Letters 2-6
2 : h to a
Someone brings letter of
consolation a wrote to friend to H . “nearly every line of this letter was
filled, I remember, with gall and wormwood as it told the pitiful story of our
entry into religion and the cross of unending suffering which you, my only
love, continue to bear” (47).
Note : H is sympathetic to A and feels
so sorry for him in all of this.
“your superior wisdom knows
better than our humble learning of the many serious treatises which the holy
Fathers compiled for the instruction or exhortation or even the consolation of
holy women” (50).
She likes calling herself his
‘friend’ more than his ‘wife’
“tell me one thing, if you can.
Why , after our entry into religion, which was your decision alone, have I been
so neglected and forgotten by you that I have received neither a word from you
when you are here to give me strength nor the consolation of a letter in
absence?” (53) – pining
A created new church of teaching
(49);
Not even god made him think of
her (50)
Heloise went toward God because
Abelard told her to (54)
3: a to h
Heloise = his dearly beloved sister
in Christ (56).
Abelard : only talk to me if you
need to be instructed about god (56).
Thank
God for your prayers…pray for me constantly! (56)
“now that I am not with you,
there is all the more need for the support of your prayers, the more I am gripped
by fear of greater peril” (61).
If I die, bury me in a tomb near
your church so you can pray for me even more (61)
“Live, but I pray, in Christ be
mindful of me” (62)
4: h to a
She’s
surprised to see her name before his in his letter…woman before man?!?!
She hoped
for an uplifting letter and got a depressing one instead
Greater the
ascent, heavier the fall (65)
·
We were spared God’s severity while we were
unlawful, but when we tried to right the wrong, He “laid his hand heavily upon
us, and would not permit a chaste union…” (66)
Heloise
believes she is fully responsible and that Abelard had to carry the full burden
of wrongdoing (66)
“Men call me
chaste; they do not know the hypocrite I am they consider purity of the flesh a
virtue, though virtue belongs not to the body but to the soul. I can win praise
in the eyes of men but deserve none before God” (69)
“To me your
praise is the more dangerous because I welcome it.the more anxious I am to
please you in everything, the more I am won over and delighted by it” (70).
o
“I can win praise in the eyes of men but deserve
none before God”
5: a to h
Heloise suffers
wrongs on 4 counts:
1.
You complain that contrary to custom in
letter-writing…my letter put your name before mine in greeting
2.
When I ought to have offered you some remedy for
your comfort I increased your sense of desolation and made the tears flow which
I should’ve checked.
3.
You went on your old complaint against god
concerning manner of our entry into religious life and cruelty of the treachery
performed on me
4.
You set your self-accusations against my praise
of you and implored me with some urgency not to praise you again
He goes on to
justify each count of the above 4
“Why do you
accuse me of making you share my anxiety when I was forced to do so at your own
behest? When I’m suffering in despair of my life, would it be fitting for you
to be joyous?...say no more, I beg you, and cease from the complaints like
these which are so far removed from the true depths of love!” (77).
“However , I
approve of your rejection of praise, for in this very thing you should yourself
more praiseworthy” (78)—he values humility NOW, esp for her…he begs her not to
blame god
“It was he
(Christ) who truly loved you, not I. my love, which brought us both sin, should
be called lust, not love. I took my fill of my wretched pleasures in you and
this was the sum total of my love…to him, I beseech you, not to me, should be
directed all your devotion, all your compassion, all your remorse”
6: h to a
“Nothing is
less under our control than the heart – having no power to command it we are
forced to obey” (93).
Multiple wine
analogies are made through this letter
“I beg you, who
seek to imitate not only Christ but also this apostle, in discrimination as in
name, modify your instructions for works to suit our weak nature, so that we
can be free to devote ourselves to the offices of praising God” (109).
“After you we
may perhaps have another to guide us, one who will build something upon
another’s foundation, and so, we fear, he may be less likely to feel concern
for us, or be less readily heard by us; or indeed, he may be no less willing,
but less able. Speak to us then, and we shall hear. Farewell” (111).
No comments:
Post a Comment