Page:General History of Europe 1921.djvu/287

Age of Disorder : Feudalism 205 the nobles. Their election was not a matter that concerned the Church at all. But when, after asking the Pope's opinion, Pippin had the holy oil poured on his head, in accordance with an ancient religious custom of the Jews, he received the blessing and the approval of the Church. The Pope threatened with God's anger anyone who should attempt to supplant the consecrated family of Pippin. It thus became a religious duty to obey the king, for he was regarded by the Church as God's representative on earth. Here we have the beginning of the later theory of kings "by the grace of God," against whom it was a sin to revolt, however bad they might be. 326. Charlemagne (ca. 742-814). Charlemagne, 1 the famous son of Pippin, became king of all the Prankish realms in 771. He is the first historical personage among the German peoples of whom we have any satisfactory knowledge. Charlemagne was an educated man for his time and one who knew how to appreciate and encourage scholarship. While at dinner he had someone read to him ; he delighted especially in history. He tried to learn writing, which was an unusual accom- plishment at that time for any except churchmen, but began too late in life and got no farther than signing his name. He called learned men to his court and did much toward reestablishing a regular system of schools. The impression which his reign made upon men's minds con- tinued to grow even after his death. He became the hero of a whole series of .romantic adventures which were as firmly believed for centuries as his real deeds. A study of Charlemagne's reign will make clear that he was truly a remarkable person, one of the greatest figures in the world's records and deservedly the hero of the Middle Ages. 327. Charlemagne's Idea of a Great Christian Empire. It was Charlemagne's ideal to bring all the German peoples together 1 " Charlemagne " is the French form for the Latin Carolns Magnus (Charles the Great). We must never forget, however, that Charlemagne was not French ; he spoke a German language, namely Prankish, and his favorite palaces at Aix-la-Chapelle, Ingel- heim, and Nimwegen were in German regions.