The Life of Lady Balthild, Queen of the Franks (Late Seventh Century)

With the collapse of imperial government in the West in the fifth and sixth centuries, the kings from the Frankish royal dynasty, the Merovingians, came to dominate Roman Gaul. Their queens also wielded power, as The Life of Lady Balthild demonstrates. Lady Balthild (d. c. 680) was an Anglo-Saxon captive sold as a slave to the mayor of the palace in the Frankish kingdom of Neustria. He eventually offered her in marriage to King Clovis II (r. 638–657). On the king’s death in 657, Lady Balthild acted as regent until her eldest son came of age in 663 or 664. She thereupon retired from court to a monastery. Although the author is unknown, his or her intent is clear: to hold Lady Balthild up as a model of Christian piety. Religious motives aside, the book illuminates women’s place in court life as well as the growing influence of Christianity in Merovingian culture.

From Paul Fouracre and Richard A. Gerberding, eds., Late Merovingian France: History and Hagiography, 640–720 (Manchester and New York: Manchester University Press, 1996), 119–27, 131–32.

Here Begins the Life of Blessed Queen Balthild

Blessed be the Lord, who wishes all men to be saved and to come to the recognition of truth,¹ and who causes them to will and to complete all in all.² And therefore His praise must be deservedly sung first in the merits and miracles of the saints, He who makes great men out of those of low station, indeed, He who raises the poor man out of the dunghill and makes him to sit with the princes of His people,³ just as He has raised the present great and venerable woman, Lady Balthild, the queen. Divine providence called her from lands across the sea⁴ and this precious and best pearl of God arrived here, having been sold at a low price. She was acquired by the late Erchinoald,⁵ the leader of the Franks and a man of illustrious standing, in whose service she dwelt as an adolescent most honorably so that her admirable and pious religious way of life pleased both the leader and all his servants. She was indeed kind in her heart, temperate and prudent⁶ in her whole character, and provident. She contrived evil against no one. She was neither frivolous in her fine expression nor presumptuous in speaking, but most honorable in all her acts. And although she was from the race of the Saxons, the form of her body was pleasing, very slender, and beautiful to see. Her expression was cheerful and her gait dignified. And, since she was thus, she was exceedingly pleasing to the prince and she found favor in his eyes.⁷ He engaged her to serve him the goblets in his chamber, and as a most honorable cupbearer she stood quite often present in his service. Nonetheless, from the favor of her position she derived no haughtiness but, based in humility, was loving and obedient to all her equals. With fitting honor she so served her seniors that she removed the shoes from their feet and washed and dried them. She fetched water for washing and promptly prepared their clothes. And she performed this service for them without muttering and with a good and pious heart.

. . .

And from her noble way of life, greatest praise and love among her companions accrued to her, and she earned such a favorable reputation that, when the wife of the above-mentioned prince Erchinoald died, he decided to join the most honorable virgin, Balthild, to himself in the matrimonial bed. And, having learned this thing, she secretly and earnestly withdrew herself from his sight. And when she was called to the bedchamber of the prince, she hid herself in an out-of-the-way corner and threw cheap rags over herself so that no one would have thought anyone to be hiding there. Indeed, she was then still a shrewd and prudent virgin fleeing empty high positions and seeking humility. She tried, as she was able, to avoid human marriage so that she might deserve to come to her spiritual and heavenly groom. But indeed, beyond doubt, it was accomplished by divine providence that the prince did not find her, whom he sought, and then joined another matron to himself in marriage. And then the girl Balthild was finally found so that, by the true will of God who had shunned the nuptials of the prince, she would later have Clovis,⁸ son of the late King Dagobert,⁹ in marriage so that He could thus raise her to a higher station through the merit of her humility. And in this station divine dispensation decided to honor her so that, seeing that she had refused a follower of the king, she might obtain union with the king and, from her, royal progeny might come forth.¹⁰ And this has now come to pass, as it is obvious to everyone that the royal offspring reigning now is hers.

. . .

But as she had the grace of prudence conferred upon her by God, with watchful eagerness she obeyed the king as her lord, and to the princes she showed herself a mother, to the priests as a daughter, and to the young and the adolescents as the best possible nurse. And she was friendly to all, loving the priests as fathers, the monks as brothers, the poor as a faithful nurse does, and giving to each generous alms. She preserved the honor of the princes and kept their fitting counsel, always exhorting the young to religious studies and humbly and steadfastly petitioning the king for the churches and the poor. While still in secular dress, she desired to serve Christ; she prayed daily, tearfully commending herself to Christ, the heavenly king. And the pious king [Clovis], taking care of her faith and devotion, gave his faithful servant, Abbot Genesius, to her as support, and through his hands she served the priests and the poor, fed the hungry, clothed the naked with garments, and conscientiously arranged the burial of the dead. Through him she sent most generous alms of gold and silver to the monasteries of men and women. . . .

. . .

What more is there to say? At God’s command, her husband, King Clovis, went forth from his body, leaving a lineage of sons with their mother. In his place after him, his son, the late King Clothar,¹¹ took the throne of the Franks and then also with the excellent princes, Chrodbert, bishop of Paris, Lord Audoin, and Ebroin, mayor of the palace, along with the other great magnates and very many of the rest.¹² And, indeed, the kingdom of the Franks was maintained in peace. Then indeed, a little while ago, the Austrasians peacefully received her son Childeric¹³ as king in Austrasia by the arrangement of Lady Balthild and, indeed, through the advice of the great magnates. But the Burgundians and the Neustrians were united. And we believe that, with God guiding, and in accordance with the great faith of Lady Balthild, these three kingdoms kept the harmony of peace among themselves.

. . .

At that time it happened that the heresy of simony stained the Church of God with its depraved practice in which they received the rank of bishop by paying a price for it. By the will of God [acting] through her, and at the urging of the good priests, the above-mentioned Lady Balthild stopped this impious evil so that no one would set a price on the taking of holy orders. Through her, the Lord also arranged for another very evil and impious practice to cease, one in which many men were more eager to kill their offspring than to provide for them in order to avoid the royal exactions which were inflicted upon them by custom, and from which they incurred a very heavy loss of property. This the lady prohibited for her own salvation so that no one presumed to do it. Because of this deed, truly a great reward awaits her.

. . .

Who, then, is able to say how many and how great were the sources of income, the entire farms and the large forests she gave up by donating them to the establishments of religious men in order to construct cells or monasteries? And she also built as God’s own and private houses a huge nunnery for women consecrated by God at Chelles, near Paris where she placed the religious handmaiden of God, the girl Bertila, in the position of the first mother. And in this place the venerable Lady Balthild in turn decided to dwell under the pure rule of religion and to rest in peace. And in truth she fulfilled this with a devoted will. . . .

. . .

Indeed, what else? To the religious man, Lord Filibert, at Jumièges, in order to build that monastery, she conceded both a large forest from the fisc where this monastery of brothers is located, and many gifts and pastures from the royal fisc.¹⁴ Indeed, how many things, both a large villa and many talents of silver and gold, [did she concede] to Lord Laigobert for the monastery at Cobion?¹⁵ Even her own royal belt, with which she was girded, she devotedly took from her holy loins and gave to the brothers in alms. All this she gave with a kind and joyous heart, for as Scripture says, God loves the cheerful giver.¹⁶ Likewise, to both Saint-Wandrille¹⁷ and Logium¹⁸ she conceded much property. Indeed, how many things, both many large entire villas and innumerable sums of money, did she give to Luxeuil and to the other monasteries in Burgundy? What [did she give] to the monastery at Jouarre, whence she summoned the holy virgins with the above-mentioned Lady Bertila to her own monastery at Chelles? How many gifts of fields and how much money did she concede to that place? Likewise, she often gave large gifts to the monastery of Faremoutier. Near the city of Paris she conferred many large villas to the basilicas of the saints and to the monasteries, and she enriched them with many gifts. What more is there? As we said, we are not able to relate every one, not even with difficulty the half of them, and certainly all her good acts cannot be told by us. . . .

. . .

It was, however, her holy vow that she ought to dwell in the monastery of religious women which we mentioned above, that is, at Chelles, which she herself built. . . .

. . .

Indeed, with a most pious affection she loved her sisters as her own daughters, she obeyed their holy abbess as her mother, and rendered service to them as the lowest of handmaidens out of holy desire, just as [she had done] when she still ruled the royal palace and often visited her holy monastery. So strongly did she exhibit the example of great humility that she even served her sisters in the kitchen, and the lowest acts of cleaning, even the latrines, she herself did. All this she undertook with joy and a cheerful heart, in such humble service for Christ. For who would believe that the height of such power would serve in such lowly things if her most abundant and great love of Christ had not demanded it of her in every way? . . .

. . .

Indeed, we recall that other queens in the kingdom of the Franks have been noble and worshippers of God: Clothild, queen of the late King Clovis of old¹⁹ and niece of King Gundobad,²⁰ who, by her holy exhortations, led both her very brave and pagan husband and many of the Frankish nobles to Christianity and brought them to the Catholic faith. She also was the first to construct the churches in honor of St. Peter at Paris and St. George in the little monastery for virgins at Chelles, and she founded many others in honor of the saints in order to store up her reward, and she enriched them with many gifts. The same is said of Ultrogoda, queen of the most Christian King Childebert,²¹ because she was a comforter of the poor and a helper of the servants of God and of monks. And [it is said] also of Queen Radegund, truly a most faithful handmaiden of God, queen of the late elder King Clothar,²² whom the grace of the Holy Spirit had so inflamed that she left her husband while he was still alive and consecrated herself to the Lord Christ under the holy veil, and, with Christ as her spouse, accomplished many good things. . . .

But it is pleasing, nevertheless, to consider this about her whom it here concerns: the Lady Balthild. Her many good deeds were accomplished in our times, and that these things were done by her herself we have learned in the best manner. Concerning these things, we have here commemorated a few out of the many, and we do not think her to be the inferior in merits of those earlier [queens]; rather we know her to have outdone them in holy striving. After the many good things which she did before her evangelical perfection, she gave herself over to voluntary holy obedience and as a true nun she happily completed her blessed life under complete religious practice. Her holy death and her holy rites are celebrated on 30 January, and, having been interred, she rests in peace in her monastery at Chelles. Truly she reigns in glory with Christ in heaven in everlasting joy, not unmindful, we believe, of her own faithful friends.

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