Gautier De Mortagne

Gautier De Mortagne (Lat. Walterus de Mauritania), a French theologian, was born at Mortagne, in Flanders, in the early part of the 12th century. He taught rhetoric at Paris, in one of the schools established upon the St. Genevieve mountain. But he soon gave up belles-lettres for theology and philosophy, and taught these two sciences at Rheims, Lyons, and other places. From 1136 to 1148 he had as disciple Jean de Salisbury. In 1150 he was canon of Laon, and became successively dean, and bishop of that church. He died at Laon in 1173. He wrote five short theological treatises in the form of letters, which occupy twenty pages in the Spicilegium of D'Achery. The more interesting of these letters is addressed to Abelard, who claimed to explain philosophically the mysteries of Christianity. See Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, s.v.