Blair Collection > Celtic gleanings, or, Notices of the history and literature of the Scottish Gael

84 LECTURE III.
have been indebted for none of it to bis native
Scotland.
Columba was an Irishman, but has his fame
far more linked with Scotland than with Ire-
land. His Celtic origin is indisputable ; and we
have his descent given us by most of his bio-
graphers. He is said to have been the son of
Phelim, son of Fergus, grandson of Niel of
the nine hostages, king of Ireland. His name
among his own countrymen was Calum M'Phe-
lim. Besides his connection with the royal fa-
mily of Ireland, he was connected with that of
Scotland, for his father was grandson — by the
mother — of Lorn, son of Ere, one of the three bro-
thers who founded the Dalriadic colony of Scot-
land. The date of Columba's birth was about
A.r>. 521. Columba was a man of distinguished
literar}' attainments, and also a man whose
sympathies were with the cultivation of letters.
He came to Scotland in 562, and gave evidence
of his love of letters by founding, not only a
monastery, but a seat of learning. Of his own
learning there is no want of undoubted evi-
dence. The following quotation is from Dr
Smith's " Life of Columba :" — " St Ewin, who
wrote a Life of St Patrick, in the sixth century,
mentions Columba as having written a Life of
that saint. Wilifred, the author of the Life of St