The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-02-06
Paula and St. jerome.

LOVE WHICH RADIATED FROM THE
CROss-LECTURE BY DR.. JOHN LORD.
from the New York Tim Isl
DIR. John Lord lectured yesterday in
Chickering Hall on ssPaula and St. Jerome -
in illustration Of the exalted sentiment
which is possible between men and women
without being entangled in the mazes Of
an earthly love. With Paula, said he, we
date the commencement in the great change
in the social condition OF woman as affected
By Christianity. The moral and social con-
dition of woman in the Roman world was
described in the last lecture, and therefore,
the lecturer did not dwell upon it. The
condition of Jewish women, he said, was
better. We admire the exalted characters
which illustrated the whole history o. the
Jews from Rachel and Deborah to Queen
Esther. But even among The Jews we do
any until Christianity had restored the beati
tudes OF Eden. All that is glorious in friend,
ship was exhibited in Paula-an illustrious
Roman lady OF the fourth century, who was
traced her lineage to the proudest names of
the Republic. On her conversion she gave
away her immense possessions to feed the
hungry aud clothe the naked, in accordance
with the custom of the primitive Church,
which exalted the virtue of charity. But her
piety was also tinged with aceticism-an-
other natural popularity Of the Christians
of that day-which was simply a protest
against the materialism aud epicureanism
which was undermining society. The highest
type of piety was antagonism to prevailing
vices. Another popularity OF Paula was
great cultivation, she being able to speak
Greek, and being we'll versed in Hebrew,
which was rebuke to the idleness and ig-
norance of the fashionable women of her
class. Such woman early fell under the IN
fiuence of the celebrated Jerome-the great
scholar of the Latin Church, whose transla-
ton OF the Bible into Latin would alone
have made him immortal. Like Paula and
the ladies who formed her chosen circle, he
was of noble birth and great wealth, which
he gave away, and remained poor to the end
Of his life, supported by the munificence of
! boundless contempt for passing yanities and
all the Injuries of Rome, and lived in stu
dious retirement, except when he sought re-
creation in the society OF those high born
ladies. to whom he was an oracle.
The lecturer then considered the remark
able friendship which sprang up between
Jerome and Paula, and analysed the ele-
ments; first, that it rarely exists, except
with. equals, since there must be sympathy
and congenial tastes in the outward rela
tions of life. 1t must be confessed that such
a friendship is esoteric, exclusive. Jerome
and the Bishops and the great ladies, who
formed his visiting circle, all belonged tt
the upper ranks Of society. Among each
other they freed their minds, as Cicero die
to Atticus. The ignorant would not hay,
understood their learned illusions The mar
row. minded might have been shocked at tn
treatment Of their shibboleths the vulga
would have repealed them by coarseness
the sensual would have disguised them b.
their lower tastes. How could Jerome an
Paula have discoursed on the fascination o
Eastern travel to people contented with tn
pleasures OF the capital? or on the charm
Of Greek literature to those who only kne,
the Latin or on the stlblimity of the He
} brew poets to those who despised the Jews
or OF the luxury Of charity to those who ha
ITO superfuties, or the mysteries OF faith t
; specializing rationalists? A Jewish prophe
must have seemed rhapsodist to an Attn
MAN critic, and Grecian philosophers cor