THE Narrative now given to the public is taken from the Third Volume of the ‘Monks of the West,’ the first of the three volumes of that work which are dedicated to the conversion of the British Isles by the Celtic and Roman Missionaries. It has appeared to some that the life of St. Columba—one of the most heroic and the least remembered of the combatants in that great conflict—might, without inconvenience, be detached from the rest of the work, and would not on that account be found less wanting in serious and original interest. In accordance with their desire, the following pages are published. It is of importance to bear in mind that everything in this narrative is borne out by the best known records of Irish hagiography. The Author has not written one word which cannot be justified or explained by documents the value of which is proved or discussed in the notes to his larger work. Aeterna Press