The Monk of Saint Gall:
The Life of Charlemagne, 883/4
This biography of Charlemagne was composed for his descendant Charles the Fat in 883-4, thus 70 years after Charlemagne's death. The author calls himself "a monk of St. Gall", and he is usually identified with Notker Balbulus, or "the Stammerer", who was a famous scholar and monk who died in 912.
Book I. Concerning the Piety of Charles and His Care of the Church
1.
. . . . Now it happened, when he [Charlemagne] had begun to reign alone in the
western parts of the world, and the pursuit of learning had been almost
forgotten throughout all his realm, and the worship of the true Godhead was
faint and weak, that two Scots came from Ireland to the coast of Gaul along
with certain traders of Britain. These Scotchmen were unrivalled for their
skill in sacred and secular learning: and day by day, when the crowd gathered
round them for traffic, they exhibited no wares for sale, but cried out and
said, "Ho, everyone that desires wisdom, let him draw near and take it at
our hands; for it is wisdom that we have for sale."
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For so long did they make their proclamation that in the end those who wondered at these men, or perhaps thought them insane, brought the matter to the ears of King Charles, who always loved and sought after wisdom. Wherefore he ordered them to come with all speed into his presence and asked them whether it were true, as fame reported of them, that they had brought wisdom with them.
They answered, "We both possess it and are ready to give it, in the name of God, to those who seek it worthily." Again he asked them what price they asked for it; and they answered, "We ask no price, O king; but we ask only for a fit place for teaching and quick minds to teach; and besides food to eat and raiment to put on, for without these we cannot accomplish our pilgrimage."
This answer filled the king with a great joy, and first he kept both of them with
him for a short time. But soon, when he needed to go to war, he made one of
them, named Clement, reside in Gaul, and to him he sent many boys both of
noble, middle and humble birth, and he ordered as much food to be given them as
they required, and he set aside for them buildings suitable for study. . . .
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3. Then when Charles came back, after a long absence, crowned with victory, into Gaul, he ordered the boys whom he had entrusted to Clement to come before him and present to him letters and verses of their own composition. Now the boys of middle or low birth presented him with writings garnished with the sweet savours of wisdom beyond all that he could have hoped, while those of the children of noble parents were silly and tasteless.
Then the most wise Charles, imitating the judgment of the eternal Judge, gathered together those who had done well upon his right hand and addressed them in these words: "My children, you have found much favour with me because you have tried with all your strength to carry out my orders and win advantage for yourselves. Wherefore now study to attain to perfection; and I will give you bishoprics and splendid monasteries, and you shall be always honourable in my eyes."
Then he turned severely to those who were gathered on his left, and, smiting their consciences with the fire of his eyes, he flung at them in scorn these terrible words, which seemed thunder rather than human speech: "You nobles, you sons of my chiefs, you superfine dandies, you have trusted to your birth and your possessions and have set at naught my orders to your own advancement: you have neglected the pursuit of learning and you have given yourselves over to luxury and sport, to idleness and profitless pastimes." Then solemnly he raised his august head and his unconquered right hand to the heavens and thus thundered against them, "By the King of Heaven, I take no account of your noble birth and your fine looks, though others may admire you for them. Know this for certain, that unless you make up for your former sloth by vigourous study, you will never get any favor from Charles."
4. Charles used to pick out all the best writers and readers from among the poor
boys that I have spoken of and transferred them to his chapel.
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. . . . Now one day it was announced to this most wise King Charles that a certain bishop was dead; and, when the king asked whether the dead bishop had made any bequests for the good of his soul, the messenger replied, "Sire, he has bequeathed no more than two pounds of silver." Thereupon one of his chaplains, sighing, and no longer able to keep the thoughts of his mind within his breast, spoke in the hearing of the king these words: "That is small provision for a long, a never-ending journey."
Then Charles, the mildest of men, deliberated a space, and said to the young man, "Do you think then, if you were to get the bishopric, you would care to make more provision for that same long journey?" These cautious words fell upon the chaplain as ripe grapes into the mouth of one who stands agape for them, and he threw himself at the feet of Charles and said, "Sire, the matter rests upon the will of God and your own power." Said the king, "Stand behind the curtain, that hangs behind me, and mark what kind of help you would receive if you were raised to that honour."
Now, when the officers of the palace, who were always on the watch for deaths or accidents, heard that the bishop was dead, one and all of them, impatient of delay and jealous of each other, began to make requests for the bishopric through the friends of the emperor. But Charles still persisted unmoved in his design; he refused everyone, and said that he would not disappoint his young friend.
At last Queen Hildigard sent some of the nobles of the realm, and at last came in person, to beg the bishopric for a certain cleric of her own. The emperor received her petition very graciously and said that he would not and could not deny her anything; but that he thought it a shame to deceive his little chaplain. But still the queen, woman-like, thought that a woman's opinion and wish ought to outweigh the decrees of men; and so she concealed the passion that was rising in her heart; she sank her strong voice almost to a whisper; and with caressing gestures tried to soften the emperor's unspoken mind. "My lord and king," she said, "what does it matter if that boy does lose the bishopric? Nay, I beseech you, sweet lord, my glory and my refuge, give it to your faithful servant, my cleric."
Then that young man, who had heard the petitions from behind the curtain close to the king's chair where he had been placed, embraced the king through the curtain and cried, "Sir king, stand fast and do not let anyone take from you the power that has been given you by God."
Then that strict lover of truth bade him come out, and said, "I intend you to
have the bishopric; but you must be very careful to spend more and make fuller
provision for that same long and unreturning journey both for yourself and for
me."
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13. The most careful Charles would never give more than one county to any of his counts unless they happened to live on the borders or marches of the barbarians; nor would he ever give to a bishop any abbacy or church that was in the royal gift unless there were very special reasons for doing it.
When his councillors or friends asked him the reason for this, he would answer: "With that revenue or that estate, with that little abbey or that church, I can secure the fidelity of some vassal, as good a man as any bishop or count, and perhaps better."
But when there were special reasons he would give several benefices to one man; as he did for instance to Udalric, brother of the great Hildigard, the mother of kings and emperors. Now Udalric, after Hildigard's death, was deprived of his honours for a certain offence; and a buffoon thereupon said in the hearing of the most merciful Charles: "Now has Udalric, by the death of his sister, lost all his honours both in east and west." Charles was touched by these words and restored to him at once all his former honours.
Adapted from https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/basis/stgall-charlemagne.asp