Section 23 | Dickinson College Commentaries

[1] Clārus quīdam, adulēscēns nōbilissimus, mox presbyter, nunc fēlīcī beātus excessū, cum relictīs omnibus sē ad Martīnum contulisset, brevī tempore ad summum fideī virtūtumque omnium culmen ēnituit. [2] itaque cum haud longē sibi ab epīscopī monastēriō tabernāculum cōnstituisset multīque apud eum frātrēs commorārentur, iuvenis quīdam ad eum Anatolius nōmine, sub prōfessiōne monachī omnem humilitātem atque innocentiam mentītus, accessit habitāvitque aliquamdiū in commūne cum cēterīs. [3] dein prōcedente tempore angelōs apud sē loquī solēre dīcēbat. cum fidem nūllus adhibēret, signīs quibusdam plērōsque ad crēdendum coartābat. postrēmo eō usque prōcessit, ut inter sē ac Deum nuntiōs discurrere praedīcāret, iamque sē ūnum ex profētīs habēri volēbat. [4] Clārus tamen nēquāquam ad crēdendum cōgī poterat. ille eī īram Dominī et praesentēs plāgās, cur sānctō nōn crēderet, commināri. [5] postrēmum in hanc vōcem ērupisse fertur: 'ecce hāc nocte vestem mihi candidam Dominus dē caelō dabit, quā indūtus in mediō vestrum dīversābor: idque vobis signum erit, in mē Deī esse virtūtem, quī Deī veste dōnātus sim.' [6] tum vērō grandis omnium ad hanc prōfessiōnem exspectātio. itaque ad mediam ferē noctem fremitū terram īnsultantium commovērī omne monastērium locō vīsum est: cellulam autem, quā īdem adūlēscēns continēbātur, crebrīs cernerēs micāre lūminibus, fremitusque in eā discurrentium et murmur quoddam multārum vōcum audiēbātur. [7] dein factō silentiō ēgressus ūnum dē frātribus Sabatium nōmine ad sē vocat tunicamque eī, quā erat indūtus, ostendit. [8] obstupefactus ille convocat cēterōs, ipse etiam Clārus accurrit, adhibitōque lūmine vestem omnēs dīligenter īnspiciunt. erat autem summā mollitiē, candōre eximiō, micantī purpurā, nec tamen, cuius esset generis aut velleris, poterat agnoscī: cūriōsīs tamen oculīs aut digitīs attrectāta nōn aliud quam vestis vidēbātur. intereā Clārus frātrēs admonet ōrātiōnī īnsistere, ut manifestius eīs Dominus quidnam id esset ostenderet. [9] itaque reliquum noctis hymnīs psalmīsque cōnsumitur. ubi illūxit diēs, apprehēnsum dexterā ad Martīnum trahere volēbat, bene cōnscius illūdī illum diabolī arte nōn posse. [10] tum vērō renītī ac reclāmāre miser coepit, interdictumque sibi esse dīcēbat, nē sē Martīnō ostenderet. cumque invītum īre compellerent, inter trahentium manūs vestis ēvanuit. [11] unde quis dubitet hanc etiam Martīnī fuisse virtūtem, ut fantasiam suam diabolus, cum erat Martīnī oculīs ingerenda, dissimulāre diūtius aut tegere nōn posset.

notes

fēlīcī . . . excessū: "as a result of his fortunate death."

sē . . . contulisset: "had gone."

ad summum fideī virtūtumque omnium culmen ēnituit: "reached the highest peak of faith and all the virtues"

ēnituit: > ēnitēscō –ere –nituī —, "to become conspicuous for merit," "shine."

[2]

ad eum . . . accessit: "came to him."

mentītus: "having falsely assumed"; > mentior –īrī –ītus sum, "feign," "fabricate."

[3]

dīcēbat: the subject is Anatolius.

fidem . . . adhibēret: "was believing (him)."

coartābat: > coartō (1), "was compelling." (a late Latin sense).

eō usque . . . ut . . . praedīcāret: "so far as to declare"; result clause.

[4]

ille: Anatolius

eī: Clarus

praesentēs plāgās: "an immediate thrashing."

cur sānctō nōn crēderet: "because he was not trusting a holy man." Cur meaning "because" is rare but classical; cp. OLD s.v. 4.

commināri: "thretened"; historical infin.

[5]

in hanc vōcem ērupisse: "to have blurted the following words."

ērupisse: > ērumpō –ere –rūpī –ruptus, "break silence," "to utter violently or unexpectedly."

quā indūtus: > induō –ere –uī –ūtus, "clothed in which" (+ abl.).

in mediō vestrum dīversābor: "I shall remain in your midst" (White).

quī . . . dōnātus sim: "since I have been endowed with."

dōnātus sim: pf. subj. > dono (1), in a causal relative clause (AG 535e).

[6]

prōfessiōnem: "declaration."

fremitū terram īnsultantium: "with a rumble of people trampling on the ground."

commovērī . . . locō vīsum est: "seemed to be being jolted from its place," "seemed to shake."

[8]

summā mollitiē, candōre eximiō, micantī purpurā: ablatives of description.

nec tamen, cuius esset generis aut velleris, poterat agnoscī: "and yet it could not be recognized of what type or wool it was."

velleris: > vellus –eris (n.), "wool," "fleece."

nōn aliud quam: "nothing other than."

quidnam id esset: indirect question after ostenderet.

apprehēnsum dexterā ad Martīnum trahere volēbat: "he (Clarus) wanted to take him (Anatolius), having been grabbed by the hand, to Martin."

[10]

interdictumque sibi esse . . . nē: "that it was forbidden for him to" (interdictum > interdicō –ere).

[11]

fantasiam: "deception," lit. "phantom," "specter," "apparition" (late Latin), i.e., the garment.

cum erat . . . ingerenda: "when it was about to be put before," (ingerenda > ingerō –ere).

vocabulary

adulēscēns –entis, m. / f.: young man, young woman

excessus –ūs, m.: departure; death

culmen –inis, n.: top, summit

ēniteō –nitēre –nituī: shine forth

tabernāculum –ī, n.: tent2

professio –ōnis, f.: a declaration

innocentia –ae, f.: innocence, integrity

mentior mentīrī mentītus sum: lie, deceive, feign

habitō –āre: occupy, inhabit, dwell in

coartō –āre: compel, constrain3

discurrō –currere –cucurrī (–currī) –cursum: run to and fro, run about

prophēta –ae, m.: prophet

nēquāquam: (adv.) in nowise, by no means, not at all4

plāga -ae, f.: injury, misfortune; plague, pestilence

comminor –ārī –ātus sum: threaten, menace

postrēmus –a –um: hindmost, last5

ērumpō –rumpere –rūpī –ruptum: break out, burst or sally forth (+ abl.)

medium -ī, n.: middle, midst

dēversor –āri –ātus sum: be tarrying, lodge anywhere as a guest

grandis –e: large, great6

fremitus –ūs, m.: roaring, loud noise

īnsultō –āre: leap upon; insult (+ dat.)

crēber crēbra crēbrum: thick, close, frequent

micō micāre micuī: to sparkle, glitter, gleam, flash

murmur –uris, n.: murmuring, murmur

silentium –ī, n.: silence, stillness7

tunica –ae, f.: tunic

obstupefaciō –facere –fēci –factum: amaze, stupefy, render senseless8

convocō –vocāre: call together, summon

accurrō –currere –cucurrī (–curri) –cursum: run to

īnspiciō –spicere –spēxī –spectum: look into, inspect, consider

mollities –ēi, f.: suppleness; softness

candor –ōris, m.: whiteness, radiance

eximius –a –um: exceptional, excellent, distinguished

purpura –ae, f.: purple

vellus –eris, n.: fleece, wool

cūriōsus –a –um: careful, diligent

attrectō –trectāre: touch, lay hold of

īnsistō –sistere –stitī: enter upon, pursue; devote one's self to (+ dat.)

manifēstus –a –um: clear, plain, manifest

reliquum –i, n.: remnant, remainder9

hymnus –ī, m.: song of praise, hymn

psalmus –ī, m.: psalm

illūcēscō –lūcēscere –luxī: grow light, begin shine, dawn

apprehendō –hendere –hendī –hensum: lay hold upon, seize, take hold of

cōnscius –a –um: conscious (+ gen. or dat.)

renītor –nītī: struggle against, resist10

reclāmō –clāmāre: cry out against, protest

interdīctum –ī, n.: a prohibition

invītus –a –um: unwilling, reluctant

phantasia –ae, f.: phantom, apparition11

dissimulō –āre: hide, conceal, keep secret

media

Text Read Aloud

Suggested Citation