he dedicated to the "Paraclete,"--a name at
which his enemies, furious over his success, were greatly scandalized,
but which ever after designated the whole establishment.

So incessant and unrelenting were the persecutions he suffered from
those enemies, and so deep his indignation at their baseness, that for
some time he seriously thought of escaping beyond the bounds of
Christendom, and seeking refuge among the Muslim. But just then (1125)
he was offered an important position, the abbotship of the monastery of
St. Gildas-de-Rhuys, in Lower Brittany, on the lonely, inhospitable
shore of the Atlantic. Eager for rest and a position promising
influence, Abelard accepted the offer and left the Paraclete, not
knowing what he was doing.

His position at St. Gildas was little less than slow martyrdom. The
country was wild, the inhabitants were half barbarous, speaking a
language unintelligible to him; the monks were violent, unruly, and
dissolute, openly living with concubines; the lands of the monastery
were subjected to intolerable burdens by the neighboring lord, leaving
the monks in poverty and discontent. Instead of finding a home of
God-fearing men, eager for enlightenment, he found a nest of greed and
corruption. His attempts to introduce discipline, or even decency, among
his "sons," only stirred up rebellion and placed his life in danger.
Many times he was menaced with the sword, many times with poison. In
spite of all that, he clung to his office, and labored to do his duty.
Meanwhile the jealous abbot of St. Denis succeeded in establishing a
claim to the lands of the convent at Argenteuil,--of which Heloise, long
since famous not only for learning but also for saintliness, was now the
head,--and she and her nuns were violently evicted and cast on the
world. Hearing of this with indignation, Abelard at once offered the
homeless sisters the deserted Paraclete and all its belongings. The
offer was thankfully accepted, and Heloise with her family removed there
to spend the remainder of her life. It does not appear that Abelard and
Heloise ever saw each other at this time, although he used every means
in his power to provide for her safety and comfort. This was in 1129.
Two years later the Paraclete was confirmed to Heloise by a Papal bull.
It remained a convent, and a famous one, for over six hundred years.

After this Abelard paid several visits to the convent, which he justly
regarded as his foundation, in order