VP 8.9

English

During the saint's lifetime, a poor man had received a letter from him, signed with his own signature, so that he could beg for alms at the homes of the devout. After the bishop's death, he continued to make the rounds with that letter and received considerable sums from almsgivers who cherished the holy man's memory. For everyone wished to see the saint's signature and accordingly gave something to the poor man. Having seen this, a certain Burgundian who did not honor or venerate the saint began to keep an eye on the poor man from a distance. And having seen him go into a forest, he attacked him and took away six gold coins as well as the letter; after kicking him until he was half dead, he left him there. But while he was being kicked and beaten, the poor man shouted: "I beg you by the living God and the power of the holy Nicetius that you give me back the letter he gave me, for I cannot make a living if I lose it!" The Burgundian then indeed threw it on the ground before he left, and the poor man picked it up and went to the city of Agde.

At that time, Phronimius, whom we mentioned earlier, was bishop there. The poor man came to him and said: "Look, there is a man who beat me seriously and robbed me; he took the six gold coins which I had received for letting people look at the holy Nicetius's signature." The bishop told this to the count, this judge summoned the Burgundian, and began to ask him what he had to say about it. He denied the fact in the presence of all, saying: "I have never seen that man, nor have I taken away his possessions."

When the bishop looked at the letter however, and saw the holy Nicetius's signature, he turned to the Burgundian and said: "Look, this letter contains the holy Nicetius's signature. If you are innocent, come here and swear to this with your hand on the signature which he wrote. For we believe in the power of Him who will today either convict you of this crime or, indeed, will permit you to leave as an innocent man." And the Burgundian unhesitatingly came up to bishop's hands which were holding out the letter. When he had raised his hands to swear the oath, he fell backward on his back, his eyes closed, froth came out of his mouth, and he seemed to be dead. After about two hours, he opened his eyes and said: "Woe to me, for I sinned when I took this poor man's possessions away!" And at once he explained how he had injured that man. When the bishop had established his guilt with the judge, the Burgundian gave the poor man as much as he had taken from him, adding two gold coins as compensation for the blows, and in this manner they both left the presence of the judge.

Latin

Quidam vero pauper, vivente sancto, litteras ab eo elicuit mann eius subscriptas, qualiter sibi per devotorum domos elymosinam flagitaret; post cuius obitum adhuc cum ipsam circumiens epistolam, non pauca ab elymosinariis pro sancti memoria capiebat. Desiderium enim erat omnibus, ut, quisque vidisset subscriptionem sancti, aliquid praeberet aegenti. Quod videns quidam Burgundio, non honorans neque venerans sanctum, observare pauperem coepit a longe; vidensque eum silvas ingressum, inruit tulitque ei sex aureos cum epistola, conlisumque calcibus reliquit exanimem. At ille inter calces et reliqua verbera hanc vocem emisit: 'Adiuro te per Deum vivum et virtutem sancti Niceti, ut vel epistolam eius mihi reddi facias, quia ultra mihi non erit vita, si eam perdidero'. Ille vero, proiecta in terram, abiit, quam pauper collegens, venit ad civitatem. Erat enim ibi eo tempore Phronimius episcopus, cui supra meminimus. Ad quem accedens pauper ille, ait: 'Ecce hominem, qui me graviter caesum expoliavit, abstulitque sex aureos, quos pro intuitu epistolae sancti Niceti acceperam'. Episcopus autem narravit haec comiti; iudex vero, vocatum Burgundionem, percunctari coepit ab eo, quid exinde diceret. Negavitque coram omnibus, dicens, quia: ' Numquam vidi hominem istum neque res eius abstuli'. Episcopus autem aspiciens epistolam, vidit subscriptionem sancti, et conversus ad Burgundionem, ait: 'Ecce in hac epistola subscriptio sancti Niceti tenetur! Si es innocens, accede propius et iura, tangens manu scripturam, quam ipse depinxit. Credimus enim de virtute illius, quia aut te hodie reddit ab hoc scelere conprobatum, aut certe abire permittit innoxium'. At ille nihil moratus, accedit ad manus episcopi, qui hanc epistolam extentam tenebat; elevansque manus suas, ut sacramentum daret, cecidit retrorsum supinus, et clausis oculis, spumas ab ore proiciens, quasi mortuus putabatur. Transeunte autem quasi duarum horarum spatio, aperuit oculos suos, dicens: 'Vae mihi, quia peccavi auferendo res pauperis huius!' Et statim retulit ordinem, qualiter iniuriam intulerat homini illi. Tunc episcopus, cum iudice obtenta culpa, ea tantum quae abstulerat inopi reddidit et pro caede duos insuper solides addidit; et sic uterque a iudicis conspectu discessit.