E05881: Constantius of Lyon, in his Life of *Germanus (bishop of Auxerre, ob. c. 448, S00455), written in Latin at Lyon (central Gaul) between c. 460 and c. 480, describes how Germanus used the capsule (capsula) of relics he wore around his neck to heal a blind girl during his visit to Britain in 429.

Constantius of Lyon, Life of Germanus of Auxerre 15

For a full account of Constantius' Life of Germanus, see $E05841.

Germanus has travelled to Britain, together with *Lupus of Troyes (S00418), to help the British church defeat the Pelagians. Following their crossing of the Channel ($E06024), Germanus and Lupus engage in a debate with the Pelagians in front of a large crowd. They easily refute their arguments and have already won over the crowd, when the following incident occurs:

Cum subito uir tribuniciae potestatis cum coniuge procedit in medium, decem annorum filiam caecam sinibus ingerens sacerdotum; quam illi offerri aduersariis praeceperunt. Sed conscientia puniente deterriti iungunt cum parentibus preces et curationem paruulae a sacerdotibus deprecantur; qui expectationem populi et inclinatos aduersarios intuentes, orationem breuiter fundunt. Ac deinde Germanus plenus Spiritu sancto inuocat Trinitatem et protinus adhaerentem lateri suo capsulam cum sanctorum reliquiis collo auulsam manibus conprehendit eamque in conspectu omnium puellae oculis adplicauit; quos statim euacuatos tenebris lumine ueritatis impleuit. Exultant parentes miraculo, populus contremescit. Post quam diem ita ex animis hominum persuasio iniqua deleta est ut sacerdotum doctrinam, sitientibus desideriis, sectarentur.

'Suddenly a man of high military rank, accompanied by his wife, stepped into the middle and put his ten-year-old daughter, who was blind, into the arms of the bishops. They told them to take her to their opponents. But the latter, stung by conscience and much alarmed, joined the parents in begging the bishops to cure the little girl. The bishops, seeing that the people were expectant and their opponents in a humbler frame of mind, offered a short prayer, after which Germanus, filled with the Holy Spirit and in the name of the Trinity, took from his neck the reliquary that always hung at his side and in full view of everybody applied it to the eyes of the child. Immediately it expelled their darkness and filled them with light and truth. The parents were filled with joy at the miracle and the onlookers with awe. From that day onwards the false doctrine was so completely uprooted from people's minds that they looked to the bishops for teaching with thirsty souls.'

This passage is followed by the visit of Germanus and Lupus to the shrine of St Alban: E05846.

Text: Borius 1965. Translation: Hoare 1954, adapted.