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History of the Franks

St Gregory of Tours, tr. Dalton, 1927

Book 1, 48. Of the Passing of Martin

In the second year of the emperors Arcadius and Honorius the holy Martin, bishop of Tours, full of virtues and holiness, and doer of many good deeds to the sick, left this world at Candes, a village of his diocese, and passed to Christ¹ in the eighty-first year of his life and the twenty-sixth of his bishopric. He passed at midnight, on a Sunday, in the consulship of Atticus and Caesarius. And many at his passing heard a chanting in the sky, which I have more fully set forth in the first book of his Miracles.² As soon as the holy man of God fell ill, as I have said, at Candes, the people of Poitiers and Tours came together to be present at his death. After his passing, there arose great altercation between the two peoples. For the men of Poitiers said: ‘As monk, he was ours; he became abbot among us; we demand back him whom we entrusted to you. For you let it suffice that while he was a bishop in this world ye enjoyed his converse, sat at his table, were strengthened by his blessings, and above all made glad by his miracles. Let therefore all these things suffice for you; but be it permitted to us to bear away at least his lifeless body.’ To this the men of Tours made answer: ‘Ye declare that we should be content with the miracles done among us; but know that while his place was among you, he wrought more than he did here. For, to say nothing of the greater number, he raised two persons from the dead for you, and for us but one; and as he himself would often say, the power was greater in him before he was made bishop than after. Therefore it needs must be that what he left unfulfilled during his life among us he should complete now in his death. From you God took him away; to us God gave him. And if the custom instituted of old be now preserved, he shall by God’s will have burial in the city in which he was consecrated. But take heed that ye mark this: if ye would claim him because ye have his monastery, know that his first monastery was at Milan.’ The sun went down on their dispute, and it was full night. The doors were locked, and both parties kept watch over the body which lay between them. The men of Poitiers meant to carry it off by force upon the morrow, but Almighty God would not have the city of Tours deprived of its own patron. So in the dead of night the whole troop from Poitiers was overcome with sleep; of all the multitude there remained not one who kept vigil. Now when the men of Tours saw them fallen asleep, they took up the mortal clay of that most holy body, and while some passed it out through a window, others received it outside; then they placed it in a boat, and the whole people went with it down the stream of the Vienne. And as soon as they entered the stream of the Loire, they steered for the city of Tours, with loud songs of praise and abundant chanting. Their voices roused the men of Poitiers, who, robbed of the treasure which they wished to guard, returned home sore confounded.

If any should ask the reason why from the death of Bishop Gatianus down to the time of the holy Martin there was only one bishop, namely Litorius, let him understand that for long years the pagans made head against us, and so the city of Tours was deprived of priestly benediction. The Christians of those times had to celebrate the sacred office secretly and by stealth. For if any were discovered to be Christians by the pagans, they were either beaten or beheaded with the sword.

From the Passion of the Lord to the passing of the holy Martin are counted four hundred and twelve years.

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