The 'Book of Durrow' called _The Gospels of St. Columba_, almost rivals
the famous 'Book of Kells' with which Mr. Madan will doubtless deal in
his forthcoming volume on Manuscripts. A native poet declared that when
the Saint died in 597 he had illuminated 'three hundred bright noble
books'; and he added that 'however long under water any book of the
Saint's writing should be, not one single letter would be drowned.' Our
authorities tell us that the Book of Durrow might possibly be one of the
three hundred, 'as it bears some signs of being earlier in date than the
Book of Kells.'
St. Columba, men said, was passionately devoted to books. Yet he gave his
Gospels to the Church at Swords, and presented the congregation at Derry
with the volume that he had fetched from Tours, 'where it had lain on St.
Martin's breast a hundred years in the ground.' In one of the biographies
there is a story about 'Langarad of the White Legs,' who dwelt in the
region of Ossory. To him Columba came as a guest, and found that the sage
was hiding all his books away. Then Columba left his curse upon them;
'May that,' quoth he, 'about which thou art so niggardly be never of any
profit after thee'; and this was fulfilled, 'for the books remain to this
day, and no man reads them.' When Langarad died 'all the book-satchels in
Ireland that night fell down'; some say, 'all the satchels and wallets in
the saint's house fell then: and Columba and all who were in his house
marvelled at the noisy shaking of the books.
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