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 THE FIFTH BOOK 123 bishop, get rid of them, for fear the matter may cause a scandal.' I again gave them two cases and two more remained with me. But why do you calumniate me now and accuse me, when this case should not be put in the class of theft but of safe-keeping." Then the king said : "If you had this property deposited in your posses- sion for safe-keeping, why did you open one of them and cut in pieces a girdle woven of gold threads and give to men to drive me from the kingdom." Bishop Praetextatus answered: "I told you before that I had received their gifts and as I had nothing at hand to give I therefore took this and gave it in return for their gifts. I regarded as belonging to me what belonged to my son Merovech whom I received from the font of regeneration." King Chilperic saw that he could not overcome him by false charges, and being greatly astonished and thrown into confusion by his conscience, he withdrew from us and called certain of his flatterers and said : "I confess that I've been beaten by the bishop's replies and I know that what he says is true. What am I to do now, that the queen's will may be done on him?" And he said : "Go and approach him and speak as if giving your own advice ; ' You know that king Chilperic is pious and merciful and is quickly moved to compassion; humble yourself before him and say that you are guilty of the charges he has made. Then we will all throw our- selves at his feet and prevail on him to pardon you.'" Bishop Praetextatus was deceived and promised he would do this. In the morning we met at the usual place and the king came and said to the bishop: "If you gave gifts to these men in return for gifts, why did you ask for an oath that they would keep faith with Mero- vech?" The bishop replied : "I confess I did ask their friendship for him ; and I would have asked not men alone but, if it were right to say so, I would have called an angel from heaven to be his helper; for he was my spiritual son from the baptismal font, as I have often said." And when the dispute grew warmer, bishop Praetextatus threw himself on the ground and said : "I have sinned against heaven and before thee, most merciful king : I am a wicked homicide ; I wished to kill you and raise your son to the throne. " When he said this the king threw himself down at the feet of tl e bishops and said : "Hear, most holy bishops, the accused confesses his awful crime." And when we had raised the king from the