登陆注册
15690600000017

第17章

Full often did I groan: "Justly has this sorrow come upon me because Ideserted the Paraclete, which is to say the Consoler, and thrust myself into sure desolation; seeking to shun threats I fled to certain peril."The thing which tormented me most was the fact that, having abandoned my oratory, I could make no suitable provision for the celebration there of the divine office, for indeed the extreme poverty of the place would scarcely provide the necessities of one man. But the true Paraclete Himself brought me real consolation in the midst of this sorrow of mine, and made all due provision for His own oratory. For it chanced that in some manner or other, laying claim to it as having legally belonged in earlier days to his monastery, my abbot of St. Denis got possession of the abbey of Argenteuil, of which I have previously spoken, wherein she who was now my sister in Christ rather than my wife, Heloise, had taken the veil. From this abbey he expelled by force all the nuns who had dwelt there, and of whom my former companion had become the prioress. The exiles being thus dispersed in various places, I perceived that this was an opportunity presented by God himself to me whereby I could make provision anew for my oratory.

And so, returning thither, I bade her come to the oratory, together with some others from the same convent who had clung to her.

On their arrival there I made over to them the oratory, together with everything pertaining thereto, and subsequently, through the approval and assistance of the bishop of the district, Pope Innocent II promulgated a decree confirming my gift in perpetuity to them and their successors.

And this refuge of divine mercy, which they served so devotedly, soon brought them consolation, even though at first their life there was one of want, and for a time of utter destitution. But the place proved itself a true Paraclete to them, making all those who dwelt round about feel pity and kindliness for the sisterhood. So that, methinks, they prospered more through gifts in a single year than I should have done if I had stayed there a hundred. True it is that the weakness of womankind makes their needs and sufferings appeal strongly to people's feelings, as likewise it makes their virtue all the more pleasing to God and man. And God granted such favour in the eyes of all to her who was now my sister, and who was in authority over the rest, that the bishops loved her as a daughter, the abbots as a sister, and the laity as a mother. All alike marvelled at her religious zeal, her good judgment and the sweetness of her incomparable patience in all things. The less often she allowed herself to be seen, shutting herself up in her cell to devote herself to sacred meditations and prayers, the more eagerly did those who dwelt without demand her presence and the spiritual guidance of her words. CHAPTER XIV OF THE VILE REPORT OF HIS INIQUITYBEFORE long all those who dwelt thereabouts began to censure me roundly, complaining that I paid far less attention to their needs than I might and should have done, and that at least I could do something for them through my preaching. As a result, I returned thither frequently, to be of service to them in whatsoever way I could. Regarding this there was no lack of hateful murmuring, and the thing which sincere charity induced me to do was seized upon by the wickedness of my detractors as the subject of shameless outcry. They declared that I, who of old could scarcely endure to be parted from her I loved, was still swayed by the delights of fleshly lust. Many times I thought of the complaint of St. Jerome in his letter to Asella regarding those women whom he was falsely accused of loving when he said (Epist. xcix): "I am charged with nothing save the fact of my sex, and this charge is made only because Paula is setting forth to Jerusalem."And again: "Before I became intimate in the household of the saintly Paula, the whole city was loud in my praise, and nearly every one deemed me deserving of the highest honours of priesthood. But I know that my way to the kingdom of Heaven lies through good and evil report alike."When I pondered over the injury which slander had done to so great a man as this, I was not a little consoled thereby. If my rivals, I told myself, could but find an equal cause for suspicion against me, with what accusations would they persecute me! But how is it possible for such suspicion to continue in my case, seeing that divine mercy has freed me therefrom by depriving me of all power to enact such baseness? How shameless is this latest accusation! In truth that which had happened to me so completely removes all suspicion of this iniquity among all men that those who wish to have their women kept under close guard employ eunuchs for that purpose, even as sacred history tells regarding Esther and the other damsels of King Ahasuerus (Esther ii. 5). We read, too, of that eunuch of great authority under Queen Candace who had charge of all her treasure, him to whose conversion and baptism the apostle Philip was directed by an angel (Acts viii. 27).

Such men, in truth, are enabled to have far more importance and intimacy among modest and upright women by the fact that they are free from any suspicion of lust. The sixth book of the Ecclesiastical History tells us that the greatest of all Christian philosophers, Origen, inflicted a like injury on himself with his own hand, in order that all suspicion of this nature might be completely done away with in his instruction of women in sacred doctrine. In this respect, I thought, God's mercy had been kinder to me than to him, for it was judged that he had acted most rashly and had exposed himself to no slight censure, whereas the thing had been done to me through the crime of another, thus preparing me for a task similar to his own. Moreover, it had been accomplished with much less pain, being so quick and sudden, for I was heavy with sleep when they laid hands on me, and felt scarcely any pain at all.

同类推荐
  • 赞禅门诗

    赞禅门诗

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 佛说摩诃衍宝严经

    佛说摩诃衍宝严经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 壶史

    壶史

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 顶轮王大曼荼罗灌顶仪轨

    顶轮王大曼荼罗灌顶仪轨

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 徐氏家谱

    徐氏家谱

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 大宋女首富

    大宋女首富

    苏谨是个商人,不算成功的商人,却因意外穿越到了大宋赵祯年间。“这是一个伟大的时代啊!也许我应该到这个时代发光发热,尽我一份绵薄之力!”从一个小丫头到霸气女总裁的成长过程PS:如果觉得还不错求收藏!
  • 四人魔法使

    四人魔法使

    希音从小就与人不同,被妈妈禁止与外人来往。进入高中之后,希音的生活才有所改变。然而,随着事件的接连发生,似乎有着不可告人的秘密在向希音一步步靠近。
  • 雕星画月

    雕星画月

    他在另一个世界里,命运仿佛被他人所束缚,阴谋、背叛、利用充斥着整个世界,不管伤害到任何人都要返回属于自己的那一片天空。
  • 网游之BOSS是猪你敢说

    网游之BOSS是猪你敢说

    她去酒店捉奸,却意外遇他!是意外,还是老天你想派他来气死他?以为她……?不可饶恕!……一开始他还认为他对她只是有了那么一点好感,但为什么她伤心他却更伤心?为什么她哭他却哭得更历害?结果慢慢他发现他爱上她了!那么,就追吧。很难?那又怎样?继续!就算她承诺……那又怎样?还是继续!她骂他……那又怎样?继续!于是游戏和现实一起下手!但结局似乎并不是那么……老天,为什么你那么玩他……?(作者:此作品一切纯属虚构。)
  • 穿越的金庸武学

    穿越的金庸武学

    李暮雨以前叫做李风,在那一天,他先是差点被一枚记录了众多武学的令牌砸死,接着被一个美若天仙的美人收为养子。他的命运就在那一天,发生了翻天覆地的变化。幸亏,那块令牌记载的武学非常给力,什么降龙十八掌、独孤九剑、乾坤大挪移,易筋经等等,都厉害的一塌糊涂。
  • 女王大人请留步

    女王大人请留步

    命运的变故,让一个曾经纯洁无邪的女孩蜕变成了冷漠无情的傲娇女子,信任的人寥寥无几。凭着自己和朋友们闯出的天地,在黑白两道行走自如。在那个季节,她遇见了他,桀骜不驯的他在她面前犹如一只任人宰割的羔羊。她在对他无奈的同时,又渐渐的喜欢上了他。落叶纷飞的季节,女王大人可否为他留步?
  • 首长大大的娇妻

    首长大大的娇妻

    首长大大宠你入骨,只有你才能成为我的一号夫人。缘生缘浅,你注定都是我的人。“要不,我们离婚吧!”沉寂的空气中响起一个甜美中交杂畏惧的声音。“呵,你休想!”男人不容置疑的口气,眼中尽是温柔宠爱。
  • 逆天圣灵女玩转六界

    逆天圣灵女玩转六界

    当从小生活在神界的天之骄女不得已背负了家族的责任,面纱下丑陋不堪?只会琴棋书画?召唤兽只是个小兽宠?摘下面纱,让你们看看什么叫倾国倾城!以一对多,让你们看看什么叫全系天才,炼丹,驯兽也是强项!终于,她站在六界最高点,傲视六界,可旁边为什么有一个大妖孽和一个小妖孽?!“娘亲,爹地,哥哥,还有我!”——
  • 仙始

    仙始

    楚天羽,出生在修神者达到巅峰的时代,不过他却不能够修炼,因为他的上丹田是封闭的,而修神者必须修炼上丹田,楚天羽注定了是废物。不过楚天羽并未被此打倒,而是凭借自己的聪明才智创造了一个新的流派,那就是修仙,既然我的上丹田不能修炼,那我的下丹田呢?那我的中丹田呢?故事由此开始。
  • 昆仑廻

    昆仑廻

    蓝天之下育人千万种,三千世界轮转百千回。风云变色英雄汇,日月无光鬼神怒。叱咤豪侠魂归藏,试问谁能乾坤转。神人笔下任主宰,昆仑神话主浮沉。正所谓自古英难难过美人关。祸因红颜起,乱世出英难,这是鸡与蛋,自古难纠缠。本故事的主角凡心带着主宰历史的使命,在各爱恨情仇之间笑傲江湖。。。。。