BOOK I.
Đā reahte hē, hys mōd fōr oft gāstende[1] and smēagende mislicu and selcūð þing, and ealles swīðust ymbe hyne sylfne - hwæt hē sylf wǣre; hwæþer hys mōd and hys sāwel dēadlic wēre and gewītendlice, þe hēo wēre ā libbendu and ēcu; and eft ymbe hys God, hwæt hē wēre and hwilce hē wēre, and hwilc good him wēre betst tō dōnne, and hwilc yfel betst to forlētende. Þā answarode[2] mē sum ðing, ic nāt hwæt, hweðer þe ic sylf þe ōðer þing, nē þæt nāt, hwæðer hit wæs innan mē ðe ūtan; būtan þæs ic sōðlicost wēne, þat hyt mīn scēadwīsnes wēre; and þā cwæð hēo to mē:
[Gescēadwīsnes.][3] Gyf ðū ēnigne gōdne heorde hæbbe þe wel cunne healdan þæt þæt ðū gestrēone and him befæste, scēawa hyne mē; gyf þū þonne nānne swā gerādne næbbe, sēc hyne oð þū hyne finde; forþām þū ne meaht[4] ǣgðer ge ealne weig ofor þām sittan ðe þū gestrȳned hæfst[5] and healdan, ge ēac māran strȳnan.
[Augustinus.] Hwām wille ic ælles befæstan þæt ic elles gestrȳne būtan mīnum geminde?
Volventi mihi multa ac varia mecum diu, ac per multos dies
sedulo quaerenti memetipsum ac bonum meum, quidve mali evitandum
esset, ait mihi subito, sive ego ipse, sive alius quis extrinsecus sive intrinsecus, nescio (nam hoc ipsum est quod magnopere scire molior); ait ergo mihi:
[Ratio.] Ecce, fac te invenisse aliquid; cui commendabis, ut pergas ad alia?
[Augustinus.] Memoriae scilicet.
