VM 1.31

English

In order to crush the audacity of unbelievers I shall not be silent about how divine vengeance immediately visited another man, who committed perjury in the holy portal. Daily necessities are brought every day by the faithful to the poor roll, through which the holy man, in his kindness, nourishes the indigent with the alms of the devout; the blessed poor however, since many of them leave to go elsewhere, leave a custodian there to receive the offerings.

Once, a devout man brought a gold coin in order to gain a heavenly reward, but the custodian who received it was not afraid of hiding it from his brothers. When the poor came together at the sixth hour, they inquired of the custodian what the blessed shepherd Martin, tending them with his usual care, had sent to them, for they had heard that something had been donated there. The custodian replied with an oath: "By this holy place and the lord Martin's deeds of power, no more came here than one silver coin." He had not quite finished saying these words, they were still issuing from his mouth, when he suddenly trembled and fell to the ground, and when he had been carried to his bed by others, began to sob violently.

Asked by those around him for the reason, he answered: "I lied about that gold coin which the poor inquire after, and for that reason divine vengeance now scourges me; but I ask that you accept it now and return it to the poor roll." When it had been returned, he at once gave up his spirit.

O unhappy man, who perished overtaken by greed in such a way that he lost the benefit of life and did not keep the guiltily acquired money! But "to what do you not compel the hearts of men," accursed greed? Once, you were envious of the widow who bought the kingdom of heaven with her two mites, now you hurl this man into the abyss for one gold coin. After hanging Judas in a noose for accepting a price for his master, you now plunge this man into the netherworld because of a small coin. Let what has been said suf-fice, therefore, to crush the temerity of the wicked.

Latin

Quam praesens et super alium ultio divina processerit, qui in sanctam porticum periuraverit, ad conpremendam perfidorum audaciam non silebo. Cum ad matricolam illam, quam sanctus suo beneficio de devotorum elymosinis pascit, cotidie a fidelibus necessaria tribuantur, consuetudinem benedicti pauperes habent, ut, cum multi ex his per loca discesserint, custodem inibi derelinquant, qui quod fuerit oblatum accipiat. Quidam ergo devotus unum triantem mercedis intuitu detulit; quod custus loci collectum fratribus occultare non metuit. Convenientes autem pauperes ad sextam, sciscitati sunt antedictum custodem, quid sibi beatus pastor solita pietate respiciens transmisisset. Audierant enim, ibidem aliquid fuisse largitum. Qui ait cum sacramento: 'Per hunc locum sanctum et virtutes domni Martini, quia hic amplius non venit quam unus argenteus'. Necdum enim verba conpleverat, sed adhuc sermo in ore pendebat, statim tremens corruit in terram, suoque lectulo aliorum manibus redditus, coepit graviter singultare. Interrogatus autem a circumstantibus, quid sibi esset, respondit: 'Triantem illum quem pauperes requirebant periuravi, et ideo mo praesens vindicta flagellat; sed rogo, ut eum accipientes reddatis matricolae'. Quo reddito, statim amisit spiritum. O infelix, qui sic ab iniqua cupiditate praeventus periit, ut et lucrum vitae perderet nec damna aptae pecuniae possederet! Sed Quid non mortalia pectora cogis exsecranda cupiditas? Quae invida quondam viduae duobus minutis caeleste regnum mercanti fueras, hunc per unum triantem ad ima praecipitas. Et qui Iudam appendisti laqueo in magistri pretio, hunc per parvum nomisma dimergis in tartarum. Satis ergo haec ad conpremendam malorum temeritatem dicta sufficiant.