Our translator dedicates his "Five books of Philosophical Comfort" to the Dowager Countess of Dorset, widow of Thomas Sackville, who was part author of _A Mirror for Magistrates_ and _Gorboduc_, and who, we learn from I.T.'s preface, meditated a similar work. I.T. does not unduly flatter his patroness, and he tells her plainly that she will not understand the philosophy of the book, though the theological and practical parts may be within her scope. The _Opuscula Sacra_ have never before, to our knowledge, been translated. In reading and rendering them we have been greatly helped by two mediaeval commentaries: one by John the Scot (edited by E.K. Rand in Traube's _Quellen und Untersuchungen_, vol. i. pt. 2, Munich, 1906); the other by Gilbert de la Porrée (printed in Migne, _P.L._ lxiv.). We also desire to record our indebtedness in many points of scholarship and philosophy to Mr. E.J. Thomas of Emmanuel College. Finally, thanks are due to Mr. Dolson for the suggestion in the footnote on the preceding page, and also to Professor Lane Cooper of Cornell University for many valuable corrections as this reprint was passing through the Press. H.F.S. E.K.R. _October, 1926._ [1] _Anecdoton Holderi_, Leipzig, 1877. [2] _Scripsit librum de sancta trinitate et capita quaedam dogmatica et librum contra Nestorium._ On the question of the genuineness of Tr. IV. _De fide catholica_ see note _ad loc_. [3] Cp. H. de Wulf, _Histoire de la Philosophie médiévale_ (Louvain and Paris 1915), p. 332. [4] See below, _De Trin_. vi. _ad fin_. [5] Cp. L. Baur, _Gundissalinus: de divisione_, Münster, 1905. [6] Mr. G. Bayley Dolson suggests with greater probability that I.T. was John Thorpe (fl. 1570-1610), architect to Thomas Sackville, Earl of Dorset. Cf. _American Journal of Philology_, vol. xlii. (1921), p. 266. BIBLIOGRAPHY _Editio Princeps_: Collected Works (except _De fide catholica_). Joh. et Greg. de Gregoriis. Venice, 1491-92. _De consolatione philosophiae_. Coburger. Nürnberg, 1473. _De fide catholica_. Ed. Ren. Vallinus. Leyden, 1656. _Latest Critical Edition_: _De consolatione philosophiae_ and Theological Tractates. R. Peiper. Teubner, 1871. _Translations_: _De consolatione philosophiae_. Alfred the Great. Ed. W.J. Sedgefield. Oxford, 1899 and 1900. Chaucer. Ed. W.W. Skeat in Chaucer's Complete Works. Vol. ii. Oxford, 1894. H.R. James. _The Consolation of Philosophy of Boethius_. London, 1897; reprinted 1906. Judicis de Mirandol. _La Consolation philosophique de Boëce_. Paris, 1861. _Illustrative Works_: A. Engelbrecht. _Die Consolatio Phil. der B._ Sitzungsberichte der Kön. Akad. Vienna, 1902. Bardenhewer, _Patrologie_ (Boethius und Cassiodor, pp. 584 sqq.). Freiburg im Breslau, 1894. Hauréan. _Hist. de la philosophie scolastique._ Vol. i. Paris, 1872. Hildebrand. _Boethius und seine Stellung zum Christentum._ Regensburg, 1885.