Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-02-06
aHiseellansous Grading.
FRANCE AND GERMANY
Feud Has Origin in Woman's
Hate.

Hate.
The small European state Of Alsace
for centuries bone Of contention be-
tween France and Germany and re-
Gently in the limelight because OF
trouble between the Kaiser's soldiers
and the residents Of the town Of Za-
bern, asked for autonomy the other
] day. In other words, Alsace has said
"A plague on both your houses; let us
govern ourselves" Which probably is
the last thing in the world that Ger
many or France would consent to.
This latest bit Of trouble in Alsace
starts one wondering what the reason
is for the long hostility between France
and Germany. Hostile they certainly
are, and their enmity goes back far
into the Dark Ages. Tradition says
| and some historians subscribe to it
that the fight began in the hatred of
two women. They were queens, back
in the dim time when Europe was just
beginning to emerge from the black
chaos which followed the downfall Of
Rome These queens had married
brothers and they loathed one another
very fiercely.
| It came to pass after this wise. The
country that in Roman times had been
| called Gaul was now divided into nu-
merous ngdoms-Austrasia, which is
western Germany today; Neustria
which is northern France, and Belgi-
um, Burgundy and Aquitania- Austria
sia and Neustria were ruled by Sige-
bert and Chilperic, brothers and de-
scendants Of that Clovis who achieved
| some small measure Of fame by cleav-
ing with a battle ak the head Of a
warrior over the matter Of broken
vase. But the Merovingian stock had
less red blood in its veins by 575.
These kings were both ruled by their
wives.
The wife Of Sigebert was one Brun-
hilda, youngest daughter of the king
Of the Visigoths. She was beautiful and
she was rich and she had the spirit OF
man in her. Chilperic, king Of Neus-
tria, saw her and learned Of the great
dowry she had brought his brother. BE
itched for such prize. The Visigoth
king had another daughter.
And so King Chilperic oiled himself,
combed his beard, put on his finest
raiment and set out a-wooing. He left
behind him red-haired girl named
Fredegonda, dazzling. smiling crea-
ture Of soft hands and honeyed words,
whom women hated and men adored.
| Very gentle and submissive had her
manner been when the king told her
that he rode to Spain to bring back a
bride Two months ago Fredegonda
had wheedled the king into putting
away his lawful wife and shutting her
up in convent; he was clay in her
hands, fawning, besotted in his pas
sion, all her slave. And then had come
this visit to his brother, the itching
for gold, and in a few days ali her
work of months had been undone. He
would not marry Fredegonda, he told
her; kings mate with kings daughters.
Another less guileful, less determined,
might have let her temper ride away
with her; not Fredegonda. A tear or
two for love, great eyes Of sorrow,
quivering lips, a struggling smile, and:
| Grant me at least, dear Lord, to stay
here in thy house and serve thy
| bride"
AYE, surely, sweetheart, stay thou
by all means"
| So the kings mistress waited to well
come the kings bride.
Galswinde made her entry into
France drawn in a silver chariot by
four white bulls; silver and gold gilt
tered in bright Rouen and wine splash
ed plentifully in celebration Of the
marriage. The king had taken oath
never to wed again, and all his kitchen
loves were put away.
| When the royal pair reached Paris
red-haired Fredegonda, smiling and
reverent, was there to greet them. Not
quite two years thereafter, in the year
| 56S, the servants who came to rouse
the Queen Galswinde found her
strangled in her bed, and the whisper
ran through all the house that soft
white hands had done it. White hands
and scarlet lips and red-gold. hair had
certainly beguiled King Chilperic, who
married Fredegonda before his wife
was settled in her grave.
| They brought the news to black
haired Brunhilda, sister Of dead Gals
winde. She heard with glittering eyes,
clenching her fists, until the nails bit
deep into the flesh. And from then on
there was one word dinned into King
Sigebert's reluctant ears, War! war"
Next year he stepped across his
brothers boundary line and made his
way, burning and pillaging to Journal
Chilperic fled before him, losing more
men by desertion than in fighting. His
people had turned against him; his
crimes were recounted with lothing
and doubtless heavy taxes helped bols-
ter moral wrath. The Teuton hordes
came on. Chilperic and his queen were
shut up in Tournia, waiting the end
There Fredegonda found time to brew
fresh charms.
Two young Frankish warriors were
in the house with them. 1t did not
take her long to see how their eyes
lighted as she came along the halls
And she smiled and held long talks
with them. The king seemed old and
broken spirited; ah, that he had the
courage Of the young. If there were
one man in these castle walls who
cared enough to risk his life, to slay
King Sigebert-why, then his Lacquer
ing army would scatter out like chafl
before the wind. The young men bab-
bled in their haste to offer themselves
To each she gave long sharp knife
besmeared with poison. And she kiss
ed them, smiled and sent them out
Dear God, how she would pray fol
their sweet souls!
They came without trouble into the
presence Of Sigebert, stabbed him to
death and died themselves the next
moment. But as Fredegonda had said
tba n r,,o,, coo ttarad 1ika eheen without