Vegetius on the Art Military, and a book called the Wonders of Ireland: these works shew us "t'envoye the taste of the age: his words are, ores *Boece de consolation, que j' translaté en François, jaçoit qui bien entendes le Latin."+ It is to be regretted that we have no exact picture of the person and beauty of Eloisa: Abelard himself says, that she was "facie non infima." Her extraordinary learning many circumstances concur to confirm; particularly one, which is, that the nuns of the Paraclete are wont to have the office of Whitsunday read to them in Greek, to perpetuate the memory of her understanding that language. The curious may not be displeased to be informed, that the Paraclete was built in the parish of Quincey, upon the little river Arduzon, near Nogent, upon the Seine. A lady, learned as was Eloisa in that age, who indisputably understood the Latin, Greek and Hebrew tongues, was a kind of prodigy. Her * Chaucer also translated this piece. Boetius was a most admired classic of that age; indeed, he deserves to be so of any. This sentence strongly also characterises the times. "in toto regno Her literature, says Abelard,* nominatissimam facerat :" and, we may be sure, more thoroughly attached him to her. Bussy Rabutin speaks in high terms of commendation of the purity of Eloisa's latinity: a judgment worthy a French count! There is a force, but not an elegance, in her style; which is blemished, as might be expected, by many phrases unknown to the pure ages of the Roman language, and by many Hebraisms, borrowed from the translation of the bible. I now propose to pass through the † EPISTLE, in order to give the reader a view of the various turns and tumults of passion, and the different sentiments with which Eloisa is agitated: and at * Abel. Opera, p. 10. the The compliment which Prior paid our author on this EPISTLE, is at once full of elegance and very lively imagery. But Lord Bathurst informs me, that POPE was not pleased with it. He addresses it to Abelard, and says, that POPE has wore A silken web, and ne'er shall fade Its colours; gently has he laid That the same time, to point out what passages are borrowed, and how much improved, from the original Letters. From this analysis, her struggles and conflicts, between duty and pleasure, between penitence and passion, will more amply and strikingly appear. She begins with declaring how the peacefulness of her situation has been disturbed by a letter of her lover accidentally falling into her hands. This exordium is beautiful, being worked up with an awakening solemnity: she looks about her, and breaks out at once, * In these deep solitudes and awful cells,t And That Love, with equal grief and pride, And softly drawing back the veil, The god shall to his vot'ries tell, Each conscious tear, each blushing grace, That deck'd dear Eloisa's face. ALMA. p. 101. * Ver. 1. + "If I was ordered to find out the most happy and the most miserable man in the world, I would look for them in a cloister," said a man of penetration. And ever-musing MELANCHOLY reigns, What means this tumult in a vestal's veins ? She then resolves neither to mention nor to write the name of Abelard; but suddenly adds, in a dramatic manner, The name appears Already written-wash it out my tears!* She then addresses herself to the convent, where she was confined, in fine imagery: + Relentless walls! whose darksome round contains Ye rugged rocks! which holy knees have worn ; * V. 13. † V. 17. Shrines, This, and several other circumstances, in the scenery view of the monastery, which denote antiquity, may perhaps be a little blamed, on account of their impropriety, when introduced, into a place so lately founded as was the Paraclete; but are so well imagined, and highly painted, that they demand excuse. 1 Shrines, where their vigils pale-ey'd virgins keep; She proceeds to enumerate the effects which Abelard's relation of their misfortunes has had upon her; yet, notwithstanding what she suffers from them, she intreats him still to write : Yet write, O write me all! that I may join This is from the Letters-" Per ipsum itaqueChristum obsecramus; quatenus ancillulas ipsius & tuas, crebris literis de his, in quibus adhuc fluctuas, naufragiis certificare digneris, ut nos saltem quæ tibi solæ remansimus, doloris vel gaudii participes habeas. On the mention of letters, she breaks out into that beautiful account of. * " "Forget thyelf to marble," is an expression of Milton; as is also, "Caverns shagg'd with horrid thorn:" and the epithets "pale-eyed, and twilight," are first used in the smaller poems of Milton, which POPE had just, perhaps, been reading. + V. 41. Epist. i. Heloiss. pag. 46. |