was loudly sounding there, and especially the wail
of the monks and nuns at Martin's death.
LIII. A certain bishop Severinus, in the city of Cologne,
a man of holy life, heard in the early morning
a very loud song in the heavens, and therewith he summoned to him
his archdeacon, and asked him whether
he had heard the voice of the heavenly rejoicing.
He answered and said that he had heard nothing of it.
Then the bishop bade him to hearken more carefully;
so he stood and listened, leaning on his staff,
and could hear nothing of that mirth.
Then they both prostrated themselves, praying the Almighty
that he might hear the heavenly music;
then he listened again, and said that he heard
voices of singers, sounding in heaven,
and knew not, nevertheless, what the voices were.
Then Severinus said; ' I tell thee, concerning this,
that the blessed Martin hath departed from this world;
and now angels, singing, carrying his soul
with them to heaven; and the hateful devil
with his unrighteous spirits would have hindered him,
but he departed, confounded, away from the saint,
and found nothing of his own in him.
How will it be with us sinful ones, since the guileful devil
thought to hurt so illustrious a priest?'
Then the archdeacon sent forthwith to Tours,
to Martin's episcopal see, and bade enquire concerning him;
then it was truly told him that he had given up his soul
at the same hour in which they had heard the song.
