by him as a simple presbyter, and in that capacity he carried out one of his darling purposes and
built the famous monastery of Werden^1139 on the Ruhr, formerly called Diapanbeci. But persuaded
by Hildebald he became the first bishop of Münster (c. 20). The year of this event is unknown, but
it was between 802 and 805.^1140 Tireless in his activity he died in the harness. On Sunday, March
26, 809, he preached and performed mass at Coesfeld and at Billerbeck. In the evening he died
(Acta II. c. 7). He was buried at Werden, which thus became a shrine of pilgrims.
The only extant writing of Liudger is his Life of St. Gregory,^1141 which gives a pleasing
picture of the saint, in whose school at Utrecht many famous men, including bishops, were trained.
Twelve of its twenty-two chapters are taken up with Boniface. Much of the matter is legendary.
He also wrote a life of Albric,^1142 which is lost. His connection with Helmstedt is purely imaginary.
The Liudger Monastery there was not founded by him, for it dates from the tenth century. The
colony of monks may, however, have well come from Werden, and have therefore given the name
Liudger to the monastery.
§ 161. Theodulph of Orleans.
I. Theodulph, Aurelianensis episcopus: Opera omnia, in Migne, Tom. CV. col. 187–380. His
Carmina are in Dümmler’s Poëtae Lat. aev. Car. I. 2. pp. 437–58l, 629, 630.
II. L. Baunard: Théodulfe, Orleans, 1860. Rzehulka: Theodulf, Breslau, 1875 (Dissertation). Cf.
the general works, Mabillon: Analecta, Paris, 1675. Tom. I. pp. 386 sqq.; Tiraboschi: Historia
della letteratura italiana new ed. Florence. 1805–18, 20 parts, III. l. pp. 196–205 (particularly
valuable for its investigation of the obscure points of Theodulph’s life). Du Pin, VI. 124; Hist.
Lit. de la France, IV. 459–474; Ceillier, XII. 262–271, Bähr, 91–95, 359, 860; Ebert, II. 70–84.
Theodulph, bishop of Orleans, one of the most useful churchmen of the Carolingian period,
was probably born in Spain,^1143 past the middle of the eighth century. In 788 he attracted the notice
of Charlemagne, who called him into France and made him abbot of Fleury and of Aignan, both
Benedictine monasteries in the diocese of Orleans, and later bishop of Orleans. He stood in high
favor with his king and was entrusted with important commissions. He participated in the council
of Frankfort (794); was made missus dominicus^1144 in 798; accompanied Charlemagne to Rome,
sat as one of the judges in the investigation of the charges against Leo III. (800) and received from
the supreme pontiff the pallium (801).^1145 He succeeded Alcuin (804) as first theological imperial
counsellor. In 809 he sat in the council of Aix la Chapelle and by request of the emperor collected
(^1139) C. 18. Migne, l.c. col. 778. Erat enim cu piens haereditate sua coenobium construere monachorum, quod ita postea
Domino opitulante concessum est in loco qui vocatur Vuerthina
(^1140) A document of Jan., 802, calls him "abbott," and one of April 23, 805, calls him "bishop."
(^1141) Vita S. Gregorii Migne, l.c. col. 749-770.
(^1142) Vita Altfridi, II. c. 6, Migne, l.c. col. 783, l. 4.
(^1143) Curiously enough the word used in his epitaph to express his native land is ambiguous. The line reads: "Protulit hunc
Speria, Gallia sed nutriit" (Migne, l.c. col. 192); but Speria (Hesperia) is a poetical term for either Italy or Spain. Cf. Ebert l.c.
p. 70.
(^1144) I.e. the official dispenser of justice who accompanied the bishop on his visitation, and was particularly charged with
the examination of the church buildings. It was a post of great responsibility.
(^1145) On which Alcuin congratulated him (Migne, Patrol. Lat. C. col. 391, Mon. Alc., Epist. 166, p. 606).