Fredegonde did not pardon Pretextat; she caused him to be murdered,
during mass, in the Cathedral.

The episcopate of Melance and of Hidulfe, the successors to Pretextat,
offers no very particular circumstances. That of Saint-Romain, is much
more remarkable, for the destruction of heathen temples, and the famous
miracle of the _Gargouille_, which, gave birth to the privilege not less
famous, which the chapter possessed of setting at liberty a prisoner
every year. It is thought generally, however, that Saint-Romain,
constructed one of the churches, which succeeded each other on the site
of the Cathedral, but, they were deceived who have said that this bishop
extirpated paganism from Rouen, and from the province. Saint-Ouen, who
came after Saint-Romain, found the people clownish, superstitious, and
idolatrous, in consequence of the negligence of some bishops, his
predecessors. The inhabitants of the neighbouring country, were coarse,
cruel and dishonest; morals and the sciences were cultivated only among
the higher classes of society. We find in the preface to the life of
Saint-Eloi by Saint-Ouen, that, even in the VIIth century, they read
authors of whose works nothing now remains.

Saint-Ouen, founded or enriched a great many religious establishments in
Rouen and its environs. It was under his episcopate, that a monument was
first raised to Saint-Nicaise within the walls of Rouen. He also caused
to be built the celebrated abbeys of Fontenelle (since Saint-Wandrille),
Jumiéges, and Saint-Austreberthe.

In the time of this archbishop, there was a state prison near the end of
the rue de la Poterne. It was in this prison that Saint-Ouen, having
been deceived by the mayor of the palace Ebroin, caused Philibert the