Chapter XII.
“I believe, my dear
Sulpitius, that you remember with what emphasis he extolled to us (when
you too were present) that virgin who had so completely withdrawn
herself from the eyes of all men, that she did not admit to her
presence Martin himself, when he wished to visit her in the discharge
of duty. For when he was passing by the little property, within which
for several years she had chastely confined herself, having heard of
her faith and excellence, he turned out of his way that, as a bishop,
he might honor, with pious respect, a gift of such eminent merit. We
who journeyed with him thought that that virgin would rejoice, inasmuch
as she was to obtain such a testimony to her virtue, while a priest of
so great reputation, departing from his usual rigor of conduct, paid
her a visit. But she did not relax those bonds of a most severe method
of life, which she had imposed upon herself, even by allowing herself
to see Martin. And thus the blessed man, having received, through
another woman, her praiseworthy apology, joyfully departed from the
doors of her who had not permitted herself to be seen or saluted. O
glorious virgin, who did not allow herself to be looked upon even by
Martin! O blessed Martin, who did not regard that repulse as being any
insult to himself, but, extolling with exultant heart her excellence,
rejoiced in an example only too rare in that locality! Well, when
approaching night had compelled us to stay at no great distance from
her humble dwelling, that same virgin sent a present to the blessed
man; and Martin did what he had never done before (for he accepted a
present or gift from nobody), he refused none of those things which the
estimable virgin had sent him, declaring that her blessing was by no
means to be rejected by a priest, since she was indeed to be placed
before many priests. Let, I beg, virgins listen to that example, so
that they shall, if they desire to close their doors to the wicked,
even shut them against the good; and that the ill-disposed may have no
free access to them, they shall not fear even to exclude priests from
their society. Let the whole world listen attentively to this: a virgin
did not permit herself to be looked upon by Martin. And it was no
common126126 priest whom she repulsed, but the girl
refused to come under the eyes of a man whom it was the salvation of
onlookers to behold. But what priest, besides Martin, would not have
regarded this as doing an injury to him? What irritation and fury would
he have conceived in his mind against that virgin? He would have deemed
her a heretic; and would have resolved that she should be laid under an
anathema. And how surely would such a man have preferred to that
blessed soul those virgins who are always throwing themselves in the
way of the priest, who get up sumptuous entertainments, and who recline
at table with the rest! But whither is my speech carrying me? That
somewhat too free manner of speaking must be checked, lest perchance it
may give offense to some; for words of reproach will not profit the
unfaithful, while the example quoted will be enough for the faithful.
At the same time, I wish so to extol the virtue of this virgin, as
nevertheless to think that no deduction is to be made from the
excellence of those others, who often came from remote regions for the
purpose of seeing Martin, since indeed, with the same object in view,
even angels ofttimes visited the blessed man.
