Page:1909historyofdec04gibbuoft.djvu/150

 120 THE DECLINE AND FALL [Chap, xxxviii condition which the Catholics considered as essential to the treaty, delayed and dismissed the ecclesiastical conference ; after reproaching his bishops, that Clovis, their friend and proselyte, had privately tempted the allegiance of his brother. 44 victory of The allegiance of his brother was already seduced ; and the a.d. sob obedience of Godegesil, who joined the royal standard with the troops of Geneva, more effectually promoted the success of the conspiracy. While the Franks and Burgundians contended with equal valour, his seasonable desertion decided the event of the battle ; and, as Gundobald was faintly supported by the disaffected Gauls, he yielded to the arms of Clovis, and hastily retreated from the field, which appears to have been situate between Langres and Dijon. He distrusted the strength of [Divio] Dijon, a quadrangular fortress, encompassed by two rivers, and by a wall thirty feet high, and fifteen thick, with four gates, and thirty-three towers ; 45 he abandoned to the pursuit of Clovis the important cities of Lyons and Vienna ; and Gundo- [Avenio] bald still fled with precipitation, till he had reached Avignon, at the distance of two hundred and fifty miles from the field of battle. A long siege, and an artful negotiation, admonished the king of the Franks of the danger and difficulty of his enter- prise. He imposed a tribute on the Burgundian prince, com- pelled him to pardon and reward his brother's treachery, and proudly returned to his own dominions, with the spoils and captives of the southern provinces. This splendid triumph was soon clouded by the intelligence that Gundobald had vio- lated his recent obligations, and that the unfortunate Godegesil, who was left at Vienna with a garrison of five thousand Franks, 46 had been besieged, surprised, and massacred by his 44 See the original conference (in [Bouquet], torn. iv. p. 99-102). Avitus, the principal actor, and probably the secretary of the meeting, was bishop of Vienna. [The acts of this conference, known as the Collatio Episcoporum, have been proved to be a forgery by J. Havet.] A short account of his person and works may be found in Dupin (Bibliotheque Ecclesiastique, torn. v. p. 5-10). [It has been shown by Junghans that in making war Chlodwig relied on a party in Northern Burgundy which was favourable to the Franks. Cp. op. cit. p. 76.] 45 Gregory of Tours (1. iii. c. 19, in torn. ii. p. 197) indulges his genius, or rather transcribes some more eloquent writer, in the description of Dijon, a castle, which already deserved the title of a city. It depended on the bishops of Langres till the twelfth century, and afterwards became the capital of the dukes of Burgundy. Longuerue, Description de la France, part i. p. 280. 46 The Epitomizer of Gregory of Tours (in torn. ii. p. 401) has supplied this number of Franks ; but he rashly supposes that they were out in pieces by Gundo- bald. The prudent Burgundians spared the soldiers of Clovis, and sent these