Historical Tales, Vol. 6 | Page 9

the wife of Sigebert, brother of Chilperic
and king of Austrasia. The murder of Galsuinthe was ascribed by
Brunehild to Fredegonde, with excellent reason if we may judge from
her subsequent career, and from that day on an undying hatred existed
between the two queens. To this the stirring incidents of their after lives
were due. War broke out between the two kings, probably inspired by
Brunehild's thirst for revenge for her sister's death on the one hand, and
the ambition and hatred of Fredegonde on the other. Sigebert was
successful in the field, but treachery soon robbed him of the fruits of
victory. He was murdered in his tent (in the year 575) by two assassins
in the pay of Queen Fredegonde.
This murder gave Chilperic the ascendancy. Sigebert's army disbanded,

and Brunehild, as the only means of preserving her life, sought an
asylum in the cathedral of Paris. And now the scene becomes one of
rapid changes, in which the unscrupulous Fredegonde plays the leading
part. Chilperic, not daring to offend the church by slaying the fugitive
queen under its protection, sent her to Rouen. Here the widowed lady,
her beauty rendered more attractive by her misfortunes, was seen and
loved by Merovée, the son of Chilperic by his first wife, then in that
town on a mission from his father. Fired with passion for the hapless
queen, he married her privately, the Bishop of Rouen sealing their
union.
This imprudent action soon became known at the court of Chilperic,
and the ambitious Fredegonde hastened to turn it to her advantage.
Merovée was heir to the throne of Chilperic. He was in her way, and
had now given her a pretext for his removal. Chilperic, who seems to
have been the weak slave of her designs, would have seized both
Merovée and his bride but for the Austrasians, who demanded that their
queen Brunehild should be restored to them, and enforced their
demands with threats. She was surrendered; but Merovée, under the
influence of his step-mother, was imprisoned, then shorn and shut up in
a monastery, and afterwards became a fugitive, and was urged to head a
rebellion against his father. Such was the terror, however, which the
unhappy youth entertained for his cruel step-mother, that he put an end
to his existence by suicide, inducing a faithful servant to strike him
dead.
Fredegonde's success in getting rid of one of the heirs to the throne,
only partly satisfied her ambitious views. There was another son,
Clovis, brother of Merovée. To rid herself of him the wily queen took
another course. Three of her own children had recently died, and she
ascribed their death to Clovis, whom she accused of sorcery. He was
seized under this charge, thrown into prison, and there ended his career,
a poniard-thrust closing his brief tale of life. The tale of murders in this
direction was completed by that of the repudiated Queen Andovere,
who was soon found strangled in the convent to which she had been
consigned.

Fredegonde had thus rid herself of all claimants to the throne outside of
herself and her descendants, Galsuinthe having left no children. Though
death had recently robbed her of three children, one survived, a son
named Clotaire, then a few months old. Her next act of treachery was to
make away with her weak and confiding husband, perhaps that she
might reign alone, perhaps through fear that Chilperic might discover
her guilty relations with Landry, an officer of the court, and
subsequently mayor of the palace. Whatever the reason, soon after
these events, King Chilperic, while in the act of dismounting on his
return from the chase, was struck two mortal blows by a man who took
to rapid flight, while all around the cry was raised, "Treason! it is the
hand of the Austrasian Childebert against our lord the king!"
The readiness with which this cry was raised seemed evidence of its
falsity. Men ascribed it and the murder to emissaries of Fredegonde.
But, heedless of their opinions, she installed herself as sovereign
guardian of her infant son, and virtual reigning queen of Neustria. It
was now the year 584. Fredegonde had by her beauty, ambition,
boldness, and unscrupulousness raised herself from the lowly rank of a
peasant's daughter to the high position of sovereign over a great
dominion, a queenship which she was to hold during the remainder of
her life, her strong will, effrontery, artifice, skill in deception, and
readiness to strengthen her position by crime, enabling her to overcome
all resistance and maintain her ascendancy over the restless and
barbarous elements of the kingdom she ruled. She was a true product of
the times, one born to become dominant over a barbarous people.
Gregory of Tours tells a story of Chilperic and Fredegonde,