PR 1545 
 
 I .03 " ^'' 
 
 Copy 1 
 
 YALE STUDIES IN ENGLISH 
 ALBERT S. COOK, Editor 
 
 XXII 
 
 King Alfred's Old English Version 
 
 OF 
 
 St. Augustine's Soliloquies 
 
 TURNED INTO MODERN ENGLISH 
 
 BY 
 
 HENRY LEE HARGROVE, Ph.D. 
 
 Professor of English^ Baylor University 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
 HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY 
 
 1904 
 
 H. 
 
 '«^0S'^pr, 
 
\ 
 
 / 
 
YALE STUDIES IN ENGLISH 
 ALBERT S. COOK, Editor 
 
 XXII 
 
 King Alfred's Old English Version 
 
 OF 
 
 St. Augustine's Soliloquies 
 
 TURNED INTO MODERN ENGLISH 
 
 BY 
 
 HENRY LEE HARGROVE, Ph.D. 
 
 Professor of English^ Baylor University 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
 HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY 
 
 1904 
 
Gift 
 The University 
 
TO 
 
 my dear brother 
 
 Warren Penn Hargrove 
 
 who departed this life 
 
 february 8, i9o3 
 
 AGED 25 
 
PREFACE 
 
 Since the publication of my King Alfred's Old English 
 Version of St. Augustine's Soliloquies, which appeared in 
 1902, I have been at work on this translation. With the 
 faith that the unique importance of the work justifies its 
 being given this form for the benefit of the general reader, 
 and with the encouragement from scholars that my render- 
 ing will be received in the kindly spirit which characterized 
 the reception of my former edition, I now venture this 
 publication. 
 
 For those who care to use the two editions together it 
 will be seen (i) that the Alfredian additions to the Latin 
 are set in italics; and (2) that the numbers at the top 
 of each page refer to the page and line of the corresponding 
 text of the Old English. 
 
 I must add that Professor Albert S. Cook has been my 
 counsellor and critic throughout the work. 
 
 Henry Lee Hargrove. 
 
 Baylor University, 
 July 6, 1904. 
 
King Alfred's Old English Version 
 
 OF 
 
 St. Augustine's Soliloquies 
 
 TURNED INTO MODERN ENGLISH 
 
 KING ALFRED'S PREFACE 
 
 I then gathered for myself staves, and stud- 
 shafts, and cross-beams, and helves for each of 
 the tools that I could work with; and bow-tim- 
 bers and bolt-timbers for every work that I could 
 perform — as many as I could carry of the come- 
 liest trees. Nor came I home with a burden, for 
 it pleased me not to bring all the wood home, 
 even if I could bear it. In each tree I saw 
 something that I needed at home; therefore I 
 exhort every one who is able, and has many 
 wains, to direct his steps to the self-same wood 
 where I cut the stud-shafts. Let him there ob- 
 tain more for himself, and load his wains with 
 fair twigs, so that he may wind many a neat 
 wail, and erect many a rare house, and build a 
 fair enclosure, and therein dwell in joy and com- 
 fort both winter and summer, in such manner as 
 I have not yet done. But He who taught me, 
 and to whom the wood was pleasing, hath power 
 to make me dwell more comfortably both in this 
 transitory cottage by the road while I am on 
 this world-pilgrimage, and also in the everlasting 
 home which He hath promised us through Saint 
 Augustine and Saint Gregory and Saint Jerome, 
 and through many other holy Fathers; as I believe 
 
2 King Alfred's Preface [1.21— 2.23 
 
 also for the merits of all those He will both 
 make this way more convenient than it hitherto 
 was, and especially will enlighten the eyes of my 
 mind so that I may search out the right way to 
 the eternal home, and to everlasting glory, and 
 to eternal rest, which is promised us through 
 those holy Fathers. So may it be. 
 
 It is no wonder that one should labor in tim- 
 ber-work, both in the gathering and also in the 
 building; but every man desireth that, after he 
 hath built a cottage on his lord's lease and by 
 his help, he may sometimes rest himself therein, 
 and go hunting, fowling, and fishing; and use it 
 in every manner according to the lease, both on 
 sea and land, until such time as he shall gain 
 the fee simple of the eternal heritage through 
 his lord's mercy. So may the rich Giver do, who 
 ruleth both these temporary cottages and the 
 homes everlasting. May He, who created both 
 and ruleth both, grant me to be fit for each 
 — both here to be useful and thither to attain. 
 
 Augustine, bishop of Carthage, made two books 
 about his own mind. These books are called 
 Soliloquies, that is, concerning the meditation and 
 doubts of his mind— how his Reason answered his 
 mind when the mind doubted about anything, or 
 wished to know anything that it could not before 
 clearly understand. 
 
BOOK I 
 
 Then said he, his mind often went fearing and search- 
 ing out various and rare things, and most of all about 
 himself — zvhat^ he was; whether his mind and his soul 
 ivere mortal and perishable, or ever-living and eternal; and 
 again, about his God, what He was, and of what nature 
 He was ; and what good it were best for him to do, and 
 what evil best to forsake. Then answered me something, 
 I know not what, whether myself or another thing; nor 
 know I whether it was within me or without; hut this one 
 thing I most truly know, that it was my Reason; and it 
 said to me : 
 
 Reason. If thou have any good steward that can well 
 hold that which thou gettest and committest unto him, show 
 him to me ; but if thou have none so prudent, search till 
 thou find him; for thou canst not both always keep watch 
 and ward over that which thoxi hast gained, and also get 
 more. 
 
 Augustine. To what shall I commit what more I get, 
 if not to my memory? 
 
 R. Is thy memory powerful enough to hold all things 
 that thou thinkest out and bidst it to hold? 
 
 A. Nay, nay; neither mine nor any man's is so strong 
 that it can hold everything that is committed to it. 
 
 R. Then commit it to words and write it down. Howbeit 
 methinks thou art too feeble to write it all ; and though thou 
 wert entirely sound, thou wouldst need to have a place 
 retired and void of everything else, and a feiv zvise and 
 skilful men with thee zvho would hinder thee in no zvise. 
 but give aid to thy ability. 
 
 A. I have none of these, neither the leisure, nor the 
 help of other men, nor a place retired enough to suit me 
 for such work; therefore I know not what I shall do. 
 
 ^ Passages in italics were added by Alfred to the original Latin. 
 
4 King Alfred's [4.14— €.6 
 
 R. I know then nothing better than that thou shouldst 
 pray. Make known thy wish to God, Saviour of mind and 
 body, that thou mayst through such salvation obtain what 
 thou wishest. And when thou hast prayed, write the prayer, 
 lest thou forget it, that thou be the fitter for thy task. And 
 pray sincerely in few words and with full understanding. 
 
 A. I zvill do even as thou teachest me, saying thus: 
 
 O Lord, Thou who art the Creator of all things, grant 
 me first to know how to pray to Thee aright and acceptably, 
 and that I may merit to be worthy that Thou for thy mercy 
 wilt redeem and deliver me. On Thee I call, O Lord, who 
 madest all that could not else have sprung into being, nor 
 without Thee could even abide. I call to, Thee, O Lord, 
 who leavest none of thy creatures to become naught. To 
 Him I call who hath made all creatures beautiful without 
 any original substance. To Thee I call, who never w rought- 
 est any evil, but rather every good work. To Him I call 
 who teacheth to a few wise men that evil is naught. 
 
 O Lord, thou hast wrought all things perfect, and nothing 
 imperfect ; to Thee is no creature untoward ; though any 
 thing will, it can not be so, for Thou hast shapen them all 
 orderly, and peaceable, and so harmonious that none of them 
 can altogether destroy another, but the ugly ever adorn- 
 eth the beautiful. To Thee I call, whom everything loveth 
 that can love, both those which know what they love, and 
 those which know not what they love. Thou who hast 
 shapen all creatures very good, without any evil — Thou who 
 wilt not altogether shoiv thyself openly to any but to them 
 that are pure in heart, I call to Thee, O Lord, because Thou 
 art the Father of truth and wisdom, of the true and highest 
 life, and of the highest blessedness, and of the highest good, 
 and of the highest brightness, and of the intelligible light ; 
 Thou who art the Father of the Son zvho hath aivakencd 
 us, and still arouscth us, from the sleep of our sins, and 
 wameth us to come to Thee. 
 
 To Thee I pray, O Lord, who art the highest truth, and 
 through whom is true all that is true. I pray to Thee, O 
 
6.7—7-21] St. Augustine 5 
 
 Lord, who art the true Hfe, and through whom all things 
 live that do live. Thou art the highest blessedness, and 
 through Thee are blessed all that are blessed. Thou art 
 the highest good^ ... is and beautiful. Thou art the 
 intelligible light through which man knoweth. I pray to 
 Thee, O Lord, who wieldest all the world; whom we can 
 not know bodily, neither by eyes, nor by smell, nor by ears, 
 nor by taste, nor by touch; although such laws as we have, 
 and such virtues as we have, we take all those that are 
 good from thy realm, and from thy realm zve drazv an 
 example of all the good we perform. For every one fall- 
 etli who fleetli from Thee, and every one riseth who turn- 
 etli to Thee, and every one standeth who abideth in Thee ; 
 he dieth who wholly forsaketh Thee, he is quickened who 
 turneth to Thee, and he liveth indeed who abideth in Thee. 
 No one that is wise forsaketh Thee, no one seeketh Thee 
 except he be wise, and no one altogether findeth Thee but 
 the pure in heart. That is, he perisheth who forsaketh 
 Thee. He zvho loveth Thee seeketh Thee; he zvho fol- 
 loweth after Thee hath Thee. Thy truths zvhich Thoik 
 hast given us azvaken us from the sleep of our sins. Our 
 hope lifteth us to Thee. Our love, which Thou hast given 
 us, bindeth us to Thee. Through Thee we overcome our 
 foes, both spiritual and carnal. Thou who forgivest, drazv 
 nigh to me and have mercy upon me, because Thou hast 
 bestowed upon us great gifts, to wit, that we shall never 
 entirely perish and thus come to naught. 
 
 O Lord, who warnest us to watch, Thou hast given us 
 reason, wherewith to find out and distinguish good and evil, 
 and to flee the evil. Thou hast given us patience not to 
 despair in any toil nor in any misfortune. Nor is this a 
 wonder, because Thou dost verily rule zvell, and makest us 
 to serve Thee zvell. Thou hast taught us to understand 
 that zvorldly zvealth, which we looked upon as our own, is 
 alien to us, and transitory ; and Thou hast also taught us 
 to consider as our own what we looked upon as alien to us, 
 
 ' An omission in the MS. 
 
6 King Alfred's [7.21— 9.11 
 
 to wit, the kingdom of heaven, which ive once despised. 
 Thou ivho hast taught us to do no unlawfid thing, and 
 hast also taught us not to mourn even though our riches 
 should wane. Thou who hast taught us to subject our body 
 to our mind. 
 
 Thou who didst overcome death when Thou thyself didst 
 arise, and also wilt make all men arise. Thou zvho makest 
 us all zvorthy of Thee, and cleansest us from all our sins, 
 and justifiest us, and hearest our prayers. Thou who 
 madest us of thy household, and zvho teachest us all right- 
 eousness, and ahvays teachest us the good, and ahvays dost 
 us good, and leavest us not to serve an unrighteous lord, as 
 zvc did aforetime. Thou callest us back to our way, and 
 leadest us to the door, and openest to us, and givest us the 
 bread of eternal life and the drink of life's well. Thou who 
 threatenest men for their sins, and who teachest them to 
 judge righteous judgments, and to do righteousness. Thou 
 strengthenedst us, and yet dost strengthen us, in our belief, 
 in order that unbelievers ma}^ not harm us. Thou hast 
 given us, and yet givest us, understanding, that we may 
 overcome the error of those [who teach that]^ men's souls 
 have, after this world, no reward for their deserts, either 
 of good or of evil, whichever they do here. Thou who 
 hast loosed us from the thraldom of other creatures, Thou 
 always preparest eternal life for us, and alzvays preparcst 
 lis for eternal life. 
 
 Come now to my aid, Thou who art the only eternal and 
 true Deity — Father, and Son, and Holy Ghost — without any 
 variableness or turning, Avithout any need or impotence, 
 and without death. Thou who always dwellest in the high- 
 est brightness and in the highest steadfastness, in the high- 
 est unanimity and the highest sufficiency ; for to Thee there 
 is no want of good, but Thou always dwellest thus full of 
 every good unto eternity. Thou art Father, and Son, and 
 Holy Ghost. 
 
 ^ Supplied by translator to complete the sense. 
 
9.12— 10.23] St. Augustine 7 
 
 Thee serve all the creatures that Thou didst create ; to 
 Thee is every good soul subject ; at thy command the 
 heavens turn and all stars hold their courses ; at thy behest 
 the sun bringeth the bright day, and the moon light by night ; 
 after the image of these Thou dost govern and wield all 
 this world, so that all creatures change even as day and night. 
 Thou rulest and fixest the year by the alternations of the four 
 seasons — to wit, spring, and summer, autumn, and winter ; 
 each of which alternateth and varieth with the other, so that 
 each of them is again exactly what and where it formerly 
 was ; and so all stars change and vary in the same manner — 
 likewise the sea and the rivers; in the same manner all crea- 
 tures suffer change. Hozvheit, sotne vary in another man- 
 ner, so that the same come not again where they formerly 
 were, nor become just ivhat they zvere; but others come in 
 their stead, as leaves on trees; and apples, grass, plants, and 
 trees grow old and sere, and others come, ivax green, and 
 grow, and ripen; zvherefore they again begin to zvither. 
 And likezuise all beasts and fowls, in such manner that it is 
 now too long to reckon them all. Yea, even men's bodies 
 zvax old, just as other creatures do; but just as they formerly 
 lived more worthily than trees or other animals, so shall 
 they arise more worthily on Doomsday, so that never after- 
 zvard shall their bodies become naught nor zvax old; and 
 though the body had decayed, yet the soid was ever-living 
 since first it zvas created. 
 
 And all the creatures, about whom zve say that they seem 
 to us inharmonious and unsteadfast, have yet somezvhat of 
 steadiness, because they are bridled with the bridle of God's 
 commandments, God gave freedom to men's souls, that 
 they might do either good or evil, whichever they would ; 
 and promised good for a reward to them that do good, and 
 evil to them that do evil. 
 
 With God is prepared the zvell-spring of every good, and 
 thence is prepared and granted to us every good of those 
 which we have ; He shieldeth us against every evil. Nothing 
 is above Him, but all things are under Him, or with Him, or 
 
8 King Alfred's [ii.i— 12.17 
 
 in Him, He created man in His own image, and every man 
 who knoweth himself knoweth that all this is true. To that 
 God I cry, and say: 
 
 Hear me, hear me, O Lord, for Thou art my God and 
 my Lord, my Father, and my Creator, and my Governor, and 
 my hope, and my riches, and my honor, and my house, and 
 my inheritance, and my salvation, and my life. Hear me, 
 
 Lord, hear me, Thy servant. Few understand Thee. 
 Thee alone I love truly above all other things ; Thee I 
 
 seek, Thee I folloiv, Thee I am ready to serve ; under Thy 
 rule I wish to dwell, for Thou alone reignest. I pray Thee 
 to command me what Thou zvilt; but heal and open mine 
 eyes that I may see Thy wonders, and drive from me folly 
 and pride, and give me wisdom that I may understand Thee, 
 and teach me whither I should look to behold Thee; then 
 shall I, methinks, do gladly that w^hich Thou commandest 
 me. 
 
 I beseech Thee, Thou merciful, benevolent, and bene- 
 ficent Lord, to receive me. Thy fugitive ; since once I was 
 formerly Thine, and then fled from Thee to the devil, and 
 fulfilled his will, enduring much misery in his service. But 
 if to Thee it seemeth as it doth to me, long enough have I 
 felt the pains which I have now suffered, and longer have I 
 served Thy foes than I should those whom Thou hast [under 
 Thy feet].^ Long enough have I been in the reproach and 
 shame which they brought on me; but do Thou receive me 
 now, Thine own servant, for I am fleeing from them. Be- 
 hold, did they not receive me even before I had fled from 
 Thee to them? Never again restore me to them, now that 
 
 1 have sought Thee, but open to me Thy door, and teach 
 me how to come. I have naught to bring Thee but good 
 will, for I myself have nothing else, nor know I aught 
 better than to love the heavenly and the spiritual above the 
 earthly; and this I do, good Father, since I know naught 
 better than that. But I know not how I shall now come 
 to Thee except Thou teach me; teach it, then, to me, and 
 
 ^ Supplied from the Latin. 
 
12.17— 14-S] St. Augustine 9 
 
 help me. If it is by faith that they find Thee who do find 
 Thee, give me that faith. If by any other power they find 
 Thee who do find Thee, give me that power. If by wisdom 
 they find Thee who find Thee, then give me wisdom. Aug- 
 ment in me the hope of eternal life, and increase Thy love 
 in me. 
 
 O, how wonderful is Thy goodness, for it is unlike all 
 other good things. I desire to come«to Thee ; and all that I 
 have need of on the way I desire from Thee, and chiefly 
 that without which I can not come to Thee. If Thou for- 
 sake me, I perish; yet I know that Thou wilt not forsake 
 me unless I forsake Thee; nor zvill I forsake Thee, for 
 Thou art the highest good. There is none who rightl)^ seek- 
 eth Thee that doth not find Thee. He alone seeketh Thee 
 aright whom Thou teachest aright to seek Thee, and how 
 he should seek Thee. O, good Father, free me entirely from 
 the error in which I have hitherto wandered, and yet wan- 
 der; and teach me the way in which no foe can encounter 
 me before I come to Thee. If I love naught above Thee, 
 I beseech Thee that I may find Thee ; and if I desire any 
 thing beyond measure and wrongly, deliver me from it. 
 Make me worthy to behold Thee. 
 
 Thou most ancient and most wise Father, I commit to 
 Thee my body, that Thou mayest keep it whole. Yet I 
 know not what I ask — whether I am asking^ a thing use- 
 ful or useless to me or to the friends whom I love and zvho 
 love me; nor do I know how long Thou wilt keep it whole. 
 Therefore I commit and commend it to Thee, for Thou 
 knowest better than I zvhat I need. Wherefore I pray Thee 
 alway to teach me, while I am in this body and this world, 
 and help me alway to utter the counsel which is pleasing 
 to Thee, and which is best and most righteous for me in 
 this life. But above all other things I earnestly pray Thee 
 to convert me wholly to Thee, and let nothing overcome 
 me on this way, to prevent me from coming to Thee; and 
 cleanse Thou me while I am in this world, and make me 
 humble. Give me loftiness of soul. Make me reasonable 
 
10 King Alfred's [i4-5— i5i5 
 
 and just and prudent and perfect; and, O God, make me 
 a lover of Thy wisdom and a perceiver of it, and make me 
 worthy to dwell in Thy blessed kingdom. Amen! 
 
 Now I have done as thou didst teach me; now I have 
 prayed even as thou badest me. Then answered me my 
 Reason and said: 
 
 R. I see that thou hast prayed; but say now what thou 
 hast merited, or what thou wouldst have. 
 
 A. I would miderstand all, and know what I just now 
 said. 
 
 R. Sum up, then, from all that thou hast just spoken 
 about, that which seeuieth to thee that thou most needest 
 and most requirest to knozu; then clothe it in few words, 
 and tell it to me. 
 
 A. I zvill tell it to thee at once: I would understand God 
 and know mine own soul. 
 
 R. Wouldst thou know any thing more? 
 
 A. Many things I fain zvould know that I know not. 
 Howbeit there is nothing I wish more to know than this. 
 
 R. Then inquire after and seek what thou askest, and 
 tell me first what thou knowest with most certainty, and 
 then say to me: 'Sufficiently known will God and my soul 
 be to me, if they shall be as zvell known to me as this 
 thing/ 
 
 A. I can name nothing so well known to me as I would 
 that God were. 
 
 R. What, then, can we do, if thou knowest not the 
 measure? Thou oughtest to know when it seemed to thee 
 enough, and if thou ever come to that limit, then thou 
 shouldst go no further, but shouldst seek something else, lest 
 thou shouldst desire any thing beyond measure. 
 
 A. I know what thou wishest; I should illustrate to 
 thee by some example ; but I can not, for I know naught 
 like unto God, so that I can say to thee : 'I should like to 
 know God as well as I know this thing.' 
 
i5.i6— 17.8] St. Augustine il 
 
 R. I am astonished at thee, why thou sayest that thou 
 knowest nothing Hke unto God, and yet dost not know what 
 He is. 
 
 A. If I knew aught Hke unto Him, I would love that 
 thing exceedingly. Since I know naught like unto Him, I 
 love nothing but Him and mine own soul ; howbeit, I know 
 not what either of them is. 
 
 R. Thou sayest that thou lovest naught hut God and 
 thy soul; if that is true, lovest thou then no other friend? 
 
 A. Why, if I love a soul, do I not love my friend? 
 Hath not he a soul? 
 
 R. If thou lovest thy friend because he hath a soul, 
 zvhy, then, lovest thou not every thing that hath a soul? 
 Why dost thou not love mice and fleas? 
 
 A. I love them not, because they are carnal animals, 
 not men. 
 
 R. Have not thy friends likewise bodies, even as beasts 
 have ? 
 
 A. Yet it is not on this account I love them, but because 
 they are men, and have reason in their minds — that quality 
 I love even in slaves. Those that I hate, I hate because 
 they turn the good of reason into evil, since I am allowed 
 both to love the good and to hate the evil. Therefore I 
 love all my friends, some less, some more; and him whom 
 I love more than another, I love him so much more than 
 the other as I perceive that he hath a better will than the 
 other, and the desire to make his reason more serviceable. 
 
 R. Thou understandest it well enough, and rightly 
 enough. But if any one should now say to thee that he 
 could teach thee how thou mightest. know God as well as 
 thou knowest Alypius thy servant, would that seem enough 
 to thee, or how much wouldst thou thank him for it? 
 
 A. I should thank him, but nevertheless I would not 
 answer 'enough.' 
 
 R. Why? 
 
 A. Alypius is better known to me than God, yet even 
 him I know not so well as I would. 
 
12 King Alfred's [17.9— ig.2 
 
 R. Look to it now that thy desire be not beyond meas- 
 ure, now that thou comparest them together. Woiildst thou 
 know God just as thou dost Alypius? 
 
 A. Nay; nor do I make them the more aHke, albeit I 
 name them together. But I say that one often knoweth 
 more about higher than about lowlier things. I know now 
 about the moon, how it zvill move to-morrozv and other 
 nights; but, I know not what I shall eat to-morrow, which 
 is a baser matter. 
 
 R. Then wouldst thou know enough about God, if He 
 should be as well known to thee as the motion of the moon — 
 in what constellation it now is, or into which it is going 
 next? 
 
 A. Nay ; I wish that He were better known to me than 
 the moon which I see with mine eyes. Yet I do not know 
 but that God may, for some secret reasons, which we know 
 not, change it in another wise; then should I be perplexed 
 in what I now imagine I know about it. But I would have 
 such knowledge about God, in my reason and in my under- 
 standing, that nothing could disturb me, nor bring me into 
 any doubt. 
 
 R.' Dost thou believe, therefore, that I can make thee 
 wiser about God than thou now art about the moon? 
 
 A. Yea; I believe it, but I should prefer to know it, for 
 we believe all that we know, and we are ignorant of man^' 
 things which we believe. 
 
 R. Methinks that thou dost not trust the external 
 senses — eyes, ears, smell, taste, and touch — as a means of 
 clearly understanding zvhat thou zvouldst, unless thou com- 
 prehend it in the mind by the reason. 
 
 A. That is true; I trust them not. 
 
 R. Wouldst thou know thy servant, whom we were just 
 now speaking of, with the outer senses, or with the inner? 
 
 A. I know him now as well as I can know him with the 
 external senses; but I should like to know his mind with 
 my mind; then I should know what was his loyalty 
 toward me. 
 
19.3— 20.17] St. Augustine 13 
 
 R. Can one know otherwise than zvith the mind? 
 
 A. It doth not seem to me that I can know it as I would. 
 
 R. Dost thou, then, not know thy servant? 
 
 A. How can I know him, seeing I am not certain that I 
 know myself? It is said in the law that one shall love his 
 neighbor even as himself. How then do I know in what 
 way I should love him, if I do not know whether I love 
 myself? Nor do I know how he loveth me; yet I know 
 that it is the same with him in regard to me. 
 
 R. If thou with the inner sense wouldst know God, why 
 pointest thou me to the outer senses, as if thou wouldst see 
 Him bodily, just as thou formerly saidst thou sawest the 
 moon? I know not therefore how thou teachest it to me, 
 nor can I teach it to any one, by the outer senses. But tell 
 me whether it seemeth enough for thee to know God as 
 Plato and Plotinus knew him? 
 
 A. I dare not say that it would seem to me enough, 
 because I know not whether it seemed to them enough in 
 regard to that which they knew. I know not whether it 
 seemed to them that they needed to know more of Him, but 
 even so they formerly seemed to me.^ When I prayed, 
 methought I did not so fully understand that which I be- 
 sought as I would. But I still could not forbear to speak 
 about it, just as it seemed to me that I needed, and just as 
 I supposed it was. 
 
 R. Methinks nozv it seemeth to thee that it is one thing 
 to knozv, and quite another only to suppose. 
 
 A. Yea, so methinks; therefore I zvould nozv that thou 
 tell me zvhat difference there is betzveen these, or zvhat one 
 certainly knozveth. 
 
 R. Knozvest thou that thou didst learn the science zuhich 
 zve call geometry? In that science thou learnedst on a 
 hall, or an apple, or a painted egg, that thou might est by the 
 painting understand the motion of the heavens and the 
 course of the stars. Knozvest thou that thou didst learn in 
 the same science about a line drazvn along the middle of 
 
 ^ Doubtful rendering of and swa-stva me er puhton. 
 
14 King Alfred's [20.17—22.10 
 
 the hallf Knozvest thou zvhat zvas there taught thee about 
 the positions of the twelve stars and the path of the sun? 
 
 A. Yea; I know well enough what the line signifieth. 
 
 R. Now that thou sayest thou doubtest this no whit, 
 dost thou not fear the Academicians, those philosophers ivho 
 said that there was never anything certain beyond a doubt? 
 
 A. Nay; I do not fear them much, for they said that 
 there never was a wise man. Therefore I am not at all 
 ashamed not to be wise, for I know that as yet I am not 
 wise; but if I ever become as wise as they, then I will do 
 as they teach, until I can say that I know without doubt 
 zvhat I seem to myself to knozv. 
 
 R. I do not object at all to thy doing so. But thou 
 sayest thou knowest about the line which was painted on 
 the ball on which thou learnedst the revolution of this 
 heaven; I would know whether thou also knowest about 
 the ball on zvhich the line is drazvn. 
 
 A. Yea; I know both. No man can mistake that. 
 
 R. Didst thou learn with the eyes or with the mind? 
 
 A. With both : first with the eyes, then with the mind. 
 The eyes brought me to the understanding ; but after I had 
 perceived it, I left off looking with the eyes, and reflected, 
 for it seemed to me that I could contemplate much more of 
 it than I could see, after the eyes had fixed it in my mind. 
 Just so a ship bringeth one over the sea; zvhen he cometh 
 ashore, he letteth the ship stand, for it seemeth to him that 
 he can travel m.ore easily zvithout it than with it. How- 
 ever, it seemeth easier to me to travel by skiff on dry land 
 than to learn any science with the eyes, but without the 
 reason — though the eyes must at times give aid. 
 
 R. Therefore thou must needs look rightly zvith the 
 eyes of the mind to God, just as the ship's anchor-cable is 
 stretched direct from the ship to the anchor, and fasten the 
 eyes of thy mind on God, just as the anchor is fastened in 
 the earth. Though the ship be out among the sea-billows, 
 it will remain sound and unbroken if the cable holdeth, since 
 one end of it is fast to the earth and the other to the ship. 
 
22.11—247] St. Augustine 15 
 
 A. What is that which thou callcst the mind's eyes? 
 
 R. Reason, in addition to other virtues. 
 
 A. What are the other virtues? 
 
 R. Wisdom, and humility, and honor, and moderation, 
 and righteousness, and mercy, and prudence, and constancy, 
 and benevolence, and chastity, and abstinence. With these 
 anchors thou art able to fasten to God the cable that shall 
 hold the ship of thy mind. 
 
 A. May the Lord God make me entirely as thou teach- 
 est me [to be']. I would if I could, but I can not under- 
 stand how I shall be able to obtain these anchors, or how 
 I shall fasten them, except thou teach it to me more clearly. 
 
 R. I could teach thee, but I ought first to ask thee hoiv 
 many of this zvorld's lusts thou hast renounced for God. 
 After thou hast told me that, then I can say to thee zvith- 
 out any doubt that thou hast obtained so many of the 
 anchors as thou hast renounced the lusts of the world. 
 
 A. Hozv can I forsake that zvhich I know and am 
 familiar with, and have been used to from childhood, and 
 love that which is unknozvn to me except by hearsay? 
 Howbeit, I feel sure that if I knezv what thou sayest about 
 me as certainly as what I here see for myself, I zuoidd love 
 that, and despise this. 
 
 R. I zvonder zvhy thou spcakest so. Suppose now if 
 a letter zvith seal from thy lord should come to thee, canst 
 thou say thou art not able to understand him by that, nor 
 to recognise his zvill therein? If thou sayest that thou 
 canst know his will therein, say then whether it seemeth to 
 thee better to follozv his zvill, or to follow after the wealth 
 which he gave thee over and above his friendship. 
 
 A. Whether I will or not, I must speak truly, unless I 
 am prepared to lie. If I lie, God knoweth it. Therefore I 
 dare speak only the truth, so far as I can knozv it. Me- 
 thinks it is better to forsake the gift, and follow the giver, 
 who is to me the stezvard both of the riches and of his 
 friendship, unless I can have both. I should like, however, 
 
1 6 King Alfred's [24.7—25.23 
 
 to have both, if I could folloxv both the zvealth and also his 
 will. 
 
 R. Full rightly hast thou answered me, but I zvould 
 ask thee whether thou supposest that thou canst have all 
 that thou now hast zvithout thy lord's friendship. 
 
 A. I do not suppose that any man is so foolish as to 
 thijik that. 
 
 R. Thou understandest it rightly enough, but I would 
 knozv zvhether thou thinkest that what thou hast is tem- 
 poral or eternal. 
 
 A. I never supposed it to be eternal. 
 
 R. What thinkest thou about God and the anchors which 
 zve spake of — are they like these, or are they eternal? 
 
 A. Who is so mad as to dare say that God is not eternal f 
 
 R. If He is eternal, zvhy lovest thou not the eternal 
 Lord more than the temporal? Lo, thou knowest that the 
 Eternal will not leave thee, except thou go from Him; and 
 thou must needs depart from the other whether thou zvill 
 or no; thou must either leave him, or he thee. Howbeit I 
 perceive that thou lovest him very much, and also fearest 
 and dost zvell; very rightly and very becomingly thou dost. 
 But I wonder zvhy thou dost not love the Other much more, 
 Him who giveth thee both the friendship of the worldly 
 lord and His ozvn, and, after this zvorld, life eternal. The 
 Lord is the ruler of you both — thine and thy lord's whom 
 thou so immeasurably lovest. 
 
 A. I confess to thee that I zvotdd love Him above all 
 other things, if I coidd understand and know Him as I 
 would. But I can understand very little of Him, or nothing 
 at all, and yet at times, when I think carefidly of Him, and 
 any inspiration cometh to me about the eternal life, then 
 I by no means prefer this present life to that, nor even love 
 it so much. 
 
 R. Wishest thou now to see Him and clearly under- 
 stand Him? 
 
 A. I have no wish above that. 
 
 R. Keep, then. His commandments. 
 
25-24—27.13] St. Augustine 17 
 
 A. What commandments? 
 
 R. I named them to thee before. 
 
 A. Methinks they are very burdensome and very mani- 
 fold. 
 
 R. What one loveth, methinks, is not burdensome. 
 
 A. Nor doth any work seem burdensome to me if I can 
 see and have what I zvork for. But doubt begetteth heavi- 
 ness. 
 
 R. Thou grospest it well enough in speech, and well 
 enough thou undcrstandest it. But I can say to thee that 
 I am the faculty of Reason, which argueth with thee — the 
 discursive faculty whose province it is to explain to thee in 
 such wise that thou mayest see God with thy mind's eyes 
 as clearly as thou now seest the sun with the eyes of the 
 body. 
 
 A. Almighty God reward thee! I am truly grateful for 
 thy promise to teach it to me so clearly. Although I was 
 ignorant, yet I emerge from this condition to a clearer vision 
 of Him, if I come to see Him as I now see the sun. Howbeit 
 I do not see the sun so clearly as I zvould like to. I knozv 
 very little better what the sun is, though I look on it every 
 day. Still it seemed good to me that I might thus clearly 
 see God. 
 
 R. Nozf consider very earnestly w'hat I formerly said to 
 thee. 
 
 A. I will, so much as possible. 
 
 R. First know of a truth that the mind is the eye of 
 the soul ; secondly, thou must know that it is needful for 
 one to see what one looketh at ; the fourth is what one 
 would see. For every one having- eyes first looketh at that 
 which he would see till he hath beheld it. When he hath 
 beheld it then he truly seeth it. But thou must know that 
 I who now speak with thee am Reason, and I am to every 
 human mind what looking is to the eyes. Three things it 
 behooveth the eyes of every human body to have ; the fourth 
 is what it seeketh and would draw to them. One is that 
 
i8 King Alfred's [27.13—29.13 
 
 thou hast and usest and lovest that which thou formerly 
 didst hope for. 
 
 A. Alas! Shall I ever come to that zvhich I hope for, 
 or shall that ever come to me which I desire? 
 
 R. Add now love as a third besides faith and hope ; for 
 the eyes of no soul are entirely sound — especially to see God 
 with — if lacking these three. Seeing, then, is knowing. 
 
 A. If then there be sound eyes, that is, perfect under- 
 standing, what is then wanting to it, or what is more needful ? 
 
 R. The soul's vision is Reason and Contemplation. But 
 many souls look with these, and yet see not what they desire, 
 because they have not entirely sound eyes. But he who 
 wisheth to see God must have the eyes of his mind whole ; 
 that is, he must have an abiding faith and a just hope and 
 a full love. When he hath all these, then hath he life 
 blessed and eternal. The vision which we shall catch of 
 God is knowledge. That knowledge is between two 
 things — between that which understandeth and that which 
 is understood — and is fastened on both even as love is 
 between the lover and the one loved. On both it is fastened, 
 as we said before concerning the anchor-cable that the one 
 end ivas fast to the ship, and the other to the land. 
 
 A. Then if it ever again happeneth that I can see God 
 as thou nozv teachest me that I should behold Him, ivould 
 I need all three of the things that thou formerly spakest 
 about, namely: faith and hope and love? 
 
 R. What need then is there of faith, when one seeth 
 that which he formerly exercised faith toward, and again 
 knoweth that which he formerly hoped for ? But love never 
 waneth — it abideth greatly increased when the understand- 
 ing is fixed on God; nor hath love ever any end. Omni 
 consummatione uidi finem; latum mandatum tuum nimis:^ 
 that is, of everything in the world I shall see the end, but the 
 end of thy commandments I shall never see. That is the 
 love about which he prophesied. But, although the soul be 
 perfect and pure while it is in the body, it can not see God 
 
 ^ Ps. 119. 96, inexactly quoted. 
 
29.13—30-27] St. Augustine • 19 
 
 as it desireth, because of the sorrow and tribulation of the 
 body, except with much labor through faith and hope and 
 love. These ore the three anchors which sustain the ship 
 of the mind in the midst of the dashing of the wares. 
 Yet the mind hath much comfort because it believeth and 
 clearly knoweth that the misfortunes and unhappiness of 
 this zvorld are not eternal. So the ship's master,'^ zvhen the 
 ship rideth most unsteadily at anchor and the sea is roughest, 
 then knoweth of a truth that calm zveather is coming. Three 
 things are needftd to the eyes of each soul: One is that they 
 he whole; the second, that they should look at what they 
 would see; the third, that they may see what they look at. 
 For the three is God's help necessary, for one can neither do 
 good nor any thing zvithout His aid. Therefore He is 
 always to he entreated that He he ever helpful; therefore 
 also He inspireth us and inciteth us first to he zv ell-wishing. 
 and afterzvards zvorketh zvith us that zvhich He willeth till 
 such time as we perfect it zvith Him; and especially He 
 zvorketh zvith us as zvith some pozverfid tool, just as it is 
 zvritten- that with each zvell-working person God is a co- 
 zvorker. We knozv that no man can perform any good 
 unless God work with him; hozvbeit no man must be so idle 
 as not to begin something through the strength that God 
 giveth him. 
 
 A. Thou teachest me the right zvay. Nozu I knozv zvhat 
 I ought to do; but I do not knozv whether I can or can not. 
 
 R. Thou oughtest not to despair because thou canst not 
 come at once to that zvhich thou desirest for thyself. Can 
 he who zvould learn a science ever do so in a short time, 
 a little more or a little less? Thine is the science of all 
 sciences, to zvit, that one shotdd seek after God and look 
 toward Him and see Him. 
 
 A. Well thou adz'isest me; hut I recall what thou didst 
 formerly promise me, and very joyfully I abide that promise; 
 
 * Translating MS., ho feut, emended to hlaford at the suggestion 
 of Professor Cook. Cf. translator's ed. of the OE. version, 29. 20. 
 ' I Cor. 3. 9. 
 
20 King Alfred's [30.27—32.7 
 
 thou didst promise to teach me how to see God with the 
 eyes of my mind as clearly as I now see the sun with the 
 eyes of my body. 
 
 R. Well thou remindest me; I tvill do for thee what I 
 promised. Call to mind now that thou canst see with thy 
 body's eyes three things in regard to the sun : One is that 
 it existeth ; another, that it shineth ; the third, that it 
 lighteth up many things with its shining. All the things 
 which are bright, when the sun shineth on them, shine 
 against it, each after its ozvn kind. But those things which 
 are not bright shine not against the sun, although it shineth 
 on them. But the sun shineth, nevertheless, on them, and 
 yet he who looketh toward it can not see it wholly just as it 
 is. All this and more thou canst observe concerning God. 
 He is the high Sun. He always abideth, lighting up with 
 His own light both the sun which we see with bodily eyes 
 and all creatures both spiritual and terrestrial. Therefore he 
 scemeth to me a very foolish man zvho wisheth to understand 
 Him just as He is, while we are yet in this world. Behold! 
 I suppose that no one is so foolish that he becometh sorrow- 
 ful because he can not see and understand, just as it is, the 
 sun which we look at zvith corporeal eyes; but every one 
 rejoiceth that at least he can understand according to the 
 measure of his understanding. He doth well who desireth 
 to understand the Eternal and Almighty Sun; but he doth 
 very foolishly, if he wisheth to know Him- perfectly ivhile 
 he is in this world. 
 
 A. Very wonderfully and very truly thou teachest, and 
 very much thou hast comforted me and brought me into 
 good hope. But I pray still for what thou aforetime didst 
 promise me. 
 
 R. Two things I promised that I would accomplish and 
 teach thee, to wit, to understand God and thyself. But I 
 zvould know how thou desirest to understand that — whether 
 thou wouldst beliez'e zvithout experience, or know by 
 experience. 
 
32.8—33-19] St. Augustine 21 
 
 A. I would kiiozv it by experience, for I know nothing 
 of it surely. 
 
 R. That is no wonder. I did not explain it to thee in 
 such wise that thou couldst know it by experience; for 
 there is yet something which thou must first know, to wit, 
 whether we both are whole. 
 
 A. Thou must know whether thou findest any health, 
 either in me, or in thyself, or in us both. It becometh 
 thee to teach and me to listen; and it becometh me to answer 
 what I understand according to the measure of my wider- 
 standing, if so be I understand it at all; if I do not under- 
 stand it at all, then must I admit it and leave it to thy 
 judgment. 
 
 R. Wishest thou to know more than about God and 
 thyself ? 
 
 A. I answer thee that I do not zmsh anything more 
 earnestly ; but I dare not promise thee that I shall not desire 
 any thing else than that; for it is verily hidden from me, 
 albeit something cometh into my mind which, methinks, 
 nothing can hinder me from furthering and performing. 
 When another thing cometh which seemeth to me more right 
 and reasonable, then I leave off that which I formerly held 
 enough ; and therefore at times it happeneth that something 
 is so fixed in my mind, that I think I shall never let it go 
 so long as I live. Howbeit there cometh to me then some 
 trouble which occupieth me so that I can never leave it, nor 
 can I perform it although I can not think of any better 
 [thing to be done].^ But three things have troubled me 
 most : One is, I fear that I must part with my friends whom 
 I love most, or they with me — either for life or for death; 
 the second is, I fear sickness, both the knozvn and the 
 unknozvn; the third is, I fear death. 
 
 R. I hear now what thou lovest most next to thine own 
 reason and God: They are, the life of thy friends, and thine 
 own health, and thine own life. Of these five things thou 
 art afraid that thou shalt lose some, because thou lovest 
 
 * Supplied by translator. 
 
22 King Alfred's [3319— 35-8 
 
 them all very much. If thou didst not love them, then thou 
 hadst not dreaded that thou wouldst lose them. 
 
 A. I admit what thou sayest to me. 
 
 R. Therefore methinks that I see thee very sad and 
 greatly cast down in thy mind, because thou hast not such 
 health as thou hadst; nor hast thou all thy friends with 
 thee so agreeable and harmonious as thou wouldst. Nor 
 doth it seem to me any zvonder that thou art sad for that 
 reason. 
 
 A. Thou understandest it rightly ; I can not gainsay 
 that. 
 
 R. If then it ever happen that thou shalt find thyself 
 full whole and full strong, and hast all thy friends with thee, 
 both in mind and in body, and in that same ivork and in 
 that same zvill zvhich pleaseth thee best to do, wilt thou then 
 be happy at all? 
 
 A. Yea, verily; if it should now suddenly happen, I do 
 not know Jiozv on earth I would begin. 
 
 R. Hast thou not then still some trouble, such as immod- 
 erate sorrow, either of mind or of body — seeing now thou 
 hast those two things? Wert thou, therefore, foolish in 
 heart, when thou didst wish that thou shouldst see with such 
 eyes the high and everlasting Sun ? 
 
 A. Now thou hast overcome me withal, so that I by no 
 means know how much of health I have, nor how much of 
 sickness. 
 
 R. That is no wonder. No man hath such sound eyes 
 that he can look any length of time toward the sun which 
 we here see, much less if he have weak eyes. But those 
 that have weak eyes can be more at ease in the darkness 
 than in the light. Methinks, though, that it seemeth to thee 
 that thou hast sound eyes. Thon thinkest of the health of 
 thy soul's eyes, but thou dost not think of the great light 
 zvhich thou zvishest to see. Be not zvrofh zvith me, albeit I 
 question thee and examine thee, for I needs must do that. 
 Methinks thou dost not understand thyself. 
 
35-9— 37-3] St. Augustine 23 
 
 A. I am in no wise ivroth zuith thee, but rejoice in what 
 thou sayestj because I know that thou seekest my good. 
 
 R. Wishest thou any wealth? 
 
 A. Long ago I resolved that I should despise it. I am 
 now three and thirty years old, and I was one less than 
 twenty when I first resolved that I would not love wealth 
 overmuch. Though enough should come to me, I would 
 not rejoice very much, nor enjoy it too immoderately, nor 
 would I gain more to keep than I could fitly make use of, 
 and keep and support the men on, whom I must help; and 
 the residue I think as orderly to divide as I best am able 
 so to do. 
 
 R. Wishest thou any honor? 
 
 A. I confess to thee that I did wish that till recently 
 desire failed. 
 
 R. Desirest thou not a beautiful wife, and withal modest 
 and well instructed and of good manners and subject to thy 
 will, and one who hath much substance and would not 
 engross thee in any thing, nor hinder thee from enjoying 
 leisure at thy will ? 
 
 A. Dost thou not praise her overmuch that I may wish 
 her all the more? For methinks there is nothing worse for 
 him that willeth to serve God than to take a wife — though 
 some one hath said that it is better to take one for the 
 rearing of children. Howbeit I say that it is better for 
 priests not to have a wife. Therefore I decided that I zvould 
 take none, because I wished to be the freer to serve God. 
 
 R. I hear now that thou dost not think to take a wife ; 
 but I would know whether thou still hast any love or lust 
 after any uncleanness. 
 
 A. Why askest thou more about thatf I do not now 
 desire that; but if lust ever cometh to me, I dread it as an 
 adder. Ever the less is my desire for it, and ever the more 
 I wish to see the light, even as I lust the less after this 
 manner. 
 
 R. How about food ? How much dost thou desire that ? 
 
24 King Alfred's [374—3913 
 
 A. I desire none of those meats which I have renounced ; 
 I desire those which- 1 have thought right to eat, when I see 
 them. What shall I say more either about meat, or drink, 
 or baths, or riches, or honor, or any zvorldly lusts? Nor do 
 I wish any more of these than I shall need to have for my 
 bodily comfort and to keep my strength. Howbeit I need 
 much more for the zvants of those men zvhich I must take 
 care of, and moreover this I needs must have. 
 
 R. Thou art right. But I would know whether thy old 
 covetousness and greediness he entirely extirpated and 
 uprooted from thy mind, so that it can not still grow. 
 
 A. Why askest thou that? 
 
 R. I speak of the things which thou before saidst to 
 me that thou hadst decided to leave off and for nothing 
 would turn back to again, namely : overmuch wealth, and 
 immoderate honor, and inordinately rich and luxurious liv- 
 ing; and therefore I now ask whether, either for the love of 
 them or for the love of any thing, thou wilt return to them 
 again. I heard formerly that thou saidst that thou lovedst 
 thy friends, next to God and thine own reason, above other 
 things. Now I would know whether thou, for their love, 
 wouldst lay hold of these things again. 
 
 A. I will lay hold of all again for their love, if I can not 
 else have their companionship — yet it doth not please me 
 so to do. 
 
 R. Very reasonably thou dost answer me and very 
 rightly. Howbeit I understand that the lusts of the zvorld 
 are not entirely uprooted from thy mind, although the trench 
 be prepared; for the roots can sprout thence again. Yet I 
 impute that not to thee as a fault, for thou layest hold of 
 it not for the love of those things but for the love of this 
 thing which it is more right to love than that. / never ask 
 about any man, what he doth; but yet I ask thee now why 
 thou lovest thy friends so much, or what thou lovest in them, 
 or whether thou lovest them for their ozvn sake or for some 
 other thing. 
 
39.14—41-19] St. Augustine 25 
 
 A. I love them for friendship and for companionship, 
 and above all others I love those zvho most help me to 
 understand and to know reason and wisdom, most of all 
 about God and about our souls; for I know that I can more 
 easily seek after Him with their help than I can ivithout. 
 
 R. How then if they do not wish to inquire after the One 
 whom thou seek est f 
 
 A, I shall teach them so that they will. 
 
 R. But how then if thou canst not, and if they be so 
 foolish as to love other things more than that which thou 
 lovest, and say that they can not or will not? 
 
 A. I, nevertheless, will have them: they will be helpful 
 to me in some things and I likewise to them. 
 
 R. But how then if they disturb thee, and if the infirmi- 
 ties of the body hinder thee? 
 
 A. That is true ; howbeit I would not fear at all the 
 infirmities, ifjt tvere not for three things: One of these is 
 heavy sorrow; another is death; the third is that I can not 
 seek nor truly find zvhat I desire just as thou madest me 
 knoiv. Toothache hindered me from all learning, but yet 
 it did not altogether snatch from me the remembrance of that 
 which I formerly learned. Howbeit I suppose, if I should 
 understand certainly that which I yearn to understand, sor- 
 row would seem to me very little, or else naught, compared 
 with faith. Yet I know many a pain is much sharper than 
 toothache, albeit I never suffered any sharper. I learned 
 that Cornelius Celsus taught in his hooks that in every man 
 wisdom is the highest good and sickness the greatest evil. 
 The saying appeareth to me very true. Concerning the 
 same thing the same Cornelius saith : 'Of two things we 
 are what we are, to wit, of soul and of body. The soul is 
 spiritual, and the body earthy. The best faculty of the soul 
 is wisdom, and the worst affliction of the body is sickness.' 
 Methinks moreover that this is not false. 
 
 R. Have we not now shown clearly enough that wisdom 
 is the highest good? Is it not also beyond a doubt that it 
 is to every man the best of all the virtues? And is it not 
 
26 King Alfred's [41-19 — 4312 
 
 his best work to search after wisdom, and love it whenever he 
 findeth it ? But I would that we two might now search out 
 who the lovers of this wisdom should be. Dost thou not 
 know that every man who loveth another very much liketh 
 better to caress and kiss the other on the bare body than 
 where the clothes come betiveenf Now I understand that 
 thou lovest wisdom very much, and wishest so much to know 
 and feel it naked that thou woiildst not that any cloth 
 were between; but it will seldom so openly reveal itself to 
 any man. At those times when it will show any limb thus 
 bare, it doth so to very few men; but I knozv not how thou 
 canst receive it zvith gloved hands. Thou must also place 
 the bare body against it, if thou wilt feel it. But tell me 
 now, if thou lovedst a certain beautiful woman very im- 
 moderately and above all other things, and if she fled from 
 thee and would reciprocate thy love on no other condition 
 than that thou wouldst renounce every other love for hers 
 alone, wouldst thou then do as she wished? 
 
 A. Alas! what a hard thing thou dost enjoin upon me! 
 Didst thou not formerly admit that I loved nothing above 
 ivisdom, and moreover I too admitted it, albeit thou saidst 
 then that whoever loveth one thing for the sake of another, 
 he doth not of a truth love that former thing for which 
 he professeth love, but really that for which he loved the 
 former thing and thought to obtain it. Therefore I assert 
 that I love wisdom for no other thing than for its own sake. 
 I love all the world — each thing as I consider it profitable, 
 and especially that thing most which helpeth me to wisdom ; 
 and moreover those things which I fear most to lose. How- 
 beit I do not love any thing else in such wise as I love wis- 
 dom. Every thing which I love most I grant, while I love it 
 most, to no man but to myself, except wisdom alone. It I 
 love above all other things, and yet of my free will I would 
 grant it to every man, so that all who are on this earth 
 might love it and search after it, yea, find it, and then 
 use it ; for I know that each of us would love the other by 
 so much more as our will and our love were more in unison. 
 
43-13— 44-24] St. Augustine 27 
 
 R. Said I not formerly that he who would feel the bare 
 body must feel it with bare hands? And I say also, if thou 
 wilt behold wisdom itself thus bare, that thou must not allow 
 any cloth betioeen thine eyes and it, nor even any mist; albeit 
 to that thou canst not come in this present life, though I 
 enjoin it tipon thee, and though thou wish it. Wherefore 
 no man ought to despair, though he have not so sound eyes 
 as he who can look the sharpest ; even he who can look the 
 sharpest of all can not himself see the sun just as it is while 
 he is in this present life. Yet no man hath such weak eyes 
 that he can not live by the sun and use it, if he can see at 
 all, unless he be purblind. Moreover, I can teach unto thee 
 other parables about wisdom. Consider now zvhether any 
 man seeketh there the king's home where he is in town, or 
 his court, or his army, or whether it seemeth to thee that 
 they all must come thither by the same road; on the con- 
 trary, I suppose they would come by very many roads: some 
 would come from afar, and would have a road very long and 
 very bad and very difficult; some zvoidd have a very long 
 and very direct and very good road; some woidd have a 
 very short and yet hard and strait and foul one; some would 
 have a short and smooth and good one; and yet they all 
 would come to one and the same lord, some more easily, 
 some with more difficulty; neither do they come thither with 
 like ease, nor are they there alike at ease. Some are in more 
 honor and in more ease than others; some in less, some 
 almost without, except the one that he loveth. So is it 
 likewise with wisdom. Each one who wisheth it and who 
 anxiously prayeth for it, he can come to it and abide in its 
 household and live near it; yet some are nearer it, others 
 farther from it; just so is every king's court: some dwell 
 in cottages, some in halls, some on the threshing-floor, some 
 in prison; and yet they all live by the favor of one lord, 
 just as all men live under one sun, and by its light see what 
 they see. Some look very carefidly and very clearly; some 
 see with great difficulty; others are stark blind, yet use 
 the sun. But just as the visible sun lighteth the eyes of our 
 
28 King Alfred's [44.25—46.10 
 
 body, so zvisdom lighteth the eyes of our mind, zvhich is our 
 understanding. And just a^ the eyes of the body are more 
 sound, thus to use more of the sun's light, so is it also with 
 the mind's eyes, that is, the understanding: just by so much 
 as that is sounder, by so much more may it see the eternal 
 sun, which is wisdom. Every man that hath sound eyes 
 needeth no other guide nor teacher to see the sun, except 
 health. If he hath sound eyes, he may himself look at the 
 sun. On the contrary, if he hath unsound eyes, then he 
 needeth that one teach him to look first on the wall, then 
 on gold, and on silver ; when he can more easily look on 
 that, [then let him look] ^ on fire, before he looketh at the sun. 
 Then after he hath learned that his eyes do not at all avoid 
 the fire, let him look on the stars and on the moon, then on 
 sunshine, before he looketh on the sun itself. And just so 
 with the other sun that we formerly spake of, that is, wis- 
 dom. He who wisheth to see it with his mind's e)^es must 
 begin very gradually, and then little by little mount nearer 
 and nearer by steps, just as if he zvere climbing on a ladder 
 and wished to ascend some sea-cliff. If he then ever 
 Cometh up on the cliff, he may look both over the shore and 
 over the sea, zvhich then lieth beneath him, and also over 
 the land that formerly was above him. But if it seemeth 
 good to us, let us stop here for this day, and to-morrow seek 
 further after the same thing which Ave before sought after. 
 
 A. Nay, not at all; but I humbly pray thee that thou 
 weary not, 7tor leave off the conversation here; but say 
 somezvhat more clearly about it so that I may more clearly 
 feel and understand something concerning this zvisdom, 
 and bid me what thou wilt. I will understand it, if it lies in 
 my power. 
 
 R. I know not anything to command thee of which thou 
 hast more need for the science which thou wishest to know, 
 than that thou despise, so much as thou art able, worldly 
 honors, and especially intemperate and unlawful ones, be- 
 cause I fear that they may bind thy mind to themselves and 
 
 ^ Supplied by translator. 
 
46.10—48.6] St. Augustine 29 
 
 take it with their snare, just as one catcheth wild beasts or 
 fowls, so that thou canst not accomplish what thou wishest ; 
 for I know that the freer thou art from the things of this 
 world, the more clearly thou shalt understand about the wis- 
 dom which thou desirest ; and if it ever happen that thou 
 canst so entirely forsake them that thou desirest naught 
 of them, then shall I be able to say to thee forsooth (believe 
 me if thou wilt), that in that very hour thou shalt know all 
 that thou wishest now to know, and shalt have all that thou 
 wishest to have. 
 
 A. When shall that be? I do not believe that it will 
 ever be that I shall not yearn at all after this world's honors, 
 unless one thing happen, namely : that I see those honors 
 zvhich thou proniisest me. Hozvbeit I know not that it 
 would please me so zvell to yearn no more after this ivorld's 
 honors. 
 
 R. Now methinks thou dost not answer me with reason. 
 Methinks that thou speakest very much as if thine eyes 
 should say to thy mind : 'We will never avoid the darkness 
 of the night until we can see the sun itself.' Thus, methinks, 
 the eyes do, if they avoid that part of the sun's light which 
 they can see. It can not happen even to the soundest of all 
 eyes that they can look from this world and see the sun as 
 it is. By this thou mayest conclude that thou oughtest not 
 to sigh though thou canst not see wisdom naked with the 
 eyes of thy mind just as it is; for thou canst never do that 
 while thou art in the darkness of thy sins. But enjoy the 
 wisdom tvhich thou hast, and haz'e joy in the part which 
 thou canst understand, and seek more with thy zvhole heart. 
 Wisdom itself knozveth zvhat thou art zvorthy of, and how 
 much it may shozv itself to thee. There is naught worse in 
 a man than to suppose that he is zvorthy of zvhat he is not. 
 The physician knozveth better than the sick whether he can 
 be healed or not, or zvhcther he can be healed by mild or by 
 severe treatment. Therefore thou must not excuse thyself 
 too much, nor sigh too much after aught. The eyes of thy 
 mind are not so zvholly sound as thou dost suppose. 
 
30 King Alfred's [487— 4918 
 
 A. Cease, O cease ! Do not vex me, nor increase my 
 sorrow. Enough have I, though thou increase it not. 
 Thou seekest it at times so high, at times so deep, that 
 I understand nozu that I am not such as I supposed, but I 
 am ashamed that I supposed that zvhich was not. Truly 
 enough thou hast said. The Physician whom I wish to heal 
 me knoweth how sound my eyes are. He knoweth what He 
 wisheth to show me. To Him I commit myself, and to His 
 goodness I entrust myself. May He do unto me according 
 to His will ! On Him I call, that He may make fast my soul 
 to Him. I will never again say that I have sound eyes until 
 I see zuisdom itself. 
 
 R. I know no better advice for thee than thou formerly 
 saidst. But leave off woe and sorrow, and be measurably 
 happy. Thou wert formerly too immoderately sorrowful, 
 for sorrozv injureth both mind and body. 
 
 A. Thou wouldst restrain my weeping and my sorrow, 
 and still I perceive no limit to my misery and misfortunes. 
 Thou bidst me leave off sorrow lest I, either in mind 
 or in body, be weaker; yet I find no strength, either in 
 mind or body, but am full nigh in despair. But I beseech 
 thee, if thou in any wise canst, to lead me by some shorter 
 way, somewhat nearer the light of the understanding which 
 I long ago desired and yet could not come by in my ignor- 
 ance ; notwithstanding that I may afterwards be ashamed to 
 look again toward the darkness which I formerly desired to 
 forsake, if ever I draw nigh to the light. 
 
 R. Let us now end this book here properly, and name a 
 shorter way in another book, if we can. 
 
 A. Nay, nay ; let us not leave this book yet until I am 
 able to understand that which we are after. 
 
 R. Methinks I ought to do as thou bidst me. Some- 
 thing draweth me on, I know not what, but I surmise it is 
 the God thou seekest after. 
 
 A. Thanks be to Him that adviseth thee, and to thee 
 also, if thou praise Him. Lead whither thou wilt: / zvill 
 follozu after thee if I can. 
 
49.19—52.2] St. Augustine 3^ 
 
 R. Methinks thou desirest still to know that same thing 
 about God and thy soul which thou didst formerly desire. 
 
 A. Yea, that alone I desire. 
 
 R. Wishest thou aught more? Wishest thou not to 
 know truth? 
 
 A. How can I, without truth, know aught of truth, or 
 what wilt thou say, without truth, that God is? For we 
 hear it read in the Gospel that Christ said that He is the 
 way, the truth, and the life. 
 
 R. Rightly thou sayest; but I would know whether it 
 seemeth to thee that the true and truth are one [and the 
 same thing] . 
 
 A. Two things, methinks, they are, just as wisdom is 
 one thing, and that zvhich is wise is another; and likewise 
 chastity is one thing, and that which is chaste is another. 
 
 R. Which, then, doth seem to thee better, the true or 
 truth ? 
 
 A. Truth; for all that is true is so because of truth; 
 and every thing that is chaste is so because of chastity ; and 
 he zvho is wise is so because of zvisdorn. 
 
 R. Thanks he to God that thou understandest it so well. 
 Howheit I would knotv zvhether thou suppose, if a zvise man 
 zvere dead, zvisdorn zvould be dead. Or again, if a chaste 
 man were dead, chastity would be dead. Or if a truthful 
 man were dead, would truth then be dead. 
 
 A. Nay, nay, verily ; that can not come to pass. 
 
 R. Well dost thou understand it. But I would know 
 whether thou suppose that wisdom is gone, or chastity, or 
 truth, when the man passeth away ; or zvhence they formerly 
 came, or where they are, if they exist? Or zvhether they be 
 corporeal, or spiritual? For no man doubteth that every 
 thing that is existeth somewhere. 
 
 A. Very searching is thy question, and pleasant for him 
 to knozu zvho can knozv it. What is wanting to him who 
 knozvetli that? 
 
 R. Canst thou recognise the righteous and the un- 
 righteous? 
 
32 King Alfred's [52.3— 53- 19 
 
 A. Yea, to some extent; not, however, as I would. But 
 I would like to know what thou formerly didst ask. 
 
 R. I luonder why thou hast so completely forgotten zvhat 
 thou only a little before didst admit that thou knewest. 
 Didst thou not say before that thou knewest truth to be 
 eternal, although the true man passed away? And now 
 thou sayest, 'If it existeth.' 
 
 A. That same thing I say still. I know that it abideth, 
 although the true man passeth away. 
 
 R. All that is true abideth while it doth exist ; hut that 
 zuhich thou callest truth is God. He ever zvas, and ever zvill . 
 be, immortal and eternal. God hath all knowledge in Him- 
 self sound and perfect. He hath made tivo eternal things, 
 to wit, angels and men's souls, to zvhich He gave some 
 portion of eternal gifts, such as zvisdom and righteousness, 
 and many others zvhich it secmcth to us too numerous to 
 count. To angels He giveth according to their capacity, 
 and to the souls of men He giveth gifts according to 
 the capacity of each. These same they need never lose, for 
 they are everlasting, and to men He giveth many and divers 
 good gifts in this zvorld, although they be not eternal. 
 Hozvbeit they are serviceable zvhile we are in this world. 
 Dost thou yet understand that soids are immortal? If thou 
 hast understood it, do not conceal it from me, hut confess 
 it. If it is otherzvise, tell me then. 
 
 A. Thanks be to God for the part I know. I will now 
 consider this and hold it as I best can, and if I have doubts 
 about any thing, I will promptly tell them to thee. 
 
 R. Believe firmly in God, and commit thyself wholly to 
 God, and seek not too much the fulfilling of thine own will 
 above His ; but be His servant, not thine own ; and confess 
 that thou art His servant. Then He will raise thee ever 
 nearer and nearer to himself, and will not let any adversity 
 befall thee. Howbeit if He permit any adversity to befall 
 thee, it will be for thy good, although thou canst not under- 
 stand it. 
 
53-20— 54-6] St. Augustine 33 
 
 A. That I both hear and beHeve, and this instruction I 
 will follow as I best can, and will pray God that I may 
 fulfil it as thou long ago didst instruct me; do thou now 
 teach me, if thou wilt. 
 
 R. Do this for me first, and tell me again, after thou hast 
 studied this, zvhat thou likest of this; and if thou doubtest 
 aught about any of these things, then tell it to me. 
 
 Here endeth the anthology of the first book. 
 
 ..D^C. 
 
BOOK II 
 Here beginneth the anthology of the second book. 
 
 A. Alas ! Long have we been unoccupied, yet we have 
 not sought after what thou didst promise me. 
 
 R. Let us make amends for it; let us carry it forward 
 into another book. 
 
 A. Yea, let us indeed. 
 
 R. Let us believe that God is our Helper. 
 
 A. Truly would I that we believed it, if I had power. 
 But methinks faith is not in our power, in such measure as 
 zve seek, unless God give it to us. 
 
 R. Both faith and all the good that we shall have. 
 Therefore I knozv not what else we can do zvithout His help. 
 Howbeit I advise thee that thou begin it. Pray in as few 
 words as thou most sincerely canst, and ask for that which 
 is and may be most needful for thee. 
 
 A. Then said I: 'Lord, Lord, Thou who remainest 
 unchangeable, grant me these two things which I always 
 ivished, to wit, that I may understand Thee and myself.' 
 Now I have done as thou didst instruct me; truly have I 
 prayed. 
 
 R. Now I hear zvhat thou zmshesf to know. Howbeit I 
 would first learn from thee whether thou knowest without 
 doubt that thou dost exist or not ; or that thou dost live or 
 dost not live. 
 
 A. These are two things which I certainly know. 
 
 R. What now wishest thou to know ? 
 
 A. Whether I be immortal. 
 
 R. I hear that thou wouldst live always. 
 
 A. That I confess. 
 
 R. Wilt thou, then, know enough if I cause thee to 
 know that thou mayest live always? 
 
 A. That is a very good desire; yet say what I ask thee 
 about: zvhether I shall live always; and then I would 
 
$6 King Alfred's [56.13—58.22 
 
 know whether I, after the parting of the body and the 
 soul, shall ever know more than I now know of all that 
 which I have long wished to know; for I can not find any 
 thing better in man than that he know, and nothing worse 
 than that he be ignorant. 
 
 R. Now I know all that thou wishest: One thing 
 is, thou wouldst exist; another, thou wouldst live; the 
 third, thou wouldst know. And I know also why thou 
 wishest these three things : Thou wouldst exist in order to 
 live, and thou wouldst live in order to know. And these 
 three things I hear that thou certainly knowest: Thou 
 knowest that thou art, and thou knowest that thou livest, 
 and thou also knowest that thou knowest something, albeit 
 thou knowest not all that thou wouldst know. 
 
 A. That is true. These three things I know, and these 
 three things I desire. I would exist in order that I may 
 live. What zvould I care zvhether I existed, if I lived not? 
 Or what would I care for life, if I knew nothing? 
 
 R. Now I hear that thou lovest all that thou dost love 
 on account of these three things, and I know also which of 
 the three things thou lovest most. Thou lovest to exist 
 because thou wouldst live, and thou wouldst live in order 
 to know. Thus I perceive that thou lovest wisdom above 
 all other things. That, methinks, is the highest good, and 
 also thy God. 
 
 A. Truth thou sayest to me. What is the highest wis- 
 dom other than the highest good? Or what is the highest 
 good except that every man in this world love God as 
 much as he loveth wisdom — zvhether he love it much, or 
 little, or moderately? So much as he loveth zuisdom, so 
 much doth he love God. 
 
 R. Very rightly thou hast understood it. But I would 
 we began again where we were before. Now thou knowest 
 that thou art, and that thou livest, and that thou knowest 
 something, albeit not so much as thou zvouldst; and a fourth 
 thing thou wouldst also know, to wit, whether the three 
 things all be eternal or not, or zvhether any of them be 
 
58.22—59-27] St. Augustine 37 
 
 eternal; or, if they are all eternal, whether any of them 
 after this world in the eternal life shall either become worse 
 or wane. 
 
 A. All my yearning hast thou understood very well. 
 
 R. About what doubtcst thou now? Didst thou not 
 before confess that God is eternal and almighty, and hath 
 created tvuo rational and eternal creatures, as we before said, 
 namely: angels and men's souls, to which He hath given 
 eternal gifts? These gifts they need never lose. If thou 
 now rememberest this and believest this, then knowest thou 
 beyond doubt that thou art, and always zvilt be, and always 
 wilt love, and always wilt knozv something, albeit thou 
 mayest not knozv all that thou wouldst. Now thou knowest 
 about those three things that thou askedst about, namely: 
 (i) Whether thou art immortal; (2) Whether thou shalt 
 know something throughout eternity; (3) Whether thou, 
 after the parting of the body and the soul, shalt knozv more 
 than thou now knozvest, or less. After the fourth zve shall 
 still seek — now that thou knozvest the three — until thou also 
 knozv that. 
 
 A. Very orderly thou dost explain it, but I zvill yet 
 say to thee what I firmly believe, and about what I 
 yet doubt. I do not doubt at all about God's immortality 
 and about His omnipotence, for it can not be else respecting 
 the trinity and the unity, zvhich zvas without beginning and 
 is without end. Therefore I can not otherzvise believe, for 
 He hath created so great and so many and so zvonderful 
 visible creatures; and He ruleth them all and directeth 
 them all, and at one time adorneth them zvith the most win- 
 some appearances, while at another time He taketh away 
 their adornments and beauties. He ruleth the kings who 
 have the most power on this earth — zvho like all men are 
 born, and also perish like other men. Then He letteth them 
 ride zvhile He zvilleth. For such and for many such things 
 I do not know hozv I can doubt His eternity; and also about 
 the life of our souls I do not now doubt any more. But I 
 doubt yet about the eternity of soids, whether they are 
 immortal. 
 
38 King Alfred's [59-28—60.29 
 
 R. About what dost thou doubt f Are not all the holy 
 books well nigh full of the immortality of the soul? But 
 methinks that too long to enumerate now in full, and too 
 . long for thee to hear. 
 
 A. I have heard a good deal of it, and I also believe it; 
 but I desire rather to know it than to believe it. 
 
 R. I wonder why thou yearnest to know so very much 
 and so certainly what no man in the prison of this present 
 life ever so certainly could know as thou wishest, although 
 many yearn to understand it more clearly in this present 
 life than many others believe it from the sayings of 
 these and truthful men. No one can ever understand all 
 that he would, till the sotd be parted from the body; nor 
 indeed before Doomsday so clearly as he would. And 
 yet the holy Fathers that were before us knew very truly 
 about that which thou before didst ask, to wit, about the 
 immortality of men's souls, which zvas so clear to them that 
 they had no doubt, since they despised this present life'^ 
 . . . they would be parted; and just as they endured the 
 greatest torments in this world, so they woidd afterward 
 have the greater reward in the eternal life. Through the 
 sayings of such men we should infer that we can not under- 
 stand it as clearly as they could; howbeit as regards the 
 immortality of the soul, if thou dost not yet assent to it, 
 I will make thee to understand it, and I will also cause thee 
 to be ashamed that thou understoodest it so slowly. 
 
 A. Even so do! Cause me to be ashamed therefor. 
 
 R. Behold, I know that thou hast to-day the lord zvhom 
 thou trustest in all things better than thyself; and so also 
 hath many a servant zvho hath a less poiverful lord than 
 thou hast; and I know that thou hast also many friends 
 whom thou trustest well enough, though thou dost not trust 
 them altogether so ivell as thou dost thy lord. How seemeth 
 it to thee now, if thy lord should tell thee some news which 
 thou never before heardest, or if he should say to thee 
 that he saw something which thou never sawestf Doth it 
 
 ' A break in the MS. 
 
60.29—61.29] St. Augustine 39 
 
 seem to thee that thou wouldst doubt his statement at all, 
 because thou didst not see it thyself f 
 
 A. Nay, nay, verily; there is no story so incredible that 
 I would not believe it, if he should tell it. Yea, I even ■ 
 have many companions, whom, if they should say that they 
 themselves saw or heard it, I ivould believe just as well as 
 if I myself sazv or heard it. 
 
 R. I hear now that thou believest thy lord better than 
 thyself, and thy companions quite as well as thyself. Thou 
 dost very rightly and very reasonably, in that thou hasf 
 such good faith in them. But I zvould that thou shouldst 
 tell me whether Honorius, the son of Theodosius, seem to 
 thee wiser or more truthful than Christ; the Son of God. 
 
 A. Nay, verily nay; nowhere near! But methinks that 
 it is difficult for thee to compare them together. Honorius 
 is very good, although his father zvas better; the latter was 
 very devout and very prudent and very rightly of my lord's 
 kin; and so is he who still liveth there. I will honor them 
 just as a man should a zvorldly lord, and the others of whom 
 thou didst formerly speak just as their masters, and as one 
 should the king who is the King of all kings, and the Creator 
 and Ruler of all creatures. 
 
 R. Now I hear that the Almighty God pleaseth thee 
 better than Theodosius ; and Christ, the Son of God, better 
 than Honorius, the son of Theodosius. I blame thee not 
 that thou lovest both, but I advise thee to love the higher 
 lords more, for they know all that they wish and can per- 
 form all that they zvish. 
 
 A. All that thou sayest is true. I believe it all. 
 
 R. Nozu I hear that thou trustest the higher lord better. 
 But I would know whether it seem to thee that thy zvorldly 
 lords have zviser and truer servants than the higher lords 
 have. Trustest thou nozv thyself and thy companions better 
 than thou dost the Apostles, who zvere the servants of Christ 
 Himself? Or the Patriarchs? Or the Prophets, through 
 zvhom God Himself spake to His people zuhat He would? 
 
 A. Nay, nay; I trust not ourselves so zvell, nor any- 
 where near, as I do them. 
 
40 King Alfred's [61.30—62.30 
 
 R. What spake God then more often, or zvhat said He 
 more truly through His Prophets to His people than about 
 the immortality of souls f Or zvhat spake the Apostles and 
 all the holy Fathers more truly if not about the eternity of 
 souls and about their immortality? Or what meant Christ, 
 zvhen He said in His Gospel: 'The unrighteous shall go into 
 eternal torments, and the righteous into eternal life'? Now 
 thou hearest zvhat said Christ and His Apostles; and I 
 heard before that thou didst doubt nothing of the word af 
 Honorius and his servants. Why doubtest thou, then, about 
 the words of Christ, the Son of God, and those of the 
 Apostles, which they themselves uttered? They spake to 
 us more of such like words than we can count, and with 
 many examples and proofs they explained it to us. Why 
 canst thou, then, not believe them all, and why saidst thou 
 before that thou zvert their man? 
 
 A. So I say still, and say that I believe them, and also 
 know exactly that it is all true that God either through 
 Himself or through them said; for there are more of these 
 occurrences in the holy books than I can ever count. There- 
 fore I am now ashamed that I ever doubted about it, and 
 I confess that I am rightly convinced, and I shall always be 
 much happier zvhen thou dost convince me of such things 
 than I ever was when I convinced another m^n. All this 
 I knew, however, before; but I forgot it, as I fear also 
 that I shall this. I know also that I had so clean for- 
 gotten it that I should never have remembered it again, if 
 thou hadst not cited me clearer examples, both about my 
 lord and about many parables. 
 
 R. I wonder why thou couldst ever suppose that men's 
 souls were not eternal, for thou clearly enough knewest that 
 they are the highest and the most blessed of the creatures 
 of God; and thou knozvest also clearly enough that He 
 alloweth no creature entirely to pass away so that it cometh 
 to naught — not even the most unworthy of all. But He 
 beautifieth and adorneth all creatures, and again taketh 
 away their beauty and adornments, and yet again reneweth 
 
62.30—63.34] St. Augustine 41 
 
 them. They all so change, however, that they pass away, 
 and suddenly come again and return to that same beauty 
 and to the same winsomeness for the children of men, in 
 which they were before Adam sinned. Now thou canst 
 perceive that no creature so fully passeth away that it 
 Cometh not again, nor so fully perisheth that it doth not 
 become something. Nozv that the weakest creatures do not 
 pass azvay entirely, why then supposest thou that the most 
 blessed creature should entirely depart? 
 
 A. Alas! I am beset with wretched forgetfulness, so 
 tJiat I can not remember it as well as before. Methinks 
 now that thou hadst explained it to me clearly enough by 
 this one example, though thou hadst said nothing more. 
 
 R. Seek nozv in thyself the examples and the signs, and 
 thou canst know well zvhat thou before wouldst know, and 
 what I explained to thee by the concrete examples. Ask 
 thine own mind zvhy it is so desirous and so zealous to 
 know zvhat was formerly, before thou wert born, or ever 
 thy grandfather zvas born; and ask it also why it knoweth 
 what is now present and zvhat it seeth and heareth every 
 day; or why it wisheth to knozv zvhat shall be hereafter. 
 Then I suppose it zvill anszver thee, if it is discreet, and say 
 that it desireth to know what was before us for the reason 
 that it always existed since the time that God created the 
 first man; and therefore aspire th to what it formerly 
 was, to know what it formerly knew, although it is now so 
 heavily zveighed with the burden of the body that it can not 
 knozv what it formerly knew. And I suppose that it 
 zvill say to thee that it knoweth what it here seeth and 
 heareth, because it is here in this world; and I suppose also 
 that it will say that it zvisheth to knozv what shall happen 
 after our days, because it knozveth that it shall ever be. 
 
 A. Methinks now that thou hast clearly enough said that 
 every man's soul ever is, and ever shall be, and ever was 
 since God first made the first man. 
 
 R. There is no doubt that souls are immortal. Believe 
 thine own reason, and believe Christ, the Son of God, and 
 
42 King Alfred's [63-34— ^4-35 
 
 believe all His sayings, because they are very reliable wit- 
 nesses; and believe thine own soul, which always saith to 
 thee through its reason that it is in thee; it saith also that 
 it is eternal, because it zvisheth eternal things. It is not so 
 foolish a creature as to seek that which it can not find, nor 
 wish for that which doth not belong to it. Give over now 
 thy foolish doubting. Clear enough it is that thou art 
 eternal and shalt ever exist. 
 
 A. That I hear and that I believe and clearly knozv, 
 and I am rejoiced as I never was at anything. Now 
 / hear that my soul is eternal and ever liveth, and that the 
 mind shall ever hold all that my mind and my reason 
 gathered of good virtues. And I hear also that my intellect 
 is eternal. But I wish yet to know what I before asked 
 about the intellect: whether it shall, after the parting of the 
 body and the soul, wa.v or zvane, or shall stand still in one 
 place, or do as it before did in this world — for a time wax, 
 then for a time zvane. I know nozv that life and reason are 
 eternal, albeit I fear that it shall be in that world as it is 
 here in children. I do not suppose that the life there shall 
 be without reason, any more than it is here in children; in 
 that case there zvould be too little winsomeness in that life. 
 
 R. I hear now what thou wouldst know, but I can not 
 tell thee in a fezv words. If thou wilt knozv it clearly, then 
 shalt thou seek it in the book which we call De Videndo 
 Deo. In English the book is called Of Seeing God. But 
 be now of good cheer, and think over what thou hast nozv 
 learned, and let us both pray that He may help us, for He 
 promised that He would aid every one who called on Him 
 and rightly zvished it; and He promised without any doubt 
 that He would teach ns after this zvorld that we might very 
 certainly know perfect zvisdom and full truthfulness, which 
 thou may est hear about more clearly in the book which I 
 have before named to thee — De Videndo Deo. 
 
 Here endeth the anthology of the second book which we 
 call Soliloquies. 
 
BOOK III 
 
 Then said I: Nozv thou hast ended the sayings which 
 thou hast selected from these two books, yet hast not 
 answered me about zvhat I last asked thee, to wit, about my 
 intellect. I asked thee whether, after the parting of body 
 and soul, it would zvax or wane, or zvhether it would do both 
 as it before did. 
 
 R. Did I not say to thee before that thou must seek it 
 in the book which we then spake of? Learn that book, then 
 thou wilt find it there. 
 
 A. I do not care now to study all that book; but I would 
 that thou tell me thaf^ . . . the glory of the good, that 
 their own torment may seem the more to them, because they 
 zvould not by their Father's advice merit the same honors 
 while they zvere in this zuorld. And the good see also the 
 torments of the wicked in order that their own glory may 
 seem the more. The wicked see God as the guilty man who 
 is condemned before some king; when he seeth him and his 
 own dear ones, then seemeth to him his punishment the 
 greater. And so also the dear ones of the king see their 
 punishment, so that their honors always may seem to them 
 the greater. No man ought to suppose that all those that 
 are in hell have like torments, nor that all those that are in 
 heaven have like glory; but every one hath according to 
 his merits, punishment as well as glory, whichever he is in. 
 The like have their like. Moreover, it is not to be supposed 
 that all men have like wisdom in Heaven; for every one 
 hath it in the measure which he here merited. As he 
 toileth better here and better yearneth after zvisdom and 
 righteousness, so hath he more of it there; likewise more 
 honor and more glory. Hath it now been clearly enough 
 explained about wisdom and about the vision of God? 
 
 A. Yea; truly enough I believe that zve need not lose 
 
 ^ A break in the MS. 
 
44 King Alfred's [66.5—67.9 
 
 aught of the wisdom zvhich we now have, although the soul 
 and the body part. But I believe that our intellect shall 
 thereby be very much increased, though we can not all know 
 before Doomsday what we would know. Howbeit I believe 
 that after Doomsday naught will be hidden from us, neither 
 of that which is in our days, nor of that which was before 
 us, nor of that which shall come after us. Thou hast now 
 related to me many examples, and I myself have seen in 
 the writings of the sacred books more than I can reckon, 
 or even can remember. Thou didst show me also such 
 reliable testimony that I can do nothing else but believe 
 it; for if I believe not weaker testimony, then know 
 I very little or naught. What know I except that I wish 
 we knew about God as clearly as we would f But the soul 
 is weighed down and busied with the body so that we can 
 not, with the eyes of the mind, see any thing just as it is, 
 any more than thou canst see at times the sun shine, when 
 the clouds shoot between it and thee, although it shineth 
 very brightly where it is. And even though there be no 
 cloud between thee and it, thou canst not see it clearly just 
 as it is, because thou art not where it is; nor can thy body 
 be there; nor can thy bodily eyes ceme any nearer there, nor 
 even see that far. Not even the moon, which is nearer us, 
 can we see just as it is. We knoiv that it is larger than the 
 earth, and yet it doth not seem at times larger than a shield 
 on account of the distance. Now thou hast heard tlmt we 
 can not with the eyes of the mind ever see any thing of this 
 world just as it is; yet from the part of it which we see we 
 must believe the part which we do not see. But it is 
 promised us beyond any doubt that, as soon as we come out 
 of this world and the soul is released from the prison of 
 the body, we shall know every thing which we now desire to 
 know, and much more than the ancients, the wisest of all 
 on the earth, could know. And after Doomsday it is 
 promised that we may see God openly — yea, see Him just 
 as He is; and know Him ever afterwards as perfectly as He 
 now knoweth us. There shall never be any wisdom want- 
 
67.9—^.10] St. Augustine 45 
 
 ing to us. He zuho granteth us to know Himself will con- 
 ceal naught from us. Howbeit we shall knozv then all that 
 we now ivish to know, and also that which we do not noiv 
 wish to know. We shall all see God, both those zvho here 
 are worst, and those zvho here are best. All the good shall 
 see Him, to their comfort, and joy, and honor, and happiness, 
 and glory; and the wicked shall see Him just the same as 
 the good, though to their torment, for they shall see^ 
 . . . might or could in this zvorld, or whether they had 
 any remembrance of the friends zvhom they left behind in 
 this world. 
 
 Then answered he his ozvn thoughts and said: Why sup- 
 posest thou that the departed good zvho have full and com- 
 plete freedom shall knozv what they wish to know, either in 
 this present life or in that to comef Why supposest thou 
 that they have no memory of their friends in this world, 
 inasmuch as the wicked Dives feared the same torments for 
 his friends in hell as he had merited? It was he whom 
 Christ spake of in His Gospel that besought Abraham to 
 send Lazarus the beggar to him that he, zvith his little finger, 
 might place a drop of zvater on his tongue and therewith 
 cool his thirst. Then said Abraham: 'Nay, my son; but 
 consider that thou didst withhold from him all comforts 
 when ye were both in the body, thou having every good, and 
 he every misfortune. He can not nozv do more for thy 
 comfort than thou wouldst then do for him.' Then said the 
 rich man: 'Abraham, if that can not be, send him to my five 
 brethren who are still on the earth zvhere I was, that he 
 may tell them in what punishment I am, and may admonish 
 them to take warning not to come Ivither.' Then said 
 Abraham: 'Nay, nay; they have the books of the holy 
 Fathers zvith them on earth. Let them study them and 
 believe them. If they do not believe them, neither will 
 they believe Lazarus, though he come to them.' 
 
 ^ Omission in the MS. 
 
46 King Alfred's [68. ii— 69.14 
 
 Now we can hear that both the departed good and the 
 wicked know all that happeneth in this world, and also in 
 the world in which they are. They know the greatest part — 
 though they do not know it all before Doomsday — and they 
 have very clear remembrance of their kin and friends in the 
 world. And the good help the good, every one of them 
 another, as much as they can. But the good will not have 
 mercy on their wicked friends, because the latter do not 
 wish to depart from their evil, any more than Abraham 
 would not pity the rich man who ivas his own kin because 
 he perceived that he was not so humble to God as he ought 
 rightly to be. The zvicked, then, can neither do their friends 
 nor themselves any good, because they zvere formerly, when 
 they were in this world, of no aid either to themselves or 
 to their friends who had passed aivay before them. But 
 it shall be with them even as it is with men, ivho are in 
 this world brought into the prison of some king and can 
 see their friends all day and ask about them what they 
 desire, albeit they can not be of any good to them, nor 
 the prisoners to them; they have neither the wish nor the 
 ability. Wherefore the wicked have the greater punish- 
 ment in the world to come, because they know the glory 
 and the honor of the good; and all the more because they 
 recall all the honor which they had in this world; and more- 
 over they know the honor which those have who shall then 
 be left behind them in this zvorld. 
 
 Howbeit the good, then, who have full freedom, see both 
 their friends and their enemies, just as in this life lords 
 and rulers often see together both their friends and their 
 enemies. They see them alike and know them alike, albeit 
 they do not love them alike. And again the righteous, after 
 they are out of this znjorld, shall recall very often both the 
 good and the evil xvhich they had in this zvorld, and rejoice 
 very much that they did not depart from their Lord's will, 
 either in easy or in hidden things, while they were in this 
 world. Just so some king in this zvorld may have driven 
 one of his favorites from him, or he may have been forced 
 
69.14—70.5] St. Aucrustine 
 
 47 
 
 from the king against both of their wills; then hath he many 
 torments and many mishaps in his exile, yet he may come to 
 the same lord whom he before was with, and there be much 
 more worshipful than he was. Then he will recall the mis- 
 fortunes which he had there in his exile, and yet not be the 
 more unhappy. But I myself saw or [believed^ what more 
 untrustworthy men told me than those were who told what 
 we are seeking. Must I not needs do one of two things — 
 either believe some men or none? Methinks now that I 
 know who built the city of Rome, and also many another 
 thing which existed before our day, all of which I can not 
 sum- up. I know not zvho built the city of Rome for the rea- 
 son that I myself sazv it. Nor even know I of what kin I 
 am, nor who my father or mother tvas, except by hearsay. 
 I know that my father begat me and my mother bare me, 
 but I do not know it because I myself saw it, but because 
 it was told me. Howbeit not so trustworthy men told that 
 to me as those were who said that which we now for a long 
 time have sought for; and still I believe it. 
 
 Therefore methinks that man very foolish and very 
 wretched who will not increase his intelligence while he is 
 in this world, and also zvish and desire that he may come to 
 the eternal life, zvhere nothing is hid from us. 
 
 Here end the sayings zvhich King Alfred collected from 
 the book which zve call in . . . 
 
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