The Theological Tractates and The Consolation of PhilosophyBoethius
Religion
The Theological Tractates and The Consolation of Philosophy
Boethius
Happiness; Philosophy and religion; Theology -- Early works to 1800; Theology -- History -- Early Church, ca. 30-600
VIII.
Alas, how ignorance makes wretches stray
Out of the way!
You from green trees expect no golden mines
Nor pearls from vines,
Nor use you on mountains to lay your net
Fishes to get,
Nor, if the pleasant sport of hunting please,
Run you to seas.
Men will be skilful in the hidden caves
Of the ocean waves,
And in what coasts the orient pearls are bred,
Or purple red,
Also, what different sorts of fishes store
Each several shore.
But when they come their chiefest good to find,
Then are they blind,
And search for that under the earth, which lies
Above the skies.
How should I curse these fools? Let thirst them hold
Of fame and gold,
That, having got false goods with pain, they learn
True to discern.
IX.
"Hactenus mendacis formam felicitatis ostendisse suffecerit, quam si
perspicaciter intueris, ordo est deinceps quae sit uera monstrare." "Atqui
uideo," inquam, "nec opibus sufficientiam nec regnis potentiam nec
reuerentiam dignitatibus nec celebritatem gloria nec laetitiam uoluptatibus
posse contingere." "An etiam causas, cur id ita sit, deprehendisti?" "Tenui
quidem ueluti rimula mihi uideor intueri, sed ex te apertius cognoscere
malim."
"Atqui promptissima ratio est. Quod enim simplex est indiuisumque natura,
id error humanus separat et a uero atque perfecto ad falsum imperfectumque
traducit. An tu arbitraris quod nihilo indigeat egere potentia?" "Minime,"
inquam. "Recte tu quidem. Nam si quid est quod in ulla re inbecillioris
ualentiae sit, in hac praesidio necesse est egeat alieno." "Ita est,"
inquam. "Igitur sufficientiae potentiaeque una est eademque natura." "Sic
uidetur." "Quod uero huiusmodi sit, spernendumne esse censes an contra
rerum omnium ueneratione dignissimum?" "At hoc," inquam, "ne dubitari
quidem potest." "Addamus igitur sufficientiae potentiaeque reuerentiam, ut
haec tria unum esse iudicemus." "Addamus, si quidem uera uolumus
confiteri."
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