Postumianus Comes Home from the East

My friend the Gaul and I had met together. He is a man very dear to me, both for his memory of Martin, since he had been one of his disciples, and for his own merits. Then my friend Postumianus joined us. He had just come back from the East on my account; he had left his native country and gone there three years before. We embraced this most loving friend and kissed both his knees and his feet, and for a moment or two we were, so to speak, stunned. Shedding tears of joy together, we walked about a good deal. Then by and by we sat down on our garments of sackcloth spread on the ground. Postumianus, turning his eyes toward me, was the first to speak, and said: [a]

“When I was in the remote parts of Egypt, I felt a desire to go on as far as the sea. There I found a merchant ship that was ready to sail for Narbonne. That same night you seemed in a dream to stand beside me, take hold of me with your hand, and lead me away to board that ship. Soon, when the dawn scattered the darkness and I got up from the place where I had been resting, I turned my dream over in my mind, and suddenly such a longing for you seized me that I boarded the ship without delay. I landed at Marseilles on the thirtieth day, and from there I came on and arrived here on the tenth day, so prosperous a voyage was granted to my loving wish to see you. Only give yourself to me, you for whose sake I have sailed over so many seas and crossed so much land, to be embraced and enjoyed apart from everyone else.” [b]

I answered: “For my part, all the while you were staying in Egypt, I kept company with you in my mind and thoughts, and love for you held me wholly as I thought of you day and night. Surely, then, you cannot imagine that I will now fail for a single moment to gaze on you with delight as I hang on your words. I will listen to you, I will talk with you, and no one at all will be let into our retreat, which this remote cell of mine provides for us. For I suppose you will not mind the presence of our friend here, the Gaul, who, as you see, rejoices with all his heart at your arrival, just as I do.”

Postumianus said: “Quite right. That Gaul will certainly stay in our company. Though I know him only a little, he is dearly loved by you, and for that very reason he cannot fail to be dear to me as well. That must be so above all because he is of Martin’s school. Nor will I be unwilling, as you wish, to talk with you at length, since I came here for this very purpose: to answer the desire of my dear Sulpitius, even at the risk of being tedious.” And as he said this, he took hold of me affectionately with both his hands.