Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/125

116 GREGORY'S PASTORAL. [Cotton MSS. Swelce he openlice cwæde : We sint emnlice on ðæm ðe we ongietað ðæt ge stondað. Eft he spræc swelce he nysse ðæt he á furður wære ðonne oðre broðor, ða he cwæð: We sint gewordene swelce lytlingas betweoxn eow. Ond eft he cwæð: We sint eowre ðeowas for Cristes lufan. Ac ðonne he gemette ða scylde þe he stieran sceolde, hrædlice he cyðde tæt he wæs magister & ealdormonn. Đæt he cyðde þa he cwæð on his epistolan to Galatum : Hwæðer wille ge ðæt ic cume to eow, þe mid gierde pe mid monðwære gaste? Swelce he cwæde : Hwæðer ic cume be mid ege þe mid lufe? Đonne bið ðæt rice wel gereaht, ðonne se þe ðærfore bið swiður wilnað ðæt he ricsige ofer monna unðeawas ðonne ofer oðre gode menn. Ac ðonne ða ealdormen ðreageað ða scyldgan, ðonne is him micel ðearf ðæt hie geornlice geðencen ðætte ðurh ða lare & ðurh ðone ege þe hie niede don sculon mid hiora onwalde gestieren ðara scylda. Ond ðeahhwædre, ðylæs he his eaðmodnesse forleose, geðence he ðæt he bið self swiðe gelic ðæm ilcan monnum þe he ðær ðreatað & hienð; ond eac we magon swigende geðencean on urum ingehygde, ðeah we hit ne sprecen, ðæt hie bioð betran ðonne we, & ðæs wierðe ðæt we hie furður dón, ðeah we to ðæm gesette sien ðæt we hie ðreagean scylen, & ðurh us scylen bion hiera scylda gestiered mid cræfte & mid lare. Ac eft ðonne we selfe gesyngiað, ne ðreað us nan mon, ne furðum ane worde ne tælð. Forðæm we bioð mid Gode swæ micle swiður gebundne swæ we for mannum orsorglicor ungewitnode syngiað buton ælcre wrace. Ac ðonne we ure hieremen lærað & ðreageað, swæ micle ma we hie gefreogeað æfter ðæm godcundan dome, swæ we her hiera synna swiður

stand in faith.” As if he had openly said: “We are equal to you in that in which we perceive you are standing." Again, he spoke as if he knew not that he was exalted above the rest of the brothers, when he said: “We have become as it were little children among you.” And again he said: “We are your servants for the love of Christ." But when he discovered the sin which he had to punish, he soon showed that he was master and lord. He showed it when he said in his Epistle to the Galatians : “Do ye wish me to come to you with a rod, or with gentleness of spirit ?” As if he had said: “ Shall I coine with fear or with love ?” The government is well administered when he who rules desires rather to rule over human vices than over other good men. But when rulers chide the sinful