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[Illustration: _CHARLEMAGNE and Desiderata_]
_Life Stories for Young People_
CHARLEMAGNE
_Translated from the German of
Ferdinand Schmidt_
BY
GEORGE P. UPTON
_Author of "Musical Memories," "Standard Operas," etc.
Translator of "Memories," "Immensee," etc._
WITH FIVE ILLUSTRATIONS
[Illustration: A · C · M^cCLURG]
CHICAGO
A. C. McCLURG & CO.
1910
Copyright
A. C. McClurg & Co.
1910
Published September 24, 1910
THE · PLIMPTON · PRESS
[W · D · O]
NORWOOD · MASS · U · S · A
Translator's Preface
Charlemagne, or Charles the Great, might well have been entitled Charles
the Greatest. He was great in war and great in peace--a great conqueror,
great law-maker, great scholar, great organizer, great civilizer. He
subdued savage nations, introduced learning, extended religion,
encouraged the arts and sciences, and established one of the mightiest
empires of the olden times. All the races of Germany, of Italy, and of
France were welded by him into one great monarchy. He maintained and
extended the influence of Christian culture. A large part of his life
was spent in the field, and yet he found time for the political
establishment and development of a great empire, for the reorganization
of the Church, for the promotion of education, for the conservation of
classic culture, and for an astonishing display of many-sided activity.
Gibbon, the historian, says of him:
"The dignity of his person, the length of his reign, the prosperity of
his arms, the vigor of his government, and the reverence of distant
nations, distinguish him from the royal crowd: and Europe dates a new
era from his restoration of the Western Empire."
He was a monarch whose life was characterized by extraordinary activity
and energy, by nobility of purpose and wisdom in administration, and by
a constructive genius and innate capacity for wise and generous ruling,
which have rarely been found in "the royal crowd." As one of the most
conspicuous figures in history, the events of his life as narrated in
this volume deserve careful study at the hands of youth.
G. P. U.
Chicago, _July 1910_.
Contents
Chapter Page
I Ingelheim 11
II Retrospect 20
III Charlemagne and Desiderius 30
IV The First Eleven Years of the Saxon War 45
V Wittekind's Baptism 55
VI Thassilo and the Avars 58
VII The Coronation at Rome 64
VIII Victories of Peace 72
IX Last Days and Death 91
Appendix 101
Illustrations
Charlemagne and Desiderata _Frontispiece_
Charlemagne, Charles Martel, Clovis, Pepin the Short 26
Wittekind's Submission 56
Charlemagne and Alcuin 78
Otto the Third in the Crypt of Charlemagne 96
Charlemagne
Chapter I
Ingelheim
It was at Ingelheim[1] on the Rhine that Charlemagne usually established
his court during the middle period of his reign. An obelisk upon one of
the adjacent heights, erected in 1807, bears the inscription,
"Charlemagne's highway." The erection of his palace at this spot shows
his keen appreciation of its natural beauty. The view from these heights
toward the Rhine, Johannisberg,[2] and the Rheingau,[3] taking in a
blooming, fruitful valley, is incomparably fine. In one of the
descriptions of the vicinity, it is related that Charlemagne was the
first Frankish ruler who built in the grand style. It says:
"A great admirer of the monuments of Greek and Roman architecture,
Charlemagne was not satisfied with the simplicity of his ancestors,
and sought to combine the useful and the beautiful, the comfortable
and the artistic. He built not merely as the owner, but like a king.
He selected one of the most beautiful spots on the heights of Rheingau
for the palace of Ingelheim. The broad river, enclosing numerous
islands in its strong arms, is visible throughout its entire course
from the bend where it enters Rheingau, below Mainz, to the point
where it plunges into the dark abyss of Bingerloch. The smiling
meadows along its banks at the foot of vine-clad hillsides spread out
like a charming panorama."
The palace itself is described by contemporaries as a wonder of art,
transplanted as if by magic from the Italian Ravenna to the banks of the
Rhine. Charlemagne secured the hundred marble and granite columns upon
which the structure rests, as well as the mural decorations of the
interior, through the favor of the Pope. Barbarian opulence in buildings
was usually displayed in the lavish use of gold and silver, and artistic
effect was sought for in brilliant metallic shimmer. But Charlemagne
employed gold and silver only for the decoration of that beautiful work
of art--the reproduction of the old palace at Ravenna upon the Ingelheim
heights--a conspicuous evidence of that great change in times and
customs by which not only the abode, but eventually the title and
sceptre, of the Cæsars came into the possession of a German sovereign.
Contemporaneous descriptions of the personality of Charlemagne have also
been preserved. According to the chronicles of Eginhard, he was large
and symmetrical of body and stood about seven feet high. He had full,
bright eyes, a strong nose, beautiful hair, and a frank, open
countenance. Whether sitting or standing, he inspired reverence by his
dignity. He was often upon horseback in war or the chase. He loved
bathing as passionately as the chase, and often buffeted the green waves
of the Rhine with his strong arms, but he was fonder of the warm mineral
baths of Aachen[4] (Aix-la-Chapelle) than of the river water.
According to the Eginhard chronicles also, Charlemagne usually wore the
Frankish costume, which is thus described in a chronicle at Saint
Gall[5]:
"The Frankish costume consisted of shoes, set off with gold adornments
fastened by scarlet bands about the legs, and flaxen hose of the same
color, figured in a most skilful manner. Then came the inner coat of
bright canvas material, shoulder belt, and sword. The remaining detail
of the costume was a gray or blue four-cornered mantle, doubled and so
disposed that when worn over the shoulder it fell to the feet before
and behind, but barely covered the knees on the sides. A staff was
carried in the right hand, made of a sapling with symmetrical knobs,
and with a handle of gold or silver finely wrought. It was at once
beautiful, strong, and cruel. The mantle was made of a thick woollen
stuff called 'Frisian' in the northern Netherlands."
Such was the costume generally worn by the Emperor. In winter, however,
the chronicle says that he protected his shoulders and breast with an
outer garment of otter and marten skins. He disliked foreign dress, and
wore it only once or twice in Rome at the request of the Pope. He
carried a sword at his side continuously with a golden hilt and belt.
Now and then he made use of one set with jewels, but only upon
ceremonious occasions, or when receiving embassies. At the high
festivals he wore a gold-embroidered dress, shoes set with gems, a
mantle fastened with a golden clasp, and a golden, jewelled crown. From
another narrative of events in the times of Charlemagne, we quote the
following:
"Although the Franks were excellent riders and generally fought on
horseback, they did not participate in tournaments, although the
principal feats of the tournament were conspicuous for the exercises
which the young warriors enjoyed practising. The really grand
occasions of the Franks were their religious and state festivals,
where they displayed their fondness for splendor and churchly pomp.
The brilliancy of the state festivals, to which Charlemagne summoned
representatives from far and near, was enhanced by the presence of the
monarch seated upon his high and gorgeous throne. A blue mantle
covered his shoulders, and upon his head he wore a refulgent diadem.
His right hand held a golden sceptre. His spouse wore a crown above
her veil, which, like her dress and those of the court ladies,
glittered with pearls, rubies, diamonds, and other costly gems,
procured in trade or taken as spoils of war. The dukes, counts, and
other nobles surrounding the throne wore girdles adorned with gold,
silver, and jewels from the Orient. Their fur-trimmed mantles
suggested the habits of their fathers and the experiences of the
forests. Palace functionaries stood back of the Emperor; heralds threw
gold pieces to the crowd; and musicians sang and poets recited hymns
in honor of the Frankish heroes. Festivals of this kind lasted several
days. The guests at a signal from the horn mounted their horses to
hunt boars and buffaloes, which were abundant in those days--a pastime
which called for impetuous courage, as it was attended by great
danger. As gentler sport they fished and hunted with falcons and other
birds of prey. Still other sources of pleasure were ball games and
chess contests. In Charlemagne's time the Franks were passionately
devoted to both, but the Emperor cared little for such sports and
rarely played chess, which seemed to him merely a pleasant way of
passing time, which to him was of the highest importance and too
valuable to be wasted. The meals in the homes of the wealthy consisted
of three courses: the first, a salad of mallows or hops, which were
considered as appetizers and aids to digestion; the second, plain
bread and pork or venison; and the third, pastries and fruit. Wine was
rarely used, and consequently there were few displays of bad passions.
The common beverages were beer and mead. Poor families and even those
fairly well off ate turnips, lentils, beans, and other vegetables, and
upon festive occasions a goose and some kind of pastry. However great
the wealth or high the rank, the utmost importance was attached to the
hair and beard, which were considered indications of strength and
courage--qualities which commanded respect at that time. The grandees
exchanged a hair as a sign of mutual agreement. A promise was often
sealed by touching the beard. A debtor who could not pay was
considered the slave of his creditor and tendered him the shears with
which to cut his beard. If a young warrior was taken prisoner by one
of the barbarians and doomed to death, he would beseech his captor not
to soil his hair with blood or allow a slave to touch it. Agreements
were annulled by breaking a straw. Hospitality was regarded as a
sacred rite, and guests were treated with almost religious reverence.
The household furniture was simple. The walls of the rooms were
covered with painted and gilded leather, and the floors were covered
with straw mats, woven by the women of the house. Except upon festival
days, when sumptuous display was expected, there was the utmost
simplicity both in the homes of private persons and at the Court of
Charlemagne."
Charlemagne's wife and daughters took an active part in the household
duties. The daughters learned to spin and weave when they were quite
young, and Charlemagne much preferred the garments which they made.
Angilbert, a scholarly friend of the Emperor, has left a description of
the palace at Ingelheim as well as of a hunting party in which the
Emperor's spouse, Lindgard, and the sons, Carl and Pepin, figure. He
says:
"The Emperor's charming wife, Lindgard, enters the courtyard followed
by a numerous train. Her cheeks vie in tint and glitter with the
roses, and her hair with the shimmer of a purple robe. Her brow is
bound with a purple fillet, jewels sparkle on her neck, and a golden
crown glitters on her head. As she enters with her ladies, courtiers
make way to her, right and left. She mounts her horse, which is
brought to her, and beams with royal dignity upon the crowd of nobles
surrounding her two sons, Carl and Pepin. The one who bears his
father's name resembles him in figure, countenance, and spirit. He is
in full armor--a valiant warrior, tried and true. Following the queen
and princes, the hunters crowd through the gates accompanied by a
tumult of sound from hound bells and horns. Next appear the princesses
with their retinue. Rotrud rides at their head, calm of face and proud
in bearing. Her blonde hair is fastened by a purple band, and a little
gold crown gleams upon her brow. Next, Bertha, the image of her father
in face, voice, and disposition. Her blonde hair is intertwined with
gold cords and wreathed with a diadem. A marten-skin covers her snowy
neck, and the seams of her tightly fitting cloak are set with
glittering jewels. Next rides Gisela, dazzlingly white and beautiful.
Purple threads are interwoven in the delicate texture of her veil.
Silvern gleam her hands, golden her brows, her eyes shine like the
sun, and she manages her fiery steed with perfect ease. Ruodhaid on
her gracefully ambling palfrey follows. Hair, neck, and feet glow with
jewelled ornaments, and a silken mantle, fastened at the breast with
gold clasps, covers her shoulders. Then follows Theodora, she of the
rosy face and gold-red hair, wearing a necklace of emeralds and a
gorgeous mantle. Hiltrud, last of the sisters, appears and, after
glancing around majestically, turns her steed in the direction of the
forest whose dark recesses invite this imposing expedition."
Where was Charlemagne, master of the house and the Empire, as the
hunting party set out?--gazing at the animated spectacle from the palace
balcony, or in the stillness of his apartment studying serious problems
upon which depended the weal or woe of his empire?
The solution of these problems was a weighty matter. He had inherited
not honors alone, but burdens which needed a giant's strength to carry.
His life was a continuous struggle with forces which hurled themselves
against his empire. To understand his situation we must consider the
circumstances which confronted him when the crown of the Franks became
his heritage. We must revert to the past and review the history of the
Empire down to his accession, that we may clearly understand what this
hero and sovereign contended against and accomplished.