Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/141

132 GREGORY'S PASTORAL. [Cotton MSS. fett ne asliden on ðæm færelte, forðæm, gif þa fet weorðað ansrencte, eal se lichoma wierð gebigged, & ðæt heafod gecymð æt [on] ðære eorðan. Hu gerades mæg ðonne se biscep brucan ðære hierdelican are, gif he self drohtað on ðæm eorðlicum tielengum þe he oðrum monnum lean sceolde? Forðæm ryhtan edleane Dryhten ðreade ðurh ðone witgan, þa hle cwæð: Swelc ðæt folc bið, swelc bið se sacerd. Đonne bið se sacerd swelc swelc ðæt folc bið, ðonne he tæt ilce deð ðæt hie doð, & his on þa ilcan wisan tiolað þe hie doð. Đæt ongeat Ieremias se witga, þa þa he swiðe sarlice weop, & spræc swelce ðæt templ wære eal toworpen; he cwæð: Eala, hwy is ðis gold adeorcad? & ðæt æðeleste hiew hwy wearð hit onhworfen [ahworfen]? Toworpne sint ða stanas ðæs temples, & licgeað ðæt ælcre stræte ende. Hwæt tacnað ðonne ðæt gold þe is swæ deorwierðe ofer eal oðer ondweorc, buton ða heanesse ðæs haligdomes? Oððe hwæt getacnað ðæt ædele hiew buton ða arwyrðnesse ðære æfestnesse, þe eallum monnum is to lufianne? Hwæt getacniað eac ða stanas ðæs halgan huses buton ðone hád ðære halgan endebyrdnesse? Hwæt getacnað eac sio rume stræt buton ðone widan weg ðysses andweardan lifes? Be ðæm ruman wege sio Soðfæstnes, ðæt is Crist, ðurh hiene selfne he cwæð: Đæt is swiðe rum weg & widgille þe læt to forwyrde. Ac ðonne bið ðæt gold asweartod, ðonne sio halignes monnes lifes bið mid eorðlicum weorcum gewemmed. And ðonne bið ðæt æðeleste hiow onhworfen, ðonne se æht ðara godra weorca, þe he ær beéode, bið gewanod, forðæmþe men ær wendon ðæt he ær æfestlice drohtode. Ac ðonne hwelc æfter halgum hade hiene selfne fæstlice geimpað on

not to let the feet slip in their course, for, if the feet fail, the whole body is inclined, and the head comes to the ground. How, then, can the bishop properly enjoy the pastoral dignity, if he is himself engaged in those earthly occupations which he ought to blame in others ? Therefore God justly requited them by reproving them through the prophet when he said : “As the people are, such is the priest." The priest is the same as the people, when he does the same as they do, and has the same aspirations as they. Jeremiah the prophet perceived it, when he wept very sorely, and spoke as if the temple were altogether destroyed; he said : “Alas, why is the gold dimmed, and why is the noblest colour changed? The stones of the temple are scattered, and lic at the end of every strect." What signifies the gold, which is so