The use ofexemplain thePolicraticusof John of Salisbury

Abstract

In 1165 the deanery of Salisbury was the object of royal jobbery. A long dispute followed in which John tried to mediate by means of several letters. In one of them he wrote: ‘If my advice is asked… I reply that in all cases of stubborn doubt one should act as follows: First let us enquire and follow the prescriptions of Divine Law on the matter; if this gives no certain solution, one should go back to the canons and (then) to the examples of the saints; if nothing certain is to be found there, one should finally investigate the mind and counsel of men wise in the fear of the Lord …’. In this enumeration of means to enlighten problems of practical life, theexempla sanctorumare placed along with the authorities of the Bible and of Canon Law, although ranking lower than these precepts. They complement the abstract rules by concrete comparison, like legal precedents they were meant to explain special cases or fill gaps in the law.

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