Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/11



lfred kyning hateð gretan ... his wordum luflice & freondlice ; & ðe kyðan hate þæt me com suiðe oft on gemynd, hwelce wutan gio wæron geond Angelkynn, ægðer ge godcundra hada ge woruldcundra ; & hu gesæliglica tida þa wæron geond Angelcynn ; & hu þa kyningas þe þone anwald hæfdon ðæs folces Gode & his ærendwrecum hirsumedon ; & hu hi ægðer ge hiora sibbe ge hiora sido ge hiora anwald innanbordes gehioldon, & eac ut hiora oeðel rymdon ; & hu him ða speow ægðer ge mid wige ge mid wisdome ; & eac ða godcundan hadas hu georne hie wæron ægðer ge ymb lare ge ymb leornunga, & ymb ealle þa ðeowutdomas þe hie Gode don sceoldon ; & hu mon utanbordes wisdom & lare hider on lond sohte, & hu we hi nu sceoldon ute begietan gif we hie habban sceoldon. Swa clæne hio wæs oðfeallenu [oðfeallen nu] on Angelkynne ðætte swiðe feawe wæron behionan Humbre þe hiora ðenunga cuðen understandan on Englisc, oððe furðum an ærendgewrit of Lædene on Englisc areccan ; & ic wene ðætte nauht monige begeondan Humbre næren. Swa feawe hiora waron ðætte ic furðum anne anlepne ne mæg geðencean besuðan Temese ða ða to rice feng. Gode ælmiehtegum si ðonc King Alfred bids greet bishop Wærferth with his words lovingly and with friendship ; and I let it be known to thee that it has very often come into my mind, what wise men there formerly were through- out England, both of sacred and secular orders; and how happy times there were then throughout England; and how the kings who had power over the nation in those days obeyed God and his ministers; and they preserved peace, morality, and order at home, and at the same time enlarged their territory abroad; and how they prospered