The Theological Tractates and The Consolation of Philosophy Part 23

[Greek: Pantothen eukuklou sphairaes enalinkion onkoi],

rerum orbem mobilem rotat, dum se immobilem ipsa conseruat. Quod si rationes quoque non extra pet.i.tas sed intra rei quam tractabamus ambitum collocatas agitauimus, nihil est quod admirere, c.u.m Platone sanciente didiceris cognatos de quibus loquuntur rebus oportere esse sermones.

XII.

Then I said that I did very well like of Plato's doctrine, for thou dost bring these things to my remembrance now the second time, first, because I lost their memory by the contagion of my body, and after when I was oppressed with the burden of grief. "If," quoth she, "thou reflectest upon that which heretofore hath been granted, thou wilt not be far from remembering that which in the beginning thou confessedst thyself to be ignorant of." "What?" quoth I. "By what government," quoth she, "the world is ruled." "I remember," quoth I, "that I did confess my ignorance, but though I foresee what thou wilt say, yet I desire to hear it more plainly from thyself." "Thou thoughtest a little before that it was not to be doubted that this world is governed by G.o.d." "Neither do I think now," quoth I, "neither will I ever think, that it is to be doubted of, and I will briefly explicate the reasons which move me to think so. This world could never have been compacted of so many divers and contrary parts, unless there were One that doth unite these so different things; and this disagreeing diversity of natures being united would separate and divide this concord, unless there were One that holdeth together that which He united. Neither would the course of nature continue so certain, nor would the different parts hold so well- ordered motions in due places, times, causality, s.p.a.ces and qualities, unless there were One who, Himself remaining quiet, disposeth and ordereth this variety of motions. This, whatsoever it be, by which things created continue and are moved, I call G.o.d, a name which all men use."[141]

"Since," quoth she, "thou art of this mind, I think with little labour thou mayest be capable of felicity, and return to thy country in safety.

But let us consider what we proposed. Have we not placed sufficiency in happiness, and granted that G.o.d is blessedness itself?" "Yes truly."

"Wherefore," quoth she, "He will need no outward helps to govern the world, otherwise, if He needed anything, He had not full sufficiency."

"That," quoth I, "must necessarily be so." "Wherefore He disposeth all things by Himself." "No doubt He doth," quoth I. "But it hath been proved that G.o.d is goodness itself." "I remember it very well," quoth I.

"Then He disposeth all things by goodness: since He governeth all things by Himself, whom we have granted to be goodness. And this is as it were the helm and rudder by which the frame of the world is kept steadfast and uncorrupted." "I most willingly agree," quoth I, "and I foresaw a little before, though only with a slender guess, that thou wouldst conclude this." "I believe thee," quoth she, "for now I suppose thou lookest more watchfully about thee to discern the truth. But that which I shall say is no less manifest." "What?" quoth I. "Since that G.o.d is deservedly thought to govern all things with the helm of goodness, and all these things likewise, as I have showed, hasten to goodness with their natural contention, can there be any doubt made but that they are governed willingly, and that they frame themselves of their own accord to their disposer's beck, as agreeable and conformable to their ruler?"

"It must needs be so," quoth I, "neither would it seem an happy government, if it were an imposed yoke, not a desired health." "There is nothing then which, following nature, endeavoureth to resist G.o.d."

"Nothing," quoth I. "What if anything doth endeavour," quoth she, "can anything prevail against Him, whom we have granted to be most powerful by reason of His blessedness?" "No doubt," quoth I, "nothing could prevail." "Wherefore there is nothing which either will or can resist this sovereign goodness." "I think not," quoth I. "It is then the sovereign goodness which governeth all things strongly, and disposeth them sweetly." "How much," quoth I, "doth not only the reason which thou allegest, but much more the very words which thou usest, delight me, that folly which so much vexed me may at length be ashamed of herself."

"Thou hast heard in the poets' fables," quoth she, "how the giants provoked heaven, but this benign fort.i.tude put them also down, as they deserved. But wilt thou have our arguments contend together? Perhaps by this clash there will fly out some beautiful spark of truth." "As it pleaseth thee," quoth I. "No man can doubt," quoth she, "but that G.o.d is almighty." "No man," quoth I, "that is well in his wits." "But," quoth she, "there is nothing that He who is almighty cannot do." "Nothing,"

quoth I. "Can G.o.d do evil?" "No," quoth I, "Wherefore," quoth she, "evil is nothing, since He cannot do it who can do anything." "Dost thou mock me," quoth I, "making with thy reasons an inextricable labyrinth, because thou dost now go in where thou meanest to go out again, and after go out, where thou camest in, or dost thou frame a wonderful circle of the simplicity of G.o.d? For a little before taking thy beginning from blessedness, thou affirmedst that to be the chiefest good which thou saidst was placed in G.o.d, and likewise thou provedst, that G.o.d Himself is the chiefest good and full happiness, out of which thou madest me a present of that inference, that no man shall be happy unless he be also a G.o.d. Again thou toldest me that the form of goodness is the substance of G.o.d and of blessedness, and that unity is the same with goodness, because it is desired by the nature of all things; thou didst also dispute that G.o.d governeth the whole world with the helm of goodness, and that all things obey willingly, and that there is no nature of evil, and thou didst explicate all these things with no foreign or far-fetched proofs, but with those which were proper and drawn from inward principles, the one confirming the other."

"We neither play nor mock," quoth she, "and we have finished the greatest matter that can be by the a.s.sistance of G.o.d, whose aid we implored in the beginning. For such is the form of the Divine substance that it is neither divided into outward things, nor receiveth any such into itself, but as Parmenides saith of it:

In body like a sphere well-rounded on all sides,[142]

it doth roll about the moving orb of things, while it keepeth itself unmovable. And if we have used no far-fetched reasons, but such as were placed within the compa.s.s of the matter we handled, thou hast no cause to marvel, since thou hast learned in Plato's school that our speeches must be like and as it were akin to the things we speak of.

[141] _Vide supra, Tr._ iv. (pp. 56 ff.).

[142] Cf. _Frag._ 8. 43 (Diels, _Vorsokratiker_, i. p. 158).

XII.

Felix qui potuit boni Fontem uisere lucidum, Felix qui potuit grauis Terrae soluere uincula.

Quondam funera coniugis 5 Vates Threicius gemens Postquam flebilibus modis Siluas currere mobiles, Amnes stare coegerat, Iunxitque intrepidum latus 10 Saeuis cerua leonibus, Nec uisum timuit lepus Iam cantu placidum canem, c.u.m flagrantior intima Feruor pectoris ureret, 15 Nec qui cuncta subegerant Mulcerent dominum modi, Inmites superos querens Infernas adiit domos.

Illic blanda sonantibus 20 Chordis carmina temperans Quidquid praecipuis deae Matris fontibus hauserat, Quod luctus dabat impotens, Quod luctum geminans amor, 25 Deflet Taenara commouens Et dulci ueniam prece Vmbrarum dominos rogat.

Stupet tergeminus nouo Captus carmine ianitor, 30 Quae sontes agitant metu Vltrices scelerum deae Iam maestae lacrimis madent.

Non Ixionium caput Velox praecipitat rota 35 Et longa site perditus Spernit flumina Tantalus.

Vultur dum satur est modis, Non traxit t.i.tyi iecur.

Tandem, 'Vincimur,' arbiter 40 Vmbrarum miserans ait, 'Donamus comitem uiro Emptam carmine coniugem.

Sed lex dona coerceat, Ne, dum Tartara liquerit, 45 Fas sit lumina flectere.'

Quis legem det amantibus?

Maior lex amor est sibi.

Heu, noctis prope terminos Orpheus Eurydicen suam 50 Vidit, perdidit, occidit.

Vos haec fabula respicit Quic.u.mque in superum diem Mentem ducere quaeritis.

Nam qui Tartareum in specus 55 Victus lumina flexerit, Quidquid praecipuum trahit Perdit, dum uidet inferos."

XII.

Happy is he that can behold The well-spring whence all good doth rise, Happy is he that can unfold The bands with which the earth him ties.

The Thracian poet whose sweet song Performed his wife's sad obsequies, And forced the woods to run along When he his mournful tunes did play, Whose powerful music was so strong That it could make the rivers stay; The fearful hinds not daunted were, But with the lions took their way, Nor did the hare behold with fear The dog whom these sweet notes appease.

When force of grief drew yet more near, And on his heart did burning seize, Nor tunes which all in quiet bound Could any jot their master ease, The G.o.ds above too hard he found, And Pluto's palace visiting.

He mixed sweet verses with the sound Of his loud harp's delightful string, All that he drank with thirsty draught From his high mother's chiefest spring, All that his restless grief him taught, And love which gives grief double aid, With this even h.e.l.l itself was caught, Whither he went, and pardon prayed For his dear spouse (unheard request).

The three-head porter was dismayed, Ravished with his unwonted guest, The Furies, which in tortures keep The guilty souls with pains opprest, Moved with his song began to weep.

Ixion's wheel now standing still Turns not his head with motions steep.

Though Tantalus might drink at will, To quench his thirst he would forbear.

The vulture full with music shrill Doth not poor t.i.tyus' liver tear.

'We by his verses conquered are,'

Saith the great King whom spirits fear.

'Let us not then from him debar His wife whom he with songs doth gain.

Yet lest our gift should stretch too far, We will it with this law restrain, That when from h.e.l.l he takes his flight, He shall from looking back refrain.'

Who can for lovers laws indite?

Love hath no law but her own will.

Orpheus, seeing on the verge of night Eurydice, doth lose and kill Her and himself with foolish love.

But you this feigned tale fulfil, Who think unto the day above To bring with speed your darksome mind.

For if, your eye conquered, you move Backward to Pluto left behind, All the rich prey which thence you took, You lose while back to h.e.l.l you look."

ANICII MANLII SEVERINI BOETHII

V.C. ET INL. EXCONS. ORD. PATRICII

PHILOSOPHIAE CONSOLATIONIS

LIBER TERTIVS EXPLICIT

INCIPIT LIBER IV

I.

Haec c.u.m Philosophia dignitate uultus et oris grauitate seruata leniter suauiterque cecinisset, tum ego nondum penitus insiti maeroris oblitus intentionem dicere adhuc aliquid parantis abrupi. Et: "O," inquam, "ueri praeuia luminis quae usque adhuc tua fudit oratio, c.u.m sui speculatione diuina tum tuis rationibus inuicta patuerunt, eaque mihi etsi ob iniuriae dolorem nuper oblita non tamen antehac prorsus ignorata dixisti. Sed ea ipsa est uel maxima nostri causa maeroris, quod, c.u.m rerum bonus rector exsistat, uel esse omnino mala possint uel impunita praetereant; quod solum quanta dignum sit admiratione profecto consideras. At huic aliud maius adiungitur. Nam imperante florenteque nequitia uirtus non solum praemiis caret, uerum etiam sceleratorum pedibus subiecta calcatur et in loc.u.m facinorum supplicia luit. Quae fieri in regno scientis omnia, potentis omnia sed bona tantummodo uolentis dei nemo satis potest nec admirari nec conqueri."

Tum illa: "Et esset," inquit, "infiniti stuporis omnibusque horribilius monstris, si, uti tu aestimas, in tanti uelut patrisfamilias dispositissima domo uilia uasa colerentur, pretiosa sordescerent. Sed non ita est. Nam si ea quae paulo ante conclusa sunt inconuulsa seruantur, ipso de cuius nunc regno loquimur auctore cognosces semper quidem potentes esse bonos, malos uero abiectos semper atque inbecillos nec sine poena umquam esse uitia nec sine praemio uirtutes, bonis felicia, malis semper infortunata contingere multaque id genus quae sopitis querelis firma te soliditate corroborent. Et quoniam uerae formam beat.i.tudinis me dudum monstrante uidisti, quo etiam sita sit agnouisti, decursis omnibus quae praemittere necessarium puto, uiam tibi quae te domum reuehat ostendam. Pennas etiam tuae menti quibus se in altum tollere possit adfigam, ut perturbatione depulsa sospes in patriam meo ductu, mea semita, meis etiam uehiculis reuertaris.