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a Wife? Jeek not a wife? If neither this great Man, nor the Fathers of the Church, can make confider at least what

you change your Refolution, your Philofophers fay of it. Socrates has proved, by many Arguments, that a Wife Man ought not to marry. Tully put away his Wife Terentia; and when Hircius offered him his Sifter in Marriage, he told him he defired to be excufed, because he could never bring himself to divide his Thoughts between his Books and his Wife. In fhort, faid fhe, how can the Study of Divinity and Philosophy comport with the cries of Children, the Songs of Nuries, and all the Hurry of a Family? What an odd fight will it be, to fee Maids and Scholars, Defks and Cradles, Books and Diftaffs, Pens and Spindles one among another? Thofe who are Rich are never difturb'd with the Care and Charges of Housekeeping. But with you Scholars it is far otherwise. He that will get an Eflate muft mind the Affairs of the World, and confequently is taken off from the ftudy of Divinity and Philofophy. Obferve the Conduct of the Wife Pagans in this Point, who preferr'd a fingle Life before Marriage, and be afham'd that you cannot come up to them. Be more careful to maintain the Character and Dignity of a Philofopher. Don't you know that there is no Action of Life which draws after it

*Heloia debortebat me a nuptiis. Nuptiæ ponconveniunt cum philofophia, &c, Oper. Abel, p. 14.

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so sure and long a Repentance, and to fo little Purpofe? You fancy to yourself the Enjoyments you fhall have in being bound to me by a Bond which nothing but Death can break: But know, there is no fuch thing as fweet Chains; and there is a thousand times more Glory, Honour, and Pleafure in keeping firm to a Union which Love alone has established, which is fupported by mutual Efteem and Merit, and which owes its continuance to nothing but the Satisfaction of seeing each other free. Shall the Laws and Customs which the grofs and carnal World has invented, hold us together more furely than the Bonds of mutual Affection? Take my word for it, you'll fee me too often, when you see me every Day: you'll have no Value for my Love nor Favours, when they are due to you, and coft you no Care. Perhaps you don't think of all this at prefent; bnt you'll think of nothing else when it will be too late. I don't take notice what the World will fay, to see a Man in your Circumftances get him a Wife, and fo throw away your Reputation, your Fortune, and your Quiet. In short, continued fhe, the Quality of Mistress is a hundred times more pleafing to me, than that of Wife. Custom indeed has given a Dignity to this latter Name, and we are impofed upon by it; but Heaven is my Witness, I had rather be Abelard's Miftrefs, than lawful Wife to the Emperor of the whole World. I am very fure I fhall always prefer your Advantage and Satisfaction, before my

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own Honour, and all the Reputation, Wealth, and Enjoyments, which the most splendid Marriage could bring me. Thus Heloife argued, and added a great many more Reasons which I forbear to relate, left I should tire my Reader. It is enough for him to know, that they are chiefly grounded upon her Preference of Love to Marriage, and Liberty to Neceffity.

We might therefore fuppofe that Heloife was afraid left Marriage fhould prove the Tomb of Love. The Count de Bufi, who paffes for the. Tranflator of fome of her Letters, makes this to be her Meaning, though cloathed in delicate Language. But if we examine those which she writ to Abelard after their Separation, and the Expreffions. fhe uses to put him in Mind, that he was indebted. for the Paffion fhe had for him to nothing but Love: itself, we muft allow that he had more refined Notions, and that never Woman was fo difinterefted. She loved Abelard, 'tis true; but he declared, it was not his Sex that the most valued in. him.

Some Authors * are of Opinion, that it was not an Excefs of Love which made Abelard prefs Heloife to Marriage, but only to quiet his Confcience Bur how can any one tell his Reafons for Marriage, better than he himself? Others fay t. that if Heloife did really oppofe Abelara's Defign of

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Moreri Dia.

Fran. d'Amboise.

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marrying her fo earnestly, it was not because the thought better of Concubinage than a married Life; but because her Affection and Refpect for her Lover, leading her to feek his Honour and Advantage in all Things, fhe was afraid that by marrying him, fhe fhould fland between him and a Bishoprick, which fhe thought his Wit and Learning well deserved. But there is no fuch thing in her Letters, nor in the long Account which Abelard has left us of the Arguments which his Miftrefs ufed to diffuade him from Marriage. Thefe are. the Faults of many Authors, who put fuch Words in the Mouths of Perfons, as are most conformable to their own Ideas. It is often more advantageous that a Woman fhould leave her Lover free for Church-Dignities, than render him incapable of them by Marriage. But is it just therefore to fuppofe, that Helo:fe had any fuch Motives? There is indeed a known Story of a Man that was poffeffed of a Prebend, and quitted it for a Wife. The Day after the Wedding, he faid to his Bride, My Dear, confider how paffionately I loved you, fince 1 loft my Preferment to marry you. You have done a very foolish thing, faid fhe; you might have kept that, and have had me notwithstanding.

But to return to our Lovers. A modern Author, who well understood human Nature, has affirm'd; † That Women by the Favours they grant to

†M. de la Bruyere.

Men

Men grow the fonder of them; but, on the contrary, the Men grow more indifferent. This is not always true. Abelard was not the lefs enamour'd with Heloife, after fhe had given him the utmoft Proofs of her Love; and their Familiarity was fo far from having abated his Flame, that it seems all the Elo. quence of Heloife could not perfuade Abelard, that he wrong'd himself in thinking to marry her. He admir'd the Wit, the Paffion, and the Ingenuity of his Mitrefs; but in these things he did not come fhort of her: He knew fo well how to represent to her the neceffity of Marriage, the Difcourfe which he had about it with Fulbert, his Rage if they declin'd it, and how dangerous it might be to both of them, that at laft fhe confented to do whatever he pleas'd: but ftill with an inconceivable Reluctance, which fhew'd that the yielded for no other Reafon, but the fear of difobliging him.

Abelard was willing to be near his Mistress till fhe was brought to Bed, which in a fhort time fhe was of a Boy. As foon as Heloife was fit to go Abroad, Abelard carried her to Paris, where they were married in the most private manner that could be, having no other Company but Fulbert, and two or three particular Friends. However, the Wedding quickly came to be known. The News of it was already whisper'd about; People foon began to talk of it more openly, till at last they mention'd it to the married Pair. Fulbert, who was lefs concern'd to keep his Word, than to cover C

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