A letter from Einhart (830, March/April)

Translated letter:

May our most pious lady deign to recognize that I your servant after I left Aachen was taken with such discomfort of the body that I could scarcely reach Valenciennes from Maastricht in ten days. There such a great pain of kidneys as well as spleen invaded me that I could not complete even one mile in a whole day on horseback. Because of which I beg your piety that I be allowed with your grace to go to Saint N.[Bavo] by boat and lie there until omnipotent God will deign to give me the strength to make my journey. For as soon as I can mount a horse, I shall hasten to come either to you or to the lord emperor, whichever pleases you that I do. Now however I humbly pray your piety that you deign to excuse me to my most merciful lord when you come to him about my not coming to you. God is witness that I have written nothing false to you about my infirmity; and not only this, but also that there are certain other more serious discomforts which I suffer in myself, about which I can have no speech except with a most faithful person.1 Yet know this, that you can not acquire greater mercy from God in the present than if you can arrange that I be permitted to hasten to the service of the holy martyrs of Christ as soon as I am [physically] able. For I can get there in fifteen days from Saint N. by boat.

Original letter:

Cognoscere dignetur piissima domina nostra, quod ego servus vester, postquam de Aquis exivi, tantis corporis incommodis affectus sum, ut de Traiecto vix decimo die pervenire possem ad Valentianas. Ibi me tam magnus renium simul ac splenis dolor invasit, ut ne unum quidem miliarium in integro die valeam equitando conficere. Quapropter supplico pietati vestre, ut mihi liceat cum gratia vestra navigando ire ad Sanctum N. ibique iacere, quousque mihi Deus omnipotens vires ad iter faciendum dare dignabitur. Nam cum primum equitare potuero, vel ad vos vel ad domnum imperatorem venire festinabo, utrum vobis placuerit, ut faciam. Nunc autem umiliter deprecor pietatem vestram, ut me aput misericordissimum dominum meum, cum ad illum veneritis, excusare dignamini de eo, quod ad vos non veni. Deus testis est, quod de infirmitate mea nullam falsitatem vobis scripsi; et non solum hoc, sed etiam, quod multo graviora sunt alia quedam incommoda, que patior in memetipso, de quibus nisi cum fidelissimo nullam possum habere locutionem. Hoc tamen scitote, quod maiorem vobis coram Deo mercedem in presenti adquirere non potestis, quam si effeceritis, ut mihi liceat ad servitium sanctorum Christi martyrum, cum primum valuero, festinare. Possum enim illuc in quindecim diebus de Sancto N. navigando pervenire.

Historical context:

Einhard joined Charlemagne's Palace School in Aachen in 791 and wrote a life of the king. He had been educated at Fulda, a monastery his noble parents patronized. He continued in the service of Charlemagne's son, Louis, until his illnesses, described in this letter excusing his failure to attend the empress, caused him to retire. Though married, he was named abbot to several monasteries, including St. Bavo[n] of Ghent.

Scholarly notes:

1 Perhaps the person whom he asks in ep.14 to carry his letters and make his excuses to the king.

Printed source:

MGH Epistolae Karolini Aevi, v.3, ed. E Dummler, 1899, repr. 1978, 116-17, Einharti epistolae, ep.13; also PL 104,

Date:

830, March/April