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| Chapter V.
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Chapter V.
“You have
conquered, O Gaul,” said Postumianus, “you have conquered,
although certainly not me, who am, on the contrary, an upholder of
Martin, and who have always known and believed all these things about
that man; but you have conquered all the eremites and anchorites. For
no one of them, like your friend, or rather our friend, Martin, ruled
over deaths of all117
kinds. And
Sulpitius there justly compared him to the apostles and prophets,
inasmuch as the power of his faith, and the works accomplished by his
power, bear witness that he was, in all points, like them. But go on, I
beg of you, although we can hear nothing more striking than we have
heard—still, go on, O Gaul, to set forth what still remains of
what you have to say concerning Martin. For the mind is eager to know
even the least and commonest of his doings, since there is no doubt
that the least of his actions surpass the greatest deeds of
others.”
“I will do so,” replies the Gaul,
“but I did not myself witness what I am about to relate, for it
took place before I became an associate of Martin’s; still, the
fact is well known, having been spread through the world by the
accounts given by faithful brethren, who were present on the occasion.
Well, just about the time when he first became a bishop, a necessity
arose for his visiting the imperial118
| 118 “adire
comitatum”: this is a common meaning of comitatus in
writers of the period. | court.
Valentinian, the elder, then was at the head of affairs. When he came
to know that Martin was asking for things which he did not incline to
grant, he ordered him to be kept from entering the doors of the palace.
Besides his own unkind and haughty temper, his wife Arriana had urged
him to this course, and had wholly alienated him from the holy man, so
that he should not show him the regard which was due to him. Martin,
accordingly, when he had once and again endeavored to procure an
interview with the haughty prince, had recourse to his well-known
weapons—he clothes himself in sackcloth, scatters ashes upon his
person, abstains from food and drink, and gives himself, night and day,
to continuous prayer. On the seventh day, an angel appeared to him, and
tells him to go with confidence to the palace, for that the royal
doors, although closed against him, would open of their own accord, and
that the haughty spirit of the emperor would be softened. Martin,
therefore, being encouraged by the address of the angel who thus
appeared to him, and trusting to his assistance, went to the palace.
The doors stood open, and no one opposed his
entrance; so that, going in, he came at last
into the presence of the king, without any one seeking to hinder him.
The king, however, seeing him at a distance as he approached, and
gnashing his teeth that he had been admitted, did not, by any means,
condescend to rise up as Martin advanced, until fire covered the royal
seat, and until the flames seized on a part of the royal person. In
this way the haughty monarch is driven from his throne, and, much
against his will, rises up to receive Martin. He even gave many
embraces to the man whom he had formerly determined to despise, and,
coming to a better frame of mind, he confessed that he perceived the
exercise of Divine power; without waiting even to listen to the
requests of Martin, he granted all he desired before being asked.
Afterwards the king often invited the holy man both to conferences and
entertainments; and, in the end, when he was about to depart, offered
him many presents, which, however, the blessed man, jealously
maintaining his own poverty, totally refused, as he did on all similar
occasions.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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