Reginar died in a few days in consequence of the torture inflicted
(17 April 818). The young prince was not nineteen. Those of his
accomplices who were churchmen were deposed and confined in monasteries.
Theodulf, in particular, was exiled to Angers. It is probable that it
was this rising in favour of a spurious member of his family which led
the Emperor at this time to take precautionary measures against his
own illegitimate brothers, Hugh, Theodoric and Drogo (later, 826,
Archbishop of Metz), whom he compelled to enter monasteries.
The punishment suffered by Bernard, who was hardly more than a lad, was out of all proportion to the risk which he had caused the Emperor to run. It was an act of pure cruelty, and was generally and severely criticised at the time, Louis himself judged that he had shewn excessive severity. In 821 at the assembly at Thionville which followed the rejoicings on the marriage of Lothar with Ermengarde, daughter of Hugh, Count of Tours, he granted an amnesty to Bernard's former accomplices, and restored their confiscated property. At the same time he recalled from Aquitaine Adalard, another of the proscribed, and replaced him at the head of the monastery of Corbie. Next year at Attigny he took a further step in the same direction. He solemnly humiliated himself in the presence of the chief clergy of his kingdom, the Abbot Elisachar, Adalard and Archbishop Agobard, declaring that he desired to do penance publicly for the cruelty he had shewn both to Bernard and to Adalard and his brother Wala. The biographer of Louis the Pious compares this public penance to that of Theodosius. It was, in reality, extremely impolitic. The Emperor weakened himself morally by this humiliation before the ecclesiastical aristocracy, who looked upon the penance of Attigny as a victory won by themselves over Louis, "who became," says Paschasius Radbertus triumphantly, "the humblest of men, he who had been so ill-counselled by his royal pride, and who now made satisfaction to those whose eyes had been offended by his crime." His humiliation was also accompanied by measures taken to secure the protection of property belonging to the Church, and Agobard felt so sure of victory for the latter that he even meditated claiming the restitution of all the ecclesiastical property which had been usurped in preceding reigns. The penance of Attigny was one great political mistake of Louis; his re-marriage was another. Its consequences were to prove disastrous.
Louis's first wife, "his counsellor and helper in his government," the devout Empress Ermengarde, had died at Angers, just as her husband was returning from his expedition into Brittany (3 Oct. 818). The Emperor for some time gave himself up to despairing grief. It was even feared that he would abdicate and retire into a monastery. However, at the earnest request of his confidential advisers he decided on choosing a second consort "who might be his helper in the government of his palace and his kingdom." In 819 he chose from among his magnates"
