ALAIN DE

LILLE [Alanus de Insulis] (c. 1128-1202)  , French theologian and poet, was born, probably at Lille, some years before 1128 . Little is known of his life . He seems to have taught in the schools of Paris,, and he attended the Lateran Council in 1179 . He afterwards inhabited Montpellier (he is sometimes called Alanus de Montepessulano), lived for a time outside the walls of any cloister, and finally retired to Citeaux, where he died in 1202 . He had a very widespread reputation during his lifetime and his knowledge, more varied than profound, caused him to be called Doctor universals . Among his very numerous works two poems entitle him to a distinguished place in the Latin literature of the middle ages; one of these, the De planctu naturae, is an ingenious satire on the vices of humanity; the other, the Anticlaudianus, a treatise on morals, the form of which recalls the pamphlet of Claudian against Rufinus, is agreeably versified and relatively pure in its latinity . As a theologian Alain de Lille shared in the mystic reaction of the second half of the 12th century against the scholastic philosophy . His mysticism, how-ever, is far from being as absolute as that of the Victorines . In the Anticlaudianus he sums up as follows: Reason, guided by prudence, can unaided discover most of the truths of the physical order; for the apprehension of religious truths it must trust to faith . This rule is completed in his treatise, Ars catholicae fidei, as follows: Theology itself may be demonstrated by reason . Alain even ventures an immediate application of this principle, and tries to prove geometrically the dogmas defined in the Creed . This bold attempt is entirely factitious and verbal, and it is only his employment of various terms not generally used in such a connexion (axiom, theorem, corollary, etc.) that gives his treatise its apparent originality .

Alain de Lille has often been

con-founded with other persons named Alain, in particular with Alain, archbishop of Auxerre; Alan, abbot of Tewkesbury, Alain de Podio, etc . Certain facts of their lives have been attributed to him, as well as some of their works: thus the Life of St Bernard should be ascribed to Main of Auxerre and the Commentary upon Merlin to Alan of Tewkesbury . Neither is the philosopher of Lille the author of a Memoriale rerum difficilium, published under his name; and it is exceedingly doubtful whether the Dicta Alani de lapide philosophico really issued from his pen . On the other hand, it now seems practically demonstrated that Alain de Lille was the author of the Ars catholicae fidei and the treatise Contra haereticos . The works of Alain de Lille have been published by Migne, Patrologia Latina, vol. cex . A critical edition of the Anticlaudianus and of the De planctu naturae is given by Th . Wright in vol. ii. of the Anglo-Latin Satirical Poets and Epigrammatists of the Twelfth Century (London, 1872) . See Haureau, Memoire sur la vie et quelques oeuvres d'Alain de Lille (Paris, 1885) ; M . Baumgartner, Die Philosophie des Alanus de Insulis (Munster, 1896) . • (P .