day to enjoy in a solitary
place, far away from the crowd, with which the liberality of Prince
Louis, whom I then served, had provided me. This place is situated
in that part of Germany which lies between the Neckar and the
Maine,[16] and is nowadays called the Odenwald by those who live in
and about it. And here having built, according to my capacity and
resources, not only houses and permanent dwellings, but also a
basilica fitted for the performance of divine service and of no
mean style of construction, I began to think to what saint or
martyr I could best dedicate it. A good deal of time had passed
while my thoughts fluctuated about this matter, when it happened
that a certain deacon of the Roman Church, named Deusdona, arrived
at the Court for the purpose of seeking the favour of the King in
some affairs in which he was interested. He remained some time; and
then, having transacted his business, he was about to return to
Rome, when one day, moved by courtesy to a stranger, we invited him
to a modest refection; and while talking of many things at table,
mention was made of the translation of the body of the blessed
Sebastian,[17] and of the neglected tombs of the martyrs, of which
there is such a prodigious number at Rome; and the conversation
having turned towards the dedication of our new basilica, I began
to inquire how it might be possible for me to obtain some of the
true relics of the saints which rest at Rome. He at first
hesitated, and declared that he did not know how that could be
done. But observing that I was both anxious and curious about the
subject, he promised to give me an answer some other day.

When I returned to the question some time afterwards, he
immediately drew from his bosom a paper, which he begged me to read
when I was alone, and to tell him what I was disposed to think of
that which was therein stated. I took the paper and, as he desired,
read it alone and in secret. (Cap. 1, 2, 3.)

I shall have occasion to return to Deacon Deusdona's conditions, and to
what happened after Eginhard's acceptance of them. Suffice it, for the
present, to say that Eginhard's notary, Ratleicus (Ratleig), was
despatched to Rome and succeeded in securing two bodies, supposed to be
those of the holy martyrs Marcellinus and Petrus; and when he had got as
far on h