Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/131

122 GREGORY'S PASTORAL. [Cotton MSS. landsida on his scire. Ond ðeah hwilum giet swiður hie gesyngiað [syngiað] on ðæm þe hie healdað ma geferrædenne & efnlicnesse ðonne ealdordom wið ða yflan & ða unryhtwisan. Swæ Heli se sacerd dyde. He wæs mid leasre mildheortnesse oferswiðed ðæt he nolde witnian his agne suna ða hie agylton, ac beforan ðæm ðearlwisan Deman he ofslog ægðer ge ða suna ge hiene selfne midðæmþe he geðafode ða scylde unwitnode. Hit wæs onlicost swelce sio godcunde stefn to him cwæde: Đu weorðast ðine suna ma ðonne me. And eft ðurh ðone witgan wæs gecidd ðæm hierdum, ða he cwæð: Đæt sceap ðæt ðær seancforad wæs ne spilcte ge ðæt, & ðæt ðær forloren wæs ne sohte ge ðæt, ne ham ne brohton. Se bringð ham ðone forlorenan se þe mid geornfulnesse ðære hierdelican giemenne fone þe afielð on synne eft gehwierfð & arærð ðæt he stent on ryhtwisnesse. Hwæt se foroda sceonca bið gewriðen mid ðæm bende, swæ bioð ða synna mid ðæm lareowdome gebundne. Swæ swæ sio wund wile toberan, gif hio ne bið gewriten mid wræðe, swæ willað ða synna weaxende toflowan, gif hie ne beoð gebundne hwilum mid stræclice lareowdome. & swæðeah oft sio wund bið ðæs þe wierðe & ðy mare, gif hio bið unwærlice gewriðen, & him bið ðæt sar þe gefredre [ungefredre], gif sio wund bið to ungemetlice fæste gewriðen. Swæ is eac ðearf ðæt se lareow, se big ðære saule læce, ðara synna wunda stierende gemetlice gewriðe on his hieremonnum, & ðeah swæ geornlice bega ða ryhtwisnesse ðæs lareowdomes wið þa gyltendan ðæt he ne forlæte his mildheortnesse. Ond eac him is to giemenne ðæt he ætiewe his hieremonnum ðæt he sie hiera fæder & reccere on lare, & hiora modur on mildheortnesse, ðæt he huru ne sie to

the wicked and unrighteous rather than exercising their authority. Thus did Eli the priest. He was overcome with false humanity so as not to punish his own sons when they sinned, but before the severe Judge he slew both his sons and himself by allowing their sins to pass unpunished. It was as if the divine voice had said to him : were blamed through the prophet, when he said : “Ye did not bind up the broken leg of the sheep, nor did ye seek that which was lost, and bring it home.” He brings home the lost one who, with the zeal of pastoral care, brings back and raises up him who falls into sin, so that he stands in righteousness. The broken leg is bound with
 * Thou honourest thy sons more than me.” And, again, shepherds