CHAPTER XXXVII. § I. HEAR now a discourse concerning proud and unjust kings, whom we see sitting on the highest thrones; who shine in clothes of many kinds, and are surrounded by a great company of their thanes, who are adorned with belts and golden-hilted swords, and with manifold weapons, and terrify all mankind with their greatness. And he who governs them regards neither friend nor foe, any more than a mad hound; but is inconceivably lifted up in his mind, through unbounded power. But if any man should strip off from him the clothes, and deprive him of the retinue and the power, then wouldest thou see that he is very like to any one of those his thanes who serve him, unless he be worse. And moreover, if it by chance happen unto him that he at any time is deprived of the retinue, and of the clothes, and of the power, then it seems to him that he is brought to prison or to chains. Because from excess, and from immoderate clothing, and from dainty food, and from various drinks of the cup, the fury of lust is excited, and disquiets their minds very greatly: then increases also arrogance and wickedness; and when they are offended, then is the mind scourged with the heat of anger, until they are distracted with unhappiness, and so enslaved! After this takes place, the hope of revenge begins to deceive them, and whatsoever his anger wills his recklessness promises him. I said to thee long before, in this same book, that all creatures were naturally desirous of some good: but unjust kings can do no good, for the reason I have now given thee. That is no wonder, for they subject themselves to all the vices which I have already named to thee. Every one of them, therefore, necessarily must submit to the judgment of the lords, to whom he has already subjected himself; and what is still worse, that he will not even strive against them. If he were willing to attempt it, and then were able to persevere in the contest, then would he be free from his guilt. § II. When Wisdom had sung this lay, then began he again to speak, and thus said: Seest thou in how great, and 14 8 Siopum. J on hu diortnum hopareapel papa unpeapa þa ýfelpillendan rticiap. J hu da zodan3 reinap beophtop ponne runne. Foppam3 pa zodan1 nærpe ne beop bedælde papa edleana hiopa zoder. ne pa yfelan næppe papa pita de hi zeeanniap. Ele ping pe on dirre populse gebon bip. hærp eblean. pynce hpa phe pynce. oððe do the do. á he hærð þhe eapnap. Nir eac nauht unpeht1 spa spa zio Romana peap pær. get is on manegum deodum.10 mon hehp ænne hearodbeah1l gyldenne æ sumer æɲnepezer ende. fæpp ponne micel folc to. Jinnapl ealle endemer.1 da pe hiopa æpninge thepap. J rpа hpile гpa ærest to dam beage cymp. ponne mot re hine habban him. æle pilnap he reýle æpest to cuman hine habban. ac anum he deah gebynap.1 rpa dep eall moncýnn. on þýr andpeaɲdan life innap. and onettap. and pillniað ealler15 þær hehstan godes.16 ac hit ir nanum17 men zetiohhod. ac ir eallum monnum. Ƒoɲpæm ir ælcum peapr he higie eallan18 mægne19 æfter þære mede. pæne mede ne pуpþ næƑɲe nan 30820 man bedæled. ne mæg hine mon no mid pihte hatan se zooda. zif he bið þæs hehrtan zooder bedæles.21 Foppæm nan 30522 peop ne bip buton zodum23 edleanum. don ða ÿfelan phi son. rýmle bıp re beah24 goder25 edleaner pam zobum26 zehealben on ecnere. ne mæz pana ýfelena yfel pam zodan27 beniman heopa zooder hiopa pliter. ac gif hip good buton himselfum hærden. donne meahte hi mon hir beniman.28 open rpeza oððe se de hit æn realde. odde open mon. Ac ponne fopliert 30880 man hir leanum.31 donne he his god foplæt. Ongit nu te ælcum men hir azen 30882 gifp good edlean. zod p te onınnan hım relfum bip. Ppa pirna monna pile cpepan pænig god man sie bebæled dær hehrtan goder. Foppam he rimle æften pam spincþ. Ac zemun ðu ɲimle dær miclan þær fægnan edleaner. 29 J 20 4 Cott. 8 Bod. 11 Cott. beag. 15 Cott. 19 Cott. 2 Cott. goodan. s Cott. Fopbæm. 1 Cott. hopo reaba. goodan. 5 Cott. gooder. Romana þeapar is. 9 Cott. giet. 12 Cott. ynnað. 13 Bod. endemest. ealle. 16 Cott. gooder. mægene. 20 Cott. good. 21 Cott. ne mæg hine mon no mid pihte hatan re gooda. gif he brð þær hehrtan good. 23 Cott. goodum. 24 Cott. beag. goodum. 27 Cott. goodan. 26 Bod. nærden. þonne mihte hi mon hi beniman. ma. 30 Cott. good. 31 Bod. geleafan. gooder bedæled. 22 Cott. 26 Cott. 25 Cott. gooder. hiopa god. buton himselfum 29 Bod. pealde oðþa ober 32 Cott. good. and in how deep, and in how dark a sink of vices the evil-willing are involved, and how the good shine brighter than the sun? For the good are never destitute of the rewards of their good, nor the wicked ever of the punishments which they deserve. Everything which is done in this world has recompense. Let any one work what he may, or do what he may, he will ever have that which he earns. Moreover, it is not unjust, as was formerly the custom of the Romans, and still is in many nations, that man should have a golden crown at the end of some course. Many people then come thereto, and all run equally, those who have confidence in their running; and whichsoever first arrives at the crown, then may he have it to himself. Every one desires that he may first arrive, have it; but nevertheless it falls to one. So does all mankind in this present life,-runs and hastens, and is desirous of the highest good. But it is offered to no one man, but is offered to all men. Therefore it is needful to every one that he strive with all his power after the reward. Of the reward no good man is ever deprived. A man cannot rightly call himself good if he be destitute of the highest good, for no good servant is without good rewards. Let the wicked do what they may, the crown of good reward will always be possessed by the good for ever. The evil of the wicked cannot deprive the good of their good, and of their excellence. But if they had that good from without them, then might some one deprive them of it; either he who formerly bestowed it, or another man. But a good man then loses his rewards when he forsakes his good. Understand, then, that to every man his own good gives good reward; that good which is in himself. What wise man will say, that any good man is destitute of the highest good? for he always labours after it. But meditate thou always on the great and the fair reward, 3 Foppam1eslean ir open ealle oppe2 lean to lupienne. do þær lean to pam foperpecenan zodum1 pe ic de æp zealde on Spiddan bec. ponne hi ponne zezadepudes biop. donne mih pu onzitan þ pa zeralpa hehrte 3087 bip eall an. ph Los. J ponne du mihts eac ongitan ælc 3089 man bip eadi pealle zeralize men beoplo Lodar. 7 habbap ecu edlear hiopall goder:· 13 19 12 § III. Foppam13 ne deapp nænne pijne mon tpeozan. Þa yrelan nabban eac ece11 edlean heopa yreler. bip ece pice. Deah du nu pene hiopa hpyle15 zerelizlerie hep fop populée. he hærp deah rimle17 hır yfel mid him. J eac þær уreler edlean da hpile pe hit him licap. Nir nu nan pir man nyte te zod19 ýfel biop rimle20 ungeppæne betpux2i him. rimle on tpa23 pillap. гpa spa dær godan zodnes bip his agen 308247 hir agen edlean. rpa bip eac þær yfelan yfel hir agen уfel. 7 h edlean. hir agen pite. ne tpeop nænne mon J ZIF he pite hæpp phe næbbe yfel. Ppat penap pa yrelan he beon bedælde Sapa pita sint fulle ælcer yfeler. nallar25 no þan phi biop afylde. ac fonneah to nauhte zebone. Ongit nu be pam zodum hu micel pice pa ÿfelan rýmle habbap. gehýn zyr26 sum birpell. J zeheald pa pel pe ic pe æn ræde. Éall p. p te annеre hærp. p pe reczap þær te sie. da hpile pe hit at romne bip.] ða ramppæonerre pe hatap zod. Spa гpa an man bip man. ða hpile de rio raply re lichoma bip ætromne.27 ponne hi ponne zerindrede biop donne28 ne bio hehe æn pær. pilce pu miht29 zepencan be dam lichoman be hir limum. f pana lima hpilc3o of bip. donne ne bip hit no full mon spa hit æ par. gif eac hpyle 30881 man from gode zepite. donne ne bip he pes2 ma fullice zob. zif he eallunga from godess gepite. ponan hit zebónað þ ða ýfelan foplæta þþ hi æn didon31 ne35 biop 33 35 4 Cott. goodum. ! t Boet. lib. iv. prosa 3.-Quæ cum ita sint, &c. ropþæm. 16 Bod. geralbe. 20 Cott. rýmle. 24 Cott. good. 14 Cott. næbben eac ecu. 21 Cott. berpeox. 8 Cott. meah. 13 Cott 15 hpylc, deest in MS. Bod. 18 Cott. yrler. 19 Cott. good. 23 Cott. Tu 22 Cott. rymle. 26 Cott. get. 27 Cott. ætromne 29 Cott. biod. 28 hi bonne gerindrede bioð þonne, desunt in MS. Bod. meaht. 30 Cott. deest in MS. Cott. hpylc. 31 Cott. good. 32 Cott. bon. 33 gode, for that reward is above all other rewards to be loved: and add that reward to the before-mentioned goods which I formerly recounted to thee in the third book. When they are added together, then mayest thou perceive that happiness and the highest good are all one, and that is God. And then thou mayest also perceive that every good man is happy, and that all happy men are gods, and have eternal reward of their good! § III. Therefore no wise man needs to doubt that the evil have also eternal recompense of their evil, that is, eternal punishment. Though thou mayest think that any of them is happy here in respect of the world, he nevertheless has always his evil with him, and also the recompense of the evil, even whilst it gives him pleasure. There is no wise man who is ignorant that good and evil are always discordant between themselves, and always are at variance in their wishes. And as the goodness of the good is his own good, and his own reward, so is also the evil of the wicked his own evil, and his reward, and his own punishment. No man if he has punishment, doubts that he has evil. What! do the wicked think that they are exempted from punishments, and yet are full of all evil? Not only are they foul, but almost brought to nothing. Understand, therefore, from the good, how great punishment the wicked always have: and hear, moreover, an example; and well retain those which I before mentioned to thee. Whatsoever has unity, that we say exists while it remains together; and this unity we call good. Thus a man is a man whilst the soul and the body are together. But when they are separated, then is he not that which he was before. The same thou mayest conceive concerning the body, and concerning its limbs. If any of the limbs is off, then it is not full man, as it was before. So if any good man depart from good, then is he not any more fully good, if he at all depart from good. When it happens that the wicked leave off what they before did, they are not what they before were. |