doth guide By This do Contraries abide In their Alternate Force Drought yields to Moisture Cold to Heat Fire strives the highest Place to get Earth downwards bends it's Course And by those Causes doth the Spring New Leaves and Flowres most fragrant bring Hot Summer brings Ripe Corn Autumn's the Time for Apples then Black Winter brings the Cold agen And makes large Showres return Both Nourishment this Temper gives And Birth to ev'ry thing that Lives i th' Waters or the Earth And 't is the Same that Takes away What was Brought forth All things Decay That ever had their Birth Whilst the Creator Sits on High And Orders things both in the Skye And in this World below Almighty Lord Eternal King The LAW and JVDGE the Boundless Spring From whence All Beings flow He stops those Motions which He gave And settles things that fleet and wave For if Right Motions He Did not to Circlings turn again Their Being things would not retain But Vanish Instantly All things Partake of this Great Love That they may Rest in Good they Move For nothing could them save From Perishing but Love that drawes Them back again to the First Cause Which Being to them gave The SEVENTH PROSE All fortune is good DOST thou not see now what is the Consequence of all that I have said What quoth I That Every Fortune or Outward Condition as it comes from GOD is Good How is that said I observe what I say quoth she sith Every Condition being either Pleasing or Grievous comes for the Rewarding or Exercising of Good men or else for the Punishing or Reforming of the Wicked whatsoever it is it must needs be Good which 't is manifest is the Instrument either of the Divine Justice or Mercy The Reason thou givest said I is most true And if I consider Providence and Fate which thou didst shew me a little while since this Conclusion is most Firm and Irrefragable But if thou wilt let us put it into the number of those Positions which as thou saydst a little before are contrary to the Common Opinion How so quoth she Because quoth I this speech is often in the Mouthes of men that some have Ill Fortune Wilt thou therefore said she that we yeild a little to the speeches of the Vulgar least we seem to go too far from the Use and Custome of Mankind As thou thinkest fit said I. Dost thou not then judge that to be Good which is Profitable yea surely said I. But that Fortune which either Exerciseth or Correcteth is Profitable True said I. Therefore it is Good Who can deny that But this belongs to them who being either Establisht in Virtue make War with Affliction or being Convinc'd of the Misery that comes on them by their Vices Break forth into the way of Virtue I cannot but Acknowledge this said I. But what a Pleasing Condition which is given as a Reward to Good men do the Vulgar esteem it to be Evill In no wise but as it is they judge it to be Exceeding Good What of the other Condition which sith it is Sharpe and Grievous is for the Restraining of the Wicked by Just Punishment do they suppose it to be Good Nay quoth she they judge it to be most Miserable See then if following even the Opinion of the Vulgar we have not Prov'd somewhat very contrary to the Common Opinion what said I For from those things said she which have been granted it must of necessity be infer'd that to Those who have Attein'd to the Full Possession of Virtue or have made some Progress towards it or are Really Inclin'd therunto Every Condition is Good but to Those who remain in their Wickedness Every Condition is Exceeding Evill This is true said I though ther 's hardly any one that dares Acknowledge it Wherefore said she A Wise man ought not to be Troubled when he is to Fight with Fortune as it becomes not a Stout Souldier to be any way disturb'd when the Trumpet sounds an Alarm For Hardship and Difficulty is to the one an Occasion of enlarging his Renown to the other of improving his Wisedome And hence it is that True Goodness in the Hearts of Men is called VIRTUE because it 's Virtue Power and Efficacy is such that it can never be Overcome by any Adversity For being Plac'd on the Borders of Virtue you are not come hither to indulge to your vain Desires and to lose your strength in the Enjoyment of Sensual Pleasures but here you must prepare your selves for a Fierce Encounter with Both Fortunes that you may not be Cast down by Adversity nor Corrupted by Prosperity Stick to the Mean with all your Force Whatsoever is beneath it or goes beyond it implies a Contempt of True Happiness gives you not any Recompence for all your Labours 'T is put to your Choice what kind of Fortune you would rather have For whatsoever seemeth to be Grievous if it do not Exercise or Reform it Punisheth The SEVENTH VERSE Philosophy exhorteth to labours HArd Labours made Alcides Great He did the Boasting Centaurs Beat He Skin'd the Lion strong and Feirce With his own Clawes His Arrowes pierce The Harpyes He those Apples tooke And scorn'd the Furious Dragons Looke He Chain'd Black Cerbe'rus and 't is said That He Curs'd Diomedes made Food for 's own Horses which he fed With Men whose guiltless Bloud he shed He made Achelous loath to shew His Head His strong Arm Hydra Slew Antaeus on the Sands He cast And made stout Cacus breath his last He Kill'd the Wild Bore and at length High Atlas crav'd his Helpfull Strength To bear up Heav'n He labour'd hard And Heav'n it selfe was His Reward Go Valiant Men where you are Led By Great Examples let no Dread Or Sloth oppress your noble Brest Endure these Pains you 'll come to Rest O're th' Earth extend your Victorys And Heav'n above shall be your Prize FINIS ΗΣΥΧΙΑ THer 's no disturbance in the Heav'ns Above And Heav'nly Soules Do nothing else but Love No Anger no Remorse no Discontent Can seize a Soule that 's Truly Innocent And Aims at nought but that she may Combine With All she finds Like to Herselfe Divine And Seeing things in such Confusion hurl'd Does not Contend with but Despise the World DIVINE SOLITUDE 1. BLest Solitude In Thee I found The only Way to Cure the Wound Of My Perplexed Heart Here I Escap'd the Worlds loud Noise That Drowns Our Blessed SAVIOVRS Voice And makes Him to Depart 2. Whilst thus Retir'd I do Attend To th' Words of MY Eternal FRIEND How My Heart Leaps for Joy Love and Rejoyce sayes He but Know Ther 's no such thing as Joy Below The Pleasures There Destroy 3. If Thou wilt Creatures Love Be Sure Thou Keep Thy Heart In Me Secure Know that I 'm ALL IN ALL. Then Whatsoe're those Creatures prove Thou never shalt Repent Thy Love Thy Hopes shall never Fall 4.
Ruin'd Soules doth fly Whoe're perceives this Light He sayes Phaebus lookes Dull with all his Rayes The ELEVENTH PROSE That goodness is the end of all things I Assent quoth I. For All these things hang one to another by a chain of the strongest Reasons that were ever produc'd Then said She At how great a rate wouldest thou value it if thou couldest know what Goodness is At an Infinite rate said I for thereby I shall know GOD also who is Goodness it selfe or Soveraign Good But this I shall shew thee with the greatest evidence only let those things remain as Granted which have been Concluded already They shall so remain said I. Have we not prov'd said she that those things which are Desir'd by the Generality of men are not Truly and Perfectly Good because they Differ one from the other and sith eace of them is Wanting to the other that they cannot produce Full and Absolute Good But that then they become True Good when they are collected as it were into One Form and Efficiency so that what Sufficiency is the Same is Power Veneration Renown Delight and unless they are One and the Same thing that they have nothing in them for which they may be numbred amongst things that are to be Desir'd It has been plainly Demonstrated quoth I neither can it be Doubted in the least Is it not by the acquiring of Vnity that those things become Good which are in no wise Good whilst they Differ but become Good when they are Vnited So it seemeth quoth I. But dost thou grant that whatsoever is Good is Good by the Participation of the Soveraign Good I grant it Thou oughtest therefore to grant likewise that ONE and GOOD is the Same For the Nature of those things is the Same whose Natural Effect is not Divers I cannot Deny it quoth I. And dost thou know said she that whatsoever is does remain and Subsist so long as it is One but that it Perisheth and is dissolv'd as soon as it ceaseth to be One How is that As in Animals or Sensitive Creatures whilst the Soule and the Body remain together we call it a Sensitive Creature But when this Unity is dissolv'd by the seperation of one from the other 't is manifest that it loseth the Being of a Sensitive Creature And our very Body whilst it remains in One Shape by the Conjunction of it's Limbs reteins the Resemblance of a Man But if the Parts of the Body be Disunited it ceaseth to be what it was before And in like manner Every other thing will be found to Subsist or remain in Being so long as it is One but when it ceaseth to be One it Perisheth I cannot think but that it must needs be so And is there any thing quoth she which so far as it Acts according to Nature can cease from all Inclination to retein it's Being and become Desirous of it's own Destruction If quoth I I consider Animals or Sensitive Creatures either Rational or meerly Sensitive which in some sort may be said to Will or to be Unwilling I find not any thing which unless it be constrain'd from without leaves the Desire to continue it's Being and of it's own Accord Hastens to Destruction For Every Sensitive Creature labours to keep it selfe in Safety and does all that it can to avoid Destruction But I know not what I shall think of Herbs and Trees and of things neither Sensitive nor Vegetative But quoth she neither is there any reason why thou shouldest doubt of this sith thou mayst behold Herbs and Trees to grow first in Places most convenient for them where they may not dye away as long as their Nature is capable of any further Subsistence For some spring up in Fields some on Mountains some the Marishes bring fourth some grow on Rocks some are produc'd by the Barren Sands which if any man endeavour to transplant in other Places they will wither and dye away But Nature gives to All things that which is convenient for them and takes care that they may not Perish whilst they have any Possibility to Subsist Do not all Herbs and Trees thrusting their Mouthes as it were into the Earth draw Nourishment by their Rootes and diffuse their Strength and Rinde through their Pith or Marrow Does not every such Part which is most soft and tender as the Pith lye hid in the inmost seat but without it is cover'd with that which is firm and solid but the outmost Part of all is the Rinde which is seated there to be a defense against the Violence both of the Sun and of the Wind And thou seest how careful and diligent Nature is that All things may be propagated by the Multiplication of Seed Which things have these Engines as we may call them not only to preserve their Being for a time but to make their Duration as to their several Kinds Perpetual And do not those things likewise which are thought to be neither Sensitive nor Vegetative Desire that which Properly belongs to them For why doth Lightness carry up the Flames and the Earth is prest down by it's Weight but that these Places and Motions Properly belong to each of them That which is Agreeable to any thing preserves it's Being as those things which are Contrary therunto destroy and Corrupt it Those things which are Hard as Stones cleave fast to their Parts so that it is very Difficult to Divide them But Liquid things as Aire and Water yield presently to the Impressions of that which would Divide them but that which kept them asunder being remov'd they instantly return into those things from which they are Seperated We treat not now of the Voluntary Motions of a Knowing Soule but of the Natural Intention Thus we Digest the Food we receive though we think not of it thus we draw our Breath whilst we Sleep though we Know it not For even in Living-Creatures the Love they have to their own Being does not proceed from the Animal Inclinations of their Soules but from the Principles of Nature For it is often seen great causes constraining therunto that a mans Will or Rational Appetite Embraceth Death it selfe which Nature Abhors And on the contrary That by which alone the Kinds of Mortal things are Perpetuated to wit the Worke of Generation which Nature allwayes Desires the Will very often most earnestly Refrains from Thus the Love which things have to Themselves doth not proceed from their Animal Motion but their Natural Intention For Providence hath given this even the greatest cause of preserving their Being that they Naturally Desire to Subsist as long as 't is Possible Wherefore there is no reason thou shouldst doubt in the least that All things that are do Naturally Desire to retain their Being to avoid Destruction I confess quoth I that I do now most clearly perceive those things which awhile since seem'd very Uncertain But that said she which Desireth to Subsist and continue in Being it Desireth
indeed made it an Offence by their Decrees against Me. But Ignorance that is allwayes False to it selfe cannot change the Merit of things neither do I think it Lawful being of Socrates's Judgement to conceale the Truth or give way to a Lye But be it how it will I leave it to the Judgement of Wise Men. The Truth of this Affair that Posterity may not be Ignorant thereof I have endeavour'd by Writing to keep in Remembrance For as touching those Forged Letters whereby I am Accus'd to have hoped the Romane Freedome to what purpose should I speak Their Fraud should have been lay'd open to all men if it had been granted me but to use the Confession of mine Accusers which of all matters of this nature is of the greatest Importance In which Affair Sorrow has not so dulled my Senses as that I should complain that Wicked men Attempt such horrid things against Virtue but I am quite Astonisht to see that they bring their Designs to such Effect For to Will unrighteous things were perhaps but a part of Humane Frailty but that every Villain should be Able to accomplish the Mischief he has conceiv'd against a Person never so Innocent GOD Looking on seemeth Monstrous unto me Whence one of thy Family thought he had just cause to raise these Questions If there be a GOD whence come Evil things but whence come the Good if there be none But be it so that those Ungodly fellowes who thirst for the Bloud of all good men and of the whole Senate should have the Will to Destroy Me whom they saw so earnestly endeavouring to Defend Good men and all the Senate But what did I deserve the same hard measure even from the Senatours also Thou dost Remember I believe that when ever I was about to Say or Do any thing thou wast allwayes present to Direct Me. This I say thou dost well Remember At Verona when the King intending a Common Destruction would fain have transfer'd the Accusation of Treason brought against Albinus upon the whole Order of the Senate with how great a Disregard of mine own particular Safety I Defended their Innocence Thou knowest that what I say is True and that I was never wont to Praise mine own Actions For it doth in a manner lessen the Secret Approbation that Conscience gives unto itselfe when any man by declaring what good he hath done receives Fame for his Reward But thou seest to what my Innocency hath brought Me. Instead of the Rewards of True Virtue I undergoe the Punishment of such Wickedness of which I am Falsely Accus'd And what horrid Villany so evident that it could not but be Confest did ever ingage the Judges in such Unanimous Severity that neither the sense of Humane nature so inclin'd to Error nor of the Condition of Fortune so Uncertain to all Mortals should soften the Hearts of any of them If I had been Accus'd to have design'd the Burning of Temples the Murthering of the Priests to have Plotted the Destruction of all Good men yet Sentence should have been given against me being Present either upon mine own Confession or the Conviction of mine Accusers Now being remov'd frome Rome allmost five hundred Miles and having no Liberty granted me to make my Defence I am Condemn'd to Death and Proscription for Studying the Safety of the Senate O Excellent Men that well Deserve that none should ever be Convicted of the like Crime The Dignity of which Offence even they who Impeach me of it knew full well that they might darken the lustre of it with the mixture of some real wickedness they faign'd that I had defiled my Conscience with the guilt of Sacriledge whilst did Aspire to Places of Honor. But Thou who Dwellest in Me didst drive out of my Mind all Desires of perishing things and Sacriledge could never have leave to be in thy Presence For thou didst dayly Instill into mine Ears and into my Thoughts that saying of Pythagoras 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 FOLLOW GOD Neither did it become Me to seek the Assistance of the Vilest Spirits whom thou didst make capable of such an Excellency that I should be Like GOD And besides by the unstained Reputation of mine House the Company of my worthy Friends and also my Father-in-law a Person of the greatest Integrity imaginable and Venerable like thy self I am defended from all suspition of any such Crime But oh Malice and Ignorance they take occasion from Thee to make men believe that I am guilty of so great Wickedness and for this very cause shall I seem to be skill'd in the most prodigious Impiety that I have been Instructed in thy Discipline that I have been endued with thy Manners Thus it is not enough that the Reverence due unto Thee has profited me nothing but thou also dost suffer Reproach through the Hatred they have conceiv'd against Me But this is a great Addition to my Calamities that the Judgement of most men does not respect the Honor and Virtue of our Vndertaking but the Success of our Actions and they conceive that Fore-sight and True Wisedome are only in those things which are commended by a Prosperous Event Thus it comes to pass that a Good Esteem in the first place leaves the Unfortunate 'T is irksome to me to think of the various Reports of the People how many Absurd and disagreeing opinions men declare concerning Me. I shall only say this that 't is the heaviest Load that Fortune layes on the Oppressed that when Calamitous Persons are charg'd with any Crime they are thought to Deserve what they Suffer And I being remov'd from the Conversation of all Good men being depriv'd of my Dignities wronged in my Reputation have suffer'd most grievous Punishment for Well-doing And now methinks I see the Companies of the Wicked flowing in Mirth and Jollity every leud fellow thinking how he may frame the most pernicious False-Accusations Good men cast down by the Terror that falls on them at the sight of My Ruine every flagitious fellow being excited to Attempt the most horrid Injuries by Impunity to Finish them by Rewards Innocent men being not only depriv'd of Security from Accusation but also of all capacity of making their Defence Therefore I cannot but Cry out THE FIFTH VERSE Boetius complaineth that all things are governed by Gods providence beside the actions and affayres of men O Thou through All the World Renown'd Father of Lights who Sitting Still On thy Throne Turn'st the Hea'vns around And makst the Stars Obey thy Will Now Thou Command'st the Moon to Shine Meeting with all her Brothers Beams Makeing the lesser Stars repine That she doth so obstruct their Streams Now she 's depriv'd of that great Light Lookes Pale as through such Loss Forlorn And that same Star that brings the Night Attends bright Phaebus in the Morn In that Cold Time when Trees are bare Thou dost cut short th' unpleasant Day When Daies
they are Govern'd by REASON But truly I cannot but wonder very much that thou shouldst still labour under such a Distemper having attain'd to so great a measure of the most Wholsome Doctrine But let us search deeper I conceive that something I know not what thou lackest yet Tell me since thou dost not doubt but that the World is Govern'd by GOD dost thou consider also by what Rule He Governs it I hardly understand quoth I the meaning of this Question much less am I able to give an Answear thereunto Was I mistaken saith she in that I thought there was something Wanting through which Defect as through an Hole these Perturbations have Crept into thy Mind But tell me dost thou Remember what is the END of things or what it is that the Whole Course of Nature Tends unto I have heard what it is quoth I but Sadness has much weakned my Memory But how knowest thou from what All things derive their Being I know from what said I from GOD. And how can it be that sith thou knowest what is the BEGINING of things thou shouldst be Ignorant of their END But this is the custome of these Perturbations and Distractions of mind such is their strength that they unsettle and discompose a mans Thoughts but cannot alienate him from the proper Sentiments of a Rational Nature I would have thee give an Answear to this Question dost thou Remember that thou art a Man how is it possible quoth I that I should ever Forget this Art thou able then to tell me what Man is Is this the Sense of thy Question whether I know my selfe to be a Living Creature Rational and Mortal I know and confess that I am And dost thou not know quoth she that thou art somewhat besides that No. Now quoth she I come to understand another and that the greatest cause of thy Distemper thou failest of the Knowledge of Thy Selfe Wherefore I have plainly found out the grounds of thy Disease or rather the way to recover thy Health For because thou art in such Confusion of mind by reason that thou Forgettest Who thou art thou fallest into this extream Anguish as if thou wast Exil'd and Depriv'd of thy Proper Goods Forasmuch as thou art Ignorant what is the END of things thou judgest that Lawless and Ungodly men are in great Power and Felicity And forasmuch as thou hast Forgotten by what Rule the World is Govern'd thou art so apt to conceit that the manifold Changes of Humane Affairs are not within the compass of any Government Great causes indeed not only of Sickness but of Death itselfe But Thanks be to the Author of Health that Reason has not as yet wholly forsaken thee We have very good grounds to undertake thy Recovery in that thou retainest this Truth touching the Governance of the World that it is not subject to the temerity of Chance but to the Divine Wisedome Therefore set thy heart at rest We perceive ther 's Vital Heat in thee by this little Spark But because it is not yet a fit time for stronger Remedies and such is the nature of our Minds that as often as they cast away the Truth they Habituate themselves to False Opinions from which there arise such Fumes of disorderly Affections which Darken the Eyes of our Understanding These Fumes I shall endeavour to extenuate with the most soft and gentle Remedies that the Darkeness of the Deceitful Love of Earthly things being done away thou mayst be able to apprehend the Brightness of the True Light THE SEVENTH VERSE Philosophy declareth how the perturbations of our minds do hinder us from the knowledge of truth THe Stars cann't yield their Light When Clouds keep them from sight If stormy winds do blow And make Seas Ebbe and Flow That Water which lookt Fair As Brightest Dayes and Clear As Christal Foul'd with Mud Rais'd by the boystrous Floud Obstructs our Sight And so The River that doth flow From th' Hills is oft made stay By Rocks that lye i' th' way And if thou Verity With a clear Eye wouldst see If thou wouldst find th' Right Way And from it never stray Cast off fond Joyes and Fears And Hopes wipe off thy Tears The Mind 's with Clouds o're cast And with a Curb held fast Where These our Powers do wast THE SECOND BOOK OF THE Consolation of Philosophy The FIRST PROSE Of the deceits and inconstancy of Fortune AFTER this She held her peace for some time and when she had gather'd in my Attention by a sober and grave Silence thus she began If I throughly understand the causes of thy Distemper and the Condition thou art in thou dost languish and pine away for want of thy former Fortune 't is Her Change as thou makest thy selfe to believe that hath overthrown the high State of thy Mind I understand the manifold Deceits of that Prodigy and that she is wont to shew the greatest Dearness and Familiarity to those whom she hath a mind to Delude 'till she confounds them with intolerable Anguish whom beside all expectation she hath forsaken and left destitute If thou wilt call to mind her nature manners and diserts thou shalt understand that thou didst neither Enjoy nor Lose any Excellent thing in Her Presence or Departure But as I judge I shall have no hard taske to bring these things to thy Remembrance For whilst she remained with thee and flatter'd thee continually thou wast wont to speak Manfully unto her and to persecute Her with sentences brought from the Secret Place of my Temple But a sudden Change of Things happens not without some Wavering of Minds So it comes to pass that thou art gone a little from thy wonted Peace and Tranquillity But 't is now time that thou shouldst drink some Pleasant and Delicious thing which being receiv'd will Prepare thee for Stronger Potions Therefore let us have the Perswasives of Sweet Rhetorick which then only proceeds in the Right way when she forsakes not our Instructions and with Her let Musick who is one of our House-hold Servants Sing Notes sometimes Light and sometimes Grave What is it then ô Man that hath cast thee into so deep Sadness and Discontent I believe thou hast seen something new and unusual Dost thou think that Fortune is Changed in her Disposition towards Thee thou art mistaken These are Her Manners this is Her Nature She hath rather kept her own Constancy in the Mutability she hath shown towards Thee She was no other than now thou seest Her to be when she flatter'd and Deceiv'd thee with the Enticements of False Felicity Thou hast found out the Deceitful Pretences of this Blind Goddess She that covers Her selfe with a Vaile from the sight of other men has suffer'd thee to take a full View of Her and to be fully acquainted with her Disposition If thou Likest Her use her Manners do not complain If thou dreadest her Perfidiousness Scorn and reject Her that sports her selfe thus in doing
mischiefe For she that hath brought thee into so great Sorrowes should have been the cause of thy Tranquillity For she hath left Thee of whom no man can be Secure but that she will leave him also But dost thou think in good earnest that that Felicity which thus passeth away is any thing worth and can any Present Fortune be Dear unto thee which gives thee no Assurance of her Stay and when she shall Depart will certainly involve thee in great Anguish and Vexation If we cannot keep Her with us as long as we please and if when she flyes from us she makes us miserable what is she else being so ready to take her flight but a Sign of future Calamity For it is not sufficient to Consider that which is lay'd before our Eyes Prudence measureth the End of things whos 's Mutability in either State should make us neither to Fear the Threat'nings of Fortune nor Regard her Pretences of Friendship Finally thou oughtest to bear with a patient mind whatsoever is done within the Jurisdiction of Fortune now thou hast submitted thy Neck to her Yoke If thou wouldest impose a Law on her whom thou hast freely chosen to be thy Mistress to stay or be gone at thy pleasure wouldest thou not be Injurious and by thine Impatience encrease the Bitterness of that Condition which thou art not able to Change If thou shouldst commit thy Sailes to the Winds thou shouldst not be carried whither thou Wouldest Arrive but whither they will Drive thee If thou wilt sow thy ground thou must make account that some years are barren and some fruitful Thou hast submitted thy selfe to the Government of Fortune 't is but requisite thou shouldst comply with the Humours of thy Mistress But dost thou endeavour to put a stop to the Turning of her Wheele but O Foolish man if she begins to be Constant she ceaseth to be Fortune THE FIRST VERSE Philosophy discribeth the conditions of fortune WHen mighty things she turns about Euripus Like she swiftly flowes She doth most dreadful Armies rout And Potent Monarchs overthrowes And Heads cast down she lifts on high She hearkens not to sighs and groans Of men plung'd deep in Misery She tortures them and scorns their Moans These are Her sports thus doth she try Her strength and 't is a wondrous feat If in that Houre a man shall lye i th' Dust in which his Power was Great The SECOND PROSE Fortune sheweth that she hath taken nothing from Boetius that was his BUT I would discourse with thee a little in the words of Fortune Observe if she speaks not right O man why dost thou thus complain of my carriage towards thee In what have I Injur'd thee what Goods that thou mightest justly call Thine own have we taken from thee Let any man be Judge betwixt us whilst thou contendest with me touching the Possession of Riches and Dignities And if thou shalt prove that any of them do properly belong to any Mortal whatsoever I will readily grant that those things which thou desirest should be restor'd unto thee were Thine indeed When Nature brought thee out of thy Mothers wombe I tooke thee being Naked and destitute of all things I cherisht thee with my Riches and which makes thee now so Impatient against me I gave thee the most tender and delicate Education and encompast thee with the Abundance and splendour of all things which are in my power Now I think fit to withdraw my hand be Thankful as one that has had the use of things that are not Thy proper Goods Thou hast no just cause to complain as if thou hadst lost that which was Thine own Why then dost thou sigh and groan Riches Honors and all such like things are in my power they acknowledge that I am their Mistress they come and go with me I boldly affirm that if those things had been Thine which thou complainest that thou hast lost thou hadst not lost them Shall I only be hind'red from the exercise of my power 't is lawful for the Heavens to bring forth clear Dayes and to shut up those Daies in Dark Nights 'T is lawful for the Year now to adorn the Face of the Earth with Flowers and Fruit now to cover it with Frost and Snow 'T is the right of the Sea now to looke mild and calm now to grow rough with waves and storms And shall the unsatiable Desires of men oblige Me to constancy which is so contrary to my Manners This is the Part I am to Act this is the play I play continually I turn round a Wheele and make the lowest and uppermost things to change their places Go up if thou thinkst fit but on that condition that thou do not take it for an Injury if thou be made to go down again when the Play requires it Hast thou never been made acquainted with my Manners hast thou not heard how Craesus King of the Lydians but a little before very formidable to Cyrus being brought to the Fire a most doleful Spectacle was sav'd by Water pour'd down from Heaven from the devouring Flames dost thou not remember that Paulus wept at the Calamity of King Perseus whom he had taken Captive what is the loud complaint of Tragedies but that Fortune disregards and overturns the happiest Kingdomes didst thou not learn when thou wast a Boy that in Jupiters Entry there are Two large Vessels one holding Evil things and the other Good things what if I have not wholly withdrawn my selfe from thee what if this very Inconstancy of mine be a just cause why thou shouldest hope for Better things However do not repine at thy condition and being seated in a Kingdome which is govern'd by Lawes Common to all do not entertain any vain desires of living by a Right Peculiar to thy selfe The SECOND VERSE Fortune complaineth of the unsatiable desire of men IF so much Wealth as th' Ocean casts up Sand Men could at length obtain Or had so many Gemms at their command As Heav'n doth Stars contain All this would not suffice but they would still Complain and Covet more And if it were Our Great Creators Will To adde unto their Store And make their Names with Glorious Titles shine Yet they would seem to Want Through their voracious Lusts they would Repine Their Thirsty Soules would Pant And Gape for more and more What Curbe can now Their Appetite restrain Sith whilst they in so great abundance flow Of Want they still complain He is not Rich who doth himselfe Deplore And thinks that He is Poore The THIRD PROSE Philosophy proveth that fortune had been more favourable than contrary to Boetius IF Fortune should speak to thee after this manner certainly thou wouldst hardly find a word to say for thy selfe Or if there be any thing whereby thou mayst defend the complaint thou makst against her thou oughtest to produce it thou hast liberty to declare thy mind Then said I Truly the things that
Prudence by the most profound Exercise of Wisedome in the Conquest of All Perturbations Lastly Prosperity enticeth men and drawes them away from the True Good Adversity drawes them back to it as it were with an Hooke And dost thou think this but a small thing that this Sharpe this Horrible Fortune makes thee Know who are thy Faithful Friends she hath Distinguisht the Certain and Doubtful Countenances of thy Companions At her Departure she carryed Her own Friends away with her Thine she hath left with Thee At how high a rate wouldest thou have purchac'd this when thou seemedst to thy selfe to be a Fortunate Man Cease now to looke any longer after the Riches thou hast Lost thou hast found the most Pretious Kind of Wealth viz. True Friends THE EIGHTH VERSE Philosophy praiseth true love and friendship THat the World so Constant is In Alternate Variety That so many Contraries Observe their League so Faithfully That the Sweet Day Queen of Light Sol in his Golden Chariot Drawes And that Hesperus brings Night That Night is Rul'd by Phaebes Lawes That the greedy Sea's restrain'd Least it 's proud Waves should seiz the Land Things thus to each other Chain'd Are held by LOVES Almighty Hand Who Rules the Heav'ns Earth and Seas If He let goe the Reins they run Straight from the safe way of Peace And Perish by Dissention He keeps Men in Vnity He Joyns in League far Distant Lands He confirms by Chastity The Sacred Force of Nuptial Bands He shewes True Friends how to prove That To Love is the Greatest Gain Happy Men if that same LOVE Which Raigns in Heav'n did in You Raign THE THIRD BOOK OF THE Consolation of Philosophy The FIRST PROSE Philosophy promiseth to explicate true felicity SHE had now ended her Song when the Sweetness of the Verse had fixed me in the deepest Attention Therefore after a short pause thus I spake O Soveraign Consolation of wearied Minds how much hast thou refreshed me both with the weight and importance of the Sense of this Excellent Song and the pleasantness of it's Aire so that for the future I shall not looke on my selfe as one that wanteth strength to grapple with any kind of Fortune Therefore I am not only not afraid of those Remedies which thou saidst were somewhat more Sharpe and piercing but I vehemently desire that thou wouldest impart them unto me Then quoth she I Thought so when thou didst so greedily receive my words in such profound Silence and with such earnest Attention and I expected that thou shouldest have this Temper and Disposition of Mind or which indeed is rather the very truth I wrought it in thee Such are the things that remain to be spoken of that when first we do but touch them with our Tongue they are very Tart and Biting but being receiv'd and swallow'd down they become exceeding Sweet and Delightsome But since thou sayst thou art so desirous to hear what I have to say how wouldest thou be Enflam'd if thou didst understand whither I design to Conduct thee Whither quoth I To True Felicity said she which thy Mind apprehends as it were in a Dream but it 's Sight being employ'd about Images and Phantasms it cannot have any clear Prospect therof Then quoth I Do I pray thee as thou hast said and shew without delay what is that True Felicity I will do it quoth she most willingly but first I will lay down in plain words that State and Condition with which thou art most acquainted that casting thine Eye the other way thou mayst clearly Discern the Nature of True Happiness THE FIRST VERSE False felicity must be forsaken that true happiness may be embraced WHoso will sow his ground first he free That ground from Stons and Thorns must That Ceres may Find a plain way Most sweet's the Hony that comes next When Tasts unpleasant have us vext We Joy to see the Stars Appear When Wind and Rain have left the Aire How Lovely is the Youthful Day When Lucifer hath chac'd away The dismal Shades Thou whose dull Eye Could never yet True Good descry Lift up thine Head thine Eye-sight shall be clear And thou shalt see That Instantly To him that Seeks for Truth Truth shall Appear The SECOND PROSE How all men desire happiness but many mistake it THEN with a stedfast Looke recollecting all her Thoughts into the depth of her Mind thus she began All the Care of Mortals which is exercis'd in the labour of various Studies and Designs Proceeds in Divers wayes but yet it Tends to One and the same End viz. to True Happiness And that is such a GOOD which when any man hath Attein'd unto his Desires can go no further Which indeed is the Chiefe and Soveraign of All Good things and conteineth in itselfe All the Good that is or ever can be To which if any thing were wanting It could not be the Soveraign Good because some thing would be left our of it which migh be Wisht or Desir'd 'T is manifest therefore that Bliss or True Happiness is a Perfect State consisting in the Collection of All Good things into One. This State as we have said All men desire to Attein unto by Divers wayes or Means For there is Naturally in the Minds of Men a Desire of the True Good but Error draws them aside to things that have but the meer Shew or Appearance of Good Some there are who believing that it is the Soveraign Good to want nothing endeavour with all their strength to Heap up Riches but others judging that to be the Soveraign Good which is most worthy of Veneration endeavour by the getting of Honors or Illustrious Titles to render themselves Venerable to their own Country-men Others there are that hold the Soveraign Good to consist in the Greatest Power or Dominion These men would either Raign themselves or they endeavour to be Next to Him that holdeth the Scepter And it seemeth to others that Glory or Renown is the Soveraign Good These make all possible speed to get a Glorious Name by the Arts of War or Peace But the greatest Number of men measure the Fruit of Good by Joy and Mirth These think it the most Happy State to overflow with Pleasure And some there are that exchange the Ends and Causes of these Goods viz. why they Desire them one for another as they who desire Riches that they may attein to Power and Dignities and have all the Means of enjoying such Carnal Pleasures to which they are most inclin'd or they who would fain be in Power that they may get Money or a Great Name To these and such like things is the Bent or Intention of Humane Actions and Desires Nobility and the Favour of the People seem to procure an Illustrious Name A Wife and Children are desir'd for the Pleasure and Delight men hope to receive from them But as for Friends which are the most Sacred kind of Goods we do not judge of them as apperteining
and whilst he is not able to put off his troubles and vexations 't is manifest that he has not the Power which he so much esteems We may Reason in like manner concerning Honors Glory Pleasures For sith Every one of These is the Same with the other whosoever endeavours to get one of Them without the other misseth even that which he desireth But what quoth I If any man should desire to have All of Them together Such a man indeed would fain have That wherin the True Felicity doth consist but shall he ever find it in those things which we have demonstrated to be unable to perform what they promise No surely quoth I. Then quoth she True Felicity is not to be sought in those things which men believe to contribute Severally to the satisfaction of our various Desires I grant it quoth I and a greater truth could never have been spoken Thou hast then the Description of False Happiness and the Causes of it Looke now on the other side for there thou shalt see the only True Happiness as I have promis'd thee Verily quoth I it may easily be seen and thou didst shew it a little before whilst thou didst open the Causes of that which men Falsely call Happiness For if I am not mistaken that is the True and Perfect Happiness which makes a man Perfectly Sufficient Powerful Venerable Renowned Joyful And that thou mayst understand that I have a deep Apprehension of the Truth thou hast deliver'd what One of These sith they are All One and the Same has the Power verily and indeed to give unto us I certainly know to be this Full and Perfect Happiness O my Dear Child quoth she Happy art thou in thy Judgement if thou add this there unto what quoth I Dost thou think that any of these fraile and perishing things can bring a man to this Estate No surely quoth I and as for that matter what we are to think thou hast so demonstrated that there needs no more to be said These things therefore seem to be but Shadowes of the True Good or to give certain Imperfect Goods to men in this Mortal Life but they cannot bestow the True and Perfect Good I heartily Assent quoth I to what thou sayst Sith then thou art come to the Knowledge of True Happiness and of such things which Deceive the World with the empty shew of it now it remains that thou shouldst Understand How thou mayst Attein to this True Happiness That is the thing quoth I which I most earnesly expect to hear from thee But saith she as our Plato hath declar'd in his Booke entitled Timoeus Even in things of the least Importance the Divine Assistance ought to be Implor'd what dost thou think should be done now that we may become Fit to find the Seat of the Soveraign Good We must Invoke the Father of All things quoth I unless we make our Addresses unto Him no Undertaking can Begin well Right quoth she and forthwith thus she Sings The NINTH VERSE Philosophy craveth Gods assistance for the discovery of true happiness O Thou who dost with Boundless Wisedome hold The World in Order didst th' Foundation lay Of Heav'n and Earth at whose Command Time Rowl'd In Circles from One Everlasting Day And who Vnmov'd dost cause All things to Move Whom no External Cause could urge to Frame These Various Shapes of Changing things but LOVE And Boundless GOOD Fit for this Boundless FLAME From that Fair Model in thy Mind thou drawst The Formes of All things Made O Father Grant our Thoughts may reach thy Throne Grant we the Fountain of All Good may See Grant that this Blisful Light to us once shown We may For ever Fix our Eyes on Thee Scatter this Darkness and these Clogs remove And let thy Beams Appear For Thou art LIGHT Thou art True Rest to those that do Thee Love Begining End both Way and Guide the Sight Of Thee is All thy Creatures can Desire 'T is This Alone to which our Soules Aspire The TENTH PROSE That there is some true happiness and where it is to be found SITH therefore thou hast had a Description of Imperfect and also of Perfect Good it is fit that I should now demonstrate where the Perfection of Felicity is Seated And here we must first make Inquiry if there Be any such Good as that which thou didst even now Define least we should be Deceiv'd with a vain Imagination there Being indeed no such thing as that which we make the Subject of our Discourse But that it doth Exist or is Actually in Being and that it is the Fountain from whence All good things do flow this is certain and unquestionable For whatsoever is said to be Imperfect by Diminution of that which is Perfect it is call'd Imperfect So it comes to pass that if there be any thing Imperfect in it's Kind in the same Kind there must needs be something Perfect For if ye take away Perfection it cannot be conceiv'd from whence that which we call Imperfect should have Deriv'd it's Being For the Nature of things tooke not it's Begining from that which is in any respect Faulty or Defective but proceeding from that which is Sound and Free from all Imperfection it descends at length to these Low and Weak things If there be a certain Imperfect Happiness as we have already shown it cannot be doubted but that there is an Happiness Entire and Perfect This Conclusion quoth I is Firm and Irrefragable But where It 's Abode is Think with thy selfe thus That GOD who hath the Governance of All things is Good this is Natural to the Minds of Men to conceive For it is impossible that our Thoughts should fix upon any thing Better than GOD and who can doubt but such a Being is Good which nothing can surpass in Goodness but so doth Reason demonstrate GOD to be Good that it doth also evince the Perfection of Goodness to be in Him For unless He were Such a one He could never have the Governance of All things For some thing that hath the Perfection of Goodness would be more Excellent than He in as much as it would be found to have the Priority of Being For it is manifest that All Perfect things have their Being Before those things which are Unsound and Imperfect Wherefore that we may not be endless in our Reasoning it must be Granted that the Most High GOD is Full of the Highest and Perfect Good But we have Concluded that Perfect Good is Bliss or True Happiness Therefore it must needs follow that True Happiness is no where to be found but in the Most High GOD. I heartily Assent quoth I to what thou sayst neither is it capable of any Contradiction But I pray thee quoth she see how thou mayst prove soundly and Irrefragably that the Most High GOD is Full of the Highest or Soveraign Good How quoth I Thou mayst not suppose that this Father of All things hath Receiv'd that Soveraign
that at length Prating Folly may be Abasht and put to Silence Thou hast heard quoth she in Old Stories how the Gyants endeavour'd to Invade Heaven but even they as it was most meet were thrown down by Benign Fortitude But wilt thou that we strike Arguments one against another perhaps out of such a Conflict some bright Sparke of Truth will spring forth Do as thou thinkest fit say'd I. No man said she can ever doubt but that GOD is Almighty No man said I that is in his right wits But there is Nothing which He that is Almighty hath not a Power to Do. Nothing said I. What hath GOD a Power then to Do EVIL No surely EVIL then quoth she is Nothing viz. Hath not any Proper Being or Nature sith He who Can Do All things Cannot Do EVIL Dost thou sport with me said I making an Inextricable Labyrinth with the subtle wayes of Thine Argumentation Entring now where thou didst Go forth and then Going forth where thou didst Enter or dost thou by these Intricate Reasonings shew that there is a Wonderful Circle in the Divine Simplicity For a little before begining with True Happiness thou didst affirm it to be the Highest or Soveraign Good which thou saydst was plac'd in the Most High GOD And thou didst Prove that GOD is this Soveraign Good and the onely True and Perfect Happiness then thou gavest me this as a Token of thy Bounty That no man is Truly Happy but therewith he must be a GOD. Again thou didst assert that the very Form of Good is the Nature of GOD and of True Happiness and thou didst shew that ONE is the very GOOD which All things Naturally Desire thou didst also Demonstrate that GOD Governeth the Universe By the Rule of GOODNESS and that All things are Willingly Subject unto Him and that EVIL hath not any Nature Properly so call'd And these things thou didst evince by such Arguments wherof there were none Extrinsecal to the Matter in hand but one drawing Assent by the Connexion it hath with another all of them being founded in the Subject of our Discourse Then spake she thus We do not Sport but we have perform'd a Taske of the greatest Importance by the Gracious Assistance of GOD whose Name we did Invoke For such is the Form of the Divine Substance that It neither falls into the Condition of things Without nor doth It admit any thing Without to come into the same State with It selfe but as Parmenides saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It wheeles-about the Movable Circle of things whilst It preserves It selfe in a State Immovable And if we have us'd such Arguments which were not fetcht from without but lie within the compass of the Matter of which we did Treat there is no cause that thou shouldst Admire sith thou hast receiv'd it from the Testimony of Plato that Words should be A-kin to the Things of which we Discourse THE TWELFTH VERSE Philosophy exhorteth to perseverance in contemplation and vertue O ever Blest is He Who once hath learnt to See The Fountain of All Good Blest He who hath withstood The Earth and now obteins True Freedome from her Chains When Orpheus's Wife was gone To th' Shades how did he Groan When he had made the Trees To Dance in Companies Whilst Doleful Notes he Play'd When he had Rivers made To stand still and the Hind His side to th' Lion Join'd And Fear'd no Harm the Hare Did also cease to Fear The Dog by Musick Tam'd When His Breast was Enflam'd With all the Fires of Love Nor could those Soft Notes Move Their Lord and Mitigate The Sense of his Hard Fate Which all things else or'ecame And did their Fierceness Tame He sayes Gods are Cruel And down he goes to Hell There fits he words to sounding Strings Whate're his Mother Taught he Sings He Sings in Doleful Strains His own Hearts constant Pains And Grief-encreasing Love Thus Orpheus Hell doth Move And doth sweet Prayers repeat And those Dark Powers entreat Now Cerberus doth gaze New Songs do Him amaze The Furies now shed Tears The Wheele Ixion spares And Tantalus the Stream Forgets and minds the Theme Of Orpheus's Mournful Song That Rav'nous Bird that hung On wretched Tityus drawes The Liver with his Clawes No longer now whilst he Feeds on sweet Melodie At length Hells cruel Lord Some Pity doth afford We Vanquisht are quoth He Let this Mans Wife go free From us he hath Her won With his Melodious Song But only let Her go On this Condition so That he ne're turn his Eye Till he see the Bright Skye But Lovers ne're were kept in Awe Love to Himselfe 's the greatest Law Alas when he had past Hells deepest wayes at last Orpheus can't choose but See His Dear Euridice But that one Looke did cost Her Life she 's ever lost Well may he now Deplore He ne're shall see Her more To you belongs this Tale Who fain would leave the Vale Of Constant Night and find The Day-Light of the Mind For he that will Looke back To Hell and his Pace slack Whatever Good he chose This sight doth make him Lose THE FOURTH BOOK OF THE Consolation of Philosophy The FIRST PROSE Boetius merveileth at the impunity and prosperity of evil men WHEN Philosophy had most sweetly warbled out this Song reteining all the while a Grave and Venerable Countenance then I labouring still under a great Distemper of mind interrupted her as she was about to say somewhat else And O said I those things which thy Speech bringing in the True Light hath hitherto poured forth appear to be no other than Divine being Seen as they are in themselves and Irrefragable as Demonstrated by Thine Arguments and such are those things which thou hast told me that though my Anxious resentments of the Injuries I have receiv'd did lately put them out of my Remembrance yet I was not wholly Ignorant of them But this is the greatest cause of the Perplexity I am in that wheras the Governour of All things is Good Evils should either be at all or that they should pass without their due Punishment How much Admiration this one thing deserves I am Sure thou dost well consider But ther 's a greater matter than this that is joyned with it for whilst Wickedness flourisheth and bears the sway Vertue doth not only want it's Reward but is trodden under foot by Base and ungodly men and in the place of Villany suffers the most grievous Punishment That such Transactions should be in His Kingdome who Knoweth All things who Can Do All things and Willeth nothing but what is Just and Good no man can sufficiently either Admire or Complain Then said she And indeed this would be a matter of infinite Astonishment and more horrible than all Monsters if as thou dost conceit in the well-order'd House of so great a Master Vessels of no worth should be most carefully lookt after and the Pretious be
If he did Rejoyce in what he hath Receiv'd from Without this any other man even he who confer'd it on him might deprive him of But sith it is confer'd on him by that Goodness which is Within himselfe he will never want his Reward as long as he continues to be Good Lastly sith every Reward is therefore Desir'd because it is believ'd to be Good who will ever judge that he who Possesseth the True Good can miss his Reward But what is this Reward certainly the Fairest and Greatest of All Rewards Remember the Corollary which I gave thee but a little before and gather in the full Proofe of what I have said thus Sith the Soveraign Good is True Happines 't is manifest that All Good men even in this that they are Good do become Truly Happy But it has been concluded that those who are Truly Happy are Gods Such therefore is the Reward of Good men which shall not be worn out by the longest Time nor diminisht by any mans Power nor defil'd by any mans Iniquity viz. To become Gods And sith these things are so what Wise man can ever doubt of the Pains and Anxieties that are implyed in the nature of All Wicked Actions For sith Good and Evill Punishment and Reward are Opposite it must needs be that whatsoever we see in the Reward of Good that which is directly Contrary therunto may be seen in the Punishment of Evill As Virtue therefore is the Reward of the Virtuous so Vice and Impurity is the Torment of the Wicked But now whosoever suffers Punishment doubts not but that he is opprest with Evill If therefore they would rightly Judge of themselves could it seem to them that they are free from Trouble and Vexation whom Wickedness the greatest of all Evils doth not only oppress but Pierce through seizing and Perverting all their Faculties But Observe what Pains and Anxieties attend the Wicked in opposition to what we have said of the True Pleasure and Satisfaction of those that are sincerely and firmly Possest of True Goodness and Virtue For thou hast been taught a little before that whatsoever Is or hath any Proper Being is One and that ONE is GOOD The Consequence of which is this whatsoever hath any Proper Being that also is Good And thus whatsoever failes to be Good ceaseth to Be whence it is manifest that Evill men cease to Be what they Were But that they were Men is shown by the Shape of an Humane Body which still remains Wherefore the Temper of their Minds being Chang'd into such Evill Dispositions they have lost the True Nature of Man But sith Goodness and Piety only can Advance any one beyond the Condition of Men it must needs be that those whom Wickedness hath Degraded from their Humanity should fall beneath the Merit or Dignity of a Rational Creature Therefore whomsoever thou seest Transform'd by Vice thou mayst not any longer Esteem him as a Man Dost thou see any one to commit Rapine being Enflam'd with the Love of Riches thou mayst say that he is a Wolfe Is any one Fierce and Unquiet exercising his Tongue perpetually in Brauls and Contentious speeches thou mayst compare him to a Dog If he delight in subtle Cheats and Wiles thou mayst compare him to a Fox Is he unable to suppress his Anger breaking forth into the greatest Fury upon the least provocation let him be Judg'd to have the Soule of a Lion Is he exceeding Timorous and ready to Flye where there is not the least cause of any Fear let him be liken'd to the Hart. Is he Dull and Slothful he leads the Life of an Ass Is he light and Inconstant allwayes changing his Resolutions he is like the Foules of the Aire Does he Wallow in the Mire of Filthy Lusts he is taken with the Pleasure ef a Dirty Sow Thus it comes to pass that whosoever having deserted all True Goodness and Piety ceaseth to be a Man sith he cannot Attein to the Divine Condition he is turned into a Beast The THIRD VERSE That vices are of greater force than enchantments ULysses with his Friends Arrives Vnto the Isle where Circe Dwelt With Cups Enchanted she receives Her Guests whose Power they quickly felt This Man is chang'd into a Bore A Lions Shape another takes A third when he would fain Deplore These Changes his own Shape forsakes And now he doth not Weep but Howle One's Chang'd into a Tygress mild Such as the Indians do Controule As though 't were not by nature Wild. But Mercury commiserates Ulysses and him saves from harme Though for him also Circe waits To plague him with her direful Charme Yet those that Sailed with Him sup The Dregs of Her Enchanted Cup. The New-Made Swine their Akorns Eat Estranged now from Their own Kind In Voice in Body and in Meat In all things else except the Mind Which for this Monstrous Change doth Grieve O feeble Charme which though it can Make Humane Shape the Shape receive Of Beast it cannot Change the Man The Life and Vigor of Mankind Is Inward in the Heav'n-born Mind This Poison Vice is stronger far Man of Himselfe It quite deprives Although the Outward Man It spare Men lose by It Their proper Lives The FOURTH PROSE Of the misery of wicked men BUT the Vulgar regards not these things What then shall we be like them whom we have demonstrated to be no other than a sort of Irrational Creatures What if any one having wholly lost his Sight should forget that he had ever seen any thing and conceit that there was nothing wanting to him of Humane Perfection should we therefore judge those that retein their Sight to be Blind likewise For the Vulgar refuse their Assent to this also which depends upon as firm and solid grounds as any thing we have formerly demonstrated viz. That those Persons are more Miserable that Do an Injury than those that Suffer it I would fain hear said I what grounds thou canst shew for this Dost thou deny quoth she that every Wicked man is worthy of Punishment No surely But it appears by many Reasons that they are Miserable who are Wicked 'T is true said I. Whosoever then are worthy of Punishment thou doubtest not but they are Miserable It cannot be deny'd quoth I. If therefore thou didst sit as a Judge on whom wouldst thou conceive that Punishment should be inflicted on him who has Done or on him who has Suffer'd an Injury I doubt not said I but that I should satisfie the Person Injur'd by the Griefe of him that hath done the Injury The Injurious therefore would seem to be more Miserable than he who hath receiv'd the Injury It followes indeed said I. By this Reason therefore and others of the like Importance viz. that Vice and Impurity does by it's own Nature make men Miserable it is most evident that he who offers an Injury not he who receives it doth thereby become Miserable But now quoth she our Advocates Act quite