Raymund afterwards became abbot of the convent. But it was his
predecessor, Gerald, who had received the boy Gerbert, and was still to do
something of moment in directing his career. A certain duke of the Spanish
March came on a pilgrimage to Aurillac; and Gerald besought him to take
Gerbert back with him to Spain for such further instruction as the convent
did not afford. The duke departed, taking Gerbert, and placed him under
the tuition of the Bishop of Vich, a town near Barcelona. Here he studied
mathematics. The tradition that he travelled through Spain and learned
from the Arabs lacks probability. But in the course of time the duke and
bishop set forth to pray for sundry material objects at the fountainhead
of Catholicism, and took their _protégé_ with them to Rome.
In Rome, Gerbert’s destiny advanced apace. His patrons, doubtless proud of
their young scholar, introduced him to the Pope, John XIII., who also was
impressed by Gerbert’s personality and learning. John told his own
protector, the great Otto, and informed him of Gerbert’s ability to teach
mathematics; and the two kept Gerbert in Rome, when the Spanish duke and
bishop returned to their country. Gerbert began to teach, and either at
this time or later had among his pupils the young Augustus, Otto II. But
he was more anxious to study logic than to teach mathematics, even under
imperial favour. He persuaded the old emperor to let him go to Rheims with
a certain archdeacon from that place, who was skilled in the science which
he lacked. The emperor dismissed him, with a liberal hand. In his new home
Gerbert rapidly mastered logic, and impressed all with his genius. He won
the love of the archbishop, Adalberon, who shortly set the now triply
accomplished scholar at the head of the episcopal school. Gerbert’s
education was complete, in letters, in mathematics including music, and in
logic. Thenceforth for ten years (972-982), the happiest of his life, he
studied and also taught the whole range of academic knowledge.
Fortune, not altogether kind, bestowed on Gerbert the favour of three
emperors. The graciousness of the first Otto had enabled him to proceed to
Rheims. The second Otto listened to his teaching, admired the teacher, and
early in the year 983 made him Abbot and Count of Bobbio. Long afterwards
the third Otto made him Archbishop of Ravenna, and then pope.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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