S. Martini Episcopi et Confessoris.

Fidélis sermo: Si quis episcopátum desíderat, bonum opus desíderat. Opórtet ergo epíscopum irreprehensíbilem esse, uníus uxóris virum, sóbrium, prudéntem, ornátum, pudícum, hospitálem, doctórem, non vinoléntum, non percussórem, sed modéstum; non litigiósum, non cúpidum, sed suæ dómui bene præpósitum, fílios habéntem súbditos cum omni castitáte. Si quis autem dómui suæ præésse nescit, quómodo Ecclésiæ Dei diligéntiam habébit? Non neóphytum: ne in supérbiam elátus, in judícium íncidat diáboli. Opórtet autem illum et testimónium habére bonum ab iis qui foris sunt, ut non in oppróbrium íncidat, et in láqueum diáboli.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

This is a true saying: If a man desire the office of a Bishop, he desireth a good work. A Bishop, then, must be blameless, the husband of one wife, sober, prudent, of good behaviour, modest, given to hospitality, apt to teach, not given to wine, no striker, but patient; not a brawler, not covetous; one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity. For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God? Not a novice, lest, being lifted up with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must have a good report of them which are without, lest he fall into reproach, and the snare of the devil.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Opórtet enim epíscopum sine crímine esse, sicut Dei dispensatórem: non supérbum, non iracúndum, non vinoléntum, non percussórem, non turpis lucri cúpidum: sed hospitálem, benígnum, sóbrium, justum, sanctum, continéntem, amplecténtem eum, qui secúndum doctrínam est, fidélem sermónem: ut potens sit exhortári in doctrína sana, et eos, qui contradícunt, argúere. Sunt enim multi étiam inobediéntes, vaníloqui, et seductóres: máxime qui de circumcisióne sunt: quos opórtet redárgui: qui univérsas domos subvértunt, docéntes quæ non opórtet, turpis lucri grátia.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

For a Bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God: not proud, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre: but a lover of hospitality, courteous, sober, just, holy, temperate, holding fast the faithful word, as he hath been taught: that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. For there are many unruly, vain talkers, and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped: who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Tu autem lóquere quæ decent sanam doctrínam: Senes ut sóbrii sint, pudíci, prudéntes, sani in fide, in dilectióne, in patiéntia: Anus simíliter in hábitu sancto, non criminatríces, non multo vino serviéntes, bene docéntes: ut prudéntiam dóceant adolescéntulas, ut viros suos ament, fílios suos díligant, prudéntes, castas, sóbrias, domus curam habéntes, benígnas, súbditas viris suis, ut non blasphemétur verbum Dei. Júvenes simíliter hortáre ut sóbrii sint. In ómnibus teípsum præbe exémplum bonórum óperum, in doctrína, in integritáte, in gravitáte, verbum sanum, irreprehensíbile: ut is, qui ex advérso est, vereátur, nihil habens malum dícere de nobis.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: that the aged man be sober, chaste, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; that they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, sober, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Young men likewise exhort to be sober-minded. In all things show thyself a pattern of good works, in doctrine, in uncorruptness, in gravity, sound speech, that cannot be condemned: that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of us.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Decem et octo annos cum habéret, baptizátus est. Quare relícta militári vita, ad Hilárium Pictaviénsem epíscopum se cóntulit, a quo in acolythórum númerum redáctus est. Post factus epíscopus Turonénsis monastérium ædificávit, ubi cum octogínta mónachis sanctíssime aliquámdiu vixit. Qui cum póstea ad Candacénsem vicum suæ diœcésis in gravem febrim incidísset, assídua Deum oratióne precabátur, ut se ex illo mortáli cárcere liberáret. Quem audiéntes discípuli, sic rogábant: Cur nos pater déseris? cui nos míseros derelínquis? Quorum voce commótus Martínus, ita Deum orábat: Dómine, si adhuc pópulo tuo sum necessárius, non recúso labórem.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

At eighteen years of age he was baptized. He gave up thereupon the life of a soldier, and betook himself to Hilary, Bishop of Poietiers, by whom he was placed in the order of Acolytes. Being afterwards made Bishop of Tours, he built a monastery wherein he lived in holiness for a while in company of four-score monks. At the last he fell sick of a grievous fever at Cande, a village in his diocese, and besought God in constant prayer to set him free from the prison of this dying body. His disciples heard him and said Father, why wilt thou go away from us? unto whom wilt thou bequeath us in our sorrow? Their words moved Martin, and he said Lord, if I be still needful to thy people, I refuse not to work.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Sed cum eum in illa veheménti febre supínum orántem vidérent discípuli, supplíciter ab eo petiérunt, ut convérso córpore tantísper, dum remítteret morbi vis, pronus conquiésceret. Quibus Martínus, Sínite me, inquit, cœlum pótius, quam terram aspícere, ut suo jam itínere itúrus ad Dóminum spíritus dirigátur. Instánte jam morte, viso humáni géneris hoste, Quid, inquit, astas, cruénta béstia? nihil in me funéste repéries. Ea in voce, unum et octogínta annos natus, ánimam Deo réddidit: quam Angelórum chorus excépit, eósque divínas canéntes laudes multi, in primísque sanctus Severínus Coloniénsis epíscopus, audiérunt.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

When his disciples saw him, in the height of the fever, lying upon his back and praying, they entreated him to turn over and take a little rest upon his side while the violence of his sickness would allow him. But Martin answered them Suffer me to look heavenward rather than earthward, that my spirit may see the way whereby it is so soon going to the Lord. At the moment of death he saw the enemy of mankind, and cried out: What are you come here for, you bloody brute? You murderer, you'll find nothing in me. With these words on his lips, he gave up his soul to God, being aged eighty years. He was received by a company of Angels, who were heard praising God by many persons, especially by holy Severinus, Bishop of Cologne.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Hæc est lucérna quæ accénditur, virtus scílicet nostræ mentis et sensus, ut drachma illa possit, quæ períerat, reperíri. Nemo ergo fidem sub lege constítuat. Lex enim intra mensúram est, ultra mensúram grátia: lex obúmbrat, grátia claríficat. Et ídeo nemo fidem suam intra mensúram legis inclúdat, sed ad Ecclésiam cónferat, in qua septifórmis Spíritus relúcet grátia, quam princeps ille sacerdótum fulgóre supérnæ divinitátis illúminat, ne eam legis umbra restínguat. ¶ Dénique lucérna illa, quam matutínis vespertinísque tempóribus ritu véteri Judæórum princeps sacerdótum solébat accéndere, velut sub módio sita legis evánuit; et cívitas illa Jerúsalem, quæ in terris est, quæ occídit prophétas, quasi in conválle fletus pósita delitéscit: illa autem Jerúsalem, quæ in cœlo est, in qua mílitat fides nostra, in illo altíssimo ómnium locáta monte, hoc est Christo, non potest ténebris et ruínis hujus mundi abscóndi, sed fulgens candóre solis ætérni, luce nos grátiæ spiritális illúminat.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

What other, then, is that man travelling into a far country but our Redeemer, Who is gone up from us into heaven in that Flesh Which He had taken into Himself? For the earth is the home of the Flesh, Which travelleth into a far country - when our Redeemer giveth It a place in heaven. But that man travelling into a far country delivered unto his servants his goods; and so doth our Redeemer give spiritual gifts unto His faithful people. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one. There are five bodily senses; that is, sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. By the five talents therefore are signified the five senses, that is, outward knowledge. By the two, wit and work. And by the figure of the one talent, understanding, which is alone. ¶ And so he that had received five talents, gained other five talents - for some there be who, while yet they are not able to go on unto things inward and mystic, do yet so desire our Fatherland which is above, that they teach well all whom they can, and of those very outward things which they have received make gain double. These are they which keep themselves clean from the unruly motions of the flesh, and from the lust of the world, and from the delight of things which are seen, and, by their preaching, keep other men also clean from all these things. And some there are who receive, as their two talents, the power to think and the power to work. These are they which inwardly understand dark things, and outwardly work wonders. And these, since they preach unto others, both through their understanding and their works, gain, as it were, double, for the talents which they have received.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Mennas Ægýptius, christiánus miles in persecutióne Diocletiáni et Maximiáni imperatórum, cum pœniténtiæ causa in solitúdinem secessísset, natáli die imperatórum, quo pópulus célebri spectáculo tenebátur, in theátrum prosíliens, líbera voce Gentílium superstitiónem insectabátur. Quamóbrem comprehénsus, et Pyrrho prǽside, in metrópoli Cottiénsium Phrýgiæ vinctus, loris crudéliter cǽditur: deínde equúleo tortus, lampádibus ardéntibus ad corpus admótis, plagísque cilício confricátis, tum per tríbulos et virgas férreas mánibus ac pédibus colligátis tractus, plumbátis étiam contúsus, demum gládio interfícitur, in ignémque conjícitur. Corpus inde a Christiánis eréptum sepúltum est, ac póstea Constantinópolim translátum.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

Mennas was a Christian Egyptian soldier who had withdrawn himself into a desert place to do penance, but one day, during the persecution under the Emperors Diocletian and Maximian, upon the said Emperors' birthday, when the people were gathered together at a great show, stood forth in the theatre, and reviled with a loud voice the idolatries of the Gentiles. Thereupon he was arrested, and being bound at Cotyasus, the chief city of Phrygia, under the authority of the President Pyrrhus, was first savagely lashed with thongs, then racked, then scarified with fire applied to his naked body, then had his wounds lacerated by rubbing with hair-cloth, then dragged through thorns and iron spikes with hands and feet tied, then lashed again with whips loaded with lead, and lastly slain with the sword, and thrown into a fire. The Christians saved his body thence and buried it, and it hath in after times been carried to Constantinople.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.