en years of his life in untiring efforts to induce the monks to
give up the Celtic traditions to which they clung, and to conform to
the Roman computation of Easter. His sweetness and gentleness were at
last rewarded. On Easter Day 729 he passed away at the ripe age of
ninety, "rejoicing," as St. Bede says, "that he had been detained
here long enough to see them keep the feast with him on that day,
which before they had always avoided."

Though the monks of Iona did not then, as a body, accept the Roman
custom, yet the seeds sown by Egbert bore fruit eventually in
complete conformity with the rest of the Church, {73} St. Egbert thus
merits a high place among the saints of Scotland, although but a
short period of his life was spent in the country. He also shares
with St. Willibrord the renown of converting Friesland to the Faith;
for it was by his example and persuasion that the latter was induced
to undertake the work which terminated so successfully. On account of
his connection with the conversion of the country, the feast of St.
Egbert was formerly celebrated in the diocese of Utrecht. Some
authors maintain that St. Egbert never took monastic vows, but was a
priest living in the monastery; others say, and with good reason,
that he was a bishop.

25--St. Cunibert, Bishop, A.D. 699.

This saint was entrusted by his parents for his education to some
monks living in a monastery near the Tay, whose site cannot now be
identified. He became a priest, and afterwards bishop. Towards the
end of his days he retired into solitude as a hermit, and thus
finished his earthly course.

St. Machalus, Bishop, A.D. 498.

He was a bishop in the Isle of Man, which {74} then formed part of
Scotland. His name is variously written as Machalus, Machella, and
Mauchold. One of the parishes in the island bears his name, and in
the churchyard is the saint's holy well. A ledge of rock hard by is
called his "chair"; it used to be a favourite devotion of pilgrims
to seat themselves on this ledge while drinking the miraculous water
of the well and invoking the saint's aid. The water is said to have
been effective in preventing the action of poison. Many churches in
Scotland are called by his name. There was a chapel near Chapeltown
in Banffshire known as Kilmaichlie, which seems to refer to this
saint. A holy well is still to be found in the vicinity.

29--St. Middan, Bishop.

Very little is known of this saint. Some think him to be identica