Alcuin

al'kwin (735-804), an English prelate and scholar. He was born at York, England, and died at Tours, France. Alcuin wrote treatises on grammar, rhetoric, history, spelling, argumentation, theology, and other subjects. Charlemagne invited him to settle on the continent and to become the master of the "School of the Palace." During his lifetime Alcuin was the confidante and adviser of Charlemagne in education and in church affairs. The following extract is taken from a letter written (in Latin, of course,) by Alcuin to Charlemagne. The monastery of St. Martin was at Tours:

"In obedience to your exhortation and wise desire, I apply myself in serving out to some of my pupils in this house of Saint Martin the honey of the holy writings; I essay to intoxicate others with the old wine of antique studies; one class I nourish with the fruits of grammatical science; in the eyes of another, I display the order of the stars." ...

"I have schools of singers, many of whom are already sufficiently instructed to be able to teach others.... I have also done in this church what lay in my power, as to copying books.... I have roofed the great church of this town,... and have reconstructed a portion of the walls; ... for the priests, I have constructed a cloister."

See Charlemagne