Page:History of the Franks.djvu/153

THE FIFTH BOOK 121 in all haste to bring me before him. When I came the king stood beside a bower made of branches and on his right bishop Bertram stood and on his left Ragnemod — and there was before them a bench covered with bread and different dishes. On seeing me the king said: Bishop, you are bound to give justice freely to all; and behold I do not obtain justice from you ; but, as I see, you con- sent to iniquity and in you the proverb is fulfilled that crow docs not tear out the eye of crow." To this I replied : If any of us, O king, desires to leave the path of justice, he can be corrected by you ; but if you leave it, who shall rebuke you ? We speak to you ; but you listen only if you wish ; and if you refuse to listen who will condemn you except him who asserts that he is justice ? " To this he answered, being inflamed against me by his flatterers: "With all I have found justice and with you only I cannot find it. But I know what I shall do that you may be disgraced before the people and that it may be evident to all that you are unjust. I will call together the people of Tours and say to them ' Cry against Gregory, for he is unjust and renders justice to no man.' And when they cry this out I will reply : ' I who am king cannot find justice with him and shall you who are less than I find it.' " At this I said : "You do not know that I am unjust. But my conscience knows, to which the secrets of the heart are revealed. And if the people cry aloud with false cries when you attack me, it is nothing, because all know that this comes from you. And therefore it is not I but rather you that shall be disgraced in the outcries. But why speak further ? You have the law and the canons ; you ought to search them diligently ; and then you will know that the judgment of God overhangs you if you do not observe their commands." But he tried to calm me, thinking that I did not understand that he was acting craftily, and pointing to the broth which was set in front of him he said : "It was for you I had this broth prepared ; there is nothing else in it but fowl and a few peas." But I saw his flattery and said to him : "Our food ought to be to do the will of God and not to delight in these luxuries, in order by no means to neglect what he commands. Now do you who find fault with others for injustice promise first that you will not neglect the law and the canons; and then we will believe that you follow justice." Then he stretched out his right hand and swore by all-powerful God that