Martin Had the Virtues of Them All

“For if it is worth admiring that the flames did not touch that Egyptian you spoke of, Martin too showed his power over fire, and not infrequently. If you remind us that the savagery of wild beasts was overcome by the anchorites and gave way to them, Martin for his part used to hold in check both the fury of wild beasts and the poison of snakes. If you bring forward for comparison the man who cured those possessed by unclean spirits by the authority of his word, or even by means of threads from his clothing, there are many proofs that Martin was not inferior even in this. And if you turn to the one who, covered with his own hair instead of clothing, was thought to be visited by angels, angels used to talk with Martin every day. [a]

“Moreover, he held so unconquerable a spirit against vanity and boasting that no one despised these vices more resolutely. And this was so even though he often cured, while absent, people who were filled with unclean spirits, and gave his commands not only to courtiers and prefects but to kings themselves. This was indeed a very small thing among his other virtues; but I would have you believe that no one ever fought more earnestly than he did, not only against vanity, but against the causes and the occasions of vanity.

“I will also mention a point that is small indeed, but should not be passed over, because it does credit to a man who, though he held the highest power, showed so devout a wish to honor the blessed Martin. I remember, then, that Vincentius the prefect, an illustrious man and one of the most eminent in all Gaul for every kind of virtue, often begged Martin, when he had occasion to be near Tours, to let him stay with him in the monastery. In making this request he pointed to the example of Saint Ambrose the bishop, who was commonly said at that time to entertain both consuls and prefects. But Martin, with deeper judgment, refused to do so, so that no vanity or swelling of spirit might creep in on him by it. So you must admit that the virtues of all those men you have mentioned were present in Martin, but the virtues for which Martin was distinguished were not found in all of them.”