Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/149

140 GREGORY'S PASTORAL. [Cotton MSS. his hieremonnum to nytte habban, ne eft he ne læte forweaxan to swiðe to unnytte & to unryhte. Be ðæm wæs swiðe wel gecweden ðæt se efsienda efsade his heafod, ðæt is ðæt he swæ geornfullice sie ymb ða giemenne ðissa hwilendlicra ðinga swæ swæ hit niedðearf sie, ond ðeah swæ swæ he mæge hie ieðlice butan sare ofaceorfan ðæt hie to ungemetlice ne forweaxen; ðylæs, ðonne ðæt lif ðæs lichoman bið gescielded, ðæt ingedonc sie gebunden ðære heortan for ðære ungemetgunge ðæs ymbehogan ðara uterra ðinga; swæ sindon ða loccas to sparianne ðæm sacerde ðæt hie ða hyd beheligen, & ðeah ðæt he hie forceorfe ær, ær hie on ða eagan feallen.

XIX. Đætte se reccere his godan weorc for gielpe anum ne dó, ac ma for Godes lufan.

Betweox ðissum is micel ðearf ðæt se reccere geornlice wacige & ðence ðæt hiene ne cnysse sio wilnung ðæt he sciele monnum lician; forðæm, ðonne he geornlice ongit ða innerran & ða gastlican ðing on his ingeðonce, ond swiðe wel giemeð ðara uterra ðinga, ðæt he ðonne ma ne wilnige ðæt he self licige his hieremonnum ðonne Gode ; ðylæs ðonne he mid godum weorcum bið underwreðed, & from worldmonnum ongieten swelce he sie elðiedig on ðissum middangearde, ðæt he ðonne for ðære wilnunge his agne [agnes] gilpes & heringe ne weorde elðiedig from Gode. Se bið eallinga Godes gewinna se se þe wilnað ðæt he hæbbe þa weorðunga for his godan weorcum þe

to shave his head, or let his hair grow; that is, that he is not to cut away from his mind all the thoughts which he ought to preserve for the benefit of his subjects, nor yet let them grow too rankly so as to be useless and evil. About which it was well said that the cutter was to cut his hair; in other words, that he is to be as zealous as is needful in the care of transitory things, and yet so as easily to be able to clip them without pain to prevent their growing too luxuriantly ; lest, while the bodily life is protected, the thoughts of the heart be tied down through the excessive care of outer things; the priest must pre- serve his locks so as to cover the skin, and yet clip them before they fall into his eyes.