History of the Franks 1 part 24/38

Then there appeared on the stocks of the vines new shoots with unripe grapes, and on the trees, flowers; a great beacon running across the sky, which, before the daylight came, illuminated the world far and wide. Rays too appeared in the heavens. On the northern side a fiery column, as if hanging from heaven, was seen for the space of two hours, upon which a great star was set. But in Anjou the earth trembled, and many other signs appeared, which, as I suppose, announced the death of that very Gundovald. XII. Therefore King Guntram directed his counts to seize the cities which Sigibert had once received from the kingdom of his brother Charibert;

so that, exacting oaths, they might subject them to his dominion. But the people of Tours and of Poitiers wished to go over to Childebert, the son of Sigibert; but the men of Bourges, being stirred up, made ready to come against them, and began to set fires within the territory of Tours. Then they burned with fire the church of Mareuil, in the territory of Tours, in which the relics of Saint Martin were kept: but the power of the blessed one was present, so that in so violent a fire the palls which had been placed over the altar were not consumed by the flames. And not only these, but even little herbs gathered long before and placed on the altar were in no way burned up.

Seeing these fires, the people of Tours sent an embassy, saying it was better for them to submit for a time to King Guntram than to have everything laid waste by fire or sword. XIII. But immediately after the death of Chilperic, Duke Garacharius had come to Limoges, and had received oaths in the name of Childebert; thence, coming to Poitiers, he was received by them, and there he stayed. But hearing what the people of Tours were suffering, he sent an embassy, beseeching that we should not hand ourselves over to the party of King Guntram, if we wished to be well advised for ourselves: but that we should rather be mindful of Sigibert, who had once been the father of Childebert.

But we in turn sent back this message to the bishop and the citizens, that unless they submitted for a time to King Guntram, they would suffer similar things, asserting that he was now the father over two sons, namely of Sigibert and of Chilperic, who had been adopted by him; and that he held the sovereignty of the kingdom thus, as Chlothar his father had once done. When these too would not acquiesce, Garacharius went out of the city, as if about to bring up an army, but in the city he left behind Ebero, the chamberlain of King Childebert. But Sicharius, together with Willachar, count of Orléans, who had now received Tours, set an army in motion against the people of Poitiers, so that, namely, on one side the men of Tours, on the other the men of Bourges, being stirred up, might lay everything waste.

When they had drawn near to the territory and had begun to burn the houses, the people of Poitiers sent envoys to them, saying: 'We ask that you wait until the assembly which Kings Guntram and Childebert hold between themselves. For if it is agreed that the good King Guntram should receive these districts, we do not resist; but if otherwise, we acknowledge our own lord, whom we more fully ought to serve.' To these things they answered: 'Nothing of this matter pertains to us, save only to fulfill the commands of the prince.

For if you are unwilling, we lay everything waste as we have begun.' And while this matter was being carried on, so that all things were given over to fire, plunder, and captivity, the men of Childebert being expelled from the city, they gave oaths to King Guntram, not keeping them for long. XIV. So, when the assembly came, there were directed by King Childebert: Bishop Egidius, Guntram Boso, Sigivald, and many others, to King Guntram; and when they had entered to him, the bishop said: 'We give thanks to Almighty God, O most pious king, that He has restored you, after many labors, to your regions and your kingdom.' To whom the king said:

'To Him indeed are worthy thanks to be rendered, who is King of kings and Lord of lords, who has deigned to work these things by His mercy. For it is not to you—by whose crafty counsel and perjuries my regions were burned last year, who never kept entire faith with any man, whose deceit is scattered everywhere, who declare yourself to be not a priest, but an enemy of our kingdom.' At these words the bishop, moved by anger, fell silent. But one of the envoys said: 'Your nephew Childebert supplicates that you would order the cities which his father held to be restored to him.' To this he answered: 'I have already told you before, that our pacts confer these on me; and therefore I am unwilling to restore them.' Another of the envoys also said:

'Your nephew asks that you would order Fredegund the sorceress, through whom many kings have been killed, to be handed over, to avenge the death of his father, his uncle, and his kinsmen.' He said: 'She cannot be delivered into his power, because she has a son who is king. And the things which you allege against her, I do not believe to be true.' After these, Guntram Boso, as though about to suggest something, approached the king. And because he had set up Gundovald openly as a raised king, the king, anticipating his words, said:

'O enemy of our region and kingdom, who for this reason in years past attacked the East, that you might bring a certain Ballomer (for so the king called Gundovald) over our kingdom—ever treacherous, and never keeping what you promise!' To whom he said: 'You, lord and king, sit upon the royal throne, and no one has dared to answer you concerning the things you say. But I profess myself innocent in this matter. And if there is anyone like me, who lays this crime upon me secretly, let him now come openly and speak. Do you, O most pious king, place this in the judgment of God, that He may discern it when He shall have seen us contend in the level of a single field.' To these things, while all were silent, the king added:

'This cause ought indeed to inflame the spirits of all, that there be driven from our borders this newcomer of ours, whose father tended mills; and, to speak truly, his father sat at the wool-combs, and dressed wool.' And although it might happen that one man should be sustained by the mastery of each craft, yet, to the king's reproach, one of them replied: 'So then, as you assert, this man had two fathers, both a wool-worker and a miller? Far be it from you, O king, that you should speak so uncouthly. For it has not been heard that one man, apart from a spiritual cause, can have two begetters at once.' Thereupon, when many of us were dissolved in laughter, another of the envoys answered, saying: 'We bid you farewell, O king;

for since you have refused to restore the cities of your nephew, we know that the axe is safe which was fixed in the heads of your brothers; it will all the sooner level your own brain, once fixed there.' And so they departed with a scandal. Then the king, kindled by these words, ordered that there be thrown upon the heads of those going out the dung of horses, rotten little spears, chaff, and hay dissolved by rottenness, and the very stinking mud of the city. By which things being grievously befouled, they went away not without immense injury and insult. XV. While Queen Fredegund was residing in the church of Paris, Leonard, a former domestic, who had then come from the city of Toulouse, having entered to her, began to relate the causes of the insult and injuries of her daughter, saying:

'When, according to your command, I had come with Queen Rigunth, I both saw her humiliation, and how she was despoiled of her treasures and all her goods; but I, slipping away by flight, have come to announce to my lady the things that have been done.' Hearing these things, she, moved with fury, ordered him to be despoiled in that very church, and, stripped of his garments and of the belt which he had as a gift from King Chilperic, she bade him depart from her presence. The cooks too and bakers, or whomever she learned to have returned from this journey, she left beaten, despoiled, and maimed of their hands.

She also attempted to overwhelm Nectarius, the brother of Bishop Baudegisil, with wicked accusations before the king, asserting that he had carried off much from the treasure of the dead king. She also said that he had taken away from the storehouses both much hides and much wine, asking that he be thrust bound into the darkness of prison; but the king's patience and his brother's help did not permit it. Indeed, exercising many empty things there, she did not fear God, in whose church she sought help. She had at that time with her Audo as judge, who had agreed with her in many such things in the time of the king. For he himself, together with Mummolus the prefect, subjected to the public tribute many of the Franks who had been free-born in the time of Childebert the elder.

After the king's death he was despoiled and plundered by these very men, so that nothing remained to him except what he was able to carry off upon himself. For they burned and overthrew his houses; and they would surely have taken away even his very life, had he not, together with the queen, sought refuge in the church. XVI. But she received with displeasure Bishop Praetextatus, whom the citizens of Rouen, seeking him out from exile after the king's death, had restored to their city with great joy and praise. After his return, he came to the city of Paris, and presented himself to King Guntram, beseeching that he would diligently examine his case. For the queen asserted that he ought not to be received, who had been separated from the priestly office by the judgment of forty-five bishops.

And when the king wished to convene a synod for this cause, Ragnemod, the bishop of this city, gave answer on behalf of all, saying: 'Know that penance was enjoined on him by the priests, yet he was not altogether removed from the episcopate.' And thus, received by the king and admitted to his banquet, he returned to his own city. XVII. But Promotus, who in the fort of Châteaudun had been instituted bishop by the ordinance of King Sigibert, and after the king's death had been removed, because that fort was of the diocese of Chartres, against whom judgment had been passed thus, that he should perform only the office of the presbyterate, came to the king, beseeching that he might receive the ordination of the episcopate in the aforesaid fort.

But Pappolus, bishop of the city of Chartres, opposed him and declared, 'This belongs to my diocese,' producing moreover a judgement of the bishops; and so he could obtain nothing else from the king, except that he should recover those properties which he held as his own within the bounds of that very stronghold, in which he was still dwelling while his mother yet lived. XVIII. Now while the king was staying at the city of Paris, there came a certain poor man, saying: 'Hear, O king, the words of my mouth. For know that Faraulf, once the chamberlain of your brother, is seeking to kill you. For I have heard his plan: that, as you go to the church for morning prayer, he means either to attack you with a knife or to run you through with a spear.' And the king, astonished, sent men to summon him.

But when the man denied it, the king, fearing these threats, fortified himself most carefully; nor did he go forth into any holy place or anywhere else except surrounded by armed men and guards. Faraulf, however, died not long after. XIX. Now when a great outcry arose against those who had been powerful with King Chilperic, namely because they had seized either estates or other goods belonging to others, the king ordered everything that had been unjustly taken to be restored, as has already been related above (Chapter 7). He also ordered Queen Fredegund to depart to the estate of Rotoialum, which is situated within the territory of Rouen; and there followed her all the nobles of the realm of King Chilperic.

And there they left her with Bishop Melanius, who had been removed from Rouen, and went over to her son, promising that he would be most carefully reared by them. XX. After Queen Fredegund had come to the aforesaid estate, since she was greatly grieved that her power had in part been taken from her, thinking herself better than Brunhild, she secretly sent a cleric, one of her household, who might encircle Brunhild with guile and slay her, namely so that he should subtly insinuate himself into her service, and be received by her, and thus secretly strike her down. The cleric therefore, coming with various devices, commended himself to her, saying: 'I flee from the face of Queen Fredegund, begging your help.'

He began also to show himself humble to all, dear, obedient, and intimate with the queen. But not long after, they perceived that he had been treacherously sent; and bound and beaten, when he had confessed his whole intrigue, he was permitted to return to his mistress; and disclosing what had been done, declaring that he had been unable to carry out his orders, he was punished by the cutting off of his hands and feet. XXI. When these things had thus been done, while King Guntram, having returned to Chalon, was striving to investigate his brother's death, and the queen had laid the crime upon Eberulf the chamberlain (for he had been asked by her to live with her after the king's death, but had not been able to obtain it);

so, as this enmity sprouted up, the queen asserted that the prince had been murdered by Eberulf, that he himself had carried off much from the treasures, and had thus withdrawn into the Touraine; and therefore, if the king desired to avenge his brother's death, he should know that this man was the standard-bearer of the deed. Then the king swore before all his nobles that he would destroy not only the man himself but even his offspring to the ninth generation, so that by their slaying this wicked custom might be done away, lest kings be slain any more. And when Eberulf learned of this, he took refuge in the basilica of Saint Martin, whose property he had often plundered.

Then, an occasion being given that he should be guarded, the men of Orléans and Blois came by turns to this watch; and when the fifteen days were fulfilled, they would return with much plunder, leading off draught-animals, cattle, or whatever they had been able to seize. But those who had carried off the draught-animals of blessed Martin, a quarrel having arisen, ran one another through with their lances. Two who were plundering mules, going into the house of a certain neighbour, began to ask for drink. And when that man denied that he had any, they raised their lances to run him through; but he, drawing his sword, pierced them both, and both fell and died; yet the draught-animals of Saint Martin were restored. And so great were the evils then wrought there by these men of Orléans that they cannot be told. XXII.

While these things were going on, the property of Eberulf himself was granted to various persons—gold and silver and the other valuable wares which he kept with him were set out in the open. What he had given into safekeeping was confiscated; even his herds of horses, swine, and draught-animals were plundered. His house within the walls, which he had taken away from the lordship of the church, stuffed with grain, wine, hides, and many other goods, was thoroughly despoiled; nor did anything remain there but the empty walls. For this reason he held us especially under suspicion, who in his affairs were dealing faithfully, often threatening that, if ever he came back into the king's favour, he would avenge upon us the things he was now enduring. For God,

to whom the secrets of the heart are revealed, knows that out of a pure heart, so far as we could, we ministered comfort to him; and although he had previously laid many snares for us concerning the property of Saint Martin, yet there was a reason for me to forget those things, namely because I had received his son from the sacred font. But, I believe, this was the greatest hindrance to that wretched man: that he showed no reverence to the holy bishop. For he often committed bloodshed within the very courtyard which lies at the feet of the blessed one, indulging continually in drunkenness and frivolities. A certain priest also, because he was slow to give him wine—when the man, already drunk, glared at him—he beat him, dashed down upon a bench, with fists and various blows, so that he seemed almost to give up the ghost;

and perhaps he would have done so, had not the cupping-glasses of the physicians come to his aid. For, out of fear of the king, he had his lodging in the very reception-room of the blessed basilica. Now when the priest who kept the keys of the door had withdrawn, the others being locked up, girls entering through that door of the reception-room, together with the rest of his servant-boys, would gaze up at the paintings on the walls and pry into the ornaments of the blessed sepulchre—a thing which was utterly scandalous to religious folk. And when the priest had learned of this, he fixed nails over the door and fitted a lock on the inside.

When this man had arrived after supper, soaked with wine, and we in the basilica at the beginning of the night were chanting psalms for the sake of prayer, he came in raging and began to assail me with insults and curses, casting this reproach amid his railings: that I wished to separate him from the fringes of the holy bishop's garment. But I, astonished at what madness had seized the man, tried to soothe him with gentle words. Yet when I could not overcome his fury with mild words, I resolved to keep silent. He, however, seeing that I would not be touched, turned to the priest, and vomited many insults upon him; for he assailed that man with brazen words and me with various reproaches.

But we, when we saw him, so to speak, driven by a demon, went out of the holy basilica and ended the watch and the scandal, taking it most especially ill that he had stirred up this brawl without reverence for the saint, before the very sepulchre of the bishop. In those days I saw a dream, which I afterwards related in the holy basilica, saying: 'I seemed to be celebrating, as it were, the solemnities of the Mass in this most holy basilica. And when the altar with its offerings had already been covered with a silken cloth, suddenly I beheld King Guntram entering, who cried out with a loud voice: ''Drag out the enemy of our race, tear the murderer away from the holy altar of God.'' And I, when I heard this, turning to you, said:

'Take hold of the altar-cloth, unhappy man, with which the sacred gifts are covered, lest you be cast out from here.' And when you took hold of it, you let it loose with your hand and did not hold on manfully. But I, with hands outstretched, set my breast against the breast of the king as he came on, saying: 'Do not cast this man out of the holy basilica, lest you suffer peril of your life, lest the holy bishop strike you down by his power. Do not slay yourself with your own javelin; for if you do this, you will be deprived of both the present life and the eternal.' But when the king resisted me, you let go of the cloth and did not come to my aid. And I was very troublesome to you. And when you returned to the altar, you took hold of the cloth, but again let it go.

While you held it half-heartedly, and I manfully resisted the king, I awoke, struck with terror, not knowing what the dream might signify. So when I had related these things to him, he said: 'True is the dream you have seen, for it agrees very much with my own thought.' And I to him: 'And what has your thought devised?' And he said: 'I had resolved that, if the king should order me to be dragged from this place, I would hold the altar-cloth with one hand, and with the other, having drawn my sword, after killing you first, I would lay low in death as many clerics as I should thereafter find. Nor would it be an injury for me to die afterwards, if I might take vengeance upon the clerics of this saint.'

Hearing this and astonished, I marvelled at what this was, that through his mouth the devil was speaking; for he never had any fear of God. For while he was at liberty, his horses and cattle were let loose through the crops and vineyards of the poor. And if they were driven off by those whose labours they were destroying, at once they were struck down by his men. For in this distress in which he was, he often recalled that he had unjustly carried off the property of the blessed bishop. In short, the year before, he had caused the agents of the church to bring suit against a certain trifling fellow, one of the citizens. Then, justice being set aside, he carried off the property which the church had long possessed under the guise of a purchase, having given to that man a portion of the gold of his own sword-belt. But

these and many such perverse things he did right up to the end of his life, which we shall explain hereafter. XXIII. In this present year also, Armentarius the Jew, with one accomplice of his own sect and two Christians, came to Tours to exact the bonds which Injuriosus, the former vicar, and Eunomius, the former count, had deposited with him on account of the public taxes. And when the men had been approached, he received a promise that the money lent would be repaid with interest, they moreover saying to him: 'If you come to our house, we will both pay what is owed and honour you with other gifts, as is fitting.' So as he went, he was received by Injuriosus and seated at a banquet;

and when the feast was over, as night drew near, they moved from that same place and passed to another. Then, as men say, the Jews, with the two Christians, were killed by the men of Injuriosus and thrown into a well which was near to his house. When their kinsmen had heard of what had been done, they came to Tours, and on a tip given by certain men, they found the well and drew out the men, though Injuriosus strenuously denied that he had been stained in this affair. Afterwards he came to judgement; but when he firmly, as we said, denied it, and these men had no way of convicting him, it was adjudged that he should clear himself as innocent by oath. But since these men would not acquiesce in this either, they lodged the suit in the presence of King Childebert.

Yet neither the money nor the bonds of the dead Jew were found. Many men then said that Medard the tribune had been mixed up in this crime, because he too had borrowed money from the Jew. Injuriosus nevertheless came to the hearing in the presence of King Childebert, and for three days, until the setting of the sun, he waited. But when these men had not come, nor had he been challenged by anyone concerning this matter, he returned to his own home. XXIV. So in the tenth year of King Childebert, King Guntram, having stirred up the peoples of his realm, joined together a great army. But the greater part, with the men of Orléans and Bourges, made for Poitiers; for they had departed from the faith which they had promised to the king.

And they first sent an embassy to learn whether they would be received by these people or not. But the bishop of the place, Maroveus, harshly received these messengers. So they, having entered within the territory, kept committing plunderings, burnings, and murders. And those who returned with plunder, passing through the Touraine, did the same to those who had already given their oaths: so that even the churches themselves were burned, and whatever they could find was plundered; which was done very often, while those people were slow to turn back to the king. But when the army drew nearer to the city, and now the greater part of the regions was seen to be devastated, then they sent messengers, declaring themselves faithful to King Guntram.

But those men, being received within the walls of the city, rushed upon the bishop, saying that he was disloyal. He, however, when he saw himself hemmed in by these men, broke a golden chalice from among the sacred vessels, reduced it to coined money, and so redeemed himself and the people. XXV. But Marileif, who had been the chief of the physicians in the house of King Chilperic, they most fiercely set upon; and he who had already been greatly despoiled by Duke Gararic was stripped again by these men, so that no substance whatever remained to him. Carrying off likewise his horses, his gold and silver, and the finer wares which he had, they subjected him to the jurisdiction of the church.

For his bread-service had been such that he was bound to attend to the church's mills, while his brothers and cousins, or his other kinsfolk, were subjected to the lordly kitchens and the bakehouse. XXVI. Gundovald wished to advance toward Poitiers, but was afraid; for he had now heard that an army was being stirred up against him. For in the cities which had belonged to King Sigibert, he received oaths in the name of King Childebert; but in the rest, which had belonged either to Guntram or to Chilperic, they swore in his own name that they would keep faith. Afterwards he came to Angoulême, and oaths having been received and the leading men rewarded, he attacked Périgueux, and left the bishop, then gravely wronged, because he had not been received by him.

XXVII. From there, having gone off to Toulouse, he sent messengers to Magnulf, the bishop of that city, that he might be received by him. But that man, not unmindful of the former injury which he had suffered through Sigulf—who once wished to raise himself into the kingship—said to his fellow-citizens: 'We know indeed that Guntram is king and that Childebert is his nephew; but this man, we do not know whence he is. Be ready therefore, and if Duke Desiderius should wish to bring this calamity upon us, let him perish by a like lot as Sigulf; and let it be an example to all, that none of the foreigners may dare to violate the kingdom of the Franks.' While they thus resisted and were preparing for war, Gundovald coming with a great army, when they saw that they could not withstand him, they received him.

Afterwards, when the bishop sat at a banquet in the church's house together with Gundovald, he said: 'You claim to be a son of King Chlothar, but whether it is true or not, we do not know. And if you can vindicate your undertakings, it is held incredible in our minds.' But he said: 'I am the son of King Chlothar, and I am about to receive my portion of the kingdom forthwith, and I will swiftly advance as far as Paris, and there I will establish the seat of my rule.' The bishop said to him: 'Is it true, then, that none of the stock of the Franks has remained, if you fulfil what you say?' Amid these disputes, when Mummolus had heard this, with raised hand he struck the bishop with slaps, saying: 'Are you not ashamed, so degenerate and foolish a man, to answer thus to so great a king?'