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the seven arts were invented, to eliminate the evil thoughts
that can lead man to death, for a person can destroy these
thoughts by means of the arts. And in in this way he can
change his evil state by the teachings of a good master, and
so take his place among the virtuous. For one can learn
and profit from them in many respects. The person who
takes advantage of this is wise, so that after death he will
have all the best things and God will willingly receive him.
This he will have attained by his wisdom more than anyone else does.
For everyone knows as a certainty that he will receive all
good things. Foolish, however, is the one who so loves his body
that he forgets to save his soul, which God lent to
him pure and clean so that he might return it to Him the same way
after his death; this foolish person conducts himself in such a way that through his
fault he soils it with sins. And the person who acts this way
is like the bad servant, to whom the master lent his
money in order that it might be increased. But the servant
did not do so, being disloyal. And the master, seeing
his disloyalty, chased him away. And thereafter the servant
felt nothing but shame and reproach, as the gospel witnesses and
tells us. In the same way,