[5] It was Boisil's evident sanctity, which drew the young Cuthbert to Melrose Abbey, rather than the more famous Lindisfarne, in AD 651.

The latter entered the church to pray and, Bede documents that "Boisil had an intuition of the high degree of holiness to which the boy would rise", and said just this single phrase to the monks with whom he was standing: "Behold the servant of the Lord".

[7] The sick and ailing were brought to Boisil from far and near seeking to be cured by his herbal remedies, and by the healing properties of the two local springs containing iron salts.

Somewhat later Boisil himself as he had foretold three years before, fell a victim to this terrible epidemic, but before the end came he predicted that Cuthbert would become a bishop and would effect great things for the Church.

[4] After his death, Boisil appeared twice in a vision to a monk he had known, concerning the future Bishop Ecgberht of Ripon, who was instructed to concentrate on existing monasteries rather than missionary activity on the Continent.