GM 58

English

The church at Yzeures in the territory of Tours

In the village ofYzeures, within the territory of Tours, there is a church that is distinguished by many holy miracles. The church has the usual windows that are covered by glass in a wood frame. The windows hence more clearly offer to the holy church the light that the world deserves. A bold thief came to this church and entered it at night. When he realized that everything was watched by custodians and did not notice any holy vessels that he might steal, he said to himself: 'IfI cannot find something, I will steal these glass windows that I see. After melting the metal, I will acquire some gold for myself.' Then, after stealing and breaking the glass windows, he took the metal and came to a village in the territory of Bourges. He put the glass in a furnace and heated it for three days, but he accomplished nothing. [Although] he was overwhelmed by his crime and [although] he realized that a divine judgement had been passed on him, he was not upset and persisted in his evil deeds. He took from the furnace glass that had been changed into some sort of small strands and sold it to merchants who had arrived. Just like a new Gehazi, once he received the money he came down with incurable leprosy [cf. II Kings 5:19-27]. For when the first anniversary of his theft was approaching, a tumor grew on his head and his eyes so swelled up that they were thought to have been tom from their sockets. Every year the same thing happened to the man on the day when he performed his theft. The wretch mourned for the glass that he could not recall from the journey on which he had sent it.

Latin

Eclesia est vici Iciodorensis sub termino Turonicae urbis, quae plerumque sacris miraculis inlustratur,, fenestras ex more habens, quae vitro lignis incluso cluduntur, quo praeclarius aedii sacratae lumen, quod mundus meruerit, subministrent. Quam eclesiam fur inportunus adgreditur, ingressusque nocte, cum omnia cerneret custodum cura tueri et nihil dle sacris ministeriis quod auferret adverteret, ait intra se: 'Si aliud', inquid, 'invenire mon possum, vel has ipsas quas cerno vitreas auferam'; fusoque metallo, aliquid auri comquiri sibi. Ablatis igitur dissipatisque vitreis, metallum abstulit et in pago Biturigi territurii contulit. Missumque vitrum in fornace per triduum decoquens, nullum ex:inde opus potuit expedire; victusque crimine, divinum super se iudicium intuens, netquaquam motus perdurat in malis. Ablatum autem a cacavo vitrum, quod in piluliis nescio quibus conversum fuerat, advenientibus negotiatoribus venundedit, ut scilicett, accepta pecunia, novus Giezi lepram perpetuam conpararet. Nam adveniente dlie post anni curriculum, quod hoc furtum fecerat, caput eius tumori datur; oculi quoque inflantur, ut erui a suis locis autumentur. Haec autem ei singulis annis eveniiunt in die illa, qua furtum admisit. Plangitque miser vitrum, quod ex itinere, quo transmisit, non potuit revocare.