Letter 5001: Ad Martinum episcopum Galliciae

To Martin, Bishop of Galicia To my holy and apostolic lord — first centurion, after the general Paul [the Apostle], in the army of Christ the King — to Bishop Martin [Martin of Braga, c.515-579, the "Apostle of the Suevi," who converted the Germanic Suevi of northwestern Iberia from Arianism to Catholic Christianity] — Fortunatus sends greetings. A breath of pleasing report of you reached our ears on a happy breeze — gliding with gentle movement, crackling like the whisper of a paradisiacal garden laden with fragrance, bringing news of sweet flowers, filling our very nostrils with its breathing perfume. It suggested, in perfectly modulated tones, that just as God planted Eden in the east at the beginning of time, so now at the end of the age he had planted another Elysium in the west — in which a stronger Adam, that is your warrior Martin [the name Martin was associated with Mars, the god of war; Fortunatus makes much of this], an unconquerable settler, richer in Christ's faith, might live while the commandment was forever kept. To this paradise the Lord would not need to come seeking him in the afternoon breeze [Genesis 3:8 — God walking in Eden in the cool of the day]; rather, the man who has himself become paradise would hold the footsteps of the blessed Redeemer who walks through him in the emerald streets of his transparent heart and the shading clusters of his flourishing works — not because a fig tree would cover him [Genesis 3:7 — Adam's shame], but because fruit would adorn him — anchored by faith. And therefore not even for a moment would the presence of the holy Creator slip away, since the creature would not be caught in fault even in the smallest particular; rather, the Lord, enticed by those blessings as by the delights of a fragrant grove, would hold the free child and the free child would hold the Lord — the chain of linked sweetness not driving off one from the other's approach, nor cheating the other of the embrace. So with eager souls, my marrow burning, my eyes uplifted, my hands stretched out — more fervent than thirsty — I awaited the great things of your letter, at least to be moistened with a small cloud on dripping fleece, aware of my longing, prayer outrunning prayer, hoping for some sure letter across the shifting waves. I wished your conversation to water my dryness like a shower and not to wash away the page. By the plan of divine providence, however, through your son the venerable [name — a cleric who carried the letter] who came to us, I received with great veneration and joy the holy document of your letter, to me like manna from heaven in the desert. I marveled at the form of the writing, the orderly grace of the expression, the weight of the eloquence — worthy to be placed not in the merely human treasury of learning but on the shelves of paradise. For who in this time of intellectual neglect has polished his pen so well, while the world grows old and rushes to its end with tottering step, that he could pour out such clarity of language — sharp, ordered, and sweet? I recognize that only the one in whom the fullness of good things dwells could complete this. Other men borrow their eloquence from earthly study; yours, flowing from the Holy Spirit, draws its draft from a higher spring. Your holy letter, beyond its other gifts, raised in me a further question: how can one man alone achieve all that the apostolic band together only just managed? Peter planted the Roman faithful; Paul stretched his doctrine to the cold Scythian and Illyrian borders; Matthew tamed the Ethiopian deserts; Thomas broke the warlike Persians. But Martin — who has in himself Peter, Paul, Matthew, Thomas, and all the rest — single-handed has turned the whole of Galicia from the darkness of Arianism [the heresy that Christ was created and inferior to the Father, held by the Suevi and many other Germanic peoples] to the light of Catholic truth. I do not praise you, holy father — I confess what I know. For in writing these things I seem not to praise but to remember, since truth speaks within me and love compels me to make known what devotion acknowledges. Therefore I commend myself to your apostolic dignity with humble prayer, and beg through the Lord himself, through whom you do all things, that you hold me worth remembering in your holy prayers, and that this your suppliant may find access to heavenly things through your intercession. [Closing verses:] To you who brings peace — Christ's own work, glory of bishops, who has filled a second world with the first world's laws — whom faith has made equal to all the apostles: receive, holy one, these verses sent in love.

I Ad Martinum episcopum Galliciae DOMINO SANCTO ATQVE APOSTOLICO ET IN CHRISTI REGIS EXERCITV POST DVCEM PAVLVM PRIMIPILO MARTINO EPISCOPO FORTVNATVS. Felici propulsa flatu recreabilis opinionis vestrae nostras aures aura demulsit et molli blandita lapsu, sibilo crepitante paradisiaci horti odoramenta saburrans, suavium florum nuntia nares ipsas aromate respirante suffivit, admodulanter indicans, sicut ad orientem Eden a principio, ita decurso saeculo alterum ad occasum deus plantasset Elysium, in quo fortior Adam, id est Martius Martinus, inexpugnabilis accola, Christi fide ditior viveret perpetuo servante mandato; quem non tam ad auram dominus revisendum post meridiem per- geret, quam ipse vir factus paradisus inter perspicui cordis zmaragdinas plateas et vernantis operis inumbrantes corymbos (non quod ficus tegeret, sed fructus ornaret) inambulantis in se beati redemptoris adhaesura vestigia coherceret fide figente: unde nec ad momentum pii conditoris laberetur praesentia quia nec in atomo plasma nota- retur in culpa, sed per illas beatitudines velut odori nemoris inlectus deliciis et ver- nulam dominus et verna dominum possideret; utpote cum, alternante sibi concatenati dulcedine, nec iste fugaretur admissu nec ille fraudaretur amplexu. (2) Hinc in- hiantibus animis, medullis aestuantibus, oculis suspectis, palmis extensis, fervens magis quam sitiens praestolabar epistolae vestrae magna, si vel parva nubecula madidanti vellere bibulus umectarer, desiderii conscius, vota voto praeveniens, si quid de vobis certissime vel per undas mobiles fixa mihi littera nuntiaret, ita ut ariditatem meam conloquii vestri temperaturus imber sic inrigaret, paginam ne de- leret. (3) Quo tamen providentiae divinae consulto per filium vestrum, venerandum mihi Domitium, sancta caritate refertam suscepi crescens epistolam quae, ut vos nostis arte conpacta, ut ego sensi flore confecta, bibentem se potius quam legentem fere per singulos apices pigmentato affamine inebriatura dives pauperem propinavit et, ut ita dixerim, quasi Falerni nobilis ipso me prius odore pincernante supplevit, gemina dicendi fruge congesta, condita sale, melle perfusa, permixta blanditie cum vigore, me[que] peregrini poculi quantum desuetum plus avidum dum pars inlicet, pars deterret (in ancipiti posito conviva rusticulo nec sustinente magna bibente) consentio dulcedini qui cedo virtuti. (4) Hoc igitur fluente dono venit ad me, fateor, per cana ponti fons poculi, venit, pater optime, per salsum mare quod sitim restingueret, venit Oceanitide miscente [e] fluctu mera dulcedo, cuius liquor non fauce tenus saperet, sed arcana mulceret: quippe quod non carnem foveris tali potu, sed spiritum; unde, ut vere prosequar, huius uva palmitis nobis sitim prorogat, dum propinat. (5) Hac inopina fruge delapsa per gurgitem primus iste mihimet venit fructus e fluctibus: detulit puppis illa reliquis forsan alumen, mihi vestri conloquii certe lumen. commercio tali discrepante mercatu, quod aliis illud ad pretium, hoc nobis inemptum: illinc restinguitur, hinc purgatur; illud inficit, hinc nivescit. (6) Quid loquar de perihodis epichirematibus enthymemis syllogismisque perplexis? quo laborat quadrus Maro, quo rotundus Cicero, quod apud illos est profundum, hic profluum, quod illic difficillimum, hic in promptu: comperi paucis punctis quoniam quo volueris colae pampinosae diffundis propagines, quod vero libuerit acuti commatis falce succidis, ut cauti vini- toris studio moderante nec in hoc luxurians germinet umbra fastidium et illuc tensa placeat propago cum fructu. (7) Nam quod refertis, in litteris post Stoicam Peripateticamque censuram me theologiae ac theoriae tirocinio mancipatum, agnosco quid amor faciat, cum et non merentes exornat. cur tamen, bone pater, in me reflectis quod tuum est ac de me publice profers quod tibi privatum est? cum prima sint vobis nota et secunda domestica: nam Plato Aristoteles Chrysippus vel Pittacus cum mihi vix opinione noti sint nec legenti Hilarius Gregorius Ambrosius Augustinusque vel, si visione noti fierent, dormitanti; et ego vere senserim (eo quod copiae artium apud vos velut in commune diversorium convenerunt) ipsa vobis tenacius quae sunt caelo propinquius, quia non oblectamini tam pompa dogmatum quam norma virtutum. unde procul dubio caelestium clientela factus es Cleantharum. (8) Sed quid ego haec autumo, dulcissime pater et vere Christi discipule, qui. ad instar Samaritani vinum miscens et oleum aegroto decubanti, blandum mihi malagma porrexisti, mer- cedem pii operis relaturus cum venerit qui se stabulario aera pensare debiti repromisit, custodiens in vobis, pontifex summe, quod contulit, sciens suis oculis hoc placere dignissime, quod ipsam apud te vincit dignatio dignitatem. (9) Quapropter sacra- tissimae, sincerissimae atque clementissimae apostolicae coronae vestrae plantas supra meum pectus stratus inponens et ultimus ego membra subdita vel pedum vestrorum recubatorium faciens ita vestrae pietati avido desiderio me commendans deposco in domino, ut inter peccatorem et redemptorem mundi alter quodammodo mediator acce- dens levigato delicto, probe pater, reprobum reconcilies post reatum. (10) Et quia vestris litteris fiduciae pignus accepi, pietati vestrae filias et famulas Agnem et Rade- gundem una mecum devote earum desiderio mandato commendo, communiter suppli- cantes, ut apud domnum Martinum pro nobis verba faciens tam fidus intercessor accedas qualis apud dominum ipse tunc promptus extitit. cum cadaver exanimum non prius dimitteret quam mors mortuum dimisisset (est enim ratio consequens, ut per vos illinc nobis redeat spes patrocinii, quia ad vos hinc prodiit pars patroni) ; coram domino supplicans, pie pater, ut in gratia vestra receptus vel apud eos, qui vestri sunt, commendatus sentiam tam oratione quam carmine te doctore regi, genitore diligi, duce progredi, tutore muniri. (11) Praesentium vero portitorem famulum vestrum vere mihi bonum Bonosum pietati vestrae supplex accedens nec prius relaxans pedes. quam dulcis pater promiseris, qua valeo prece Supplex commendo: qui interventu sanctorum cum vobis sospes occurrerit absentis vota praesens exsolvens, illud prius obtineam, ut quis quam primum huc commeat, me celebris verbi vestri gaudia festiva respergant. Martini meritis cum nomine nobilis heres, pro Fortunato, quaeso, precare deum.