reface to The Life of Charlemagne.Since I have taken upon myself to narrate the public and private life, and no small part of the deeds, of my lord and foster- father, the most lent and most justly renowned King Charles, I have condensed the matter into as brief a form as possible. I have been careful no to omit any facts that could come to my knowledge, but at the same time not to offend by a prolix style those minds that despise everything modern, if on can possibly avoid offending by a new work men who seem to despise also the masterpieces of antiquity, the works of most learned and luminous writers. (Einhard 2)The biography begins with the Merovingian family, and concludes with Charlemagnes will. It includes not only the highlights of his reign, but also his dress, his manner, and his appearance (Einhard 8-10).The impact of Charlemagnes reign on western thought is untold. He managed to spread literacy and Christianity to a land that was previously illiterate and savage. His school at Aachen regained the glory of the Roman lyceums that were once hailed as the worlds greatest centers of learning. The magnificence of his person and his reign can be explained best in these words, written by his trusted biographer, when he says that he might have been deterred from writing if I had not made up my mind that it was better to risk the opinions of the world, and put my little talents for composition to the test, than to slight the memory of so great a man for the sake of sparing myself, (Einhard 3)....
