by Eugène Sue
CHAPTER III.
THE DEATH OF CHRAM.
"Oh, Kervan," Ronan the Vagre proceeded after a short respite, "italmost looks as if these Frankish Kings and all their family arepredestined to become the subjects of horror to the whole world. I shallnow narrate to you the manner of Chram's death.
"My father had made me promise him at the last moments of his life thatI would repair hither, to the cradle of our family, so soon as I wrotethe chronicle that I delivered to you, but which I could not finish forthe reasons that I shall state.
"There is nothing more difficult or more perilous than a long journey inthese disastrous days. The traveler runs at every step the risk of beingcaptured on the road and led away a prisoner by the armed bands of thedukes, the counts, the seigneurs or the bishops who are in perpetualfeuds with one another, plundering or raiding one another's domains,ever intent upon enlarging their possessions. As a consequence, whoeveris compelled to undertake a journey never ventures outside of the citiesexcept with considerable numbers, so as to be in condition to repel thearmed bands. I learned that a company of travelers was to leave the cityof Marcigny for Moulins. That was exactly my route. I left the valleyand joined the caravan. We left Marcigny in a body of nearly threehundred persons--men, women and children--some on foot, others mounted,all bound to Moulins as the first station. At that city other travelerswere expected to proceed to Bourges. At Bourges I counted upon beingable to join a third body and reach Tours, and in that way to proceedupon my journey to Saumur and then to Nantes, which would bring me tothe very frontier of Brittany. On the stretch between Marcigny andTours, our troop of travelers were repeatedly compelled to drive offmarauding bands of armed men. In one of these encounters I was wounded,but only slightly; but several of my traveling companions were killed,while some others were captured and carried, together with theirfamilies, into slavery. The bulk of our troop, however, myself included,were fortunate enough to arrive safely at Tours, and there to rest insecurity."
"What horrible days these are! It would not be any more dangerous totravel in a hostile country."
"Oh, Kervan, if you could see the ravages of the conquest! Ruinseverywhere, fresh and old ones. Our former Gallic roads and highways, sobeautifully wide and carefully kept, with their relays of post horsesand inns, are now all wild and heaps of ruins. Communication, once soeasy from one end of Gaul to the other, is now wholly broken up. In oneplace the road breaks off because it crosses over the domain of someFrankish seigneur or of some abbey; at another place the bridges havebeen broken down by some armed band, that, being closely pursued, soughtto protect its retreat. Thus we were compelled to make wide detours inorder to arrive at our journey's end. Several nights were spent on theopen fields. We were at times compelled to fell trees near the banks ofa river and build a raft to effect a crossing, there being none otherpracticable.
"Upon my arrival in Tours, I learned that King Clotaire was theregathering troops in order to march in person against his son Chram, whohad just crossed Touraine and was moving in the direction of thefrontiers of Brittany. I thought the chances favorable to finish myjourney in safety. I followed in the wake of the royal troops, whichconsisted of leudes and soldiers, the latter of whom were furnished tothe King by the beneficiary seigneurs, and also of impressed colonists.When the King's army put itself in march, I followed. Alas, Kervan! Theenemy's forces themselves could not have been more merciless towards thepeople than were the royal troops. Upon their arrival in a town theFranks would drive the residents from their houses, they would then takepossession, consume the provisions, beat the men, outrage the women, anddestroy everything that they could not carry with them. Clotaire joinedhis troops with his bodyguard at Nantes. It was there that I saw themonster for the first time. He wore a long blood-colored dalmaticaembroidered in gold; over the costly vestment he had a hooded furjacket, with the hood half drawn over his forehead. From under his coifhis eyes glistened like those of a wild cat. The King's cadaverousvisage was set in long locks of grey hair that reached almost to hiswaist. He rode a large war steed, black of coat and caparisoned in red.At his left rode his constable; at his right the bishop of Nantes.
"Being left with only a few troops, Chram had fled before the superiorforces of his father. His plan was to enter Brittany. But he found Kandoon guard at the frontier."
"Kando is one of the bravest and alertest warriors of Armorica."
"Accompanied by his worthy friend Spatachair--the Lion of Poitiers, therenegade Gaul of whom mention is made in the written narrative that Idelivered to you, died insane--Chram proceeded to Kando's camp andproposed to him that he join his Breton troops to the Franks in order tomake head against his father, Clotaire.
"'I am always delighted to see the Franks cutting one another'sthroats,' Kando answered Chram; 'nevertheless the horror that yourparricidal projects inspire me with is such that, although your fatherhimself is a monster after your own kind, I refuse to enter into anyalliance with you. My own troops are enough to fight Clotaire if heshould take it into his head to invade our territory, which, until nowno Frank has attempted with impunity.'
"Feeling at least certain of Kando's neutrality, but neverthelesscrowded into a corner at the frontier of Armorica, Chram now stood atbay and prepared for a desperate combat on the morrow. He imagined thatif the worst were to befall him, his escape would in any event becertain, seeing that he had taken the precaution of keeping a vesselready to embark in near the little port of Croisik.
"I had arrived safely at the boundary of Brittany; I cared little forthe issue of the impending battle. I had met two Bretons by accidentnear Nantes. The two Armoricans were bound for Vannes. From that city tothe sacred stones of Karnak I knew the distance was short. We threedeparted before sunrise on the morning of the battle that Clotaire wasto deliver against his son. In order to shorten our route and also toavoid finding ourselves entangled in the pending melee, we walked to theseashore intending to proceed to the bay of Morbihan.
"We had walked a good portion of the day, and were skirting the shore inthe neighborhood of the port of Croisik when we noticed a fisherman'shut raised against a projecting rock. We turned towards it, intending torest a few hours, when, to my great astonishment I saw near the hutseveral traveling mules and richly caparisoned horses in charge of someslaves. Three of the animals, one of which was a palfrey, bore women'ssaddles."
"A strange spectacle in that solitary place. And to whom did the mountsbelong?"
"To Chram. His wife and two daughters were in the hut. A boat was mooredat the shore, and at a distance of about three bows' shots, a lightvessel rode at anchor, ready to set sail."
"You mentioned before the means of escape that Clotaire's son hadprepared in case his troops were beaten--the vessel, I presume, waitedfor him and his family?"
"My two companions, as well as myself, hesitated whether or not to enterthe hut, when its door opened and a richly dressed young woman steppedto the threshold; two little girls were with her. One of them, a childof about five or six years of age, clung to the folds of her mother'srobe, while the latter held another girl of about twelve by the hand.The young woman looked depressed; her eyes were in tears; behind her Isaw a warrior, whom I readily recognized as one of the three favoritesof Chram, Imnachair, the identical warrior who witnessed the torture towhich I was subjected at the burg of Neroweg."
"Were that woman and children Chram's family? It has always seemedstrange to me that such monsters should at all have families."
"Those were my very thoughts, Kervan, when the young woman, noticing ourtraveling bags on our shoulders, asked us with marked anxiety whether wecame from Nantes, and whether we had any news of a battle that must havebeen fought there."
"'We can give you no information upon that, madam,' we answered her, 'wedid not even know that there were any armies drawn up for battle.'
"Suddenly one of the slaves who must have been stationed on the lookoutover the crest of the rock, ran towards the hut crying: 'Horsemen! Wesee fa
r away, in a cloud of dust, a number of horsemen riding at fullgallop in this direction!'
"'Death and fury!' cried Imnachair stamping the ground and growing pale.'It is Chram--the battle is lost!'
"At these words the poor young woman fell down upon her knees, claspedher two daughters to her heart, and I could hear but the moans and sobsof the mother and her children.
"'Quick! Quick! To the boat!' shouted Imnachair. 'Slaves, unload themules; take to the boat the cases that they carry; and you, madam, holdyourself ready to embark!"
"The precipitate tramp of galloping horses was heard approaching, alsothe clank of armors, and even voices, that, although confused, soundedfurious.
"'It is my husband!' cried Chram's wife, growing deadly pale. 'But hisfather is pursuing him! Do you not hear those cries of death?'
"Imnachair listened. 'Yes,' said he; 'it is the voice of King Clotaire!Flee, madam; flee, you and your children! Let us run to the boat--weshall soon row ourselves out of danger. It will soon be too late!'
"'Flee without my husband--never!' answered the young woman convulsivelypressing her two children to her heart.
"Cries of 'Kill him!' 'Kill him!' 'Death!' 'Death!' grew more distinctevery instant. Those who uttered them were now no more than threehundred paces from the hut. King Clotaire headed the pursuers.
"'Come, madam!' shrieked Imnachair seizing the young woman by the arm.
"'No!' she answered resolutely.
"'If you are determined to wait for Clotaire, I must leave you!' criedImnachair. 'Adieu, madam!' saying which he ran to the boat.
"Neither I nor my two companions being anxious to meet Clotaire and hisbodyguard, we rushed towards the granite boulders that strewed the beachand hid ourselves completely from view among them. Both the hut and thesea were in sight from the place of my concealment. A minute later I sawthe boat, now loaded with the cases that were taken from thepack-saddles of the mules, and which undoubtedly contained the treasuryof Chram, row swiftly towards the vessel, the sails of which were at thesame time being loosened to the wind."
"And the woman--the two children?"
"Imnachair left them all behind. He sat in the stern of the boat withthe tiller in his hand; the slaves rowed and accompanied the King'sfavorite in his flight."
"The heavens would be unjust if such men as Chram could find devotedfriends. This wretch of a favorite no doubt gave Chram over to adeserved death; but that wife--those innocent children--"
"As I was saying, Kervan, from my place of concealment I had the sea,the hut and its surroundings in plain view. Despite the distance thatseparated me from the horrible scene that I am about to describe to you,I could distinctly hear the voices of the Franks, who were drawingnearer and nearer. Almost at the same instant that Imnachair pushed offfrom the beach, I saw Chram's wife take a few steps, dragging herchildren after her. Her strength failed her; she again dropped down uponher knees; I saw her and her two little daughters raise their armsimploringly, with terror-stricken countenances. An instant later,bare-headed, livid, with his armor in disorder, Chram appeared in sightnear the hut; he leaped off his horse, and was moving backwards, swordin hand, parrying the blows aimed at him by three warriors. Suddenly thethundering voice of King Clotaire was heard, and these words reached myears:
"'Lord, look down upon me from Your throne in heaven, and judge my case,because I have been most unworthily wronged by my son! Look down uponus, Oh, Lord, and judge us equitably, and let Your judgment be thatwhich You pronounced between David and Absalom!'
"Clotaire finished this invocation as he came within my view near thedoor of the hut, and he then addressed the three members of hisbodyguard who were still closely pressing Chram:
"'Stop your attack! I want to see the traitor alive!'
"The warriors lowered their swords. Chram, whose face was bathed inblood, staggered a few steps forward and fell into the arms of his wife,who had rushed towards him, and now held him in a close and consolingembrace. Her two little daughters remained on their knees with theirarms outstretched towards Clotaire, who descended from his foam-fleckedhorse. In his hand he held his long sword. His warriors made a circlearound Chram and his family. Clotaire then sheathed his sword, foldedhis arms over his breast, and for an instant contemplated his son insilence. Chram fell on his knees; with clasped hands he implored hisfather's pardon, and then bowed down his head to the ground; his wifeand two daughters sobbed aloud. Clotaire looked upon the group long insilence. Finally he issued his orders to one of the men in his suite.Chram, his wife and his two daughters were bound fast despite theirfrantic cries for mercy and desperate resistance. All the four were thendragged into the hut. Their piercing cries reached my place ofconcealment, distant though it was. A few minutes later Clotaire'swarriors came out of the hut and closed the door.
"'We bound them all firmly upon the bench, as you ordered, seigneurKing,' one of them reported.
"At the same moment I saw another warrior draw near the hut with aburning brand."
"But what was the death that Clotaire reserved for his son and his son'sfamily?"
"The hut was constructed of wood and thatched with reeds. The threewarriors of the King heaped around it bunches of dry seaweed and deadtree branches."
"Oh, I can guess what is to come. Oh, Ronan--that is horrible. Thefather is going to burn his son, granddaughters and his son's wife!"
"When a sufficient mass of these combustible materials was heaped up allaround the hut, Clotaire made a sign. The warrior who held the burningbrand blew upon it, and soon as it was in flame held it to the heap ofdry wood and weed. In an instant the hut disappeared behind a roaringsheet of fire. The cries of the unfortunate beings who were about toperish in the flames became heartrending. I turned my head away ininvoluntary horror, and, as my eyes fell upon the high sea, I saw thelight vessel speeding away under full sail and vanishing in the distanthorizon--it carried away Imnachair, together with the treasury of Chram.
"Clotaire has four sons left to him--Charibert, Gontran, Sigebert andChilperik. It is said that the last of these seems to have inherited theferocity of his father Clotaire and his grandfather Clovis!"
EPILOGUE.
On the morning after the day when Ronan, my brother Karadeucq's son gaveus this account, he left us. These were his last words:
"Kervan, I leave this house happy at having fulfilled the last wishes ofmy father and the orders of Joel."
Ronan the Vagre left, accordingly, early in the morning to return to hisbeloved Valley of Charolles. My nephew promised that, in the event ofany matters of importance, he would inform us if he finds a travelerbound for Brittany. He would address any further narrative either tomyself or my son Yvon, should I have left this world.
May Ronan, my brother's son, arrive safely in the Valley of Charollesand find his family happy and peaceful.
If before my death I should have nothing to add to these chronicles, Ibequeath them, together with our family relics, to my son Yvon.
* * * * *
I, Yvon, son of Kervan and grandson of Jocelyn, enter at this place thedate of my father's death in the month of June of the year 561.
From travelers we have learned that King Clotaire died this year atCompiegne in the fifty-first year of his reign, and was interred in thebasilica of St. Medard at Soissons with the blessings of the bishops.
I have received no tidings from Ronan. May he still be alive and happyand free in the Valley of Charolles, as we are here in Brittany, whichstill remains free from the Frankish yoke. May it please Hesus never toallow our beloved province to experience such a calamity.
