Book 1
13
Indeed if the poets are right and the Deity is by nature jealous, it is probable that in this case He would be particularly jealous, and all those who excel in knowledge unfortunate. But it is impossible for the Deity to be jealous (indeed, as the proverbCf. Solon, Fr. 26 (Hiller); Leutsch and Schneidwin, Paroemiographi, 1.371. says, poets tell many a lie), nor must we suppose that any other form of knowledge is more precious than this; for what is most divine is most precious.
14
Now there are two ways only in which it can be divine. A science is divine if it is peculiarly the possession of God, or if it is concerned with divine matters. And this science alone fulfils both these conditions; for (a) all believe that God is one of the causes and a kind of principle, and (b) God is the sole or chief possessor of this sort of knowledge. Accordingly, although all other sciences are more necessary than this, none is more excellent.
