Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/247

 scarped right  down,  and  the  deep  river

called Loire  lay  on  the  other  side,

so that  a  man  could  not  come  to  the  monastery

except by  a  single  path  whereby  he  might  ask  for  ingress.

Eighty monks  dwelt  in  that  monastery

under Martin's  instruction,  serving  gloriously;

and all  their  things  were  in  common  between  them,

and there  no  man  had  anything  apart,

neither took  they  heed  of  buying,  nor  might  they  sell  aught,

save only  those  things  which  provided  for  their  subsistence;

nor might  there  any  brother  practise  any  craft

save to  pray  or  to  write  books.

The elder  brothers  were  at  that  time  busied

in perpetual  prayers,  and  the  youthful  wrote

and abode  in  silence,  even  as  Martin  appointed  them.

They ate  together  at  set  times,

and they  had  no  thought  of  wine  save  for  the  infirm  men;

and many  there  had  haircloth  next  to  their  body,

and there  soft  clothing  was  accounted  as  sin.

Nobly born  men  lived  there  in  the  monastery

who   had    been    delicately    nurtured,    but    they    subjected   themselves,  nevertheless,

to   the    same    austerity    which    was    established    there    in    the monastery,

and many  of  them  we  have  seen  afterward  bishops.

Lo! what city  was  there  that  would  not  choose  a  bishop

from Martin's  monastery,  for  sake  of  his  glorious  example?

VIII. There was  at  that  time  near  the  holy  monastery

as it  were  a  holy  place,  greatly  venerated

by the  common  people,  as  if  martyrs  lay  there;

and the  former  bishops  had  venerated  the  place

and had  consecrated  an  altar  there,  though  it  was  in  error.

Martin did  not  believe  the  false  delusion,

but enquired  minutely  of  the  oldest  priests

the martyr's  name,  or  when  he  was  martyred;

but none  of  them  knew  anything  certain  about  him.