Boethius
Anicii Manlii Severini Boethiiv.c. et inl. excons. ord. ex mag. off. patricii
Philosophiae Consolationis
Liber Quartus ExplicitIncipit Liber V
I
Dixerat orationisque cursum ad alia quaedam tractanda atque expedienda vertebat. Tum ego: “Recta quidem,” inquam, “exhortatio tuaque prorsus auctoritate dignissima, sed quod tu dudum de providentia 5 quaestionem pluribus aliis implicitam esse dixisti, re experior. Quaero enim an esse aliquid omnino et quidnam esse casum arbitrere.” Tum illa: “Festino,” inquit, “debitum promissionis absolvere viamque tibi qua patriam reveharis aperire. Haec autem etsi 10 perutilia cognitu tamen a propositi nostri tramite paulisper aversa sunt, verendumque est ne deviis fatigatus ad emetiendum rectum iter sufficere non possis.” “Ne id,” inquam, “prorsus vereare. Nam quietus mihi loco fuerit ea quibus maxime delector
Consolation V
Boethius
The Consolation of Philosophy
Book V
I
She finished speaking, and was going to turn the course of her speech to deal with and explain some other questions; then I said: “Your exhortation is right indeed and very worthy of your authority, but what you said just now about providence, that it was a question involving many others, I know from experience. For I want to know whether you think chance is anything at all, and if so, what?”
“I am hastening,” she replied, “to make good my promise and open the way to you by which you may be brought back to your homeland. But these things, though they are very useful to know, are yet a little aside from the path we have set ourselves, and it is to be feared you may not be able to last out to the end of the direct road if you are tired by going down by-paths.”
“There is really no need,” I said, “for you to be afraid of that. For I shall find it a resting-place, to