Knowledge and Sorrow

Quia in multitiudine sapientiae, multitudo furoris: et qui apponit scientiam, apponit dolorem. Quanto magis quis sapientiam fuerit consecutus, tanto plus indignatur subjacere vitiis, et procul esse a virtutibus, quas requirit. Quia autem potenter tormenta patientur, cuique plus creditur, plus exigitur ab eo, propterea apponit dolorem, qui apponit scientiam, et contristatur moerore secundum Deum, doletque super delictis suis. Unde et Apostulus ait: Et quis est, qui laetificat me, nisi qui contristatur ex me?'  Nisi forte et hic intelligendum, quod sapiens vir doleat tem in abdito et profundo latere sapientiam, nec ita se praebere mentibus, ut lumen visui, sed per tormenta quaedam, et intolerandum laborem, jugi meditatione et studio provenire. Sanctus Hieronymous, Commentarius Ecclesiasten, Liber I

For in much wisdom there is much tribulation and he who takes to knowledge takes to sorrow. 1  The more that someone has acquired knowledge so the more he is indignant to be subject to the vices and to be far from the virtues which he seeks. For they suffer torments more grievously who believe in them and who would be done with them, and so he who takes to knowledge takes to sorrow, and he is most sad to grieve God and he laments over his errors. Whence the Apostle says, 'And who is it who gives me joy unless He who afflicts me?' 2 Unless perhaps in this it should be understood that the wise man grieves on account of wisdom being hidden and profoundly concealed, that it does not offer itself to minds that they see the light, but to toil and intolerable labour he must go, taking on the yoke of thought and study. Saint Jerome, Commentary on Ecclesiastes, Book 1 1 Eccl 1.18  2. 2 Cor 2.2