GOTHS. 
riotis anus into -the heart of Lufitania, and permitted 
the Suevi to liold tlie kingdoin of Gallicia under the 
Gothic monarcliy of Spain. The efforts of Euric were 
not iefs vigoroiisor lefs fiiccefsful in Gaul; and through¬ 
out the country tliat extends from the Pyrenees to the 
Rlione and the Loire, Berry and Auvergne were tJie 
only cities wliich refilled to acknowledge him as their 
mailer. In tlie defence of Clermont, the inhabitants of 
Auvergne fuflained, with inflexible refolution, the mi- 
feries of war, peflilence, and famine; and the Vifigoths, 
relinquifliing the fruitlefs liege, I'ufpended the hopes of 
that important conqueft. I'he youth of the province 
were animated by the heroic valour of Ecdicius, tlie Ion 
of the emperor Avitus, who made a del'perate fally with 
only eigliteen horl'emen, boldly attacked the Gothic 
army, and, after maintainyig a flying Ikirmilh, retired 
fate and vidlortous within the walls of Clermont. 
The fortune and prowefs of Odoacer, who, from an 
humble adventurer among the Huns, had rilen to the 
fupreme power of extinguifiling the Roman empire in 
the well, now induced him to f'olicit the friendlhip of 
the mofl powerful barbarians. He had no fooner alfumed 
the novel title of Ainq of Italy, A.D. 476, than he offered 
to Euric, king of the Vifigoths, all the Roman conquefts 
beyond the Alps, as far as the Rhine and the Ocean ; 
and the fenate confirmed this liberal gift with force 
odentation to a prince, who had been the firfl of liis 
nation that was capable of framing a municipal code, or 
of reducing to writing the imperfedt annals of his coun¬ 
try. The lawful' pretenfions of Euric w'ere perhaps 
ji'.dified by ambition and fuccefs; and the Gothic nation 
might afpire, under his command, to the monarchy of 
Spain and Gaul. A.rles and Marfeilles furrendered to 
liis arms : he opprelfed the freedom of Auvergne; Si- 
donius waited before the gates of the palace among a 
crowd of ambafiadoi's and fuppliants; and their various 
bufinefs at the court of Bordeaux atteded the power, 
and the renown, of the king of the Vifigoths. The 
Hcruli of the didant ocean implored his protedlion; and 
the Saxons refpedted tlie maritime provinces of a prince, 
who was dedituteof any naval force. The tall Burgun¬ 
dians lubmitted to his authority ; nor did he redore the 
captive Franks, till he had impoled on that fierce nation 
the terms of an unequal peace. The Vandals of Africa 
cultivated his friendfiiip; and the Odrogoths of Panno- 
nia were fupported by his powerful aid againd the op- 
preffion of the neighbouring Huns. The North vras agi¬ 
tated, or appeafed, by the nod of Euric; and the new 
king of Italy was not lecure without an alliance with the 
fovereign of the Goths. Thus we fee the fortune of na¬ 
tions often depends on accident; and France may aftribe 
her greatnefs to the premature death of Euric, in 485, at 
a time when his fon Alaric was an helplefs infant, and his 
adverfary Clovis an ambitious and valiant youth. 
While Childeric, the father of Clovis, lived an exile 
in Germany, he was hofpitably entertained by the queen, 
as well as by the king of the Thuringians. After his 
redoralion, Bafina efcaped from her hufband’s bed to 
the arms of her lover; openly declaring, that if die'had 
known a man wifer, llronger, or more beautiful, than 
Childeric, that man diould have been the obje6t of 
her preference. Clovis was the od'spring of this fin- 
gular union; and, when he was no more than fifteen 
years of age, he fucceeded, by his father’s death, 
to the command of the Salian tribe. The narrow li¬ 
mits of his kingdom were confined to the ifiand of the 
Batavians, with the ancient diocefes of Tournay and 
Arras; and at the baptifm of Clovis, the number of 
his warriors could not exceed five thoufand. The kin¬ 
dred tribes of the Franks, wlio had feated themlelves 
along the Belgic rivers, the Scheld, the Meufe, the 
Mofelle, and the Rhine, were governed by their inde¬ 
pendent kings, of the Merovingian race; the equals, 
the allies, and fometimes the enemies, of the Salic 
prince. But the Germans, v/ho in peace obeyed the 
Voi,.VIII. No. 539. 
725 
liereditary jurifdiRion of their chiefs, were always free 
to follow the llandard of a popular and vidlorious ge¬ 
neral ; and the fuperior merit of Clovis attracted the 
refpecl of the national confederacy. When he firfi; took 
the field, lie had neither gold and filver in his colters, 
nor wine and corn in his magazines; but he imitated 
the example cf Caefar, who, in the fame country, had 
acquired wealth by the fword, and purchaled foldiers 
with the fruits of conqueft. After each fuccefsful bat¬ 
tle or expedition, the fpoils were accumulated in one 
common mafs; every warrior received his proportion- 
able fhare, and the royal prerogative fubmitted to the 
equal regulations of military law. The untamed fpirit 
of thd barbarians was taught to acknowledge the advan¬ 
tages of regular difciplinc. At- the annual reviev/ of 
the month of March, their arms were diligently in- 
Ipedted; and when they traverfed a peaceful territory, 
they were prohibited from touching a blade of grafs. 
The juftice of Clovis was inexorable; and his catelefs 
or difobedient foldiers were punifited w ith iuflant death. 
It would be fuperfluous to praife the valour of a Frank: 
but the valour of Clovis was direfled by cool and con- 
fummate prudence. In all his tranfa6lions v/itii man¬ 
kind, he calculated the weight of interefi, of paflion, 
and of opinion; and his meafures were fometimes adapt¬ 
ed to the fanguinary manners of tlie Germans, and fome¬ 
times moderated by the milder genius of Rome, and 
Chriftianity. Fie was fometimes intercepted in the ca¬ 
reer of victory ; but he accompliflied, in a reign of 
thirty years, the cfiablifhment oi'the French monarchy- 
in Gaul.— ^See tlie article France, vol. vii. p.650. 
The firfl: exploit of Clovis was the defeat of Syagrius, 
the fon of Aigidius; and the public quarrel might, on 
this occafion, be inflamed by private refentment. The 
glory oi the father fiill infulted the Merovingian race; 
the power of the fon might excite the jealous ambition 
of the king of the Franks. Syagrius inherited, as a pa¬ 
trimonial eftate, the city and diocefe of Soiflbns : and 
after the diflblution of the weftern empire, he might 
reign with the title of king of tlie Romans. In this 
fituation Syagrius received, and boldly accepted, the 
hoflile defiance of Clovis ; who challenged his rival, in 
the true fpirit of chivalry, to appoint the day, and the 
field, of battle. In the time of Caefar, Soilfons would 
have poured forth a body of fifty thoufand horfe; but 
the courage and numbers of the Gallic youth were long 
before exliaufled ; and the loofe bands of volunteers 
who marched under the ftandard of Syagrius, were in¬ 
capable of contending witli the national valour of the 
Franks. It would be ungenerous, without fome more 
accurate knowledge of his flrength and refources, to 
condemn the rapid flight of Syagrius, who efcaped, 
after the lofs of a battle, to the diflant court of Tliou- 
loufe. The feeble minority of Alaric could not aflift, 
or protedt, an unfortunate fugitive ; the Goths were in¬ 
timidated by the menaces of Clovis; and the Roman 
king, after a fliort confinement, w-as delivered into the 
hands of the executioner. The Belgic cities furren¬ 
dered to the king of the Franks; and his dominions 
were enlarged towards the call by the diocefe of Ton- 
gres, whicJi Clovis fubdued in the tenth year of his 
reign, A.D. 496. 
The rifing fortune of Clovis, and his conduct towards 
the unfortunate Syagrius, inf ulted the fading honour of 
the Goths. They viewed his rapid progrel's with jea- 
loufy and terror; and the youthful fame of Alaric was 
opprefl'ed by the more potent genius of his rival. Some 
difputes arofe on the edge of their contiguous domi¬ 
nions^; and after the delays of fruitlefs negociation, a 
perfonal interview of the two kings was propofed and 
accepted. Tliis conference of Clovis and Alaric was 
held in a ftnall ifiand of the Loire, near Amboife. They 
embraced, familiarly converfed, and feafted together ; 
and feparated with the warmefl profeflions of peace, 
and brotherly love. But their apparent confidence con- 
8 Y cealed 
