Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/15

GREGORY'S PASTORAL. [Cotton MSS. ærest on Ebreisc geðiode funden, & eft, þa þa hie Crecas geleornodon, þa wendon hi hie on hiora ægen geðiode ealle, & eac ealle oðre bec. And eft Lædenware swa same, siððan hi hie geleornodon, hi hie wendon ealla ðurh wise wealhstodas on hiora agen geðeode. & eac ealla oðra Cristena ðioda sumne dæl hiora on hiora agen geðiode wendon. Forðy me ðyncð betre, gif iow swa ðyncð, þæt we eac suma bec, ða þe nidbeðyrfesta sien eallum monnum to witanne, þæt we þa on ðæt geðeode wenden þe we ealle gecnawan mægen, & ge we swiðe eaðe magon mid Godes fultume, gif we þa stilnesse habbað, ðætte eal sio gioguð þe nu is on Angelkynne friora monna, þara þe þa speda hæbben þæt hie ðæm befeolan mægen, sien to leornunga oðfæste, þa hwile þe hi to nanre oðerre note ne mægen, oð ðone first þe hie wel cunnen Englisc gewrit arædan: lære mon siððan furður on Lædengeðeode þa þe mon furðor læran wille & to hierran hade don wille. Đa ic þa gemunde hu sio lar Lædengeðeodes ær ðysum oðfeallen wæs geond Angelkynn, & ðeah monege cuðon Englisc gewrit arædan, þa ongan ic ongemang oðrum mislicum & monigfaldum bisgum ðisses kynerices þa boc wendan on Englisc þe is genemned on Læden Pastoralis, & on Englisc Hirdeboc, hwilum word be worde, hwilum ondgit of andgite, swæ swæ ic hie geleornode æt Plegmunde minum ærcebiscepe & æt Asserie minum biscepe & æt Grimbolde minum mæssepreoste & æt Iohanne minum mæssepreoste. Siððan ic hie þa geleornod hæfde, swæ swæ ic hie forstod, & swæ ic hie andgitfullicost areccean mæhte, ic hie on Englisc awende ; & to ælcum biscepstole on minum rice wille ane onsendan ; & on ælcre bið an æstel, se bið on

known in Hebrew, and again, when the Greeks had learnt it, they translated the whole of it into their own language, and all other books besides. And again the Romans, when they had learnt it, they trans- lated the whole of it through learned interþreters into their own lan- guage. And also all other Christian nations translated a þart of them into their own language. Therefore it seems better to me, if ye think so, for us also to translate some books which are most needful for all men to know into the language which we can all understand, and for you to do as we very easily can if we have tranquillity enough, that is that all the youth now in England of free men, who are rich enough to be able to devote themselves to it, be set to learn as long as they are not fit for any other occuþation, until that they are well