Page:King Alfred's Version of the Consolations of Boethius.djvu/176



Hereupon she marvelled, saying: 'There is nothing that is able or willing to gainsay so exalted a God.'

M. Nor do I fancy anything is willing to fight against Him, excepting what we before spoke of.

At this she smiled and said, 'Know for a truth that that is the Highest Good which ordereth all things so mightily, and created all, and so fittingly ruleth all, and setteth it all out so easily without any effort.'

M. What thou didst tell me before pleased me well, and this pleases me even better;  but I am now ashamed that I did not perceive it before.

P. Truly I know thou hast often heard tell in old fables how that Job (Jove) son of Saturn was the highest good above all other gods, and was son of the sky, and reigned in heaven;  and how there were Giants, sons of the earth, who did rule over the earth, and how they were, so to speak, sisters' childen, Jove being son of the sky, and they sons of the earth. Now the Giants were wrath that he had sway over them, and sought to burst the heavens beneath him; but he sent thunders and lightnings and winds, and scattered therewith all their handiwork, and themselves he slew. Such were the false stories they made up; they could easily have told true ones, and yet very like the others, if false ones had not seemed sweeter to them. They could have told what foolishness Nefrod (Nimrod) the Giant wrought. Nefrod was son of Chus (Cush), Chus was the son of Cham (Ham), Cham son of Noe (Noah). Nefrod bade build a tower