Saint Helaym

« Le Mirouer historial » de « VINCENT » [de Beauvais], traduction de « JEHAN DU VIGNAY ».
« Le Mirouer historial » de « VINCENT » [de Beauvais], traduction de « JEHAN DU VIGNAY ». Source: gallica.bnf.fr

Bibliothèque nationale de France, Département des manuscrits, Français 51, fol. 158r.

De Saint Helaym et de ses miracles .LXXV.

Et il dist mesmes de Saint Helam
qui sicomme il eust longuement
habite ou desert il voult visiter
ses freres et leur aporta viande et sicomme
il fust greve en la voie par la charge des vi-
andes il vit ou desert asnes sauvaiges
courans desquelz il appella ung et dist ou
nom de nostre Seigneur Jhesu Christ lun de vous
veigne et porte cest faix Et tantost lun
deulz vint et le porta ensemble avecques
le frere aux autres freres En ung autre
temps quil visitoit les freres si les trouva
quilz ne celebroient mie le jour du dimenche
si sollempnellement comme ilz devoient
Et quant il sot que la cause estoit pour ce
quilz navoient point de prestre Car il estoit
ale au matin oultre le fleuve duquel nul
homme ne povoit revenir pour ung coco-
drille cest une beste sauvage a quatre piez
de jeaune couleur de la longueur de plus de
trente coudez et est puissant en terre et en
eauue Et estoit armee de ongles et de grans
dans et a forment la peau tresdure si que
elle puet soutenir sur son doz de grans
cops et de fors Et ceste beste est ou milieu de
ce fleuve et occist tantost les hommes de
mu sa voie Et adoncques dist le veillart
Je y vois pour querir le prestre Et quant il
vint a leauue il vit le cocodrille venant le-
quel se mist soubz lui en leauue Et il monta
dessus et fu porte de la beste oultre et vint
a la selle du prestre quil emmena a leauue
avecques lui pour passer oultre Et sicomme
le prestre lui disoit quil ny avoit point de
navire il lui resondit ne te doubte il est
tout prest Et adoncques appella il le coco-
drille a haulte voix et lui monta sur le
doz/ Le prestre vraiement fu si espaouretez
de le veoir et sen fouy et ny voult monter
en nulle maniere Et adonc le Saint homme
est porte oultre tout seul Et sicomme il descendi
de la beste lui dist il te vault mieulz mourir
que faire tant de maulz et tantost il morut

========

Concerning Saint Helaym and his Miracles.

And he even tells about Saint Helam (Helenus) who because he had lived so long in the desert wanted to visit his brothers (friars) and take them some meat. And as the burden of the meat weighed upon him, he saw in the desert some wild asses running around. He called to one and said in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ, “One of you come and carry this charge,” and one of them came and carried it with him to the other brothers.

On another occasion, while visiting the brothers, he noticed they didn’t celebrate the Sunday rites as solemnly as they should. He learned that the reason was that they didn’t have a priest, for he had crossed the river which no man can return across because of a crocodile, which is a savage beast with four feet, yellow color, and which is longer than 30 cubits. It is powerful both on land and in water and is armed with nails and big teeth and has skin so very hard that it can endure many great blows. And this beast is in the middle of this river and occasionally killed any that were in its way. Thereupon, the elder said, “I’ll go get the Priest.” When he reached the water, he saw the crocodile approaching him under the water, and he climbed on his back and was carried by the beast to the other side. He went to the Priest and brought him to the water for a crossing, but when the Priest said there was no boat, he told him, “Doubt not! It is ready for us.” Then, he called out loud for the crocodile and climbed on his back. Truly, the Priest was so afraid to see it that he ran away and didn’t want to get on it in any way. And so, the holy man was carried across alone. As he got down from the beast, he said to it, “You should rather die than commit so much wrong!” and so, it died.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.