1. Sed ut reliquās virtūtēs eius, quās in epīscopātū ēgit, adgrediar; erat haud longē ab oppidō proximus monastērio locus, quem falsa hominum opīnio, velut cōnsepultīs ibi martyribus, sacrāverat: 2. nam et altāre ibi a superiōribus epīscopīs cōnstitūtum habēbātur. sed Martīnus nōn temerē adhibēns incertīs fidem, ab hīs, quī māiōrēs nātū erant, presbyterīs vel clēricīs flāgitābat nōmen sibi martyris, tempus passiōnis ostendī: grandī sē scrūpulō permovērī, quod nihil certī cōnstāns sibi māiōrum memōria trādidisset. 3. cum aliquamdiū ergō ā locō illō sē abstinuisset, nec dērogāns religiōnī, quia incertus erat, nec auctōritātem suam vulgō accommodāns, nē superstitiō convalēsceret, quōdam diē paucīs sēcum adhibitīs frātribus ad locum pergit. 4. dehinc super sepulcrum ipsum adstāns ōrāvit ad Dominum, ut quis esset vel cuius meritī esset sepultus ostenderet. tum conversus ad laevam videt prope adsistere umbram sordidam, trucem: imperat, nōmen meritumque loquerētur. nōmen ēdīcit, dē crīmine cōnfitētur: latrōnem sē fuisse, ob scelera percussum, vulgī errōre celebrātum: sibi nihil cum martyribus esse commūne, cum illōs glōria, sē poena retinēret. 5. mīrum in modum vōcem loquentis quī aderant audiēbant, persōnam tamen nōn vidēbant. tum Martīnus quid vīdisset exposuit iussitque ex eō locō altāre, quod ibi fuerat, submovērī, atque ita populum superstitiōnis illius absolvit errōre.
notes
vocabulary
adgredior -gredī -gressus sum: begin, undertake
opīnio -ōnis f.: opinion, belief
cōnsepeliō -pelīre -pelīvī -pultum: bury with
martyr -yris m. or f.: witness; martyr
sācrō sacrāre: make sacred, devote, consecrate
altāre -āris n.: high altar
temerē: (adv.) recklessly, rashly
incertus -a -um: uncertain
clēricus -ī m.: clergyman, priest
flāgitō -āre: demand fiercely or violently, solicit
passio -ōnis f.: suffering, enduring
grandis -e: large, great
scrūpulus -ī m.: uneasiness, doubt, scruple
permoveō -movēre -mōvī -mōtum: move throughout; to influence, persuade
abstineō -tinēre -tinuī -tentum: abstain, restrain
dērogō -āre: take away; disparage, dishonor
accommodō -commodāre: make fit to, adapt to, fit to
superstitiō -ōnis f.: unreasonable religious belief, superstition
convalēscō -lēscere -luī: grow strong, gain strength
dehinc: (adv.) from here, hence
meritum -ī n.: merit, desert
sepeliō sepelīre sepelīvī sepultum: bury, inter
laevus -a -um: left, on the left side
sordidus -a -um: filthy, foul, unclean
trux -ucis: savage, fierce, ferocious, grim
latro -ōnis m.: a highwayman, bandit, brigand
scelus -eris n.: wicked deed, crime, sin
percutiō -cutere -cussī -cussum: strike through; slay, kill
submoveō -movēre -mōvī -mōtum: move from under; drive back