Saint Angilbert, minister of Charlemagne, and the most distinguished poet of his age, born in Neustria, now Normandy, died Feb. 18, 814. He studied under Alcuin with Charlemagne; received Bertha, the daughter of that prince, in marriage; was appointed prime minister of Pepin, king of Italy; and after returning to France was intrusted with a portion of the government, and became secretary and minister to Charlemagne. With the consent of his wife he entered in 71)0 the monastery of Centule or St. Riquicr, of which be became abbot in 794. He often left his retreat to attend to interests of state or to ecclesiastical affairs, and made four journeys to Rome, in the last of which he accompanied Charlemagne and saw him crowned emperor of the West. Angilbert was a correspondent of Alcuin, and was called the Homer of his time. His poems and a history of the abbey of Centule are marked by much elegance.