nd his Thebaean legion, had rendered Agaunum a place of devout
pilgrimage. A promiscuous community of both sexes had introduced some
deeds of darkness, which were abolished (A.D. 515) by the regular
monastery of Sigismond. Within fifty years, his angels of light made
a nocturnal sally to murder their bishop, and his clergy. See in the
Bibliotheque Raisonnee (tom. xxxvi. p. 435-438) the curious remarks of a
learned librarian of Geneva.]

[Footnote 45: Marius, bishop of Avenche, (Chron. in tom. ii. p. 15,) has
marked the authentic dates, and Gregory of Tours (l. iii. c. 5, 6, in
tom. ii. p. 188, 189) has expressed the principal facts, of the life of
Sigismond, and the conquest of Burgundy. Procopius (in tom. ii. p.
34) and Agathias (in tom. ii. p. 49) show their remote and imperfect
knowledge.]

The first victory of Clovis had insulted the honor of the Goths. They
viewed his rapid progress with jealousy and terror; and the youthful
fame of Alaric was oppressed by the more potent genius of his rival.
Some disputes inevitably arose on the edge of their contiguous
dominions; and after the delays of fruitless negotiation, a personal
interview of the two kings was proposed and accepted. The conference of
Clovis and Alaric was held in a small island of the Loire, near Amboise.
They embraced, familiarly conversed, and feasted together; and separated
with the warmest professions of peace and brotherly love. But
their apparent confidence concealed a dark suspicion of hostile and
treacherous designs; and their mutual complaints solicited, eluded, and
disclaimed, a final arbitration. At Paris, which he already considered
as his royal seat, Clovis declared to an assembly of the princes and
warriors, the pretence, and the motive, of a Gothic war. "It grieves me
to see that the Arians still possess the fairest portion of Gaul. Let
us march against them with the aid of God; and, having vanquished the
heretics, we will possess and divide their fertile provinces." [46] The
Franks, who were inspired by hereditary valor and recent zeal, applauded
the generous design of their monarch; expressed their resolution to
conquer or die, since death and conquest would be equally profitable;
and solemnly protested that they would never shave their beards till
victory should absolve them from that inconvenient vow. The enterprise
was promoted by the public or private exhortations of Clotilda. She
reminded her husband how effectually some pious founda