Jean de Salisbury

Of English origin, John studied at Chartres and in Paris, notably under Peter Abelard, Thierry of Chartres, William of Conches and Gilbert de la Porrée. He was later councilor to Pope Hadrian IV, secretary of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket, and finally bishop of Chartres in 1176. His Metalogicon vividly depicts the study of grammar, rhetoric, and logic, and is packed with information on the history of the schools in the twelfth century. His literary works are the model of a humanist education, fashioned by familiarity with the ancients, especially Cicero.