$164. EINHAKD. 707
lie and his wife were originally buried in one sarcophagus in the choir of the church in Seligenstadt, but in 1810 the sarcophagus was presented by the Grand Duke of Hesse to the count of Erbach, who claims descent from Eiuhard as the hus band of Imma, the reputed daughter of Charlemagne. The count put it in the famous chapel of his castle at Erbach in the Odenwald.
Einhard was in stature almost a dwarf, but in mind he was in the esteem of his contemporaries a giant. His classical train ing fitted him to write an immortal work, the Life of Charle magne. His position at court brought him into contact on terms of equality with all the famous men of the day. In youth he sat under Alcuin, in old age he was himself the friend and inspirer of such a man as Servatus Lupus. His life seems to have been on the whole favored, and although a courtier, he preserved his simplicity and purity of character.
His Writings embrace :
1. The Life of the Emperor Charlemagne} This is one of the imperishable works in literature. It is a tribute of sincere admi ration to one who was in many respects the greatest statesman that ever lived. It was Ein hard's ambition to do for Charle magne what Suetonius had done for Augustus. Accordingly he attempted an imitation of Suetonius in style and as far as possible in contents,2 and it is high praise to say that Einhard has not failed. The Life is the chief source of knowledge about Charlemagne personally, and it is so written as to carry the stamp of candor and truth, so that his private life stands re vealed and his public life sufficiently outlined. Einhard began it soon after Charlemagne's death (814) and finished it about 820. It quickly attained a wide-spread and enthusiastic recep tion.3 It was looked upon as a model production. Later
1 Vita Caroli Imperatorie, in Migne, XCVII. col. 27-62. Cf. Jaffa's ed., pp. 507-541.
2 The critical editions of the Vita bring this fact out very plainly. Cf. Ebert, I.e. 95. 3 Pertz collated sixty MSS. of it.
708 FOUKTH PERIOD. A.D. 590-1049.
writers drew freely upon it and portions were rendered into verse l It is not, however, entirely free from inaccuracies, as the critical editions show.
2. The Annals of Lorsch.2 Einhard edited and partly re wrote them from 741 to 801, 3 and wrote entirely those from 802 to 829. These annals give a brief record of the events of each year from the 'beginning of Pepin's reign till the withdrawal of Einhard from court.
3. Account of the removal of the relics of the blessed martyrs Marcellinus and Petrus* This is a very extraordinary narra tive of fraud and cunning and " miracles." In brief it very candidly states that the relics were stolen by Deusdoria, a Roman deacon, Ratleik, Einhard's representative, and Hun, a servant of the abbey of Soissons. But after they had been safely con veyed from Rome they were openly exhibited, and very many " miracles " were wrought by them, and it was to relate these that the book was written.
4. The Passion of Marcellinus and Petrus* is a poem of three hundred and fifty-four trochaic tetrameters. It has been attri buted to Einhard, but the absence of all allusion to the removal of the relics of these saints renders the authorship very doubt ful.6
5. Letters.7 There are seventy-one in all ; many of them defective. They are mostly very brief and on matters of busi ness. Several are addressed to Louis and Lothair, and one to Servatus Lupus on the death of his (Einhard's) wife, which deserves particular attention.
1 Cf. Bahr, I c. 210.
2 Annales Lauritsenses et Eginhard, in Migne, CIV. col. 367-508. Mon. Germ. Script. I. 134-218.
8 These are known as The Annales Laurissenscs because the oldest and compljtest MS. was found in the monastery of Lorsch. Their original text is printed alongside of Einhard's revision.
4 Historia trandationis BB. Christi martyrum Marcellini et Petri in Migne. Ibid. col. 537-594. 6 De passione M. et P. Ibid. col. 593-600.
6 So Ebert, I. c. 103. 7 Epistolce in Migne, ibid. col. 509-538.