$ 169. WALAHFKID STRABO. 731
out the " itiner sense." 5. The beginnings and grmcth of the divine offices.1 This valuable and original work upon the archeology of the liturgy was written about 840 at the request of Reginbert, the learned librarian of the abbey of Reichenau, who desired more accurate information upon the origin of the different parts of the liturgy. The supplementary character of the work explains its lack of system. Walahfrid treats in dis connected chapters of temples and altars ; bells ; the derivation of several words for holy places ; the use of " pictures," as orna ments and aids to devotion, but not as objects of worship ; the things fitting divine worship ; " the sacrifices of the New Testa ment" (in this chap., No. XVI., he dissents from the transubstantiation theory of Radbertus, saying, Christ " after the Paschal supper gave to his disciples the sacrament of his body and blood in the substance of the bread and wine and taught them to celebrate [the sacrament] in memory of his passion"2) ; then follow a number of chapters upon the Eucharist ; sacred vestments ; canonical hours and hymns ; baptisms ; titles, &c. The work closes with a comparison of ecclesiastical and secular dignities.
II. A Homily on the Fall of Jerusalem? Walahfrid gives Josephus' account of the fall of the city and then proceeds to the spiritual application of our Lord's prophetic discourse (Matt, xxiv.).
III. Biographies. 1. Life of tJie Abbot St. Gallf the apostle of Switzerland (d. 645 or 646). It is not original, but a re writing of the life by Wettin, Walahfrid's honored teacher at Reichenau. Walahfrid reproduced the same in verse.5 2. Life of St. Othmar, abbot of St. Gall,6 similarly reproduced. 3. The
1 De ecclesiasticarum rerum exordiis et incrementis, CXIV. col. 919-966.
* De rebus eccl. XVI. Ibid. col. 936.
8 De subverainne Jerusalem, ibid. col. 965-974.
4 Vita S. Galli, ibid. col. 975-1030.
6 Diimmler, I. c., Vita Galli, pp. 428-473.
• Vita S. Othmari, Migne, CXIV. col. 1031-1042.
732 FOURTH PERIOD. A. D. 590-1049.
prologue to his edition of Einhard's Life of Charlemagne, which gives valuable information about Einhard.1
IV. Poetry. 1. The Vision of Wettin? This is the oldest of his poems, dating according to his own assertion from his eighteenth year3 (i. e.} c. 826). It is not original, but a versi fication, with additions, of the prose work of Heito. The ultimate source is Wettin himself, who relates what he saw (October 824) on his journey, under angelic guidance, to Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise. The fact that Wettin was very sick at the time explains the occasion of the vision and his reading its contents, but the poem is interesting not only in itself, but as a precursor of Dante's Divine Comedy.* 2. The Life and Death of St. Mammes? an ascetic from childhood, who preached to the wild sheep gathered by a strange im pulse in a little chapel. This extraordinary performance at tracted adverse notice from the authorities. Mammes was ac cused of witchcraft and, on refusing to sacrifice to the gods, also of atheism. His enemies vainly attempted to kill him by fire, by wild beasts, and by stoning. Finally he was peace fully called from life by the voice of God. 3. The Life and Death of St. Blaithmaic, abbot of Hy and martyr.6 It relates how an Irish crown prince embraced an ascetic life in child hood and attained a martyr's crown on the island of Hy. 4. Garden-culture,7 a curious poem upon the plants in the convent garden. 5. On the Image of Tetricus8 (Dietrich), an ingenious poem in laudation of Louis the Pious and his family.9 6. Mis-
1 JaffS, Monumenta Carolina, pp. 507-8.
2 De visione Weltini, Migne, CXIV. col. 1063-1082. Heito's work is in Tom. CV. col. 771-780. Both are given by Dummler, I c. pp. 267-275 ; 301-333.
3 Migne, CXIV. col. 1064, "quipene octavum decimum jam annum transegi."
4 Ebert, 1. c. 149. Cf. Bernold's Vision in section on Hincmar.
5 Vita S. Mammce, Migne, CXIV. col. 1047-1062. Dummler, I c. pp. 275-296.
6 Vita S. BlaUmaici, Dummler, I c. pp. 297-301. Migne, col. 1043-1046. i Hortulus, Dummler, pp. 335-350. Migne, col. 1121-1130.
8 De imagine Tetrici, Dummler, pp. 370-378. Migne, col. 1089-1092. » See Ebert, pp. 154-158.