E04042: Gregory of Tours, in his Miracles of Martin (3.42), tells how a book with the Life of *Martin (ascetic and bishop of Tours, ob. 397, S00050) survived a fire at a monastic cell in the territory of Tours; AD 584/585. Written in Latin in Tours (north-west Gaul), 584/588.

Gregory of Tours, Miracles of Martin (Libri de virtutibus sancti Martini episcopi) 3.42

Monachus igitur Maioris monasterii ex iussu abbatis ad cellulam aliam quasi quiddam operaturus accessit ac pro salute animae et vitae correctione librum vitae beati antestitis secum detulit. Adveniente vero nocte, in lectulum se diuturno oppletum stramine collocat, librum ad caput locans. Cui dormienti apparuit vir per somnum, dicens: 'Noli dormire in his paleis, sanguine enim aspersae sunt'. Credo ego, ut mortalitas habet, aliquod in his facinus perpetratum, et ob hoc non pateretur vir beatus, verba laudis suae inibi volutari. Facilis autem prima visio viro fuit, nec secunda commonitio valuit; tertia enim terribiliter monachum quatit. At ille surgens et ad operam diluculo progrediens, puerum iubet, ut paleas a lectulo detractas igni consumeret, nihil de libro commemorans. Puer vero ignarus inter paleas adprehensum foris eiecit et ignem accendit. Quibus in favillam redactis, cum nihil aliud nisi cineres remansissent, apparuit liber inlaesus, de quo non latera, non unum, ut veritas habet, folium est consumptum. Ita virtus divina custodire dignata est alumni quodadmodo proprii laudes, ut librum eius flamma non uriret, quem aculeus concupiscentiae in hoc saeculo non adussit. Sed ne cui incredibile videatur, codix ipse nobiscum hodie retenetur.

'A monk from the monastery at Marmoutier went at the command of his abbot to another small community, to do some work. For the salvation of his soul and for the correction of his life he took with him a book containing the Life of the blessed bishop. When night fell, he lay down on a bed filled with old straw and placed the book beneath his head. As he slept, a man appeared in a dream and said: 'Do not sleep on this straw, because it is tainted with blood.' I believe that, as is characteristic of mankind, some crime was committed on this straw and that the blessed man would therefore not allow the words praising himself to be buried in it. The monk dismissed this first vision, and a second warning was also ineffective; but the third upset him deeply. He got up, proceeded to his work at daybreak, and ordered a servant boy to take the straw from his bed and destroy it in a fire; but he forgot about the book. In ignorance the servant boy threw the book that was concealed in the straw outside and lit a fire. After the straw was reduced to ashes and nothing remained except cinders, the book appeared undamaged; to tell the truth, neither its covers nor a single page had been destroyed. Divine power thus deigned to safeguard this commendation of its own foster son [Martin] in such a way that a fire did not burn a book about a man whom the sting of lust did not inflame in this world. But lest this story seem unbelievable to anyone, I still have this book today.'

Text: Krusch 1969, 192-193. Translation: Van Dam 1993, 275-276, lightly modified (= de Nie 2015, 733-735).