[Sidenote:  I. 2.  State of Literature in the time of Charlemagne.]

Nothing that could be effected by a prince thus gifted and disposed, was left untried by Charlemagne.  He drew to him the celebrated Alcuin, Peter of Pisa, Paul Warnefrid, and many other distinguished literary characters:  he heaped favours upon them; and a marked distinction was always shewn them at his court.  He formed them into a literary society, which had frequent meetings.  Their conversation was literary, he often bore a part in it; and, what was at least equally gratifying, he always listened with a polite and flattering attention while others spoke.  To establish perfect equality among them, the monarch, and, after his example, the other members of this society, dropt their own and adopted other names.  Angelbert was called Homer, from his partiality to that poet; Riculphus, archbishop of Mentz, chose the name of Dametas, from an eclogue of Virgil:  another member took that of Candidus; Eginhard, the Emperor’s biographer, was called Calliopus, from the Muse Calliope; Alcuin received, from his country, the name of Albinus; the archbishop Theodulfe was called Pindar; the abbot Adelard was called Augustine; Charlemagne, as the man of God’s own heart, was called David.

[Sidenote:  800-911]

The Emperor corresponded with men of learning, on subjects of literature; they generally related to religion.  In one of his letters, he requires of Alcuin an explanation of the words Septuagesima, Sexagesima, and Quinquagesima, which denote the Sundays which immediately precede, and the word Quadragesima, which denotes the first Sunday which occurs in Lent.  The denominations of those Sundays give rise to two difficulties; one, that they seem to imply that each week consists of ten, not of seven days; the other, that the words sound as if Septuagesima were the seventieth, when it is only the sixty-third day before Easter Sunday; Sexagesima, as if it were the sixtieth, when it is only the fifty-sixth; Quinquagesima, as if it were the fiftieth, when it is the forty-ninth; Quadragesima, as if it were the fortieth, when it is the forty-second.  Alcuin’s answer is more subtle than satisfactory.

At the meals of Charlemagne some person always read to him.  His example was followed by many of his successors, particularly by Francis I. of France, who, in an happier era for learning, imitated with happier effects, the example of the Emperor.

[Sidenote:  I. 2.  State of Literature in the time of Charlemagne.]

Alcuin was general director of all the literary schemes of Charlemagne.  He was an Englishman by birth; skilled both in the Greek and Latin language, and in many branches of philosophy.  Having taught, with great reputation and success, in his own country, he travelled to Rome.  In 780, Charlemagne attracted him to his court.