VII. MELUN AND CORBEIL. ABELARD was not in the least disheartened by the envy and opposition of his master and fellow-pupils. He even conceived the idea of becoming a master himself, which, in his times, was considered as a hardy notion for a youth only twenty-two years of age. He had that which is always a characteristic of genius, self-reliance. It seemed to be a necessity with him, to seek to realize his ambition. He was not contented to indulge in dreams of glory, without putting forth any efforts to gain the object of his desire; still less did he passively complain about the wrongs received at the hands of others, and succumb to misfortune. He was born for action and had no disposition to play the whiner. Paris, where teaching was under the supervision of the head of the school of Notre-Dame, was of course interdicted to Abelard. He could not there erect a chair of philosophy, and lecture to those who might be willing to receive his instruction. He turned his attention to Melun, which was then one of the most important towns of France, and was during part of the year, the residence of the royal family. The chief of the episcopal school,-the master whom Abelard was abandoning, had the penetration to perceive that his own reputation was in danger. He did not wish to have the brilliant pupil, who more than once had silenced his teacher, establish a rival school in a neighboring town. Although William was on the point of renouncing his chair of philosophy, although he was about to quit the world for a convent, still he used every effort to prevent the accomplished youth from commencing a course of instruction in a place so near Paris. He hoped at least to drive the young Breton farther off. The archdeacon brought to bear every influence possible to have Melun also interdicted to Abelard. His secret manoeuvres, however, were of no use. A young man, if he is gifted and heroic, has the sympathy of the public. Men like to see an old leader giving place to a new. The genius of Abelard was exaggerated on account of his extreme youth. His antagonist had powerful enemies who were in the possession of political influence. The very manner in which a young philosopher was pursued by an envious master, rendered him the more interesting to those who took * Cousin's Introduction to the Ouvr. ined. d'Abelard, p. 13. his part. He was also a born nobleman, and for that reason was sympathized with the more by the court. Abelard gained the object of his wish. He established his school at Melun, and succeeded in his teaching. His renown soon threw into the shade the nascent reputation of his fellow-disciples, and the established celebrity of his former teachers. His fame, to use his own language,* *"effaced all that the masters of art had little by little acquired." His auditors were numerous, and no one seemed to them worthy or capable of being his rival in the art of dialectics. Becoming more and more confident of final success, and triumph over his adversary, he removed his school from Melun to Corbeil. He was then near enough to harass the school of Paris with his arguments. The young knight-errant of logic, was not contented to satisfy his own disciples, it was necessary for him to be near enough to tease and worry his enemy. The philosophic citadel of Paris was invested by one whose heart knew no fear, whose youthful spirit could not be conquered. Philosophy as well as war has its heroes. It is difficult to tell whose fame is the greater, that of Alexander or that of Plato. War is only the bloody encounter of ideas. The great hero is the representative of a great principle. It was not Cæsar that conquered p. 6. * Epistola Abelardi, in the Guizot edition of the letters. at Pharsalia; in the person of Cæsar human liberty conquered Roman liberty. Ideas were at war in Abelard and William of Champeaux. The battle, which they were fighting at Paris, may have been fraught with greater consequences to the world than that of Arbela or that of Waterloo. The question is not to be decided, by giving a picture of events, but by examining the ideas that were contending for dominion. A philosopher surrounded by his scholars, does not make so great a show as a commander followed by a brave army, but the importance of any thing in this world is not to be judged by external appearance. The Apostle Paul when he was in bonds at Rome, no doubt seemed very insignificant in comparison with the Emperor, but we are now able to judge whose importance was in reality the greater. Things are not what they seem," and wise is he who looks through the appearance at the reality. That philosophic quarrel at Paris in the first years of the twelfth century, was really one of the most important events of the Middle Age. It was the cradle of scholasticism, and the first decided declaration of the independence of human thought in modern as distinguished from ancient history. After centuries of darkness, there arose once more a champion of unextinguishable reason. "As all Nature's thousand changes But one changeless God proclaim, |