Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/139

130 GREGORY'S PASTORAL. [Cotton MSS. wiðbræd, ða he cwæð: Nele nan Godes ðeow hiene selfne to ungemetlice gebindan on worldscipum, ðylæs he mislicige ðæm þe he hiene ær selfne gesealde. Đa ða he lærde ðæt ðære ciricean ðegnas sceoldon stilnesse ðæra ðenunga habban, ða lærde he hie eac hu hie hie geæmetigian sceoldon oðerra weorca; he cwæð: Gif ge ymb worldcunde domas beon scylen, ðonne nime ge ða þe on ðæm hiorede unweorðuste sien, & settað þa to domerum, ðæt hie stierien [strienen] & stihten ymb ða eorðlecan ðing, ða þe ne beoð swæ swiðe geweorðude mid ðæm gastlicum gifum. Swelce he openlice cwæde : Gedoð ðæt hie sien on ðæm oðrum nytte, gif hie on ðæm oðrum ne cunnen. Be ðæm eac Moyses [sæde], se þe wæs Gode swæ weorð ðæt he oft wið hiene selfne spræc, æt sume cirre Giethro his sweor, ðeah he hæðen & elðeodig wære, hiene tælde & sæde ðæt he on ðyslicum [dyslicum] geswincum wære mid ðæs folces eorðlican ðeowote, ac lærde hiene ðæt he gesette oðre for hiene to demenne betweox ðæm folce ymb hiera geflito, ðæt he wære ðæs þe freora to ongitonne ða diglan & ða gastlican ðing, ðæt he meahte ðæt folc ðy wislecor & ðy rædlicor læran ; forðon ða hlafordas & ða recceras sculon ðencean ymbe ðæt healecoste, & ða underðieddan sculon dón ðæt unweorðlicre. Đa recceras sculon beon beforan ðæm folce swæ swæ monnes eage beforan his lichoman, his weg & his stæpas to sceawianne. Đonne is ðearf ðæt ðæt dust ðisse eorðlican giemenne ne aðiestrige ðæt eage ðæs recceres, forðæm ealle ða þe ofer oðre beoð, beoð heafdu ðara þe ðærunder beoð, & ðæt heafod sceal wisian ðæm fotum, ðæt hie stæppen on ryhtne weg; ufane sceal ðæt heafod gieman ðæt þa

this world, and charged them very straitly when he said : “Let no servant of God be too much engaged in worldly matters, lest he offend him to whom he formerly rendered himself.” When he directed that the servants of the Church were to have quietness in their ministra- tions, he also directed that they were to keep themselves free from other occupations; he said : “If ye have to deliver judgment in worldly things, take those who are least esteemed in the household, and appoint them judges, that they may rule and arrange about earthly things who are not so greatly honoured with divine gifts.” As if he had openly said : “Make them useful in the one pursuit if they cannot be so in the other.” Therefore Moses, who was in such honour with God that he often spoke to him, was once reproved by his father-in-law Jethro,