Page:King Alfred's Version of the Consolations of Boethius.djvu/119

 and snows. And the light of the day likewise is more grateful by reason of the dreadful darkness of the night, than it would be if there were no night. So also is True Happiness far more delightful to possess after the miseries of this present life, and thou mayest far more easily understand this True Happiness, and attain to it, if thou first pluck up and utterly remove from thy mind False Happiness. Once thou canst get to know the true one, I know thou wilt desire nought else before it.'

After she had sung this song Philosophy stopped singing and was silent awhile, and after musing deeply in her mind said: 'Every mortal man afflicts himself with many and various cares, and nevertheless all desire to come by diverse paths to one end;  that is, they desire by diverse deserts to reach one happiness. Now this is no other than God, who is the beginning and end of every good thing, and He is the Highest Happiness.'

'Then,' said the Mind, 'this seems to me the Supreme good, that man should neither heed nor care about any other good when he hath that which is the roof of all good things; for it encompasses them all round about, and contains them. It would not be the Supreme Good if there existed any outside it, for it would then be apt to desire some good not in its own possession.'

Then Philosophy answered and said, 'It is quite clear