Letter 18: What our longing had not brought about for some time, the Lord suddenly granted to us beyond our hopes: the...

XVIII. To the ever most blessed and venerable father Victricius, from Paulinus. That which, though we had long desired it, had not come to pass, suddenly came about by the Lord's gift when we were not expecting it: that an occasion was given us of writing to your holiness through one who is of the household of the faith, and through that brother above all who, in the Lord, was alike yours and ours. For it happened that at Rome there came together with us, for the most thronged day of the apostle's birthday, the blessed deacon our brother Paschasius, whom, apart from the grace of brotherly companionship in the sacred ministry, we received the more venerably and lovingly because we learned that he was of your holiness's clergy in both body and spirit. But we confess our violence, whereby, although we approved the pious haste of his most just desire, we nevertheless, embracing him in love of you, led him on to Nola when he was wishing to return from the city to your holiness, that both the lodging of our humility might there, through his entrance, be blessed by some breath of the air of your grace, and that for a longer while we might enjoy, as it were, a certain portion of your grace, seeing and holding him whom his moderation of manners, humility of heart, mildness of spirit, faith of truth, and speech in all things seasoned with salt proved to be both a disciple of your instruction and a companion of your way. And so grant pardon to our brother in us, or to us in him, since whether his slowness be censured or our presumption be blamed, the Lord's charity will excuse both fault to you, by which charity either he was compelled to obey us, or we did not fear to lay hold of him and to retain him by our own right, not with stubborn arrogance but with a pure heart and unfeigned faith, believing that what is yours is ours, and not doubting that you in turn would so reckon it, that you would consider him not to have been absent from you at that time at which you knew him to have been with us. For although we are bodily separated by the intervals of regions, yet by the Spirit of the Lord, in whom we live and abide, poured out everywhere, we are joined together, as members of one body, having one heart and one soul in one God. Wherefore, considering your mind toward us in the spiritual mirror, and beholding ourselves joined mutually to you, we claimed for ourselves out of the affection of our heart your single-minded soul, by retaining the brother, the grace of the Lord, which has been bountifully given to you, working this same thing, that you should be loved even in the members of your body and in the fringes of your garment; although we lost many of the days of his delays, while, as the Lord in his mercy chastises us, we are scourged with bodily sickness unto spiritual amendment. But he who comforts the lowly and heals the contrite of heart comforted us in the presence of our brother, blessed Paschasius; and while in spirit we were refreshed by this, in body too we were restored; for a good friend is the medicine of the heart, and when two are well drawn together into one, Christ stands between. Nor indeed was he troubled and compassionate in our infirmity alone, but in that of our most dear son Ursus, whom he had had as an inseparable companion of his journeying, he was long worn down by a most grievous sickness. In which both his faith and his charity full in the Lord we perceived; for as much as the one labored in body, so much was this one wasted in spirit. And therefore the Lord looked upon him in this man's humility, heaping up this benefit also, that one sick even unto death should, by the faith and labor of Paschasius nonetheless, in whom the Lord willed to prove the power before himself of his holy confessor our most beloved lord-and-father Felix, find safety out of peril. For through this man's own hands he, brought forth, baptized on his little bed, returned to life. The same Lord will grant it, who restored him by the prayers of the holy man, our brother Paschasius, and by his and our solicitude together with him, and above all to your church, without doubt always regarding you wherever your people are placed: may he lead him into your sight unharmed and safe and free from sin and a servant of righteousness. We do not doubt that he too, if he shall deserve to come to you, will make great increases of faith, an equal of Paschasius, with you the master of them both. For your Tychicus, our most dear brother and faithful minister in the Lord, made known to us, not indeed proclaiming you more than God in you, how great lights the Lord had kindled through you in regions before this dark, who, bringing forth clouds from the end of the earth, led you too into the light of his people from the uttermost of the world, and made a bright lightning into abundant rain. Just as the land of Zabulon once, and Nephthalim, the way of the sea beyond the Jordan, of Galilee, those who sat in the region of the shadow of death saw a great light: so also now the land of the Morini, by its situation the uttermost of the world, which the ocean, roaring with barbarous waves, beats and pounds, a people of remote nations, who sat in hiding places by the sandy way of the sea beyond the Jordan, before the bounds of the desert grew fat in it, rejoicing in the light that had risen for them through your holiness from the Lord, set down their rough hearts as Christ entered. Where once the deserts of the woods and the equally unsafe places of the shores were frequented by barbarian newcomers or by robber inhabitants, now venerable and angelic choirs of saints fill the cities, towns, islands, woods, with churches and monasteries thronged with people and harmonious in peace. And although Christ works this among the peoples of all Gaul, as everywhere among the nations, who circles the whole world seeking those worthy of himself, and transfers himself through the nations into holy souls, and shows himself cheerfully in the ways of uprightness, and meets his lovers with all foresight, yet in the most remote tract of the shore of the Nervii, which the faith of truth had breathed upon before with a faint breath and had above all selected into a vessel of election, in you first it shone forth more clearly, grew warm more ardently, and appeared more nearly; and it took you up as one in whom it might sanctify there its name, and through whom its name might go forth even from the setting of the sun into all the earth, the sound of it. In short, we now hear that Rotomagus, before this spread abroad among the neighboring regions only by a faint name, is named venerably even in far-off provinces, and is numbered with divine praise among the cities renowned for their sacred places. And not undeservedly, since the very presence of the apostles, by the merit of your holiness, has brought there the whole face of a Jerusalem, such as is remembered in the East; the apostles who liken to their own seats, by the affection of their holy spirits and by the effect of their divine works, a city foreign to their memorials, and who found in you yourself a most fitting lodging for themselves. It clearly delights the friends of God and the princes of the people of the true Israel, that is, of the people drawing near to him, to tarry in that city and to cooperate with you, in which together with the holy angels they are soothed day and night by the continual preaching of Christ the Lord; in which, through the most devoted hearts of the faithful, very many friendly powers measure out for those servants a pleasing rest and a familiar lodging; where they are delighted both with the most chaste hearts and the voices of your sheep, by the daily harmony of those who wisely sing psalms through the frequent churches and the hidden monasteries. And now an undefiled virginity holds them in the temple of a sacred body, that it may make them guests of Christ resting in its chaste inward parts. And with no less pleasure the unconquered integrity of the widows serving by holy works and pious ministry, night and day, feeds those same ones, or the hidden sisterhood of wives subjected to God, which by assiduous prayers invites Christ, glad in their works, to a visiting not now of the marital couch but of a brotherly bed; mingled in turn with himself and his holy spirits in a sharing of chastity, she is blended with the spotless love of those who visit. But now they are restored through the bowels of mercy and find rest in the sons of piety and righteousness, loving you in all the sons of your instruction and loving Christ in you, and through this working the powers of God, that is, his might in Christ, in your city above all, that they may attest you to be his partner. Grace to him and glory, who, not omitting the works of his own hands, wills every man to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, and, running through the whole world with the feet of the gospel, deigned to make you too a beautiful foot of his word, in which he might rejoice like a giant to run his course, and to shoe you with the footprint of the preparation of his gospel of peace, that through you also he might walk upon the asp and the basilisk, and tread down the lion and the dragon. And lest so illustrious a lamp should lie hidden, dimmed under the bushel of silence, he so set you up, by the elevation of the apostolic see, as if upon a lofty lampstand, that you might shine for the whole house with the illumination of many. But by what roads did he lead you to the way of his truth? Training you by carnal duties toward the spiritual things of his power, he created you in the beginning a soldier, whom afterward he chose as a bishop, and he suffered you to serve as a soldier to Caesar, that you might learn to serve as a soldier to God, that while by the labor of the camp you exercise the strength of the body, you might be strengthened for spiritual battles, fortifying your spirit for confession and hardening your body for suffering. That this was the vast plan of divine providence concerning you, your departure afterward from military service and your entrance to the faith taught. For when, first kindled with the love of Christ, by the ordaining of the Lord himself you had advanced into the field with a certain pomp of his work upon a day marked out by a military assembly, girt with all that array of warlike defenses which you had already in mind spat out, and while all marveled at the most carefully arranged garb and terrible apparatus upon you, suddenly, the army being astonished, you were converted, and before the feet of the sacrilegious tribune, changing the oaths of your soldiery, you cast away the weapons of blood, that you might put on the weapons of peace, scorning to be armed with iron, you who were being armed with Christ. And straightway, by the envy of the ancient serpent the tribune being stirred to fury, you were stretched out for the lash and broken with vast cudgels, and yet you were not conquered, because you were leaning upon the wood of the cross. And soon, the penalty being doubled upon your body, your limbs torn with the sharp fragment of potsherds and with monstrous blows, you were laid prostrate, Christ then more softly supporting you, whose bosom was a couch for you and his right hand a pillow. Whence, your wounds not yet closed over, kindled rather than broken by their pain, restored stronger you leaped forth against the greater enemy, and being offered to the count you triumphed more gloriously over the more powerful foe. And when the satellites of the devil, overcome, dared no longer to heap up torments, and were meditating a capital sentence, that at least by the end of your carnal life they might cease to be conquered, our Lord, strong and mighty and unconquered in battle, by conspicuous wonders confounded hearts however hardened. For the executioner, who on the road, by which as a sacred victim you were following your slayer, had insultingly with menace violated your neck by the rashness of touching it, while as if marking out the place of his blow he was feeling for the sword with his hand running before, his eyes being straightway struck out, was smitten with blindness. O ineffable goodness of Christ, how great an affection he shows toward his own! He did not leave the injury of his confessor unpunished, he who prayed that his crucifiers be forgiven; he straightway avenged the insult of his martyr, he who would not have his passion avenged. But that very anger is of mercy. For on this account one was blinded, that more might be enlightened, and that perhaps he himself, who had lost the eyes of the flesh, might receive the lights of the mind. Straightway then, by a greater proof, those who tended the grim service of the deadly custody saw the chains, which they themselves had refused to loosen, though you asked it, even by a slight kindness, when they were too tightly knotted and pressed to the very bones, the chains, by your prayer being turned in their sight to God Christ, of their own accord flow from your loosed hands; and not daring to bind back what God had loosed, they ran in terror to the count, confessing the truth of God on behalf of the confessors. And this the count, having heard it religiously and believed it, reported to his prince with the testimony of the soldiers; and, that his own sudden conversion also from fury to clemency might be numbered among the wonders of God, he was made in you a preacher of Christ, in whom he had vowed himself to be a persecutor. I think that the Lord had once filled him too, like Saul, with the Holy Spirit, because he loved you also as his David, so that, as that king of old, while he sets out to persecute the prophets, was affected; so also that count, sprinkled with the grace of the Lord, which overflowed from the abundance of your faith, who had come to punish a confessor, departed himself also a confessor. For he believed, and those whom in his savagery he had condemned beforehand as guilty he sent forth praising them as saints, and he bore witness to the truth, he who had desired to punish the witnesses of the faith. Why then should we marvel that you are so mighty in merits, so rich in graces, since this was for you the rudiment of virtues in Christ, which is the consummation of long labors for few? Should we even now doubt whether you are perfect, you who began from perfection? And whether you are to be lawfully crowned, the contest being run through, when you began to run from the crown? Who would give us wings like a dove? and we would fly to you and rest in the sight of your holiness, in your very presence admiring and venerating Christ the Lord in your mouth, we would wipe with our hair the feet of him in your feet, and bedew them with our tears, and in those scars of yours, as upon impressed footprints of the Lord's passion, we would press our lips. For sweeter are the wounds of a friend than the kisses of an enemy. Woe to me, a wretched sinner, having unclean lips, to whom this fruit has not fallen, though it was within his hand. For I believe you deign to remember that I once saw your holiness at Vienne, with our blessed father Martin, to whom the Lord made you, unequal in age, equal. From that time therefore, although I touched upon you by a brief acquaintance, yet I embraced you with great love and venerated you with as much abundance as was then permitted, your holiness; and I commended myself and mine, who, though absent from you, yet, because by Christ's joining we are one, saw you through me, unto you forever; and I rejoice now that this at least is permitted me to glory in, that I saw your face in the flesh; but I bewail the negligence of my misfortune, that, ignorant, I lost the occasion of so great a good, and that, darkened at that time not only by the sins by which I am still now pressed, but also by the cares of this world, from which now, by God's favor, I am free, I saw you only as a priest, which was on the surface, and that I knew not to see the living martyr, which was the more notable thing within. May you remember us, I pray you, on that day on which to you, accompanied by the countless cohort of your merits and adorned with happy ornaments and crowned alike with fillets and with garlands of glory, the hands of the angels who come to meet you shall bring the snowy bands of consecrated bishops and the flowering purples of the confessors; and yourself, as silver tried by fire and gold proved in the furnace of this world, the supreme purifier himself of his own gold and silver shall receive, and as a precious pearl shall the eternal King fit you to his diadem; nor shall the just Judge acknowledge himself to owe you the rewards of your virtues alone, seeing the countless flocks of saints of either sex around you, whom you daily beget for him by your instructions, a pattern to all of perfect virtue and faith; as brother Paschasius too has shown, in whose grace and humanity we have gathered, as it were, certain lines of your virtues and graces, as in a mirror reflecting them. Truly you are blessed, the parent of so many blessed ones, the sower of so great a harvest, bringing forth to God the hundredfold and sixtyfold and thirtyfold fruit by the fecundity of your soil, and about to receive an equal measure from the various fruits of your offspring. The Most High has named you among the great ones of his kingdom, to whom he has granted to make word equal to deed, that your teaching may be of your life to you, and your life of your teaching. Whence it comes that no disciple may dare to excuse himself, as if by the constraint of difficulty, when he is first bound fast by the example of virtue.

XVIII. BEATISSIMO SEMPER ET VENERABILI PATRI VICTRICIO PAVLINVS. Quod optantibus aliquamdiu non contigerat, id repente insperantibus domino donante prouenit, ut occasio nobis ad uenerandam sanctitatem tuam scribendi per domesticum fidei et eum potissimum fratrem, qui in domino tuus pariter ac noster esset, daretur. accidit enim Romae nobis ad celeberrimum natalis apostolici diem concurrere benedictum diaconum fratrem nostrum Paschasium, quem praeter gratiam fraterni in sacro ministerio contubernii hoc uenerabilius amabiliusque suscepimus, quod de sanctitatis tuae clero et corpore et spiritu esse cognouimus. sed fatemur uiolentiam nostram, qua illum de urbe ad sanctitatem tuam redire cupientem, quamuis festinationem piam iustissimi desiderii probaremus, tamen in tuo amore conplexi Nolam perduximus, ut et hospitium illic humilitatis nostrae quaedam per illius ingressum tui 3] (Luc. 10, 36). 4] Es. 58, 9 sec. LXX. 5] Marc. 9, 22. 2 mutuae v, metuae 0 — finit ad seuerum 0 FLMOPU . — item eiusdem ad eundem XXVIII. L, ad eundem uictricium • XXXVI. M, incipit ad eundem secunda 0, epistola sancti paulini episcopi ad uictritium episopum ubi dilectione permazima qua ferebatur ad ipsum primo proposita quomodo ad episcopalem cathedram deo duce miraculose peruenerit: residuum autem epistole: in laudibus ipsius ad finem usque concludit U . — 7 beatissimo semper et] sancto et merito LM patri] ac dilectissimo fñ LM uicturio F, uictritio U Paulinus] epla XXIII add. F beatissimo-Paulinus om. 0, add . P* 8 contingerat L 10 domesticam 01 12 esset v, est LM, esse cct . accedit 0 14 pascasium LU 15 in OM, ut in cet . ministerio 0, mysterio M, misterio cet . conturbernii 0 hoc] eo LM 16 quod FOU, quo cet . -17 quia LM 19 desideri 0 20 in] ut iu L et ut M 21 illic om. M spiritus aura benediceret et diutius quasi quadam tuae gratiae portione frueremur, uidentes et tenentes eum, quem et institutionis tuae discipulum et uiae comitem modestia morum cordis humilitas mansuetudo spiritus fides ueritatis et sermo in omnibus sale conditus probabat. itaque da ueniam fratri nostro in nobis uel nobis in illo, quia sine illius tarditas arguatur siue praesumptio nostra culpetur, utrumque delictum caritas domini excusabit tibi, qua uel ille nobis parere conpulsus est uel nos eum non timuimus inuadere et pro nostro iure retinere, non adrogantia peruicaci sed corde puro et fide non ficta nostrum credentes esse quod tuum est teque ita uicissim reputaturum non ambigentes, ut illum non afuisse tibi duceres eo tempore, quo nobiscum fuisse cognosceres. nam etsi regionum interuallis corporaliter disparemur, spiritu tamen domini, in quo uiuimus et manemus, ubique effuso coniuncti sumus, ut unius corporis membra et cor unum et unam animam habentes in uno deo. Quamobrem spiritali speculo mentem erga nos tuam considerantes nosque conexos inuicem tibi de affectione nostri pectoris uindicauimus nobis ut unanimem animum tuum in fratre retinendo, gratia domini, quae tibi largiter data est, id ipsum operante, ut in corporis etiam tui membris et in uestimenti tui fimbriis diligaris, quamuis multos morarum illius dies perdiderimus, dum corripiente nos in sua misericordia domino ad emendationem spiritalem carnali aegritudine uerberamur. sed qui consolatur humiles et sanat contritos corde consolatus est nos in praesentia fratris nostri 10] I Tim. 1,5. 16] (Act. 4,32). 24] (Ps. 140,5). 26] II Cor. 7,6. Ps. 146, 3. 1 quedam F gratie ex gratione F gratiae tuae M 2 instrueremur FPU post . et om. FPU 3 uiae 0, uie tue PU, uitae tuae F, uitae LM 5 probat LM 6 siue ex sine 0 7 nostra praesumptio M 8 excussabit 0 nobis om. M pulsus U 10 sed] se U 12 %ita L deputaturum M, te putaturum L noua fuisse 0, non defuisse cet., non abfuisse v 13 diceres U quod FPU cognosceris 0 14 disparemus F, disparamur v 15 manemus] mouemur U 17 uno deo] domino FPU 20 unanime FPU, unanimae 0 21 qua et ibi L, quia et tibi FPU 24 sua om. M 25 uerberabamur r, emendamur FPU llVlill. Paalini Nol. epiatulae. 9 benedicti Paschasii, de qua dum refrigeramur in spiritu, etiam corpore reficiebamur; amicus enim bonus medicina cordis est, et bene duobus in unum coactis Christus interstat. Neque uero in infirmitate tantum nostra contribulatus et conpassus est, sed in nostri carissimi filii Vrsi, quem comitem indiuulsum peregrinationis suae habuerat, grauissimo languore diu confectus est. in quo et fidem eius et caritatem in domino plenam perspeximus. nam quantum ille laborabat in corpore, tantum hic in spiritu macerabatur. et ideo respexit illum dominus in huius humilitate, cumulans et hoc beneficium, usque ad mortem infirmatum fide tamen et labore Paschasii, in quem dominus experiri uoluit potentiam apud se sancti sui confessoris dilectissimi Felicis dominaedii nostri, de periculo inuenire salutem. per huius enim ipsius manus genitus, in lectulo baptizatus redit. praestabit idem dominus, qui illum orationibus sancti fratri nostro Paschasio et sollicitudini cum eo nostrae et inprimis ecclesiae tuae, te procul dubio semper in tuis ubilibet positis respiciens, redonauit: perducat in conspectum tuum incolumem et saluum et liberum peccato seruumque iustitiae. non ambigimus et ipsum, si ad te meruerit peruenire, magna fidei incrementa facturum pare Paschasio et te amborum magistro. Notum enim nobis fecit Tychicus tuus, carissimus frater et fidelis minister in domino, non quidem te magis quam in 3] (Matth. 18,20). 9] (Luc. 1,48). 19] (Rom. 6,18). 1 pascasii MO et de M dum OP, iam cet . refrigerabamur v etiam om. FPU 4 uero] enim U in om. 0 5 in om. U 6 indiuulsus 0 suae peregrinationis M langore FLMOlpl, labore Pl diu confectus est languore U 8 laborat FLl PU 9 macerabatur in spiritu FPU 10 usque] ut usque M, qui L 11 infirmatum scripsi, infirmatus w fidem 0 Paschasii in scripsi, paschasim 0, paschasi F, paschasii cet . 12 potentia LM 13 domine dii LOU, domine dei (dei <lnedli ex di F) FP nostri felicis (dnldii m. 2) M inuenire 0, inueniret cet . 15 rediit FMJJ 16 sancti LM, sancto cet . fratris nostri paschasii LM 17 te Lebrtm, et <u 18 ut perducat M 19 incolumen 0 20 ambigemus FOPU 21 pascasio OU 23 tichicus F, thiticus U, tyticus 0, Tytius v 24 in domino minister U te deum praedicans, quanta dominus per te lumina in obscuris ante regionibus accendisset, qui educens nubes ab extremo terrae, te quoque in lucem populi sui de extimo orbis eduxit et clarum fulgur in pluuiam uberem fecit. sicut terra Zabulon quondam et Nephthalim, uia maris trans Iordanen Galilaeae, qui sedebant in regione umbrae mortis, lucem uiderunt magnam: ita et nunc terra Morinorum situ orbis extrema, quam barbaris fluctibus fremens tundit oceanus, gentium populus remotarum, qui sedebat in latebris uia maris harenosa extra Iordanem, antequam pinguescerent fines deserti in ea, orta sibi per tuam sanctitatem a domino luce gaudentes corda aspera Christo intrante posuerunt. ubi quondam deserta siluarum ac littorum pariter intuta aduenae barbari aut latrones incolae frequentabant, nunc uenerabiles et angelici sanctorum chori urbes oppida insulas siluas ecclesiis et monasteriis plebe numerosis, pace consonis celebrant. quod quamquam in totius Galliae populis ut ubique gentium Christus operetur, qui totum orbem circuit quaerens dignos se et per nationes in animas sanctas se transfert et in uiis directionis ostendit se hilariter et omni prouidentia occurrit amatoribus suis, tamen in remotissimo Neruici littoris tractu, quem tenui antehac spiritu fides ueritatis adflauerat et potissimum in uas electionis excerpsit, in te prima refulsit clarius, incaluit ardentius et propius adparuit, et in quo sanctificaret illic nomen suum et per 2] Ps. 134, 7. 5] Es. 9, 1; Matth. 14,15. 11] (Ps. 64,13). 18] Sap. 7, 27. 19] Sap. 6, 17. 3 extremo F urbis 0 5 neptalin 0, neptalim cet . 6 iordanem FPU galileae LMO, galilee FP qui] et qui LMv regionem FPU 7 terra] iu terra v murinorum cu 8 situ] sicut FU fructibus U1 9 populi v, populis L sedebant v 10 arenosa LMU pinguesceret FLMPU 11 fines 0, fides cet . orta] orata 0 a] in F 12 corde 0 13 litterum 0 in tota 0, intuita U 14 barbaria 0 15 uenerabilis 0 16 consones 0, consona v 17 in 0, om. cet . galilee O1 ut] et v 19 digno 0 scatasse 0 20 in om. U 21 prudentia F 22 litoris LO tenui] fides add. L 23 et] in te M, te coni. Latin . in om. LM et in te potissimum ut uas fort . excerpsit Ov, om. cet . 24 primo FLM, pimo U 9* cuius nomen etiam solis ab occasu in omnem terram sonus eius exiret adsumpsit. Denique nunc Rotomagum et uicinis ante regionibus tenui nomine peruulgatum in longinquis etiam prouinciis nominari uenerabiliter audimus et inter urbes sacratis locis nobiles cum diuina laude numerari. haud inmerito, cum totam illic, qualis in Oriente memoratur, Hierusales faciem apostolorum quoque praesentia meritum tuae sanctitatis adduxerit, qui peregrinam memoriis suis urbem adfectu sanctorum spirituum et effectu operum diuinorum sedibus suis conparant, qui in te ipsum aptissimum sibi diuersorium reppererunt. iuuat uidelicet amicos dei et principes populi ueri Israel id est populi adpropinquantis sibi in ea urbe remorari et cooperari tibi, in qua cum angelis sanctis continua diebus ac noctibus Christi domini praedicatione mulcentur, in qua illis per deuotissima fidelium corda famulorum plurimae uirtutes amicae gratam requiem et familiare metantur hospitium, ubi cotidiano sapienter psallentium per frequentes ecclesias et monasteria secreta concentu castissimis ouium tuarum et cordibus delectantur et uocibus. et nunc illos intemerata uirginitas in sacri corporis templo tenet, ut in uisceribus pudicis requiescenti Christo hospites faciat. nec minore eosdem uoluptate sanctis operibus et pio ministratu inexpugnata. noctu diuque famulantium uiduarum pascit integritas uel subiugatorum deo coniugum arcana 1] (Ps. 18, 5) 12] (Ps. 148,14). 17] (Ps. 46, 8). 1 solis ab 0, a solis FMPU, solis L 3 rotomagum] grato magnum quoq; FPU, rato magum 0 et uicinis ante] uicinis etiam M, prouintiis ante 0 tenui] prius add. M 5 audiuimus FL loci nobilis 0 G haud 0, nec cet . merito P1 7 hierusales OP1, ierusalem FMP\', hierusalem LU 8 praesentia FOP, praesentiam LJIU qui] cui 0 10 affectu U diuinorum operum M qui 0, quia cet . in te] ante 0 11 repperierunt FPU 12 uiri 0 hisrahel 0 adpropinquantes 0 13 remoratri 0, morari FPll 14 angeli 0 15 deuotissimas 0 16 famulorum corda U uirtutis 0 18 psallentis sapienter LM per om. * FPU monesteria L, per monasteria M secreto LM 21 requiescente 0 22 uoluntate 0 23 in expuguatu U die noctuque U, noctu dieque (die ex diu) L, nocte dieque M germanitas, quae orationibus sedulis laetum in operibus suis Christum ad uisitationem non iam maritalis tori sed fraterni cubilis inuitat, cum ipso sanctisque eius uicissim mixta concubitu castitatis spiritibus uisitantium inmaculato amore confunditur. nunc uero per misericordiae uiscera reficiuntur et in filiis pietatis atque iustitiae conquiescunt, te in omnibus eruditionis tuae filiis diligentes et in te Christum amantes ac per hoc uirtutes dei id est potentiam in Christo suam in tua potissimum ciuitate, ut consortem te suum testentur, operantes. Gratia illi et gloria, qui opera manuum suarum non omittens omnem hominem uult saluum fieri et in agnitionem ueritatis uenire et pedibus euangelii toto orbe discurrens te quoque speciosum uerbi sui pedem facere, in quo exultaret ut gigans ad currendam uiam, et in praeparationem euangelicam pacis suae uestigio calciare dignatus est, ut per te quoque super aspidem et basiliscum ambularet et conculcaret leonem et draconem. ac ne tam inlustris lucerna sub modio taciturnitatis obscura latitaret, sic te apostolicae sedis euectu quasi super candelabrum sublime constituit, ut tota domo multorum inluminatione luceres. Sed quibus te itineribus ad uiam suae ueritatis adduxit? carnalibus muniis ad spiritalia suae uirtutis instituens creauit initio militem, quem postea elegit antistitem, et passus est militare te Caesari, ut deo disceres militare, ut dum labore castrensi corporis robur exerces, spiritalibus te proeliis roborares, confessioni spiritum firmans et passioni corpus indurans. quod diuinae prouidentiae circa te fuisse consilium ingens 12] I Tim. 2, 4. 13] (Es. 52, 7; Rom. 10, 15). 15] Ps. 18, 6. 17] Ps. 90, 13. 19] (Matth. 5,15). 1 orationis FPU 2 thori a 3 cum - l . 4 confunditur om. M 4 castitas L uisitantum Mv confunditur in coniungitur corr. L 7 filii U diligenter 0 amantis 0 9 suum esse M operantis 0 12 mittens FPU 15 gygans 0, gigas cet . 17 badaliscum U 20 euectum 0 21 nt] ut in M illumatione F, inluminatio L 23 munus FP, in uiis U ad] ac FP instituens om. FPlJ 24 in initio M antestitem 0 26 rubor 0 roboraris 0 postea exitus tuus a militia et ingressus ad fidem docuit. cum primo Christi amore suscensus ordinante ipso domino quandam operis sui pompam per insignem concilio militari diem progressus in campum es, toto illo quem iam mente respueras muniminum bellicorum praecinctus ornatu cunctisque mirantibus adcuratissimos in te habitus ac terribiles apparatus repente obstupefacto conuersus exercitu ante pedes sacrilegi tribuni militiae sacramenta permutans arma sanguinis abiecisti, ut arma pacis indueres, contemnens armari ferro, qui armabaris Christo. et ilico antiqui serpentis inuidia concitato in furias tribuno districtus in uerbera et uastis fustibus fractus nec tamen uictus es, quia crucis ligno innitebaris. geminataque mox corpori poena acuto testarum fragmine laniata inmanibus plagis membra substratus es, tunc mollius fulciente Christo, cuius tibi gremium lectulus erat et dextra puluinar. unde ad maiorem hostem necdum uulneribus obductis accensa potius eorum dolore quam fracta uirtute reparatus fortior prosiluisti oblatusque comiti de potentiore inimico gloriosius triumphasti. nec ausis ultra diaboli satellitibus superata ingerere tormenta capitalemque sententiam meditantibus, ut uel fine carnalis tuae uitae uinci desinerent, dominus noster fortis et potens et inuictus in proelio conspicuis mirabilibus pectora quamlibet obdurata confudit. nam carnifex, qui in itinere, quo percussorem tuum sacra uictima sequebaris, ceruicem tuam insultans minaciter adtingendi temeritate uiolauerat, quasi ictus sui locum praecurrente gladium manu palpans, excussis ilico oculis caecitate percussus est.s o Christi ineffabilis bonitas quantum in suos ostendit affectum! iniuriam confessoris sui non tulit inpunitam qui suis crucifixoribus rogauit 21] Ps. 23, 8. 29] (Luc. 23, 34). 2 suscensus 0, succensus cet . 8 sui OJ, suis Rosw . consilio U 5 miniminum U cinctisque 0 6 ad curatissimos 0 terribilis F 9 contemnes FPU qui LMO, quia cet . 10 armaberis U 13 framine F, fracmine L in manibus FLU 14 substratus Ov, subtritus cet . 15 gremium ex geminum 0 17 prosiliisti U 18 potentiori U 20 tormenta om. F medicantibus U 21 carnalis om. FPU 22 conspicuus 01 25 uiolauerit U 27 inefabilis (in ex m) L ignosci, contumeliam martyris statim ultus est qui passionem noluit uindicari. sed ea ipsa ira pietatis est. idcirco enim unus caecatus est, ut plures inluminarentur et ipse forsitan, qui oculos carnis amiserat, lumina mentis acciperet. statim denique maiore documento qui feralis custodiae ministerium triste curabant, quas ipsi artius innodatas et ad ossa depressas uel exiguo rogantibus uobis beneficio relaxare noluerant catenas, conuersa in conspectu ipsorum prece uestra ad deum Christum sponte de manibus absolutis fluere uiderunt nec ausi renectere quod deus soluerat ad comitem pauidi cucurrerunt, ueritatem dei pro confessoribus confitentes. quod auditum religiose et creditum comes principi suo cum testimonio militum retulit, et, ut ipsius quoque repentina ad clementiam de furore conuersio inter mirabilia dei numeraretur, factus est in te praedicator Christi, in quo esse deuouerat persecutor. puto et ipsum tamquam Saulem aliquando spiritu sancto dominus inpleuerat, quia et te sicut Dauid suum diligebat, ut sicut ille rex quondam, dum ad prophetas persequendos proficiscitur, affectus est, ita et comes ille respersus gratia domini, quae de fidei tuae 10 abundantia redundabat, qui ad puniendum confessorem uenerat, et ipse confessus abscederet. credidit enim et quos saeuiens praedamnarat ut reos laudans emisit ut sanctos et testimonium perhibuit ueritati qui testes fidei punire cupiebat. Quid ergo miremur tam potentem te esse meritorum, tam diuitem gratiarum, cum hoc tibi fuerit uirtutum in Christo rudimentum, quod longorum laborum paucis consummatio est? dubitemus etiam nunc an perfectus sis, qui de perfectione coepisti? et si legitime coronandus sis agone decurso, cum 16] (I Reg. 19, 23). 1 passionem] suam add. MUv 2 est] fuit M 3 et] et ut M forsan PU, forsam F 5 docimento 0 6 quasi FPU 7 nobis F 11 deus in mg. add. L 12 testimonii 0 13 dementiam FPU 14 domini FPU 15 in quo] qui M 18 dum om. FU affectus v, effectus 0, propheta effectus cet . 20 uouerat FPU 22 praedamnaret L testimonuit 0 25 fuerit tibi F 26 rudumentum L longuorum 0 28 legiptime U cum currare] concurrere U currere coeperis a corona? quis daret nobis pennas sicut columbae? et uolaremus ad te et requiesceremus in conspectu sanctitatis tuae, coram in ore tuo Christum dominum admirantes atque uenerantes, tergeremus capillis pedes illius in tuis pedibus et lacrimis rigaremus et in illis cicatricibus tuis quasi dominicae passionis inpressa uestigia lamberemus. suauiora enim sunt uulnera amici quam oscula inimici. uae mihi misero peccatori inmunda labia habenti, cui fructus iste non contigit, cum in manu fuerit. Meminisse enim credo dignaris, quia sanctitatem tuam olim Viennae apud beatum patrem nostrum Martinum uiderim, cui te dominus in aetate inpari parem fecit. ex illo igitur licet breui notitia te attigerim, tamen magna dilectione conplexus sum et quanta tunc licuit copia ueneratus sum sanctitatem tuam et me ac meos, qui te absentes, tamen quia iungente Christo unum sumus, per me uidebant, commendaui in aeternum tibi, gaudeoque nunc, quod hoc saltem mihi gloriari licet, quia faciem tuam in carne uiderim, sed lugeo neglegentiam infelicitatis meae, quod occasionem tanti boni ignarus amiserim et contenebrantibus me illo tempore non solum peccatis, quibus etiam nunc premor, sed et curis huius saeculi, quibus nunc propitio deo liber sum, sacerdotem te tantum, quod in medio erat, uiderim et, quod inerat insignius, martyrem uiuum uidere nescierim. Memineris, quaeso te, nostri in illa die, qua ad te innumera meritorum tuorum cohorte comitatum ornamentisque felicibus comptum et infulis pariter atque adoreis coronatum et niueas sacratorum antistitum uittas et floridas confessorum purpuras occurrentium manus adferent angelorum teque ipsum 1] Ps. 54, 7. 5] (Luc. 7, 38). 7] Prou. 27, 6. 8] Es. 6, 5. 1 si quis uel columbae, ut uolaremus expectes 3 deum Mv 5 pr . in om. 0 7 suauia L, suauis F, suauius PU sunt om. FPU 9 contingit U 11 aput L martynum 0 12 te om. 0 ex] et FU 16 ingente 0 17 saltim L 21 et] etiam FPU 23 erat M 25 in illo in illa L1, in illo FPU ad Rosw., om. w te] tibi M 26 00herte 01 comitato FMPU 27 compto M coronato M 28 antestitum 0 Horida FPU, floride 0 29 purpura FP9U ut argentum igne examinatum et aurum in fornace saeculi huius probatum ipse summus auri sui argentique purgator accipiet et ut pretiosam diademati suo margaritam rex aeternus aptabit nec tuarum tibi tantum praemia se debere uirtutum iudex iustus agnoscet, uidens innumeros circa te sanctorum utriusque sexus greges, quos illi cotidie institutis tuis generas, formula omnibus perfectae uirtutis et fidei; sicut et frater Paschasius ostendit, in cuius gratia et humanitate quasi quasdam uirtutum gratiarumque tuarum lineas uelut speculo reddente collegimus. uere tu beatus tot beatorum parens, tantae messis sator, centenum et sexagesimum ac tricesimum fructum deo fecunditate tuae terrae efferens et mensuram parem de uariis partuum tuorum fructibus recepturus. te altissimus inter regni sui maximos nominauit, cui concessit facto aequare sermonem, ut et doctrina tibi uitae tuae sit et uita doctrinae. quo fit, ut nemo se audeat excusare discipulus uelut difficultatis imperio, cum prius adstringatur uirtutis exemplo.