Beacon Lights of History, Volume 07: Great Women

LORD'S LECTURES
AUTHOR OF THE OLD ROMAN WORLD, MODERN EUROPE, ETC., ETC.
LOVE.
Love, the flower of Eden The two Venuses of Socrates The Venus Urania The memory of Héloïse cherished Her birth and education Her extraordinary gifts Her aspirations Peter Abélard His wonderful genius His early scholastic triumphs Abélard at Paris His wit and flippancy His scepticism His successes His love for Héloïse His mad infatuation Scandal of the intimacy Disinterestedness of Héloïse Secret marriage of Abélard and Héloïse Marriage discovered Retirement of Héloïse and Abélard to separate convents His renewed labors His brilliant success Persecution of Abélard Letters to Héloïse Héloïse cannot conquer her love Her high social position Her blameless life Loves of Héloïse and Abélard analyzed Greatness of sentiment Last days of Abélard His retreat to Cluny Peter the Venerable Grief of Héloïse
HEROIC WOMEN.
Heroic qualities of women in the Middle Ages Extraordinary appearance of Joan of Arc Her early days Her visions Critical state of France at this period Appreciated by Joan Who resolves to come to the rescue of her king and country Difficulties which surrounded her Her services finally accepted Her faith in her mission Her pure and religious life Joan sets out for the deliverance of Orleans Succeeds in entering the city Joan raises the siege of Orleans Admiration of the people for her Veneration for women among the Germanic nations Joan marches to the siege of Rheims Difficulty of the enterprise Hesitation of the king Rheims and other cities taken Coronation of Charles Mission of the Maid fulfilled Successive military mistakes Capture of Joan Indifference and ingratitude of the King Trial of Joan for heresy and witchcraft Cruelty of the English to her The diabolical persecution Martyrdom of Joan Tardy justice to her memory Effects of the martyrdom
RELIGIOUS ENTHUSIASM.
Pleasures of the body the aim of Paganism Aim of Christianity to elevate the soul Mistakes of monastic life The age of Saint Theresa Her birth and early training Mediaeval piety Theresa sent to a convent to be educated Her poor health Religious despotism of the Middle Ages Their gloom and repulsiveness Faith and repentance divorced Catholic theology Theresa becomes a nun Her serious illness Her religious experience The Confessions of Saint Augustine The religious emancipation of Theresa Her canticles Her religious rhapsodies Theresa seeks to found a convent Opposition to her Her discouragements Her final success Reformation of the Carmelite order Convent of St. Joseph Death of Saint Theresa Writings of Saint Theresa Her submission to authority Her independence Compared with Madame Guyon Her posthumous influence