historia calamitatum-第1部分

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Peter　Abelard：　Historia　Calamitatum
The　Story　of　My　Misfortunes

translated　by　Henry　Adams　Bellows

Peter　Abelard　（1079…1142）　was　one　of　the　great　intellectuals　of　the　12th　century；　with　especial　importance　in　the　field　of　logic。　His　tendency　to　disputation　is　perhaps　best　demonstrated　by　his　book　Sic　et　Non；　a　list　of　158　philosophical　and　theological　questions　about　which　there　were　divided　opinions。　This　dialectical　method　of　intellectual　reflection　　also　seen　in　Gratian's　approach　to　canon　law　　was　to　become　an　important　feature　of　western　education　and　distinguishes　it　sharply　from　other　world　cultures　such　as　Islam　and　the　Confucian　world。　Abelard's　mistake　was　to　leave　the　questions　open　for　discussion　and　so　he　was　repeatedly　charged　with　heresy。　For　a　long　period　all　his　works　were　included　in　the　later　Iindex　of　Forbidden　Books。　The　text　here　gives　a　good　account　of　Abelard's　pugnaciousness。
He　is　perhaps　as　famous　today　for　his　love　affair　with　Heloise　（1100/01…1163/4）　and　its　disastrous　consequences；　which　resulted　in　her　giving　birth　to　son　（called　Astrolabe）；　to　Abelard's　castration　by　Heloise's　angry　relatives；　and　to　both　their　retreats　to　monastic　life。　Heloise　was　one　of　the　most　literate　women　of　her　time；　and　an　able　administrator：　as　a　result　her　monastic　career　was　notably　successful。　Abelard；　a　intellectual　jouster　throughout　his　life　was　notably　less　happy　as　a　monk。　He　incurred　the　displeasure　and　enmity　of　abbots；　bishops；　his　own　monks；　a　number　of　Church　councils　and　St。　Bernard　of　Clairvaux　。　The　last　months　of　his　life　were　spent　under　the　protection　of　Peter　the　Venerable　of　Cluny；　where　he　died。　The　tomb　of　Abelard　and　Heloise　can　now　be　visited　in　the　Pére　Lachaise　cemetery　in　Paris。

The　Historia　Calamitatum；　although　in　the　literary　form　of　a　letter；　is　a　sort　of　autobiography；　with　distinct　echoes　of　Augustine's　Confessions。　It　is　one　of　the　most　readable　documents　to　survive　from　the　period；　and　as　well　as　presenting　a　remarkably　frank　self…portrait；　is　a　valuable　account　of　intellectual　life　in　Paris　before　the　formalization　of　the　University；　of　the　intellectual　excitement　of　the　period；　of　monastic　life　and　of　a　love　story　that　in　some　respects　deserves　its　long　reputation。

Historia　Calamitatum

FOREWORD
OFTEN　the　hearts　of　men　and　women　are　stirred；　as　likewise　they　are　soothed　in　their　sorrows　more　by　example　than　by　words。　And　therefore；　because　I　too　I　have　known　some　consolation　from　speech　had　with　one　who　was　a　witness　thereof；　am　I　now　minded　to　write　of　the　sufferings　which　have　sprung　out　of　my　misfortunes；　for　the　eyes　of　one　who；　though　absent；　is　of　himself　ever　a　consoler。　This　I　do　so　that；　in　comparing　your　sorrows　with　mine；　you　may　discover　that　yours　are　in　truth　nought；　or　at　the　most　but　of　small　account；　and　so　shall　you　come　to　bear　them　more　easily。

CHAPTER　I
OF　THE　BIRTHPLACE　OF　PIERRE　ABELARD　AND　OF　HIS　PARENTS
KNOW；　then；　that　I　am　come　from　a　certain　town　which　was　built　on　the　way　into　lesser　Brittany；　distant　some　eight　miles；　as　I　think；　eastward　from　the　city　of　Nantes；　and　in　its　own　tongue　called　Palets。　Such　is　the　nature　of　that　country；　or；　it　may　be；　of　them　who　dwell　there　　for　in　truth　they　are　quick　in　fancy　　that　my　mind　bent　itself　easily　to　the　study　of　letters。　Yet　more；　I　had　a　father　who　had　won　some　smattering　of　letters　before　he　had　girded　on　the　soldier's　belt。　And　so　it　came　about　that　long　afterwards　his　love　thereof　was　so　strong　that　he　saw　to　it　that　each　son　of　his　should　be　taught　in　letters　even　earlier　than　in　the　management　of　arms。　Thus　indeed　did　it　come　to　pass。　And　because　I　was　his　first　born；　and　for　that　reason　the　more　dear　to　him；　he　sought　with　double　diligence　to　have　me　wisely　taught。　For　my　part；　the　more　I　went　forward　in　the　study　of　letters；　and　ever　more　easily；　the　greater　became　the　ardour　of　my　devotion　to　them；　until　in　truth　I　was　so　enthralled　by　my　passion　for　learning　that；　gladly　leaving　to　my　brothers　the　pomp　of　glory　in　arms；　the　right　of　heritage　and　all　the　honours　that　should　have　been　mine　as　the　eldest　born；　I　fled　utterly　from　the　court　of　Mars　that　I　might　win　learning　in　the　bosom　of　Minerva。　And　　since　I　found　the　armory　of　logical　reasoning　more　to　my　liking　than　the　other　forms　of　philosophy；　I　exchanged　all　other　weapons　for　these；　and　to　the　prizes　of　victory　in　war　I　preferred　the　battle　of　minds　in　disputation。　Thenceforth；　journeying　through　many　provinces；　and　debating　as　I　went；　going　whithersoever　I　heard　that　the　study　of　my　chosen　art　most　flourished；　I　became　such　an　one　as　the　Peripatetics。

CHAPTER　II
OF　THE　PERSECUTION　HE　HAD　FROM　HIS　MASTER　WILLIAM　OF　CHAMPEAUX
OF　HIS　ADVENTURES　AT　MELUN；　AT　CORBEIL　AND　AT　PARIS
HIS　WITHDRAWAL　FROM　THE　CITY　OF　THE　PARISIANS　TO　MELUN；　AND　HIS　RETURN　TO　MONT　STE　GENEVIEVE
OF　HIS　JOURNEY　TO　HIS　OLD　HOME
I　CAME　at　length　to　Paris；　where　above　all　in　those　days　the　art　of　dialectics　was　most　flourishing；　and　there　did　I　meet　William　of　Champeaux；　my　teacher；　a　man　most　distinguished　in　his　science　both　by　his　renown　and　by　his　true　merit。　With　him　I　remained　for　some　time；　at　first　indeed　well　liked　of　him；　but　later　I　brought　him　great　grief；　because　I　undertook　to　refute　certain　of　his　opinions；　not　infrequently　attacking　him　in　disputation；　and　now　and　then　in　these　debates　I　was　adjudged　victor。　Now　this；　to　those　among　my　fellow　students　who　were　ranked　foremost；　seemed　all　the　more　insufferable　because　of　my　youth　and　the　brief　duration　of　my　studies。

Out　of　this　sprang　the　beginning　of　my　misfortunes；　which　have　followed　me　even　to　the　present　day；　the　more　widely　my　fame　was　spread　abroad；　the　more　bitter　was　the　envy　that　was　kindled　against　me。　It　was　given　out　that　I；　presuming　on　my　gifts　far　beyond　the　warranty　of　my　youth；　was　aspiring　despite　my　tender　years　to　the　leadership　of　a　school；　nay；　more；　that　I　was　making　ready　the　very　place　in　which　I　would　undertake　this　task；　the　place　being　none　other　than　the　castle　of　Melun；　at　that　time　a　royal　seat。　My　teacher　himself　had　some　foreknowledge　of　this；　and　tried　to　remove　my　school　as　far　as　possible　from　his　own。　Working　in　secret；　he　sought　in　every　way　he　could　before　I　left　his　following　to　bring　to　nought　the　school　I　had　planned　and　the　place　I　had　chosen　for　It。　Since；　however；　in　that　very　place　he　had　many　rivals；　and　some　of　them　men　of　influence　among　the　great　ones　of　the　land；　relying　on　their　aid　I　won　to　the　fulfillment　of　my　wish；　the　support　of　many　was　secured　for　me　by　reason　of　his　own　unconcealed　envy。　From　this　small　inception　of　my　school；　my　fame　in　the　art　of　dialectics　began　to　spread　abroad；　so　that　little　by　little　the　renown；　not　alone　of　those　who　had　been　my　fellow　students；　but　of　our　very　teacher　himself；　grew　dim　and　was　like　to　die　out　altogether。　Thus　it　came　about　that；　still　more　confident　in　myself；　I　moved　my　school　as　soon　as　I　well　might　to　the　castle　of　Corbeil；　which　is　hard　by　the　city　of　Paris；　for　there　I　knew　there　would　be　given　more　frequent　chance　for　my　assaults　in　our　battle　of　disputation。

No　long　time　thereafter　I　was　smitten　with　a　grievous　illness；　brought　upon　me　by　my　immoderate　zeal　for　study。　This　illness　forced　me　to　turn　homeward　to　my　native　province；　and　thus　for　some　years　I　was　as　if　cut　off　from　France。　And　yet；　for　that　very　reason；　I　was　sought　out　all　the　more　eagerly　by　those　whose　hearts　were　troubled　by　the　lore　of　dialectics。　But　after　a　few　years　had　passed；　and　I　was　whole　again　from　my　sickness；　I　learned　that　my　teacher；　that　same　William　Archdeacon　of　Paris；　had　changed　his　former　garb　and　joined　an　order　of　the　regular　clergy。　This　he　had　done；　or　so　men　said；　in　order　that　he　might　be　deemed　more　deeply　religious；　and　so　might　be　elevated　to　a　loftier　rank　in　the　prelacy；　a　thing　which；　in　truth；　very　soon　came　to　pass；　for　he　was　made　bishop　of　Chalons。　Nevertheless；　the　garb　he　had　donned　by　reason　of　his　conversion　did　nought　to　keep　him　away　either　from　the　city　of　Paris　or　from　his　wonted　study　of　philosophy；　and　in　the　very　monastery　wherein　he　had　shut　himself　up　for　the　sake　of　religion　he　straightway　set　to　teaching　again　after　the　same　fashion　as　before。

To　him　did　I　return　for　I　was　eager　to　learn　more　of　rhetoric　from　his　lips；　and　in　the　course　of　our　many　arguments　on　various　matters；　I　compelled　him　by　most　potent　reasoning　first　to　alter　his　former　opinion　on　the　subject　of　the　universals；　and　finally　to　abandon　it　altogether。　Now；　the　basis　of　this　old　concept　of　his　regarding　the　reality　of　universal　ideas　was　that　the　same　quality　formed　the　essence　alike　of　the　abstract　whole　and　of　the　individuals　which　were　its　parts：　in　other　words；　that　there　could　be　no　essential　differences　among　these　individuals；　all　being　alike　save　for　such　variety　as　might　grow　out　of　the　many　accidents　of　existence。　Thereafter；　however；　he　corrected　this　opinion；　no　longer　maintaining　that　the　same　quality　was　the　essence　of　all　things；　but　that；　rather；　it　manifested　itself　in　them　through　diverse　ways。　This　problem　of　universals　is　ever　the　most　vexed　one　among　logicians；　to　such　a　degree；　indeed；　that　even　Porphyry；　writing　in　his　〃Isagoge〃　regarding　universals；　dared　not　attempt　a　final　pronouncement　thereon；　saying　rather：　〃This　is　the　deepest　of　all　problems　of　its　kind。〃　Wherefore　it　followed　that　when　William　had　first　revised　and　then　finally　abandoned　altogether　his　views　on　this　one　subject；　his　lecturing　sank　into　such　a　state　of　negligent　reasoning　that　it　could　scarce　be　called　lecturing　on　the　science　of　dialectics　at　all；　it　was　as　if　all　his　science　had　been　bound　up　in　this　one　question　of　the　nature　of　universals。

Thus　it　came　about　that　my　teaching　won　such　strength　and　authority　that　even　those　who　before　had　clung　most　vehemently　to　my　former　master；　and　most　bitterly　attacked　my　doctrines；　now　flocked　to　my　school。　The　very　man　who　had　succeeded　to　my　master's　chair　in　the　Paris　school　offered　me　his　post；　in　order　that　he　might　put　himself　under　my　tutelage　along　with　all　the　rest；　and　this　in　the　very　place　where　of　old　his　master　and　mine　had　reigned。　And　when；　in　so　short　a　time；　my　master　saw　me　directing　the　study　of　dialectics　there；　it　is　not　easy