E05233: Gregory of Tours, in his Miracles of Julian (32), recounts how relics of *Julian (martyr of Brioude, S00035) were taken to a church built in his honour at Reims (north-east Gaul), curing a possessed man along the way. Written in Latin in Clermont and Tours (central and north-west Gaul), 573/587.

Gregory of Tours, Miracles of Julian (Liber de passione et virtutibus sancti Iuliani martyris) 32

Quidam apud Belgicae secundae provintiam, id est suburbano Remensis urbis, basilicam in honore beati martyris studiose construxit, cuius reliquias post perfectam fabricam expetiit fideliter ac devote. Quas acceptas, dum via cum psallendo regreditur, Remensim est ingressus campaniam. Erat enim haud procul a via ager cuiusdam divitis campanensis, ad quem scindendum multitudo magna convenerat. Igitur adpropinquante viatore cum his pignoribus, coepit quidam de aratoribus male torqueri et quasi in excessu mentis dicere: 'En', inquit, 'beatissimum Iulianum adpropinquantem! Ecce virtutem eius! Ecce gloriam eius! Currite viri, relinquite boves, dimittite aratra, caterva omnis eat in obviam!' Stupentes illi et quid narraret ignoti, dum hebetati admirantesque tam voces quam dicta personae, protinus miser, relicto arvis vomere, elidens se in terram verberansque palmas, in parte qua vir ille beati martyris veniebat cursu celeri capitur, clamans: 'Ut quid me, sancte, sic crucias? Ut quid me, gloriose martyr, incendis? Cur regionem tibi non debitam adgrederis? Cur habitacula nostra perlustras?' Talia eo dicente, ad locum, ubi iam sacerdos tabernaculum erexerat, turbolentus advenit, prostratusque coram sanctis reliquiis, diutissime humo incubuit. Tunc presbiter capsulam illam sanctam super eum ut posuit, ilico erumpente ex ore eius sanguine, ab incursione diabolicae erroris mundatus est; deinceps virtutem sancti praedicans, comes fuit huius itineris.

‘In the province of Second Belgica, that is in the suburbs of Reims, a man zealously constructed a church in honour of the blessed martyr, and, when the building was completed, faithfully and piously sought his relics. He acquired relics and chanted psalms while he returned; he entered the district of Reims. Not far from the road was a field belonging to a rich man from this district, and a large crowd of people had gathered to plough his field. As the traveller approached with these relics, one of the ploughmen began to be terribly tormented and to speak as if he had lost his mind. He said: ‘Behold, the most blessed Julian is approaching! Behold his power! Behold his glory! Hurry here, you men; leave the oxen, abandon the ploughs, and let us all go to meet him!’. The other ploughmen were amazed and did not understand what he was talking about; so they were uncertain and wondered about both the man’s shouting and his words. Suddenly the wretched man dropped his plough in the fields, fell to the ground, and pounded his fists. Then he swiftly ran, attracted to the spot where the traveller [with the relics] of the blessed martyr was coming, crying out: ‘Saint, why do you torment me so? Glorious martyr, why do you inflame me? Why are you approaching a region that is not indebted to you? Why are you travelling among our homes?’ As he said this the man was agitated and went to the place where the priest had already constructed the shrine. He prostrated himself before the holy relics and lay on the ground for a very long time. Then, as soon as the priest placed the holy reliquary on the man, immediately blood flowed from his mouth and he was cleansed from the onset of this diabolical falsehood. He confessed the saint’s power and became a companion on the journey.’

Text: Krusch 1969, 127-128. Translation: Van Dam 1993, 184-185, modified.