Editing John of Salisbury (section)

==Secretary to the Archbishop of Canterbury==
John of Salisbury was secretary to Archbishop Theobald for seven years. While at Canterbury he became acquainted with [[Thomas Becket]], one of the significant potent influences in John's life. During this period he went on many missions to the Papal See; it was probably on one of these that he made the acquaintance of Nicholas Breakspear, who in 1154 became Pope [[Adrian IV]]. The following year John visited him, remaining at [[Benevento]] with him for several months. He was at the court of Rome at least twice afterward.<ref name="Pike"/>

During this time John composed his greatest works, published almost certainly in 1159, the ''[[Policraticus|Policraticus, sive de nugis curialium et de vestigiis philosophorum]]'' and the ''Metalogicon'', writings invaluable as storehouses of information regarding the matter and form of scholastic education, and remarkable for their cultivated style and humanist tendency.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=450}} The ''Policraticus'' also sheds light on the decadence of the 12th-century court manners and the lax morals of royalty. The idea of contemporaries "[[standing on the shoulders of giants]]" of Antiquity, attributed by him to [[Bernard of Chartres]], first appears in written form in the ''Metalogicon''. The ''Metalogicon'' consists of four books starting with defending the ''[[trivium]]'' and extending further to comments on other areas of logic. John defends the ''trivium'' by stating socialization is a critical part of human nature and well-being, while in the past Cornificius and his followers argued verbal arts should not be included in logic as they are nearly "useless".<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Bloch |first=David |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/786442692 |title=John of Salisbury on Aristotelian science |date=2012 |publisher=Brepols |isbn=978-2-503-54099-3 |location=Turnhout |oclc=786442692}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last=FitzGerald |first=Brian D. |date=2010 |title=Medieval theories of education: Hugh of St Victor and John of Salisbury |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/25753519 |journal=Oxford Review of Education |volume=36 |issue=5 |pages=575–588 |doi=10.1080/03054985.2010.514436 |jstor=25753519 |s2cid=144217226 |issn=0305-4985}}</ref> After the death of Theobald in 1161, John continued as secretary to his successor, Thomas Becket, and took an active part in the long [[Becket controversy|disputes]] between that [[Primate (bishop)|primate]] and his sovereign, [[Henry II of England|Henry II]], who looked upon John as a papal agent.<ref>[[Norman F. Cantor]], 1993. ''The Civilization of the Middle Ages'', 324–326.</ref>

John's letters throw light on the constitutional struggle then agitating England.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=450}} In 1163, John fell into disfavor with the king for reasons that remain obscure, and withdrew to France. The next six years he spent with his friend Peter of La Celle, now Abbot of St. Remigius at [[Reims]]. Here he wrote "Historia Pontificalis".<ref name="Coffey">[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08478b.htm Coffey, Peter. "John of Salisbury." The Catholic Encyclopedia] Vol. 8. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 20 Jul. 2015</ref> In 1170, he led the delegation charged with preparing for Becket's return to England,<ref name="Guilfoy"/> and was in Canterbury at the time of Becket's assassination. In 1174, John became treasurer of [[Exeter]] cathedral.