952 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters . 
Abelard only a year. Notwithstanding this regret, however, 
John did not permit it to stand in the way of his learning the 
other side of the great philosophic controversy of the age. He 
studied with Robert of Melun and Alberic, the leaders of the 
Nominalist school and from William of Conches he gained what 
so many brilliant men of his time had failed to acquire—a 
knowledge of Plato, from the Timaeus which William had had 
for the first time translated. Then he went to Chartres which 
was at that time the center of the classical studies, and there for 
three years he reviewed his grammar, not only learning but 
also teaching the subject under the standards of this great 
school. Here, too, he had the advantage of studying rhetoric 
from its recognized master, Bernard, the head of the school, 
and his praise of the subject and its teacher have been often re¬ 
peated. But John was not content even with this comprehen¬ 
sive knowledge. His keen mind felt the need of further study 
and accordingly, he went back to Paris. Here, he studied 
logic and spent two years in the pursuit of theology, the sine qua 
non of the medieval scholar. Law and medicine he also culti¬ 
vated and the statement that he was the best read scholar of 
his age seems hardly an exaggeration. 1 
Yet his education was not confined to schools and teachers. 
-He numbered among his personal friends not only the great 
scholars of his time but also the great statesmen. It was upon 
the recommendation of Bernard of Clairvaux that he became 
secretary to Theobald, the Archbishop of Canterbury. In this 
post which he retained under Thomas a Becket, he was thrown 
into contact with the greatest political movements of his time. 
Twelve times, he relates in his Polycraticus, he journeyed across 
the Alps on business for Thomas, for Henry II, and for his 
personal friends. He also made journeys through Prance on 
his own account. So well was he liked by Pope Adrian that 
that worthy made him dine at the papal table and treated him 
as a guest whenever he came to Rome. On one occasion, it is 
related, Adrian kept him two months and only with the greatest 
reluctance finally consented to let him depart. 2 With Adrian’s 
1 Schaarschmidt, Johannes Saresheriensis, pp. 1-81. 
2 Migne, pp. 622-626. Schaarschmidt, pp. 31-32. 
