Page:King Alfred's Old English version of St. Augustine's Soliloquies - Hargrove - 1902.djvu/55

ALFRED'S VERSION OF THE SOLILOQUIES XLIX 'The like have their like. One is also not to suppose that all men have like wisdom in heaven; but each has it in that measure which he here yearneth after. As he here toils better and yearns more for wisdom and righteousness, so he has more of it there, and also more honor and more glory.'

Then follows the query: 'Has it yet been clearly enough said to thee about wisdom and about the seeing of God?' which gives us a clue to the real subject of this book and its relation to the other two; and the eloquent answer must be given in full:

'Yea, well enough I believe that we need lose naught of the wisdom which we now have, though the soul and the body be parted. But I believe that our knowledge shall be very much increased by that means, though we cannot know all before doomsday which we would know. But I believe that naught will be hidden from us after doomsday neither that which is in our days, nor that which was before, nor that which shall be after. Thou hast now related many examples to me, and I have myself seen more in the writings of the holy books than I can reckon, or can even remember. Thou hast shown me also such reliable witnesses that I can do nothing else but believe them ; for if I believe no weaker testimony, then I know very little or nothing. What know I but that I wish that we may know as clearly about God as we would? But the mind is weighed down and busied with the body, so that we cannot see anything with the mind's eyes just as it is, any more than thou mayest sometimes see the brightness of the sun, when the clouds shoot between it and thee; and yet it shines very brightly there where it is. And even though there be no cloud between it and thee, thou canst not see it just as it is, because thou art not where it is; nor can thy body be there, nor can thy bodily eyes come anywhere near there, nor even see

1 65. 24-66. 1.