the emperor to remove the lid of his golden goblet, dropped into it a
beautiful jewel. Then, descending from the table, she bowed to the royal
couple, and disappeared. Charles held this to be a good omen, and
resolved never to part with the jewel. The moral is obvious. Charlemagne
was so just, and his reputation for equity so widespread, that even the
lower animals appealed to him, and not in vain.
According to another version, the stone exerted attraction like a
loadstone, for where it was dropped the emperor could not leave the
place. But Archbishop Turpin had dropped it into the springs of Aachen,
and hence Charlemagne no more quitted that royal residence.
It would be impossible in our space, even if it were interesting to the
general reader, to enter into the discussions respecting Charlemagne's
foundations in and visits to Zurich. Two things, however, come out
clearly; first (thanks to the labours of the learned historian,
Professor Georg von Wyss), that tradition is not entirely unworthy of
trust, as there is documentary evidence still extant to prove that
Charlemagne reformed the College (Chorherrenstift); second, that he kept
up a close connection with the city, whether he actually resided there
or not.
No doubt this exaltation of Charlemagne's merits is an expression of the
attachment felt for his person, and of the admiration for his
marvellous educational efforts. His grandson, Louis the German, founded
the Abbey of our Lady, in 853, on the site of an old convent erected to
the memory of the patron saints of Zurich. Louis erected this new abbey
in order to give a more brilliant church preferment to his daughter,
Hildgard, Lady Principal of a small convent at Wurzburg. This Princess
Abbess received the sole right of jurisdiction, and the convent rose
rapidly, and with it extended the city commonwealth. (We shall show in a
later chapter how this female government checked the growth of political
power in that city, and yet was the making of her.)
FOOTNOTES:
[15] See Büdinger, "Von den Anfangen des Schulzwanges," Zurich, 1865, p.
10.
[16] Professor Bächtold, "History of German Literature in Switzerland,"
Frauenfeld, 1887.
[17] Professor Bächtold, "History of German Literature in Switzerland,"
Frauenfeld, 1887.
[18] See Gustav Freytag's charming "Pictures of the Middle Ages."
VI.
THE KINGDOM OF BURGUNDY; THE DUCHY OF SWABIA; AND THE GERMAN EMPIRE.
(843-1100.)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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