Page:King Alfred's Old English version of St. Augustine's Soliloquies - Hargrove - 1902.djvu/59

ALFRED'S VERSION OF THE SOLILOQUIES LIII order to show how free the translation, how frequent the original passages inserted, and how skilfully Alfred has recast the thought of the Latin in the mold of his own individuality. One particular, however, needs emphasis, namely, that it is a common practice of Alfred to diverge, further and further from his original, the nearer he approaches the end of a translation. In the last book of the Boethius he has shortened the Latin greatly and added ' much of his own, so that the book can be called almost as original as the third book of the Soliloquies.

2. Alfred rejects subtleties. For this there may be two reasons, namely: First, that his mind could not understand the processes of Augustine's ratiocination; secondly, that the Old English language was incapable of giving adequate expression to philosophical ideas; or both of these may have worked together to bring about the one result. Augustine in Book II carries his reasoning into the vaguest possible ramifications, and it is just here that Alfred departs furthest from the Latin. Even Augustine felt that he was adopting an extremely abstract method, for repeatedly he makes himself answer Ratio thus: 'Make it plainer to me, I beg.' Now we know that Alfred had no such training as Augustine, and hence may infer that such methods were unsatisfactory to his own mind, and certainly that it would be casting pearls before swine to give Augustine's thoughts to his unlettered subjects; hence he wisely acts as interpreter, choosing the essential thought from Augustine, and giving it to his people in the simplicity of their vernacular.

Then, how was the Old English to find a terminology to express such thoughts as:

'Responde nunc quae disciplina contineat definitionum, divisionum, partitionumque rationes.'

'Sed illud saltem impetrem, antequam terminum volumini statuas, ut quid intersit inter veram figuram, quae intel-

1 Migne : Soliloquies of St. Augustine, II. 21.