family, sister of Bernharius, bishop of Worms, and with her lived very happily for many years.^1172
She bore him a son named Wussin who became a monk at Fulda. He enjoyed the Emperor’s favor
to a marked degree,^1173 and figured in important and delicate matters. Thus he was sent in 806 to
Rome to obtain the papal signature to Charlemagne’s will dividing the empire among his sons.^1174
Again in 813 it was he who first suggested the admission of Louis to the co-regency. He
superintended the building operations of Charlemagne, e.g. at Aix la Chapelle (Aachen), according
to the ideas of Vitruvius, whom he studied diligently.^1175 His skill as a craftsman won him the
academic title of Bezaleel.^1176 He pursued his studies and gathered a fine library of classic authors.
He edited the court annals.^1177 Charlemagne’s death (814) did not alter his position. Louis the Pious
retained him as councillor and appointed him in 817 instructor to his son Lothair. When trouble
broke out (830) between father and son he did his best to reconcile them.
Although a layman he had received at different times since 815 a number of church
preferments. Louis made him abbot of Fontenelle in the diocese of Rouen, of St. Peter’s of Blandigny
and St. Bavon’s at Ghent, of St. Servais’ at Maestricht, and head of the church of St. John the
Baptist at Pavia. On Jan. 11, 815, Louis gave Einhard and Imma the domains of Michelstadt and
Mulinheim in the Odenwald on the Main; and on June 2 of that year he is first addressed as abbot.^1178
As the political affairs of the empire became more complicated he withdrew more and more from
public life, and turned his attention to literature. He resigned the care of the abbey of Fontenelle in
823, and after administrating other abbeys sought rest at Michelstadt. There he built a church in
which he put (827) the relics of the saints Marcellinus and Petrus which had been stolen from the
church of St. Tiburtius near Rome.^1179 A year later, however, he removed to Mulinheim, which
name he changed to Seligenstadt; there he built a splendid church and founded a monastery. After
his unsuccessful attempt to end the strife between Louis and Lothair he retired altogether to
Seligenstadt. About 836 he wrote his now lost work upon the Worship of the Cross, which he
dedicated to Servatus Lupus.^1180 In 836 his wife died. His grief was inconsolable, and aroused the
commiseration of his friends;^1181 and even the emperor Louis made him a visit of condolence.^1182
But he carried his burden till his death on March 14, 840. He is honored as a saint in the abbey of
Fontenelle on February 20. His epitaph was written by Rabanus Maurus.
He and his wife were originally buried in one sarcophagus in the choir of the church in
Seligenstadt, but in 1810 the sarcophagus was presented by the Grand Duke of Hesse to the count
(^1172) The legend that Imma was the daughter of Charlemagne dates from the twelfth century, and probably arose from the
false reading neptitatem ("nephew") for ne pietatem in Eginhard’s letter to Lothair. See Jaffé, p. 446
(^1173) Walahfrid’s Prologue to the Vita, see Jaffé, p. 508.
(^1174) Annales 806, in Migne, CIV. col. 466, l. 2, fr. bel.
(^1175) Epistolae, ed. Jaffé, no. 56, p. 478, ed. Migne, no. 30 (col. 520).
(^1176) Alcuin, Epist. ed. Jaffé, no. 112, p. 459.
(^1177) See below.
(^1178) For his preferments see Jaffé p. 493-495. On p. 493, Jaffé proves that Einhard did not separate himself from his wife
after becoming an abbot.
(^1179) See Account of the removal, etc., below.
(^1180) See Lupus’ reply to his letter (Lupus, Epist. ed. Migne, CXIX. col. 445).
(^1181) See his letter to Lupus and Lupus’ reply, ibid. col. 437-446.
(^1182) Jaffé ed. p. 499.