Letter 9001: Ad Chilpericum regem quando synodus Brinnaco habita est

To King Chilperic, when the synod was held at Berny[-Riviere]. The order of priests and the venerable heights of Christ, fathers whom nourishing faith has granted through religion: I, a little man, desire to speak the praises of the lofty king; may your love lift up the songs of one so slight. Famous king in arms, and sprung from lofty kings, foremost among the ancients, governing the foremost heights, a ruler possessing distinction by birth, but increasing it by your governing, a flower of power begotten from the father's root: by an equal succession, ennobling one another in turn, you have adorned your lineage, and the lineage of your forefathers adorns you. For you received splendor from the origin of your people, but through you the glory returns with honor to your ancestors. At your birth a second light is born for the world of your father, and everywhere you scatter the new rays of your name, which the East, the Libyans, the West, and the North set forth: wherever you do not walk on foot, you come known by your honor. Whatever the world holds you have traversed in name, prince, and you run that course which the wheel of the sun drives, known now to the sea, both the Red Sea and the sea beneath the Indian, and your shining fame, O wise one, crosses even the Ocean. Neither breeze nor wave hinders this name from resounding: so all things together, earth and the stars, favor you. King pleasing in goodness, lofty distinction and noble offshoot, in whom the heights of so many nobles have their height, the help of the fatherland, the hope and safeguard in arms, a valor faithful to your own, and famous vigor: O mighty Chilperic, if a barbarian interpreter should come forth, you bear this name too, 'strong helper.' Not in vain did your parents so name you: all this was a foreboding and an omen of praise. Even then the times offered a sign concerning the newborn, yet the gifts that followed prove the earlier words. On you, sweet head, all your father's care depended; among so many brothers you alone were so beloved. For he recognized that you already deserved better things: wherefore the father cherished you the more, and therefore preferred you; the begetter placed you first when he loved his foster-son the more: no one can break the judgment of a king. By great auspices you grew, O greatest prince, abiding here in the love of the people and there in the love of your father. But amid such merits, the envious lot of affairs suddenly, preparing to disturb the kingdoms quiet for you, shaking the spirits of peoples and the covenants of brothers, while it wished to harm, favors you with prosperity. For at last, when peril hung over your strong head, when it was poised to strike, the hour drove back the slaughter. When you were held surrounded by the weapons of death, the lot, with God at work, snatched you from the sword. Led to the very edge, you return from the funeral of life; the day that had been your last becomes for you the first, while enemies desired to prepare harmful wars against you, in your behalf a strong faith fought in arms. Your cause, prosperous, carried out its verdict without you, and the lofty throne returned to its own place. Good king, do not grieve, for from the very source whence fortune wearied you with complaints, thence it gave you better things. By enduring so many harsh things over a long time, glad things now follow, and you reap joys born through sorrows. Having suffered manifold threats, you take your kingdoms back, for great things are wont to grow through heavy toil. Hardship did not harm you, but the harsh lot proved you: from where you were weighed down, thence you return more exalted. You grow taller through constant trials, you are not broken by arms, and the very toil makes you a craftsman of war. You are made stronger through many perils, O prince, and through your sweat you have the gifts of rest. The world grieves nothing lost while you, the king, survive, the world for which the kingdoms owed to your rank have preserved themselves. The Creator took thought for the household, the fatherland, and the people, that you, the man whom the nations fear, should survive. Lest an armed rebel rush through the Gallic countryside, here you are by the name of victor and you protect broad lands: you, whom the Goth, the Basque tremble at, the Dane, the Euthio, the Saxon, the Briton, whom it is clear you, together with your father, subdued in battle. You are a terror to the farthest Frisians and the Sueves, who do not even prepare wars, but ask for your reins. To all of these you have been given as a dread, with that field as judge, and by a new terror you have been made a lofty love. In you, ruler, the surrounding region has its wall, and the iron gate raises high its head. You, an adamantine tower, shine upon the fatherland from the south, and with a steadfast shield you shelter the public's prayers. And lest anyone weigh this down, you stretch out pious bulwarks and you strongly cherish the region's wealth at its boundary. What shall I report of justice's governance, prince? From which no one comes back the worse, if he rightly seeks just things, in whose upright mouth the balance of measure is held and the straight line of cases runs its course. Nor is there delay for truth, false error unfolds nothing, and from your judgments fraud flees, order returns. What more? Even whomever you govern by the dominion of your realm, more learned in talent you surpass them, and eloquent of mouth, discerning the various voices under no interpreter, and a single tongue renders the languages of the peoples. Your munificence raises up all the lowly, and what you give to a servant you believe to be your own. In like manner from here too your praises extend, and with this heaping up of glory the crash strikes the stars. To you both arms are favorable and letters stand firm in love: hence mighty in valor, and learned thence you please. Shrewd in both, proven in arms and in law, here you shine as a warrior, there you gleam as a lawgiver. In valor a father, your uncle is restored in eloquence, and in zeal for learning you surpass every kind. Equal to kings, you are held greater in song, and in doctrine such as no parent was before. Arms declare you like to your kindred, but letters set you ahead: so you are at once the equal and the superior of the kings of old. O king too greatly to be admired by me, whose strength richly wages battles, whose file polishes songs. You rule arms by laws and you direct laws by arms: thus the path of a twofold art is traveled at once. If anyone could learn your several gifts, ruler, the good things you alone do would adorn many. But nevertheless may these prosperous things remain and increase for you, and may you be permitted to enjoy your throne as it multiplies, together with your own consort, who adorns the kingdom with her character and, sharing it, governs the height of the prince, provident in counsels, skillful, careful, useful to the court, mighty in talent, generous and pleasing in her giving, excelling in all merits, abundant Fredegund, and a serene day shines from her face, bearing the very great weights of royal cares, honoring you with goodness, aiding you with usefulness. With her governing the palaces equally alongside you, they grow, and by her help the house flourishes in honor. Seeking whence the prayers of well-being may be doubled for her husband, she also earns you a reward through Radegund. This glory shines forth by the king's own merits, and the queen made a crown for her husband. Over a long time may she honor you with the fruit of offspring, and thence may a grandson arise, that you may be renewed as a grandfather. Therefore let thanks be worthily returned to the Creator, and honor, O king, the King who furnishes you with help, that he may keep and heap up your good: for the Ruler on high alone possesses all things, who has given much to you. Grant pardon, victor, your praises overcome me: this too, that I am surpassed, becomes a greater honor for you. Yet I, a little man, desire that prosperous wishes may second this, so that these pious gifts may come from the heavens to the lands. May the air favor you with mildness, the seasons with peace, may the fields gleam with crops, may covenants bind the kingdoms. May you tame your enemies, may you protect the faithful with love, may you be also the summit of religion to the catholics, the highest honor of the king, through whom honors are bestowed, for whom may long days endure and nourishing faith. Let others pay out gold or gifts of gems to kings: from poor Fortunatus receive 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.