Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/121

112 GREGORY'S PASTORAL. [Cotton MSS. wundorlice dome gewearð ðæt he geearnode mid his agne inngeðonce ðone pytt þe he on aworpen wearð, ða he hine his agnes ðonces upahof on swæ healicne onwald. Buton tweon ðonne se mon oferhygð ðæt he bio gelic oðrum monnum, ðonne bið he gelic ðæm wiðerwearðan & ðæm aworpnan deofle. Swæ swæ Saul Israhela kyning ðurh eaðmodnesse he geearnode ðæt rice, ond for ðæs rices heanesse him weoxon ofermetto. For eaðmodnesse he wæs ahafen ofer oðre menn, ond for ofermettum he wæs aworpen. Dryhten ðæt gecyðde ða þa he cwæð: Đa ðu ðe selfum ðuhtest unwenlic, ða ic ðe gesette eallum Israhelum to heafde. Ærest him ðuhte selfum ðæt he wære swiłe unmedeme, ac siððan he understungen & awreðed wæs mid ðys hwilendlecan onwalde, he ðuhte him selfum swiðe unlytel & swiðe medeme. Forðæm he hiene æthof from oðerra monna geferrædenne, & hiene dyde oðrum monnum swæ ungelicne. Forðy he ongeat ðæt he ma meahte ðonne ænig oðer, ða wende he ðæt he eac mara wære. Đæt wæs wunderlicu gemetgung ðætte ða ða he him selfum wæs lytel geðuht, ða wæs he Gode micel geðuht, ond ða ða he wæs him selfum micel geðuht, ða wæs he Gode lytel geðuht. Swæ oft ðonne ðæt mod aðintt on ofermettum for ðære menge ðæs folces þe him underðieded bið, hit bið gewemmed mid ðæs onwaldes heanesse. Đone onwald mæg wel reccean se þe ægðer ge hiene habban con ge wiðwinnan. Wel hine secð [recð] se þe conn wel stræc beon & ahafen wið þa unryhtwisan & wið þa scyldgan & wel emn wið oðre men, & he hiene na betran ne deð. Ac ðæt mennisce mod bið oft upahafen, ðeah hit mid nane onwalde ne sie underled ; ac hu micle ma wenst ðu ðæt hit

drous judgment he obtained through his own presumption the abyss into which he was cast, when he exalted himself in imagination to such a height of power. Without doubt when a man is impatient of being like other men he resembles the perverse and banished devil. As Saul, king of Israel, through humility obtained sovereignty, and became proud because of the dignity of power. Through humility he was raised above others, and through pride he was rejected. God showed it when he said: “When thou didst seem despicable in thine own eyes I made thee chief of all Israel.” As first he himself thought that he was incompetent, but when he was supported by transitory authority, he considered himself far from despicable and quite com- petent. Therefore he exalted himself above the companionship of