that commanded the Romans: MONTEZUMA to CORTEZ: VITIKINDA, the general of the Saxons, to CHARLEMAYNE: and RosMUNDA to ALBOINUS, King of the Lombards." THE Italians had a writer of heroic epiftles called Antonio Bruni; these are some of his fubjects; the HEBREW MOTHER to TITUS VESPASIAN, ERMINIA to TANCRED, CATHERINE of ARRAGON to HENRY VIII. TURNUS to LAVINIA, TANCRED to CLoRINDA, ARMIDA to RINALDO, RADAMISTUS to ZENOBIA, NAUSICAA to ULYSSES, ANGELICA to ORLANDO, SOPHONISBA to MASINISSA, SEMIRAMIS to NINUS, HONORIA to ATTILA. BUT of all ftories, ancient or modern, there is not perhaps a more proper one to furnish out an elegiac epiftle, than that of ELOISA and ABELARD. Their diftreffes were of a moft SINGULAR and PECULIAR kind ; and their names fufficiently known, but not grown trite or common by too frequent usage. POPE was a moft excellent IMPROVER, if no great original INVENTOR; for, as we have seen what an elegant fuperftructure he has raised on the little dialogue of the Comte de Gabalis, so shall we perceive, in the sequel of this Section, how finely he has worked up the hints of diftrefs, that are scattered up and down in Abelard's and Eloifa's Letters; and, in a little French * history of their lives and misfortunes. † Abelard was reputed the most handfome, as well as moft learned man, of his time; according to the kind of learning then in vogue. An old chronicle, quoted by Andrew du Chefne informs us, that scho Printed at the Hague, 1693. +He was born at Palais near Nantes in Britanny, at the beginning of the twelfth century, and ftudied at Paris under William Champeaux. In Hif. Cal. Abel. p. 1155. And the high opinion that was held of his learning, may appear from his epitaph by Pet. de Clugny. Gallorum Socrates, Plato maximus Hefperiarum, Abælardus erat, &c. Vid. Abal. & Heloif. Epift. pag. 235. Edit. Rawlinfon, 1718. lars lars flocked to his lectures from all quarters of the latin world. And his cotemporary St. Bernard relates, that he numbered among his disciples many principal ecclefiaftics, and cardinals, at the court of Rome. Abelard himfelf boafts, that when he retired into the country, he was followed by fuch immense crowds of scholars, that they could get neither lodgings nor provifions fufficient for them; "ut nec locus hofpitiis, nec terra fufficeret alimentis *." He met with the fate of many learned men, to be embroiled in controversy, and accused of herefy; for St. † Bernard whofe influence and authority was very great, got his opinion of the Trinity condemned, at a council held at Sens, 1140. But the ta Abelardi Opera, p. 19. The character of this St. Bernard was fingular; the prefident Henault thus fpeaks of him. "Il avoit etè donnè a cet homme extraordinaire de dominer les efprits," one beholds him pass in a moment from the depth of a defert to a court, where he never was displaced; where he lived without titles, without a public character, enjoying that perfonal weight which is above authority.-Yet no less a man of fanctity, and a man of wit, than a great politician: His fermons are mafterpieces of fentiment and energy. Hiftoire de France: Trofieme Race. P. 145. Pp 2 lents lents of * Abelard were not confined to theology, jurifprudence, philofophy, and the thorny paths of scholasticism: he gave proofs of a lively genius, by many poetical performances; infomuch, that he was reputed to be the author of the famous Romance of the Rofe; which, however, was indifputably written by JOHN OF MEUN, a little city on the banks of the Loire, about four leagues from Orleans; which gave occafion to Marot to exclaim; De Jean de Meun s'enfle le cours de Loire. Of this ancient French poet much more will be faid, in the courfe of this work, when we come occafionally to fpeak of Chaucer : fuffice it at prefent to obferve, that he certainly continued and finished the Romance of the One is fometimes furprized to fee the honours and veneration formerly paid to men of literature, in comparison of what they meet with at prefent." As every human advantage is attended with inconveniences, the change of men's ideas in this particular, may probably be afcribed to the invention of PRINTING; which has rendered books fo common, that even men of flender fortunes can have accefs to them.' Hiftory of Great-Britain, p. 149. HUME'S Rofe, Rofe, which William de Lorris had left imperfect, forty years before. If chronology + did not abfolutely contradict the notion of Abelard's being the author of this very celebrated piece, yet are there internal arguments fufficient to confute it. The mistake feems to have flowed, from his having given Eloifa the name of ROSE, in one of the many fonnets he addreffed to her. In this romance, there are many fevere and fatirical strokes on the character of Eloifa, which the pen of Abelard never would have given. In one paffage, she is introduced speaking with indecency and obfcenity; in another, all the vices and bad qualities of women are reprefented, as affembled together in her alone. 3 Whom Marot praises as the Ennius of France, Notre Ennius Guillaume de Lorris. Qui He took his name from the town of Lorris where he was born. + There is undoubted evidence, that it was written an hunyears after Abelard flourished. Eloifa fpeaks thus of Abelard's poetry and skill also in mufic; for he fung his own verses. "Duo autem fateor, tibi fpecialiter inerant, quibus fœminarum quarumlibet animos ftatim allicere poteras; dictandi videlicet & cantandi gratia. Qua |