 Section 13 of Selections of the History of the Franks. This is a LibriVox recording, all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Selections of the History of the Franks by Gregory of Tours, translated by Ernest Brieholt. Book 8 In Christ's name here begins Book 8. 1. Now King Guntrum, in the 24th year of his reign, started from Shalom and went to the city of Nevers. For he was going to Paris by invitation to receive from the Holy Font of Regeneration Shelperik's son, whom they were already calling Clothar. And he left the territory of Nevers and came to the city of Orleans, and at that time appeared much among the citizens. For on receiving invitations he went to their homes, and partook of the repass offered him. He received many gifts from them, and bestowed many gifts on them in a very generous way. And when he came to the city of Orleans, the day was the festival of the Blessed Martin. Namely, the Fourth of the Nones, of the Fifth Month, July 4. And a huge throng of people came to meet him with standards and banners, singing praises. And here the Syrian language, there that of the Latins, and again that even of the Jews, sounded together strangely in varied praises, saying, Long live the king! May his reign over the people last unnumbered years! And the Jews, who were to be seen taking part in the praises, said, May all the nations honor you and bend the knee and be subject to you. And so it happened that when the king was seated at dinner after mass he said, Woe to you Jewish tribe, wicked, treacherous, and always living by cunning. Here's what they were after, said he, when they cried out their flattering praises to-day, that all the nations were to honor me as master. They wished me to order their synagogue long ago torn down by the Christians to be built at the public cost. But by the Lord's command I will never do it. O King, glorious for wonderful wisdom! He so understood the craft of the heretics that they entirely failed to get from him what they were going to propose later. At the dinner the king said to the bishops who were present, I beg you to give me your blessing tomorrow in my house and bring me salvation by your coming so that I may be saved when in my humility I receive your words of blessing. When he said this all thanked him, and as dinner was finished we rose. 2. In the morning while the king was visiting the holy places to offer prayer he came to my lodging. It was the church of Saint Avitus, the abbot whom I mentioned in my book of the Miracles. I rose gladly, I admit, to go to meet him, and after giving him my blessing begged him to accept Saint Martin's holy bread at my lodging. He did not refuse, but courteously came in, drank a cup, invited me to the dinner, and went away in good humor. At that time Bertram, Bishop of Bordeaux and Palladius of Saintes were in great disfavor with the king because of their support of Gundavod, of which we have told above. Moreover Bishop Palladius had especially offended the king because he had repeatedly deceived him. Now they had recently been under examination before the remaining bishops and the nobles as to why they had supported Gundavod, and why they had foolishly ordained Faustian Bishop of Acts at his command. But Bishop Palladius took the blame for the ordination of his Metropolitan, Bertram, and took it on his own shoulder, saying, My Metropolitan was suffering greatly from sore eyes, and I was plundered, and treated with indignity, and dragged to the place against my will. I could do nothing else than obey one who said he had received complete control of the Gauls. When this was told the king, he was greatly irritated so that he could scarcely be prevailed upon to invite to the dinner these bishops whom he had previously refused to see. So when Bertram came in the king asked, Who is he? For it had been a long time since he had seen him, and they said, This is Bertram, Bishop of Bordeaux, and the king said to him, We thank you for keeping faith as you have with your own family. For I would have you know, beloved father, that you are my kinsmen on my mother's side, and you should not have brought a plague from abroad upon your own people. When Bertram had been told this and more, the king turned to Palladius and said, You do not deserve much gratitude either, Bishop Palladius, for you perjured yourself to me three times, a hard thing to say of a bishop, sending me information full of treachery. You excused yourself to me by letter, and at the same time you were inviting my brother in other letters. God will judge my cause, since I have always tried to treat you as fathers of the church, and you have always been treacherous. And he said to the bishop, Nacaceus and Antedius, Most holy fathers, tell me what you have done for the advantage of your country or the security of my kingdom. They made no reply, and the king washed his hands, and after receiving a blessing from the bishops, sat at table with a glad countenance and a cheerful behavior as if he had said nothing about the wrongs down him. Three. Meantime, when the dinner was now half over, the king asked me to request my deacon, who had sung the repository at the mass the day before, to sing. When he had sung, he next asked me to request all the bishops, who at my instance had come prepared to appoint each a single clerk from his service to sing before the king. And so I made the request at the king's command, and they sang, each to the best of his ability, a song before the king. And when the courses were being changed, the king said, all the silver you see belonged to that perjurer mamalus, but now by the help of God's grace it has been transferred to my ownership. I have already had fifteen of his dishes like the larger one you see yonder melted down, and I have kept only this one and one other of a hundred and seventy pounds. Why keep more than enough for daily use? It is too bad, but I have no other son than Shildebert, and he has enough treasures which his father left him beside what I have sent to him from the property of this wretch which was found at Avignon. The rest must be given for the necessities of the poor and the churches. Four. There is only one thing that I ask of you, my Lord bishops, namely, to pray God's mercy for my son Shildebert, for he is a man of sense and ability, so that one so cautious and energetic as he could scarcely be found in many years. And if God would deign to grant him to these galls, perhaps there would be hope that by him our race greatly weakened, though it is, can rise again. And I have confidence that this will happen through his mercy, because the indications at the boy's birth were of this sort. For it was the holy day of Easter, and my brother, Shildebert, was standing in the church, and the deacon was walking the procession with the holy book of the gospels. And a messenger came to the king, in the words of the deacon, as he read from the gospels, and of the messenger were the same, saying, To thee a son has been born, and when they both spoke together all the people cried out, glory to all powerful God! Moreover, he was baptized on the holy day of Pentecost, and was made king also on the holy day of the Lord's birth. And so, if your prayers attend him, God willing, he will be able to rule. So the king spoke, and all prayed the Lord in his mercy to keep both kings safe. The king added, It is true that his mother, Brunhilda, threatens my life, but I have no misgiving on this account, for the Lord who saved me from the hands of my enemies will save me from her plots too. Then he said, much against Bishop Theodore, protesting that if he came to the Synod he would thrust him off again into exile, and saying, I know it was for the sake of these people that he caused my brother Shilparik to be killed. In fact, I ought not to be called a man, if I cannot avenge his death this year. But I made answer. What killed Shilparik, unless it was his own wickedness and your prayers? For he laid many plots for you contrary to justice, and they brought death to him. And so to speak, it was just this that I saw in a dream when I beheld him with taunchard head being ordained to bishop, apparently. And then I saw him placed on a plain chair hung only with black, and carried along with shining lamps and torches going before him. When I told this, the king said, And I saw another vision which foretold his death. He was brought into my presence, loaded with chains by three bishops, of whom one was Tetrachus, the second Agricola, and the third, Nicicius, of Lyons. And two of them said, Set him free, we entreat you, give him a beating, and let him go. But Bishop Tetrachus answered harshly, It shall not be so, for he shall be burned with fire for his crimes. And when they had carried on this discussion for a long time, as if quarreling, I saw at a distance a cauldron set on fire and boiling furiously. Then I wept, and they seized on Happy Shilparik, and broke his limbs, and threw him in the cauldron. And he was immediately so melted and dissolved amid the steam from the water that no trace of him at all remained. The king told this story, and we wondered at it. And the feast being finished, we rose. 6. The next day the king went hunting. When he returned, I brought into his presence Garachar, Count of Bordeaux, and Bladast, who, as I have told you before, had taken refuge in the Church of Saint Martin, because they had been followers of Gundavod. I had previously made intercession for them, but had failed, and so at this later time I said, Hear me, powerful king! Behold, I have been sent to you on an embassy by my master. What answer shall I give to him who sent me, when you refuse to give me any answer? And he said in amazement, Who is your master who sent you? I smiled and answered, The Blessed Martin. Then he ordered me to bring them in before him, and when they entered his presence he reproached them with many treacheries and perjuries, calling them again and again tricky foxes. But he restored them to his favor, giving back what he had taken from them. 7. When the Lord's day came, the king went to church to hear Mass, and the brethren and fellow bishops who were there yielded to Bishop Palladius the honor of celebrating it. When he began to read the prophecy, the king inquired who he was, and when they told him that it was the Bishop Palladius, he was angry at once and said, Is he now to preach the sacred word before me, who has always been faithless to me and perjured? I will leave this church immediately, and will not hear my enemy preach. So, saying, he started to leave the church. Then the bishops were troubled by the humiliation of their brother, and said to the king, We saw him present at the feast you gave, and we saw you receive a blessing at his hand. And why does the king despise him now? If we had known that he was hated to you, we would have resorted to another to celebrate Mass. But now, if you permit it, let him continue the ceremony which he has begun. Tomorrow, if you bring any charges against him, let it be judged in accordance with the holy canons. By this time Bishop Palladius had retired to the sacristy in great humiliation. Then the king made him be recalled, and he finished the ceremony which he had begun. Moreover, when Palladius and Bertram were again summoned to the king's table, they became angry at one another and reproached one another, with many adulteries and fornications, and with a good many perjuries as well. At these matters many laughed, but a number who were keener of perception lamented that the weeds of the devil should so flourish among the bishops of the Lord, and so they left the king's present, giving bonds and security to appear at the Synod on the tenth day before the colons of the ninth month. 8. List of prodigies 9. Queen Fedagunda, three bishops and three hundred nobles, swear to Guntrum that the young Clothar is Shilperik's son. 10. Guntrum discovers the bodies of Shilperik's sons, Merevec and Clovis, and gives them due burial. 11. Guntrum's life is in danger. 12. Bishop Theodore of Marseille is forced to appear before Guntrum. 13. Guntrum sends an embassy to Shilperik. 14. Gregory nearly loses his life in crossing the Rhine, but is saved by relics of St. Martin. 15. We started on the journey and came to the town of Voiz, and there were met by Deacon Vulafiliac and taken to his monastery, where we received a very kind welcome. 16. This monastery is situated on a mountain top, about eight miles from the town I have mentioned. 17. On this mountain Vulafiliac built a great church, and made it famous for its relics of the Blessed Martin and other saints. 18. While staying there I began to ask him to tell me something of the blessing of his conversion and how he had entered the clergy, for he was a lombard by race. 19. But he would not speak of these matters, since he was quite determined to avoid vain glory, but I urged him with terrible oaths, first promising that I would disclose to no one what he told, and I began to ask him to conceal from me none of the matters of which I would ask. 20. After resisting a long time he was overcome at length by my entreties and protestations, and told the following tale. 21. When I was a small boy, said he, I heard the name of the Blessed Martin, though I did not know yet whether he was a martyr or confessor, or what good he had done in the world, or what region had the merit of receiving his blessed limbs in the tomb, and I was already keeping vigils in his honour, and if any money came into my hands I would give alms. 21. As I grew older I was eager to learn, and I was able to write before I knew the order of the written letters, before I could read. 22. Then I joined the Abbot Eridius and was taught by him and visited the Church of St. Martin. 23. Returning with him he took a little of the dust of the Holy Tomb for a blessing. This he placed in a little case and hung it on my neck. 24. Coming to his monastery in the territory of Limogees he took the little case to place it in his oratory, and the dust had increased so much that it not only filled the whole case, but burst out at the joints wherever it could find an exit. 25. In the light of this miracle my mind was the more on fire to place all my hope in his power. 26. Then I came to the territory of Traves, and on the mountain where you are now built with my own hands the dwelling you see. 27. I found here an image of Diana which the unbelieving people worshipped as a god. 28. I also built a column on which I stood in my bare feet with great pain, 29. And when the winter had come as usual I was so nipped by the icy cold that the power of the cold often caused my toenails to fall off, 30. And frozen moisture hung from my beard like candles, for this country is said to have a very cold winter. 31. And when I asked him urgently what food or drink he had and how he destroyed the images on the mountain, 32. My food and drink were a little bread and vegetables and a small quantity of water. 33. And when the multitude began to flock to me from the neighboring villages I preached always that Diana was nothing, 34. That her images and the worship which they thought it well to observe were nothing, 35. And that the songs which they sang at their cups and wild debauches were disgraceful. 36. But it was right to offer the sacrifice of praise to all powerful God who made heaven and earth. 37. I often prayed that the Lord would deign to hurl down the image and free the people from this air. 38. And the Lord's mercy turned the rustic mind to listen to my words and to follow the Lord, abandoning their idols. 39. Then I gathered some of them together so that by their help I could hurl down the huge image which I could not budge with my own strength. 40. For I had already broken the rest of the small images which was an easier task. 41. When many had gathered at this statue of Diana ropes were fastened and they began to pull, but their toil could accomplish nothing. 42. Then I hastened to the church and threw myself on the ground, and weeping begged the divine mercy that the power of God should destroy that which human energy could not overturn. 43. After praying I went out to the workmen and took hold of the rope, and as soon as I began to pull at once the image fell to the ground where I broke it with iron hammers and reduced it to dust. 44. But at this very hour when I was going to take food my whole body was so covered with malignant pimples from sole to crown that no space could be found that a single finger might touch. 45. I went alone into the church and stripped myself before the holy altar. 46. Now I had there a jar full of oil which I had brought from St. Martin's Church. With this I oiled all my body with my own hands and soon lay down to sleep. 47. I woke about midnight and rose to perform the service and found my whole body cured as if no sore had appeared on me. 48. And I perceived that these sores were sent not otherwise than by the hate of the enemy, and inasmuch as he enviously seeks to injure those who seek God, the bishops, who should have urged me the more to continue wisely the work I had begun, came and said, 49. This way which you follow is not the right one, and a base-born man like you cannot be compared with Simon of Antioch, who lived on a column. Moreover, the situation of the place does not allow you to endure the hardship, come down rather and dwell with a brethren you have gathered. 50. At their words I came down, since not to obey the bishops is called the crime, and I walked and ate with them. And one day the bishop summoned me to a village at a distance, and sent workmen with crossbars and hammers and axes, and destroyed the column I was accustomed to stand on. 51. I returned the next day and found it all gone. I wept bitterly, but could not build again what they had torn down, for fear of being called disobedient to the bishops' orders, and since then I am content to dwell with the brothers, just as I do now. 16. And when I asked him to tell somewhat of the miracles which the Blessed Martin worked in that place, he related the following. 17. The son of a certain Frank of the highest rank among his people was deaf and dumb. He was brought by his kinsmen to this church, and I had him sleep on the couch in the holy temple with my deacon and another attendant. 18. And by day he devoted himself to prayer, and at night he slept in the church, as I have said. 19. And when God pitied him, the Blessed Martin appeared to me in a vision sane, send the Lamb out of the church, for he is now cured. 20. In the morning I was thinking what this dream meant, when the boy came to me and spoke and began to thank God, and turning to me said, I thank all powerful God who has restored to me speech and hearing. After this he was cured, and returned home. 17. Peculiar appearances in the heavens from which Gregory expected that some plague would be sent upon them from the heavens. 18. Sheldbert's invasion of Italy and the appointment of several Dukes and Counts. 19. The Abbot Dugelfis is taken in adultery. 20. A Synod meets at Mekon. 21. Sheldbert hears a charge of grave robbery against Guthram Bosel. 22. Various items of the year 585. 23-25. Prodigies. 26. Eberolf, former Duke of Tours and Portois, loses his property. 27. Desiderius is restored to favor from Guthram. 28. Relations with the Spanish king. 29. The plot to assassinate Sheldbert and its failure. 30. Guthram sends two armies to attack Septimania. They plunder his own territories and turn back without success. 31. Queral between Fredagundo and Pretextitas. 32. Dispute about vineyards between one of Fredagundo's officials and Dumnola. 33. Now there was in these days in the city of Paris a woman who said to the inhabitants, hopefully from the city, and know that it must be burned with fire, and when she was ridiculed by many for saying this on the evidence of lots and because of some idle dream or at the urging of a midday demon, she replied, it is not as you say, for I say truly that I saw in a vision a man all illumined coming from the church of St. Vincent, holding a torch in his hand, and setting fire to the houses of the merchants, one after another. 33. Then the third night after the woman made this prophecy, at twilight, a certain citizen took a light and went into the storehouse and took oil and other necessary things and went out, leaving the light close by the cask of oil. This was the house next to the gate, which is towards the south. From this light the house got fire and burned, and from it others began to catch. 34. Then the fire threatened the prisoners, but the blessed Germanus appeared to them and broke the posts and chains by which they were bound and opened the prison door and allowed all the prisoners to go safe. 35. They went forth and took refuge in the church of St. Vincent, in which is the blessed bishop's tomb. Now when the flame was carried hither and thither through the whole city by the high wind, and the fire had the complete mastery, it began to approach another gate, where there was an oratory of the Blessed Martin, which had been placed there because he had there cured a case of leprosy with a kiss. 36. The man who had built it of interwoven branches, trusting in God and confident of the Blessed Martin's power, took refuge within its walls with his property, saying, I believe and have faith, that he who has so often mastered fire, and at this place by a kiss made a leper's skin clean, will keep the fire from here. 37. When the fire came near the great masses of flame swept along, but when they touched the wall of the oratory they were extinguished at once. 38. But the people kept calling to the man and woman, run if you wish to save yourselves, for a mass of fire is rushing on you. See, ashes and coals are falling around you like a heavy rain. Leave the oratory, or you will be burned in the fire. 39. But they kept on praying, and were never moved by these words. 40. And the woman, who was armed with the strongest faith in the power of the Blessed Bishop, never moved from the window, through which the flames sometimes entered. 41. And so great was the power of the Blessed Bishop, that he not only saved this oratory together with his followers' house, but he did not permit the flames to injure the other houses which were around. There the fire ceased, which had broken out on one side of the bridge, and on the other side it burned also completely that only the river stopped it. However, the churches with the houses attached to them were not burned. It was said that this city had been, as it were, consecrated in ancient times, so that not only fire could not prevail there, but snakes and mice could not appear. But lately, when a channel under the bridge had been cleaned and the mud which failed it had been taken out, they found a snake and a mouse of bronze. They were removed, and after that mice without number and snakes appeared, and fires began to take place. 34. In as much as the Prince of Darkness has a thousand arts of doing injury, I will relate what lately happened to recluses vowed to God. Venok, a Breton who had become a priest, as we have told in another book, was so given up to abstinence that he were only garments made of skins, and ate wild herbs in a raw state, and merely touched the wine to his lips, so that one would think he was kissing it rather than drinking. But as the devout in their generosity often gave him vessels of this liquor, sad to say he learned to drink him moderately, and to be so given up to it as to be generally seen drunk. And so as his drunkardness grew worse and time went on, he was seized by a demon, and so violently harassed that he would seize a knife of any kind of weapon or stone or club that he could lay hands on, and run after men in an insane rage. And it became necessary to bind him in chains and imprison him in a cell. After raging under this punishment for two years he died. There was also Ampholius of Bordeaux. When a boy of twelve years old, it is said, the servant of a merchant, he asked to be allowed to become a recluse. His master opposed him a long time, thinking he would grow lukewarm, and that at his age he could not attain to what he wished. But he was at length overcome by his servant's entreties, and permitted him to fulfill his desire. Now there was an old crypt, vaulted and very finely built, and in the corner of it was a little cell built of squared stones, in which there was hardly room for one man standing. The boy entered this cell and remained in it eight years or more, satisfied with very little food and drink, and devoting himself to watching and praying. After this he was seized with a great fear and began to shout that he was being tortured internally. So it happened by the aid, as I suppose, of the devil's soldiers, that he tore away the stones that shut him in, dashed the wall to the ground, and cried, ringing his hands, that the saints of God were causing him frightful torture. And when he had continued in this madness for a long time, and often mentioned the name of Saint Martin, and said he caused a more torture than the other saints, he was brought to tours. But the evil spirit, because, I suppose, of the virtue and greatness of the saint, did not tear the man. He remained at tours for the space of a year, and as he suffered no more he returned. But later on he suffered from the trouble that he had been free from here. 35. An Embassy from Spain to King Guntrum. 36. By order of King Shildebert Magnavold was killed in his presence, for reasons not given in the following manner. The king was staying in his palace in the city of Metz, and was attending a sport in which an animal was surrounded by a pack of dogs, and worried. When Magnavold was summoned, he came and not knowing what was to happen, he began to look at the animal and laugh heartily with the rest. But a man, who had received his orders, seen him intent on the spectacle, raised his axe, and dashed it against his head. He fell and died, and was thrown out by the window, and buried by his own people. His property was taken at once, as much as was found, and carried to the public treasury. Certain persons said that it was because he had beaten his wife to death after his brother died, and had married his brother's wife, that he was killed. 37. Birth of a son to Shildebert. 38. Spanish Expedition into Gaul. 39. Death of several bishops. 40. There was in the city of Tours a certain Pallagius, who was practiced in every villainy, and was not afraid of any judge, because he had under his control the keepers of the horses belonging to the Fisk. Because of this he never ceased either on land or on the rivers to thief, dispossess, plunder, murder, and commit every sort of crime. I often sent for him, and both by threats and by gentle words tried to make him desist from his wickedness, but it was hatred rather than any reward of justice I got from him, according to Solomon's proverb. Reprove not a fool, lest he hate thee. The wretch so hated me that he often plundered and beat, and left half dead the man of the holy church, and was always looking for pretext to harm the cathedral or the church of St. Martin. And so it happened that once, when our men were coming and bringing sea urchins in vessels, he beat them, and trampled on them, and took their vessels. When I learned of this I excommunicated him, not to avenge my wrong, but to correct him more easily of this insanity. But he chose twelve men and came to clear himself of this crime of perjury. Though I was unwilling to receive any oath, I was compelled by him and my fellow citizens, and so I sent the rest away and received his oath only, and ordered that he be taken back into communion. It was then the first month. When the fifth month came, when the medals are usually cut, he entered a medal adjoining his own that belonged to the monks. But as soon as he put sickle to it he was seized with fever and died on the third day. He had had a tomb made for him in St. Martin's Church in the village of Condes, but when it was uncovered his people found it broken to bits. He was afterwards buried in the protocol of the church, the vessels for which he had perjured himself were brought by the storekeeper after his death. Here the power of the Blessed Mary is evident in whose church the wretch had taken a false oath. 41. Fredagunda is accused of the killing of Preytax Tatas. 42. Bepolinas leaves Fredagunda and is made a duke by Guntrum. 43. Palladius Bishop of Santes is forced to appear before Guntrum. 44. Fredagunda attempts to have Guntrum assassinated. 45. Death of Duke Dizaderius. 46. Richard succeeds Lvivagold of Spain. Here ends the eighth book. End of section 13. Section 14 of Selections of the History of the Franks. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by B. Tuten. Selections of the History of the Franks by Gregory of Ture. Translated by Ernest Breaux. Book nine. In Christ's name, here begins Book nine in the twelfth year of King Childebert. 1. Ricorad, the new king of Spain, sends legates to Guntrum and they are not received by Guntrum. 2. Death of Radagunda. 3. Meanwhile the festival of Saint Marcellus came, which is celebrated in the seventh month in the city of Chalon, and King Guntrum was present. When the ceremony was over and he had approached the Holy Altar for the communion, a certain man came as if to say something, and as he hastened to the king, a knife fell from his hand. He was seized at once, and they found another knife unsheathed in his hand. He was immediately led from the Holy Church and put in fetters and subjected to torture, and he confessed that he had been sent to kill the king, saying, this was the purpose of the man who sent me. Since the king knew that the hatred of many men was united on him, and he feared that he would be stabbed, he had given orders to his men to guard him well, and no unless he was attacked in the church, where he was known to stand without care or fear. Now the men who had been named were seized and many were executed, but he let this man go alive, though severely beaten, because he thought it a crime that a man should be led out of church and be headed. Four, a second son, Theodoric, is born to Childebert. Five, prodigies, among others, a village with cottages and men disappeared suddenly. Six, there was in that year in the city of Tours a man named Desiderius who claimed to be great and said he could do many miracles. He boasted too that messengers were kept busy going to and fro between him and the apostles Peter and Paul. And as I was not at home, the common folk thronged to him, bringing the blind and lame, but he did not attempt to cure them by holiness, but to fool them with the delusion of necromancy. For he could not cure the poorlytics and other cripples to be vigorously stretched as if he were going to cure by taking pains those whose limbs he could not straighten by the blessing of the divine virtue. And so his attendants would lay hold of a man's hands and others his feet and pull in opposite directions so that one would think their sinews would be broken and when they were not cured they would be sent off half dead. And the man was blessed Martin the Younger and put himself on a par with the apostles. And it is no wonder that he compared himself with the apostles when that author of wickedness from which such things proceed is going to assert toward the end of the world that he is Christ. Now it was known from the following fact that he was versed in the wicked art of necromancy as we have said above because as they say who observed him, when anyone said he, he would rebuke them publicly and say you said so and so about me and it was not right to say such things of a holy man like me. Now how else could he have learned of it except that demons were his messengers? He wore a hood and a goat's hair shirt and in public he was abstinious in eating and drinking but in secret when he had come to his lodgings he would stuff his mouth so that his servant could not carry food to him as fast as he asked for it. He was exposed and stopped by our people and he was cast out from the territory of the city. We did not know then where he went but he said he was a citizen of Bordeaux. Now seven years before there had been another great impostor who deceived many by his tricks. He wore a sleeveless shirt and over it a robe of fine stuff and carried a cross from which hung little bottles which contained as he said holy oil. He said that he came from the bringing relics of the Blessed Martyrs Vincent the Deacon and Felix. He arrived at tour at the church of Saint Martin in the evening when we were sitting at dinner and sent an order saying let them come to see the holy relics. As the hour was late I replied let the blessed relics rest on the altar and we will go to see them in the morning but he arose at the first break of day and without waiting for me came with his cross and appeared in my cell. I was amazed and wondered in his hardy hood and asked what this meant. He answered in a proud and haughty voice you should have given me a better welcome I'll carry this to the ears of King Chilperich he will avenge this contemptuous treatment of me. He paid no more attention to me but went into the oratory and said a verse then a second and a third began the prayer and finished it all by himself then took up his cross again and went off. He had a rude style of speech and was free with disgusting and obscene terms and not a sensible word came from him. He went on to Paris in those days the public prayers were being held that are usually held before the holy day of the Lord's ascension and as Bishop Ragnamod was walking in procession with his people and making the round of the holy places this person came with his cross and appearing among the people with his unusual clothing he gathered the prostitutes and women of the lower class and formed a band of his own and made an attempt to walk in procession to the holy places with his multitude. The bishop saw this and sent his Archdeacon to say if you have relics of the saints to show place them for a little in the church and celebrate the holy days with us and when the rites are finished you shall go on your way but he paid little attention to what the Archdeacon said but began to abuse and revile the bishop the bishop saw that he was an imposter and ordered him shut up in a cell and examining all he had he found a great bag full of roots of different herbs and also there were moles teeth the bones of mice the claws and fat of bears he knew that these were the means of sorcery and ordered them all thrown in the river he took his cross away and ordered him to be driven from the territory of Paris but he made himself a second cross and began to do what he would done before but was captured and put in chains by the Archdeacon and kept in custody in those days I had come to Paris and had my lodging at the church of the blessed martyr Julian the following night the wretch broke out of prison and hastened to St. Julian's church just mentioned wearing the chains with which he was bound and fell on the pavement where I had been accustomed to stand and overwhelmed with drowsiness and wine he fell asleep unaware of this I rose at midnight and learned thanks to God and found him sleeping and such a stench came from him that the stench surpassed the stenches of all sewers and privies I was unable to go into the church because of the stench and one of the clergy came holding his nose and tried to wake him but could not for the wretch was so intoxicated then four of the clergy came and lifted him and threw him into one corner of the church and they brought water and washed the pavement with herbs on it and so I went in to offer the regular prayers but he could not be wakened even when we sang the Psalms until with the coming of day the sun's torch climbed higher then I surrendered him to the bishop with a request for his pardon when the bishops assembled at Paris I told this at dinner and bad him be brought to receive correction and when he stood by Amelia's bishop of Tarbe looked at him and recognized him he secured his pardon and so took him back to his native place there are many who practice these imposters and continually lead the common people into error it is of these I think that the Lord says in the Gospel that in the latest times false Christs and false prophets shall arise who shall do signs and wonders and lead the very elect into error let this suffice for this subject let us rather return to our task 7. Inodius, Duke of Tours and Poitiers is removed from office the Gaskins make an inroad on Frankish territory and also the Goths 8. Childebert desires to punish Gunthromboso for the insults he had offered to Brunhilda during Childebert's minority 9. Raushingus, Urcio and Bertefrid enemies of Brunhilda plot Childebert's death Raushingus is treachery and brutally killed Urcio and Bertefrid take refuge in a stronghold 10. While this was going on King Gunthromb sent a second time to his nephew Childebert saying let there be no delay come that I may see you or it is surely necessary for your own life as well as for the public welfare that we see one another hearing this he took his mother sister and wife and hastened to meet his uncle Bishop Magnaric of the city of Trev was present also and Gunthromboso came whom Bishop Agaric of Verdun had received in custody but the bishop who had pledged his faith for him was not present because the agreement was that he should appear before the king without any defender so if the king decided that he must die he was not to be begged off by the bishop and if the king granted him life he would go free and he was met and he was judged guilty on various grounds and was ordered to be put to death when he learned it he flew to Magnaric's lodging and shutting the doors and sending the clerks and attendants away he said most blessed bishop I know that you have great honor with the kings and now I flee to you to be rescued behold the executioners are at the door once you may plainly know that if you do not save me I shall kill you and go outside and die let me tell you plainly whether one death overtakes us or an equal life shall protect us oh holy bishop I know that you share with the king the place of father to his son and I am sure that whatever you ask you will obtain from him he will not be able to deny your holiness anything you demand therefore either obtain my pardon or we shall die together he said this with his sword unsheathed the bishop was alarmed at what he heard and said I am left here by you let me go beg the king's mercy and perhaps he will pity you but he replied by no means but send abbots and men who you trust to carry the message I proposed however these matters were not reported as they were to the king but they said that he was being protected by the bishop and so the king was angry and said if the bishop refuses to come out let him die together with that doer of wickedness the bishop when he was told this sent messengers to the king and when they had told their story king Gunthrom said set fire to the house and if the bishop cannot come out let them be burned together the clerks on hearing this burst open the door by force and got the bishop out then when the wretch saw that he was hemmed in by great flames on every side he approached the door with his sword but as soon as he left the threshold and set foot outside at once one of the people threw a lance in his forehead he was confused by this stroke and lost his head and tried to throw his sword but he was wounded by the bystanders with such a multitude of lances that with the head sticking in his body and the shaft supporting him he was unable to fall to the earth a few who were with him were killed and exposed on the field at the same time and permission to bury them was obtained from the princes only with difficulty this man was faithless generous greedy for other men's property beyond limit swearing to all and fulfilling his promises to none his wife and sons were sent into exile and his property confiscated a great quantity of gold and silver and valuables of different sorts was found in his stores moreover what he had concealed underground from a consciousness of wrongdoing did not remain hidden he often made use of soothsayers and lots desiring to learn from them but was always deceived 11 Gunthrum and Childebert settled their differences amicably 12 Urcio and Bertafred are dislodged from their stronghold and slain 13 Baddow is allowed to go free dysentery is severe in Mets Willilf's wife marries a third time 14 Prince of Rams makes his peace with Childebert 15 now at that time in Spain King Rikered was influenced by the divine mercy and summoned the bishops of his religion and said to them why are quarrels continually going on between you and the bishops who call themselves Catholic and when they do many miracles by their faith why can you do nothing of the sort therefore I beg you let us meet with them and examine the beliefs of both sides and find out what is true and then either let them take our plan and believe what you say or else you recognize their truth and believe what they preach this was done and the bishops of both sides gathered and the heretics expounded the doctrines that I have often described them as advocating likewise the bishops of our religion made the replies by which as I have pointed out in the previous books the heretics have been often defeated and above all the king said that no miraculous cure of the infirm had been done by the bishops of the heretics and when he recalled to mind how in his father's time the bishop who boasted that he could restore sight to the blind by his faith which was not the true one had touched a blind man and thus condemned him to perpetual blindness and had come off in confusion I have told this story more fully in the book of the miracles he summoned God's bishops to him separately and by questioning them he learned that it was one God of three persons namely the father, son and holy ghost and the son was not inferior to the father nor the holy ghost nor the holy ghost inferior to the father nor the son but they were equal and alike all powerful and in this trinity they confessed the true God then rickored perceived the truth and ending the argument he placed himself under the catholic law and receiving the sign of the blessed cross together with baptism he believed in Jesus Christ's son of God equal to the father and the holy ghost reigning for ages of ages amen then he sent messengers to the province of Narbon to tell what he had done and bring the people to a like belief the bishop of the Aryan sect there at the time was Athelokus who caused such trouble to God's churches by his vain doctrines and false interpretations of the scriptures that he was believed to be the very Aryus who as the historian Eusebius relates lost his entrails in a privy but when he did not allow the people of his sect to believe these things and only a few flattered him by agreeing with him he was transported with spite and went to his cell and laid his head on the bed and breathed out his worthless soul and thus the heretics in the province confessed the inseparable trinity and departed from error 16 king rickored sends an embassy to Gunthrom and Childebert received by Gunthrom 17 an unusually cold spring 18 the Bretons ravaged the territory of Nantes 19 the feud among the citizens of Tore which as we have stated above was ended burst out again with renewed fury after slaying Cramson's kinsmen Sikar had become very friendly with him and they loved one another so dearly that they often ate together and slept together in one bed once Cramson made ready a dinner towards night and invited Sikar he came and they sat down together to dinner and Sikar became drunk with wine and made many bows to Cramson and he is reported to have said at last dearest brother you owe me great gratitude for killing your kinsmen since you got payment for them and you have much gold and silver in your house and if that payment had not given you a start you would now be naked and in need but Cramson heard Sikar's word with a bitter heart and said within himself unless I avenge my kinsmen's death I ought to lose the name of man and be called a weak woman and at once he extinguished the lights and plunged his dagger into Sikar's head Sikar made a little cry and immediately fell and died the servants who had come with him rushed away Cramson stripped the garments from his lifeless body and went on a picket of a fence and mounted his horse and went to the king he entered the church and threw himself at the king's feet and said I beg for my life O glorious king because I have killed men who slew my kinsmen secretly and plundered all their property but when the case was gone into in detail Queen Brunhilda was displeased that Sikar who was under her protection had been killed in such a way and she became angry at Cramson and when she saw that she was against him he went to Bouge a village in the territory of Bouge where his kinsmen lived because it was in Guntherham's kingdom and Tranquilla, Sikar's wife left her sons in her husband's property and toured in Poitiers and went to her kinsmen at Ponser Seine and there married again Sikar was 20 years old when he died he was in his lifetime a fickle drunken murderous person who offered insults to many and he was drunk later Cramson returned to the king and it was decided that he must prove that Sikar had killed his kinsmen this he did but since Queen Brunhilda had placed Sikar under her protection, as we have said she ordered Cramson's property to be confiscated but later it was returned by the Accord official Flavian in addition he went to Agin and got a letter from Flavian directing that no one should touch him Flavian had received his property to the Queen 20 in that year which was also the 13th of King Childebert I went to visit him at the city of Metz and received orders to go on an embassy to King Gunthram I found him at Chalon and said, oh famous king your glorious nephew Childebert sends you many greetings and offers endless thanks to your goodness because he is continually reminded by you to do the things that please God and of advantage to the people as regards the matters of which you spoke together he promises to fulfill everything and engages not to break any of the agreements which are made in writing between you and the king said to this I do not offer him like thanks because his promises to me are being broken my part of Sanly is not surrendered the men whom I wish to go for my good since they are my enemies they have not let go by chance do you mean that my sweet nephew does not wish to break any of his written agreements to this I answered he wishes to do nothing contrary to those agreements but promises to fulfill them all so that if you wish to send men to divide Sanly there need be no delay for you shall receive your own at once and as to the men you mentioned let their names be given in writing and all that is promised shall be fulfilled we spoke of these matters we ordered the agreement itself to be read over again in the presence of the bystanders copy of the agreement when the most excellent lords Kings Gunthram and Childebert and the most glorious Lady Queen Brunhilda met lovingly in Christ's name at Andaloe to arrange with full council whatever might in any way cause a quarrel among them it was affectionately settled resolved upon and agreed between them that by the mediation of the bishops chief men and the help of God that as long as all powerful God wished them to live in the present world they ought to keep faith and affection pure and undefiled for each other in the same way since Lord Gunthram in accordance with the agreement which he had entered into with Lord Sigbert of good memory claimed that the whole share which Sigbert had received from Cherubot's kingdom belonged entirely to him and since the party of Lord Childebert wished to claim from all what his father had possessed it is definitely and deliberately agreed between them that the third of the city of Paris with its territory and people which had gone to Lord Sigbert from Cherubot's kingdom by written agreement with the castles of Châtardin and Vendon and whatever the said king received of the drister of Atamp and the territory of Chartres in that direction with their lands and people were to remain perpetually under the authority and rule of Lord Gunthram with that which he held before from Cherubot's kingdom while Lord Sigbert was alive. In like manner, King Childebert asserts his right from the present to Moe and to two-thirds of Saint-Ly Tour, Poitiers, Avranches, Ayur, Saint-Lysier, Bayon and Albis with their territories. The condition being observed that he of those kings whom the Lord wills to survive shall have a perpetual right to the whole kingdom of him who goes from the light of the present world and by God's aid shall leave it to his descendants. It is especially agreed upon to be in every way inviolably observed that whatever the Lord King Gunthram has given or by God's favor shall give to his daughter Clota Childe in Goods and Men both cities, lands and revenues shall remain under her ownership and control and if she wishes of her own free will to dispose of lands belonging to the Fisk or valuable articles or money or to bestow them on anyone let it be kept with a good title forever and not be taken from anyone at any time and let her be under the protection and defense of Lord Childebert since she ought to possess an all honor and security everything that he finds her in possession of at her father's death. Likewise the Lord King Gunthram promises that if in the uncertainty of human life Lord Childebert should happen to pass from the light while he is living may the divine goodness to allow it and Gunthram does not wish to see it. He will receive under his protection and guardianship like a good father Childebert's sons, Theodbert and Theodoric and any others that God wishes to give him so that they shall possess their father's kingdom in all security and he will receive under his protection with the spiritual love Lord Childebert's mother Queen Bryn Hilda and her daughter Clota's sister of King Childebert while she is in the country of the Franks and his queen Philuba like a good sister and daughters and they shall possess all their property in all honor and dignity with peace and security namely cities lands, revenues and all rights and every kind of property both what they actually possess at the present time and what they are able justly to acquire in the future by Christ's aid and if they wish to dispose of any of the lands of the Fisk or articles or money of their own free will or to present them to anyone let it be kept with a good title forever and let their will in this respect not be disregarded by anyone at any time and as to the cities namely Bordeaux, Limoges Cahor, Lascar and Tiotat which it is well known that Galsuntha, Lady Bryn Hilda's sister acquired as dowry or Morgan Gabba that is morning gift when she came into Francia and which Lady Bryn Hilda is known to have acquired by the decision of the glorious Lord King Gunthrum and of the Franks when Chilperic and King Sigbert were still alive it is agreed that the Lady Bryn Hilda shall have as her property from today the city of Cahor with its lands and all its people but the other cities named Lord Gunthrum shall hold while he lives on condition that after his death they shall pass by God's favor with every security under the control of the Lady Bryn Hilda and her heirs but while Lord Gunthrum lives they shall not at any time or on any pretext be claimed by Lady Bryn Hilda or her son King Chilbert or his sons in the same way it is agreed that Lord Chilbert shall hold Sangly in entirety and as far as the third therein due to Lord Gunthrum is concerned he shall be compensated by the third belonging to Lord Chilbert which is in Resson. Likewise it is agreed that according to the agreements entered into between Lord Gunthrum and Lord Sigbert of Blessed Memory Judas who originally took oath to Lord Gunthrum after the death of Lord Clothar if afterwards they are proved to have gone to the other side shall be removed from the places where they are dwelling and in the same manner those who after the death of King Clothar are found guilty of having first sworn allegiance to Lord Sigbert and then have passed to the other side shall be removed likewise. Also whatever the kings mentioned have given to churches or their followers or in future by God's presence with justice shall be held securely and whatever is due to any one of their men in either kingdom according to law and justice he shall not suffer any prejudice but shall be permitted to take and hold what is due him and if anything is taken from anyone without fault on his part in an interregnum a hearing shall be held and it shall be restored and as regards that which each own through the generosity of previous kings down to the death of Lord King Clothar glorious memory let him keep it in security and whatever has been taken since that from persons who are faithful let them receive it back at once and since a pure and untainted friendship has been formed in God's name between the kings mentioned it is agreed that passage shall at no time be denied in either kingdom to the men of either King who wish to travel on public or private business it is likewise agreed that neither shall entice away the King's ludus or receive them when they come and if perhaps one thinks that because of some act he has to flee to the other part let him be excused in regard to the nature of the fault and sent back it has been decided also to add this to the agreement that if either party shall at any time transgress the present statute under some clever interpretation he shall lose all the benefits both perspective and present and it shall turn to the advantage of the kingdom who faithfully observes all that is written above and he shall be freed in all details from the obligation of his oath all these matters having been definitely agreed upon the parties swear by the name of all powerful God and the inseparable trinity and all that is divine and the awful day of judgment that they will faithfully observe all that is written above without any fraud or deceit this compact was made four days by the reign of the Lord King Guntherham and in the twelfth year of Lord Childebert when the agreement was read over the king said may I be struck by the judgment of God if I transgress in any one of the matters contained here and he turned to the legged Felix who had come with us and said tell me Felix have you established a close friendship between my sister Brunhilda and Freda Gundah the enemy of God and man let the king be sure that the friendship is being kept up between them as it was started many years ago for you may be certain that the hatred that was once established between them is alive yet it has not withered up I wish you most glorious king would have less friendship for her for as we often learn you receive her embassies with greater state than ours he answered let me tell you Bishop of God that I receive her embassies in such a way as to not lose the affection of my nephew Childebert where I cannot be friendly with one who has often sent to take my life upon this Felix said I suppose it has come to your greatness that Rekorette has set an embassy to your nephew to ask for your niece Clotacinda your brother's daughter in marriage but he was unwilling to make any promise without your advice the king said it is not well for my niece to go to a place where her sister was killed I am not at all pleased that the death of Clotacinda is not avenged Felix replied they are very anxious to set themselves right either by oath or on any other terms you suggest but only give your consent for Clotacinda to be betrothed to him as he requests the king said if my nephew keeps the agreements that he bound himself to in the compact I will do his will in this matter we promise that he would fulfill all and Felix added he begs your goodness to give him help against he be driven from Italy and the part which his father claimed when alive may return to him and the other part be restored by your and his aid to the dominion of the emperor the king replied I cannot send my army to Italy and expose the soldiers to death uselessly for a very severe plague is now wasting Italy and I said you have told your nephew to have all the bishops of his kingdom make together since there are many things to be decided but it was the opinion of your glorious nephew that each metropolitan according to the custom of the cannons should meet with his provincials and then what went wrong in each district would be set right by order of the bishops for what reason is there that so great a number should assemble the faith of the church is not attacked by any danger no new heresy is appearing what need will there be for so many bishops to meet together and he said there is much to be looked into that has gone wrong both acts incest and matters which are in discussion between us but the most important case of all is that of God since you must investigate by bishop pretext status was slain by the sword in his church moreover there ought to be an examination of those who are accused of wantonness so that if found guilty they can be corrected by the bishop's sentence or if they prove innocent that the falsity of the charge can be publicly recognized then he gave orders for the synod to be adjourned to the fourth month after this conversation we went to church it was the day of the anniversary of the Lord's resurrection after mass he invited us to a dinner which was as abundant in dishes as rich and sheer for the king talked always of God building churches and helping the poor and then he made pious jokes and to please us he went on to say this I hope my nephew will keep his promises for all I have is his still if he is disturbed because I receive my nephew Clothar's legates I'm not so mad am I but that I can mediate between them and keep the trouble from going further I know it is better to cut it short than to carry it too far if I decide that Clothar is my nephew I will give him two or three cities in some part so that he shall not seem to be disinherited and what I leave to Childebert will not then disquiet him after this talk he bet us go on our way treating us affectionately and loading us with gifts and telling us always to give King Childebert good advice to live by 21 the kings himself as we have often said was great in almsgiving and unwirried in watches and fasting it was told at the time that Marseille was suffering greatly from the bubonic plague and that the disease had spread swiftly as far as the village in the country of Lyon called Octavus but the king like a good bishop was for providing remedies by which the wounds of the sinful people could be cured and ordered all to assemble at the church and engaged devoutly in prayer he directed that nothing else than barley bread and clean water should be taken in the way of food and that all without intermission should keep watch and this was done and for three days he gave alms with more than usual generosity and he showed such fear for all the people that he was now believed to be not merely a king but a bishop of God placing all his hope in God's mercy and in the purity of his faith turning all his thoughts to him by whom he believed that these thoughts could be given effect it was then commonly told among the faithful that a woman whose son was suffering from a four day fever and was lying in bed very ill approached the king's back in the throng of people and secretly broke off the fringe of the royal garment and put it in water and gave her son to drink down and he was cured I do not regard this as doubtful since I have myself heard persons possessed by demons in their furies call on his name and admit their ill deeds recognizing his power 22 since we have told above that the city of Marseille was sick with a deadly plague it seems suitable to give more details of what the city suffered in these days Bishop Theodore had gone to the king to speak to him against the patrician Nicetius but when he got no hearing from King Childebert on this matter he made ready to return home meanwhile a ship from Spain put in at the port with his usual wares and unhappily brought the seed of this disease and many citizens bought various merchandise from her and one household in which were eight souls was quickly left vacant its inmates all dying of this plague but the fire of the plague did not at once spread through all the houses after a definite time like a fire and standing grain it swept the whole city with the flame of disease however the bishop went to the city and shut himself within the walls of St. Victor's church with the few who then remained with him and there devoted himself to prayer and watching while the people of the city perished praying for God's mercy that the deaths might at length cease and the people be allowed to rest in peace the plague passed away in two months and when the people now reassured had returned to the city the disease came on again and they who returned perished later on the city was many times attacked by this death 23 Adjaric, Bishop of Verdun dies of chagrin because Gunther Mboso, whose safety he had pledged had been killed and because Bertoffred had been killed in his oratory 24 Fronius, the new Bishop of Vance 25 Childebert makes war on the Lombards and suffers a defeat, the like of which in former times is not recalled 26 Gregory assists Queen Ingeburga in making her will 27 Duke Amalo sent his wife to another estate to attend to his interests and fell in love with a certain free born girl and when it was night and Amalo was drunk with wine he sent his men to seize the girl in the bed she resisted and they brought her by force to his house slapping her and she was stained by a torrent of blood that ran from her nose and even the bed of the Duke mentioned above was made bloody by the stream and he bait her too striking with his fists and cuffing her and beating her otherwise and took her in his arms but he was immediately overwhelmed with drowsiness and went to sleep and she reached her hand over the man's head and like Judith Hall of Fairness struck the Duke's head a powerful blow he cried out and his slaves came quickly but when they wished to kill her he called out saying I beg you do not do it for it was I who did wrong in attempting to violate her chastity let her not perish for striving to keep her honor saying this he died and while the household was assembled weeping over him the girl escaped from the house by God's help and went in the night to the city of Chalon about 35 miles away and there she entered the church of Saint Marcellus and threw herself at the king's feet and told all she had endured then the king was merciful and not only gave her her life but commanded that an order be given that she should be placed under his protection and should not suffer harm from any kinsmen of the dead man moreover we know that by God's help the girl's chastity was not in any way violated by her savage ravisher 28 Brunhildas messenger to the Spanish king is detained by Gunthromb 29 Childebert sends an army against the Lombards 30 King Childebert at the invitation of Bishop Morovius sent assessors to Poitiers namely Floriancian the queen's major domo and Rommel counter the palace to make new tax lists in order that the people might pay the taxes they had paid in his father's time for many of them were dead and the weight of the tribute came on widows and orphans in the week and they made an orderly examination and released the poor and the sick and subjected to the public tax those who should justly pay and so they came to tour but when they wished to impose the payment of taxes on the people saying they had the book in their hands showing how they had paid in the time of previous kings I answered saying that the city of Tor was assessed in the time of King Clothar and those books were taken to the presence of the king but the king was stricken with fear of the holy bishop Martin and they were burned after King Clothar's death this people swore allegiance to King Chariburt and he likewise swore that he would not impose new laws or customs on the people but would thereafter maintain them in the status in which they lived in his father's reign and he promised that he would not impose any new ordinance that would tend to disfoil them and Count Gesso in the same time began to exact tribute following a capitulary which we have said was written at a more ancient time but being stopped by Bishop Euphronius he went with the little he had collected to the king's presence and pointed to the capitulary in which the tributes were contained but the king uttered a groan and fearing the power of Saint Martin he had it burned and sent back the gold coins that had been collected to the church of Saint Martin asserting that no one of the people of Tours should pay tribute after his death King Sigiburt ruled this city and did not lay upon it the weight of any tribute moreover in the fourteen years of his reign from his father's death up to now Childebert has demanded nothing and this city has not groaned with the burden of tribute it is now for your decision whether to assess tribute or not but be careful lest you do some harm if you plan to go against his oath when I had said this they answered behold we have the book in our hands in which a tax was imposed on this people but I said this book was not brought from the king's treasury and it has had no authority for many years it is no wonder considering the enmities among these citizens if it has been kept in someone's house God will give judgment on those who have brought out this book after so long a time to despoil our citizens and while this was going on the son of Audinus who had brought out the book was seized with a fever on the very day and died three days after we then sent messengers to the king asking him to send his commands on this matter and they at once sent a letter ordering that out of respect for Saint Martin the people of Tours should not be assessed upon receipt of the letter the men who had come for this purpose returned home 31 an expedition of King Gunthram against Septimania is defeated 32 misunderstanding between Childebert and Gunthram 33 quarrel between Ingetrude head of the convent within Saint Martin's walls and her daughter 34 Regunda, daughter of Chilperic often made malicious charges against her mother and said that she was mistress and that her mother ought to serve her and often attacked her with abuse and sometimes struck and slapped her and her mother said to her why do you annoy me daughter come take your father's things that I have and do as you please with them and she went into the storeroom and opened a chest quite full of necklaces and costly jewels for a long time she took them out one by one and handed them to her daughter but finally said I am tired, you put in your hand and take what you find and she thrust in her arm and was taking things from the chest and she was holding it down firmly and the lower board was pressing against her daughter's throat so that her eyes were actually ready to pop out when one of the maids who was within called loudly run I beg you run my mistress is being choked to death by her mother and those who were awaiting their coming outside rushed into the little room and saved the girl from threatening death and led her out after that their enmity was more bitter and there were continual quarrels and fighting between them above all because of the adulteries Regunda was guilty of 35 Baratruid, when dying appointed her daughter air leaving certain property to the nunneries she had founded into the cathedrals and churches of the holy confessors but Waddo, who we mentioned in a former book, complained that his horses had been taken by her son-in-law and he proposed to go to an estate of hers which she had left to her daughter who was within the territory of Poitiers saying, he came from another kingdom and took my horses and I will take his estate meantime he sent orders to the bailiff that he was coming and to make everything ready for his use the bailiff on hearing this gathered all the household and got ready to fight saying, unless I'm killed Waddo shall not enter my master's house Waddo's wife heard that war-like preparations were being made against her husband and told him, do not go there, dear husband for you will be killed if you go and my children and I will be miserable and she laid hold of him and wished to have detained him and her son also said, if you go we will be killed together and you will leave my mother a widow and my brother's orphans but these words all together failed to hold him back and he was inflamed with madness at his son and calling him cowardly and soft he threw his axe and almost crushed his skull but the son dashed it partly aside and escaped the stroke then they mounted their horses and went off sending word again to the bailiff to sweep the house and spread covers on the benches but he paid little attention to the order and stood with his throngs of men and women before his master's door as we have said awaiting Waddo's coming he came and at once entered the house and said, why are these benches not spread with covers and the house swept and he raised his hand with a dagger in it and struck the man's head and he fell and died upon seeing this the dead man's son hurled his lance from in front against Waddo and pierced the middle of his belly with the blow and the spearhead came out his back and he fell to the ground and the multitude which had gathered drew near and began to stone him then certain of those who had come with him rushed up amid the showers of stones and covered him with a cloak and the people were calmed and mournful cries got him up on his horse and took him back home still living but he died soon amid the laments of his wife and sons and so his life was unhappily ended and his son went to the king and obtained his property 36 Childebert sends his son Theodobert to represent him in soison 37 Bishop Drachtigiezel goes insane from excessive drinking or because evil arts have been practiced on him 38 a plot against Brunhilda and Childebert's wife 39-43 the story in detail of the secession of 40 nuns from the convent of Poitiers with documents involved in the case 44 The Weather Here ends the ninth book End of section 14 Recording by B. Tuten Section 15 of the History of the Franks This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Selection of the History of the Franks by Gregory of Ture translated by Ernest Briaatz Book 10 chapters 1 to 14 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ here begins the tenth book Chapter 1 In the fifteenth year of King Hildebert, our deacon returned from Rome with relics of the saints and related that in the ninth month of the previous year the river Tiber so flooded the city of Rome that ancient temples were destroyed and the storehouses of the church were overturned and several thousand measures of weeds in them were lost. A multitude of snakes, among them a great serpent like a big log passed down into the sea by the channel of this river but these creatures were smothered among the rough and salty waves of the sea and cast up on the shore. Immediately after came the plague which they call Inguinaria Footnote affecting the groin, Inguin the bubonic plague and a footnote it came in the middle of the eleventh month and according to what is read in the prophet Ezekiel quote, begin at my sanctuary end quote it first of all smote the pope Pelagius and soon killed him. Upon his death a great mortality among the people followed from this disease but since the church of God could not be without a head all the people chose Gregory the deacon he belonged to one of the first senatorial families and from his youth was devoted to God and with his own means had established six monasteries in Sicily and the seventh within the Roman walls and giving to these such an amount of land as would suffice to furnish their daily food he sold the rest and all the furniture of his house and distributed the money among the poor and he who had been used to be a raid in silken robes and glittering jewels was now clad in cheap garments and he devoted himself to the service of the Lord's altar and was assigned as seventh Levite to aid the pope and such was his abstinence in food his sleeplessness in prayer his determination in fasting that his stomach was weakened and he could scarcely stand upright he was so versed in grammar, dialectic and rhetoric that he was believed second to none in the city he strove earnestly to avoid this high office for fear that a certain pride at attaining the honor might sweep him back into the worldly vanities he had rejected and so he sent a letter to the emperor Maurizius whose son he had taken from the holy font aduring him and in treating him with many prayers never to grant his consent to the people to raise him to this place of honor but Germanus prefect of Rome forestalled the messenger and had him arrested and the letter destroyed and himself sent to the emperor the choice which the people had made and the emperor on account of his friendship with the deacon thanked God that he had found a place of honor and sent his command to appoint him because of the plague Gregory and the people of Rome to meet it by prayer when he spoke these words bands of clergy gathered and he bade them sing psalms for three days and pray for God's mercy every three hours choirs of singers came to the church crying through the streets of the city our deacon who was there said that in the space of one hour while the people 80 fell to the ground and died but the bishop did not cease to urge the people not to cease from prayer it was from Gregory while he was still deacon that our deacon received the relics of the saints as we have said and when Gregory was making ready to go to a hiding place he was seized and brought by force to the church of the blessed Apostle Peter and there he was consecrated to the duties and made pope of the city our deacon did not leave until Gregory returned from the port to become bishop and he saw his ordination with his own eyes Chapter 2 Grippo returned from the emperor Maurice and reported that in the preceding year he and his companions had taken ship and landed at an African port and gone on to Carthage the Great while they were remaining there awaiting the orders of the prefect who was in the city as to how they were to reach the emperor's presence one of the men belonging to Evanseus who had gone out with him snatched an article of value from a trader's hand and took it to their lodging the owner of the article followed him and demanded his property back but the man put him off and the quarrel grew greater from day to day and one day the trader met the man on the street and took hold of his clothes and held fast saying I'll never let you go until you return to my possession what you took by violence but the other after trying to shake him off did not hesitate to snatch his sword and kill the fellow and he at once returned to the lodging but did not disclose to his comrades what had happened now as I have said the legates were body's eagle of Moomolinos of Soissons and Evanseus son of Denamius of Arle and this grippo a Frank and they had arisen from dinner and retired to rest and sleep but when the act of their man was reported to the ruler of the city he gathered soldiers and all the people put on their armor and he sent them to their lodging but the legates were amazed on being wakened to see what was going on having had no expectation of it then the leader cried out saying lay your arms aside and come out to us that we may peaceably learn how the homicide happened on hearing this they were alarmed as they did not yet know what had happened and they asked for a pledge so that they could go out safely without arms the men swore that they could but their hastiness did not allow them to keep their oath but soon after body's eagle went out they killed him with a sword and likewise Ivanseus and when they lay before the door of the lodging grippo seized his armor and went out to them with the man he had with him saying we do not know what has happened and behold here are the comrades of my journey who were sent to the emperor lying slain by the sword God will avenge our wrong and will atone for their death by your destruction assure us in this way when we do not harm you but come in peace there shall not be peace any longer between our kings and your emperor it was for peace we came and to bring aid to your state today I call God to witness that it is your crime that has caused the promised peace to be kept no longer between the princes one grippo had spoken these words and more to the same effect this carthaginian troop dispersed and each returned to his home the prefect went to grippo and attempted to calm him as to these occurrences and arranged for his going to the presence of the emperor he went and told the business on which he had been sent and described the fate of his comrades at this the emperor was greatly annoyed and promised to avenge their death in accordance with the judgment king hildebert should give then grippo received gifts from the emperor and returned without being molested chapter 3 these matters were related by grippo to king hildebert who at once commanded his army to march into italy and sent 20 dukes to conquer the lombards I have not thought it necessary to set their names down here in order but duke audowald with ventrio set the people of champagne on the march and when he came to the city of metz which is on the way he plundered slew and mistreated the inhabitants in such a manner that it might have been thought that he was leading an army against his own country moreover the other dukes did the same with their phalanxes and ravaged their own country and the people who remained behind before they won any victory over the enemy when they reached the italyan boundary audowald with six dukes invaded the right side and reached the city of milan and there they pitched their camp at a distance on the plain and duke audowald went rashly to belinzona a stronghold of the city situated on the plains called canini and was wounded with a dart under the nipple and fell and died moreover when they went out to plunder in order to get food they were slain by the lombards who rushed upon them everywhere there was a lake in the territory of milan called cheresium footnote lugano out of which a small but deep stream flowed upon the shore of this lake they heard that the lombards were encamped they came to it but before they could cross the stream we have mentioned one of the lombards standing on the shore armed with a coat of mail and helmet and carrying a lance in his hand against the army of the franks saying today it shall appear to whom the divinity will grant a victory it may be understood that the lombards had arranged this as a sign then a few crossed and fought this lombard and slew him and behold the whole army of the lombards took to flight our men crossed the river but found none of them seeing only the camp arrangements where they had their fires finished their tents and when they could capture none of them they returned to their own camp and there the emperor's legates came to them bringing the news that an army was at hand to help them and saying after three days we will come with it and this shall be a sign for you when you see the houses of this village which is on the mountain burned with fire and the smoke rising up to heaven be assured that we are close at hand to the army which we promised however they waited according to agreement six days and saw none of them come and cadenas with thirteen dukes entered Italy on the left and took five strongholds and exacted oaths of fealty but dysentery affected his army severely because the air was new to his men and disagreed with them and many died of it but when the wind rose and the air began to freshen a little it brought health in place of sickness why more for about three months they wandered through Italy without accomplishing anything or being able to take vengeance on their enemies since they were shut up in strongholds or to capture the king and take vengeance on him since he was shut up within the walls of Pavia and then the army sickened as we have said because of the unhealthfulness of the air and grew weak from hunger and prepared to return home after exacting oaths of fealty and subjecting to the king s rule the people of the country which his father had held before and from which they took captives and other booty and returning thus they were so starved that they sold their armor and clothing to buy food before they came to their native place Chapter 4 Maurice caused the Carthaginians who had killed king s Hildiburd s legates in the previous year to be bound and loaded with chains and sent them to Hildiburd s presence 12 in number under these conditions that if he wished to put them to death he should have permission or if he would allow them to be ransomed he should receive 300 gold pieces for each and be content and thus he was to choose whichever he wished that the disagreement might be more readily forgotten and no further cause of enmity arise between them but king Hildiburd refused to accept the bound men and said it is uncertain in my mind whether these men you bring are the homicides or others perhaps slaves of somebody or other whereas our men who were killed in your country were free born Grippo in particular who had been legged at the time with the men who were killed was present and said the prefect of the city with two or three thousand men whom he had gathered made an attack on us and killed my comrades and I would have perished with them if I hadn't been able to make a brave defense I can go to the place and identify the men it is these that your emperor ought to punish if as you say he proposes to keep peace with our master and so the king decided to send to the emperor for the guilty men and he bade these depart Chapter 5 In these days who had once been king Hildburd's constable made an inroad into the territory of tour and decided to take flocks and other property as if he were taking booty but the inhabitants had warning and a multitude gathered and began to pursue him he lost his plunder and two of his men were killed he escaped with nothing and two other men were captured and there was sent in fetters to king Hildburd he ordered them to be thrown into prison and examined as to who it was by whose aid Hoopa escaped from being captured by his pursuers they answered that it was through a stratagem of the vicar Animodus who had the power of a judge in that district at once the king sent a letter and ordered the count of the city to send him in chains to the king's presence and if you should attempt resistance he was to crush him by force and even kill him if you wish to gain the king's favor but Animodus made no resistance but gave sureties and went as he was told and finding Flavie and the court official he pleaded together with his companion and was not found guilty they were acquitted and ordered to return home however he first gave presence to the court official Hoopa a second time roused some of his people and purposed to carry off the daughter of Bodigiesel former bishop of Mons to marry her he made a night attack with a band of his companions on the village of Marey to fulfill his purpose but Magna trued the mother of the girl and head of the household had warning of him and his treachery she went out against him with her slaves and repelled him by force killing many of his men and he did not come off without disgrace chapter 6 miraculous deliverance of prisoners in a jail in Auvergne chapter 7 in the same city King Hildebert most pious they remitted all the tribute of the churches as well as of the monasteries and of the clergy who were attached to a church and of whoever were engaged in cultivating the church land the collectors of the tribute had suffered great losses since in the course of long time and succeeding generations the estates had been divided into small parts and the tribute could be collected only with difficulty and Hildebert by inspiration of God directed that the trouble should be remedied and the amount which was due to the fist from these should not be exacted from the collectors and that a rearage should not deprive any tiller of church land of his benefits chapter 8 where the territories of Auvergne, Gévodin and Rouergue meet a synod of bishops was held to hear the case against Etradia, widow of Desiderius from whom Count Aulalius claimed the property which she had taken with her when she fled from him I think that I ought to relate this case in full detail and how she left Aulalius and fled to Desiderius Aulalius as a young man will had behaved in several matters in a senseless fashion and so it came about that he was often reproached by his mother and began to hate when he should have loved her now she used frequently to devote herself to prayer in the oratory of her house and to spend the watches of the night in prayer and tears while her servants slept and at last she was found strangled in the hair-shirt in which she prayed and though no one knew who had done this nevertheless her son was charged with the murder when Coutunous, Bishop of Clermont heard of this he excommunicated him but when the citizens gathered with the bishop at the festival of the blessed martyr Julian Aulalius threw himself at the feet of the bishop complaining that he had been excommunicated without a hearing then the bishop permitted him to attend the service of the mass with the others but when the time for communion came and Aulalius went forward to the altar the bishop said come and talk among the people declares that you are a murderer now I do not know whether you have done this crime or not therefore I leave it to the judgment of God blessed martyr Julian you then, if you are fit to do so as you say, approach and take a share of the Eucharist and put it in your mouth for God will know your conscience Aulalius received the Eucharist and had communion and departed he had a wife, Titradia by name noble on her mother's side of low rank by her father and in his house he took the maid-servants and began to neglect his wife and when he returned from these harlots he would often beat her severely moreover because of his many ill deeds he contracted a number of debts and often used his wife's jewels and gold for these finally, when his wife was in this hard situation since she had lost all the honor she had in her husband's house and he was gone to the king by the man's name her husband's nephew fell in love with her and wished to marry her since he had lost his wife Beerus however was afraid of his uncle's enmity and sent the woman to Duke Desiderius with the intention of marrying her later on and she took with her all her husband's substance both in gold and silver and garments and all she could take together with her older son at home Eulalius returned from his journey and learned what had happened and when his grief was lessened and he had taken a little rest he rushed upon his nephew Beerus and killed him in a narrow valley of Overnus and Desiderius, who had lately lost his wife, heard that Beerus had been killed and married to Tradia but Eulalius took a girl by force from the convent at Lyon but his concubines impelled by envy, as some say made her insane by evil arts a long time after Eulalius secretly attacked and killed Emerius cousin of this girl in like manner he killed Socrates brother of his half sister whom his father had had by a concubine he committed also many other crimes too many to tell John, his son who had gone off with his mother ran away from Desiderius's house and went to Overnus an innocent being now a candidate for the bishopric of Rhodes Eulalius sent a message to him that he could recover by Innocence 8 the property that was rightfully his in the territory of this city Innocent replied If I receive one of your sons to make a cleric of and to keep to help me you ask Eulalius sent the boy named John and received his property back an innocent received the boy and shaped the hair of his head and put him in the care of the arch-deacon of his church and he became so upstreamious that he ate barley instead of wheat drank water instead of wine used an ass instead of a horse and wore the meanest garments and so the bishops and leading men met as we have said at the confines of the city he is mentioned and Titradia was represented by Agn and Eulalius appeared to speak against her when Eulalius asked for the things she had taken from his home when she went to Desiderius Titradia was ordered to repay what she took fourfold and the children that she had by Desiderius were declared illegitimates they also directed that if she paid Eulalius what she was ordered to pay him she would have the liberty of going to Overn and of enjoying without disturbance the property which had come to her from her father this was done Chapter 9 Guntherham sends an expedition against the Bretons which proves a failure Chapter 10 in the 15th year of King Hildebert which is the 29th of Guntherham while King Guntherham was hunting in the Vosch forest he found traces of the killing of a buffalo and when he harshly demanded of the keeper of the forest who had dared to do this in the king's forest the keeper named Rundo the king's chamberlain upon this he ordered Rundo to be arrested and taken to Chalon loaded with chains and when the two were confronted with each other in the king's presence he said that he had never presumed to do what he was charged with the king ordered a trial by battle then the chamberlain offered his nephew to engage in the fight in his place and both appeared on the field the youth hurled his lance at the keeper of the forest and pierced his foot and he presently fell on his back the youth then drew the sword which hung from his belt but while he sought to cut the chamberlain adversaries throat he himself received a dagger thrust in the belly both fell dead seeing this Rundo started to run to St. Marcellus's church but the king shouted to seize him before he touched the sacred threshold and he was caught and tied to a stake and stoned after this the king was very penitent at having shown himself so headlong in anger as to kill hastily for a trifling guilt a man who was faithful and useful to him Chapter 11 King Clothar is dangerously ill Chapter 12 Inga Trude Abbas of a convent attached to St. Martin's church dies directing that her disobedient daughter should not even be allowed to pray at her tomb Chapter 13 one of Gregory's priests is quote infected with the malignant poison of the saddicy and heresy and quote footnote denying the resurrection of the body and a footnote he is overcome in argument by Gregory Chapter 14 story of the drunken priest Theodolph who falls off the wall of Angers and is killed End of section 15