Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/137

128 GREGORY'S PASTORAL. (Cotton MSS. ðæt he moste ymb swincan, & ðyncð him geswinc ðæt he bið butan worldgeswincum. & swæ hit gebyreð, ðonne he fægnað ðæt he sie abisgod mid worldðingum, ðæt he ne can oðre læran ða godcundan wisan þe he læran sceolde. Fordon aðr..... [aðreat] ða hieremen ryhtes lifes, ðonne hie wilniað gastlice libban, be ðæm yfelan bisnum þe se deð þe him fore beon sceolde. Đonne ætspornað hie, & weorðað mid ðæm ascrencte. & swæ eac ðær ðæt heafod bið unhal eal a limu bioð idelu, ðeah hie hal sien, swæ bið eac se here eal idel, ðonne he on oðer folc winnan sceal, gif se heretoga dwolað; swæ eac ðonne se biscep begæð ða ðenunga þe eorðlice deman sceoldon, ðonne ne tyht nan man his hieremonna mod ne ne bielt to gastlicum weorcum, ne nan mon hiera scylda ne ðreað, ac se hierde bið idel þe sceolde ðære heorde gieman. Forðy ne magon þa hieremenn begietan ðæt leoht ðære soðfæstnesse, forðæm ðonne sio geornfulnes eorðlicra ðinga abisgað ðæt ondgit, & ablent ðæs modes eagan mid ðære costunge [costunga] ðæm folce, suæ suæ dust deð ðæs lichoman eagan on sumera mid ðodene. Forðæm swiðe ryhtlice se Aliesend monna cynnes, ða he us stierde urra womba oferfylle, he cwæð: Behealdað eow ðæt ge ne gehefegien eowre heortan mid oferæte & oferdrynce & mid monigfealdre gieminge ðisse worlde. And eac he geiecte ðærto ege, ða he cwæð: Đylæs eow hrædlice on becume se færlica domes dæg. Þæs dæges tocyme hwelc he beo he cyðde, þa he cwæð: He cymð swæ swæ grin ofer ealle ða þe eardiað ofer eorðan. Ond eft he cwæð: Ne mæg nan mon twæm hlafordum hieran. And eac cwæð Paulus, þa þa he wolde arweorðra monna mod from ðises middangeardes geferræddenne ateon, swiðe swiðe he him

seems to him a hardship to be without worldly troubles. And so it happens, when he rejoices in being occupied with worldly matters, that he knows not how to teach the divine things which he ought to teach. Therefore the subjects become indifferent to righteous life when they wish to live spiritually, through the evil example set by their superior. Then they become rebellious, and thus are led astray. As when the head is unsound all the members are useless, even if they are sound, and as the army which is ready to attack another nation is useless if the general goes wrong ; so also when the bishop is engaged in the ministrations which properly belong to earthly judges, no one incites or encourages the minds of the subjects to spiritual works, nor does any one correct their faults, but the shep-