Section 25

ōlim, audītā fidē eius vitā atque virtūte: "having heard long ago of his faith, his life, and his virtue."

aestuārēmus: "I was burning." The first person plural here, as in suscēpimus, nobis, sciscitātī sumus and cognōvimus below, is polite and refers to Sulpicius alone.

in quantum: "in so far as."

sciscitātī sumus . . . cognōvimus: "I inquired . . . I gained knowledge."

[2]

crēdī nōn potest: "it cannot be believed," "it is incredible."

congrātulātus plūrimum et gāvīsus: "expressing great happiness and rejoicing."

quod tantī  esset habitus: "because he was considered to be of such great worth."

tantī: genitive of value (AG 417).

quem . . . expeterēmus: "that I sought him out;" subjunctive in a relative clause of result (AG 537).

[3]

cum mē sānctō convīviō suō dignātus esset adhibēre: "when he considered me worthy to invite to his holy feast," i.e., a dinner.

nec . . . cōnstantia fuit: "nor did I have the strength of will." Supply mihi.

sī nōn adquiēvissem: "if I had not consented."

adquiēvissem: > adquiescō –ere –ēvī.

[4]

nōn alius . . . quam: "(about) nothing but."

praesentissimum . . . exemplum ingerēbat: "he repeatedly brought up the most outstanding example."

Paulīnī: Paulinus of Nola, a wealthy man who sold his possessions and devoted himself to the life of the church; also a friend of Sulpicius, and one of the most prominent poets of this period.

sōlus paene . . . complēsset: "almost alone had fulfilled," i.e., "was practically the only one who had fulfilled."

[5]

beātumque  . . . documentō: "blessed in (having) an example."

secundum: in accordance with (preposition + acc.).

dīves et possidēns multa: "a rich man and one possessing much," i.e., Paulinus.

quod erat factū impossibile: "(that) which was impossible to do."

factū: supine, abl. of specification (AG 510).

[6]

cōnfābulātiōne: > cōnfābulātio –ōnis (f.),  "conversation" (late Lat.).

in absolvendīs scriptūrārum quaestiōnibus: "in resolving disputed points of scripture."

promptus et facilis: "ready and accommodating."

[7]

ad hanc partem: "on this point."

quippe quōs vīderim mē ipsō etiam referente nōn crēdere: "in as much as I have seen some people fail to believe even when I was telling them myself." quippe + quī quae quod = "as one in fact who," i.e., "since" or "inasmuch as I / you / he," etc. (L&S s.v. quippe 5).

vīderim: pf. subj., in a causal relative clause (AG 535e). 

tantum scientiae, tantum ingeniī tantum tam bonī et tam pūrī sermōnis audīsse: "so much knowledge, so much natural ability, so much excellent and correct speech." This follows the text of Fontaine, rather than of Halm.

pūrī sermōnis: "correct speech," according to the standards set by teachers of the day, based on classical authors.

illitterātō: "uneducated." A soldier at 15, Martin did not receive the advanced training in literature and rhetoric that would have been typical for a bishop. He was definitely literate, as emerges below, 26.3 lēctionī. hominī illitterātō is dative of person, regular after dēfuisse ( > dēsum).