Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/119

110 GREGORY'S PASTORAL. [Cotton MSS. wierð aðunden on ofermetto, ðonne he swæ swiðe oðre oferhlifað ðæt hie ealle licgeað under his willan, & eal ðæt he bebeode bið swiðe hræðe gefylled to his nytte ; ond gif hwæt welgedones bið, ðonne cnodað him ðæt ealle ða þe him underðidde bioð mid herenesse ; & gif he hwæt yfeles deð, ne wiðcwið ðæm nan mon, ac herigeað oft swæ swiðe swæ hie hit léan sceoldon ; & mid ðy wierð ðæt mod beswicen & genætt mid ðara oliccunga þe him underðiedde bioð ðæt he bið up ofer [for] hiene selfne ahafen on his mode; ond ðonne he bið utane ymbhringed mid ungemetlicre heringe, he bið innan aidlad ðære ryhtwisnesse, & forgiett hiene selfne ðonne he tolætt, & fægenað ongean ðara oðerra word, & geliefeð ðæt he swelc sie swelce he gehierð ðæt his olicceras sæcgeað ðæt he sie, næs swelc swelc his selfes gesceadwisnes sceolde ongietan ðæt he wære. Ac forsihð ða þe him underðiedde bioð, & ne mæg ongietan ða þe him bioð on gecynde & on ðeawum gelice, & [ac] wenð ðæt he hæbbe hie oferðungne on his lifes geearnunga swa he hie hæfð oferstigene mid ðæm hliete his anwaldes, & wenð ðæt he swæ micle ma wiete ðonne oðre men, swæ he gesihð ðæt he mare mæg doon ðonne oðre menn. Ond ðonne hiene selfne swæ healice upahefð on sumum ðingum, & swæðeah bið getiged to oðrum monnum mid onlicre gecynde, ðeah he forsio ðæt he him onlocige. Ac swæ he wierð self to ðæs onlicnesse þe awriten is ðæt he (om.) gesio ælce ofermetto, se is kyning ofer eall ða bearn oferhyde. Se wilnode synderlices ealdordomes, & forseah ða geferrædenne oðerra engla & hiera liif, þa he cwæð: Ic wille wyrcean min setl on norðdæle, & wille beon gelic ðæm hiehstan, & þa

and inflated with pride when he towers so much above others that all are subject to his will, and all his commands are very quickly obeyed for his benefit; and if anything is well done, all his subjects praise him for it; and if he does any wrong no man opposes it, but they often praise, as much as they ought to blame it; and thus the heart is deceived and injured by the flattery of the subjects, so that he is exalted above himself in his mind; and when he is sur- rounded externally with immoderate praise he is internally deprived of righteousness, and forgets himself while he gives himself up to the pleasure of hearing the praises of others, believing himself to be such as his flatterers say he is, not such as his own sagacity ought to under-