MARTIN, Bishop of Tours, and a saint of the Roman Catholic church, was b. in Pan nonia about the year 316. He was educated at Pavia, and at the desire of his father, who was a military tribune, entered the arniy, first under Constantine, and afterwards under Julian the apostate. The virtues of lus life as a soldier are the theme of more, than one interesting legend. On obtaining' his discharge froin milit,ary 'service, Martin.
became a disciple of Hilary, bishop of Poictiers (q.v.). He returned to his native Pas, nonia, and converted his mother to Christianity, but he himself endured much persecu, tion from the Arian party, who were at that time dominant; and in consequence of tho firinne,ss of his profession of orthodoxy, he is the first who. without suffering death for the truth, has been honored in the Latin church as a confessor of the faith. On his return to Gaul, about 360, he founded a convent of monks near Poictiers, where he him self led a life of great austerity and seclusion; but in 371 he was drawn by force from his retreat, and ordained bishop of Tours. The fame of his sanctity, and his repute as
a worker of miracles, attracted crowds of visitants from all parts of Gaul; and in order to avoid the distraction of their importunity, he established a monastery near Tours, in which he himself resided. His life by his contemporary, Sulpicius Severus, is a very curious specimen of the Christian literature of the age, and in the profusion of miracu lous legeuds with which it abounds, might take its place amon,,rt the lives of the media: val or niodern Roman church. The only extant literary relic of Martin is a short Con fession of Faith. on the Holy Trinity, which is published by Galland, vol. 559. In the Roman Catholic church, the festival of his birth is celebrated on Nov. 11. In Scotland this day still marks the winter-term, which is called Martinmas (the mass of St. Martin). Formerly people used to begin St. Martin's day with feasting and drinking, hence the French expressions martiner and faire la St. Martin, " to feast. '