No less glorious than his political achieve ments was the revival of science, literature, and art which Charles brought about—a renaissance all the brighter for the gloom by which it was preceded and followed. lle summoned to his Court the greatest -.dollars of the age: Alcuin, the Englishman. who became the head of the l'alace School; Paulus Diacouus. the Lombard, who wrote a history of his people: Peter of Pisa. the grammarian; Angilbert• and Theodulf, the greatest poets of the day. who wrote in imita tion of the ancient authors: finally Einhard, Charles's secretary and friend. In this •irele of scholars Charles moved as a comrade and friend. much as did Lorenzo de' Medici in the Platonic Academy of Florence. Ile himself possessed an amount of learning unusual in his age. in spite of the fact that he could not write, having begun to learn too late in life. Ile was very fond of his native tongue—the Frankish—and himself drew up a grammar of ('he language. Ile in vented Frankish names for the months of the year and for the winds. and even caused a eolle• tion of old German poems and legends, then cur rent, to be mado, which his pious son Louis de stroyed, because of its heathenism. In his Pa]aee School, his own sons and those of the nobility received a liberal education; but lie also com manded that each cathedral and monastery should have a school to which laymen, as well as clergy, should be admitted. The school which Aleuin established at Tours. under his patron age, was famous for centuries, lle also estab lished piddle schools for all freemen in connec tion with the monasteries and parishes. Ile was
no less liberal in hi: patronage of the fine arts. Ile built sumptuous palaces. particularly at his favorite residences, Aix-la-Chapelle and Ingel heim—for he had no fixed capital—and niany churches, chief among which was the Minster of Aix. He endeavored zealously to promote agricul tur•. manufactures, and commerce. He projected great national works, one of which was a canal to connect the Rhine and the Danube; but lie deemed nothing beneath his attention which con cerned the interests of his empire or of his people. Ile required his subjects to plant certain kinds of fruit-trees, the cultivation of which was thus ex tended northward in Europe. Ilk own domains were an example of superior cultivation.
Charles the Great was one of the most im posing figures, not only of the Middle Age., but of all history. Ilis personality impressed itself upon the imagination of the people of the :Middle Ages as that of no other man has done. Ro mances and legends grew up around his name, and those of his nobles, or paladins. According to contemporary accounts, he was above the ordi nary stature and of a noble and commanding presence. lie was fond. of manly exercises, par ticularly of hunting, and his strength was pro digious. His mode of life was simple. In eating and drinking, he was very moderate. Ile wore the simple, ancient costume of his people. except on great state occasions, when he used Byzan tine robes and ceremonial. His death took place on January 28. 814. Ile was buried in the Min ster of Aix, and was succeeded by his son Louis, known as the Pious.