Letters of Abelard and Heloise Part 2

That the curious reader may have a complete knowledge of this matter, I shall here give an account of that pretended heresy which was imputed to _Abelard_. The occasion of his writing this book was, that his scholars demanded * philosophical arguments on that subject; often urging that it was impossible to believe what was not understood; that it was to abuse the world, to preach a doctrine equally unintelligible to the speaker and auditor; and that it was for the blind to lead the blind. These young men were certainly inclined to Sabellinism. _Abelard's_ enemies however did not accuse him of falling into this, but another heresy as bad, Tritheism; though indeed he was equally free from both: he explained the unity of the G.o.dhead by comparisons drawn from human things but according to a pa.s.sage of St. Bernard**, one of his greatest enemies, he seemed to hold, that no one ought to believe what he could not give a reason for. However _Abelard's_ treatise upon this subject pleased every one except those of his own profession, who, stung with envy that he should find out explanations which they could not have thought of, raised such a cry of heresy upon him, that he and some of his scholars had like to have been stoned by the mob***.

By their powerful cabals they prevailed with Conan bishop of Preneste, the Pope's legate, who was president of the council, to condemn his book, pretending that he a.s.serted three G.o.ds, which they might easily suggest, when he was suffered to make no defence. 'Tis certain he was very orthodox in the doctrine of the Trinity; and all this process against him was only occasioned by the malice of his enemies. His logical comparison (and logic was his masterpiece) proved rather the three Divine Persons One, than multiplied the Divine Nature into Three. His comparison is, that as the three proportions * in a syllogism are but one truth, so the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, are but one Essence; and it is certain the inconveniences which may be drawn from this parallel are not more than what may be drawn from the comparison of the three dimensions of solids, so much insisted on by the famous orthodox mathematician Dr. Wallis of England. But great numbers of pious and learned divines, who have not been over-subtile in politics, have been persecuted and condemned as well as _Abelard_ by the ignorance and malice of their brethren.

* _Humanas & philosophicas rationes requirebant & plus quae inteligi, quam quae dici poffenter, efflagitabant._ Abel Op.

** _Benardi Epist._ 190.

*** _Ita me in clero & populo diffamaverunt, ut pene me populos paucosque qui advenerant ex discipulis nostris prima die nostri anventus lapidarent; dicentes me tres Deos praedicare & scripsisse, sicut ipsis persuasum fuerat._ Abel Oper. p. 20.

* _Sicut eadem oratio est, propositio, a.s.sumptio & conuclusio, ita eadem Essentia est Pater, Filius, and Spiritus Sanctis._ Ibid.

A little after his condemnation, _Abelard_ was ordered to return to St. Dennis. The liberty he had taken to censure the vicious lives of the monks had raised him a great many enemies. Amongst these was St. Bernard, not upon the same motives as those monks, but because _Abelard's_ great wit, joined with so loose and sensual a life, gave him jealousy, who thought it impossible the heart should be defiled without the head being likewise tainted.

Scarce had he returned to St. Dennis, when one day he dropped some words, intimating he did not believe that the St. Dennis their patron was the Areopagite mentioned in the Scripture, there being no probability that he ever was in France. This was immediately carried to the Abbot, who was full of joy, that he had now a handle to heighten the accusations of heresy against him with some crime against the state; a method frequently used by this sort of gentlemen to make sure their revenge. In those times, too, the contradicting the notions of the monks was enough to prove a man an atheist, heretic, rebel, or any thing; learning signified nothing. If any one of a clearer head and larger capacity had the misfortune to be suspected of novelty, there was no way to avoid the general persecution of the monks but voluntarily banis.h.i.+ng himself. The Abbot immediately a.s.sembled all the house, and declared he would deliver up to the secular power a person who had dared to reflect upon the honour of the kingdom and of the crown. _Abelard_ very rightly judging that such threatenings were not to be despised, fled by night to Champaign, to a cloister of the monks of Troies, and there patiently waited till the storm should be over. After the death of this Abbot, which, very luckily for him happened soon after his flight, he obtained leave to live where he pleased, though it was not without using some cunning. He knew the monks of so rich a house had fallen into great excesses, and were very obnoxious to the court, who would not fail to make their profit of it: he therefore procured it should be represented to his council as very disadvantageous to his Majesty's interest, that a person who was continually censuring the lives of his brethren should continue any longer with them. This was immediately understood, and orders given to some great men at court to demand of the Abbot and monks why they kept a person in their house whose conduct was so disagreeable to them; and, far from being an ornament to the society, was a continual vexation, by publis.h.i.+ng their faults? This being very opportunely moved to the new Abbot, he gave _Abelard_ leave to retire to what cloister he pleased.

_Abelard_, who indeed had all the qualities which make a great man, could not however bear, without repining, the numerous misfortunes with which he saw himself embarra.s.sed, and had frequent thoughts of publis.h.i.+ng a manifesto to justify himself from the scandalous imputations his enemies had laid upon him and to undeceive those whom their malice had prejudiced against him. But upon cooler thought he determined, that it was better to say nothing and to shew them by his silence how unworthy he thought them of his anger. Thus being rather enraged than troubled at the injuries he had suffered, he resolved to found a new society, consisting chiefly of monks. To this purpose he chose a solitude in the diocese of Troies, and upon some ground which was given by permission of the Bishop, he built a little house and a chapel, which he dedicated to the most Holy Trinity.

Men of learning were then scarce, and the desire of science was beginning to spread itself. Our exile was inquired after and found; scholars crowded to him from all parts: they built little huts, and were very liberal to their master for his lectures; content to live on herbs, and roots, and water, that they might have the advantage of learning from so extraordinary a man; and with great zeal they enlarged the chapel building that and their professor's house with wood and stone.

Upon this occasion _Abelard_, to continue the memory of the comfort he had received in this desart, dedicated his new built chapel to the Holy Ghost, by the name of the Paraclete, or Comforter.

The envy of Alberic and Lotulf, which had long since persecuted him, was strangely revived, upon seeing so many scholars flock to him from all parts, notwithstanding the inconvenience of the place, and in contempt of the masters who might so commodiously be found in the towns and cities.

They now more than ever sought occasion to trouble him; the name of Paraclete furnished them with one. They gave out that this novelty was a consequence of his former heresy, and that it was no more lawful to dedicate churches to the Holy Ghost than to G.o.d the Father: that this t.i.tle was a subtile art of instilling that poison which he durst not spread openly, and a consequence of his heretical doctrine which had been condemned already by a council. This report raised a great clamour among numbers of people, whom his enemies employed on all sides. But the persecution grew more terrible when St. Bernard and St. Norbet declared against him; two great zealots, fired with the spirit of Reformation, and who declared themselves restorers of the primitive discipline, and had wonderfully gained upon the affections of the populace. They spread such scandal against him that they prejudiced his princ.i.p.al friends, and forced those who still loved him not to shew it any ways; and upon these accounts made his life so bitter to him that he was upon the point of leaving Christendom*. But his unhappiness would not let him do a thing which might have procur'd his ease; but made him still continue with Christians, and with monks (as himself expresses it) worse than Heathens**.

* _Saepe autem (Deus scit) in tantam lapsus sum desperationem ut Christianorum finibus excessis, ad Gentes transire disponerem, atque ibi quiete sub quacunque tributi pactione inter inimicos Christi christiane vivere._ Abel Op. p. 32.

** _Incedi in Christianos atque monachos Gentibus longe saeviores atque pejores._ Abel Op. p. 20.

The Duke of Britany, informed of his misfortunes, and of the barbarity of his enemies, named him to the abbey of St. Gildas, in the diocese of Vannes, at the desire of the monks who had already elected him for their superior. Here he thought he had found a refuge from the rage of his enemies, but in reality he had only changed one trouble for another. The profligate lives of the monks, and the arbitrariness of a lord, who had deprived them of the greater part of their revenues, so that they were obliged to maintain their mistresses and children at their own private expence, occasioned him a thousand vexations and dangers. They several times endeavoured to poison him in his ordinary diet, but proving unsuccessful that way, they cried to do it in the holy sacrament. Excommunications, with which he threatened the most mutinous, did not abate the disorder. He now feared the poniard more than poison, and compared his case to his whom the tyrant of Saracuse caused to be seated at his table, with a sword hanging over him, fastened only by a thread.

Whilst _Abelard_ thus suffered in his abbey by his monks, the nuns of Argenteuil, of whom _Heloise_ was prioress, grew so licentious, that Sugger, abbot of Dennis, taking advantage of their irregularities, got possession of their monastery. He sent the original writings to Rome; and having obtained the answer he desired, he expelled the nuns, and established in their place monks of his order.

Some censorious people upon reading this pa.s.sage, will be apt to entertain strong suspicions of _Heloise_, and judge it probable that a governor does not behave well when dissoluteness is known to reign in the society. I have never read that she was included by name in the general scandal of the society, and therefore am cautious not to bring any accusations against her. Our Saviour says, _No one hath condemned thee, neither do I condemn thee._

_Heloise_, at her departure from the convent of Argenteuil, applied to her husband; who by permission of the Bishop Troies, gave her the house and chapel of the _Paraclete_, with its appendages; and placing there some nuns, founded a nunnery. Pope Innocent II. confirmed this donation in the year 1131. This is the origin of the abbey of the _Paraclete_, of which _Heloise_ was the first abbess. Whatever her conduct was among the licentious nuns of Argenteuil, it is certain she lived so regular in this her new and last retreat, and behaved herself with that prudence, zeal, and piety, that she won the hearts of all the world, and in a small time had abundance of donations. _Abelard_ himself says she had more in one year than he could have expected all his life, had he lived there. The bishops loved her as their child, the abbesses as their sister, and the world as their mother. It must be owned some women have had wonderful talents for exciting Christian charity.

The abbesses which succeeded _Heloise_ have often been of the greatest families in the kingdom. There is a list of them in the _Notes_ of _Andrew du Chene_ upon _Abelard's_ works, from the time of the foundation in 1130, to 1615; but he has not thought fit to take notice of Jane Cabot, who died the 25th of June 1593, and professed the Protestant religion, yet without marrying, or quitting her habit, though she was driven from her abbey.

After _Abelard_ had settled _Heloise_ here, he made frequent journies from Britany to Champaign, to take care of the interest of this rising house, and to ease himself from the vexations of his own abbey. But slander so perpetually followed this unhappy man, that though his present condition was universally known, he was reproached with a remaining voluptuous pa.s.sion for his former mistress. He complains of his hard usage in one of his Letters; but comforts himself by the example of St. Jerom, whose friends.h.i.+p with Paula occasioned scandal too; and therefore he entirely confuted this calumny, by remarking that even the most jealous commit their wives to the custody of eunuchs.

The thing which gives the greatest handle to suspect _Heloise's_ prudence, and that _Abelard_ did not think himself safe with her, is his making a resolution to separate himself forever from her.

During his being employed in establis.h.i.+ng this new nunnery, and in ordering their affairs, as well temporal as spiritual, he was diligent in persuading her, by frequent and pious admonitions, to such a separation; and insisted, that in order to make their retirement and penitence more profitable, it was absolutely necessary they should seriously endeavour to forget each other, and for the future think on nothing but G.o.d. When he had given her directions for her own conduct, and rules for the management of the nuns, he took his last leave of her and returned to his abbey in Britany where he continued a long time without her hearing any mention of him.

By chance, a letter he wrote to one of his friends, to comfort him under some disgrace, wherein he had given him a long account of all the persecutions he himself had suffered, fell into Heloise's hands. She knew by the superscription from whom it came, and her curiosity made her open it. The reading the particulars of a story she was so much concerned in renewed all her pa.s.sion, and she hence took an occasion to write to him, complaining of his long silence.

_Abelard_ could not forbear answering her. This occasioned the several Letters between them which follow this History; and in these we may observe how high a woman is capable of railing the sentiments of her heart when possessed of a great deal of wit and learning, at well as a most violent love.

I shall not tire the reader with any farther reflections on the Letters of those two lovers, but leave them entirely to his own judgment; only remarking, that he ought not to be surprised to find _Heloise's_ more tender, pa.s.sionate, and expressive, than those of _Abelard_. She was younger and consequently more ardent than he. The sad condition he was in had not altered her love. Besides, she retired only in complaisance to a man she blindly yielded to; and resolving to preserve her fidelity inviolable, she strove to conquer her desires, and make a virtue of necessity. But the weakness of her s.e.x continually returned, and she felt the force of love in spite of all resistance. It was not the same with _Abelard_; for though it was a mistake to think, that by not being in a condition of satisfying his pa.s.sion, he was as _Heloise_ imagined, wholly delivered from the thorn of sensuality; yet he was truly sorry for the disorders of his past life, he was sincerely penitent, and therefore his Letters are less violent and pa.s.sionate than those of _Heloise_.

About ten years after _Abelard_ had retired to his abbey, where study was his chief business, his enemies, who had resolved to persecute him to the last, were careful not to let him enjoy the ease of retirement. They thought he was not sufficiently plagued with his monks, and therefore brought a new process of heresy against him before the Archbishop of Sens. He desired he might have the liberty of defending his doctrine before a public a.s.sembly, and it was granted him. Upon this account the Council of Sens was a.s.sembled, in which Louis the VII, a.s.sisted in person, in the year 1140. St.

Bernard was the accuser, and delivered to the a.s.sembly some propositions drawn from _Abelard's_ book, which were read in the Council. This accusation gave _Abelard_ such fears, and was managed with such inveterate malice by his enemies, and with such great unfairness, in drawing consequences he never thought of, that, imagining he had friends at Rome who would protect his innocence, he made an appeal to the Pope. The Council notwithstanding his appeal, condemned his book, but did not meddle with his person; and gave an account of the whole proceeding to Pope Innocent II. praying him to confirm their sentence. St. Bernard had been so early in prepossessing the Pontiff, that he got the sentence confirmed before _Abelard_ heard any thing of it, or had any time to present himself before the tribunal to which he had appealed. His Holiness ordered besides, that _Abelard's_ books should be burnt, himself confined, and for ever prohibited from teaching.

This pa.s.sage of St. Bernard's life is not much for the honour of his memory: and whether he took the trouble himself to extract the condemned propositions from _Abelard's_ works, or intrusted it to another hand, it is certain the paper he gave in contained many things which _Abelard_ never wrote, and others which he did not mean in the same sense imputed to him.

When a few particular expressions are urged too rigidly, and unthought of consequences drawn from some a.s.sertions, and no regard is had to the general intent and scope of an author, it is no difficult matter to find errors in any book. For this reason, Beranger of Poitiers, _Abelard's_ scholar defended his master against St. Bernard, telling him he ought not to persecute others, whose own writings were not exempt from errors; demonstrating, that he himself had advanced a position which he would not have failed to have inserted in this extract as a monstrous doctrine, if he had found them in the writings of _Abelard_.

Some time after _Abelard's_ condemnation, the Pope was appeased at the solicitation of the Abbot of Clugni, who received this unfortunate gentleman into his monastery with great humanity, reconciled him with St. Bernard, and admitted him to be a Religious of his society.

This was _Abelard's_ last retirement, in which he found all manner of kindness; he read lectures to the monks, and was equally humble and laborious. At last growing weak, and afflicted with a complication of diseases, he was sent to the priory of St. Marcel upon the Saone, near Chalons, a very agreeable place, where he died the 21st of April 1142, in the 63d year of his age. His corpse was sent to the chapel of _Paraclete_, to _Heloise_, to be interred, according to her former request of him, and to his own desire. The Abbot of Clugni, when he sent the body to _Heloise_ according to the custom of those times, sent with it an absolution, to be fixed, together with his epitaph, on his grave-stone, which absolution was at follows:

"I Peter, Abbot of Clugni, having received Father _Abelard_ into the number of my Religions, and given leave that his body be privately conveyed to the abbey of the Paraclete, to be disposed of by _Heloise_ Abbess of the same abbey; do, by the authority of G.o.d and all the saints, absolve the said _Abelard_ from all his sins*."

* _Ego Petrus Cluniacensis Abbas, qui Pet. Abselardum in monac.u.m Cluniacensem recepi, & corpus ejus surtim delatum Heloissa abbatissae & monialibus Paracleti concessi, authoritate omnipotentis Dei & omnium sanctorum, absolvo eum pro officio ab omnibus peccatis suis._

_Heloise_, who survived him twenty years, had all the leisure that could be to effect the cure of her unhappy pa.s.sion. Alas! she was very long about it! she pa.s.sed the rest of her days like a religions and devout Abbess, frequent in prayers, and entirely employed in the regulation of her society. She loved study; and being a mistress of the learned languages, the Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, she was esteemed a miracle of learning.

_Abelard_, in a letter he wrote to the Religious of his new house, says expressly, that _Heloise_ understood these three languages. The Abbot of Clugni, likewise, in a letter he wrote to her, tells her, she excelled in learning not only all her s.e.x, but the greatest part of men**. And in the calendar of the house of the Paraclete she is recorded in these words: _Heloise, mother and first abbess of this place, famous for her learning and religion._ I must not here pa.s.s by a custom the Religious of the _Paraclete_ now have to commemorate how learned their first Abbess was in the Greek, which is, that every year, on the day of Pentecost, they perform divine service in the Greek tongue. What a ridiculous vanity!

** _Studio tuo & mulieres omnes eviciti, & pene viros universos suparasti._ Abel Op.

Francis d'Amboise tells us how subtilely one day she satisfied St. Bernard, upon asking her, why in her abbey, when they recited the Lord's Prayer, they did not say, _Give us this day our_ Daily _bread_, but _Give us this day our_ Supersubstantial _bread_, by an argument drawn from the originals, affirming we ought to follow the Greek version of the gospel of St. _Matthew_ wrote in _Hebrew_. Without doubt, it was not a little surprising to St. Bernard, to hear a woman oppose him in a controversy, by citing a _Greek_ text. 'Tis true, some authors say, _Abelard_ made this answer to St. Bernard, after hearing from _Heloise_ that objections were made to that form of prayer. However the case was, a woman with a small competency of learning might in those time pa.s.s for a miracle; and though she might not equal those descriptions which have been given of her, yet she may deservedly be placed in the rank of women of the greatest learning. Nor was she less remarkable for her piety, patience, and resignation, during her sicknesses in the latter part of her life.

She died the 17th of May 1163. 'Tis said she desired to be buried in the same tomb with her _Abelard_, though that probably was not executed. Francis d'Amboise says, he saw at the convent the tombs of the founder and foundress near together. However a ma.n.u.script of Tours gives us an account of an extraordinary miracle which happened when _Abelard's_ grave was opened for _Heloise's_ body, namely that _Abelard_ stretched out his arms to receive her, and embraced her closely, though there were twenty good years pa.s.sed since he died. But that is a small matter to a writer of miracles.

I shall conclude this history with an epitaph on _Abelard_, which the Abbot of Clugni sent _Heloise_, and which is now to be read on his tomb; it hath nothing in it delicate either for thought or language, and will scarcely bear a translation. It is only added here for the sake of the curious, and as an instance of the respect paid to the memory of so great a man, and one whom envy had loaded with the greatest defamations.

"Petrus in hac petra lat.i.tat, quem mundus Homerum Clamabat, fed jam sidera sidus habent.

Sol erat hic Gallis, sed eum jam fata tulerunt: Ergo caret Regio Gallica sole suo.

Ille sciens quid quid fuit ulli scibile, vicit Artifices, artes absque docente docens.

Undecimae Maij petrum rapuere Calendae, Privantes Logices atria Rege fuo.

Est fatis, in tumulo Petrus hic jacit Abaelardus, Cui soli patuit scibile quid quid erat.

Gallorum Socrates, Plato maximus Hesperianum Noster Aristoteles, Logicis (quic.u.mque fuerunt) Aut par aut melior; studioium cognitus...o...b.. Princeps, ingeuio varius, subtilius & acer, Omnia vi superans rationis & arte loquendi, Abaelardus erat. Sed nunc magis omnia vincit.

c.u.m Cluniacensem monac.u.m, moremque professus, Ad Christi veram transivit philosophiam, In qua longaevae bene complens ultima vitae, Philosophis quandoque bonis se connumerandum Spem dedit, undenas Maio renovante Calendas."

LETTERS of ABELARD and HELOISE.

LETTER I.

_ABELARD to PHILINTUS._