hundred and seventh line to the close upon original information. It seems to have been written by
Alcuin in his youth at York. Its style is evidently influenced by Virgil and Prudentius.
VII. Pedagogical Works.^1134 (a) Grammar. (b) Orthography. (c) Rhetoric. (d) Dialectics. (e)Dialogue between Pippin and Alcuin^1135 (f) On the courses and changes of the moon and the
intercalary day (Feb. 24th). These works admit us into Alcuin’s school-room, and are therefore of
great importance for the study of the learning of his day.
VIII. Dubious Works.^1136 (a) A confession of faith, in four parts, probably his. (b) Dialogue
between teacher and pupils upon religion. (c) Propositions. (d) Poems.
IX. Pretended Works^1137 (a) The holy days. (b) Four homilies. (c) Poems.§ 160. St. Liudger.
I. S. Liudgerus, Minigardefordensis Episcopus: Opera, in Migne, Tom. XCIX. col. 745–820.
II. The old Lives of S. Liudger are four in number. They are found in Migne, but best in Die Vitae
Sancti Liudgeri ed. Dr. Wilhelm Diekamp. Münster, 1881 (Bd. IV. of the series: Die
Geschichtsquellen des Bisthums Münster). Dr. Diekamp presents revised texts and ample
prolegomena and notes. (1) The oldest Vita (pp. 3–53) is by Altfrid, a near relative of Liudger
and his second successor in the see of Münster. It was written by request of the monks of Werden
about thirty years after Liudger’s death, rests directly upon family and other contemporary
testimony, and is the source of all later Lives. He probably divided his work into two books,
but as the first book is in two parts, Leibnitz, Pertz and Migne divide the work into three books,
of which the first contains the life proper, the second the miracles wrought by the saint himself,
and the third those wrought by his relics. (2) Vita Secunda (pp. 54–83) was written by a monk
of Werden about 850. The so-called second book of this Life really belongs to (3) Vita tertia
(pp. 85–134.) (2) Follows Altfrid, but adds legendary and erroneous matter. (3) Written also
by a Werden monk about 890, builds upon (1) and (2) and adds new matter of a legendary kind.
(4) Vita rythmica (pp. 135–220), written by a Werden monk about 1140. Biographies of Liudger
have been recently written in German by Luise von Bornstedt (Münster, 1842); P. W. Behrends
(Neuhaldensleben u. Gardelegen, 1843); A. Istvann (Coesfeld, 1860); A. Hüsing (Münster,
1878); L. Th. W. Pingsmann (Freiburg im Breisgau, 1879). Cf. Diekamp’s full bibliography,
pp. CXVIII.-CXMI. For literary criticism see Ceillier, XII. 218. Hist. Lit. de la France, V.
57–59. Ebert, II. 107, 338, 339.
Liudger, or Ludger, first bishop of Münster, was born about 744 at Suecsnon (now Zuilen) on
the Vecht, in Frisia. His parents, Thiadgrim and Liafburg, were earnest Christians. His paternal
grandfather, Wursing, had been one of Willibrord’s most zealous supporters (c. 5).^1138 He early
(^1134) Opuscula didascalica, Migne, CI. col. 849-1002
(^1135) Guizot gives a translation of this in his Hist. Civilization (Eng. trans. ii. 239-242.
(^1136) Opuscula dubia , Migne, CI. col. 1027-1170.
(^1137) Opuscula supposita ibid. col. 1173-1314.
(^1138) This sketch has been derived for the most part directly from Altfrid’s Acta seu Vita (ed. Diekamp, pp. 3-53, Migne,
col. 769-796). The letter "c" throughout refers to the chapter of the Acta in Migne in which the statement immediately preceding
is found. The dates are mainly conjectural. The Acta gives none except that of the saint’s death, but merely occasionally notes
the lapse of time.