729.

He was an Englishman of good family, who, after some years of study
in the monastery of Lindisfarne, followed the almost universal custom
of those days and passed over to Ireland, then renowned for its
monastic schools, entering the monastery of Melfont. During his stay
there a pestilence broke out which carried off a great number of the
inmates. Egbert prayed earnestly to be spared that he might live a
life of penance, making a vow never more to return to England, to
recite daily the whole psalter in addition to the canonical hours,
and to fast from all food one day in each week for the rest of his
life. His vow was accepted and his life spared.

After some years Egbert was raised to the priesthood, and his zeal
for souls led him to desire to preach the faith to the pagan people
of that part of Germany then known as Friesland, In this project he
was joined by some {72} of his pious companions. A vessel had been
chartered, and all things were ready, when it was revealed to Egbert
through a holy monk that God had other designs in his regard; in
obedience to this intimation the voyage was at once abandoned.

The later life of Egbert exemplifies the way in which God chooses and
preserves the instruments for accomplishing His Will. Entering the
monastery of Iona when already advanced in years, he spent the last
thirte