E02134: Gregory of Tours, in his Histories (5.6), recounts a miracle in 576 of *Martin (ascetic and bishop of Tours, ob. 397, S00050), of first healing, then punishment: Leunast, archdeacon of Bourges, is partially cured of blindness at Martin's tomb in Tours, at the time of the saint's feast; but, after consulting a Jewish doctor, he becomes blind again. Gregory refers to his books of the Miracles of Martin. Written in Latin in Tours (north-west Gaul), 576/594.
Creators: name: Kwojtalik
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2016
Subjects: History

description: Gregory of Tours, Histories (Historiae) 5.6<br><br>Anno vero quo supra, id est quo, mortuo Sigybertho, Childeberthus, filius eius, regnare coepit, multae virtutes ad sepulchrum beati Martini apparuerunt, quas in illis libellis scripsi, quos de ipsis miraculis conponere temptavi. Et licet sermone rustico, tamen celare passus non sum, quae aut ipse vidi aut a fidelibus relata cognovi. Hic tantum, quid neglegentibus evenerit, qui post virtutem caelestem terrena medicamenta quaesierunt, exsolvam, quia, sicut per gratiam sanitatum, ita et in castigationem stultorum virtus eius ostenditur. Leonastis Biturigus archidiaconus, decedentibus cataractis, lumen caruit oculorum. Qui cum, per multos medicos ambulans, nihil omnino visionis recipere possit, accessit ad basilicam beati Martini; ubi per duos aut tres menses consistens et ieiunans assiduae, lumen ut reciperet flagitabat. Adveniente autem festivitate, clarificatis oculis cernere coepit; regressus quoque domum, vocato quodam Iudaeo, ventosas, quorum beneficio oculis lumen augeret, humeris superponit. Decedente quoque sanguine, rursus in redeviva caecitate redigitur. Quod cum factum fuisset, rursum ad sanctum templum regressus est. Ibique iterum longo spatio commoratus, lumen recipere non meruit. <br><br>'In this year, the year in which Sigibert died and his son Childebert began to reign, many miracles (virtutes) were performed at the tomb of Saint Martin. I have described these in the books which I have tried to write about his miracles. My Latin may be provincial, but I could hardly pass over in silence the things which I have seen, or which I have been told by the faithful. Here I will simply add what happened to certain sceptics, who, after receiving a god-sent miracle (virtus caelestis), sought earthly remedies (terrena medicamenta), for St Martin’s power is shown just as much by the punishment meted out to fools as it is by the grace accorded to those who have been cured. Leunast, archdeacon of Bourges, lost his sight through cataracts in both eyes. He sought the help of many doctors, but he did not recover his sight. Then he went to St Martin’s church, where he stayed for two or three months, fasting continually and praying that he might be able to see again. When St Martin’s feast-day came round, Leunast’s eyes cleared and he began to see. He went off home and consulted a Jew, who bled his shoulders with cupping-glasses, the effect of which was supposed to be that his sight would improve. As soon as the blood had been drawn off, Leunast became as blind as he had been before. He thereupon returned once more to the holy shrine. There he stayed for a long time, but he was never worthy to recover his sight.'<br><br>Text: Krusch and Levison 1951, 203. Translation: Thorpe 1974, 263, lightly modified.