Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/37

 sometimes it desireth to know those things that it before knew not. Some things it willeth, some things it willeth not; and every form of corporeal things it can shape within itself, and so shaped retain them in its mind. The soul's beauty consists in loving wisdom; not that earthly wisdom of which it is thus written, Sapientia hujus mundi stultitia est apud deum: 'The wisdom of this world is foolishness before God.' But this wisdom it should learn - to love God, and ever honour Him in all its works; to learn those things which please God, and forsake those things which are displeasing to Him. This wisdom is written of in Holy Scripture; and it is said of it, Omnis sapientia a Domino Deo est: 'Every wisdom is of God. Wherefore every man is happy and blessed who is wise toward God, and if he order his deeds by the aid of wisdom. Concerning this spake blessed Job, 'Man's wisdom is righteousness, and his true knowledge is to depart from evil': Verily this is true wisdom, that a man desire the true life wherein he may live for ever with God in glory, if he merit it in this world. To this may our dear Lord Christ bring us, who is the true Wisdom, and the Life of souls, who with His Eternal Father and with the Holy Ghost liveth for ever and ever. Amen.

He who wishes it, may hear concerning the holy maiden

Eugenia, the daughter of Philip ;

how she by her virginity gloriously flourished,

and by martyrdom overcame this world.

A certain nobly-born thane was named Philip,

whom the emperor Commodus sent —

he who in those days ruled — from the city of Rome

to the city which is named Alexandria ;

and he appointed him as chief ruler