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Life of St Ambrose
Paulinus the Deacon, tr. Kaniecka, 1928
God Safeguards the Memory of the Holy Bishop Against Detractors. An Exhortation on the…
And so having discussed these matters I do not think it will appear offensive, if we exceed a little the bounds of our promise, that we may show that the word of the Lord which He spoke through the mouths of the holy prophets has been fulfilled: The man that sitteth against his brother and detracteth him in private will I persecute. And elsewhere: Love not to detract, lest you be totally destroyed; so that whoever by chance is seized by a habit of this kind, when he has read how vengeance has been taken on those who dared to detract from the holy man, himself also among others may be corrected.
Now a certain Donatus, an African by race but a presbyter of the church of Milan, when seated at a banquet at which were some religious army-men he detracted from the memory of the bishop—although they spurned and avoided his wretched tongue—was suddenly struck with a severe wound. He was raised up by strange hands from the place in which he lay, placed on a litter, and carried thence even to the grave. In the city of Carthage also when I had gone to the house of the deacon Fortunatus, brother of the venerable bishop Aurelius, to dine, together with Vincentius, bishop of Colositanum, with Muranus also bishop of Bolita and other bishops and deacons, to Bishop Muranus who was then detracting from the holy man I related the fate of the presbyter mentioned above; and these words concerning another he confirmed as an oracle about himself by his own premature death. For, after he had been suddenly struck with a great wound, from the very place on which he lay he was carried by strange hands to a bed; and on being brought thence to the house in which he was guest brought his days to a close. This was the end of men who detract him, and those who were then present on seeing this marveled.
Wherefore, I urge and beseech every man who will read this book, to imitate the life of the man, to praise the grace of God, and to avoid the tongues of detractors, if he wishes rather to have companionship with Ambrose in the resurrection of life, than with those detractors to undergo a punishment which no wise man does not avoid.
I also beg your Blessedness, father Augustine, that for me, the most humble man and sinner Paulinus, together with all the saints who with you invoke the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ in truth, you may deign to pray, so that, since in obtaining grace, I am not worthy to have companionship with so great a man, having obtained pardon for my sins I may receive the reward of escaping punishment.