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CLotharius, the third legitimate Sonne of King Clovis, having reigned 45. yeares at Soissons, (which is now called the Belgick Gaule) upon the decease of his Brother Childe∣bert, who dyed without issue Males, was proclaimed the 7. King of France:
which his Sonne Cranne perceiving, as being now destitute of the support of his Uncle Childebert, by whose assistance he managed strong Warres against this his owne Father, came and cryed him mercy. But hee made so mall use of his fathers Grace and goodnesse, that hee committed againe a new Fellony and Rebellion against him: And when his latter proceedings began to bee worse and worse in successe than before, hee fled to Conobre, or (as others say) Ca∣nabo, Prince and Count of the Bre∣tons, who entertained him, and un∣dertooke to secure him from his Father. Whereupon his Father Clotharius with his Army invaded that Countrey, where they joyned Battaile, wherein the Bretons lost the Field, their Prince being slaine in the place, and Cranne taken Prisoner, whom his Father cau∣sed to be shut up in a house, and toge∣ther with his Wife and children to bee all burnt to death. But Clotharius being the last of the Sonnes of King Clovis,
dyed that same day twelve-month that he justly had caused his sonne Cranne and his to be burnt, in the 51 yeares of his being a King. Anno Dom. 563. lea∣ving behind him foure sonnes, who a∣gaine divided the French Monarchy into the former Tetrarchyes; inso∣much, that that of Paris befell to the eldest, named Cherebert, or Charibert: Soissons to Chilperic; Orleans with the Kingdome of Burgundy to Gontran; and Austrasy to Sigebert, with the Pro∣vinces on this side the Rhyne: but be∣fore the partage or division aforesaid, they fell all upon Chilperic, in open Armes, for the surrender of their Fa∣ther Treasures, which hee had already taken possession of, and by them the Ci∣ty of Paris. Whereupon it seemes that hee tooke it to heart, and ever after ma∣liced his brothers, especially Sigisbert, who had beene the motive (as Paulus Diaconus saith) that the Hunns made warre against him. This King at the time of his death said, Vnach, Anach,
How great is the King of Heaven, that hath made subject unto death the grea∣test Kings and Princes of the world! which speech discovered, that his too much af∣fection to the world, made the approach of death, comming to take off his up∣per garment of mortality, more ter∣rible, whereas, Mors aequo pulsat pede pauperum tabernas, regumque turres, & sceptra ligonibus aequat.
To satisfie Pope Eugenius, and for feare of Excommunication, for killing Gaw∣ler of Quetot his servant, hearing divine Service in his Chappell, hee exempted the Lords of Quetot from homage and service due to the King, thereby to expi∣ate his bloody offence. But although his life was very bad and vicious, and blot∣ted with many impieties, yet in sicknes his soule recover'd some health, by a free acknowledging his sinne, saying,
That his onely hope and confidence was in Gods mercy.