Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/155

146 GREGORY'S PASTORAL. [Cotton MSS. ðonne ðæt mod ðara underðieddra hwathwugu ryhtlices ongietan mæge, ðæt hit ðonne swæ bald sie for his freodome ðæt hit ne gewende on selflice & on ofermetto, ðonne his hlaford him to ungemetlicne onwald forgifð on his spræce, ðæt he donne forðæm ne forgiete, ne [ne] forlate his eaðmodnesse. Ond ðeah wel gedafenað ðætte ða godan recceras wilnigen ðæt hie monnum licien, forðæm ðætte ðurh ða licunga hie mægen gedón ðætte hiera Dryhten licige ðæm folce, & hie mægen geteon ðurh ða eahtunge þe hie mon eahtige hiera nihstan to ðære soðfæstnesse lufan; nalles forðæm anum þe hie wilnien ðæt hie mon synderlice lufige, ac swelce [sio] hiera lufu sie sum weg ðurh ðone hie mægen lædan þa heortan þe hie gehieran willað to ðære lufan ures Scippendes. Ac hit is ðeah swiðe earfoðdæde ðæt mon lustlice ðone lareow gehieran wille þe mon ne lufað. Fordon se þe fore oðre bion sceal, he sceal tilian ðæt he licige, forðæm ðæt he mæge beon gehered. & ðeah þa his lufe ne sece he no þa for him selfum, ðylæs he sie ongieten ðæt he sie wiðerwinna on ðære diegelnesse his geðohtes, ðæs þe he bið gesewen ðeow on his tegnunge. Đæt swiðe wel sanctus Paulus geopenode, ða he us kyðde þa digolnesse his geornfulnesse, & cwæð: Swæ swæ ic wilnige on eallum ðingum ðæt ic monnum cweme & licige. And swæðeah eft sona he cwæð: Gif ic monnum cweme & licige, ðonne ne bio ic no Godes ðeow. Hwæt ðonne Paulus ægðer ge licode ge ne licode; forðæmþe on ðæm þe he wilnode licigean, nalles no he, ðeahþe he cwæde, ac ðurh hiene he wilnode ðæt sio soðfæstnes monnum licode.

without inclining to egotism and pride, when his master gives him too great licence of speech, that he may not on that account forget or lose his humility. And yet it is right for good rulers to desire to please, in order that through their popularity they may make their Lord please the people, and through the estimation in which they themselves are held, they may draw their neighbours to the love of truth; not merely because they desire to be specially loved, but as if the love of themselves were a road by which they may lead the hearts which are willing to hear them to the love of our Creator. For it is very difficult for a man willingly to listen to the teacher