Chapter 4

Now this venerable man of whom I have spoken was acutely smitten with envy, and straightway incited, as I have already mentioned, by the insinuations of sundry persons, began to persecute me for my lecturing on the Scriptures no less bitterly than my former master, William, had done for my work in philosophy. At that time there were in this old man's school two who were considered far to excel all the others: Alberic of Rheims and Lotulphe the Lombard. The better opinion these two held of themselves, the more they were incensed against me. Chiefly at their suggestion, as it afterwards transpired, yonder venerable coward had the impudence to forbid me to carry on any further in his school the work of preparing glosses which I had thus begun. The pretext he alleged was that if by chance in the course of this work I should write anything containing blunders—as was likely enough in view of my lack of training—the thing might be imputed to him. When this came to the ears of his scholars, they were filled with indignation at so undisguised a manifestation of spite, the like of which had never been directed against any one before. The more obvious this rancour became, the more it redounded to my honour, and his persecution did nought save to make me more famous.

The venerable man I have mentioned was deeply jealous. As I have already said, others soon stirred him up with their insinuations. He began to persecute me for lecturing on Scripture, just as bitterly as my former master William had persecuted me for my work in philosophy. At that time, two men in the old man's school were considered far superior to all the others: Alberic of Rheims and Lotulphe the Lombard. The more highly they thought of themselves, the angrier they were with me. As I later learned, it was chiefly at their urging that the venerable coward dared to forbid me from continuing to prepare glosses in his school. He claimed that any mistakes I might make in this work could be blamed on him. He said mistakes were likely enough, given my lack of training. When his students heard this, they were outraged by such open spite. Nothing like it had ever been directed against anyone before. The more obvious his bitterness became, the more it brought me honor. His persecution only made me more famous.