VM 3.23

English

An inhabitant of the city of Angers, when his body was racked by an illness, he took to his bed; from then on his fever increased every single day and he lost the use of all his limbs, his hearing, and his faculty of speech, all simultaneously. After a few days, when he had recovered from the fever but was left mute, his share of the family possessions was taken from him by his brothers, and he was thrown out of the paternal home. His brothers said: "This man has become insane. Let not God allow him either to cling to what belongs to us or to acquire his share of the inheritance." For they were free men, cultivating their own lands, but they did not think of the things that are God's and threw out the mute and deaf man whom they should instead have cared for.

The man, although he lacked these faculties, retained his intelligence. For he thereupon picked up two tablets and, banging them together, imitated the voice of one begging. With this artifice he came to the above-mentioned village [of Candes] and there joined others begging for money. Six years had already passed during which that poor man had been sustained from the wealth of the holy cell.

It happened, however, that on a night before a Sunday, while he slept in the house of his host [the holy man], the place was suddenly filled with an immense brightness, and overcome by terror, he prostrated himself on the floor. At once he seemed to see a man dressed in a priest's vestment who touched him and made the sign of the cross of Christ on his forehead, saying: "The Lord has made you healthy. Get up, hurry to the church, and give thanks to your God." He shouted his thanks and filled the neighborhood with his cries. At once all ran toward this spectacle and were amazed to find the one whom they had seen mute the day before now speaking. Meanwhile, the bell sounded for matins: the people gathered too, and after the vigils had been celebrated, the holy man's deed of power was glorified and made known to all. In these days, two possessed persons staying in this place were cleansed by the expulsion of their demons.

Latin

Incola vero Andecavensis urbis, turbatis membris morbo, caput convertit ad lectulum; dehinc per dies singulos invaliscente febre, cunctis artibus distitutus, auditu et elocutione privatur. Post paucos vero dies cum de febre convaluisset et sine voce maneret, ablata sibi a fratribus facultatis parte, de domo paterna proicitur, dicentibus fratribus: 'Hic amens effectus est. Non patiatur Deus, quod aut facultati nostrae inhaereat aut partem hereditatis adquerat'. Erant enim ingenui et possessionem propriam incolentes; sed nihil cogitantes de his quae Dei erant, eiecerunt mutum et surdum, quem potius fovere debuerant. Ille vero quamqnam sine his usibus esset, sensum tamen in corde retenebat. Porro autem, adprehensis manu tabulis, inter se conlisis, vocem quaerentis imitabatur. Cum hoc enim artificio ad supradictum vicum advenit ibiquc aliis stipem flagitantibus adiungitur. Sextus igitur iam defluxerat annus, quod pauper iste a divitiis sanctae cellulae vescebatur. Factum est autem, ut in una dominicarum nocte, dum ad domum hospitis sui decumberet, subito locus ille inmenso repleret lumine, et ecce hic pavore perterritus solo prosternitur. Et statim visus est ei vir quidam sacerdotali habitu comptus, tangens eum et crucem Christi fronti eius inponens, ait: 'Dominus te sanum fecit. Surge et propera ad eclesiam et age gratias Deo tuo'. Ipse autem, elevatam cum gratiarum actione vocem, clamoribus vicinia complet. Ilico concurrunt omnes ad spectaculum et mirantur loquentem, quem pridie viderant mutum. Interea signum movetur horis matutinis, adgregatur et populus, vigiliasque celebratas, virtus sancti clarificata perpatuit. His diebus duo inergumini in hoc loco, eiecto daemone, sunt mundati.