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THE FIFTH BOOK 131 life, seeing she could not escape, she drew deep sighs and wished to have partners in her death, intending that at her funeral there should be mourning for others. It is said that she made a request of the king in Herodian fashion saying: ^'I would still have had hopes of hf e if I had not fallen into the hands of wicked physicians ; for the draughts they gave me have taken my life away perforce and have caused me swiftly to lose the light of day. And there- fore I beg you let my death not go unavenged, and I conjure you with an oath to have them slain by the sword as soon as I depart from the light ; so that, just as I cannot live longer, so they too shall not boast after my death, and the grief of our friends and of theirs shall be one and the same." So speaking she gave up her unhappy soul. And the king after the customary period of public mourning fulfilled her wicked order, forced by the oath to his cruel wife. He ordered the two physicians who had attended her to be slain with the sword, and the wisdom of many believes that this was not done without sin. [36. Nanthinus, count of Angouleme, dies of the plague. He had been a bitter enemy of the bishops. 37. Death of Martin, bishop of Galicia. 38. The Arian queen of Spain, Gaisuenta, is enraged at her Catholic daughter-in-law. "She seizes the girl by the hair of her head, dashes her on the ground, kicks her for a long time and covers her with blood and orders her to be stripped and ducked in the fish-pond." The girl however converts her husband but he is sent into exile. 39. Fredegunda brings about the death of Clovis, Chilperic's son. 40. Elafius, bishop of Chalons, and Eonius, exiled bishop of Vannes, die. 41. Chilperic seizes legates sent by the king of Galicia to king Gunthram. List of prodigies including a destructive wind of which Gregory says; Its space was about seven acres in width but one could not estimate its length."] 42. Maurilio, bishop of the city of Cahors, was seriously ill of gout, but in addition to the pain which the humor caused, he sub- jected himself to added tortures. For he often put white-hot iron against his feet and legs in order to make his pain greater. While many were candidates for his office he himself preferred Ursicinus who had once been referendary to queen Vulthrogotha and he begged that Ursicinus be ordained before his death, and then passed away