Sunday, May 6, 2007

Abelard and Heloise


One of the great romances of all time is that of Abelard and Heloise. Peter Abelard was a twelfth century French scholar who was hired to tutor a gifted young Parisian maiden named Heloise. He seduced her; they had a child and there was a public scandal. They were secretly married. However, the girl's outraged guardian hired ruffians to attack Abelard. He was mutilated and the couple separated. Abelard became a monk and Heloise, a nun. They both grew into accomplished scholars and influential religious. They never ceased to love each other, although they stayed apart, being under solemn vows. Heloise was particularly tormented by the memories of her lost love and grief over the disaster that had befallen them. She poured out her sorrow to Abelard in letters; he placated her by telling her that although he would always love her, what had happened was God's will. He enjoined her to forgive him for taking advantage of her innocence and that he, Abelard, accepted their separation as a penance. They are buried together at the Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris.

Alexander Pope composed a long poem based upon a letter of Heloise to Abelard. Here is an excerpt:

Of all affliction taught a lover yet,
'Tis sure the hardest science to forget!
How shall I lose the sin, yet keep the sense,
And love th' offender, yet detest th' offence?
How the dear object from the crime remove,
Or how distinguish penitence from love?
Unequal task! a passion to resign,
For hearts so touch'd, so pierc'd, so lost as mine.
Ere such a soul regains its peaceful state,
How often must it love, how often hate!
How often hope, despair, resent, regret,
Conceal, disdain — do all things but forget.
But let Heav'n seize it, all at once 'tis fir'd;
Not touch'd, but rapt; not waken'd, but inspir'd!
Oh come! oh teach me nature to subdue,
Renounce my love, my life, myself — and you.
Fill my fond heart with God alone, for he
Alone can rival, can succeed to thee.

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8 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is so poignant I had never read this before!! Where were my teachers??...Instead of making me read Germaine Greer(grr)...I would have LOVED to read this.

Actually it IS a sad thing that due to the onslaught of feminism many teachers handed out books on womens rights....What is wrong with romance? With poetry? Is it too not a part of life?

Loved this BIG thanks to Elena.

Your friend,

Marie

Anonymous said...

Mutilated is one way of putting it.
One could also write that that he was volunteered for a devotion said to have been pioneered by Origen.

Michelle Therese said...

What an amazing story! You sure come up with some gems!

Did Origen advocate mutilation??? I've never heard of that kind of devotion before! UGH

elena maria vidal said...

Thanks, Coffee! Origen was condemned by the Church for his misplaced zeal.

Anonymous said...

I believe in remembering both the good and the bad in (church) history. The former to emulate; the latter to avoid.

In this regard the history is somewhat hard to understand from the vantage of our time; many royal courts had men who sang soprano; in the Holy See Sixtus V mandated that men who sang soprano be part of the choir in "Cum pro nostri temporali munere" in 1589; Pius X banned the further recruitment of men sopranos in 1904. Alessandro Moreschi was singing soprano in the Sistine chapel as late as 1914; recordings are easily purchased.

elena maria vidal said...

I agree, sc. That you for bringing up that rather gruesome but interesting aspect of church history. I suppose in small towns where there were no male sopranos, the women were allowed to sing.

Anonymous said...

Not too far from Notre Dame Catherdal, there's a house with a large sign that says Abelard and Heloise lived there.

Anonymous said...

The lovers should be as famous as Romeo and Juliet. Their story has inspired books, plays, operas, musicals and hybrids. For starters see www.fiddeslaw.com.au/ah and http://abelard-and-heloise.blogspot.com/