for he measured seven times the length of his foot. The top of his head was round, his eyes large and animated, his nose somewhat long, his hair white, and his face bright and pleasant; so that, whether standing or sitting, he appeared dignified and impressive. Although his neck was thick and rather short, and his waist too prominent, still the fair proportions of his limbs concealed these defects. His walk was firm, and the whole carriage of his body was manly. His voice was clear, but not so strong as his frame would have led one to expect. His health was good until the last four years of his life, when he was attacked with frequent fevers, and latterly walked lame on one foot. Even in illness he leaned more on his own judgment than on the advice of physicians, whom he greatly disliked, because they used to recommend him to leave off roast meat, to which he was accustomed, and eat boiled meat instead.

He took regular exercise in riding and hunting. This was a national habit, since scarcely any people can be found to equal the Franks in these pursuits. He also took delight in the vapor of hot springs and constantly practiced swimming, in which he was very skillful, no one being able to outstrip him. It was on account of the warm baths that he built the palace at Aachen, living there constantly during the last years of his life and until his death. He not only invited his sons to bathe with him, but also his chief men and friends, and occasionally even a crowd of his attendants and guards, so that at times one hundred men or more would be bathing together.

He wore the dress of his native country, that is, the Frankish; on his body a linen shirt and linen drawers; then a tunic with a silver border, and stockings. He bound his legs with garters and wore shoes on his feet. In the winter he protected his shoulders and chest with a vest made of the skins of otters and ermine. He wore a blue cloak, and was always girt with his sword, the hilt and belt being of gold and silver. Sometimes he wore a jeweled sword, but only on great festivals or when receiving foreign ambassadors. He thoroughly disliked the dress of foreigners, however fine, and never put it

on except at Rome, once on the request of Pope Hadrian I, and again a second time, to please his successor, Pope Leo III. He then wore a long tunic, chlamys, and shoes made after the Roman fashion. On festivals he used to walk in processions clad in a garment woven with gold, with shoes studded with jewels, and a cloak fastened with a golden clasp, and wearing a crown of gold set with precious stones. At other times his

dress differed little from that of a private person.

In his eating and drinking he was temperate; more particularly so in his drinking, since he had the greatest abhorrence of drunkenness in anybody, but more especially in himself and his companions. He was unable to abstain from food for any length of time, and often complained that fasting was injurious to him. He very rarely feasted, only on great occasions, when there were very large gatherings. The daily service of his table was furnished with only four dishes, in addition to the roast meat, which the hunters used to bring in on spits, and of which he partook more freely than of any other food.

While he was dining he listened to music or reading. History and the deeds of men of old used to be read. He derived much pleasure from the works of St. Augustine,1 especially from his book called the City of God. He was very temperate in the use of wine and other drinks, rarely taking at meals more than two or three draughts. . . . He slept at night so lightly that he would break his rest four or five times, not merely awakening, but even getting up.

While he was dressing and binding on his sandals, he would receive his friends. If the mayor of the palace announced that there was any matter which could only be settled by his decree, the suitors were immediately ordered into his presence and, as if sitting in court, he heard the case and gave judgment. This was not the only business which used to be arranged at such a time, for orders were then given for whatever had to be done on that day by any officer or servant.

1 St. Augustine (354-430), bishop of Hippo in North Africa, was one of the great "fathers" of the Christian Church.

He was ready and fluent in speaking, and able to express himself with great clearness. He did not confine himself to his native tongue, but took pains to learn foreign languages, acquiring such knowledge of Latin that he used to repeat his prayers in that language as well as in his own. Greek he could better understand than speak. In conversation he was so voluble that he almost gave one the impression of a chatterer. He was an ardent admirer of the liberal arts, and greatly revered their professors, whom he promoted to high honors. In order to learn grammar, he attended the lectures of the aged Peter of Pisa, a deacon; and for other instruction he chose as his preceptor Alcuin, also a deacon. Alcuin, a Saxon by race, was the most learned man of the day. With him Charlemagne spent much time in learning rhetoric and logic, and more especially astronomy. He learned the art of computation, and with deep thought and skill very carefully calculated the courses of the planets. Charlemagne also tried to write, and used to keep his tablets and writing-book under the pillow of his couch, that when he had leisure he might practice his hand in forming letters; but he made little progress in a task too long deferred and begun too late in life.

11. Charlemagne's Regard for the Church 1

The Christian religion, in which he had been brought up from infancy, was held by Charlemagne as most sacred, and he worshiped in it with the greatest piety. For this reason he built at Aachen a most beautiful church, which he enriched with gold, silver, and candlesticks, and also with lattices and doors of solid brass. When columns and marbles for the building could not be obtained elsewhere, he had them brought from Rome and Ravenna.

As long as his health permitted, he was most regular in attending divine service at matins and evensong, and also during the night and at the time of the mass; and he took special

1 Einhard, Vita Caroli Magni, 26–28.

care that all church services should be performed in the most fitting manner possible, frequently cautioning the sacristans not to allow anything improper or unseemly to be brought into, or left in, the building.

He provided such an abundance of sacred vessels of gold and silver, and so large a supply of priestly vestments, that when service was celebrated it was not necessary even for the doorkeepers, who are the lowest order of ecclesiastics, to perform their duties in private dress. He carefully revised the order of reading and singing, being well skilled in both, though he did not read in public or sing, except in a low voice and only in the chorus.

He was most devoted in providing for the poor and in charitable gifts. In this matter he took thought not only for those of his own country and kingdom, but also for those whom he heard were living in poverty beyond the seas, in Africa, Egypt, and Syria, at Carthage, Alexandria, and Jerusalem. To such persons he used to send money in compassion for their wants. It was on this account, especially, that he courted the friendship of foreign princes, that he might be able to become a solace and comfort to those Christians who were living under their rule.

He held the church of the blessed Peter the Apostle, at Rome, in far higher regard than any other place of sanctity and veneration, and he enriched its treasury with a great quantity of gold, silver, and precious stones.

To the pope he made many rich presents; and nothing lay nearer his heart during his whole reign than that the city of Rome should attain to its ancient importance by his zeal and patronage, and that the church of St. Peter should not only be in safe keeping and protection, but should also by his wealth be ennobled and enriched beyond all other churches. Although he thought so much of this, it was only four times, during the forty-seven years of his reign, that he had leisure to go to Rome for prayer and supplication.

The last visit he paid to Rome was not only for the above

reasons, but also because the Romans had driven Pope Leo III to ask his assistance for they had grievously ill-treated him; indeed, his eyes had been plucked out and his tongue cut off.1

Charlemagne, therefore, went to Rome, and stayed in the city the whole winter in order to reform and quiet the Church, which was in a most disturbed state. It was at this time that he received the title of Emperor and Augustus, to which at first he was so averse that he remarked that, had he known the intention of the pope, he would not have entered St. Peter's on that day, great festival though it was.

He bore very quietly the displeasure of the Roman emperors at Constantinople, who were exceedingly indignant at his assumption of the imperial title, and overcame their sullenness by his great magnanimity, sending them frequent embassies and styling them his brothers in his letter to them.

12. Last Days of Charlemagne 2

After he had taken the imperial title, Charlemagne turned his attention to the laws of his people, which seemed greatly to need improvement, since the Franks have two laws,3 differing much in many places. Charlemagne's intention was to add what was wanting in each, to reconcile the differences, and to correct what was vicious or wrongly expressed. In the end, however, he did nothing more than add a few capitularies, and those unfinished.

He caused the unwritten laws of all the nations under his rule to be tabulated and reduced to writing. He wrote out and committed to memory the rude and very ancient songs which told of the exploits and wars of the kings of old. He began a grammar of the language of his country. He also gave names in the national tongue to the months of the year,

1 Pope Leo's injuries do not seem to have been of so deep or permanent a character as the text describes.

2 Einhard, Vita Caroli Magni, 29-32.

3 That is, the laws of the Salian Franks and the laws of the Ripuarian Franks.