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History of the Franks

St Gregory of Tours, tr. Dalton, 1927

Book 6, 4. How Lupus Was Forced to Fly Childebert’s Kingdom

Now Lupus,¹ duke of Champagne, had long been continually harried and despoiled by his enemies, and above all by Ursio and Bertefried, who finally agreed together to take his life, and marched against him with an army. At sight whereof Queen Brunhild, sore at heart for her loyal servant thus unjustly persecuted, armed herself with a man’s courage and threw herself between the hostile armies, crying: ‘Desist, O warriors, from this wickedness; cease to persecute the innocent; join not battle on account of one man, nor destroy the strength of our country.’ But in answer to these words Ursio said: ‘Stand back from us, O woman; let it suffice thee to have borne sway under thy consort. But now the kingdom is thy son’s, and it is upheld not by thy protection but by ours. Stand therefore back from us, lest our horses’ hoofs trample thee.’ For a great while did they thus dispute together, till the queen by her perseverance succeeded in preventing a conflict. Nevertheless, the two leaders, when they had withdrawn from the spot, broke into houses belonging to Lupus; they laid hands upon all his property. Making as if they would pay it into the royal treasury, they carried it off to their own homes, uttering threats against Lupus and saying: ‘He shall not escape alive out of our power.’ Then Lupus, perceiving in what peril he stood, put his wife in safety within the walls of Laon, and took refuge with King Guntram, who received him kindly. He remained quietly with the king, awaiting the time when King Childebert should come of age.

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