Boetius. Ought the greater If he afterwards hath not Power over himself In his thoughts, And does not earnestly Guard himself well In words and deeds Against the vices That we before have men tioned? P. 170. THE EXCURSIVENESS OF THE MIND. I have wings Swifter than the birds: With them I can fly Far from the earth, Over the high roof Of this heaven. And there I now must Wing thy mind, With my feathers, To look forth Till that thou mayest This world I have rapid wings that can ascend the heights of the pole, which the swift mind puts on when she looks down on the hated earth: surmounts the globe of the immense air, and sees the clouds behind her. Warmed by the motion of the agile æther, it transcends Alfred. Go betwixt The other stars. Thou mightest full soon Above afterwards advance; That outmost is Of all the stars. This Saturnus Boetius. the vortex of fire, till it rises to Or it may accompany the journey of the chill old man, as a soldier of the radiant star; or shining wherever night is painted, it may retrace the circle of the star; and when suf The inhabitants of the sea call ficiently satiated, it may leave Under the heavens. He is the cold All icy planet. He wanders outmost Over all, Above the other stars. Afterwards thou then From this may upheave thyself To go forth; Thou mayest proceed farther: Then wouldest thou afterwards soon Ascend above the firmament In its swift course. If thou goest on right Thou wouldest then the highest Heaven leave behind. Then mightest thou afterwards Of the true light Have thy portion. Whence the Only King Widely governs, Above the firmament. And below ; And in like manner rules All the creatures Of the world. This is the Wise King, VOL. II. the extremity of the pole; and, Here the Lord of Kings holds I СНАР. BOOK V. Alfred. This is he that governs Hath restrained around Of earth and heaven. He his governing reins He governs ever Through his strong might Of heaven and earth. He the only judge is steadfast, If thou turnest right in thy Up to that country, A noble place: "This is entirely Through the might of this Boetius. the sceptre and governs the reins of the world, and, stable himself, rules the swift car, the splendid arbiter of things. If that road should meet thee returning, which now forgetful you enquire for, you may say : "I remember that this is my country this is my birth-place: here I will rest." Because this is Here will be the rest to The only rest of all labours; your labours. Here, the serene A desirable port port; a tranquil abode. Here, To high ships; Of our mind the only asylum open to the wretched. СНАР. IV. The great and mild habitation. Boetius. This is the only port That will last for ever; After the waves Of our troubles, Of every storm, This is the place of peace, After this world's troubles. This is the pleasant station But such things strongly The mind's eye Of every one of men When they to it Are made brighter. That in this present Are slender, But wonderful is that Not all that Tagus may give in its golden sands, or Hermus from its glittering bank, or Indus near the warm circle mingling green gems with white, can enlighten the sight; but they make the mind more blind from their darkening effects. Whatever of these pleases and excites the mind, earth nourishes in its lowest caverns. The radiance by which Heaven is governed and flourishes, shuns the obscured ruins of the soul. |