and therefore questionless her Sorrows were sufficiently known to him, and it would be no News to tell the Husband that his Wife was in the utmost Afliction for him. For as we obferved before, tho she was in a Convent, she had not renounced her Husband, and those frequent Visits he made her were not spent in reading Homilies. But let us make an End of our Reflections on Foulques's curious Letter. Foulques, after advifing Abelard not to think of carrying the matter before the Pope, by assuring him that it required too great Expence to obtain any Satisfaction at that Court, concludes all with this last Motive of Conso'ation, that the imagined Happiness he had lost was always accompanied with abundance of Vexation, but if he persevered in his Spirit of Refignation, he would without coubt at the last Day obtain that Juftice he had now failed of. 'Tis great Pity we have not Abelard's Answer to this delicate Letter, the Matter then would look like one of Job's Dialogues with his Friends. Abelard would generally have enough to reply, and Foulques would often be but a forry Comforter. However it is certain this Letter was of fome Weight with Abelard, for we find afterwards he never thought of making a Voyage to Rome. Resolved to bear his Calamity patiently, he left to God the avenging of the cruel and shameful Abuse he had fuffered.

But let us return to Heloise. "Tis probable her Friends of the Convent of Argenteuil conceal'd fo

heavy a Misfortune from her for fome Time; but at last she heard the fatal News: Though the Rage and Fury of her Uncle threatened her long since with some Punishment, yet could she never fuspect any thing of this Nature. It will be faying too little to tell the Reader she felt all the Shame and Sorrow that is poffible. She only can express those violent Emotions of her Soul upon so severe an Occafion.

In all Probability this Misfortune of Abelard would have been a thorough Cure of her Paffion, if we might argue from like Cases: but there is no Rule so general as not to admit of some Exceрtions; and Heloise's Love upon this severe Tryal proved like Queen Stratonice's, who was not less passionate for her Favourite Combabus, when she difcover'd his Impotence, than she had been before.

Shame and Sorrow had no less seized Abelard than Heloise, nor dared he ever after appear in the World. So that he resolved, immediately upon his Cure, to banish himself from the fight of Men, and hide himself in the Darkness of a Monaftick Life; avoiding all Conversation with any kind of Persons excepting his dear Heloise, by whose Company he endeavoured to comfort himself; But she at last refolved to follow his Example, and continue for ever in the Convent of Argenteuil where the was. Abelard himself confesses that Shame, rather than Devotion, had made him take the Habit of a Monk; and that it was Jealousy, more than Love, which which engaged him to perfuade Heloise to be Pro fefs'd before he had made his Vow. The Letters which follow this History will inform us after what Manner and with what Resolution they separated. Heloise in the Twenty Second Year of her Age generously quitted the World, and renounced all those Pleasures she might reasonably have promis'd herself; to Sacrifice herself entirely to the Fidelity and Obedience she owed her Husband, and to procure him that Ease of Mind which he said he could no other ways hope for.

Time making Abelard's Misfortune familiar to him, he now entertained Thoughts of Ambition, and of supporting the Reputation he had gained of the most learned Man of the Age. He began with explaining the Acts of the Apofiles to the Monks of the Monastery of St. Dennis to which he had retired; but the Disorders of the Abby, and the Debauches of the Abbot, which, equally with his Dignity, were superior to those of the simple Monks, quickly drove him thence. He had made himself uneasy to them, by cenfaring their Irregularity. They were glad to part with him, and he to leave them.

As foon as he had obtained leave of the Abbot, he retired to Thibaud in Champain, where he fet up a School; perfuading himself that his Reputation would bring him a great number of Scholars. And indeed they flock'd to him, not only from the most distant Provinces of France, but also from Rome, Rome, Spain, England and Germany, in such Numbers that the Towns could not provide Accommodation, nor the Country Provifions enough for them *. But Abelard did not foresee that this Success and Reputation would at the fame time ocсаfion him new Troubles. He had made himself two confiderable Enemies at Laon, Alberick of Rheims, and Lotulf of Lombardy, who, as soon as they perceived how prejudicial his Reputation was to their Schools, fought all Occafions to ruin him: and thought they had a lucky Handle to do fo from a Book of his entitled The Mystery of the Trinity; this they pretended was Heretical, and through the Archbishop's Means they procured a Council at Soissons in the Year 1121; and without suffering Abelard to make any Defence, ordered his Book to be burnt by his own Hands, and him--felf to be confined to the Convent of St. Medard. This Sentence gave him such Grief, that he says himself the unhappy Fate of his Writings touched him more sensibly than the Misfortune he had fuffer'd thro' Fulbert's Means. Nor was it only his Fatherly Concern for his own Productions, but the indelible Mark of Heresy which by this Means was fixed on him, which so exceedingly troubled him.

* That the curious Reader may have a compleat Knowledge of this Matter, I shall here give an

Account

4

* Ad quas Scholas tanta Scholarium multitudo confluxit, ut nes Locus Hofpitiis, nec terra fufficeret Alimentis. Abel. Oper. p. 194

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 Godhead by Comparisons drawn from Human Things, but according to a Passage 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.

† Humanas & philosophicas rationes requirebant, & plus quæ intelligi, quam quæ dici poffent efflagitabant. Abel. Op.

* Bernardi Epift. 190.

+ Ita me in Clero & Populo diffamaverunt, ut penè me populos paucosque qui advenerant ex Discipulis noftris prima Die noftri adventus lapidarent; dicentes me tres Deos prædicare & fcripfiffe, ficut ipfis perfuafum fuerat. Abel. Op. p. 20.