Page "Battle of Tolbiac" Paragraph 8

:" at last a war arose with the Alamanni, in which he was driven by necessity to confess what before he had of his free will denied.

It came about that as the two armies were fighting fiercely, there was much slaughter, and Clovis's army began to be in danger of destruction.

He saw it and raised his eyes to heaven, and with remorse in his heart he burst into tears and cried: " Jesus Christ, whom Clotilde asserts to be the son of the Living God, who art said to give aid to those in distress, and to bestow victory on those who hope in thee, I beseech the glory of thy aid, with the vow that if thou wilt grant me victory over these enemies, and I shall know that power which she says that people dedicated in thy name have had from thee, I will believe in thee and be baptized in thy name.

For I have invoked my own gods but, as I find, they have withdrawn from aiding me ; and therefore I believe that they possess no power, since they do not help those who obey them.

I now call upon thee, I desire to believe thee only let me be rescued from my adversaries.

" And when he said thus, the Alamanni turned their backs, and began to disperse in flight.

And when they saw that their king was killed, they submitted to the dominion of Clovis, saying: " Let not the people perish further, we pray ; we are yours now.

" And he stopped the fighting, and after encouraging his men, retired in peace and told the queen how he had had merit to win the victory by calling on the name of Christ.

This happened in the fifteenth year of his reign.