E05157: Gregory of Tours, in his Miracles of Julian (16), describes how Becco, count of Clermont, wrongly accuses of theft a servant of the church of *Julian (martyr of Brioude, S00035), who has to be redeemed with money from the shrine; a year later at the festival of the saint, when Julian's Martyrdom is read out, Becco is struck down, and never recovers; in 511/533. Written in Latin in Clermont and Tours (central and north-west Gaul), 570/587.

Gregory of Tours, Miracles of Julian (Liber de passione et virtutibus sancti Iuliani martyris) 16

Count Becco was arrogant and unjustly oppressed many people. Once he lost his hawk and at the same time a young servant of the church of Julian found another lost hawk. When Becco heard this, the boy was accused of theft, and imprisoned with the intention of executing him.

Tunc sacerdos maestus valde ad sepulchrum sancti properat, reseratisque cum gemitu capsis, adprehensis decim aureis, per fideles amicos Becconi obtulit. Quod ille pro nihilo respuens, cum iuramento adseruit, numquam se puerum dimissurum, nisi exinde aureos triginta acciperet. Quod presbiter desuper sepulchro sancti accipiens, Becconi transmisit; quos acceptos, satiata auri cupiditate, puerum restauravit incolomem.

Sed Deus omnipotens, qui permanet ante solem, secundum bonitatis suae divitias humiliavit calumniatorem. Nam ipsius anni transacto curriculo, veniens ad sancti festivitatem cum caterva satellitum, ingressus est limen sanctum. Procedente vero lectore, qui beatae passionis recenseret historiam, ut revolvit librum et in principio lectionis sancti Iuliani protulit nomen, confestim Becco voce nescio qua teterrima ad terram corruit, cruenteque spumans, dare voces diversas coepit. Inde inter suorum manus sublatus, a basilica domi reducitur. Nec fuit dubium pueris eius, haec ob iniuriam basilicaris famuli evenisse. Omnem quoque ornatum, quod super se tunc habuit, tam in auro quam in vestimentis, basilicae contulit et multa deinceps munera misit; sed usque ad diem obitus sui sine sensu duravit.


'The priest [of Julian's basilica] sorrowfully hurried to the tomb, and with a sigh opened the boxes, took ten gold coins, and sent them to Becco with his trustworthy friends. But Becco rejected these gold coins as worthless and insisted with an oath that he would never release the servant until he had received thirty gold coins. The priest took these coins from above the saint’s tomb and sent them to Becco. Once Becco received the coins, his greed for gold was satisfied, and he released the servant unharmed.

But omnipotent God, who endures longer than the sun, humbled this perverse man in accordance with the riches of his goodness. For after the cycle of this year was completed, Becco came to the saint’s festival with his entourage of retainers and entered the holy door [of the church]. The lector who was to recite the account of [Julian’s] blessed suffering advanced, and as soon as he opened the book and pronounced the name of Saint Julian at the beginning of his reading, immediately Becco fell to the ground with a most horrid and unfamiliar cry. With blood foaming from his mouth he began to utter various shouts. Then he was lifted by the hands of his retainers and brought from the church to his home. His retainers had no doubt that this had happened because of his mistreatment of this servant from the church. Becco contributed to the church all the valuables that he then had with him, as much in gold as in garments, and he then sent many gifts; but he survived to the day of his death without his senses.'

Text: Krusch 1969, 121; lightly modified. Translation: Van Dam 1993, 174; modified.