The Life of Saint Maur

Here beginneth the Life of Saint Maur.

The year that Saint Benet died he sent Saint Maur and four fellows with him into France that is to wit Fuscinian, Simplician, Antoninian and Constantine, at the prayer of Varicam the bishop of Meaux, for to found an abbey which the said bishop would make of his own good, and gave to Saint Maur a book in which he had written the rule, of his hand. And as they passed the mountains of Mongus Sourgus one of their servants fell from his horse upon a great stone, and his left foot was all tofrushed, but as soon as Saint Maur had blessed it and made his orison he was guerished and all whole. After this he came into the church of Saint Maurice, and there was at the entry a blind man begging, that had sat there eleven years, and was named Lieven, which, for the long usage that he had been there, he knew all the office of the church by hearing that he had learned thereby without more. He conjured Saint Maur by the virtue of the martyrs that he would help him, and anon he was guerished and had again his sight by his prayer, and then Saint Maur commanded him that he should serve all his life in the church as he had done.

On a night this holy man and his fellows harboured in the house of a widow which was named Themere, the which had a son that was so sick that each man said that he was dead, and this holy man healed him, and when he was whole he said to Saint Maur: Thou art he that by thy merits and by thy tears hast delivered me from the judgment where I was in, condemned to the fire of hell. Thus as they held their way on the Good Friday in the abbey of which Saint Romain was abbot, and Saint Maur said to Saint Romain: Saint Benet shall depart out of this world to-morrow. On the morn after the hour of tierce, as Saint Maur was in his prayers, he saw the way by which Saint Benet mounted in to heaven, and he was adorned with palls and great foison of clearness, and this vision saw two other monks. Also when Saint Maur and his fellow came to Orleans, they heard say that the bishop Varicam of Meaux was dead, and he that was in his place would not receive them. Then Saint Maur and his fellow went into a place that is called Restis, and there founded he first a house for to adore God there in the honour of Saint Martin, and commanded that he should be buried therein.

A clerk that was there named Langiso fell down off an high stair upon an heap of stones and was all tofrusshed, but Saint Maur healed him anon. And after, Flocus, which was one of the greatest friends of the king, had him in so great reverence that he durst not approach but if he bade him. Three workmen that wrought in that house began to say shrewdly of Saint Maur, and say that he coveted overmuch vain glory, but anon they became so mad that one of them lost forthwith his life and the other two to-tare themselves with their teeth. The holy man anon put his hand in their mouths and made the fiend to go out beneath, and after he raised the third to life which had been dead, and commanded him, if he would live, that he should no more enter into that house, and this commanded he for to eschew the favour of the world.

Theodebert, King of France, came for to visit him, and prayed to Saint Maur and the brethren that they would pray for him, and he gave to them of that house the fee royal of that boscage, and all the rents thereto belonging, and the towns. On the morn Saint Maur went to see the gift that the king had given, and there he healed one having the palsy which had been seven years sick. The second year that this house was founded came many noble men of the country, which demanded that their children might be clothed and received into the religion. And there came so many that the twenty-sixth year of the foundation of the abbey, there were an hundred and forty brethren. And Saint Maur commanded that they should abide in that number without more or less, and not to increase ne minish that number. After this Clothaire, the king, came in to this abbey, and gave thereto the chief of Blason and the town Longchamp therewith. And after this time Saint Maur would no more issue out of the abbey, but he went and abode in a side of the church of Saint Martin where he had made a house for him, and had with him two monks for to serve him, but he ordained tofore that Bercuses should be abbot after him. When he had been in that house two years and an half the devil appeared to him on a time, which was in his orisons, and said to him that there should be great destruction of his brethren, but the angel of our Lord came after him which recomforted him, and then he came unto the brethren and said to them that he and many of them therewithin should pass out of this world. And it happed that within a month after, there died one hundred and sixteen monks of that abbey, and of all the number there abode no more alive but twenty-four. And then died Anthonin and Constantine that were come with him. A little while after died Saint Maur of the pain of his side, the forty-first year after he was come thither, the eighteenth calends of February, and he died tofore the altar of Saint Martin, where he was covered with an hair. The other of his fellowship returned to Mount Cassin, and thus accomplished this blessed saint his life in the time of Louis the emperor the second. And the body of Saint Maur was borne from the abbey in Angers, named Glanfeuil, for fear of the Normans, unto the abbey of Saint Peter des Fosses where his body is now, which abbey founded Saint Banolanis disciple to Saint Columbain. His feast is the fifteenth day of January.

Date: 2016-04-22; view: 537