Happy #MedievalMonday y'all, it's time for another #medieval #miracle from the Liber Miraculorum of St. Foy, another one involving eyes and mutilation and miraculous healing because... well, because it's St. Foy. And it's the second miracle in the book. 1/ https://twitter.com/tlecaque/status/1246476982604439554

This one is entitled. 1.2, "A Similar Miracle About Gerbert," for reasons that are... well, pretty obvious.

"God in His goodness causes desire for what is morally right and He always goes beyond what faithful people long for. That is why Divine Providence ordained that,... 2/

as incredible and beyond hope as it may seem, I saw another example of the kind of miracle I had wanted to see in the first place. This was after I had searched out the first one. That is, I saw that the maimed face of Gerbert had been restored by the strange phenomenon... 3/

of a miracle equal to that granted to Guibert. No one should doubt this miracle because I didn't mention it in the previous letter. I was writing about Guibert first,
whom I sought out by name, and I didn't want to hear the story of another miracle until I had been freed... 4/

from the obligation to write the first one. As it
so happened, almost immediately after I finished the first one the monks presented two men to me: a man who had no precise knowledge about a miracle and this Gerbert. Of course Guibert's miracle is much more widely known... 5/

since about thirty years have already passed from the time in his youth when it took place. But the other man, whom I'm going to discuss now, claimed that he had experienced his miracle not more than three years before. Since I was concerned about the truth of this miracle... 6/

I tracked down so much evidence that it is too boring to go over all of it. For in addition to the testimony of those who presented themselves to me, prepared either to
swear on the holy martyr's relics or to undergo ordeal by fire, you may still see the old marks of... 7/

Gerbert's scars and the horrid disfigurement caused by
cuts in the skin around his eyes. The deed was done as night was falling and it was growing dark. Gerbert was rolling his head back and forth and trying to pull away from the hands of his tormentors. Therefore the wounds.. 8/

that he received then, before his eyes were gouged out, lend greater credence to the words of the witnesses I mentioned before. With all this evidence, no one should doubt that this is a true story, nor should anyone think that I relate things not carefully researched, nor... 9/

that I make up false stories out of my own imagination, nor that I substitute imaginary spirits where I ought to attribute actions to God. Actually, it would be more satisfying to me to be completely silent than to corrupt God's word with deceit. This is what I have to say...10/

A man named Guy, a very brutal man with an extremely fierce nature, ruled a castle called Calmilliacum in the district of Velay. Once Guy, with his usual oppressive cruelty, was unjustly holding captive three men from
the land of the church of Santa Maria Anicia. With a... 11/

shameless oath Guy swore resolutely that they weren't going to escape from there soon unless it were to the gallows. But, as the outcome of the affair will soon show, he swore falsely. It happened that Gerbert, who was well known because of his high rank, was passing by... 12/

alone in front of the contrivance that bound the
feet of the three captives. They knew him to be a man of mercy, since for the love of God alone he had ransomed several people in this same situation with his own money, so they all cried to him. They begged him, for the... 13/

love of Christ and of his holy mother Mary together with the love of Sainte Foy martyr, that if he could find any way at all he should come to their rescue as soon as possible before they perished. A year earlier, while he was passing through the Rouergue on a journey... 14/

Gerbert had made a detour in order to go to Conques. His
purpose was not, however, to pray, but to see Guibert with his restored eyes. He had heard of Guibert's reputation long before, but had never seen him. When he did, he gave Guibert alms, for his means were ample.... 15/

From that time forward Gerbert especially cherished Sainte Foy deep in his heart more than all the saints. And so when these men cried out to him with such distress and made mention of Sainte Foy, he could do no other than to hurry to relieve them to the extent that he... 16/

could, even at the risk of his life. So much did the effect of her sweet name reach into the innermost recesses of his heart that his whole being was moved by compassion and his face was wet with tears. He hastened to their aid as quickly as he could. Gerbert acquired three...17/

very sharp little knives, hid them in his cloak, and carried them to the captives. He gave them lengths of rope that would enable them to scale the wall, imposing only this condition: that if they were captured again they would not confess who had helped them and thereby... 18/

condemn him. But these men were impatient by nature, so they went into action immediately, before the friendly cover of darkness could settle, instead of waiting as they should have. They cut their fetters and
recklessly fled for their lives, but they were easily seen in the..19/

hostile daylight and recaptured. When one of them was asked under torture who was responsible for their freedom, he revealed Gerbert"s name. Therefore, as I
would say in my own words, Gerbert was detected in a good crime. The wicked lord accused him of plotting to seize... 20/

the castle for himself. What more is there to say? Guy couldn't bear to wait until the next day, but menacingly and unrelentingly ordered that right then, at twilight, Gerbert's eyes be violently cut out of their sockets. At once Gerbert was hedged round by men who had... 21/

once fought by his side. Nonetheless they overcame
their reluctance to act against him and threw him to the ground. He resisted for a long time, for he had outstanding strength, and twisted his head vigorously. Finally with great difficulty his eyes were mutilated. In the... 22/

struggle Gerbert was slashed so many times around his eyes by the unsteady hands of his attackers that it is easy to believe in the miracle just from the evidence of his scars. As for the men who were recaptured, through the
grace of God they were not harmed in any way, and...23/

they don't deny that it turned out so well for them through Sainte Toy's kindness. Right away the wretched Gerbert, who now despised his life, went into the countryside. His plan was to drink goat's milk, for people say that if anyone who has recently been wounded drinks... 24/

goat's milk the person will be undone by death on the spot. But no one would take the responsibility of giving Gerbert goat's milk. Therefore he decided to starve himself to death, and for eight continuous days and nights he ate nothing, but went hungry and kept the night... 25/

vigil. By the last night he was in a kind of trance, in which
he could forget his situation a little. In that state he saw what seemed to be a ten-year-old girl. She had a charming and indescribably beautiful appearance,
and wore attire adorned with gold and embellished... 26/

with embroidery made with inestimable skill. She looked at him rather closely and with her right hand she seemed to implant eyes in his ruined sockets while she cradled his chin in her left hand. Gerbert awakened immediately and
quickly leapt out of his bed. At once he tried..27/

to prostrate himself at her sacred feet. But when he realized that she had vanished and could by no means be found, he cried out in his misery and filled the whole inn with his loud lament. His two servants awakened and asked what he wanted for himself with this kind of... 28/

plaint. Gerbert told them that he, their master, had seen the shape of a young girl who had restored his eyes to him, and that because of this he was going to go to Conques immediately. But they burst into jeering laughter, for they thought this idea of his, that he would... 29/

have his sight restored the way Guibert's had been, was the height of stupidity. Nonetheless, when Gerbert rose at dawn the next day, the cloud of total gloom had been completely driven away from him. He became so cheerful
and joyful that it was easy to believe in this... 30/

vision from heaven. At once he demanded food and, eating, regained his strength. Gerbert certainly didn't forget his vision, and after a few days he asked to be taken to the holy monastery of the monks at Conques. But, as I've said, the servants considered their lord's... 31/

undertakings to be nonsense or, more likely, they held him in disdain, so they neglected the blind man's commands. Finally they abandoned him, since they felt that he had been struck down and his good fortune had fled. Therefore it is true that adverse fortune uncovers the... 32/

false faces of friends. Nevertheless Gerbert put his
complete trust in God's mercy. With the help of some friends he was able to make the desired journey. He arrived at the monastery, invoked the aid of the Almighty, and then returned to his lodgings. He had already begun... 33/

to regain his sight a little, but when he sensed the miracle and began to boast indiscreetly about God's gift he was enveloped in shadows again before the midday meal was finished. After this he devoted several days to prayer and his eyes were healed by Sainte Boy's very... 34/

kind intervention; his face was thus perfectly restored to its former handsomeness. From then on Gerbert repeatedly strove with great effort to return to his former life as a mounted warrior, but was immediately hindered from heaven. At last, he was persuaded by the... 35/

illustrious Theotberga, wife of Count Pons, that if he ever wished to become well he should not abandon Sainte Foy nor refuse the yoke of her service. "Because it is evident," she said, "that Sainte Foy did not work such a great miracle for you so that you could return to... 36/

the turmoil of a righting man's worldly life, where you would also be in danger, but so that you would cling to her as a permanent member of her household and in this way be saved and rise to the gate of perpetual glory." After he had been so strongly rebuked by the wise... 37/

matron and so beneficially confirmed in his faith, Gerbert completely abandoned his resistance and made no further efforts to thwart the divine will. Therefore he serves God and His saint now in that very monastery with the most devoted obedience, content with a monk's... 38/

daily allowance of food. He is a man of calm character and a simple way of life, measured by our times and our ways
of doing things. Thus the authorities of the monastery have treated him well up to the present time, and he obeys them in all things and cherishes them with... 39/

a deep affection. You might see that the jewels of his pupils sparkle in the midst of the old marks of his scars. Though their restoration was contrary to nature, his eyes shine now just as they did before, not like glass but like flesh. But to prevent the happenstance that...40/

he might be corrupted by arrogance or by the seductive counsel of those near him — for human nature is frail — and might wish to return to secular life, through divine will the sight of his left eye began to disappear almost completely afterwards... 41/

In this, O Sainte Foy, the praiseworthy compassion of your goodness is revealed. You who heal them in body are just as concerned to heal them in spirit, and for this reason you removed light from the exterior eye of the body, in order that the inner spirit might become... 42/

brighter. And you, faithful people, inscribe this miracle on the tablets of your hearts, praise the kindness of the martyr Sainte Foy, try as hard as you can to imitate her in the performance of good works, hasten to her tomb and claim with assurance the salvation of your... 43/

souls. For it does not lie hidden from the comprehension
of the human mind that she who grants so abundantly the benefits of health to the lower part of man, that is to the body, will bestow them even more abundantly on the higher part, that is, on the soul, to anyone who... 44/

asks in the right way."

Thus ends the second #miracle. The violence of the depiction of the blindings, again, fascinates me because blinding is not a typical punishment, and the physicality of her interventions--pushing eyeballs back in, wearing of clothes with rich description,

the description of the living conditions and political disturbances in the region... Love me some miracle stories in general, especially Ste. Foy.

Happy #MedievalMonday, read some books of #medieval #miracles!