I’ve
been reading R. W. Southern’s Robert Grosseteste: The Growth of an English
Mind in Medieval Europe. And I
have to ask, is there anything Southern wrote that is not excellent? The vast scholarship of this late great
historian combined with his ability to write very readable books from his
storehouse of scholarship amazes me.
Having
said that, two tidbits about Robert Grosseteste in this book stand out to me,
one for its amusement, the second for its encouragement.
The
first is a Royal Mandate of June 23rd, 1234 that directed
Grosseteste and two other Oxford worthies “to supervise the arrest of all
prostitutes in Oxford who had disobeyed a royal order to leave the town.” As
Southern put it, the king regarded the three men “as peculiarly qualified for
this hopeless task.” (p. 71, 1986 edition)
The
second is that Grosseteste’s career was obscure and is not very well documented
until he reached about age 55 when he suddenly rose to prominence. Southern thinks this might have
occurred because he was among those who assisted the 15 year old Henry III in
getting a papal declaration that he was old enough to rule on his own in
1223. Henry immediately rewarded
those who assisted him. (p. 80, 81)
In
any case, being around 55 and still somewhat obscure, I find this aspect of
Robert Grosseteste’s career encouraging, although I will never be as brilliant
as the man . . . or as R. W. Southern.
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