The Consolation of Philosophy | Page 9

I see the villainous dens of the wicked surging with
joy and gladness, all the most recklessly unscrupulous threatening a
new crop of lying informations, the good prostrate with terror at my

danger, every ruffian incited by impunity to new daring and to success
by the profits of audacity, the guiltless not only robbed of their peace of
mind, but even of all means of defence. Wherefore I would fain cry out:
FOOTNOTES:
[C] The distance from Rome to Pavia, the place of Boethius'
imprisonment, is 455 Roman miles.
SONG V.
BOETHIUS' PRAYER.
'Builder of yon starry dome,
Thou that whirlest, throned eternal,

Heaven's swift globe, and, as they roam,
Guid'st the stars by laws
supernal:
So in full-sphered splendour dight
Cynthia dims the
lamps of night,
But unto the orb fraternal
Closer drawn,[D] doth
lose her light.
'Who at fall of eventide,
Hesper, his cold radiance showeth,
Lucifer
his beams doth hide,
Paling as the sun's light groweth,
Brief, while
winter's frost holds sway,
By thy will the space of day;
Swift, when
summer's fervour gloweth,
Speed the hours of night away.
'Thou dost rule the changing year:
When rude Boreas oppresses,

Fall the leaves; they reappear,
Wooed by Zephyr's soft caresses.

Fields that Sirius burns deep grown
By Arcturus' watch were sown:

Each the reign of law confesses,
Keeps the place that is his own.
'Sovereign Ruler, Lord of all!
Can it be that Thou disdainest
Only
man? 'Gainst him, poor thrall,
Wanton Fortune plays her vainest.

Guilt's deserved punishment
Falleth on the innocent;
High uplifted,
the profanest
On the just their malice vent.
'Virtue cowers in dark retreats,
Crime's foul stain the righteous
beareth,
Perjury and false deceits
Hurt not him the wrong who

dareth;
But whene'er the wicked trust
In ill strength to work their
lust,
Kings, whom nations' awe declareth
Mighty, grovel in the
dust.
'Look, oh look upon this earth,
Thou who on law's sure foundation

Framedst all! Have we no worth,
We poor men, of all creation?

Sore we toss on fortune's tide;
Master, bid the waves subside!
And
earth's ways with consummation
Of Thy heaven's order guide!'
FOOTNOTES:
[D] The moon is regarded as farthest from the sun at the full, and, as
she wanes, approaching gradually nearer.
V.
When I had poured out my griefs in this long and unbroken strain of
lamentation, she, with calm countenance, and in no wise disturbed at
my complainings, thus spake:
'When I saw thee sorrowful, in tears, I straightway knew thee wretched
and an exile. But how far distant that exile I should not know, had not
thine own speech revealed it. Yet how far indeed from thy country hast
thou, not been banished, but rather hast strayed; or, if thou wilt have it
banishment, hast banished thyself! For no one else could ever lawfully
have had this power over thee. Now, if thou wilt call to mind from what
country thou art sprung, it is not ruled, as once was the Athenian polity,
by the sovereignty of the multitude, but "one is its Ruler, one its King,"
who takes delight in the number of His citizens, not in their banishment;
to submit to whose governance and to obey whose ordinances is perfect
freedom. Art thou ignorant of that most ancient law of this thy country,
whereby it is decreed that no one whatsoever, who hath chosen to fix
there his dwelling, may be sent into exile? For truly there is no fear that
one who is encompassed by its ramparts and defences should deserve to
be exiled. But he who has ceased to wish to dwell therein, he likewise
ceases to deserve to do so. And so it is not so much the aspect of this
place which moves me, as thy aspect; not so much the library walls set

off with glass and ivory which I miss, as the chamber of thy mind,
wherein I once placed, not books, but that which gives books their
value, the doctrines which my books contain. Now, what thou hast said
of thy services to the commonweal is true, only too little compared
with the greatness of thy deservings. The things laid to thy charge
whereof thou hast spoken, whether such as redound to thy credit, or
mere false accusations, are publicly known. As for the crimes and
deceits of the informers, thou hast rightly deemed it fitting to pass them
over lightly, because the popular voice hath better and more fully
pronounced upon them. Thou hast bitterly complained of the injustice
of the senate. Thou hast grieved over my calumniation, and likewise
hast lamented the damage to my good name. Finally, thine indignation
blazed forth against fortune; thou hast complained of the unfairness
with which thy merits have been recompensed. Last of all thy frantic
muse framed a prayer that the peace which reigns in heaven might rule
earth also. But since a throng of tumultuous passions hath assailed thy
soul, since thou art distraught with anger, pain, and grief, strong
remedies are not proper for thee in this thy