and show in how many things of importance for philosophy they agree—if only life and leisure last. But now let us return to our subject."[1]
One sees a veritable love of intellectual labour and a love of the resulting mental increment. It is distinctly the antique, not the patristic, attitude towards interests of the mind. In spite of his unhappy sixth century way of writing, and the mental fallings away indicated by it, Boëthius possessed the old pagan spirit, and shows indeed how tastes might differ in the sixth century. He never translated the whole of Aristotle and Plato; and his idea of reconciling the two evinces the shallow eclectic spirit of the closing pagan times. Nevertheless, he carried out his purpose to the extent of rendering into Latin, with abundant comment, the entire Organon, that is, all the logical writings of Aristotle. First of all, and with elaborate explanation, he rendered Porphyry's famous Introduction to the Categories of the Master. Then the Categories themselves, likewise with abundant explanation. Then Aristotle's De interpretatione, in two editions, the first with simple comment suited to beginners, the second with the best elaboration of formal logic that he could devise or compile.[2] These elementary portions of the Organon, as transmitted in the Boëthian translations, made the logical discipline of the mediaeval schools until the latter part of the twelfth century. He translated also Aristotle's Prior and Posterior Analytics, the Topics, and the Sophistical Elenchi. But such advanced treatises were beyond the requirements of the early mediaeval centuries. With the lessening of intellectual energy they passed into oblivion, to re-emerge only when called for by the livelier mental activities of a later time.
The list of Boëthius's works is not yet exhausted, for he wrote some minor logical treatises, and a voluminous commentary on Cicero's Topica. He was probably the author of certain Christian theological tracts, themselves less famous than the controversy which long has raged as to
- ↑ In librum de interpretatione, editio secunda, beginning of Book II., Migne 64, col. 433.
- ↑ See De inter. ed. prima, Book I. (Migne 64, col. 193); ed secunda, beginning of Book III. and of Book IV. (Migne 64, col. 487 and 517). The Boëthian translations are all in the 64th vol. of Migne's Pat. Lat.
