Vita Wenceslai (Legenda Gumpoldi)
The Vision and the Midnight Journey
Prompted by a vision, faithful people secretly transport Wenceslas's body by wagon toward the church of Saint Vitus, but are stopped by an impassable stream.
With the venerable body resting in the same place for three years, certain faithful people had a vision one night that, as God prompted the matter, it ought to be transferred from there to the church of Saint Vitus the martyr—the very church he himself had already built—to be laid to rest with a more solemn burial. Rising from sleep and believing the vision, they feared the prince's tyranny, yet in the deep stillness of midnight they, timid as they were, opened the funeral pyre and placed the precious pledge of the martyr—not in an open sarcophagus, but carefully bound upon the wagon—on the road by which the route is directed, making their way to the stream, which the animals drawing the wagons could not cross on foot because of its excessive depth, and lacking boats and a landing on either side.
The Wagon Crosses by God's Power
When the bridge is gone and no timber can be found, the bearers witness the wagon miraculously appear on the far bank, untouched by the water.
They stood there, looking around. The bridge that had been built was now washed away by the surging crossing, and no timber could be found to repair it. What could they do? While they were caught in this difficulty, suddenly lifting their eyes—look!—wonderfully, with God's power present, the wagon stood on the other bank, untouched all around by the wetness of the water.
The Body Placed in the Church
The bearers cross the stream, enter the church, open the sarcophagus to find the body miraculously preserved, and lay it to rest before the altar.
At this miracle, they themselves hesitated only a moment; then, the stream having been swum across above the horses, they pressed on with the wagon, sacred bundle and all, to the destined place, and entered the church with the sarcophagus praising God. After barring the doors more carefully and pouring out prayers sincerely, they opened the sarcophagus—and look! The body was still whole in its fleshy mass and sound through every wound, showing only the marks of the blows, except for the single wound made by a brother's sword, which, gaping open, appeared to flow with blood. Enclosed again beneath the very entrance of the altar, with a crowd of the faithful standing by and the hymns of the clerics sounding around them, they laid the precious body—memorable and worthy of veneration—to rest.
Miracles and the Feast of Translation
God continues to work wonders through Wenceslas's merits, and the feast of his translation is set for the fourth day before the Nones of March, with a promise to recount his virtues.
There, indeed, with divine omnipotence often flashing forth, it most frequently becomes clear through the merits of so great a man, by countless signs of miracles—a joyful exultation for the faithful and a terror to the unbelieving. The time of his translation, however, is recorded as the fourth day before the Nones1 of March, to be celebrated by mortals. But concerning the virtues which divine piety, after deigning to work through his merits a glory shining for the world, it seems fitting that a careful mention be inserted in the course of our discourse.
Read the original Latin
Quiescente ibidem per trium spacia annorum venerando corpore, fidelibus quibusdam nocte visum est, ut, deo rem insinuante, inde ad aecclesiam sancti Viti martiris, quam ipse jam construxerat, religiosiore condendum sepultura tranferri debeat. Qui somno emersi viso credentes, et licet principis tyrannidem metuentes, noctis tamen medio conticinio bustum quàm pavidi recludunt, preciosum martyris pignus, non aperto sarcofago, vehiculo percaute ligatum superponunt, viamque, qua gressus eo dirigitur, carpentes perveniunt ad rivum, incedendo supergredi animalibus plaustrum ducentibus nimia profunditate intransibilem, naviculis et portu utrimque carentem. Stant quippe circumspicientes. Pons iam factus undosa transgressione dissipatur; ligna ad eius reparationem non inveniuntur. Quid facerent? Dum in hac versantur angustia, subito erectis obtutibus, ecce mira dei praesente virtute, plaustrum altera stat ripa, undique secus aquae humiditate intactum. Quo miraculo ipsi aliquantum haesitantes, transnatato supra caballos rivulo, vehiculum sacro fasce gravatum prosecuti, ad locum praedestinatum citius applicant, aeccelesiam cum sarcofago deum laudando introeunt, foribusque diligentius obseratis precibusque sinceriter effusis, sarcofagum aperiunt; et ecce corpus carnea adhuc mole integrum et per cuncta vulnera sanum, apparentibus tantum plagarum signis, nisi solum vulnus fraterno ense factum, quod se dehiscens sanguine visum est manare. Incluso iterum sub ipso altaris aditu, comitante fidelium turba, interque sonantibus clericorum ymnis, preciosum corpus celebri memoria venerandum condiderunt.
Ibi vero divina saepius coruscante omnipotentia, innumerabilibus miraculorum signis felix exultacio fidelibus terrorque incredulis, tanti viri meritis, frequentissime clarescit. Cuius autem translationis tempus sub 4 Non. Marcii mortalibus celebrandum annotatur. De virtutibus autem, quae pietas divina, per meritorum eius orbi clarescentem gloriam post dignata est operari, sermonis nostri transcursu curiosa interseratur mentio, condignum videtur.
Notes
- 1 ↩The source text 'sub 4 Non.' is an abbreviated Latin date expression (sub quarto Nonas), meaning 'on the fourth day before the Nones'. Rendered in full for modern readability.
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