Legenda Christiani
A New Martyr's Story Begins
The narrator invokes God as author and promises to recount new miracles of the new martyr for sincere seekers.
Now, with God as my author, I will set forth new miracles of the new martyr for those who sincerely wish to know them.
The Soldier's Exile and Return
Podiven, a devoted companion of the martyr, endures exile among the Germans after his lord's death, then returns home in concealment, burning with fervent love and faith.
After the passion and triumph of the glorious athlete of God, after the passing of the star that shone across the whole earth by his own merit — those who, as I said, had once devotedly attached themselves to him, or whom he had gathered to serve Christ — some killed by the sword of the wicked, some handed over to a river burial by the hands of the unjust, and the rest scattered by flight across every region of the world: one of the soldiers, by the name of Podiven, whom we said had been a partner and companion in all the works that had long been carried out by the martyr, and about whom we had promised to tell what we hold in hand — that his lord, departing this life for Christ while fleeing among the Germans, long lived in exile. Afterward, believing peace had been restored to his homeland, he returned to his own, and spent some time among his own people, keeping himself hidden for a long while. With what fervor of love, with what integrity of faith he loved his lord while he lived — I would say, if the very thing I wish to write had not given sufficient evidence.
Vengeance and Divine Judgment
Podiven avenges his lord by killing the chief conspirator, flees into a forest, but is soon captured and hanged, illustrating both human grief and swift divine justice.
This man, turning over in his mind, with more bitterness than usual, the grief he had carried in his heart ever since he had lost his lord, took up his sword and hurried to the house of a certain man whom he knew to have been the chief conspirator in the murder plotted against Saint Wenceslaus, and whose hands he knew especially had killed that blessed man. And coming, he found him lying down in a dry bath, which in the common tongue is called a stove. But the other man, seeing this one coming, took care to greet him in the manner of the people, saying: 'Be well, friend, be well.' This man, however — whose heart grief had burned to the core — answered back: 'The God who provides my salvation will be present. But from this moment on, you are stripped of all salvation, and dying in your sin, you will perish forever.' And rushing upon him, he killed him, and hoping that flight would be his protection, he hurried out. And having entered the forest, while he was now proceeding in safety, the death of the soldier and the deed of the fratricidal killer were announced to him. And soon he had the forest surrounded by those very attendants, and immediately he was seized and hanged by a noose.
The Hanged Body Reveals God's Glory
The narrator resolves to proclaim the miracle: the hanged man's body incorrupt for three years, a heavenly light over his tomb drawing pilgrims, and his eventual translation to the cemetery of Saint Vitus.
I confess that, being about to say something great, I had deliberated — given its very magnitude — that I should remain silent, but the mouths of very many learned people proclaim these things more clearly than light itself, because they speak of them unceasingly; and so I considered it unworthy of me to be silent. He hung there for three years; no bird, no beast, not even the very decay and corruption of human flesh prevailed over his body — but, as though he were alive, his nails and beard grew out, and his hair turned to the purest white, white as the greatest age. At last, overcome by weariness, that fratricide — because the miracle of the Lord was being declared among the nations everywhere — caused the body to be covered with earth in that same place. But neither could the works of God be hidden in this way — for the merits of his servant had to be made manifest to the peoples — so that a heavenly light, lit over his tomb, was seen very frequently at night by those passing by. This went on for so long, until people coming from every direction began to bring offerings and to place gifts of their devotion above the tomb of the buried man, and to entrust the blessings of their lives to God and to that slain one. After no great passage of time, the body of that man was removed from that place and, with the devotion of clerics and of devout men and women, was transferred and laid to rest in the cemetery of the church of Saint Vitus — so that Saint Wenceslaus rests indeed within the church, while that soldier, placed outside, is separated from him by a single wall alone.
Faithful Steward, Eternal Reward
The soldier's faithful service, generous almsgiving, and spiritual instruction of the household earn him Christ's commendation, entry into heavenly joy, and angelic worship at his tomb.
And right faith won him this glory, in which, while he lived, he served his Lord faithfully. For since he was steward of all the dwellings within the household of Saint Wenceslas, he had instructed all the servants — nearly every last one, down even to the cooks — so that hardly anyone in the court was ignorant of how to sing the psalmists' hymns or to write with a stylus, or how to learn anything pertaining to church worship.1 Embracing everyone as if they were his own children, he was honored by all as a father. If ever an almsgiving had been entrusted to him — say, ten coins to distribute — he himself would add five more, out of faithfulness to his lord. When indeed thirty or more portions of food were ordered to be distributed to the poor, he would add fifteen to the number.2 And so, from God, according to His promises, he deserved to hear the Gospel word: 'Well done, good servant, because you were faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things.'3 And he deserved to enter, with his earthly lord, into the abiding joys of almighty Christ, joys that last without end. And burning lamps were seen at night in the basilica where each of the saints rests, and the voices of angels singing psalms were frequently heard there by many.
Read the original Latin
Nunc Deo auctore de novo martyre sincere scire volentibus nova miracula pandam.
Post passionem et triumphum athlete Dei gloriosi, post excessum syderis, in tota terra suo merito fulgentis, qui sibi olim, ut dixeram, devote adheserant, vel quos ad serviendum Christo aggregaverat, partim ab impiis gladio necatis, partim fluviali sepulture iniquorum manibus traditis, ceteris in omni orbe fuga dispersis, unus militum, Podiven nomine, quem comparticipem et consocium universorum operum, que dudum a martyre gerebantur, fuisse diximus et de quo promiseramus dicturos nos, quod manibus habemus, domino suo ex hac migrante vita ad Christum, aput Theutonicos fuga labens, diu exulatus est. Post vero, ratus pacem redditam patrie, ad sua reversus, temporis aliquantum in propriis deguit, diu sese occultans. Qui quo amoris fervore, qua fidei integritate dominum suum, dum vixerat, dilexit, dicerem, si res ipsa, quam scribere cupio, satis indicii non fuisset.
Hic quadam dierum secum dolorem, quem, ex quo seniorem suum perdiderat, menti habuerat, durius solito revolvens, assumens gladium, ad domum cuiusdam festinus properat, quem caput persuase necis contra sanctum Wenceslaum coniurasse noverat et cuius manibus eundem beatum interfectum precipue sciebat. Et veniens, invenit eum in asso balneo, quod populari lingua stuba vocatur, recumbentem. Sed ille, hunc venientem videns, more gentis salutare curavit, dicens: Salveris, amice, salveris. Hic vero, cuius precordia dolor excoxerat, e contra respondit: Mee salutis provisor Deus aderit, tu vero abhinc omni salute privatus et in tuo peccato moriens, in eternum peribis. Et irruens, interfecit eum, et fuge presidio sperans se posse salvari, festinus exibat. Et silvam ingressus, dum iam securus procederet, mors militis et factum occisoris fratricide illi nunciatur. Et mox ipsis apparitoribus silvam circumdari fecit et illico comprehensus, laqueo appensus est.
Grande aliquid dicturus, fateor pro sui magnitudine me deliberasse, ut silerem, sed ora plurimorum sciencium hec luce clarius quia incessanter predicant, me silere indignum putavi. Pependit ibi tribus annis; non avis, non bestia, non ipsa humane carnis consumpcio et putredo in corpore eius prevaluit, sed more viventis ungues et barba excrevit et capilli eius usque ad summam caniciem albi effecti sunt. Tandem tedio victus ille fratricida, quia miraculum Domini ubivis gencium declarabatur, in eodem loco eum humo cooperiri fecit. Sed nec ita opera Dei abscondi potuerunt, quin ad manifestanda populis sui servi merita lumen celeste noctu a transeuntibus frequentissime super sepulchrum eius accensum videretur. Tam diu hoc actum est, donec undecumque advenientes, donaria offerre inciperent et supra tumbam sepulti devocionis sue munera darent et vite sue commoda Deo et occiso illi committerent. Post non multum temporis viri illius ex loco illo sublatum est corpus et translatum cum devocione clericorum, virorum mulierumque devotarum et positum in cimiterio ecclesie sancti Viti, ita ut sanctus Wenceslaus in ecclesia quidem et miles ille foris positus sola maceria dividantur.
Et hanc illi gloriam fides recta acquisivit, in qua, dum advixit, domino suo fideliter deservivit. Nam cum esset universorum dispensator inter tecta sancti Wenceslai degencium, cunctos pene vernaculos extremos usque ad cocos ita instruxerat, quo pene nullus curtensium foret, qui psalmograforum ymnos canere vel stilo exarare ignoraret, vel aliquid ad ecclesiasticum ritum pertinens addisceret. Universos ceu gnatos proprios amplectens, a cunctis quoque ut pater honorabatur. Si quando vero illi elemosina iniuncta fuisset in dispergendis decem nummis, ipse pro fidelitate sui domini addebat quinque. Quando quidem iubebantur in triginta vel eo amplius alimenta pauperes distribui, quindecim ille addebat numerum. Quapropter et a Deo, secundum promissa eius, ewangelicum audire meruit: Euge, serve bone, quia in pauca fuisti fidelis, supra multa te constituam. Et cum domino carnali in gaudia omnipotentis Christi meruit intrare manencia sine fine. Lucerneque ardentes in basilica, sanctorum uterque ubi quiescit, nocte vise sunt, vocesque psallencium angelorum a pluribus inibi audite sunt frequenter.
Notes
- 1 ↩curtensium: uncertain lemma, rendered as 'of the court' on contextual grounds
- 2 ↩eo: ablative of degree of difference, rendered as 'or more' to convey amplius
- 3 ↩Euge, serve bone, quia in pauca fuisti fidelis, supra multa te constituam — candidate allusion to Matthew 25:21 (Vulgate). Final resolution deferred to Moses stage.
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