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History of the Franks

St Gregory of Tours, tr. Dalton, 1927

Book 6, 16. How Pappolen Recovered His Wife

Now when Pappolen heard of his decease, he recovered the bishop’s niece, from whom he had been separated. She had previously been his betrothed, but as Bishop Felix was averse to the marriage, Pappolen came with a great company and removed the girl from an oratory; he then took sanctuary in the church of the holy Albinus. At this, Bishop Felix was moved to wrath; he cunningly entrapped his niece, and separated her from her would-be husband, after which he forced her to take the veil, and put her in a monastery at Bazas. But she sent servants privily to Pappolen, begging him to take her away from the place where she was confined. He on his part was ready to act; he took her from the monastery and married her; as he had the formal sanction of the king he disregarded the threats of her kinsfolk.