Page:King Alfred's Version of the Consolations of Boethius.djvu/67

 fled from me. Why, oh why, did my friends tell me I was a happy man? How can he be happy that cannot abide in happiness?

When I had sung thus plaintively, saith Boethius, there entered unto me divine Philosophy, who, addressing words of greeting to my mournful friend, said, 'Art thou not the man that was once nourished and taught in my school? Then how comes it that thou art thus grievously oppressed with these worldly sorrows? Unless, methinks, thou hast too soon forgotten the weapons that once I gave thee.' Then, lifting up her voice, she cried, 'Depart from the mind of my servant, ye worldly cares accursed, for ye are the worst of foes, and suffer him to return again to my teachings.'  And she drew nearer unto my grieving intelligence, saith Boethius, and raised it up somewhat from its prostrate state;  then, drying its eyes, she asked it cheerily whether it knew again its foster-mother. With that the Mind turned towards her and forthwith clearly recognized his own mother, that same Philosophy that long before had trained and taught him. And perceiving that the mantle of her doctrine was much rent and torn by the hands of foolish men, he asked her how this came about. And Philosophy made answer and said that her disciples had torn her thus, being minded to possess