went to Paris to study dialectic under the then famous William of
Champeaux, a declared Platonist, or realist as the designation then was,
he gave his teacher infinite trouble by his subtle objections, and not
seldom got the better of him.

These victories, which made him disliked both by his teacher and his
fellow-pupils, went to increase his natural self-appreciation, and
induced him, though a mere youth, to leave William and set up a rival
school at Mélun. Here his splendid personality, his confidence, and his
brilliant powers of reasoning and statement, drew to him a large number
of admiring pupils, so that he was soon induced to move his school to
Corbeil, near Paris, where his impetuous dialectic found a wider field.
Here he worked so hard that he fell ill, and was compelled to return
home to his family. With them he remained for several years, devoting
himself to study,--not only of dialectic, but plainly also of theology.
Returning to Paris, he went to study rhetoric under his old enemy,
William of Champeaux, who had meanwhile, to increase his prestige, taken
holy orders, and had been made bishop of Châlons. The old feud was
renewed, and Abélard, being now better armed than before, compelled his
master openly to withdraw from his extreme realistic position with
regard to universals, and assume one more nearly approaching that of
Aristotle.

This victory greatly diminished the fame of William, and increased that
of Abélard; so that when the former left his chair and appointed a
successor, the latter gave way to Abélard and became his pupil (1113).
This was too much for William, who removed his successor, and so forced
Abélard to retire again to Mélun. Here he remained but a short time;
for, William having on account of unpopularity removed his school from
Paris Abélard returned thither and opened a school outside the city, on