Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
Life of St. Columba (Author: [unknown])

Chapter 22

The prophecy of the holy man regarding the Roman city, burnt by a sulphurous fire which fell from heaven

ANOTHER time also, Lugbe, of the tribe Mocumin, of whom I spoke already, came to the saint one day after the grinding of the corn, but the saint's countenance shone with such wonderful brilliancy that he could not look upon it, and quickly fled in great terror. The saint gently clapped his hands and called him back; then on his return the saint asked him why he fled so quickly. ‘I fled,’ he replied, ‘because I was very much alarmed.’ Then becoming more confident, after a while, he ventured to ask the saint, ‘Hath any awful vision been shown to thee just now?’ The saint answered, ‘A very fearful vengeance hath just now been exacted in a distant corner of the world.’ ‘What vengeance?’ says the youth, ‘and where hath it taken place?’ The saint then addressed him thus: ‘A sulphurous fire hath been poured down from heaven this moment on a city which is subject to Rome, and within the Italian territory, and about three thousand men, besides women and children, have perished. Before the end of this year Gallican sailors shall come here from the provinces of Gaul, and tell thee these same things.’ His words proved true in a few months; for the same Lugbe, happening to accompany the saint to the Head of the land (Kintyre), inquired at the captain and crew of a bark that had just arrived, and received from them all the news regarding the city and its inhabitants, exactly as it was foretold by the illustrious man.