and which is now to be read on his Tomb; it hath nothing in it delicate either for Thought or Language, and will fcarcely bear a Tranflation. It is only added here for the fake of the Curious, and as an Inftance of the Refpe&t paid to the Memory of fo great a Man, and one whom Envy had loaded with the greatest Defamations. P ETRUS in hac petra latitat, quem mundus Clamabat, fed jam fidera fidus habent. Sol erat hic Gallis, fed eum jam fata tulerunt: Artifices, artes abfque docente docens. Ef fatis, in tumulo Petrus hic jacit Abelardus, G Allorum Socrates, Plato maximus Hefperiarum Aut par aut melior; ftudiorum cognitus Orbi LETTERS OF ABELARD and HELOISE. It may be LETTER I. ABELARD to PHILINTUS. proper to acquaint the Reader that the following Letter was written by Abelard to a Friend to comfort him under fome Afflictions which had befallen him, by a Recital of his own Sufferings, which had been much heavier. It contains a particular Account of his Amour with Heloife, and the unhappy Confequences of it. This Letter was written several Years after Abelard's Separation from Heloife. T HE laft time we were together, Philintus, you gave me a melancholy Account of your Misfortunes; I was fenfibly touched with the Relation, and like a true Friend bore a Share in your Griefs. What did I not say to stop your Tears? E Ι I laid before you all the Reasons Philosophy could * furnish, which I thought might any ways soften the Strokes of Fortune: But all these Endeavours have proved ufelefs: Grief I perceive has wholly feized your Spirits; and your Prudence, far from affifting, feems quite to have forfaken you. But my fkilful Friendship has found out an Expedient to relieve you. Attend to me a Moment, hear but the Story of my Misfortunes; and yours, Philintus, will be nothing, if you compare them with thofe of the loving and unhappy Abelard. Obferve, I beseech you, at what Expence I endeavour to ferve you; and think this no fmall Mark of my Affection; for I am going to prefent you with the Relation of fuch Particulars as it is impoffible for me to recollect without piercing my Heart with the most fenfible Affliction. You know the Place where I was born, but not perhaps that I was born with those complexional Faults which Strangers charge upon our Nation, an extreme Lightness of Temper, and great Inconftancy. I frankly own it, and shall be as free to acquaint you with those good Qualities which were observed in me. I had a natural Vivacity and Aptnefs for all the polite Arts. My Father was a Gentleman, and a Man of good Parts; he loved the Wars, but differ'd in his Sentiments from many who follow that Profeffion. He thought it no Praise to be illiterate; but in the Camp he knew how to converse at the fame time with the Mufes and Bellona. He was the fame in the Management of his Family, and took equal equal Care to form his Children to the Study of Polite Learning, as to their Military Exercifes. As I was his eldeft, and confequently his favourite Son, he took more than ordinary Care of my Education. I had a natural Genius to Study, and made an extraordinary Progrefs in it. Smitten with the Love of Books, and the Praifes which on all Sides were bestowed upon me, I afpired to no Reputation, but what proceeded from Learning. To my Brothers I left the Glory of Battels, and the Pomp of Triumphs; nay more, I yielded them up my Birthright and Patrimony. I knew Neceffity was the great Spur to Study, and was afraid I should not merit the Title of Learned, if I diftinguished myfelf from others by nothing but a more plentiful Fortune. Of all the Sciences, Logick was the moft to my Tafte. Such were the Arms I chose to profefs. Furnished with the Weapons of Reasoning, I took Pleasure in going to public Difputations, to win Trophies; and wherever I heard that this Art flourished, I ranged, like another Alexander, from Province to Province, to feek new Adverfaries, with whom I might try my Strength. The Ambition I had to become formidable in Logick led me at laft to Paris, the Center of Politehefs, and where the Science I was fo fmitten with, had ufually been in the greatest Perfection. I put myself under the Direction of one Champeaux a Profeffor, who had acquired the Character of the most fkilful Philofopher of his Age, by negative Excellen cies only, by being the leaft Ignorant. He received" me with great Demonstrations of Kindness, but I was not fo Happy as to please him long: I was too knowing in the Subjects he difcourfed upon; often confuted his Notions; often in our Difputations I pushed a good Argument so home, that all his Subtilty was not able to elude its Force. It was impoffible he should fee himfelf furpaffed by his Scholar without Refentment. It is fometinies dangerous to have too much Merit. Envy increased against me proportionably to my Reputation. My Enemies endeavoured to interrupt my Progrefs, but their Malice only provoked my Courage. And measuring my Abilities by the Jealoufy I had raifed, I thought I had no farther Occafion for Champeaux's Lectures, but rather that I was fufficiently qualified to read to others. I ftood for a Place which was Vacant at Melun. My Mafter used all his Artifice to defeat my Hopes, but in vain; and on this Occafion, I triumphed over his Cunning, as before I had done over his Learning. My Lectures were always crouded, and my Beginnings fo fortunate, that I entirely obfcured the Renown of my fa mous Master. Flushed with these happy Conquefts, I removed to Corbeil, to attack the Mafters there, and fo establish my Character of the ableft LogiciThe Violence of Travelling threw me into a dangerous Distemper, and not being able to recover my Strength, my Phyficians, who perhaps were in a League with Champeaux, advised me to removeto my an. Native. |