Clovis was celebrated as one of the greatest warriors of the period in
which he lived; in the year 500 he slew Alaric King of the Visigoths in
single combat in the plain of Vouillé, near Poitou, and afterwards
several other petty kings, thereby adding considerably to his dominions.
In 508 he fixed his residence in Paris, and died there in 511, and was
buried in a church called St. Peter and St. Paul, since styled St.
Genevieve. He was called the Most Christian King. The Pope having no
confidence in the professions of any other monarch at that time, Clovis
is synonymous with the name of Louis, as the latter was formerly written
Llouis, the double l signifying in the Celtic language cl, and
pronounced in that manner at present in Welsh, as Llandovery, Llandilo,
etc., have the sound of Clandovery, Clandilo, etc., whilst the v in
Clovis has in more modern times been transformed into a u, as in all old
writings the u and the v had the same signification; hence it will be
found that Clovis and Llouis are the same word. His government being
divided amongst his four sons, Childebert received the portion in which
Paris was situated, and was styled King of Paris, which was only
retained by a few of his successors, who assumed that of King of Gaul,
or of France. The power of the monarch at that period was much
restrained, by a class of men called Leudes, Anstrutions, or faithful,
being companions in arms of the king, and sharing with him whatever
lands or booty might be gained by conquest. As a proof of the tenacity
of these gentry as to an equitable division of the spoil, when Clovis
had taken Rheims, he demanded as an act of grace from his companions in
arms, that they would grant him a precious vase for which he had
conceived a peculiar predilection; his request was accorded by his
associates, except one, who gave the vase a violent blow with his
hatchet, saying, "No, thou shalt not have any thing beyond what thy lot
awards thee." Even under the dominion of the Romans there were dukes who
had a certain number of troops or armed men in the district where they