The house of my soul is too narrow for you to come in to me; let it be enlarged by you. It is in ruins; restore it.

Thus, the infant’s innocence lies in the weakness of his body and not in the infant mind.

For no man does well against his will even if what he does is a good thing.

Context for Book 1 Quotes

The first book of the Confessions is devoted primarily to an analysis of Augustine's life as a child, from his infancy (which he cannot recall and must reconstruct) up through his days as a schoolboy in Thagaste (in Eastern Algeria). Wasting no time in getting to the philosophical content of his autobiography, Augustine's account of his early years leads him to reflect on human origin, will and desire, language, and memory.