Letter 9001: Ad Chilpericum regem quando synodus Brinnaco habita est

To King Chilperic at the Synod of Berny-Riviere The order of bishops and the venerable heights of Christ — the fathers whom holy faith has given in religion — I, a small man, wish to speak the praises of the lofty king: let your love lift the songs of one so slight. Distinguished king in arms, born from lofty kings, ruling the first heights from ancient times — a ruler who has glory by birth but increases it by governing, a powerful flower generated from the root of your father. In equal succession, ennobling each other in turn, you have adorned your race and your race adorns you. You received the brightness from the origin of your people, but through you splendor returns in honor to your ancestors. At your birth a second light was born to the world for your father, and you scatter the new rays of your name everywhere — preferred by East, Libya, West, and North: where your foot does not walk, you arrive known by your honor. Whatever the world holds you have traversed by name, prince; you run even that course which the sun's wheel makes, already known on the sea and the Red Sea and the Indian ocean — your gleaming fame, so wise, crosses even the Ocean. Neither wind nor wave prevents this name from sounding: so all things at once, earth and stars, favor you. King pleasing in goodness, lofty grace and noble seed, in whom the heights of so many nobles find their summit — help of the homeland, hope and protection in arms, faithful virtue to your people, renowned vigor: powerful Chilperic — if a barbarian interpreter be found, "strong helper" is this name you also hold. It was not in vain your parents called you so: this whole thing was a presage and an omen of praise. Already then the times were giving signs for the newborn, yet later gifts confirm the earlier words. In you, sweet head, all the care of your father hung; among so many brothers, thus were you the one love. For he already recognized that you merited better things: the more he cultivated you, the more the father preferred you. The father set you first because he loved his child more: no one can break the judgment of a king. Under great auspices you grew, greatest of princes, remaining here in the love of the people, there of your father. But against such merits, the sudden envious fortune of events prepared to disturb your quiet kingdoms, shaking the minds of peoples and the pacts of brothers — yet when it wished to harm, it favored you with prosperity. And when a weighty danger hung over your head, the hour drove death away when it was about to strike. When you were held, surrounded by the arms of death, fortune working through God snatched you from the sword. Led to the extreme, you return from the funeral to life: what was your last day becomes your first. While enemies wished to prepare harmful wars against you, strong faith fought for you in arms. Your cause carried out its prosperous judgment without you, and the lofty throne returned to its proper place. Good king, do not grieve: for the fortune that wearied you with complaints gave you better things from the same source. Enduring so much harshness so long, now happy things follow, and through sorrows you reap joys that were born. Having endured manifold threats, you resume your kingdoms: for great things tend to grow through heavy labor. Harshness did not harm you, but hard fortune proved you: whence you were weighed down, from there you return more lofty. Higher you grow through constant arms, not broken by them, and the labor itself makes you an artisan of war. You are made a stronger prince through many dangers, and through your sweat you possess the gifts of peace. The world grieves for nothing lost while you survive as king — you to whom the owed kingdoms have been preserved in due order. The Creator took counsel for your house, homeland, and people, a man whom the nations fear, that you should survive. Lest an armed rebel rush through the Gallic countryside, you are here in the name of victor and you cover a wide domain: the Goth, the Basque, the Dane, the Jute, the Saxon, the Briton tremble before you — it is clear that with your father you subdued them in battle. You are a terror to the distant Frisians and Suevi, who do not prepare war but beg for your reins. To all these you were given as a terror on that battlefield, and by new dread you became a lofty love. In you, ruler, the surrounding region has its wall and the iron gate lifts its high head. You shine as an adamantine tower from the south for your homeland and cover the public prayers with a stable shield. Lest any trouble weigh, you stretch out holy ramparts and nourish the region's wealth with a strong boundary. What shall I say of your governance of justice, prince? Where no one returns badly if he seeks justly; in whose worthy mouth the balance of measure is held and the straight line of causes runs its course. No delay attends truth; false error gains nothing, and in your judgments fraud flees and order returns. And what of this? — however many you govern by royal authority, you surpass them, more learned in intellect and eloquent in speech, discerning various voices without any interpreter — one tongue reports the languages of peoples. Your generosity lifts up all the humble, and what you give to a servant you believe to be your own. How your praises extend themselves this way and that — this heap of praise's clamor shakes the stars. Arms and letters both attend you in love: mighty here in virtue, learned and pleasing there. Sagacious between both, proven in arms and in law — you shine as a warrior here, gleam as a lawgiver there. In valor your father is restored; in speech, your uncle; in the zeal of learning you surpass every lineage. Equal to kings, you are held greater for your poetry — in doctrine such as no parent was before. Arms show you like your race, but literature sets you above: so at once equal to and prior to the kings of old. King admirable to me beyond measure, richly endowed — whose battles strength drives, whose songs the file polishes. You govern arms by laws and direct laws by arms: so the path of two different arts is traveled at once. If each person could learn your individual qualities, ruler, many would be adorned by the virtues you alone perform. But may these things remain and grow in prosperity for you, and may you enjoy a multiplying throne together with your wife, who adorns the kingdom with her character and, sharing in it, governs the height of the prince — provident in counsel, skillful, cautious, useful to the court, powerful in intellect, pleasing in generous giving. Fredegund, excelling in all merits, abundantly endowed — a serene day shines from her face. Carrying the great and heavy weight of royal cares, she cultivates you with goodness and helps with usefulness. With her guiding together with you, the palace grows, and by her aid the house flourishes in honor. Seeking where the prayers for your health may be doubled, she earns her reward from Radegund for you. She gleams by her own merits as the glory of the king and is made a crown for her husband as queen. Through long time may she honor you with the fruit of offspring, and may a grandchild rise, that you may be renewed as grandfather. Therefore let worthy thanks be given to the Creator: and worship, King, the King who gives you help, that he may preserve and increase the good — for the Ruler from on high alone has all things, he who has given you much. Grant pardon, victor: your praises conquer me. This too, that I am overwhelmed, becomes a greater honor for you. Small as I am, I pray that happy prayers may attend you, that these holy gifts may come from heaven to earth. May the air favor you with temperate weather, the times with peace, may the fields gleam with crops, may treaties bind kingdoms. May you subdue your enemies, protect the faithful with love, and be the summit of religion for Catholics — the highest honor of the King, through whom honors are given, for whom long days and nurturing faith endure. Let others pay kings gold or gifts of gems: from poor Fortunatus, accept words.

I Ad Chilpericum regem quando synodus Brinnaco habita est Ordo sacerdotum venerandaque culmina- Christi, quos dedit alma fides religione patres, parvolus opto loqui regis praeconia celsi: sublevet exigui carmina vester amor. Inclite rex armis et regibus edite celsis, primus ab antiquis culmina prima regens, rector habens nascendo decus, moderando sed augens, de radice patris flos generate potens, aequali Serie vos nobilitando vicissim tu genus ornasti, te genus ornat avi. excepisti etenim fulgorem ab origine gentis, sed per te proavis splendor honore redit. te nascente patri lux altera nascitur orbi, nominis et radios spargis ubique novos, quem praefert Oriens, Libyes, Occasus et Arctus: quo pede non graderis, notus honore venis. quidquid habet mundus peragrasti nomine, princeps, curris et illud iter quod rota solis agit, cognite iam ponto et rubro pelagoque sub Indo, transit et Oceanum fulgida fama sopho. nomen ut hoc resonet non impedit aura nec unda: sic tibi cuncta simul, terra vel astra, favent. rex bonitate placens, decus altum et nobile germen, in quo tot procerum culmina culmen habent, auxilium patriae, spes et tutamen in armis, fida tuis virtus, inclitus atque vigor, Chilperice potens: si interpres barbarus extet, 'adiutor fortis' hoc quoque nomen habes. non fuit in vacuum sic te vocitare parentes: praesagum hoc totum laudis et omen erat. iam tunc indicium praebebant tempora nato, dicta priora tamen dona secuta probant. in te, dulce caput, patris omnis cura pependit, inter tot fratres sic amor unus eras. agnoscebat enim te iam meliora mereri: unde magis coluit, praetulit inde pater; praeposuit genitor cum plus dilexit alumnum: iudicium regis frangere nemo potest. auspiciis magnis crevisti, maxime princeps, hinc in amore manens plebis et inde patris. sed meritis tantis subito sors invida rerum, perturbare parans regna quieta tibi, concutiens animos populorum et foedera fratrum, laedere dum voluit, prosperitate favet. denique iam capiti valido pendente periclo, quando ferire habuit, reppulit hora necem. cum retinereris mortis circumdatus armis, eripuit gladio sors operante deo. ductus ad extremum remeas de funere vitae, ultima quae fuerat fit tibi prima dies, noxia dum cuperent hostes tibi bella parare, pro te pugnavit fortis in arma fides. prospera iudicium sine te tua causa peregit, et rediit proprio celsa cathedra loco. rex bone, ne doleas, nam te fortuna querellis unde fatigavit, hinc meliora dedit. aspera tot tolerando diu modo laeta secuntur et per maerores gaudia nata metis. multimodas perpesse minas tua regna resumis, namque labore gravi crescere magna solent. aspera non nocuit, sed te sors dura probavit: unde gravabaris, celsior inde redis. altior adsiduis crescis, non frangeris armis, et belli artificem te labor ipse facit. fortior efficeris per multa pericula princeps ac per sudores dona quietis habes. nil dolet amissum te rege superstite mundus, cui se servarunt debita regna gradu. consuluit domui, patriae populoque creator, quem gentes metuunt, te superesse virum. ne ruat armatus per Gallica rura rebellis, nomine victoris hic es et ampla tegis: quem Geta, Vasco tremunt, Danus, Euthio, Saxo, Britannus, cum patre quos acie te domitasse patet. terror [es] extremis Fresonibus atque Suebis, qui neque bella parant, sed tua frena rogant. omnibus his datus es timor illo iudice campo, et terrore novo factus es altus amor. in te, rector, habet regio circumdata murum ac levat excelsum ferrea porta caput. tu patriae radias adamantina turris ab austro et scuto stabili publica vota tegis. neu gravet haec aliquis, pia propugnacula tendis ac regionis opes limite forte foves. quid de iustitiae referam moderamine, princeps? quo male nemo redit, si bene iusta petit, cuius in ore probo mensurae libra tenetur rectaque causarum linea currit iter. nec mora fit vero, falsus nihil explicat error iudiciisque tuis fraus fugit, ordo redit. quid? quoscumque etiam regni dicione gubernas, doctior ingenio vincis et ore loquax, discernens varias sub nullo interprete voces, et generum linguas unica lingua refert. erigit exiguos tua munificentia cunctos, et quod das famulo credis id esse tuum. qualiter hinc itidem tua se praeconia tendunt laudis et hoc cumulo concutit astra fragor. cui simul arma favent et littera constat amore: hinc virtute potens, doctus et inde places. inter utrumque sagax, armis et iure probatus belliger hinc radias, legifer inde micas. de virtute pater, reparatur avunculus ore, doctrinae studio vincis et omne genus. regibus aequalis de carmine maior haberis, dogmate vel qualis non fuit ante parens. te arma ferunt generi similem, sed littera praefert: sic veterum regum par simul atque prior. admirande mihi nimium rex, cuius opime proelia robor agit, carmina lima polit. legibus arma regis et leges dirigis armis: artis diversae sic simul itur iter. discere si posset, rector, tua singula quisquis, ornarent plures quae bona solus agis. sed tamen haec maneant et crescant prospera vobis et liceat solio multiplicante frui coniuge cum propria, quae regnum moribus ornat principis et culmen participata regit provida consiliis, sollers, cauta, utilis aulae, ingenio pollens, munere larga placens, omnibus excellens meritis Fredegundis opima, atque serena suo fulget ab ore dies, regia magna nimis curarum pondera portans, te bonitate colens, utilitate iuvans. qua pariter tecum moderante palatia crescunt, cuius et auxilio floret honore domus. quaerens unde viro duplicentur vota salutis et tibi mercedem de Radegunde facit. quae meritis propriis effulget gloria regis et regina suo facta corona viro. tempore sub longo haec te fructu prolis honoret, surgat et inde nepos, ut renoveris avus. ergo creatori referatur gratia digne, et cole, rex, regem qui tibi praebet opem, ut servet cumuletque bonum: nam rector ab alto omnia solus habet qui tibi multa dedit. da veniam, victor, tua me praeconia vincunt: hoc quoque, quod superor, fit tibi maior honor. parvolus opto tamen, sic prospera vota secundent, ut veniant terris haec pia dona polis. aera temperie faveant tibi, tempora pace, frugibus arva micent, foedera regna ligent. edomites [hostes], tuearis amore fideles, sis quoque catholicis religionis apex, summus honor regis, per quem donantur honores, cui longaeva dies constet et alma fides. regibus aurum alii aut gemmarum munera solvant: de Fortunato paupere verba cape.