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Chapter 10Erud.1.10

De beniuolencia eiusdem ad retinendum.

The Measure of True Learning

Hugh of St. Victor teaches that true learning is measured not by how much one reads but by how much one retains and understands, for wisdom rests in the mouth of the wise.

The third point. Namely: On the goodwill needed for retaining what is learned, there is this passage from Hugh in Book 3 of the Didascalicon: 'Do not,' he says, 'O reader, read too much — not if you have read many things, but if you have understood many things.' — — Rather, if you have been able to retain it.' For as it is written in Proverbs 21 according to another translation: 'A desirable treasure' — namely, of wisdom or truth — 'rests in the mouth of the wise person,' that is,✦

The Willing and Attentive Ear

The listener must hear willingly and attentively, with a loving readiness, for a broken vessel holds no wisdom and a cracked channel retains nothing.

To be carefully chewed over and faithfully held in memory. For animals that don't chew the cud are considered unclean under the law. And of such a one it is said in Ecclesiasticus 21: 'The heart of a fool is like a broken vessel; it will hold onto no wisdom at all.'1 Varro also says that 'the ear is like a cracked channel; it does not commit to memory what it has received.' In the listener's goodwill as well, three things are likewise required. First, namely — — that the listener may hear willingly and attentively, that is, with a loving readiness, according to that passage in Ecclesiasticus 3: 'A good ear will hear wisdom with every longing.'2 Hence Solomon also says in Proverbs 22: 'My son, incline your ear and listen to the words of the wise.'3

Receiving Truth with Humility

The learner must receive teaching with affection and humility, not despising the teacher, for truth must be ascribed to God rather than to human dignity.

Give your heart to my teaching, and it will become beautiful to you once you've held it inside you.✦ i.e. in affection or in memory, 'and it will overflow onto your lips afterward.'✦ On the affection needed for hearing, Caesarius of Arles says in his second homily: 'Just as the Lord requires from us the duty of speaking out of the necessity of having taken on the office, so too, dearest friends, he requires from us the affection of hearing.' But some people reject the words of the teacher because they consider the teacher himself contemptible. Against these people Prosper says in the second book of 'On the Contemplative Life': 'There are those who, by a perverse judgment, scrutinize not the reasoning of what is said but the dignity of the speakers, and they pay more attention to who is saying it than to what is said; and what they themselves are unwilling to do or to see done, they also disdain to have said to them. They would rather remain ignorant of something they want to know than learn it from someone they consider inferior: when the truth has shone forth from wherever it may, it must be credited not to human talent but to God.' Hence that saying of Seneca quoted earlier: 'Let the authority of the speaker not sway you, nor who it is, but pay attention to what he says.' The second point is that he gather up what he has heard briefly in memory.

Gathering the Main Point in Memory

Because human memory is weak and delights in brevity, the student should hold fast to the main principle of a treatise, for grasping the source is grasping the whole.

I say this briefly, because not all the words spoken in a reading could easily be gathered up — certainly not the words of an entire book. And so it's fitting for the learner to hold in memory the main point of the argument and the subject matter. Whence Hugh, as above: 'It's necessary,' he says, 'that we gather together and entrust to memory the things we have learned in their separate parts.' Every treatise has, in fact, a starting point — some principle on which the whole truth of the subject and the force of its argument rest, and to which all other matters are referred. To seek out and consider these things is to gather them together. There is, after all, one source from which many streams flow — and it's not necessary to follow every winding course of the river. If you hold the source, you have the whole thing. I say this because human memory is dull and delights in brevity; and indeed, when it is divided among many things, it becomes weaker in each one.

Practice, Repetition, and Review

Epilogues, repeated readings, and teaching others strengthen memory, for practice is the great ally of retention.

This is what Hugh says. For this reason, too, in many treatises and books, after lengthy expositions of various opinions, epilogues are frequently made — that is, brief recapitulations of what has been said — by which all the material can be committed to memory in summary form. A student also profits more by frequently going back over a reading than by simply hearing it once. For practice greatly strengthens memory — the kind of practice that comes from calling back to mind the things one has heard, turning them over and over, or reciting them to others. Hence Boethius says, in the passage cited above, that 'it's to the student's advantage to have some people in private whom he can teach and to whom he can read books — . . so that he may both understand what he has learned and know how to express what he understands.'

Constancy in Daily Reading

The student must not abandon daily reading or wander into worldly distractions, for whoever rejects wisdom is wretched and laborious without fruit.

Third, he should not let go of his daily readings or even interrupt them, but listen to them continuously, according to that passage in Proverbs 8: 'Hear instruction and be wise, and do not reject it.'✦4 As it is read in the book of Wisdom, chapter 3: 'Wisdom and instruction—whoever rejects them is wretched, and their hope is empty, and their labors without fruit.'56 For this reason Boethius says, in the passage cited above: 'Let the student not be undisciplined'—that is, 'separated from the school.'7 . . Nor through streets and public squares and public spectacles, through processions and dances and public banquets, with wandering eyes and unbridled tongue—8 . .

The Blessing of Constancy and the Ruin of Inconstancy

Constancy bears fruit and gathers; inconstancy destroys and scatters, for nothing is more beneficial than steadfastness of mind.

Don't run about from place to place. . . But strive to impress upon your mind a steadfast constancy, just as far as your ability allows. For what — . . Nothing is more clearly beneficial than constancy, nothing more ruinous than inconstancy. The first brings forth fruit; the second destroys it. The first moves forward; the second falls back. The first gathers, but the second, once gathered, scatters. These are the words of Boethius.

The Sun and the Moon: Wisdom's Steadfast Light

The wise remain in wisdom like the sun, but fools change like the moon, for wisdom is harsh to the senseless who cast it aside like a heavy stone.

That's why it says in Ecclesiasticus 27: 'A wise person stays in wisdom like the sun, but a fool shifts like the moon.' Jerome says the same thing, writing on the Epistle to the Galatians: 'In good pursuits, it's not so much the beginnings that deserve praise as the end' — that is, final perseverance. But this kind of perseverance is hard for fools, as it says in Ecclesiasticus 6: 'How unbearably harsh wisdom is to the unlearned, and the senseless person won't remain in it' — that is, a person without a heart. A fool — for as was already said above: 'The heart of a fool is like a cracked vessel.' And it's no wonder that wisdom is harsh to such people, since it runs directly against their foolishness. So in the same place it adds: 'The test of them will be like the strength of a stone, and they won't hesitate to throw it aside.'

The Fool Who Throws Away the Stone

Like peasants who discard a precious stone, the unlearned despise wisdom because they do not recognize its worth, and even children resist learning as a burden.

And if it should be said: just as peasants, fools, that is— —if they've found a precious stone, they don't value it, because they're ignorant of its worth and its preciousness, and for this reason they throw it away as if it were something worthless; so too unlearned and senseless people scarcely approve the words of teaching or wisdom, or even utterly despise them, since they don't recognize their usefulness or savor.9 For this reason it is said in Proverbs 23: 'Do not speak in the ears of fools, for they will despise the teaching of your words.'✦10 For this is to give what is holy to dogs and to scatter pearls before swine.✦11 Or the foregoing saying can be explained in another way, under this sense: Just as a person's strength is tested in the lifting and carrying of a heavy stone, so people are tested in the zeal and labor of acquiring wisdom.12 For just as the weak and lazy quickly throw down the stone, so the senseless and foolish throw down wisdom, and cannot make progress in it, because it is heavy for their foolishness.13 It is difficult also for children, on account of the weakness and playfulness of that age. Whence Augustine, in The City of God, book 21: 'No small penalty,' he says, 'is foolishness or inexperience, which is so rightly judged to be shunned that children are compelled through punishments full of pain to learn letters or any skills whatsoever.'14

Labor's Sweet Reward and the Student's Subjection

Things obtained by labor are gladly received and carefully preserved, and the student's highest subjection is attentiveness, docility, goodwill, avoidance of luxury, and steadfast constancy.

Learning itself, which they're driven to by punishments, is so painful to them that there are times when they'd rather endure the very punishments that compel them to learn than learn at all. But as Basil says in the Hexaemeron, book three: 'Things obtained by labor are both gladly received and most carefully preserved.' For when something is easily obtained, there's no doubt that holding on to it becomes tiresome. These are Basil's words. These remarks concern the threefold — or rather fivefold — subjection that a student ought to show to the teacher. Whence Boethius, in the passage cited above: 'Let the student's highest subjection to the teacher, then, be this: attentiveness in practice, natural docility, goodwill of spirit, avoidance of the appearances of luxury, and the steady profession of a constancy that befits one who is truly blessed.'

Read the original Latin

De tercio, i. e. de beniuolencia, que est ad retinendum, est illud hugonis in libro dydascalicon iiio: ‘Ne,’ inquit, ‘o lector, nimium leteris, si multa legeris, sed si multa intellexeris, . . . immo si retinere potueris.’ ut enim legitur in prouerbiis xxi secundum aliam translacionem: ‘thesaurus desiderabilis,’ sc. sapiencie uel veritatis, ‘requiescit in ore sapientis,’ sc.

ad studiose ruminandum et memoriter retinendum. Nam animalia, que non ruminant, secundum legem immunda reputantur. Et de tali dicitur ecclesiastico xxi: ‘Cor fatui quasi uas confractum, omnem sapienciam non tenebit.’ Dicit eciam uarro, quod ‘canale fissum est auris, que accepta memorie non conmendat.’ In auditoris eciam beniuolencia similiter requiruntur tria. Primum sc. , ut libenter audiat et diligenter, hoc est amabiliter, secundum illud ecclesiastici iii: ‘Auris bona audiet cum omni concupiscencia sapienciam.’ hinc et in prouerbiis xxii dicit salomon: ‘fili, inclina aurem tuam et audi uerba sapientum.

Appone cor ad doctrinam meam, que pulcra erit tibi, cum seruaueris eam in uentre tuo,’ i. e. in affectu uel in memoria, ‘et redundabit in labiis tuis postea.’ De hoc etiam audiendi affectu dicit cesarius arelatensis in omelia iia: ‘Sicut a nobis dominus sucepti officij necessitate loquendi requirit officium, ita et a nobis, carissimi, audiendi requirit affectum.’ Sed quidam ideo uerba docentis respuunt, quia doctorem ipsum contemptibilem reputant. Contra quos dicit prosper in libro de uita contemplatiua iio: ‘Sunt qui non racionem dictorum, sed dignitatem dicentum praua examinacione discuciunt, et magis quis dicat, quam quid dicat, attendunt, et quod facere aut fieri nolunt, dici quoque sibi fastidiunt; paraciores aliquid doctrine, cum illud scire cupiunt, ignorare, quam a persona inferiore cognoscere: cum veritas undecumque claruerit, non humano ingenio sed deo deputanda sit.’ Hinc est illud senece superius positum: ‘Non te moueat dicentis auctoritas, nec quis, sed quid dicat, attendas.’ Secundum est, ut audita breuiter in memoria colligat.

Ideo inquam breuiter, quia non de facili omnia uerba, que dicuntur, in leccione possent recolligi, ne dum uerba tocius libri. Ideoque summam intencionis et materie discenti conuenit memoriter retinere. unde hugo, ubi supra: ‘Oportet, ’ inquit, ‘ut que diuisa didicimus, conmendanda memorie colligamus. Habet siquidem omnis tractacio principium aliquod, cui tota rei ueritas et sentencie uis innitatur et ad ipsum alia omnia referuntur. Hec querere ac considerare est colligere. unus quippe fons est, ex quo riuuli multi: nec oportet anfractus fluuii sequi. Si fontem tenes, totum habes. Hoc idcirco dixerim, quia memoria hominis hebes est ac breuitate gaudet, et siquidem in multa diuiditur, in singulis minor efficitur.’

Hec hugo. Propter hoc eciam in multis tractatibus et libris frequenter post diffusas sentenciarum exposiciones fieri solent epylogi, id est, breues dictorum recapitulaciones, quibus summatim possint omnia memorie conmendari. Plus etiam frequenter discipulus proficit lectionem repetendo quam ipsam audiendo. Multum enim ad memoriam proficit excercitacio, que fit ea, que audita sunt, sibimet recolendo ac ruminando uel aliis recitando. unde dicit boecius, ubi supra, quod ‘expedit scolastico, ut aliquos habeat secreto, quos doceat eisque libros legat . . . ut sic et intellecta sciat et scita exprimere noscat.’

Tercium est, ut lectiones cotidianas non dimittat uel eciam interrumpat, sed continue audiat, iuxta illud prouerbiis viii: ‘Audite disciplinam et estote sapientes et nolite abicere illam.’ ut enim legitur in libro sapiencie iii: ‘sapienciam et disciplinam qui abicit, infelix est; et uacua est spes illorum et labores sine fructu.’ ideo dicit boecius, ubi supra: ‘Non sit scolaris discolus,’ id est, ‘a scola diuisus . . . Nec per vicos et plateas et spectacula publica, per pompas et choreas et publicas cenas oculis uagis effrenique lingua . . .

discurrere . . . sed continuitatis constanciam, prout facultas suppetit, menti studeat imprimere. Quid enim . . . constancia lucidius, quid inconstancia nequicius; prima parit, secunda destruit, prima procedit, secunda retrocedit.

Prima colligit, secunda uero collecta dissoluit.’ Hec boecius. ideo dicitur in ecclesiastico xxvii: ‘Homo sapiens in sapiencia manet ut sol, nam stultus ut luna mutatur.’ Hinc et ieronimus super epistolam ad galathas: ‘In bonis,’ inquit, ‘studiis non tam inicia sunt laudanda quam finis,’ id est, perseuerancia finalis. Sed huiusmodi perseuerancia difficilis est stultis, secundum illud ecclesiastici vi: ‘Quam aspera nimium sapiencia indoctis hominibus, et non permanebit in illa excors,’ id est, homo sine corde, sc. fatuus; ut enim iam dictum est supra: ‘cor fatui quasi uas confractum etc.’ Nec mirum, si talibus aspera est sapiencia, quia stulticie illorum contraria. unde ibidem subiungitur: ‘Quasi lapidis uirtus probacio erit in illis et non demorabuntur proicere illam.’

Ac si dicatur: sicut rustici, fatui sc. , lapidem preciosum inuenerint, non reputant, quia uirtutem eius ac preciositatem ignorant, et ob hoc illum quasi vile quid proiciunt, sic homines indocti et excordes uerba doctrine uel sapiencie parum approbant uel etiam omnino uilipendunt, quoniam utilitatem eius et saporem non cognoscunt. Ideo dicitur in prouerbiis xxiii: ‘In auribus insipiencium ne loquaris, quia despicient doctrinam eloquij tui.’ Hoc est enim sanctum dare canibus et margaritas ante porcos spargere. vel aliter predictum uerbum exponi potest sub hoc sensu: Sicut uirtus hominis probatur in subleuacione ac portacione lapidis ponderosi, sic probantur homines in studio et labore sapienciam acquirendi. Nam sicut imbecilles et ignaui cito proiciunt lapidem, sic excordes ac stulti sapienciam, nec possunt in ea proficere, quia grauis est eorum stulticie. Difficile est eciam pueris propter imbecillitatem et lasciuiam illius etatis. unde augustinus de ciuitate dei libro xxi: ‘Non parua,’ inquit, ‘pena est insipiencia uel impericia, que adeo fugienda merito iudicatur, ut per penas doloribus plenas pueri cogantur discere litteras uel quelibet artificia.

Ipsumque discere, ad quod penis adiguntur, tam est illis penale, ut non nunquam ipsas penas, per quas compelluntur discere, ferre malint quam discere.’ verum ut dicit basilius in exameron libro iii: ‘que labore quesita sunt, et iocunde percipiuntur et diligentissime conseruantur. Nam quorum facilis habetur adepcio, eorum sine dubio fastidiosa est possessio.’ Hec basilius. Hec de subiectione triplici, uel pocius quintuplici, quam debet discipulus exhibere doctori. unde boecius, ubi supra: ‘Sit ergo,’ inquit, ‘discipuli summa subiectio magistratui, sit attencio excercicii, docilitas ingenii, beniuolencia animi, luxurie quoque specierum euitacio et felicis constancie debita professio.’

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩Prov.21.20 — Precious treasure and oil are in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish person swallows it all up.
  2. ↩Prov.23.1 — When you sit down to dine with a ruler, consider carefully what is before you;
  3. ↩Prov.23.1 — When you sit down to dine with a ruler, consider carefully what is before you;
  4. ↩Prov.8.33 — Hear instruction and be wise; do not neglect it.
  5. ↩Prov.23.9 — Do not speak in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.
  6. ↩Matt.7.6 — Do not give what is holy to the dogs, and do not throw your pearls before the swine, lest they trample them under their feet and turn and tear you to pieces.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩Ecclesiasticus 21 (deuterocanonical); Moses resolution pending.
  2. 2 ↩Ecclesiasticus 3 (deuterocanonical); Moses resolution pending.
  3. 3 ↩Proverbs 22; Moses resolution pending for exact verse and wording.
  4. 4 ↩Proverbs 8:33 (Vulgate numbering). The quotation follows the Vulgate closely.
  5. 5 ↩Wisdom (Sirach) 3:30–31 (Vulgate). The quotation is a close rendering of the Vulgate text. The book of Wisdom is deuterocanonical.
  6. 6 ↩Infelix rendered as 'wretched' to convey the force of spiritual misery; 'unhappy' would be weaker.
  7. 7 ↩Discolus is a rare/medieval Latin form meaning 'undisciplined, unruly.' The author glosses it immediately with id est, a scola diuisus ('that is, divided from the school'), making the sense clear.
  8. 8 ↩This sentence is incomplete in the source text (the verb is missing). It appears to be the beginning of a prohibition or warning that continues in the following section (Erud.1.10.7). The translation preserves the fragmentary state.
  9. 9 ↩Sapor (savor/taste) is used figuratively for the relish or delight one takes in wisdom.
  10. 10 ↩Quotation from Proverbs 23:9 (Vulgate numbering). The Latin reads 'In auribus insipientium ne loquaris, quia despicient doctrinam eloquii tui.'
  11. 11 ↩Allusion to Matthew 7:6. The Latin 'sanctum dare canibus et margaritas ante porcos spargere' closely echoes the Vulgate.
  12. 12 ↩Subleuatio and portatio are rare/technical terms for the act of lifting up and carrying, used here as a physical analogy for spiritual effort.
  13. 13 ↩Gravis est eorum stulticie: literally 'it is heavy for their foolishness' — wisdom is burdensome to them because of their folly.
  14. 14 ↩Quotation from Augustine, De civitate Dei, book 21. The Latin 'pena est insipientia vel impericia' frames ignorance itself as a penalty.

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