The barbarian showed himself in his true
colors, during this new enterprise, with his violence, his craft, his
cruelty, and his perfidy. He began with the most powerful of the tribes,
the Ripuarian Franks. He sent secretly to Cloderic, son of Sigebert,
their King, saying: "Thy father hath become old, and his wound maketh
him to limp o' one foot; if he should die, his kingdom will come to thee
of right, together with our friendship." Cloderic had his father
assassinated while asleep in his tent, and sent messengers to Clovis,
saying: "My father is dead, and I have in my power his kingdom and his
treasures. Send thou unto me certain of thy people, and I will gladly
give into their hands whatsoever among these treasures shall seem like
to please thee." The envoys of Clovis came, and, as they were examining
in detail the treasures of Sigebert, Cloderic said to them, "This is the
coffer wherein my father was wont to pile up his gold pieces." "Plunge,"
said they, "thy hand right to the bottom, that none escape thee."
Cloderic bent forward, and one of the envoys lifted his battle-axe and
cleft his skull.
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