Page:Illustrations of the history of medieval thought and learning.djvu/121

Rh chancellor, but Bernard's tradition was handed on mainly by William of Conches and Richard l'Évêque. How powerful it was may be illustrated from a number of passages in John of Salisbury's writings. In the account to which we have referred, it is the choice of reading that stands out as the salient characteristic of Bernard's method, and marks it as aiming at a totally different level of excellence from that which had hitherto been deemed sufficient. The primary rudiments of the art were certainly not neglected. The pupil went through all the routine of metaplasm, schematism, and figures of speech; but this was only the groundwork. As soon as possible he was introduced to the classical texts themselves; and in order to create a living interest in the study, Bernard used not merely to treat these grammatically, but also to comment freely upon them. He would point out for instance how the style of prose differs from that of verse, so that what are vices in the one may be even counted virtues in the other. Nor did he confine himself to the form of what was being read; he was still more anxious to impress upon his pupils its meaning. It was a principle with him that the wider and more copious the master's knowledge, the more fully will he perceive the elegancy of his authors and the more clearly will he teach them. For in them, explains John, the bare material is so refined and perfected by knowledge drawn from every possible source ''that the finished work appears in some sort an image of all arts. ... Ransack Virgil or Lucan, and whatever philosophy thou profess, thou wilt find there its quintessence''. This method of illustration, of bringing all forces to bear upon one's subject, is noted by the same writer as characterising Gilbert of La Porrée, the most famous scion of the Chartres school. He used, says John, the help of all sciences, as the matter demanded; for he knew that the general consists, by mutual service, in the particular.