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| Chapter XXVII.
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Chapter XXVII.
“Well,” said
the Gaul, “I, for my part, though I am unequal to so great a
task, feel constrained by those examples of obedience which have been
related above by Postumianus, not to refuse that duty which you impose
upon me. But when I reflect that I, a man of Gaul,107
| 107 The word
Gaul here must be taken in its more limited sense as denoting
only the country of the Celtæ. See the well-known first sentence
of Cæsar’s Gallic War. |
am about to speak in the presence of natives of Aquitania, I fear lest
my somewhat rude form of speech should offend your too delicate ears.
However, you will listen to me as a foolish sort108
| 108
“Gurdonicus”: a word said to have been derived from the
name of a people in Spain noted for their stolidity. | of man, who says nothing in an affected or
stilted fashion. For if you have conceded to me that I was a disciple
of Martin, grant me this also that I be allowed, under the shelter of
his example, to despise the vain trappings of speech and ornaments of
words.”
“Certainly,” replied Postumianus,
“speak either in Celtic, or in Gaulish, if you prefer it,
provided only you speak of Martin. But for my part, I believe, that,
even though you were dumb, words would not be wanting to you, in which
you might speak of Martin with eloquent lips, just as the tongue of
Zacharias was loosed at the naming of John. But as you are, in fact, an
orator,109
you craftily, like an orator, begin by
begging us to excuse your unskillfulness, because you really excel in
eloquence. But it is not fitting either that a monk should show such
cunning, or that a Gaul should be so artful. But to work rather, and
set forth what you have still got to say, for we have wasted too much
time already in dealing with other matters; and the lengthening shadow
of the declining sun warns us that no long portion of day remains till
night be upon us. Then, after we had all kept silence for a little, the
Gaul thus begins—“I think I must take care in the first
place not to repeat those particulars about the virtues of Martin,
which our friend Sulpitius there has related in his book. For this
reason, I shall pass over his early achievements, when he was a
soldier; nor will I touch on those things which he did as a layman and
a monk. At the same time, I shall relate nothing which I simply heard
from others, but only events of which I myself was an
eye-witness.”E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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