THE SCENE: Charlemagne had many achievements in the realms of military victory, administrative reform, and religious piety. Despite his many accomplishments, however, he still found time to be a devoted father.
THE TEXT: He believed that his children should be brought up so that both sons and daughters were first educated in the liberal arts, which he himself had studied. Then when the sons had reached the right age he made them ride in the Frankish way, fight and hunt, and he ordered that his daughters learn to work wool with distaff and spindle, so that they might not grow dull in idleness and should spend their time in learning all virtuous activities.
He was so concerned for the education of his sons and daughters that he never dined without them when at home, and he never journeyed without them. His sons rode with him, and his daughters followed and at the end of their train some of his followers were ordered to protect them. Although his daughters were most beautiful and were deeply loved by him, strange to say he never wanted to give any one of them in marriage to anybody, whether a Frank or a foreigner, but kept them all with him until his death, saying that he could not give up their companionship.
– The Life of Charlemagne, Einhard, 9th Century AD
