Gautier de Châtillon - 1135
Also called Gaultier de Lille or
Gautier de Ronchin even Gualterus de Insulis and Walter of Châtillon in English.
Born in
Ronchin in 1135, died in Amiens in 1201. After a misspent youth, he became a student in
Lille then went to Bologna to study Cannon Law.
He taught
at, became a monk in Reims and was part of the chancellery of Henry II Plantagenet of
England whom he abandoned after the death of Thomas Becket.
In addition
to his lyrical and satirical verses, he wrote an saga in 6 hymns and chants et 5464
hexameters: Alexandreis, sive Gesta Alexandri Magni [l'Alexandréide], composed between
1178 and 1182, dedicated to William, archbishop of Reims and divided in 10 books. The main
source for this poem was the history of Alexander the Great by the Latin historian
Quinte-Curce. He also wrote six poems on the martyr Thomas Becket.
Struck down
by one of the plagues of his era, he retreated in a leper colony. His illness was the
subject of a moving work, “Dum Gualterus egrotaret”.
A manuscript
of his work, comprising hymns, miracles of Saint Nicolas and other
edifying texts, is conserved in Saint-Omer.
He is also
known for having composed "goliardic" poems. An anthology of verses
« Moralium dogma » is sometimes attributed to him.
The
following is a text by P.J. MARIQUE, as transcribed by Thomas M. Barrett, and dedicated to
the memory of Walter of Châtillon:
"Walter
of Châtillon
(Gautier de
Lille Gualtier de Insulis; also Gautier de Chatillon and Gaultier de Castillone).
Poet in the
second half of the twelfth century, born at Lille; died of the plague, probably at the
city of Amiens, in the beginning of the thirteenth century. He studied at Paris, where his
master was Etienne of Beauvais. Having afterwards settled at Châtillon, he changed his
name, de Insulis, into that of de Castillione. From Châtillon, where he had charge of the
schools, he went to Bologna to study law, and on his return to France was appointed
secretary to Henry, Archbishop of Reims. He kept this office under Henry's successor,
William, who was Archbishop of Reims from 1176 to 1201. It was at that time that Walter
wrote his "Alexandreid", at the request of Archbishop William, to whom it is
dedicated. His "Alexandreis, sive Gesta Alexandri Magni" is a Latin poem of 5464
hexameters in ten books, based on Curtius's account of Alexander's expeditions. It shows a
great familiarity with Virgil and the later Latin poets, but it is full of anachronisms,
one of the most startling being the Passion of Christ mentioned as something that had
already taken place in the time of Alexander. In spite of its defects, however, this poem
is considered superior to those composed at that time and at the end of the thirteenth
century; it was even preferred to the "Æneid" for school work. The well-known
hexameter, "Incidit in Scyllam qui vult vitare Charybdim" (He falls in Scylla's
jaws who would escape Charybdis), is taken from the "Alexandreid". Other works
of his are: "Libelli tres contra Judaeos in dialogi formam conscripti",
published by Casimir Oudin in his collection. "Veterum aliquot Galliae et Belgii
scriptorum opuscula" (Leyden, 1692), and "De SS. Trinitate tractatus",
published by Bernard Pez in his "Anecdota".
Château-Porcien:
This simple lordship near Rethel was sold in 1268 by Raoul de Porcien to
Thibaut de Navarre, count of Champagne, whose possessions were inherited by his nephew
Jeanne, wife of Philippe IV of France (1268-1314). Made a county in 1303, it was given to
Gaucher de Châtillon, whose descendant Jean II sold it to Louis d'Orléans in 1395.
Charles d'Orléans sold it in 1439 to Antoine de Croÿ. It was erected into a principality
on June 4, 1561 for Antoine de Croÿ (so says La Chesnaye-Desbois). The Croÿ family sold
it in 1608 to Charles of Gonzaga, duke of Nevers. It was sold in 1659 to cardinal Mazarin,
and followed that inheritance.
Translation of a text from the site www.medievalenfrance.com.