Ælfric

“ Then the bishop went even as the angel bade him,
and every gate was opened before him
until he suddenly stood before the emperor.
Then the emperor was angry at his entrance,
and would not welcome him, but there appeared a miracle of God,
so that heavenly fire hung over his throne,
and set light to the throne, and would have done the same to himself
if he had not very quickly arisen, his anger being cast away ”

“ Then sprang up over all the world the Arian heresy,
and Martin with faith strongly contended against it
until he was tortured with cruel torments,
and openly scourged and driven out of the city.
Then he went back again to the Italian land,
and reared for himself a monastery in Milan,
because the aforesaid Hilary was gone into exile
by reason of the same heresy which then erroneously sprang up;
but the heretics soon drave him thence,
and so he departed thence to an island
called Gallinaria, with a holy mass-priest
who had lived long in the desert on roots of vegetables. ”

“ XLV. There was a certain idol-temple very firmly built,
and craftily wrought with wondrously hewn stones,
and there many brothers dwelt afterward
in Martin's time. Then he ordered a mass-priest
called Marcellus, who had his dwelling there,
to overthrow that wondrous temple.
Afterward when the holy man came and the work stood whole,
he chid the mass-priest, and he said to him in answer
that not easily could an armed multitude
break in pieces such a work of such wondrous weight;
neither could priests who were but weak,
nor infirm monks break in pieces so great a work. ”

“ XXVI. On one occasion came the devil with horrible roaring
to the holy man, having an ox-horn in his hand,
and said to Martin, ' Where is now thy might?
I have now slain a man of thy household.'
And his right hand was as if blood-stained.
Then Martin called his monks to him,
and told what the devil had revealed to him,
and bade seek diligently who was there slain.
There was a servant gone at that time to the wood,
who lay wounded by the way half alive ”

“ Then the holy man was not ruffled by his words,
but bade him wait for him there outside some while,
desiring that he should not know that he was naked;
then he clothed himself with the same garment,
and went to church and at once said mass.
At the very same mass three of the monks,
and one of the priests, and one of the nuns saw
above Martin's head as it were a burning globe,
so that the flame drew the hair far up,
and no more men might see this miracle. ”

“ As he was coming to Milan he met a devil
in a human form, who asked Martin
whither he was journeying. Then the Saint said to him
that he was going whither the Lord had called him.
Then the demon said to him straightway in answer;
'whithersoever thou goest, or whatsoever thou beginnest,
the devil shall be thine adversary.' And the holy man said to him,
'the Lord is a succour to me; I fear not what man may do to me; '
and straightway the devil vanished from his sight. ”

“ They were astonished at his words and deeds,
and learned after a while that the venerable Martin
had departed on that day on which Ambrose said
that he had been at the holy man's laying out.
Behold! blessed is the man for whom at his departing
the company of the saints sang on high,
and the host of angels rejoiced, and all the heavenly citizens
came to meet him, and the foul devil
in his presumption was by the Lord confounded. ”

“ He said that he had verily been very often
both in a cohort and also in battle.
Then Martin said to the monk again,
' Sawest thou any woman when thou wast in battle
fighting beside you with drawn sword?'
Then the monk was ashamed, and he was very thankful
that he had been conquered by reason,
and that Martin had prevented him from following his error.
Then said the holy man, ' A woman should not go
to men's camps but remain at home;
contemptible would be the army in which women should fight ”

“ He prevented that battle, that Martin's eyes
might in no way be stained by other men's death.
What other victory could our Lord
have given for His champion's sake better than that,
that no man should die, but that they should come to peace?
IV. Then Martin quitted, as he had long ago intended,
worldly warfare and went to the holy man
Hilary, the bishop, in the town
which is called Poitiers, because he was experienced
in God's faith and in good doctrine,
and abode thereafter with the man some while. ”

“ The holy man, nevertheless, was not lifted up by the vision,
but recognised the goodness of God in his work.
And when he was eighteen years old, he was baptised in God,
but would not yet give up, for his dear captain's sake,
worldly fighting; but, at his entreaty, continued in it
fully two years, after he was baptised.
III. "Well then, there suddenly took place an invasion of Gaul
by a foreign nation. And Julian the emperor
gathered his army, and began to give
to each of his soldiers a royal donation,
even as was usual. ”

“ Likewise many sick men were often healed
by the borders of his garment which many men pulled off,
and bound on the sick, and they were instantly better.
In like manner men bound some of his bedstraw on a lunatic,
when the devil went from him and he received his reason.
XIX. There was a certain great noble called Arborius in that land,
a man of great faith, and his daughter lay in a fever,
sorely afflicted. Then one day they brought
a message in a letter to the same noble
from bishop Martin, and he laid it on her breast
where she was hottest, and she immediately becarae whole. ”

“ Then spake the holy man to his companions thus;
'These birds have a likeness to fiends
who ever lay snares about the unwary,
and greedily take them, and destroy them when taken,
and are not filled with the prey that they take.'
Then Martin bade the greedy divers
desist from fishing and journey to the wilderness ”

“ Then cried out the heathen with extreme astonishment,
and the monks wept for the wonderful joy;
and they all called upon the name of Christ with praise,
and all the people inclined to the faith.
So greatly were they converted by that miracle,
that through all that land they reared with faith
churches and monasteries; and Martin always,
wheresoever he overthrew idolatry, built churches.
XI. At one time also the holy man overthrew an idol,
and straightway he set fire to the devil's temple
so that it fell crackling with broad flame. ”

“ Then Martin went to the aforesaid idol,
and with the succour of the angels, while men were looking on,
utterly destroyed the temple and the altar to dust,
and all the images of their venerated gods.
Then the heathen could not resist Martin,
but were greatly terrified by the divine might,
and believed in God, crying with faith
that that God was to be worshipped Whom the holy man preached,
and their gods were to be forsaken who could not profit them.
XIII. Once, on a certain occasion, even as the story telleth us,
the holy bishop was overthrowing a vast idol ”

“ How will it be with us sinful ones, since the guileful devil
thought to hurt so illustrious a priest?'
Then the archdeacon sent forthwith to Tours,
to Martin's episcopal see, and bade enquire concerning him;
then it was truly told him that he had given up his soul
at the same hour in which they had heard the song.
LIV. On the very same day Ambrose the bishop,
in the city of Milan, when he was standing at mass,
fell asleep, even as God willed,
and no man durst readily awake him ”

“ Thy will be done;
I will not plead the excuse of my failing age.
I have fulfilled Thy service devoutly; under Thy sign
I will fight so long as Thou Thyself shalt command.'
Then he lay thus for a few days longer,
weakened with fever, continuing in prayers,
lying on stiff hair-cloth, bestrewed with ashes.
Then the brethren entreated that they might
at least underlay his bed with softer bedding.
Then said the holy man to the weeping brethren;
'It befitteth not a Christian man save that he die in dust ”

“ When he was ten winters old, he was anointed with chrism (as a catechumen)
against the will of his parents, and in wondrous measure
he was at once wholly turned to God's service;
and when he was twelve winters he desired (to retire) to the desert,
and he would likewise have accomplished it, if he had been old enough. ”

“ It might seem a small thing that heavenly might
should serve the holy man invisibly,
unless human eyes should also perceive
that heavenly might did service to the holy Martin.
XL VII. A certain woman was grievously afflicted with an issue
of blood ”

“ II. On a certain occasion he was travelling forward through a town
called Amiens, in a bitter winter,
in such severe cold that some men died of it.
Then he met there a poor man, naked,
beseeching the riders that they would give him some clothing ”

“ Þonne ƿæs ðam preostū cuð martin᷒ to-cyme ⁠1205
þurh þære deofla grimetunge · þeah ðe hi hit ær nyston ·
Sƿa oft sƿa he ƿolde adræfan deofla of þā ƿit-seocū · ⁠1207
sƿa astrehte he hine sylfne on þære cyrcan flora ·
mid hæran ge-scryd · ⁊ mid axum bestreoƿod
licgende on his gebedum belocenū durum ·
⁊ þa deofla siþþan of þā gesƿenctū mannum
mid ƿundor-licum gebærum ƿurdon him sona fram ·
 se cƿyde mihte beon on martine ge-fylled ·
 halige menn sceolon englum deman · ”

“ Ƿearp þa út his net · ⁊ þær ƿearð on-innan ⁠1274
an ormæte leax · ⁊ he hine up-ateah
bær ham to mynstre · ⁊ þā halgan gearcode ·
L.
Licontius ƿæs gehaten sum ge-leafful þegen · ⁠1277
þa gelamp his mannū ·  hi lagon ealle
on un-asecgendlicū broce · ⁊ he sende geƿrit
to martine sona sumes helpes biddende ·
Þa onget se halga ƿer  hi ƿæron ge-þreade ⁠1281
mid godcundre mihte · ⁊  he mihte earfoþ-lice
þære bene him ge-tiðian · ac he ne ablan na sƿa-þeah ·
mid seofon-nihte fæstene him fore to-þingiende ·
oð- he beget þæs þe he biddende ƿæs · ”

“ Þa ƿoldon þa preostas ⁠1359
 he lage on oþre sidan · ⁊ ge-lihte hine sƿa ·
| Þa cƿ̅ se halga eft · ⁠1361
Geþafiað ic bidde ⁠1361
 ic heofonan sceaƿige sƿiðor þonne eorðan ·
⁊ min gast sy asend on his siðfæte to drihtne ·
He geseah þa standan sƿiþe gehende þone deofol · ⁠1364
⁊ he hine or-sorhlice axian ongan ·
Hƿæt stendst þu her ƿæl-hreoƿa deor · ⁠1366
ne gemetst þu on me þu manfulla ænig þincg ·
Ic beo underfangen on abrahames ƿununge · ⁠1368
⁊ æft̅ þysum ƿordum geƿát seo saƿl ·
of þam gesƿenctan lichaman ge-sælig to heofonū · ”

“ Martin᷒ ferde hƿilon to ualentiniane þā casere ⁠0650
ƿolde for sumere neode ƿið hine spræcan ·
ac his micele mod · ⁊ his manfulla ge-bedda
þe mid arrianiscum gedƿylde dƿeligende lyfode ·
noldon geðafian þā halgan bisceope ·
 he infær hæfde his ærende to abeodenne ·
ac het se arleasa hine utan belucan ·
forþā-ðe he ƿiste  he ƿolde þæs biddan ”

“ Þa ƿurdon ða cempan ƿodlice astyrode · ⁠0974
⁊ ge-læhton martinum · ⁊ hine lange sƿungon ·
mid sƿipum · ⁊ mid stafū · ⁊ he suƿode æfre
sƿilce he ne gefredde heora sƿingla nates-hƿon ·
⁊ hi þæs þe ƿoddran ƿæron him to-geanes ·
⁊ hetelicor beoton þone halgan ƿer ·
Þa comon his geferan ⁊ fundon hine licgenne ⁠0980
on blodigum limum · ⁊ to-beatenū lichaman ·
⁊ hofon hine up on his assan sona ·
⁊ aƿeg efston þa stoƿe on-scunigende ·
Ða cempan þa ƿoldon mid þam cræte forð · ⁠0984
ac þa mulas ealle endemes astifodon
to þære eorþan afæstnode · sƿylce hí ærene | ƿæron · ”

“ Þa hlogon his geferan þæs forcorfenan basinges · ⁠0072
sume eac besargodon  hi sƿilces naht ne dydon
þonne hi butan næcednysse him bet mihton tiðian ·
On þære ylcan nihte he geseah on sƿefne ⁠0075
þone hælend gescrydne mid þā healfan basinge ·
þe he sealde þam þearfan · ⁊ hét þæt [sic @ Skeat] he biheolde
to his drihtne ƿerd ⁊ oncneoƿe  reaf* ·
Þærrihte gehyrde se halga martin᷒ · ⁠0079
þone hælend clypian to his halgū englū
mid beorhte stēne · ⁊ to hī ymb-standendū cƿ̅ ·
Martinus þe git nis gefullod me mid þysū reafe gescrydde. ”

“ Þær comon þa má · ⁊ clarus æt nextan · ⁠0814
⁊ sceaƿodon mid leohte þone scinendan gyrlan ·
hit ƿæs sƿiðe hnesce · scinende sƿa sƿa purpura ·
ac hi ne mihton to-cnaƿan hƿilces cynnes hit ƿære ·
ne hí ne mihton undergitan buton hit | ƿære reaf ·
ne mid heora grapunge · ne mid heora sceaƿunge ·
Þa ge-ƿearð him on mergen þæt [sic @ Skeat] hí þone munuc læddon ⁠0820
to þam halgan martine · ac se munuc nolde ·
cƿ̅  he ne moste to martine cuman ·
forþan-ðe he ƿiste  he mid feond-licū cræfte
ne mihte bedydrian martines gesihðe · ”

“ Mid þusend searo-cræftum ƿolde se sƿicola deofol ⁠0710
þone halgan ƿer on sume ƿisan besƿican ·
⁊ hine ge-seƿen-licne on manegum scin-hiƿū
þā halgan æteoƿde · on þæra hæþenra goda hiƿe ·
hƿilon on ioues hiƿe · þe is ge-haten þór ·
hƿilon on mercuries · þe men hatað oþon ·
hƿilon on ueneris þære fulan gyden ·
þe men hatað fricg · ⁊ on manegū oþrum hiƿum
hine bræd se deofol on þæs bisceopes gesihþe ·
Martinus þær togeanes mearcode hine sylfne ⁠0719
symle mid rode-tacn · ⁊ sang his ge-bedu
unforht þurh-ƿunigende · ⁊ æfre on god truƿigende · ”

“ Þa gehyrde he feorran færlice hream · ⁠0241
ƿependre meniu · ⁊ he ƿearð þa ge-stedegod
befrinende georne hƿæt  fær-lices ƿære ·
Him ƿearþ þa ge-sǽd  sum unge-sælig man ⁠0244
hine sylfne ahenge · of þære hiƿ-rædene ·
⁊ sƿa hangigende hine sylfne adydde ·
Martinus þa inn-eode þær se man læg dead · ⁠0247
⁊ adræfde ut ealle þa meniu ·
⁊ hine sylfne astreh|te ofer þone saƿl-leasan lichaman ·
sume hƿile on ge-bedum · ⁊ he sona ge-edcucode ·
⁊ mid geornfulre elnunge up arisende ƿæs ·
⁊ nā martinus sƿiþran hand [⁊] mid him astod
⁊ forð-stop mid him · on þæs folces gesihðe · ”

“ He gemunde þa his cƿydes þe he cƿ̅ on his godspelle. ⁠0083
  ge doð on minū naman anū of þysū læstū ·
 ge doþ me sylfū · ⁊ forþi he gesƿutelode
hine sylfne martine on sƿefne mid þā reafe
þe se þearfa underfeng for his naman on ǽr ·
Se halga ƿer sƿa-þeah næs ahafen þurh þa gesihþe · ⁠0088
ac godes godnysse he oncneoƿ on his ƿeorce ·
⁊ þa þa he ƿæs eahtatyne ƿintre · he ƿearð gefullod on gode ·
nolde þeah git forlætan · for his leofan ealdormenn ·
þone | folclican campdom · ac for his benū sƿa ƿunode
tƿa gear fullice · siððan he gefullod ƿæs · ”