Historical and Religious Writers of the Latin West (review)

212 Reviews Charles' place in the face of widespread popular insurrection against brutal aristocratic poUcies. There are difficulties in the chronological flow of Herman's narrative as he alternates between the history of Flanders or of England and the account of his o w n abbey. H e has a fondness for interesting detaU, of value for constructing social history. W e learn that Countess Clemence of Burgundy, sister of the archbishop of Vienne (subsequently Pope CalUxrus II) employed 'female art' to Umit the size of her family after the birth of three sons in less than three years. His reproof for her behaviour did not prevent him from acknowledging her important role as a benefactor to the community. Nelson's translation isfluent,and matches the story-telling tone of the chronicle, without faUing into pedantry. Nelson provides a number of appendices to Herman's account, exploring various themes evident in the narrative: the n e w learning, cloister and cathedral school, family history, etc. His analysis is often directed more at beginners in medieval history than graduates w h o wish to explore the narrative in more depth. His endnotes supply valuable historical commentary on individual chapters, necessary for a student's full appreciation of Herman's text. It is much to be regretted that there is no index to the volume, which deserves to become as famiUar as Guibert's Memoirs or Suger's Deeds of Louis the Fat (both available in exceUent EngUsh translations). Constant M e w s Dept of History Monash University Historical and Religious Writers of the Latin West (Authors of the Middle Ages, Vol. II, 5-6), ed. Patrick J . Geary: No. 5, Constant J . M e w s , Peter Abelard; No. 6, V. I. J . Flint, Honorius Augustodunensis of Regensburg, Aldershot, Variorum, 1995; board; pp. 256; R.R.P.£30.00. Like other studies in this series, these studies of Peter Abelard and Honorius Augustodunensis provide a concise account of the life, career, writings and influence of their subjects, foUowed by full Reviews 213 bibUographies of primary sources (including details of manuscript locations) and secondary sources. Constant M e w s ' bibUography of secondary sources relating to Peter Abelard runs to fifteen, pages; the equivalent section of V.I.J. Flint's study of Honorius Augustodunensis runs to three, Flint herself being the author of ten of the seventy-two items she lists. Abelard and Honorius were almost exact contemporaries, and would not have been surprised to be included between the same scholarly book-covers, but Abelard is more than five times more famous. Honorius 'of the church of the imperial height', Augustodunensis ecclesiae, referring to the alte Kapelle ot Regensbu Flint argues (pp. 110-17), is known only to those w h o speciaUse in historical and reUgious writers of the Latin West, but every magister artium knows at least the name of Abelard. H a d Honorius written a story of his life rather than Usting his works—supposing the Ust in De Luminaribus Ecclesiae is indeed his own, as Flint claims (pp. 97-8; I confess I a m not altogether persuaded)—his autobiography would probably not have become as famous as Historia calamitatum, but it would have saved study of him from being for so long preoccupied with the location Augustodunensis implies. Flint's title is clearly intended to terminate that debate. Let us hope it does. W h U e both these studies, both by eminent N e w Zealand scholars, are assuredly welcome, the dissinular reputations of the two medieval magistri wUl affect the uses to which the studies can be, or should be, put. Students of mine interested in the letters of Abelard and Heloise (and there is a steady stream of such) I n o w direct to M e w s ' Peter Abelard, both for its succinct summary of Abelard's career' and writings and for its helpfuUy-organised bibUography. I myself have recently checked in M e w s the details of Abelard's encounter with Anselm of Laon, and appreciated his shrewd observation that Abelard's claims about Laon were m a d e in order to '[establish] the credentials of...