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History of the Franks
St Gregory of Tours, tr. Dalton, 1927
Book 10, 28. Concerning the Baptism of Lothar Her Son
After this she sent messengers to King Guntram who addressed him as follows: ‘Let my lord the king come to Paris; let him send for my son, his nephew, and bid him receive the consecration of holy baptism; let him with his own hands receive the child from the sacred font, and deign to treat him as his own son.’ At these words the king assembled the bishops, namely, Aetherius of Lyons,1 Syagrius of Autun,2 Flavius of Chalon, and others whom he chose, bidding them go to Paris, and telling them that he himself would follow later. There were present at this assembly many from his kingdom, both officers of the household and counts, to make all necessary arrangements for the expenses of the court. But Guntram, though he had made up his mind to go, was prevented from starting by a painful affection of the feet. Upon his recovery he went to Paris, and thence to the domain of Rueil in the territory of that city. Thither he caused the child to be brought, and bade preparation for the baptism to be made in the village of Nanterre. While these things were being done there arrived envoys from King Childebert, with this message: ‘It was no part of thy recent promise to thy nephew Childebert that thou shouldst make his enemies thy friends. But so far as we see, thou keepest nothing of thy pledge, but rather disregardest thy promise and settest this boy on the royal throne in the city of Paris. God shall judge, for thou forgettest thine own promise, freely given.’ To this the king replied: ‘To the promise which I made to my nephew Childebert I shall not be false. He ought not to take offence if I receive from the sacred font his cousin, my own brother’s son; the call to perform this office is one that no Christian should refuse. As for me, God best knoweth that I seek to act without any subtlety, but in the singleness of a pure heart, for if I do not so, I dread to incur the divine anger. No indignity is done to our race if I take up this child. For if lords receive their servants at the sacred font, how should it be unlawful for me to receive one so near me in blood, and make him my son by the spiritual grace of baptism? Depart therefore, and tell your lord this, that the pact which I made with him I am minded to keep intact, and if it be not annulled by any fault on his side, it shall never be annulled by me.’
After this speech, the envoys withdrew, and the king, approaching the sacred font, presented the boy for baptism. And receiving him again, he desired him to be named Lothar; for he said: ‘Let the boy grow and fulfil the meaning of this name; may he one day enjoy a power equal to that of the former Lothar whose name he hath received.’ The ceremony ended he invited the boy to his table, and loaded him with many gifts. He was invited by his nephew in return, and departed enriched with numerous presents, deciding to return to Chalon.
Notes
- Cf. IX. 41.
- Cf. V. 5; IX. 23, 41.