New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-06-15
an IMMORTAL ROMANCE.

The respectable NJ. Violct-le-Duc, Municipal
Counselor of Paris, reports adversely 10
grant Of $4,000 francs to be expended In re-
building the tomb Of Abelard and Heloise In
Pcrc-la- Chaise. NJ. Violet-lc-Duc is hcartless
enough to hint that tho bones supposed to he
those of the lovers are spurious, though floods
of tears have been shed over them; and as
for tho statues, he says with perfect TRUTH
that they are not portraits OF the unfortunate
couple at all. Nj. Violct-le-Duc appears to be
a French Gradgrind-a Municipal Counselor
of the utilitarian persuasion Verify he Is OF
the modern school of Frcnchmcn, and theHe Is
no romance in him.
The world has a perfectly proper way OF
can0nizing lovers in pairs--Sapph0 and Phaon,
T1eseus and Ariadnc, Paris and Helen, Eneas
and Dido; but Of all the passionate partner
ships. that of AbcIard and HelOise has been
best remembered. The Rev. Peter Abelard
has been dead 1873 years; Sister Heloise' his
wife. died A. ID. 11G3; yet so full of its orig
inal incident and interest is the story, that
for wonder, tradition has scarcely added any
thing to it at all. 1t has been detailed IN
prose; it has been sung in verse; 1t mas Dceh
narrated by grave historians; and 1t Is TOO
thoroughly well known to need heightened
rpetiton. Abelard was doctor OF the twelfth
century with all that tho title implies, practlc-
ing and teaching logic when logic gave char
actcr 10 almost every intellectual exercise.
There must have been fascination in the
eoauance of his lectures, for the studlous
young men of the day frequented his school In
crowds. He had also various accomplishments
and advantages. He was young and hand
some, and he wrote pretty verses, which he
sang agreeabIy He was employed by the
Canon Fulbcrt to teach IIelOise, his niece; and
he taught her something more than logic.
They were secretly married. Then came separa-
ton and tire religious retirement OF both. She
sought the Convent Of Argcnteuil, and be be-
gan 10 explain the Acts of the Apostles to the
monks of the Monastery of ST. Denis. Ills last
retreat was the Abbey of Clugny, where he
died and then they sent his corpse to his
wife, to be buried in her own chapel OF the
Paracl"tc. For twcnty-one years the widowed
IIclosc studied Greek and Latin, said her
prayers, ruled the sistcrhood, and prayed
for the soul of her Peter. She died;
and when they opened his grave to
receive her, tho inanimato Abelard became
suddenly aninatc--sO runs the story-and
stretched out his arms to embrace her. " But
that no great natter" says Mr.. Peter Bayle,
rather snecringly. Mad. de Rochfoucauld, in
1866, when she came to direct the thirty
pretty nuns of the Paracletc, sent to the Acad-
envy of Belle Lcttrcs Mt Paris for Latin In
scription which her successor, Madame de
Roncy. who really built the monument, in
scrihcd upon it. OHM cowuncti infaustis nnpt''s
-iumc Gierna ftlicitate; which means that
Abeard and IIeloise were unhappily married
Gas some ale even now and arc reunited in
Heaven, which We will take for granted. At
ter yarious ycis-itudes the relics came to PGre-
le-Chasc--at least they are supposed to be
there by everybody save NJ. Violct-le-Duc.
If all mis- mated pairs were to be written
about as Abelard and his wife have been, there
world be n great addition to libraries which
they certainly do not need. Bayle tells the story
with his usual length of wind and references to
all things and something more. Various verse
makers have tried their hands on epistles from
Abelard to HclOise-wo have even of this sort
before us as we write, and they are all very
bad. Pope with his infalliblc tact saw that the
letter should be from the poor Lady, and that
an cpstle from the schOOlman and monk
would he naturally coarse and selfish. We
think that the tragedy has to-day moral and
q timely One-we leave the sagaciOus reader to
find it out.