AIMOIN Monk of Fleury.
THE Life of Abbo was written by Aimoin Monk of the same Monastery. He was of Aquitaine, the Son of Anentrude, the Kinswoman of Gerald, Lord of Anbeterre. He embrac'd the Mo∣nastick * 1.1 Life in the year 970. under Oilbolde Abbot of S. Benedict upon the Loire; and flourish'd under his Successor Abbo, whose intimate Friend he was. He attended him in his Journey to Gas∣coigne, and after his death return'd to his Monastery, The principal Piece of this Aimoin is his Hi∣story of France dedicated to Abbo. It was printed at Paris by Badius Ascensius in the year 1514. un∣der the Name of Aimonius. Fifty years after Monsieur Pithou or Pithaeus, caus'd it to be re-printed from a Manuscript, under the true Name of Aimoin. It was publish'd in the year 1567. at the Prin∣ting House of Vexel. In the year 1603. James of Breuil, Monk of S. Germain del Prez, caus'd it to be printed, and pretended that it was writ by Aimoin, a Monk of S. Germain. Ten years after Freherus inserted it in the Body of the History of France, which he caus'd to be printed at Hanouer. Lastly, The Messieurs Duchesne inserted it in the Third Tome of their Collections, printed in the year 1641. This History is divided into five Books; But of Aimon's there are only the three first Books, and one and forty Chapters of the Fourth, which ends at the founding of the Monastery of Fleury. The rest is compil'd by a Monk of very late standing.
Aimoin is likewise the Author of two Books of the Miracles of S. Benedict, which are the second and third Books of these four, which are in the Library of Fleury; of the Life of S. Abbo, mention'd before; of a Sermon upon the Festival of S. Benedict; and of several Verses upon the first founding of the Monastery of Fleury, printed in the Third Tome of the Collection of Duchesne; together with another Treatise in Verse concerning the Translation of the Relicks of S. Benedict▪ He is not altogether so elegant as his Master Abbo; But he wrote with great accuracy, and his Narration is plain and pleasant, without having any thing of that flatness of stile which several other Authors of that time had.
The Abbey of Lobes, in the Diocess of Cambray and Principality of Liege, founded in the Seventh Century by S. Ursmar, preserv'd the Monastical Discipline till the Tenth Century, at which time its reputation was farther increas'd by several Abbots, who for their Piety were deservedly advanc'd to the Bishoprick of Liege, and recommended themselves to the World by their Writings.