The island did not preserve the rugged appearance that it had formerly wholesale pendants for necklaces, when, in the midst of floating icebergs it sheltered a population of birds within its rocky amphitheatre Its snow-clad peak had sunk down into a hill from the summit of which one could see the coasts of Armorica eternally covered with mist, and the ocean strewn with sullen reefs like monsters half raised out of its depths.
Its coasts were now very extensive and clearly defined and its shape reminded one of a mulberry leaf It was suddenly covered with coarse grass, pleasing to the flocks, and with willows, ancient figtrees, and mighty oaks This fact is attested by the Venerable Bede and several other authors worthy of credence.
To the north the shore formed a deep bay that in after years became one of the most famous ports in the universe To the east, along a rocky coast beaten by a foaming sea, there stretched a deserted and fragrant heath It was the Beach of Shadows, and the inhabitants of the island never ventured on it for fear of the serpents that lodged in the hollows of the rocks and lest they might encounter the souls of the dead who resembled livid flames To the south, orchards and woods bounded the languid Bay of Divers On this fortunate shore old Mael built a wooden church and a monastery To the west, two streams, the Clange and the Surelle, watered the fertile valleys of Dalles and Dombes.
Now one autumn morning, as the blessed Mael was walking in the valley of Clange in company with a monk of Yvern called Bulloch, he saw bands of fierce-looking men loaded with stones passing along the roads At the same time he heard in all directions cries and complaints mounting up from the valley towards the tranquil sky.
And he said to Bulloch:.
"I notice with sadness, my son, that since they became men the inhabitants of this island act with less wisdom than formerly When they were birds they only quarrelled during the season of their love affairs But now they dispute all the time; they pick quarrels with each other in summer as well as in winter x.