1. Sub idem ferē tempus ad epīscopātum Turonicae ecclēsiae petēbātur: sed cum ēruī monastēriō suō nōn facile posset, Rusticius quīdam, ūnus ē cīvibus, uxōris languōre simulātō ad genua illius prōvolūtus ut ēgrederētur obtinuit. 2. ita dispositīs iam in itinere cīvium turbīs, sub quādam custōdiā ad cīvitātem usque dēdūcitur. mīrum in modum incrēdibilis multitūdō nōn sōlum ex illō oppidō, sed etiam ex vīcīnīs urbibus ad suffrāgia ferenda convēnerat. 3. ūna omnium voluntās, eadem vōta eademque sententia, Martīnum ēpiscopātūs esse dignissimum: fēlīcem fore tālī ecclēsiam sacerdōte. paucī tamen et nōnnūllī ex epīscopīs, quī ad cōnstituendum antistitem fuerant ēvocātī, impiē repugnābant, dīcentēs scīlicet, contemptibilem esse persōnam, indignum esse epīscopātū hominem vultū dēspicābilem, veste sordidum, crīne dēformem. 4. ita ā populō sententiae sāniōris haec illōrum inrīsa dēmentia est, quī illustrem virum dum vituperāre cupiunt praedīcābant. nec vērō aliud hīs facere licuit, quam quod populus Dominō volente cōgitābat. inter epīscopōs tamen quī adfuerant praecipuē Dēfēnsor quīdam dīcitur restitisse: unde animadversum est graviter illum lēctiōne prophēticā tum notātum. 5. nam cum fortuitō lēctor, cui legendī eō diē officium erat, interclūsus ā populō dēfuisset, turbātīs ministrīs, dum exspectātur quī nōn aderat, ūnus ē circumstantibus sumptō psaltēriō, quem prīmum versum invēnit, arripuit. 6. psalmus autem hic erat: 'ex ōre īnfantium et lactantium perfēcistī laudem propter inimīcōs tuōs, ut dēstruās inimīcum et dēfēnsōrem.' quō lēctō clāmor populī tollitur, pars dīversa cōnfunditur. 7. atque ita habitum est, dīvīnō nūtū psalmum hunc lēctum fuisse, ut testimōnium operis suī Dēfēnsor audīret, quī ex ōre īnfantium atque lactantium, in Martīnō Dominī laude perfectā, et ostēnsus pariter et dēstructus esset inimīcus.
notes
vocabulary
ēruō -ruere -ruī -rutum: move violently out, cast out; elicit
simulō -āre: feign, pretend
prōvolvō -volvere -volvī -volūtum: roll forwards; cast one's self down, prostrate one's self
obtineō -tinēre -tinuī -tentum: hold fast; gain hold of, obtain
dispōnō -pōnere -posuī -positum: put apart; arrange
cūstōdia -ae f.: protection, custody, garrison
incrēdibilis -e: not credible, not believable, incredible
suffrāgium -ī n.: ballot
antistes -itis m. and f.: presiding priest or priestess
ēvocō -vocāre: call out, summon, challenge
impius -a -um: irreverent, ungodly; wicked, impious
contemptibilis -e: contemptible
dēspicābilis -e: contemptible, despicable
sordidus -a -um: filthy, foul, unclean
crīnis -is m.: hair
dēformō -āre: deform, disfigure
irrīdeō -rīdēre -rīsī -rīsum: laugh at; mock, ridicule
vituperō -āre: blame, disparage, vituperate
animadvertō -vertere -vertī -versum: notice, observe, attend to
lēctiō -ōnis f.: a reading
prophēticus -a -um: predicting, prophetic, prophetical
fōrtuītō: (adv.) by chance, accidentally, fortuitously
lēctor -ōris m.: reader
officiō -icere -ēcī -ectum: hinder, thwart, obstruct
interclūdō -clūdere -clūsī -clūsum: shut off, cut off
turbātus -a -um: troubled, disturbed, agitated
minister -trī m.: attendant; minister, administrator
psaltērium -ī n.: the Songs of David, the Psalms
psalmus -ī m.: psalm
īnfāns -fantis: not capable of speech ; subst. infant
lactō -āre: contain milk, have milk, give suck
perficiō -ficere -fēcī -fectum: achieve, accomplish, finish
dēfēnsor -ōris m.: defender
cōnfundō -fundere -fūdī -fūsum: pour together; confuse, trouble
pariter: (adv.) at the same time, together