Charlemagne’s favorite place of residence was at Aix-la-Chapelle (in
German, _Aachen_). He made this the northern capital of his empire, as
Rome was the southern, and built a magnificent palace there. When his
power was confirmed by his coronation as Emperor of the West, all the
world hastened to pay him homage. The Saracen caliph, the famous
Haroun-al-Raschid, who ruled the Eastern dominion of the Saracens, at
Bagdad, exchanged courtesies with his great brother of the West, sending
him, among other presents, an ape, an elephant, and a curious clock
which struck the hours.