. Wandering heroes. d the quiet, soft-spokenpriests; and he had small use for the pity andmercy and repentance which were preached tohim. His own gods, Odin and Thor, were verymuch more to his mind ; but he was a keen, shrewdman. He saw that this Christianity was a powerin the land which he had conquered. He madeup his mind to take this power into his ownhands. One day before going out to a battle, hecalled Queen Clothilde to him, and bade her praythat he might win the day, which she promisedfaithfully to do. That day he won a great victory. Pleased with a faith so useful to his own pur-poses,
. Wandering heroes. d the quiet, soft-spokenpriests; and he had small use for the pity andmercy and repentance which were preached tohim. His own gods, Odin and Thor, were verymuch more to his mind ; but he was a keen, shrewdman. He saw that this Christianity was a powerin the land which he had conquered. He madeup his mind to take this power into his ownhands. One day before going out to a battle, hecalled Queen Clothilde to him, and bade her praythat he might win the day, which she promisedfaithfully to do. That day he won a great victory. Pleased with a faith so useful to his own pur-poses, the king called his nobles and churchmentogether, and not only announced that he himselfwould become a Christian, but that all his war-riors must as well. They set aside one whole dayfor the baptisms, and the heathen Franks of sun-rise were Christian Franks at sunset, while everychurch bell in the land rang peals of joy. Clovis, now fancying himself a Christian, lookedabout to see how he might use this new power to. The Baptism of Clovis. From the painting by Blanc. CLOVIS THE FBANK. 133 his own advantage. He and his hordes were SalicFranks. He knew that the Ripuarian Franks, agentler tribe than his own wild warriors, had con-quered southern Gaul, and adopted its heard the priests say that the religion of south-ern Gaul was not the true sort which he himselfhad adopted. Clovis thought it over. NorthernGaul had been too easily conquered. He longedfor a battle with good stout Franks; he longedfor more lands, more power. He and his chief-tains had long talks, and roared wild war songsto Odin and Thor. Then he called together his Gallic nobles andchurchmen, and loving their religion not at all,and themselves less, he said craftily: It is timesouthern Gaul learned to bow to our religion. Ishall go and conquer it. He was as good as hisword. He not only conquered southern Gaul, butevery other province in Gaul, and took them awayfrom Rome. Then he placed his throne in the
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectheroes, bookyear1902
