rom the bloody scenes of the palace to live in
works of charity with the poor and suffering, and in holy communion
with priests and bishops. She was at length consecrated a deaconess by
St. Medard, donned the habit of a nun, and founded a convent at
Poitiers, where the poet Fortunatus had himself ordained a priest that
he might be near her. Radegonde's memory is dear to us in England, for
it was a small company of her nuns who settled on the Green Croft by
the river bank below Cambridge, and founded a priory whose noble
church and monastic buildings were subsequently incorporated in Jesus
College when the nunnery was suppressed by Bishop Alcock in 1496.]

In the days of Siegbert and Chilperic, kings of Eastern and Western
France, the consuming flames of passion and greed again burst forth,
this time fanned by the fierce breath of feminine rivalry. Siegbert
had married Brunehaut, daughter of the Visigoth king of Spain:
Chilperic had espoused her sister, Galowinthe, after repudiating his
first wife, Adowere. When Galowinthe came to her throne she found
herself the rival of Fredegonde, a common servant, with whom Chilperic
had been living. He soon tired of his new wife, a gentle and pliant
creature, Fredegonde regained her supremacy and one morning Galowinthe
was found strangled in bed. The news came to King Siegbert and
Brunehaut goaded him to avenge her sister's death. Meanwhile Chilperic
had married Fredegonde, who quickly compassed the murder of her only
rival, the repudiated queen, Adowere. Soon Chilperic drew the sword
and civil war devastated the land. By foreign aid Siegbert captured
and spoiled Paris and compelled a peace. Scarcely, however, had the
victor dismissed his Germain allies, when Chilperic fell upon him
again. Siegbert now determined to make an end. He entered Paris, and
prepared to crush his enemy at Tournay. As he set forth, St. Germain,
bishop of Paris, seized his horse's bridle and warned him that the
grave he was digging for his brother would swallow him too. When he
reached Vitry two messengers were admitted to see him. As he stood
between them listening to their suit he was stabbed on either side by
two long poisoned knives: the assassins had been sent by Fredegonde.

But Fredegonde's tale of blood was not yet complete. She soon learned
that Merovee, one of Chilperic's two sons by Adowere, had married
Brunehaut. Merovee followed the rest of her victims, and Clovis, the
second son, together with