VM 4.31

English

Having left Poitiers, we entered the territory of Saintes. And at a certain meal, when we were speaking about the blessed Martin's acts of power, one of the citizens piously told me the following story, which the others present affirmed to be true.

There is a village called Nieuil in this territory to which the holy Martin went when he was still alive in the body and where he met a man carrying a jar of water. The well from which he had taken this water was in a valley about a thousand paces from the village, and the villagers used to carry from it the water they drew. Then the man of God said to the man carrying the water: "Dearly beloved, I ask you to extend your hand and give a little drink of water to the ass which I am riding." The man said: "If you think it is necessary to give water to your animal, go to the well, draw water, and give it to him. For I will not give you what I have taken the trouble of carrying." And with these words he went on his way.

Soon after he had left a woman approached, she too carrying water in a jar, and the man of God spoke to her in a similar manner. She, like Rebecca of old, listened to the messenger of God and said: "I will give you a drink too, as well as your ass; it is no trouble for me to draw water again. Let only your wish be done, whose journey exposes you to need." And she put down the jar she was carrying and let his ass drink. When she had done this, she went to draw water again, filled her jar, and returned to her village.

The holy man followed her and said: "I will give you a favor as a reward because you gave water to my ass." And, putting his knees on the ground, he prayed to the Lord that he might make a spring of water appear in that place. As soon as his prayer was finished, the earth split open and revealed to the astonished onlookers an enormous spring that today is still benefiting the people living in that region. At the mouth of the spring there is a stone as a testimony of the event: for it still shows the hoofprint of the ass upon which the holy bishop sat.

Latin

Exinde egressi, Sanctonicum terreturium ingressi sumus. Cumque in quodam convivio de beati Martini virtutibus fabularemur, haec mihi unus e civibus, adfirmantibus aliis vera esse, fideliter retulit. Naiogialo villa est in hoc terreturio sita, ad quam cum sanctus Martinus adhuc superstes in corpore adiret, obvium habuit virum exhibentem aquam cum vasculo. Erat enim puteus ille, de quo haec exhibebat, situs in valle quasi mille passus a villa, ex eo incolae haustam deferebant aquam. Tunc ait vir Dei homini aquam ferenti: 'Quaeso, dilectissime, contene manum tuam et huic asello, quem sedeo, paululum aquae ad bibendum indulge'. Qui ait: 'Si necessarium ducis animal tuum adaquare, accede ad puteum et hauriens dabis ei. Nam ego quod cum labore detuli non praebebo'. Et haec dicens, praeteriit. Quo discedente, veniens mulier et ipsa deferens aquam in ulnam; dixit ei similiter vir Dei. Quae acsi Rebecca condam audiens nuntium Dei: 'Et tibi praebeo', ait, 'et asino tuo potum, nec mihi labor est, ut iterum hauriam. Tantum voluntas tua fiat, qui iter pergens necessitatem pateris'. Et posito vasculo, dedit asino illi bibere. Quae, iterum haustam aquam, impleto vasculo, revertebatur ad villam. Quam prosequens sanctus, ait: 'Reddam tibi pro mercede beneficium, quia adaquasti asinum meum'. Et, positis genibus in terra, oravit ad Dominum, ut loco illi fontis ostenderet venam. Ac statim consummata oratione, disrupta terra, fontem inmensum populis admirantibus patefecit. Qui usque hodie beneficium praebet hominibus conmanentibus in agro illo. In huius enim fontis ore est lapis in testimonium, qui vestigium retenet aselli illius, super quem sanctus sedit antistis.