Page:History of the Franks.djvu/121

THE FOURTH BOOK 89 the treasury who exacted from bishop Leontius 1000 gold pieces and fined the other bishops up to the Kmit of their power of pay- ment. And so the insult to the prince was avenged. After this he married Marcovefa, sister of Merofied. For which reason they were both excommunicated by the holy bishop Germanus. But since the king did not wish to leave her, she was struck by a judg- ment of God and died. Not long after the king himself died. And after his death, Theodogild, one of his queens, sent messengers to king Gunthram offering herself in marriage to him. To v/hich the king sent back this answer : "Let her not be slow to come to me with her treasures. For I will take her and make her great among the people, so that she will surely have greater honor with me than with my brother who has just died." And she was glad and gathered all together and set out to him. And the king seeing this said : It is better for these treasures to be in my control than in the hands of this woman who has unworthily gone to my brother's bed." Then he took away much and left little, and sent her to a convent at Aries. But she took it very hard to be subject to fasts and watches, and made proposals to a Goth by secret messengers, promising that if he would take her to Spain and marry her she would leave the monastery with her treasures and follow him willingly. This promise he made without hesitation, but when she had got her things together and packed and was ready to go from the convent, the diligence of the abbess frustrated her purpose, and the wicked project was detected, and orders were given to beat her severely and put her under guard. And she continued in confinement to the end of her life on earth, consumed with no slight passions. 27. Now when king Sigibert saw that his brothers were taking wives unworthy of them, and to their disgrace were actually marry- ing slave women, he sent an embassy into Spain and with many gifts asked for Brunhilda, daughter of king Athanagild. She was a maiden beautiful in her person, lovely to look at, virtuous and well-behaved, with good sense and a pleasant address. Her father did not refuse, but sent her to the king I have named with great treasures. And the king collected his chief men, made ready a feast, and took her as his wife amid great joy and mirth. And though she was a follower of the Arian law she was converted by