HOWLETT, D.R.

I-Revues

SOME CRITERIA
FOR EDITING ABAELARD
Despite the gap between the date of composition and the dates o f
the earliest manuscripts the text of Abaelard's Historia Calamitatum i s
fairly secure . By attending to some previously unnoticed structural fea-
tures we may enhance that security, at once ascertaining the textua l
integrity of the work, acquiring new insights into the author's though t
and art, and improving presentation of the text for future readers .
The following text of title, exordium or chapter I, and chapter II
may be compared with the recent editions by Muckle and Monfrin 1 .
The title is my reconstruction ` . Capital letters and punctuation mark s
in boldface represent features of Oxford, Bodleian Library MS Add .
C 271 f. 85vb. To the right of the text the first column notes the lin e
number, the second the rhyme scheme, the third the number of words ,
the fourth the number of syllables, and the fifth the number of letters .
In the subsequent analysis figures in round brackets refer to the line
numbers of Monfrin's edition .
1. J .T . Muckle (ed .), `Abelard's Letter of Consolation to a Friend (Historia
Calamitatum) ' , Mediaeval Studies XII (1950) 163-213 . S. Monfrin (ed.), Abé-
lard : Historia Calamitatum, 3`d ed . (Paris, 1967) .
2. Consider the titles from the following manuscripts as reported b y
Muckle, p . 175 n. 2, and Monfrin, pp . 8,60 .
A Paris Bibl . nat . MS lat. 2923 :
	
Abaelardi ad amicum suum consolatoria
T Troyes Bibl . mun . MS 802 :
	
Abaelardi ad amicum suum consolatoria
R Reims Bibl . mun. MS 872 :
	
Epistola prima Petri Abelardi seu Histo-
ria Calamitatum (s .m . )
B Paris Bibl. nat . MS lat. 2544 :
	
Vita Magistri Petri Abaelardi (s
.m. )
D Douai Bibl . mun . MS 797 : Epistola magistri Petri Abaielardi a d
amicam suam de temptationibus et cala-
mitatibus in suis eventibus habitis et
qualiter suam Heloysam sibi copulavi t
primitus in amorem et postmodum in
uxorem (p. m . )
F Paris Bibl . nat . MS n .acq .1at .13057 Epistola venerabilis magistri Petri Abae-
lardi (s.m. )
CEY om .
196
	
D .R . HOWLETT
Abaelardi ad amicum consolatoria epistola
de calamitatum mearum histori a
A Sepe humanos afféctus
	
1
	
3 8 19
B aut próvocant aut mitigant 4 8 2 3
C
	
amplius exempla quam vérba .
	
4 9 23
D Unde post nonnullam sermonis ad presentem habit i
cónsolatiónem
	
8 21 5 5
E de ipsis calamitatum mearum expériméntis : 5 5 16 36
D'
	
consolatoriam ad absentem scribere decrévi .
	
5 17 3 8
C'
	
ut in comparatióne mearum
	
4 11 2 2
B' tuas aut nullas aut modicas temptatiónes recognóscas .
	
7 18 4 6
A' et tolerabilius féras .
	
9
	
3 9 1 9
Ego igitur oppido quódam oriúndus
	
a 5 14 29
quod in ingressu minoris Britannia constrúctwn
	
b 6 15 4 1
ab urbe Namnetica versus orienteur octo credo miliariis remótum
	
b 9 25 54
proprio vocabulo Palatium àppellatur .
	
c 4 15 33
sicut natura terre mee vel generis animo Lévis .
	
5 a 8 18 39
ita et ingenio extiti et ad litteratoriam disciplinam facilis .
	
a
	
9 25 5 3
Patrem a ttetn habébam
	
b 3 7 1 8
litteris aliquantulum imbúturn
	
b 3 11 2 7
antequam militari cingulo ínsignirétur.
	
c 4 15 35
Unde postmodum tanto litteras ambre compléxus est :
	
10 d 7 17 43
ut quoscumque filins habéret
	
e 4 10 25
litteris antequam armis ínstrui dispóneret
.
	
e
	
5 15 3 8
Sicque profécto acttun est .
	
d 4 8 22
Me itaque primogenitum arum quanto cariórem habébat
	
f 7 20 4 5
tanto diligentius erudiri eurävit
.
	
15 f 4 14 30
Ego vero quanto amplius et facilius in studio litterarum proteo .
	
g 10 10 5 5
tanto ardentius éis inhési
.
	
g 4 11 23
et in tanto earum ambre illéctus sum :
	
b 7 14 3 0
ut militaris glórie pómpam
	
b 4 10 23
cum hereditate et prerogativa prímogenitórum
	
20 b 5 18 40
meorum franibus dèrelinquens :
	
a 3 10 27
Martis curie pénitus àbdie rem•
	
h 4 12 27
ut Minerve grémio èducúrer
.,
	
h 4 11 23
Et quoniam dialecticarum ratiónum annatúram
	
b 5 17 3 9
omnibus philosophie documéntis pretúli :
	
25 g 4 15 35
his armis alfa còtnmutavi
	
g 4 9 2 1
et tropheis bellorum conflictus pretuli dfsputatiónum .
	
b 6 19 48
Proinde diversas disputando perambulans províncias :
	
a 5 18 46
ubicunque huius artis vigere stúdium audferam
	
b 6 18 40
peripateticorum emulator factus sum . .
	
30 b 4 14 32
SOME CRITERIA FOR EDITING ABAELARD
	
19 7
The reconstructed title prefigures the shape of the entire Historia
Calamitaturn, Abaelard's nine-lettered name being the first of the nine
-
word title, and the nine-part exordium being the first chapter of thi s
nine-part work
.
The structure is chiastic . In the exordium compare aut
. . .
aut in B
with aut . . . aut in B', amplius . . . quam in C with in comparatione in
C', sermonis ad presentem and consolationem in D with consolatoriam
and ad absentera scribere in D' . The central word, twenty-second of
forty-three, states the subject of the work, calamitatum . The third word
before it and the third word after it state the purpose of the work, con-
solationem and consolatoriam. The fifth word before it and the fifth
word after it address the recipient of the work, presentem and absen-
tem .
Divide the number of the central twenty-second word by half :
22 = 2 =11 . The first word after calarnitatum is mearum ; from mearu m
to mearum inclusive there are eleven words, and the latter is the ele-
venth word from the end of the exordium . From presentem to absen-
tent inclusive there are eleven words . Divide the number 11 by sym-
metry, at 6 . The sixth word from the beginning is the end of the first
aut . . . aut . After the second aut . . . aut there are six words to the en d
of the exordium. From the beginning of the exordium the fourteenth
word is nonnullam, between which and the central calamitatum there
are seven words . After calamitatum the fourteenth word is nullas, after
which there are seven words to the end of the exordium .
In parts A-C-E-C'-A' the words are arranged symmetrically 3-4-5 -
4-3 . In parts B-D-D'-B' the words are arranged 4-8-5-7, twelve before
the crux and twelve after the crux . The four words of B and the seven
words of B' are the minor and major parts of the golden section of 11 .
The eight words of D and the five words of D' are the major an d
minor parts of the golden section of 13 .
Parts A and A' contain not only three words each but nineteen let-
ters each. Parts C and C' contain not only four words each ; the former
contains twenty-three letters and the latter twenty-two letters . Part B
contains twenty-three letters, exactly half as many as part B', forty-si x
letters .
The rhythm of parts A and A' is identical, hum6nos afféctus and
tolerabilius féras each a cursus planus . The rhythm of parts B and B '
is identical, próvocant aut mitigant and ternptatiónes recognóscas et
each a dispondeus dactylicus . The rhythm of C and C' is identical ,
exémpla quant vérba and comparatióne metirum each a cursus planus .
The rhythm of D and D' is identical, cónsolatiónem and scribere
198
	
D .R . HOWLET T
decrévi each a trispondiacus, around mec rum expèriméntis, a cursus
velox at the crux in E .
The first letters of the nine lines of the exordium, SAAUDCUTE ,
are an anagram of ECAUDATUS, and the last letters, STAMSIMSS ,
are an anagram of S[CITO] SIM MAS S[INE] T[ESTIBUS] . Together
they read ECAUDATUS S[CITO] SIM MAS S[INE] T[ESTIBUS ]
`Know that I may be a de-tailed man without testicles' 3. Unless this
should be mere coincidence we see Abaelard referring to his calamitie s
exactly at the centre of the exordium and at the beginning and the en d
of every one of its constituent phrases .
This exordium is balanced by the epilogue or valediction, the ninth
chapter, which echoes much of its diction at the end of the text :
Hec dilectissime frâter in Xpíst o
et ex divina conversatione familiaríssime cóme s
de calamitatum meârum históri a
in quibus quasi a cunabulis iúgiter lâboro
tue me desolationi atque iniurie illate scripsísse suffíciat .
ut sicut in exordio prefâtus sum epistol e
oppressionem tuam in comparatióne meâru m
aut nullam aut modicam esse iúdices .
Et tanto eam patiéntius féras
quanto minórem consíderas .
Illud semper in consolatiónem âssumen s
quod membris suis de membris diaboli Dóminus predíxit .
Si me persecuti sunt et vos persequentur. ..
In the second chapter, directly after the exordium, Abaelard begins
to write rhymed rhythmical prose, in which he makes patterns even o f
the most prosaic elements . Note the balance of sicut x vel y 5, ita et
x et y 6, and sicque 13, itaque 14 ; antequam 9, postmodum 10, ante-
quam 12 ; tanto . . . ut . . . and two subjunctive verbs, haberet and dispo-
neret 10-12, balanced by tanto . . . ut abdicarein, ut educarer 18-23 ;
around quanto . . . tanto 14-15 and quanto . . . tanto 16-17 .
Abaelard observes a widespread convention of authorial self-refe-
rence at the beginning, one-ninth and eight-ninths, and the sesquioc-
tave part of the title and the second chapter . The nine words of the titl e
divide by one-ninth and eight-ninths at 1 and 8 . He naines himself in
the first word, the nine-lettered Abaelardi, and refers to himself in the
eighth word, mearum . The 157 words of the second chapter divide by
sesquioctave ratio at 83 and 74. The first word is ego, and the eighty-
3 . The verb scire would ordinarily be followed by a verb in indicativ e
mood.
SOME CRITERIA FOR EDITING ABAELARD
	
199
third word is ego . Divide 83 by symmetry, at 42 . From me itaque pri-
mogenitum to prerogativa primogenitorum mearum inclusive there are
forty-two words .
At the beginning of the second chapter Abaelard refers to his birth
in Brittany, in ingressu minoris Britannie, not far from Nantes, ab urbe
Namnetica . At the beginning and the end of the eighth chapter, the
chiastic pair to this, he refers again to Brittany, in Britannia minore
(1235) and the Count of Nantes Namneti ad comitem (1511) . These are
the only places in the entire text in which the names of Brittany an d
Nantes occur .
In the second paragraph of the second chapter Abaelard refers t o
difficulties with his first master Guilhelmus Campellensis (31-44) in a
parallelism of five parts, balanced by the account of difficulties wit h
his second master Anselmus Laudunensis (161-221) .
1 Perveni tandem Parisius ubi iam maxime disciplina hec fl orere consueve-
ra t
2
	
ad Guilhelmum scilicet Campellensem preceptorem meum
3
	
in hoc tune magisterio re et fama precipuum
4
	
cum quo aliquantulum moratus primo ei acceptu s
5
		
postmodum gravissimus extiti cum nonnullas scilicet eius senten-
tins refellere conarer
1' In hac auteur lection e
2' magister eius Anselmus Laudunensis maximam ex antiquitate auctorita-
tern tune teneba t
3' accessi igitur ad hune senem cui magis longevus usus quam ingenium
vel memoria nomen comparaverat
4' ad quern si quis de aliqua questione pulsandum accederet incertu s
redibat incertior
5' accidit auteur quadam die ut post aliquas sententiarum collation s
nos scholares invicern iocaremur
Of the former he writes hinc calamitatum mearum que nunc usque per-
severant ceperunt exordia (41-42), which he attributes in the last wor d
of the paragraph to invidia .
In the third paragraph of the second chapter (45-80) he writes in a
parallelism of twelve parts about his school at Meliduni castrum (48) ,
his departure to Brittany coactus sum repatriare (67), and his absence
from France a Francia remotus (68), balanced by the paragraph (117 -
161) in which he writes of his return to Melidunum (117), then remo-
val to Paris Meliduno Parisius redii (127), departure to Brittany mater
mea Lucia repatriare me compulit (155-156), and return to Franc e
reversus sum in Franciam (158-159).
200
	
D .R . HOWLET T
1 Meliduni castrum et sedem regia m
2 presensit hoc predictus magister meus et quo longius posset schola s
nostras a se removere coaatu s
3
	
priusquam a suis recederem scholi s
4
	
habebat emulo s
5
	
ad castrum Corbolii quod Parisiace urbi vicinius est quamtotiu s
scholas nostras transferrein
6
	
assultus
7
	
non multo auteur interiecto tempore
8
	
coactus sum repatriare
9
	
et per annos aliquot a Francia remotus
10
	
qucrebar ardentius ab his quos dialectica sollicitabat
doctrina
11
	
preceptor meus fille Guilhelmus Parisiacensis archidia-
conus . . . ut quo religiosior crederetur
12
	
Catalaunensi episcopo facto
1'Melidunum reversus scholas ibi nostras sicut antea constitu i
2' cum file intelligeret . . . transtulit se et conventiculum fratrum cum scho-
lis suis ad villain quandam ab urbe remota m
3' statimque ego Meliduno Parisius redi i
4' ab emulo nostr o
5' extra civitatem in monte Sancte Genovefe scholarum nostrarum
castra posu i
6' obsessurus
7' dum vero hec agerentu r
8' mater mea Lucia repatriare me compulit
9' reversus sum in Franciam
10' ut de divinitate addiscerem
11' sepefatus magister p oster Guilhelmu s
12' in episcopatu Catalaunensi pollebat
These are the only places in the entire text in which he mentions th e
names of Melun and France and uses the verb repatriare .
The central part of this chapter (80-116) tells how Abaelard forced
William to change his teaching about universals .
Abaelard refers in the first paragraph to literary studies five times ,
states that he went to William of Champeaux first for dialectica doc-
trina (69) and then for rethoricam (81), and to Anselm of Laon de
divinitate (159) .
The chiastic pair to the second chapter exhibits an internal chiasmus
of nine parts . Compare the first part (1229-1303) with the ninth (1489-
1559), both referring to Brittany ; the second (1304-1328) with th e
eighth (1477-1488), both recounting Abaelard's dealings with the nun s
who removed from Argenteuil to the Paraclete ; the third (1328-1340)
quippe quo fenrinarum sexus est infirmior with the seventh (1459-
SOME CRITERIA FOR EDITING ABAELARD
	
20 1
1476) adeo namque sexus infirmior fortioris indiget auxilio, the only
places in the entire text in which he uses the words sexus infirmior ;
the fourth (1341-1358) with the sixth (1445-1459), both quotin g
Jerome ; around the central fifth paragraph (1358-1444) . The second
chapter relates persecution of Abaelard by his masters ; the eighth re-
lates persecution of Abaelard by his sons, that is the monks who
should have obeyed him .
The third chapter (222-248) relates his persecution by two rivals ,
Albericus Remensis et Lotulfus Lumbardus . The chiastic pair to this ,
the seventh chapter (1200-1228), relates that his priores emuli . . .
adversum me novos apostolos . . . excitaverunt .
The fourth chapter (248-269) recounts Abaelard's fame, as does th e
sixth (1196-1200) .
The crux of the Historia is a triple account, first of Abaelard's rela-
tionship with Heloise (280-622), second of the period from his entr y
into the monastery of St Denis and hers into the convent of Argenteui l
to the burning of his book at the Council of Soissons and his persecu-
tion by the abbot of St Denis (623-1016), and third of his arrival at th e
Paraclete (1017-1195) .
To establish the chiastic structure of the central narrative of th e
event which inflicted on Abaelard his greatest grief compare the re-
ference to abbatia sancti Dionysii (628) with his return to it (936), hi s
removal to the cell at Maisoncelle en Brie (665) with his removal to
the monastery of sancti Medardi (907), the account of his tractatum
De Unitate et Trinitate Divina (692-693) with his enforced recitatio n
of the Athanasian Creed about the saine subject (900 ff.), the referen-
ces to his emuli Alberic and Lotulf (702-725) with the charges a falsis
accusatoribus (880-890), dicentes me tres deos predicare et scripsiss e
(725) with fides et teneat et profiteatur tres omnipotentes esse (876 -
877), the judging of his book by an incompetent legate (726-735, 855 -
876), the Catholic Christian faith (736-749, 845-854), attacks by hi s
emuli (749-781, 838-845), deliberations of the council (782-789, 823 -
837), the advice of Gaufridus Carnotensis episcopus (789-797) com-
pared with that of beati Nichodemi (812-822), si hunc prejudicio . . .
gravaveritis (797-798) compared with si autem canonice agere in eu m
disponitis (809), quotations from Jerome (801-804, 807-809), aroun d
the crux (805-806) :
videte ne plus ei nominis conferatis violenter agendo
et plus nobis criminis ex invidia quam ei ex iusticia conquiramus.
There are many more Biblical quotations than the editions hav e
noted, most of them purposeful and pointed . There is much more
202
	
D .R. HOWLETT
beauty in the prose than its most ardent modem admirer has ye t
claimed . The structure is not simply or discretely chiastic . Element s
from each section of the narrative are woven into other sections, as if
to illustrate the comprehensive and connected nature of the calamities ,
which Abaelard has commuted from paranoia and private grief into a
public work of art . Recognition of the structure allows one to correc t
misapprehensions by earlier editors, to confirm the integrity of the tex t
in minute particulars, and to clarify Abaelard's meanings by using the
form of his narrative as an inbuilt commentary . Particular details o f
composition may offer new criteria that allow readers to distinguis h
Abaelard's style from Heloise's . I hope to address these matters in a
new edition of this remarkable work.
D.R. HOWLETT
Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Source s
Oxford


Some criteria for editing Abaelard

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