CENT. Those among the learned, who turned their PART II. pursuits to more interesting and beneficial branches of science, than the intricate and puzzling doctrine of universals, travelled into the different countries, where the kinds of knowledge they were bent upon cultivating, flourished most. The students of physic, astronomy, and mathematics, continued to frequent the schools of the Saracens in Spain. Many of the learned productions of the Arabians were also translated into Latin [u]; for the high esteem in which the eru dition out, who, under the name of universals, comprehended all intellectual powers, qualities and ideas. "Fuerunt et qui VOCES ipsas genera dicerent et species: sed eorum jam explosa sententia est et facile cum autore suo evanuit. Sunt tamen adhuc, qui deprehenduntur in vistigiis eorum, licet erubescant vel auctorem vel sciantians profiteri, SOLIS NOMINIBUS, inhærentes, quod rebus et intellectibus subtrahunt, SERMONIBUS ascribunt." This was a sect of the Nominalists, who, ashamed (as this author alleges) to profess the exploded doctrine of RosCELLINUS, which placed genus and species in the class of mere words, or simple denominations, modified that system by a slight change of expression only, which did not essentially distinguish their doctrine from that of the ordinary Nominalists. It appears from all this, that the sect of the Formalists is of more ancient date than JOHN DUNS SCOTUS, whom many learned men consider as its founder. See Jo. SARISBUR. Metalogic. lib. ii. cap. xvii. p. 814. where that eminent author describes at large the various contests of these three sects, and sums up their differences in the following words: "Alius consistit in vocibus, licit hæc opinio cum Roscellino suo fere jam evanuerit: alius sermones intuetur alius versatur in intellectibus," &c. [u] GERHARD of Cremona, who was so famous among the Italians for his eminent skill in astronomy and physic, undertook a voyage to Toledo, where he translated into Latin several Arabian treatises; see MURATORI Antiq. Ital. medii ævi, tom. iii p. 936, 937.-MIRMET, a French monk, travelled into Spain and Africa, to learn geography among the Saracens. See Luc. DACHERII Spicilegium vet Scriptor. tom. ix. p. 443. ed. Antiq. -DANIEL MORLACH, an Englishman, who was extremely fond of mathematical learning, went a journey to Toledo, from whence he brought into his own country a considerable number of Arabian books; ANT. WOOD, Antiquit. Oxon. tom. i. P. 55-PETER, abbot of Clugni, surnamed the Venerable, after XII. dition of that people was held, together with a CENT. desire of converting the Spanish Saracens to PART II. Christianity, had excited many to study their language, and to acquire a considerable knowledge of their doctrine. CHAP. II. Concerning the doctors and ministers of the church, and its form of government, during this century. I. 1. W ners of the HEREVER we turn our eyes among The lives the various ranks and orders of the and manclergy, we perceive, in this century, the most clergy. flagrant marks of licentiousness and fraud, ignoJance and luxury, and other vices, whose pernicious effects were deeply felt both in church and state. If we except a very small number, who retained a sense of the sanctity of their vocation, and lamented the corruption and degeneracy of their order, it may be said, with respect to the rest, that their whole business was to satisfy their lusts, to multiply their privileges by grasping perpetually at new honours and distinctions, to increase their opulence, to diminish the authority, and to encroach upon the privileges of princes and magistrates, and, neglecting entirely the interests of religion and the cure of souls, to live after having sojourned for some time among the Spaniards, in order to make himself master of the Arabian language, translated into Latin, the Alcoran and the Life of Mahomet; see MABILLON, Annal. Bened. tom. vi. lib. lxxvii. 345. This eminent ecclesiastic, as appears from the Bibliotheca Cluniacensis, p. 1169. found upon his arrival in Spain, persons of learning from England and other nations, who applied themselves with extraordinary assiduity and ardour to the study of astrology. We' might multiply the examples of those who travelled in quest of science during this century; but those now alleged are sufficient for our purpose. PART II. CEN T. live in ease and pleasure, and draw out their days XII. in an unmanly and luxurious indolence. This appears manifestly from two remarkable treatises of St BERNARD, in one of which he exposes the corruption of the pontifs and bishops [w], while he describes in the other the enormous crimes of the monastic orders, whose licentiousness he chastises with a just severity [x]. to extend their au thority. The pontifs II. The Roman pontifs, who were placed sucambitious cessively at the head of the church, governed that spiritual and mystical body by the maxims of worldly ambition, and thereby fomented the warm contest that had already arisen between the imperial and sacerdotal powers. On the one hand, the popes not only maintained the opulence and authority they had already acquired, but extended their views farther, and laboured strenuously to enlarge both, though they had not all equal success in this ambitious attempt. The European emperors and princes, on the other hand, alarmed at the strides which the pontifs were making to universal dominion, used their utmost efforts to disconcert their measures, and to check their growing opulence and power. These violent dissensions between the empire and the priesthood (for so the contending parties were styled in this century) were most unhappy in their effects, which were felt throughout all the European provinces. PASCAL II. who had been raised to the pontificate about the conclusion of the preceding age, seemed now to sit firm and secure in the apostolic chair, without the least apprehen sion [w] In the work intitled, Considerationum Libri v. ad Eugenium Pontificem. [x] See his defence of the crusades, under the title of Apologia ad Gulielmum Abbatiem; as also GERHOHUS, De corrupto Ecclesiæ Statu, in BALUZII Miscell. tom. v. p. 63.-Gallia Christiana, tom. p. 6. App. tom. ii. p. 265. 273, &c. BOULAY, Histor. Academ. Paris. tom. ii. p. 495. 699. XII. sion from the imperial faction, whose affairs had C E N T. taken an unfavourable turn, and who had not pART II. the courage to elect a new pope of their party in the place of GUIBERT, who died in the year 1100 [y]. pute con is fomented anew. PASCAL, therefore, unwilling to let pass un- The disimproved the present success of the papal faction, cerning inrenewed, in a council assembled at Rome, A. D. vestitures 1102, the decrees of his predecessors against investitures, and the excommunications they had thundered out against HENRY IV. and used his most vigorous endeavours to raise up on all sides new enemies to that unfortunate emperor. HENRY, however, opposed, with great constancy and resolution, the efforts of this violent pontif, and eluded with much dexterity and vigilance his perfidious stratagems. But his heart, wounded in the tenderest part, lost all its firmness and courage, when, in the year 1106, an unnatural son, under the impious pretext of religion, took up arms against his person and his cause. HENRY V. so was this monster afterwards named, seized his father in a most treacherous manner, and obliged him to abdicate the empire; after which the unhappy prince retired to Liege, where, deserted by all his adherents, he departed this life, and so got rid of his misery, in the year 1106. / It has been a matter of dispute, whether it was the instigation of the pontif, or the ambitious and impatient thirst after dominion, that engaged HENRY V. to declare war against his father nor is it, perhaps, easy to decide this question with a perfect है [y] Dr MoSHEIM's affirmation here must be somewhat modified in order to be true: it is certain, that, after the death of GUIBERT, the imperial party chose in his place a person named ALBERT, who, indeed, was scized the day of his election, and cast into prison. THEODORIC and MAGNULF were cessively chosen after ALBERT, but could not support for any time their claim to the pontificate. See FLEURY, Hist. Eccles. livr. lxv. vol. xiv. p. 15. Brussels edition in 8vo. SUC XII. CENT perfect degree of evidence. One thing, howPART II. ever, is unquestionably certain, and that is, that PASCAL II. dissolved, or rather impiously pretended to dissolve, the oath of fidelity and obedience that HENRY had taken to his father; and not only so, but adopted the cause, and supported the interests of this unnatural rebel with the utmost zeal, assiduity, and fervour [z]. The progress of this debate. III. The revolution that this odious rebellion caused in the empire, was, however, much less favourable to the views of PASCAL, than that lordly pontif expected. HENRY V. could by no means be persuaded to renounce his right of investing the bishops and abbots, though he was willing to grant the right of election to the canons and monks, as was usual before his time. Upon this the exasperated pontif renewed, in the councils of Guastalla and Troyers, the decrees that had so often been issued out against investitures, and, the flame broke out with new force. It was, indeed, suspended during a few years, by the wars in which HENRY V. was engaged, and which prevented his bringing the matter to an issue. But no sooner had he made peace with his enemies, and composed the tumults that troubled the tranquillity of the empire, than he set out for Italy with a formidable army, A. D. 1110, in order to put an end to this long and unhappy contest. He advanced towards Rome by slow marches, while the trembling pontif, seeing himself destitute of all succour, and reduced to the lowest and most defenceless condition, proposed to him the following conditions of peace: That he, on the one hand, should renounce the right of [*] These accounts are drawn from the most authentic sources, and also from the eminent writers, whose authority I made use of, and whose names I mentioned, in that part of the preceding century that corresponds with the subject here treated. |