# A Cyclopaedia of Female Biography/Radegonde, St.

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RADEGONDE, ST.,
Daughter of Bertarius, King of Thuringia, was taken prisoner in 529 when only eight years old, by Clotaire, King of Normandy. Her childish grace and beauty made such an impression on Clotaire that he resolved to educate her for his wife. She was carefully taught, and at the age of ten, she renounced paganism for Christianity, in consequence of the instructions of those by whom she was surrounded, and from that early age conceived an ardent desire to devote herself wholly to religion. She was so much opposed to the idea of becoming one of the wives of Clotaire, that when the ​time approached for that event, she fled, but was brought back to Soissons, and married in spite of her reluctance. Badegonde, to avoid as much as possible her new duties, became literally the servant of the poor and the sick. Having received as a marriage present, the royal domain of Atrés, she converted it into a hospital for indigent women, for whom she performed the most menial and repulsive services. She also passed a great part of her time in reading, or conversing with learned and pious men.
Radegonde spent six years in this way, during all which time Clotaire obstinately refused to let her go into a convent. A brother of the young queen's had been taken prisoner at the same time, and as he grew up he showed so much of the pride and temper of his race, that Clotaire had him put to death. This was too much for Radegonde to endure, and Clotaire, not wishing to be annoyed by her grief, allowed her to go to Médard, Bishop of Noyon, whose reputation for sanctity had extended throughout all France, for consolation. When she arrived at Noyon, she found Médard in his cathedral, and she immediately exclaimed, "Priest of God! I wish to leave the world, and consecrate myself to the Lord." At these words the guard who accompanied her crowded around her, and protested against such an act. While Médard hesitated as to what course he should take, Radegonde fled to the sacristy, threw the dress of a nun over her royal apparel, and returning, said to Médard, "If you refuse to receive me, if you fear man more than God, you will have to answer for it before the Shepherd of the flock."
These words put an end to the uncertainty of the bishop. He annulled, on his own authority, the forced marriage of the queen, consecrated her to God, and sent away the soldiers, who had not dared to offer any farther opposition. Radegonde went to Tours for greater safety, and when Clotaire, still ardently attached to her, sent to reclaim her, she fled to Poitiers. Here the energetic remonstrances of Germain, Bishop of Paris, obliged him to leave her, and he allowed her to found a convent there, which she did about 550, where she passed the rest of her life. She was at first the abbess of this convent, but after it was firmly established, she gave up her authority to a lady younger than herself whom she called Agnes, and lived for the remainder of her life as a simple nun. Her convent held a high reputation in that age for the devotion of its members to religion, and also for their cultivation of literature and the arts. Radegonde died at Poitiers, August 18th., 590. She was afterwards canonized.