Qui les mœurs feminins favoit, Car tres-tous en foi les avoit. In a very old epiftle dedicatory, addreffed to Philip the fourth of France, by this fame John of Meun, and prefixed to a French tranflation of Boetius, a very popular book at that time, it appears, that he also translated the epiftles of Abelard to Heloifa, which were in high vogue at the court. He mentions also that he had tranflated Vegetius, on the Art military, and a book called the Wonders of Ireland; thefe works fhew us the tafte of the age: his words are; " t'envoye ores * Boece de confolation, que j'ai tranflaté Quæ cæteros minimè philofophos affecutos effe novimus, Quibus quidem quafi ludo quodam laborem exercitii recreans philofophici, pleraque amatorio metro vel rithmo compofita reliquifti carmina, quæ præ nimiâ fuavitate tam dictaminis, quam cantus, fæpius frequentata, tuum in ore omnium nomen inceffanter tenebant; ut etiam illiteratos melodiæ dulcedo tui non fineret immemores effe." Epift. i. Heloissæ. p. 51. It is obfervable, that POPE judiciously softened and harmonized her name to Eloisa from Heloisa. * Chaucer alfo tranflated this piece.-Boetius was a most admired claffic of that age; indeed he deserves to be so of any. en en Francois, jacoit que bien entendes le Latin" It is to be regretted, that we have no exact picture of the perfon and beauty of Eloifa; 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 Whitfunday 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. Happening to be in France a few years ago, I had the curiofity to vifit the very spot; which I furveyed with much veneration. A lady, learned as was Eloifa in that age, who indisputably understood the latin, greek, and hebrew tongues, was a kind of prodigy: her literature * This sentence strongly also characterises the times. fays fays* Abelard, "in toto regno nominatiffimam fecerat:" and, we may be fure, more thoroughly attached him to her. Buffy Rabutin fpeaks in high terms of commendation, of the purity of Eloifa's latinity: a judgment worthy a French count! There is a force, but not an elegance in her ftyle; which is blemifhed, as might be expected, by many phrafes unknown to the pure ages of the Roman language, and by many Hebraisms, borrowed from the tranflation of the bible. I Now propofe to pass through the + EPISTLE, in order to give the reader a view of the various turns and tumults of paffion, and the different fentiments with which Abel. Opera, p. 10. The compliment which Prior paid our author on this EPISTLE, is at once full of elegance and very lively imagery. He addreffes it to Abelard, and fays, that POPE has wove―― A filken web, and ne'er shall fade Its colours; gently has he laid That which Eloifa is agitated: and at the fame time, to point out what paffages are borrowed, and how much improved, from the original Letters. From this analyfis, her ftruggles and conflicts, between duty and pleasure, between penitence and paffion, will more amply and strikingly appear. SHE begins with declaring, how the peacefulness of her fituation has been disturbed, by a letter of her lover accidentally falling into her hands. This exordium is beautiful, being worked up with an awakening folemnity; fhe looks about her, and breaks out at once. * In these deep folitudes and awful cells †, Where heavenly-penfive CONTEMPLATION dwells, That Love with equal grief and pride, The god fhall to his vot❜ries tell, Each confcious tear, each blushing grace, That deck'd dear Eloifa's face. * V. 1. ALMA. p. 101. And "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;" faid a man of penetration. Q1 And ever-mufing MELANCHOLY reigns; She then refolves neither to mention nor to write the name of Abelard; but fuddenly adds, in a dramatic manner, -The name appears Already written-wash it out my tears! She then addreffes herself to the convent, where she was confined, in fine imagery: + Relentless walls! whofe darkfom round contains Repentant fighs, and voluntary pains, Ye rugged rocks! which holy knees have worn, Ye grots and caverns fhagg'd with horrid thorn! Shrines where their vigils pale-ey'd virgins keep, And pitying faints whofe ftatues learn to weep! This, and several other circumftances, 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 fo lately founded as was the Paraclete: but are fo well imagined, and highly painted, that they demand excufe. Tho' |