Page:King Alfred's Version of the Consolations of Boethius.djvu/229

 must shun. Every man has freedom, inasmuch as he knows what he wishes, and what he does not wish; yet not all reasoning creatures have like freedom. Angels have power to judge aright and a good purpose, and all that they desire they get with great ease, for they desire nothing wrong. Nothing has freedom and reason save angels and men. Men have always the more freedom the nearer to divine things they set their thoughts, and have the less freedom the closer they apply their minds' desire to worldly honours. They have no freedom when of their own will they bow themselves to vices; for as soon as they turn their minds from God they become blinded with folly. Howbeit, there is one God Almighty in His high city, who seeth every man's thoughts, and discerneth his words and his deeds, and rewardeth each according to his deserving.

When Philosophy had spoken this discourse she fell to singing, and these were her words:

'Though Homer the good poet, that was best among the Greeks, and Firgilius' (Virgil's) teacher--Firgilius was the best among the Laedenwara (Latins)--though Homer in his lays greatly praised the sun's nature, and his powers, and his brightness, yet the sun cannot shine upon all things, nor even,