SOURCE: “Famous Men.—Literature.—Libraries.—Architecture.—Public Works” in A History of Charles the Great (Charlemagne), D. Appleton & Co, 1888, pp. 253-79.

In the following excerpt, Mombert profiles noteworthy men in Charlemagne’s circle and discusses Charlemagne’s interest in astronomy and architecture, particularly the Rhine bridge at Mayence.

Besides Alcuin other men of note, already mentioned by name, stood in near personal relations to Charles.

Perhaps the oldest and most intimate of his friends was Adalhard, a son of count Bernhard, a grandson of Charles Martel, and cousin-german of Charles. Early in life he chose the monastic calling, and was abbot of Corbie, and founder of the abbey of Corvey in the Saxon country, where he died in 826. He wrote several works, but the most celebrated of them, his “Treatise of the Order and State of the Palace throughout the Frankish Realm,” exists only in the reproduction of...