The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-03-15

II Cathedral of Notre Dame, sent
Heloise for many years to the con-
vent at Argenteuil; and there, fall
ing in love with the books in the
library, she became the brightest
student the nuns had ever had.
When he learned that she could
converse in Latin as readily as in
the crude French, which was the
language of the people, Fulbert
took pride in her, and brought her
to live with him. thinking her too
learned to waste in a nunnery,
surely some rich lord would marry
her and restore her to the high
rank from which her mother had
fallen
And so Heloise. lovely and learned
and seventeen, came back to Paris
and heard Of Abelard. And now let
the philosopher bare his own heart:
There was in the city certain
young maiden by the name of
HeloiSe who, while in face
she was not inferior to other wom-
en-. in the abundance of her learn
ing was supreme.
Seeing in her. therefore, all those
things which are wont to attract
lovers. I thought it suitable to join
her with myself in love- and be-
lieved that I could effect this most
easily. For such renown had I
then, and so excelled in grace of
youth and form, that feared no
refusal from whatever woman l
might dream worthy of my love.
He did not know that already she
had gazed upon him from afar, with
awe and admiration, and that his
fame made her long to pass from
the Latin poets whom she read so
fondly to the great philosophers
whose names filled the mouths of
the students that she met.
Picture her, then, on that breath
less morning when the Canon in
troduced Abelard to her, and an
nounced that the great teacher
would now live with them, and tu-
tor her in literature and philosophy.
Perhaps she loved him from that
Gay.
He read with her such = It's Of
Plato and Aristotle as had survived
the coming of the barbarians, and
they played merry games of match
ing quotations from Ovid and Hor
ace and Virgil He was 30 and she
was II; was it not just the age
which Aristotle had prescribed for
mating, in order that the intellect
of the man might equal the in
telligence of the woman? what
more need I say?" says Abelard.
II
THIRST in one house we are
Il united, then in one mind. So,
under the preteXt Of study, we
abandoned ourselves utterly to
love. and the study of our texts
afforded us those secret retreats
which love demands. And so, our
books lying before us, more words
of love than Of letters rose to our
lips, and kisses were more fire.
uuent than speech.
"Oftener our hands went to
each others bosoms than to the
page. And the more this
pleasure occupied me, the less leis-
ure could I find for philosophy
and my school. Most tedious was
it for me to go to the school or
to stay there; laboriouS likewise
to keep daily vigils of study and
nightly vigils of love-"
We shall never understand this
love if we think of it in terms of our
current Cor recent moral code.
Abelard was aiming at the priest
hood, as the only road to advance
ment for scholars and philosophers
in his day; and marriage would
have closed this door in his face.
Heloise understood, and never
wished for marriage; she wanted
him to be great and reach the
heights, and it would be enough for
her to have his love. 1t is a strange
romance, in which the woman, al
ready enciente, rejects the offer of
the man to marry her.
And if" she writes to him, "the
name of wife appears more sacred
and more valid, sweeter to me is
ever the word friend, or, if thou be
not ashamed, concubine. I call
God to witness, if Augutus, ruling
over the whole world, we're to deem
me worthy of the honor of marri-
age, and were to confirm the whole
world to me. to be ruled by me for