Old Testament sacrifices, the figure of the true blood, which was in the second cup. The fifth letter
is to Hetto, a monk, who had asked whether "seraphin" or "seraphim" is the correct form. Amalarius
replies with learned ignorance that both are correct, for "seraphin" is neuter and "seraphim,"
masculine! The sixth is the most important of the series. It is addressed to a certain Guntrad, who
had been greatly troubled because Amalarius had spit shortly after having partaken of the Eucharist,
and therefore had voided a particle of the body of Christ. Amalarius, in his reply, says that he had
so much phlegm in his throat that he was obliged to spit very frequently. He did not believe, however,
that God would make that which helped his bodily injure his spiritual health. He then goes on to
say that the true honor of the body of Christ is by the inner man, into which it enters as life. Hence
if one who inwardly revered the host should accidentally or unavoidably spit out a fragment of the
host he must not be judged as thereby dishonoring the body of Christ. He thus touches, without
passing judgment upon, the position of the Stercoranists. The last letter is only a fragment and is
so different in style from the former that it probably is not by Amalaritius of Metz.
§ 164. Einhard.
I. Einhardus: Opera in Migne, Tom. CIV. col. 351–610; and Vita Caroli in Tom. XCVII. col. 25–62;
also complete Latin and French ed. by A. Teulet: OEuvres complètes d’Éginhard, réunies pour
la première fois et traduites en français. Paris, 1840–43, 2 vols. The Annales and Vita of Migne’s
ed. are reprinted from Pertz’s Monumenta Germaniae historica (I. 135–189 and II. 433–463,
respectively); separate ed. of the Vita, Hannover, 1839. The best edition of the Epistolae and
Vita, is in Philipp Jaffé: Monumenta Carolina, Berlin, 1867, pp. 437–541; and of the Passio
Marcellini et Petri is in Ernest Dümmler; Poëtae Latini aevi Carolini, Tom. II. (Berlin, 1884),
pp. 125–135. Teulet’s translation of Einhard’s complete works has been separately issued, Paris,
- Einhard’s Vita Caroli has been translated into German by J. L. Ideler, Hamburg, 1839,
2 vols. (with very elaborate notes), and by Otto Abel, Berlin, 1850; and into English by W.
Glaister, London, 1877, and by Samuel Epes Turner, New York, 1880. Einhard’s Annales have
been translated by Otto Abel (Einhard’s Jahrbücher), Berlin, 1850.
II. Cf. the prefaces and notes in the works mentioned above. Also Ceillier, XII. 352–357. Hist. Lit.
de la France, IV. 550–567. Bähr, 200–214. Ebert, II. 92–104. Also J. W. Ch. Steiner: Geschichte
und Beschreibung der Stadt und ehemal Abtei Seligenstadt. Aschaffenburg, 1820.
Einhard (or Eginhard),^1170 the biographer of Charlemagne and the best of the historians of the
Carolingian age, was the son of Einhard and Engilfrita, and was born about 770, in that part of the
Valley of the Main which belongs to Hesse-Darmstadt. His family was noble and his education
was conducted in the famous Benedictine monastic school of St. Boniface at Fulda, to which his
parents sent gifts.^1171 About 792 the abbot Baugolf sent him to the court of Charlemagne, in order
that his already remarkable attainments might be increased and his ability find ample scope. The
favorable judgment and prophecy of Baugolf were justified by events. He soon won all hearts by
his amiable disposition and applause by his versatile learning. He married Imma, a maiden of noble
(^1170) The name is variously spelled, but the now common form Eginhard is first found in the twelfth century.
(^1171) Jaffé l.c. p. 488.