Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/159

150 GREGORY'S PASTORAL. [Cotton MSS. ryhtwislica anda akolige ðæt he hit eft swæ eaðe wrecan ne mæge, ðætte forðy to ungemetlice ne sie geliðod ðæm scyldgan, ðylæs him ðæs godan weorces lean losige þe he mid ðære steore geearnian sceolde.

XXI. Hu gesceadwis se reccere sceal bion on his ðreaunga & on his oleccunga, & eac on his hatheortnesse & on his manðwærnesse.

Eac is to wietanne ðæt hwilum bið god wærlice to miðanne his hieremonna scylda & to licettanne swelce he hit nyte; hwilum eft to secgeanne; hwilum, ðeah hit mon cuðlice wiete, hit is to forberanne; hwilum eft smealice & geornlice to seceanne; hwilum liðelice to ðreatigeanne; hwilum swiðlice & stræclice to ðrafianne. Monige sint, swæ swæ we ær cwædon, þe mon sceal wærlice licettan, & ðeahhwæðre eft kyðan, forðon ðæt hie ongieten ðæt hie mon tæle, & ðæt eaðmodlice gaðafien, & ðonne ða scylda þe hie diegollice on him selfum forberað hie geornlice on hiera agnum ingeðonce sceawigen, & on him selfum demen & wrecen, & hie forscamige ðæt hie eft swæ dón ; ðonne bið he self geladod wið hiene selfne mid his agenre scame & mid his gefylde & eac mid his recceres. Be ðære ieldinge swiðe wel Dryhten ðreade Iudeas, ða he cwæð ðurh ðone witgan : Ge sindon leogende: næron ge no min gemunende, ne ge no ne geðohton on eowerre heortan ðæt ic swugode, swelce ic hit ne gesawe. He ielde, & ðafode ða scylda, & ðeah he him gekyðde; ðeah þe he wið ða scyldgigendan swugude, he hit him ðeah swigende gesæde. Ac monige

and severely, lest he delay, so that his righteous indignation become cold, and he cannot afterwards so easily punish it, that the sinful man be not let off too easily, lest he lose the reward of the good work which he ought to have merited with correction. XXI. How discreet the ruler must be in reproving and flattering, and also in his zeal and gentleness. It is also good to know that he ought sometimes cautiously to con- ceal the sins of his subjects, and pretend not to know it; sometimes, again, to tell it ; sometimes, although it is well known, it is to be tole- rated; sometimes, again, to be investigated minutely and accurately; sometimes to be blamed gently; sometimes to be corrected vigorously