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

Chapter 4

The blessed man in his journey

ON another occasion the holy man went to the venerable Bishop Finnio, who had formerly been his preceptor, the youth to visit the man far advanced in years. When St. Finnio saw him coming to him, he observed also an angel of the Lord accompanying him, as he proceeded, and as it is handed down to us by well-informed persons, he made it known to certain brethren who were standing by, saying to them: ‘Behold, look now to Columba as he draweth near; he hath been deemed worthy of having an angelic inhabitant of heaven to be his companion in his wanderings.’ About that same time the holy man, with his twelve disciples and fellow-soldiers, sailed across to Britain.