g to Vortigern: "Well, my young man, you who cannot
sing mass, open your eyes and ears at their widest; you are about to see
pupils of your own age, and of all conditions."

The Palatine school, directed by the Scotchman Clement, into whose
precincts the two Bretons followed the Emperor, held about two hundred
pupils. All rose at their benches at the sight of Charles, but he
motioned to them to resume their seats, saying:

"Be seated, my boys; I prefer to see you with your noses in your books,
than in air, under the pretext of respect for me." And seeing that
Master Clement, the director of the school, was himself about to descend
from his high desk, Charles cried out to him: "Remain on your throne of
knowledge, my worthy master; here I am only one of your subjects. I only
wanted to cast a glance over the work of these boys, and to learn from
you whether they have made any progress during my absence. Let the boys
come forward, one by one, with the copy-books in which to-day's work is
being done."

The Emperor prided himself not a little on his literacy. He sat down on
a stool near the chair of Master Clement, and carefully examined the
copy-books brought to him. It appeared that the pupils who were the sons
of noble or rich parents, exhibited to the Emperor mediocre, or even
poor work, while, on the other hand, the poorer pupils, or those whose
parents were of lower rank, exhibited such excellent work that Charles,
turning to Amael, said: "If you were as proficient in letters as myself,
seigneur Breton, you would be able to appreciate, as I do, these
manuscripts that I have just been looking over. The sweetest flavor of
science is exhaled by these writings." Thereupon addressing the scholars
who had distinguished themselves, the Emperor said impressively: "I give
you great praise, my children, for the zeal you display in carrying out
my wishes; strive after perfection, and I shall endow you with rich
bishoprics and magnificent abbeys." The Emperor stopped and turned
towards the lazy noblemen's sons and the sons of the idle rich; his brow
puckered, and casting upon them an angry look, he cried out: "As to you,
the sons of my Empire's principal men, as to you, dainty and prim lads,
who, resting upon your birth and fortune, have neglected my orders and
your studies, preferring play and idleness--as to you," the Emperor
proceeded in a voice of ever heightening anger, and smiting the table
with his cane, "as to you, look f