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History of the Franks
St Gregory of Tours, tr. Dalton, 1927
Book 8, Of Hermangild and Ingund, and of the Spanish Envoys Sent Privily to Fredegund
Ingund, as I have written above,1 had been left by her consort2 with the imperial army. While she was being conducted to the emperor with her little son, she died in Africa,3 and was there buried. Her lord Hermangild was slain by his father Leuvigild. King Guntram, enraged by these events, proposed to send an army into Spain; it was first to subject to his dominion Septimania, which lies within Gaulish territory,4 and having done that, to advance farther. While this army was being levied, a letter of instruction was found in the possession of certain unknown countrymen. It was sent for perusal to King Guntram, as purporting to be written by Leuvigild to Fredegund, enjoining her, by any trick she could, to prevent the army from marching to Spain. It ran thus: ‘Be thou quick to slay our enemies, which is to say, Childebert and his mother; and make peace with King Guntram; buy it at any price you will. If perchance money be lacking to thee, we will send it thee in secret; do only that which we ask. But when once we are avenged upon our enemies, then recompense Bishop Amelius5 and the lady Leuba, by whose good offices the way of approach hath been opened to thy presence.’ Now Leuba was mother-in-law of Duke Bladast.6
Notes
- Cf. VI. 26 (40), 29 (43).
- Hermangild.
- At Carthage.
- And should politically be part of Gaul. For Septimania, see Introduction, pp. 145–6.
- Of Bigorra (Cieutat); cf. IX. 6.
- Cf. ch. 6, above.