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 raas Day] Chap, xxxviii] OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE 115 stitious fears, he was persuaded, a second time, to repeat the dangerous experiment. In the distress of the battle of Tolbiac, Clovis loudly invoked the god of Clotilda and the Christians ; and victory disposed him to hear, with respectful gratitude, the eloquent 30 Remigius, 31 bishop of Kheims, who forcibly displayed the temporal and spiritual advantages of his conversion. The king declared himself satisfied of the truth of the Catholic faith ; and the political reasons which might have suspended his public profession were removed by the devout or loyal ac- clamations of the Franks, who showed themselves alike pre- pared to follow their heroic leader to the field of battle or to the baptismal font. The important ceremony was performed in the cathedral of Eheims, with every circumstance of magnifi- [ on cimst- cence and solemnity that could impress an awful sense of re- ligion on the minds of its rude proselytes. 32 The new Constan- 30 A traveller who returned from Rheims to Auvergne had stolen a copy of his Deolamations from the secretary or bookseller of the modest archbishop (Sidonius Apollinar. 1. ix. epist. 7). Four epistles of Remigius, which are still extant (in torn, iv. p. 51, 52, 53), do not correspond with the splendid praise of Sidonius. 31 Hinemar, one of the successors of Remigius (a.d. 845-882), has composed his life (in torn. iii. p. 373-380 [Migne, vol. cxxv. p. 1128 sqq.]). The authority of ancient Mss. of the church of Rheims might inspire some confidence, which is de- stroyed, however, by the selfish and audacious fictions of Hinemar. It is remarkable enough that Remigius, who was consecrated at the age of twenty-two (a.d. 457), filled the episcopal chair seventy-four years (Pagi Critica, in Baron, torn. ii. p. 384, 572). [Gregory of Tours used a liber vitae of Remigius (ii. 39), which Life was doubtless also used by Venantius Fortunatus and afterwards by Hinemar.] 32 A vial (the Sainte Ampoulle) of holy, or rather celestial, oil, was brought down by a white dove, for the baptism of Clovis, and it is still used, and renewed, in the coronation of the kings of France. Hinemar (he aspired to the primacy of Gaul) is the first author of this fable (in torn. iii. p. 377), whose slight foundations the Abbe de Vertot (Memoires de l'Academie des Inscriptions, torn. ii. p. 619-633) has undermined, with profound respect and consummate dexterity. [Besides the narrative of Gregory, there is a still earlier source for the baptism of Chlodwig — a contemporary letter addressed to Chlodwig by Avitus, bishop of Vienna (Vienne), who supplies the date (Christmas Day), which is confirmed by a reference to the " severity of winter " in a letter of Remigius (ap. Bouquet, iv. 51). Avitus also mentions the presence of a number of bishops at the ceremony ; he was invited himself, and this letter (ed. Peiper, 75 sq.) excuses his absence. His description of Chlodwig bowing his terrible head before the servants of God (cum se Dei servis in- fleeteret timendum gentibus caput) sounds like an allusion to the words which Gregory puts in the mouth of Remigius : mitis depone colla, Sicamber. The place of the baptism was not Rheims, but Tours. This has been made certain by B. Krusch. We have an older source than Gregory, Nicetius of Trier, who states that the king came ad domni Martini limina and was baptised there (M. G. H., Epp. iii. 122). This can only mean the famous church of St. Martin at Tours. Now there is evidence which suggests that Tours may have been conquered by the Franks before the end of the fifth century ; Bordeaux was captured by them in a.d. 498 (see W. Levison, Zur Geschichte des Frankenkonigs Chlodowech in Jahrb. des Vereins von Alterthumsfreunden im Rheinlande, 103, 42 sqq.). The account of Gregory is in any case erroneous, and the baptism had nothing to do with the Alamannic victory. See Krusch, preface to Vita Vedastis, ed. minor.]