A.D. 563.] BELLOWING OF A MOUNTAIN. Ella, king of the Deiri, of whom mention is made in the life of the blessed pope Gregory, as will appear in the sequel, The same year a certain Jew stole from a church an image of our Saviour, which he secretly took home and pierced with a weapon ; and when he would have burnt it, he saw himself covered with blood from the image, which in his consternation he then sought to conceal ; but the Christians discovered it by the blood, and stoned the Jew to death. The same year Ethelbert, the powerful king of Kent, began to reign, according to some, with whom Bede agrees ; but the more probable opinion is otherwise. St. Brandon. In the year of grace 561, St. Brandan* flourished in Scotland [Ireland]. He accomplished a voyage of seven years in quest of the Fortunate Islands, in which he saw many things worthy of narration. Machutus, who had been his pupil and was the companion of his voyage, was famous in Britain for his miracles and sanctity. Being exasperated by the Britons, he cursed them, and passed over to Gaul, where, under Leontius bishop of Saintonge, he was eminent for his many virtues. Various plagues befell the Britons in consequence of his curse, but at length he absolved and healed them, by bestowing on them his blessing. At this time Sampson, archbishop of Dole, and successor of St. Sampson who passed over from Britain into Brittany, was eminent for his sanctity and doctrine. Bellowing of a mountain. In the year of grace 562, a mountain in Gaul on the banks of the Rhone, uttered a bellowing sound for many days, and at last being violently severed from a neighbouring mountain, was precipitated into the Rhone, together with churches, houses, men, and beasts. In the year of grace 563, Priscian, the grammarian and orator, flourished at Rome, a subdeacon, who turned the Acts of the Apostles into hexameter verse. At the same time flourished Fortunatus, who was an excellent man, of a clear understanding, quick observation, and pleasing discourse. * His life, which was very popular from the twelfth to the fourteenth century, will be found in Capgrave, Nova Legenda, fol. xliii, b. ccix. The reader must bear in mind that the Irish were called Scots by the ancient writers, and their country Scotia or Scotland.