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
felici . . . excessu: 'as a result of his fortunate death'.
se . . . contulisset: 'had gone'.
ad summum fidei virtutumque omnium culmen enituit: 'reached the highest peak of faith and all the virtues' (enitesco, -ere, -nitui: to become conspicuous for merit, shine).
ad eum . . . accessit: 'came to him'.
mentitus: 'having falsely assumed' (> mentior, -iri, -itus sum: feign, fabricate).
dicebat: the subject is Anatolius.
fidem . . . adhiberet: 'was believing (him)'
coartabat: 'was compelling' (> coarto (1), a late Latin sense).
eo usque . . . ut . . . praedicaret: 'so far as to declare' (result clause).
ille: Anatolius
ei: Clarus
praesentes plagas: 'an immediate thrashing'
comminari: 'thretened' (historic infin.).
cur sancto non crederet: 'because he was not trusting a holy man'. Cur = 'because' is rare but classical; cp. OLD s.v. 4.
in hanc vocem erupisse: 'to have blurted the following words' (> erumpo -ere -upi -uptum: break silence, to utter violently or unexpectedly).
qua indutus: 'clothed in which' (> induo, -ere, -ui, -utus + abl.).
in medio vestrum deversabor: 'I shall remain in your midst' (White).
qui . . . donatus sim: 'since I have been endowed with', pf. subj. in a causal relative clause (AG 535e), > dono (1).
professionem: 'declaration'.
fremitu terram insultantium: 'with a rumble of people trampling on the ground'.
commoveri loco visum est: 'seemed to be being jolted from its place', 'seemed to shake'.
summa mollitie, candore eximio, micanti purpura: abl. 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' (vellus, -eris, n.: wool, fleece).
non aliud quam: 'nothing other than'.
quidnam id esset: indirect question after ostenderet.
apprehensum dextera ad Martīnum trahere volebat: 'he (Clarus) wanted to take him (Anatolius), having been grabbed by the hand, to Martin'.
interdictum sibi esse . . . ne: 'that it was forbidden for him to' (> interdico, -ere).
fantasiam: 'deception', lit. 'phantom, specter, apparition' (late Lat.), i.e. the garment.
cum erat . . . ingerenda: 'when it was about to be put before' (> ingero, -ere).