DLH VII.33

English, pp.

The messengers were flogged and thrown into prison. King Guntram then ordered his nephew Childebert to be summoned, for it was clearly desirable that they should both in each other's presence hear the evidence of the messengers. The two Kings therefore questioned the prisoners together, and the men repeated to them both what King Guntram had already heard alone. They continued to assert that this conspiracy, as I have already told you, was common knowledge to all the more senior people in King Childebert's realm. That was the reason why some of King Childebert's leaders had been afraid to come to this conference, for they were suspected of being implicated in the plot. King Guntram placed his spear in King Childebert's hand and then he said: 'This is a sign that I have handed the whole of my realm over to you. Go now, and by this token take under your own rule all my cities, just as if they were yours. As a consequence of the sins which I have committed, no male of my own line remains alive, except you who are my brother's son. I exclude all others from the succession. It is you who are my heir and you must inherit my whole kingdom.' Then Guntram dismissed all the others present and took the boy on one side so that he might speak with him in private, adjuring him most earnestly never to reveal to any man the secrets of their conversation. He then told Childebert which men he should choose to share his counsel and which he must exclude from all his secret plans - those whom he might trust, those whom he should avoid, those whom he might well honour with gifts and those whom he must degrade from their offices. Above all he warned Childebert never to trust Bishop Egidius, or even to permit him to come near, for he had always been Guntram's enemy, and time and time again he had perjured himself to him and to his father. Later on they appeared together at the feast and King Guntram addressed his assembled warriors in the following terms: 'Men, you observe that my son Childebert is already a grown man. See to it that you are careful not to take him any longer for a child. The time has come for you to abandon your doubts and any feelings of superiority which you may still have towards him. He is now a king and you must serve him as such.' That is what he said and he went on for some time in the same strain. They kept the feast going for three days, making merry together and exchanging many gifts. Then they parted in peace. On this occasion King Guntram restored to Childebert everything that his father Sigibert had held. He warned him not to visit his mother, and not to give her any opportunity of writing to Gundovald or of receiving communications from him.

Latin, pp.

33. Quod Childeberthus ad Gunthchramnum patruum suum venit.

Quibus caesis et in carcere trusis, rex arcessire nepotem suum Childeberthum iubet , ut scilicet coniuncti pariter homines istos audire deberent. Denique cum simul coniuncti viros interrogarent, iteraverunt ea, regis simul adstantibus, quae prius solus rex Gunthchramnus audivit. Adserebant etiam constanter, hanc causam, sicut iam supra diximus, omnibus senioribus in regno Childeberthi regis esse cognitam. Et ob hoc nonnulli tunc de prioribus regis Childeberthi in hoc placito abire timuerunt, qui in hac causa putabantur esse particepis. Post haec rex Gunthchramnus, data in manu regis Childeberthi hasta, ait: 'Hoc est indicium, quod tibi omne regnum meum tradedi. Ex hoc nunc vade et omnes civitates meas tamquam tuas proprias sub tui iuris dominatione subice. Nihil enim, facientibus peccatis, de stirpe mea remansit nisi tu tantum, qui mei fratris es filius. Tu enim heres in omni regno meo succede, ceteris exheredibus factis'. Tunc relictis omnibus, adsumpto seursum puero, clam locutus est, prius obtestans diligentissime, ne secreta conlocutio ulli hominum panderetur. Tunc indicavit ei, quos in consilio haberet aut spernerit a conloquio, quibus se crederit, quos vitarit, quos honorarit muneribus, quos ab honore depellerit, interea interdicens, ut Egidium episcopum, qui ei semper inimicus exteterat, nullo modo aut crederet aut haberet, quia et ipsi et patri suo saepius periurassit. Deinde, cum ad convivium convenissent, cohortabatur Gunthchramnus rex omnem exercitum, dicens: 'Videte, o viri, quia filius meus Childeberthus iam vir magnus effectus est. Videte et cavete, ne eum pro parvolo habeatis. Relinquite nunc perversitates adque praesumptiones quas exercitis, quia rex est, cui vos nunc deservire debetis'. Haec et his similia locutus, per triduum epulantes adque iocundantes multisque se muneribus locupletantes, cum pace discesserunt. Tunc ei reddedit rex Gunthchramnus omnia quae pater eius Syghiberthus habuerat, obtestans, ne ad matrem accederet, ne forte aliquis daretur aditus, qualiter ad Gundovaldum scriberit aut ab eo scripta susciperit.

Notes:

• Like how only Jonathan's crippled son survived?