v. 104.  Peter.] “Pietro Lombardo was of obscure origin, nor is the place of his birth in Lombardy ascertained.  With a recommendation from the bishop of Lucca to St. Bernard, he went into France to continue his studies, and for that purpose remained some time at Rheims, whence he afterwards proceeded to Paris.  Here his reputation was so great that Philip, brother of Louis vii., being chosen bishop of Paris, resigned that dignity to Pietro, whose pupil he had been.  He held his bishopric only one year, and died in 1160.  His Liber Sententiarum is highly esteemed.  It contains a system of scholastic theology, so much more complete than any which had been yet seen, that it may be deemed an original work.”  Tiraboschi, Storia della Lett.  Ital. t. iii. 1. 4. c. 2.

v. 104.  Who with the widow gave.] This alludes to the beginning of the Liber Sententiarum, where Peter says:  “Cupiens aliquid de penuria ac tenuitate nostra cum paupercula in gazophylacium domini mittere,” v. 105.  The fifth light.] Solomon.

v. 112.  That taper’s radiance.] St. Dionysius the Areopagite.  “The famous Grecian fanatic, who gave himself out for Dionysius the Areopagite, disciple of St. Paul, and who, under the protection of this venerable name, gave laws and instructions to those that were desirous of raising their souls above all human things in order to unite them to their great source by sublime contemplation, lived most probably in this century (the fourth), though some place him before, others after, the present period.”  Maclaine’s Mosheim, v. i. cent. iv. p. 2. c. 3. 12.

v. 116.  That pleader.] 1n the fifth century, Paulus Orosius, “acquired a considerable degree of reputation by the History he wrote to refute the cavils of the Pagans against Christianity, and by his books against the Pelagians and Priscillianists.”  Ibid. v. ii. cent. v. p. 2. c. 2. 11.  A similar train of argument was pursued by Augustine, in his book De Civitate Dei.  Orosius is classed by Dante, in his treatise De Vulg.  Eloq.  I ii c. 6. as one of his favourite authors, among those “qui usi sunt altissimas prosas,”—­” who have written prose with the greatest loftiness of style.”

v. 119.  The eighth.] Boetius, whose book De Consolatione Philosophiae excited so much attention during the middle ages, was born, as Tiraboschi conjectures, about 470.  “In 524 he was cruelly put to death by command of Theodoric, either on real or pretended suspicion of his being engaged in a conspiracy.”  Della Lett.  Ital. t. iii. 1. i. c. 4.

v. 124.  Cieldauro.] Boetius was buried at Pavia, in the monastery of St. Pietro in Ciel d’oro.

v. 126.  Isidore.] He was Archbishop of Seville during forty years, and died in 635.  See Mariana, Hist. 1. vi. c. 7.  Mosheim, whose critical opinions in general must be taken with some allowance, observes that “his grammatical theological, and historical productions, discover more learning and pedantry, than judgment and taste.”