that Daughter of King Theodorick, by Birth an Italian; who being mad in Love with one of her Domesticks, and knowing him to have been kill’d by her Mother’s Orders, feigned a thorough Reconciliation, and desir’d in Token of it to receive the Holy Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper with her Mother; but Privately mixing some Poyson in the Chalice, She at once gave the strangest Instance both of Impiety and Cruelty in thus murdering her own Mother.  The Account given of it by Gregory of Tours is this:  “They were (says he) of the Arrian Sect, and because it was their Custom that the Royal Family shou’d communicate at the Altar out of one Chalice, and People of Inferior Quality out of another. (By the way, pray take notice of the Custom of Communicating in both kinds by the People.) She dropped Poyson into that Chalice out of which her Mother was to communicate; which as soon as she had tasted of it, kill’d her presently.”—­Fredegunda, Queen-Mother, and Widow of Chilperick the First, got the Government into her Hands; She, in her Husband’s Time, lived in Adultery with one Lander; and as soon as she found out that her Husband Chilperick had got Wind of it, she had him murdered, and presently seiz’d upon the Administration of the Kingdom as Queen-Mother, and Guardian of her Son Clotharius, and kept Possession of it for 13 Years; in the first Place she poyson’d her Son’s Uncle Childebert, together with his Wife; afterwards she stirred up the Hunns against his Sons, and raised a Civil War in the Republick.  And lastly, She was the Firebrand of all those Commotions which wasted and burnt all Francogallia, during many Years, as Aimoinus tells us, [lib. 3. cap. 36. & lib. 8. cap. 29.]

There ruled once in France, Brunechild, Widow of King Sigebert, and Mother of Childebert.  This woman had for her Adulterer a certain Italian, called Protadius, whom She advanced to great Honours:  She bred up her two Sons, Theodebert and Theodorick, in such a wicked and profligate Course of Life, that at last they became at mortal Enmity with each other:  And after having had long Wars, fought a cruel single Combat.  She kill’d with her own Hands her Grandson Meroveus, the Son of Theodebert: She poysoned her Son Theodorick.  What need we say more? Date fraenos (as Cato says) impotenti naturae, & indomito animali; & sperate illas modum licentiae facturas.  She was the Occasion of the Death of Ten of the Royal Family:  And when a certain Bishop reproved her, and exhorted her to mend her Life, She caused him to be thrown into the River.  At last, a Great Council of the Franks being summoned, She was judged, and condemned, and drawn in Pieces by wild horses, being torn Limb from Limb.  The Relators of this Story are, Greg.  Turonensis, [lib. 5. cap. 39.] and [lib. 8. cap.