BOETHIUS 21
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hen he had sung this lay, then was he silent for sometime. Then said I: Now I clearly understand that truehappiness is founded on the deservings of good men, andmisery is founded on the deservings of wicked men. ButI will yet say that methinks the happiness of this present lifeis no little good, and its unhappiness no little evil. For Inever saw nor heard of any wise man who would rather bean exile, and miserable, and foreign, and despised, thanwealthy and honorable, and powerful, and eminent in hisown country. For they say that they can the better fulfiltheir wisdom, and observe it, if their power be ample overthe people that are under them, and also in some measureover those who are in the neighborhood round about them,because they are able to repress the wicked, and promotethe good. For the good is always to be honored, both inthis present life and in that to come ; and the wicked, whomman cannot restrain from his evil, is always deserving ofpunishment, both in this world and in that to come. But I wonder why it should so fall out, as it now oftendoes; that is, that various punishments and manifold mis-fortunes come to the good, as they should to the wicked ;and the blessings which should be a reward to good men forgood works, come to wicked men. Therefore I would nowknow from thee, how that course of events were approvedby thee. I should wonder at it much less, if I knew that ithappened by chance, without God's will, and without hisknowledge. But the Almighty God has increased ray fearand my astonishment by these things. For he sometimesgives felicities to the good, and infelicities to the wicked, asit were right that he always did. Sometimes again he per-mits that the good have infelicities and misfortunes in manythings ; and the wicked have happiness, and it frequentlyhappens to them according to their own desire. Hence Icannot think otherwise but that it so happens by chance,unless thou still more rationally show me the contrary.Then answered he, after a long time, and said: It is nowonder if any one think that something of this kind hap-pens undesignedly, when he cannot understand and explainwherefore God so permits. But thou oughtest not to doubtthat so good a creator and governor of all things, rightly I
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