1. Frequenter autem diabolus, dum mille nocendi artibus sānctum virum conābātur illūdere, vīsibilem sē eī formīs dīversissimīs ingerēbat. nam interdum in Iovis persōnam, plērumque Mercurī, saepe etiam sē Veneris ac Minervae trānsfigūrātum vultibus offerēbat: adversus quem semper interritus signō sē crucis et ōrātiōnis auxiliō protegēbat. 2. audiēbantur plērumque convīcia, quibus illum turba daemonum protervīs vōcibus increpābat: sed omnia falsa et vāna cognoscēns nōn movēbātur obiectīs. 3. testābantur etiam aliquī ex frātribus, audīsse sē daemonem protervīs Martīnum vōcibus increpantem, cur intrā monastērium aliquōs ex frātribus, quī ōlim baptismum dīversīs errōribus perdidissent, conversōs posteā recēpisset, expōnentem crīmina singulōrum: 4. Martīnum diabolō repugnantem rēspondisse cōnstanter, antīqua dēlicta meliōris vītae conversātiōne purgārī, et per misericordiam Dominī absolvendōs esse peccātīs, quī peccāre dēsierint. contrā dīcente diabolō, nōn pertinēre ad vēniam crīminōsōs, et semel lapsīs nūllam ā Dominō praestārī posse clēmentiam, tunc in hanc vōcem fertur exclāmāsse Martīnus: 5. 'sī tū ipse, miserābilis, ab hominum īnsectātiōne dēsisterēs et tē factōrum tuōrum vel hōc tempore, cum diēs iūdiciī in proximō est, paenitēret, ego tibi vērē cōnfīsus in Dominō Iēsū Christō misericordiam pollicērer.' ō quam sāncta dē Dominī pietāte praesumptio, in quā etsi auctōritātem praestāre nōn potuit, ostendit affectum. 6. et quia dē diabolō eiusdemque artibus sermō exortus est, nōn ab rē vidētur, licet extrīnsecus, referre quod gestum est, quia et quaedam in eō Martīnī virtūtum portio est et rēs digna mīrāculō rectē memoriae mandābitur, in exemplum cavendī, sī quid deinceps uspiam tale contigerit.
notes
vocabulary
vīsibilis -e: visible
interdum: (adv.) meanwhile
trānsfigūrō -āre: transform, transfigure, metamorphose
interritus -a -um: unaffrighted, undisturbed
prōtegō -tegere -tēxī -tēctum: cover in front, protect
convīcium -ī n.: quarreling, altercation
turbo -inis m.: whirlwind, tornado
protervus -a -um: violent, vehement
increpō -āre -uī -itum: make a noise; blame, rebuke
tēstor -ārī: bear witness, testify
cōnstanter: (adv.) steadfastly, uniformly
dēlictum -ī n.: crime, transgression, fault
conversātiō -ōnis f.: frequent use; dealing, conversation
purgō -āre: make clean, purify
peccātum -ī n.: fault, transgression, sin
crīminōsus -ī m.: guilty man, criminal
lapsō -āre: fall down, slip
clēmentia -ae f.: gentleness, mildness
exclāmō -clāmāre: cry out, shout
miserābilis -e: pitiable, miserable, wretched
īnsectātiō -ōnis f.: pursuit
dēsistō -sistere -stitī: desist from, stop, cease (+abl. or inf.)
proximum -i n.: neighborhood, vicinity
paeniteō -ēre -uī: cause to repent
praesumptiō -ōnis f.: anticipation; presumption
exorior -orīrī -ortus sum: rise up, appear, arise
extrinsecus: (adv.) moreover
portiō -ōnis f.: share, part, portion
mīrāculum -ī n.: wonder, marvel, miracle
rēctē: rightly, properly
mandō -āre: to commit, consign, commend
deinceps: (adv.) in turn, in succession
uspiam: (adv.) at or in any place, anywhere