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History of the Franks

St Gregory of Tours, tr. Dalton, 1927

Book 6, 8. Of Eparchius, the Anchorite in the City of Angoulême

Then also died Eparchius, the recluse of Angoulême, a man magnificent in holiness, by whom God showed many miracles; most of these I pass over, touching only upon a few. He was an inhabitant of Périgueux; but becoming a cleric after his conversion, he went to Angoulême and built himself a cell. There he gathered a few monks about him, and continued diligently in prayer; if any offered him gold or silver, he gave it to relieve the needs of the poor, or to redeem captives. So long as he lived, no bread was ever baked in his cell; it was only brought in by the devout when necessity demanded. By the offerings of the faithful, he redeemed a great multitude of captives. Often with the sign of the Cross he destroyed the poison of malignant pustules, by prayer cast out evil spirits from the bodies of the possessed, and by the exceeding sweetness of his address compelled, rather than besought, judges to pardon the accused. For he had such a charming way, that when he prayed for lenience they were unable to refuse him. On one occasion a man was being led off to be hanged for theft who was accused by the inhabitants of many other crimes, both robberies and murders. When Eparchius was told of it, he sent one of his monks to petition the judge for the life of the accused. Thereupon the people rose, crying that if this fellow were set free there would be no safety either for the country or for the judge; the prisoner therefore could not be released. Meanwhile he was stretched by rope and pulley, beaten with rods and cudgelled, and condemned to the gallows. The monk sadly bringing back the news, ‘Go’, said the abbot, ‘and watch from some distance, for know that the Lord of His munificence shall grant me him whom man hath refused to give up. Be it thy part to take him up when he falleth, and straightway bring him to the monastery.’ The monk obeyed his orders. Then Eparchius prostrated himself in prayer and poured forth his supplications with tears to the Lord until the bar and the chains were broken, and the hanged man reached earth again. Then the monk raised him and brought him in safety into the presence of the abbot, who, giving thanks to God, bade summon the count,¹ and said to him: ‘Ever, most beloved son, wert thou wont to hearken to me with kindly mind; wherefore to-day didst thou harden thy heart and refuse to free the man whose life I begged of thee? ’ The count answered: ‘Right gladly do I hearken to thee, holy priest; but when the people rose, I could do no other, for I feared a riot.’ Eparchius said: ‘Thou indeed wouldst not hear me, yet hath God deigned to give ear, and him whom thou deliveredst to death the Lord hath restored to life. Behold, there he standeth before thee sound and whole.’ At these words the count flung himself at his feet, amazed to behold alive one whom he had left at the point of death. These things I learned from the count’s own lips. Eparchius did much else which it were too long to relate. After forty-four years of his seclusion he was attacked awhile by fever, and breathed his last. He was brought forth from his cell and committed to the earth. A great concourse of ransomed prisoners walked in his funeral procession, for, as I have related, he redeemed many.

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