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History of the Franks

St Gregory of Tours, tr. Dalton, 1927

Book 10, 16. Of the Judgement Delivered Against Clotild and Basina

Copy of the Judgement.

To our lords the most glorious kings,¹ the bishops who were present. By the divine grace the Church most rightly layeth her causes before the pious and orthodox kings granted to the people, to whom their country hath been entrusted. For she well knoweth that with the help of the Holy Spirit she is confirmed by her partnership in the decrees of those who hold dominion. Now, therefore, by command of your puissance, we assembled at the city of Poitiers to consider the state of the monastery founded by Radegund of holy memory, and to hear from their own lips the causes of dispute between the abbess of that house and the nuns who, following pernicious counsel, severed themselves from the flock. We summoned the parties, and inquired of Clotild and Basina for what cause they so recklessly disobeyed their Rule and, breaking open the monastery gates, went their ways, thereby rending asunder the unity of the congregation. They declared in their reply that they would no longer endure the lack of food and clothing, yes, and the danger of rough usage, to which they were exposed. They went on to say that counter to all rule divers persons had used the nuns’ bath; that the abbess used to play the board-game and entertain lay-folk; and even that a betrothal had been celebrated within the walls. Moreover, the abbess had presumed to make garments for her niece out of a silken altar-covering, and, without a thought for what was proper, she had removed the gold leaves from the border of this silk, and hung them about her niece’s neck—a reprehensible action; further, in the most unnecessary way, she had made for her niece a fillet adorned with gold when masques were played in the monastery. The abbess, called upon to make answer to these charges, spoke as followeth: ‘As to their complaint of being starved, never have they fasted overmuch, if regard be had to the scarcity of the times.’ As to their clothing, she said that if any one were to search their chests it would be found that they possessed more than necessity required. As to the complaint with regard to the bath, she stated that the things to which they objected were done during Lent. The bath-house was new, and the lady Radegund, fearing harm to the health of the nuns because the walls were newly finished and the mortar was raw, had given orders that the servants of the monastery should make general use of it till all the unwholesome smell of the mortar had died away: the bath was thus given over to the servants during Lent and until Pentecost. To this Clotild replied: ‘Even after that date it was at times used in like manner by many persons.’ The abbess said that if it were so, she disapproved of such a thing, but did not know that it had happened. She then in her turn blamed the nuns, asking why, if they had themselves seen these things done, they had not disclosed the matter to their abbess. As to the board-game, she had played in the time of the lady Radegund, and it could not be very wrong of her, nor was it expressly forbidden, either in the Rule or in the canons. But if the bishops now forbade it, she promised humbly to bow to their decision and do any penance that they might impose. As to the feastings, she had not introduced any new usage, but had continued the custom of the lady Radegund; she had offered bread of oblation to Christian persons, but could not be convicted of ever having herself feasted with them. As to the betrothal, she had received earnest-money on behalf of her orphan niece in the presence of the bishop, the clergy, and the foremost persons of the city; if there was any harm in this, she professed herself ready to ask forgiveness publicly; but even on that occasion there had been no entertainment in the monastery. As to their insinuation with regard to the silk covering, she produced as witness a nun of noble birth who had presented her with a silk mantle received from her family. She had first cut off a portion, to employ it as she liked; the remainder she had used as far as was required to make a worthy covering for the altar. From the part which had been cut off she had enriched a tunic of her niece with purple silk; but the covering as a whole she had bestowed where it was of most use to the monastery. Didimia, who had given her the covering, confirmed this statement in every detail. As to the gold-foil and the gold fillet, she produced as witness Macco, thy servant,² to prove that it was through him that she had received twenty pieces of gold from the girl’s betrothed, with which money the ornament was openly purchased; nothing belonging to the monastery was in any way involved.

Clotild and Basina were then asked whether, which God forbid, they brought any charge of adulteries against the abbess, or whether they accused her of any manslaughter or witchcraft, or proclaimed her guilty of any capital crime for which she should be punished by the law. They replied that they had no accusations other than those which they had stated when they had charged her with acting contrary to the Rule. In conclusion, they alleged that certain nuns whom we believed to be innocent were great with child. Their fault was due to the throwing open of the gates, and the licence of doing as they liked, allowed them during so many months uncontrolled by the discipline of the abbess. These matters having been investigated in due order, and no cause shown for the degradation of the abbess, in the matter of the lighter charges we adjured her with a paternal admonition not to expose herself to further reprimand by the repetition of such actions.

We then examined the other side, who had committed much graver offences. They had disdained the bishop’s exhortation not to forsake the monastery, but had trampled him underfoot, and left him behind within the walls, treated with the utmost indignity. They had broken open locks and gates, and recklessly gone forth, by their influence drawing others into their own transgression. Moreover, when Bishop Gundegisel came to Poitiers with his provincials, in obedience to the order of the kings that he should deal with the matter, and summoned these nuns to appear before him in the monastery, they had disregarded the injunction. And when the bishops went in person to find them at the church of the blessed Hilary, where they abode, and admonished them as beseemed careful shepherds, they raised an uproar, attacked both the bishops and their attendants with clubs, and shed the blood of deacons within the church. Again, when, by command of our lords the kings, the venerable priest Theuthar had been sent to intervene,³ and the day for the giving of judgement had been fixed by him, they would not wait till that time, but riotously attacked the monastery, making a fire with casks in the court; they broke down the door-posts with crowbars and axes and set these also alight; they beat and wounded nuns within the precincts, even in the oratories, and sacked the whole monastery. They stripped the abbess, taking her off with her hair all torn, dragged her as a laughing-stock through the streets, and thrust her into a place where, even though unbound, she was yet a prisoner. When Easter Day came round, that feast for ever to be celebrated, the bishop offered a sum of money, that she might be at least suffered to witness the baptisms; but no persuasion or entreaty was of any avail. Clotild made answer that this outrage was done without their knowledge or instructions, maintaining that it was only through a sign given by her that the abbess escaped death at the hands of her adherents. From all which it is very certain what they purposed, as might be inferred from a further act of cruelty on their part, when they slew at the tomb of the blessed Radegund a slave of the monastery who had taken refuge there, and never by any repentance abated the increasing flow of outrage. On the contrary, they themselves entered and took possession of the monastery, refusing obedience to the royal command that they should produce their rebel followers for judgement. Far from doing this, they were more determined than before in armed resistance to the king’s orders, and set themselves up improperly to resist the count and the citizens with arrows and with spears. And when they came forth again to their public trial they brought out with them, secretly and wrongfully, to their own shame and condemnation, the holy and most hallowed cross, which afterwards they were made to surrender in the cathedral church.⁴ All these were signal offences; but, far from checking them, they ceased not to multiply their misdeeds. And when we ordered them to ask pardon of the abbess for their guilt, and to make good the damage which their wickedness had caused, they refused to do it, but rather sought to compass her death, as they openly avowed. Now, therefore, after we had opened and consulted the canons, it seemed just to us that these nuns be deprived of communion until they do fitting penance, and that the abbess be restored in permanence to her position. In all this we claim to have acted in accordance with your commands, and with ecclesiastical authority, after careful consideration of the canons, and without any respect of persons. For the rest it lieth with your piety and your mightiness by royal authority to compel restitution to their rightful place of the property taken from the monastery and the deeds of gift granted by the kings your fathers which these nuns removed. and now openly detain, regardless of us, refusing of their own free will to give them back, that so your own benefactions and those of your predecessors may endure for ever, and the place be restored to proper hands. Furthermore, it lieth with you to deny them permission to return, or even the hope of returning, to the place which in this impious and sacrilegious wise they have laid waste, lest worse things befall. Wherefore, by the Lord’s grace, let full restitution be made of all, that under Catholic kings there be rendered unto God all that is His, and religion suffer no loss. Let the prescriptions of the Fathers and the canons be preserved, profiting us in our worship, and adding to your wealth of blessings. May Christ our Lord sustain and guide you; may He grant you to reign long years, and bestow on you eternal life.

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