12. (7). The Lord, indeed, was so preparing His beloved Malachy in the district of Lismore for the glory of His name. But those who had sent him,[281] tolerating his absence no longer, recalled him by letters. When he was restored to his people,[282] now better instructed in all that was necessary, behold _a work prepared_ and kept by _God_[283] for Malachy. A rich and powerful man, who held the place of Bangor and its possessions, by inspiration of God immediately placed in his hand all that he had and himself as well.[284] And he was his mother's brother.[285] But kinship of spirit was of more value to Malachy than kinship of the flesh. The actual place also of Bangor, from which he received his name,[286] the prince[287] made over to him, that there he might build, or rather rebuild, a monastery. For indeed there had been formerly a very celebrated one under the first father, Comgall,[288] which produced many thousands of monks, and was the head of many monasteries. A truly holy place it was and prolific of saints, _bringing forth_ most abundant _fruit to God_,[289] so that one of the sons of that holy community, Lugaid[290] by name, is said to have been the founder--himself alone--of a hundred monasteries. I mention this in order that the reader may infer from this one instance what an immense number of others there were. In fine, to such an extent did its shoots fill Ireland and Scotland[291] that those verses of David seem to have sung beforehand especially of these times, _Thou visitest the earth and blessest it; thou makest it very plenteous. The river of God is full of water: thou preparest their corn, for so thou providest for the earth, blessing its rivers, multiplying its shoots. With its drops of rain shall it rejoice while it germinates_;[292] and in like manner the verses that follow. Nor was it only into the regions just mentioned, but also into foreign lands that those swarms of saints poured forth as though a _flood had risen_;[293] of whom one, St. Columbanus, came up to our Gallican parts, and built the monastery of Luxovium, and was _made there a great people_.[294] So great a people was it, they say, that the choirs succeeding one another in turn, the solemnities of the divine offices went on continuously, so that not a moment day or night was empty of praises.[295]