\ 140. PATRONAGE OF LETTERS BY CHARLEMAGNE. 615
anagoyice. He also gives the following definition at the beginning of the treatise : " HISTORIA ad aptam rerum gextarum narrationem pert-met, quce et in superficie littercc continetur, et sic intelligitur sicut legitur. ALLEGORIA vero aliquid in sc plus continet, quod per hoc quod locus [loguens] de rei vcritate ad quiddam dat intelligendum dc fidei puritate, et sanctw Ecclesice myxteria, sive prcesentia, sive futura, aliud dicens, aliud significans, semper autem figmentis et velatis ostendit. TROPOLOQIA quoque et ipsa, sicut allegoria, injiguratis, sivedictis, sivefactis, constat: sed in hoc ab allegoria distat quod ALLEGORIA quidem fidem, TROPOLOGIA vero cedificat moralitem. ANAGOGIA autem, sive velatis, sive apertis dictis, de ceternis supernce patrice gaudiis constat, et quce merces vel fidem rectam, vel vitam maneat sanctam, verbis vel opertis, vel apertis demonstrat. HISTORIA namque pcrfectorum exempla quce narrat, legentem ad imitationem sanctitatis excitat, ALLEGORIA in fidei revelatione ad cognitioncm veritatis ; TROPOLOGIA in instructione morum ad amorem virtutis ; ANAGOGIA in manifestatione sempiternorvm gaudiorum ad desiderium ceternce felicitatis. In nostrce ergo animce. domo HISTORIA fundamentum ponit ; ALLEGORIA parietes erigit ; ANAGOGIA tecturn supponit ; TROPOLOGIA vero tarn interius per affectum quam exterius per effectum boni operis, variis ornatibus depingit."
§ 140. Patronage of Letters by Charles the Great, and Charles
the Bald. Comp. \\ 56, 90, 134 (pp. 236, 390, 584).
Charlemagne stands out like a far-shining beacon-light in the darkness of his age. He is the founder of a new era of learn ing, as well as of a new empire. He is the pioneer of French and German civilization. Great in war, he \wus greater still as a legislator and promoter of the arts of peace. He clearly saw that religion and education are the only solid and permanent basis of a state. In this respect he rose far above Alexander the Great and Caesar, and is unsurpassed by Christian rulers.
He invited the best scholars from Italy and England to his court, — Peter of Pisa, Paul Warnefrid, Paulinas of Aquileia, Theodulph of Orleans, Alcuin of York.1 They formed a sort of royal academy of sciences and arts, and held literary symposiacs. Each member bore a nom de plume borrowed from the Bible or classic lore : the king presided as " David " or " Solomon " ;
1 '* Touted les provinces de V accident" says Ozanam, " concoururent au giand ouvrage des ecoles carlovingiennes"
616 FOUKTH PERIOD. A. D. 590-1049.
Alcuin, a great admirer of Horace and Virgil, was " Flaccus " ; Angilbert (his son-in-law) was "Homerus"; Einhard (his biog rapher), " Bezaleel," after the skilful artificer of the Tabernacle (Ex. 31 : 2 ); Wizo, " Candidus " • Arno, "Aquila "; Fredegisus, " Nathanael " ; Richbod, " Macarius," etc. Even ladies were not excluded: the emperor's sister, Gisela, under the name " Lucia " ; his learned cousin, Gundrad, as " Eulalia ; " his daughter, Rotrude, as " Columba." He called Alcuin, whom he first met in Italy (781), his own " beloved teacher/' and he was himself his most docile pupil. He had an insatiable thirst for knowledge, and put all sorts of questions to him in his let ters, even on the most difficult problems of theology. He learned in the years of his manhood the art of writing, the Latin grammar, a little Greek (that he might compare the Latin Tes tament with the original), and acquired some knowledge of rhe toric, dialectics, mathematics and astronomy. He delighted in reading the poets and historians of ancient Rome, and Augustin's " City of God." He longed for a dozen Jeromes and Augustins, but Alcuin told him to be content since the Creator of heaven and earth had been pleased to give to the world only two such giants. He had some share in the composition of the Libri Carolini, which raised an enlightened protest against the super stition of image-worship. Poems are also attributed to him or to his inspiration. He ordered Paul Warnefrid (Paulus Diaconus) to prepare a collection of the best homilies of the Latin fathers for the use of the churches, and published it with a preface in which he admonished the clergy to a diligent study of the Scriptures. Several Synods held during his reign (813) at Rheims, Tours, Chalons, Mainz, ordered the clergy to keep a Homiliarium and to translate the Latin sermons clearly into rusticam Romanam linguam aut Theotiscam, so that all might understand them.
Charles aimed at the higher education not only of the clergy, but also of the higher nobility and state officials. His sons and