248 ALCUIN OF YORK.

a layman in active life should pray to God at the
stated hours. You live after a Christian fashion,
and you desire to do Christian deeds ; you are not
ignorant how prayer should be made to the Lord ;
but at your request I will briefly state my opinion.
When you have risen from your bed, say firstc O
Lord Jesu Christ, son of the living God, in Thy
name will I lift up my hands, make haste to deliver
me/ Say this thrice, with the psalm f Ponder
my words, O Lord, consider my meditation. O
hearken thou unto the voice of my calling, my
king and my God, for unto Thee will I make my
prayer. My voice shalt thou hear betimes,, O Lord,
early in the morning will I direct my prayer unto
Thee/ Then, 'Our Father/ and the prayers,
' Vouchsafe O Lord to keep us this day/ s Perfect
niy steps/ 'Praised be the Lord daily/ 'Direct
and sanctify/ e O Lord let Thy mercy lighten
upon us/ Then, rising, begin the verse fThou
shalt open my lips, O Lord'. When that is ended,
with the Gloria, begin the psalm 'Lord how are
they increased'. Then follows e God be merciful
unto me3. Then fO come, let us sing unto the
Lord'. Then psalms, as many as you will."

We have two letters of Alcuin which were cer-
tainly written to Charles the king, the eldest son
of Charlemagne. The first was written in 801 to
congratulate Charles on his anointment as king by
Leo III on the same day (Christmas Day, 800)
that saw his father crowned as emperor.

" I have heard from the lord apostolic [Leo III]
that with the consent of the most excellent Lord
David [Charlemagne] the title of king and the
crown of kingly dignity have been conferred upon