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“Sulpicius Severus on Bishop/Saint Martin of Tours sharing his cloak with a naked poor person”
from Vita Martini, 3 - Latin Text with English translation
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Accordingly, at a certain period, when he had nothing
except his arms and his simple military dress, in the middle of winter, a winter
which had shown itself more severe than ordinary, so that the extreme cold was
proving fatal to many, he happened to meet at the gate of the city of Amiens a
poor man destitute of clothing. He was entreating those that passed by to have
compassion upon him, but all passed the wretched man without notice, when
Martin, that man full of God, recognized that a being to whom others showed no
pity, was, in that respect, left to him. Yet, what should he do? He had nothing
except the cloak in which he was clad, for he had already parted with the rest
of his garments for similar purposes. Taking, therefore, his sword with which he
was girt, he divided his cloak into two equal parts, and gave one part to the
poor man, while he again clothed himself with the remainder. Upon this, some of
the by-standers laughed, because he was now an unsightly object, and stood out
as but partly dressed. Many, however, who were of sounder understanding, groaned
deeply because they themselves had done nothing similar. They especially felt
this, because, being possessed of more than Martin, they could have clothed the
poor man without reducing themselves to nakedness. In the following night, when
Martin had resigned himself to sleep, he had a vision of Christ arrayed in that
part of his cloak with which he had clothed the poor man. He contemplated the
Lord with the greatest attention, and was told to own as his the robe which he
had given. Ere long, he heard Jesus saying with a clear voice to the multitude
of angels standing round—“Martin, who is still but a catechumen, clothed me with
this robe.” The Lord, truly mindful of his own words (who had said when on
earth—“Inasmuch as ye have done these things to one of the least of these, ye
have done them unto me), declared that he himself had been clothed in that poor
man; and to confirm the testimony he bore to so good a deed, he condescended to
show him himself in that very dress which the poor man had received. After this
vision the sainted man was not puffed up with human glory, but, acknowledging
the goodness of God in what had been done, and being now of the age of twenty
years, he hastened to receive baptism. He did not, however, all at once, retire
from military service, yielding to the entreaties of his tribune, whom he
admitted to be his familiar tent-companion. For the tribune promised that, after
the period of his office had expired, he too would retire from the world.
Martin, kept back by the expectation of this event, continued, although but in
name, to act the part of a soldier, for nearly two years after he had received
baptism. |
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original Latin text with English translation
Vita Beati Martini
Life of St Martin
Sharing cloak with a poor man
Bishop Martin of Tours
Saint Martin of Tours
St Martin of Tours
Sulpicius Severus in Latin with English Translation
Sulpitius Severus
Migne Latin Text
Patrologiae Latinaeae Cursus Completus
Patrologia Latina