Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 4.djvu/100

 CLOVIS

70

CLOVIS

and "little Michelangelo", b. at Grizani, on the coast of Croatia, in 149S; d. at Rome, 157S. His family appear to have come from Macedonia, and hLs original name was perhaps Glovid. Coming to Italy at the age of eighteen, lie soon won renown, and be- came a protege of Cardinal Grimani, for whom he engraved medals and seals. One of his first pictures was a Madonna after an engravmg by Albert Diirer. In 1524 Clovio was at Buda. at the court of King Louis II, for whom he painted the " Judgment of Paris " and "Lucretia". In 1526 he returned to Rome, and a year later, falling into the hands of the Constable Bourbon's banditti, he made a vow to enter religion if he could escape from them. He accordingly took orders at Mantua, and illustrated several manu- scripts for his convent, adopting in religion the name Giulio, perhaps in memory of Giulio Romano, who had been one of his early advisers. Thanks to the intervention of Cardinal Grunani, he was soon re- leased from his vows, and spent several years in the service of this prelate, for whom he executed some of his most beautiful works — a Latin missal, 1537 (in Lord Hertford's collection), and a Petrarch (in the Trivulzio Library at Milan). He was at Venice in 1538, but in 1540 was summoned to Rome by Pope Paul III. Cosimo II then lured him to Tuscany, and princes disputed over his achievements. Philip II ordered from Clovio a life of his father, Charles V, in twelve scenes, and John III of Portugal paid him 2000 ducats for a psalter, but a prayer book which he made for Cardmal Farnese, and which Vasari calls a "divine work", was considered Clovio's masterpiece. The binding was made after a design by Cellini. Clovio died in Rome at the age of eighty; his tomb is to be seen in the church of San Pietro in Vincoli, and his works are preserved in all the libraries of Europe, especially that of the Vatican.

This famous artist, although one of the most highly esteemed in his own line, was nevertheless among those who helped to injure it. By introducing into it the ideas and monumental style of the Renais.sance and replacing rich costumes, delicate arabesques, and Gothic foliage by the nude, by antique ornaments, trophies, medallions, festoons, etc., Clovio contributed largely to the decadence of the channing art of minia- ture-painting, and his example of extreme elaboration was imitated throughout Europe at a time when print- ing had not yet su]5planted manuscripts for editions de luxe. However sumptuous his work, it lacked the (quality which distinguished that done by the French illuminators at an earlier period for Charles V and the Due de Berrj'.

Vasabi (ed. MiLANEsi); Sakcinski, Leben des Giulio Clovio (Agram, 1852); Id.. Georg Clovio (Agram, 1878); Bertolotti, Don Giulio Clovio, principe dci miniatori (Modena, 1882).

Louis Gillet.

Clovis (Chlodwig, or Chlodowech), son of Chil- deric, King of the Salic Franks, b. in the year 466; d. at Paris, 27 November, 51 1. He succeeded his father as King of the Franks of Tournai in 481. His kingdom was probably one of the States that sprang from the di\'ision of Clodion's monarchy, like those of Cambrai, Tongres, and Cologne. Although a pagan, Childeric had kept up friendly relations with the bishops of Gaul, and when Clovis a.scended the throne he re- ceived a most cordial letter of conirratulation from St. Remigius, Archbishoji of Reims.' The young king early began his cour.sc of coniiucst bv attaVking Sya- gruis, son of vi'^gidius the Unman Coiint. Ha\'ing"es- tablish(>d himself at Soissons, he acquired sovereign authority over so great a part of Northern Gaul as to be known to his contemporaries as the King of Sois- Bons. Syagrius, being dcfcate.l. (led for protection toAlaric II, King of the Visigotlis, but the latter, alarmed by a summons from Clovis, delivered Sya- grius to his conqueror, who iiad him decapitated in

486. Clovis then remained master of the dominions of Syagrius and took up his residence at Soissons. It would seem as if the episode of the celebrated vase of Soissons were an incident of the campaign against Syagrius, and it proves that, although a pagan, Clovis continued his father's policy by remaining on amica- ble terms with the Gaulish episcopate. The vase, taken by the Frankish soldiers while plundering a church, formed part of the booty that was to be di- vided among the army. It was claimed by the bishop (St. Remigius?), and the king sought to have it awarded to himself in order to return it intact to the bishop, but a dissatisfied soldier split the vase with his battle-axe, sajdng to the king: "You will get only the share allotted you by fate. " Clovis did not openly re- sent the insult, but the following year, when review- ing his army, he came upon this same soldier and, re- proving him for the defective condition of his arms, he split his skull with an axe. saying: "It was thus that you treated the Soissons vase." This incident has often been cited to show that, although in time of war a king has unlimited authority over his army, after the war his power is restricted, and that in the divis- ion of booty the rights of the soldiers must be re- spected.

After the defeat of Syagrius, Clovis extended his dominion as far as the Loire. It was owing to the as- sistance given him by the Gaulish episcopate that he gained possession of the country. 'The bishops, it is quite certain, mapped out the regime that afterwards prevailed. Unlike that adopted in other barbarian kingdoms founded upon the ruins of the Roman Em- pire, this regime established absolute equality be- tween the Gallo-Roman natives and their Germanic conquerors, all sharing the sarne privileges. Proco- pius, a Byzantine writer, has given us an idea of this agreement, but we know it best by its results. There was no distribution of Gaulish territory by the \'ic- tors; established in the Belgian [irovinces, they hatl lands there to which they returned after each cam- paign. All the free men in the kingdom of Clovis, whether they were of Roman or of Germanic origin, called themselves Franks, and we must guard against the old mistake of looking upon the Franks after Clo- vis as no more than Germanic barbarians.

Master of half of Gaul, Clovis returned to Belgium and conquered the two Salic kingdoms of Cambrai and Tongres (?), where his cousins Ragnacaire and Chara- ric reigned. These events have been made known to us only through the poetic tradition of the Franks, which has singularly distortetl them. According to this tradition Clovis called upon Chararic to assist him in his war against Syagrius, but Chararic's attitude throughout the battle was most suspicious, as he re- frained from taking sides until he saw which of the rivals was to be victorious. Clovis longed to have re- venge. Through a ruse he obtained possession of Chararic and his son and threw them into prison; he then had their heads shaved, and both were or- dained, the father to the priesthood and the son to the diaconate. When Chararic bemoaned and wept over this humiliation his son exclaimed: "The leaves of a green tree have been cut, but they will quickly bud forth again; may he who has done this perish as quickly!" This remark was reported to Clovis, and he had both father and son beheaded.

Tradition goes on to say that Ragnacaire, King of Cambrai, was a man of such loose morals that he hardly respected his own kindred, and Farron, his favourite, was equally licentious. So great was the king's infatuation for this man that, if given a present, he would accei>t it for himself and his Farron. This filled his subjects with indignation and Clovis, to win them over to his siile before taking the field, distrib- uted among them money, bracelets, and baldrics, all in gilded copper in fraudulent imitation of genuine gold. On different occasions Ragnacaire sent out