Medieval Sourcebook:
The Golden Legend: St. Nicholas
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Here beginneth the Life of S. Nicholas the Bishop.
Nicholas is said of Nichos, which is to say victory, and of laos, people, so Nicholas
is as much as to say as victory of people, that is, victory of sins, which be foul people.
Or else he is said, victory of people, because he enseigned and taught much people by his
doctrine to overcome vices and sins. Or Nicholas is said of Nichor, that is the
resplendour or shining of the people, for he had in him things that make shining and
clearness. After this S. Ambrose saith: The word of God, very confession, and holy
thought, make a man clean. And the doctors of Greece write his legend, and some others say
that Methodius the patriarch wrote it in Greek, and John the deacon translated it into
Latin and adjousted thereto many things.
Nicholas, citizen of the city of Patras, was born of rich and holy kin, and his father
was Epiphanes and his mother Johane. He was begotten in the first flower of their age, and
from that time forthon they lived in continence and led an heavenly life. Then the first
day that he was washed and bained, he addressed him right up in the bason, and he would
not take the breast nor the pap but once on the Wednesday and once on the Friday, and in
his young age he eschewed the plays and japes of other young children. He used and haunted
gladly holy church; and all that he might understand of holy scripture he executed it in
deed and work after his power. And when his father and mother were departed out of this
life, he began to think how he might distribute his riches, and not to the praising of the
world but to the honour and glory of God. And it was so that one, his neighbour, had then
three daughters, virgins, and he was a nobleman: but for the poverty of them together,
they were constrained, and in very purpose to abandon them to the sin of lechery, so that
by the gain and winning of their infamy they might be sustained. And when the holy man
Nicholas knew hereof he had great horror of this villainy, and threw by night secretly
into the house of the man a mass of gold wrapped in a cloth. And when the man arose in the
morning, he found this mass of gold, and rendered to God therefor great thankings, and
therewith he married his oldest daughter. And a little while after this holy servant of
God threw in another mass of gold, which the man found, and thanked God, and purposed to
wake, for to know him that so had aided him in his poverty. And after a few days Nicholas
doubled the mass of gold, and cast it into the house of this man. He awoke by the sound of
the gold, and followed Nicholas, which fled from him, and he said to him: Sir, flee not
away so but that I may see and know thee. Then he ran after him more hastily, and knew
that it was Nicholas; and anon he kneeled down, and would have kissed his feet, but the
holy man would not, but required him not to tell nor discover this thing as long as he
lived.
After this the bishop of Mirea died and other bishops assembled for to purvey to this
church a bishop. And there was, among the others, a bishop of great authority, and all the
election was in him. And when he had warned all for to be in fastings and in prayers, this
bishop heard that night a voice which said to him that, at the hour of matins, he should
take heed to the doors of the church, and him that should come first to the church, and
have the name of Nicholas they should sacre him bishop. And he showed this to the other
bishops and admonished them for to be all in prayers; and he kept the doors. And this was
a marvellous thing, for at the hour of matins, like as he had been sent from God, Nicholas
arose tofore all other. And the bishop took him when he was come and demanded of him his
name. And he, which was simple as a dove, inclined his head, and said: I have to name
Nicholas. Then the bishop said to him: Nicholas, servant and friend of God, for your
holiness ye shall be bishop of this place. And sith they brought him to the church,
howbeit that he refused it strongly, yet they set him in the chair. And he followed, as he
did tofore in all things, in humility and honesty of manners. He woke in prayer and made
his body lean, he eschewed company of women, he was humble in receiving all things,
profitable in speaking, joyous in admonishing, and cruel in correcting.
It is read in a chronicle that, the blessed Nicholas was at the Council of Nice; and on
a day,as a ship with mariners were in perishing on the sea, they prayed and required
devoutly Nicholas, servant of God, saying: If those things that we have heard of thee said
be true, prove them now. And anon a man appeared in his likeness, and said: Lo! see ye me
not? ye called me, and then he began to help them in their exploit of the sea, and anon
the tempest ceased. And when they were come to his church, they knew him without any man
to show him to them, and yet they had never seen him. And then they thanked God and him of
their deliverance. And he bade them to attribute it to the mercy of God, and to their
belief, and nothing to his merits.
It was so on a time that all the province of S. Nicolas suffered great famine, in such
wise that victual failed. And then this holy man heard say that certain ships laden with
wheat were arrived in the haven. And anon he went thither and prayed the mariners that
they would succour the perished at least with an hundred muyes of wheat of every ship. And
they said: Father we dare not, for it is meted and measured, and we must give reckoning
thereof in the garners of the Emperor in Alexandria. And the holy man said to them: Do
this that I have said to you, and I promise, in the truth of God, that it shall not be
lessed or minished when ye shall come to the garners. And when they had delivered so much
out of every ship, they came into Alexandria and delivered the measure that they had
received. And then they recounted the miracle to the ministers of the Emperor, and
worshipped and praised strongly God and his servant Nicholas. Then this holy man
distributed the wheat to every man after that he had need, in such wise that it sufficed
for two years, not only for to sell, but also to sow. And in this country the people
served idols and worshipped the false image of the cursed Diana. And to the time of this
holy man, many of them had some customs of the paynims, for to sacrifice to Diana under a
sacred tree; but this good man made them of all the country to cease then these customs,
and commanded to cut off the tree. Then the devil was angry and wroth against him, and
made an oil that burned, against nature, in water, and burned stones also. And then he
transformed him in the guise of a religious woman, and put him in a little boat, and
encountered pilgrims that sailed in the sea towards this holy saint, and areasoned them
thus, and said: I would fain go to this holy man, but I may not, wherefore I pray you to
bear this oil into his church, and for the remembrance of me, that ye anoint the walls of
the hall; and anon he vanished away. Then they saw anon after another ship with honest
persons, among whom there was one like to Nicholas, which spake to them softly: What hath
this woman said to you, and what hath she brought? And they told to him all by order. And
he said to them: This is the evil and foul Diana; and to the end that ye know that I say
truth, cast that oil into the sea. And when they had cast it, a great fire caught it in
the sea, and they saw it long burn against nature. Then they came to this holy man and
said to him: Verily thou art he that appeared to us in the sea and deliveredst us from the
sea and awaits of the devil.
And in this time certain men rebelled against the emperor; and the emperor sent against
them three princes Nepotian, Ursyn, and Apollyn. And they came into the port Adriatic, for
the wind, which was contrary to them; and the blessed Nicholas commanded them to dine with
him, for he would keep his people from the ravin that they made. And whilst they were at
dinner, the consul, corrupt by money, had commanded three innocent knights to be beheaded.
And when the blessed Nicholas knew this, he prayed these three princes that they would
much hastily go with him. And when they were come where they should be beheaded, he found
them on their knees, and blindfold, and the righter brandished his sword over their heads.
Then S. Nicholas embraced with the love of God, set him hardily against the righter, and
took the sword out of his hand, and threw it from him, and unbound the innocents, and led
them with him all safe. And anon he went to the judgment to the consul, and found the
gates closed, which anon he opened by force. And the consul came anon and saluted him: and
this holy man having this salutation in despite, said to him: Thou enemy of God, corrupter
of the law,. wherefore hast thou consented to so great evil and felony, how darest thou
look on us? And when he had sore chidden and reproved him, he repented, and at the prayer
of the three princes he received him to penance. After, when the messengers of the emperor
had received his benediction, they made their gear ready and departed, and subdued their
enemies to the empire without shedding of blood and sith returned to the emperor, and were
worshipfully received. And after this it happed that some other in the emperor's house had
envy on the weal of these three princes, and accused them to the emperor of high treason,
and did so much by prayer and by gifts that they caused the emperor to be so full of ire
that he commanded them to prison, and without other demand, he commanded that they should
be slain that same night. And when they knew it by their keeper, they rent their clothes
and wept bitterly; and then Nepotian remembered him how S. Nicholas had delivered the
three innocents, and admonested the others that they should require his aid and help. And
thus as they prayed S. Nicholas appeared to them, and after appeared to Constantine the
emperor, and said to him: Wherefore hast thou taken these three princes with so great
wrong, and hast judged them to death without trespass? Arise up hastily, and command that
they be not executed, or I shall pray to God that he move battle against thee, in which
thou shalt be overthrown, and shalt be made meat to beasts. And the emperor demanded: What
art thou that art entered by night into my palace and durst say to me such words? And he
said to him: I am Nicholas bishop of Mirea. And in like wise he appeared to the provost,
and feared him, saying with a fearful voice: Thou that hast Iost mind and wit, wherefore
hast thou consented to the death of innocents? Go forth anon and do thy part to deliver
them, or else thy body shall rot, and be eaten with worms, and thy meiny shall be
destroyed. And he asked him: Who art thou that so menaces me? And he answered: Know thou
that I am Nicholas, the bishop of the city of Mirea. Then that one awoke that other, and
each told to other their dreams, and anon sent for them that were in prison, to whom the
emperor said: What art magic or sorcery can ye, that ye have this night by illusion caused
us to have such dreams? And they said that they were none enchanters ne knew no
witchcraft, and also that they had not deserved the sentence of death. Then the emperor
said to them: know ye well a man named Nicholas? And when they heard speak of the name of
the holy saint, they held up their hands towards heaven, and prayed our Lord that by the
merits of S. Nicholas they might be delivered of this present peril. And when the emperor
had heard of them the life and miracles of S. Nicholas, he said to them: Go ye forth, and yield ye thankings to God, which hath delivered you by the prayer of this holy man, and
worship ye him; and bear ye to him of your jewels, and pray ye him that he threaten me no
more, but that he pray for me and for my realm unto our Lord. And a while after, the said
princes went unto the holy man, and fell down on their knees humbly at his feet, saying:
Verily thou art the sergeant of God, and the very worshipper and lover of Jesu Christ. And
when they had all told this said thing by order, he lift up his hands to heaven and gave
thankings and praisings to God, and sent again the princes, well informed, into their
countries.
And when it pleased our Lord to have him depart out this world, he prayed our Lord that
he would send him his angels; and inclining his head he saw the angels come to him,
whereby he knew well that he should depart, and began this holy psalm: In te domine
speravi, unto, in manus tuas, and so saying: Lord, into thine hands I commend my spirit,
he rendered up his soul and died, the year of our Lord three hundred and forty- three,
with great melody sung of the celestial company. And when he was buried in a tomb of
marble, a fountain of oil sprang out from the head unto his feet; and unto this day holy
oil issueth out of his body, which is much available to the health of sicknesses of many
men. And after him in his see succeeded a man of good and holy life, which by envy was put
out of his bishopric. And when he was out of his see the oil ceased to run, and when he
was restored again thereto, the oil ran again.
Long after this the Turks destroyed the city of Mirea, and then came thither forty-
seven knights of Bari, and four monks showed to them the sepulchre of S. Nicholas. And
they opened it and found the bones swimming in the oil, and they bare them away honourably
into the city of Bari, in the year of our Lord ten hundred and eightyseven.
There was a man that had borrowed of a Jew a sum of money, and sware upon the altar of
S. Nicholas that he would render and pay it again as soon as he might, and gave none other
pledge. And this man held this money so long, that the Jew demanded and asked his money,
and he said that he had paid him. Then the Jew made him to come tofore the law in
judgment, and the oath was given to the debtor. And he brought with him an hollow staff,
in which he had put the money in gold, and he leant upon the staff. And when he should
make his oath and swear, he delivered his staff to the Jew to keep and hold whilst he
should swear, and then sware that he had delivered to him more than he ought to him. And
when he had made the oath, he demanded his staff again of the Jew, and he nothing knowing
of his malice delivered it to him. Then this deceiver went his way, and anon after, him
list sore to sleep, and laid him in the way, and a cart with four wheels came with great
force and slew him, and brake the staff with gold that it spread abroad. And when the Jew
heard this, he came thither sore moved, and saw the fraud, and many said to him that he
should take to him the gold; and he refused it, saying, But if he that was dead were not
raised again to life by the merits of S. Nicholas, he would not receive it, and if he came
again to life, he would receive baptism and become Christian. Then he that was dead arose,
and the Jew was christened.
Another Jew saw the virtuous miracles of S. Nicholas, and did do make an image of the
saint, and set it in his house, and commanded him that he should keep well his house when
he went out, and that he should keep well all his goods, saying to him: Nicholas, lo! here
be all my goods, I charge thee to keep them, and if thou keep them not well, I shall
avenge me on thee in beating and tormenting thee. And on a time, when the Jew was out,
thieves came and robbed all his goods, and left, unborne away, only the image. And when
the Jew came home he found him robbed of all his goods. He areasoned the image saying
these words: Sir Nicholas, I had set you in my house for to keep my goods from thieves,
wherefore have ye not kept them? Ye shall receive sorrow and torments, and shall have pain
for the thieves. I shall avenge my loss, and refrain my woodness in beating thee. And then
took the Jew the image, and beat it, and tormented it cruelly. Then happed a great marvel,
for when the thieves departed the goods, the holy saint, like as he had been in his array,
appeared to the thieves, and said to them: Wherefore have I been beaten so cruelly for you
and have so many torments? See how my body is hewed and broken; see how that the red blood
runneth down by my body; go ye fast and restore it again, or else the ire of God Almighty
shall make you as to be one out of his wit, and that all men shall know your felony, and
that each of you shall be hanged. And they said: Who art thou that sayest to us such
things? And he said to them: I am Nicholas the servant of Jesu Christ, whom the Jew hath
so cruelly beaten for his goods that ye bare away. Then they were afeard, and came to the
Jew, and heard what he had done to the image, and they told him the miracle, and delivered
to him again all his goods. And thus came the thieves to the way of truth, and the Jew to
the way of Jesu Christ. A man, for the love of his son, that went to school for to learn,
hallowed, every year, the feast of S. Nicholas much solemnly. On a time it happed that the
father had do make ready the dinner, and called many clerks to this dinner. And the devil
came to the gate in the habit of a pilgrim for to demand alms: and the father anon
commanded his son that he should give alms to the pilgrim. He followed him as he went for
to give to him alms, and when he came to the quarfox the devil caught the child and
strangled him. And when the father heard this he sorrowed much strongly and wept, and bare
the body into his chamber, and began to cry for sorrow, and say: Bright sweet son, how is
it with thee? S. Nicholas, is this the guerdon that ye have done to me because I have so
long served you? And as he said these words, and other semblable, the child opened his
eyes, and awoke like as he had been asleep, and arose up tofore all, and was raised from
death to life.
Another nobleman prayed to S. Nicholas that he would, by his merits, get of our Lord
that he might have a son, and promised that he would bring his son to the church, and
would offer up to him a cup of gold. Then the son was born and came to age, and the father
commanded to make a cup, and the cup pleased him much, and he retained it for himself, and
did do make another of the same value. And they went sailing in a ship toward the church
of S. Nicholas, and when the child would have filled the cup, he fell into the water with
the cup, and anon was lost, and came no more up. Yet nevertheless the father performed his
avow, in weeping much tenderly for his son; and when he came to the altar of S. Nicholas
he offered the second cup, and when he had offered it, it fell down, like as one had cast
it under the altar. And he took it up and set it again upon the altar, and then yet was it
cast further than tofore and yet he took it up and remised it the third time upon the
altar; and it was thrown again further than tofore. Of which thing all they that were
there marvelled, and men came for to see this thing. And anon, the child that had fallen
in the sea, came again prestly before them all, and brought in his hands the first cup,
and recounted to the people that, anon as he was fallen in the sea, the blessed S.
Nicholas came and kept him that he had none harm. And thus his father was glad and offered
to S. Nicholas both the two cups.
There was another rich man that by the merits of S. Nicholas had a son, and called him:
Deus dedit, God gave. And this rich man did do make a chapel of S. Nicholas in his
dwellingplace; and did do hallow every year the feast of S. Nicholas. And this manor was
set by the land of the Agarians. This child was taken prisoner, and deputed to serve the
king. The year following, and the day that his father held devoutly the feast of S.
Nicholas, the child held a precious cup tofore the king, and remembered his prise, the
sorrow of his friends, and the joy that was made that day in the house of his father, and
began for to sigh sore high. And the king demanded him what ailed him and the cause of his
sighing; and he told him every word wholly. And when the king knew it he said to him:
Whatsomever thy Nicholas do or do not, thou shalt abide here with us. And suddenly there
blew a much strong wind, that made all the house to tremble, and the child was ravished
with the cup, and was set tofore the gate where his father held the solemnity of S.
Nicholas, in such wise that they all demeaned great joy.
And some say that this child was of Normandy, and went oversea, and was taken by the
sowdan, which made him oft to be beaten tofore him. And as he was beaten on a S. Nicholas
day, and was after set in prison, he prayed to S. Nicholas as well for his beating that he
suffered, as for the great joy that he was wont to have on that day of S. Nicholas. And
when he had long prayed and sighed he fell asleep, and when he awoke he found himself in
the chapel of his father, whereas was much joy made for him. Let us then pray to this
blessed saint that he will pray for us to our Lord Jesu Christ which is blessed in secula
seculorum. Amen.
Source.
The Golden Legend or Lives of the Saints. Compiled by Jacobus de Voragine,
Archbishop of Genoa, 1275. First Edition Published 1470. Englished by William
Caxton, First Edition 1483, Edited by F.S. Ellis, Temple Classics, 1900 (Reprinted 1922,
1931.)
This chapter is from: Volume 2:
Scanned by Robert Blackmon. bob_blackmon@mindspring.com.
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