Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/109

100 [hihstum] ðingum ge to ðam niðemestum. He was on himselfum mid ðæs halgan gastes mægene swiðe healice upabrogden, & ðeah eorðlicum monnum efnlice for arfæstnesse & for niedðearfe wæs geuntrumad. Forðæm he cwæð: Hwa bið geuntrumod ðæt ic eac geuntrumod; oððe hwa bið gescended ðæt ic eac ðæs ne scamige? Eft he cwæð be ðæm ilcan: Đonne ic wæs mid Iudeum ic wæs swelce hie. Ne cwæð he ðæt forþyþe he wolde his treowa & his geleafan forlætan swæ swæ hie, ac he wolde otiewan [ætiwan] his arfæstnesse, ða he licette hiene selfne ðæt he wære ungeleaffull, ac on ðæm he geleornode hu he sceolde oðrum monnum miltsian þe he geðolte hu he wolde ðæt mon him miltsode gif he swelc wære. And eft he cwæð: Đeah we nu ofer ure mæð ðencen & smeagen, ðæt we do for Gode; ðonne we hit eft gemetlæceað, ðonne doð we ðæt for eow. He ongeat ðæt he oferstag hiene selfne on ðære sceawunge ðære godcundnesse, & eft hiene selfne ofdune astigende he cuðe gemetgian his hieremonnum. Be ðæm eac Iacobus se heahfæder, þa he smirede ðone stan þe æt his heafdum læg to tacne ðæt he eft wolde his ierfe ðær geteoðian, for ðære gesihðe þe he on ðæm swefne geseah, þa he æt ðæm stane slæpte. He geseah ane hlædre stondan at him on eorðan. Oðer ende was uppe on hefonum, & æt ðæm uferran ende Dryhten hlinode, & englas stigon up & ofdune on ða hlædre. Forðæm ta godan lareowas upsceawigende no ðæt an wilniað secean & sceawian ðæt halige heafod ðære halgan gesomnunge, ðæt is Dryhten, ac wilniað for mildheortnesse ðæt hie ofdune astigen to his limum. Forðæm Moyses oft eode in & ut on ðæt templ, forðæm he wæs ðærinne getogen to ðære godcundan sceawunge,

lowest things. In his own person he was greatly exalted with the power of the Holy Ghost, and yet his piety made him equally solicitous about earthly men in their need. Therefore he said: "Who is weak and I am not weak; or who is shamed and I am not ashamed?" Again, he said on the same subject: “When I was among the Jews I was like them." He did not say so because he wished to forsake his honour and faith, as they did, but he wished to show his piety by pretending to be an unbeliever, and learnt to be merciful to other men by thinking how he would desire mercy if he were such as they. And again he said: "If we now exalt our thoughts beyond measure, it is for the sake of God; if we moderate them again, it is for your sake."