2.
CHAPTER II
THE DEGREE OF AFFECTION THAT IS PROPERLY
DUE TO BOOKS
SINCE the degree of affection a thing
deserves depends upon the degree of its value,
and the previous chapter shows that the value
of books is unspeakable, it is quite clear to
the reader what is the probable conclusion from
this. I say probable, for in moral science we do
not insist upon demonstration, remembering that the
educated man seeks such degree of certainty as he
perceives the subject-matter will bear, as Aristotle
testifies in the first book of his Ethics. For Tully
does not appeal to Euclid, nor does Euclid rely upon
Tully. This at all events we endeavour to prove,
whether by logic or rhetoric, that all riches and all
delights whatsoever yield place to books in the
spiritual mind, wherein the Spirit which is charity
ordereth charity. Now in the first place, because
wisdom is contained in books more than all mortals
understand, and wisdom thinks lightly of riches, as
the foregoing chapter declares. Furthermore, Aristotle,
in his Problems, determines the question, why
the ancients proposed prizes to the stronger in
gymnastic and corporeal contests, but never awarded any
prize for wisdom. This question he solves as follows:
In gymnastic exercises the prize is better and more
desirable than that for which it is bestowed; but it
is certain that nothing is better than wisdom:
wherefore no prize could be assigned for wisdom. And
therefore neither riches nor delights are more excellent
than wisdom. Again, only the fool will deny
that friendship is to be preferred to riches, since the
wisest of men testifies this; but the chief of philosophers
honours truth before friendship, and the truthful
Zorobabel prefers it to all things. Riches, then,
are less than truth. Now truth is chiefly maintained
and contained in holy books—nay, they are written
truth itself, since by books we do not now mean the
materials of which they are made. Wherefore riches
are less than books, especially as the most precious of
all riches are friends, as Boethius testifies in the
second book of his
Consolation; to whom the truth of
books according to Aristotle is to be preferred.
Moreover, since we know that riches first and chiefly
appertain to the support of the body only, while the
virtue of books is the perfection of reason, which is
properly speaking the happiness of man, it appears
that books to the man who uses his reason are dearer
than riches. Furthermore, that by which the faith
is more easily defended, more widely spread, more
clearly preached, ought to be more desirable to the
faithful. But this is the truth written in books,
which our Saviour plainly showed, when he was
about to contend stoutly against the Tempter, girding
himself with the shield of truth and indeed of written
truth, declaring "it is written" of what he was about
to utter with his voice.
And, again, no one doubts that happiness is to be
preferred to riches. But happiness consists in the
operation of the noblest and diviner of the faculties
that we possess—when the whole mind is occupied in
contemplating the truth of wisdom, which is the
most delectable of all our virtuous activities, as the
prince of philosophers declares in the tenth book of
the Ethics, on which account it is that philosophy is
held to have wondrous pleasures in respect of purity
and solidity, as he goes on to say. But the contemplation
of truth is never more perfect than in books,
where the act of imagination perpetuated by books
does not suffer the operation of the intellect upon
the truths that it has seen to suffer interruption.
Wherefore books appear to be the most immediate
instruments of speculative delight, and therefore
Aristotle, the sun of philosophic truth, in considering
the principles of choice, teaches that in itself to
philosophize is more desirable than to be rich,
although in certain cases, as where for instance one
is in need of necessaries, it may be more desirable to
be rich than to philosophize.
Moreover, since books are the aptest teachers, as the
previous chapter assumes, it is fitting to bestow on
them the honour and the affection that we owe to
our teachers. In fine, since all men naturally desire
to know, and since by means of books we can attain
the knowledge of the ancients, which is to be desired
beyond all riches, what man living according to
nature would not feel the desire of books? And
although we know that swine trample pearls under
foot, the wise man will not therefore be deterred
from gathering the pearls that lie before him. A
library of wisdom, then, is more precious than all
wealth, and all things that are desirable cannot be
compared to it. Whoever therefore claims to be
zealous of truth, of happiness, of wisdom or knowledge,
aye, even of the faith, must needs become a
lover of books.
