THE

HISTORY

OF

Abelard and Heloife,

PETER ABELARD was born in the village of Palais in Britany. He lived in the twelfth century, in the reign of Louis the Grofs, and Louis the Young. His Father's name was Beranger, a gentleman of a confiderable and wealthy family. He took care to give his children a liberal and pious education, especially his eldest fon Peter, on whom he endeavoured to bestow all poffible improvements, because there appeared in him an extraordinary vivacity of wit, joined with sweetness of temper, and all imaginable prefages of a great man.

When he had made fome advancement in learning, he grew fo fond of his books, that, lett affairs of the world might interrupt his proficiency in them, he quitted his birthright to his younger brothers, and applied himself entirely to the fudies of Philofophy and Divinity.

Of all the fciences, to which he applied himself, that which pleafed him most, and in which he made. the greatel progiefs, was Logic. He had a very fubtile

wist.

wit, and was inceffantly whetting it by difputes, out of a reftlefs ambition to be mafter of his weapons; fo that in a fhort time he gained the reputation of the greatest philofopher of his age; and has always been efteemed the founder of what we call the Learning of the Schoolmen.

He finished his ftudies at Paris, where learning was then in a flourishing condition. In this city he found that famous profeffor of philofophy William des Champeaux, and foon became his favourite fcholar; but this did not last long. The profeffor was fo hard put to it to answer the fubtile objections of his new scholar, that he grew uneafy with him. The school soon run into parties. The fenior scholars, tranfported with envy against Abelard, feconded their mafter's refentment. All this ferved only to increase the young man's prefumption. who now thought himself fufficiently qualified to fet up a school of his own. For this purpose he chofe an advantageous place, which was the town of Melun, ten leagues from Paris, where the French court refided at that time. Champeaux did all that he could to hinder the erecting of this fchool; but fome of the great courtiers being his enemies, the oppofition he made to it only promoted the defign of his rival.

The reputation of this new profeffor made a marvellous progrefs, and eclipfed that of Champeaux. Thefe fucceffes fwelled Abelard fo much that he removed his fchool to Corbeil, in order to engage his enemy the more clofer in more frequent difputations. But his exceffive application to study brought upon him a long and dangerous fickness, which constrained him to return to his own native air.

After he had spent two years in his own country he made a fecond adventure to Paris, where he found that his old antagonift Champeaux had refigned his chair to another, and was retired into a convent of Canons Regular, among whom he continued his lectures. Abelard attacked him with such fury, that he quickly

forced

forced him to renounce his tenets. Whereupon the poor monk became so despicable, and his antagonist in fuch great efteem, that nobody went to the lectures of Champeaux, and the very man who fucceeded him in his profefforfhip lifted under Abelard, and became his fcholar.

He was fcarce fixed in his chair before he found himself expofed more than ever to the ftrokes of the moft cruel envy. Endeavours were used to do him ill offices by all thofe who were any ways difaffected to him. Another profeffor was put into his place, who had thought it his duty to fubmit to Abelard; in fhort fo many enemies were raised against him that he was forced to retreat from Paris to Melun, and there revived his logick lectures. But this held not long; for hearing that Champeaux with all his infantry was retired into a country village, he came and pofted himfelf on mount St. Genevieve, where he erected a new fchool, like a kind of battery against him whom Champeaux had left to teach at Paris.

Champeaux understanding that his fubftitute was thus befieged in his school, brought the Regular Canons back again to their monaftery. But this, instead of relieving his friend, caufed all his fcholars to defert him. At which the poor philofopher was fo mor. tified, that he followed the example of his patron Champeaux, and turned monk too.

The difpute now lay wholly between Abelard and Champeaux, who renewed it with great warmth on both fides; but the fenior had not the best on't, While it was depending, Abelard was obliged to vifit his father and mother, who, according to the fashion of thofe times, had refolved to forfake the world, and retire into convents, in order to devote themfelves more feriously to the care of their falvation.

Having affifted at the admiffion of his parents into their respective monafteries and received their bleffing, he returned to Paris, where during his abfence, his rival had been promoted to the bifhoprick of Chalons.

And now being in a condition to quit his fchool without any fufpicions of flying from his enemy, he refolved to apply himself wholly to Divinity.

To this end he removed to Laon, where one Anfelm read divinity-lectures with good reputation. But Abelard was fo little fatisfied with the old man's abi lities, who has he fays, had a very mean genius, and a great fluency of words without fenfe, that he took a refolution for the future to hear no other master than the Holy Scriptures. A good refolution! if a man takes the Spirit of God for his guide, and be more concerned to diftinguish truth from falfehood, than to confirm himself in those principles into which his own fancy or complexion, or the prejudices of his birth and education, have infenfibly led him.

Abelard, together with the Holy Scriptures, read the ancient fathers and doctors of the church, in which he spent whole days and nights, and profited fo well, that instead of returning to Anfelm's lectures, he took up the fame employment, and began to explain the Prophet Ezekiel to fome of his fellow-pupils. He performed this part fo agreeably, and in fo eafy a method that he foon got a crowd of auditors.

The jealous Anfelm could not bear this: he quickly found means to get the lecturer filenced. Upon this Abelard removed to Paris once more, where he proceeded with his public expofition on Ezekiel, and foon acquired the fame reputation for his divinity he had before gained for his philofophy. His eloquence and learning procured him an incredible number of scholars from all parts; fo that if he had minded faving of money, he might have grown rich with eafe in a fhort time. And happy had it been for him, if, among all the enemies his learning expofed him to, he had guarded his heart against the charms of love. But, alas! the greatest doctors are not always the wifeft men, as appears from examples in every age; but 1 from none more remarkable than that of this learned man, whofe story I am now going to tell you.

Abelar 1

Abelard, befides his uncommon merit as a fcholar, had all the accomplishments of a gentleman. He had a greatness of foul which nothing could fhock; his paffions were delicate, his judgment folid, and tafte exquifite. He was of a graceful perfon, and carried himself with the air of a man of quality. His converfation was sweet, complaifant, eafy, and gentlemanlike. It feemed as tho' Nature had defigned him for a more elevated employment than that of teaching the fciences. He looked upon riches and grandeur with contempt, and had no higher ambition than to make his name famous among learned men, and to be reputed the greatest doctor of his age: but he had human frailty, and all his philofophy could not guard him from the attacks of love. For fome time indeed, he had defended himself against this paffion pretty well, when the temptation was but flight; but upon a more intimate familiarity with fuch agreeable objects, he found his reafon fail him: yet in refpect to his wif dom, he thought of compounding the matter and refolved at first, that love and philofophy fhould dwell together in the fame breast. He intended only to let out his heart to the former, and that but for a little while; never confidering that love is a great ruiner of projects, and that when it has once got a fhare in a heart, it is eafy to poffefs itself of the whole.

He was now in the feven or eight and twentieth year of his age, when he thought himself completely happy in all refpects, excepting that he wanted a miftrefs. He confidered therefore of making a choice, but fuch a one as might be moft fuitable to his notions, and the defign he had of paffing agreeably thofe hours he did not employ in his ftudy. He had feveral ladies in his eye, to whom as he fays in one of his Letters, he could eafily have recommended himself. For you must understand, that befides his qualifications mentioned before, he had a vein of poetry, and made abundance of little eafy fongs, which he would fing with all the advantage of a gallant air and pleafant

voice