E07766: Gregory of Tours, in his Histories (5.49), describes how during Gregory's trial in 580 for slandering Queen Fredegund, a man named Modestus, who had been imprisoned after criticising Gregory's accusers, was miraculously freed through the intervention of *Martin (ascetic and bishop of Tours, ob. 397, S00050) and *Medard (bishop of Noyon, buried at Soissons, ob. 557/558, S00168), and joined Gregory at vigils in Medard's church at Soissons. Written in Latin in Tours (north-west Gaul), 580/594.
Creators: name: Dlambert
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2019
Subjects: History

description: Gregory of Tours, Histories (Historiae) 5.49<br><br>Igitur rex, arcessitis regni sui episcopis, causam diligenter iussit exquiri. Cumque Riculfus clericus saepius discuteretur occulte et contra me vel meos multas fallacias promulgaret, Modestus quidam faber lignarius ait ad eum: 'O infelix, qui contra episcopum tuum tam contumaciter ista meditaris! Satius tibi erat silere, et, petita venia episcopi, gratiam inpetraris'. Ad haec ille clamare coepit voce magna ac dicere: 'En ipse, qui mihi silentium indicit, ne prosequar veritatem! En reginae inimicum, qui causam criminis eius non sinet inquiri!' Nuntiantur protinus haec reginae. Adprehenditur Modestus, torquetur, flagellatur, et in vincla compactus, custodiae deputatur. Cumque inter duos custodes catenis et cippo teneretur vinctus, media nocte, dormientibus custodibus, orationem fudit ad Dominum, ut dignaretur eius potentia miserum visitare, et qui innocens conligatus fuerat, visitatione Martini praesulis ac Medardi absolveretur. Mox, disruptis vinculis, confracto cippo, reserato ostio, sancti Medardi basilicam, nocte nobis vigilantibus, introiit.<br><br>'The King now convened a council of all the bishops of his kingdom and ordered the affair to be investigated thoroughly. The cleric Riculf was several times interrogated in secret and he told many lies about me and mine. Modestus, a carpenter, said to him: "What a wretched creature you are, to conspire and plot against your own Bishop in this contumacious way! You would do better to keep your mouth shut, to ask your Bishop’s pardon and so once more to obtain his grace." In reply Riculf began to shout: "This fellow tells me to keep my mouth shut, instead of revealing the truth! He is an enemy of the Queen, for he wants to prevent us from investigating the charge brought against her." This event was immediately reported to Queen Fredegund. Modestus was arrested, put to the torture, beaten, loaded with chains and locked up in prison. As he sat there in his chains, between two guards and fastened to the block, midnight arrived and his guards nodded off to sleep. Modestus prayed to the Lord that in His omnipotence He would deign to visit a poor wretch who was tied up without having deserved it, and arrange for him to be freed through the intervention of Saint Martin the Bishop and Saint Medard. Thereupon the chains broke asunder, the block split open, the prison-door was unlocked and Modestus marched out and into the church of Saint Medard, where I myself was that night keeping vigils.<br><br><br>Text: Krusch and Levison 1951, 260. Translation: Thorpe 1974, lightly adapted.