or EGINHART, a celebrated historian of the ninth century, was a native of one of the eastern provinces of France. His family is not known; and those who have pretended that he was of noble descent have given no other proof of their assertion than the reception which he met with at the court of Charlemagne. He was instructed in letters by Alcuin, who foresaw the success of his pupil, and recommended him to the favour of the emperor. Being afterwards admitted to receive lessons along with the young princes, he justified the opinions which had been formed of his merits by the progress which he made in his studies; and Charlemagne, wishing to attach to his person a young man of so much promise, appointed the latter his secretary. Eginhard is said to have formed a strong attachment for Emma or Imma, one of the daughters of Charlemagne, whom, with the consent of the emperor, he is stated to have espoused; but, however this may be, it is certain that he married a lady of rank belonging to the court of Charlemagne. The expressions in the ancient manuscripts, though somewhat vague, leave no doubt as to this circumstance. After the death of Charlemagne, Eginhard passed into the service of Louis le Debonnaire, who confided to him the education of his son Lothaire. But use and experience having inspired him with a disgust for the court, he obtained permission to quit it; and accordingly having resigned his employments, he withdrew to the monastery of Fontenelle, whilst his wife Emma, and his son Vassin, also embraced the monastic life. Having governed this monastery during seven years, he, in 823, resigned the administration to his friend Ansegise, and then retired first to the abbey of St Pierre, and afterwards to that of St Bavon de Gaud. He afterwards left his retreat, however, and returned to the court, where he is stated by some to have taken part in the troubles of which Louis le Debonnaire became the victim. But this is contradicted by his letters, which prove that he neglected no means to prevent the execution of the plot entered into against this unfortunate prince by his own children. Eginhard is supposed to have died about the year 839. He left several works, of which the following are the most important: 1. Vita et Gesta Caroli Magni, Cologne, 1521, in 4to, rare; 2. Annales Regum Francorum Pipini, Caroli Magni, Ludovici Pi, ab anno Christi 741 ad annum 829, contained in the collection of Pierre Pithou, Paris, 1588, and Francfort, 1613; 3. Eginhardi Epistolae, contained in the collection of Duchéne, tom. ii. in the Eginhardus Vindicatus of John Weineckens, and also in the collection of Dom Bouquet; 4. De Translato S.S. Martyrum Marcellini et Petri; 5. Breviarium Chronologicum ab ore condito ad Ann. Chr. 809, which is merely an abridgment of the Chronicle of Bede.