THE STORY OF St. MARTIN of TOURS •i’ *$> L.M. STAC POOLE-KENNY. M 3'°i'S1- THE Story of St. Martin of Tours BY THE SAME AUTHOR. “St. Francis de Sales: a Study of the Gentle Saint.” “Love is Life” “ Jacquetta.” “At the Court of II Moro” “Carrow of Carrowduff.” “The Knight of the Green Shield.” “St. Charles Borromeo: a Sketch of the Reforming Cardinal.” “The King’s Kiss.” “Our Own Country.” “Daffodil’s Love Affairs.” THE STORY OF ST. MARTIN OF TOURS PATRON SAINT OF FRANCE BY LOUISE M. STACPOOLE KENNY B. HERDER 17 SOUTH BROADWAY. ST. LOUIS. MO. 1915 Nihil Obstat : MICHAEL HICKEY, D.D., CENSOR. THEOL. DEPUTATUS. Imprimi Potest : * GULIELMUS, ARCHIEPISCOPUS DUBLINENSIS HIBERNLE PRIMAS. Dublini , die 7 Septembris , 1914 . 71317 Printed in Ireland. Cbe Verp Rei>* i»icl>ael UleaTer, Ubese pa^es are Bffecttonatels Snscribeb as B fTofcen of Sincere f rienbsbip Coulse m. Stacpoole Kennp Sn&iavUle, Xlmericfc, 1014. CONTENTS. Page CHAPTER I. OUR MARTIN ... ... 9 CHAPTER II. MARTIN THE ROMAN KNIGHT ... 13 CHAPTER III. BELLATOR DOMINI ... ... 21 CHAPTER IV. MARTIN THE TRAVELLER ... 27 CHAPTER V. MARTIN THE WONDER WORKER ... 33 CHAPTER VI. MARTIN THE BISHOP ... ... 37 CHAPTER VII. MAJUS MONASTERIUM ... ... 43 CHAPTER VIII. THE APOSTLE OF TOURAINE ... 48 8 CONTENTS. Page CHAPTER IX. THE SAINT AND THE DEVIL ... 56 CHAPTER X. SAINTS AND SHRINES ... ... 65 CHAPTER XI. SIGNS AND WONDERS ... ... 72 CHAPTER XII. MARTIN THE BISHOP-MAKER ... 79 CHAPTER XIII. AT THE COURT OF THE EMPEROR 87 CHAPTER XIV. THE PRISCILLIAN HERESY ... 93 CHAPTER XV. SAINT AND HERO ... ... 98 CHAPTER XVI. “THE DAY IS NOW FAR SPENT” ... IO4 CHAPTER XVII. THE PASSING OF MARTIN ... 112 CHAPTER XVIII. THE GATHERING OF MARTIN ... 117 THE Story of St* Martin of Tours —*— CHAPTER I. OUR MARTIN. I T is a far cry from our bustling, sceptical, scientific twentieth century back to the year of Our Lord 316, the year in which St. Martin of Tours was born. It is a pleasant but not an easy task to bring before the mind’s eye—vivid, vital in his habit as he lived—the singularly attractive personality of the gentle, serene Saint, who for many centuries has been lovingly styled by the French nation “ Our Martin.” He is still so styled in many a faithful Catholic home by loyal Catholic voices; for, notwith¬ standing infidelity, modernism, and agnostic¬ ism in high places, the True Faith flourishes 10 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. in humble homes and in old-world provincial towns and hamlets. In the countryside—the countryside that Martin loved so well—he is ever and always the friend, the champion, the kind, good Martin—“ Our Martin.” Yet this favourite patron of the French was not born in France; nor do we allow her sole claim to him and to his patronage. He is ours quite as much as he is hers; there is a spiritual kinship between him and all the Christian world. St. Gregory of Tours styled him “ Toto orbi peculiaris patronus ” (All the world’s own patron). We claim him as ours; he is Our Martin ; and so with deep rever¬ ence and in a spirit of loving admiration I venture to narrate the story of his life— the story , not the history; for although some people suggest that among his other attributes he should be looked upon as the peculiar patron of historical research, yet I feel that to adhere too strictly to well authenticated facts would rob the tale of much of its charm, would prevent us from realising the vital characteristics of Martin the man, his wonderful sweetness, his marvellous charity. True, his biography was written while he still walked the earth by the learned Sulpicius OU|l MARTIN. I Severus; but there were also innumerable delightful stories related by the rough men among whom he laboured—related by them and treasured by their descendants—an ex¬ quisite Martiniad of kind and generous deeds, of wise and homely sayings; a Martiniad fresh and charming, bringing before our mental vision the very essence of his spirit. Consequently, with all due deference to what is undeniable history, with all due respect to erudite hagiolagists, I venture to mingle occasionally fact and fancy, solemnly attested records and mythical legends; and, perhaps, when all is said the legends are not so very mythical, hold, indeed, more than a grain of truth, and help to show us the reason of Our Martin’s wonderful and universal power over Christendom. They throw into strong relief his serene, overflowing charity to all creatures—to the little dumb beasts as well as to mankind— “ Martin a pitie eu De la petite beste mue.” Yes, Our Martin has compassion on poor beasts as well as on poor men. He is the 12 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. Poor Man’s Knight, the dumb creatures’ friend ; he invariably does the right thing at the right moment. In his universal charity and in his selfless love he closely resembles his Divine Master. “ A bruised reed He shall not break and the smoking flax He shall not quench.” i3 CHAPTER II. THE ROMAN KNIGHT. I N order thoroughly to appreciate Our Martin’s character, we must endeavour to span the chasm of centuries that separates us from the days in which he lived and laboured. We must try to breathe the air he breathed, and become saturated with the atmosphere, the ideas, the knowledge of the conditions of life, the humour, the politics, but, above all and before all, the fervour of religious enthusiasm that filled the souls of men when Constantine the Great ruled in Rome. Rome, but a short time previously Pagan Rome, had been transformed into Christian Rome. The Faithful no longer worked out their salvation in fear and trembling; they met openly and assisted at the celebration of the Sacred Mysteries. With the change of religion came the change of private and public customs; gradually the 14 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. spiritual Empire, the Empire of the Popes, was gaining ground over the material, the Empire of the Emperors : Christian fortitude, Christian charity, Christian endurance were stronger, consequently, without apparent effort, Christianity was becoming the dominant power in the City of the Caesars. It was at this critical period of transition that Martin was born. Far away from the Eternal City and far from the pleasant Loire land he first saw the light; he who won renown in the army of the Caesars, and later on became the beloved friend and chosen patron of the French nation. He was a Slav by birth, his parents were Slavs, and Sabaria, in Pannonia, Hungary, claims the honour of being his birth-place. There, among the high snow-clad mountains, among the fragrant pine forests, the years of his childhood were spent. In the country he learned to love the birds, the beasts, and the fishes; learned the craft of the woodsman; breathed the free, transparent, invigorating air; and while his body daily gained strength and grace, his soul became imbued with the angelic serenity that seems a gift given by heaven to those whose feet climb THE ROMAN KNIGHT. 15 the mountain summits; to those who, listening to the ripple of the torrents, the song of the birds, the numberless forest voices, make of Nature’s playthings their friends and com¬ rades. Martin’s parents were Pagan. His father was a soldier in the Roman army, a military tribune; and, in reward for his services, he was granted lands in Ticino. There, in 324, his wife and family settled, and there, a couple of years later, when he was ten years old, Martin first received the gift of Faith. It is generally believed that it was Saint Athanasius, Bishop of Pavia, who received him as a catechumen, signing him with the Sign of the Cross, and cordially praising the energy and resolution displayed by the boy of twelve, who, despite the opposition of his own people, persisted in his determination to take the first steps towards becoming a Christian. Sulpicius Severus tells us that the dream of Martin’s life at that time was to live alone with God, far away from the allurements and distractions of the world. However, the hour had not yet come. Martin had to pass through grievous tribula- 16 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. tions, through thrilling adventures, hair-breadth escapes by flood and field, before he could rest from the burden and heat of the day and enjoy for a brief space the silent communion with his Redeemer, for which his soul craved. At fifteen his father forced him to enter the army. He did so as a captive loaded with chains. He had to pass through a weari¬ some apprenticeship, very wearisome to him, because he passionately longed to leave the world and give himself to God ; but at nine¬ teen, when he became a regular, the spirit of the soldier was born within him, and he devoted himself with whole-hearted enthusiasm to studying the theory and mastering the science of war. The Roman army was all-powerful. It was the most vital force in the world, making and unmaking emperors at its pleasure. For a whim it deposed one man and set up another. Emperors were crowned, played for a brief space their part upon the theatre of the world, and then were hustled and jostled out of sight; frequently banished, more fre¬ quently murdered; but through every despot’s reign, through evil and good report, the army reigned supreme. THE ROMAN KNIGHT. 1 7 The army dominated mankind, the army con¬ quered nations, and gave the conquered nations to whomsoever it pleased. Martin was part and parcel of this formidable military organisation, and so it came to pass that he was ordered with his regiment into Gaul, and after many days they arrived in Picardy. Picardy was then the very core of the land of the Franks. It was not yet a kingdom in so far as it had no reigning king; it was, indeed, still under the Roman dominion. Yet, a land very individual, very prosperous, very likely when opportunity offered, to battle for its Indepen¬ dence. The capital of Picardy was Amiens—the Venice of the North she was called, and rightly, because not only was she a fair Lagoon Queen, she was also, like the Venice of the South, a queen of merchandise, sending forth her work in gold and glass, in stone and wood, in fine linen and rich stuffs—sending forth the fruit of the industry of her sons to foreign lands. It was while stationed in this exquisitely beautiful and industrious city that one of the principal events in his life befell Our Martin. It is an oft told tale, but as it gives the key-note to Martin’s character, and was, indeed, the turning B 18 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. point in his career, it is well worth telling once again. The winter of A.D. 332, was particularly cold and severe. Snow fell heavily, covering the fair pasture lands, falling on the beautiful ice-bound streams. The east wind swept over the land, bringing devastation and death to the people— who lay dying of hunger and cold in the streets of Amiens. In the Roman army camped within the walls there was a young circitor named Martin, whose duty it was to inspect the outposts, report on discipline, and go the rounds at night, visiting the sentinels at their posts, and seeing that all was well. He was very generous and kind-hearted this gallant young circitor ; and had given lavishly to the suffering poor—had, indeed, parted with nearly all his garments, and had certainly parted with all his money. On one intensely cold afternoon, he rode up the rugged causeway, towards that part of the suburbs called at the present day the Hill of St. Acheul, and out through the gates of the Twins, on which were carvings of Romulus and Remus being suckled by the wolf. He rode upward, wrapped in his Knight’s cloak, THE ROMAN KNIGHT. 19 probably the woollen chlamys of purple and white stripes, and as he rode, a wretched, half- naked beggar, shivering with cold, emaciated with the gruesome emaciation of starvation, met him and implored an alms. Martin took off his cloak, cut it in two with his dagger, and threw one half over the thin shoulders of the miserable beggarman. Some people consider that it was not a generous gift, say, in their comfortable, phil¬ anthropic way, he should have given the whole garment; but to me it seems nobler to share generously than to give with, perhaps, a trifle too much self-righteous complacency. Our Martin’s gift reminds me of Lowell’s beautiful lines : “ Not what we give, but what we share, For the gift without the giver is bare ; Who gives himself with his gift feeds three, Himself, his hungering neighbour and Me.” At any rate, Christ our Lord approved and accepted the gift, for He was the Mendicant, and that same night He appeared in a dream to the young man. He was clothed in the half of the cloak, and surrounded by angels, and 20 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. He said to them : “ Know ye who hath thus arrayed Me ? It is my servant, Martin, who, though yet unbaptized, has clothed Me with his own cloak. I was naked and he clothed Me,” and turning to Martin, the Lord Jesus said to the Roman Knight as He said to His Apostles : “ Whoever shall give to drink to one of these my little ones a cup of cold water only, shall receive the reward of a just man.” This vision came as a revelation to Martin; it was to him the signal that the time had come to receive the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. 21 CHAPTER III. BELLATOR DOMINI. S ULPICIUS SEVERUS relates that Martin felt the words used by Our Divine Lord to him in his dream : “ It is my servant Martin, who, though yet unbaptized were so gently reproachful, that the circitor flew, rather than ran, to receive the Holy Sacrament of Baptism. Some writers say that St. Hilary conferred it upon him ; others, that it was St. Paul, Arch¬ bishop of Constantinople ; but Constantinople is decidedly a long way from Amiens, and there was no valid reason why Our Martin should take, as it were, French leave, desert his post, and hie to the capital of the Orient. I think it is far more probable that he was quietly received into the Church at Amiens, by who¬ ever then exercised episcopal faculties in that city. It was on Easter Sunday that Martin became a soldier of Christ. In those days the catechu¬ men, standing outside the church, publicly 22 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. renounced the devil and all his works, and made a solemn profession of faith, then entering the church was anointed with the holy oil on head, shoulders, and chest, after which the doors of the Baptistry were opened, and he descended into the bath in which he was three times immersed, “ In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” Before emerging he was again anointed with the holy chrism, to symbolise the gift of the Holy Spirit, and that like a wrestler in the games, he should be ready to fight the good fight. He was given milk and honey in token of his spiritual youth, and of his reception of spiritual gifts and graces, and salt was put into his mouth to show he was henceforth to cultivate the taste and desire of things heavenly. His nostrils and ears were touched with saliva as a sign that his ears were to be ever ready and open to the truth, and that he should always feel and smell the sweet odour of the True Faith and of virtue. When he emerged from the water he was clothed in a white robe, symbolical of the stain¬ less innocence of his soul. This robe the newly- baptized wore for eight days. Martin still desired to retire from the world and enter a strict monastic Order, but he BELLATOR DOMINI. 23 possessed the serene and child-like tempera¬ ment that enables a man to confide himself and his affairs implicitly to Divine Providence. Like St. Ignatius, his prayer was, “ Take, O Lord, my liberty, my will, my understanding, all I have and possess; they are all yours; to you, O Lord, I offer them up to you. Give me only your love and your grace ; they are enough for me.” The love and grace of his Divine Redeemer were enough for the soldier Saint of the fourth century, as they were for the soldier saint of the sixteenth. Martin knew that in His own good time Christ would show him the way— “ Lead kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom, Lead Thou me on ; The night is dark and I am far from home, Lead Thou me on; Keep Thou my feet, I do not ask to see The distant scene—one step enough for me.” Like our great and saintly Cardinal, our gallant young circitor was quite content to see only one step at a time. He believed his loving Saviour would reveal each forward step at the fitting moment, in the fitting place. 24 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. Shortly afterwards he was appointed the commander of two cohorts, and he remained quietly on with the army in the north of Gaul. The tribune, who was his special friend, showed signs of desiring to become a Catholic, and he implored Martin not to desert him. So our Saint stayed in the army serenely doing his allotted work, gentle, meek, and kind to all —not preaching, not worrying other people to become Christians, not seeking to make converts of the men under him, but leaving their souls and his own soul to Christ. “It is His business ; if He wants them He may appear to them as He has to me.” But although he does not go about prosely¬ tising and haranguing like a firebrand, he leads souls heavenwards by example. To use a trite platitude : “ Example is better than precept ” any day, and the spectacle of their gentle, genial commander leading a life of stainless purity, of holiest sanctity, touched the hearts of his men far more surely and far more deeply than any number of dry homilies and perfervid exhortations. So for some years Martin continued to serve Caesar, but in 341 it was borne in upon him that the acceptable time had arrived—the time he BELLATOR DOMINI. 25 had so long and ardently desired, the time appointed by Infinite Wisdom for him to renounce the service of Caesar, and to become in all men’s sight, in word and in deed, as well as in heart and in soul, a soldier of the Crucified. Strange to relate, it was on the eve of a battle that our valiant knight announced his Intention of leaving the Service. Constant, the second son of Constantine the Great, was at that period the Ruler of Gaul. The Barbarians on the right bank of the Rhine had crossed the frontier and Invaded Gaul. Constant endeavoured to check their onward march, and several insignificant combats took place; finally the Roman Army encamped before Worms, the capital of the Vangiones, situated on the left bank of the Rhine, here they resolved to await the attack of the enemy. On the eve of the expected encounter, accord¬ ing to the ancient usage, Constant distributed to the soldiers extra pay, called donatium , When Martin advanced in his turn, he absolutely refused to take the money from the Paymaster, and walking straight to the Prince, he said, in his serene way, “ Hail, Caesar, I have fought for you in the past, but in the future I will fight 2 6 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. for Christ only; therefore, I will not take your money. I am from this moment Christ’s soldier, and I cannot shed the blood of His children.” Constant was furious ; he accused Martin of cowardice, and refused to allow him to absent himself from the impending battle. “In that case,” replied Martin, very quietly, but very resolutely, “ I will unarmed lead my cohorts against the enemy. I will ride at their head, but without sword or buckler, bearing only the Sign of the Cross.” Constant took him at his word—indeed, shut him up in prison to make sure that he would keep it ; but in the morning the Barbarians sent an embassy with offers of submission and peace. The offers were accepted—Martin was free— no longer a soldier of Caesar ; he was from henceforth a soldier of Christ —bellator Domini. 27 CHAPTER IV. MARTIN THE TRAVELLER. O UR MARTIN shares with St. Expedit the honour of being the particular patron of travellers. He himself journeyed far and near, through strange lands, into practically unknown countries, in savage regions. In the winter’s cold and the summer’s heat, he went along rejoicing, invariably serene and intrepid, with a sunny smile and a kind word for other wayfarers, for chance companions, for everyone he encountered on the dusty and rain-soddened high-roads, in humble cottages or in sumptuous palaces. He started on his travels when he left the army. Going to Treves, he sojourned for a lengthened period in that ancient city, then known as the Rome of the Gauls, and there came under the influence of St. Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria. The brilliant discourses of this learned and saintly prelate filled the soul of Martin with an intense desire to attain to a high degree of 28 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. perfection, also they re-awakened in him his desire of devoting himself absolutely to God’s service in the seclusion of the cloister. With this object in view, Martin journeyed to Poitiers, where the celebrated St. Hilary resided, was indeed Bishop of the diocese, and was as well—and this appealed strongly to our Saint— the founder of the Monastery of Ligug6, generally called the Gallic Thebaid. But, before finally embracing a life of penance and seclusion, Martin resolved to make a pilgrimage to the Eternal City, and also to visit his parents. St. Hilary was very reluctant to part with his beloved disciple, but finally gave him permission on condition that he returned as speedily as possible. The Bishop had urged him to receive the Minor Orders and wished to ordain him deacon, but Martin pleaded his great unworthiness, and humbly begged St Hilary not to confer upon him so great an honour. Our Saint so far carried his point that St. Hilary only made him an exorcist. Therefore, Martin crossed the Alps and returned to Lombardy, and was dismayed to find it had become the prey of the Arians. Auxentius, Bishop of Milan, was the chief MARTIN THE TRAVELLER. 29 of the heretics ; he seized Martin, and finding him a staunch and loyal Catholic, a zealous adherent of the Edicts of Nicsea, he subjected him to considerable ill-treatment. On his release from detention Martin resumed his journey, but had not gone far when he fell into the hands of robbers. They bound him, and were about to slay him, when one of the band begged that he should be given to him. The request granted, he dragged Martin to a solitary spot, and demanded, in a ferocious voice, “Who are you ?” “I am a Christian,” replied Martin, with his usual serenity. “Are you not afraid to die?” inquired the robber. “ I was never calmer or happier in my life than at this moment, because I hope in my Lord,-and I know that those who hope in Him will never be confounded. But I pity you, my poor friend, because your infamous life makes you unworthy of receiving the Grace and the Mercy of God.” The astonished brigand listened attentively, and Martin proceeded to explain in simple and convincing language the principal truths of our holy religion. The blessed words of Faith,. Hope, and Charity 30 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. fell upon good ground. The robber was con¬ verted ; later on he became a monk, and it was from his own lips that Sulpicius Severus heard the details of this fortunate adventure. Martin quietly proceeded on his homeward journey. However, he had not gone far when he was attacked by another and more powerful adversary. This was no other than the Devil himself in human form. “ Where are you going ? ” asked Satan, in a terrific voice. “ I go where God calls me,” responded Martin, imperturbably. " Well, then,” retorted the Devil, “ wherever you go you will find me beside you.” “The Lord is my strength,” answered the Saint in the words of the Psalmist; “ in the Lord do I put my trust—the Lord will deliver me out of the hands of my enemies.” The Devil vanished, and the Saint joyously continued on his way. Arrived at home, he started his Apostolate by endeavouring to convert his parents. It had been revealed to him in the days he had spent under the direction of St. Athanasius, and, later on, of St. Hilary, that he was not to rest content to work out his own salvation. He was called to labour in the Lord’s vineyard, to MARTIN THE TRAVELLER. 31 bring into the True Church many yet unbaptized; to lead heavenward the weaker brethren. Therefore Martin, like a dutiful and loving son, began his Apostolate seeking to convert his father; but the old tribune was obstinate. Reasons, arguments, entreaties, prayers, tears were absolutely unavailing. A Pagan he had lived, a Pagan he would die : and in the end his son was reluctantly compelled to leave him to worship his idols. However, his prayers and exhortations had not been wasted, for his mother and several friends and neighbours embraced Christianity. Our Martin’s joy at winning souls to God was tempered by the grief and dismay he felt at the spread of Arianism in Pannonia and Lombardy. He wished to return to Gaul, but when he heard that the Arians were disseminating their abominable heresies also in that country, and had succeeded in banishing his dear friend and venerated master, St. Hilary, to the Orient, Martin resolved to retire to the Island of Galli- naria—the Isola d’ Albegna of our own day— a lonely abode in the middle of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Pie was accompanied by a very excellent priest. Here he was able to indulge his love of soli¬ tude and prayer, here he lived the simple life of 32 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. a true hermit. Needless to say that our joyous, serene Martin was not a morose or selfish recluse. He was ever ready to help those who penetrated into the Island. He was not only a follower of the Crucified—humble, mortified, meek and gentle; he was also a poet of the Cross, a dreamer of sublime dreams, an ardent lover of Nature ; and while he practised bodily penances and mortifications, he allowed his soul to revel in the beauty of the world. He rendered thanks, and was inexpressibly grateful to the Creator for the work of His Hands. He eat herbs, he drank water, he prayed often ; but his eyes dwelt lovingly on the glory of earth and sky, and from his bare and narrow cell he looked down on the wide expanse of waters, on the surpassing loveliness of the deep blue Tyrrhenian Sea, that seemed, in Its splen¬ dour and Its power, in its vivid colouring and its vigorous freshness, in the sweet sharp tang of its exhiliratlng breezes, to give a foretaste of the joys of Paradise. And while he abode in this Eden, they relate that one day he partook of a poisonous herb, the deadly hellebore; he grew dangerously ill, and was on the point of death, when, having recourse to prayer, the pain left him and he was quite cured. 33 CHAPTER V. MARTIN THE WONDER-WORKER. I N 361 an Imperial Edict was issued allowing St. Hilary to return to his See. Martin heard the glad news, and hastened to Rome, hoping to meet his beloved master, but he found that St. Hilary had already set! out on his homeward journey. Martin followed rapidly, overtook his friend, and together they went on to Poitiers. Our Martin still ardently desired to serve God in solitude, therefore he implored St. Hilary to allow him to retire into the desert. In com¬ pliance with his request St. Hilary bestowed upon him a wild and waste tract of land, then called Locociaguim, situated at two miles from Poitiers. The name was afterwards changed into Ligug6, and soon it became world famous, for Martin founded a monastery there that is generally believed to be the first erected in Gaul. It was a veritable Thebaid, where piety, self-abnegation, and holy fervour grew and flourished. Here Martin lived for ten years, going about C 34 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. doing good, first as an humble exorcist, after¬ wards as a chosen priest of the Most High God. For St. Hilary insisted on conferring upon him the Sacrament of Holy Orders. During these years Martin was not exclusively occupied with caring for the salvation of his own soul. He travelled far and near through Central and Western Gaul, and wherever he went he brought peace and sunshine and much happiness. Like his Divine Master, he healed the sick and gave sight to the blind ; he comforted the afflicted, he cast out demons, and he raised the dead. It was, he himself tell us, the time of his greatest spiritual gifts. God had, indeed, given him the greatest power He has ever conferred on a mere man—the power of raising the dead to life. Many catechumens were received into the monastery at Liguge, and once during a short absence of St. Martin on sacerdotal affairs one of them was stricken by fever and died after a very brief illness. On his return Martin found the body ready for burial; the monks and catechumens plunged in profound grief. Martin groaned in spirit, while big tears filled his eyes and bedewed his face; then, turning MARTIN THE WONDER-WORKER. 35 to the others, he requested them to leave him alone with the corpse. It had been borne in upon Martin that God wished to manifest the Divine power through his instrumentality, so he prostrated himself upon the dead body, praying fervently ; and as he prayed the corpse under him that had lain so still and cold gradually grew warm. Martin rose and stood beside it, watching and praying, and presently the dead man opened his eyes, the colour returned to his face, his frozen limbs relaxed, and he also rose up and glorified God. Then the monks and catechumens returned to the room, wondering exceedingly, and all uniting in praise of the Most High God and in gratitude and admiration of His favoured servant. And the man so miraculously restored to life told them that his soul, on quitting his body, had flown upward to the Judgment Seat, and had there been condemned to a dark dungeon; but that two angels pleaded with the Divine Master, implored Him graciously to hearken to the prayers of His servant Martin ; and the Lord hearkened to them and to Martin, and ordered the soul to return to the body. 36 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. This catechumen, so wonderfully restored to life, was immediately baptized, lived in great fervour for many years, and died in the odour of sanctity. Shortly afterwards Martin performed another miracle, raising from the dead a slave who had hanged himself. Some six years after Martin’s return from exile a great sorrow shadowed his life. His dearest friend and venerated master, St. Hilary, passed away on the 13th January, 368. The saintly Bishop had finished his course. He had triumphed over Arianism ; he had succeeded by strenuous effort in purging the Church of Gaul from the evils of heresy; he had gathered round him in his own episcopal city a number of zealous men, destined to defend and propagate the True Faith. Like holy Simeon, he could say: “Now Thou dost dismiss Thy servant, O Lord, according to Thy word, in peace; because my eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to the revelation of the Gentiles and the glory of Thy people, Israel.” St. Hilary was succeeded by Pascentius in the See of Poitiers. 37 CHAPTER VI. MARTIN THE BISHOP. “ ONNAISSEZ-VOUS cette partie de la France que l’on a surnommd son jar- din? Ce pays ou on respire un air pur dans les plaines verdoyantes arros6es par un grand fleuve ? ” De Vigny asks in Cinq Mars; and, again, Balzac makes his hero, Felix, say: “I do not love it as one loves the place where one was born, nor as an oasis in the desert. I love it as the artist loves art; I love it less than I love you ; but without Touraine maybe life itself would fail me.” Such was and is Touraine—beautiful exceed¬ ingly ; a land of rivers and roses, flowing with milk and honey; fairy-like, entrancing, yet full of practical necessary things ; fertile land, rich vineyards, and plenteous cornfields. And the very core of this pleasant and fruitful land was and is Tours. Tours was for many centuries not only the spiritual centre of France but also one of the 38 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. holiest cities in Europe, for it held the shrine of Our Martin. He came there as Bishop in 371, and there he found his life-work. The greatest event in his career was his election to the Episcopal See of Tours ; because it is as the Apostle of Touraine and as the Founder of the Monastery of Marmoutier that he achieved greatness and won a foremost place among the soldiers of the Cross. It was, however, by a stratagem that he was induced to accept so high a dignity. One of the citizens, by name Rusticius, sought him in his solitude and implored him to come and save his wife, who lay at the point of death. The unsuspecting Saint went with him to Tours, and no sooner had he entered the gates than he was surrounded by the citizens shouting, with true Gallic enthusiasm, “ Martin ! Martin ! He is our Bishop ! Our Martin is our Bishop! He is the worthiest.” Martin protested—implored in vain. At last, yielding to the entreaties of the people, and probably believing that the powerful Vox Populi was, in deed and in truth, the Vox Dei, he consented to accept MARTIN THE BISHOP. 39 the dignity thrust so insistently upon him, and was consecrated Bishop of Tours on the 3rd July, 371. However, many of the neighbouring bishops and clergy objected to his installation in the episcopal chair, remarking that this lowly, shabbily-attired monk was quite unsuited to carry with ecclesiastical majesty the flowing stateliness of the episcopal robes. His toil- worn hands could never effectually grasp the crozier, his lowly head bear the weight of the mitre, his humble spirit soar to the sublime heights of spiritual grandeur of the episcopal dignity. These dissentients were over-ruled. Martin had ever been the Poor Man’s Knight, the P'riend of the humble toilers, the steadfast Battler for the rights of the people, and the good Tourangeaux insisted that he should also be the Poor Man’s Bishop. Therefore was he consecrated their prelate, and in his new high dignity he proved him¬ self more than ever their friend and champion. He was at every man’s beck and call, ready and willing to help, nay, serve the poorest and most obscure members of his diocese. He still wore his shabby black robes; he fared 40 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. frugally; he trudged through the land—a wandering apostle—generally on foot, some¬ times mounted on an ass. The peasants recognised him as one of themselves, and, with unalloyed pleasure, they saw him conquer all kinds of difficulties and dangers. Mounted on his ass, his staff in his hand —Martin’s ass and Martin’s staff are pro¬ verbial—he went from town to town, from village to village, and wherever he went his genial, generous nature conquered the most hardened sinners. He won numberless souls to God, he worked strenuously in the Lord’s vineyard, he overthrew false idols, and sowed with lavish hands the good seed of the Gospel. Great, exceeding great, was his charity—as great as in the old days at Amiens, when a soldier of Caesar’s, he had stripped himself of half of his knight’s cloak to clothe a naked man, so in the days when he was a prince of the Church, a soldier of the Cross, he denuded himself of the sacerdotal garment. The legend tells us that, going one day to offer up Holy Mass in church, arrayed in full pontificals, he met a poor, unkempt, thinly-garbed beggar. Martin immediately ordered his deacon to pro¬ vide the poor man with a warm cloak or coat. MARTIN THE BISHOP. 41 The deacon hummed and hawed and remon¬ strated. Where was he to get a suitable coat for a miserable tramp. No such garment was obtainable just then. Our Martin smiled his own serene smile, and, drawing the beggar aside, he led him into a small cell close to the church. There the Bishop of Tours removed the white tunic he wore beneath his vest¬ ment and placed it on the poor man’s thin shoulders. Then Martin sat down on a low stool and prayed. Presently arrived the deacon, clamorous and indignant. The congregation were waiting for the Holy Sacrifice to be celebrated, and what was the celebrant doing? Sitting on a footstool and mumbling prayers. Martin smiled serenely. “ There is a poor man who requires a tunic, and I cannot say Mass until he gets it,” he said. The Deacon protested, but the Bishop was in¬ exorable ; so the Deacon went off and presently returned with a very rough, coarse garment, and of a truly abominable shape. Martin re¬ quested the fuming Deacon to retire for a brief space. When alone, Martin put on the homely garment under his magnificent vestment. The sleeves were too short, and left his wrists bare, 42 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. but he composedly proceeded to the church where he offered up the Divine Sacrifice. And, as he stood at the altar, a globe of bril¬ liant light appeared over his head, and his face glowed like the sun at noon-day, and when he raised the Host, with his insufficiently covered arms, he was surrounded by angels, who hung golden chains and priceless jewels, not of this earth, but of Paradise, upon his bare arms. 43 CHAPTER VII. MAJUS MONASTERIUM. T HE new Bishop at first took up his abode in a small cell near the church. No lordly palaces for Our Martin. But he found that, owing to constant interruptions, he could not attend to the affairs of the diocese, therefore, he retired to a cave high above the wooded banks on the opposite side of the Loire, a cave a little higher in the cliff than the one in which St. Gatien, the founder of the See of Tours, had lived and died in the third century. How¬ ever, Martin shortly built a small wooden hut above the cave. It was enclosed on one side by a precipitous rock, on the other by the river, and the only entrance was through an extremely narrow passage. The Loire came quite close to the rock in those days. It was not as it is at the present time, a fertile finely-cultivated slope, but a rough, bare declivity, where wild beasts lurked, and where wild birds hovered, and holy 44 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. men offered up fervent prayers day and night to the Most High God. Presently others joined Martin in this desert; they also built for themselves small, wooden huts, and that was the beginning of the famous Monastery of Marmoutier—Majus Monasterium, the greatest and richest in Europe, destined to become world-renowned—certainly, the most splendid and wealthiest of all the ancient French abbeys. From this solitude Martin administered his diocese; but he was not a recluse; he went abroad into the highways and byways; into the thronged streets of Tours, and out through the pleasant leafy lanes of the country side, and gradually the fame of his piety, and the fervour of his informal monastery spread not only through Touraine, but far away oversea to foreign lands, even to remote and lonely Ireland. Many distinguished men came to Marmoutier, and some remained, notably St. Ninian and St. Brice, and the Seven Sleepers. The seven gallant young knights, cousins of St. Martin, so runs the legend, came and laid their arms at their saintly kinsman’s feet, and all seven died and were buried in the same grave in a grotto, high on the cliffs of Marmoutier, MAJUS MONASTERIUM. 45 But some only spent a year or two, and among these was our own St. Patrick. He came journeying from Ireland. Tradition tells us that the saintly Apostle of Ireland was a kinsman of the holy Bishop of Tours, and that, hearing virtue and learning flourished in the wonderful monastery on the Loire side, Patrick resolved to seek his cousin, and, sitting humbly at the Bishop’s feet, drink in the essence of his piety. So Patrick sailed to Bordeaux, and from there journeyed to Poitiers, and, coming onward, crossed the Loire, floating on his cloak—so runs the legend—a few leagues westward of Tours, but on his way felt very weary, and laid himself down to rest under a blackthorn tree. It was mid-winter ; the ground was covered with snow, the tree was, of course, leafless. But while Patrick slept, the tree blossomed and was covered with exquisite white flowers, and they effectually sheltered the sleeping saint from the cold and bitter wind, so that his slumber was pleasant and undisturbed. From that remote period until the present day that tree blossoms in the severest mid-winter weather. Towards the close of December, the “Flowers of St. Patrick” reappear, rejoicing 4 6 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. the eyes of all men, and if you are a sceptic and inclined to doubt the truth of the story, you have but to write to the President of the Archaeological Society of Touraine, and he will confirm the fact. Shortly after Patrick joined Martin, and together they prayed and worked strenuously for some three or four years. Gradually the informal unwritten rule took shape, and became more definite. The place became a true Laura, where men lived a com¬ bined eremitical and cenobitical life, just as they did in the ancient monasteries in Palestine and Italy. Martin welcomed all comers; he, himself, washed the travel-stained feet of the weary way¬ farers. He shared with them his simple meal of fruit and vegetables; he gave them wine to drink, though he and his monks rarely tasted aught save water, and if the passers wished to stay and join the fast-growing order, he clothed them in rough camel’s hair garments and bade them pray and work, and work and pray. They seldom left their cells except to go to the oratory. They had nothing of their own ; they did not buy, neither did they sell, and they had all things in common. The younger monks MAJUS MONASTERIUM. 47 worked in the fields and copied and illuminated manuscripts. The older men gave more time to prayer and contemplation. They ate together one meal in the afternoon. They led on earth the life of angels. Sulpicius Severus refers to them in the follow¬ ing words : “ Many of them were of noble birth, and reared in the lap of luxury; but of their own free will they renounced the world and all its pomps, and trained their hearts and minds in the way of patience and humility.” 48 CHAPTER VIII. THE APOSTLE OF TOURAINE. T HE absolute destruction of idols and the extirpation of heresy in the diocese of Tours, and, indeed, in all Touraine and In most parts of Anjou and Poitou, were the splendid results of the edifying life led by St. Martin. His fervent piety, wonderful miracles, zealous instructions and strenuous labours succeeded in causing the religion of Christ to triumph over the ancient heathen worship, and his purity and simplicity persuaded heretics that the faith of Martin was that of the one and only Holy Catholic Church. Soon after Martin was consecrated Bishop of Tours, he had occasion to go to the Court of the Roman Emperor, Valentinian I. Although this prince had been a zealous Catholic during the reign of Julian the Apostate, showing in a remarkable manner his belief and steadfast adherence to the Faith, yet, after his THE APOSTLE OF TOURAINE. 49 own elevation to the Throne of the Caesars, he grew a trifle lukewarm, and on several occasions seemed rather to favour the ancient worship and was somewhat careless in the practice of the new religion. This indifference was particularly apparent in the case of admitting comedians to baptism. In those days the Church would not receive actors into her fold unless they gave up their profession; therefore the pagan Romans dreaded above all things their doing so, because they would be compelled to cease affording specta¬ cular and other entertainment to the public. Consequently Valentinian issued a decree in which he forbade the magistrates to allow the comedians to receive Holy Baptism unless they were in absolute danger of death, without hope of recovery. The Emperor was a proud, imperious, coura¬ geous prince, and his wife, the Empress Justina, was an arrogant, headstrong woman, and, what was more, she was an obstinate Arian. She persuaded her husband to refuse to see Martin, and endeavoured by many and artful arguments to prejudice the Emperor against the Bishop. Nothing daunted, our Saint came and came again, and finding the door still closed against D 50 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. him, had recourse to prayer and fasting. Seven days he spent clothed in hair-cloth, his head covered with ashes, not tasting food or drink and day and night supplicating Almighty God. On the seventh day, an angel of the Lord appeared and ordered him to go boldly to the palace. He went and, finding the doors unguarded, penetrated into the Emperor’s presence. Valen- tinian was furious ; he would not rise to receive the holy man, but glared fiercely, crying in vehement anger, “ What doest thou here, O Martin ? I will not listen to thee; I know what thou wantest, and I absolutely refuse all thy requests.” Martin smiled serenely, and as he smiled the Emperor’s chair was suddenly enveloped in flames. Valentinian sprang from it, rushed towards Martin, embraced him warmly and granted him all he asked. The Emperor died in 375, consequeutly it must have been about 373 or 374 that this episode took place. Martin destroyed many heathen shrines. Going through the fair Loire land, he preached the gospel of peace and good will, but he had no mercy on the heathen gods. THE APOSTLE OF TOURAINE. 51 “ Listen,” he cried to the people, “ there is but one God ; these are false idols that you worship. I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, whom He has sent to save you and me. I believe in the Holy Ghost, and in the Holy Catholic Church. Therefore, in the Name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, I order you to destroy these pagan altars, these false gods.” Occasionally he met with determined oppo¬ sition ; then he had recourse to his usual weapons, prayer and fasting, At Leuroux in Berri the people would not allow him to do away with the temple of their old gods. Martin fasted and prayed, and on the third day two angels came to him. They were armed with sword and buckler, and they commanded the Saint to accompany them to the pagan shrine. There they struck terror into the people, and forthwith destroyed the temple without further hindrance. Another time the Blessed Martin, having set fire to a heathen shrine, the flames spread to a neighbouring house. He immediately climbed on the roof and extinguished the flames. Again, when he had succeeded in destroying 52 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. a temple in the country of Aedin, somewhere in the territory of Autun, he was furiously attacked by the mob, and one of them rushed upon him with raised sword. Martin quietly removed his cloak and presented his uncovered neck to the sroke, but his assailant was suddenly filled with awe and confusion and fell back trembling; then he and his companions knelt at the Bishop’s feet, imploring his forgiveness, which, needless to say, was cordially given. On another occasion he demolished a temple ; but the chief priest and his adherents would not allow him to cut down a colossal pine tree that stood close to it and was deemed by them sacred to whatever heathen god they worshipped. However, after many words and speeches, they came to a compromise ; they would them¬ selves fell the tree, and Martin should stand under it, tied and bound by them to the side towards which it leaned. Martin agreed with his usual serenity, and presently, when the tree was cut through and was about to fall upon him, he made the sign of the Cross. Immediately it toppled over on the opposite side. Then the chief priest and the people knelt before the Blessed Martin, asking for the im- THE APOSTLE OF TOURAINE. 53 position of hands, in order to be received as catechumens. Thus Our Martin went through the land, wrecking the old worship, building up the new, and wherever he destroyed a shrine or a temple, he built instead an abbey or a church, and wherever he went the people were the gladder for his coming and, convinced by his eloquence, won over by his gracious kindness and by his bountiful humanity, they embraced the Catholic religion ; believing that the God of Martin was the One True and Only God, they ceased to offer sacrifice to their ancient idols. He is one of the most popular of Apostles. The good Tourangeaux still, after the lapse of so many centuries, love and revere his memory as though he yet lived amongst them in the flesh. His dauntless spirit is very near and very real to them and to us. We follow in his steps through the valleys of the Loire, of the Indre, and of the Vienne, through the thronged streets of Tours and of Treves, in the steep thoroughfares of Chinon and Amboise, in little villages and in remote districts, the Valley of the Creuse, the flat plateau of Saint Maure, and we constantly come across mementoes of his passing. Here is a 54 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. bridge that is called by his name, Pont St. Martin ; there fe a wayside chapel. There is one in honour of the translation of St. Martin. Then there are several Pas de St. Martin , marks made by his own footsteps or by the hoofs of his ass. There is St. Martin’s Rest —le Repos de St. Martin —at Marmoutier, and there are number¬ less other shrines and places that still bear his name. Wherever we wander in Touraine or Anjou or Poitou, we find his name a household word, and the people often say as they did in the old days to Gallus and to Sulpicius Severus, “ Speak in Celtic or in Gaelic, if you will—in French or in English or in Latin—but let us speak of him, of Our Martin—our glorious Apostle.” He is enshrined in their hearts, he is theirs, and as we listen to their rhapsodies we realise how potent an influence the roughly-garbed, unkempt, apparently insignificant man wielded over the men of his day, over emperors and great ladies, over nobles and students, saints and sinners. He did not convert all, this charming, humble and attractive Apostle; but he drew all hearts to him, and so upward and onward—whether visibly in the Church or not— to a higher, nobler, purer existence. THE APOSTLE OF TOURAINE. 55 He taught simply what Jean Paul Richter has so well expressed :— “ What you wish to be, that you are; for such is the force of our will joined to the Supreme Will that whatever we wish to be, seriously and with a true intention, that we become.” “ The riddle of the world is understood Only by him that feels that God is good.” 56 CHAPTER IX. THE SAINT AND THE DEVIL. UR MARTIN was gifted with a very special U power in the casting out of demons, but he did not exorcise them in the usual mode— namely, with severity and threats; on the contrary, our gentle Saint was gentle even to the devil, and it was by fervent prayer, rigorous fasting and mortification that he com¬ pelled obedience. Indeed, Martin was of so kind and serene a nature that, as the old legends tell us, he felt compassion even for Satan. Sulpicius Severus relates the following anec¬ dote. I quote it because it serves to illustrate our Saint’s unfailing charity towards men or beasts and his power over them, and that in his great meekness and humility lay his great strength :— “ There was nothing in Martin’s heart but love of God and men. The Devil was particularly envious of his virtues and principally of his exceeding charity; this wonderful charity was most obnoxious to the Evil One, and he detested THE SAINT AND THE DEVIL. 5 7 it more than any of the Saint’s other virtues because it was the most inimical to his dominion. “ One day he mockingly reproached Martin, saying he received sinners too soon to favour and forgave too readily the fallen and the re¬ pentant. “ St. Martin answered him with sincere com¬ passion, saying sorrowfully : ‘ Oh ! most miser¬ able that thou art. If thou also couldst cease to persecute and seduce unfortunate and wretched men, if thou also couldst repent, thou also shouldst find mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ.’ ” However, Satan was not as touched as he ought to have been by Martin’s exceeding com¬ passion, for on another occasion, while the Bishop was praying in his cell, the Devil appeared sur¬ rounded by light, robed in royal garments, and crowned with a diadem of gold and precious stones. He smiled graciously upon our Saint, and in a very pleasant and persuasive voice told him that he was the Lord Jesus, Who had come to visit and reward His good and faithful servant. But Our Martin’s unsullied purity and deep humility enabled him to discern the Evil One under this mask of exquisite beauty, therefore 58 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. Martin said to the Devil : “ Christ Our Lord would not come crowned with a crown of gold and gems and robed in purple and fine linen. He would come clothed in the humble garments He wore on earth, and bearing on His body the marks of His Cross and of His sufferings.” At these words the Devil vanished, leaving behind him an intolerable odour. Sulpicius Severus also relates that Tetradius, the Roman Consul, had a slave who was pos¬ sessed by the Devil. This Consul entreated Martin to exorcise the Evil One, but the slave refused to leave her cell, and bit and tore like a wild cat at everyone who approached her. Therefore Tetradius implored Martin to come himself, but our Saint replied that he could not enter the house of a Pagan. The Consul immediately promised to embrace the Christian Religion if his slave was freed from the fiend, so Martin prayed over the girl and compelled the Devil to depart. Tetradius kept his word. He was at once received as a catechumen, was baptised in due course, became a good and pious Christian, and was ever a loyal and faithful friend of the glorious Saint to whom he owed his salvation. One day Martin went to visit a Christian THE SAINT AND THE DEVIL. 59 family, but he halted on the threshold, ex¬ claiming that he saw a horrible devil in the vestibule. Then, in a* loud voice, our Saint ordered him to depart, but the demon entered into the person of a slave, and this unfortunate creature furiously attacked several persons with tooth and nail, biting and scratching and uttering terrific yells. Martin approached quietly, and, holding out his hands, said : “ Bite my fingers if thou art able.” And the possessed drew back shrieking in agony, as though suffering unendurable torture. Finally, by the prayers and exorcisms of Martin, the Devil was cast out. Springing from the mouth of the slave, he vanished, leaving behind him disgusting traces of his passage through the house. Sulpicius Severus relates many more anec¬ dotes of our Saint’s power over the Devil, and he also tells us that he never heard any man speak so wisely and with such sound sense as Martin. Nevertheless, his strongest exhorta¬ tion to the practice of virtue was the magnetic influence of his own attractive personality. No one ever saw the Blessed Martin angry, or sad, or unduly gay ; what particularly dis- 6o ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. tinguished him was his sweet, serious, unfailing serenity, Christ was ever in his mouth and in his heart. He was careful never to judge others, and always to put the best interpretation on everyone’s actions. He never lost time during the day, and often spent the whole night in watching and prayer. To his body he allowed only the repose and refreshment that was abso¬ lutely necessary, he slept on the bare ground, covered only with sack-cloth. Amidst his exterior employments his heart remained closely united to Jesus Christ, and he never lost his sense of the Divine Presence. And as smiths, when they have no iron bars before them, sometimes strike on the anvil, so the Blessed Martin, whether he read or wrote or conversed, was interiorly recollected, ever devoutly conscious of the Divine Presence, and closely united to Almighty God, the gracious Giver of every good gift. He was wont to gather spiritual lessons and reflections from ordinary everyday events. One day he remarked a freshly-shorn sheep. “ This sheep,” he said to his companions, “ hath ful¬ filled the Gospel precept, because having two coats it hath parted with one. Let us follow his example and do likewise.” THE SAINT AND THE DEVIL. 6l On another occasion he noticed a poor man keeping swine. He was wretchedly clothed in rough skins and looked miserable. “ Behold Adam driven out of Paradise,” said Martin. “ Let us, leaving the old Adam, clothe ourselves with the new.” During one of his visitations of the diocese, on arriving at the river he perceived a number of fowl devouring the fish. “ These ravenous creatures,” said he, “ resemble the demons who constantly lie in wait for us, ready to pounce upon our souls and seize them as their prey.” And he commanded the fowl to leave the fish in peace, and fly away to the woods and moors, and they obeyed him. Indeed, St. Martin possessed as marvellous a power over, and as keen a sympathy with, birds and beasts and fishes as the Seraphic St. Francis of Assisi. He loved them, his little brothers and sisters, and if he did not preach to them, like the heavenly Founder of the Franciscan Order, he helped them in their need, and he was ever kind and considerate towards them. There is the charming legend of a cow pos¬ sessed by the Devil. St. Martin came to her rescue, cast out the demon, and the grateful beast knelt at his feet, giving him humble thanks. 62 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. Here is another very pretty story : “ One day, when St. Martin and his disciple, St. Brice, were going to Levroux, he stopped at Argy to offer up Holy Mass. There were some very noisy frogs in a pond close by, and they made such a row that St. Martin could not celebrate, so he sent St. Brice to tell them to keep quiet. They obeyed, and the Mass over, the holy men mounted their asses and continued on their way. But St. Martin had not gone far when he recollected that he had not given the frogs permission to resume their croaking, con¬ sequently he told St. Brice to return at once and release them from their penance. He him¬ self was very weary, and while he waited for St. Brice, he lay down on the grass and fell asleep. Before the faithful disciple left his master he had stuck their staffs into the ground, one at St. Martin’s head, the other at his feet. “ When St. Brice got to the pond, he told the frogs they were free to croak to their hearts’ content, and one of them from obedience uttered a queer sound and then was silent like the rest, and from that day to this the Argy frogs have never croaked. “ St. Brice returned to the Bishop and found that the two staves had grown into leafy trees, THE SAINT AND THE DEVIL. 63 their foliage effectually sheltering St. Martin from the sun’s rays. And these trees were long known and venerated in the country, and were called the Trees of St. Martin le Riche.” Thus Our Martin, humblest of the humble, gentlest and most genial of Saints, held abso¬ lute and universal authority. He kept alive and handed down a sense of spiritual religion which might not otherwise have survived through the rough-and-tumble of those but recently con¬ verted days. We can fancy him, in his own serene way, imbued with the very spirit of the mystical poetry that several centuries later burst from the glowing heart of Francis of Assisi. “ Highest omnipotent good Lord, Glory and honour to Thy Name adored. And praise and every blessing. Of everything Thou art the source, No man is worthy to pronounce Thy Name, Praised by His creatures all, Praised be the Lord my God, By Messer Sun, my brother above all, Who by his rays lights us and lights the day, Radiant is she, with Thy great splendour stored, Thy glory, Lord, confessing. By Sister Moon and stars my Lord is praised, Where clear and fair they in the heavens are raised. 6 4 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. By Brother Wind, my Lord, Thy praise is said, By air and clouds and the blue sky o’erhead, By which Thy creatures all are kept and fed. By one most humble, useful, precious, chaste, By Sister Water, O my Lord, Thou art praised. “ And praised is my Lord By Brother Fire—he who lights up the night, Jocund, robust is he, and strong and bright. Praised art Thou, my Lord, by Mother Earth, Thou who sustainest her, and governest, And to her flowers, fruits, herbs, dost colour give and birth.” 65 CHAPTER X. SAINTS AND SHRINES. O UR MARTIN was, in the fullest and truest significance of the word, catholic—that is to say, universal—in his love and venera¬ tion for all that appertained to Holy Church. He had a great devotion to Our Blessed Lady and all the saints, but his saint of predilection was the first Bishop of Tours—St. Gatien. The Apostle of Touraine could not allow the memory nor yet the body of his predecessor to be forgotten. St. Gatien is to us a rather shadowy figure. We are told that he came from Rome in the reign of Decius, about A.D. 250, with St. Dionysius of Paris, St. Paul of Narbonne, St. Trophinius, and many other holy and pious men. He preached the Gospel in Touraine and fixed his Episcopal See at Tours. The Gauls were nearly all idolaters, and he had a hard time endeavouring to convert them. Frequently he was threatened, often attacked ; he had to hide in holes and corners to avoid being put E 66 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. to a cruel death because, though he would willingly have received the Crown of Martyr¬ dom, yet for the sake of the few Christians whose pastor he was, he sought to preserve his life. He continued his Apostolate with un¬ wearied zeal, and underwent severe hardship and great bodily suffering for more than fifty years. He then passed happily away, and after his death was canonised and honoured with miracles. Christianity made considerable headway under his administration, and he was recognised in Touraine as the chief of the Catholics. Yet all his life he and his converts were hunted out¬ casts. Though a bishop he had no church, nor did he ever attempt to build one. His home was in caves and on the hill-side, and it was in secret he celebrated the Divine Mysteries. He had been quietly buried in the cemetery of the poor outside the Gallo-Roman town, with no stone to mark his last resting-place, and there was some doubt in the days of St. Martin about the exact spot. Therefore the holy Bishop prostrated himself upon what was generally believed to be the tomb of St. Gatien, and silently prayed fora long time,then, raising his voice so that all could hear, he cried ; SAINTS AND SHRINES. 67 “ Faithful Servant of the Lord God, give me your blessing.” And he heard in reply the words : “ Thou who art also a Servant of God, bless me.” Martin transported the body of St. Gatien to the church of St. Lidorius. This saint was the second Bishop of Tours, and the immediate predecessor of St. Martin. It was he who built the first church in Tours, using for the purpose the house of a Roman Senator. Consequently it was to this, the first church erected in Tours, that its Bishop gave the holy body of St. Gatien. Later on he bestowed upon it some precious relics of St. Maurice and the Theban Martyrs. It was for a time called St. Gatien’s, then St. Martin dedicated it to St. Maurice, partially rebuilding it. Again, in the fourteenth century, it was re-christened St. Gatien’s, and to-day it is still known by the name of the second Bishop, for on its site is the very beautiful and magnifi¬ cent Gothic Cathedral of Tours. It has been so completely altered and rebuilt that probably very little, if any, of the original building of St. Lidorius remains ; indeed, it was partially destroyed by fire in the fifth century. 68 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. St. Gregory of Tours rebuilt it in a very splendid manner, but it crumbled away. Several princes and bishops later on took a hand in its restora¬ tion, and in 1300 the transept and first two bays of the nave were constructed. But it would take too long to give even a brief account of the many vicissitudes through which it passed, until it finally developed into the exquisite masterpiece of Gothic architecture that at the present day delights the eyes alike of the casual tourist and of the serious student of hagiology and architecture. St. Martin was a careful searcher for hidden saints. He endeavoured to discover the life- story of the blessed ones who had preceded him, and for these strenuous labours, undertaken by him in the cause of holiness and truth, we may look upon him as the Patron of Historical, and particularly of Hagiological, Research. He did all in his power to propagate devo¬ tion to the saints, emulation of their virtues and veneration of their relics, but he was by no means credulous or superstitious. Christian shrines had to prove their authenticity before he gave them homage. Near Marmoutier there was a wayside chapel erected over the tomb of a reputed martyr. SAINTS AND SHRINES. 69 The place was held in much esteem by the Christians, and many pilgrims went daily to pray at this shrine, but St. Martin would not join in their devotions, because he was unable to come at the truth about the supposed martyr. He asked the elder clergy and the oldest inhabitant about this individual, but they were unable to give him trustworthy information. Martin was resolved to probe the mystery ; therefore one day he and his brethren visited the tomb and the Bishop, standing over it, prayed the Lord God to show him who was buried there. A pale ghost out of hell rose at the word, and confessed that he was a robber and a wicked man. “ I have nothing,” said this ap¬ palling spectre, “ in common with the blessed martyrs who are now in glory, whilst I am buried in hell. It is through a grievous error that the people worship at my tomb. I com¬ mitted many crimes in my time, and in the end I was executed for them.” That was the end of the cult, and Martin caused the altar to be removed, and thus freed the people from a deplorable superstition. He waged incessant war against pagan cults, and on one occasion when he was travelling through Touraine, meeting the funeral cortege of a 70 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. pagan and not being able quite to make out what it was, he raised his hand, made the sign of the Cross, and notwithstanding their most strenuous efforts the people could not move. Then the Saint approached, and seeing that it was a funeral and not an idolatrous procession, he again raised his hand and commanded them to proceed on their way. We cannot date his wanderings, nor these various episodes in his life, we can only chronicle them as we cull them principally from the pages of his friend, admirer and biographer, Sulpicius Severus, and as we read and ponder we in some degree realise what Our Martin’s dominant idea was, what he looked upon as the end and aim of all his labours and sufferings. It was the same as that of all the glorious company of the saints. The one dominant idea with all— whether they lived in the Fourth, or the Four¬ teenth, or our own sceptical century—was and is to do always the things that please Almighty God, to fight paganism or heresy, agnosticism or modernism, to spread abroad the Gospel of Christ, to redress human wrongs, and lift on high the Standard of the Cross. Martin battled in his own way, in the way that suited his time, doing his serene charity with SAINTS AND SHRINES. 7 1 simplicity yet with discernment, honouring the holy men who had gone before him with fervour yet with prudence, preaching the Gospel of Christ, destroying idols and idolatry, yet with gentleness doing the right thing at the right moment. We picture him to ourselves in his patched and shabby black garments wan¬ dering through his diocese. He and his ass were as well known on the high roads and bye ways as St. Francis of Assisi and his brethren were many centuries later. Our Martin and his simple, humble monks seem as it were the fore¬ runners of the simple, humble Friars Minor. There is a decided resemblance between Martin of Tours and Francis of Assisi, between the monks of Marmoutier and the Franciscan Friars. They could each and all say in the beautiful words of Holy Writ : “ And He that sent me is with me, and He hath not left me alone, for I do always the things that please Him.” 72 CHAPTER XI. SIGNS AND WONDERS. W E have seen that it pleased Almighty God to confer upon his humble and faithful servant the gift of miracles. Martin might have replied to the sceptical unbeliever in the words of Christ to the disciples of St. John : “ And Jesus making answer said to them : Go and relate to John what you have heard and seen. The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead rise again, the poor have the Gospel preached to them.”—(St. Matt., Chapter n, 4th and 5th Verses.) The signs given and the wonders worked by the Apostle of Touraine drew many into the fold, and during his long life Martin reaped a splendid harvest. In all the details given us by Sulpicius Severus, the exquisite simplicity and burning charity of Martin’s character shine out SIGNS AND WONDERS. 7 3 even more brilliantly than the wonderful miracles recorded by his enthusiastic friend. Undoubtedly, however, the miracles were wonderful, and in those primitive days most people firmly believed in all such supernatural deviations from the laws of nature. Sulpicius Severus certainly had implicit faith in the truth of the marvellous healings and cures he so lovingly chronicles. He was himself an eye¬ witness of many of them, and as an eye-witness his testimony may be received as true evidence. He relates, in his fresh, delightful way, that when at Treves St. Martin put a few drops of blessed oil into the mouth of a girl who was dangerously ill and she immediately recovered. When the holy Paulinus of Nola—a man renowned alike for sanctity and learning—was suffering acute torture from an almost unen¬ durable pain in his eye, he sent for the Blessed Martin. The physicians having pronounced that a cataract was growing upon the eye, Martin, in his own serene way, gently touched it with a pencil; the malignant growth vanished and Paulinus was quite cured. Indeed, small pieces of the Bishop’s hair- shirt or other garments, when applied to sick people, often healed them, even without the 74 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. presence or prayers of the Saint, so marvellous was the virtue that went out from him. One day he was travelling to Chartres with a number of his disciples; among them was the Monk Gallus, who tells the tale. Passing through a town that is supposed to be Venddme, the inhabitants, although Pagans, came out to gaze at the Christain Saint. Seeing them, Our Martin was filled with compassion, and, like St. Paul at Athens, he was moved through all his being and was filled with the Holy Ghost, and preached the Gospel of Christ to them with such fervour and with such wonderful unction, power, and pathos, that it was evident that he was but the instrument through whose mouth spoke the Eternal Wisdom. When the discourse was over, a woman carrying a dead child in her arms came for¬ ward, and, throwing herself at Martin’s feet, cried in anguish: “ We know that you are the friend of God. Oh, for His sake, give life to my son. He is my only child.” Martin felt the same extraordinary virtue grip him that he had already twice experienced at Ligugfe. He knew that Our Lord would grant his prayer and restore the boy to his SIGNS AND WONDERS. 75 mother. Therefore, he took the dead body in his arms and prayed over it; and at the prayer of the Blessed Martin life returned to the inanimate form, and all the people were amazed and united in praising the wonderful works of God. The mother, full of joy, cried aloud to heaven in thanksgiving, clasping Martin’s knees, she besought him to receive her as a cathecumen and prepare her to receive Holy Baptism. The Pagan spectators who had witnessed the miracle threw themselves at the Saint’s feet, vowing they believed in Martin’s God—a God so powerful that His followers were able to restore the dead to life. Martin imposed hands on all present; and he and his disciples, filled with great joy at the conversion of so many souls, continued on their way to Chartres. Like St. Elizabeth of Hungary and many other blessed saints, Martin held lepers in special affection. He washed their horrible sores, and not only cleansed and served, but frequently embraced them ; and certainly on two occasions when he gave them the kiss of peace they were immediately healed. Martin, the Poor Man’s Knight and Cham- 76 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. pion, the Poor Man’s Bishop and Friend, was also the Rescuer of captives. Very dear to his heart was this work, and he employed in it many illustrious men. The following incident shows us the means he used, and it and other anecdotes prove to us that success generally crowned his efforts. In 376, Avician, the insolent and pitiless Roman Governor of Touraine, entered Tours, with a great number of bound and fettered prisoners in his train. On the following day they were to be first tortured and then put to a cruel death. Our Martin flew to the palace, but was denied admittance. It was close on midnight, so he lay down on the steps and prayed. Inside the palace Avician tossed rest¬ lessly on his luxurious couch. He could not sleep, and after a time an angel appeared to him and said : “ Martin waits at thy door; he would speak with thee.” Avician, tormented by insomnia, shouted to his retainers to open the door and send Martin to him; but these impudent slaves, while feigning to obey their lord, only mocked Martin, refusing to allow him to pass. Again the angel spoke, ordering Avician to see Martin without delay; so the weary SIGNS AND WONDERS. 77 Governor arose, and himself opened the door, crying to the Saint: “ I know what you want; I grant all you ask ; only go away quickly, lest fire descend from heaven and consume me.” For Avician had heard of the Saint’s interview with Valentinian. Martin courteously thanked him ; but Avician giving orders to his officers to release the prisoners, fled from the city at break of day. The captives, thus miraculously saved from torture and -death, threw themselves at the feet of their deliverer and implored him to receive them into the Church. This episode won for Martin the friendship, and for Tours the protection of the formidable Governor. Exacting and despotic towards the other cities of Gaul, when he entered Tours, the lion became a lamb. Avician endeavoured to please and propitiate the humble Bishop. The generous heart of Martin was touched by this unwonted gentleness on the part of so imperious and tyrannical a man, and he in his turn endeavoured to save the soul of Avician. One day, going into the Tribunal where the Governor was administering justice, Martin saw a horrible demon perched upon his shoulder. The Saint spat upon the 78 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. devil, who at once vanished; but Avician, considerably affronted by what seemed a sign of contempt, flew into a passion and angrily asked, “ Why did you spit upon me ? ” “ I did not spit upon you,” replied Martin pleasantly, “ but upon the foul fiend who crouched upon your shoulder.” This proof of the Saint’s insight and power so won upon Avician that he was converted from his evil ways, and ever after led a pious and exemplary life. His wife was a very devout and virtuous woman, and a firm friend of St. Martin. Sulpicius Severus relates that having asked the Bishop to bless a flask of oil, he did so ; and Harpagius, the priest, tells us that, like the flask of the Widow of Serepta, it remained always full, though frequently used in the administration of the Sacrament of Extreme Unction. 79 CHAPTER XII. MARTIN THE BISHOP MAKER. NFORTUN ATELY Sulpicius Severus does not tell us much of Our Martin’s Apostolic labours, nor of the way in which he administered his diocese. The faithful chronicler is evidently dazzled by the wonderful miracles wrought by his hero, and, apart from them, gives but few details of the Bishop’s missionary work. He tells us that he had long admired at a distance the saintly Bishop. In simple and characteristic language he describes their first interview: “ Having frequently heard of the virtues of St. Martin I ardently longed to visit him, and as I was very desirous of writing his life I wished to question him on the subject, and also interview the people who lived with him, and others who were well informed about him. He received me with great joy, welcoming me and bidding me sit at table with him, He himself 8o ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. gave me water to wash my hands, and at night he insisted on washing my feet. I know well that many persons will not believe all I have written about Martin, but I take Jesus Christ, Heaven, and our common hope of salvation to witness that all I have written does but scant justice to the virtues and gifts of this wonderful man.” Later on, when Martin had been some years dead, Sulpicius Severus, Gallus, and other disciples of Martin’s, met together in order to converse on the ever-enthralling subject—the virtues and miracles of their glorious and beloved Master. To them came Posthumianus, lately returned from the East, full of the wonders he had seen there. He dilated at great length on the numberless perfections of the monks of the Thebaid, but Sulpicius and Gallus will on no account allow that the virtues and miracles of these holy men are comparable with those of the Blessed Martin. “ Have you not read the book I have written about the life and the miracles of St. Martin ? ” inquires Severus, with eager anxiety. The faithful Chronicler is evidently a trifle ruffled. However, Posthumianus quickly re¬ assures him. MARTIN THE BISHOP MAKER. “ Not read your book ! ” he cries, impetuously. “ Why, my dear fellow, I carry it about with me—here it is ”—producing it. Then he con¬ tinues : “ Of course, I have read it. Everyone has read it. At Alexandria, in Rome, Carthage, in Syria they know it by heart. Why, man, it’s the book of the century.” Severus smiles the well pleased smile of the successful author. He also beams the delighted beam of the hero-worshipper, enchanted that his hero’s fame and sanctity are world-renowned. Then the little party of friends are joined by many persons, and the result is the charming Dialogues. Gallus takes care to tell his audience that he will not repeat the sayings and deeds already related by his friend Sulpicius in the famous life, and then proceeds to go one better, as it were, and recount in glowing words the wonderful miracles of the beloved Martin— miracles witnessed by himself, Gallus; quaintly adding that he prefers to relate the wonders he has himself seen rather than those known to him only by hearsay. Truly marvellous they are, these astounding miracles. Martin was gifted with superhuman power. Idols fell before him, the Pagans crying joyously : “ Down with our false gods ! They F 82 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. are good-for-nothings, slothful, incapable of asserting their power. The God of Martin is our God. We believe in Martin’s God 1 ” And immediately they are converted to Christianity. And in the same marvellous way Martin causes the blighted crops to ripen, the longed-for rain to fall, the turbulent waters to become calm and smooth, and wherever he goes he brings and gives peace—the Peace of Jesus Christ. We gather from these Dialogues that Martin preached the Gospel not only throughout his diocese but in Central and Western P'rance, and that before he died Paganism had ceased to exist in Gaul, all the inhabitants had become Christians, and the soldier soul of Martin triumphed in the triumph of the Cross. Martin not only preached the Gospel and ordained clergy in his own diocese, he also con¬ secrated bishops and gave pastors to other Sees. On the death of the Bishop of Angers the people assembled to choose his successor, but they could not agree. Martin arrived in the nick of time. “ My friends,” he said, “ God will give you a bishop. He wishes Mauritius, priest of the Church of Chalonne, to be your pastor.” The people were delighted. They all knew and reverenced Mauritius, He had formerly MARTIN THE BISHOP MAKER. 83 been a monk at Ligug6, and was a disciple of St. Martin’s. They went in search of him, and, in spite of his resistance, brought him to Martin. Fortunatus the Poet tells and relates that when this good priest entered the church where Martin, the clergy and citizens were assembled, a white dove descended from heaven and rested on the priest’s head. The legend further relates that when St. Martin performed the ceremony of consecrating the new bishop, each time the Bishop of Tours laid his hand on Maurillus, the dove rose and, as it were, saluted the holy man. Martin himself asserts that he saw the Holy Ghost, under the form of a dove, descend from heaven surrounded by angels, in order to con¬ secrate the Bishop of Angers. Martin also gave one of its holiest prelates to Mans. One night while the Bishop of Tours slept he received the following order in a dream: “Go to the city of the Cenomans and visit a sick man.” From these words Martin understood that St. Liborius, Bishop of Mans, was at the point of death. Therefore he set out without delay, in the hope of arriving in time to administer the last Sacraments. Near the entrance to the city Martin saw a 8 4 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. man digging in a vineyard. This man while he worked joyously sang psalms. The bishop stopped and called to the vine¬ dresser ; “ I salute you. Give me your blessing, Monseigneur Victor.” “May you be blessed, Monseigneur,” replied Victor, bowing to the ground, “and blessed be your word, you who condescended to speak so graciously to a poor man like me.” Martin then told the vine-dresser that he would shortly be raised to the Episcopate, and taking the spade from Victor, Martin gave him instead his own pastoral staff. The Bishop continued on his way to Mans, and when he had rendered all necessary offices to St. Liborius and when the funeral was over, he assembled the clergy and people and ad¬ dressed them as follows : “I do not wish to leave you without a pastor, therefore look for a pious successor to Liborius. Choose one who will be worthy of so great a dignity.” Clergy and people spontaneously replied : “ Elect whoever you please, Monseigneur, for the Spirit of the Lord is in you ” Accordingly Martin presented Victor, saying : “ Here is the man whom the Lord has selected to be your bishop.” MARTIN THE BISHOP MAKER. 85 The humble vine-dresser was greatly dis¬ mayed. “ But how can this be ? ” he cried. “ I am a married man and the father of a boy.” They sent for his wife, and Martin asked her if she would consent to leave her husband and permit him to become a priest. “ But certainly, Monseigneur,” she replied amiably, “ I am unworthy to see the miracles of the Most High God. Let Victor be to me as a brother ; I will be a sister to him, and our sole aim in life will be to serve God.” Then Martin seated the new pastor on the Episcopal throne, and, showing him to the multitude, cried : “ Behold the High Priest seated on his throne. Love him, honour him, for the Divine Spirit dwells in him.” Later on Victor’s wife became a nun, and received the religious veil from the hands of the Bishop of Tours. In response to her entreaties he at the same time baptised her son, although he was only ten years old. This boy, by name Victorinus, was trained by Martin, and afterwards succeeded his father, Victor, in the See of Mans. Tradition tells us that Martin also selected and consecrated bishops to the Sees of Quimper, 86 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. Nantes, Rennes, and other dioceses in Poitou and Brittany. As a matter of fact, however, the supremacy of the Bishop of Tours as Metropolitan over the suffragan dioceses of Brittany was not recognised until the Fifth Century. 87 CHAPTER XIII. AT THE COURT OF THE EMPEROR. I N A.D. 383 Maximus was proclaimed Emperor in Britain. From there he passed into Gaul, and, defeating the Emperor Gratian near Paris, proceeded to Treves. In that city, then the seat of the Empire in Gaul, he was acknow¬ ledged and crowned Caesar by the rebellious soldiery. In the meantime the unfortunate Gratian had been betrayed by his own troops and assassinated at Lyons by the military Tribune, Andragathius, while seated at a sumptuous banquet. This event took place on the 25th August, 383. Maximus reigned supreme. He was a Spaniard by birth, and ardently desired to restore peace to that country and to benefit it in every way by all the means at his dis¬ posal. His wife, Helena, was a Welshwoman. She was also a fervent disciple and enthusiastic admirer of Our Martin. 88 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. Therefore, when he came to Treves to inter¬ cede with Maximus on behalf of several adherents of Gratian’s, who lay in prison under sentence of death, she persuaded her husband to grant the Saint’s request. In her turn she begged the Bishop to do her the signal honour of partaking of a repast in her apartment and permitting her to serve him. Martin demurred, but by her persistency she overcame his scruples. Although he was over seventy, he never conversed alone with women except on the subject of their soul’s salvation. However, he finally yielded to her entreaties and consented to dine with her. She invited her husband, and, sending away the domestics, she herself gave them water to wash their hands, waited upon them at table —having previously cooked the food—filled and gave them to drink out of cups of por¬ phyry, and, in fine, performed all the offices of a humble servant. When the meal was over she carefully gathered up the crumbs that had fallen on the ground, and of these she partook with as much joy and pleasure as though they had been delicious dainties. St. Gregory of Tours tells us that the cup AT THE COURT OF THE EMPEROR. 89 from which St. Martin drank on this occasion was preserved in Tours and venerated as a precious relic. Previous to this entertainment Maximus had also experienced considerable difficulty in persuading the saintly Bishop to sit at his table and partake of meat with him. Martin absolutely refused. He courageously told Maximus that he would not eat or drink with a man who had caused one emperor to be murdered and had robbed another of his dominions. Maximus solemnly vowed that the imperial crown had been forced upon him absolutely against his will by the soldiers, and that it was with the greatest reluctance he had accepted it; indeed, that he had only accepted it in order to restore peace and concord to the empire. He also vehemently protested his innocence of the assassination of Gratian, declaring he had neither hand or part in it. Further, he assured Martin that none of his foes had perished, except those who had lost their lives in fair and open fight. He added that he considered his extraordinarily swift and incredible success was a sure sign that it was God’s will he should accept and wear the imperial purple. 90 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. St. Martin, like St. Ambrose, invariably maintained the Apostolical authority, and showed the great respect and honour in which he held the sacerdotal dignity. When Maximus finally persuaded him to accept his hospitality, Martin gave a visible and unforgettable proof of his extreme venera¬ tion for the humblest member of the priest¬ hood. Maximus had bidden all the most distin¬ guished men of his court to this sumptuous and imperial banquet, given in honour of the humblest of the humble. Among the guests were the Empress, the Emperor’s brother, his uncle, the Prefect of the Prsetorium, and Evodius, the Consul. Our Martin, as the honoured guest, sat on a high chair at Maximus’ right hand, and the priest who accompanied him reclined on a low couch between the Emperor’s brother and his uncle. When the entertainment was a little forward and the time for serving wine came, an officer presented the loving-cup to the Emperor, who in a royal and generous spirit of affectionate respect handed it before testing it himself to his revered guest, the holy Bishop of Tours. AT THE COURT OF THE EMPEROR. 9 1 Naturally Maximus expected that when Martin had drunk of the wine he would return the cup to his host. However, saints’ ways are not the ways of courts, and Martin, looking round him, smiled his genial smile, at the same time serenely handing the cup to the priest, thus showing he considered him the most honourable and estimable person in that royal and courtly assembly. This significant act won the approbation and applause not only of the Empress, but of the Emperor and of all the courtiers. The sincere friendship that Maximus felt for the dauntless Apostle augmented day by day. The Emperor respected the man, who never hesitated to speak and act without fear. He constantly invited our Saint to his palace, consulting him on State affairs, revealing his plans and projects, and listening with great deference and respect to the words of wisdom and of kindness that fell from the lips of the wise and gentle Saint. Martin took advantage of these interviews to endeavour to raise the Emperor’s mind heavenward, frequently discoursing on the seraphic beauty of holiness, the happiness and glory enjoyed by the Blessed in Paradise, 92 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. the reward exceeding great promised by Our Lord to those who love and serve Him. At the same time, our Saint, who, we know, was not deficient in worldly wisdom and pru¬ dence, sought to persuade Maximus to give up his intention of crossing the Alps into Italy in order to attack the dead Gratian’s younger brother, Valentinian II., then ruling over that part of the empire. “If you carry the war into Italy,” the Saint told the Emperor, “you will gain some victories and triumph for a short time; but in the end Valentinian will conquer and you will perish miserably.” This prophecy came true later on, for Maxi¬ mus having been defeated in Italy by Theo¬ dosius, was soon after killed at Aquileia in 388. But this was not yet, and in the mean¬ time a grievous trial afflicted not only Our Martin, but all Christendom—this was the affair of the Priscillianists. 93 CHAPTER XIV. THE PRISCILLIAN HERESY. T HE heresy known as the Priscillian had spread widely in Spain, and in parts of Gaul, during the latter part of the Fourth Century. It took its name from a nobleman called Priscillian, who was its chief propagator, though the sect started in Egypt, and from there was spread in Spain by a Memphian named Marcus. Marcus made two important converts in Spain. One was Agape, a wealthy Spanish lady, and the other was Helpidius, the famous rhetorician. The adherents of this sect confounded the Three Divine Persons, calling them by extra¬ ordinary names. They taught that Our Lord assumed human nature and suffered and died for us only in appearance. They also con¬ demned and dissolved marriages, and they considered it right and laudable to forswear themselves, tell lies, and practice dissimulation. 94 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. “ Swear, forswear thyself, betray not the secret,” was one of their favourite cries. Many of their doctrines were similar to those of Simon Majus, the Manichees, and the Gnostics. However, the acknowledged leader of this pernicious sect was undoubtedly Priscillian. He was of noble birth, wealthy, well educated, eloquent, and on the whole rather attractive; though his conceit, pride, and spirit of unrest tainted an otherwise fine character. He succeeded in gaining quite a group of converts, among whom were many distinguished men and several ladies. He had, indeed, a special fascination for most women. His fol¬ lowers included the two prelates, Saturnius and Instantius. Heginos, Bishop of Cordova, at first vigorously opposed, but was afterwards seduced by Pris¬ cillian. Idacius, Bishop of Emerita (Merida), and Ithacius, Bishop of Sossula, were among the most determined enemies of the new sect, and they succeeded in having Priscillian, the two bishops and a layman tried by the Council of Saragossa, found guilty of heresy, and excom¬ municated. Saturnius and Instantius on hearing THE PRISCILLIAN HERESY. 95 the sentence immediately proceeded to hold it in contempt, and, in open and flagrant defiance of the Council and its decrees, they consecrated Priscillian bishop, and he immediately took possession of the See of Aviba (Alibi). However, they could not for long set at naught the ecclesiastical power. Not only the orthodox priests but a number of the people were against them. Consequently, they repaired to Rome in order to clear themselves before the Sovereign Pontiff, Damasus. He, however, refused to see them, and then they went on to Milan, where St. Ambrose treated them in the same manner and would not grant them an interview. Gratian was at the time Emperor, and he, sympathising with them, ordered that their Sees should be restored. On the accession of Maximus they again got into trouble, and were condemned by the Council of Bordeaux, 384. Against this sentence Priscillian appealed to Maximus, and was bidden to come to Treves and plead his cause in person before the Emperor. Priscillian’s inexorable foes, the Spanish bishops, Ithacius and Idacius, brought most 96 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. horrible charges against him and his followers, and did all in their power to induce Maximus to condemn them to death, but St. Ambrose and St. Martin were quite against this per¬ secution. These saintly and truly apostolic men abhorred the shedding of blood, and, like loyal sons of Holy Church, advocated mercy and pardon. In all ages and at all times the Catholic Church has strenuously opposed bloodshed. Therefore, the Bishops of Milan and Tours opposed the furious charges and murderous demands of the Spanish bishops, endeavouring to save the Heresiarch and his adherents on the plea that it was sufficient that they had been declared heretics by the Councils of Saragossa and Bordeaux, and that it was not right and quite without precedent to try an ecclesiastical cause before a secular court. Maximus listened to his dear friend Martin, and agreed if possible to let the matter fall through that there should not be a trial, and solemnly promised under no circumstances would he permit the execution of the heretics. Martin returned to Tours, but no sooner was he on his way than the vacillating Emperor weakly yielded to the plausible arguments of THE PRISCILLIAN HERESY. 97 Ithacius, and entrusted the cause of the Pris- cillians to the severe and inflexible Evodius, at the same time conferring upon him the office of Prefect of the Prsetorium. The result was that Priscillian was put to torture, and finally he and a few of his followers were beheaded by order of Evodius in 385. Many of the heretics were banished and their estates confiscated. The Ithacians also induced the Emperor to send tribunes into Spain, armed with the Imperial authority to search out heretics, in order to confiscate their property and put them to death. It was feared that many innocent people would fall under suspi¬ cion, because the pallor of a man’s face or the simplicity of his dress was sufficient evidence against him. He would, if the tribunes dis¬ liked him, be condemned to death and executed without further investigation and without any trial. However, the day after they had obtained this order, they heard with consternation that the zealous and indomitable champion of Humanity and of Charity had set out from Tours and was on his way to Treves. G 98 CHAPTER XV. SAINT AND HERO. I T is not, of course, to be supposed that St. Martin had any sympathy with heresy; nor did he ever defend or seek to excuse in the slightest degree the Manichean and Gnostic doctrines of Priscillian and his fol¬ lowers. No; Our Martin hated the sin and loved the sinner. In his overflowing charity, in his large-hearted humanity, he would not that the body of the most impious should perish. It was never his way to endeavour to save the soul through torture and death. Probably he was of opinion that no man’s soul could thus be saved. Like Our Blessed Lord’s and His beloved Disciples, the Gospel of Martin was the Gospel of Love. “As the Father hath loved Me, I also have loved you. Abide in My love. This is my commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you.” SAINT AND HERO. 99 “ Dearly beloved, let us love one another; for charity is of God and knoweth God. And everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth God. My dearest, if God hath so loved us, we ought to love one another.” By love and kindness, by compassion and charity exceeding great, he would and did win souls to God. “ He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small; For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.” Our Martin, who so tenderly loved dumb creatures, had also room in that great heart of his for the heretic and the sinner. And for what he did in Treves in 385 all men, whether within or without the Catholic Church, revere, honour, and admire him as one of the world’s noblest and most gallant heroes; as well as venerate him as one of the holiest saints of the Holy Catholic Church. Ithacius, Idacius, and their adherents were dismayed when they learned that the Bishop of Tours was close to the city. With the Emperor’s sanction, they sent officers to meet him at the gate, and refused to allow him IOO ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. to pass unless he could satisfy them that his mission was a harmless one. “ Do you come in peace towards Ithacius and his followers ? ” they asked insistently. Martin smiled his genial smile as he replied adroitly, “I come with the Peace of Jesus Christ.” During the night they allowed him to enter, and he went straight to the church to invoke the Divine aid. He stayed there until morning absorbed in prayer. Then he went to the palace, but the palace doors were closed. Maximus absolutely refused to see him. As usual, however, Martin won the day. He succeeded by fervent prayer and indomitable perseverance in penetrating into the Emperor’s apartments. Maximus asserted that the Priscillians had been quite legally and justly condemned for their crimes by the secular judges, not by the ecclesiastical Court. Consequently he con¬ sidered Martin should make friends with the bishops and their adherents, and consent to receive the Holy Communion with them. “ If you refuse to do so,” Maximus asserted, “ the people will think you are quite on Theo- gnostus’ side”—a bishop who had publicly SAINT AND HERO. IOI denounced Ithacius and Idacius—“ and dis¬ sension, disunion and quarrels will be the result. What is more, Ithacius will be com¬ pletely ruined.” However, Martin absolutely refused to com¬ municate with Ithacius and his followers. Maximus was furious; he dismissed the Bishop of Tours with fierce anger. Then he gave orders to his officers to put to death without delay the Governor Leucadius, and Count Narses. Martin had previously implored the Emperor to spare the lives and property of these two men. They had incurred the displeasure of Maximus because they were formerly partisans of Gratian’s. Martin was dreadfully distressed, not only on Narses’ and Leucadius’ account, but also because he feared that if the Tribune went into Spain many heretics and several innocent persons as well would be executed and put to death. The following day he heard that his fears were well founded, for Maximus commanded the Tribunes to set out en route for Spain and there inaugurate a rigorous inquisition. Martin returned to the palace. He threw 102 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. himself at the Emperor’s feet; but Maximus for once was resolute. “Unless you consent to communicate with the Ithacians, the Tribunes go to Spain and Gratian’s former partisans will be beheaded,” he declared with convincing vehemence. Then Martin, to save the lives of Narses, Leucadius, and the Spanish heretics, consented to receive Holy Communion on the following morning with the Ithacians. As a matter of fact these men were not excommunicated yet, and the Bishop of Tours did not violate any ecclesiastical canons in receiving the Holy Eucharist in their com¬ pany. Maximus kept his word—he revoked the order—and Martin kept his word. He received Holy Communion on the following day with the Ithacians on the occasion of the consecra¬ tion of Felix, the newly-elected Archbishop of Treves. Pope St. Sixtus and the Council of Turin, in 397, solemnly condemned and excommuni¬ cated the Ithacians. Ithacius was, of course, deposed from his See, and died in exile. Idacius voluntarily gave up his bishopric. The rest of the clergy SAINT AND HERO. 103 and people who had followed the lead of these two prelates were excommunicated, and were only re-admitted into the Church when they openly separated themselves from Ithacius and Idacius. 104 CHAPTER XVI. “THE DAY IS NOW FAR SPENT.” D URING the remaining years of his life Martin devoted himself with, if possible, even more fervour and zeal to the care of his diocese, the sanctification of the monks of Marmoutier, and the eradication from his own soul of the least imperfection. Marmoutier had by this time grown into a famous Abbey—more than fourscore monks prayed and worked there. It had a beautiful chapel, a fine library, and was surrounded by richly-cultivated gardens, fertile well-tilled fields and meadows, and plenteous vine-yards. It was gradually attaining foremost rank—Majus Monasterium. An old rhyme runs : “ De quel cote que le vente vente Marmoutier a cens et rente.” Needless to say, it was not in its worldly power, pomp, and prosperity that our humble Martin gloried. No; it was in the increasing zeal, THE DAY IS NOW FAR SPENT.” 105 fervour, and spiritual advancement of his sons. Piety and learning flourished there, and later on Marmoutier was to win undying fame as a trustworthy school of history. Martin spent most of his time in his cell on the Loire bank, leading a life of ascetic austerity, severest bodily mortification, and angelic holi¬ ness. Occasionally he set out, riding on his ass, his staff in his hand, to visit his gradually increasing diocese, but most of his time was given to prayer and meditation in the solitude of his cell. He was a very old man, close on eighty, and his life had been a strenuous one. He had not tasted only “ One crowded hour of glorious life,” but many crowded hours— glorious hours, glorious days, glorious life, in which by his love and by his faith he had overcome paganism, had triumphed over sin, had defeated the world, the flesh, and the devil, and all their alluring works and pomps. And so his strenuous saintly life wore to its close in peaceful Marmoutier, perched high above the running waters of the lovely Loire. “Night by night the stream murmurs to him, day by day the vine leaves gave their shade, and daily by the horizon’s breadth so much nearer heaven, the fore-running sun goes down IO6 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. for him beyond the glowing water,—there, where now the peasant woman trots homewards between her panniers, and the saw rests in the half-cleft wood, and the village spire rises against the farthest light in Turner’s Loire-side.” So his closing days pass peacefully, yet with an occasional breeze to disturb their placidity. We learn from Sulpicius Severus that the monk Brice was frequently very troublesome. Brice was the spoiled darling, the petit chou of the gentle Bishop. Martin had reared him, had trained him, had given him the tonsure; but Brice, like many dearly loved and loveable pets, had a temper, and a decided and often very refractory character. On several occasions— notably on the one of which we are about to speak—he quite forgot the reverence and deference due from him to his kind and generous master. Brice revelled in luxury, in sumptuous dress, in luscious meats, in riding fast thoroughbreds. Martin remonstrated with him, and Brice flew into a passion. “ I am more of a saint than you ! ” he shouted, in tumul¬ tuous rage. “ I have lived with you all my days in a monastery. I have been brought up under God’s roof, studying sacred and profane learning and listening to your discourses. As “THE DAY IS NOW FAR SPENT.” IO7 for you, you spent your youth amidst the license and brutality of camps, and in your old age you have become superstitious, you dream dreams and imagine you see visions.” Another time Brice said to a visitor who had come to pay his respects to the saintly Bishop of Tours: “ If it’s that old dotard you want to see, look at him over there, foolishly gazing up at the sky.” When the visitor had gone, Martin called the young monk to him. “ Do you then, my Brice, think me an old dotard ? ” he asked, with his wonted gentleness. Brice loudly protested that he had never said or thought such a thing, but Martin, with his serenely humorous smile, replied : “ Brice, Brice, my ear was close to your mouth when you called me a dotard.” Generally Martin took no notice of these clamorous outbursts, and when Brice had violently accused him of the most dreadful crimes, he said, with infinite gentleness and patience: “ Our Blessed Lord put up with Judas, shall not I then put up with Brice?” In the end, the wonderful serenity and kind¬ ness of the Blessed Martin so touched the heart of his passionate and rebellious disciple that io8 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. Brice was quite converted. He became a changed man, and was as docile, meek, mild and respectful as formerly he had been fiery, assertive, and impudent. St. Martin predicted that the impetuous Brice would be his successor in the See of Tours, and would eventually be canonised. These events happened in due course. Brice was consecrated Bishop of Tours in 398. He lived a most holy and exemplary life, governing his See with wisdom and prudence, and he died in the odour of sanctity in 444. His memory is held in great veneration in France and England, and his name still maintains its place even in Protestant calendars. To return to Our Martin. These passing clouds did not obscure the brilliant sun, and the glory of earth and sky. The life-long lover of nature and of nature’s children enjoyed in fullest measure in his declining years the ex¬ quisite delight of contemplating the glorious spectacle of this beautiful world. “ The meanest floweret of the vale, The simplest note that swells the gale, The common sun, the air, the skies, To him are opening Paradise.” To Martin they were, indeed, opening Para- “THE DAY IS NOW FAR SPENT.” 109 dise. Paradise was coming near, very near, earth, with its troubles and joys, its friends and its foes; its beauty and its ugliness was fast fading from the vision of the holy old man. Celestial visitors came to him in his cell. He saw, as Brice had arrogantly asserted, visions and dreamed dreams—visions of the Lord Jesus and of His saints ; dreams of the heavenly Jerusalem. Listening outside his cell, the monks heard sweet musical voices within, and Martin frankly acknowledged that angelic and saintly spirits had conversed with him—Mary, Agnes, and Theckla. He often saw and spoke with the Apostles, Sts. Peter and Paul. He minutely described their faces and forms, and even the garments they wore, and he confessed that they frequently appeared and conversed with him. He knew his days were numbered, and he foretold his approaching death to his disciples. Nevertheless, when he heard that a difference had arisen at Candes among the clergy, he resolved to go there and endeavour to settle the dispute. His monks protested, urging the danger to IIO ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. his health ; but notwithstanding their entreaties and his own extreme weakness, he set out for that town. It was at the extremity of his diocese and was situated at the juuction of the Loire and the Vienne. It was in Touraine, but close to the borders of Poitou and Anjou. Consequently it was a long and tedious journey for an old man of eighty years to undertake. However, Martin did not hesitate. During his long life, whether as soldier of Caesar or soldier of Christ, he had never spared himself. He did not spare himself in his old age, with, as it were, one foot in the gr$ive. Once more he mounted his ass, once more he took his pastoral staff; once again he rode forth, followed by a number of zealous monks, to bring the Peace of Jesus Christ into the midst of a clamorous and warring assembly. He went there, guided by the Holy Spirit, to do, as he had invariably done, the right thing, at the right time, in the right place. So Martin journeyed to Candes, and there death waited for him. Omnipotent Providence had decreed from the beginning that the Bishop of Tours, gallant soldier, chivalrous hero, angelic saint, our gentle, genial Martin should lay down his life in this obscure little THE DAY IS NOW FAR SPENT.’ Ill village at the confluence of the Loire and the Vienne. He had come to it by many mazy paths ; but surely he had come to it—as surely as though following the leading of a faultlessly directed arrow. 112 CHAPTER XVII. THE PASSING OF MARTIN. T HE saintly Bishop of Tours brought the Peace of Jesus into the midst of the warring clerics. The strife of tongues ceased, concord and harmony reigned in their place; and Martin, having accomplished his mission, was on the point of returning to Marmoutier when his strength quite failed him. He was in the grip of a deadly lassi¬ tude—a weakness so great that even his daunt¬ less spirit could not conquer it. He called together his disciples and told them that the hour was at hand— the hour he had long and earnestly desired ; the hour of the triumph of the soul. Soon the impetuous loving soul would leave its worn-out earthly tenement and fly homeward—heavenward. The knowledge of his rapidly-approaching dissolution was full of surpassing joy and un¬ utterable bliss to Martin; but it overwhelmed his brethren and friends with poignant sorrow. THE PASSING OF MARTIN. II 3 Weeping and praying, they cried, “ Do not leave us, father; do not forsake your poor children. If you desert us, the ferocious wolves will fall upon and devour us. O gentle and tender father, why do you abandon your children? We know well that you ardently desire to be united with Jesus Christ in heaven; but you are certain of gaining heaven; your reward is sefcure, and it will not be the less splendid because it is delayed. Have pity on us. Do not leave us alone to face difficulties and dangers unsustained by your help and courage.” Martin was deeply touched, and, burning with that Divine charity that he drew from the adorable Heart of his loving Lord, he prayed : “ O my God in heaven, if I am still necessary to Thy people and to Thy service, I am willing to live and to work as long as Thou wishest. May Thy Holy Will be done.” His heart was rent in twain between his love for Jesus Christ and the ardent desire of his soul to fly heavenward to Him, and the love and the compassion he felt for his brethren and his undying wish to serve and help them. However, Martin, like a true and fervent Christian and a valiant and obedient soldier, H 14 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. left himself absolutely in the hands of his Divine Master. Sulpicius Severus remarks : “ It was as though he had said, ‘ My soul is unconquered by age, weakness, or fatigue, and ready to sustain fresh labours. If it is Thy Will, I will fight under Thy Standard as long as Thou desirest. But, O my God ! if Thou takest me to Thyself, if Thou hast pity on me, Thou wilt Thyself be the guardian and protector of those dear children Thou hast given into my charge, and for whom I fear many dangers are in store. May Thy Holy Will be done ! ’ ” For several days Martin was consumed with fever ; his life hung in the balance, but he was serenely resigned either to recover or to die. His constant prayer was that the Divine Will might be accomplished. Notwithstanding his intense suffering, he lay upon ashes on the bare ground, his only covering a hair cloth. His brethren begged him to allow them to make him a couch of straw, but he gently refused, saying: “No, my children. It is not seemly that a Christian should die except on ashes and hair-cloth. It would be sinful for me to leave you any other example.” He lay close to a window and from it he THE PASSING OF MARTIN. 115 could look upon the beautiful blue sky of Touraine. He kept his hands and eyes raised towards it, praying unceasingly. The priests who surrounded him begged him to change his position, and turn on the other side in order to give his body a little rest. “ Nay, my children,” he answered, with a seraphic smile, “ let me look towards Heaven rather than towards earth, so that I may clearly see the way my soul is about to take when it leaves my body and sets out on its journey to my Lord and my God.” Satan who so often ineffectually tempted and assailed him during life, made a last attempt, in the hope of troubling the Saint’s dying moments. Perceiving the devil close to him, Martin cried in a loud voice : “ What dost thou here, cruel wretch ? There is nothing in me that is yours. I go to Abraham’s bosom.” These were his last words. The loving soul of Martin, Bishop of Tours, had flown like a white dove straight to its Creator. No sooner had he given up the ghost than his face and body became transfigured. They seemed as though already glorious and im¬ mortal. The spectators noticed it with astonish¬ ment, and with equal awe and wonder they Il6 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. listened to celestial voices singing in a melo¬ dious chant the splendid triumph and heavenly rewards enjoyed by their dead pastor. Indeed, it is related that the echoes of this seraphic music were heard by many in the surrounding country. St. Martin died in the eighty-first year of his age, on Sunday, the 8th November, in the year of Our Lord 397—in the first year of the reign of the Emperor Honorius. “ Here we have come, and only the silence to meet us, Here we have come—No clash from the arms of the Cross. God’s soldier sleepeth, never again to greet us, Ah, might he wake, whose sleep is all men’s loss, Yet let us enter and sorrowful vigil be keeping, Here before Martin’s God let our prayers be laid, Kneel here low in the place washed with his weeping, And his strong spirit will come to our weak heart’s aid. The warrior sleeps, but Thou that watchest well, Thou that slumberest not, save us, save Israel.” CHAPTER XVIII. THE GATHERING OF MARTIN. S ULPICIUS SEVERUS to the Deacon Aurelius greeting : “ This morning, when you had left me, I remained alone in my cell, praying and meditating. After some time I got exhausted, and I lay down on my bed and fell into a doze, when suddenly I saw our Bishop, the Blessed Martin, come in. He was clothed in spotless white, and his face and hair glowed with dazzling light. He carried in his hand the book I had written about him, and he smiled upon me with his wonted loving kindness. I threw myself at his feet, embracing his knees and begging him to bless me. I felt the gentle touch of his hand upon my head. Then he smiled again, and vanished as it were into the clouds. I tried to rise and follow him, but the efforts I made awoke me. Presently two monks visited me, looking very sad and woebegone. 118 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. “ ‘ What is the matter with you ? * I inquired. * Why are you troubled ? ’ “ ‘ Martin lies dead atCandes,’ they answered.” “Yes, Martin, the gentle, genial, humble Apostle of Touraine, had passed away, and the men of Touraine and Poitou were quarrelling over his dead body. The Poitevins shouted : ‘ He is ours. He was ours first! ’ And the Tourangeux retorted : ‘ He is our Bishop, there¬ fore is our claim the greater and the stronger.’ Long they fought and disputed, while the body of Martin lay before them, calm and beautiful and serenely peaceful. “ Night came and still they clamoured; but finally the men of Poitou grew weary and fell asleep, and while they slumbered the men of Tours, wakeful and alert, took possession of the precious remains, and carried the body to a boat. Outside there, where the dark Vienne meets the great Loire, the boat was ready. Brothers within hoisted the blessed body to brothers without, who furtively con¬ veyed it to the boat. Up the Loire, while all the world slept, went the waking boat with its holy freight—past La Chapelle, past Langeais, past Maille, only known then as stations of the Faith—rowers replacing rowers with tire- THE GATHERING OF MARTIN. 119 less haste ; the men at the stern peering into the night, lest pursuers should come and rob them of their treasure, and so they came to Tours.” An innumerable crowd was assembled on the banks of the Loire to meet and pay the last respects to the body of the great Wonder- Worker. All the citizens of Tours were assembled, and many of the inhabitants of neighbouring towns and villages, country folk peasants, old and young, gentle and simple, were there. The old chronicles tell us that two thousand monks, and nearly as many white-robed virgins, walked in the procession. The sad procession of weeping men and women wound its way from the banks of the river, carrying the blessed body, through the narrow streets to a little grove outside the town. They sang hymns as they went—hymns and canticles in honour of the God of Martin ; and though their hearts were heavy for the loss of their Bishop, yet they felt that their loss was his gain, and as they followed the blessed remains, they praised and glorified Almighty God. St. Gregory of Tours tells us that the place where the people of Tours buried the body of 120 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. their holiest Bishop was at that time situated about 530 paces from the city. St Brice built a chapel over the tomb, and later on, in 470, St. Perpetuas, the sixth Bishop, erected a mag¬ nificent church and monastery. The fame of Martin’s miracles and the know¬ ledge of his high sanctity grew and spread throughout all the civilized world. Devout pilgrims from many lands came and prayed at his shrine. Great kings gave precious and priceless gifts. Louis XI. enriched the tomb with a silver trellis enclosure and a silver statue of himself. Somewhat out of place we think this statue of the crafty, superstitious monarch beside the holy relics of the gentle, straight¬ forward, and honestly-believing Saint. It is also a curious fact, very characteristic of the scheming king, that the gift was given in gratitude for the death of Burgundy. Previously St. Eloi (Eligius) had made a covering of wrought gold and jewels for the tomb. So Martin, humblest of the humble, was honoured and glorified after death as but few saints or sinners have been in the world’s history. His name was one to conjure with. His collegiate church was world-famous; THE GATHERING OF MARTIN. 121 the kings of France were proud to be its titu¬ lary abbots ; Louis XIV. was the last. The Patriarch of Jerusalem, the Archbishops of Cologne, Sens Bourges, the Bishops of Lifege, Strasburg, Angers, the dukes and peers of France, and the Earls of Douglas, in Scotland, were its canons. In the days of Sulpicius Severus, Martinopolis had become famous. The faithful disciple and enthusiastic chronicler had the gratification of seeing with his own eyes and hearing with his own ears the love, devotion, and reverence paid to his saint-hero increase by leaps and bounds. Martin was the most popular of the saints. In England and Scotland churches were dedicated to him ; in Ireland he was enshrined in the hearts of the people. They spoke of him as the Good Martin, the kind, open-handed, warm¬ hearted wonder-worker; the dear friend and kinsman of their own glorious Apostle—the holy Saint Patrick. So the glory of Martin, and the beauty and wealth of Martinopolis increased, until in 1562 the Huguenots came, destroyed the collegiate church and monastery, ruthlessly desecrated the shrine, and scattered the sacred relics. Some of them were discovered later on, and the 122 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. church was restored, but in 1793 the Revolu¬ tionists swooped down upon church and shrine. The church was absolutely wrecked with the exception of two towers, and the inhuman monsters of the Terror, in order to prevent its reconstruction, caused two streets to be opened on its site. But God would not permit the memory and the relics of his faithful servant and priest to perish. A bell-ringer found and carefully pre¬ served St. Martin’s skull, a woman saved his arm-bone, and in i860 the site and some fragments of his tomb were discovered. Monseigneur Meignan, Archbishop of Tours, erected a basilica over the precious, relics and consecrated it on the Feast of St. Martin, the nth November, 1890. All Tours, all Touraine, nay, all France rejoiced. Martin was once again revered and honoured among them. All Tours was present at the ceremony, the Archbishop, the clergy, priests and nuns, Republicans and Royalists, Catholics and Huguenots, pious believers and sceptics, nobles and citizens, students, professors, artisans, young and old, all were there to do honour to Our Martin. It was, indeed, as Monsieur l’Abbe Williez remarked, a true Jubilee—that is to say, a day THE GATHERING OF MARTIN. 123 of great and universal joy and of unspeakable happiness. Martin had come back to them ; his shrine was once more the glory and the treasure of the city and people. And they prayed with full and grateful hearts— “ O Blessed Father, thou whose soul is in heaven, our Blessed Martin, thou who art the joy of the angelic choirs, art beloved by all saints and welcomed by the hosts of virgins, stay with us this time for ever. Do not again leave thy dear children.” The Feast of St. Martin is kept on the nth November, that of his ordination and the trans¬ lation of his relics on the 4th July, and the one celebrating the recovery of his relics, and called Relatio, on the 13th December. St. Martin is one of the sweetest and most lovable of the saints. Through love and affec¬ tion he became one with all kinds and conditions of men; therefore, after sixteen centuries, we take him to our hearts and claim him ours. In our day as in his, Almighty God graciously harkens to the cries and the voices of his children. Miracles are wrought, the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame walk, the dumb cry “Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth to men of good will.” They cry with 124 ST. MARTIN OF TOURS. great gladness in thanksgiving for many blessings and favours. The wonders so lately worked by Jeanne d’Arc, the Little Flower of Jesus, and many holy men and women, bring home to our minds the extraordinary miracles wrought in the fourth century by the marvellous wonder-worker. The celebration last year of the sixteenth century of the giving of universal peace to Christendom by Constantine the Great, enables us to feel abso¬ lutely in touch with those faraway days in which Our Martin strenuously toiled in the Lord’s vineyard. We fervently hope that, like our beloved Saint, when our time comes, we may pass through the portal men call death, and may with our dying voices pray “ Thou Lord, dost call me and I come to Thee; I come not through my own merits, but through Thy mercy, and I ask Thy mercy from Thee in the name of Thy glorious servant, the Blessed Saint Martin.” OUR OWN COUNTRY BY LOUISE M. STACPOOLE KENNY EXTRACTS FROM PRESS OPINIONS. The Tablet .—“ Here we have a bright little novel, full of Irish life, character and humour. If the work of this novel is rather unequal, there are some touching and some beautiful passages in it.” The Month .—“ ‘ Our Own Country ’ is a very plea¬ santly and even powerfully written story of Irish life, by Louise M. Stacpoole Kenny. We warmly recom¬ mend this witty and sympathetic book.” Benziger's Magazine (New York).—“A touching novel of Irish life, full of religious atmosphere, telling of the intense love of the Gael for his country, and in particular for that immediate part of it whereon he was born and raised—his ‘ own country.’ A whole¬ some love story, characteristically Irish, carries the reader through every page to the end.” The Freeman's Journal .—“The author of this pleasant and readable story has a good gift of narra¬ tive, and the absence of pretentiousness makes her work delightful reading. This little story, with its 126 EXTRACTS FROM PRESS OPINIONS. neat character studies, its charming love interest, its neat descriptive touches, natural agreeable dialogue, clever arrangement, and its dramatic, yet quite unsen- sational plot, should find a host of readers, and leave the most pleasurable impression. The story is pleasant, entertaining, wholesome, interesting and artistic.” Irish Times .—“ Mrs. Kenny has written a pleasant story of Irish life in the country, of peasants, priests, and gentle folk. It is a sequel to ‘Carrow of Carrow- dufif.’ The best thing in the book is the portrait of the earnest Father O’Donovan.” Cork Examiner .—“ ‘ Our Own Country ’ will meet with as cordial a reception as its predecessors have been accorded. It is a study of Irish life, full of vitality and humour. There is the ring of reality about it, and a pleasing variety of plot and character. The deep religious note pervading the story adds a special charm to its telling, and invests it with a whole¬ some atmosphere.” Irish Monthly .—“ This is a delightful story of Irish life, full of the humour and pathos of country life. The scene of the story is confined within narrow limits, but the appeal of the book to human sympathy will be very wide.” PRINTED BY JAMES DUFFY & CO., LIMITED, AT 6l & 62 GREAT STRAND STREET, DUBLIN DATE DUE ISEFTD 2002 UNIVERSITY PRODUCTS, INC. #859-5503 BOSTON COLLEGE 3 9031 020 95399 8 -feS9 r? i3J7 Qji J ~7 ., BOSTON COLLEGE LIBRARY UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS CHESTNUT HILL, MASS. Books may be kept for two weeks and may be renewed for the same period, unless reserved. Two cents a day is charged for each book kept overtime. If you cannot find what you want, ask the Librarian who will be glad to help you. The borrower is responsible for books drawn on his card and for all fines accruing on the same.