| [56] | The visit of Albinus (or Alcuin) of York to the court of King Charles is alluded to in Eginhard’s Life of Charles, Ch. xxv. His arrival in Frankland occurred in 781, and was of the utmost importance in stimulating and guiding the intellectual renascence of Charles’s reign. |
[pg 170]
| [57] | “Lord, if I am still useful to thy people I will willingly take on myself this labour on their behalf. Thy will be done” is the full versicle, which comes on the 11th November (St Martin’s Day). The story in the text is made intelligible when we find that more than one of the responses that follow end with the words “Thy will be done.” The poor clerk knew that, and started off, therefore, on the Lord’s Prayer, which he knew would bring him to the right ending. |
| [58] | Grimald was Abbot of St Gall from 841 to 872. It will be noticed all through the piece that the narrative becomes more full and definite, though not necessarily more truthful, when it touches on the writer’s own monastery. |
| [59] | The whole of this statement is a tissue of absurdities, which are, however, worth a moment’s attention, as giving some indication of the value that is to be attached to the Monk of St Gall’s testimony. The Pope Stephen here alluded to must be Stephen II., who occupied the Papal throne from 752 to 757. He it was who crowned Pippin King of the Franks in 754. He can have had nothing to do with Charlemagne, who did not reign until 768; but the words of the text (se ad gubernacula regni perunxit) can only refer to Charles. It must have been Pope Stephen III. (768–772) to whom Charlemagne appealed if there is any truth in the story at all; and Pope Stephen III. can, of course, have had nothing to do with Hilderich. |
| [60] | Pope Leo III. did not succeed Pope Stephen until after an interval of twenty-three years. Pope Leo III.’s date is 795–816. |
| [61] | For Drogo see Eginhard’s Life, Ch. xv. But again the unhistorical character of the narrative is shown by the fact that Drogo was made Bishop of Metz, after the death of Charles, and against his own will. |
| [62] | A curious display of trivial learning! But it is interesting to note the mention of Greek as of a language not wholly unknown to a monk of the ninth century. |
| [63] | See Eginhard’s Life, Ch. xxiv., for the difficulties found by Charles in observing the fasts of Lent. |
[pg 171]