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The Confessions of St. Augustin In Thirteen Books

Chapter XXVIII.--Time in the Human Mind, Which Expects, Considers, and Remembers.

37. But how is that future diminished or consumed which as yet is not? Or how doth the past, which is no longer, increase, unless in the mind which enacteth this there are three things done? For it both expects, and considers, and remembers, that that which it expecteth, through that which it considereth, may pass into that which it remembereth. Who, therefore, denieth that future things as yet are not? But yet there is already in the mind the expectation of things future. And who denies that past things are now no longer? But, however, there is still in the mind the memory of things past. And who denies that time present wants space, because it passeth away in a moment? But yet our consideration endureth, through which that which may be present may proceed to become absent. Future time, which is not, is not therefore long; but a "long future" is "a long expectation of the future." Nor is time past, which is now no longer, long; but a long past is "a long memory of the past."

38. I am about to repeat a psalm that I know. Before I begin, my attention is extended to the whole; but when I have begun, as much of it as becomes past by my saying it is extended in my memory; and the life of this action of mine is divided between my memory, on account of what I have repeated, and my expectation, on account of what I am about to repeat; yet my consideration is present with me, through which that which was future may be carried over so that it may become past. Which the more it is done and repeated, by so much (expectation being shortened) the memory is enlarged, until the whole expectation be exhausted, when that whole action being ended shall have passed into memory. And what takes place in the entire psalm, takes place also in each individual part of it, and in each individual syllable: this holds in the longer action, of which that psalm is perchance a portion; the same holds in the whole life of man, of which all the actions of man are parts; the same holds in the whole age of the sons of men, of which all the lives of men are parts.

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Confessiones (PL)

CAPUT XXVIII. Animo metimur tempora.

37. Sed quomodo minuitur aut consumitur futurum, quod nondum est? aut quomodo crescit praeteritum quod jam non est, nisi quia in animo qui illud agit tria sunt? Nam et exspectat et attendit et meminit, ut id quod exspectat, per id quod attendit, transeat in id quod meminerit. Quis igitur negat futura nondum esse? Sed tamen jam est in animo exspectatio futurorum. Et quis negat praeterita jam non esse? Sed tamen adhuc est in animo memoria praeteritorum. Et quis negat praesens tempus carere spatio, quia in puncto praeterit? Sed tamen perdurat attentio per quam pergat abesse quod aderit. Non igitur longum tempus futurum quod non est, sed longum futurum longa exspectatio futuri est; neque longum praeteritum tempus quod non est, sed longum praeteritum longa memoria praeteriti est.

38. Dicturus sum canticum quod novi: antequam incipiam, in totum exspectatio mea tenditur; cum autem coepero, quantum ex illa in praeteritum decerpsero, tenditur in memoria mea: atque distenditur vita hujus actionis meae in memoriam, propter quod dixi; et in exspectationem, propter quod dicturus sum: praesens tamen adest attentio mea, per quam trajiciatur quod erat futurum ut fiat praeteritum. Quod quanto magis agitur et agitur, tanto breviata exspectatione prolongatur memoria; donec tota exspectatio consumatur, cum tota illa actio finita transierit in memoriam. Et quod in toto cantico, hoc in singulis particulis ejus fit, atque in singulis syllabis ejus; hoc in actione longiore, cujus forte particula est illud canticum; hoc in tota vita hominis, cujus partes sunt [Col. 0825] omnes actiones hominis; hoc in toto saeculo filiorum hominum, cujus partes sunt omnes vitae hominum.