University of Paris,’ ii. 585–628; other extracts are given by Dom Mathoud in his ‘Notæ in Robertum Pullum,’ Paris, 1655, and by Hauréau in his ‘Histoire de la Philosophie Scolastique,’ i. 492–3. There is an account of its contents in Oudin's ‘Commentarius de Scriptoribus Ecclesiæ,’ ii. 1452–1453. M. Hauréau speaks of the ‘Summa’ as very useful for the history of scholastic theology, and thinks that St. Thomas Aquinas, though he never cites it, had read and profited by it (Nouvelle Biographie Générale, xlii. 376). Robert also wrote: 1. ‘Quæstiones de Divina Pagina’ in MS. Bibliothèque Nationale, 1977, inc. ‘Quæritur quid sit juramentum.’ Robert's answers, which are generally short and indecisive, seem to indicate that he was himself in doubt (ib.). 2. ‘Quæstiones de Epistolis Pauli,’ in the same manuscript.
Robert of Melun has often been confused with other bishops of Hereford of the same name, viz. Robert Losinga, Robert de Bethune, and his immediate successor, Robert Foliot (cf. Tanner, Bibl. Brit.-Hib. pp. 636–7). He must also be distinguished from his contemporary, Robert Pullen [q. v.], with whose career his own presents points of likeness.
[John of Salisbury's Metalogicus, Entheticus 55, Historia Pontificalis (ap. Pertz's Mon. Hist. Germ. xx.), and Epistolæ; Materials for History of Thomas Becket, Roger of Hoveden (Rolls Ser.); Oudin, De Scriptt. Ecclesiæ, ii. 1451–4; Hist. Litt. de France, xiii. 371–6; Hauréau's Hist. de la Philosophie Scolastique, i. 491–500 (where there is an account of Robert's philosophy), Hugues de St. Victor, and art. in Nouvelle Biographie Générale, xlii. 375–7.]
ROBERT of Shrewsbury (d. 1167), hagiologist, was prior of Shrewsbury in 1137, when he was sent in search of St. Wenefred's bones. He became fifth abbot before 1160, and died in 1167. He recovered for his abbey the tithe of Emstrey (Eyton, vi. 171), He wrote a ‘Life’ of St. Wenefred on the occasion of the removal of her remains from Wales to Shrewsbury, and dedicated it to Warin or Guarin, prior of Worcester, who died in 1140. This life is extant in Cotton. MS. A. v. 6. A translation appeared in 1635, ‘The Admirable Light of St. Wenefride … now translated into English … by J. F. of the Society of Jesus.’ This was reprinted in 1712, and republished in the following year by Bishop William Fleetwood [q. v.] in his ‘Life and Miracles of St. Wenefrid.’
[Tanner's Bibl. Brit.-Hib. p. 637; Dugdale's Monast. Angl. iii. 514, 522; Eyton's Antiquities of Shropshire; Owen and Blakeway's Hist. of Shrewsbury, ii. 108; Wright's Biogr. Britt. Litt. Anglo-Norman, p. 179; Hardy's Descript. Cat. Brit. Hist. i. 180–2, ii. 211.]
ROBERT Fitzharding (d. 1170), founder of the second house of Berkeley. [See Fitzharding.]
ROBERT of Bridlington (fl. 1170), or Robert the Scribe, theologian, was a canon regular of Bridlington priory in Yorkshire, and became fourth prior of that house about 1160. He died before 1181. Leland says that he was buried in the cloister of his monastery before the doors of the chapter-house, his tomb bearing the inscription ‘Robertus cognomento Scriba quartus prior.’ He owed his name of Scribe to his many writings. His works were chiefly commentaries on various portions of the Bible; Leland says that he saw the manuscripts of them in the library at Bridlington. The following appear to be extant: 1. ‘Expositio in Pentateuchum,’ inc. ‘Post collectam quæstionum de operibus sex dierum’ (MS. Trinity Coll. Oxon. 70), where Robert is wrongly called a Cistercian. 2. ‘Super Prophetas duodecim minores,’ inc. ‘Teste beato Jeronimo’ (MS. St. John's Coll. Oxon. 46). 3. ‘Expositio super Psalmos Davidis,’ inc. ‘A quibusdam fratribus diu rogatus’ (MS. Laud. Misc. 454 in the Bodleian). 4. ‘In Cantica Canticorum,’ inc. ‘Tres sunt qui testimonia’ (MS. Balliol Coll. 19, where, in Coxe's ‘Catalogue,’ it is suggested that this is really by John Whethamstede. In York Cathedral MS. 9 there is a copy of Frater Robertus ‘In Cantica’). 5. ‘Prophetiæ’ (Bodl. MS. 2157). Leland says he saw a copy of Robert's commentary on the Epistles of St. Paul at Queens' College, Cambridge (Collectanea, iii. 10). Robert is also credited with ‘Dialogus de Corpore et Sanguine Domini;’ a treatise, ‘De Ecclesia Catholica;’ sermons; and some other commentaries.
[Leland's Comment. de Scriptt. 202; Tanner's Bibl. Brit.-Hib. p. 657; Wright's Biogr. Brit. Litt. Anglo-Norman, p. 268; Dugdale's Mon. Angl. vi. 284; Coxe's Cat. MSS. Coll. Aulisque Oxon.]
ROBERT of Cricklade, also called Canutus (fl. 1170), historical writer, is said to have been educated at Oxford (Leland), where he joined the canons of St. Frideswide. He became prior on the death of Gymundus, probably in 1141 (Wigram, Cartulary of St. Frideswide, vol. i. p. xiii). In 1157 he visited Italy, and while there obtained from Adrian IV a charter (27 Feb. 1187–8) confirming previous papal grants to him as prior and to the canons (Wigram, Cartulary of St. Frideswide, i. 27 sqq.; Thomas Saga, ii.
