Page:King Alfred's Old English version of St. Augustine's Soliloquies - Hargrove - 1902.djvu/44

XXXVIII ALFRED'S VERSION OF THE SOLILOQUIES question of the immortality of the soul, and reminds us of the inquiry also expressed by Job as follows: 'If a man die, shall he live again?' Book I is essentially the same in both versions, both as to subject-matter and method of treatment. Book II in the Alfredian version is not only much abbreviated, but adopts an entirely different method of treating the subject. Alfred adds Book III, in which he forecasts the future state of the soul, thus giving symmetry and completion to Augustine's work.

3. Latin Original. - Let us first see what is the substance of the Latin original. Augustine, after a long and earnest prayer for divine aid, expresses a desire to know but two things - God and his soul. But how shall one know God - by sense, or by intellection? Reason, which is the eye of the soul, promises to demonstrate God to the mind as clearly as the sun shows itself to the eyes. The soul, then, in order to see God, has need of Faith, Hope, and Love; after these are dwelt on as essentials to the true seeing, it is affirmed that by looking, which is the reason in active operation, the soul beholds the Beatific Vision. To test the soundness of the spiritual vision, a searching inquiry as to the presence of bodily lusts is made. Even should these be found absent, the mind cannot bear at once to behold the brightness of Divine Wisdom, but must be taken through a process of gradual training. A third thing, Truth, must be first known, because through her alone are we led to know God and the soul. The book closes with a resolution to submit to God's guidance, and a prayer for faith in him and an ability to do his will.

In Book II the author propounds as the question of supreme moment: 'Am I immortal'? St. Augustine works out the solution to this problem in a manner very satis- factory to himself, no doubt, but the modern thinker would be tempted to object that 'much might be said on both 1 Job 14. 14.