ælc ðing[1] be ðām dǣle þe ic hyt nytwyrðe ongyte and hūru þæt þing swīðost þe mē to wīsdōme fultmiað; and ðā þing ic ondrēde ǣac tō forlēosenne swīðost. Ic ne lufige ðēah nān ding æalles on ðām wīsan þe ic ðonne wīsdom lufige. Ælc þāra ðinga þe ic swīðost lufige þā hwīle þe ic hyt[2] swīðost lufige, ne an ic hys nānum men būtan mē selfum, būton wīsdōme ānum. Hine ic lufige ofer eallum ōðrum þing, and þēah ic hys ūðe ǣlcum men mīnum willan, [þæt] ǣlc man, þe on þis myddangearde wǣre, hine lufode, and hym æfter spirede, and hyne ǣac funde, and hys sydðan brūce; forðām ic wot þæt ūre lufede ǣlc ōðerne swā micle swīðor swā ūre willa and ūre lufu swīðor on ānum wēre.
G. Hū ne sǣde ic ǣr, sē se þe bær līc gefreddan wolde, þæt hē hyt scolde myd barum [handum] gefrēdan? And ic segge ēac, gyf þū ðone wīsdōm selfne gesēon wilt swā bærne, þæt þū ne scealt nānnæ clāð betwēon lǣtan þīnum ēagum and hym, nē furðum nē ne myst; tō ðām ðū ne meaht þēah on þis andweardan līfe becuman, þēah ic hyt þē lǣre and þēah ðū hys wilnige. Đī ne sceal nān man geortrīwian, þēah[3] hē næbbe swā hāle ēagan swā sē þe scerpest locian mæg;[4] þonne sē, ðe ealre scearpost locian [mæg], ne mæg þēah þā sunnan selfe gesēon swilce swilce hēo ys ðā hwīle ðe he on þis andweardan lȳfe byð. Næfð þēah nān man tō þæs unhāle ēagan þæt hē ne mage lybban be þāre sunnan, and hine nyttian gyf hē ēnyg wiht gesēon mæg, būton hē stareblind sī. Ic þē mæg tēcan ǣac ōðre
sapientiam, caetera vero vel adesse mihi volo, vel deesse timeo propter ipsam; vitam, quietem, amicos. Quem modum autem potest habere illius pulchritudinis amor, in qua non solum non invideo caeteris, sed etiam plurimos quaero qui mecum appetant, mecum inhient, mecum teneant, mecumque perfruantur; tanto mihi amiciores futuri, quanto erit nobis amata communior.
R. Prorsus tales esse amatores sapientiae decet. Tales quaerit illa cujus vere casta est, et sine ulla contaminatione conjunctio. Sed non ad eam una via pervenitur. Quippe pro sua quisque sanitate ac firmitate comprehendit illud singulare ac verissimum bonum. Lus est quaedam ineffabilis et incomprehensibilis mentium. Lux ista vulgaris
