X. — CoNSTANTiNE OF Fleury (—985—1014). 



Among the many letters written by Gerbert before he became 

 Pope Sylvester II are three addressed to a certain Constantine, sco- 

 lastiais at Fleury (St. Benoit-sur-Loire), and afterwards abbot ot 

 St. Mesmin, to the West of Orleans. ^ Another letter of Gerbert's 

 to the monk Bernard emphasizes his friendship for the scolasticus, 

 and his high opinion of his intellectual attainments, particularly his 

 talent for music. 2 And this friendship is again affirmed in the com- 

 position of the treatise, Libelliis de Nunieroruiii Divisione, for Con- 

 stantine, a work of pure affection, the preface tells us.^ 



These eulogies lead to the inevitable conclusion that, in Gerbert's 

 opinion at least, Constantine was one of the foremost scholars of 

 the day, an ardent lover of the authors of Latin antiquity, and an 

 authority in the domain of music. They also indicate the places 

 where Constantine lived, Fleury and St. Mesmin, during the closing 

 years of the tenth century. But of his past life not a word, nor 

 yet a hint of his future activity. Further information regarding tliis 

 scolasticus is, however, not lacking. 



Andre of Fleury who, in 1041, w-rote the life of GauzHn, a bastard 

 son of Hugh Capet, abbot of Fleury from 1004 and bishop of 

 Bourges from 1013 to his death in 1030, knew something of Con- 

 stantine. He tells us that our monk had been brought up at Fleury, 

 that it was Arnulf, bishop of Orleans, who had made him abbot of 

 St. Mesmin, and that while still at Fleury he had set a poem on 

 St. Benedict to music. But this poem was sung only after a lapse 



' See Lettres de Gerbert^ edited by J. Havet : Paris, 1889 ; letters 86, 

 141, 191, as well as 143 written by Constantine to Gerbert. 



^ Ergo si quisquam vestrum cura talium reruni permovetur, vel in 

 musica perdiscenda, vel in liis quae fiunt ex organis, qiiod per nie ad- 

 implere nequeo, si cognovero certum velle domini abbatis R., cni omnia 

 debeo, per Constantinnm Floriacenseni supplere cnrabo. Est aenini no- 

 bilis scolasticus, adprime eruditus, michique in jiniicicia conjiinctissimus. 

 I^etter 92. 



* Vis amicitiae poene impossibilia redigit ad possibilia. Nam quoniodo 

 rationes numerorum abaci explicare contenderemus, nisi te adhortante, o 

 mi dulce solamen laborum Const. ? C|/>, cit.^ p. 238. — See also Riclier, 

 Historiarum iii, c. 54 (Societe de I'Histoii'e de Erance series), where the 

 Libelhis is mentioned as intended for " C. granunaticum." 



