crowns. The royal thrones were of gold; their
armour was decorated with the precious metal, and their chariots
enriched in the same way. Even the houses of the rich people
were more endowed with precious furnishings than most of the churches
of other nations, and every family possessed a massive silver table,
and solid vases and plate.

The Emperor Theophilus, who lived in the ninth century, was a great
lover of the arts. His palace was built after the Arabian style,
and he had skilful mechanical experts to construct a golden tree
over his throne, on the branches of which were numerous birds,
and two golden lions at the foot. These birds were so arranged
by clockwork, that they could be made to sing, and the lions also
joined a roar to the chorus!

A great designer of the Middle Ages was Alcuin, the teacher of
Charlemagne, who lived from 735 to 804; he superintended the building
of many fine specimens of church plate. The school of Alcuin, however,
was more famous for illumination, and we shall speak of his work
at more length when we come to deal with that subject.

Another distinguished patron of art was the Abbot Odo of Cluny,
who had originally been destined for a soldier; but he was visited
with what Maitland describes as "an inveterate headache, which, from
his seventeenth to his nineteenth year, defied all medical skill,"
so he and his parents, convinced that this was a manifestation of
the disapproval of Heaven, decided to devote his life to religious
pursuits. He became Abbot of Cluny in the year 927.

[Illustration: CROWN OF CHARLEMAGNE]

Examples of ninth century goldsmithing are rare. Judging from the
few specimens existing, the crown of Charlemagne, and the beautiful
binding of the Hours of Charles the Bold, one would be inclined to
think that an almost barbaric wealth of closely set jewels was the
entire standard of the art of the time, and that grace of form or
contour was quite secondary. The tomb was rifled about the twelfth
century, and many of the valuable things with which he was surrounded
were taken away. The throne was denuded of its gold, and may be seen
to-day in the Cathedral at Aachen, a simple marble chair plain and
dignified, with the copper joints showing its construction. Many of
the relics of Charlemagne are in the treasury at Aachen, among other
interesting items, the bones of the right arm of the Emperor in a
golden shrine in the form of a hand and arm. There is a thrill in
conte