History of the Franks 1 part 26/38

'but of my treasures, in which is contained an immense weight of silver and gold and of various kinds of goods, part is kept in the city of Avignon, part Guntram Boso plundered. But I, according to God's help, having placed all my hope in you, entrusted my counsel to you, and through you I always desired to reign. Now, with God as your witness, there will be a reckoning, if you have told me any falsehood: for He himself shall judge my cause.' As he was saying these things, Mummolus answered: 'We speak nothing to you deceitfully, but behold, very brave men are standing at the gate, awaiting your coming. Now, however, lay aside my golden belt with which you are girded, lest you seem to advance in boastfulness, and gird on your own sword, and restore mine.' And he:

'It is not lightly,' he said, 'that I take in these words, namely that the things which until now I have used of yours in charity should be taken away from me.' But Mummolus asserted with an oath that nothing grievous would be done to him. So, having gone out of the gate, he was received by Ollo, count of Bourges, and by Boso; but Mummolus, going back into the city with his followers, barred the gate most firmly. Now this man, when he saw himself betrayed into the hands of his enemies, raising his hands and eyes to heaven, said:

'Eternal Judge, and true Avenger of the innocent, O God, from whom all justice proceeds, to whom falsehood is not pleasing, in whom no guile nor cunning of malice is contained: to you I commend my cause, beseeching that you may be a swift avenger upon those who have delivered me, an innocent man, into the hands of my enemies.' When he had said this, signing himself with the Lord's cross, he began to go away with the aforesaid men. And when they had drawn far from the gate, since around the city the whole valley falls in a precipice, being pushed by Ollo he fell, while Ollo too cried out: 'Behold for you your Ballomer, who calls himself both the king's brother and son!' And, casting a lance, he wished to transfix him, but it was repelled by the rings of his coat of mail and did no harm.

At length, when, having risen up, he was striving to climb back up the mountain, Boso, throwing a stone, struck him on the head, and he fell and died. And the whole throng came, and fixing their lances in him, binding his feet with a rope, they dragged him through all the camps of the armies; and tearing out his hair and beard, they left him unburied on the very spot where he had been killed. But on the following night, those who were the foremost stealthily carried off all the treasures which they could find in the city, together with the vessels of the church. And in the morning, when the leaves of the gates had been unbarred and the army let in, they put to the edge of the sword the whole populace shut up within, slaughtering even the priests of the Lord with their ministers at the very altars of the churches.

And after they had killed them all, so that not one that pisseth against the wall remained, they burned the whole city with its churches and the rest of the buildings, leaving nothing there but bare ground. And so Leudegisel, returning to the camp with Mummolus, Sagittarius, Chariulf, and Waddo, secretly sent messengers to the king, to learn what he wished to be done with these men. But he ordered them to be finished by capital sentence. Then Waddo, with Chariulf, leaving their sons as hostages, departed from them. And when the news of the others' destruction had been brought, when Mummolus had perceived this, girding himself with arms, he sought the hut of Leudegisel. But Leudegisel, seeing him, said: 'Why,' said he, 'do you come thus, as though fleeing?' To which he replied:

'Nothing, as I see, of the faith promised is being kept, for I perceive that I am placed in the doom of death.' To which Leudegisel said: 'I will go outside, and will calm everything.' As he went out, immediately by his order the house was surrounded, that this man might be killed within. But he, when he had for a very long time resisted those fighting against him, came to the door. And as he went out, two men struck him on each side with lances, and so he fell and died. When the bishop (Sagittarius) saw this, while he stood aghast, terrified with fear, one of the bystanders said to him: 'Look with your own eyes, bishop, at what is being done, and with your head covered, lest you be recognised, make for the wood, that you may hide yourself a little, and so by stealth you may be able to escape.'

And he, having received the counsel, while he strove to flee with his head covered, a certain man, drawing his sword, struck off his head together with the cowl. Then everyone, returning to his own home, made great plunder and slaughter along the way. Now Fredegund in those days sent Cuppa into the Toulouse country, so that by whatever means she could she might rescue her daughter from there. For many reported that he had been sent over for this purpose, that if he should find Gundovald alive, he might lure him with many promises and bring him over to her. But when he was unable to do this, he led back Rigunth from that place, not without great humiliation and contumely. And so Duke Leudegisel came to the king with all the treasures which we named above; which afterwards the king bestowed upon the poor

and the churches. But the wife of Mummolus having been apprehended, the king began to inquire what had become of the treasures which they had amassed. But she, knowing that her husband had been killed and that all their vaunting had utterly fallen to the ground, disclosed everything, and said that there was still much gold and silver at the city of Avignon which had not come to the king's notice. And at once the king sent men who were to bring these things back, together with one boy whom Mummolus, holding him much trusted, had entrusted these things to. And going there, they took all that had been left in the city. Now they report that there were two hundred and fifty talents of silver, and of gold more than thirty. But these things, as they report,

he had taken from a discovered ancient treasure. The king, having divided this with King Childebert his nephew, bestowed his own portion chiefly upon the poor; but to the woman he left nothing more than what she had had from her parents. Then also that man of immense body was brought to the king from among the household of Mummolus, so conspicuous for his great body that he was reckoned to be two or three feet above the tallest men — a great man, a carpenter, who not long after died. After this an edict was issued by the judges, that those who had been slow in this expedition should be condemned. The count of Bourges too sent his servants to despoil men of this sort in the house of blessed Martin, which is situated within this boundary. But the agent of the house

of that house began stoutly to resist, saying: 'These are men of Saint Martin. Do them no injury at all, for they have not had the custom of going off in such causes.' But the others said: 'There is nothing between us and your Martin, whom you always vainly put forward in your causes; but both you and they shall pay penalties, for that you have neglected the king's command.' And saying this, he entered the courtyard of the house. Forthwith, smitten with pain, he fell and began to suffer grievously. And turning to the agent, with a tearful voice he said: 'I beg you to make over me the cross of the Lord, and to invoke the name of blessed Martin. For now I have learned that great is his power;'

'for as I entered the courtyard of the house, I saw an old man holding a tree in his hand, which soon, with its branches stretched out, covered the whole courtyard. For one of its branches touched me, and by its stroke I was overthrown and fell.' And nodding to his men, he begged that he might be cast out of the courtyard. Then, having gone out, he began more earnestly to invoke the name of blessed Martin. And from this, faring more comfortably, he was healed. Now Desiderius secured himself and his goods within the fortification of the camp. Waddo, mayor of the household of Rigunth, went over to Queen Brunhild, and, received by her, was dismissed with gifts and favour; Chariulf sought the basilica of Saint Martin. There was at that time a woman who had a spirit of divination

and by divining furnished much gain to her masters; and she advanced so far in their favour that, being set free by them, she was let loose to her own will. For if anyone suffered either theft or some other harm, she would at once declare where the thief had gone, to whom he had given it, or what he had done with it. She gathered gold and silver daily, going about in ornaments, so that she was thought to be something divine among the people. But when these things had been reported to Agericus, bishop of Verdun, he sent to apprehend her. And when she had been seized and brought to him, just as we read in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 16:16), he recognised that there was in her an unclean spirit of divination.

At length, when he was saying an exorcism over her, and anointing her forehead with holy oil, the demon cried out and revealed to the priest what it was. But since it could not be driven out of the girl by him, she was permitted to depart. But the girl, seeing that she could not dwell in that place, went off to Queen Fredegund, and there too she lay hidden. In this year a great famine oppressed almost all of Gaul; for very many made bread out of the seeds of grapes, the catkins of hazels, and some out of the roots of fern dried and reduced to powder, mixing in a little flour; many also, cutting the herbage of the cornfields, did likewise.

There were also many who had no flour at all, who, gathering various herbs and eating them, swelled up and wasted away. Very many indeed at that time, languishing from hunger, died. The merchants then grievously despoiled the people, so that they sold scarcely a peck of grain, or half a measure of wine, for a third of a coin. The poor subjected themselves to servitude, that they might receive however little of food. In those days Christopher the merchant went away to the city of Orléans. For he had heard that much wine had been brought there. Going therefore, and having bought the wine, and conveyed it on a raft, having received much money from his father-in-law, he made his way on horseback with two Saxon boys.

But the boys had long held their master in hatred, and would often flee from him, because they were very frequently and most grievously beaten. When they had come into a certain wood, the master going ahead, one boy, hurling a lance with force, transfixed his master. As he fell, the other mangled his head with a sword, and so, cut into pieces by them both, he was left lifeless. And they, taking the money, slipped away in flight. But the brother of Christopher, having buried the little corpse, sent his men after the boys; they, having seized the younger, bound him, while the elder fled with the money. As they were returning, when they had left the bound boy too loosely, taking a lance he killed one of those by whom he was being led.

But, led away by the others as far as Tours, afflicted with various torments and mutilated, he was hung up on the gibbet quite lifeless. At that time grievous civil wars arose among the citizens of Tours. For Sicharius, son of the late John, while he was celebrating the solemnities of the Lord's Nativity at the village of Manthelan with Austregisil and the rest of the country-folk, the priest of the place sent a boy to invite some men to come to his house for the sake of drinking. But as the boy came, one of those who were being invited, drawing his sword, did not fear to strike him: and he at once fell and died.

When Sicharius, who maintained friendships with the priest, had heard this — namely that his boy had been killed — he snatched up arms and made for the church, lying in wait for Austregisil. But the latter, hearing this, having taken up his equipment of arms, directed himself against him; and when, all things being thrown into confusion, the two parties clashed together, Sicharius, snatched away among the clergy, fled to his estate, leaving behind in the priest's house, along with silver and garments, four wounded boys. As he fled, Austregisil, rushing in again, after killing the boys, carried off the gold and silver together with the rest of the goods.

Thereafter, when they had come together in the citizens' court, and it had been decreed that Austregisil, who was a murderer and, after killing the boys, had plundered the goods without a hearing, should be condemned by legal censure; an assembly having been appointed within a few days, Sicharius, hearing that the goods which Austregisil had plundered were being kept with Auno and his son and his brother Eberulf, set the assembly aside, and, joined with Audo, having stirred up a sedition, rushed upon them by night with armed men, and, having broken into the lodging in which they were sleeping, slew the father with his brother and son, and carried off their goods along with their cattle, the slaves having been killed.

When we heard this, being vehemently distressed by it, joined with the judge, we sent a delegation to them, that, coming into our presence and an account being received, they might depart in peace, lest the quarrel should sprout up further. When they had come, and the citizens having been assembled, I say: 'Do not, O men, go forward in crimes, lest the evil be extended further. For we have lost sons of the church; we now fear lest we be deprived of others also in this strife. Be peaceable, I beg, and let him who has done the evil make amends with charity standing firm, that you may be peaceable sons, who may be worthy to receive the kingdom of God, the Lord himself granting it. For thus he himself says: Blessed are the peacemakers, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:9).'

'Behold, even if he who is subject to the offence has the lesser means, it shall be redeemed with the silver of the church: in the meantime let not the man's soul perish.' And saying this, I offered the silver of the church; but the party of Chramnesind, which demanded vengeance for the death of his father, brother, and uncle, refused to accept it. As these departed, Sicharius prepared a journey, that he might go to the king, and for this purpose set out for Poitiers to see the count. And when he had admonished a slave to do his work, and, with raised rod, was beating him, the slave, drawing the sword from his belt, did not fear to wound his master. As he fell to the ground, his friends running up seized the slave, cruelly beat him, and, his hands and feet cut off, condemned him to the gibbet.

Meanwhile a rumour went out among the people that Sicharius had died. When Chramnesind had heard this, having summoned his kinsmen and friends, he hastened to his house. When these had been plundered, and several of the slaves killed, he burned with fire all the houses, both of Sicharius and of the rest who were sharers in this estate, leading off with him the cattle and whatever he could move. Then the parties, brought by the judge to the city, set forth their respective causes; and it was found by the judges that the one who, being unwilling to accept the settlement first offered, had given the houses over to the flames, should lose half of the price which had been awarded to him.

This too was done contrary to the laws, namely that we were merely set at peace, while Sichar was to pay the other half of the composition. Then, the silver having been given by the church, those things which had been adjudged they settle, security having been accepted, and oaths being mutually given to each side, that at no time should the one party murmur against the other; and thus the dispute came to an end. Here begin the chapter-headings of the Eighth Book. I. Concerning the king's coming to Orléans. II. How the bishops were presented to him, and how he himself prepared a banquet. III. Concerning the singers, and the silver of Mummolus. IV. The praise of King Childebert. V. Concerning the visions which the king, or we ourselves, saw concerning Chilperic. VI. Concerning those whom we presented. VII. Concerning Bishop Palladius, how he said Mass.

VIII. Concerning the signs that were shown. IX. Concerning the oath given on behalf of Chilperic's son. X. Concerning the bodies of Merovech and Chlodovech. XI. Concerning the doorkeepers and the death of Boantus. XII. Concerning Bishop Theodore, and the calamity upon Ratharius. XIII. Concerning the embassy sent from Guntram to Childebert. XIV. Concerning the peril on the river. XV. Concerning the conversion of Ulfilaicus the deacon. XVI. The things he related concerning the miracles of Saint Martin. XVII. Concerning the signs which appeared. XVIII. That Childebert sent an army into Italy, and which dukes and counts were either appointed or removed. XIX. Concerning the death of Abbot Dagulf. XX. The things that were done in the Synod of Mâcon. XXI. Concerning the assembly at Belsonnacum, and the violated tomb. XXII. Concerning the death of the bishops, and of Wandelinus. XXIII.

Concerning the floods. XXIV. Concerning the islands of the sea. XXV. Concerning the island in which blood appeared. XXVI. Concerning Eberulf who was a duke. XXVII. That Desiderius went off to the king. XXVIII. Concerning Hermenegild and Ingund, and concerning the envoys of the Spaniards sent secretly to Fredegund. XXIX. That Fredegund sent men to kill Childebert. XXX. That an army went off into Septimania. XXXI. Concerning the killing of Bishop Praetextatus. XXXII. Concerning the death of Domnola the wife of Nectarius. XXXIII. Concerning the burning of the city of Paris. XXXIV. Concerning the recluses that were tempted. XXXV. Concerning the envoys of the Spaniards. XXXVI. Concerning the death of Magnovald. XXXVII. That a son was born to Childebert. XXXVIII. That the Spaniards burst into the Gauls. XXXIX. Concerning the death of the bishops. XL. Concerning Pelagius of Tours.

XLI. Concerning those who killed Bishop Praetextatus. XLII. That Bippolenus was made duke. XLIII. That Nicetus was ordained governor of Provence, and concerning the things which Antistius did. XLIV. Concerning the man who wished to kill King Guntram. XLV. Concerning the death of Duke Desiderius. XLVI. Concerning the death of King Leuvigild. 1. So then King Guntram, in the twenty-fourth year of his reign, having set out from Chalon, advances upon the city of Nevers. For having been invited, he was coming to Paris, that he might receive from the sacred font of regeneration the son of Chilperic, whom he was already calling Clothar. Departing from Nevers, he came to the city of Orléans, showing himself at that time a great man to his citizens.

For, being invited, he went into their houses, and tasted the meals that were set before him; greatly enriched by them, he likewise bestowed gifts upon those same people with overflowing kindness. But when he had come to the city of Orléans, it was on that day the festival of blessed Martin, that is, the fourth before the Nones of the fifth month. And there went out to meet him an immense throng of people with banners and standards, singing praises. And on this side the tongue of the Syrians, on that side of the Latins, on this side too of the Jews themselves, resounded variously in diverse praises, saying: "Long live the king, and may his kingdom be enlarged over diverse peoples for countless years." But the Jews, who seemed to be sharers in these praises, were saying: "Let all nations adore you and bend the knee to you, and let them be subject to you."

Whence it came to pass that, when Mass had been celebrated and the king sat down to the banquet, he said: "Woe to the Jewish people, evil and faithless, and ever living with a treacherous mind! For it is for this reason," said he, "that today they dared to raise flattering acclamations to me, that all nations should adore me as their lord, so that I might order their synagogue, which long ago was destroyed by the Christians, to be raised up again at public expense; which, the Lord forbidding it, I shall never do." O king illustrious for admirable prudence! Thus he understood the guile of the heretics, so that they could in no way snatch from him by stealth what they were afterwards about to suggest. For already, in the midst of the feast, the king spoke to the priests who were present, saying:

"I ask that tomorrow in my house I may merit your blessing, and that salvation may come to me at your entering, so that from this I may be made whole, when the words of your blessings shall have flowed down upon my lowly self." As he was saying this, all giving thanks, we rose up when the feast was ended. II. But when morning had come, while the king was visiting the holy places for the sake of prayer, he came to our lodging. For there was there a basilica of Saint Avitus the abbot, whom we have mentioned in the Book of Miracles. I rose up rejoicing, I confess, to meet him, and when prayer had been offered I beseech him that in my dwelling he would deign to receive the eulogiae of blessed Martin. And he, not refusing this, entered with kindly spirit, and having drunk a cup, and having admonished us to the banquet, departed glad.

At that time Bertram, bishop of Bordeaux, together with Palladius of Saintes, was greatly hated by the king on account of their reception of Gundovald, whom we mentioned above (Book VII, chapter 51); but Bishop Palladius especially had incurred the king's anger on this account, that he had often deceived him. For a little while before they had been examined by the rest of the bishops and the king's nobles as to why they had received Gundovald, and why they had ordained Faustianus bishop of Dax at his most frivolous command. But Bishop Palladius, removing this charge of the ordination from his metropolitan Bertram, took it upon himself, saying: "The eyes of my metropolitan were greatly afflicted with pains, and I, despoiled and despised, was led unwillingly by him into that place."

"I could do nothing else but what he commanded, who testified that he had received all the sovereignty of the Gauls." When these things had been reported to the king, he was greatly disturbed, so that it could scarcely be obtained that he should invite to the banquet those whom he had not previously looked upon. And so, as Bertram was entering, the king asks: "Who," says he, "is this man? For it is long since he was seen by me." And they said: "This is Bertram, bishop of the city of Bordeaux." To whom he said: "We give thanks that you have so kept faith with your kindred. For it behoved you to know, most beloved father, that you were a kinsman to us on our mother's side, and you ought not to have brought a foreign plague" — that is, Gundovald — "upon your own people."

And when Bertram had heard such things and the like, the king, turning to Palladius, said: "Nor to you, O Bishop Palladius, are too many thanks to be rendered. For three times you perjured yourself against me — a thing wicked to say of a bishop — sending little notes full of deceit; by letters you excused yourself from me, and you were inviting my brother with other writings. For God has judged my cause, since I always strove to entreat you as fathers of the church, and you always acted toward me with guile." And to the bishops Nicasius and Antidius he said: "What have you, O most holy fathers, devised for the good of the region, or for the welfare of our kingdom? Declare it!"

While they too kept silent, the king washes his hands, and having received the blessing from the priests, sat down again at the table with a broad countenance and cheerful face, as though he had spoken nothing concerning the contempt shown him. III. Meanwhile, the meal being now half finished, the king commands that I should order our deacon — who before the day, at Mass, had sung the responsorial psalm — to sing. And while he was singing, he commands me again that all the priests who were present should, at my reminding, be ordered to sing before the king, each one of them having a cleric assigned from his own service. So at my reminding, according to the king's command, each one, as best he could, chanted a responsorial psalm in the king's presence. And when the courses were being brought in, the king said:

"All the silver that you behold belonged to that perjured Mummolus (see Book VII, chapter 40). But now, by the granting of the Lord's grace, it has been transferred into our dominion; for of it I have already cut up fifteen platters, like this larger one which you see, and I have kept back from it no more than this one, and another of one hundred and seventy pounds. And what more is needful for me to retain than what is necessary for daily use? For I — what is worse — have no other son besides Childebert, for whom enough may be had of the treasures which his father left him; and I have already taken care to transmit to him the goods of that most wretched man, which were found at Avignon. The rest indeed shall be given to the needs of the poor and of the churches." IV.

"This one thing only, O priests of the Lord, I beseech of you, that for my son Childebert you would implore the Lord's mercy. For he is a man wise and of good worth, such that scarcely so cautious and energetic a man could be found among those of many years' age. For if God shall deign to grant him to these Gauls, perhaps there will be hope that through him our people, which is greatly exhausted, may be able to rise again. And I do not doubt that this will come to pass according to His mercy, because such was the presage of the boy's birth. For on the holy day of Easter, while my brother Sigibert was standing in the church, as the deacon was coming forward with the holy book of the Gospels, a messenger came to the king, and there was one voice of him who proclaimed the Gospel lesson and of the messenger who said:

"'A son is born to you' — whence it came to pass that all the people, at the twofold announcement, cried out together: 'Glory to God Almighty.' But he received baptism on the holy day of Pentecost, and the king nonetheless was raised up on the holy day of the Lord's Nativity. Wherefore, if your prayer follows after, this one will be able, by the Lord's granting, to reign." When the king had said these things, all poured forth prayer to the Lord, that His mercy might preserve both the king and his son. And the king added: "But because his mother Brunhild threatens to kill me, yet I have no dread from this. For the Lord, who delivered me from the hands of my enemies, will also free me from her snares." V.

He then spoke many things against Theodore as well, protesting that, if he should come to the synod, he would again be thrust into exile, saying: "For I know that on their account he caused my brother Chilperic to be slain. Indeed, we ought not to be reckoned as men, if we are unable to avenge his death this year." To which I replied: "And who slew Chilperic, except his own malice and your prayer? For he stretched out against you many snares contrary to justice, which brought upon him the doom of death. And, that I may say it, I beheld this clearly through a vision of a dream, when I saw him, his head shorn by you, ordained as it were a bishop, and then, set upon a chair, bare, covered only with soot, being carried, with lamps and candles shining before him."

While I was narrating these things, the king said: "I too saw another vision, which announced his destruction. For he was being brought into my sight, bound with chains, by three bishops, of whom one was Tetricus, another Agricola, and the third was Nicetius of Lyon, and of these two were saying: 'We beseech you, loose him, and, when he has been chastised, permit him to go away.' To whom, on the contrary, with bitterness, Bishop Tetricus answered: 'It shall not be so, but he shall be consumed by fire for his crimes.' And when for a long while they had uttered these words among themselves as though contending, I espy at a distance a bronze cauldron set over a fire, boiling fiercely. Then, while I wept, they seize the wretched Chilperic, and with his limbs broken cast him into the cauldron."