Page:A new and general biographical dictionary; containing an historical and critical account of the lives and writings of the most eminent persons in every nation v1.djvu/54

 18 ABE IT^A R D. ftiuly; and travelled to feveral places on purpofe to exerctfe hinifelf in this fcience, difptiting wherever he went, difcharg- jrg his fyllogifms on all fides, anJ feeking every opportunity to finnalize himfelf in deputation. He fii ifhed his ftudies at Pans ; where he founJ that famous profeflbr of philcfophy William de Champeaux, with whom he was at fuft in high favour, but did not continue fo long ; for this profeflbr, being puzzled to anfwer the fubtle objections ftarted by Abeiard, jircw at laft out of humour, and began to hate him. The ^ * w fchoo! foon tan into parties ; the fenior pupils, out of envy to Abeiard, joined with their matter: which only heightened the preemption of our young philosopher, who now began to think himfelf completely qualified to inftrut others, and for this purpofe ereled an academy at Melun, where the French court then refided. Champeaux ufed every method in his power to hinder the eftablifhment of this fchool j but his op- pofuion only promoted the fuccefs of his rival. The fame of p. 5. t ^js nevv ] gi Ca l proftflbr fpread greatly, and eclipled that of Champeaux ; and Abeiard was fo much elated, that he re- moved his fchool to Corbeil, that he might harafs his enemy theclofer in more frequent deputations : but his exceffive ap- plication to ftudy brought upon him an illnefs, which obliged him to remove to his native air. After two years ftay in Bri- tany, he returned to Paris} where Champeaux, though he had refigned his profelYor&ip, and was entered amongrt the canons regular, yet continued to teach amongft them. Abeiard dif- puted againU him on the nature of univerfals with fuch ftrength of argument, that he obliged him to renounce his opinion, which was abilrated Spinozifm unexplained. This brought the monk into fuch contempt, and gained his antagonift fo much reputation, that the lectures of the former were wholly deferred ; and the profeflbr himfelf, in whofe favour Cham- peaux had refigned, gave up the chair to Abeiard, and became one of his hearers. But no fooner was he raifed to this dig- nity, than he found himfelf more and more expofed to the darts of envy. The canon-regular got the profeflbr, who had given up the chair to Abeiard, to be difcarded, under pretext of his having been guilty of fome obfcene practices; and one, who was a violent enemy to Abeiard, fucceeded. Abeiard, upon this, left Paris, and went to Melun, to teach logic as formerly; but did not continue there long : for as foon as he heard, that Champeaux was retired to a village with his whole community, he pofted himfelf on mount St. Genevieve, and there ereted his fchool like a battery againft the profc-fibr, who taught at Paris. Champeaux, finding his friend thus befieged in his fchool, brought back the canons-regular to their