E05755: Venantius Fortunatus writes a poem recounting how a beam for the roof of a church of *Laurence/Laurentius (deacon and martyr of Rome, 0037) was miraculously lengthened, and how people were cured by wood cut from this beam. Poem 9.14, written in Latin in Gaul, 576/c. 591.

Venantius Fortunatus, Poems 9.14 (De basilicae sancti Laurenti trabe, 'On a beam from the church of Saint Laurence'), 9-18

The poem opens with generalised praise of Laurence.

Addita nunc etiam populis miracula praestas.
   Ut fidei tribuas indubitanter opem.                         10
Dum tua templa novant breviori robore plebes,
   Creveruntque trabes crevit et alma fides:
stipite contracto tua se mercede tetendit:
   quantum parva prius, postea caesa fuit.
Crescere plus meruit succisa securibus arbor            15
   et didicit sicca longior esse coma.
Unde recisa fuit, populis fert inde salutem:
   si venit intrepidus, lumina caecus habet.

'Now too you offer up a further miracle for the populace to grant them without hesitating the blessing of faith. When the people were rebuilding your church, the timber was too short, but a beam grew in length, and along with it their loving faith. The wood was shrunken, but by your bounty it lengthened; a piece was cut off as small as had been its whole length before. A tree that was cut down by axes was able to increase in size and learned to become longer, though its foliage was withered and dry. From what was cut off he brought healing to the people; a blind man who approaches without fear regains sight.'

Text: Leo 1881, 218. Translation: Roberts 2017, 599.