When the agreement was read over the king said: “May I be struck by the judgment of God if I transgress in any one of the matters contained here.” And he turned to the legate Felix who had come with us and said: “Tell me, Felix, have you established a close friendship between my sister Brunhilda and Fredegunda the enemy of God and man?” When he replied “no” I said: “Let the king be sure that the friendship is being kept up between them as it was started many years ago. For you may be certain that the hatred that was once established between them is alive yet, it has not withered up. I wish you, most glorious king, would have less friendship for her. For as we often learn, you receive her embassies with greater state than ours.” He answered: “Let me tell you, bishop of God, that I receive her embassies in such a way as not to lose the affection of my nephew king Childebert. For I cannot be friendly with one who has often sent to take my life.” Upon this Felix said: “I suppose it has come to your greatness that Richared has sent an embassy to your nephew to ask for your niece Clodosinda, your brother’s daughter, in marriage. But he was unwilling to make any promise without your advice.”[EW] The king said: “It is not well for my niece to go to a place where her sister was killed. I am not at all pleased that the death of my niece[EX] Ingunda is not avenged.” Felix replied: “They are very anxious to set themselves right either by oath or on any other terms you suggest; but only give your consent for Clotosinda to be betrothed to him as he requests.” The king said: “If my nephew keeps the agreements that he bound himself to in the compact I will do his will in this matter.” We promised that he would fulfil all and Felix added: “He begs your goodness to give him help[EY] against the Lombards so that they may be driven from Italy and the part which his father claimed when alive may return to him, and the other part be restored by your and his aid to the dominion of the emperor.” The king replied: “I cannot send my army to Italy and expose the soldiers to death uselessly. For a very severe plague is now wasting Italy.” And I said: “You have told your nephew to have all the bishops of his kingdom meet together since there are many things to be decided. But it was the opinion of your glorious nephew that each metropolitan according to the custom of the canons should meet with his provincials, and then what went wrong in each district would be set right by order of the bishops. For what reason is there that so great a number should assemble? The faith of the church is not attacked by any danger; no new heresy is appearing. What need will there be for so many bishops to meet together?” And he said: “There is much to be looked into that has gone wrong, both acts of incest and matters which are in discussion between us. But the most important case of all is that of God, since you must investigate why bishop Prætextatus was slain by the sword in his church.