Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/153

114 GREGORY'S PASTORAL. [Cotton MSS. arasiað, & mid ealle ofðrysceað; ond hie nære bilwitlice willað monian, ac hie ofergietað ðære hierdelican lufan, & egesiað hie & ðreatiað mid onwalde swæ swæ hlafordas. Ðas ðonne wæron ðurh ðone witgan swiðe ryhtlice geðreade mid ðære godcundan stefne, þa he cwæð: Ge budon swiðe riclice & swiðe agendlice. Đæt is be ðæm þe ma lufiað hie selfe & hiera agenne weorðscipe ðonne hiera Hlafordes. Hie ðonne ahebbað hie ofer hiera hieremenn, & ðenceað á hwæt hie dón mægen, & ne geðenceað no hwæt he dón scoldon, & ne ondrædað ðone dom þe ðæræfter fylgeð; ac swiðe scamleaslice gilpað ðisses hwilendlican onwaldes, & licað him ðæt hie ðæt unaliefede doð aliefedlice, & hiera hieremanna him nan ne wiðcwið. Se ðonne se wilnað woh to donne, & wilnað [ðeah] ðæt ðæs oðre men swugien, he ðonne bið him selfum gewiota ðæt hie wilnað ma ðæt hiene man lufige ðonne ryhtwisnesse. Forðæm nan mon nis be eallinga swæ libban mæge ðæt he hwilum ne agylte. Se ðonne wilnað swiður ðæt mon lufige soðfæstnesse ðonne hiene selfne, se þe wilnað ðæt mon nanre ryhtwisnesse fore him ne wandige. For ðissum ðingum sanctus Petrus onfeng swiðe lustlice sancte Paules tælinge. Ond eft Dauid se kyning onfeng swiðe eaðmodlice his agnes ðegnes cease, ðæt wæs Naðan se witga. Forðæm eac ða godan recceras ðonne hie ne recceað hwæðer mon hie selfe synderlice & ungemetlice lufige, hie wenað, ðeah hiera hieremen hie mid ryhte herigen for hiera agnum gewyrhtum, ðæt hie ðæt dón for lufan & for eaðmodnesse, nalles for his geearnungum. Ðonne is swiðe micel ðearf ðæt we mid micle cræfte betweox ðissum gemetgigen ða gemetgunge ðæs reccedomes, ðætte

never care to admonish them mildly, but forget the pastoral love, and terrify and threaten them with authority like lords. These were very rightly reproved through the prophet by the divine voice when he said: “Ye commanded very severely and very imperiously.” This is said of those who love themselves and their own dignity more than that of their Lord. They exalt themselves above their subjects, and always think of what they can, not of what they ought to do, and do not fear the judgment which follows; but most shamelessly boast of their temporary authority, and take delight in doing what is unlawful as it were lawfully, and none of their subjects opposes them. But he who wishes to do wrong, and yet hopes that other men will keep silent about it, is his own witness that he desires men to love himself more than