JOHN of Salisbury, bishop of Chartres, in France, was born at Salisbury, in Wiltshire, in the beginning of the twelfth century. Where he received the rudiments of his education is unknown; but we learn, that in the year 1136, being then a youth, he was sent to Paris, where he studied under several eminent professors, and acquired considerable reputation for his application and proficiency in rhetoric, poetry, divinity, and particularly in the learned languages. From Paris he travelled into Italy; and, during his residence at Rome, he rose into high favour with Pope Eugenius III. and his successor Adrian IV. After his return to England, he became the intimate friend and companion of the renowned Thomas-a-Becket, archbishop of Canterbury, whom he attended in his exile; and he is said to have been present when that haughty prelate was murdered in his cathedral. What preferment he obtained in the church during this time does not appear; but in 1176 he was promoted by King Henry II. to the bishopric of Chartres in France, where he died in 1182. This John of Salisbury was one of the first restorers of the Greek and Latin languages in Europe, a classical scholar, a philosopher, a learned divine, and an elegant Latin poet. He wrote several books, the principal of which are, his Life of St Thomas of Canterbury, a collection of Letters, and Polycraticon.