Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/108

Hatton MS.] mildheor(t)nesse his arfæsðnesse ðæt he tio on hine selfne oðerra monna scylda, & eac ða he[a]nesse ðære sc[e]awunga his inngeðonces he hine selfne of[er]stige mid ðære [ge]wilnunge ðara ungesewenlicra ðinga, & ðætte hie sua healicra ðinga wilnigende ne forsio his niehstan untrume & scyldige, ne eft for hiera untrymnesse ne forlæte ðæt he ne wilnige ðæs hean. For ðysum wæs geworden ðætte Paulus, ðeah ðe he wære gelæded on neorxna wong he arimde ða diogolnesse ðæs ðriddan hefones, ond suaðeah for ðære sceawungge ðara ungesewenlicra ðinga ðeah ðe he úpaðened wære on his modes scearpnesse, ne forhogde he ðæt he hit eft gecierde to ðam flæsclican búrcótum, & [ge]stihtode hu men scoldon ðærinne hit macian, ða he cuæð: Hæbbe ælc monn his wif, & ælc wif hiere ciorl; & doo ðæt wif ðæm were ðæt hio him mid ryhte doon sceal, & he hire sua some, ðylæs hie on unryht hæmen. & hwene æfter he cuið: Ne untreowsige ge nó eow betweoxn, buto[n] huru ðæt ge eow gehæbben sume hwile, ærðæmde ge eowru gebedu & eowra offrunga doon wiellen, & eft sona cirra to eowrum ryhthæmede. Loca nu hu se halega wér, se ðe sua fæsðlice geimpod was to ðæm hefenlicum diogolnessum, & suaðeah for mildheortnesse was ðonon gecierred to smeaganne hu flæsclicum mo(n)num gedafonode on hira burcótum & on hiera beddum to donne; & sua suiðe sua he was upáhæfen to ðæm ungesewenlicum, he ðeah gehwyrfde his heortan eage, & for mildheortnesse gebigde his mod to untrumra monna diogolnessum. Hefonas he ðurhfór mid his modes sceawunga, & suaðeah ðone ymbhogan ne fo[r]let ðæs flæsclican beddgemanan; forðæm he was gefeged mid ðære lufan Godes & monna ægðer ge to ðam hiehstum ðingum ge to ðæm nyðemestum.

in the same way, lest they commit fornication." And shortly after he said: "Defraud not one another, unless ye abstain for some time before the day of prayers and sacrifices, and return forthwith to your lawful intercourse. Behold, now, how the holy man who was so familiar with the secrets of heaven applied himself to the consideration of what was proper for carnal men to do in their chambers and beds; and although he was so exalted to the unseen, yet he directed his mind's eye and through humanity turned his attention to secrets of weak men. He traversed heaven with the contemplation of his mind, and yet neglected not the consideration of carnal intercourse; for he connected through the love of God and men both the highest and the