ourse doth bind.
And if it once let loose their reins, their friendship turns to war,
Tearing the world whose ordered form their quiet motions bear.
By it all holy laws are made and marriage rites are tied,
By it is faithful friendship joined. How happy mortals were,
If that pure love did guide their minds, which heavenly spheres
doth guide!"

ANICII MANLII SEVERINI BOETHII

V.C. ET INL. EXCONS. ORD. PATRICII

PHILOSOPHIAE CONSOLATIONIS

LIBER SECVNDVS EXPLICIT

INCIPIT LIBER III.

I.

Iam cantum illa finiuerat, cum me audiendi auidum stupentemque arrectis
adhuc auribus carminis mulcedo defixerat. Itaque paulo post: "O," inquam,
"summum lassorum solamen animorum quam tu me uel sententiarum pondere uel
canendi etiam iucunditate refouisti! Adeo ut iam me post haec inparem
fortunae ictibus esse non arbitrer. Itaque remedia quae paulo acriora esse
dicebas, non modo non perhorresco, sed audiendi auidus uehementer
efflagito." Tum illa "Sensi," inquit, "cum uerba nostra tacitus attentusque
rapiebas, eumque tuae mentis habitum uel exspectaui uel, quod est uerius,
ipsa perfeci. Talia sunt quippe quae restant, ut degustata quidem mordeant,
interius autem recepta dulcescant. Sed quod tu te audiendi cupidum dicis,
quanto ardore flagrares, si quonam te ducere aggrediamur agnosceres!"
"Quonam?" inquam. "Ad ueram," inquit, "felicitatem, quam tuus quoque
somniat animus, sed occupato ad imagines uisu ipsam illam non potest
intueri." Tum ego: "Fac obsecro et quae illa uera sit, sine cunctatione
demonstra." "Faciam," inquit illa, "tui causa libenter. Sed quae tibi causa
notior est, eam prius designare uerbis atque informare conabor ut ea
perspecta cum in contrariam partem flexeris oculos, uerae beatitudinis
speciem possis agnoscere.

THE THIRD BOOK OF BOETHIUS

I.

Though she had ended her verse, yet the sweetness of it made me remain
astonished, attentive, and desirous to hear her longer. Wherefore, after
a while, I said: "O most effectual refreshment of wearied minds, how
have I been comforted with thy weighty sentences and pleasing music!
Insomuch that I begin to think myself not unable to encounter the
assaults of Fortune. Wherefore, I am not now afraid, but rather
earnestly desire to know those remedies, which before thou toldest me
were too sharp." To which she answered: "I perceived as much as thou
sayest, when I saw thee hearken to my speeches with so