There is a considerable body of literary work from Alcuin’s pen, but nothing he wrote shows any originality. He was little more than a faithful transmitter of the learning he received. He set the seal on the traditional division of knowledge in its seven stages, or, as it was technically known, the seven arts: grammar, rhetoric, dialectic, arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy. His literary interests may be judged from the following dialogue: “What is writing?” said Pippin, one of the Emperor’s sons. “The guardian of history,” replied Alcuin. “What is speech?” “The treason of thought.” “What engenders speech?” “The tongue.” “What is the tongue?” “The flail of the air.” “What is the air?” “The guardian of life.” “What is life?” “The joy of the happy, the pain of the wretched, the expectation of death.” “What is man?” “The slave of death, the guest of a place, a passing traveler.” These preciosities give one a depressing idea of Alcuin’s ability. Yet it must be remembered that they were marvels to the obtuse and crudely trained minds of men whose chief occupation was war and the chase, and as an intellectual stimulus they were just as effective as are to-day the eagerly scanned columns of modern journalism. Alcuin was made royal director of studies; he was schoolmaster of the palace, and from this circle of the King’s friends originated the Palatine Academy, the members of which, in order to mark their efforts at imitating classic culture, adopted fancifully the names of ancient worthies. So Charles was called David, Alcuin was called Horatius Flaccus, and Angilbert, Homer. In order to extend their influence Charles promoted several of the members of the Academy to important positions in the Church, making them bishops or abbots. The royal plans for promoting learning are indicated in a capitulary of March 23, 789. “Let,” he says, “the ministers of God draw about them not only young people of servile condition, but the sons of freemen. Let there be reading schools for the children. Let the psalms, musical notation, singing, arithmetic, and grammar be taught in all the monasteries and all the bishoprics.” These directions led to the creation of numerous monastic and episcopal schools, all ordered “according to the customs of the palace.” Alcuin, in 796, withdrew to Tours, becoming the abbot of St. Martin’s there, and planned to found a replica of the Saxon school at York, where he had himself been trained.