Peter of Blois

Peter of Blois or Petrus Blesensis, Archdeacon of Bath (c. 1130 – 1211 or 1212) was a French theologian, diplomat and poet, some of whose verses were included in the Carmina Burana. His best-known works are his letters to Henry II of England, Thomas Becket, John of Salisbury and others.

Quotes

• Officium officialium, quorum te numero aggregasti, hodie est, jura confundere, suscitare lites, transactiones rescindere, innectere dilationes, suprimere veritatem, fovere mendacium, quaestum sequi, aeqitatem vendere, inhiare exactionibus, versutias concinnare.
  • The role of officials today is to upset the laws, to stir up lawsuits, to annul agreements, to devise delays, to suppress the truth, to encourage falsehood, to follow profit, to sell justice, to attend closely to exacting money, to practise cunning.
  • Letter 25, to the Judicial Vicar of the Bishop of Chartres, in J. A. Giles (ed.) Petri blesensis bathoniensis archidiaconi opera omnia (Oxonii: J. H. Parker, 1846-7) vol. 1, p. 91; translation from Walter Bower and D. E. R. Watt (eds.) Scotichronicon (Aberdeen: Aberdeen University Press, 1987) vol. 7, p. 61.

• Aqua turbida piscosior est.
  • It's good fishing in troubled waters.
  • Letter 50, to Henry, Bishop of Bayeux, 1170, in J. A. Giles (ed.) Petri blesensis bathoniensis archidiaconi opera omnia (Oxonii: J. H. Parker, 1846-7) vol. 1, p. 155; translation from Provérbios Latinos.

• Male ulciscitur dedecus sibi illatum, qui amputat nasum suum.
  • He who cuts off his nose takes poor revenge for a shame inflicted on him.
  • De Hierosolymitana peregrinatione acceleranda (1189), cited from Mary Beth Rose (ed.) Women in the Middle Ages and Renaissance (Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 1986) p. 29; translation from John Simpson The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993) p. 55.
  • A similar proverb, Qui son nez cope deshonore son vis, appears in the late 12th century chanson de geste Garin le Loheren, line 2877.