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 54 HISTORY OF THE FRANKS same, and everlasting, one in Trinity in respect to the number of persons, that is, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit ; we con- fess him also triple in unity in respect to equality of substance, deity, omnipotence or power, the one greatest omnipotent God ruHng for eternal centuries. I. Now on the death of king Clovis, his four sons, namely, Theodoric, Chlodomer, Childebert and Chlothar, received his kingdom and divided it among them in equal parts. Theodoric had already at that time a handsome and valiant son named The- odobert. And since they were very brave and had abundant strength in their army, Amalaric, son of Alaric, king of Spain, asked for their sister in marriage, and they kindly granted his re- quest, and sent her into the Spanish country with a great quantity of beautiful things. [2. Quintianus, ex-bishop of Rodez, is rewarded for his faith- fulness to the Franks by being made bishop of Clermont. 3. The Danes plunder the coast of Theodoric 's kingdom. 4. Hermenfred becomes sole king of the Thuringi by Theodoric's help.] 5. Now on Gundobad's death his son Sygismund held his kingdom, and he built with great skill the monastery of St. Maurice, with its dwellings and churches. And losing his first wife, the daughter of Theodoric, king of Italy, he married another, and she began to malign his son bitterly and make charges against him as is the custom of stepmothers. From this it came about that on a day of ceremonial when the boy recognized his mother's dress on her, he was filled with anger, and said to her : "You are not worthy to have on your back those garments which are known to have belonged to your mistress, that is, my mother." And she was set on fire with rage and she stirred her husband up with crafty words, saying : "The wicked boy wishes to possess your kingdom, and he plans when you are killed to extend it as far as Italy, forsooth, that he may possess the kingdom which his grandfather Theodoric held in Italy. For he knows that while you hve he cannot accom- plish this ; and unless you fall he will not rise." Sygismund was aroused by these words, and taking the advice of his wicked wife he became a wicked parricide. For when his son had been made drowsy by wine he bade him sleep in the afternoon ; and while he slept a napkin was placed under his neck and tied under his chin,