Matlan_Tabibu
Matlan Tabibu (pia: Batlan) ni kati ya Wakristo waliofia dini yao This saint was from a city, the name of which is Ta’madan, and his father, whose name was Asturius, was an infidel, and his mother, whose name was ‘Ulana, was a believer. When the child grew up, his father taught him writing and every kind of learning (or, philosophy), and he became a very great and famous physician. And a certain man who was a priest lived near their house, and when Batlan passed by, and he saw his comeliness and his knowledge, and his wisdom and skill, and his understanding, he was sorry for him, because he was a denier [of Christ]. And the priest entreated our Lord Jesus Christ on behalf of Batlan, that He might guide him into the way of life, and bring him into the True Faith. And having multiplied his petitions to God on behalf of Batlan, a time came when God told the priest in a vision of the night that Batlan should believe through him, and the priest rejoiced. And the priest always spoke to Batlan whenever he passed before him, and saluted him, and through this custom friendship grew up between them; and Batlan used to go into the priest’s house to talk with him about the Faith. And the priest explained to him the uncleanness of idols, and the corruptness of heart of those who worshipped them, and he showed him the glory of the Faith of Christ, and the knowledge and understanding of those who serve Him; and then he made him to know that by the hands of all those who believe in Christ our Lord miracles are wrought; and great healings effected. And when Saint Batlan heard that all those who believe in Christ could perform miracles, he rejoiced exceedingly, and he longed to perform miracles for himself, and he fulfilled his desire with wisdom and worked miracles; for he believed in our Lord through that priest, who taught him at all times. And one day Saint Batlan was passing through the market place of the city, and he saw a man whom a serpent had bitten lying on the ground and the serpent was standing up before him. And he said within himself, “I will stand up that I may put to the test the words of the priest, my teacher, who saith unto me, ‘If thou dost belong to our Lord Jesus Christ, thou shalt work miracles in His Name.’” And he drew nigh unto the man whom the snake had bitten, and he prayed a long prayer, and asked Christ to make manifest His power and heal the man, and kill the serpent, so that it might not do harm to any one else. And when he had finished his prayer the man rose up alive and whole, and without pain, and the serpent fell down and died straightway. And Batlan’s faith increased, and he went to the priest who baptized him with Christian baptism, and he used to visit him continually. One day a blind man came unto him that he might heal him, and when the father of the saint saw him he sent him away. And Batlan questioned his father about this, and he said unto him, “Who was the man that was enquiring for me?” And his father answered, and said unto him, “It was a blind man, and thou canst not heal him.”  And the saint answered and said unto his father, “Thou shalt see [the power of] God.”  And he called the blind man back, and said unto him, “If thou canst see wilt thou believe in the God Who shall heal thine eyes for thee?”  And the blind man said unto him, “Yea, I will believe.”  And the saint prayed over him for a long time, and then he laid his hand upon the eyes of the blind man, and said unto him, “In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ receive thy sight”; and straightway the blind man’s eyes were opened. And when the father of the saint saw this he believed, together with the man who was blind, on our Lord Jesus Christ, and Batlan took them to the priest, his teacher, who baptized them both with Christian baptism. And when the father of the saint died, Batlan set his slaves free, and gave the greater part (?) of his money to the poor. And he practiced medicine, and healed men without payment, but he required those whom he healed to believe on Christ. And the [other] physicians were jealous of him, and they laid information against him, and the priest, and the man who was blind, and many other believers, before the king. And the king was wroth with them, and he said unto them, “Sacrifice ye to the gods,” but they refused to obey him, and the soldiers cut off their heads with the sword and they received crowns of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. And after this the king tortured Saint Batlan very severely, and many signs and wonders appeared through him, and many men believed through him, whilst he was under torture, and became martyrs. And the king was wroth with Saint Batlan, and cast him to the lions, but they would not injure him, and only licked his feet; and the king commanded the soldiers to cut off his head with the sword, and they did so, and thus he finished his fight, and received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. .