next day. Whereupon they undertook to give me good advice,
saying that I should by no means make undue haste in so important a
matter, but that I ought to devote a much loner space to working
out my exposition and offsetting my inexperience by diligent toil.
To this I replied indignantly that it was my wont to win success,
not by routine, but by ability. I added that I would abandon the
test altogether unless they would agree not to put off their
attendance at my lecture. In truth at this first lecture of mine
only a few were present, for it seemed quite absurd to all of them
that I, hitherto so inexperienced in discussing the Scriptures,
should attempt the thing so hastily. However, this lecture gave
such satisfaction to all those who heard it that they spread its
praises abroad with notable enthusiasm, and thus compelled me to
continue my interpretation of the sacred text. When word of this
was bruited about, those who had stayed away from the first lecture
came eagerly, some to the second and more to the third, and all of
them were eager to write down the glosses which I had begun on the
first day, so as to have them from the very beginning.

CHAPTER IV

OF THE PERSECUTION HE HAD FROM HIS TEACHER ANSELM

Now this venerable man of whom I have spoken was acutely smitten
with envy, and straightway incited, as I have already mentioned, by
the insinuations of sundry persons, began to persecute me for my
lecturing on the Scriptures no less bitterly than my former master,
William, had done for my work in philosophy. At that time there
were in this old man's school two who were considered far to excel
all the others: Alberic of Rheims and Lotulphe the Lombard. The
better opinion these two held of themselves, the more they were
incensed against me. Chiefly at their suggestion, as it afterwards
transpired, yonder venerable coward had the impudence to forbid me
to carry on any further in his school the work of preparing glosses
which I had thus begun. The pretext he alleged was that if by
chance in the course of this work I should write anything
containing blunders--as was likely enough in view of my lack of
training--the thing might be imputed to him. When this came to the
ears of his scholars, they were filled with indignation at so
undisguised a manifestation of spite, the like of which had never
been directed against any one before. The more obvious this rancour
became, the more it redounded to my honour, and his p