Alcuin of York : $b Lectures delivered in the cathedral church of Bristol in 1907 and 1908Browne, G. F. (George Forrest)
Religion
Alcuin of York : $b Lectures delivered in the cathedral church of Bristol in 1907 and 1908
Browne, G. F. (George Forrest)
Alcuin, 735-804
If, on the other hand, Alcuin took the name from some foreign source,
again we have not far to seek. In Karl’s first year as King of the Franks
he gave a confirmatory charter to “the Monastery of St. Albinus, which
is built near to the walls of Angers”. The Tour St. Aubin and the Rue
St. Aubin are still to be found at Angers, at the extreme south-east
corner of the ancient city. Little is known of this martyr Albinus, and
in consequence the Acts of our St. Alban have been transferred to him. At
Angers, as at Alcuin’s own Tours, there are remains of a great church of
St. Martin; and, as was in early times the case at Tours, the Cathedral
is dedicated to St. Maurice. It is possible that Alcuin took his name of
Albinus from this local source, but it does not seem at all probable.
Alcuin’s supremacy in wisdom and other virtues caused jealousy among
his fellow disciples. This went so far that they could not look at him
with unclouded eye or address him with pleasant words. He consulted his
master, who by this time was Elcbert (Archbishop of York, 767-78), known
to Alcuin as Aelbert, and to us as Albert. The master advised him to try
the effect of heaping coals of fire on their heads. He followed this
advice, taking care that they should never hear from him a contrary word,
and very often yielding to them when their arguments were unsound. This
course of conduct he pursued until a complete change took place, and they
all rejoiced to acknowledge in him the second master of their studies,
next under Albert.
The Life relates at this point an interesting episode, in the description
of which we may seem to hear Alcuin himself speaking to us:—
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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