warrior. The works are--1. "The Life of the Emperor Karl."
2. "The Annals of the Franks." 3. "Letters." 4. "The History of the
Translation of the Blessed Martyrs of Christ, SS. Marcellinus and
Petrus."

It is to the last, as one of the most singular and interesting records
of the period during which the Roman world passed into that of the
Middle Ages, that I wish to direct attention.[33] It was written in
the ninth century, somewhere, apparently, about the year 830, when
Eginhard, ailing in health and weary of political life, had withdrawn
to the monastery of Seligenstadt, of which he was the founder. A
manuscript copy of the work, made in the tenth century, and once the
property of the monastery of St. Bavon on the Scheldt, of which
Eginhard was Abbot, is still extant, and there is no reason to believe
that, in this copy, the original has been in any way interpolated or
otherwise tampered with. The main features of the strange story
contained in the "Historia Translationis" are set forth in the
following pages, in which, in regard to all matters of importance, I
shall adhere as closely as possible to Eginhard's own words.

While I was still at Court, busied with secular affairs, I
often thought of the leisure which I hoped one 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,[34] 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 transla