spуnian1 æfter Firbome & æfter cæftum. Ic pat deah † pu pilt cpepan þ prænner ungemetfæstnes hi ofsitte. Ac hpæt is donne un trengne2 donne re mon pe biods to unzemetlice oferspiped mid þam1 tedɲan flærce. buton heeft gespice pinne pip pa unрeapar rpa he гpport mæge. Ac hpæet pilt ou ponne cpepan. 3r hpa puht nýlle pip pinnan. ac mid fullan5 pillan foplæt ælc zod fulzæp þam ÿrele. 7 bip deah gesceadpire. Ic recze sie unmihtigeac ealler nauht. Foppam spa hpa гpa ðone gemænan zod eallɲa goda forlæt. buton tpeonne bip re nauht. Ac jра hра гpa pillnapp he cpæftig fie. he pillnap he pir rie. гpa hpa rpa ponne cpæftig bip. he bip pis. J se de pir bip. he bip zob.7 re pe donne zgod bip. re bip geraliz. 7 re de zeræliz bip. re bip eadiz. I se pe eadiz bip. re bip God.8 be pam dæle de pe æp pehton10 on pirre ilcan bec. Ac ic pene nu hponne dyrize men pillon punopian þær þe ic æn sæde. Þ par te vrele men næpon11 nauhtar. Foppæmpe pana ir ma donne papa oppa. Ac deah hi hij nu nærɲe ne zeleran. peah it is spa. ne mazon pe nærne zeneccan pone ýfelan mon clænne untpifealdne. þe12 ma pe pe mazon hatan odde habban deadne mon fop cpucene. ne bip re cpuca donne nýttɲa þe se deada. gif him hir yfel ne hɲeopp. Ac re pe ungepeclice liofap. hir zecýnd nýle healdan. ne bip re nauht:. 10 § VII. Ic pene deahpu pille cpepan hit ne sie ealler rpa zelic. pre ÿfela mæze don ÿfel deah he god ne mæze. J se Seada ne maze naupen don. ac ic de secze þæt se anpeals1s papa ýrlena ne cymp of nanum cræfte. ac of unpeapum. ac pr pa yfelan rýmle gode1 pæpon.15 donne ne dyson hi nan yfel. ne biple nane mihta mon mæze yfel bon. ac17 beop unmihta. gif prop ir p pe æn zefynn pehcan18 þÿyfel nauht ne rie. ponne ne pyncp re nauht. re de ÿfel pyncp. Da cрæp ic. Lenoz rop ir pu regst.19 Da cpap he. Du ne pehton20 æp þ nan puht næpe mihtigra donne hehrte zo8.21 Ɖa cpæþ ic. Spa hit is spa ðu segst.2 22 Da cpap he. Ne hit peah ne mæz 18 a Boet. lib. iv. prosa 2.-Sed possunt, inquies, mali, &c. 1 Bod. spynigan. 2 Cott. unrepengra. þæm. 5 Cott. rulle. 6 Bod. pirrige. 9 Cott. þæm. 10 Cott. peahton. 13 Cott. anpald. 14 Cott. goode. 18 Cott. peahton. 17 Bod. J. 22 Cott. rægr. 3 Cott. bið. 4 Cott. s Bod. god. 12 Cott. þon. 16 Cott. biod. 20 Cott. peahton. will not inquire after wisdom and after virtues? I know, however, that thou wilt say that luxury and intemperance oppress them. But what is weaker than the man who is utterly overcome by the frail flesh, unless he afterwards desist, and contend against vices as he best may? But what wilt thou say if any creature will not contend against them, but with full will forsakes all good, and does evil, and is nevertheless intelligent? I say that he is feeble, and moreover altogether nothing! For whosoever forsakes the universal good of all goods, without doubt he is nothing. But whosoever desires that he may be virtuous, desires that he may be wise. Whosoever, then, is virtuous is wise: and he who is wise is good; he then who is good is happy; and he who is happy is blessed; and he who is blessed is a god, so far as we have before mentioned in this same book. But I rather think that foolish men will wonder at that which I have just now said, that is, that wicked men were nothing; because there is a greater number of them than of the others. But though they never believe it, yet it is so. We can never reckon the wicked man pure and sincere, any more than we can call or esteem a dead man living. Nor indeed is the living better than the dead, if he repent not of his evil. But he who lives recklessly, and will not preserve his nature, is not he nothing? § VII. I think, however, thou wilt say that this is not altogether so likely, because the wicked can do evil, though he cannot do good, and the dead can do neither. But I say to thee that the power of the wicked does not come from any virtues, but from vices. But if the evil were always good, then would they do no evil. It is not from power that any one is able to do evil, but it is from weakness. If that is true which one some time ago asserted, that evil is nothing, then he works nothing who works evil. Then said I: Very true is that which thou sayest. Then said he: Did we not prove before that nothing was more powerful than the highest good? Then said I: So it is as thou sayest. Then said he: Yet it nan yfel don. Ɖa cpæp ic. Ɖæt is soþ. Ɖa cpæp he. Þрæþer æniz mon pene ænig mon sie spa mihtighe maze don eall pæt he pille. Da cpæp ic. Ne penp dær nan mon de his gepit hærp. Da cpap he. Ppæt yrele men mazon deah ýfel don. Da cpap ic. Eala p1hi ne mihton. Ɖa cpæp he. Pit is speotol hi mazon bon ýfel. J ne mazon nan zob. ir foppam de p ýfel nir nauht. ac pa godan.2 gif hi Fulne anpeals habbap. hi mazon don to godes phi pillap. Foppy is re fulla anpeals1 to tellanne to pam" hehrtum godum.6 Foppam? ægpen ze se anpeals.8 ze pa oppu 3o8.9 and pa cnærtar. pe pe longe æn nemdon. sindon færte on þam hebrtan zode.10 ƒра ƒða ælceƒ hurer pah bip fæst æger ze on dæɲe floɲe. ze on pæm hɲofe. rpa bip ælc 3obil on Lode fært. Foppæm he is ælcer goder ægpen ze hɲof ze flop. Dy is á to pilnianne þær anpealder. Þ mon mæze zos12 Son. Foppam ir re betrta anpeals.13 mon mæze pille pell11 son. rpa lærran ƒрeðum ƒða maɲan. грæþeɲ he hæbbe. Foppam гpa hpa pa pillap15 god16 to donne. he pillnap 30817 to habbenne.18 mid gode to bionne. Fop pirl9 is se Platoner cpide zenog rop. de he cpæp. Ɖa piran ane mazon don to zode20 phi pilnıap.21 da yfelan mazon onginnon phi pilnıap. Ic nat nu peah ðu pille cpepan p da zoban onzinnon hpilum þ hi ne mazon foppbringan. Acic cpepe. p22 hi hit bringap simle Fopp. peah hi peopc ne mæzen fulfɲemman. hi habbap deah Fulne pillan. re untpeofealda pilla biop23 to tellenne24 Fop Fullrnemos peopc. ropðam” he nærne ne roplyrc ðam leanum odde hep. oode pæn. odde æzpæn. peah pillap da yfelan pyncan phi lýrt. deah hit nu ne ɲie26 nýt. ne foɲleorap hi eac pone pillan. ac habbap hir pite. oppe hep. oððe eller hpæn. oððe æзpen. re ýfla pilla27 to ponne hiopa pelt. Foppy hi ne mazon bezitan zo828 phi pillniap.29 for dy hi hit duph3° done pillan recap. naler puph pihtne pez.31 Se yfela32 pilla nær nænne zefenrcipe pip pa zerælpa. Ɖa se idom þa ðis spell aɲeht hærde. da ongan he eft singan and ðus cрæþ. 1 Bod. þan. Cott. þær. anpald. 5 Cott. þæm. anpald. good. 9 Cott. good. 13 Cott. anpald. 17 Cott. good. 21 Cott. pillað. 25 15 2 Cott. goodan. 6 Cott. goodum. 32 30 -19 10 Cott. goode. 11 Cott. good. 14 Cott. pel. 15 Cott. pilnað. 16 Cott. good. 24 Cott. tællanne. 27 Bod. pilla yrel. 28 Cott. 31 Bod. nallar bujhtne 18 Cott. habbanne. 19 Cott. Fopby. 20 Cott. goode. 22 Bod. þeah. 23 Cott. bro. 25 Cott. Fopbæm. 26 Cott. hit nyt ne sie. 29 Cott. pilniað. 30 Cott. þung. 32 Cott. yrla. 33 Cott. apeaht. good. peg. cannot do any evil. Then said I: That is true. Then said he: Does any one think that any man can be so powerful that he is able to do all that he wills? Then said I: No man thinks it who has his senses. Then said he: But wicked men, nevertheless, can do evil. Then said I: O that they were not able! Then said he: It is evident that they can do evil, and cannot do any good. That is because evil is nothing. But the good, if they have full power, are able to do whatsoever good they will. Therefore full power is to be reckoned among the highest goods; for both power and the other goods and excellences, which we long ago mentioned, are fixed in the highest good. As the wall of every house is fixed both to the floor and to the roof, so is every good fixed in God, for he is both the roof and floor of every good. Therefore is the power that man may do good, ever to be desired: for that is the best power, that any one is able and willing to do well, whether with less means or with greater, whichsoever he may have. For whosoever wills to do good, is desirous to have good, and to be with good. Therefore is Plato's saying very true, which he said: The wise alone can do the good which they desire; the wicked can only attempt what they desire. I know not, however, but thou wilt say that the good sometimes begin what they cannot accomplish. But I say that they always accomplish it. Though they may not perfect the work, they have nevertheless full will, and the sincere will is to be reckoned for the perfect work. Therefore they never fail of rewards either here or there, or both. If the wicked have will to work what they list, though it is not now perfect, they lose not also the will, but have its punishment either here or elsewhere, or both. So greatly does the evil will control them! For this reason they cannot obtain the good which they desire, because they seek it through this will, and not through the right way. The evil will has no fellowship with happiness. When Wisdom had finished this speech, then began he again to sing, and thus said: CAPUT XXXVII.' § I. LEPER nu an spell be pam ofeɲmodum þam unɲihtpirum cýningum. pa pe zeriop rittan on pam hehrtan heahretlum. pa reinap on manezna cynna hɲæzlum. 7 biop uton ymbstandende mid miclon zerenrcipe hiopa þegna. J pa biop mid ferlum. mid gyldenum hýlt speoɲdum. 7 mid manizFealbum heregeatpum zehyprte. J preatiap eall moncýnn mið hiopa prymme. J re de hiopa pelt. ne muɲnp nauper ne friend ne fiend. pe ma de pedende hund. ac bioð spipe ungefnæzlice upaharen on hir Mode Foppam ungemetlican anpealde. Ac zif him mon ponne apint of pa clapar. J him oftihp þaɲa þenunga þær anpealder. donne miht pu zereon he biop rpipe anlıc papa hir pezna rumum de him dan peniap. buton he foɲþɲa ɲe. And if him nu pear zebynep þ him pуpp rume hpile paɲa penunza of cohen. J papa clapa. J þær anpealder. ponne pinch him he re on cancerne zebɲoht. oððe on pacentum. foppam of pam unmetta. J þam unzemetlican zezepelan. of þam spetmettum. of mistlicum drýncum þær liper. onpæcnap rio pode praz pæne pɲænnerre. Jedɲerp hiopa Mod гpipe гpiplice. ponne peaxap eac pa ofermetta ungeppænner. J ponne h peoppap gebolgen. donne pýpp Mob berpungen mid pam pelme pæne hatheontnesse. oppæt hi peopþað geræfte mid þæɲe unpotnesse, spa zehæfte. Siððan donne gedon bip. donne onzinp him leogan je tohopa pæne præce. J гpa hрæƒ ƒða hi iprung pillap. donne zehet him þær hir peccelert. Ic pe ræde zerýnn æn on pirre ilcan bec. pealle gercearta pillnobon sumer zodes. for zecýnde. ac da unɲihtpisan cyngas ne mazon nan zod don. Foɲ þam ic pe nu ræde. nir þ nan pundoɲ. forþam hi hi undeppiodap eallum þam unpeapum pe ic de æp nemde. sceal donne nebe to papa hlaponda dome pe he hine ær underpeodde. te pypre is. he him nýle fuppum pippinnan. þæɲ he hit angınnan polde. donne on pam zepinne puphpunian mihte. ponne nærse he his nane scýlde:. § II. Da re Firbom da pir leop arungen hærde. pa ongan he eft spellianpur cpæp. Lerihst du nu on hu miclum. Jon hu Boet. lib. iv. metrum 2.-Quos vides sedere celso, &c. Boet. lib. iv. prosa 3.-Videsne igitur, quanto in cæno, &c. |