E00098: Gregory of Tours, in his Life of *Nicetius (bishop of Lyon, ob. 573, S00049), recounts how a poor man used a letter subscribed by Nicetius to help him beg; a thief required to swear on that subscription was miraculously forced to confess the truth; in Lyon (central Gaul), 581/589. From Gregory's Life of the Fathers, written in Latin in Tours (north-west Gaul), 573/594.

Gregory of Tours, Life of the Fathers 8.9

Quidam vero pauper, vivente sancto, litteras ab eo elicuit manu eius subscriptas, qualiter sibi per devotorum domos elymosinam flagitaret; post cuius obitum adhuc cum ipsam circumiens epistolam, non pauca ab elymosinariis pro sancti memoria capiebat. Desiderium enim erat omnibus, ut, quisque vidisset subscriptionem sancti, aliquid praeberet aegenti. Quod videns quidam Burgundio, non honorans neque venerans sanctum, observare pauperem coepit a longe; vidensque eum silvas ingressum, inruit tulitque ei sex aureos cum epistola, conlisumque calcibus reliquit exanimem. At ille inter calces et reliqua verbera hanc vocem emisit: "Adiuro te per Deum vivum et virtutem sancti Niceti, ut vel epistolam eius mihi reddi facias, quia ultra mihi non erit vita, si eam perdidero". Ille vero, proiecta in terram, abiit, quam pauper collegens, venit ad civitatem. Erat enim ibi eo tempore Phronimius episcopus, cui supra meminimus. Ad quem accedens pauper ille, ait: "Ecce hominem, qui me graviter caesum expoliavit, abstulitque sex aureos, quos pro intuitu epistolae sancti Niceti acceperam". Episcopus autem narravit haec comiti; iudex vero, vocatum Burgundionem, percunctari coepit ab eo, quid exinde diceret. Negavitque coram omnibus, dicens, quia: "Numquam vidi hominem istum neque res eius abstuli". Episcopus autem aspiciens epistolam, vidit subscriptionem sancti, et conversus ad Burgundionem, ait: "Ecce in hac epistola subscriptio sancti Niceti tenetur! Si es innocens, accede propius et iura, tangens manu scripturam, quam ipse depinxit. Credimus enim de virtute illius, quia aut te hodie reddit ab hoc scelere conprobatum, aut certe abire permittit innoxium". At ille nihil moratus, accedit ad manus episcopi, qui hanc epistolam extentam tenebat; elevansque manus suas, ut sacramentum daret, cecidit retrorsum supinus, et clausis oculis, spumas ab ore proiciens, quasi mortuus putabatur. Transeunte autem quasi duarum horarum spatio, aperuit oculos suos, dicens: "Vae mihi, quia peccavi auferendo res pauperis huius!" Et statim retulit ordinem, qualiter iniuriam intulerat homini illi. Tunc episcopus, cum iudice obtenta culpa, ea tantum quae abstulerat inopi reddidit et pro caede duos insuper solidos addidit; et sic uterque a iudicis conspectu discessit.

'While the holy man [Nicetius] was still alive, a poor man had obtained from him letters subscribed in his own hand, with which he went to beg for alms in the houses of pious people. After the saint's death he continued to use this letter, persuading charitable people to give him quite large sums of money in memory of the saint. Indeed, everyone who saw the saint's subscription (subscriptio sancti) wanted to give something to the poor man. A certain Burgundian, who had no respect for the saint, saw this and began to follow the poor man at a distance. He saw him enter a forest, and attacked him, and took the letter together with six gold coins; having kicked him with his feet he left him half-dead. But he, in the midst of the kicks and other blows, cried, "I beg you, by the living God and by the virtue of St Nicetius, give me back the letter at least, for if I lose it I shall have no other means of existence." So the man threw the letter to the ground, and left. The poor man picked it up and came to the town. Bishop Phronimius, whom we have just mentioned, was staying there at that time. The poor man went to find him, and said "See, a man has beaten me up, robbed me and then taken from me six gold coins (aurei), which I have received by showing this letter." The bishop reported this to the count, and he, as judge, called the Burgundian to him, and inquired what he had to say about this. He denied the deed in front of everyone, saying, "I have never seen this man, and have taken nothing from him." The bishop looked at the letter, saw the saint's subscription and turned to the Burgundian, saying "Look, on this letter there is the subscription of St Nicetius! If you are innocent, come close and swear while touching your hand to the words written by the saint himself. We are confident in his power: we will allow you to leave here acquitted." The man advanced without hesitation towards the hands of the bishop, who held the letter open, and as he lifted his own hands to swear the oath, he fell back, his eyes closed, foaming at the mouth, so that one would have thought him dead. After two hours he opened his eyes and said "Woe is me, for I have sinned in taking the property of this poor man." And he went on to tell in detail how he had attacked the man. Then the bishop obtained a pardon for him from the judge, on condition that he returned to the poor man what he had taken, and that he should add two solidi for the blows which he had given him. And so both parties withdrew from the presence of the judge.'

Text: Krusch 1969, 249-250. Translation: James 1991, 60-61, lightly modified.