FAUSTUS DOES NOT SATISFY AUGUSTINE 107

CHAPTER VI.

Faustus was eloquent, but ignorant of the Liberal Sciences.

FOR

OR almost the whole of those nine years, in which with an unsettled mind I had listened to their teaching, I had been looking forward with a longing too intense for the coming of this Faustus. For the rest of them, with whom I had by chance fallen in, when they failed in answering my objections which I put to them, promised me that he, when he came and could converse with me, would with the greatest ease reply to them, and would most readily unravel, if I had them, greater difficulties. When then he came, I found him a man of pleasant and agreeable address, and one who could say all that they said but in a sweeter and more fluent manner. But what satisfaction to my thirst for something more precious did this most graceful cup-bearer offer? I was tired of hearing the same things again; neither did they seem better because they were better spoken, nor the more true because eloquently said; nor was the soul wise, because the face was comely, and the speech graceful. But those who promised him to me were no good judges of his qualifications; and therefore he appeared to them to be a man of wisdom and understanding, because of the charm of his eloquence. But I felt, however, that another kind of persons suspect even the truth itself, and will not give their assent to it, when it is expressed in elegant and exuberant language. But Thou hadst already taught

108 TRUTH, independenT OF ELOQUENCE

me, O my God, by wonderful and secret ways; and therefore I believe what Thou hast taught me, for it is true, nor is there any other teacher of truth besides Thee, whatever be the time or place in which it shines upon us. I had learned, then, from Thee, that neither ought a thing to be regarded as true because it is eloquently uttered, nor on the other hand false because awkwardly expressed; neither is it true because the diction is ungraceful, nor false because clothed in glowing language; but that truth and folly are like wholesome and hurtful food, and language ornate and bald like fine and plain dishes, and either kind of meat may be served in either kind of dish.

Therefore the eagerness with which I had so long expected the coming of that man, was gratified indeed by his action and animation when disputing, his choice of suitable words, the fluency of speech with which he delivered his ideas; and I was delighted-delighted even beyond many, and I sang his praises. But I was vexed, because, when in the midst of the crowds which listened to him, I was not allowed to address him and to ply him with those questions which bore upon my difficulties, so that I might hear and reply to what he had to say. When then I had the opportunity, and with my companions, began at an appropriate time, when he could discuss those matters with me, to engage his attention, I put certain questions to him about the points which troubled me; when I discovered him first to be ignorant of the liberal sciences, except grammar, and of that his knowledge was but of an ordinary kind. But because he had read some of Tully's orations, a very few books of Seneca, and some of the poets, and some few volumes of his own

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sect, such as were written in Latin and in a proper manner, and had been in the habit of delivering speeches daily, therefore he had acquired a certain degree of eloquence, which was rendered the more pleasing and seductive because he kept it under the control of his good sense, and accompanied it with a certain natural gracefulness. Do I not rightly recall it, O Lord my God, Thou Judge of my conscience? In Thy Sight is my heart, and my memory-Thou Who didst then guide me by the secret mystery of Thy Providence, and didst bring my shameful ways before my face,' that I might see and hate them.

FOR

`OR after that it was sufficiently manifest that he was ignorant of those arts in which I had expected him to excel, I began to despair of getting from him any light upon and solution of my perplexities; of which, indeed, he might have been ignorant and yet have held the truths of piety, had he not been a Manichæan. For their books are full of fables of very great length, about the heavens, the stars, the sun, and the moon; and I wanted him to decide, having compared the two together-namely, the accounts in the books of the Manichæans and the calculations I had found elsewhere-which of the two was the better, or whether one was as reliable as the other, and I no longer thought that it was in his power to answer the question in a definite manner. Which when I had

I Ps. 1. 21.

proposed it to him for his consideration and discussion, he with modesty shrank from undertaking the task. For he was aware that he had not the requisite knowledge, and he was not ashamed to own it. For he was not one of those people of glib tongue from whom I had suffered so much, who attempted to explain these things, and yet never said a word to the point. But this man had a heart, though not right towards Thee, yet not unwary with regard to himself. For he was not entirely ignorant of his own ignorance, and did not therefore wish to be involved in a controversy, in which perhaps he would find no outlet, nor an easy retreat; and for that I even liked him the better. For more

winning was the modesty of a mind which confesses its defect, than the knowledge which I went to seek; and this trait of his character presented itself whenever the more difficult and subtle questions were started.

My attachment to the writings of Manichæus being thus broken, and having no hope that their other teachers would be able to satisfy my doubts, when the one who was so celebrated among them had utterly failed me; I began to spend my time with him upon those studies on which he was much set, and which I, as master of rhetoric, was then teaching the youths at Carthage, and to read with him, either what he wished to hear, or what I thought would be congenial to his turn of mind. But all the efforts which I made to grow more deeply rooted in that sect, when I had become acquainted with that man, fell to the ground; not that I entirely separated myself from them, but as one who knew of nothing better to turn to, I determined to remain for the present contented where I

AUGUSTINE SETS OUT FOR ROME

III

happened to be, unless by chance something more desirable dawned upon me. So, that Faustus, who had been to so many a snare of death, had now, neither willingly nor knowingly, began to unloose that which had held me captive. For Thy Hands, my God, in Thy mysterious Providence did not cease to guide my soul; and my mother, with tears shed night and day, offered the sacrifice of a bleeding heart to Thee on my behalf; for "Thou didst deal wondrously with me."

Thou didst this, O my God. For "the steps of a man are ordered by the Lord, and He shall dispose his way." Or what chance of salvation is there, unless Thy Hand make anew what Thou hast made?

CHAPTER VIII.

He sets out for Rome, against his Mother's wish.

THOU

'HOU didst then bring it to pass, that I should be persuaded to go to Rome, and to teach there rather what I was teaching at Carthage. And I will not omit to confess to Thee, in what way I was induced to go to Rome, because Thy most mysterious ways and Thy ever-present Mercy must be considered and proclaimed. I did not wish to go to Rome for the sake of the greater emolument, and the higher honours which my friends assured me would be the result of this change of place, though my mind was not callous to such attractions; but the chief and almost the only reason was, that I heard that young men could study there more quietly, and were kept in check by more regular discipline; so that the scholars of one school I ' Joel ii. 26. 2 Ps. xxxvii. 23.