The Globe of Fire and the Snake’s Poison

“So Martin, dressed in this garment, went on to offer the sacrifice to God. And on that very day (I am about to tell something wonderful), while he was blessing the altar in the usual way, we saw a globe of fire dart from his head, so that as it rose on high the flame drew out into a hair of extraordinary length. And though we saw this happen on a very celebrated day, in the midst of a great crowd of people, only one of the virgins, one of the presbyters, and only three of the monks saw it. But why the others did not see it is not a matter for our judgment to decide. [a]

“About the same time my uncle Evanthius, a deeply Christian man, though busy with the affairs of this world, fell gravely ill, in extreme danger of his life, and he sent for Martin. Martin hurried to him without any delay; but before the blessed man had covered half the distance between them, the sick man felt the power of the one who was coming. He was at once restored to health and came out himself to meet us as we approached. With many entreaties he kept Martin there, though Martin wanted to return home the next day; for in the meantime a snake had struck a deadly blow at a boy of my uncle’s household. Evanthius himself carried him on his own shoulders, all but lifeless from the force of the poison, and laid him at the holy man’s feet, believing that nothing was impossible for him.

“By this time the snake had spread its poison through all the boy’s limbs. You could see his skin swollen over all his veins, and his insides stretched tight like a leather bottle. Martin stretched out his hand, felt all the boy’s limbs, and put his finger close to the little wound where the creature had put in the poison. Then indeed (I am going to tell wonderful things) we saw all the poison, drawn from every part of the body, gather quickly to Martin’s finger. Next we saw the poison, mixed with blood, press out through the small puncture of the wound, just as a long stream of plentiful milk flows from the teats of goats or sheep when shepherds squeeze them by hand. The boy got up completely well. We were amazed at so striking a miracle, and we acknowledged, as truth indeed compelled us to, that there was no one under heaven who could equal the deeds of Martin.