It came to pass that at a certain time four bishops came to meet him, with whom he went down to the lucernarium (that is, vespers) at the basilica of Saint Stephen. And when, the lucernarium being finished, he had given the blessing to the people, as they were going out, a certain woman met him in the greeting-hall: she had contracted so horrible an infirmity that day and night her hands were unceasingly struck against one another, as if rolling something. She cried out with tears: 'My lord Caesarius, have mercy on a wretched woman; pray for me, that my hands may be restored to me.' As was his custom, he prostrated himself in prayer with the other bishops. And when both had risen, with head bowed he said to one of the holy bishops:
'Command, my lord, I pray, sign the hands of this woman.' He most obediently complied, but nonetheless the aforesaid woman's hands rolled on with a jerking motion. She, crying out more vehemently, said: 'My lord Caesarius, I cry to you, I beseech you, you sign them.' Again he fell down in prayer; and raising himself, he made the cross over the infirm hands. They at once stood still. But the woman, giving thanks to God and to the holy man, returned unharmed. For at the appointed days he came to the baptistery each year to bless the oil. And entering the small hood, when he was seated to sign the infants, the little boys and girls there, sent by their parents, ran up eagerly, presenting little vessels with water, others with oil, that he might bless them.
And when those who were carrying them dashed their little jugs and flasks against one another because of the multitude of the people, the sound of them striking was heard and seen: and yet the glass in which the blessing of Christ's servant had been poured was never broken. At another time, when he was visiting the dioceses, and we came to the fortress which is called Luco, there was there a certain matron named Eucheria, who, offering her maidservant, prostrated her before his feet: for whom she tearfully entreated that he might make supplication to the Lord. But he, examining the cause, as he was a man full of God and most thorough in all things, asked what infirmity she had. They said: 'A demon whom the country-folk call Diana;
who so afflicts her that she is beaten almost every night unceasingly, and often even is led into the church between two men so that she may remain there: and thus she is secretly tormented by diabolical scourges, so that her voice is continually heard, and she is utterly unable to answer those who cling to her.' Then, since all who were present with Christ's servant asked that the truth of the matter might appear, they sought to see it. So, with the lord himself permitting, the holy priest Lucius and the deacon Didymus, who at that time went about through the parishes, hastened to see her more privately, in whose attendance I too went along. If the faithful believe me, I say before God, with my own eyes I saw the wounds which some days before she had received on her back and shoulders coming to healing;
but I saw the fresh ones impressed the day before and on that very night, interwoven among those which she had suffered earlier. Then again, being brought before him, she appeared so confused with troubled eyes and her face turned away from him, that it was evident to all that she was quite unable to look upon the face of the servant of God. But he, laying his hand upon her head, gave a blessing; then he blessed oil, with which he ordered her to be anointed at the night hours; and at once she was made so whole that thereafter the temptation of the demon did not return to her. But at another time, when we had come into the dioceses, an infant about eight years old, living in clerical garb, came to the altar:
where, after the sermon (which he never delayed to deliver by heart himself, not only in the city but also in all the parishes when he could), when he had called himself back from the chancel to the altar, he had already begun to celebrate the Mass. But the man himself began to be grievously vexed by a most wicked spirit: for he was shaken horribly with trembling and foaming. Then no small terror seized all. But he, lifting his eyes to heaven, directed prayers to the Lord for his recovery, and began again, leaving that aside, to turn himself to the celebration of Mass. Then a certain priest of the Church of Cadarache, Ursus by name, cast that little child before his feet. Which he, looking upon reluctantly, said: 'May God spare you, blessed one:
this is the work of others, not mine.' And although he denied it on account of human humility, yet the divine power was not lacking to his servant. So at once, when that boy was cast before his feet, he rose up whole; nor did the wicked spirit ever return to him, whom I also saw as a subdeacon in that very church.
For when he had come to the parish of Citaristana for the sake of visitation, the daughter of a certain man named (or, of the name) Novatus seemed to have contracted a demon so wicked and of a new kind, that whenever she set foot outside the door of her house, at once a multitude of crows rushed into her face tearing at her, and rolling her about — shaken with trembling and with foaming — they would disfigure whatever of her body they found bare, that is, her face, neck, or whatever else they found. When she had been brought to the holy man, right up to the basilica which she entered, where the man of God was, we saw the crows coming, flitting above her. Yet even then they did not dare, importunate as they were, to rush in.
For when she had come before him, seeing her face hideously torn, he said to us privately: 'Never have I read, or seen, or heard of the devil lying in wait for anyone in this manner.' Then before the holy altar, laying his hand upon her head, he blessed oil and anointed her eyes and ears, and, all looking on, she returned whole through the street to her house; and for the two days that we were there, she came forth to the church, and that assault never again returned to her thereafter. Some time passing from this, he came to the field of our church, where there are also dioceses, which is called Succentriones. Baths had there been built with great gables: where if anyone by chance passed by at any moment, at once he was called by name:
and thereupon with fear he would see huge rocks falling either before his feet or behind him; and all took care never to pass by there. Whence too all who were unaware were warned lest they fall into that peril, past which they dared not go. When behold, the man of God, being sought there [or, having been requested], had gone on to another church, and the cleric whose duty it was to carry his staff (which was the office of the notary) forgot it — in which lowly office I, useless, was serving. Then the inhabitants of that place, when they had found it, rejoicing said to one another that it had been granted them by the Lord that they had found something of his; they marvel and give thanks to God, and hang that rod upon the wall;
and at once the snares of the devil were put to flight, and thereafter the adversary himself never presumed to work his most wicked mischief in that place, even to this day. It also happened at that time that a certain man from Gaul, Benenatus by name — though not by deed — came, who bewailed that he was a captive with his grandchildren. He had a little girl, whom, clothing her in male dress, he presented to him, saying: 'This is my grandson, and together with his sister, who hastens hither after us, he is held captive with me.' Then the man of God, grieving over their captivity out of the affection which the Lord had inspired in him from infancy, and believing her also to be a boy, gently kissed the one who had presented the girl herself.
So, both having received their ransom, they return to where they had landed. After two days he again recalls that same girl, as if in her own proper dress, in order to receive more solidi. But this was being done through the prompting of the holy man James the priest, who in his holy simplicity assured him that the man was seeking everything in truth. Then he received the ransom of this girl a second time. For those whose concern it then was recognized that he had afterwards presented as a girl the same one whom he had before displayed in male dress. Which we suggested with indignation to the holy man of God — not only I, but also the aforesaid priest together — and with modesty [Barralis: he suggested]. Then he, as he was ever most gentle and kind towards pilgrims, said to the priest:
'Do not,' he said, 'be angry, holy one; you did well to commend the pilgrim; God will repay you a reward for your good will. And may God spare that poor wretch this sin, who made me kiss a girl; and may that girl herself receive this reward, that, because she presumed to kiss an unworthy priest, he may make her such a consecrated virgin that she may never kiss another man. But because God, the judge of things to come, knew that she would without doubt not be able to persevere in virginity, lest the prayer of God's servant should be made void, she departed from this world the very next day.' These things are known to have been celebrated at Arles at the basilica of the Apostles, where he himself had had his lodging.
At another time a certain matron in the city of Marseilles dislocated her foot, so that for a long time she could not set that foot on the ground; but supported by the hands of her servants, she could scarcely be led to the church, enduring the most violent pain. But because the mercies of the Lord are many, when he himself willed it, he brought it about that the man of God should travel to that very city. Hearing of his arrival, the woman had herself brought to greet him. Having received prayer and blessing from him, she presumed to suggest nothing to him about her case. But on returning from him, she asked that she be permitted to approach his saddle-seat.
She, faithfully touching the weakened part on the saddle-cloth that covered the seat, at once recovering her former health, as though she had suffered no ill, returned unharmed on her own feet, with no one supporting her, giving thanks to the Lord even to the present day. On a certain day, then (which many have known), in this city a fire seized the house of a certain John, neighbouring the monastery of virgins. It began therefore to draw near, so that it was doubtful to none that everything there would be consumed. The handmaids of God therefore, in confusion, since it was not permitted them to go outside, were casting their books and things — the little cells [or, seats] — and themselves down the cisterns, where by God's dispensation water was then lacking, lest despair should throw them into disorder.
And the provosts of the monastery, running, announced to their father that it was already close to their cells. He, hastening out in the middle of the night, coming through the wall to the place where the flame was, prostrating himself in prayer, and commanding them and crying out from the wall: 'Fear not, blessed ones.' Soon the raging flame let go its burning by his power. Nor will I keep silent about this. At a certain time, then, it is proclaimed to have been done most famously in the Alpine regions. While a continual storm wore down the lands of a certain most noble man with its ruinous downpour, and the force of hail devoured all the fruits of that place, so that year by year no hope of sustenance remained there;
it again came about that his staff chanced to be left there, from which rod the owner himself ordered a cross to be made, which, armed with faith, he fixed in a more prominent place, so that, when the hailstone came, the disciple's rod, the master's cross, might oppose it. There God, for the honour of his servant, deigned to work so great a power, that afterwards he gave the greatest fruitfulness there, whence he had driven back the storm. Likewise on a certain day a fire seized the house of a certain Vincent, whose loft, made of wood, was yielding to the flame. He, seeing that he could do nothing, went to the lord himself with all the speed he could, and, falling at his knees, begged that he would pray.
And going out of doors, he made the cross against the flame, which, immediately subsiding, was so quenched that not even a mark appeared on the boards of the loft.