Between 30 November 841 and 2 February 843 a Frankish noblewoman named Dhuoda wrote a long letter to her son William, who, along with his infant brother, had been taken away from her. The letter is a handbook of religious and social behavior, her attempt to influence the character of both her absent sons. The following excerpts explain her motivation for writing the book and urge William to heed its lessons:

Having noticed that most women in this world are able to live with and enjoy their children, but seeing myself, Dhuoda, living far away from you, my dear son William, filled with anxiety because of this, and with the desire to be of aid to you, I am "sending you this little manual, written by me; for your scrutiny and education, rejoicing in the fact that, though I am absent in body, this little...