of thee, until the Lord in his
goodness deign to make thy cause triumph." "All that thou shalt bid will
I do," said Gondebaud. So Aridius left Gondebaud and went his way to
Clovis, and said: "Most pious King, I am thy humble servant; I give up
this wretched Gondebaud and come unto thy mightiness. If thy goodness
deign to cast a glance upon me, thou and thy descendants will find in me
a servant of integrity and fidelity."

Clovis received him very kindly and kept him by him, for Aridius was
agreeable in conversation, wise in counsel, just in judgment, and
faithful in whatever was committed to his care. As the siege continued
Aridius said to Clovis: "O King, if the glory of thy greatness would
suffer thee to listen to the words of my feebleness, though thou needest
not counsel, I would submit them to thee in all fidelity, and they might
be of use to thee, whether for thyself or for the towns by the which
thou dost propose to pass. Wherefore keepest thou here thine army whilst
thine enemy doth hide himself in a well-fortified place? Thou ravagest
the fields, thou pillagest the corn, thou cuttest down the vines, thou
fellest the olive-trees, thou destroyest all the produce of the land,
and yet thou succeedest not in destroying thine adversary. Rather send
thou unto him deputies, and lay on him a tribute to be paid to thee
every year. Thus the land will be preserved, and thou wilt be lord
forever over him who owes thee tribute. If he refuse, thou shalt then do
what pleaseth thee." Clovis found the counsel good, ordered his army to
return home, sent deputies to Gondebaud, and called upon him to
undertake the payment every year of a fixed tribute. Gondebaud paid for
the time, and promised to pay punctually for the future. And peace
appeared made between the two barbarians.

Pleased with his campaign against the Burgundians, Clovis kept on good
terms with Gondebaud, who was to be henceforth a simple tributary, and
transferred to the Visigoths of Aquitania and their King, Alaric II, his
views of conquest. He had there the same pretexts for attack and the
same means of success. Alaric and his Visigoths were Arians, and between
them and the bishops of Southern Gaul, nearly all orthodox Catholics,
there were permanent ill-will and distrust. Alaric attempted to
conciliate their good-will: in 506 a council met at Agde; the
thirty-four bishops of Aquitania attended in person or by delegate; the
King protested that he had no design of