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History of the Franks
St Gregory of Tours, tr. Dalton, 1927
Book 8, 1. Of the King’s Coming to Orleans
NOW in the twenty-fourth year of his reign1 King Guntram set out from Chalon and came to Nevers. He was on his way to Paris, having been invited thither to receive from the sacred font of regeneration the son of Chilperic, whom men already called Lothar. From Nevers he turned aside to Orleans, where he demeaned himself right graciously among the citizens. For he accepted invitations to their houses, and enjoyed the repasts which they offered him, receiving gifts from them, and in return making largess with lavish generosity. The day of his entry into Orleans was the feast of the blessed Martin, the fourth day of Nones in the fifth month,2 and immense crowds came out to meet him with standards and banners, singing songs in his praise. Here was heard the tongue of the Syrians, there that of the Latins,3 there, again, even that of Jews, all harshly mingling in various acclamation as the crowds shouted: ‘Long live the king! and may his dominion endure over the peoples throughout uncounted years!’ The Jews, who seemed to share in these greetings, kept crying: ‘Let all peoples adore thee and bow the knee, and be in subjection under thee.’ But all they effected was that after Mass, when the king sat at table, he said: ‘Woe to the race of the Jews, ever evil and faithless and crafty of heart. They acclaimed me this day with praise and flattery, protesting that all peoples should adore me as their lord, simply in the hope that I might order the rebuilding, at public cost, of their synagogue, which the Christians some time ago destroyed. The Lord forbiddeth any such deed, and I will never do it.’ O glorious king, and admirable in wisdom! He saw through all the cunning of the unbelievers, so that they utterly failed to snatch advantage from the request which they afterwards came to make. As the meal approached its end, the king said to the bishops present: ‘I beg that I may receive your blessing in my house to-morrow, and at your coming in your salutation, that thereby I may be saved when ye have poured forth upon me the words of your benediction, all lowly that I am.’ After this speech we all gave him thanks; and, as the meal was over, we rose up from the board.4
Notes
- A.D. 585.
- i.e. 4th July.
- i.e. Italians, or perhaps even Gallo-Romans.
- These words give the first indication that Gregory was at Orleans.