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History of the Franks
St Gregory of Tours, tr. Dalton, 1927
Book 10, 18. Of the Assassins Sent Against King Childebert
Some time before this, as the king was proceeding to the oratory in his house of Marlenheim, his attendants saw a man unknown to them standing apart, and said to him: ‘Who art thou and whence comest thou? what is thy business here? we know thee not.’ He answered: ‘I am one of you;’ but before the words had left his mouth they cast him out of the oratory and put him to the question. It was not long before he made confession, admitting that he had been sent by Fredegund to kill the king, adding: ‘Twelve of us were sent here by her; six have arrived, while the other six have stayed behind at Soissons to entrap the king’s son.1 As for me, I was waiting my chance to strike King Childebert in his oratory; but a dread came over me, and I thought no more of carrying out my purpose.’ Upon this avowal, forthwith he was savagely punished, and gave the names of his accomplices. Search was made for them in every quarter; some were cast into prison, others were released with their hands cut off; some were let go shorn of their ears and noses, to be mocked by all men. Several of those imprisoned, for very dread of these various tortures, killed themselves with their own blades. Others died under their punishment that the royal vengeance might be fulfilled.
Notes
- Theudebert. Cf. IX. 36.