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History of the Franks

St Gregory of Tours, tr. Dalton, 1927

Book 4, 3. Of His Wives and Children

Now King Lothar had seven sons by divers women: by Ingund he had Gunthar, Childeric, Charibert, Guntram, Sigibert, and a daughter Chothsind; by Aregund, sister of Ingund, Chilperic; by Chunsina he had Chramn. I will now tell how it was that he married his wife’s sister. When he was already wedded to Ingund, and loved her with his whole heart, she made him the following suggestion: ‘My lord hath done with his handmaid according to his pleasure, and taken her to his bed; now to make my reward complete, let my lord hear the proposal of his servant. I entreat him graciously to choose for his servant my sister an able and rich husband, that I be not humbled but exalted by her, and thus may give thee yet more faithful service.’ On hearing this, the king, who was most amorous by temperament, began to desire Aregund, and betaking himself to the domain where she lived, he married her. When she was his, he returned to Ingund and spoke as follows: ‘I have done my best to procure for thee the reward which thy sweetness asked of me. I sought a man wealthy and of good wit, whom I might give in marriage to thy sister, but I found none better than myself. Know therefore that I have taken her to wife, which I believe will not displease thee.’ She answered: ‘Let my lord do that which seemeth good in his sight; only let his handmaid live in the enjoyment of his favour.’ Gunthar, Chramn, and Childeric died during their father’s lifetime; the death of Chramn I shall tell in the sequel.¹ Alboin, king of the Lombards, received as his bride Chlothsind, the king’s daughter.

Injuriosus, bishop of Tours, died in the seventeenth year of his episcopate;² Baudin, ex-domestic of King Lothar, succeeded him as sixteenth bishop after the death of the blessed Martin.

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