Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-03-29
r6e Poetry Of Passion sketch Of tho Lie

Heloise was born about the year ll0l.
There is no woman OF her age OF which the
French nation is more proud and of that
sge she was in learning the most brilliant or
nament Her parentage is uncertain. She
reHded with her uncle, an ecclesiastic, who
loved his niece as a daughter. She rose
superior even to the learned visitors at her
pHele's house, and under circumstances Of
this kind, the brilliant, handsome, philoso-
pHlc and heterodox Peter Abelard made his
Appearance.
Abelard became, as q teacher of theology,
tile most popular the Middle Ages knew,
He was idolized by thousands of pupils. He
regned over men by the power of his elo-
qvenee, as over women by his personal
beauty. Yet he was more superficial than
profound. He was a nationalist skeptic, a
soRbist, and contended not for truth, but
fof victory. Such was the man who, at
Thirty. eight years of age, encountered the
mtst interesting young woman of her age,
HtlOise being at that time but eighteen
years old. I..t.
Ihe passion between the two is well
knbwn. The raptures each iHdulged in, in a
better state Of society would have ended in
the nuptial state, and no scandal would have
touched the name Of either. Well were
they fitted for each other. But the mo.
ns3tic opinions of the time were against the
marriage of an ecclesiastic, and the church
is ehargeable with the faults of Abelard
and Helcise
Unfortunately, he was not, with all his in
dependence, above his age. AS their con-
neqion became known, public scorn at
tented him as one who had sacrificed the
dignity of his profession to a weak passion.
Yts he himself would have married at once
had she not, with the greatest self-sacriic-
ings generosity, dissuaded him from the
stSH citing the words of tue father of st.
Pad, and of Socrates against marriage.
But O secret marriage at length took
place, tribute to the virtue of Heloise, and
an dGpedient for the selfish ambition of Abe
lard But the nuptials became known aud
Helkise retired to convent, where she
liug4fed in dissatisfaction for forty years.
Fdrtffteer years Abelard went his course
aftet their separation, in trials, triumphs
andtdisgrace.
Abelard then wrote history Of his suf-
ieriAgs, which fell into the hands Of Heloise,
whehce resulted their most remarkable CORE
spo4dence, which has no parallel in the ex-
preaio of the human heart, that is, on the
part of Heloise. They then could be but
brother and sister in Christ, and his Ian
guaSe was more of the priest than the hus-
band or the lover.
HSr all-absorbing love, as contrasted with
the apparent forgetfulness of Abelard, is au
ill1sfTation of the distinction between mans
and fomans love.
~ en- came the last and unhappy days Of
Ahehrd, at the Abbey of Clunny, where,
undo y lime tree, he would sit pensively
and meditate upon the inmate of the Con-
Ventsot the Paraclete. At that convent his
rem@ns were received by Heloise. Peter,
the Venerable Abbot of Cluuny, wrote o
lettea eulogizing the demeanor, simplicity
and fevotedness to duty which marked the
last days of Abelard, touching and most
beautiful testimony.
After remaining four centuries, lying side
by SD in the Convent of the Paraclete, the
remains of this remarkable pair repose in
the cemetery of Pere la CHaise, near Paris
and fheir two statues are every morning
adorGed with fresh flowers tribute from
unknpWn hands to the sentiment the history
of thk unfortunate lovers illustrated.