June 9, 597 A.D.

The Psalms. He loved them. He loved to sing them. Permissible or not, he had to have them for his own. He would copy them secretly. His tutor, Finian, need never know— “What is this, Columba? You copy the Scriptures for your own? Give the copy to me, Columba.” “No,” was Columba’s firm reply. He couldn’t hand it over. He wouldn’t. Even if the king demanded it, he wouldn’t! And the king of that land did demand it. And Columba wouldn’t. Columba was a very gifted and forceful man. He gathered...