* fuffer the punishment for them. Having spoken "thus, fhe tore herself away from the hands of "the perfons that were attempting to hold her,

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and ran up to the Altar as to a funeral pile

upon which she was to confummate the facrifice. "She then, with the greatest reverence, kiffed the "holy cloth that covered it, took the black veil "from it with her own hands, covered her face "with it, and pronounced her vows with a "courage and a firm tone of voice fuperior to the "natural timidity of her sex."

Her aufterity as a Nun is thus defcribed by the Abbot of Cluni:

"Her tears had long fince destroyed her beauty, "A fad palenefs took place of her natural vermillion; her eyes loft all their fire; and her "whole frame was broken down by grief. She "looked upon herself as the difconfolate widow "mentioned by St. Paul, whofe only occupation "is to weep and to lament. After the death of "Abelard, the hardly ever went into the Monaf"tery, except to attend the offices of the church; "and except the times of her attendance in "the choir, when he had always her veil "thrown over her face to hide her tears, fhe "remained shut up in her cell at prayers, or was "upon her knees before the tomb of Abelard, "She

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"She received with tranfport the abfolution of "Abelard, fent to her by his Superior the Abbot "of Cluni, thus worded:

"I Peter Abbot of Cluni, who have received "Peter Abelard into the number of my Monks, "and who, after having dug up his body fecretly, "have prefented it to Eloifa, Abbefs of the "Paraclete, and her Sifters, declare, that, by the "authority of God all-powerful, and of all the Saints, abfolve him from all his fins, in virtuę of the authority which my office affords me. "Requiefcat in Pace."

Abelard is thus defcribed by Amboefus: "This "unparalleled perfonage was a grammarian, an "orator, a poet, a musician, a philofopher, a "theologian, a mathematician, an astronomer, "a civilian. He played upon many inftruments. He knew five or fix languages. He was igno

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rant of nothing that facred or profane History contained."

The Latin elegy upon this extraordinary man concludes thus, after having bestowed the greatest commendations upon his virtues and his learning; Ef fatis-In tumulo Petrus bic jacet Abelardus, Gui foli paruit fcibile quicquid erat,

His retreat in the Convent of Cluni is thus de fcribed: "Prayer, meditation, reading, writing,

"or dictating, took up every hour of his day "that was not given to reft. His meditations " and his filence were never interrupted but "when he was ordered by his Superior to give "lectures to the younger Monks. His cloaths 16 were of the thickeft and of the coarseft kind. "In his cell, like to that of the Prophet, there "was nothing to be seen but a pallet, a table, a

chair, a wooden candlestick; and on the table " was placed a Bible, fome treaties of the "Fathers, and a crucifix, before which he was al"ways praying when he was not at study. His "air, his mien, his walk, and all the exterior of ❝his person, corresponded to the fimplicity of his "cell. His eyes were always half closed; his "head was rather bending towards the ground; " and, in short, whatever the pious St. Benedict "prescribed relative to modesty and humility in "the rules he laid down for his Monks, was "ftrictly observed by this illuftrious Penitent. "He lived twenty-nine years in this state of soli"tude and of piety, and was taken ill of a fever, "of which he died, at the age of fixty-three, in "the year 1142, with the extremeft regret and "horror of his early life, and in the hopes of "pardon from that immortal and omnipotent "Being, who is ever inclined to pity and to forgive the frailties and the failings of mankind.”

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The following curious account of the CONVENT of the PARACLETE, is taken from a little book intitled 66 Bagatelles," written by the Rev. ANDREW HERVEY MILLS, and extremely well illuftrates the annexed ENGRAVING, a complete fac-fimile of the exquifite efforts of the pen and of the pencil of the elegant Mifs PONSONBY, of Plâs Nwdd, near Llangollen.

-" previous to my water-route to Paris, I "took the coche d'eau to Châlons on the Saöne; "having formerly paffed this faid city with the

ufual inattention of my countrymen, and with "the ill-fortune of no kind friend to give me in"telligence that the real tomb of Abelard was at a "Benedictine Convent, dedicated to St. Marcell,

up the avenue which adorns the banks of the "Saöne, within an English mile of the city; though his body was removed to the Paraclete, "in pity to the fufferings of the fo ill-fated "Eloifa.

"The Prior was an Englishman, as they tile it, though a native of Ireland. He was, unfor tunately, at Paris; but, in his abfence, the a Pere- - did the honours of his Superior in particular, and of the Convent in general, in a very masterly manner.

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