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fort, turn our Misfortunes to our Advantage, make them meritorious, or at leaft wipe out our Offences; let us receive without Murmuring what comes from the Hand of God, and let us not oppose our Will to his. Adieu. I give you Advice which could I myself follow, I fhould be happy.

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LETTER II.

HELOISE to ABELARD.

The foregoing Letter would probably not have produced any others, if it had been delivered to the Perfon to whom it was directed; but falling by Accident into Heloife's Hands, who knew the Character, she opened it, and read it; and, by that means, her former. Paffion being awakened, she immediately set herself to write to her Husband, as follows.

*To her Lord, her Father, her Husband, her Brother; bis Servant, bis Child, his Wife, his Sifter, and to exprefs all that is Humble, Refpe&ful, and Loving, to her Abelard Heloife writes this.

A

Confolatory Letter of yours to a Friend, happened fome Days fince to fall into my Hands; my Knowledge of the Character, and my Love of the **Hand, foon gave me the Curiofity to open it In Juftification of the Liberty I took, I flattered myself I might claim a Sovereign Privilege

:

*Domino fuo, imo Patri; Conjugi fuo, ime fratri; Ancilla fua, imo filia; ipfius Uxor, imo Soror; Abelardo Heloiffa, &c. Abel. Oper,

Over

Nor

over every Thing which came from you: was I fcrupulous to break through the Rules of good Breeding, when it was to hear News of Abelard: But how dear did my Curiofity cost me? What Disturbance did it occafion? And how was I furprized to find the whole Letter filled with a particular and melancholy Account of our Misfortunes? I met with my Name a hundred Times; I never faw it without Fear; fome heavy Calamity always followed it: I faw yours too, equally unhappy. Thefe mournful, but dear Remembrances, put my Spirits into fuch a violent Motion, that I thought it was too much to offer Comfort to a Friend for a few flight Difgraces, by fuch extraordinary Means as the Representation of our Sufferings and Revolutions. What Reflections did I not make? I began to confider the whole afresh, and perceived myfelf preffed with the fame Weight of Grief as when we firft began to be miferable. Though Length of Time ought to have closed up my Wounds, yet the feeing them defcribed by your Hand was fufficient to make them all open and bleed afresh. Nothing can ever blot from my Memory what you have fuffered in Defence of your Writings. I cannot help thinking of the rancorous Malice of Alberic and Lotulf. A cruel Uncle, and an injured Lover, will be always prefent to my aking Sight. I fhall never forget what Enemies your Learning, and what Envy your Glory raised against you. I fhall never forget

your

your Reputation, fo juftly acquired, torn to pieces, and blasted by the inexorable Cruelty of halflearned Pretenders to Science. Was not your

Treatife of Divinity condemned to be burnt? Were you not threatned with perpetual Imprifonment? In vain you urged in your Defence, that your Enemies impofed on you Opinions quite different from your Meaning: In vain you condemned those Opinions; all was of no Effect towards your Juftification; 'twas refolved you should be a Heretick. What did not thofe two false Prophets accufe you of, who declaimed fo feverely against you before the Council of Sens? What Scandals were vented on occafion of the Name Paraclete given to your Chapel? What a Storm was raised against you by the treacherous Monks, when you did them the Honour to be called their Brother? This Hiftory of our numerous Misfortunes, related in fo true and moving a Manner, made my Heart bleed within me: My Tears, which I could not reftrain, have blotted half your Letter; I wish they had effaced the whole, and that I had returned it to you in that Condition: I fhould then have been satisfied with the little Time I kept it; but it was demanded of me too foon.

I must confefs I was much easier in my Mind before I read your Letter. Sure all the Misfortunes of Lovers are conveyed to them through their Eyes. Upon reading your Letter, I felt all

* St. Bernard and St. Norbet.

mine

mine renewed. I reproached myfelf for having been fo long without venting my Sorrows, when the Rage of our unrelenting Enemies ftill burns with the fame Fury. Since Length of Time, which difarms the strongest Hatred, feems but to aggravate theirs; fince it is decreed that your Virtue fhail be perfecuted 'till it takes refuge in the Grave, and even beyond that, your Afhes perhaps will not be fuffered to reft in Peace; Let me always meditate on your Calamities, let me publish them through all the World, if possible, to shame an Age that has not known how to value you. I will spare no one, fince no one would intereft himfelf to protect you, and your Enemies are never weary of oppreffing your Innocence. Alas! my Memory is perpetually filled with bitter Remembrances of paft Evils, and are there more to be feared ftill? Shall my Abelard be never mentioned without Tears? Shall the dear Name be never spoken but with Sighs? Obferve, I beseech you, to what a wretched Condition you have reduced me: Sad, affli&ed, without any poffible Comfort, unless it proceed from you. Be not then unkind, nor deny me, I beg you, that little Relief which you only can give. Let me have a faithful Account of all that concerns you. I would know every Thing, be it ever fo unfortunate. Perhaps, by mingling my Sighs with yours, I may make your Sufferings lefs; if that Obfervation be true, that all Sorrows divided are made lighter,

Tell

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