2. The blessed Radegunda’s death.
3. The man who came to king Gunthram with a knife.
4. Another son is born to Childebert.
5. Prodigies.
6. They who lead astray and soothsayers.
7. Removal from office of duke Ennodius; the Gascons.
8. The appearance at court of Gunthram Boso.
9. Rauching’s death.
10. Gunthram Boso’s death.
11. Meeting of the kings.
12. Death of Ursio and of Bertefred.
13. Baddo who had been kept prisoner when on an embassy and long
after was set free; dysentery.
14. Reconciliation between bishop Egidius and duke Lupus.
15. Richared’s conversion.
16. His embassy to our kings.
17. A hard year.
18. The Bretons and the death of bishop Namatius.
19. Killing of Sichar a citizen of Tours.
20. I am sent to king Gunthram on an embassy to maintain the peace.
21. The charities and goodness of the king.
22. The plague at Marseilles.
23. Death of bishop Ageric and his successor.
24. Episcopate of Fronimius.
25. Childebert’s army goes into Italy.
26. Death of queen Ingoberga.
27. Amalo’s death.
28. The beautiful things which queen Brunhilda sent.
29. The Lombards ask peace of king Childebert.
30. Assessors at Poitiers and Tours.
31. King Gunthram sends an army to Septimania.
32. Enmity between Childebert and Gunthram.
33. The nun Ingytrude goes to Childebert to make charges against
her daughter.
34. Quarrels between Fredegunda and her daughter.
35. Killing of Waddo.
36. King Childebert sends Theodobert his son to Soissons.
37. Bishop Droctigisil.
38. What some wished to do to queen Brunhilda.
39. The scandal which arose in the convent of Poitiers through
Chrodechild and Basina.
40. The first beginning of the scandal.
41. The fight in St. Hilarius’s church.
42. Copy of the letter which the holy Radegunda sent to the bishops.
43. The priest Theuther comes to end this scandal.
44. The weather.
HERE THE CHAPTERS END
IN CHRIST’S NAME HERE BEGINS BOOK NINE IN THE TWELFTH YEAR OF KING
CHILDEBERT
[1. Richared, the new king of Spain, sends legates to Gunthram and
Childebert; they are not received by Gunthram. 2. Death of Radegunda.]
3. Meantime the festival of Saint Marcellus came, which is celebrated
in the seventh month in the city of Chalon, and king Gunthram was
present. And 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 opportunity could be found to get at him
with swords 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 beheaded.
[4. A second son, Theodoric, is born to Childebert. 5. Prodigies.
Among others a village with cottages and men disappeared suddenly.]
6. 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.[EN] For he ordered paralytics 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 result was
that many died under this torture. And the wretch was so presumptuous
that he said he 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 whom
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 any one said any evil of
him far away and secretly 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 abstemious 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. But his trickery 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 Spains and was
bringing relics of the blessed martyrs Vincent the deacon and Felix.
He arrived at Tours 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 at his hardihood 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 Chilperic; he will avenge this
contemptuous treatment of me.” He paid no more attention to me but
went into the oratory[EO] 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 Ragnemod 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 holydays 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 impostor 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 into 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 had done before, but was captured and put in chains by the
archdeacon and kept in custody. In these 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 Saint
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 to return thanks to God and found him
sleeping. And such a stench came from him that that 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 and scattered sweet-smelling 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 bade him be brought to receive correction. And when he
stood by, Amelius, bishop of Tarbes, looked at him and recognized
him as his slave who had run away. He secured his pardon and so took
him back to his native place. There are many who practise these
impostures 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. Ennodius, duke of Tours and Poitiers, is removed from office. The
Gascons make an inroad on Frankish territory, and also the Goths. 8.
Childebert desires to punish Gunthram Boso for the insults he had
offered to Brunhilda during Childebert’s minority. 9. Rauchingus,
Ursio, and Bertefred, enemies of Brunhilda, plot Childebert’s death.
Rauchingus is trapped and brutally killed. Ursio and Bertefred take
refuge in a stronghold.]
10. While this was going on king Gunthram sent a second time to his
nephew Childebert saying: “Let there be no delay; come, that I may
see you. For 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
Magneric of the city of Trèves was present also, and Gunthram Boso
came, whom bishop Ageric 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 that 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. Now the kings met and he was judged guilty on various
grounds and was ordered to be put to death. When he learned it he
flew to Magneric’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, whence 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 that either one death
overtakes us or an equal life shall protect us. O holy bishop, I know
that you share with the king the place of father to his son[64] 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: “And how can I do it if I am kept here by you. Let me go to beg
the king’s mercy and perhaps he will pity you.” But he replied: “By
no means, but send abbots and men you trust to carry the message I
propose.” 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 Gunthram 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 and struck 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[EP] that with the
heads sticking in his body and the shafts 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, headlong in avarice, 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 of 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 the
future from them, but was always deceived.
[11. Gunthram and Childebert settle their differences amicably.
12. Ursio and Bertefred are dislodged from their stronghold and
slain. 13. Baddo is allowed to go free. Dysentery is severe in Metz.
Wiliulf’s wife marries a third time. 14. Bishop Egidius of Rheims
makes his peace with Childebert.]
[EQ]15. Now at that time in Spain king Richared 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 that was worshiped
with distinction 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 Richared 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 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
Narbonne to tell what he had done and bring the people to a like
belief. The bishop of the Arian sect there at the time was Athalocus
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 Arius who, as the historian Eusebius relates,[ER] 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 Richared sends an embassy to Gunthram and Childebert. It
is not received by Gunthram. 17. An unusually cold spring. 18. The
Bretons ravage the territory of Nantes.]
19. The feud among the citizens of Tours which, as we have stated
above, was ended, burst out again with renewed fury. After slaying
Chramsind’s kinsmen Sichar 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 Chramsind made ready a dinner towards
night and invited Sichar. He came and they sat down together to
dinner. And Sichar became drunk with wine and made many boasts to
Chramsind, 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 Chramsind heard Sichar’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 Sichar’s
head. Sichar made a little cry and immediately fell and died. The
attendants who had come with him rushed away. Chramsind stripped
the garments from his lifeless body and hung it on a picket[ES] of
the 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 Sichar, who
was under her protection, had been killed in such a way, and she
became angry at Chramsind. When he saw that she was against him he
went to Bouges, a village in the territory of Bourges where his
kinsmen lived, because it was in Gunthram’s kingdom. And Tranquilla,
Sichar’s wife, left her sons and her husband’s property in Tours
and Poitiers and went to her kinsmen at Pont-sur-Seine and there
married again. Sichar was twenty years old when he died. He was in
his lifetime a fickle, drunken, murderous person, who offered insults
to many when he was drunk. Later Chramsind returned to the king and
it was decided that he must prove that Sichar had killed his kinsmen.
This he did. But since queen Brunhilda had placed Sichar under her
protection, as we have said, she ordered Chramsind’s property to
be confiscated. But later it was returned by the court official
Flavian.[ET] In addition he went to Agen and got a letter from
Flavian directing that no one should touch him. Flavian had received
his property from the queen.
20. In that year, which was also the thirteenth 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: “O
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 are acceptable
to you and of advantage to the people. As regards the matters of
which you spoke together he promises to fulfil 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 Senlis is
not surrendered;[EU] the men whom I wished to go for my good, since
they are my enemies, they have not let go. And in what sense 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 fulfil them all, so
that if you wish to send [men] to divide Senlis there need be no
delay; for you shall receive your own at once. And as to the men you
mention let their names be given in writing and all that is promised
shall be fulfilled.” We spoke of these matters and the king 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 Andelot to arrange with full counsel whatever might in any way
cause a quarrel among them, it was affectionately settled, resolved
upon and agreed between them by the mediation of the bishops and
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 Sigibert of good memory, claimed that the whole
share which Sigibert had received from Charibert’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 Sigibert
from Charibert’s kingdom by written agreement, with the castles of
Châteaudun and Vendôme and whatever the said king received of the
district of Étampes 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 Charibert’s kingdom while lord Sigibert was alive. In like
manner king Childebert asserts his right from the present to Meaux
and to two-thirds of Senlis, Tours, Poitiers, Avranches, Aire, Saint
Lizier, Bayonne, and Albi with their territories. The condition being
observed that he of these 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 without children, 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 Clodechild 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 fisc or valuable articles or
money, or to bestow them on any one, let it be kept with a good title
forever and not be taken from any one at any time, and let her be
under the protection and defense of lord Childebert, since she ought
to possess in 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 not 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 Theodobert 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 a
spiritual love lord Childebert’s mother, queen Brunhilda, and her
daughter Clodosind, sister of king Childebert, while she is in the
country of the Franks, and his queen Faileuba 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 fisc or articles or money of their own free will, or
to present them to any one, let it be kept with a good title forever,
and let their will in this respect not be disregarded by any one at
any time. And as to the cities, namely, Bordeaux, Limoges, Cahors,
Lescar, and Cieutat, which it is well known that Galsuntha, lady
Brunhilda’s sister, acquired as dowry or _morganegyba_, that is,
morning gift, when she came into Francia, and which lady Brunhilda
is known to have acquired by the decision of the glorious lord king
Gunthram and of the Franks when Chilperic and king Sigibert were
still alive, it is agreed that the lady Brunhilda shall have as her
property from to-day the city of Cahors with its lands and all its
people, but the other cities named lord Gunthram 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 Brunhilda
and her heirs, but while lord Gunthram lives they shall not at any
time or on any pretext be claimed by lady Brunhilda or her son king
Childebert or his sons. In the same way it is agreed that lord
Childebert shall hold Senlis in entirety, and as far as the third
therein due to lord Gunthram is concerned he shall be compensated
by the third belonging to lord Childebert which is in Ressons.[EV]
Likewise it is agreed that according to the agreements entered into
between lord Gunthram and lord Sigibert of blessed memory, the
_leudes_ who originally took oath to lord Gunthram 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 Sigibert
and then have passed to the other side shall be removed likewise.
Also whatever the kings mentioned have given to churches or to their
followers, or in future by God’s favor wish to give in accordance
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 owned through the
generosity of previous kings down to the death of lord king Clothar
of 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 others _leudes_
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 prospective and
present, and it shall turn to the advantage of him 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 before the Kalends of December in the twenty-sixth
year of the reign of the lord king Gunthram 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 legate Felix who had come
with us and said: “Tell me, Felix, have you established a close
friendship between my sister Brunhilda and Fredegunda the enemy of
God and man?” When he replied “no” I said: “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 not to lose the affection of
my nephew king Childebert. For 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 Richared has sent an embassy to your
nephew to ask for your niece Clodosinda, your brother’s daughter,
in marriage. But he was unwilling to make any promise without your
advice.”[EW] 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 my niece[EX] Ingunda 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 Clotosinda
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 promised that he would fulfil all
and Felix added: “He begs your goodness to give him help[EY] against
the Lombards so that they may 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 meet 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 canons 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 of incest and matters
which are in discussion between us. But the most important case of
all is that of God, since you must investigate why bishop Prætextatus
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 bishops’ 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
Kalends of the fourth month.[65] 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 in cheer. 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 bade 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 king himself, as we have often said, was great in almsgiving
and unwearied in watches and fasting. It was told at the time that
Marseilles was suffering greatly from the bubonic plague and that
the disease had spread swiftly as far as the village in the country
of Lyons called Octavus. But the king like a good bishop was for
providing remedies by which the wounds of the sinful people could
be cured,[EZ] and ordered all to assemble at the church and engage
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,[FA] 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 to
her son to drink, and at once the fever died 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 Marseilles 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. Meantime a ship from Spain put in at the port with its
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, but after a definite time like a fire in
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. Ageric, bishop of Verdun, dies of chagrin because Gunthram Boso,
whose safety he had pledged, had been killed, and because Bertefred
had been killed in his oratory. 24. Phronius the new bishop of Vence.
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 Ingoberga 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 and bring her to his 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 beat 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 found his sword and drew it, and like Judith Holofernes
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 thirty-five 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 kinsman 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. Brunhilda’s messenger to the Spanish king is detained by
Gunthram. 29. Childebert sends an army against the Lombards.]
[FB]30. King Childebert at the invitation of Bishop Maroveus sent
assessors to Poitiers, namely, Florientian, the queen’s majordomo,
and Romulf, count of 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 and the weak. And they made an orderly examination
and released the poor and sick and subjected to the public tax those
who should justly pay. And so they came to Tours. 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: “It is well known that the city
of Tours 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 Charibert 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 which would tend to despoil them. And count Gaiso
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 Sigibert 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 some one’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 Ingytrude, head of the convent within St. Martin’s walls, and
her daughter.]
34. Rigunda, daughter of Chilperic, often made malicious charges
against her mother and said that she was mistress and that her
mother ought to serve her,[FC] 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 store-room
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 when her mother seized the lid and slammed it down on
her head. 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 Rigunda was guilty of.
35. Beretrude,[FG] when dying, appointed her daughter heir, leaving
certain property to the nunneries she had founded and to the
cathedrals and churches of the holy confessors. But Waddo,[FH] whom
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 and which 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 warlike preparations were being
made against her husband, and she said to 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 detain
him, and her son also said: “If you go, we will be killed together
and you will leave my mother a widow and my brothers orphans.” But
these words altogether failed to hold him back and he was enflamed
with madness at his son, and calling him cowardly and soft he threw
his ax 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 his 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 spear-head came out
of 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 his son, uttering
mournful cries, got him upon 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
Soissons. 37. Bishop Droctigisil goes insane from excessive drinking
or because evil arts had been practiced on him. 38. A plot against
Brunhilda and Childebert’s wife. 39-43. The story in detail of the
secession of forty nuns[FI] from the convent at Poitiers, with
documents involved in the case. 44. The weather.]
HERE ENDS THE NINTH BOOK.
FOOTNOTES:
[64] Godfather.
[65] June.
IN CHRIST’S NAME HERE BEGIN THE CHAPTERS OF THE TENTH BOOK
1. Pope Gregory of Rome.
2. Return of the legate Grippo from the emperor Maurice.
3. King Childebert’s army goes into Italy.
4. The emperor Maurice sends the slayers of the legates to the
Gauls.
5. Chuppa attacks the territory of Tours.
6. The prisoners in Clermont.
7. In the same city king Childebert remits the tribute of the
clergy.
8. Eulalius and Tetradia who had been his wife.
9. King Gunthram’s army which marched into Brittany.
10. Killing of Chundo his chamberlain.
11. Sickness of the younger Clothar.
12. Berthegunda’s wickedness.
13. Argument on the resurrection.
14. Death of the deacon Theodulf.
15. Scandal at the convent at Poitiers.
16. The judgment on Chrodield and Basina.
17. Their excommunication.
18. Assassins sent to king Childebert.
19. Removal of Egidius bishop of Rheims.
20. The nuns mentioned above are pardoned at this synod.
21. Killing of Waddo’s sons.
22. Killing of the Saxon Childeric.
23. Prodigies and the uncertainty about Easter.
24. The destruction of Antioch.
25. Death of the man who said he was Christ.
26. Death of bishops Ragnimod and Sulpicius.
27. The men whom Fredegunda ordered to be put to death.
28. Baptism of her son Clothar.
29. The conversion, miracles, and death of the blessed Aridius
abbot of Limoges.
30. The year.
31. List of the bishops of Tours.
HERE END THE CHAPTERS OF THE TENTH BOOK
IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST HERE BEGINS THE TENTH BOOK
1. In the fifteenth year of king Childebert 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 store-houses of the church
were overturned and several thousand measures of wheat 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_.[66] It came in the middle of the
eleventh month and according to what is read in the prophet Ezekiel:
“Begin at my sanctuary,” 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.[FJ]
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 a 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
appear in the city arrayed 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
Mauricius whose son he had taken from the holy font, adjuring him and
entreating 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[FK]
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 makes an address to 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 “Kyrie eleison.” Our deacon who was there said that in
the space of one hour while the people uttered cries of supplication
to the Lord eighty 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.[FL]
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 of bishop 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.
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.[FM] 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 Evantius, 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 Bodigisel, son of
Mummolinus of Soissons, and Evantius, son of Dinamius of Arles, 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 Bodigisil went out they killed him with the sword and likewise
Evantius. And when they lay before the door of the lodging Grippo
seized his armor and went out to them with the men 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, since you butcher 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. To-day I call God to witness that it is your
crime that has caused the promised peace to be kept no longer between
the princes.” When 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 Childebert should give. Then Grippo received gifts from
the emperor and returned without being molested.
3. These matters were related by Grippo to king Childebert, who at
once commanded his army to march into Italy and sent twenty dukes
to conquer the Lombards. I have not thought it necessary to set
their names down here in order. But duke Audovald with Wintrio 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 Italian boundary Audovald 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
Olo went rashly to Bellinzona, a stronghold of this 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
_Ceresium_[67] 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, shouted against the army
of the Franks, saying, “To-day 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 and pitched 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 burn
with fire and the smoke rising up to heaven, be assured that we are
close at hand with the army which we promised.” However they waited
according to agreement six days and saw none of them come.
And Chedinus 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
it rained 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 fidelity
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.…
4. Maurice caused the Carthaginians who had killed king Childebert’s
legates the previous year, to be bound and loaded with chains and
sent them to Childebert’s presence, twelve 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 three hundred 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 Childebert 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 legate 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 defence. 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.
5. In these days Chuppa, who had once been king Chilperic’s
constable, made an inroad into the territory of Tours and desired
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; they were sent
in fetters to king Childebert. He ordered them to be thrown into
prison and examined as to who it was by whose aid Chuppa escaped from
being captured by his pursuers. They answered that it was through a
stratagem of the vicar[FN] 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
he should attempt resistance he was to crush him by force and even
kill him, if he wished to gain the king’s favor. But Animodus made
no resistance but gave sureties and went as he was told, and finding
Flavian 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 presents to the court-official. Chuppa a second
time roused some of his people and purposed to carry off the daughter
of Badigysel, former bishop of Mans, to marry her. He made a night
attack with a band of his companions on the village of Mareil to
fulfil his purpose, but Magnatrude, 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.
[6. Miraculous deliverance of prisoners in a jail in Auvergne.]
[FO]7. In the same city king Childebert most piously 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. For 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
Childebert by inspiration of God directed that the trouble should be
remedied and the amount which was due to the fisc from these should
not be exacted from the collectors, and that arrearage should not
deprive any tiller of church land of his benefice.
[FP]8. Where the territories of Auvergne, Gévaudan, and Rouergue
meet, a synod of bishops was held to hear the case against Tetradia,
widow of Desiderius, from whom count Eulalius 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 Eulalius
and fled to Desiderius. Eulalius, 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 Cautinus, 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, Eulalius
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 Eulalius went forward to the altar the
bishop said: “Common 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 and the 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.” Eulalius received the Eucharist and had
communion and departed. He had a wife, Tetradia by name, noble on her
mother’s side, of low rank by her father. And in his house he took
the maidservants for concubines 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,
Virus,--this was the man’s name--her husband’s nephew, fell in love
with her and wished to marry her since he had lost his wife. Virus
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, but
she left the younger 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 Virus and
killed him in a narrow valley of Auvergne. And Desiderius who had
lately lost his wife heard that Virus had been killed and married
Tetradia. But Eulalius took a girl by force from the convent at Lyons
and married her. 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 Socratius, 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 Auvergne. And Innocent being now
a candidate for the bishopric of Rodez, Eulalius sent a message to
him that he could recover by Innocent’s aid 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, I will do what you ask.” Eulalius sent the boy named John and
received his property back. And Innocent received the boy and shaved
the hair of his head and put him in the care of the archdeacon of his
church. And he became so abstemious 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 cities mentioned, and
Tetradia was represented by Agyn and Eulalius appeared to speak
against her. When Eulalius asked for the things she had taken from
his home when she went to Desiderius, Tetradia was ordered to repay
what she took fourfold, and the children that she had by Desiderius
were declared illegitimate; they also directed that if she paid
Eulalius what she was ordered to pay him, she would have the liberty
of going to Auvergne and of enjoying without disturbance the property
which had come to her from her father. This was done.
[9. Gunthram sends an expedition against the Bretons which proves a
failure.]
[FR]10. In the fifteenth year[FQ] of king Childebert which is the
twenty-ninth of Gunthram, while king Gunthram was hunting in the
Vosges 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 Chundo the king’s
chamberlain. Upon this he ordered Chundo to be arrested and taken
to Chalon loaded with chains. And when the two were confronted with
each other in the king’s presence and Chundo 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 his fallen adversary’s
throat he himself received a dagger thrust in the belly. Both fell
dead. Seeing this Chundo started to run to Saint 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.
[11. King Clothar is dangerously ill. 12. Ingytrude, abbess 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.
13. One of Gregory’s priests is “infected with the malignant poison
of the Sadducean heresy.”[68] He is overcome in argument by Gregory.
14. Story of the drunken priest Theodulf who falls off the wall of
Angers and is killed.]
15. The scandal which by the help of the devil had arisen in the
monastery at Poitiers was growing worse every day and Chrodield[69]
was sitting all prepared for strife, having gathered to herself, as I
have said above, murderers, sorcerers, adulterers, run-away slaves and
men guilty of all other crimes. And so she gave orders to them to
break into the monastery at night and drag the abbess from it. But the
latter heard the uproar coming and asked to be carried to the chest
containing the relics of the holy cross[70]--for she was painfully
troubled with gout--thinking that she would be kept safe by their aid.
Accordingly[71] when the men had entered and lit the candles and were
hurrying with weapons ready here and there through the monastery
looking for her, they went into the oratory and found her lying on the
ground before the chest of the holy cross. Thereupon one who was
fiercer than the rest, having come on purpose to commit this crime,
namely, to cleave the abbess in two with the sword, was given a knife
stab by another, the divine providence aiding in this, I suppose. The
blood gushed out and he fell to the ground without fulfilling the vow
he had foolishly made. Meantime Justina,[72] the prioress, and the
other sisters had taken the cloth of the altar which was before the
Lord’s cross and covered the abbess with it, putting the lights out at
the same time. But the men came with drawn swords and spears and tore
the nuns’ clothes and almost crushed their hands and seized the
prioress instead of the abbess, since it was dark, and pulled her
robes off and tore her hair down and dragged her out and carried her
off to place her under guard at St. Hilary’s Church; but, as the dawn
was coming on, they perceived when near the church that it was not the
abbess, and presently they told the woman to return to the monastery.
They returned, too, and seized the abbess and dragged her away and
confined her near St. Hilary’s Church in a place where Basina[73]
lodged, setting guards at the door so that no one should give aid to
the captive. At the next twilight they entered the monastery and when
they found no candles to light they took a cask from the storehouse
which had been pitched and left to dry and set fire to it, and there
was a great light while it burned, and they made plunder of all the
furniture of the monastery, leaving only what they were unable to
carry off. This happened seven days before Easter. And as the bishop
was distressed at all this and could not calm this strife of the
devil, he sent to Chrodield, saying: “Let the abbess go, so that she
shall not be kept in prison during these days; otherwise I will not
celebrate the Lord’s Easter festival nor shall any catechumen receive
baptism in this city unless you order the abbess to be set free from
the confinement in which she is held. And if you refuse to let her go,
I will call the citizens together and rescue her.” When he said this,
Chrodield appointed assassins, saying: “If any one tries to carry her
off by violence, give her a thrust with the sword at once.” Now
Flavian came in those days; he had lately been appointed _domesticus_,
and by his aid the abbess entered St. Hilary’s Church and was free.
Meantime murders were being committed at the holy Radegunda’s[74]
tomb, and certain persons were hacked to death in a disturbance before
the very chest that contained the relics of the holy cross. And since
this madness increased daily because of Chrodield’s pride, and
continual murders and other deeds of violence, such as I have
mentioned above, were being done by her faction, and she had become so
swollen up with boastfulness that she looked down with lofty contempt
upon her own cousin Basina, the latter began to repent and say: “I
have done wrong in supporting haughty Chrodield. Behold I am an object
of contempt to her and am made to appear a rebel against my abbess.”
She changed her course and humbled herself before the abbess and asked
for peace with her; and they were equally of one thought and purpose.
Then when the outrages broke out again, the men who were with the
abbess, while resisting an attack which Chrodield’s followers[75] had
made, wounded one of Basina’s men who fell dead. But the abbess’ men
took refuge behind the abbess in the church of the confessor, and on
this account Basina left the abbess and departed. But the men fled a
second time, and the abbess and Basina entered again into friendly
relations as before. Afterward many feuds arose between these
factions;[76] and who could ever set forth in words such wounds, such
killings, and such wrong-doings, where scarcely a day passed without a
murder, or an hour without a quarrel, or a moment without tears. King
Childebert heard of this, and sent an embassy to king Gunthram to
propose that bishops of both kingdoms should meet and punish these
actions in accordance with the canons. And king Childebert ordered my
humble self[77] to sit on this case, together with Eberegisel of
Cologne and Maroveus himself, bishop of Poitiers; and king Gunthram
sent Gundigisil of Bordeaux with his provincials, since he was the
metropolitan of this city. But I began to object, saying: “I will not
go to this place unless the rebellion which has arisen because of
Chrodield, is forcibly put down by the judge.”[78] For this reason a
command was sent to Macco, who was then count, in which he was ordered
to put the rebellion down by force if they should resist. Chrodield
heard of this and ordered her assassins to stand armed before the door
of the oratory, thinking they would fight against the judge, and if he
wished to use force, they would resist with equal force. So it was
necessary for this count to go there with armed men and to beat some
with clubs and pierce others with spears, and when they resisted
fiercely he had to attack and overwhelm them with the sword. When
Chrodield saw this, she took the Lord’s cross, the miraculous power of
which she had before despised, and came out to meet them saying: “Do
no violence to me, I beg of you, for I am a queen, daughter of one
king and cousin of another; don’t do it, lest a time may come for me
to take vengeance on you.” But the throng paid little heed to what she
said but rushed, as I have said, upon those who were resisting and
bound them and dragged them from the monastery and tied them to stakes
and beat them fiercely and cut off the hair of some, the hands of
others, and in a good many cases the ears and nose, and the rebellion
was crushed and there was peace. Then the bishops who were present sat
on the tribunal of the church, and Chrodield appeared and gave vent to
much abuse of the abbess and many charges, asserting that she had a
man in the monastery who wore woman’s clothes and was treated as a
woman although he had been very clearly shown to be a man, and that he
was in constant attendance on the abbess herself, and she pointed her
finger at him and said: “There he is himself.” And when this man had
taken the stand before all in woman’s clothes, as I have stated, he
said that he was impotent and therefore had put these clothes on; but
he did not know the abbess except by name and he asserted that he had
never seen her or spoken with her, as he lived more than forty miles
from the city of Poitiers. Then as she had not proved the abbess
guilty of this crime, she added: “What holiness is there in this
abbess who makes men eunuchs and orders them to live with her as if
she were an empress.” The abbess, being questioned, replied that she
knew nothing of this matter. Meantime when Chrodield had given the
name of the man who was a eunuch, Reoval, the chief physician,
appeared and said: “This man when he was a child was diseased in the
thigh and was so ill that his life was despaired of; his mother went
to the holy Radegunda to request that he should have some attention.
But she called me and bade me give what assistance I could. Then I
castrated him in the way I had once seen physicians do in
Constantinople, and restored the boy in good health to his sorrowing
mother; I am sure the abbess knows nothing of this matter.” Now when
Chrodield had failed to prove the abbess guilty on this charge also,
she began fiercely to make others. But I have decided that it is
better to insert the charges and the rebuttals of each in my narrative
just as they are contained in the decision which was given as regards
these same persons.
16. _Copy of the Decision._ To the most glorious kings the bishops
who are present[79] [send greetings]. By God’s favor religion
properly discloses her causes to the pious and orthodox kings who are
given to the people and to whom the country is granted, knowing well
that through the mediation of the holy spirit she is made a partner
in the decree of the rulers and is supported by it. And whereas in
accordance with the command of your majesties we are assembled at
Poitiers on account of the situation in the monastery of Radegunda
of holy memory, in order to take cognizance at first hand of the
disputes between the abbess of the said monastery and the nuns who
left the flock for no sound reason; we summoned the parties and
interrogated Chrodield and Basina as to why they had so boldly
departed contrary to the rule, breaking the doors of the monastery,
and why the united congregation had at this time been broken in two.
In answer they asserted that they could not endure any longer the
risk of starvation, nakedness, and above all of beating; and they
added also that several men had bathed in their bath contrary to
decency, and that the abbess played games, and that worldly persons
dined with her, and that a betrothal had actually taken place in the
monastery; that she had impiously made a dress for her niece out of
a silk altar cloth, and that she had frivolously taken the golden
leaves which were on the border of the altar cloth and sinfully
hung them about her niece’s neck; and she had made a fillet with
gold ornaments for her niece without any need for it, and that she
had a masquerade[80] in the monastery. We asked the abbess what she
had to answer to this, and she said that as to the complaint about
starvation, they had never endured too great privation considering
the poverty of the time. And as to clothes, she said that if one
were to examine their boxes, [he would find] they had more than was
necessary. And as to the charge about the bath, she related that the
bath had been built in the time of Lent and that on account of the
disagreeable smell of the limestone, in order that the newness of the
building might not do harm to the bathers, lady Radegunda had given
orders for the servants of the monastery to use it as a common thing
until all harmful odor had disappeared. It had been in common use
by the servants through Lent and until Pentecost. To this Chrodield
answered: “And later on in the same way many men bathed at different
times.” The abbess replied that she did not approve of what they
reported but she did not know whether it was true; moreover she found
fault with them for not informing the abbess if they had seen it. As
to the games she played, she answered that she had played when lady
Radegunda was alive and it was not regarded as a sin, and she said
that neither in the rule nor the canons was there any reference in
writing to their prohibition. However at the order of the bishops she
promised that she would bow her head and do whatever penance should
be demanded. As to the dinners, she said she had introduced no new
custom but had merely offered the blest bread to orthodox Christians
as had been done under lady Radegunda, and it could not be proved
against her that she had ever dined with them. As to the betrothal,
she said that she had received the earnest money[81] in behalf of her
niece, an orphan girl, in the presence of the bishop, the clergy and
the leading men, and if this was a sin, she would ask for pardon in
the presence of all; however not even on that occasion had she made
a feast in the monastery. In answer to the charge about the altar
cloth, she brought forward a nun of noble family who had given her as
a gift a silk robe she had received from her relatives, and she had
cut off a part of this to do what she wished with it, and from the
rest, which was sufficient, she had made a suitable cloth to adorn
the altar, and she used the scraps left over from the altar cloth to
trim her niece’s tunic with purple; and she said she gave this to her
niece when she was serving in the monastery. All this was confirmed
by Didimia who had given the robe. As to the leaves of gold and the
fillet adorned with gold, she offered Macco your servant, who is
here, as a witness, since it was by his hand that she received twenty
pieces of gold from the betrothed of the said girl her niece, from
which she had purchased these articles openly, and the property of
the monastery was not involved in it at all.
Chrodield and Basina were asked whether perchance they imputed
adultery to the abbess, which God forbid, or whether they could
say she had committed a murder or a sorcery or a capital crime for
which she should be punished. They replied they had nothing to say
to this; they only asserted that she had acted contrary to the rule
in the matters they had mentioned. Finally they said that nuns whom
we believed to be innocent were with child because of these faults,
namely, that the doors were broken open and the wretched women were
at liberty to do what they would for many months without discipline
from their abbess.
When we had discussed these charges in order and had found no
wrong-doing for which to degrade the abbess, we gave her a fatherly
admonition for the pardonable faults she had committed, and urged
her not to incur any reproof later. Then we inquired into the case
of the opposing party who had committed greater crimes, that is to
say, who, when within the monastery, had despised the warning of
their bishop not to go forth in despite of their bishop and had left
him in the monastery under the greatest contempt and had broken the
bars and doors and foolishly departed, involving other nuns in their
sin. Moreover when the archbishop Gundigisil with his provincials
had received notice of this case and come to Poitiers by order of
the king and had summoned them to a hearing at the monastery, they
disregarded his summons, and when the bishops went to them at the
church of St. Hilary the Confessor where they were staying, going
to them as is seemly for anxious pastors to do; while they were
receiving the admonition of the bishops a disturbance arose, and
they attacked the bishops and their attendants with clubs, and even
shed the blood of deacons within the church. Then when the venerable
priest Teuthar by command of the princes came to judge this case, and
the time for rendering the judgment had been fixed, they did not wait
for it but attacked the monastery like rebels, setting fire to casks
in the court-yard and breaking the doors with crow-bars and axes, and
setting fire, and beating and wounding nuns in the very oratories
within the walls, and plundering the monastery, and stripping
the clothes off the abbess and tearing her hair and dragging her
violently through the streets in derision and thrusting her into a
place where, although not in fetters, she was not free. And when the
festival of Easter came, which is always honored, the bishop offered
a ransom for the prisoner so that she could aid in baptism, but his
entreaty could not secure this for any consideration,--Chrodield
answered that she had neither known of such a crime nor ordered it,
adding further that it was at a sign from her that the abbess was not
killed by her people, from which we may be confident in inferring
that they were becoming more cruel--and they had killed a slave of
their own monastery who was fleeing to the blessed Radegunda’s tomb,
and instead of improving had gone deeper into crime; and later they
entered the monastery and took possession of it; and at the order
of the kings to produce the rebels in public they refused to obey,
and rather took up arms against the king’s command and wickedly rose
with arrows and lances against the count and the people. Then lately
when they appeared for a public hearing they took the holy and most
sacred cross secretly and wrongfully, which they were later forced
to restore to the church.
Having taken cognizance of so many capital crimes and of a wickedness
that was not restrained but continually increased, we told them that
they should beg the abbess for pardon for their sin and restore what
they had wrongfully taken. But they were unwilling to do this but
talked rather of killing her, a design they admitted in public. Then
we opened and read the canons, and it seemed most just that until
they made a suitable repentance they should be excommunicated and
the abbess should continue permanently in her place. This is what we
suggest should be done in accordance with your command, as far as
the interests of the church are concerned, having read the canons
and having made no distinction of persons. For the rest, as to the
property of the monastery and the deeds given by the kings your
kinsmen which have been stolen, and which they say they have but
disregard our orders and fail to return, it belongs to your piety,
your power and royal authority to compel them to be returned to their
place, in order that your reward and that of the previous kings may
continue for ever. Do not permit them to return or think of returning
again to the place which they so impiously and sacrilegiously
destroyed, lest worse may come. With the aid of the Lord let all be
wholly restored and returned to God under the catholic kings; let
religion lose nothing; let the decision of the fathers and the canons
be maintained and be of profit to us for worship and bring you gain.
May Christ the Lord support and guide you, may He bestow on you a
long reign and the blessed life.
17. After this when the decision was made known and they were
excommunicated and the abbess restored to the monastery, they went
to king Childebert, adding crime to crime, naming forsooth certain
persons to the king who not only lived in adultery with the abbess
but also sent messengers daily to his enemy Fredegunda. On hearing
this the king sent men to bring them in chains. But when they were
examined and no wrongdoing was found, they were let go.
[18. Attempt on the life of Childebert. 19. Bishop Egidius is removed
from office. 20. Basina and Chrodield are pardoned. 21. Waddo’s sons
are punished. 22. Death of Childeric.]
23. In this year there was such a light shed over the earth in the
night that one would think it mid-day; moreover balls of fire were
frequently noticed at night speeding across the sky and lighting the
world. There was doubt about Easter for the reason that Victor wrote
in his cycle that Easter came on the fifteenth day of the moon. But
to prevent Christians from celebrating this festival at the same time
of the moon as the Jews, he added: “But the Latins [place it] on the
twenty-second of the moon.” For this reason many in Gaul celebrated
on the fifteenth of the moon but we celebrated on the twenty-second.
We made careful inquiry but the springs in Spain which are filled by
a divine power were filled at our Easter.
There was a great earthquake on the eighteenth day before the
Kalends[82] of the fifth month, being the fourth day [of the week],
early in the morning when dawn was coming. The sun was eclipsed in
the middle of the eighth month and its light was so diminished that
it scarcely gave as much light as the horns of the moon on the fifth
day. There were heavy rains, loud thunders in the autumn and the
streams were very full. The bubonic plague cruelly destroyed the
people of Viviers and Avignon.
[24. An Armenian bishop visits Tours and tells the story of the
destruction of Antioch.]
25. Now in the Gauls the disease I have mentioned attacked the
province of Marseilles, and a great famine oppressed Angers, Nantes,
and Mans. These are the beginning of sorrows according to what the
Lord says in the Gospel: “There shall be pestilence and famines and
earthquakes in different places and false Christs and false prophets
shall arise and give signs and prodigies in the heavens so as to put
the elect astray:” as is true at the present time. For a certain man
of Bourges, as he himself told later, went into the deep woods to
cut logs which he needed for a certain work and a swarm of flies[FS]
surrounded him, as a result of which he was considered crazy for two
years; whence it may be believed that they were a wickedness sent by
the devil. Then he passed through the neighboring cities and went to
the province of Arles and there wore skins and prayed like one of the
devout, and to make a fool of him the enemy gave him the power of
divination. After this he rose from his place and left the province
mentioned in order to become more expert in wickedness, and entered
the territory of Gévaudan, conducting himself as a great man and
not afraid to say that he was Christ. He took with him a woman who
passed as his sister to whom he gave the name of Mary. A multitude
of people flocked to him bringing the sick, whom he touched and
restored to health. They who came to him brought him also gold and
silver and garments. These he distributed among the poor to deceive
them the more easily, and throwing himself on the ground and praying
with the woman I have mentioned and rising, he would give orders to
the bystanders to worship him in turn. He foretold the future and
announced that disease would come to some, to others losses and to
others health. But all this he did by some arts and trickeries of the
devil. A great multitude of people was led astray by him, not only
the common folk but bishops of the church. More than three thousand
people followed him. Meantime he began to spoil and plunder those
whom he met on the road; the booty, however, he gave to those who had
nothing. He threatened with death bishops and citizens,[FT] because
they disdained to worship him. He entered La Velay and went to the
place called Puy and halted with all his host at the churches near
there, marshalling his line of battle to make war on Aurilius who was
then bishop, and sending messengers forward, naked men who danced
and played and announced his coming. The bishop was amazed at this
and sent strong men to ask what his doings meant. One of these, the
leader, bent down as if to embrace his knees and check his passage
and [the impostor] ordered him to be seized and spoiled. But the
other at once drew his sword and cut him into bits and that Christ
who ought rather to be named anti-Christ fell dead; and all who were
with him dispersed. Mary was tortured and revealed all his impostures
and deceits. But the men whom he had excited to a belief in him by
the trickery of the devil never returned to their sound senses, but
they always said that this man was Christ in a sense and that Mary
had a share in his divine nature. Moreover through all the Gauls
many appeared who attracted poor women to themselves by trickery and
influenced them to rave and declare their leaders holy, and they made
a great show before the people. I have seen some of them and have
rebuked them and endeavored to recall them from error.
[FU][26. A Syrian trader, Eusebius, becomes bishop of Paris.]
27. Among the Franks of Tournai a great feud arose because the son
of one often angrily rebuked the son of another who had married his
sister, for leaving his wife and visiting a prostitute. And when
reform on the part of the guilty man did not follow, the anger of
the youth became so great that he rushed upon his brother-in-law and
killed him and his men, and was himself killed by his opponents,
and there was only one left from both parties who lacked a slayer.
Upon this the kinsmen on both sides raged at one another, but were
frequently urged by queen Fredegunda to give up their enmity and
become friends lest their persistence in the quarrel might cause
a greater disturbance. But when she failed to reconcile them with
gentle words she tamed them on both sides with the ax. For she
invited many to a feast and caused these three to sit on the same
bench, and when the dinner had been prolonged until night covered the
earth, the table was taken away according to the custom of the Franks
and they sat on the bench in their places. Much wine had been drunk
and they were so overcome by it that the slaves were intoxicated
and were lying asleep in the corners of the house, each where he
fell. Then by the woman’s order three men with axes stood behind
these three and while they were talking together the hands of the
men flashed in a single blow,[FV] so to speak, and they were struck
down and the banquet ended. Their names were Charivald, Leodovald,
and Valden. When this was told to their kinsmen they began to watch
Fredegunda closely and sent messengers to king Childebert to seize
her and put her to death. The people of Champagne were angry because
of this matter, but while Childebert was interposing delay she was
saved by the help of her people and hastened to another place.
[28. Baptism of Clothar. 29. Miracles of the abbot Aridius. 30. The
plague. 31. The bishops of Tours from the beginning to Gregory.]
The nineteenth was I, unworthy Gregory, who found the church of
Tours,[FW] in which the blessed Martin and the other bishops of
the Lord were consecrated in the pontifical office, shattered and
ruined by fire. I rebuilt it larger and higher, and dedicated it in
the seventeenth year after being ordained; and in it as I learned
from the old priests the relics of the blessed Maurice and his
companions had been placed by the ancients. I found the very box
in the treasury of the church of St. Martin, and in it the relics,
greatly decayed, which had been brought because of their miraculous
power. And while vigils were being kept in their honor I wished to
visit them again by the light of a torch. And I was examining them
intently when the keeper of the church said to me: “Here is a stone
with a cover, but I don’t know what it has in it and I haven’t been
able to learn from my predecessors who have had charge here. Let me
bring it and you look carefully to see what it contains.” I took
it and opened it of course,[FX]--and found a silver box containing
relics of the witnesses of the blessed legion as well as of many
saints both martyrs and confessors. We also found other stones hollow
like this one, containing relics of the holy apostles and the rest
of the martyrs. I wondered at this bounty divinely given and after
giving thanks, keeping vigil, and saying mass, I placed them in the
cathedral. I placed the relics of the holy martyrs Cosmas and Damian
in St. Martin’s cell close to the cathedral. I found the walls of the
holy church consumed by fire and ordered skilful workmen to repaint
and adorn them with their former splendor. I had a baptistery built
close by the church, where I placed the relics of the holy martyrs
John and Sergius, and in what had been the baptistery I placed
the relics of the martyr Benignus. And in many localities in the
territory of Tours I dedicated churches and oratories and glorified
them with relics of the saints, but I think it tiresome to speak of
them in order.
I wrote ten books of Histories, seven of Miracles, one on the Lives
of the Fathers; a commentary in one book on Psalms; one book also
on the Services of the Church.[FY] And though I have written these
books in a style somewhat rude, I nevertheless conjure you all, God’s
bishops who are destined to rule the lowly church of Tours after
me, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and the judgment day,
feared by the guilty, if you will not be condemned with the devil and
depart in confusion from the judgment, never cause these books to be
destroyed or rewritten, selecting some passages and omitting others,
but let them all continue in your time complete and undiminished
as they were left by us. And bishop of God, whoever you may be, if
our Martianus[FZ] has trained you in the seven disciplines, that is,
if he has taught you by means of grammar to read, by dialectic to
apprehend the arguments in disputes, by rhetoric to recognize the
different meters, by geometry to comprehend the measurement of the
earth and of lines, by astrology to contemplate the paths of the
heavenly bodies, by arithmetic to understand the parts of numbers,
by harmony to fit the modulated voice to the sweet accents of the
verse; if in all this you are practiced so that my style will seem
rude, even so I beg of you do not efface what I have written. But if
anything in these books pleases you I do not forbid your writing it
in verse provided my work is left safe.
I am finishing this work in the twenty-first year after my ordination.
Although in what I have just written of the bishops of Tours I
have told their years, still this calculation does not agree with
the [total] number of years, because I have not been able to learn
accurately the length of time between the different ordinations. Now
the grand total of years of the world is as follows:
From the beginning to the flood 2242 years
From the flood to the crossing of the Red Sea by the
children of Israel 1404 years
From the crossing of this sea to the resurrection of the
Lord 1538 years
From the resurrection of the Lord to the death of St.
Martin 412 years
From the death of St. Martin to the year mentioned
above, namely, the twenty-first year after my ordination,
which is also the fifth of Gregory, pope of
Rome, the thirty-first of king Gunthram, and the
nineteenth of Childebert the second 197 years
The grand total of which is 5792 years
HERE ENDS IN CHRIST’S NAME THE TENTH BOOK OF THE
HISTORIES.
FOOTNOTES:
[66] Affecting the groin (_inguen_). The bubonic plague.
[67] Lugano.
[68] Denying the resurrection of the body.
[69] Daughter of king Charibert. She had seceded from the
monastery with a large following of nuns and was at
this time at St. Hilary’s church in Poitiers.
[70] The monastery was called the monastery of the Holy
Cross.
[71] _Cf._ Bonnet, p. 306.
[72] Gregory’s niece.
[73] One of Chrodield’s faction, daughter of king Chilperic.
[74] Daughter of Berthar, a Thuringian king, and the wife
of Clothar I.
[75] _Chrodieldis scola._
[76] _Scolas._
[77] _Mediocritatis nostræ personam._
[78] The count is meant.
[79] Reading _Adfuerunt_ for _adferunt_.
[80] _Barbaturias._ _Cf._ Du Cange, _barbatoria_.
[81] _Arrhae_, _cf._ p. 97.
[82] June 14.
SELECTIONS FROM THE EIGHT BOOKS OF MIRACLES[83]
ATTITUDE TOWARD SECULAR LEARNING
(Preface, _Book in Honor of the Martyrs_)
The priest Jerome, next to the apostle Paul the best teacher of the
church, tells us that he was brought before the judgment-seat of the
eternal Judge and subjected to torture and severely punished because
he was in the habit of reading Cicero’s clevernesses and Vergil’s
lies, and that he said in the presence of the holy angels and the
very Ruler of all that he would never thereafter read these, but
would occupy himself in future only with such [writings] as would be
judged worthy of God and suited to the edification of the church.
Moreover the apostle Paul says: “Let us follow after things which
make for peace and things whereby we may edify one another.” And
elsewhere: “Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth; but such
as is good for edifying, that it may give grace to them that hear.”
Therefore we too ought to follow after, to write, and to speak the
things that edify the church of God, and by holy instruction bring
weak minds to a knowledge of the perfect faith. And we ought not to
relate lying tales nor to pursue the wisdom of philosophers that is
hateful to God, lest by God’s judgment we fall under sentence of
eternal death.[84]…
OBSERVANCE OF THE LORD’S DAY
(_Ibid._, ch. 15)
In the territory of this city [Tours] at Lingeais, a woman who
lived there moistened flour on the Lord’s day and shaped a loaf,
and drawing the coals aside she covered it over with hot ashes to
bake. When she did this her right hand was miraculously set on fire
and began to burn. She screamed and wept and hastened to the village
church in which relics of the blessed John are kept. And she prayed
and made a vow that on this day sacred to the divine name she would
do no work, but only pray. The next night she made a candle as tall
as herself. Then she spent the whole night in prayer, holding the
candle in her hand all the time, and the flame went out and she
returned home safe and sound.
RELICS HANDED DOWN IN GREGORY’S FAMILY
(_Ibid._, ch. 83)
I shall now describe what was brought to pass through the relics
which my father carried with him in former times. When Theodobert[85]
gave orders that sons of men in Auvergne should be taken as hostages,
my father, at that time lately married, wished to be protected by
relics of the saints, and he asked a certain bishop kindly to give
him some, thinking he would be kept safe by such protection when
absent on his distant journey. Then he enclosed the holy ashes in a
gold case the shape of a pea-pod and placed them around his neck;
but the man did not know the blessed names. He was accustomed to
relate that he was saved by them from many dangers; for he bore
witness that by their miraculous power he had often escaped attacks
of highwaymen and dangers on rivers and the furies of civil war and
thrusts of the sword. And I shall not fail to tell what I saw of
these with my own eyes. After my father’s death my mother always wore
these precious things on her person. Now the grain harvest had come
and great grain stacks were gathered at the threshing places. And in
those days when the threshing was going on, a cold spell came on,
and seeing that Limagne[86] has no forests, being all covered with
crops, the threshers made themselves fires of straw, since there
was nothing else to make a fire of. Meantime all went away to eat.
And behold, the fire gradually increased and began to spread slowly
straw by straw. Then the piles suddenly caught, with the south wind
blowing; it was a great conflagration and there began a shouting of
men and shrieking of women and crying of children.[87] Now this was
happening on our own land. My mother, who wore these relics hanging
on her neck, learned this, and sprang from the table and lifted up
the holy relics against the masses of flame, and all the fire went
out in a moment so that scarcely a spark of fire could be found among
the burnt piles of straw and it did no harm to the grain which it had
just caught.
Many years later I received these relics from my mother; and when we
were going from Burgundy to Auvergne, a great storm came upon us and
the sky flashed with many lightnings and roared with heavy crashes
of thunder. Then I drew the blessed relics from my bosom and raised
my hand against the cloud; it immediately divided into two parts and
passed on the right and left and did no harm to us or any one else
thereafter. But being a young man of an ardent temperament I began
to be puffed up with vain glory and to think silently that this
had been granted not so much to the merits of the saints as to me
personally, and I openly boasted to my comrades on the journey that
I had merited by my blamelessness what God had bestowed. At once my
horse suddenly shied beneath me and dashed me to the ground; and I
was so severely shaken up by the fall that I could hardly get up. I
perceived that this had come of vanity, and it was enough to put me
on guard thenceforth against being moved by the spur of vain glory.
For whenever it happened after that that I had the merit to behold
any of the miracles of the saints, I loudly proclaimed that they were
wrought by God’s gift through faith in the saints.
COMPARATIVE “MERIT” OF GREGORY AND HIS MOTHER
(_Ibid._ ch. 85)
… On this matter I recall what I heard told in my youth. It was the
day of the suffering of the great martyr Polycarp, and his festival
was being observed at Riom, a village of Auvergne. The reading of the
martyrdom had been finished and the other readings which the priestly
canon requires, and the time came for offering the sacrifice. The
deacon, having received the tower[88] in which the mystery of the
Lord’s body was contained, started with it to the door, and when he
entered the church to place it on the altar, it slipped from his hand
and floated along in the air and thus came to the altar, and the
deacon was never able to lay hands on it; and I believe this happened
for no other reason than that he was defiled in his conscience. For
it was often told that he had committed adultery. It was granted
only to one priest and three women, of whom my mother was one, to
see this; the rest did not see it. I was present, I confess, at this
festival at the time, but I had not the merit to see this miracle.
A FLY MIGHT BE A DEMON
(_Ibid._ ch. 103)
Pannichius, a priest of Poitou, when sitting at dinner with some
friends he had invited, asked for a drink. When it was served, a very
troublesome fly kept flying about the cup and trying to soil it. The
priest waved it off with his hand a number of times, but it would go
off a little and then try to get back, and he perceived that it was a
crafty device of the enemy. He changed the cup to his left hand and
made a cross with his right; then he divided the liquor in the cup
into four parts and lifted it up high and poured it on the ground.
For it was very plain that it was a device of the enemy.[89]
MIRACLES IN GREGORY’S FAMILY
(_Book on the Miracles of St. Julian_, Ch. 23, 24)
At that time my father’s brother Gallus was bishop of Auvergne, and
I do not think I should fail to tell how he was aided in his youth
by a miracle of the saint. Now I have often described the ruin
king Theodoric brought upon Auvergne, when none of their property
was left to either old or young except the bare land which the
barbarians were unable to carry off.[90] In those days, then, my
uncle of glorious memory who afterwards, as I have told, governed the
church of Auvergne in the high office of bishop, was a ward; and his
property was so plundered by the soldiers that there was nothing at
all left that was available; and he himself used often to go on foot
with only one attendant to the village of Brioude.[91] It happened
once when he was trudging along on this journey, that he took his
shoes off on account of the heat, and as he walked in his bare feet
he stepped on a sharp thorn. This by chance had been cut, but was
still lying on the ground and was concealed point upward in the green
grass. It entered his foot and went clear through and then broke off
and could not be drawn out. The blood ran in streams and as he could
not walk he begged the blessed martyr’s aid and after the pain had
grown a little less he went on his way limping. But the third night
the wound began to gather and there was great pain. Then he turned
to the source from which he had already obtained help and threw
himself down before the glorious tomb; when the watch was finished
he returned to bed and was overcome by sleep while awaiting the
miraculous help of the martyr. On arising later he felt no pain and
examining his foot he could not see the thorn which had entered it;
and he perceived it had been drawn from his foot. He looked carefully
for it and found it in his bed and saw with wonder how it had come
out. When bishop he used to exhibit the place, where a great hollow
was still to be seen, and to testify that this had been a miracle of
the blessed martyr.
A long time after, when the festival of the blessed martyr came,
my father with all his household made haste to attend the joyful
celebration. As we were on the way, my older brother Peter was seized
by a fever and became so ill that he could not move about or take
food. We journeyed on in great grief and it was doubtful whether he
would recover or die. In this state of distress we at length arrived;
we entered the church and worshipped at the holy martyr’s tomb. The
sick boy cast himself down on the pavement, praying for a cure by
the glorious martyr. Finishing his prayer he returned to his lodging
and the fever went down a little. When night came we hastened to keep
watch and he asked to be carried along, and lying before the tomb he
begged the martyr’s favor all night long. When the watch was over he
asked them to gather dust from the blessed tomb and give it to him in
a drink, and hang it about his neck. This was done, and the heat of
the fever went down so that on the very same day he took food without
suffering and walked about wherever his fancy took him.
GREGORY’S MODESTY[92]
(Preface, _The Four Books on the Miracles of St. Martin_)
The miracles which the Lord our God deigned to work through the
blessed Martin, his bishop, when living in the body, He still deigns
to confirm daily in order to strengthen the faith of believers.
He who worked miracles through him when he was in the world, now
honors his tomb with miracles, and He who at that time sent him to
save the perishing heathen, [now] bestows through him blessings on
the Christians. Therefore let no one have doubt about the miracles
worked in former time when he sees the bounty of the present wonders
bestowed, when he looks upon the lame being raised up, the blind
receiving sight, demons being driven out and every other kind of
disease being cured through his healing power. As for me I will
establish belief in the book written about his life by earlier
writers, by relating for posterity at God’s command his present-day
miracles as far as I can recall them. This I would not presume to
do if I had not been warned twice or thrice in a vision. I call
all-powerful God to witness that I once saw in a dream at mid-day
many who were crippled and overwhelmed by various diseases being
cured in St. Martin’s church, and I saw this in the presence of my
mother who said to me: “Why are you so sluggish about writing of
these things that you see?” I replied: “You know well enough that I
am unskilled in letters, and that, simple and untrained as I am, I
would not dare to describe such wonderful miracles. I wish Severus
or Paulinus were alive or that Fortunatus at the least were here to
describe them. I have no skill for such a task and I should be blamed
if I undertook it.” But she said: “Don’t you know that now-a-days on
account of the people’s ignorance one who speaks as you can is more
clearly understood? Therefore do not hesitate or delay, for you will
be guilty if you pass this over in silence.” So I wished to follow
her advice and was doubly tortured with grief and fear; grief that
miracles as great as were done under our predecessors should not be
recorded; fear of undertaking so noble a task, ignorant as I am.
However, led on by the hope of divine mercy, I am going to attempt
the task thus urged upon me. For, as I suppose, He who produced water
in the desert from a dry rock and cooled the thirsty people, is able
to set these matters forth in my words; and it will be surely proved
that he has again opened the ass’s mouth if he deigns to open my lips
and make known these miracles through an untaught person like me. But
why should I fear my ignorance when the Lord our God and Redeemer
chose not orators, but fishermen, not philosophers, but countrymen,
to destroy the vanity of worldly wisdom. I have confidence, then,
thanks to your prayers, that even if my rude speech cannot adorn the
page, the great bishop will give it fame by his glorious miracles.
REMARKABLE EXERCISE OF “VIRTUE” BY ST. MARTIN
(_Ibid._, Book I, Ch. 20)
Since I have told two or three times how miracles were performed
and dangers averted by the mere invocation of the glorious name,
I shall now describe how the blessed bishop was called upon and
brought help to one who was falling headlong to death![93] Ammonius,
an officer of the holy church, arose from dinner somewhat under
the influence of wine, and, the enemy giving him a push, he fell
headlong over a lofty cliff that bordered the road. There was there
a drop of about two hundred feet. While he was whirling about as he
fell headlong and was flying down without wings he kept crying for
aid from St. Martin at every instant of his fall. Then he felt as
if he were tossed from a saddle by some one and he landed among the
trees that were in the valley. And thus coming down slowly limb by
limb he reached the ground without danger of death. However that the
plotter’s undertaking might not seem to have been completely in vain,
he suffered a slight injury in one foot. But he went to the glorious
master’s church and prayed and was relieved of all pain.
MIRACLES WORKED ON GREGORY
(_Ibid._, Book I, ch. 32, 33)
Having related the miracles performed for others, I shall tell what
the miraculous power of this protector has done for my unworthy self.
In the hundred and sixtieth year after that holy and praiseworthy
man, the blessed bishop Martin, was taken up to heaven, when the
holy bishop Eufronius was governing the church of Tours in his
seventh year, and in the second year of the glorious king Sigibert,
I became ill with malignant pimples and fever, and being unable to
eat or drink I was reduced to such a state that I lost all hope of
the present life and thought of nothing but of the details of my
burial. For death was constantly raging at me, eager to separate my
soul from my body. Then when I was almost dead I called on the name
of the blessed champion Martin and made some improvement, and began
slowly and painfully to prepare for my journey; for I had made my
mind up that I ought to visit his venerable tomb. And my desire was
so great that I did not even wish to live if I was to be delayed in
going.[94] Although I had scarcely escaped from a dangerous fever, I
began to be on fire again with the fever of desire. And so, although
not yet strong, I hastened to go with my people. After two or three
stages, on entering the forest, I fell ill of the fever again, and
was in such a serious condition that they all said I was dying.
Then my friends came to me and saw I was very weak, and said: “Let
us return home and if God wishes to call you, you will die in your
own home; and if you recover, you will make the journey you have
vowed more easily. For it is better to return home than to die in
the wilderness.” On hearing this I wept bitterly and bewailed my
ill-luck, and said: “I adjure you by all-powerful God and the day of
judgment which all fear who have to make answer there, that you agree
to my request. Don’t give up the journey we have begun, and if I have
merit to see the holy Martin’s church, I shall thank God; but if not,
carry my dead body there and bury it, because I am determined not to
return home, if I have not the merit to appear at his tomb.” Then we
all wept together and went on, and, guarded by the glorious master,
we arrived at his church.… The third night after arriving at the holy
church we planned to keep watch and did so. In the morning when the
bell for matins rang, we returned to our lodging and going to bed we
slept until nearly the second hour. Then I woke up and found that all
weakness and pain were gone and I had recovered my former health,
and I gladly called my usual attendant to wait on me.… And I shall
not forget to say that after forty days that one was the first on
which I took pleasure in drinking wine, since because of my illness I
detested it until then.
(_Ibid._, Book II, Ch. 1)
In the second month after my ordination, when I was at a country
place, I suffered from dysentery and high fever and began to be so
ill that I altogether despaired of living. Everything that I could
eat was always vomited before it had been digested and I loathed
food, and when my stomach had no more strength as a result of no food
the fever was the only thing that gave me strength; I could in no
way take anything substantial and strengthening. I had severe pain,
too, that darted all through my stomach and went down into my bowels,
exhausting me by its pain no less than the fever had done. And when I
was in such a condition that no hope of life was left and everything
was being made ready for my death and the physician’s medicine could
do nothing for one whom death had laid claim to, I was in despair and
called the chief physician Armentarius and said to him: “You have
used every trick of your profession, you have tried the power of all
your remedies, but secular means are of no avail to the perishing.
There is only one thing left for me to do. I will show you a great
remedy:[95] let them bring dust from the holy master’s tomb and make
a potion for me from it. And if this does not cure me, every means
of escape is lost.” Then the deacon was sent to the tomb of the holy
bishop just mentioned and he brought the sacred dust and put it in
water and gave me a drink of it. When I had drunk, soon all pain was
gone and I received health from the tomb. And the benefit was so
immediate that although this happened in the third hour, I became
quite well and went to dinner that very day at the sixth hour.[96]
(_Ibid._, Book III, Preface and Ch. 1)
… Whenever headache comes on or a throbbing in the temples or a
dulness of hearing or a dimness of sight or a pain attacks some other
part, I am cured at once when I have touched the affected part on the
tomb or the curtain hanging before it, and I wonder within myself
that at the very touch the pain is immediately gone.
* * * * *
I shall place first in this book a miracle that I experienced
recently. We were sitting at dinner after a fast and eating, when a
fish was served. The sign of the cross of the Lord was made over it,
but as we ate, a bone from this very fish stuck in my throat most
painfully. It caused me great distress, for the point was fastened
in my throat and its length blocked the passage. It prevented my
speaking and kept the saliva which comes frequently from the palate,
from passing. On the third day, when I could get rid of it neither
by coughing or hawking, I resorted to my usual resource. I went to
the tomb and prostrated myself on the pavement and wept abundantly
and groaned and begged the confessor’s aid. Then I rose and touched
the full length of my throat and all my head with the curtain. I was
immediately cured and before leaving the holy threshold I was rid of
all uneasiness. What became of the unlucky bone I do not know. I did
not cough it up nor feel it go down into my stomach. One thing only
I know, that I so quickly perceived that I was cured that I thought
that some one had put in his hand and pulled out the bone that hurt
my throat.
A PHANTOM ATTACKS A WOMAN
(_Ibid._, Book III, Ch. 37)