Died 826. A monk of Saint Gall, Switzerland, possibly
Notker Balbulus (f.d. April 6),
reports that Irish Saint Clement came with Albinus to
France and announced in the market that they had learning for sale at a
time when classical learning was all but forgotten in the West. Their
price: food and shelter--and pupils. Upon hearing this, Emperor
Charlemagne, who held "the Irish in special esteem" (according to
Einhard), engaged their services. Albinus was sent to Pavia to head the
monastery of Saint Augustine, while he established Clement in his Paris
School. There Clement became one of the most famous scholars of the
Carolingian court. He succeeded
Blessed Alcuin (f.d. May 19)
as the
head of the Paris Schools when the latter retired to the monastery at
Tours. Among those influenced by him was the future emperor, Lothair,
who was noted for his interest in the schools of Italy
(
D'Arcy,
Gougaud,
Fitzpatrick,
Kenney,
Montague,
O'Hanlon,
Tommasini).