History of the Franks

by Saint Bishop of Tours Gregory

• 1. Queen Clotilda’s death.
• 2. King Clothar attempts to take a third of the revenues of the churches.
• 3. His wives and children.
• 4. The counts of the Bretons.
• 5. The holy bishop Gallus.
• 6. The priest Cato.
• 7. The episcopate of Cautinus.
• 8. The kings of the Spaniards.
• 9. Theodovald’s death.
• 10. Rebellion of the Saxons.
• 11. The people of Tours at the bidding of the king invite Cato to be their bishop.
• 12. The priest Anastasius.
• 13. Chramnus’s frivolity and wickedness and about Cautinus and Firmin.
• 14. Clothar makes a second expedition against the Saxons.
• 15. Episcopate of the holy Eufronius.
• 16. Chramnus and his followers and the crimes he committed and how he went to Dijon.
• 17. How Chramnus deserted to Childebert.
• 18. Duke Austrapius.
• 19. Death of the holy bishop Medard.
• 20. Death of Childebert and killing of Chramnus.
• 21. King Clothar’s death.
• 22. Division of the kingdom among his sons.
• 23. Sigibert marches against the Huns and Chilperic seizes his cities.
• 24. The patrician Celsus.
• 25. Gunthram’s wives.
• 26. Charibert’s wives.
• 27. Sigibert marries Brunhilda.
• 28. Chilperic’s wives.
• 29. Sigibert’s second war with the Huns.
• 30. The people of Auvergne at King Sigibert’s bidding go to take Arles.
• 31. About the town of Tauredunum and other marvels.
• 32. The monk Julian.
• 33. The abbot Sunniulf.
• 34. The monk of Bordeaux.
• 35. The episcopate of Avitus in Auvergne.
• 36. The holy Nicetius of Lyons.
• 37. The holy recluse Fiard.
• 38. The Spanish kings.
• 39. Death of Palladius at Clermont.
• 40. Emperor Justinus.
• 41. Albin and the Lombards settle in Italy.
• 42. Wars between them and Mummulus.
• 43. The archdeacon of Marseilles.
• 44. The Lombards and Mummulus.
• 45. Mummulus goes to Tours.
• 46. The killing of Andarchius.
• 47. Theodobert takes possession of the cities.
• 48. The monastery of Latta.
• 49. Sigibert goes to Paris.
• 50. Chilperic enters into a treaty with Gunthram; death of Theodobert his son.
• 51. Death of king Sigibert.

HERE END THE CHAPTERS

Fourth Book

HERE BEGINS THE FOURTH BOOK WITH HAPPY AUSPICES

[1. Queen Clotilda dies at Tours and is buried at Paris.]

[AV]2. King Clothar had ordered all the churches of his kingdom to pay into his treasury a third of their revenues. But when all the other bishops, though grudgingly, had agreed to this and signed their names, the blessed Injuriosus scorned the command and manfully refused to sign, saying, “If you attempt to take the things of God the Lord will take away your kingdom speedily because it is wrong for your storehouses to be filled with the contributions of the poor whom you yourself ought to feed.” He was irritated with the king and left his presence without saying farewell. Then the king was alarmed and being afraid of the power of the blessed Martin he sent after him with gifts, praying for pardon and admitting the wrongfulness of what he had done, and asking also that the bishop avert from him by prayer the power of the blessed Martin.

3. The king had seven sons by several wives; namely, by Ingunda, Gunthar, Childeric, Charibert, Gunthram, Sigibert, and a daughter Chlotsinda; by Aregunda, sister of Ingunda, Chilperic; and by Chunsina he had Chramnus. I will tell why it was he married his wife’s sister. When he was already married to Ingunda and loved her alone, he received a hint from her saying: “My Lord has done with his handmaid what he pleased and has taken me to his couch. Now let my lord the king hear what his servant would suggest to make his favor complete. I beg that you consent to find a husband for my sister, a man who will be of advantage to your servant and possess wealth, so that I shall not be humiliated but rather exalted and shall be able to serve you more faithfully.” To this request he gave heed and being of a wanton nature he fell in love with Aregunda and went to the estate on which she was living and married her himself. Having done this he returned to Ingunda and said: “I have tried to do the favor which your sweet self asked of me. I sought for a man of riches and wisdom to unite to your sister but I found no one better than myself. And so allow me to tell you that I have married her, which I think will not displease you.” And she replied; “Let my Lord do what seems good in his eyes; only let his handmaid live in favor with the king.”

Now Gunthar, Chramnus and Childeric died in their father’s lifetime. Of the death of Chramnus I shall write later. And Albin, king of the Lombards, married Chlotsinda, his daughter. Injuriosus, bishop of Tours, died in the seventeenth year of his episcopate and Baudinus, a former official of king Clothar, succeeded him, the sixteenth after the death of the blessed Martin.

4. Chanao, count of the Bretons, killed three of his brothers. He wished to kill Macliavus also, and seized him and kept him in prison loaded with chains. But he was freed from death by Felix, bishop of Nantes. After this he swore that he would be faithful to his brother, but from some reason or other he became inclined to break his oath. Chanao was aware of this and began to attack him again and when Macliavus saw that he could not escape, he fled to another count of that district, Chonomor by name. When Chonomor learned that Macliavus’ pursuers were near at hand, he hid him in a box underground and heaped a mound over it in the regular way leaving a small airhole so that he could breathe. And when his pursuers came, they said: “Behold here lies Macliavus dead and buried.” On hearing this they were glad and drank on his tomb and reported to his brother that he was dead. And his brother took the whole of his kingdom. For since Clovis’s death the Bretons have always been under the dominion of the Franks and their rulers[AW] have been called counts, not kings. Macliavus rose from underground and went to the city of Vannes and there received the tonsure and was ordained bishop. But when Chanao died he left the priesthood, let his hair grow long, and took back not only his brother’s kingdom but also the wife whom he had abandoned when he became a priest. However he was excommunicated by the bishops. What his end was I shall describe later. Now bishop Baudinus died in the sixth year of his episcopate, and the abbot Gunthar was appointed in his place, the seventeenth after the passing of the blessed Martin.

[5. How St. Gall, bishop of Clermont, averted the plague from his people.]