E02266: Gregory of Tours, in his Histories (7.42), tells how *Martin (ascetic and bishop of Tours, ob. 397, S00050) in 585 protected from royal exactions one of his religious houses in the region of Bourges (central Gaul). Martin makes an offending official collapse, and then heals him. Written in Latin in Tours (north-west Gaul), 585/594.

Gregory of Tours, Histories (Historiae) 7.42

Post haec edictum a iudicibus datum est, ut qui in hac expeditione tardi fuerant damnarentur. Biturigum quoque comes misit pueros suos, ut in domo beati Martini, quae in hoc termino sita est, huiusmodi homines spoliare deberent. Sed agens domus illius resistere fortiter coepit, dicens: 'Sancti Martini homines hii sunt. Nihil eis quicquam inferatis iniuriae, quia non habuerunt consuetudinem in talibus causis abire'. At illi dixerunt: 'Nihil nobis et Martino tuo, quem semper in causis inaniter proferis; sed et tu et ipsi pretia dissolvitis, pro eo quod regis imperium neglexistis'. Et haec dicens ingressus est atrium domus. Protinus dolore percussus caecidit et graviter agere coepit. Conversusque ad agentem voce flebili ait: 'Rogo, ut facias super me crucem Domini et invoces nomen beati Martini. Nunc autem cognovi, quod magna est virtus eius. Nam ingrediente me atrium domus, vidi virum senem exhibentem arborem in manu sua, quae mox extensis ramis omne atrium texit. Ex ea enim unus me adtigit ramus, de cuius ictu turbatus corrui'. Et innuens suis rogabat, ut eieceretur de atrio. Egressus autem invocare nomen beati Martini attentius coepit. Ex hoc enim commodius agens, sanatus est.

'Some time later a decree was issued by the judges that anyone who had shown unwillingness to join this military expedition should be fined. Ollo, the Count of Bourges, sent his representatives into one of the religious houses of Saint Martin in that region, with orders that the churchmen there should pay the fine. The steward of the house resisted vehemently. ‘These men serve Saint Martin,’ he said. ‘They are not in the habit of taking part in military manoeuvres.' This Martin of yours, whom you keep quoting in such a fatuous way, means absolutely nothing to us,’ they replied. ‘These men must pay the fine, and so must you, too, for disobeying the King’s command.’ As he said this, one of them marched into the courtyard of the house. He immediately fell to the ground in great pain and became extremely ill. He turned to the steward and said in a feeble voice: ‘Make the sign of the Cross over me, I beg you, and call upon the name of Saint Martin. I fully recognise how great is his miraculous power. As I walked into the courtyard of this house, I saw an old man holding in his hand a tree, the branches of which spread out until they soon covered the whole yard. One of the branches of that tree touched me, and I was so affected by the contact that I collapsed.’ The steward made a sign to his men and threw the interloper out. From where he stood outside the building, he began to call fervently upon Saint Martin’s name. He soon felt better and was cured.'

Text: Krusch and Levison 1951, 364. Translation: Thorpe 1974, 426; lightly adapted.