<p><SPAN name="link2HCH0136" id="link2HCH0136"></SPAN></p>
<h2> CHAPTER VII—PRECAUTIONS TO BE OBSERVED IN BLAME </h2>
<p>History and philosophy have eternal duties, which are, at the same time,
simple duties; to combat Caiphas the High-priest, Draco the Lawgiver,
Trimalcion the Legislator, Tiberius the Emperor; this is clear, direct,
and limpid, and offers no obscurity.</p>
<p>But the right to live apart, even with its inconveniences and its abuses,
insists on being stated and taken into account. Cenobitism is a human
problem.</p>
<p>When one speaks of convents, those abodes of error, but of innocence, of
aberration but of good-will, of ignorance but of devotion, of torture but
of martyrdom, it always becomes necessary to say either yes or no.</p>
<p>A convent is a contradiction. Its object, salvation; its means thereto,
sacrifice. The convent is supreme egoism having for its result supreme
abnegation.</p>
<p>To abdicate with the object of reigning seems to be the device of
monasticism.</p>
<p>In the cloister, one suffers in order to enjoy. One draws a bill of
exchange on death. One discounts in terrestrial gloom celestial light. In
the cloister, hell is accepted in advance as a post obit on paradise.</p>
<p>The taking of the veil or the frock is a suicide paid for with eternity.</p>
<p>It does not seem to us, that on such a subject mockery is permissible. All
about it is serious, the good as well as the bad.</p>
<p>The just man frowns, but never smiles with a malicious sneer. We
understand wrath, but not malice.</p>
<div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />
1 of 2
2 of 2
Previous
Next
Update Required
To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.