E00606: Gregory of Tours, in his Glory of the Martyrs (70), tells how his brother-in-law was healed by an infusion made from a sage-leaf scattered at the grave of *Ferreolus and Ferrucio (martyrs of Besançon, S00348) in Besançon (eastern Gaul). Written in Latin in Tours (north-west Gaul), 580/594.
Creators: name: Pnowakowski
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2015
Subjects: History

description: Gregory of Tours, Glory of the Martyrs 70<br><br>Visonticorum quoque civitas propriis inlustrata martyribus, plerumque miraculis praesentibus gaudet. Huic in abdita criptae duo, ut passio declarat, martyres Ferreolus atque Ferrucio sunt sepulti. Factum est autem quodam tempore, ut vir sororis meae, invalescente febre, graviter aegrotaret. Cumque iam quarti mensis spatio lectulo anhelus occumberet, ut nihil aliud coniux maesta, nisi quae sepulturae erant necessaria, cogitaret, sanctorum basilicam flens ac tristis expetiit; provolutaque coram sepulchris, palmis ac facie rigentem oppraemit pavimentum. Accedit autem fortuitu, ut extensa dexterae manus palma folium herbae salviae, quod pro honore martyrum in cripta conspersum fuerat, operiret. Postquam autem, fusa oratione, cum lacrimis surrexit a tumulis, putans aliquid de lenteaminibus, quae induta erat, manu prendisse, ut adsolet, volam contenuit clausam; egressaque basilicam, patefacta manu, folium herbae miratur. Obstupefacta vero, quid huc esset, munus caeleste indultum sibi divinitus recognoscit, ut scilicet per eum virtus martyrum infirmo succurreret. Domui igitur iam laetior rediens, folium dilutum aqua viro porregit ad bibendum. Qui ut hausit plenus fide, protinus sanitatem plenissimam meruit obtenere.<br><br>'Besancon is also distinguished by its own martyrs and often rejoices in current miracles. According to the account of their suffering, the two martyrs Ferreolus and Ferrucio were buried here in an obscure comer of a crypt. Once it happened that the husband of my sister was very ill with a high fever. Already he had lain gasping on his bed for four months. Since his grieving wife could think of nothing else except what was required for his funeral, she wept and in her unhappiness went to the church of the saints. She knelt before their tombs, and she pressed her hands and face to the hard pavement. By chance it happened that the palm of her outstretched right hand closed on a leaf from the herb sage that had been scattered in the crypt in honour of the martyrs. Then, at the conclusion of her prayer, she rose in tears from the tombs. She thought she had taken in her hand something from the linen garments she was as usual wearing, and she kept her hand closed. After leaving the church, she opened her hand and was surprised by the leaf of the herb. Astounded at what it was, she recognized it as a gift from heaven granted to her by God, so that through it the power of the martyrs might no doubt assist her ill husband. She returned home in happiness, soaked the leaf in water, and offered the potion for her husband to drink. He was filled with faith, and when he drank the potion, immediately he was worthy to obtain his complete health.'<br><br>Text: Krusch 1969, 85. Translation: Van Dam 2004, 66-67.