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History of the Franks

St Gregory of Tours, tr. Dalton, 1927

Book 9, 10. Of Guntram Boso’s Death

While these things befell, King Guntram sent a second message to his nephew Childebert, in these terms: ‘Put aside all delay, and come, that I may see thee. There is utmost need that we meet alike for thine own advantage and for the welfare of our land.’ Thereupon Childebert, taking with him his mother, his sister, and his consort,¹ set out to meet his uncle. There were also present Magneric, bishop of Trèves,² and Guntram Boso, for whom Ageric, bishop of Verdun, had made himself surety.³ But surety though he was, Ageric was not there in person; for it had been decided that Guntram should appear before the king without any advocate, in order that if the king gave sentence that he should die, the bishop should not beg him off; if, on the other hand, the king granted him his life, he was to be set free. The two kings together judged him guilty of various offences and commanded his execution. As soon as news of this reached him, he flew to the dwelling of Bishop Magneric, shut out all the clergy and the servants, fastened the doors, and spoke as follows: ‘I know, most blessed bishop, that the kings hold thee in high honour, and now I have fled to thee to escape from them. Behold, they that shall slay me are at the gate; therefore know thou clearly that if thou rescue me not, first will I slay thee, and then go forth to meet my death. Of this be very sure, that one death shall overtake us both, or equality of life preserve us; holy bishop, I know that thou art as a father to the king’s son,⁴ like as he is himself, and that whatsoever thou askest of him shall be granted thee, nor can he refuse thy sanctity anything which thou shalt request. Either, therefore, demand my pardon, or we die together.’ While he spoke these words he had his drawn sword in his hand. The bishop was dismayed at this threat, and answered: ‘How can I do aught, if I am kept here by thee? Release me, that I may go and entreat the compassion of the king; haply he will have mercy upon thee.’ Guntram answered: ‘Not so; but send thy abbots and persons in thy confidence to set forth what I have said to thee.’ But things were not told the king as they were; the messengers only said that the bishop was protecting Guntram. The king was therefore wroth, and said: ‘If the bishop shall refuse to come away, let him too perish with the traitor.’ When this was reported to him, the bishop sent other messengers, who related the truth of the matter. But King Guntram cried: ‘Fire the house! If the bishop cannot escape, let the pair of them be burned together!’ Upon this answer, the clergy broke open the door and dragged the bishop out. The unhappy Guntram, seeing himself on all sides surrounded by raging flames, girded on his sword and went to the door. But the very moment when he crossed the threshold and set foot outside, one of the crowd threw a javelin and pierced his forehead. Dazed and half maddened by the blow, he tried to draw his sword, but was wounded again by the many lances of those who were standing round; they drove the points into his sides, and the shafts held him up, so that his body could not even fall to the ground. His few companions were also slain, and their bodies, like his, exposed in an open place: permission was hardly obtained from the two kings that they should be properly buried. Guntram Boso was a man inconstant in all that he did, and all agape with greed, always beyond measure hungry after other men’s goods, swearing to every man and keeping his word with none.⁵ His wife and sons were banished and his property confiscated. A mass of gold, silver, and precious things was discovered in his treasure chambers. Not even those things which, under the spur of his guilty conscience, he had buried underground escaped the searchers. He used often to consult soothsayers and practise sorcery, hoping thereby to know the future; but ever he remained deluded.

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