Clovis died at Paris in 511, and Clotilda had him interred on what was then Mons Lucotetius, in the church of the Apostles (later Sainte-Geneviève), which they had built together to serve as a mausoleum, and which Clotilda was left to complete. The widowhood of this noble woman was saddened by cruel trials. Her son Clodomir, son-in-law of Gondebad, made war against his cousin Sigismund, who had succeeded Gondebad on the throne of Burgundy, captured him, and put him to death with his wife and children at Coulmiers, near Orléans. According to the popular epic of the Franks, he was incited to this war by Clotilda, who thought to avenge upon Sigismund the murder of her parents; but, as has already been seen Clotilda had nothing to avenge, and, on the contrary, it was probably she who arranged the alliance between Clovis and Gondebad. Here the legend is at variance with the truth, cruelly defaming the memory of Clotilda, who had the sorrow of seeing Clodomir perish in his unholy war on the Burgundians; he was vanquished and slain in the battle of Veseruntia (Vezeronce), in 524, by Godomar, brother of Sigismund. Clotilda took under her care his three sons of tender age, Theodoald, Gunther, and Clodoald. Childebert and Clotaire, however, who had divided between them the inheritance of their elder brother, did not wish the children to live, to whom later on they would have to render an account. By means of a ruse they withdrew the children from the watchful care of their mother and slew the two eldest, the third escaped and entered a cloister, to which he gave his name (Saint-Cloud, near Paris).

The grief of Clotilda was so great that Paris became insupportable to her, and she withdrew to Tours where close to the tomb of St. Martin, to whom she had great devotion, she spent the remainder of her life in prayer and good works. But there were trials still in store for her. Her daughter Clotilda, wife of Amalaric, the Visigothic king, being cruelly maltreated by her husband, appealed for help to her brother Childebert. He went to her rescue and defeated Amalaric in a battle, in which the latter was killed, Clotilda, however, died on the journey home, exhausted by the hardships she had endured. Finally, as though to crown the long martyrdom of Clotilda, her two sole surviving sons, Childebert and Clotaire, began to quarrel, and engaged in serious warfare. Clotaire, closely pursued by Childebert, who had been joined by Theodebert, son of Thierry I, took refuge in the forest of Brotonne, in Normandy, where he feared that he and his army would be exterminated by the superior forces of his adversaries. Then, says Gregory of Tours, Clotilda threw herself on her knees before the tomb of St. Martin, and besought him with tears during the whole night not to permit another fratricide to afflict the family of Clovis. Suddenly a frightful tempest arose and dispersed the two armies which were about to engage in a hand-to-hand struggle; thus, says the chronicler, did the saint answer the prayers of the afflicted mother. This was the last of Clotilda's trials. Rich in virtues and good works, after a widowhood of thirty-four years, during which she lived more as a religious than as a queen, she died and was buried in Paris, in the church of the Apostles, beside her husband and children.

The life of Saint Clotilda, the principal episodes of which, both legendary and historic, are found scattered throughout the chronicle of St. Gregory of Tours was written in the tenth century, by an anonymous author, who gathered his facts principally from this source. At an early period she was venerated by the Church as a saint, and while popular contemporary poetry disfigures her noble personality by making her a type of a savage fury, Clotilda has now entered into the possession of a pure and untarnished fame, which no legend will be able to obscure.

Baring-Gould’s sources: Roman and Galilean Martyrologies. Authority Gregory of Tours, in his History of the Franks, and Fredegar.] Gondecar, king of Burgundy, was killed in battle against Attila, king of the Huns, and left four sons — Gundebald, Chilperic, Gondemar, and Gondegisl. These brothers divided Burgundy between them, but Chilperic and Gondemar combined to expel their brothers from Burgundy. But Gundebald raising an army defeated them, burnt Gondemar in his castle, and killed Chilperic, his wife and sons, leaving only the two daughters alive, Sedelenda and Clothilda. Sedelenda entered a nunnery, but Clothilda was brought up in the palace of Gundebald. In the midst of a fierce people, at a time when war was the constant occupation of princes, a gentle spirit must needs flee for refuge to religion as a port of tranquillity. Clothilda grew up full of piety and tenderness to sufferers. About the year 492 she was married to Clovis, king of the Franks, a heathen. Their first son was baptized, but dying shortly after, the king attributed it to his baptism. A second son was born, and she persuaded him to allow it to be also baptized. He consented with hesitation, and the child received the name of Clodomir at the sacred font Shortly after it fell ill, and the king was furious. “This comes of your holy water!” he said. Clothilda prayed fervently, and obtained the life of the child. After this she had a daughter who received her name, and was married to Amalaric, king of the Visigoths. The gentle influence of Clothilda was daily softening the prejudices of her husband, and breaking down the barriers which prevented his conversion. But it was not to be in the palace, but in the battle-field, that the warlike king would yield. The Franks and the Alemanni met in battle at Tolbiac. The Franks were worsted, and were flying, when Clovis thought of the God of Clothilda. Raising his hand to heaven he renounced Thorr and Odin, and vowed that if he gained the victory, he would be baptized and become a Christian. The tide of battle turned; the Alemanni were routed, their king slain, and to preserve themselves from annihilation, hailed Clovis as their sovereign. Clothilda, without loss of time, sent the glad tidings to S. Remigius, bishop of Rheims. Clovis still hesitated, till he could consult his people. The obsequious warriors declared their readiness to be of the same religion as their king. To impress the minds of the barbarians, the baptismal ceremony was performed with the utmost pomp; the church was hung with embroidered tapestry and white curtains; odours of incense like airs of Paradise were diffused around, and the building blazed with countless lights. When the new Constantine knelt in the font, “Fierce Sicambrian,” said the bishop, “gently bow thy neck: burn what thou hast adored, and adore what thou hast burned.”

Three thousand Franks [the Germanic people who ruled Gaul and gave France its name] followed the example of Clovis. During one of the subsequent religious instructions, the bishop dwelt on the events of the Passion. “ Hah I” exclaimed Clovis, “had I and my faithful Franks been there, the Jews had not dared to do it” At that time Clovis the Frank was the only orthodox sovereign in Christendom. The Emperor Anastasius lay at least under the suspicion of favouring the Eutychian [followers of Eutyches, who said Christ had only a divine nature; condemned at Chalcedon in 451] heresy. The Ostrogoth Theodoric in Italy, the Visigoth and Burgundian kings in France, the Suevian in Spain, the Vandal in Africa, were Arians [followers of Arius, who taught that the Son is a created being, not fully God]. The sincerity of Clovis in his conversion, has been controverted, and it has been thought that there was in it something of political calcuBAPTISM OP CLOVIS.

After a Painting by D. F. Laugee. June 3. June*] *£ Clothilda. 25 lation. But in looking closely, the hypothesis fails, a great struggle is discoverable in this barbarian, held back by his pagan superstitions, but attracted by Christian light hnd civilization. The gods, from whom he believes himself to be lineally descended, awe him, and he attributes to their anger the death of his first-born. He hesitates to abandon them for this new God, 44 this unarmed God, who is not of the race of Thorr and Odin,” as he said. He also dreaded his people, and he desired their consent Nevertheless, the hopes of subjugating all Gaul [roughly modern France and Belgium] held out to him as the price of his abjuration, touched him, and the peril of Tolbiac decided him. Yet we must not forget the long used influence of his gentle wife, and the theological discussions he held, of which if Gregory of Tours [bishop and historian of the Franks (d. 594)] alters the expressions, he at all events proves the existence. One must remember the testimony of Nicetius of Trfcves, when, in addressing the grand-daughter of Clovis, he wrote to her, 44 You have learnt from your ancestress Clothilda, of happy memory, how she drew to the faith her lordly husband, and how that he, a man of keen thought, would not yield till he was convinced of the truth.” Clovis now turned his arms against Alaric, king of the Arian Visigoths, who occupied a large portion of the south of Gaul. The war assumed a religious character, and when Clovis sent to the tomb of S. Martin [St. Martin of Tours (d. 397), soldier turned bishop] at Tours, to ask for some omen of victory, the messengers entered the minster as the monks were singing 44 Thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle; thou shalt throw down mine enemies under me” (Ps. xviiL 39). A marvellous hind shows the Franks the ford across the river; and when Clovis is encamped before Poitiers, a flaming meteor hangs above the royal pavilion. Later, the invasion of Burgundy is coloured with the same religious motives. Clovis fights to extend at once the kingdom of Christ and of himself. Before the war broke out, a synod of orthodox Burgundian bishops met at Lyons, with S. Avitus of Vienne at their head. They visited King Gundebald, and proposed a conference with the Arian bishops. The king shrewdly replied, “ If yours be the true doctrine, why do you not prevent the king of the Franks from waging an unjust war, and from caballing with my enemies against me ? There is no Christian faith where there is rapacious covetousness for the possessions of others, and thirst for blood. Let him show forth his faith by his works.” S. Avitus skilfully evaded this question, and significantly replied that he was ignorant of the motives of Clovis. “ But this I know, that God overthrows the thrones of those who are disobedient to His law.” 1 Clothilda is said to have stimulated Clovis into engaging in this war, whether to advance the Gospel or to avenge the death of her parents and brothers, is not as manifest as we might desire.

On the death of Clovis, in 514, the kingdom was divided between his sons. Clodomir became king of Orleans, Childebert king of Paris, Clothair of Soissons, and Thierry of Austrasia, having his capital at Metz. Clothilda retired to Tours, where she spent her days in devotion; she still, however, maintained an influence and interest in public affairs, and stirred up her sons to make war on Sigismund, king of Burgundy. “ My dearest ones 1” said the queen, “I grieve not that I have brought you up, and now, I 1 Collatio Episcop. apud D’Archery, Spidleg Hi., p. 304. It is a sad blot on the memory of S. Avitus that he, with fulsome flattery, excused the butchery of his brothers by Gundebald. He wrote: — “You weep with inexpressible grief at the death of your brothers." He had burnt one, cut the throat of another, killed his two nephews, and thrown his mother down a well with a stone round her neek. “Your sympathising people arc afflicted at your sadness. But by the secret counsels of God, this sorrow will be turned into joy; for no doubt this diminution In the number of its princes was ordained for the welfare of the kingdom, those alone were allowed by God to live who are needed for the administration of the kingdom." Ale. Aviti Epist., ap. Sirmond. Oper. ii. Juae j.J S. Kevin, beseech you, avenge my wrong, the murder of my father and mother 1” Sigismund, king of Burgundy, was the son of Gundebald, her uncle, who had wronged her. There was no excuse now of advancing the true faith, for Sigismund had renounced Arianism, and become a Catholic. The expedition ended in the murder of Sigismund (see May 1st), and of his wife and children; and the Burgundian king is honoured as a saint and martyr. Perhaps Gregory of Tours was wrong in saying that their mother urged the princes to this war of revenge. But if not, she was amply punished by seeing them turn their arms against each other in internecine strife. Clothilda died at Tours on June the 3rd, but the year of her death is not certain. Her relics [the bodily remains of a saint, or objects they used, kept with honor] are preserved at Viviferes, where on this day a famous pilgrimage and procession is made bearing them. Also portions at Coeuvres, Andelys, Joyenval, and Longpont near Paris; as well as in the Church of S. Genevieve at Paris.