Charles the Great passed away early this morning at the age of seventy-two, the cause was believed to be pleurisy. He has accomplished much in his forty-six year reign and I think it would be appropriate to take some time and reflect upon his great deeds. He started out sharing the kingdom of his father with his brother Carloman but within two years Carloman had fallen ill and died leaving the remaining land to Charles. He amassed a huge empire after defeating groups such as the Lombards, Bretons, Bavarians, Slavs, Huns, Danes and fought the Saxons up through the time of his death.
He doubled the territory of our lands with the accumulation of all his campaigns. Added to this glory he had gained the good will of several kings and nations. These relations were spread to such powerful nations as the Persians, Scots, and the Emperors of Constantinople. Barring his wars, the Emperor Charlemagne was the most able governor Europe has seen since Theodoric the Goth. The sixty-five capitularies that remain of Charlemagnes legislation are among the most interesting bodies of medieval law.
In some particulars they are less enlightened than the laws of King Liutprand of Lombardy: they kept the old wergild, ordeals, trial by combat, and punishment by mutilation; and decreed death for relapse into paganism, or for eating meat in Lent- though here the priest was allowed to soften the penalty. Charlemagne legislated for agriculture, industry, finance, education, and religion as well as for government and morals. His most important accomplishment of all took place a mere fourteen years ago when Pope Leo III placed the imperial crown upon Charlemagnes head Christmas Day in the year 800.
He was to be the first Emperor of Rome after its original fall. No day ever came close to that except the day last year when he crowned his sole heir Louis as Emperor, who is our current and very able Emperor. Many omens surrounded Charles death, one being the extraordinary amount of eclipses both solar and lunar within the three years before his death. Also for a space of seven days in the fall of last year a black spot was seen on the sun for seven days. Not six months ago did the Lords Gallery fall into ruin. Today the world lost a great man, a warrior, a leader, and a friend. He will be sorely missed and never forgotten.