Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/117

108 GREGORY'S PASTORAL. [Cotton MSS. swæ swiðe ne swæ oft geðencean hiera ealdordomes swæ hie sculon geðencean hu gelice hie bioð oðrum monnum on hiera gecynde ; & ne gefeon hie no ðæt hie ofer oðre menn bion moten swæ swiðe swæ ðæs ðæt hie oðrum monnum mægen nyttoste bion. Hwæt hit is gesæd ðæt ure ealdan fædras wæron ceapes hierdas. Ond cac Dryhten cwæð to Noe & to his bearnum : Weahsað ge & monigfaldiað & gefyllað eorðan, & eower ege & broga sie ofer all [calle] eorðan nietenu. Ne cwæð he no ofer oðre men ac ofer nietenu, ða he wæs forboden ofer menn, ða he wæs aliefed ofer nietenu (ða h. w. f. ... nietenu om.). Se mon is on gecynde betera ðonne dysig nietenu, ac he ne bið na betra ðonne oðre menn. Forðon hit nas na gecweden ðæt hiene sceoldon oðre men ondrædan, ac nietenu. Forðon hit is ungecyndelicu ofermodgung ðæt se mon wilnige ðæt hiene his gelica ondræde, & swæðeah hit is nidðearf ðæt mon his hlaford ondræde, & se cniht his magister. Forðæm ðonne ða lareowas ongietað ðæt ða þe him underðiedde bioð him to hwon God ondrædad, ðonne is ðearf ðæt hie gedon ðæt hie huru him menniscne ege ondræden, ðæt hie ne durren syngian ða þe him ne ondrædað ðone godcundan dom. Ne ofermodgiað ða scirmen na forðy, ðeah hie for ðyslicum wilnien ðæt hie andrysne sien, forðon hie ne seceað na hiera selfra gilp on ðæm, ac hiera hieremonna ryhtwisnesse hie wilniað, & ðæm hie wilniað ðæt hie andrysne sien ðæm þe on woh libbað; & ofer ða hie sculon ricsian næs na swæ ofer menn ac swæ swæ ofer nietenu, forðæmpe hie be sumum dæle wildiorlice bio. Hie sculon forðy ofdrædde licgean astreahte oðrum monuum underðiodde swæ swæ nietenu. For ðissum ðonne oft gebyreð ðæt se reccere on his mode wierð upahafen, &

men; nor think so much of how they are to gain authority over others, as how they can be most useful to them. It is said that our ancestors were shepherds. And the Lord said also to Noah and his children: “Grow and multiply, and fill the earth, and your fear and terror shall be over all the beasts of the earth.” He did not say over other men, but over animals, since he was forbidden to have power over men, but was allowed to have it over animals. Man is by nature superior to irrational animals, but not to other men. Therefore it was not said that other men should fear him, but not animals. Therefore it is unnatural presumption for a man to wish to be feared by his equals, and yet it is necessary for a man to fear his lord, and