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History of the Franks

St Gregory of Tours, tr. Dalton, 1927

Book 6, 13. Of the Slaying of Lupus and Ambrosius, Citizens of Tours

Lupus, a citizen of Tours, having lost his wife and children, sought to become a cleric, but his brother Ambrosius hindered him, because he feared that if he joined the Church of God he might make it his heir. This evil counsellor of a brother found another wife for him, and fixed a day when they should meet for presentation of the wedding gifts. So they both came together to the town of Chinon, where they had a house. But the wife of Ambrosius, who was an adulteress, loathing him and loving another¹ with a harlot’s love, now laid a snare against her husband’s life. The two brothers having dined together, and soaked themselves with wine that night until they were drunken, lay down to rest in one bed. Then the wife’s lover came in the dark, when all the people in the house were asleep, all overcome with wine, and having set fire to some straw to see what he was doing, drew his sword and struck Ambrosius on the head, the blade piercing his eyes and even cutting the pillow. The blow roused Lupus, who found himself wallowing in blood, and cried with a loud voice: ‘Woe is me! help, help! my brother is slain.’ Thereupon the lover, who after the doing of the foul deed was making off, came back to the bed and made at him. Lupus resisted, but was gashed with many wounds, overwhelmed, and left more dead than alive, stricken with a mortal blow. None of the household heard anything. The next morning, every one was aghast at such a crime. Lupus was found still alive, and told them how the deed was done before breathing his last. The harlot took little time over her mourning, but after a few days’ interval went off with her lover.

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