John of Salisbury (d. 1180), a scholar, author and diplomat, was
numbered among the eruditi, the learned clerks in service to
Theobald and to Thomas Becket, successive archbishops of
Canterbury. Indeed, John was a member of Becket’s household
and present in the cathedral when the archbishop’s infamous
murder occurred, albeit from a rather ignominious position,
concealed in the shadows of the darkening church. Within two years
of that fateful event, John composed a brief Life of his
friend, the martyr. This would be his second biography of a saint.
The first was written at the behest of Archbishop Thomas Becket
early in 1163 for inclusion in the dossier presented to Pope
Alexander III at the Council of Tours petitioning the pope to
canonize Anselm (1033–1109), a former archbishop of
Canterbury. Although neither of these biographies has secured the
universal acclaim that modern scholars have bestowed on John of
Salisbury’s other writings, both certainly warrant scholarly
attention.
This translation of the Lives of Anselm and Becket
finally makes available in English all the known writings of John
of Salisbury. These two works are his only contributions to the
genres of biography and hagiography. In them we see how this
notable Christian humanist employed his considerable rhetorical
skills to create lasting literary memorials to figures of great
importance in English ecclesiastical history. His profound concern
for the freedom of the Church, his loathing of tyrants and
tyrannical behaviour, his affection for the classics and Sacred
Scripture, are themes woven into his accounts of the lives and
activities of two archbishops of Canterbury who endured indignity
and exile for the sake of Church liberty. One authored renowned
treatises in philosophy and theology; the other suffered a cruel
martyrdom and secured undying fame. Both are canonized saints.