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History of the Franks
St Gregory of Tours, tr. Dalton, 1927
Book 8, 29. How Fredegund Sent Assassins to Murder Childebert
Notwithstanding that this message had been taken to King Guntram, and by him brought to the notice of his nephew Childebert, yet Fredegund bade make two knives of iron to be cut with deep channels and smeared with poison, that even if no deadly thrust should sever the vital nerves, the infection of the poison would as swiftly wrest the life away. These knives she entrusted to two clerics with the following orders: ‘Take these blades and hie you with all speed to King Childebert, feigning to be beggars. Cast yourselves at his feet, as if ye asked an alms, then pierce him from both sides, that so at last Brunhild, whose arrogance is fed through his power, may be brought down with his fall and set beneath my feet But if the boy be so well guarded that ye may not reach his person, then slay her, that woman whom I hate. If ye die about this business, your kin shall be rewarded at my hands; I will enrich them with gifts and make them the first in my kingdom. Do ye therefore put from you all fear; let there be no dread of death in your breasts, for ye know that death is the common fate of man. Arm your hearts with manhood, and remember that oft-times before have brave men fallen in war, but that their families are thereby ennobled; they rise high above the rest by their great riches, and have precedence of all.’ When this woman spoke thus, the clerics began to tremble, for they deemed her bidding right hard in the fulfilment. But when she saw them doubting, she drugged them with a draught, and sent them forth whither she would have them go. Straightway their hearts grew stout, and they swore to carry out all her behest. But she told them to take with them a small vessel filled with the same potion, and said: ‘On the day when ye work my will, drink this draught in the morning before ye begin the work, and ye shall have great constancy to carry all through to the end.’ With these instructions she dismissed them. They set out, and came to Soissons. But there they were taken prisoners by Duke Rauching, and under examination revealed everything; whereupon they were bound and cast into prison. After a few days, Fredegund, uncertain whether or not her behest had been fulfilled, sent a servant to find out if there were any rumour abroad, or haply to hear from some man’s lips that Childebert was killed. After leaving her presence, the servant went to Soissons. There he heard that the clerics were in the prison, and came to the gate; but when he began talking with the warders at the gate, he was himself seized and placed under guard. All the three were then together sent to King Childebert, and questioned. They revealed the truth, admitting that they had been dispatched by Fredegund to murder him, and adding: ‘We were ordered by the queen to disguise ourselves as beggars; we were to throw ourselves at thy feet asking an alms, and then to pierce thee with these blades. And if the thrust were not hard enough, the poison smeared upon the blades would soon reach the source of thy life.’ Upon this declaration they were subjected to divers tortures; their hands, ears, and noses were cut off, and they were put to different kinds of death.