 Sulpicius could not have failed to know the incident the Roman poet Horace recalls in several "Odes", of his narrow escape from a falling tree.Martin was so dedicated to the freeing of prisoners that when authorities, even emperors, heard he was coming, they refused to see him because they knew he would request mercy for someone and they would be unable to refuse.The churches of other parts of Gaul and in Spain were being disturbed by the Priscillianists, an ascetic sect, named after its leader, Priscillian.