Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 04.djvu/587

CHARLES THE GREAT. 507 CHARLES rv. royal iloiiiains, which Charles skillfully man- aged, together with the revenues from the admin- istration of justice and free-will offerings, pro- vided for the expenses of the State. Charles promoted to the fullest extent the in- terests of the Church. He recognized in it a powerful ally, both in increasing and ruling his dominions. His wars were religious as well as political: he introduced t'hristianity into the countries which he conqiprcd. He made the sys- tem of tithes compulsory tlinnigliout the empire, and richly endowed bishoprics and monasteries. His zealous cooperation with the bishops in bring- ing about disciplinary reform, liis always active interest in dix'trinal matters and solicitous par- ticipation in the national synods, contributed wontlerfnlly to increase the power and influence of the Church. Xo sovereign in the history of Christendom contributed more actively and'effi- caciously than Charles to the propagation and strengthening of religion and the upbuiliiing of the Church, though the revival of the Western Kmpire in his [jerson led eventually to the mem- orable conflict, which filled sul)sequenr. centuries, between Papacy and the Kmpire. He also effect- ed a closer Church organization, by subordinating more strictly the bishoprics to the archbishoprics and by .strengthening the hold of the bishop over the churches of his diocese. Xo 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. He summoned to his Court the greatest scholars of the age: Aleuin, the Englishman, who became the head of the Palace School: Paulus Diaconus, the Lombard, who wrote a history of his people: Peter of Pisa, the grammarian: Angilbcrt, 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 circle of scholars Charles moved as a comrade and friend, much as did Lorenzo de' Medici in the Platonic Academy of Florence. He 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. He was very fond of his native tongue — the Frankish — and himself drew up a grammar of flie language. He in- vented Frankish names for the months of the year and for the winds, and even caused a collec- tion of old German poems and legends, then cur- rent, to be made, which his pious son Louis de- stroyed, because of its heathenism. In his Palace School, his own sons and those of the nobility received a liberal education : but he also com- manded that each cathedral and monastery should have a school to which laymen, as weil as clergy, should be admitted. The school which Alcuin established at Tours, under his patron- age, was famous for centuries. He also estab- lished public schools for all freemen in connec- tion with the monasteries and parishes. He was no less liberal in his patronage of the fine arts. He built sumptuous palaces, particularly at his favorite residences, .ix-Ia-Chapelle and Ingel- heim — for he had no fixed capital — and many churches, chief among which was the Minster ot Aix. He endeavored zealously to promote agricul- ture, manufactures, and commerce. He projecteii great national works, one of which was a canal to connect the Rhine and the Danube; but he Vol. IV.— 33. deemed nothing iHMieath his attention which con- <crncd the interests of his empire or of his people. He required his subjects to plant cerUiin kinds of fruit-trees, the cultivation of which was thus ex- tended northward in Kurope. His own domains were an example of superior cultivation. Charles the Cireat was one of the most im- posing figures, not only of the Middle Ages, but of all history. His personality impressed itself upon the imagination of the people of the Middle -Ages as that of no other man has done. Ro- nuinces 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 l)resence. He 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. He wore the simple, ancient co.stume of his people, except on great state occasions, when he used Byzan- tine robes and ceremonial. His death took place on January 28, 814. He was buried in the Min- ster of Aix. and was succeeded by his son Louis, known as the Pious. ■ BiBUOGKAPUY. Besides his capitularies (q.v.), there are extant letters and Latin poems ascribed to Charles the CJreat. Consult Diimmlcr. Po<'t(F Latini .T:ri f'arolini (Leipzig. 1881-84). The chief source for his historj- is the biography, by his secretary. Einhard, Vita Caroli llagni. edited by Pertz, in the lloiiumenta Germanim Historica, and separately (Hanover, 1863) ; Engl, trans, bv Glaister (London, 1877). Other sources are the letters and poems of Alcuin. Paulus Diaconus, and Angilbert, and the contemporary annals, for a description and editions of which "consult Wat- tenbaeh, Dcutsclilands GcxrhichtscjueUen im Mit- telalter. Vol. I. (Berlin. 1803). The most de- tailed modem account of his reign is Abel and Von Simson, Jahrbiicher a'cs frunkischen Reiches tinter Karl dem Jlrossen (Leipzig, 1883, 1888). Consult, also: 'etault, Cliarleinuyiu- (Tours, 1876) ; DoUinger, Dun Kaisertum Kailx des Grossen iind sriner Sachfolger (Munich, 1864) : Haureau. VharUmagiw et son coiir (Paris. 1888). The best English works on Charles are: Monibcrt, History of Vharks flir Great (Xew York. 1888) : Hodgkin, Cluirlcs the Great (London, 1897): Davis, Charlemayne, in "Heroes of the Xations Series" (Xew York, 1900) : Mullinger, Srhools of Charles the Great (London, 187^): consult, also: Clemen. Die Portmtdarstelhnujen Karls des Grossen (Aachen. 1890). CHARLES II. Holy Roman Emperor. See Cii.r.LKs I.. TiiK B.^Li), King of France. CHARLES III. Holy Roman Emperor. See Cn.iRLKs II.. THE Fat, King of France. CHARLES IV. (1316-78). Holy Roman Emperor fnmi 1346 to 1378. He was born at Prague, May 14, 1316, and was the son and successor of .Tohn of Luxemburg, King of Bohemia, who fell in the battle of Crfcv in 1346. Vith the aid of Pope Clement VI., to whom he had ineviously taken an oath sacri- ficing several imperial prerogatives, he was elected Emperor by five electors on July 11, 1346. This was done because the Emperor Louis IV. (q.v.) had been placed under the greater excommunicatiim by the Pope. Charles and Louis contended for the prize until the death of the latter in 1347. On Easter dav, 13.')5, Charles