II.1

 

After the death of Saint Martin, bishop of the city of Tours, that most eminent and indeed incomparable man, concerning whose miracles large tomes have been written by us, Brictio succeeded to the episcopate. When he was a very young man this Brictio would often set snares for Saint Martin (who was then still living in the flesh), because the saint used very frequently to rebuke him for spending too much of his time on trivial matters. One day when a sick man came to Saint Martin to be healed, he met Brictio, who was still a deacon, in the square. "I am hanging about here waiting for the holy man", said he in his rough way, "but I do not know where he is or what he is doing". "If you are looking for this crazy fellow", answered Brictio, "just cast your eyes in that direction. In his usual half-witted way, he is staring at the sky". The poor man went over to Saint Martin and was given what he wanted. The saint turned to his deacon Brictio and said: "So I seem to you to be half-witted, do I?" Brictio was so confused when he heard this that he denied he had said any such thing, but Saint Martin went on: "I was listening to your words, even though you were some distance away. Amen say I to you, for I have just had granted to me by God that you shall succeed to the honour of this bishopric after my death, but you must know this, that during your tenure of the episcopate you will suffer much ill-treatment". When Brictio heard this he laughed and answered: "Was not it true what I alleged, that much of what you say is sheer lunacy?" Even when he had been ordained as a presbyter, Brictio continued to cause pain to the saint by his sarcastic remarks. However, when he was elected to the bishopric, with the full approval of the citizens of Tours, he spent his time in prayer. For, although Brictio was arrogant and vain, he was considered to be chaste in body. In thirty-third year after his ordination, a lamentable charge was levelled against him.

 

 

(trans.Thorpe 1974: 104, slightly altered and summarized by J. Szafranowski)