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History of the Franks

St Gregory of Tours, tr. Dalton, 1927

Book 9, 6. Of Impostors and Soothsayers

There was at Tours in this year¹ a man named Desiderius, who proclaimed himself one great above the common, asserting his power to work many miracles. He boasted, among other things, that messengers passed between himself and the apostles Peter and Paul. As I was absent, the country people flocked to him in multitudes, bringing with them the blind and the infirm, whom he sought rather to deceive by the false teaching of hellish arts, than to heal by the power of holiness. Paralytics, or those disabled through other infirmities, he ordered to be stretched to their full length by force, pretending to restore by his own effort those whom he could not make straight by the gift of divine power. Some of his servants would seize a man’s hands and feet, others would hold him by other parts, until it seemed as if the sinews must snap; if no cure was effected, men were sent away half dead. In consequence of this treatment, many lost their lives under this torture. This wretch was so swollen with conceit that he declared the blessed Martin less powerful than he, and ranked himself equal with the apostles. Nor need we wonder that he should liken himself to the apostles, when the author of all evil, from whom such things proceed, shall at the end of the world pretend to be the Christ. What I now relate proves that, as I have said, he was full of hellish arts. Those who saw him declared that if any one had spoken evil of him in secret and at a distance, he would reproach him in public in these words: ‘Thou hast said this or that about me, defaming my holiness.’ Now by what other means could he have known this save through familiar demons? He wore a tunic and hood of goat’s hair, and in public practised abstinence in the matter of food and drink. But in private, at the inn, he gorged himself to such a point that the servant waiting on him could not keep pace with his greed. The imposture was discovered; he was taken by our people, and was expelled from the territory of the city. We never learned whither he went, but he used to call himself a citizen of Bordeaux.

Seven years ago there appeared another great impostor, who deceived many by his wiles. He was clad in a long sleeveless tunic,² over which was a fine linen mantle, and wore a cross from which hung a number of little flasks containing, as he said, holy oil. He pretended to come from Spain, and to have brought relics of the most blessed martyrs Vincent the deacon³ and Felix. He came at nightfall to the church of the holy Martin at Tours, while we were at table, and sent in a message: ‘Come forth to greet the sacred relics.’ The hour was too late, and we made answer: ‘Let the blessed relics remain upon the altar, and in the morning we will go forth to meet them.’ But at the break of dawn the man rose, and without waiting for me came with his cross and appeared in my cell. I was astounded, and marvelling at his impudence, asked him what his conduct meant. He answered in a haughty manner, and raising his voice: ‘It was thy duty to receive us with more respect. But I shall tell all to King Chilperic; he will avenge the affront.’ He then, quite ignoring me, went into my oratory, took it upon himself to recite first one verse, then another, then a third, began the prayer, and read it all through, and then, taking up his cross again, went his way. He was a man of uncultured speech, and free in the use of low and coarse expressions; he could not even speak sense. He went as far as Paris, where at this time the public Rogations commonly held before the holy day of the Lord’s Ascension were being celebrated. While Bishop Ragnemod was making the round of the holy places in procession with his flock, this man also came up with his cross, wearing a garment quite unfamiliar to the people, and gathered round him a whole rabble of bad characters and country women, and formed a procession of his own, meaning to go round the holy places with his private following. The bishop, observing this, sent his archdeacon with this message: ‘If thou bearest holy relics, place them awhile in the church and celebrate the holy days with us; then, when the festival is over, go thy way.’ But he, caring nothing for what the archdeacon said, fell to cursing and abusing the bishop, who, seeing that the fellow was an impostor, ordered him to be imprisoned in a cell, and made an examination of all that he had with him. There was found on him a large bag full of the roots of various herbs; there were also in it moles’ teeth, bones of mice, and the claws and grease of bears. Seeing that all these things were instruments of witchcraft, the bishop ordered them to be thrown into the river; he then took away the man’s cross and commanded him to be driven forth from the territory of Paris. Then the fellow made a new cross, and began to carry on the same practices as before; but he was taken by the archdeacon, bound with chains, and committed to prison. During those days I came to Paris, and was lodged at the church of the holy Julian the martyr. The following night the wretch, breaking from the prison, rushed to this church with all his chains upon him, fell down upon the paved floor exactly where I usually took my place, and fell asleep, overcome by drowsiness and wine. We knew nothing of what was befallen, but found him sleeping there when we rose in the middle of the night to give thanks to God. Such a foul smell rose from him, that this stench outstank the stenches of all sewers and privies, and made it impossible for us to enter the holy church. One of the clerics⁴ went up, and, stopping his own nostrils, tried to rouse him, but failed, so sodden was the miserable creature with his wine. Then four other clerics took him up in their hands and flung him into a corner of the church; after which they brought water, washed the pavement, and strewed it with sweet-smelling herbs; so we came out and performed the office. But our chants never roused him; he did not wake until day was restored to earth and the light of the sun had risen high in the heavens, when I delivered him to the bishop again, asking that he might be pardoned. When the bishops assembled in the city of Paris, I related these events at table, and ordered him to be brought before us that we might admonish him. When he was come in, Amelius, bishop of Bigorra,⁵ raising his eyes, recognized him as a runaway servant of his own; whereupon he pardoned him and took him back to his own country. Many there be who by the practice of such impostures never cease to lead simple folk astray, of whom, I think, the Lord Himself speaketh in the Gospel, that in the last times ‘there shall arise false Christs and false prophets who shall show⁶ signs and wonders and lead into error even the elect’.⁷ But enough of this matter; let me rather return to my proper subject.

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