Christ’s flock.^1504 This indicates that the tract was written before his elevation to the papacy, and
that he did not hold the ultramontane or Vatican doctrine of papal absolutism.
His Epistles to popes, emperors, kings, queens, archbishops and other dignitaries., shed
light on the history of the times, and show his high connections, and his genius for politics and
intrigue.^1505 They are mostly short, and include also some letters of Otho III. The longest and most
interesting is addressed to Queen Adelaide, wife of Hugo Capet, and the suffragans of the diocese
of Rheims,^1506 in defense of his ordination as archbishop of Rheims in opposition to his rival Arnulf,
whom he afterwards reinstated in his see as soon as he became pope.^1507
§ 180. Fulbert of Chartres.
I. Sanctus Fulbertus, Carnotensis episcopus: Opera, in Migne, Tom. CXLI. col. 163–374. They
were first printed by Masson at Paris, 1585.
II. Du Pin, IX. 1–6. Ceillier, XIII. 78–89. Hist. Lit. de la France, VII. 261–279 (reprinted in Migne,
l.c. col. 167–184). Neander III. passim. Reuter: Gesch. der Rel. Aufklärung in Mittelalter (1875),
I. 89–91. J. B. Souchet: Hist. du diocèse et de, la ville de Chartres. Chartres, 1867–1876.4 vols.
Cf. Karl Werner: Gerbert von Aurillac. Wien, 1878. A. Vogel in Herzog2 IV. 707 sq.
The most distinguished pupils of Gerbert were the Emperor Otho III., King Robert of France,
Richer, the historian of France, and Fulbert of Chartres, the most renowned teacher of his age. They
represent the rise of a new zeal for learning which began to dispel the darkness of the tenth century.
France took the lead, Italy followed.
Fulbert, called by his admiring disciples "the Socrates of the Franks," was born of poor and
obscure parents, probably at Chartres, about 950, and educated in the cathedral school of Rheims
by Gerbert. He founded a similar school at Chartres, which soon acquired a brilliant reputation and
rivalled that of Rheims. About 1003 he was elected chancellor of the church of Chartres, and in
1007 its bishop. When the cathedral burned down (1020), he received contributions from all parts
of France and other countries for its reconstruction, but did not live to finish it. He was involved
in the political and ecclesiastical disturbances of his country, opposed the use of the sword by the
bishops, and the appropriation of church property, and sale of offices by the avaricious laity. He
lost the favor of the court by his opposition to the intrigues of Queen Constantia. He died April 10,
1029.^1508
(^1504) L.c. col. 171, in explaining "Pasce oves meas " (John 21: 15 sqq.), he says: "Quas oves non solum tunc beatus suscepit
apostolus, sed et nobiscum eas accepit, et cum illo eas suscipimus omnes."
(^1505) Migne, col. 201-286.
(^1506) "Dominae et gloriosae Adelaidi reginae semper Augustae Gerbertus, gratia Domini Remorum episcopus, et omnibus
suis confratribus et coëpiscopis Remorum dioeceseos, bene valere in Christo." Migne, 242-244.
(^1507) Mansi, XIX. 242; Hefele, IV. 654.
(^1508) An epitaph (in Migne, l.c. 165) describes Fulbert as "suae tempestatis [sui temporis] pontificum decus, lux praeclara
mundo a Deo data, pauperum sustentator, desolatorum consolator, praedonum et latronuin refrenator, vir eloquentissimus, et
sapientissimus tam in divinis quam in liberalium artium libris" There is also an epitaph in poetry, l.c. col. 171.